How to Become a True Muslim

 According to the Islamic sources, the way a person enters into the fold of Islam is by confessing and testifying that, not only is there no other deity besides Allah, and that Muhammad is supposedly his messenger, but also must bear witness to Jesus being

XLVII:

“O People of the Book! Do not go to excess concerning your deen. Say nothing but the truth about Allah. The Messiah, ‘Isa son of Maryam, was only the Messenger of Allah and His Word, which He cast into Maryam, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His Messengers. Do not say, ‘Three.’ It is better that you stop. Allah is only One God. He is too Glorious to have a son! Everything in the heavens and everything in the earth belongs to Him. Allah is enough as a Guardian.” (4:171)

Abu ‘Ubayd said that “His Word” is “Be” and it is. Someone else said that “a Spirit from Him” means that He gave him life and gave him a spirit, “Say not ‘Three'” [about Allah].

3252. It is related from ‘Ubada that the Prophet said, “Whoever testifies that there is no god but Allah alone with no partner and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, that ‘Isa is the slave of Allah and His Messenger and a Word which He CAST INTO Maryam and a spirit from Him, and that the Garden is real and the Fire is real will enter the Garden whatever his actions.”

It is related from Junada that he added, “And he can enter by whichever of the eight doors of the Garden he wishes.” (Aisha Bewley, The Sahih Collection of al-Bukhari, Prophets https://bewley.virtualave.net/bukhari26.html#prophets; capital and underline emphasis ours)

It is narrated on the authority of Ubadah b. Samit that the messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) observed: HE WHO SAID: “There is no god but Allah, He is One and there is no associate with Him, that Muhammad is his servant and His messenger, that Christ is servant and the son of His slave-girl and he (Christ) His word which He communicated to Mary and is His Spirit, that Paradise is a fact and Hell is a fact,” Allah would make him (he who affirms these truths enter Paradise through any one of its eight doors which he would like. (Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Number 0043)

Riyad as-Salihin

The Book of Miscellany

‘Ubadah bin As-Samit reported:

Messenger of Allah said, “He who bears witness that there is no true god except Allah, alone having no partner with Him, that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger, that ‘Isa (Jesus) is His slave and Messenger and he (Jesus) is HIS WORD which He communicated to Maryam (Mary) and HIS SPIRIT which He SENT TO HER, that Jannah is true and Hell is true; Allah will make him enter Jannah accepting whatever deeds he accomplished”.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration in Muslim is: the Messenger of Allah said, “Whosoever testifies that there is no true god except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Allah saves him from the Fire (of Hell)”. (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/riyadussaliheen/1/412; capital and underline emphasis mine)

Hence, a person must believe the divine prehuman existence and incarnation of Jesus in order to be a true Muslim. In other words, a Muslim is one who believes that Jesus eternally existed as a bodiless Spirit alongside Allah, being Allah’s very eternal Word, who was then sent down into the blessed womb of Mary in order to become a flesh and blood human being.

After all, since Allah’s Word is eternal, and since the Quran and ahadith testify that Jesus is that very Word, and not simply a creature who was created by Allah’s Word, Jesus must, therefore, be eternal. Note the logic behind this argument:

A. The Word of Allah is eternal, uncreated.

B. Jesus is the Word of Allah according to the Quran and ahadith.

C. Therefore, Jesus is eternal and uncreated.

In this, the Muslim sources are doing nothing more than merely confirming the inspired teaching of the New Testament, specifically that of John’s message, that Jesus is the eternal Word of God, and preexistent divine Spirit, whom God appointed to bring the entire creation into existence, and who then became flesh by being conceived and born from his beloved and holy mother:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’” Matthew 1:18-23 New American Standard Version (NASB)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people… The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him..  And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth… No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.” John 1:1-4, 9-10, 14, 18 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3 NASB

“He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” Revelation 19:13 NASB

So it is written, ‘The first man Adam was made a living soul.’ The last Adam was made a life-giving spirit. However, that which is spiritual is not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second man was the Lord from heaven.” 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 Modern English Version (MEV)

Further Reading

Sunni Islam’s Real Shahadah (https://answeringislam.net/Shamoun/real_shahada.htm)

The Quran Confirms the Prehuman Existence and Incarnation of Christ Pt. 1 (https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2016/09/05/the-quran-confirms-the-prehuman-existence-and-incarnation-of-christ/), Pt. 2 (https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2019/05/22/the-quran-confirms-the-prehuman-existence-and-incarnation-of-christ-pt-2/)

Source: https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2019/10/15/how-to-become-a-true-muslim/

 IHS

The Quran’s Divine Corporation: Unveiling the Reason Why Allah Speaks in the Plural

 Non-Muslims are baffled over the reason why the Quran repeatedly has Allah speaking of himself in the plural. And Muslims themselves are either not clear or are not consistent why their deity so often refers to himself in the plural.   

As an illustration of just how baffling and incoherent this employment of the plural happens to be, noted the following passages where the plural is jumbled up with first and second person singular pronouns:

What, shall I seek after any judge but God? For it is HE WHO sent down to you the Book well-distinguished; and those whom WE have given the Book know it is sent down from thy Lord with the truth; so be not thou of the doubters. S. 6:114 Arberry

Glorified be HE WHO carried HIS servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far distant place of worship the neighbourhood whereof WE have blessed, that WE might show him of OUR tokens! Lo! HE, only HE, is the Hearer, the Seer. WE gave unto Moses the Scripture, and WE appointed it a guidance for the children of Israel, saying: Choose no guardian beside ME. (They were) the seed of those whom WE carried (in the ship) along with Noah. Lo! he was a grateful slave. And WE decreed for the Children of Israel in the Scripture: Ye verily will work corruption in the earth twice, and ye will become great tyrants. So when the time for the first of the two came, WE roused against you slaves of OURS of great might who ravaged (your) country, and it was a threat performed. Then WE gave you once again your turn against them, and WE aided you with wealth and children and made you more in soldiery. S. 17:1-6 Pickthall

Talk about mass confusion!

Allah garbles up these passages by referring to himself with first person singular and plural pronouns, and also employs the second person singular pronouns to speak of himself! In the process of doing so, he ends up baffling the readers by identifying someone other than himself as Allah or God, who so happens to be his very own judge! 

With the foregoing in perspective, I am now going to demonstrate that part of the reason why the Islamic god speaks in the plural is that he is referring not just to himself, but also to the angels, particularly Gabriel, and Muhammad, who happen to be the partners that Allah has joined to himself.

Note, for instance, the following passage:

That is Paradise which WE shall give as an inheritance to those of OUR servants who are godfearing. WE come not down, save at the commandment of thy Lord. To Him belongs all that is before US, and all that is behind US, and all between that. And thy Lord is never forgetful, Lord He of the heavens and earth and all that is between them. So serve Him, and be thou patient in His service; knowest thou any that can be named with His Name? Man says, ‘What, when I am dead shall I then be brought forth alive?’ Will not man remember that WE created him aforetime, when he was nothing? Now, by thy Lord, WE shall surely muster them, and the Satans, then WE shall parade them about Gehenna hobbling on their knees. Then WE shall pluck forth from every party whichever of them was the most hardened in disdain of the All-merciful; then WE shall know very well those most deserving to burn there. Not one of you there is, but he shall go down to it; that for thy Lord is a thing decreed, determined. Then WE shall deliver those that were godfearing; and the evildoers WE shall leave there, hobbling on their knees. S. 19:63-72 Arberry

The careful reader will see that the first person plural pronouns are all referring to one and the same entity or group. In other words, the very same one(s) that only come(s) down by the commandment of the Lord, is/are also the very same entity/entities that claim to have created mankind, and who shall cast the devils and everyone else into hell, and who will then take out the god-fearing from the fire. 

According to the so-called authentic narrations, the ones speaking here are supposed to be the angels, specifically the angel Gabriel (Jibril):

CCXXII: “We do not descend except at your Lord’s command.” (19:64)

4454. It is related from Sa’id ibn Jubayr that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked Jibril, ‘What prevents you from visiting us more than you visit us?’ Then it was revealed, ‘We do not descend except at your Lord’s command. Everything in front of us, and everything behind us, and everything in between belongs to Him.’ (19:64)” (Aisha Bewley, The Sahih Collection of al-Bukhari, Chapter 68. Book of Tafsir https://bewley.virtualave.net/bukhari32.html; )

This means that it is Gabriel who is claiming to have created mankind and who musters the demons and human beings into hell.

The hadiths further teach that Muhammad will actually take people out of hell itself and cause them to then enter into paradise:

Narrated ‘Imran bin Husain: The Prophet said, “Some people will be taken out of the Fire through the intercession of Muhammad they will enter Paradise and will be called Al-Jahannamiyin (the Hell Fire people).” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 571 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=76&translator=1&start=0&number=571; bold emphasis mine)

And:

“‘… So they will come to me, and I will ask my Lord’s permission to enter His House and then I will be permitted. When I see Him I will fall down in prostration before Him, and He will leave me (in prostration) as long as He will, and then He will say, “O Muhammad, lift up your head and speak, for you will be listened to, and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted, and ask (for anything) for it will be granted”: Then I will raise my head and glorify my Lord with certain praises which He has taught me. Allah will put a limit for me (to intercede for a certain type of people). I WILL TAKE THEM OUT AND MAKE THEM ENTER PARADISE.’

“(Qatada said: I heard Anas saying that), the Prophet said, ‘I will go out and TAKE THEM OUT OF HELL (Fire) AND LET THEM ENTER PARADISE, and then I will return and ask my Lord for permission to enter His House and I will be permitted. When I will see Him I will fall down in prostration before Him and He will leave me in prostration as long as He will let me (in that state), and then He will say, “O Muhammad, raise your head and speak, for you will be listened to, and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted, and ask, your request will be granted.”’ The Prophet added, ‘So I will raise my head and glorify and praise Him as He has taught me. Then I will intercede and He will put a limit for me (to intercede for a certain type of people). I WILL TAKE THEM OUT and let them enter Paradise.’

“(Qatada added: I heard Anas saying that) the Prophet said, ‘I will go out and TAKE THEM OUT OF HELL (Fire) and let them enter Paradise, and I will return for the third time and will ask my Lord for permission to enter His house, and I will be allowed to enter. When I see Him, I will fall down in prostration before Him, and will remain in prostration as long as He will, and then He will say, “Raise your head, O Muhammad, and speak, for you will be listened to, and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted, and ask, for your request will be granted.” So I will raise my head and praise Allah as He has taught me and then I will intercede and He will put a limit for me (to intercede for a certain type of people). I WILL TAKE THEM OUT and let them enter Paradise.’

“(Qatada said: I heard Anas saying that) the Prophet said, ‘So I will go out and take them out of Hell (Fire) and let them enter Paradise, till none will remain in the Fire except those whom Quran will imprison (i.e., those who are destined for eternal life in the fire).’

“The narrator then recited the Verse:– ‘It may be that your Lord will raise you to a Station of Praise and Glory.’ (17.79) The narrator added: This is the Station of Praise and Glory which Allah has promised to your Prophet.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 532v https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=93&translator=1&start=0&number=532)

These hadiths prove that Gabriel and Muhammad are included within the being or entity that the plural pronouns in the Quran refer to since they are performing the very actions that the subjects of these pronouns are said to carry out.

Further corroboration of this point comes from the way the Muslim expositors and ahadith interpret the following Quranic texts:

And she who guarded her virginity, so WE breathed into her of OUR spirit and appointed her and her son to be a sign unto all beings. S. 21:91 Arberry

And Mary, Imran’s daughter, who guarded her virginity, so WE breathed into her of OUR Spirit, and she confirmed the Words of her Lord and His Books, and became one of the obedient. S. 66:12 Artery

It is obvious from the foregoing passages that Allah is supposed to have been the one breathing his spirit into Mary’s body in order to cause her to supernaturally conceive her glorious and blessed Son. And yet according to the Islamic sources, the one who did the actual breathing was none other than the angel Gabriel:

And ˹remember˺ the one who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her through Our angel, ˹Gabriel,˺ ¹  making her and her son a sign for all peoples. S. 21:91 (Mustafa Khattab, Clear Quran Translation http://www.alim.org/library/quran/surah/english/21/MKT#91; bold and italicized emphasis mine)

29442 Gabriel breathed into the sleeves of Mary’s garment so she conceived Jesus. (Ibid. http://www.alim.org/library/quran/surah/english/21/MKT#ayanote-1; bold emphasis ours)

˹There is˺ also ˹the example of˺ Mary, the daughter of ’Imrân, who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her ˹womb˺ through Our angel ˹Gabriel˺. ¹  She testified to the words of her Lord and His Scriptures, and was one of the ˹sincerely˺ devout. S. 66:12 (Ibid. http://www.alim.org/library/quran/surah/english/66/MKT#12; bold and italicized emphasis mine)

29989 Gabriel breathed into the sleeves of Mary’s garment so she conceived Jesus. (Ibid. http://www.alim.org/library/quran/surah/english/66/MKT#ayanote-1)

And mention Mary the one who guarded her virginity the one who preserved it from being taken so We breathed into her of Our spirit namely Gabriel when he breathed into the opening of her garment and she conceived Jesus. And We made her and her son a sign for all the worlds that is for mankind jinn and angels because she bore him without having a male partner. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=74&tSoraNo=21&tAyahNo=91&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2; bold emphasis mine)

And Mary wa-Maryama is a supplement to imra’ata Fir‘awna daughter of ‘Imrān who preserved the chastity of her womb so We breathed into it of Our Spirit namely Gabriel — when he breathed into the opening of her shirt by God’s creation of this action of his which reached her womb thus conceiving Jesus — and she confirmed the words of her Lord His prescriptions and His revealed Scriptures and she was of the obedient one of the obedient folk. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=74&tSoraNo=66&tAyahNo=12&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2; bold emphasis mine)

(And) and mention (she who was chaste, therefore We breathed into her (something) of Our Spirit) therefore, by Our command, Gabriel breathed into her (and made her and her son a token) a sign and admonition (for (all) peoples) for the children of Israel: a son without a father; and a birth without physical contact. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=73&tSoraNo=21&tAyahNo=91&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2; bold emphasis mine)

(And Mary, daughter of Imran, whose body was chaste, therefore We breathed therein something of Our Spirit) and so Gabriel breathed inside her garment and she became pregnant with Jesus. (And she put faith in the words of her Lord) she believed in what Gabriel told her that he was the Messenger of Allah entrusted with giving her a holy son (and His Scriptures) and she also believed in His Scriptures: the Torah, the Gospel and all other Scriptures; it is also said this means: she believed in the words of her Lord that Jesus the son of Mary will come into being by Allah saying “Be!” and he became a human being, and she also believed in His Scripture: the Gospel, (and was of the obedient) in times of hardship and comfort; and it is also said that this means: and she was obedient to He Who is far transcendent and majestic’.(Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=73&tSoraNo=66&tAyahNo=12&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2; bold emphasis mine)

(And We breathed into it (private part) through Our Ruh,) meaning, through the angel Jibril. Allah sent the angel Jibril to Maryam, and he came to her in the shape of a man in every respect. Allah commanded him to blow into a gap of her garment and that breath went into her womb through her private part; this is how `Isa was conceived. This is why Allah said here…

(And We breathed into it through Our Ruh, and she testified to the truth of her Lords Kalimat, and His Kutub,) meaning His decree and His legislation. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir http://www.alim.org/library/quran/AlQuran-tafsir/TIK/66/11; bold emphasis mine)

(Al-Masih `Isa, son of Maryam, was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah and His Word, which He bestowed on Maryam and a spirit from (created by) Him;) `Isa is only one of Allah’s servants and one of His creatures. Allah said to him, `Be’, and he was, and He sent him as a Messenger. `Isa was a word from Allah that He bestowed on Maryam, meaning He created him with the word `Be’ that He sent with Jibril to Maryam. Jibril blew the life of `Isa into Maryam by Allah’s leave, and `Isa came to existence as a result. This incident was in place of the normal conception between man and woman that results in children. This is why `Isa was a word and a Ruh (spirit) created by Allah, as he had no father to conceive him. Rather, he came to existence through the word that Allah uttered, `Be,’ and he was, through the life that Allah sent with Jibril… (Ibid., Q. 4:171 http://www.alim.org/library/quran/AlQuran-tafsir/TIK/4/171; bold emphasis ours)

“… Tabarsi, however, said… ‘Gabriel also appeared to Mary when she conceived Jesus, he announced him to her AND BREATHED THE SPIRIT OF GOD INTO HER‘ (Tabarsi, I, p. 349).” (Mahmoud M. Ayoub, The Qur’an and its Interpreters [State University of New York Press (SUNY), Albany, NY 1984], Volume One, pp. 124-125; bold and capital emphasis ours)

What this shows is that the reason why plural pronouns are being employed in these specific verses is that Gabriel happens to be one of the divine speakers. It also confirms that Gabriel is a co-creator and life-giver with Allah since he is the one who caused Mary’s miraculous conception.

It seems that Gabriel isn’t the only angel who has the power to create and bestow life. According to the following narrations, Allah sends an unnamed angel to blow/breathe the soul/spirit into every human being that is conceived, obviously for the express purpose of animating their physical bodies:

‘Abd Allah b. Mas’ud said:

The Messenger of Allah who spoke the truth and whose word was belief told us the following : The constituents of one of you are collected for forty days in his mother’s womb, then they become a piece of congealed blood for a similar period, then they become a lump of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends to him AN ANGEL with four words who records his provision the period of his life, his deeds, and whether he will be miserable or blessed; thereafter HE BREATHES the spirit into him. One of you will do the deeds of those who go to Paradise so that there will be only a cubit between him and it or will be within a cubit, then what is decreed will overcome him so that he will do the deeds of those who go to Hell and will enter it; and one of you will do the deeds of those who go to hell, so that there will be only a cubit between him and it or will be within a cubit, then what is decreed will overcome him, so that he will do the deeds of those who go to Paradise and will enter it.

Grade: SAHIH (Al-Albani)

Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 4708

In-book reference: Book 42, Hadith 113

English translation: Book 41, Hadith 4691 (Sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/abudawud/42/113; capital and underline emphasis mine)

Jami` at-Tirmidhi

Chapters On Al-Qadar

‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud said:

The Messenger of Allah narrated to us – and he is the truthful and entrusted one: ‘Indeed the creation of one of you is gathered inside his mother in forty days. Then, for a similar period, he is a clot. Then, for a similar period, he is a piece of flesh. Then Allah sends THE ANGEL to him TO BLOW the soul into him, and he is ordered to write four (things): To write his provision, his life-span, his works, and whether he will be wretched or happy. By the One besides Whom there is none other worthy of worship! One of you will do deeds of the people of Paradise, until there is between him and it but a forearm span, then he is overcome by what is written for him, and he is sealed off with the deeds of the people of the Fire, so that he enters it. And indeed one of you will do deeds of the people of the Fire, until there is between him and it but a forearm span, then he is overcome by what is written for him, and he is sealed off with the deeds of the people of Paradise, so that he enters it.’”

Grade: SAHIH (Darussalam)

English reference: Vol. 4, Book 6, Hadith 2137

Arabic reference: Book 32, Hadith 2284 (Sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/urn/674400; capital and underline emphasis mine)

Interestingly, not only are angels capable of creating and giving life, they also have the ability to cause death,

Verily, those whom the angels cause to die while they are wronging their own souls, the angels will say to them: ‘What were you after?’ They will say: ‘We were treated as weak in the land.’ The angels will say, ‘Was not ALLAH’s earth spacious enough so that you could have emigrated therein?’ It is these whose abode shall be Hell, and an evil destination it is; S. 4:97 Sher Ali

Those whom the angels CAUSE TO DIE while they are unjust to themselves. Then would they offer submission: We used not to do any evil. Aye! surely Allah knows what you did… Those whom the angels CAUSE TO DIE in a good state, saying: Peace be on you: enter the garden for what you did. S. 16:28, 32 Shakir

Say, `The angel of death that has been put in charge of you will cause you to die; then to your Lord will you be brought back.’ S. 32:11 Sher Ali

In the same way that Allah does:

How disbelieve ye in Allah when ye were dead and He gave life to you! Then He will give you death, then life again, and then unto Him ye will return. S. 2:28 Pickthall

It is Allah Who takes away the souls at the time of their death, and those that die not during their sleep. He keeps those (souls) for which He has ordained death and sends the rest for a term appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply. S. 39:42 Hilali-Khan

The above helps us better appreciate the following text:

And verily, it is WE Who give life, and WE Who cause death; And it is WE Who are the sole Inheritors of ALL. S. 15:23 Sher Ali

Since the Quran and Islamic corpus testify that both Allah and his angels give life and cause death, this explains the reason for the employment plural pronouns. I.e., the plural pronouns refer to Allah and his angels collectively, thereby affirming that these angelic beings are also divine since they speak and do the very things, which only God can do.

The foregoing data provide conclusive evidence that the reason why Allah speaks in the plural is not that he is referring to himself in a majestic way, e.g. plural of majesty, or royal plural. Rather, it is due to the fact that both the angels, such as Gabriel and Muhammad himself, are included within the divine identity of the Islamic deity since they perform the very acts and possess the same abilities, which the Quran ascribes to exclusive Allah. This, in turn, proves that Allah is not alone, but has taken the angels such as Gabriel and Muhammad to be his partners in divinity and majesty.

Further Reading

Can Angels Cause Death? (https://answeringislam.net/Quran/Contra/death_angels.html)

More on the Quran Contradiction of Angels Creating and Causing Death (https://answeringislam.net/Responses/Osama/zaatri_angels.htm)

The Confusion Concerning Identity of the Spirit and Gabriel in the Quran (https://answeringislam.net/Quran/Contra/gabriel_spirit.html)

Is “the Holy Spirit” Only Another Name for the Angel Gabriel? (https://answeringislam.net/Shamoun/gabriel.htm)

Source: https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2019/10/21/the-qurans-divine-corporation-unveiling-the-reason-why-allah-speaks-in-the-plural/

IHS

The Incomplete Quran: Whom Did Muhammad See?

 

Despite the Quran’s claim to being a clear, perspicuous book, which explains everything in detail,

[Say (O Muhammad)] “Shall I seek a judge other than Allah while it is He Who has sent down unto you the Book (The Qur’an), explained in detail.” Those unto whom We gave the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] know that it is revealed from your Lord in truth. So be not you of those who doubt.S. 6:114 Hilali-Khan

Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding. It (the Qur’an) is not a forged statement but a confirmation of the Allah’s existing Books [the Taurat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel) and other Scriptures of Allah] and a detailed explanation of everything and a guide and a Mercy for the people who believe. S. 12:111 Hilali-Khan

And (remember) the Day when We shall raise up from every nation a witness against them from amongst themselves. And We shall bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these. And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) as an exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves (to Allah as Muslims). S. 16:89 Hilali-Khan

A Book whereof the Verses are explained in detail; A Qur’an in Arabic for people who know. S. 41:3 Hilali-Khan

The fact is that it is one of the most incoherent, unintelligible pieces of literature ever produced.

For instance, the Muslim scripture testifies that Allah sent it down in its entirety on a specific night in the month of Ramadan:

The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful. S. 2:185

Verily! We have sent IT (this Qur’an) down in the night of Al-Qadr (Decree). S. 97:1 Hilali-Khan

Here’s where the confusion comes in. Since the foregoing texts presuppose that the entirety of the Quran was sent down all at once, this raises a series of question, such as who exactly brought down the revelation? In other words, we want to know who exactly revealed the Quran to Muhammad.

Looking to the Quran for the answer doesn’t solve the problem, but adds to the confusion, since the Islamic text paints a contradictory picture.

ALLAH

It seems reasonably certain from the following texts,

Your Companion is neither astray nor being misled. Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him: He was taught by one Mighty in Power (shadeedu al-quwa), Endued with Wisdom (Thoo mirratin): for he appeared (in stately form); While he was in the highest part of the horizon: Then he approached and came closer, And was at a distance of but two bow-lengths or (even) nearer; So did (God) convey the inspiration to His Servant – (conveyed) what He (meant) to convey. The (Prophet’s) (mind and) heart in no way falsified that which he saw. Will ye then dispute with him concerning what he saw? For indeed he saw him at a second descent, Near the Lote-tree beyond which none may pass: Near it is the Garden of Abode. Behold, the Lote-tree was shrouded (in mystery unspeakable!) (His) sight never swerved, nor did it go wrong! For truly did he see, of the Signs of his Lord, the Greatest! S. 53:2-18 Y. Ali

That this is in truth the word of an honoured messenger, Mighty, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne, (One) to be obeyed, and trustworthy; And your comrade is not mad. Surely he beheld Him on the clear horizon. And he is not avid of the Unseen. S. 81:19–24 Pickthall

That it was Allah who supposedly appeared to Muhammad in order to convey the Quran to him.

THE HOLY AND FAITHFUL SPIRIT

However, these next verses claim that it was actually the Holy and Faith Spirit who revealed the Quran to Muhammad:

Say, the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation from thy Lord in Truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a Guide and Glad Tidings to Muslims. S. 16:102 Y. Ali

Truly it is the revelation of the Lord of all Being, brought down by the Faithful Spirit upon thy heart, that thou mayest be one of the warners, S. 26:192–194 Arberry

GABRIEL

And yet elsewhere, Gabriel is said to be the one that came down with the Muslim scripture:

Say (O Muhammad, to mankind): Who is an enemy to Gabriel! For he it is who hath revealed (this Scripture) to thy heart by Allah’s leave, confirming that which was (revealed) before it, and a guidance and glad tidings to believers; S. 2:97 Pickthall

ANGELS

As if it couldn’t get any more confusing, other texts imply that it was a group of angels that brought down the revelation:

And they say: “O you (Muhammad) to whom the Dhikr (the Qur’an) has been sent down! Verily, you are a mad man. “Why do you not bring angels to us if you are of the truthful ones?” We send not the angels down except with the truth (i.e. for torment, etc.), and in that case, they (the disbelievers) would have no respite! S. 15:6-8 Hilali-Khan

And the angels will say to them, `We do not come down save by the command of thy Lord. To HIM belongs all that is before us and all that is behind us and all that is between; and thy Lord is not forgetful;’ 19:64 Sher Ali

But then we are told that a group of angels brought down the revelation: Then I swear by the angels who bring down the revelation, S. 77:5 Shakir

The late Dr. Robert A. Morey sums up the foregoing contradictions quite well:

In the Quran, we are told that Allah called Muhammad to be a prophet and an apostle. But, as Dr. William Montgomery Watt observed:

Unfortunately, there are several alternative versions of these events.6

The Quran gives us four conflicting accounts of this original call to be a prophet. Either one of these four accounts is true and the others are false or they are all false. They cannot all be true.

In the Quran Muhammad described his initial call to be a prophet and apostle on four different occasions.

We are first told in Sura 53:2–18 and Sura 81:19–24 that Allah personally appeared to Muhammad in the form of a man and that Muhammad saw and heard him.

This is later abandoned, and we are then told in Sura 16:102 and Sura 26:192–194 that Muhammad’s call was issued by “the Holy Spirit.”

Since Muhammad does not really discuss who or what this “Holy Spirit” is, this is also later abandoned.

The third account of his original call is given in Sura 15:8 where we are told that “the angels” were the ones who came down to Muhammad and announced that Allah had called him to be a prophet.

Even this account is later amended in Sura 2:97, so that it is only the angel Gabriel who issues the call to Muhammad and hands down the Quran to him.

This last account of his original call was influenced by the fact that Gabriel had played a significant role in the birth both of Jesus and John the Baptist.

Some scholars believe Muhammad assumed that it was only appropriate that the next great prophet in line, being himself, should also be issued the call by Gabriel.

This fourth and last account of his initial call is the one that most Muslims and non-Muslims have heard. (Morey, The Islamic Invasion: Confronting the World’s Fastest Growing Religion [Christian Scholars Press, 1992], pp. 81-83)

6 For a full treatment of this contradiction, see W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad’s Mecca, pp. 54–68. (Ibid., p. 82)

And:

The Quran contradicts itself in many ways. Since the Quran claims in Sura 39:23, 28 to be free from all contradictions, just one contradiction is sufficient to show that it is not God’s Word.

1. As we have already shown, the Quran gives us four conflicting accounts of Muhammad’s reception of the Quran:

·         We are first told that Allah came to Muhammad in the form of a man and that Muhammad saw him (Suras 53:2–18; 81:19–24).

·         Then we are told that it was “the holy Spirit” who came to Muhammad (Suras 16:102; 26:192–194).

·         Later on, the Quran says that the angels were the ones who came down to Muhammad (Sura 15:8).

·         The last and most popular version is that it was the angel Gabriel who delivered the Quran to Muhammad (Sura 2:97). (Ibid., pp. 165-166)

In light of the foregoing, should we assume that Muhammad thought that Allah, the Holy Spirit, and a group of angels that included Gabriel all came down together at the same exact time to reveal the Quran to his heart?

Another question that this raises is, where does the Quran tell us what the Quran actually is? I.e., the Muslim scripture nowhere informs us as to the exact number of chapters and verses that make up the revelation. Therefore, how can we know what was sent down when we have no information from within the Islamic text telling us what it actually consists of? In fact, where does the Quran tell us the precise year that it was sent down?

That’s not all. The Quran states that it includes verses that cancel each other out:

Whatever a Verse (revelation) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is able to do all things? S. 2:106 Hilali-Khan

And when We change a Verse [of the Qur’an, i.e. cancel (abrogate) its order] in place of another, and Allah knows the best of what He sends down, they (the disbelievers) say: “You (O Muhammad) are but a Muftari! (forger, liar).” Nay, but most of them know not. S. 16:101 Hilali-Khan

Does this even make sense? How can a book that was sent down whole, in its entirety, on a specific night, in a specific month, at a specific year, contain verses that abrogate one another?

More importantly, where does the Quran even provide a list of the verses that have been abrogated and the texts that abrogated them? Since it doesn’t include such information, how can a person know which passage has been canceled out and which text did the canceling?

The problem gets far worse since the Muslim scripture further contradicts itself in that it states that Allah did not send it down all at once, but in successive stages:

And (it is) a Qur’an that We have divided, that thou mayst recite it unto mankind at intervals, and We have revealed it by (successive) revelation. S. 17:106 Pickthall

And those who disbelieve say: Why is the Qur’an not revealed unto him all at once? (It is revealed) thus that We may strengthen thy heart therewith; and We have arranged it in right order. S. 25:32 Pickthall

How can the Muslim scripture say in one place that the Quran as a whole was revealed in Ramadan, but then claim that it was revealed at specific intervals over an unspecified period of time?

Now the moment a Muslim consults sources outside of the Quran to answer these gross, irreconcilable contradictions and problems, s/he ends up inadvertently falsifying their own scripture, which claims to be a revelation that completely explains all that it contains. After all, a text that is supposed to provide a fully detailed exposition of all of its passages does not need any other source to properly understand and/or make sense of its contents.

So much for the Quran being the word of God.

FURTHER READING 

The Angel Gabriel – Allah’s Other Divine Partner (https://www.answering-islam.org/authors/shamoun/gabriel_partner.html)

The Incompleteness and Incoherence of the Quran (https://answeringislam.net/Quran/Incoherence/index.html) 

Source: https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2019/10/25/the-incomplete-quran-whom-did-muhammad-see/

IHS