A Fly in the Ointment

A Fly (Corruption) in the Ointment (Faith)

In my last article, I called the dajjal a thief. Some may argue the point and even disagree. What did I mean by calling him a thief? Is it because he comes forth to steal souls? No, for that is far above his capacity. How could that insignificant, miserable creature of a man steal anything that is not appointed for him? He cannot control Divine Destiny nor can he take from ALLAH what ALLAH does not give him to take. So in spite of his deranged arrogance and plots, the fool remains a fool!

Yet I called him a thief and if some say, “Bring forth your evidence if you are telling the truth instead of throwing around unwarranted opinions”, then that is good. Is there any evidence for this accusation or was this just blowing smoke?

This foul creature is only a man and so a general saying that can be used on any person follows:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way {as to the final goal of salvation}, the same is a thief and a robber.   John (10: 1)

It is not only The Book of Daniel (11: 38) that accuses this foul fiend of using the Jinn. There are some hadiths that allude to this action between the dajjal and the evil Jinn also most notably a hadith narrated by Asma’ the daughter of Yazid found in Ahmed b. Hanbal’s Musnad about this act of his using Jinn to befuddle the people into thinking that he can, like Jesus the son of Mary (pbh), bring back the dead.

Of course Muslims know that unlike Jesus, who had accomplished this feat WITH ALLAH’S PERMISSION AND BLESSINGS, the dajjal or Anti-christ is a deceitful sham and a liar. So why call this individual a thief? I called him a thief because he is one!

Abu Huraira reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (pbh) saying: “A highly wicked one amongst the Jinn escaped yesterday night to interrupt my prayer, but Allah gave me power over him, so I seized him and intended to tie him to one of the pillars of the mosque in order that you, all together or all, might look at him, but I remembered the supplication {prayer} of my brother Solomon (pbh): “My LORD, forgive me, give me such a kingdom as will not be possible for anyone {to inherit} after me.”    (Muslim)

This false man of greed and a most foul of liars would want to come in and steal a march on the one body of prophets for a miserable gain. But falsehood will not succeed and this man of sin is NO prophet! That is he is not one of the ‘noble souls’ included in the one brotherhood of prophets.

He is and was a counterfeit set forth to befuddle the believers – a pretender to the honorable body of the blessedness of the one brotherhood of prophets. Such is his deception that he lays down to trap the unwary. Therefore, he becomes the major fly in the ointment!

Ever since the time of Cain and Abel there has always seemingly been a fly in the ointment. By that is meant that there has always appeared the ‘untrustworthy one’ as a member of a family or group (body of believers) who had alternative plans – especially after listening to the whisperings of Satan and following after one’s lusts. The so-called intention may have been good (appealing to that one’s fancy or inner desires) but the results would lead to something quite different.

Therefore, what we have is the so-called traitor within the midst of the group. That definitely does not mean that if someone shows bad judgment that that person is a traitor or harbors ill will or has scheming-like properties. As in all cases, Allah is THE DETERMINER AND NOT MAN. And we can get this lesson from the three in Medina who made false excuses not to go out and fight in the cause of Islam when Islam was facing its most dangerous times but who later were absolved from disgrace by Allah (SWT).

Nevertheless, there are others who in the depths of their hearts are full of ‘devious intentions’ and who go on to foster what turns out to be ‘evil intent’ even if they outwardly believe in the goodness of their purpose. Such examples are Judas Iscariot, Basilides and the unknown individual making up the third Caliph’s household whose action would lead to the deaths of thousands of Muhammad’s (pbh) Companions and second generation Muslims.

The Case of Judas Iscariot – a Jewish Example

What the Christians know of this man is not much. Some may believe him to be a hero-type being misled by that phony gospel written by false Gnostics called The Gospel of Judas while others following the current Gospels know of him as only a traitor or the one who turned in Jesus (pbh) for ‘thirty pieces of silver’. Whatever is thought about this man is not much.

It is always best to say that Allah (SWT) Knows Best in any case. However, we do have quite a bit of ‘sound speculative’ material from which to put together a truer picture of this man.

All signs point to Judas as being arrogant as to his thoughts and final actions. Not the kind of arrogance that is open as to parading around as a great personage but a type of arrogance that proved to be deadly for that soul and thus Satan was able to manipulate him and cultivate his grand but false desires.

Everything starts with the ONE GOD and it is up to HIM and not the planning or scheming of man with ulterior motives that move things along. So when the times and the scriptures are studied in truth, the picture becomes clearer as to what was taking place and why it was taking place.

The advent of these things took place in an era of expectations called the ‘Messianic Era’ from whence several sects of the Jews, being hounded by Roman ways, began to look closely at scripture (for a change) and were expecting a type of deliverance and elevation from daily chaos through the coming of a person who would be sent by GOD as a ‘deliverer’ and ‘conqueror’. Hence, the Messianic Era was on the minds of the people in the periods – pre and post Jesus the son of Mary (pbh).

Each sect that looked for these things like the various ‘sects’ of Islam today had their own ‘records’ and interpretations (from true or made up material) of the same which naturally favored their outlook. After all, who wants to be on the opposite side of the real Messiah but a fool?

Before Jesus (pbh) and after him came various false messiahs but that is another topic altogether. What is important to realize is that the most populace of Jewish sects at the time called the Pharisees had their own self-styled thinking about how blessed they were and naturally the Messiah was going to be their guy to elevate them to a special rank of blessedness. Does that sound familiar in today’s world? However, Jesus (pbh) came and, as is reported in the New Testament, called those individuals hypocrites.

Jesus (pbh) castigated them severely as to being arrogant hypocrites testifying that they were not so holy as they pretended to make themselves out to be, that they doctored the records, that they hurt and even killed the prophets from before and that the KINGDOM OF GOD would be taken away from them and given to another set of peoples – all of this is covered in the New Testament. To be blunt – Jesus was not going to be one of their favorite people!

However, at this time there had been in existence another sect of the Jews who were from the ‘forbidden’ ones or the disliked ones called the Essenes. And most if not all of the 12 special followers of Jesus (pbh) came from this sect. They were not scholars but they were not ‘people fresh off the boat’ knowing nothing.

They had some religious training and were capable of logical thinking. Besides this, it was Jesus (pbh) who  especially called them to be the ‘special ones’ close to him in his daily life – seeing him in sleep as well as in waking, listening to his speech, asking questions for clarification and so on and so forth. They did not come to Jesus (pbh) and ask for this assignment but Jesus (pbh) was the one who chose them and that is important.

It is important because they saw him in his intimate as well as public moments and could judge for themselves if this was a man of truth or just one of the ‘false’ pretenders for the honor of being the real Messiah. The character of Jesus (pbh), his wondrous and awe inspiring miracles, his extremely wise grasp of the scriptures and his miraculous escape from Jewish assassination plots should have melted the hearts of any but a stiff-necked fool.

So Judas Iscariot believed that Jesus (pbh) was the real deal. After all, he was a witness to Jesus (pbh) for about three years in his activities. And there is no record that declares that Judas Iscariot while being in the midst of Jesus (pbh) and the true Apostles, was ever put under any suspicion or was found to have had any doubts as to Jesus (pbh) being the real Messiah.

A little bit of knowledge can be harmful just as some people’s ‘good but misguided intentions’ can be destructive. Judas Iscariot being of those who were of the faithful and not the seditious type of Jew, longed for the day when Palestine would be freed from the corrupt Jew and the filthy pagan Romans and their ways.

And what or who declared this? None other than the Creator of the Universe is Who. Of course hindsight is better than foresight because it gives advantages in things that have already come to pass, but Judas Iscariot did not have this advantage.

He had the previous scriptures and the presence of Jesus the real Messiah. And the scriptures were clear enough. The ONE GOD loved and blessed this Messiah individual, would not let him see corruption (sin or death by the hands of man) and he would, with Allah’s Blessings, win through the day and have a blessed kingdom given to him on Earth.

So what more can a person want? A little bit of patience, wisdom and understanding would be nice and the fact that this Messiah would ‘go’ and ‘return’ again is something we now so easily see. But Judas Iscariot did not!

Now if Jesus (pbh) was this Messiah for real and all indications said that he was what was he waiting for? Was GOD so busy with HIS other creations that HE forgot what was going on? Did Jesus feel somehow timid about getting the job done even though he claimed he would have help from many legions of angels as reported in the New Testament?

What was needed was a spark to set things right in the destruction of the Pharisaical Jews (those sitting in the false judgment seat of Moses) and the destruction of the filthy, boozing, prostitute-loving, pagan Romans with their false gods and goddesses.

Well something had to be done so a plan was initiated to get the Messiah going on a fast track to set things right and punish the enemies of the ONE GOD. All it seemingly needed was a little wakeup call and (how ridiculous) in spite of GOD and the ‘dawdling’ Messiah when push comes to shove, GOD will sit up and take notice! What arrogance that man had!

Anyway, a plan was hatched whereby Judas Iscariot who intended nothing but insult to the Jews in power taunted them by asking for 30 pieces of silver in guaranteeing that the ‘Messiah’ would be turned over to them. What a joke! They would be signing their own death warrant for only 30 pieces of silver!

On the other hand, the Jews thought that Judas was a fool and happily agreed to such a ridiculous price to be used in the future as a smear job in showing the people latter that even one of Jesus’ ‘trusted servants’ put a value on his blessed head as to being worth the equivalent of a broken down donkey.

Now we know Jesus (pbh) was taken. We also know that the mountains didn’t fall down nor did earthquakes swallow up the bad Jews or destroy the Romans. Also, the time of the turning in of Jesus and the so-called crucifixion event followed one close upon the other such that Judas was around to get ‘certain news’ concerning the so-called crucifixion and then he committed suicide.

For someone who reviled or hated Jesus (pbh) the act of suicide makes absolutely no sense at all! For someone who would believe (how utterly sick a thought) that he ‘ruined’ GOD’s PLAN and that he was responsible for the ‘termination’ of the Messiah is more compatible with the truth and reflects a form of arrogance and explains why Judas Iscariot took his own life.

The Case of Basilides – a Christian Example

The records show that the term ‘Christian’ was not in vogue (used by the adherents who practiced after the followings of Jesus) during the first century and none of the original Apostles or their nearest disciples ever claimed to be Christians. Even the famous Paul never uttered such a thing. Also, the ‘churches’ mentioned in the New Testament represent various schools of thought rather than places of worship should become clear.

But helping to form the philosophy of the future Christian dogma were those individuals that came before the term Christianity took off in reality as to those who were to influence ‘ideas’ concerning what Christianity was. Usually, we find these individuals as lacking in the knowledge of the scriptures but exhibiting some form of ‘claimed’ knowledge nonetheless.

One of these individuals who went forth and was to cause a great deal of damage was a man named Basilides. Like the Arabs who discovered or rediscovered many things scientific about this world and then those ideas were ‘borrowed’ by western scholars from of old while no real credit was given to the Arabs, whom they borrowed it from, the same thing was about to happen when the ‘dust’ from Basilides’ thinking was put to rest.

In other words, his contamination could be used to ‘further’ the mumbo-jumbo that was to lead to philosophical quackery and doggerel concerning the mysteries of Jesus the son of Mary (pbh).

We don’t know much about the history of that man Basilides and his ‘doctrine’ of which only part has come down to us, is very much incomplete. But what we do know of that individual is enough to form good educated opinions on his future relationship towards ‘church’ thinking. Some of his characteristics are presented here:

1. He thought the Old Testament to be a book for fools and idiots. In other words, he rejected the Old Testament and the idea of the continuity of the scriptures and the continuity of the prophets.

2. He was overly charmed by ‘Eastern Philosophical Religious works’ which formed the bases of his thinking even when he turned to what for him was ‘Christianity’. That the horns of Satan arise in the East had no meaning for him.

3. He mentioned two unknown prophets that he found great inspiration from. The trouble was nobody ever heard of these so-called prophets except himself.

4. He was no stranger to fledgling ‘Christianity’ or to being able to discuss it as he is known to have written many in-depth works on the subject of the New Testament so he was no backwater ‘evangelist’ or unlearned man.

5. He gained a lot of stature from some of those who claimed to be second and third generation followers of Christ by being privy to discussions during his early career at one time with Peter’s (the Apostle to Jesus) secretary Glaucias, who was by then a very, very old man.

6. He was a self-styled Gnostic ‘offering up secrets and wisdom’, which did appeal to a great many people, at least for a time.

7. After his death, his son carried on his father’s teachings and even made them more bizarre than his father did.

Basilides is the man who believed himself wise but was really only a FOOL because he believed himself wise. He was the one who learned the truth from Glaucias about Jesus (pbh) NOT being crucified and that Simon the Cyrenian was in fact actually crucified in his place.

So the man did have a pedigree and a foothold into the reshaping of religious thinking that would later be reshaped again into what is now known as ‘Christianity’ and he could discern some things but his thoughts (writings) after the fact as examined by Irenaeus show a system utterly rife with ‘Eastern philosophical doggerel nonsense’.

Once again, another type of arrogance raises its head. And a little bit of knowledge can go a long way – in destroying an individual who won’t give up ‘peculiar ideas and notions’ (going contrary to the spirit of truth and right guided doctrine) but is led away by the spirit of error unto his own destruction.

Some people may be led to believe that Basilides was openly running around babbling nonsense. That was not the case. He belonged to the philosophy which unfortunately exists today in every religion declaring that there is the religion for the little people while higher truths await the special privileged classes of the higher, exalted  human being called ‘special initiates’ unto the truth. Hogwash!!!

The Case of Mr. X – an Islamic Example

Allah (SWT) has not found it fit to reveal the identity of the man who was to cause a great deal of trouble to the Muslims by illegally appropriating the third Caliph’s seal (‘Uthman) and forging documents which would in turn lead to the tragic deaths of thousands of Muhammad’s Companions and next generation of believers.

This man was in all probability a close relation to ‘Uthman and as a family member, he no doubt wanted in his misguided thieving intention to put things right and get rid of the obvious trouble makers. In other words, he took it upon himself to be ‘judge and jury’ of the situation which in reality is going against the grain of Islam itself.

The following excerpt comes from the book, The Islamic Messiah pages 60-67.

“If Islam has suffered from the past, it can be shown that the cause from these sufferings come from two main areas: the hostility from outside and the deterioration from within. In both cases, the devil and his willing crew have never given up the hope of trying to annihilate the Light wherever it may be found and by whatever method they could use.

The world runs by its own mechanisms of deception and bone-crunching ways giving a thoughtful man a run for his money such that the great reformers of the past, known as the body of the one brotherhood of prophets, had their work cut out for them. We never read about any prophet who had an easy go of it. Even prophets sent to the same nation {as in the case of the Jews} seemed to run into a devious priest-class bound and determined to mangle the truth and hold unwary worshipers captive to strange beliefs and practices.

Some worshipers like what they hear and follow what they like because of their own dispositions that they carry within them and this has been foretold in the scriptures in various ways. Not only does the dog return to its vomit but also the fly seeks out what is putrid rather than sweet. Others seem to be asleep and grow careless or sloppy in their worship and are overtaken by strange beliefs or notions and fall under the spell of corruption. Such is the way of the world.

Because Islam came into the world in what can be called the Fourth Age, it also must be affected as other religions have been because the pattern remains the same. There are many different ways to look at the development of Islam and its trials and triumphs in dealing and interacting with the human element.

Most of Arabia did not become Muslim until the conquering of Makkah and that gives us a look into human awareness and human frailties. However, once the chain of doubt was broken, Islam began to flower with awesome might. The next phase occurs with the death of that mighty soul, the spirit of truth, and the reaction of some clans to break away from true Islam to develop a weaker form of Islam by ignoring certain duties incumbent on every believer. These people were thankfully brought up short and told in no uncertain terms what would happen to them if they insisted in playing around with Divine Truth by the first Caliph, Abu Bakr.

The danger was over but the first Caliph (Abu Bakr) died after only two years in office and Islam entered another stage under the very stern but fair leadership of Caliph ‘Umar. Thus began the decade long reign of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab and the explosive spread of Islam as a great dynamic force.

The devil and his minions were in a rage because they were being blown out of the way from all directions of the compass and they wouldn’t rest until they could find a crack to open up divisions and hatred. All that territory that they held sway before Islam was ripped away from them and of course they don’t quit with their own brand of mischief. A prophecy from Muhammad talked about that issue when turmoil and dissension would start to raise their filthy heads among the believers.

Shaqiq quoted Hudhaifa as saying; “When we were with ‘Umar he asked which of us remembered the tradition of God’s messenger about the fitna, and I replied that I remembered it just as he had uttered it. Telling me to relate it, and remarking that I was daring, he asked how he had spoken and I replied that I heard God’s messenger say, “A man’s fitna concerns his family, his property, his person, his children and his neighbor for any shortcoming in which atonement may be made by fasting, prayer, sadaqa, recommending what is reputable and reproving what is disreputable.” ‘Umar said that this is not what he meant, for he was thinking of the fitna which swells like the waves of the sea. I asked the commander of the faithful what he had to do with it, for between him and it there was a closed door. He asked whether the door would be broken down or opened, and when I replied that it would be broken down, he said it would never likely be closed. Hudhaifa was asked if ‘Umar knew who the door was and he replied that he knew it as well as he knew that a night comes before tomorrow, adding that he had told him a tradition which included no misleading language. They were afraid to ask Hudhaifa who the door was, so they asked Masurq to ask him, and when he did so, he replied that it was ‘Umar.      (Bukhari and Muslim)

Jabir reported that Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: The Satan sends detachments of his own in order to put people to trial and the highest in rank, in his eyes, is one who is most notorious in sowing the seed of dissension.                   (Sahih Muslim)

After the assassination of Caliph ‘Umar the next Caliph to be elected was the kindly compassionate man of peace – ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan. He was a gentle soul and very kind and also very trusting. However, he was not the great, forceful administrator like the first two Caliphs but he was efficient enough if some people did not find it in their hearts to cause trouble. However, trouble was brewing and it was about to boil over.

‘Uthman, one of the chosen ones who was guaranteed Paradise by the Prophet himself, was getting on in years and did not foresee that the rapid expansion of Islam was going to cause trouble. Some of the trouble would come from people that could be called ‘hot-heads’ while some trouble would come from those who wore Islam on the outside but not in their hearts. That, according to the history of the world, is not a new phenomenon as every religion is possessed by these kinds of people.

Caliph ‘Uthman had a conversation with the Prophet many years before he was elected Caliph that caused ‘Uthman’s face to turn beet red. Whatever was said to him affected him deeply and during a siege laid against him in Medina, he refused to quit the city of the Prophet out of love for his beloved Prophet and the great desire of his to be buried in that very blessed city as a martyr.

He knew from one of the sayings of the Prophet (pbh) that he was going to be martyred (as to what occurred on Mt. ‘Uhud) but of course he didn’t know when but he did know that there was coming the ‘dark’ days for Islam in the form of great Fitna.

Abu Sahla ‘Uthman’s client said: The Prophet began to tell ‘Uthman something in private and ‘Uthman’s color changed. On the day of the house {siege} we asked him if he would not fight and he replied, “No, God’s messenger charged me with something and I shall show endurance in adhering to it. (Baihaqi transmitted it in Dala’il an-nubuwa)

Abu Habiba told that he entered the house when ‘Uthman was besieged in it and heard Abu Huraira asking ‘Uthman’s permission to speak. He granted him permission, so he got up, praised and extolled God, then stated that he had heard God’s messenger say, “After I am gone you will encounter civil strife and disagreement (or he said, disagreement and civil strife).” One of the people asked him, “To whom should we adhere, messenger of God?” or, “What do you command us to do?” He (the Prophet) replied, “Adhere to the commander and his companions,” pointing at the same time to ‘Uthman. (Baihaqi transmitted it in Dala’il an-nubuwa)

Meanwhile, the plotters and planners of his overthrow, which were not an overly huge number at first but increased in size, were building strength. Satan saw this and encouraged the ‘hot-heads’ and the hypocrites to join forces under what was best for Islam of course. The devil is not called the deceiver for nothing!

Basically this odd group concentrated on two things: justice and corrupt appointments. There was some truth to these accusations in a kind of spurious way but nothing of any great pressing need to men of rational thinking. However, the hot-heads spurred on by the hypocrites demanded instantaneous movement on these issues and when these things did not go according to their liking; they decided to do something about it.

This is where the devil is at his best – drive and prod and drive and prod – until a mob-rule mentality blots out clear thinking while corrupt thinking becomes the logical rational of choice. The result of these actions resulted in the blessed city of Medina being entered by several thousand hot-heads and hypocrites with the intention of removing the Caliph from power. The stages of intimidation went from outrage at his rule to demands that he resign and finally to his assassination. All of this was the result of mob-rule-mentality with Islamic decorum being thrown out the window.

Caliph ‘Uthman would talk several times with that mob but he decided he would only use words of love, patience and truth to bring them to their senses.

The siege begins

A few thousand unstable men caused all of this trouble? That is hard to believe. In a way, yes it is. However, the Caliph’s word was law and even though he was offered safe protection by another powerful Muslim (Muawiya), commander of a large army in Syria, ‘Uthman refused it. In fact, he refused to call in any army that would be able to protect him while preferring to settle the issue between himself and the disputants. He was not going to be the one to spill Muslim blood that was as precious to him as any amount of gold is to man. The rule is that one has to obey the Caliph in that what he said must be followed.

The disputants surrounded his living quarters in a siege that turned into days, weeks and finally forty days in all. Because no Muslim should kill another Muslim and because the Caliph’s word was law, the only thing separating ‘Uthman from the angry mob was his words that he would occasionally use to address that unruly throng.

As things were racing towards a tragic end, there was always an ebb and flow in the story unfolding. Towards the end of the diabolical siege, it seemed that ‘Uthman’s love and kind words would have won the day as the mob dispersed. But the authors of evil were not to be denied and certain letters authored by person(s) unknown surfaced.

Those forged letters suggested that the groups holding ‘Uthman hostage should be allowed to go free and unpunished until they reached a certain point and then they should be murdered to the last man. This would lead to the return of the mob and the tragic assassination of the third Caliph of Islam.

History has shown that history is full of pivotal points and of course the assassinations of ‘Umar and ‘Uthman were great turning points in the history of Islam. Another great pivotal point comes with the election of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib as the fourth Caliph.

After the assassination of ‘Uthman, Islam was in great danger as there was the possibility of the religion expanding so quickly that it would become fragmented into many different sects of Islam. Also, many of the original companions of the Prophet were passing away at an alarming rate. The devil had shown that he could strike hard and stir up hatred and this period was a period when some strange ideas started to form. Although the devil would never be able to win the day, he would be able to spread confusion and mistrust through the vehicles of backbiting rumor, false innuendo and perverse ideas. Finally, after three days of turmoil ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib was elected the fourth Caliph – a job that would turn out to be a near impossible task to perform in dignity and in success. However, he did manage to make a great Caliph as his actions, like a planted seed, did hold Islam together in one of its most formative stages.”

Now we are in today’s world which does require patience and faith but it is not quite the same world as when Islam ruled under the highly blessed and truthful caretakers of Islam – the four righteous Caliphs.

It is so very true that we are not even close to the uprightness of the original Companions of Prophet Muhammad (pbh) but that is to be expected in this day and age. Even in reading a hadith by ‘Abdullah b. Mas’ud (?) concerning the ‘forcing of the correctness of behavior’ on people might seem to be in contradiction to the many sayings of Abu Huraira. However, when it is understood that things must be placed in the right context and at the right time, one can appreciate those sentiments.

There is a right time and place for everything and the ‘forcing’ of certain behaviors goes along with early Islam under the tutelage of a Caliph that has things under his control. But as related by other hadiths, that era passed and in place of that ‘goodness’ came kingdoms not so much in tuned with Islam and so it went and history marks the erosion of Islam on the hearts of men.

That in no way suggests the fault of Islam but rather the realization of the fault of man such that man inherits the ‘leadership’ that he deserves. But in all these things it is Allah (SWT) that takes into account all of these variables even to the strengths or weaknesses of mankind and is COMPLETELY JUST AND FAIR. And that is yet another reason to be optimistic.

So, when people look deep inside themselves, there are perchance many things that people may not like either about themselves or their environment. However, note that it is an arrogant person who believes that he or she has sinned but little even if they have lived an exemplary life. It is also an arrogant person who feels that his or her sins, being likened not unto a mountain but unto many mountain chains, is greater than Allah’s Mercy!

Allah’s Mercy is beyond question greater than the universe itself so how could man’s insignificant corruption be compared to Allah in any way, shape or form? See how that only 1% of HIS Mercy is given to hold this vast universe and the levels of heavens together including its life forms but of HIS Mercy HE keeps 99% for HIMSELF.

Life is about building a commitment and a struggle for this commitment and not about living life beyond one’s ability which would mar the trust in HIM WHO created all things.

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (pbh) having said, “By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek {sincerely for} forgiveness from Allah, and He {being requested in humbleness and worshiped in truth} would pardon them.   (Muslim)

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (pbh) as saying, “There is none amongst you whose deeds alone would attain salvation for him. They (the Companions) said, “Allah’s Messenger, not even you?” He (the Holy Prophet) said, “Not even I, but that Allah wraps me in Mercy and HE grants me pardon.   (Muslim)

Sometimes people depend upon science to hopefully seek a way to bring us out of the doldrums and make a better life for us all. It is science to the rescue for the happy salvation of mankind. Science is good and that is not in dispute but how shocking it is for some to realize that science is not the ‘savior’ of anything.

In fact, the realization that we have been living life in a dream world would cause quite a shock for some and a feeling of being lost for others. It is time to take a lesson in humility concerning WHERE our real dependence should lie.

The following excerpt was taken from the book, The Great Sacrifice of Jesus the Christ pages 53-58.

THE WALL

“In two of my previous books, The Real Holy Grail: The Messiah on Trial and He Is Not My Ancestor, a few tidbits were passed on concerning ages gone by. Perhaps it made some humorous break for any scientist that may have pondered over it. After all, it is really out of the normal type of theory pushed forward by many of the scientific community that we have become accustomed to.

It would also cause a tremendous amount of havoc with today’s formulated pet theories and put many a scientific mind behind the proverbial eight ball. Why? Well for one thing, the world would be turned upside down as far as history is concerned and a lot of self-indulgent delusions would be punctured.

In other words, mankind would get not only a swift kick in the pants (often where his intellect seemingly lies) but also a swift dose of reality as to where he might lie. Reforming history is no mean feat but the ego deflation seemingly is worse. Not only that, but throw Islam into the mix and we have an interesting situation brewing up which most scientists would love to dodge.

Science is a lot better than witchcraft but it isn’t the end all or the great liberator of humanity either. And to wean ourselves off the notion that space, time and further research will turn us into ‘gods’ is yet another bitter pill to swallow.

Instead of trying to conquer space and trying to find out if Mars once had a microbe living on it, the knowledge of something of our past might help us more to guide us to our future. How? By facing the realities of life better is how. Of course science has come a long way in trying to break down barriers of ignorance as well as to establish new and wonderful opportunities for mankind and that is something to be thankful for. However, some hold to the position that the more relief we get due to advancement in cerebral thinking, the worse off we have become. That is not the fault of science but rather lies squarely on the shoulders of this planet’s inhabitants.

They say the drive for knowledge is inherent in man’s soul or mind. Would it be more fruitful to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on helping man advance in dignity rather than searching for possible microbes (dead or alive) that perhaps are as intelligent as some men who lack wisdom but in reality cannot think or communicate with man?

In other words, space exploration is not a high level, medium level or low level priority but one that is a bottom of the barrel priority.

Upon saying this, it probably won’t be taken kindly about the discussion of ‘The Wall’. The Wall exists and although its roots have not been photographed as of yet, its later stages have been. The extension or outer boundaries have been photographed numerous times near what is called the Bimini Road in about 6 meters of water (Bimini is a district of the Bahamas). This of course is not The Wall but a beginning leading to The Wall and of a much later date. Nevertheless, The Wall does exist and is close by this photographed site.

One way to dodge this issue is to proclaim that the sea built that extension and therefore it is a natural formation. This leads one to proclaim that it therefore is not a big deal. The case is solved and it is time to move on to more realistic things.

Well, before one jumps to any unwarranted conclusions, let us go back before The Wall existed and work with some type of individual who is more accustomed to be less excitable than the average scientist – the geologist.

Now it was admittedly stated in one of my books that Noah (pbh) the first prophet of what we would recognize as such lived over 30,000 years ago. Geologists are not in a position to talk about this sincere man because they don’t deal with such things. However, they do deal with rock strata and can give fair to good estimates when huge and devastating floods spread across part of the Earth. It is this information found in the various strata of rock that dates certain events in history.

By following (testing) the territory affected by the ‘Great Flood’ it would be quite a coincidence to find out that over 30,000 years ago a Great Flood occurred in the areas as stated in the Holy Records. This of course depends upon finding those supposed coordinates where the ‘mother of all floods’ took place.

It is true that this will not prove Noah (pbh) existed but it is one whale of a coincidence that is hard to ignore.

So what about The Wall? It can either be found to have been built by the sea as a natural formation made of what is called beach rock or if not, then it was built by men for the purpose of being part of a great seaport for world-wide trade some 18,000 years ago. This sounds utterly fantastic to the average citizen but to most scientists it would sound absurd if not psychotic based on the current history of what we know as the development of human civilization. Also, people might like to know how we got from A to M without going through the rest of the letters.

To solve this puzzle go to the geologist.

Now it is true that the sea can make a lot of things but I wouldn’t go so far as claiming the sea made a giant seaport. Moreover, I don’t claim that the atmosphere built the Empire State building either even though the atmosphere is quite uplifting and beneficial.

The geologist already knows that if The Wall exists and is a manmade structure (there are not too many choices in this matter) it was built more than three years ago. It had to have been built when that surface now underneath the photographed roadway by quite a few meters was at one time very close to the surface. Furthermore, being an alleged seaport makes a lot of sense and being a huge seaport would not make any sense at all if only small rowboats moved only a few meters back and forth for fear of falling off the edge of the world. Huge seaports are built for world-wide trade and not for fun and games.

Seaports mean trade with various civilizations and in this case trade on a monumental scale by the looks of it. If that is so, then a computer (not desktop) like an advanced astrolabe had better be used for navigation purposes. These ideas and those that can be spun off that type of society require that particular society be well-versed in the sciences. In other words, the builders of The Wall could only come from a highly advanced culture.

According to the above logic any engineers who might be privileged to study this structure would concur that a very advanced form of society would be needed to plan, construct, build and maintain that edifice.

All of this may sound fine but the current viewpoint as to man’s abilities 18,000 years ago puts man in the just forming post Alley Oop era of cartoon fame. In other words, men had the ability to paint cave walls and wear clothing and of course procreate but that would hardly grant man a license for superior advancement. Therefore, 12,000 to 10,000 years ago man just started to get into the hang of farming and could hardly be expected to count higher than 100. 18,000 years ago the Neanderthal man was already extinct by only a few thousand years paving the way for modern man to crawl out of the cave and into prominence.

The Wall would tear that philosophical mumbo-jumbo down and would make out such worthy notables as Columbus and Magellan not fit to be lowly cabin boys for that so-called advanced society. All of that seems problematical to the point of ridiculousness except for one minor element – man’s insatiable curiosity.

If a ship loaded with golden doubloons was spotted in the depth of water The Wall presumably exists at, treasure hunters would flock to the area and being equipped with modern technology literally suck up the sand to uncover the loot. The technology is there anyway even though it is labor intensive. And to think that things have been recovered from the Titanic, which was a far more difficult operation, gives one a chance to think.

In addition to this, modern day treasure hunters don’t have to be reminded that seaports are a peculiar place. Things always seem to get dropped overboard by various means and that would translate into much needed artifacts worth lots of money. And if there is a real breakthrough find which seems almost certain, then these artifacts would be considered priceless in another way since they would be considered a staggering find of importance from deep into antiquity.

Up until now The Wall remains a mystery generally put in the realm of something built and laid down by the sea – a sea that should be recruited to help people in areas where there appears a housing shortage. Or it can be taken as just an object that is just there but whatever it is, it too has a destiny that is waiting to be unfolded – a destiny that should bring the world into a better focus about the wonders of its past and man’s relationship to the One God.”

So where are these supposedly advanced people now? They are dead and to paraphrase Allah’s Word in the Quran, ‘That was a generation that has passed away before you and they are responsible for what they did {will be held accountable for their actions} and you {we} will be held accountable for your {our} actions.’

In several of my books I have written some stories based on some verses from the Holy Records and some hadith material. These stories are filled with some symbolism about life. The following stories come from the book, The Great Sacrifice of Jesus the Christ pages 59-62.

The first story is about three men who were given some knowledge and who realized the truth in being thankful to their CREATOR LORD.

There were three men who met by the seashore of a vast immeasurable ocean. Looking out upon this unending and vast expanse of water with its splendid waves and sensing its depth to be impenetrably deep, the men stood by the seashore as indistinguishable specks of dust that would draw no notice from a passerby.

Each man held a part of that infinite body of water in their hand. The first man held a teacup filled with that precious water. The second man held an eyedropper filled with that water while the third man could only capture but a molecule of its essence.

All three men looked at each other and began to laugh. It was not a boisterous laughter but laughter in the form of praise for the One Who made all things.

The first man, who had the teacup turned to his companions and said, “What we have been given is precious beyond thought but compared to this immeasurable depth of an infinite ocean, it is as if we are holding nothing at all.”

The following story came about when I was disturbed by some things I read on the Internet about ibn Taymiyah. Specifically the story is about him but it is also about the “Tree of Life” as featured in the Holy Records. The farmer is the one who gives the ‘teachings or concepts’ and the soil is what is found in the ‘hearts of men’.

There once was a man called ibn Taymiyah. In a way he was like a farmer who planted some seeds. And some of these seeds grew into marvelous trees that were laden with heavy, sweet tasting fruit. And some of these seeds grew into spindly trees that bore rotten fruit. While the goodly fruit from the goodly trees were harvested for a holy banquet, the foul tasting fruit from the sickly trees were hewn down and thrown into the fire.

Centuries later, a few people sat around wondering just what kind of farmer that man ibn Taymiyah was. However, one man that sat amongst the group said, “It is not an appropriate question to ask what kind of farmer he was. For a farmer doesn’t broadcast seeds in a vacuum. He broadcasts them on soil. Therefore, the real question is what kind of soil are we? For goodly soil raises goodly fruits and bad soil raises bad fruits.” One gentleman amongst the group asked, “What do you mean by that?” The first man replied, “Don’t blame the farmer; blame the soil.”

The following story is about the attractions of the world that we all seem to face and the reality of the worth of Islam as opposed to the charms that the world holds out to its inhabitants.

Once upon a time there was a strange man passing through a very small and insignificant village. As he was passing by, he saw a sad, little man sitting by himself with a disconsolate look on his face. The wanderer said to the little, sad man, “What is troubling you my friend?” The sad man said, “I cannot read or write. In fact, I cannot do any particular job well. You see, without education I seem to have been left well behind. I cannot even repair cars or work on a computer that I have heard so much about. All I’m known for is the one who has memorized the Quran and I’m known to recite it with a fair voice.”

“So what is wrong with that,” said the stranger? “But you see,” said the sad man all the while keeping his head bowed down to the ground, “I cannot tell about even what I recite for I don’t even know the language or the meaning of what I say.” The stranger said, “Don’t you trust in your Creator Lord?” “Yes I do,” said the sad man.

“Good,” said the stranger, “But why do you want to exchange a crown of gold for a crown of tin? Don’t you know that for every letter you recite out of every word amplifies your reward? The world passes judgment on its own and the world will vanish. Your Lord passes Judgment and it shall not vanish but will endure. So put your trust in Him Whose Trustworthiness cannot be disputed.”

The little, sad man became happy once again for now he had a purpose and a handhold that never breaks. He was about to thank the stranger but when he looked up to give his thanks, the stranger was not found and none can remember even seeing that strange man who visited this certain small out of the way village. But the little man knows and he is not sad anymore.

The following story is based on a hadith concerning the Last Day. The specific hadith that it was based on comes from Abu Huraira # 57 found on page 93 of my book The Great Sacrifice of Jesus the Christ.

I once went to a hotel where a convention was taking place. Inside this hotel I was told that they had a room reserved for contemplation. Inside that room was a table with a sign saying, ‘saying of the day, please contemplate about it in silence for one hour’.

I noticed a dark haired man who looked rather handsome and athletic going inside. After one hour he came out looking ashen-faced and kind of wobbly on his feet all the while mumbling something inaudible. Even his darkened hair seemed changed as its luster turned somewhat grayish. On his unsteady way out of the hotel, he dropped his name tag which I picked up and returned to the main desk. The desk clerk read the name on it and put it in the slot where it belonged so that it could be picked up later.

The next day I saw another good-looking gentleman walk into that room. He stayed one hour but he came out of that room in a somewhat different way than the first gentleman. He didn’t look happy. In fact, he looked awfully bored while mumbling something about ‘a waste of time’. He also dropped his name tag as he was probably in a hurry to get to some important place. I picked up his name tag and handed it to the desk clerk like I did the first one. The desk clerk looked puzzled for a moment because the name tag had simply no name on it.

Well, as I had an engagement outside the hotel, I left the lobby and proceeded out the door. As I was leaving the hotel, I turned back and saw the desk clerk fiddle with the nameless tag and then while shrugging his shoulders; he threw it into the garbage.

All human beings, whether we tend to believe it or not, have been privileged at one time or another to have been blessed by being given the opportunity to ‘find instruction’ in what has been called ‘THE WAY’.

I wouldn’t break my mind over thinking about it or about how it could be. Just believe in what Prophet Muhammad (pbh) said about the fact that every nation has been visited by a prophet as there have been 124,000 prophets all told sent by Allah and that Allah has left no one person unaccounted for and that Prophet Muhammad (pbh) is the seal of the prophets being the last of the prophets of the compliment of prophets (peace be upon them all) sent to mankind.

So the idea of this story is in the doing (works plus faith) and not just in the thinking of doing!

There were once two outstanding architects of well-known fame who worked for a company called Concepts and Constructs. Both of these men could theoretically design a house that would be admired by one and all for its extreme function-ability, beauty, sturdiness and practicality. Both men could do it but only one of them did it.

One day a rare and most terrible storm suddenly hit the area where these two men worked. This rather freakish storm was extremely violent and destructive. The residents of that once small and sleepy city rushed to enter the shelters of their houses for protection.

The architect who got around to actually building his house survived the worst storm in recorded history bruised and battered but still alive. The other architect joined the ranks of those who were lost – never to be found again.

And so it goes. The world keeps on turning until of course its appointed end being appointed not by man but by HIM WHO IS IN CONTROL OF ALL THINGS AND TAKES ACCOUNT OF ALL THINGS AND IN WHOSE HANDS RESTS THE FATE OF ALL THINGS.

It is to HIM WHO we turn and to HIM WHOM we must return and so ALL PRAISE, HONOR AND GLORY ARE FOR HIM AND HIM ALONE! AMEEN