MUSLIMS SERVE AND LIVE FOR ALLAH, THE ONE TRUE GOD!
.... what more can I say?
Do you want me to give you His direct phone number to prove we have a relationship or what?
Well actually yes, because if you want it I can give you a direct line to heaven and you can talk directly to God Himself. Just dial "J. E. S. U. S.
C. H. R. I. S. T and you'll find you talk to God Himself.
You see, that is the big difference between Islam and Christianity. Islam teaches a transcendant God who is understandable yet not knowable, and Christianity in it's true form, teaches a transcendant God who has made Himself known
So when I ask do you KNOW God.. I don't mean do you know Him.. the bible says even the devil knows him and trembles.. I mean do you KNOW Him.
If you can convince me you can really KNOW God in Islam in the way I KNOW Him in Christianity, then we will both be talking of the same thing when we talk of knowing God.
Aren't you guys the one that must everything in "Jesus" name and go through HIM rather than straight to God?
Yes, I'll give you that one, but you know why we do it!! We are going through a mediator yes.. but then again, the mediator is God Himself come in the flesh.
Count how many time the word Allah is mentioned vrs. how many times, Muhammad is mentioned and then come back and apologize to MrAmerican for saying it dwells more on Muhammad than the Creator of the Universe!
You misunderstand me totally Mr Banks.. I'm not suggesting that Allah is not central to the Qur'an. I am merely suggesting that it's the actions and activities of Muhammed that are used to predominately explain the will and character of God. I can take the Qu'ran and I can show you where in Muhammed's life certain Surah's were "revealed" and in response to what event.
I can therefore respond to that in two ways.. 1. The way you have suggested.. and see that it is Allah's way of turning mankind on the right path, or 2. That somehow Muhammed's life and the revelations were interconnected.
So, both of these lead me to ask the question, about whose actions are to be seen as the basis for the Qur'anic revelations. The Hadith speaks volumes about Muhammed's life and most Muslims base their practises on them. If the Qur'an points to God, why do Muslims follow the practises of the Hadith, and Muhammeds own actions to carry out their understanding and practise of Islam?
(and I ask these same questions of Christianity and of all denominations as you have probably guessed by now)
I can say HONESTLY that I've found NO hypocracy in Islam, but TONS of it among Muslims.
It's the fault of the PEOPLE not the RELIGION.
On this point, replace Christian for Islam and you and I are totally agreed.
The DOCTRINE of Christianity was the final thing that pushed me out because I can't remain in a religion that I KNOW IN MY HEART is errored and not true. If you KNOW parts of Christianity is corrupt but continue to stay in it and "be good"...you're still living as a hypocrite becasue you don't really believe what you're saying but out of fear you just make the "best" of it.
you call it the Doctrine of Christianity.. I have an idea.. would you and I be able to open a new subject in the forum and discuss this? what do you mean by doctrine of Christianity? What do you mean by doctine of Islam. I think before we can truly discuss this, we really need a common understanding of what we are meaning by doctrine. I think sometimes the whole concept of Christianity is lost in the world of religious practices and my thinking is that this is something you agree with in relation to Islam.
It's this very reason that says, you and I together must be hypocrites then. For we have both chosen to stay in a religion that we both very happy to admit has hypocracy in IT'S PRACTICE (apologies for the "shouting", I want to emphasise this point), yet we both stay in it.. not because of the errors in it's practice, but because of the faith itself.
I never have stayed in Christianity out of fear of "making the best of it". On the contrary.. I spend hours in here talking to you and others, and in my homeland in talking to people in my town, because I completely believe that once you meet God through Jesus Christ, you would never again worry about how Christianity is practised.. it's God Himself that becomes your total absorption. Sure, I speak out when I see things happening in the name of God and and corrupt things being taught in the churches , but it's because it's God Himself whose Name is on the line.. and that is a biblical thing to do. It's happened since Satan said to Eve and Adam (who was with her.. they share the blame for this).. "Did God really say?" and it was the foundation for much of the history of the nation of Israel and of the prophets role in crying out against the people of Isreal for their refusal to give their all to God.
So, let's take the challenge and discuss then in a separate subject area.. though do understand the next week I am committed to something that will take my total time and attention, with limited time to come back here, but I will be around as usual next week.
By the way, I've just finished reading a fascinating read into Muhammed's life and when we are ready for dessert, perhaps we can discuss some things from it.. and by the way, it's from a positive not negative perspective.
This is a fascinating dinner discussion Mr Banks. May it long continue.