Maryam (Maryam)

In the name of Allah, Gracious, Merciful.

¹K. H. Y. A. S.

²This is a recital of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zakariya.¹

³Behold! he cried to his Lord in secret.

⁴Praying: “O my Lord! infirm indeed are my bones and the hair of my head does glisten with grey: but never am I unblest, O my Lord in my prayer to You!

⁵“Now I fear what my relatives and colleagues will do after me: but my wife is barren: so give me an heir as from Yourself.²

⁶“One that will truly represent me and represent the posterity of Jacob; and make him, O my Lord! one with whom You are well pleased!”

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

¹Kaf ha ya aiin sua.

²Zikru rahumati rabbika abudahu Zakariya.

³Izu nada rabbahu nida an khafiyan.

⁴Qala rabbi inni wahana luattumu minni washtaala rasu saiban wa lam akunu biduaika rabbi shaqiyan.

⁵Wa inni khifutu lumawaliya min warai wa kanati umuraati aqiran fahabu li min ladunuka waliyan.

⁶Yaritusuni wayaritusu min alli Yakuba wajaluhu rabbi raddiyan.

1. The passage begins with, “This is a recital of the Mercy of your Lord to His Servant Zakariya”, and continues to give an account of the life of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. What makes it ironic is the fact that this is supposed to be a revelation, although, the facts were or should have been known to him before this revelation. It would have been easier to accept, had it read, “This is what happened to Zechariah, the servant of God”.

2. What would have happened after the death of Zechariah, had he died without a son? The speculation is that after his death, if he had no son of his own to succeed him, a nephew would have succeeded him, but since his nephews were unbelievers, he was apprehensive and therefore requested for a son in his old age. This story is as true as saying that it was Adam who requested for a companion from God. The decision to give Zechariah a son in his old age was entirely God’s. It was not prompted by Zechariah concern for the work of god after his demise, but by the Providence and Sovereignty of God.

⁷His prayer was answered: “O Zakariya! We give You good news of a son: his name shall be Yahya: on none by that name have We conferred distinction before.”³

⁸He said: “O my Lord! how shall I have a son when my wife is barren and I have grown quite decrepit from old age?”

⁹He said: “So it will be: your Lord says “That is easy for Me: I did indeed create you before when you had been nothing!’”⁴

¹⁰He said “O my Lord! give me a sign.” “Your sign” was the answer “shall be that you shall speak to no man for three nights although you are not dumb.”⁵

¹¹So Zakariya came out to his people from his chamber: he told them by signs to celebrate Allah’s praises in the morning and in the evening.

⁷Ya Zakariya inna nubashiruka biguhulami nismuhu Yahuya lamu najalu lahu min qabulu samiyan.

⁸Qala rabbi anna yakunu li guhulamun wa kanati amuraati aqiran wa qadu balagutu mina lukibari itiyan.

⁹Qala kazalika qala rabbuka huwa allaya hayinun wa qadu khalaqutuka min qabulu wa lamu taku shaiin.

¹⁰Qala rabbi julu li ayatan qala ayatuka alla tukalima nasa salasa lailin sawiyan.

¹¹Fakhuraja alla qaumihi mina lu mihurabi fa auha ilaihim an sabihu bukuratan wa ashiyan.

3. If God is one to whom Zechariah supplicated, who are those who answered his prayer?

4. The verse creates the impression that man was created from nothing. That is not only false, but it also stands in contradiction to what the Qur’an teaches about man’s creation.

5. Again comparing Qur’an 3:41 and this verse with the Biblical account, we get three different versions. The Qur’an speaks of three days in the above verse, three nights in Qur’an 3:41 and until the fulfilment of the promise in Luke 1:20. It is interesting to note how the Qur’an often deviates from historical facts to fallacies and still credits Allah with all such errors. This incident recorded in the Qur’an is over six hundred years after the fact. And it has proven to be unreliable because it misrepresents the story even within the same book (the Qur’an), to this end we must test all spirits and prove them to avoid being misled.

¹²To his son came the command: “O Yahya! take hold of the book with might”: and We gave him wisdom even as a youth.

¹³And pity for all creatures as from Us and purity: he was devout.

¹⁴And kind to his parents and he was not overbearing or rebellious.

¹⁵So peace be on him the day he was born, the day that he dies, and the day that he will be raised up to life again!⁶

¹⁶Relate in the book the story of Mary when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East.⁷

¹⁷She placed a screen to screen herself from them: then We sent to her Our angel and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.

¹⁸She said: “I seek refuge from the most gracious: if you fear Allah.”

¹⁹He said: “Nay, I am only a messenger from your Lord to announce to you the gift of a holy son.”⁸

¹²Ya Yahuya khuzi lukitaba biquwatin wa atainahu luhukuma sabiyan.

¹³Wa hananan min laduna wa zakatan wa kana taqiyan.

¹⁴Wa baran biwalidaihi wa lam yakunu jabaran assiyan.

¹⁵Wa salamun alaihi yauma wulida wa yauma yamutu wa yauma yubasu hayan.

¹⁶Wazuku fil kitabi Maryamu izi nutabazatu min ahuliha makanan sharuqiyan.

¹⁷Fat takhazatu min dunihim hijaba fa arusaluna ilaiha ruhana fatamasala laha basharan sawiyan.

¹⁸Qalatu inni auzu birahumani minuka in kunta taqiyan.

¹⁹Qala innama anna rasulu rabbiki liahaba laki gulaman zakiyan.

6. Jesus Christ is the only other person of whom similar statement is attributed in Qur’an 19:33.

7. A place in the East, some say is the Eastern part of the Temple, because according to Qur’an 3:34-37, Mary was a Temple maid under the supervision of Zechariah, just as Samuel was a Temple servant under the tutelage of Eli, and that she was assigned a chamber in the Eastern section of the Temple. Therefore she had retired there to pray when the angel appeared unto her with the annunciation. Think back to the story of Samuel and how the Lord appeared to him in the hall of Eli and you will be convinced that story has been duplicated with a change of characters.

8. The angel came with a gift of a Holy Son from Allah to Mary. The interesting question which must be considered is this; whose Son would Christ be?

The Qur’an refers to Him as the Son of Mary, contrary to the Arabic culture where is always called after his father, i.e. ibn Malik (son of Malik). In this wise, the proper name of Jesus should be Isa ibn Allah (Jesus Son of God). Muslims and other unbelievers are of the opinion that when one refers to Jesus as the Son of God, one makes Mary the cohort of Allah or God. That is as repugnant to Christians as it is to Muslims. A better understanding of the subject is Luke’s rendition of the account in chapter 1:34-35:

Mary asked the angel, "How can this be, since I have not had relations with a man?" The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come over you, and the power of the Most High will cover you. Therefore, the child will be holy and will be called the Son of God.

This is in part how Jesus is referred to as the Son of God, not as alleged by some.

²⁰She said: “How shall I have a son seeing that no man has touched me and I am not unchaste?”

²¹He said: “So it will be: your Lord says “That is easy for Me: and We wish to appoint him as a sign unto men and a mercy from Us”: it is a matter so decreed.”

²²So she conceived him and she retired with him to a remote place.⁹

²³And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree: she cried in her anguish: “Ah! would that I had died before this! Would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!”

²⁴But a voice cried to her from beneath the palm tree: “Grieve not! for your Lord has provided a rivulet beneath you;¹⁰

²⁵“And shake the trunk of the palm tree towards you: it will let fall fresh ripe dates upon you.

²⁰Qalatu anna yakunu ligulamun walam yamusasuni basharun wa lam aku bagiyan

²¹Qala kazaliki qala rabbuki huwa allayan hayin wa linajualahu ayatan linasi wa rahumatan minna wa kana amuran maquddiyan.

²²Fahamalatuhu faantabazatu bihi makanan qasiyan.

²³Fa ajaaha lumakhaddu illa jizui nakhulati qalatu yalaitani mitu qabula haza wa kunutu nasuyan manusiyan.

²⁴Fanadaha min tahutiha alla tahuzani qadu jaala rabbuki tahutaki sariyan.

²⁵Wa huziu ilaiki bijizuin nakhulati tusaqittu alaiki rutuaban janiyan.

9. The Qur’anic account does not feature Joseph as part of the deal, therefore Yusuf Ali says that the remote place bears reference to a distant place because from Nazareth to Bethlehem is 71 miles and even that aside she went into an obscure place under a palm tree where she gave birth to Jesus and brought to a manger in a stable in the town of Bethlehem. This story is a bit hard to swallow in comparison to the Biblical account in Luke 2:1-14:

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be registered. This was the first registration taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all the people went to their hometowns to be registered. Joseph, too, went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was a descendant of the household and family of David. He went there to be registered with Mary, who had been promised to him in marriage and was pregnant.

While they were there, the time came for her to have her baby, and she gave birth to her first child, a son.

She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was not any room for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, watching their flock during the night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

Then the angel said to them, "Stop being afraid! Listen! I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. Today your Savior, Christ the Lord, was born in the city of David. And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a multitude of the Heavenly Army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people who enjoy his favor!"

The announcement of peace on the Day I was born, is clearly stated here. There is no such reference anywhere in the Qur’an. However, the story in the Bible makes more sense than the Qur’anic account which overlooks details and makes a lot of assumptions. The Bible is specific, whereas the Qur’an is not.

10. Jesus was not born on a desert under a date palm tree, the only person who was in the desert where a rivulet miraculously appeared was Ishmael according to Genesis 21:14-19:

So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, "Let me not look on the death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation." Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

The Bible explicitly tells us that Jesus was born in a barn, because, when Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem for the census, all the hotels and guest houses were full. The only other accommodation available to them therefore was a barn and Jesus was laid in a manger. Please see note 9 on verse 22.

²⁶“So eat and drink and cool your eye. And if you do see any man say “I have vowed a fast to the most gracious, and this day I will not talk with any human being.’”¹¹

²⁷At length she brought the babe to her people carrying him. They said: “O Mary! truly you have brought an amazing thing!

²⁸“O sister of Aaron! your father was not a man of evil nor your mother a woman unchaste!”¹²

²⁹But she pointed to the babe. They said: “How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?”

³⁰He said: “I am indeed a servant of Allah: He has given me revelation and made me a prophet.

²⁶Fakuli washurabiu waqariu aina fa imma tarayina mina lubashari ahadan faquli inni nazarutu lirahumani suauman falan ukalima luyauma insiyan.

²⁷Fa atatu bihi qaumaha tahumiluhu qalu ya Maryamu laqadu jiuti saian fariyan.

²⁸Ya ukhuta Haruna ma kana abuki mura asauin wa ma kanatu umuki bagiyan.

²⁹Fa asharatu ilaihi qalu kaifa nukalimu man kana fil mahudi suabiyan.

³⁰Qala inni abudullahi ataniya lukitaba wa jaalani nabiyan.

11. This incident never happened because she was with Joseph and most certainly with other women who may have encouraged and supported her in her delivery, cutting the umbilical cord and burying the placenta, washing the baby and wrapping Him up in swaddling clothes. With all these assistance from others, it would be virtually impossible not to speak to any other human being.

12. Sister of Aaron indeed. This also constitutes another grievous and unpardonable error. Aaron, Miriam and Moses are Levites who lived several centuries before Mary the Mother of Jesus who is from the tribe of Judah, which no amount of wishful thinking can change. According to the translators of The Noble Qur’an:

“This Harun, (Aaron) is not the brother of Moses, but he was another pious man at the time of Maryam (Mary).

Some claim that Mary actually had a brother named Aaron. Whilst others purport that Elizabeth was a Levite and being a cousin of Mary, therefore Mary was a Levite and consequently a sister of Aaron in that sense.

In any case, it is a matter great confusion to even imagine that the two are related. It therefore amounts to contradiction.

³¹“And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be and has enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live.¹³

³². “He has made me kind to my mother and not overbearing or miserable.

³³“Ans so peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life again”!¹⁴

³⁴Such was Jesus, the son of Mary: it is a statement of truth about which they dispute.

³⁵It is not befitting to Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it “Be” and it is.

³⁶And verily, Allah is my Lord and your Lord: Him therefore serve: this is a way that is straight.

³¹Wa jaalani mubarakan aina ma kuntu wa ausuani bi sualati wazakati ma dumutu hayan.

³²Wa baran biwalidati wa lam yajualuni jabaran shaqiyan.

³³Wasalamu alaya yauma wulidutu wa yauma amutu wa yauma ubasu hayan.

³⁴Zalika Isa bunu Maryam qaulal haq qil lazi fihi yamutarun.

³⁵Ma kana lillahi anyatakhiza miwaladin subuhanaha iza qaduaa amuran fa innama yaqulu lahu kun fayakun.

³⁶Wa innallaha rabbi wa rabbukum fabuduhu haza ssirattun musutaqimun.

13. George Sale commenting on the nature of the birth of Christ had this to say:

“It has been observed, that the Muhammadan account of the delivery of the virgin Mary much resembles that of Latona, as described by the poets (Sikii not. In Evang. Infant. p. 9, 21 & c), ... but also of their infants speaking; which Appolo is fabled to have done in the womb. (Callimach. ibid....).

Islamic tradition transmitted by Sahih Al-Bukhari in his Hadith 4.645 which was narrated by Abu Huraira has this to say:

“The Prophet said, “None spoke in cradle but three: (The first was) Jesus, (the second was) a man from Bani Israel called Juraij. While he was offering his prayers, his mother came and called him. He said (to himself), ‘Shall I answer her or keep on praying?’

(He went on praying) and did not answer her, his mother said, ‘O Allah! Do not let him die till he sees the faces of prostitutes.’ So while he was in his hermitage, a lady came and sought to seduce him, but he refused.

So she went to a shepherd and presented herself to him to commit illegal sexual intercourse with her and then later she gave birth to a child and claimed that it belonged to Juraij. The people, therefore, came to him and dismantled his hermitage and expelled him out of it and abused him. Juraij performed the ablution and offered prayer, and then came to the child and said, ‘O child! Who is your father?’ The child replied, ‘The shepherd.’ (After hearing this) the people said, ‘We shall rebuild your hermitage of gold,’ but he said, ‘No, of nothing but mud.’

(The third was the hero of the following story) A lady from Bani Israel was nursing her child at her breast when a handsome rider passed by her. She said, ‘O Allah! Make my child like him.’ On that the child left her breast, and facing the rider said, ‘O Allah! Do not make me like him.’ The child then started to suck her breast again. (Abu Huraira further said, “As if I were now looking at the Prophet sucking his finger (in way of demonstration.”) After a while the people passed by, with a lady slave and she (i.e. the child’s mother) said, ‘O Allah! Do not make my child like this (slave girl)!, On that the child left her breast and said, ‘O Allah! Make me like her.’ When she asked why, the child replied, ‘The rider is one of the tyrants while this slave girl is falsely accused of theft and illegal sexual intercourse.’

Did Jesus speak in the cradle? The answer is a resounding and an emphatic no. The pagan world, however, in seeking to fascinate their adherents make such extravagant claims in order to hold their followers in a permanent servitude.

14. There is such a great controversy about the death of Jesus Christ, the Qur’an in 4:157-158 rejects the facts surrounding His death. Yusuf Ali gives this commentary in that regards,

“There is difference of opinion as to the exact interpretation of this verse. The words are: The Jews did not kill Jesus, but Allah raised him up (rafau) to Himself. One school holds that Jesus did not die the usual human death, but still lives in the body in heaven, which is the generally accepted Muslim view.”

The Ahmadi Muslims believes that He died at the ripe of age of 120 in India. This age old debate should have been settled by now if opponents would simply read and accept what both the Bible and the Qur’an has agreed on. In this verse ,Christ is made to say in the cradle that “... Peace will be on Him the Day that He shall die.” Qur’an 3:55 says that Allah said to Jesus that He (Allah) was going to bring the life of Jesus to an end and then lift Him up to heaven.

On the fortieth day after His resurrection, He went up to heaven according to Acts of the Apostles 1:11. To refuse to accept this fact is to refuse to accept the witness of God, the multitude and the angels. This is perhaps why George Sale rightly says that “these were the first words which were put in the mouth of Jesus, to obviate the imagination of His partaking in the Divine nature, or having a right to the worship of mankind...” In other words, it was a propaganda to strip Jesus of His divinity which the Qur’an attests to. Verse 35 confirms the Muslim reduction and rejection of the fact. See the end of this chapter for more on the Deity of Christ.

³⁷But the sects differ among themselves: and woe to the unbelievers because of the judgment of a momentous day!

³⁸How plainly will they see and hear the day that they will appear before Us! But the unjust today are in manifest error!

³⁹But warn them of the day of distress when the matter will be determined: for they are negligent and they do not believe!

⁴⁰It is We who will inherit the earth and all beings thereon: to Us will they all be returned.¹⁵

⁴¹Also mention in the book the story of Abraham: he was a man of truth, a prophet.

⁴²Behold he said to his father: “O my father! why worship that which hears not and sees not and cannot profit you?

³⁷Fakhutalafal ahuzabu min bainihim fawailu lil lazina kafaru min masuhadi yaumin attimin.

³⁸Asumiu bihim wa abussiru yauma yatunana lakini tualimunal yauma fi dualalin mubinin.

³⁹Wa anuziruhum yaumal hasurati izu quddiya luamuru wa hum fi gafulatin wahum la yuminun.

⁴⁰Inna nahunu narisu l arudua wa man alaiha wa ilaina yurujaun.

⁴¹Wazukuru filukitabi Ibrahim innahu kana ssidiiqan nabiyyan.

⁴²Izu qala li abihi ya abati lima tabudu ma la yasumau wa la yubussiru wa la yuguni anka shaian.

15. Please refer to verse 40. Inheritance is a thing among human beings and in systems where procreation exists. Since according to Muslims Allah owns everything, how is He to inherit that which is already His? Or could it be that, Allah is not the Originator of all things? In my lay view, for Allah to inherit anything is to reduce Him to the level of a god like Apollo or any other territorial deity. He is no god who inherits after human beings. The Bible says that God owns everything, Isaiah 66:1: Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? Psalm 50:10: For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. Jeremiah 32:27: Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? The Bible says further in Matthew 5:5; that” Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth’. Where does Allah come in?

⁴³“O my father! to me has come knowledge which has not reached you: so follow me: I will guide you to a way that is even and straight.

⁴⁴“O my father! serve not Satan: for Satan is a rebel against the most gracious.

⁴⁵“O my father! I fear lest a penalty afflict thee from the most gracious so that you become to Satan a friend.”

⁴⁶He replied: “Do you hate my gods, O Abraham? If you forbear not I will indeed stone you: now get away from me for a good long while!”

⁴⁷Abraham said: “Peace be on you: I will pray to my Lord for your forgiveness, for He is to me most gracious.

⁴³Ya abati inni qadu jaani minal ilumi ma lam yatika fatabiuni ahudika ssiratuan sawiyan.

⁴⁴Ya abati la tabudi shaituana inna shaituana kana li rahumani assiyan.

⁴⁵Ya abati inni akhafu an yamasaka azabun mina rahumani fatakuna li shaituani waliyan.

⁴⁶Qala aragibun anta an alihati ya Ibrahim la illam tanutahi la arujumanaka wahu juruni maliyan.

⁴⁷Qala salamun alaika sa asutagufiru laka rabbi innahu kana hafiyan.

[Commentary continues below.]

⁴⁸“And I will turn away from you and from those whom you invoke besides Allah: I will call on my Lord: Perhaps by my prayer to my Lord I shall be not unblest.”

⁴⁹When he had turned away from them and from those whom they worshiped besides Allah, We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob and each one of them We made a prophet.¹⁶

⁵⁰And We bestowed of Our mercy on them and We granted them lofty honor on the tongue of truth.

⁵¹Also mention in the book Moses: for he was specially chosen and he was an apostle and a prophet.

⁵²And We called him from the right side of Mount Sinai and made him draw near to Us for mystic converse.¹⁷

⁵³And out of Our mercy We gave him his brother Aaron also a prophet.¹⁸

⁴⁸Wa atazilukum wa ma taduna min duni lahi wa adu rabbi asa alla akuna biduai rabbi shaqiyan.

⁴⁹Falama utazalahum wa ma yaubuduna min duni lahi wahabuna lahu Ishaqa wa Yaqub wa kullan jaalna nabiyyan.

⁵⁰Wa wahabuna lahum min rahumatina wa jaaluna lahum lisana ssiduqin aliyan.

⁵¹Wazukuru fil kitabi Musa innahu kana mukhulasuan wa kana rasulan nabiyan.

⁵²Wa nadainahu min janibi ttuuril aimani wa qarabunahu najiyan.

⁵³Wa wahabuna lahu min rahumatina akhahu Haruna nabiyan.

16. According to the conversation from verses 41 to 47, Abraham was kicked out by his father because of his faith. Not so, Abraham left the land of his father on account of what God told him after the death of Terah, his father (Genesis 11:31-32). Chapter 12:1-5 begins with the call of Abraham by God to go to a land which God was going to give Him, that land became the land of Canaan. It is interesting to note here that Isaac and Jacob are mentioned as the progeny of Abraham with no mention of Ishmael. The omission is not an oversight but deliberate in the sense that Genesis 21 refers to Isaac as the son of the Promise and the only legitimate heir to the property of Abraham.

17. God did not have mystic conversation with Moses, on the other hand, God spoke clearly to Moses about what the people of Israel should know about God and what He expects from them. Nothing in God’s interaction with Moses requires mystic application. Listen to this and form your own opinion, Exodus 20:1-19:

And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.

"You shall not make for

The words are as clear as night and day.

18. Aaron was given to Moses because Moses complained and wanted out of the situation. Since God wanted Moses and nobody else for the job, when Moses ran out of excuses, God said He would give him Aaron as his spokesman. Exodus 4:10-16:

But Moses said to the LORD, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue." Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak." But he said, "Oh, my Lord, please send someone else."

Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, "Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.”

⁵⁴Also mention in the book the story of Ishmael, He was true to what he promised and he was an apostle and a prophet.¹⁹

⁵⁵And He used to enjoin on his people prayer and charity and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord.

⁵⁶Also mention in the book the case of Idris, he was a man of truth and a prophet:²⁰

⁵⁷And We raised him to a lofty station.

⁵⁸Those were some of the prophets on whom Allah did bestow His grace of the posterity of Adam and of those whom We carried with Noah and of the posterity of Abraham and Israel of those whom We guided and chose; whenever the signs of the most gracious were rehearsed to them, they would fall down in prostrate adoration and in tears. ²¹

⁵⁴Wazukuru fil kitabi Ismaila innahu kana suadiqa luwadi wa kana rasulan nabiyan.

⁵⁵Wa kana yamuru ahulahu bisualati wazakati wa kana inda rabbihi maruddiyan.

⁵⁶Wazukuru fil kitabi Idris innahu kana ssidiqan nabiyan.

⁵⁷Wa rafaunahu makanan aliyan.

⁵⁸Ulaika lazina anuama lahu alaihim minan nabiyina min zur riyati Adam wa min man hamaluna maa Nuhin wa min zuriyati Ibrahima wa Israila wa min man hadaina wajutabaina iza tutula alaihim ayatu rahumani kharru sujadan wa bukiyan.

19. Please refer to verse 54. Contrary to the Biblical story, Allah and the Qur’an teach that Ishmael offered himself to his father to be sacrificed by God and kept his promise until he was substituted by God’s provision of a ram. Such story is an Arabian fabrication and nowhere near the truth. Abraham was specifically told to offer Isaac, his promised son, as a test of his faith. Hebrews 11:17-19:

“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”

God had made several promises to Abraham on account of Isaac, the test of faith was to see if Abraham would believe God or doubt Him. It was proven true that Abraham believed God and thus was mentioned in God’s Hall of Faith.

20. Idris is Enoch who is claimed to be a prophet. Islam teaches that there has been 124,000 prophets in all and 100 revealed Scriptures of which Enoch is credited with thirty of them.

Though they are not currently nor ever have been archived in museum anywhere in the world, it does not stop Muhammad and Allah from making the claim.

21. Prostration is what is enjoined on the Muslim, prostration means lying flat on your face with your arms stretched out. What we see in Islam today is bowing, raising up ones hands, kneeling and touching the ground with one’s forehead. It is in contravention to what Islam and a Muslim is. Islam means submission to the will of Allah and a Muslim is one who submits to Allah’s will. However, since those we refer to as Muslim do not wholly submit to Allah, they are to be rightly called Muhammadans (Followers of Muhammad and not Allah).

The following references bear witness to that:

“Lo! Those who are with thy Lord are not too proud to do Him service, but they praise Him and prostrate to Him” (7:206).

“O you who believe, bow down and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord and do good, that you may prosper” (22:77).

“And when it is said unto them: ‘Prostrate unto the Beneficent,’ they say: ‘And what is the Beneficent’? Are we to prostrate to whatever you bid us?’ And it increases aversion in them” (25: 60).

“Only those who believe in Our revelations who, when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrate and hymn the praise of their Lord and who are not scornful” (32:15).

“And David guessed that we had tried him, and he sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he bowed himself and fell down prostrate and repented” (38: 24).

⁵⁹But after them there followed a posterity who missed prayers and followed after lusts: soon then will they face destruction.

⁶⁰Except those who repent and believe and work righteousness: for these will enter the garden and will not be wronged in the least.²²

⁶¹Gardens of eternity those which the most gracious has promised to His servants in the unseen: for His promise must come to pass.

⁶²They will not hear any vain discourse but only salutations of peace: and they will have their sustenance morning and evening.

⁶³Such is the garden which We give as an inheritance to those of Our servants who guard against evil.

⁵⁹Fakhalafa min baadihim khulufun aduau sualata watabaus sahawati fasaufa yaluqauna gayan.

⁶⁰Illa man taba wa amana wa amila sualihan fa ulaika yadukhuluna lujannata wa la yuttulamuna shaian.

⁶¹Janati adunini lati waada rahumanu ibadahu bilugaibi innahu kana waduhu matiyan.

⁶²La yasumauna fiha laguwan illa salaman wa lahum rizuquhum fiha bukurata wa ashiyan.

⁶³Tilukal janatu lati nurisu min ibadina man kana taqiyan.

22. The call to repentance, faith and good works could be misleading, in the sense that their meaning is foreign to that of Christian theology. Repent in this context means those who abandon the worship of idols to the Allah of Muhammad, faith is exclusively that faith of Islam and good works pertain to the articles of the Pillars of Islam. The Biblical reference to repentance is towards a change of heart, mind, character and attitude without all of which ones repentance is incomplete (Mark 1:15). Faith comes by hearing the Word of God and we were ordained unto good works before the foundation of the world (Romans 10:17, Ephesians 2:10). When all tree aspects are formulated in any man, he becomes a new creation and the old things are passed away. To such is the Kingdom of God.

⁶⁴“And We descend not but by the command of your Lord: to Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us and what is between: and your Lord never forgets”

⁶⁵“Lord of the heavens and of the earth and of all that is between them: so worship Him and be constant and patient in His worship: Do you know of any who is worthy of the same name as He?”

⁶⁶Man says: “What! when I am dead shall I then be raised up alive?”

⁶⁷But does not man call to mind that We created him before out of nothing?

⁶⁸So by your Lord, without doubt, We shall gather them together and the evil ones; then shall We bring them forth on their knees round about Hell.

⁶⁹Then shall We certainly drag out from every sect all those who were worst in obstinate rebellion against most gracious.²³

⁶⁴Wa ma natanazalu illa bi amuri rabbika lahu ma baina aidina wama khalufana wa ma baina zalika wa ma kana rabbuka nasiyan.

⁶⁵Rabbu samawati walardi wa ma bainahuma faabuduhu wassutuabiru liibadatihi halu talamu lahu samiyan.

⁶⁶Wa yaqulul insanu a iza ma mitu lasaufa ukhuraju hayan.

⁶⁷Awa la yazukurul insanu anna khalaqunahu min qabulu wa lam yaku shaian.

⁶⁸Fawa rabbika lanahushura nahum washayattiyuna summa lanuhuddira nahum haula jahannama jisiyan.

⁶⁹Summa lananuzi anna min kulli siatin ayuhum ashadu alla rahumani itiyan.

23. The candidates for Hell are not just those who were worst in obstinate rebellion against Allah, but all those who were obstinate, not willing to accept the truth of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. John 3:18-19; He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. And also John 8:24.

⁷⁰And certainly We know best those who are most worthy of being burned therein.

⁷¹Not one of you but will pass over it: this is with thy Lord a decree which must be accomplished.²⁴

⁷²But We shall save those who guarded against evil and We shall leave the wrongdoers therein to their knees.²⁵

⁷³And when Our clear signs are rehearsed to them, the unbelievers say to those who believe “Which of the two sides is best in point of position? Which makes the best show in council?”

⁷⁴And how many generations before them have We destroyed who were even better in equipment and in glitter to the eye?

⁷⁰Summa lanahunu alamu bilazinahum aula biha ssiliyan.

⁷¹Wa inminkum illa wariduha kana alla rabbika hatuman maquddiyan.

⁷²Summa nunaji lazina taqau wa nazaru tualimina fiha jisiyan.

⁷³Wa iza tutula alaihim ayatuna bainatin qala lazina kafaru lillazina amanu ayu lufariqaini khairun maqaman wa ahusanu nadiyan.

⁷⁴Wa kamu ahulakuna qabulahum min qarunin hum ahusanu asasan wariyan.

24. This is another of the controversial verses in the Qur’an. It is in regards to a bridge over Hell which will serve as the determining place for both sinner and saint. A transmission by Sahih Muslim in Hadith 6090 narrated by Umm Mubashshir: has this to say about the verse:

“Umm Mubashshir heard Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) as saying in presence of Hafsah: God willing, the people of the Tree would never enter the Fire of Hell - one amongst those who owed allegiance under that. She said: Allah’s Messenger, why not? He scolded her. Hafsah said: “And there is none amongst you but shall have to pass over that (narrow Bridge)” (19:71). Thereupon Allah’s Apostle (peace be upon him) said: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has said: “We would rescue those persons who are God-conscious and we would leave the tyrants to their fate there” (19:72)”.

Bukhari’s Hadith 3.620 narrated by Abu Said Al Khudri takes it a bit further:

“Allah’s Apostle said, “When the believers pass safely

over (the bridge across) Hell, they will be stopped at a bridge in between Hell and Paradise where they will retaliate upon each other for the injustices done among them in the world, and when they get purified of all their sins, they will be admitted into Paradise. By Him in Whose Hands the life of Muhammad is everybody will recognize his dwelling in Paradise better than he recognizes his dwelling in this world.”

Another of Bukhari’s Hadith 2.342 narrated by Abu Huraira shows another side of the story where Muhammad almost contradicted Allah:

“The Prophet said, “No Muslim whose three children died will go to the Fire except for Allah’s oath (i.e. everyone has to pass over the bridge above the lake of fire).”

And finally, another Bukhari transmission Hadith 8.577 narrated by Abu Huraira states as follows:

“Then Allah will come to then in a shape they know and will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say, ‘(No doubt) You are our Lord,’ and they will follow Him. Then a bridge will be laid over the (Hell) Fire.” Allah’s Apostle added, “I will be the first to cross it. And the invocation of the Apostles on that Day, will be ‘Allahukka Sallim, Sallim (O Allah, save us, save us!),’ and over that bridge there will be hooks similar to the thorns of As Sa’dan (a thorny tree). Didn’t you see the thorns of As-Sa’dan?” The companions said, “Yes, O Allah’s Apostle.” He added, “So the hooks over that bridge will be like the thorns of As-Sa’dan except that their greatness in size is only known to Allah. These hooks will snatch the people according to their deeds. Some people will be ruined because of their evil deeds, and some will be cut into pieces and fall down in Hell, but will be saved afterwards, when Allah has finished the judgments among His slaves, and intends to take out of the Fire whoever He wishes to take out from among those who used to testify that none had the right to be worshipped but Allah....”

The story in part resembles the theory of purgatory, in parts, it serves as the opium of the people, in the end, it does not represent the Biblical viewpoint where God will sit Judgment and call out the names of those who are written in the Book of life and whosoever’s name is not found therein, will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20-22)

25. According to the Bible there is no escape in Hell, Jesus told the story of two people, one in Hell and the other in Paradise in Luke 16:19-28:

"Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and live in great luxury every day. A beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores, was brought to his gate. He was always craving to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table. In fact, even the dogs used to come and lick his sores. "One day the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In the afterlife, where he was in constant torture, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus by his side. So he shouted, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and to cool off my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire.' But Abraham said, 'My child, remember that during your lifetime you received blessings, while Lazarus received hardships. But now he is being comforted here, while you suffer. Besides all this, a wide chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross from this side to you can't do so, nor can they cross from your side to us.' "The rich man said, 'Then I beg you, father, send him to my father's house- for I have five brothers-to warn them, so that they won't end up in this place of torture, too.'

There is no bridge over Hell, if there were, the rich sinner would have taken advantage of that. Furthermore, there is no exit in Hell, once you end up there, the Bible says, it is forever (Mark 9:43-48).

So if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life injured than to have two hands and go to hell, to the fire that cannot be put out. In that place, worms never die, and the fire is never put out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. In that place, worms never die, and the fire is never put out. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell. In that place, worms never die, and the fire is never put out.

⁷⁵Say: “If any men go astray the most gracious extends the rope to them. Until when they see the warning of Allah either in punishment or in the hour, they will at length realize who is worst in position and weakest in forces!

⁷⁶“And Allah advances in guidance those who seek guidance; and the things that endure. Good deeds are best in the sight of your Lord as rewards and best in respect of eventual returns.”

⁷⁷Have you then seen the man who rejects Our signs yet says: “I shall certainly be given wealth and children”?

⁷⁸Has he penetrated to the unseen or has he taken a contract with the most gracious?

⁷⁹No, We shall record what he says and We shall add and add to his punishment.

⁸⁰To Us shall return all that he talks of and he shall appear before Us bare and alone.

⁷⁵Qulu man kana fidualaalati faluyamudu dulahu rahumanu madan hata iza ra aau ma yuaduna imma luazaba wa imma saatu fasayalamuna man huwa sharun makanan wa aduafu junudan.

⁷⁶Wa yazidu lahu lazina hutadau Hudan walubaqiyatu sualihatu khairun inda rabbika sawaban wa khairun maradan.

⁷⁷Afara aita lazi kafara bi ayatina wa qala la utayana malan wawaladan.

⁷⁸Atualaa lugaiba ami takhaza inda rahumani ahudan.

⁷⁹Kalla sanakutubu ma yaqulu wa namudu lahu mina luazabi madan.

⁸⁰Wa narisuhu ma yaqulu wa yatina farudan.

[Commentary continues below.]

⁸¹And they have taken gods other than Allah to give them power and glory!

⁸²Instead they shall reject their worship and become adversaries against them.

⁸³Do you not see that We have set the evil ones on against the unbelievers to incite them with fury?

⁸⁴So make no haste against them for We but count out to them a number of days.

⁸⁵The day We shall gather the righteous to the most gracious like a band presented before a king for honors.²⁶

⁸⁶And We shall drive the sinners to hell like thirsty cattle driven down to water.

⁸⁷None shall have the power of intercession but such a one as has received permission from most gracious.²⁷

⁸⁸And they say: “the most gracious has begotten a son!”

⁸⁹Indeed, you have put forth a thing most monstrous!

⁸⁰Wa narisuhu ma yaqulu wa yatina farudan.

⁸¹Wa takhazu min duni lahi alihatan liyakunu lahum izan.

⁸²Kalla sayakufuruna biibadatihim wa yakununa alaihim ddidan.

⁸³Alam tara anna arusaluna shayattina alla lukafirina tauzuhum azan.

⁸⁴Fala taujalu alaihim innama naudu lahum adan.

⁸⁵Yauma nahushuru lumutaqina illa rahumani wafudan.

⁸⁶Wa nasuqu lumuujrimina illa jahannama wirudan.

⁸⁷La yamulikuna shafaata illa mani takhaza inda rahumani ahudan.

⁸⁸Wa qalu takhaza rahumanu waladan.

⁸⁹Laqadu jitum shaian idan.

26. The “We” here refers to Allah. If therefore Allah is gathering unto another Allah, which Allah does the Muslim know of and which of theses “Allahs” is to be followed?

27. On the subject of intercession, it is made clear in the Qur’an that no sinner can intercede for other sinners. Qur’an 6:164 saya:

“...Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another...”

Therefore anything you read about in the Qur’an or the Hadith about Muhammad having power to intercede for anyone is based on wishful thinking. Here are a few distortions from Islamic traditions:

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1963 narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr:

Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Fasting and the Qur’an intercede for a man. Fasting says, ‘O my Lord, I have kept him away from his food and his passions by day, so accept my intercession for him.’ The Qur’an says, ‘I have kept him away from sleep by night, so accept my intercession for him.’ Then their intercession is accepted.”

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.3 narrated by Anas:

When I see my Lord, I will fall down in Prostration and He will let me remain in that state as long as He wishes and then I will be addressed: ‘(Muhammad!) Raise your head. Ask, and your request will be granted; say, and your saying will be listened to; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted.’ I will raise my head and praise Allah with a saying (i.e. invocation) He will teach me, and then I will intercede. He will fix a limit for me (to intercede for) whom I will admit into Paradise. Then I will come back again to Allah, and when I see my Lord, the same thing will happen to me.

And then I will intercede and Allah will fix a limit for me to intercede whom I will let into Paradise, then I will come back for the third time; and then I will come back for the fourth time, and will say, ‘None remains in Hell but those whom the Quran has imprisoned (in Hell) and who have been destined to an eternal stay in Hell.’ “ (The compiler) Abu ‘Abdullah said: “But those whom the Qur’an has imprisoned in Hell,” refers to the Statement of Allah: ”They will dwell therein forever.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.574 narrated by Abu Huraira:

I said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Who will be the luckiest person who will gain your intercession on the Day of Resurrection?” The Prophet said, “O Abu Huraira! I have thought that none will ask me about this Hadith before you, as I know your longing for the (learning of) Hadiths. The luckiest person who will have my intercession on the Day of Resurrection will be the one who said, ‘None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,’ sincerely from the bottom of his heart.”

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 5600 narrated by Awf ibn Malik:

Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “One came to me from my Lord and gave me a choice between half of my people entering Paradise and intercession, and I chose intercession. It will apply to those who have died and have associated nothing with Allah.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Al-Tirmidhi’s Hadith 5764 narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “I am the leader (qa’id) of the messengers, and this is no boast; I am the seal of the prophets, and this is no boast; and I shall be the first to make intercession and the first whose intercession is accepted, and this is no boast.” Darimi transmitted it.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.588 narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah:

Allah’s Apostle said, “Whoever after listening to the Adhan says, ‘Allahumma Rabba hadhihi-d-da’ watit-tammati was-salatil qa’imati, ati Muhammadan al-wasilata wal-fadilata, wab’ athhu maqaman mahmudan-il-ladhi wa’ adtahu (O Allah! Lord of this perfect call (of not ascribing partners to You) and of the regular prayer which is going to be established! Kindly give Muhammad the right of intercession and superiority and send him (on the Day of Judgment) to the best and the highest place in Paradise which You promised him)’, then intercession for me will be permitted for him on the Day of Resurrection).”

As you can see from the above, the subject is not clear. Often times Muhammad would say that he is a plain warner (Qur’an 35:23-24; 7:184, 188; 51:50-51; 46:9). Nowhere in the Qur’an does he claim to be an intercessor, yet, the Hadith is replete with references to him as an intercessor. The Bible says that there is one Mediator, between God and man, the man Jesus Christ:

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)

But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. (Hebrews 8:6)

There is no doubt about the Mediatoral Ministry of Christ. He does not need our intercession like Muhammad, we rather need His.

⁹⁰The skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin.

⁹¹That they should invoke a son for the most gracious.

⁹²And it is not consonant with the majesty of the most gracious that He should beget a son.²⁸

⁹³Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to the most gracious as a servant.²⁹

⁹⁴He does take and account of them and has numbered them exactly.

⁹⁵And every one of them will come to him on the day of judgment.

⁹⁶On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness will the most gracious bestow love.

⁹⁷So have We made it easy in thine own tongue that with it you may give glad tidings to the righteous and warnings to people given to contention.

⁹⁰Takadu samawatu yatafatuaruna minuhu wa tanushaqu larddu wa takhiru lujibalu hadan.

⁹¹An daau lirahumani waladan.

⁹²Wa ma yanubagi lir rahumani anyatakhiza waladan.

⁹³Inkullu man fisamawati walarddi illa ati rahumani abudan.

⁹⁴Laqadu ahusuahum wa adahum abudan.

⁹⁵Wa kuluhum atihi yaumal qiyamati farudan.

⁹⁶Inna lazina amanu wa amilu sualihati sayajalu lahumu rahumanu wudan.

⁹⁷Fa innama yasarunahu bilisanika litubashiraihi lumutaqina wa tunuzira bihi qauma ludan.

28. Please refer to verse 92. See note on Qur’an 112.

29. Please refer to verse 93. Islam teaches that mankind is the slave of Allah, therefore it is preposterous and blasphemous for any human being to claim to be a child of God symbolically, figuratively or otherwise.

⁹⁸And how many generation before them have We destroyed? Can you find a single one of them or hear a whisper of them?

⁹⁸Wa kamu ahulakuna qabulahum min qarun halu tuhisu minuhum min ahadin autasumau lahum rikuzan.