By Alaa Al-Sabag

(original source : http://www.55a.net/firas/english/?page=show_det&id=203&select_page=108)

(Edited by Defending-Islam.com Staff)

Malignant campaigns are launched regularly against Islam and its adherents. Now, having failed to blur the white face of Islam, they have begun to make the Islamic methodology a target. They claim that  the Islamic methodology hatches an antagonistic  generation, taking the behavior of some Islamic group as a base. The fiercer these campaigns are the more intact and useful these rules are.

There is much misunderstanding and confusion between the meaning of fanaticism and tolerance on the part of bigots and those who unwillingly come under the influence of those bigots. The reason behind such confusion   is their intention to put a gap between the Muslims and their religion on the pretext of intolerance and accepting other's belief.

In this connection we should bear in mind that it is not fanaticism if you adhere to your conviction and it is not religious tolerance if you try to impose your conviction by force.

The approach of Islam in this connection is that we are to adhere strongly to our religion and, deeming the other doctrines invalid, at the same time we should be kind to the others, give them good treatment, and be fair with them. We should try to take them by hand to the straight path of Allah only for the pleasure of Allah. God says in this connection, the meaning of which is:

" And argue not with the People of the Scripture unless it be in (a way) that is better, save with such of them as do wrong; and say: We believe in that which hath been revealed unto us and revealed unto you; our God and your God is One, and unto Him we surrender." (Al-Ankabout: 46)

In this verse, we are ordered to believe in Allah's unity and His oneness and to call for the belief in Him. Also we can notice that we are ordered not to argue with the people of the book in any way save the best way of etiquette and manner. This reflects how Islam does not hold the approach of grudge and fanaticism as a base in dealing with others, but holds rational thinking and cogency as the ground on which the Islamic approach stands.

Since the campaigns against Islam have taken on the form of a fierce mental war aimed at distorting the ever-shining Islamic facts which, in its turn, may affect the believability of Islam, let's hold a comparison between these religions.  We leave the whole matter to you to be the judged.

1.       Killing women and animals

a.      The Bible

·         And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: "

·         Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.

b.      Talmud

·         '" Gentiles habitations are impure like a barn as they are dogs and pigs "

c.       Islam

In his famous advice to the army leaders , Abu-Baker used to remind the army leaders of the immortal  ethics of war which is, “You will find people who confined themselves to God , leave them to what they claimed , those who show their infidelity , leave not them   ; Don't kill a woman ; Don't kill a child ; don't kill the old ; Don't uproot a tree ; Don't devastate a habitation ; Don't slaughter an animal except for food ; Don't burn or drown palm trees ; Don't loot ; Don't be coward .”

2.       Marriage

a.      The Bible:

·         If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her. (Deuteronomy :25:5)

b.      Islam:

·         Abu-Huraira narrated, “Neither a widow nor a virgin is to marry without her consent ; when the prophet was asked about how she could consent, the prophet said her consent is her silence.”

3.       Racialism

a.      The Bible

·         There is no God in all earth, but in Israel (Kings (2) -5:15)

·         For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6)

·         Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.(43:3)

b.      Talmud

·         But for the Jews, God's blessings, would have been raised, the sun would gave been veiled; rain would have ceased to fall.

·         Only the Jews are human while the gentiles are animals.

·         Only Jews stem from Allah, as the son stems from his father.

·         Only the Jews are more loveable than angels ; whoever slaps a Jew is surely like who slaps the Providence.

c.       Islam

·         God says in the Holy Qur’an, the meaning of which is:

"And argue not with the People of the Scripture unless it be in (a way) that is better, save with such of them as do wrong; and say: We believe in that which hath been revealed unto us and revealed unto you; our God and your God is One, and unto Him we surrender. (Al-Ankabout: 46)

·         God says in the Holy Qur’an, the meaning of which is:

“Say (unto the People of the Scripture): Dispute ye with us concerning Allah when He is our Lord and your Lord? Ours are our works and yours your works. We look to Him alone.” (Al-Baqarah: 139)

4.       Taking one's life

a.      Bible

·         And they drive not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer: but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day, and serve under tribute. (Joshua -16:10)

·         "And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the sepulcher of Abner in Hebron.( Samuel (2) -4-12)  ( slaying , abducting and enslaving )

·         And after this it came to pass, that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines. .( Samuel (2) -8:1)

b.      Talmud :

·         It is narrated in the Talmud, “A man who sheds the blood of non- Jews is surely, by so dong, gives an oblation to God”.

c.       Islam

·         The Prophet said, "Avoid the seven great destructive sins." The people enquire, "O Allah's Apostle! What are they? "He said, "To join others in worship along with Allah, to practice sorcery, to kill the life which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause, (according to Islamic law), to eat up Riba (usury), to eat up an orphan's wealth, to give back to the enemy and fleeing from the battlefield at the time of fighting, and to accuse, chaste women, who never even think of anything touching chastity and are good believers.”

·         "Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not, aggressors.” (Al-Baqarah:190)

5.       Women’s position

a.      The Bible

·         And he said this is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.( Zechariah -5:8)

·         For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. (Corinthians :11-7)

b.      Talmud

·         It allows raping children of three years old. They claim that to be the gift of God ( the clampdown of the Jews over the other nations).

c.       Islam:

The Prophet said:

·         The prophet says, "It is to the widow-not to her sponsor - to decide her marriage and the virgin is to be consulted, her consent is expressed by her silence.”

·         The prophet says, “If a man who begets a baby daughter and brings her up in the best way and refines her according to the best manners, he will get his reward from God doubled."

·         The prophet says, “This life is what you have and among the best you have is the righteous woman.”

·         The prophet says, "Be good to women and admonish (among you) lest her rights be disregarded."

The Holy Qur’an says:

·         " Allah chargeth you concerning (the provision for) your children: to the male the equivalent of the portion of two females ( Al-Nasa :11) – ( the right of women in inheritance )

·         "Mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in Whom ye claim (your rights) of one another, and toward the wombs (that bare you). Lo! Allah hath been a Watcher over you. ( Al-Nasa : 1)

Equality between man and woman

·         Equality between man and woman God says in the Holy Qur’an, the meaning of which is:

“Whosoever doeth right, whether male or female, and is a believer, him verily We shall quicken with good life, and We shall pay them a recompense in proportion to the best of what they used to do.” (Al-Nasa: 97)

The right of women in political life

·         The right of woman in political life God says in the holy Qur’an, the meaning of which is:

“Hide not testimony. He who hideth it, verily his heart is sinful. Allah is Aware of what ye do.”

6.       Allah (God)

a.      The Bible  

Jesus (who the Christians believe is god) is hungry

·         And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. (Mathew 4:2)

·         Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.( Mathew 21:18)

·         And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry. ( Mark 11:12)

Jesus (God) thirsty

·         There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

Jesus (who the Christians believe is god) sleeps

·         I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

·         And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? ( Mark -4:38)

·         Then an angle appeared in the sky to reinforce him ( Luke -2:43)

Jesus (who the Christians believe is god) manageable

·         The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth

b.      Talmud

·         In the Talmud of the Jews, " If God makes perjury, he needs who can relieve Him from this oath, it is narrated that that some one heard God saying " who can absolve me from my perjury?”; this man didn’t; the rabbis considered this man a donkey as he did not absolve God, so an angel resting between the earth and the heaven is made to absolve God from his oaths and avows, when necessary.

·         Also, among the many lies weaved against God , the Talmud says, " God regretted that He left the Jews in miseries and , for this , He slaps His face and cries ; two drops of His tears falls in the seas causing a sound heard from one end of the earth to the other and this causes the earth to shake frequently and as a result quakes arise.”

·         God owned up his sin in his declaration of destroying the temple , so He kept crying and roaring like a lion in one third of the night saying " perish I am as I allowed my home to be devastated and my temple to be burnt down and my sons to be looted” …….!!!!!

·         In the Talmud , the day is twenty-four hours ; in the first one third He sits to study the canon , in the second one third , He governs ; in the third one third , he feeds the world and in the last one third he sit to play with the whale.

c.       Islam

The Holy Qur’an says, the meaning of which is:

·         “And I have said: Seek pardon of your Lord Lo! He was ever Forgiving.” ( Nooh : 10)

·         “And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the pleasure of Allah; and Allah hath compassion on (His) bondmen.” (Al-Baqarah: 207)

·         “And when he turneth away (from thee) his effort in the land is to make mischief therein and to destroy the crops and the cattle; and Allah loveth not mischief.” (Al-Baqarah: 205)

·         “Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive, the Eternal.” (Aal-Imran :2)

·         “Lo! nothing in the earth or in the heavens is hidden from Allah.”

·         “He it is who fashioneth you in the wombs as pleaseth Him. There is no God save Him, the Almighty, the Wise.” ( Aal-Imran :6)

·         “Unto Allah (belongeth) whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth; and whether ye make known what is in your minds or hide it, Allah will bring you to account for it. He will forgive whom He will and He will punish whom He will. Allah is Able to do all things.” (Al-Baqarah :284)

·         “Lo! This verily is the true narrative. There is no God save Allah, and lo! Allah is the Mighty, the Wise.” ( Aal-Imran : 206 )

·         “Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. The Beneficent, the Merciful. Owner of the Day of Judgment.” ( Al-Fatiha: 1-3 )

The Conclusion

In the course of talking about this subject, one will go through many ramifications. However, the holy texts and the historical evidence suffice. Islam is innocent of the grudge or the misconceptions and accusations aimed at it, and the historical evidence is too much in this connection. Out of their devotion to the truth and wishing no appreciation from Muslims, and fearing not any humiliation from the Muslims, the unbiased non-Muslims thinkers recorded their witness in history. Contrary to this, the unbiased -when reviewing the history of the non-Muslims’ treatment towards those who are not their co-religionists - find unspeakable persecution that stigmatized the history of humanity -that persecution that Muslims are still suffering under its yoke in Palestine and Iraq.

How wonderful and ridiculous then, when the persecuted are envisaged as the criminals who jeopardize humanity, and at the same time the tyrannous persecutors, who are equipped with all the arts of war, are envisaged as the sponsors of humanity and its freedom.

What condoles us most is that God surely knows who stir up the corruption and invent the lies.

References:

Websites:

·    http://www.palestine-info.com/arabic/shoonalkaian/alyahodyah/part5.htm

·         http://www.khayma.com/internetclinic/yhoodtlmod.htm

·         http://www.islamonline.net/arabic/daawa/5/2004 article11.shtml

Arabic references:

·         The Bible speaks

·         The Woman’s Position