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Son of God – Who Is it?
Jesus God? Some Points to Consider
First, moral character of Jesus Christ coincided with His claims. Many asylum inmates claim to be celebrities or deities. But their claims are belied by their characters. Not so with Christ. He is unique — as unique as God.
Jesus Christ was sinless. The caliber of His life was such that He was able to challenge His enemies with the question, “Can any of you prove Me guilty of sin?” (John 8:46). He was met by silence, even though He addressed those who would have liked to point out a flaw in His character.
We read of the temptations of Jesus, but we never hear of a confession of sin on His part. He never asked for forgiveness, though He told His followers to do so.
This lack of any sense of moral failure on Jesus’ part is astonishing in view of the fact that it is completely contrary to the experience of the saints and mystics in all ages. The closer men and women draw to God, the more overwhelmed they are with their own failure, corruption, and shortcomings. The closer one is to a shining light, the more he realizes his need of a bath. This is true also, in the moral realm, for ordinary mortals.
It is also striking that John, Paul, and Peter, all of whom were trained from earliest childhood to believe in the universality of sin, all spoke of the sinlessness of Christ: “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22).
Pilate, no friend of Jesus, said, “What evil has He done?” He implicitly recognized Christ’s innocence. And the Roman centurion who witnessed the death of Christ said, “Surely He was the Son of God” (Matthew. 27:54).
Second, Christ demonstrated a power over natural forces which could belong only to God, the Author of these forces.
He stilled a raging storm of wind and waves on the Sea of Galilee. In doing this He provoked from those in the boat the awestruck question, “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey Him!” (Mark 4:41) He turned water into wine, fed 5,000 people from five loaves and two fish, gave a grieving widow back her only son by raising him from the dead, and brought to life the dead daughter of a shattered father. To an old friend He said, “Lazarus, come forth!” and dramatically raised him from the dead. It is most significant that His enemies did not deny this miracle. Rather, they tried to kill Him. “If we let Him go on like this,” they said, “everyone will believe in Him” (John11:48).
Third, Jesus demonstrated the Creator’s power over sickness and disease. He made the lame to walk, the dumb to speak, and the blind to see. Some of His healings were of congenital problems not susceptible to psychosomatic cure. The most outstanding was that of the blind man whose case is recorded in John 9. Though the man couldn’t answer his speculative questioners, his experience was enough to convince him. “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” he declared. He was astounded that his friends didn’t recognize this Healer as the Son of God. “Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind,” he said (John 9:25, 32). To him the evidence was obvious.
Fourth, Jesus’ supreme credential to authenticate His claim to deity was His resurrection from the dead. Five times in the course of His life He predicted He would die. He also predicted how He would die and that three days later He would rise from the dead and appear to His disciples.
Surely this was the great test. It was a claim that was easy to verify. It either happened or it didn’t.
Both friends and enemies of the Christian faith have recognized the resurrection of Christ to be the foundation stone of the faith. Paul, the great apostle, wrote, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). Paul rested his whole case on the bodily resurrection of Christ. Either He did or He didn’t rise from the dead. If He did, it was the most sensational event in all of history.
God Does Not Ask for Blind Faith
If Christ rose, we know with certainty that God exists, what He is like, and how we may know Him in personal experience. The universe takes on meaning and purpose, and it is possible to experience the living God in contemporary life.
| “Talk is cheap. Anyone can make claims. But when it comes to Jesus of Nazareth… He had the credentials to back up His claim.” |
On the other hand, if Christ did not rise from the dead, Christianity is an interesting museum piece — nothing more. It has no objective validity or reality. Though it is a nice wishful thought, it certainly isn’t worth getting steamed up about. The martyrs who went singing to the lions, and contemporary missionaries who have given their lives in Ecuador and Congo while taking this message to others, have been poor deluded fools.
The attack on Christianity by its enemies has most often concentrated on the Resurrection because it has been clearly seen that this event is the crux of the matter. A remarkable attack was the one contemplated in the early ’30s by a young British lawyer. He was convinced that the Resurrection was mere fable and fantasy. Sensing that it was the foundation stone of the Christian faith, he decided to do the world a favor by once and for all exposing this fraud and superstition. As a lawyer, he felt he had the critical faculties to rigidly sift evidence and to admit nothing as evidence which did not meet the stiff criteria for admission into a law court today.
However, while Frank Morrison was doing his research, a remarkable thing happened. The case was not nearly as easy as he had supposed. As a result, the first chapter in his book, Who Moved the Stone? is entitled, “The Book That Refused to Be Written.” In it he described how, as he examined the evidence, he became persuaded against his will, of the fact of the bodily resurrection of Christ.
The Death of Jesus
Jesus’ death was by public execution on a cross. The government said it was for blasphemy. Jesus said it was to pay for our sin. After being severely tortured, Jesus’ wrists and feet were nailed to a cross where He hung, eventually dying of slow suffocation. A sword was thrust into His side to confirm His death.
The body of Jesus was then wrapped in linens covered with approximately 100 pounds of gummy-wet spices. His body was placed in a solid rock tomb A 1 1/2- 2 ton boulder was rolled by levers to secure the entrance. Because Jesus had publicly said He would rise from the dead in three days, a guard of trained Roman soldiers was stationed at the tomb. And an official Roman seal was affixed to the tomb entrance declaring it government property.
In spite of all this, three days later the body was gone. Only the grave linens remained, in the form of the body, but caved in. The boulder formerly sealing the tomb was found up a slope, some distance away from the tomb.
Was Jesus’ Resurrection Just a Story?
 The earliest explanation circulated was that the disciples stole the body! In Matthew 28:11-15, we have the record of the reaction of the chief priests and the elders when the guards gave them the infuriating and mysterious news that the body was gone. They gave the soldiers money and told them to explain that the disciples had come at night and stolen the body while they were asleep. That story was so false that Matthew didn’t even bother to refute it! What judge would listen to you if you said that while you were asleep you knew it was your neighbor who came into your house and stole your television set? Who knows what goes on while he’s asleep? Testimony like this would be laughed out of any court.
Furthermore, we are faced with a psychological and ethical impossibility. Stealing the body of Christ is something totally foreign to the character of the disciples and all that we know of them. It would mean that they were perpetrators of a deliberate lie which was responsible for the deception and ultimate death of thousands of people. It is inconceivable that, even if a few of the disciples had conspired and pulled off this theft, they would never have told the others.
Each of the disciples faced the test of torture and martyrdom for his statements and beliefs. Men and women will die for what they believe to be true, though it may actually be false. They do not, however, die for what they know is a lie. If ever a man tells the truth, it is on his deathbed. And if the disciples had taken the body, and Christ was still dead, we would still have the problem of explaining His alleged appearances.
A second hypothesis is that the authorities, Jewish or Roman, moved the body!
But why? Having put guards at the tomb, what would be their reason for moving the body? Also, what about the silence of the authorities in the face of the apostles’ bold preaching about the Resurrection in Jerusalem? The ecclesiastical leaders were seething with rage, and did everything possible to prevent the spread of this message that Jesus rose from the dead. They arrested Peter and John and beat and threatened them, in an attempt to close their mouths.
But there was a very simple solution to their problem. If they had Christ’s body, they could have paraded it through the streets of Jerusalem. In one fell swoop they would have successfully smothered Christianity in its cradle. That they did not do this bears eloquent testimony to the fact that they did not have the body.
Another popular theory has been that the women, distraught and overcome by grief, missed their way in the dimness of the morning and went to the wrong tomb. In their distress they imagined Christ had risen because the tomb was empty. This theory, however, falls before the same fact that destroys the previous one. If the women went to the wrong tomb, why did the high priests and other enemies of the faith not go to the right tomb and produce the body? Further, it is inconceivable that Peter and John would succumb to the same mistake, and certainly Joseph of Arimathea, owner of the tomb, would have solved the problem. In addition, it must be remembered that this was a private burial ground, not a public cemetery. There was no other tomb nearby that would have allowed them to make this mistake.
The swoon theory has also been advanced to explain the empty tomb. In this view, Christ did not actually die. He was mistakenly reported to be dead, but had swooned from exhaustion, pain, and loss of blood. When He was laid in the coolness of the tomb, He revived. He came out of the tomb and appeared to His disciples, who mistakenly thought He had risen from the dead.
| “Men and women will die for what they believe to be true, though it may actually be false. They do not, however, die for what they know is a lie.” |
This is a theory of modern construction. It first appeared at the end of the eighteenth century. It is significant that not a suggestion of this kind has come down from antiquity among all the violent attacks which have been made on Christianity. All of the earliest records are emphatic about Jesus’ death.
But let us assume for a moment that Christ was buried alive and swooned. Is it possible to believe that He would have survived three days in a damp tomb without food or water or attention of any kind? Would He have had the strength to extricate Himself from the graveclothes, push the heavy stone away from the mouth of the grave, overcome the Roman guards, and walk miles on feet that had been pierced with spikes? Such a belief is more fantastic than the simple fact of the Resurrection itself.
Even the German critic David Strauss, who by no means believes in the Resurrection, rejected this idea as incredible. He said:
It is impossible that One who had just come forth from the grave half dead, who crept about weak and ill, who stood in the need of medical treatment, of bandaging, strengthening, and tender care, and who at last succumbed to suffering, could ever have given the disciples the impression that He was a conqueror over death and the grave; that He was the Prince of Life.
Finally, if this theory is correct, Christ Himself was involved in flagrant lies. His disciples believed and preached that He was dead but came alive again. Jesus did nothing to dispel this belief, but rather encouraged it.
The only theory that adequately explains the empty tomb is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Instead of Blind Faith, the Ability to Know God
If Jesus Christ rose from the dead, proving He is God, He is alive today. He is willing to be more than worshiped. He is willing to be known and to come into our lives. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door [of your heart] and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him” (Revelation 3:20).
The late Carl Gustav Jung said, “The central neurosis of our time is emptiness.” All of us have a deep longing for our life to have meaning and depth. Jesus offers us a more meaningful, abundant life, which comes through a relationship with Him. Jesus said, “I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
Because Jesus died on the cross, taking with Him all of humankind’s sin, He now offers us forgiveness, acceptance and a genuine relationship with Him.
Right now you can invite Jesus Christ into your life. You could say to Him something like, “Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I ask You to forgive me and to come into my life right now. Thank You for giving me a relationship with You.”
Jesus could protect Himself to be alive and not killed on the cross. But He decided for Arabs and us to accept ALL our sins to His body. He did NOT ONLY die on the cross, but accepted all our sins and iniquities to His body like millions rams killed during the Hajj to commemorate that son of Ibrahim was not killed by God but kept alive! It is symbol and SIGN in Islam that Jesus was sacrificed instead of us that we would BE ALIVE! He –Jesus Christ- died to forgive all your sins through our FAITH in Him. God resurrected Jesus! Jesus is ALIVE and He is COMING back to judge us! We will be alive with Him if we will follow Him and believe in Him! To live with God you should have fellowship with Him.
Fellowship with Him means that YOU -Arabs and Muslims -can be called sons of God. You can be forgiven of ALL your sins! You can be adopted by God THROUGH your Faith in His Son Jesus.
Can you call Jesus the Son of God? Is He God in your life? Have you given Him absolute control of your life and future?
If not, do is right NOW!
Arabs, Be saved RIGHT now!
Pray now to the LORD and accept His forgiveness of all your sins through FAITH in His Son – God Jesus Christ!
Pray God right now And be saved!
God is bringing Judgement. Return of the Lord Jesus and His Judgement day should make difference in our behavior. Live your best in purity. Be excited about meeting with the Lord. You should anxiously await with joiful anticipation of the Lord’s return. If your hearts is filled with anticipation, excitement and joy, it indicates that you are walking with the Lord. If you are NOT sure and confident that if you would die today you would go to Heaven, it means you need to get right with God. If you never said- YES- to Jesus, do it today! If you have fallen away from the Lord, come back to Him today.
We will close with prayers:
Father, we believe that Jesus is coming again. We believe we need to be ready. And Lord I am praying about any person who is reading my message and if they dont have confidence that they are ready for Your return, help them to come to You today and get right with You now. Amen.
First, recognise brother, that you are sinner. Be sorry for your sin. And ask God to forgive you right now. The way as we do that TROUGH PRAYER. That’s how we communicate with God.
I’d like to lead you in prayer. If you want Christ to forgive your sins. If you want to know that when you will die you will go to Heaven then pray this prayer with me right now:
God, I know I am a sinner. And I am sorry for what I have done. And I turn from my sin now and ask You to forgive me. Thank You that Your Son Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed His blood for me. Be my Savior and my Lord. And be my friend. I want to follow You from this day forward. Fill me with Your Spirit. And help me to be Your disciple. Thank You for accepting me. Thank You for forgiving me. Thank You that I am now YOURS. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
If you sincerely asked God to forgive you then WELCOME to the family of God. Now you are adopted by God. Now you bacame His son and His inheritance. His angels have written your name in the Book of Life. And you have the BRIGHT FUTURE.
Walk with God and live eternally Arab nation! Amen.
Questions and Answers
I hate not less than u if churches are inventing rituals which are not described by God in Bible.
Jesus broke bread and gave wine to His disciples. But why? Do we drink blood of God?
Dalia, just dont forget ONE thing: there is NO sencelessness in our God!
Bread and wine (or grapes) represent the Lord’s Supper or Communion.
Bread symbolizes life. It is the nourishment that sustains life. Jesus gave His life to SAVE you, Dalia and millions of Arabs.
Jesus said in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry.” NIV)
Bread also represents the physical body of Christ. At the Last Supper (knowing that He will be killed) Jesus broke bread, gave it to his disciples and said, “This is my body given for you “ (Luke 22:19 NIV).For YOU, Dalia!
Wine represents God’s covenant in blood, poured out in payment for mankind’s sin.
Jesus said in Luke 22:20, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.“ (NIV) For YOU, Dalia! He died for You! To forgive you through your FAITH in Him! It is the NEW covenant with you Dalia! The covenant of FAITHFULNESS of your God toward you! His LOVE to you! And His sufferings to SET you FREE from your sufferings! No idol will offer it to u! No idol will LOVE you! Because LOVE is nature of YOUR ONLY God!
Believers partake of communion on a regular basis to remember Christ’s sacrifice and all that he has done for us in His life, death and resurrection. The Lord’s Supper is a time of self-examination and participation in the body of Christ (church or organisation or community of ALL believers in God on the earth).
Give me historical evidence proving that Sura in Qur’an when Jesus created bird is correct!!! You cannt because it is just your FAITH. Our FAITH is and will be EVIDENCE for God to ACCEPT you and justify you! Because He has all evidences BUT we are living by FAITH to be prepared to live in the new world created for us. …The world which is based on FAITH and TRUST to one who is NOT against us but Who even died for us!
Bahira
Thank u for message.
You said:
From the bottom of my heart i assure you .. you are wrong ..
We replied on this wicked claim before & i don’t mind to re-replay ..
But first you should tell us : If your claim is true & Muhammad peace be upon him has been deceived by false angels while he was sincere in searching for God ( Jesus as you claim ) .. Why didn’t God (Jesus as you claim ) leave him to be deceived by false angles ?? – Sister, Jesus didn’t leave him alone to be deceived by the evil angels. But Jesus was talking to Muhammad.
How Jesus was talking to Muhammad?
1. He was talking to Him through the Holy Spirit that He is ONE God who exists. But Muhammad refused to believe in Him.
- Cousin of Hadija was Christian (Waraqah ibn Nawfal, one of Khadija’s cousins). And they communicated about God and Bible. So, He could hear about the Truth from him too.
Abu Talib, Muhammad’s uncle refused to be converted to Islam.….he never embraced Islam.
Waraqah ibn Nawfal- so Muhammad and khadija could also hear about God form him.
There was a very small number of Christians and Jews in Mecca, and a fairly large number of Jews in Medina. Waraqah ibn Nawfal, one of Khadija’s cousins, had embraced Christianity and was a pious monk who believed in the Unity of the Almighty, just as all early Christians did, that is, before the concept of the Trinity crept into the Christian faith, widening the theological differences among the believers in Christ (as). He reportedly had translated the Bible from Hebrew into Arabic.
- Muhammad heard about God also from Jews:
The Jews of Medina had migrated from Palestine and settled there waiting for the coming of a new Prophet from the seed of Abraham (as) in whom they said they intended to believe and to be the foremost in following, something which they believed did not materialize; on the contrary, they joined ranks with the Pagans to fight the spread of Islam.
- Since and Muhammad did travel with trade caravans he heard about God and Jesus. It was his chance to be saved too.
- Muhammad saw FAITH of Christians because he had some meetings with them:
There was such story that Muhammad called Christians (in my letter i said lady…my memory is getting bad…sorry) and told her to curse each other and if her God didn’t exist then she should die from his curse. She was afraid and refused to curse him. So, Muhammed saw that Christians are different and they are not allowed to curse people. It was sign for Muhammad that our God is DIFFERENT. But he refused to submit to Him. It was his decision.
7. Prophet Mohammed had a christian neighbour who use to read from the Bible for him
8. He could hear about christian God from his christian Egyptian coptic wife Mariam too.
Is it fair ??– yes. God tried to save him many times. But he deliberately refused it.
Shouldn’t Jesus ( the God of love) help Muhammed peace be upon him in his faithful searching ??- yes. He was helping him but deception of angels was MORE persuasive for him. Don’t be like him. Turn to Jesus, Dalia, and LIVE eternally with your God Father!
Don’t fool people !!- never.
Bahira
- Where there no people in Arabia
who could tell PROPHET MUHAMMAD of the ONE true God?
Yes, from ancient times large numbers of Jews had resided in Arabia and a few of them where in Mecca. In Medina, which was 280 miles north of Mecca, there were three large tribes of Jews with their synagogues and their Scriptures. They had prospered materially. They owned camels, houses, lands and largely controlled the commerce of the city. Their education was and standard of living were higher than those of the Pagan Arabs around them. The Arabs knew that the Jews s did not worship idols, but were worshipers of Allah, the unseen God. Also there were Christians in Arabia. In the north there were several Arab tribes which had become Christian. In the south in Nejran were many Christians who had their bishops and priests and their Scriptures in the Syriac language. This Nestorian church of the East, which has previously sent Missionaries into Arabia, had not met with great success in its efforts to convert the Arabs, most of whom remained pagans. It seems that Christians lacked the love, purity of life and spiritual power needed to make them effective ambassadors of Jesus Christ in Arabia. Muhammad was a true seeker of God. Did his ethnic pride in being an Arab from Mecca make him unwilling to humble himself and go to Jews or Christians, minority peoples, for guidance? Whatever the cause might have been, it is probable that it was at this point that Muhammad missed the way to God. He failed to seek spiritual help from those qualified to show him Christ, the way to the Father.
Christians of Nejran in the south of Arabia:
Tradition states that when a letter from Muhammad commanding them to become Muslims reached the large Christian community, they were greatly perplexed as to what they should do. Should they submit, or should they fight Muhammad? It was decided that they would send a large deputation to talk with him. Their bishop and a number of their chief men made the long journey to Medina. They found Muhammad in the mosque, and he welcomed them and permitted them to perform their christen worship there. After 3 days, Muhammad invited them to accept Islam. A discussion followed about Isa in which Muhammad said Jesus was his brother and was only a servant of God, by whose permission He had healed the sick and raised the dead to life. But the Christians insisted that Jesus was God’s Son and refused to give up their faith in Him and become Muslims. At this point revelation came to Muhammad, instructing him to challenge the Christians to trial by imprecation (invoke evil upon). They would curse one another and let God decide who was right and who wrong. So Muhammad went out, with his daughter Fatima and her husband Ali and their sons Hassan and Husayn and sat under a cloak. The Christians came to meet them adorned in fine silken garment. Being deeply impressed by the simplicity of the family of Muhammad and fearful of being destroyed by the curse of Muhammad , they refused to participate in the trial. It said that Muhammad permitted these Christians to keep their religion and be under his protection, provided they paid a high tribute. It was the first time when Muhammad had come face to face with educated and influential Christians.
Hudhayfah
SAHIH AL-BUKHARI
5.663
Al- Aqib and Sayyid, the rulers of Najran, came to Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) with the intention of doing Li’an. One of them said to the other, “Do not do (this Li’an) for, by Allah, if he is a Prophet and we do this Li’an, neither we, nor our offspring after us will be successful.” Then both of them said (to the Prophet (peace be upon him), “We will give what you should ask but you should send a trustworthy man with us, and do not send any person with us but an honest one.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “I will send an honest man who is really trustworthy.” Then every one of the companions of Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) wished to be that one.
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Stand up, o AbuUbaydah ibn al–Jarrah.” When he stand up, Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “This is the trustworthy (Amin) man of this (Muslim) nation (Ummah).”
According to Muslim traditional history, concerned both for religious dialogue with a faith professing Abrahamic origins like itself, and also for regular diplomatic relations, a delegation of Najrani Christians visited Muhammad. Yusuf Ali refers to this visit:
In the year of Deputations, 10th of the Hijra, came a Christian embassy from Najran (towards Yaman, about 150 miles north of Sanaa). They were much impressed on hearing this passage of the Qur’an explaining the true position of Christ, and they entered into tributary relations with the new Muslim State. But ingrained habits and customs prevented them from accepting Islam as a body. The Holy Prophet, firm in his faith, proposed a Mubahala, i.e., a solemn meeting, in which both sides should summon not only their men, but their women and children, earnestly pray to Allah, and invoke the curse of Allah on those who should lie. Those who had a pure and sincere faith would not hesitate. The Christians declined, and they were dismissed in a spirit of tolerance with a promise of protection from the State in return for tribute.
This event is recorded in the Hadith. The latter presents the aim of the visit as an attempt to curse Muhammad, although how any Muslim would know this is not revealed. More likely as an explanation is an attempt by Muslim sources to make the supposed history conform to the Qur’anic reference to cursing. The Sira of Ibn Ishaq states that the group was sixty strong, and included the political leader of Najran, Abdu’l–Masih, an administrator called al–Ayham, and a distinguished bishop-theologian, Abu Haritha. It is claimed that Abu Haritha was funded by the Byzantine Emperor, and the delegation were said to be ‘…Christians according to the Byzantine rite…’ (The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah, (Oxford University Press, Pakistan, 1955, 9th impression 1987), p. 271.) A modern Christian writer suggests that they were Nestorians. The Syrian Orthodox Church (‘Monophysite’), perhaps implausibly, claims they belonged to their confession. It is much more likely that they were Abyssinian-influenced Monophysites, rather than Chalcedonian Orthodox of Byzantium. The Encyclopaedia of Islam holds that Monophysitism was the dominant sect in Najran. It is not impossible that if the bishop restricted his oversight to the Monophysite Christians of the Arabian Peninsula, he may have had some sort of political arrangement with the Byzantine ruler. Mawdudi, in his introduction to S. 105, refers to Abyssinian-Byzantine collaboration against Dhu Nuwas, the fanatical anti-Christian Jewish King of Yemen, but which implies that the primary religious influence was indeed Abyssinian:
… in retaliation for the persecution of the followers of the Prophet Jesus Christ (peace be on him) in Najran by the Jewish ruler Dhu–Nuwas of Yaman, the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia invaded Yaman and put an end to the Himyarite rule there, and in 525 A.D. this whole land passed under Abyssinian control. This happened, in fact, through collaboration between the Byzantine empire of Constantinople and the Abyssinian kingdom, for the Abyssinians at that time had no naval fleet. The fleet was provided by Byzantium and Abyssinia sent 70,000 of its troops by it across the Red Sea to Yaman.
It is interesting in this regard that Yusuf Ali suggests Abyssinia as responsible the origins of Christianity in Najran:
Yemen had easy access to Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf by way of the sea, as well as with Abyssinia. That accounts for the Christians of Najran and the Jewish dynasty of kings (e.g. Zu–Nuwas, d. 525 A.D.) who persecuted them in the century before Islam, – also for the Christian Abyssinian Governor Abraha and his discomfiture in the year of the Prophet’s birth (S.cv.), say 570 A.D. Jewish-Christian influences were powerful in Arabia in the sixth century of the Christian era.
However, a probable resolution to the problem is that Muslim writers like ibn Hisham and ibn Ishaq, who often found it difficult to distinguish the various Christian sects (as often remains true today), and writing years after the event, were guilty of an inaccurate anachronism. Another unlikely point is Mawdudi’s claim, referring to a tradition by Ibn Abbas, that the Christian delegation, like pagan questioners, asked about the ‘substance’ of Allah, something that Christians, believing in the spirituality of God, were unlikely to raise, and it should be remembered that the delegation included a theologian, raising questions about the historicity of the tradition:
Ibn Abbas has reported that a deputation of the Christians of Najran along with seven priests visited the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace), and they said: “O Muhammad, tell us what is your Lord like and of what substance He is made.” The Holy Prophet replied: “My Lord is not made from any substance: He is unique and exalted above everything.” Thereupon Allah sent down this Surah.
According to ibn Ishaq/ibn Hisham, the Christians informed the Muslims that Jesus was God; the son of God; the third person of the Trinity ‘…which is the doctrine of Christianity.’ Specifically, they argued that Jesus is ‘…the third of three in that God says: We have done, We have commanded… if He were one he would have said I have done… but He is He and Jesus and Mary.’ The Christian delegation supported their claims by pointing to his miracles. These apparently included making ‘..clay birds and breathe into them so that they flew away; and all this was by the command of God Almighty, “We will make him a sign unto men.”‘ The delegation pointed out Jesus had no human father, and that He ‘…spoke in the cradle…’ The text goes on to say that the Qur’an (i.e. Surah 3 Al-i-Imran) came down in answer to these assertions. Muhammad replied by reciting S. 3:64:
Say: “O People of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not from among ourselves Lords and patrons other than Allah.” If then they turn back say: “Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah’s will).”
At this point Muhammad proposed, in similar terms to those of Elijah on Mount Carmel, that both sides invoke the curse of God on the other, and the identity of the victim of divine judgement would demonstrate the veracity of the claims of the contesting parties. According to ibn Ishaq, the Christians hesitated at this point, and retired for mutual consultation. The ‘Aqib, the Najran political leader, purportedly affirmed that Muhammad was indeed a Prophet and cautioned about the potential consequences of cursing such a divine emissary – namely, the death of the elders and the youth – i.e. the destruction of the society and its people. How the Muslims would know this is not revealed, still less is it clear how someone writing generations after the event would be aware of it in the absence of any reference in the Qur’an or Hadith. It is often the case that a story loses nothing in the telling, and it is likely this should be understood as an anachronistic reconstruction to serve a contemporary anti-Christian polemic.
Christian and Arab sources alike preserved copies and excerpts of a treaty said to have been concluded by the Prophet with the Christians of Nejran (northern Yemen) and all other Christian sects. And Muhammad did have personal contacts with Christians and had formed a generally favorable opinion of them years before his successors so completely conquered them. The story of his first meeting with a Christian is as unreliable as most of anecdotes of his early life, but both Arab and Christian historians often repeated it. The earliest and most trustworthy of the Muslim biographers of the Prophet, the eight-century writer Ibn–Ishaq, relates that at the age of 12, on a caravan trip to Syria with his uncle, the young Muhammad met a Christian (Nestorian) monk named Bahira at Basra, which was the seat of the Monophysite bishop of the desert of Arabs. The old monk recognized signs of the greatness in the boy and protected him from some who would have harmed him. The same biographer names another Christian, Jabr, who was perhaps an Ethiopian, as exerting great influence on the Prophet: “Accordin to my information, the apostle used often sit at al–Marwa (a hill overlooking Mecca) at the booth of a young Christian called Jabr, a slave of the B.al–Hadrami (tribe) and they used to say, “The one who teaches Muhammad most of what he brings is Jabr the Christian”. Ibid, p.180.
Another tradition suggests that a cousin of the Prophet’s first wife was a Christian. His name was Waraqah ibn Naufal and it is true that of all Muhammad’s acquaintances, he was the most informed about Christianity. He is described as “hanif”, a term denoting one who has become dissatisfied with paganism and is attracted to vaguely monotheistic ideas.
So, we can see God of Ibrahim talked to Muhammad through Christians BUT he REFUSED to believe and accept Him. That’s why he is in hell now according to the holy Scriptures. My dear Dalia, don’t follow Muhammad to hell BUT follow to God who is the ONE who really loves you and is trying to save you the same way as He tried to save our brother Muhammad from hell. BUT it is our choice and NO ONE is in hell unwillingly….we all know why we are judged by God and condemned BUT do we know that this God is SAVING us form hell through our FAITH in His Son Jesus? This FAITH and is TRUE Rahman and MERCY and GRACE to all us…sinners…
Be save my dear Dalia and you all my brothers! Amen.
Bahira
Prayers:
- The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. Ps. 121:7
Father, please help us to ask for deliverance from evil, and sincerely mean it. Jesus, thank you for your love, your forgiveness. Be our Good Shepherd, lead us and guide us in the way we should go. In the eternal name of Christ, Amen.
Thank-you Father you are, and always will be our eternal hope and salvation! We bow our hearts before you in adoration.
Sometimes it’s hard to see your hand. But I thank-you that we Know, it is always there.
I claim Romans 8:28, “all things” truly do “work together for the good” and that we can Stand on that promise, In Jesus Name.
I cast out all doubt and fear and claim the power to overcome every attack of the enemy, In Jesus sweet and Holy Name.
Bind satans hands away from us, and clear our minds, fill us with your Holy Spirit, that we might better serve you today.
We will give you the praise, honor and glory for all the good things you are gonna do. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen
Heavenly Father, there are so many decisions to make and I don’t seem to know what is the best for now or for the future. You said if we lack wisdom, all we need to do is ask you. I really need you to pour wisdom into my mind today. Thank you! In Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.
Oh, Jesus, how You loved Arab nation! You are loving all of us all over the world! What we would do without You in this world and what would be the result of such life? All thoughts we have we want to devote them to You! We want to hope for You! To hope that You will take care of us in due time, embrace us and never leave us! Here look at me: You came to my life and lightened it by Your light. And here is my body and soul are worshiping You. I am worshiping You because You are worthy to be praised! Oh, my God, how You are wonderful! How You are filling this world with Your love! How beautiful is this universe because You are there, in our hearts! Oh God, You created us not in vain. We are able to appreciate Your beauty! We are able to appreciate the beauty of Your Spirit! We are able to worship You! And what we could do without You? No, You freed us from the hell! And You will never allow us to be slaves! And what is Egypt where we were living? You brought us from there by wonders and signs that we could worship You! You showed us the new way. The way through desert to You, to Your New Jerusalem! For what? To find You there! To worship You there! Why we are worshiping You? Because You are deserving to accept our worships! Because Your blood is expensive price was paid for our freedom! No one wanted to free us from our slavery. But You came to our life and paid this precious price. How You suffered for me to justify me! To help me to get out of slavery! To cast away burden! To let me breathe freely! Oh, praiseworthy God! You saved me! And my brothers are Your children whom You are loving infinitely! And why no one told me earlier that You are such loving God!!!? Why I didn’t know You earlier?!!! You turned me to You! Turned my face away from my transgressions! You forgave and forgot them for ever! Oh, God, glory to You! My God, I remember how I wanted to die just not to see sufferings…but and how I would like to die suffering for You now that part of my sufferings would bring freedom to my brothers, that freedom from You would break their bondages of slavery! That I would live not in vain but to meet You even in this world and look at their families how You are living amid them. To look at nature and see how Your church is worshiping Your name in all parts of the world! To understand that only You are deserving to accept worship! Let this world be filled in with Your worship and that this world would be covered by the waves of Your love, Holy Spirit, filling in all over the parts of this universe by His presence and freedom!
Oh my Lord how You have been loving us! How precious we are for You! And You knows us wherever we would live. And wherever we would be, You are with us. And what could we do in this world if not to devote our lives to You? And what we could do if not to worship You in Palestine? Here everything what we have is created by You. Here our education is given us by You. And from childhood You have been taking care of us. I was running along this street and my brothers were with me. But shouldn’t I devote to You my life to worship You on this street? Here is established mosque. But what is mosque? What is it if there aren’t You! You don’t dwell in buildings. But You are preferring our hearts. Shouldn’t I devote to You my life? And this blood which we have from our father Ibrahim is flowing in our vanes. Is this blood not the same as the blood of my brothers? Shouldn’t I devote it to You? What is mosque? Let’s construct temple to You in our hearts, in our Palestine! May our tears be running because of Your greatness in our lives! Let’s go to our neighbors and tell them where You are dwelling! Let them come in our houses! Let them come in our hearts! And let them kneel down in front of You! And let their hearts accept You and bring to You their worship! Our world is existing that we would live here. In unity they will worship Your holy name. They are joining hands and they will not leave You! And everything what we have are presents from Your Holy Spirit. And everything what we will have also will be given to us by You. Brothers, listen! There is no one like He is! There is NO ONE who would fill our lives with joy! There is no other God who will live in our holy land, Palestine! This land belongs to Him. And we are living here. Let’s build up here temple to our God, temple of our hearts! Like it would be constructed of stones it will be robust. And God will dwell in it and God will love all of us. Let’s go to all parts of the world and worship His holy name building us up as temple in which He is dwelling! And let’s be leaders to our nation to show them His light!
God please teach us how to pray.Jesus help us when we pray to allow your Holy Sirit to intersee for us.To frget about what we want and allow you to work out your will and purpose in our lives.Let us be willing to say to you not my will but thine be done,to let go and let you.To keep praising you even when the waters are over our heads.We take time out right now to praise you and thank you as we yeild our will to you.Help us to forget about ourselves and concentrate on you.We pray for the peace of Jeruselem and the pease to all your children around the world.Give us this day our daily bread,your words and help us to hide them in our hearts that we might not sin.Stay close to us today Holy Spirit and give us anudge if we stray.Forgive us of our traspasses and help us to forgive others as we aske you to forgive us.God we aske all of these mercies in JESUS’S name.AMEN.
- Refresh and gladden my spirit
Almighty Father,
Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in YOUR hand. YOU are my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved, I will be a happy and joyful being. I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.
YOU are more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to YOU, My Lord and Saviour, forever and ever…..AMEN.
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Kingdom of Heaven for Arabs 