Wednesday 27 March 2024

Who really is Muhammad’s Allah?

This is going to be a rather short post.

According to the Quran, Allah is the best of all deceivers,

But they were deceitful/deceptive (Wa’makaroo), and Allah was deceitful/deceptive (wa’makara Allahu), for Allah is the best of all deceivers (wa’Allahu khayru al-makireena)! S. 3:54 – cf. Q. 8:30; 27:50

Whom no one can outdo when it comes to deceiving and misleading others,

The hypocrites would deceive God, but He will deceive them! When they stand up for prayer, they stand carelessly, to be seen of men, and they remember God but little: S. 4:142 Rodwell

And when We make people taste of mercy after an affliction touches them, lo! they devise deception (makrun) against Our communication. Say: Allah is quicker to deceive (makran); surely Our apostles write down what you plan. S. 10:21

The Quran further attests that only the disbelievers are naïve enough to feel safe from Allah’s deceit and lies, since the believers know better than to trust Allah:

Are they then secure from Allah’s deception (makra Allahi)? None deemeth himself secure from Allah’s deception (makra Allahi) save folk that perish. S. 7:99

It even boasts that all deception and deceit belong entirely to Allah!

And verily, those before them did plot deception (makara), but all deception (al-makru) is Allah’s. He knows what every person earns, and the disbelievers will know who gets the good end. S. 13:42

Lest we be accused of perverting the meaning of the Arabic text, here are the definitions for makr/makara as given by the standard lexicons:

Miim-Kaf-Ra = To practice DECEIT OR GUILE or circumvention, practice evasion or elusion, to plot, to exercise art or craft or CUNNING, act with policy, practice stratagem.

makara vb. (1)

perf. act. 3:54, 3:54, 7:123, 13:42, 14:46, 16:26, 16:45, 27:50, 40:45, 71:22 impf. act. 6:123, 6:123, 6:124, 8:30, 8:30, 8:30, 10:21, 12:102, 16:127, 27:70, 35:10
n.vb. 7:99, 7:99, 7:123, 10:21, 10:21, 12:31, 13:33, 13:42, 14:46, 14:46, 14:46, 27:50, 27:50, 27:51, 34:33, 35:10, 35:43, 35:43, 71:22

pcple. act. 3:54, 8:30

LL, V7, p: 256 (Project Root List; capital emphasis ours)

He practised DECEIT, GUILE, or CIRCUMVENTION, desiring to do another A FOUL, AN ABOMINABLE, OR AN EVIL ACTION, clandestinely or without his knowing whence it proceeded. (Lane’s Arabic-English Lexicon; capital emphasis ours)

makara u (makr) to DECEIVE, DELUDE, CHEAT, DUPE, GULL, DOUBLE-CROSS…

III to try TO DECEIVE…

makr cunning, craftiness, slyness, wiliness, double-dealing, DECEPTION, TRICKERY…

makr ruse, artifice, stratagem, wile, trick dodge

makkar and… makur cunning, sly, crafty, wily, shrewd, artful; sly, crafty person, IMPOSTER, SWINDLER

makir pl.… makara sly cunning, wily (Hans-Wehr, 4th edition, P.1076; capital emphasis ours)

Now the Holy Bible unveils the real identity of this being that is said to be the best of all deceivers, and who desires to mislead the whole world away from God’s truth through his deceit and trickery:

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

“The great dragon was cast out, that ancient serpent called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying: ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe unto the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short.’” Revelation 12:9

The foregoing makes it very hard to deny that Muhammad’s Allah is actually the Devil himself masquerading as the God of Abraham for the purpose of deceiving countless numbers of Muslims and others into following a false prophet and antichrist, so as to prevent them from ever discovering the true message of who God is and how much he loves them:

“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve through HIS TRICKERY, so your minds might be led astray from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might submit to it readily enough… For such are false apostles and deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” 2 Corinthians 11:2-4, 13-15

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which is not a gospel. But there are some who trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. Although if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than the one we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so I say now again: If anyone preaches any other gospel to you than the one you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-9

“Little children, it is the last hour. As you have heard that the antichrist will come, even now there are many antichrists. By this we know that it is the last hour… Who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? Whoever denies the Father and the Son is the antichrist. No one who denies the Son has the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father.” 1 John 2:18, 22-23

“If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God which He has given concerning His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this witness in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he does not believe the testimony that God gave about His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life, and whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:9-13

Related Articles

Allah – The Greatest Deceiver of them All https://www.answeringislam.net/Shamoun/allah_best_deceiver.htm

Allah as a Deceiver https://answeringislam.net/Shamoun/allah_deceiver.htm

Does Yahweh Really Deceive? https://answeringislam.net/Shamoun/does_god_deceive.htm

Source: https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/who-really-is-muhammads-allah/

IHS

Revisiting the Age of Aisha: Postscript

In this section we are going to cite some of the narrations concerning the second caliph Umar’s marriage proposal to Ali’s daughter in order to highlight the people’s reaction to a 47 year old man desiring to marry a 10-12 year old girl.

Note what the following sources say regarding Ali’s response to Umar’s request to marry Umm Kulthum:

Umar asked Imam Ali for the hand of Bibi Umme Kulthum in marriage, to which Ali replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, SHE IS A MILK FED CHILD’. To which Umar replied, ‘By Allah! That is not true. You are seeking to avoid me’. ‘Ali therefore ordered that Umm Kulthum have a bath and then wear a shawl. ‘Ali told her to go to the Khalifa, ‘give him my regards and ask him if he likes the shawl, he can keep it, other wise, he should return it’. When she came to Umar, he said, ‘May Allah bless you and your father, I like it’. Hence Umm Kulthum came back to her father and told her that Umar did not open the shawl but just looked at me. Ali married her to Umar and they had a child named Zayd. (Ibn Sa’d, Kitab Al-Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Volume 8, Dhikr Umm Kulthum, p. 463; bold, capital and underline emphasis ours)

“‘Umar asked ‘Ali for the hand of his daughter, Umme Kalthum in marriage. ‘Ali replied that she has not yet attained the age (of maturity). ‘Umar replied, ‘By Allah, this is not true. You do not want her to marry me. If she is underage, send her to me’. Thus ‘Ali gave his daughter Umme Kalthum a dress and asked her to go to ‘Umar and tell him that her father wants to know what this dress is for. When she came to Umar and gave him the message, he grabbed her hand and forcibly pulled her towards him. ‘Umme Kalthum asked him to leave her hand, which Umar did and said, ‘You are a very mannered lady with great morals. Go and tell your father that you are very pretty and you are not what he said of you’. With that ‘Ali married Umme Kalthum to ‘Umar.” (Tarikh Khamees, Volume 2, ‘Dhikr Umm Kalthum,’ p. 384; see also Zakhair Al-Aqba, p. 168; bold and underline emphasis ours)

Now if a 10-12 year old prepubescent girl is considered too physically immature for marriage, then how much more a 9-year-old minor who was still playing on swings and with dolls?

Certain Sunni narrations indicate that the main reason why Ali even acquiesced to Umar’s marriage proposal is because the latter FORCED him to do so:

“Umar asked for the hand of ‘Ali’s daughter. ‘Ali replied that she is too young. Umar eventually made ‘Ali desperate, and he [Umar] climbed the pulpit declaring ‘By Allah, I have made ‘Ali desperate as I heard Rasulullah say that on the Day of Judgement all family trees shall me severed save those of my family’. By the orders of ‘Ali Umme Kalthum was then groomed and sent to Umar. When Umar saw her, he got up, took her in his lap, kissed her, and showered blessings on her. When she got up to leave, he grabbed her ankle and said, ‘Tell your father that I am willing’. When she returned home and told her father about what had transpired, Ali married her to Umar”. (Sawaiqh al-Muhriqa, p. 280; bold and underline emphasis ours)

Notice Umar’s rather shameful conduct in kissing a young minor and touching her ankle at a time when he wasn’t even married to her. This next report shows us how Umm Kulthum reacted to Umar’s despicable behavior:

“‘Umar asked Ali for the hand of Umme Kalthum. ‘Ali replied that she was too young. ‘Umar said, ‘Marry her to me and do as I say for I wish to attain to that position which no one else has attained. ‘Ali then said, ‘I shall send Umme Kalthum to you. If you like her then I shall marry her to you.’ ‘Ali then sent the girl with a cloth and told her to say [to ‘Umar] ‘This is the scarf that I was talking about’. She conveyed these words to Umar, who said, ‘Tell your father that I accept’. Umar then touched the girl’s calf. She exclaimed, ‘You have done this to me? If it had not been the fact that you were Khalifa of the Muslims I WOULD HAVE BROKEN YOUR NOSE. The girl went home and repeated the episode to her father, stating, ‘You sent me TO A FOUL MAN’, with that ‘Ali said, ‘He is your husband’. Umar then attended a gathering of the Muhajireen and said, ‘Congratulate me’. They said, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘I have married Umme Kalthum binte ‘Ali.'” (Al-Istiab, Volume 4, p. 467; bold, capital and underline emphasis ours)

One narration even has the caliph rebuking anyone that would have a problem with the his marrying a premature minor:

He came to the Muhajirun among the Companions as they sat between the Grave and the Pulpit? their usual place for meeting `Umar to discuss news: “Felicitate this newlywed!” Then he told them he had married `Ali’s daughter Umm Kulthum and said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Every lineage and means will be severed on the Day of Judgment except my lineage and my means.’ I have kept company with him and wished to add this also.” Later he again said, on the pulpit: “DO NOT DISPARAGE ME [FOR MARRYING A YOUNG GIRL], for I heard the Prophet say may upon him blessings and peace: ‘On the Judgment Day every means will be cut off and every lineage severed except my lineage.'” (G. F. Haddad, The Marriage of `Umar ibn al-Khattab with Umm Kulthum bint `Ali; bold and capital emphasis ours)

The people’s objection to a 47 year old man wedding a 10-12 year old child demonstrates that even folks back then knew that there was something morally objectionable with grown men marrying female children, despite the fact that Muhammad made such relationships lawful in his so-called “revelation.”

Source: https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/07/revisiting-the-age-of-aisha-postscript/

IHS

Muhammad’s Marriage to a Prepubescent Minor

A Quick Response to a Common Muslim Objection

There are some internet dawagandists who quote the following English rendering of al-Bukhari in order to prove that Aisha was past the age of puberty when she married and had sex with Muhammad, who was approximately 54 years old at that time:

Narrated: Aisha

I had seen my parents following Islam since I attained the age of puberty. Not a day passed but the Prophet visited us, both in the mornings and evenings. My father Abu Bakr thought of building a mosque in the courtyard of his house and he did so. He used to pray and recite the Qur’an in it. The pagan women and their children used to stand by him and look at him with surprise. Abu Bakr was a softhearted person and could not help weeping while reciting the Quran. The chiefs of the Quraish pagans became afraid of that (i.e. that their children and women might be affected by the recitation of Quran).” (Sahih al-BukhariVolume 1, Book 8, Number 465)

Muslims assume that since Aisha claims to have been pubescent when her parents became Muslims, which was many years before she married Muhammad, they take this as proof that she wasn’t a physically immature child not ready for sexual consummation when Muhammad took her to bed to be his wife.

The problem with this claim is that these polemicists are basing their entire argument on an English translation of the foregoing hadith, which they take to be correct. However, the proper understanding of the hadith becomes clearer when we compare it with the following narration:

“Narrated Aisha: (wife of the Prophet) Since I reached the age WHEN I COULD REMEMBER THINGS, I have seen my parents worshipping according to the right faith of Islam. Not a single day passed but Allah’s Apostle visited us both in the morning and in the evening…” (Sahih al-BukhariVolume 3, Book 37, Number 494)

Now compare how Muslima Aisha Bewley renders the first hadith in her translation of al-Bukhari:

LII: A mosque should not be built in a thoroughfare if that would be detrimental to people

Al-Hasan, Ayyub and Malik all said this.

464. It is related that ‘A’isha, the wife of the Prophet, said, “I have no recollection of my parents doing anything but following the deen of Islam. No day would pass without the Messenger of Allah visiting us at either end of it, both morning and evening. Then it occurred to Abu Bakr to build a mosque in the forecourt of his house. He used to pray and recite Qur’an in it. The pagan women and children would stand there amazed, staring at him. Abu Bakr was a man who wept easily and could not control his tears when reading the Qur’an and this was a matter of great concern to those nobles of Quraysh who worshipped idols.” (Bewley, The Sahih Collection of al-BukhariChapter 11: Mosques)

And here is her translation of the second narration:

IV: The protection and promise granted to Abu Bakr during the time of the Prophet

2175. It is related that ‘A’isha, the wife of the Prophet, said, “I only remember my parents following the deen.”

It is related that ‘A’isha, the wife of the Prophet, said, “I ONLY REMEMBER my parents following the deen. Not a day passed by without the Messenger of Allah coming to us at the two ends of the day, morning and evening…” (Ibid., Chapter 42: Book of Sureties (Kafala); capital and underline emphasis ours)

The foregoing makes it abundantly clear that the hadith isn’t speaking to the issue of Aisha’s puberty whatsoever. Rather, the point of the narration is on Aisha’s recalling the fact of her parents being Muslims from the time she was able to mind her surroundings. However, one doesn’t have to reach puberty in order to be able to be cognizant of the things taking place around them.

Besides, al-Bukhari provides evidence that Aisha hadn’t attained puberty when Muhammad had sex with her:

XXXIX. A man giving his YOUNG CHILDREN in marriage

By the words of Allah, “that also applies to those WHO HAVE NOT YET MENSTRUATED” (65:4) and He made the ‘idda of a girl before puberty three months.

4840. It is related from ‘A’isha that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and consummated it when she was nine, and she was his wife for nine years. (Bewley, The Sahih Collection of Al-BukhariChapter 70. Book of Marriage; capital and underline emphasis ours)

Al-Bukhari mentions Aisha’s marriage to Muhammad at the age of 9 to illustrate the meaning of Q. 65:4, a text which permits grown men to marry and have sex with young prepubescent girls. Now this only makes sense if Muhammad married Aisha before the latter had reached maidenhood.

In fact, Muhammad’s marriage to a minor set the precedence for other men to follow suit, and became enshrined in the Quran:

And if you are in doubt as to the prescribed period for such of your women as have despaired of monthly courses, then know that the prescribed period for them is three months, and also for such AS DO NOT HAVE not have their monthly courses YET. And as for those who are with child, their period shall be until they are delivered of their burden. And whoso fears ALLAH, HE will provide facilities for him in his affair. S. 65:4 Sher Ali

The surrounding context deals with the issue of the waiting period for divorce, and remarriage. The Quran is basically informing Muslims to wait for a certain period of time before making the divorce final or deciding to forego it. The Quran exhorts men to wait a period of three months in the case of women who either are no longer menstruating or haven’t even started their menstrual cycles! Thus, Islam permits men to marry prepubescent girls and even divorce them if they so choose!

This is further confirmed by the fact that according to Quran 33:49, there is no waiting period for a woman whose marriage hasn’t been consummated by sexual intercourse. Here, once again, is al-Bukhari:

Narrated Sahl bin Sad: While we were sitting in the company of the Prophet a woman came to him and presented herself (for marriage) to him. The Prophet looked at her, lowering his eyes and raising them, but did not give a reply. One of his companions said, “Marry her to me O Allah’s Apostle!” The Prophet asked (him), “Have you got anything?” He said, “I have got nothing.” The Prophet said, “Not even an iron ring?” He said, “Not even an iron ring, but I will tear my garment into two halves and give her one half and keep the other half.” The Prophet; said, “No. Do you know some of the Quran (by heart)?” He said, “Yes.” The Prophet said, “Go, I have agreed to marry her to you with what you know of the Qur’an (as her Mahr).” ‘And for those who have no courses (i.e. they are still immature). (65.4) AND THE ‘IDDAT FOR THE GIRL BEFORE PUBERTY IS THREE MONTHS (in the above Verse). (Sahih al-BukhariVolume 7, Book 62,Number 63)

Now let us see how some of Islam’s greatest scholars and expositors interpreted Q. 65:4. We start with Ibn Kathir:

“… There is a third type of divorce, which is neither a Sunnah nor an innovation where one divorces A YOUNG WIFE WHO HAS NOT BEGUN TO HAVE MENSES, the wife who is beyond the age of having menses, and divorcing one’s wife before the marriage was consummated…” (Q. 65:1; bold, capital and italicized emphasis ours)

And:

The `Iddah of Those in Menopause and Those Who do not have Menses

Allah the Exalted clarifies the waiting period of the woman in menopause. And that is the one whose menstruation has stopped due to her older age. Her `Iddah is three months instead of the three monthly cycles for those who menstruate, which is based upon the Ayah in (Surat) Al-Baqarah. [see 2:228] The same for THE YOUNG, WHO HAVE NOT REACHED THE YEARS OF MENSTRUATION… (Q. 65:4; capital and italicized emphasis ours)

And here are a few more:

(And for such of your women as despair of menstruation) because of old age, (if ye doubt) about their waiting period, (their period (of waiting) shall be three months) upon which another man asked: “O Messenger of Allah! What about the waiting period of those who do not have menstruation BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO YOUNG?” (along with those who have it not) because of young age, their waiting period is three months. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs; bold, capital and italicized emphasis ours)

“… Abu Ishaq al-Muqri’ informed us> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Hamdun> Makki ibn ‘Abdan> Abu’l-Azhar> Asbat ibn Muhammad> Mutarrif> Abu ‘Uthman ‘Amr ibn Salim who said: “When the waiting period for divorced and widowed women was mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, some women of Medina are saying: there are other women who have not been mentioned!’ He asked him: ‘And who are they?’ He said: ‘THOSE WHO ARE TOO YOUNG [SUCH THAT THEY HAVE NOT STARTED MENSTRUATING YET], those who are too old [whose menstruation has stopped] and those who are pregnant’. And so this verse (And for such of your women as despair of menstruation…) was revealed’.” (Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi; bold, capital and italicized emphasis ours)

{and those who have not menstruated yet} Meaning the young girl. (Tafsir Al-Qurtubi)

Here the Arabic word for “young” (as-sagheerah) denotes a girl who did not reach the age of puberty yet. Finally:

“… Women who do not menstruate, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT YET ATTAINED PUBERTY, or because they have attained menopausal age…” (Maariful-Qur’an, by Maulana Mufti Muhammad Shafi’, translated by Prof. Muhammad Hasan Askari & Prof. Muhammad Shamim, revised by Justice Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Volume 8, p. 494; bold, capital and italicized emphasis ours)

“… Likewise, ‘‘iddah for a woman who does not menstruate ON ACCOUNT OF MINORITY OF AGE, or because she has attained menopausal age, is computed on monthly basis. Their ‘‘iddah is three months. (Ibid., pp. 495-496; bold, capital and italicized emphasis ours)

This now raises two major problems for the Muslims to wrestle with. Muhammad is said to be a role model for all peoples at all times. Therefore, why wouldn’t he abolish this practice of marrying and having sex with female minors? Why enshrine and engage in such a vile practice that leaves girls traumatized sexually, emotionally and physiologically? After all, didn’t Muhammad abolish adoption, which benefits both orphans and couples who cannot have children of their own? Why not enshrine such a humane practice which brings great emotional healing and love to so many human lives, as opposed to sanctioning the sexual abuse of minors?

Moreover, the Quran condemned anyone who would even think of marrying Muhammad’s women after his death:

“… And it is not (right) for you that you should annoy Allah’s Messenger, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him (his death). Verily! With Allah that shall be an enormity.” S. 33:53 Hilali-Khan

This means that all of Muhammad’s wives were left to remain widows for the rest of their lives, especially Aisha who was widowed at the young age of 18. Thus, Aisha was robbed of the joy of having children or having a husband to love and care for her for all the days that she lived.

Far from being a mercy to mankind, Muhammad was nothing more than a curse upon humanity. May our gracious and merciful Lord Jesus save precious Muslims from the misery that Islam has brought to the world, and bring them to his perfect love and compassion.

Related Articles

Marriage to Minors

Muhammad’s Marriage to a Prepubescent Girl And Its Moral Implications

Analyzing the Claims of Muslim Polemicists

The Marriage of Umar ibn Khattab and Umm Kulthum

Source: https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/07/muhammads-marriage-to-a-prepubescent-minor/ 

IHS

Never Shall He Be Satisfied

Muhammad’s Marriage to Safiyyah: A Case Study in Allah’s Mercy

Muhammad’s Marriage to Safiyyah Revisited

Muhammad and Safiyyah Revisited 3a3b

In light of the foregoing, what further evidence does Brown need before he comes to his senses and realizes that Muhammad was not a moral example for anyone to emulate, let alone a true prophet of God. After all, how can a 54-year-old man who married a 9-year-old prepubescent minor that was still playing with her dolls, and then went ahead and permitted other men to wed premature girls as well, who also lusted after and took his adopted son’s wife and then proceeded to abolish adoption because of it in order to save face, and who even gave himself the license to have more wives than what he allowed for others, be God’s inspired emissary for all peoples at all times?

With that said, Brown must come to grips with reality and recognize that Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha violates even his own claim that all the surrounding cultures set puberty as the appropriate age for marriage, since all of Islam’s earliest and most reliable records clearly affirm that Aisha hadn’t reached puberty when Muhammad took her to his bed.

Brown must further face the fact that his assertion that no one complained about Muhammad’s marriage to a young girl is not only fallacious, seeing that it is nothing more than an argument from silence, but also totally irrelevant. After all, just because something is deemed to be appropriate by certain cultures doesn’t make it morally justifiable, especially when that practice results in irreparable psychological and physiological damage to children.

Besides, since Muhammad was supposed to be a role model for all times and places then his god would have surely known that marrying a premature minor, and permitting others to do so, would eventually come to be seen as pedophilia, as well as child abuse due to the great physical and emotional harm that such relationships cause to premature minors. Therefore, why didn’t Allah look out for the interests of these young girls, instead of doing what was best for Muhammad and his men? Where is the mercy and compassionate in that?

So much for Brown’s arguments.

Please make sure to read the postscript to this series of rebuttals.

Source: https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/07/revisiting-the-age-of-aisha-pt-4/ 

IHS