CHAPTER 3: INVALID PROOF TAKEN FROM THE BOOKS OF THE JEWS
There are many reasons for that:
One: The proof they cite from the prophets requires four things:
1 . Being certain of the person who said those words.
2. Understanding the wording of that speech.
3. Being certain that what they narrated is a correct translation of the wording, for those prophets never spoke Arabic, Syriac, Roman or Greek, but they spoke Hebrew, like Christ (peace be upon him).
4. What was related from the prophets must contain proof for what they claim. We only dispute with them concerning this matter, so there is nothing in what they mentioned that indicates praising their offerings or sacrifices after the change and abrogation that took place; but it may only indicate praising them before the abrogation and changes took place. There is no difference of opinion between the Muslims concerning this matter.
Two: The attributes mentioned about Isaiah and other prophets do not conform with what the Christians say. The Christians never mentioned semolina concerning the offerings the Children of Israel used to make. Nor did they set out for pilgrimage every month, one year after another to Jerusalem to offer pure offerings to God, their Lord. On the contrary, the Christians set out for pilgrimage to Qumamah (i.e. sweepings: a name of the church of the Christians) outside the House of God (in Jerusalem) wherein the prophets used to pray. The prophets used to visit Jerusalem and pray there. Qumamah is not mentioned in any of the books of the prophets. Qumamah appeared during the lifetime of Emperor Constantine. When his mother HTIanah Al-Harraniyyah (Helena) came to Jerusalem, she chose three Jews and asked them about the place of the Crucifixion but they refused to tell her, so she punished them by imprisoning them and starving them. As a result, they showed her the place (of the Cross) in a dunghill. They took it out and she covered it in gold, carried it, and ordered that the Church of Qumamah (i.e. sweepings; referring to the place where they found the Cross) be built therein. This is according to what Ibn Al-Batnq and others mentioned in their books of history which will be mentioned later. This happened more than three hundred years after Christ.
From this time onwards they used the cross and appointed the Feast of the Cross, even though neither Christ nor the Disciples did that. This is mentioned in their books and is known among their scholars. Moreover, they do not provide offerings to God on riding animals nor by boats to the Mountain Qudsul-lah Al-Muqaddas (a mountain in Jerusalem).
Three: There is no meaning of praising their religion concerning what they mentioned about Daniel after the religion had been altered, but it rather means that Allah sent Christ (peace be upon him) with the truth, the religion with when Allah had sent His prophets previously. This religion stresses worshipping Allah Alone; that by the coming of Christ, Baitul-Maqdis (Jerusalem) would be ruined and that some laws of the Torah would be abrogated and that the sacrifices and the offerings of the Jews Would be invalidated.
This indicates the abrogation of the Torah and the cessation of the reign of the Jews. It also indicates that Christ was sent with the Truth and whoever follows Christ will be on the right path. Muslims do not dispute any of these points; for they all agree that whoever adheres to what Christ ordered is considered among the pious servants of Allah. However, anyone who believes in a religion with which Christ was not sent or wants to follow (or to make people follow) Christ’s religion after its abrogation, he is considered to be like the Jews who had their region abrogated by Allah as well as their reign. Allah did the same when He sent Muhammad (peace upon him); He abolished the reign of the Christians from the best place on earth in which the prophets were sent in Sham (the region covering, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria), Egypt, Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Armenia and Azerbaijan. He then drove them out to the two ends of the earth from the north and the south. Those Christians who remained in the middle of the land were to pay Jizyah (a head-tax to be paid by non-Muslims when they are under Muslim control). This tax is to be willingly and submissively; that is of course, unless they chose to embrace Islam.
What they mentioned concerning Micah and Amos indicates the coming of Jesus (peace be upon him) and the abrogation of the religion and reign of the Jews by the Order of Allah. It does not indicate the correctness of Christianity, which was not legislated by Christ (peace be upon him). Moreover, it does not indicate its correctness after it had been abrogated by the religion of Muhammad, (peace be upon him) which is more effective than the way in which a part of the religion of Musa (Moses) was abrogated by the religion of Christ.
This may be acceptable if we call the contemporary religion an abrogation; for the former (i.e. Musa) did not give glad tidings of the coming of the latter (i.e. Jesus). If the former gave the glad tidings of the coming of the latter and the religion of the former was only to be until the latter was sent (i.e. in the case of Jesus and Muhammad), this cannot be called an abrogation. That is because Christ and Muhammad (peace be upon them both) did not abrogate anything, but the religion of Musa remained until the coming of Jesus as did the religion of Jesus.
Concerning the words of Isaiah, which is namely that God said, “When I appear before the nations,” may be understood along with other speeches ascribed to the prophets as an argument by the Christians to prove what they innovated, which is absolutely false. These words and the like are mentioned recurrently in many situations in the books of the people of the Scripture, but they do not mean that the Divine Entity became immanent in any human being. The following is a similar quotation that is cited in the Torah:
And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousand saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. (Deut, 33:2)
It is well known to the people of all religions that neither Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, became immanent in Musa (Moses, peace be upon him) or in any other When He spoke to him, nor did he became immanent in any of the mountains of Paran although He shone forth from them. The Exalted says,
which means, ‘It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islam), to make it superior over all religions.’ (At-Tawbah, 9:33)
So Allah made the religion of Islam superior in knowledge, evidence, and demonstration as well as by force.
When a person is liked, his good characteristics become widespread in his country and he is obeyed by others. It will be said about him, “So and so appeared and became superior in such and such a land.” So when Allah, His Names, His attributes, His Oneness, His Verses and His worship are cherished until the hearts are filled with them after being filled with the darkness of disbelief and polytheism, this is how Allah makes His religion appear and become superior.
The same meaning is applied to the Torah and the Bible and what they contain concerning His appearance in Baitul-Maqdis (Jerusalem), which is the same as His appearance and shining forth from Mount Sinai and the mounts of Paran. In spite of this, neither Musa (Moses) nor anyone else saw Him whether by Himself or through being immanent. Moreover, Christ said that no one saw Him, as did the other prophets. So this negation makes it clear that He cannot be seen either by Himself or through another in this worldly life.
It is known that being in close association with something is more effective than seeing it. Thus, as the Lord, Exalted be He, cannot be seen by a human being, so He cannot be closely associated with any human being. The Christians claim that He became immanent in a human being, which is much greater than being seen.
By: Sheikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah
Comments
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
John Doe
23/3/2019Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.