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Islam FAQ (Part 8/15): Life after Death, Moral System & Human rights in Islam

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Asim Mughal

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Apr 17, 2004, 7:24:10 AM4/17/04

Archive-name: islam-faq/part8
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Organization: Alumni Association, Caltech, Pasadena, California

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Frequently Asked Questions: Part 8
__________________________________

This message is automatically posted to 'soc.religion.islam'
every month and when updated. This lists answers to most
commonly asked questions on the forum. Contributions & changes
are requested and should be directed to: mug...@caltech.edu

OVERVIEW: The Frequently Asked Questions document for
Islam has been divided in parts. Below is the index.

Part 1 - Welcome & Index
Part 2 - Info on Islamic News Groups
Part 3 - Introduction to Islam
Part 4 - God & Worship
Part 5 - Islam, Quran & Muhammad (PBUH)
Part 6 - Marriage Laws in Islam
Part 7 - Women In Islam
Part 8 - Life after Death, Moral System & Human rights in Islam
Part 9 - Islam: Prophethood, Jesus & Trinity
Part 10 - Islam: Farrakhism & Malcom X
Part 11 - Islamic Internet Guide: Islamic Resources on Internet
Part 12 - Other Islamic Resource Guides on Internet
Part 13 - Islamic Literature: Books & Video
Part 14 - Islamic Calendar & Prayer Time Table for 1994
Part 15 - Misc: List of Halal Foods

________________________________________________________

PART 8: Life after Death,Moral System & Human Rights in Islam

Contents

--Articles--
1. Life After Death ............................................... from III&E
2. Moral System In Islam .......................................... from III&E
3. God Consciousness .............................................. from III&E
4. Social Responsibilities ........................................ from III&E
5. Parents & others ............................................... from III&E
6. Human Rights In Islam .......................................... from III&E
7. Human Rights in an Islamic State ............................... from III&E
--Announcements--
8. Archive Info ..............................................................
9. Credits ...................................................................

Articles .....................................................................

1. Life After Death ............................................... from III&E

The question whether there is a life after death does not fall under the
jurisdiction of science, as science is concerned only with
classification and analysis of data. Moreover, man has been busy with
scientific inquiries and research, in the modern sense of the term, only
for the last few centuries, while he has been familiar with the concept
of life after death since times immemorial. All the prophets of God
called their people to worship God and to believe in life after death.
They laid so much emphasis on the belief in life after death that even a
slight doubt in it meant denying God and made all other beliefs
meaningless. The very fact that all the prophets of God have dealt with
this metaphysical question of life after death so confidently and so
uniformly - the gap between their ages being thousands of years - goes
to prove that the source of their knowledge of life after death as
proclaimed by them all, was the same, i.e., Divine revelation. We also
know that these prophets of God were greatly opposed by their people,
mainly on the issue of life after death, as their people thought it
impossible. But in spite of opposition, the prophets won many sincere
followers.

The question arises: what made those followers forsake the established
beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers, notwithstanding
the risk of being totally alienated from their own community? The simple
answer is: they made use of their faculties of mind and heart and
realized the truth. Did they realize the truth through perceptual
consciousness? Not so, as perceptual experience of life after death is
impossible.

Actually, God has given man, besides perceptual consciousness, rational,
aesthetic and moral consciousness too. It is this consciousness that
guides man regarding realities that cannot be verified through sensory
data. That is why all the prophets of God while calling people to
believe in God and life after death, appeal to the aesthetic, moral and
rational consciousness of man. For example, when the idolaters of Makkah
denied even the possibility of life after death, the Quran exposed the
weakness of their stand by advancing very logical and rational arguments
in support of it:

"And he has coined for us a similitude, and has forgotten the fact of
his creation, saying: who will revive these bones when they have rotted
away? Say: He will revive them Who produced them at first, for He is the
Knower of every creation, Who has appointed for you fire from the green
tree, and behold! you kindle from it. Is not He Who created the heavens
and the earth, able to create the like of them? Yes, and He is indeed
the Supreme Creator, the All-Knowing." (36:78-81)

At another occasion, the Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers
have no sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based on
pure conjecture:

"They say, 'There is nothing but our present life; we die, and we live,
and nothing but Time destroys us.' Of that they have no knowledge; they
merely conjecture. And when our revelations are recited to them, their
only argument is that they say, 'Bring us our fathers, if you speak
truly.' (45:24-25)

Surely God will raise all the dead. But God has His own plan of things.
A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and then again
the dead will be resurrected to stand before God. That day will be the
beginning of the life that will never end, and that Day every person
will be rewarded by God according to his or her good or evil deed.

The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life after
death is what the moral consciousness of man demands. Actually, if there
is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes irrelevant, or
even if one believes in God, that would be an unjust and indifferent
God: having once created man and not concerned with his fate. Surely,
God is just. He will punish the tyrants whose crimes are beyond count:
having killed hundreds of innocent persons, created great corruptions in
the society, enslaved numerous persons to serve their whims, etc. Man's
having a very short span of life in this world, and this physical
world's too being not eternal, punishments or rewards equal to the evil
or noble deeds of persons are not possible here. The Quran very
emphatically states that the Day of Judgment must come and God will
decide about the fate of each soul according to his or her record of
deeds:

"Those who disbelieve say: The Hour will never come unto us. Say: Nay,
by my Lord, but it is coming unto you surely. (He is) the Knower of the
Unseen. Not an atom's weight, or less than that or greater, escapes Him
in the heavens or in the earth, but it is in a clear Record. That He may
reward those who believe and do good words. For them is pardon and a
rich provision. But those who strive against our revelations,
challenging (Us), theirs will be a painful doom of wrath." (34:3-5)

The Day of Resurrection will be the Day when God's attributes of Justice
and Mercy will be in full manifestation. God will shower His Mercy on
those who suffered for His sake in the worldly life, believing that an
eternal bliss was awaiting them. But those who abused the bounties of
God, caring nothing for the life to come, will be in the most miserable
state. Drawing a comparison between them, the Quran says:

"Is he, then, to whom We have promised a goodly promise the fulfillment
of which he will meet, like the one whom We have provided with the good
things of this life, and then on the Day of Resurrection he will be of
those who will be brought arraigned before God?" (28:61)

The Quran also states that this worldly life is a preparation for the
eternal life after death. But those who deny it become slaves of their
passions and desires, make fun of virtuous and God-conscious persons.
Such persons realize their folly only at the time of their death and
wish to be given a further chance in the world but in vain. Their
miserable state at the time of death, and the horror of the Day of
Judgment, and the eternal bliss guaranteed to the sincere believers are
very beautifully mentioned in the following verses of the Holy Quran:

"Until, when death comes unto one of them, he says, 'My Lord send me
back, that I may do right in that which I have left behind! But nay! It
is but a word that he speaks; and behind them is a barrier until the day
when they are raised. And when the Trumpet is blown there will be no
kinship among them that day, nor will they ask of one another. Then
those whose scales are heavy, they are successful. And those whose
scales are light are those who lose their souls, in hell abiding, the
fire burns their faces and they are glum therein." (23:99-104)

The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in the
Hereafter but also makes this world full of peace and happiness by
making individuals most responsible and dutiful in their activities.

Think of the people of Arabia. Gambling, wine, tribal feuds, plundering
and murdering were their main traits when they had no belief in life
after death. But as soon as they accepted the belief in One God and life
after death they became the most disciplined nation of the world. They
gave up their vices, helped each other in hours of need, and settled all
their disputes on the basis of justice and equality. Similarly the
denial of life after death has its consequences not only in the
Hereafter but also in this world. When a nation as a whole denies it,
all kinds of evils and corruptions become rampant in that society and
ultimately it is destroyed. The Quran mentions the terrible end of 'Aad,
Thamud and the Pharaoh in some detail:

"(The tribes of) Thamud and 'Aad disbelieved in the judgment to come. As
for Thamud, they were destroyed by the lightning, and as for 'Aad, they
were destroyed by a fierce roaring wind, which He imposed on them for
seven long nights and eight long days so that you might see the people
laid prostrate in it as if they were the stumps of fallen down palm
trees.

"Now do you see remnant of them? Pharaoh likewise and those before him
and the subverted cities. They committed errors and those before him,
and they rebelled against the Messenger of their Lord, and He seized
them with a surpassing grip. Lo, when the waters rose, We bore you in
the running ship that We might make it a reminder for you and for
heeding ears to hold. So when the Trumpet is blown with a single blast
and the earth and the mountains are lifted up and crushed with a single
blow, then on that day, the Terror shall come to pass, and the heaven
shall be split for upon that day it will be very frail. Then as for him
who is given his book in his right hand, he shall say, 'Here take and
read my book! Certainly I thought I should encounter my reckoning.' So
he shall be in a pleasing life in a lofty garden, its clusters nigh to
gather.

"'Eat and drink with wholesome appetite for that you did long ago, in
the days gone by.'

"But as for him who is given his book in his left hand, he shall say:
'Would that I had not been given my book and not known my reckoning!
Would that it had been the end! My wealth has not availed me, my
authority is gone from me.'" (69:4-29)

Thus, there are very convincing reasons to believe in life after death.

First, all the prophets of God have called their people to believe in
it.

Secondly, whenever a human society is built on the basis of this belief,
it has been the most ideal and peaceful society, free of social and
moral evils.

Thirdly, history bears witness that whenever this belief is rejected
collectively by a group of people in spite of the repeated warning of
the Prophet, the group as a whole has been punished by God even in this
world.

Fourthly, moral, aesthetic and rational faculties of man endorse the
possibility of life after death.

Fifthly, God's attributes of Justice and Mercy have no meaning if there
is no life after death.

2. Moral System In Islam .......................................... from III&E

Islam has laid down some universal fundamental rights for humanity as a
whole, which are to be observed and respected under all circumstances.
To achieve these rights Islam provides not only legal safeguards but
also a very effective moral system. Thus whatever leads to the welfare
of the individual or the society is morally good in Islam and whatever
is injurious is morally bad. Islam attaches so much importance to the
love of God and love of man that it warns against too much of formalism.
We read in the Quran:

"It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West;
but it is righteousness to believe in God and the Last Day and the
Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance,
out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans for the needy, for the
wayfarer, for those who ask; and for the freeing of captives; to be
steadfast in prayers, and practice regular charity; to fulfill the
contracts which you made; and to be firm and patient in pain (or
suffering) and adversity and throughout all periods of panic. Such are
the people of truth, the God-conscious." (2:177)

We are given a beautiful description of the righteous and God-conscious
man in these verses. He should obey salutary regulations, but he should
fix his gaze on the love of God and the love of his fellow men.

We are given four heads:

a) Our faith should be true and sincere,

b) We must be prepared to show it in deeds of charity to our fellow-men,

c) We must be good citizens, supporting social organizations, and

d) Our own individual soul must be firm and unshaken in all
circumstances.

This is the standard by which a particular mode of conduct is judged and
classified as good or bad. This standard of judgment provides the
nucleus around which the whole moral conduct should revolve. Before
laying down any moral injunctions Islam seeks to firmly implant in man's
heart the conviction that his dealings are with God who sees him at all
times and in all places; that he may hide himself from the whole world
but not from Him; that he may deceive everyone but cannot deceive God;
that he can flee from the clutches of anyone else but not from God.

Thus, by setting God's pleasure as the objective of man's life, Islam
has furnished the highest possible standard of morality. This is bound
to provide limitless avenues for the moral evolution of humanity. By
making Divine revelations as the primary source of knowledge it gives
permanence and stability to the moral standards which afford reasonable
scope for genuine adjustments, adaptations and innovations, though not
for perversions, wild variation, atomistic relativism or moral fluidity.
It provides a sanction to morality in the love and fear of God, which
will impel man to obey the moral law even without any external pressure.
Through belief in God and the Day of Judgment it furnishes a force which
enables a person to adopt the moral conduct with earnestness and
sincerity, with all the devotion of heart and soul.

It does not, through a false sense of originality and innovation,
provide any novel moral virtues nor does it seek to minimize the
importance of the well-known moral norms, nor does it give exaggerated
importance to some and neglect others without cause. It takes up all the
commonly known moral virtues and with a sense of balance and proportion
it assigns a suitable place and function to each one of them in the
total scheme of life. It widens the scope of man's individual and
collective life - his domestic associations, his civic conduct, and his
activities in the political, economic, legal, educational, and social
realms. It covers his life from home to society, from the dining-table
to the battlefield and peace conferences, literally from the cradle to
the grave. In short, no sphere of life is exempt from the universal and
comprehensive application of the moral principles of Islam. It makes
morality reign supreme and ensures that the affairs of life, instead of
dominated by selfish desires and petty interests, should be regulated by
norms of morality.

It stipulates for man a system of life which is based on all good and is
free from all evil. It invokes the people, not only to practice virtue,
but also to establish virtue and eradicate vice, to bid good and to
forbid wrong. It wants that the verdict of conscience should prevail and
virtue must not be subdued to play second fiddle to evil. Those who
respond to this call are gathered together into a community and given
the name "Muslim". And the singular object underlying the formation of
this community ("Ummah") is that it should make an organized effort to
establish and enforce goodness and suppress and eradicate evil.

Here we furnish some basic moral teachings of Islam for various aspects
of a Muslim's life. They cover the broad spectrum of personal moral
conduct of a Muslim as well as his social responsibilities.

3. God Consciousness .............................................. from III&E

The Quran mentions it as the highest quality of a Muslim:

"The most honorable among you in the sight of God is the one who is most
God-conscious." (49:13)

Humility, modesty, control of passions and desires, truthfulness,
integrity, patience, steadfastness, and fulfilling one's promises are
moral values which are emphasized again and again in the Quran. We read
in the Quran:

"And God loves those who are firm and steadfast." (3:146)

"And vie with one another to attain to your Sustainer's forgiveness and
to a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, which awaits the
God-conscious, who spend for charity in time of plenty and in time of
hardship, and restrain their anger, and pardon their fellow men, for God
loves those who do good." (3:133-134)

"Establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just, and forbid what is
wrong; and bear patiently whatever may befall you; for this is true
constancy. And do not swell your cheek (with pride) at men, nor walk in
insolence on the earth, for God does not love any man proud and
boastful. And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; for the
harshest of sounds, indeed, is the braying of the ass." (31:18-19)

In a way which summarizes the moral behavior of a Muslim, the Prophet
(PBUH) said:

"My Sustainer has given me nine commands: to remain conscious of God,
whether in private or in public; to speak justly, whether angry or
pleased; to show moderation both when poor and when rich, to reunite
friendship with those who have broken off with me; to give to him who
refuses me; that my silence should be occupied with thought; that my
looking should be an admonition; and that I should command what is
right."

4. Social Responsibilities ........................................ from III&E

The teachings of Islam concerning social responsibilities are based on
kindness and consideration of others. Since a broad injunction to be
kind is likely to be ignored in specific situations, Islam lays emphasis
on specific acts of kindness and defines the responsibilities and rights
of various relationships. In a widening circle of relationship, then,
our first obligation is to our immediate family - parents, husband or
wife and children, then to other relatives, neighbors, friends and
acquaintances, orphans and widows, the needy of the community, our
fellow Muslims, all our fellow human beings and animals.

5. Parents & others ............................................... from III&E

Respect and care for parents is very much stressed in the Islamic
teaching and is a very important part of a Muslim's expression of faith.

"Your Sustainer has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you
be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your
lifetime, do not say to them a word of contempt nor repel them, but
address them in terms of honor. And, out of kindness, lower to them the
wing of humility and say: My Sustainer! Bestow on them Your mercy, even
as they cherished me in childhood." (17:23-24)

OTHER RELATIVES

"And render to the relatives their due rights, as (also) to those in
need, and to the traveler; and do not squander your wealth in the manner
of a spendthrift." (17:26)

NEIGHBORS

The Prophet (PBUH) has said:

"He is not a believer who eats his fill when his neighbor beside him is
hungry"; and: "He does not believe whose neighbors are not safe from his
injurious conduct."

Actually, according to the Quran and Sunnah, a Muslim has to discharge
his moral responsibility not only to his parents, relatives and
neighbors but to the entire mankind, animals and trees and plants. For
example, hunting of birds and animals for the sake of game is not
permitted. Similarly, cutting trees and plants which yield fruit is
forbidden unless there is a very pressing need for it.

Thus, on the basic moral characteristics, Islam builds a higher system
of morality by virtue of which mankind can realize its greatest
potential. Islam purifies the soul from self-seeking egotism, tyranny,
wantonness and indiscipline. It creates God-conscious men, devoted to
their ideals, possessed of piety, abstinence and discipline and
uncompromising with falsehood, It induces feelings of moral
responsibility and fosters the capacity for self control. Islam
generates kindness, generosity, mercy, sympathy, peace, disinterested
goodwill, scrupulous fairness and truthfulness towards all creation in
all situations. It nourishes noble qualities from which only good may be
expected.

6. Human Rights In Islam .......................................... from III&E

Since God is the absolute and the sole master of men and the universe,
He is the sovereign Lord, the Sustainer and Nourisher, the Merciful,
Whose mercy enshrines all beings; and since He has given each man human
dignity and honor, and breathed into him of His own spirit, it follows
that, united in Him and through Him, and apart from their other human
attributes, men are substantially the same and no tangible and actual
distinction can be made among them, on account of their accidental
differences such as nationality, color or race. Every human being is
thereby related to all others and all become one community of
brotherhood in their honorable and pleasant servitude to the most
compassionate Lord of the Universe. In such a heavenly atmosphere the
Islamic confession of the oneness of God stands dominant and central,
and necessarily entails the concept of the oneness of humanity and the
brotherhood of mankind.

Although an Islamic state may be set up in any part of the earth, Islam
does not seek to restrict human rights or privileges to the geographical
limits of its own state. Islam has laid down some universal fundamental
rights for humanity as a whole, which are to be observed and respected
under all circumstances whether such a person is resident within the
territory of the Islamic state or outside it, whether he is at peace or
at war. The Quran very clearly states:

"O believers, be you securers of justice, witness for God. Let not
detestation for a people move you not to be equitable; be equitable -
that is nearer to God-fearing." (5:8)

Human blood is sacred in any case and cannot be spilled without
justification. And if anyone violates this sanctity of human blood by
killing a soul without justification, the Quran equates it to the
killing of entire mankind.

"...Whoso slays a soul not to retaliate for a soul slain, nor for
corruption done in the land, should be as if he had slain mankind
altogether." (5:32)

It is not permissible to oppress women, children, old people, the sick
or the wounded. Women's honor and chastity are to be respected under all
circumstances. The hungry person must be fed, the naked clothed and the
wounded or diseased treated medically irrespective of whether they
belong to the Islamic community or are from among its enemies.

When we speak of human rights in Islam we really mean that these rights
have been granted by God; they have not been granted by any king or by
any legislative assembly. The rights granted by the kings or the
legislative assemblies, can also be withdrawn in the same manner in
which they are conferred. The same is the case with the rights accepted
and recognized by the dictators. They can confer them when they please
and withdraw them when they wish; and they can openly violate them when
they like. But since in Islam human rights have been conferred by God,
no legislative assembly in the world or any government on earth has the
right or authority to make any amendment or change in the rights
conferred by God. No one has the right to abrogate them or withdraw
them. Nor are they basic human rights which are conferred on paper for
the sake of show and exhibition and denied in actual life when the show
is over. Nor are they like philosophical concepts which have no
sanctions behind them.

The charter and the proclamations and the resolutions of the United
Nations cannot be compared with the rights sanctioned by God; because
the former are not applicable on anybody while the latter are applicable
on every believer. They are a part and parcel of the Islamic Faith.
Every Muslim or administrator who claims himself to be Muslim, will have
to accept, recognize and enforce them. If they fail to enforce them, and
start denying the rights that have been guaranteed by God or make
amendments and changes in them, or practically violate them while paying
lip service to them, the verdict of the Holy Quran for such government
is clear and unequivocal:

"Those who do not judge by what God has sent down are the disbelievers."
(5:44)

7. Human Rights in an Islamic State ............................... from III&E

1. THE SECURITY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY:

In the address which the Prophet delivered on the occasion of the
Farewell Hajj, he said: "Your lives and properties are forbidden to one
another till you meet your Lord on the Day of Resurrection." The Prophet
has also said about the dhimmis (the non-Muslim citizens of the Muslim
state): "One who kills a man under covenant (i.e., dhimmi) will not even
smell the fragrance of Paradise."

2. THE PROTECTION OF HONOR:

The Holy Quran lays down:

i) "You who believe, do not let one (set of) people make fun of another
s= et."

ii) "Do not defame one another."

iii) "Do not insult by using nicknames."

iv) "Do not backbite or speak ill of one another." (49:11-12)

3. SANCTITY AND SECURITY OF PRIVATE LIFE:

The Quran has laid down the injunction:

i) "Do not spy on one another." (49:12)

ii) "Do not enter any houses unless you are sure of their occupant's
consent." (24:27)

4. THE SECURITY OF PERSONAL FREEDOM:

Islam has laid down the principle that no citizen can be imprisoned
unless his guilt has been proven in an open court. To arrest a man only
on the basis of suspicion and to throw him into a prison without proper
court proceedings and without providing him a reasonable opportunity to
produce his defense is not permissible in Islam.

5. THE RIGHT TO PROTEST AGAINST TYRANNY:

Among the rights that Islam has conferred on human beings is the right
to protest against government's tyranny. Referring to it the Quran says:
"God does not love evil talk in public unless it is by someone who has
been injured thereby." (4:148)

In Islam, as has been argued earlier, all power and authority belong to
God, and with man there is only delegated power which becomes a trust;
everyone who becomes a recipient of such a power has to stand in awful
reverence before his people toward whom and for whose sake he will be
called upon to use these powers. This was acknowledged by Hazrat Abu
Bakr who said in his very first address: "Cooperate with me when I am
right but correct me when I commit error; obey me so long as I follow
the commandments of Allah and His Prophet; but turn away from me when I
deviate."

6. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION:

Islam gives the right of freedom of thought and expression to all
citizens of the Islamic state on the condition that it should be used
for the propagation of virtue and truth and not for spreading evil and
wickedness. The Islamic concept of freedom of expression is much
superior to the concept prevalent in the West. Under no circumstances
would Islam allow evil and wickedness to be propagated. It also does not
give anybody the right to use abusive or offensive language in the name
of criticism. It was the practice of the Muslims to enquire from the
Holy Prophet whether on a certain matter a divine injunction had been
revealed to him. If he said that he had received no divine injunction,
the Muslims freely expressed their opinion on the matter.

7. FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION:

Islam has also given people the right to freedom of association and
formation of parties or organizations. This right is also subject to
certain general rules.

8. FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND CONVICTION:

Islam has laid down the injunction: "There should be no coercion in the
matter of faith." (2:256)

On the contrary, totalitarian societies totally deprive the individuals
of their freedom. Indeed, this undue exaltation of the state authority
curiously enough postulates a sort of servitude, of slavishness on the
part of man. At one time slavery meant total control of man over man -
now that type of slavery has been legally abolished but in its place
totalitarian societies impose a similar sort of control over
individuals.

9. PROTECTION OF RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS:

Along with the freedom of conviction and freedom of conscience, Islam
has given the right to the individual that his religious sentiments will
be given due respect and nothing will be said or done which may encroach
upon his right.

10. PROTECTION FROM ARBITRARY IMPRISONMENT:

Islam also recognizes the right of the individual not to be arrested or
imprisoned for the offenses of others. The Holy Quran has laid down this
principle clearly: "No bearer of burdens shall be made to bear the
burden of another." (35:18)

11. THE RIGHT TO BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE:

Islam has recognized the right of the needy people for help and
assistance to be provided to them: "And in their wealth there is
acknowledged right for the needy and the destitute." (51:19)

12. EQUALITY BEFORE LAW:

Islam gives its citizens the right to absolute and complete equality in
the eyes of the law.

13. RULERS NOT ABOVE THE LAW:

A woman belonging to a high and noble family was arrested in connection
with theft. The case was brought to the Prophet, and it was recommended
that she might be spared the punishment of theft. The Prophet replied:
"The nations that lived before you were destroyed by God because they
punished the common man for their offenses and let their dignitaries go
unpunished for their crimes; I swear by Him Who holds my life in His
hand that even if Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad, had committed this
crime, I would have amputated her hand."

14. THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE AFFAIRS OF STATE:

"And their business is (conducted) through consultation among
themselves." (42:38) The "Shura" or the legislative assembly has no
other meaning except that the executive head of the government and the
members of the assembly should be elected by free and independent choice
of the people.

Lastly, it is to be made clear that Islam tries to achieve the above
mentioned human rights and many others not only by providing certain
legal safeguards but mainly by inviting mankind to transcend the lower
level of animal life to be able to go beyond the mere ties fostered by
the kinship of blood, racial superiority, linguistic arrogance, and
economic privileges. It invites mankind to move on to a plane of
existence where, by reason of his inner excellence, man can realize the
ideal of the Brotherhood of man.

Announcements ................................................................

8. Archive Info ..............................................................

This FAQ is archived at several sites and is available for public
retrieval thru anonymous FTP, E-MAIL, Gopher & World Wide Web.

-- Anonymous FTP --

Site: rtfm.mit.edu
Dir: /pub/usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/

Site: ftp.uu.net
Dir: /pub/usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/

Site: ftp.cco.caltech.edu
Dir: /pub/calmsa/islam-faq/

-- E-MAIL --

Send E-mail to: mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu

Text of E-mail Message:

send usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/part8
quit

-- GOPHER --

Site: gopher.caltech.edu 70
Path: Computing Information/
CCO anonymous ftp archive/
pub/
calmsa/
islam-faq/

Site: latif.com 70
Path: Resources relating to Islam/
Soc.Religion.Islam

-- World-Wide-Web (WWW) --

One recommended interface is 'mosaic,' below are mosaic 'home pages.'

URL at USENET Archive site:
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/islam-faq/faq.html

URL at Caltech MSA site:
http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~calmsa/links.html

9. Credits ...................................................................

The author wishes to thank all those who contributed in any capacity for
the original one part FAQ or this multi-part FAQ.

-- SOURCES --

The basic introduction and literature presented in the FAQ is from
brochures on Islam distributed by Institute of Islamic Information &
Education (III&E). These brochures were typed in electronic form by
Ms.M.Ahmed.

The information on soc.religion.islam forum (in Part 2) has been
compiled from USENET archives and administrative logs of
Soc.Religion.Islam moderator panel.

What is III&E?

III&E is an acronym for the Institute of Islamic Information & Education
which was established in Chicago, Illinois in 1985. The III&E is
registered in the State of Illinois and recognized by the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) as a not-for-profit religious organization.

More information can be obtained by contacting Dr. M. Amir, III&E, P.O.
Box 41129, Chicago, IL 60641-0129, U.S.A.; Tel: (312) 777-7443 Fax:
(312) 777-7199.

-- FORMAT --

The format of the FAQ series has been done by utilizing resources of
Islamic Information & News Network (IINN). A custom program, Nebula,
written by editors of IINN for generating newsletters has been used.

What is IINN?

Islamic Information & News Network is a forum dedicated to educate the
network community on issues relating to Islam and Muslims in an academic
& non-political environment. Weekly digest is available on internet by
subscribing to MUS...@ASUACAD.BITnet (A Bitnet listserv list) and on
USENET: bit.listserv.muslims.

-- Permissions --

Permission to post this multi-part FAQ has been obtained by the
following:

o Institute of Islamic Information & Education (III&E)
o Islamic Information & News Network (Mus...@PSUVM.bitnet)
o Moderator(s) of News.Answers (Thomas Khoenig & P.Huang)

# End of Islam FAQ Part 8 #

Asim Mughal

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Apr 17, 2004, 7:24:11 AM4/17/04

Archive-name: islam-faq/part9

Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1995/3/27
Version: 3.3
Organization: Alumni Association, Caltech, Pasadena, California

Redistribution for profit, or in altered content/format
prohibited without explicit written permission of the author.
Any other redistribution must include this copyright notice and
attribution.

Frequently Asked Questions: Part 9
__________________________________

OVERVIEW: The Frequently Asked Questions document for
Islam has been divided in parts. Below is the index.

________________________________________________________

PART 9: Islam: Prophethood, Jesus & Trinity

Contents

--Articles--
1. Prophethood In Islam ........................................... from III&E
2. Is Jesus Really God? ........................................... from III&E
3. God is All Knowing... Jesus was not ............................ from III&E
4. God is All-Powerful... Jesus was not ........................... from III&E
5. God does not have a God ........................................ from III&E
6. God is Invisible ............................................... from III&E
7. No one is Greater than GOD ..................................... from III&E
8. Conclusion on Jesus ............................................ from III&E
9. Word of God about Jesus ........................................ from III&E
10. Who Invented Trinity? .......................................... from III&E
11. Trinity in the Bible ........................................... from III&E
12. Doctrine Takes Shape ........................................... from III&E
13. Formal Doctrine is Drawnup ..................................... from III&E
14. Church Puts its Foot down ...................................... from III&E
15. Debate Continues ............................................... from III&E
16. Islam and the Matter of The Trinity ............................ from III&E
--Announcements--
17. Archive Info ..............................................................
18. Credits ...................................................................

Articles .....................................................................

1. Prophethood In Islam ........................................... from III&E

Prophethood is not unknown to heavenly revealed religions, such as
Judaism and Christianity. In Islam, however, it has a special status and
significance.

According to Islam, Allah created man for a noble purpose: to worship
Him and lead a virtuous life based on His teachings and guidance. How
would man know his role and purpose of his existence unless he received
clear and practical instructions of what Allah wants him to do? Here
comes the need for prophethood. Thus Allah had chosen from every nation
a prophet or more to covey His Message to people.

One might ask: How were the prophets chosen and who were entitled to
this great honor?

Prophethood is Allah's blessing and favor that He may bestow on whom He
wills. However, from surveying the various messengers throughout
history, three features of a prophet may be recognized:

1. He is the best in his community morally and intellectually. This is
necessary because a prophet's life serves as a model for his followers.
His personality should attract people to accept his message rather than
drive them away by his imperfect character. After receiving the message
he is infallible. That is, he would not commit any sin. He might make
some minor mistakes which are usually corrected by revelation.

2. He is supported by miracles to prove that he is not an impostor.
Those miracles are granted by the power and permission of God and are
usually in the field in which his people excel and are recognized as
superiors. We might illustrate this by quoting the major miracles of the
three prophets of the major world religions: Judaism, Christianity and
Islam. Moses' contemporaries were excellent in magic. So his major
miracle was to defeat the best magicians of Egypt of his days. Jesus'
contemporaries were recognized as skillful physicians. Therefore, his
miracles were to raise the dead and cure the incurable diseases. The
Arabs, the contemporaries of the Prophet Mohammed, were known for their
eloquence and magnificent poetry. So Prophet Muhammad's major miracle
was the Quran, the equivalent of which the whole legion of the Arab
poets and orators could not produce despite the repeated challenge from
the Quran itself. Again Muhammad's miracle has something special about
it. All previous miracles were limited by time and place, i.e., they
were shown to specific people at a specific time. Not so the miracle of
Muhammad, the Quran. It is a universal and everlasting miracle. Previous
generations witnessed it and future generations will witness its
miraculous nature in terms of its style, content and spiritual
uplifting. These still can be tested and will thereby prove the divine
origin of the Quran.

3. Every prophet states clearly that what he receives is not of his own
but from God for the well-being of mankind. He also confirms what was
revealed before him and what may be revealed after him. A prophet does
this to show that he is simply conveying the message which is entrusted
to him by the One True God of all people in all ages. So the message is
one in essence and for the same purpose. Therefore, it should not
deviate from what was revealed before him or what might come after him.

Prophets are necessary for conveying God's instructions and guidance to
mankind. We have no way of knowing why we were created. What will happen
to us after death? Is there any life after death? Are we accountable for
our actions? In other words, is there any reward or punishment for our
deeds in this life? These and so many other questions about God, angels,
paradise, hell, etc. can not be answered without revelation from the
Creator and Knower of the unseen. Those answers must be authentic and
must be brought by individuals whom we trust and respect. That is why,
messengers are the select of their societies in terms of moral conduct
and intellectual ability.

Hence, the slanderous Biblical stories about some of the great prophets
are not accepted by Muslims. For example, Lot is reported to have
committed fornication while drunk, with his daughters; or David sent one
his leaders to death to marry his wife. Prophets to Muslims are greater
than what these stories indicate. These stories can not be true from the
Islamic point of view.

The prophets are also miraculously supported by God and instructed by
Him to affirm the continuity of the message.

The content of the prophets' message to mankind can be summarized as
follows:

a) Clear concept about God: His attributes, His creation, what should
and should not be ascribed to Him.

b) Clear idea about the unseen world, the angels, jinn (spirits),
Paradise and Hell.

c) Why has God created us? What does He want from us and what is the
reward or punishment for obeying or disobeying Him?

d) How to run our societies according to His will? That is, clear
instructions and laws that, when applied correctly and honestly, will
result in a happy and ideal society.

It is clear from the above discussion that there is no substitute for
prophets. Even today with the advancement of science, the only authentic
source of information about the supernatural world is revelation.
Guidance can be obtained neither from science nor from mystic
experience. The first is too materialistic and too limited; the second
is too subjective and frequently too misleading.

Now one might ask:

How many prophets has God sent to humanity? We do not know for sure.
Some Muslim scholars have suggested 240 thousand prophets. We are only
sure of what is clearly mentioned in the Quran, that is, God has sent a
messenger (or more) to every nation. That is because it is one of God's
principles that He will never call a people to account unless He has
made clear to them what to do and what not to do. The Quran mentions the
names of 25 prophets and indicates that there have been others who were
not mentioned to the Prophet Mohammed. These 25 include Noah, the man of
the Ark, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. These five are the
greatest among God's messengers. They are called 'the resolute'
prophets.

An outstanding aspect of the Islamic belief in prophethood is that
Muslims believe in and respect all the messengers of God with no
exceptions. Since all the prophets came from the same One God, for the
same purpose - to lead mankind to God - belief in them all is essential
and logical; accepting some and rejecting others has to be based on
misconceptions of the prophets' role or racial bias. The Muslims are the
only people in the world who consider the belief in all the prophets of
God an article of faith. Thus the Jews reject Jesus Christ and Muhammad;
the Christians reject Muhammad and in reality reject Moses because they
do not abide by his laws. The Muslims accept them all as messengers of
God who brought guidance to mankind. However, the revelation which those
prophets brought from God has been tampered with in one way or the
other. The belief in all the messengers of God is enjoined on the
Muslims by the Quran.

"Say (O Muslims): we believe in Allah and that which is revealed to us
and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac and Jacob,
and their children, and that which Moses and Jesus received and that the
prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of
them and unto Him we have surrendered." (2:136)

The Quran continues in the following verses to instruct the Muslims that
this is the true and impartial belief. If other nations believe in the
same, they are following their own whims and biases and God will take
care of them. Thus we read:

"And if they believe in what you believe, then they are rightly guided.
But if they turn away, then they are in disunity, and Allah will suffice
you against them. He is the Hearer, the Knower. This is God's religion
and Who is better than God in religion?" (2:137-38)

There are, at least, two important points related to prophethood that
need to be clarified. These points concern the roles of Jesus and
Muhammad as prophets who are usually misunderstood.

The Quranic account of Jesus emphatically rejects the concept of his
'Divinity' and 'Divine Sonship' and presents him as one of the great
prophets of God. The Quran makes it clear that the birth of Jesus
without a father does not make him son of God and mentions in this
respect Adam who was created by God without a father and mother:

"Truly the likeness of Jesus, in God's sight, is as Adam's likeness; He
created him of dust, then said He unto him, 'Be', and he was." (3:59)

Like other prophets Jesus also performed miracles. For example, he
raised the dead and cured the blind and lepers, but while showing these
miracles he always made it clear that it was all from God. Actually the
misconceptions about the personality and mission of Jesus found a way
among his followers because the Divine message that he preached was not
recorded during his presence in the world, rather it was recorded after
a lapse of about hundred years. According to the Quran he was sent to
the children of Israel; he confirmed the validity of the Torah which was
revealed to Moses and he also brought the glad tidings of a final
messenger after him.

"And when Jesus son of Mary said, 'Children of Israel, I am indeed the
Messenger to you, confirming the Torah that is before me, and giving
good tidings of a Messenger who shall come after me, whose name shall be
the PRAISED ONE." (61:6) (The capitalized portion is the translation of
Ahmad which is Prophet Muhammed's name.)

However, the majority of the Jews rejected his ministry. They plotted
against his life and in their opinion crucified him. But the Quran
refutes this opinion and says that they neither killed him nor crucified
him, rather he was raised up to God. There is a verse in the Quran,
which implies that Jesus will come back and all the Christians and Jews
believe in him before he dies. This is also supported by authentic
sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

The last prophet of God, Muhammad, was born in Arabia in the sixth
century C.E. Up to the age of forty, people of Makkah knew him only as a
man of excellent character and cultured manners and called him AL-AMEEN
(the trustworthy). He also did not know that he was soon to made a
prophet and receiver of revelation from God. He called the idolaters of
Makkah to worship the only one God and accept him as His prophet. The
revelation that he received was preserved in his life-time in the memory
of his companions and was also recorded in pieces of palm leaves,
leather etc...

Thus the Quran that is found today is the same that was revealed to him;
not a syllable of it has been altered as God Himself has guaranteed its
preservation. This Quran claims to be the book of guidance for the whole
humanity for all times, and mentions Muhammad as the last Prophet of
God.

2. Is Jesus Really God? ........................................... from III&E

Without a doubt, you have often heard the claim that Jesus is God, the
second person in the "Holy Trinity." However, the very Bible which is
used as a basis for knowledge about Jesus and as the basis for doctrine
within Christianity clearly believes this claim. We urge you to consult
your own Bible and verify that the following conclusions are not drawn
out of context:

3. God is All Knowing... Jesus was not ............................ from III&E

When speaking of the Day of Judgment, Jesus clearly gave evidence of a
limitation on his knowledge when he said, "But of that day and hour
knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in Heaven, neither the son,
but the father." (Mark 13:32, and Matt. 24:36) But God knows all. His
knowledge is without any limitations. That Jesus, of his own admission,
did not know when the day of judgment would be, is clear proof that
Jesus is not all-knowing, and that Jesus is therefore not God.

4. God is All-Powerful... Jesus was not ........................... from III&E

While Jesus performed many miracles, he himself admitted that the power
he had was not his own but was derived from God when he said, "Verily,
verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he
seeth the father do..." (John 5:19) Again he said, "I can of mine own
self do nothing: As I hear I judge, and my judgment is just because I
seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which has sent me."
(John 5:30) But God is not only All-Powerful, He is also the source of
all power and authority. That Jesus, of his own admission, could do
nothing on his own is clear proof that Jesus is not all-powerful, and
that therefore Jesus is not God.

5. God does not have a God ........................................ from III&E

GOD DOES NOT HAVE A GOD.....BUT JESUS DID HAVE A GOD

God is the ultimate judge and refuge for all, and He does not call upon
nor pray to any others. But Jesus acknowledged that there was One whom
he worshipped and to Whom he prayed when he said, "I ascend unto my
Father and your Father, and to my God and your God." (John 20:17) He is
also reported to have cried out while on the cross, "My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46) If Jesus were God, then couldn't
this be read, "Myself, myself, why hast thou forsaken me?" Would that
not be pure nonsense? When Jesus prayed the Lord's Prayer (Luke 11:2-4),
was he praying to himself? When in the garden of Gethsemane he prayed,
"O my father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:
Nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt." (Matt. 26:36-39) Was
Jesus praying to himself? That Jesus, of his own admission and by his
own actions, acknowledged, worshipped, and prayed to another being as
God is clear proof that Jesus himself is not God.

6. God is Invisible ............................................... from III&E

ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE GOD IS AN INVISIBLE SPIRIT.... BUT JESUS WAS
FLESH AND BLOOD

While thousands saw Jesus and heard his voice, Jesus himself said that
this could not be done with God when he said: "No man hath seen God at
any time." (John 1:18) "Ye have neither heard His voice at any time nor
seen His shape." (John 5:37) He also said in John 4:24: "God is a spirit
and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." That
Jesus would say that no one had seen or heard God at any time, while his
followers both saw and heard him, is clear proof that Jesus was not God.

7. No one is Greater than GOD ..................................... from III&E

NO ONE IS GREATER THAN GOD AND NO ONE CAN DIRECT HIM.... BUT JESUS
ACKNOWLEDGED SOMEONE GREATER THAN HIMSELF WHOSE WILL WAS DISTINCT FROM
HIS OWN

Perhaps the clearest indication we have that Jesus and God are not
equal, and therefore not one and the same, come again from the mouth of
Jesus himself who said in John 14:28: "My Father is greater than I."
When someone referred to him as good master in Luke 18:19, Jesus
responded: "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that
is God..." furthermore, Jesus drew clear distinctions between himself
and God when he said, "I proceeded forth and came from God, neither came
I of myself but He sent me." (John 8:42) Jesus gave clear evidence of
his subordination to God, rather than his equality with God, when he
said in Luke 22:42, "not my will but Thine be done" and in John 5:30, "I
seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which has sent me."
That Jesus would admit that he did not come into the world on his own
initiative but was directed to do so, that he would acknowledge another
being as greater than himself, and that he would negate his own will in
deference to affirming the will of another, give clear proof that Jesus
is not the Supreme One and therefore Jesus is not God.

8. Conclusion on Jesus ............................................ from III&E

The Church recognizes the Bible as the primary source of knowledge about
God and Jesus. But since the Bible makes it clear that Jesus is not the
Supreme Being and the Supreme Being is not Jesus, upon what basis have
you come to believe otherwise?

My brother or sister, the belief that the Supreme Being is a Trinity is
false and completely inconsistent with the words of Jesus as presented
in the Bible. God is one, not three. He is a perfect unity.

If you are interested in the truth about God and your relationship to
Him, we invite you to investigate the religion of Islam.

9. Word of God about Jesus ........................................ from III&E

REGARDING THE SONSHIP OF JESUS:

"That is Jesus, son of Mary, in word of truth, concerning which they are
doubting. It is not for God to take a son unto Him. Glory be to Him!
When He decrees a thing, He but says to it 'Be', and it is." (Qur'an
19:34, 35)

"And they say, 'the All-Merciful has taken unto Himself a son.' You have
indeed advanced something hideous. The heavens are well nigh rent of it
and the earth split asunder, and the mountains well nigh fall down
crashing for that they have attributed to the All-Merciful a son; and it
behooves not the All-Merciful to take a son. None is there in the
heavens and earth but he comes to the All-Merciful as a servant."
(Qur'an 19:88-93)

"Truly the likeness of Jesus, in God's sight, is as Adam's likeness; He
created him of dust, then said He unto him, 'Be', and he was." (Qur'an
3:59)

"People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say
not as to God but the Truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only
the Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a
spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not,
'Three.' Refrain; better is it for you. God is only One God. Glory be to
Him - that He should have a son! To Him belongs all that is in the
heavens and in the earth; God suffices for a guardian." (Qur'an 4:171)

B. REGARDING JESUS BEING GOD:

"And when God said, 'O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say unto men, "Take
me and my mother as gods, apart from God?"' He said, 'To You be glory!
It is not mine to say what I have no right to. If I indeed said it, You
knew it, knowing what is within my soul, and I do not know what is
within Your soul; You know the things unseen. I only said to them what
You did command me: "Serve God, my Lord and your Lord." And I was a
witness over them, while I remained among them; but when You did take me
to Yourself the Watcher over them; You are the witness of everything.'"
(Qur'an 5:116, 117)

C. REGARDING CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS

"And for their unbelief, and their uttering against Mary a mighty
calumny, and for their saying, 'We slew the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary,
the Messenger of God'...yet they did not slay him, neither crucified
him, only a likeness of that was shown to them. Those who are at
variance concerning him surely are in doubt regarding him, they have no
knowledge of him, except the following of surmise; and they did not slay
him of certainty...no indeed; God raised him up to Him; God is Almighty,
All-Wise. There is not one of the People of the Book but will assuredly
believe in him before his death, and on the Resurrection Day, he will be
a witness against them." (Qur'an 4:156-159)

10. Who Invented Trinity? .......................................... from III&E

The three monotheistic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam -
all purport to share one fundamental concept: belief in God as the
Supreme Being, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. Known as
"tawhid" in Islam, this concept of the Oneness of God was stressed by
Moses in a Biblical passage known as the "Shema," or the Jewish creed of
faith: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." (Deuteronomy 6:4)

It was repeated word-for-word approximately 1500 years later by Jesus
when he said: "...The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel;
the Lord our God is one Lord." (Mark 12:29)

Muhammad came along approximately 600 years later, bringing the same
message again: "And your God is One God: There is no God but He, ..."
(The Qur'an 2:163)

Christianity has digressed from the concept of the Oneness of God,
however, into a vague and mysterious doctrine that was formulated during
the fourth century. This doctrine, which continues to be a source of
controversy both within and without the Christian religion, is known as
the Doctrine of the Trinity. Simply put, the Christian doctrine of the
Trinity states that God is the union of three divine persons - the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - in one divine being.

If that concept, put in basic terms, sounds confusing, the flowery
language in the actual text of the doctrine lends even more mystery to
the matter:

"...we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity... for there is
one Person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Ghost
is all one... they are not three gods, but one God... the whole three
persons are co-eternal and co-equal... he therefore that will be save
must thus think of the Trinity..." (excerpts from the Athanasian Creed)

Let's put this together in a different form: one person, God the Father
+ one person, God the Son + one person, God the Holy Ghost = one person,
God the What? Is this English or is this gibberish?

It is said that Athanasius, the bishop who formulated this doctrine,
confessed that the more he wrote on the matter, the less capable he was
of clearly expressing his thoughts regarding it.

How did such a confusing doctrine get its start?

11. Trinity in the Bible ........................................... from III&E

References in the Bible to a Trinity of divine beings are vague, at
best.

In Matthew 28:19, we find Jesus telling his disciples to go out and
preach to all nations. While the "Great Commission" does make mention of
the three persons who later become components of the Trinity, the phrase
"...baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost" is quite clearly an addition to Biblical text - that is, not
the actual words of Jesus - as can be seen by two factors:

1) Baptism in the early Church, as discussed by Paul in his letters, was
done only in the name of Jesus; and

2) The "Great Commission" was found in the first gospel written, that of
Mark, bears no mention of Father, Son and/or Holy Ghost - see Mark
16:15.

The only other reference in the Bible to a Trinity can be found in the
Epistle of I John 5:7, Biblical scholars of today, however, have
admitted that the phrase "...there are three that bear record in heaven,
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one" is
definitely a "later addition" to Biblical test, and it is not found in
any of today's versions of the Bible.

It can, therefore, be seen that the concept of a Trinity of divine
beings was not an idea put forth by Jesus or any other prophet of God.
This doctrine, now subscribed to by Christians all over the world, is
entirely man-made in origin.

12. Doctrine Takes Shape ........................................... from III&E

While Paul of Tarsus, the man who could rightfully be considered the
true founder of Christianity, did formulate many of its doctrines, that
of the Trinity was not among them. He did, however, lay the groundwork
for such when he put forth the idea of Jesus being a "divine Son." After
all, a Son does need a Father, and what about a vehicle for God's
revelations to man? In essence, Paul named the principal players, but it
was the later Church people who put the matter together.

Tertullian, a lawyer and presbyter of the third century Church in
Carthage, was the first to use the word "Trinity" when he put forth the
theory that the Son and the Spirit participate in the being of God, but
all are of one being of substance with the Father.

13. Formal Doctrine is Drawnup ..................................... from III&E

When controversy over the matter of the Trinity blew up in 318 between
two church men from Alexandria - Arius, the deacon, and Alexander, his
bishop - Emperor Constantine stepped into the fray.

Although Christian dogma was a complete mystery to him, he did realize
that a unified church was necessary for a strong kingdom. When
negotiation failed to settle the dispute, Constantine called for the
first ecumenical council in Church history in order to settle the matter
once and for all.

Six weeks after the 300 bishops first gathered at Nicea in 325, the
doctrine of the Trinity was hammered out. The God of the Christians was
now seen as having three essences, or natures, in the form of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

14. Church Puts its Foot down ...................................... from III&E

The matter was far from settled, however, despite high hopes for such on
the part of Constantine. Arius and the new bishop of Alexandria, a man
named Athanasius, began arguing over the matter even as the Nicene Creed
was being signed; "Arianism" became a catch-word from that time onward
for anyone who did not hold to the doctrine of the Trinity.

It wasn't until 451, at the Council of Chalcedon that, with the approval
of the Pope, the Nicene/Constantinople Creed was set as authoritative.
Debate on the matter was no longer tolerated; to speak out against the
Trinity was now considered blasphemy, and such earned stiff sentences
that ranged from mutilation to death. Christians now turned on
Christians, maiming and slaughtering thousands because of a difference
of opinion.

15. Debate Continues ............................................... from III&E

Brutal punishments and even death did not stop the controversy over the
doctrine of the Trinity, however, and the said controversy continues
even today.

The majority of Christians, when asked to explain this fundamental
doctrine of their faith, can offer nothing more than "I believe it
because I was told to do so." It is explained away as "mystery" - yet
the Bible says in I Corinthians 14:33 that "... God is not the author of
confusion..."

The Unitarian denomination of Christianity has kept alive the teachings
of Arius in saying that God is one; they do not believe in the Trinity.
As a result, mainstream Christians abhor them, and the National Council
of Churches has refused their admittance. In Unitarianism, the hope is
kept alive that Christians will someday return to the preachings of
Jesus: "...Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou
serve." (Luke 4:8)

16. Islam and the Matter of The Trinity ............................ from III&E

While Christianity may have a problem defining the essence of God, such
is not the case in Islam.

"They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity, for
there is no god except One God." (Qur'an 5:73) It is worth noting that
the Arabic language Bible uses the name "Allah" as the name of God.

Suzanne Haneef, in her book WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ISLAM AND
MUSLIMS (Library of Islam, 1985), puts the matter quite succinctly when
she says, "But God is not like a pie or an apple which can be divided
into three thirds which form one whole; if God is three persons or
possesses three parts, He is assuredly not the Single, Unique,
Indivisible Being which God is and which Christianity professes to
believe in." (pp. 183-184)

Looking at it from another angle, the Trinity designates God as being
three separate entities - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. If
God is the Father and also the Son, He would then be the Father of
Himself because He is His own Son. This is not exactly logical.

Christianity claims to be a monotheistic religion. Monotheism, however,
has as its fundamental belief that God is One; the Christian doctrine of
the Trinity - God being Three-in-One - is seen by Islam as a form of
polytheism. Christians don't revere just One God, they revere three.

This is a charge not taken lightly by Christians, however. They, in
turn, accuse the Muslims of not even knowing what the Trinity is,
pointing out that the Qur'an sets it up as Allah the Father, Jesus the
Son, and Mary his mother. While veneration of Mary has been a figment of
the Catholic Church since 431 when she was given the title "Mother of
God" by the Council of Ephesus, a closer examination of the verse in the
Qur'an most often cited by Christians in support of their accusation,
shows that the designation of Mary by the Qur'an as a "member" of the
Trinity, is simply not true.

While the Qur'an does condemn both trinitarianism (the Qur'an 4:17) and
the worship of Jesus and his mother Mary (the Qur'an 5:116), nowhere
does it identify the actual three components of the Christian Trinity.
The position of the Qur'an is that WHO or WHAT comprises this doctrine
is not important; what is important is that the very notion of a Trinity
is an affront against the concept of One God.

In conclusion, we see that the doctrine of the Trinity is a concept
conceived entirely by man; there is no sanction whatsoever from God to
be found regarding the matter simply because the whole idea of a Trinity
of divine beings has no place in monotheism. In the Qur'an, God's Final
Revelations to mankind, we find His stand quite clearly stated in a
number of eloquent passages:

"...your God is One God: whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work
righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as
partner." (Qur'an 18:110)

"...take not, with God, another object of worship, lest you should be
thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected." (Qur'an 17:39)

"...Because, as God tells us over and over again in a Message that is
echoed throughout All His Revealed Scriptures:

"...I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore, serve Me (and no other)..."
(Qur'an 21:92)

-- Aisha Brown