Once again the use of the symbols { } are used to add a further explanation.
Why did ALLAH do what HE did with the various Holy Books? I can’t answer that question with any assuredness but we are told in the Quran that mankind has the responsibility of getting to ‘know each other’ as well as to demonstrate their ‘tenacity’ in preserving HIS WORD (following HIS WAY). That is probably part of the answer of ‘judgment by comparison and contrast’.
And remember ALLAH took a Covenant from the People of the Book to make it known and clear to mankind and not to hide it; but they threw it away behind their backs and purchased with it some miserable {worldly} gain! And VILE was the bargain they made! Q (3: 187)
For those, too, who call themselves Christians, WE did take a Covenant, but they forgot a good part of the Message that was sent to them: So WE stirred up enmity and hatred between one and the other {to fight and squabble amongst themselves}, to the Day of Judgment. And soon will ALLAH show them what it is they have done. Q (5: 14)
*And WE granted them Clear Signs in affairs (of Religion) {the correct way of doing things}: it was only after KNOWLEDGE had been granted to them that they FELL INTO SCHISIMS THROUGH INSOLENT ENVY AMONG THEMSELVES. Verily your LORD will judge between them on the Day of Judgment as to those {differing} matters in which THEY SET UP DIFFERENCES. Q (45: 17)
*The last verse is very telling! The telling difference in this verse is that ‘knowledge’ came upon them and then began their unseemly disputes and many of these disputes probably came from discussions on the esoteric form of their religion. Enchanted by the ‘magic’ of gobbledygook as it pertains to so-called mysteries rather than concentrating on the real meat and potatoes of religion, they ‘invented’ certain strategies for how to worship and the various pathways for salvation.
In that faulty way, doctrines replaced deeds as a ‘compass’ for religious activities and the ‘law givers’ (priest-class, doctrine makers, and heroes of that particular faith) could act as ‘false’ guides tied to their own fantasy creations. A great example of this is the ultimate sacrifice and supreme importance of an ‘ACT THAT NEVER TOOK PLACE’!
That act was the supposed crucifixion of Jesus (pbh) which was hypothetically to be an ‘offering’ of the highest sacrifice in that god was so loving to one of his faulty creations (mankind) that he gave his own (sexually?) begotten son who was going to die for us and then come back to life to show us that we should be grateful for being saved by mouthing a few platitudes especially for his dearly loved son.
It all starts with Jesus (pbh) supposedly dying on the cross to save mankind from the great and evil sin of Adam (pbh) who supposedly passed on his ‘evil’ genes to the innocent though gullible human race. Since nobody can logically understand this philosophical gobbledygook, it is classified as a mystery but a mystery one must believe in for salvation or the end game of why man was created.
The problems started way back when or the earliest part of the second century and even before that when the seeds of destruction were invested already in a society rife with mythology. This can be found in my first article, “Islam and the Rise and the Fall of the Teachings of Jesus”.
The ‘Greek-Roman’ culture and territories were a breeding ground for fantastic notions and pagan beliefs. And into this quagmire steps a fantastically controversial man called Paul of Tarsus who shows a lot of education concerning the deeper meanings found in Jewish religious sources but presents certain concepts of grave difficulty which will eventually be twisted out of context after he is dead and buried.
WE gave strength to their hearts: Behold, they stood up and said, “Our LORD is the LORD of the heavens and of the earth; never shall we call upon any god other than HIM: if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity!
“These our people have taken for worship gods other than HIM; why do they not bring forward an authority clear (and convincing) for what they do? Who does more wrong than such as {one who} invents a falsehood against ALLAH?” Q (18: 14-15 – concerning the Companions of the Cave belonging to a Roman port city ‘Ephesus’, located in modern Turkey and a city visited by Paul, who were put to sleep by ALLAH in one era and woke up in another era).
And WE granted them Clear Signs in affairs (of Religion): it was only after KNOWLEDGE had been granted to them that they FELL INTO SCHISIMS THROUGH INSOLENT ENVY AMONG THEMSELVES. Verily your LORD will judge between them on the Day of Judgment as to those {differing} matters in which THEY SET UP DIFFERENCES. Q (45: 17)
That sentiment has its many detractors no doubt but there are reasons for this and the lack of any hard rebuttal and strategy of attack coming from Christianity’s Headquarters in Jerusalem before and slightly after Paul’s death is quite telling. When Paul died, there was about half a decade before Jerusalem was completely crushed so there was time to denounce Paul as a big Satan and an Anti-christ. A mere shaving of the head along with his innocent companion Barnabas is not a deterrent to evil but anyway that is another story actually supporting those two!
Let us examine some critical proof and this will help to vindicate in part the New Testament and basic religious common sense.
A good proof for destruction of common sense is the outrageous group called ISIS. We could use other groups including Hezbollah, various Shia sects, Al-Qaeda, Sufi groups, etc. Some of these people are literalists while others are mystical, magic makers and don’t really understand Islam. In other words, they have the problem of taking things out of context to suit their own vain desires by sewing a vest on a button.
The importance of putting Christ, Jesus on a wooden cross to die and therefore having the CROSS become an essential part of Christianity’s mainstay happened ONLY TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE SECOND CENTURY or slightly more than 110 years after Jesus arose from the dead (the dunya infested world).
Why is it that the ‘CROSS’ being so important was never considered as a symbol for Christianity in the early days? But why is it that the CROSS is such a great and wonderful thing? In fact, the CROSS is NOT a universal symbol but in truth does universally symbolize something found in ALL true religions.
In order to answer that basic but problematic question one has to be proactive as well as honest in studying the scripture. People may want to believe that they are well-balanced and honest but are they really? Doesn’t ISIS claim to be following ALLAH’s Laws? In truth, whatever they claim; they aren’t doing it!
Well before the crucifixion event that many Christians are fond of talking about, Jesus discusses the ‘CROSS’ as something that must be done by every human being in order to find salvation! In fact it is one of the prime purposes of life and that is that EVERYONE, in order to gain success acceptable to the ONE GOD, must undergo a type of crucifixion of the flesh!
That is what makes the CROSS so valuable according to the language of the New Testament! Now the Jews at that time were trying to kill Jesus (pbh) as is found in the New Testament. They were trying various methods such as stoning and other types of assassination attempts which, as discussed in the Quran, were to fail because Jesus (pbh) will be protected from their violence by the ONE GOD!
Since the CROSS was mentioned fairly early in his ministry, one must come to the conclusion that THIS CROSS is something else besides a piece of wood to hang a person on. In other words, NOT a hanging, torture for a criminal’s execution but a SYMBOLIC of ‘SLAYING’ of something:
And he said to them all, “If any man will come after me {follow in the path of righteousness} let him deny himself and {by} taking up his cross DAILY and follow me. Luke (9: 23)
Quite simply it is the soul wrestling against the ‘sinful’ delights of the worldly life and the concentration on the ‘correct’ spiritual pathways that will find success. Even so, this is not a ‘quickie’ course in salvation but rather a life-long struggle to be free of the negative dross that hinders the soul’s freedom.
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: Isaiah (28: 10)
It must be remembered that the CROSS is a highly symbolic term manifested in the New Testament on the basis of doing good deeds for the sake of the ONE GOD, prayer, fasting and doing all of the rules laid down by the ‘precepts’ found in the Sunnah or actions and doings of that prophet – here being Jesus the son of Mary (pbh) – to the best of one’s ability! In other words, by actually studying the scripture (here the New Testament) it will be found that the CROSS, as discussed by Jesus himself, has nothing to do with a physical putting to death of any individual!
It is NOT easy to come to this awareness if people don’t put in a ‘humble effort’ to search the scriptures or if they are prevented from doing so because their desires have taken a wrong path:
From a “Veil of Tears”
Who has ears to hear; let him hear.
And the Disciples came and said unto him, “Why do you speak to them {certain peoples} in parables?”
Jesus answered and said unto them, “Because it is given unto you {my Companions/Helpers} to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them {who have been marked off as disbelievers by HIM WHO created all things} it is not given.
For whosoever has {the potential of faith in his heart}, to him shall be given {the right of passage known as salvation} and he shall have more abundance {increase in Baraka} but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even what he has {that is any of his ‘good deeds’ shall be made like unto dust and thus worthless}.
Therefore, I speak to them in parables: because they {refuse} to see and they refuse to hear and therefore they do not understand {but I am commanded to tell the truth to those who ask}.
And in them {these people I am speaking about} is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias (pbh) which states: By hearing you shall hear and shall NOT understand and seeing you shall see and shall NOT perceive:
For this people’s heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing. And their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their HEART and should be CONVERTED {to the correct pathway but still have evil intentions against the believers in their hearts} and I should heal them. Matthew (13: 9-15)
ALLAH’s object also is to purge {heal} those that are TRUE in Faith and to DEPRIVE of BLESSING those that RESIST FAITH.
Did you think that you would enter HEAVEN without ALLAH testing those of you who fought hard (in HIS CAUSE) and REMAINED STEADFAST? Q (3: 138-142)
Eventually, the perverted Gnostics and the Literalists who were going to clash on the ‘crucifixion issue’ were helped along by the devious philosophers who were to have a very strong influence on doctrine building and these philosophers were quite out of their league in religious matters and historically were ignoramuses when it came time to understanding the Old Testament. This is a very telling point especially when one finds that Paul calls this mentality ‘GREEK FOOLISHNESS’!
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks (Gentiles) seek after wisdom {trying to delve too deep into matters that don’t concern them}:
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a Stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks FOOLISHNESS. 1Cor. (1: 22-23)
So the question is, “who is going to build the faith and by what doctrines will they build it?” The answer is historically factual and not hidden at all because we have the names of those individuals that helped make strange doctrines a definite possibility.
But people will point to Paul, a very knowledgeable Jewish follower of Jesus (pbh), and discuss his ‘take’ on the CROSS idea. So basically what is his opinion? It, as usual, won’t be easy to follow and one does suppose in fairness that Paul would have gone to some length in his monthly long ‘visits’ to explain certain difficult things with some depth. It does appear historically that Paul even admits to himself that he has overreached his audience to some degree and his wise prediction of false leaders as sheep in wolves clothing will come after him to twist things out of proportion.
For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Also of your own selves men shall arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Acts (20: 29-30).
In addition Paul speaks out many times against dissentions and arguments causing Fitna amongst the flock but that can be interpreted in different ways. However, back to the point at hand concerning the word ‘CROSS’:
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us and took it out of the way, {by} nailing it to his CROSS. Colossians (2: 14).
Many Christians still hold the belief that this has something to do with the crucifixion and death of Jesus (pbh) which in reality it DOES NOT! It does not because it is contrary to the Bible itself both the Old and New Testaments!
In order to have a beginning of understanding the import of what Paul is saying one should understand Isaiah’s (pbh) take on the ‘suffering servant’ to come but also remember to keep unity between scriptures as well as the role of Jesus as to being the completed form of the Messiah and what he had to do, which we really don’t understand much of it as to its particulars. That, however, would be asking far too much for the average believer so one must concentrate on the basics in reality to show that he or she has real Faith**.
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Wherefore when he, {Jesus}, cometh into the world, he said {concerning GOD}, Sacrifice and offering YOU would NOT, but a BODY YOU have prepared {for} me:
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin YOU have had no pleasure.
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written about me,) to do YOUR WILL, O GOD. Hebrews (10: 4-7)
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the {way of the} prophets: I am NOT come to destroy but to fulfill.
For verily I say unto you, “Till heaven and earth pass, NOT one jot or one tittle shall pass from the law, till all be fulfilled {till the Day of Judgment}. Matthew (5: 17-18)
Without a real understanding of ‘everyone must carry his own CROSS’ and; hence, everyone must be crucified in the flesh as it pertains to the desires of the soul or big Jihad in Arabic, the outcome would be in favor of the philosophical/literalists in their approach to Greek logic or as they would deem it as wisdom.
And they that are Christ’s {belonging to his Ummah} have crucified {purified} the flesh {from} with the affections of lusts.
If we live in the Spirit {live a spiritual life}, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking {jealousies from} one another {while} envying one another. Galatians (5: 24-26).
Every Holy Book has its own language, idioms and special meanings. These things are not easy to transfer to other cultures. However, if one has in his or her heart the ability to recognize truly ‘universal concepts’, then a comprehensive view of a unity of meaning will not be prohibitively difficult!
From the article “Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, King: The Legacy”
‘Now as for the Holy BOOKS, we find that each Holy BOOK has its own flavor and its own purpose. Its own flavor is found in the tone and style of the BOOKS themselves. As to their purpose, the real purpose of any religion is to show the ONENESS and UNIQUENESS of the ONE and ONLY GOD.
Its other purpose (long range, short range effects and influences) belong to the UNSEEN. Why? After all, ALLAH’s PLAN in taking total note of every thought or whim, which doesn’t escape HIS NOTICE, must do its intended job on the specific individual. That idea creates one deep and sometimes disturbing or awakening thought concerning the notion of an ALL POWERFUL, ALL KNOWING LORD WHO does NOT surrender HIS CONTROL over the entire universe nor does HE SLEEP or SLUMBER nor is HE at wits end concerning HIS various creations in purpose and intent!
In other words, HE RULES with PERFECTION so far beyond our understanding that it is TOTALLY an IMPOSSIBILITY TO COMPREHEND OR ENCOMPAS HIS LOFTY EXISTANCE. In this case, no matter how smart we think we are, we can’t catch lightning in a bottle and this answers the question of why Muslims have reacted strongly when people try to ‘humanize’ THE GOD!
In knowing the different Holy Books and their deep purpose but unable to pinpoint exactitude, we can assume that a certain flavor was allowed to be ‘set down’ or introduced for certain purposes. Suffice it to say that when looking at the New Testament we see a parallel work of history and Gnosticism involved which would require deep thought and a balanced mind to harmonize.
In other words, it is not automatic that the Book itself will constantly produce the same results on everyone. A case in point in the New Testament has occurred whereby historically some have used this book to PROVE that Jesus (pbh) was only a MAN versus others who use the same book to prove that he is Divine. Therefore, this book, like any other Holy Book can uplift or destroy one depending on the ‘hidden factors’ known only by the ONE GOD’.
Further and most importantly, in uncovering a common disease amongst those whose inner souls intent on doing harm, we are warned in the Quran about such stuff as basic, important sayings versus allegorical ones and so every Book has these problems that the believer must deal with.
Also, it is important to have the ‘REAL’ LANGUAGE of the central figure, the prophet to whom came the actual Revelation, to be in vogue. The Greek Language, as beautiful as it is, is NOT the language of Jesus (pbh) and therefore some translations will undoubtedly have some inherent problems which will affect the understanding of what is trying to be gotten across.
**He it is WHO has sent down to you the Book: In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the Book: others are ALLEGORICAL. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is ALLEGORICAL, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord:” and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding. Q (3:7)
And WE granted them Clear Signs in affairs (of Religion): it was ONLY AFTER KNOWLEDGE had been granted to them that they FELL INTO SCHISIMS THROUGH INSOLENT ENVY AMONG THEMSELVES… Q (45: 17). This is an extremely important point and it does act as a compass in pinpointing the areas that would go on to cause a great deal of fitna between various so-called Christian groups and between that what is called Christianity today versus other religious faiths such as Islam! Nevertheless, let the TRUTH be told as to the bottom line:
Those who reject ALLAH {THE ONE AND ETERNAL GOD} and hinder (men) from the PATH of ALLAH, their deeds will ALLAH bring to naught. Q (47: 1)
ALLAH’s object also is to purge {heal} those that are TRUE in Faith and to DEPRIVE of BLESSING those that RESIST FAITH.
Did you think that you would enter HEAVEN without ALLAH testing those of you who fought hard {by any prescribed and legal means} (in HIS CAUSE) and REMAINED STEADFAST? Q (3: 138-142)
Or do you think that most of them understand? They are only like cattle – nay, they are even farther astray from the WAY. Q (25: 44)
