Wednesday 26 August 2015

Reexamining Islam’s Divine Insurance Scam Pt. 2‎

Sam Shamoun

We continue with our refutation to Zawadi’s “reply.”

This is what Zawadi has to say about the hadith where the man who murdered 100 people was forgiven.

First of all, justice does not necessarily denote punishment. If a person is genuinely sincere (something God could only judge, for humans cannot only rely on outward actions) and the victims were to be recompensed in the afterlife and possibly even forgive their murderer, then why can't we say that justice has been served?

This is where Zawadi tries to wax eloquent in order to impress the readers without actually addressing anything. In the first place, justice wasn’t met in any sense whatsoever since there was no retaliation, no recompense demanded from the guilty party, nor reparation made to the victims’ families.

Secondly, it is the Quran that prescribes either death as the just punishment for the unlawful murdering of individuals or a sum payment to the victim’s family:

O you who believe! Al-Qisas (the Law of Equality in punishment) is prescribed for you in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if the killer is forgiven by the brother (or the relatives, etc.) of the killed against blood money, then adhering to it with fairness and payment of the blood money, to the heir should be made in fairness. This is an alleviation and a mercy from your Lord.
So after this whoever transgresses the limits (i.e. kills the killer after taking the blood money), he shall have a painful torment. S. 2:178 Hilali-Khan

It is not for a believer to kill a believer except (that it be) by mistake, and whosoever kills a believer by mistake, (it is ordained that) he must set free a believing slave and a compensation (blood money, i.e. Diya) be given to the deceased's family, unless they remit it. If the deceased belonged to a people at war with you and he was a believer; the freeing of a believing slave (is prescribed), and if he belonged to a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance, compensation (blood money - Diya) must be paid to his family, and a believing slave must be freed. And whoso finds this (the penance of freeing a slave) beyond his means, he must fast for two consecutive months in order to seek repentance from Allah. And Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise. S. 4:92 Hilali-Khan

Say: Come, I will recite unto you that which your Lord hath made a sacred duty for you: That ye ascribe no thing as partner unto Him and that ye do good to parents, and that ye slay not your children because of penury - We provide for you and for them - and that ye draw not nigh to lewd things whether open or concealed. And that ye slay not the life which Allah hath made sacred, save in the course of justice. This He hath command you, in order that ye may discern. S. 6:151 Pickthall

And come not near unto adultery. Lo! it is an abomination and an evil way. And slay not the life which Allah hath forbidden save with right.Whoso is slain wrongfully, We have given power unto his heir, but let him not commit excess in slaying. Lo! he will be helped. S. 17:32-33

However, leaving aside for the moment whether some of those requirements are actually just – specifically the difference in payment for the death of a man or woman, free or slave, or whether a Muslim can be killed in recompense for killing an infidel woman etc.
Allah simply forgave the man without demanding any satisfaction whatsoever to the victims’ families thereby violating his own requirements of justice.

Now Zawadi may argue that these Quranic injunctions were not in force when the man committed these murderous acts and therefore cannot come under the punishment prescribed by Islamic law.

The problem here is that death has been the prescribed punishment for murder from the very beginning and is found in the ordinances and legislation which God gave to previous prophets such as Noah and Moses:

But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.’” Genesis 9:4-6

Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.”
Exodus 21:12
Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death.” Leviticus 24:17

Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. And you shall accept no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.” Numbers 35:31-33

Verily, We did send down the Taurat (Torah) [to Musa (Moses)], therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah's Will, judged the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests [too judged the Jews by the Taurat (Torah) after those Prophets] for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto. Therefore fear not men but fear Me (O Jews) and sell not My Verses for a miserable price. And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the Kafirun (i.e. disbelievers - of a lesser degree as they do not act on Allah's Laws). And We ordained therein for them: "Life for life eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal." But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity, it shall be for him an expiation. And whosoever does not judge by that which Allah has revealed, such are the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers - of a lesser degree).
S. 5:44-45

And since the man in the story was said to be an Israelite he was to be put to death according to the Law that God gave to Moses.

Zawadi continues:

Shamoun and Katz say that the outward actions of the man illustrate that his repentance wasn't sincere, since he killed someone who made him lose hope in God's mercy.
Well, firstly we can't always judge something to be sincere or not strictly based on one's outward actions. For all we know the man was so eager and sincere to repent that he probably temporarily "flipped" and killed the guy who made him lose hope in God's mercy since he felt like there was no more purpose to living and that he was already doomed. However, once he realized that there was hope for repentance he struggled the best he could with sincerity to repent to God.

First, assuming that Zawadi’s explanation is correct the problem still remains that losing one’s temper because he despaired of Allah’s mercy is not a valid reason to unlawfully kill anyone and we thereby challenge Zawadi to quote a Quranic verse to support his rather desperate attempt of justifying these immoral and unethical actions.

Secondly, Zawadi misses the entire point of the hadith which is to show how Allah’s mercy extends to even the most heinous of criminals. It is apparent that Muhammad wanted to convey the notion that Allah is willing to forgive the most evil and wicked sinners imaginable, even individuals who commit premeditated murders, despite the fact that they had done nothing good or made no reparation for their heinous crimes. To therefore say that the person “flipped” out is to lessen the impact of the story and undermines the point that it seeks to make. It shows that the person really wasn’t as evil as Muhammad made him out to be since he was not in control of his actions and therefore not really accountable for his crimes.

Moreover, Zawadi is rather clever in a cunning and deceptive way since he clearly sees the problem with Muhammad’s focus on the mercy of Allah at the expense of his justice but still seeks to justify (pun intended) it nonetheless. Muhammad’s view of mercy basically sabotages the justice and holiness of his god. In the story Allah’s mercy pretty much trumps his holiness and righteousness. Muhammad’s tale basically turns Allah into a rather unjust and unholy deity who is willing to pervert his own demands of justice in order to show mercy.

To put it another way so that Zawadi starts to finally get it, Muhammad’s fable essentially means that his deity is not completely holy or just since he is willing to forgive the most evil acts without demanding justice. This inevitably turns Allah into an imperfect and capricious being who is indirectly responsible for and complicit in all such evil acts because he is willing to simply overlook these heinous offenses.

I may identify with Shamoun and Katz on the fact that outwardly this man's repentance could possibly be viewed as insincere, but at the end of the day we must read all Islamic literature together. Once we read a verse like Surah 66:8, which states that repentance must be sincere, we automatically understand by reading the hadith on the murderer of one hundred people that Allah understood this man's repentance to be sincere.

The problem with this skewed interpretation is that the Quran itself insists that righteous deeds and obedience are the necessary signs of sincere repentance and faith:

Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by Allah and cursed by the cursers. Except those who repent AND DO RIGHTEOUS DEEDS, and openly declare (the truth which they concealed).
THESE, I WILL ACCEPT THEIR REPENTANCE. And I am the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful. S. 2:159-160 Hilali-Khan

Truly those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat, they will have their reward with their Lord.
On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. S. 2:277 Hilali-Khan

Allah has promised those who believe AND DO DEEDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, that for them there is forgiveness and a great reward. S. 5:9

Cut off (from the wrist joint) the (right) hand of the thief, male or female, as a recompense for that which they committed, a punishment by way of example from Allah. And Allah is All-Powerful, All-Wise. But whosoever repents after his crime AND DOES RIGHTEOUS GOOD DEEDS (by obeying Allah), then verily, Allah will pardon him (accept his repentance). Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. S. 5:38-39 Hilali-Khan

But those who believed, and worked righteousness - We tax not any person beyond his scope, such are the dwellers of Paradise. They will abide therein. S. 7:42

Those who turn to ALLAH in repentance, who worship HIM, who praise HIM, who go about in the land serving HIM, who bow down to HIM, who prostrate themselves in Prayer, who enjoin good and forbid evil, and who observe the limits set by ALLAH. And give glad tidings to those who believe. S. 9:112 Sher Ali

Verily! As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, certainly! We shall not suffer to be lost the reward of anyone who does his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner. S. 18:30

Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have given up As-Salat (the prayers) [i.e. made their Salat (prayers) to be lost, either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering them in their proper fixed times, etc.] and have followed lusts.
So they will be thrown in Hell. Except those who repent and believe (in the Oneness of Allah and His Messenger Muhammad), AND WORK RIGHTEOUSNESS. Such will enter Paradise and they will not be wronged in aught. (They will enter) 'Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting Gardens), which the Most Beneficent (Allah) has promised to His slaves in the unseen: Verily! His Promise must come to pass. S. 19:59-61 Hilali-Khan

The doom will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein disdained for ever; Save him who repenteth and believeth AND DOTH RIGHTEOUS WORK; as for such, Allah will change their evil deeds to good deeds. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. And whosoever repenteth AND DOETH GOOD, he verily repenteth toward Allah with true repentance - And those who will not witness vanity, but when they pass near senseless play, pass by with dignity. And those who, when they are reminded of the revelations of their Lord, fall not deaf and blind thereat. And who say: Our Lord! Vouchsafe us comfort of our wives and of our offspring, and make us patterns for (all) those who ward off (evil). They will be awarded the high place forasmuch as they were steadfast, and they will meet therein with welcome and the ward of peace, Abiding there for ever. Happy is it as abode and station! S. 25:69-76 Pickthall

This is similar to what the Holy Bible teaches:

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” Matthew 3:8

“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.” Acts 26:19-20

The Quran further says that Allah will only accept the repentance of a person who has committed evil in ignorance and foolishness:

Allah accepts ONLY the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon afterwards
; it is they to whom Allah will forgive and Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise. And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says: "Now I repent;" nor of those who die while they are disbelievers.
For them We have prepared a painful torment. S. 4:17-18

When those who believe in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) come to you, say: "Salamun 'Alaikum" (peace be on you); your Lord has written Mercy for Himself, so that, if any of you does evil IN IGNORANCE, and thereafter repents AND DOES RIGHTEOUS GOOD DEEDS (by obeying Allah), then surely, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. S. 6:54 Hilali-Khan

Since the man in Muhammad’s story was neither ignorant nor foolish, but was very calculated and knew exactly what he was doing, and continued to do evil by murdering his 100th victim even after seeking repentance, this means that his repentance should have been unacceptable to Allah.

What makes this rather ironic is that Zawadi quotes a particular hadith which further confirms that this man’s repentance was unacceptable according to Islam and therefore the indvidual should have been thrown into the fire!

Saheeh Muslim Book 032, Number 6251: Abu Huraira. reported Allah's Messenger as saying: Do you know who is poor? They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth. He (the Holy Prophet) said: The poor of my Umma would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and Zakat but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others AND SHED THE BLOOD OF OTHERS and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds FALL SHORT TO CLEAR THE ACCOUNT, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire.

According to this specific narrative the murderer in Muhammad’s fairy-tale should have been thrown into hell since he shed the blood of others and didn’t have any good deeds to efface all the evil he had done. And even if he had performed any virtuous acts they would not have been reckoned to him but credited to his victims’ account who suffered at his hands.

However, since Allah is a capricious god who can choose to act deceptively and pervert his own justice it is not surprising that Muhammad taught that he actually accepted the man’s insincere repentance.

Zawadi proceeds to attack a straw man by raising the following false comparison.

Shamoun and Katz after presenting hadiths showing that a man was forgiven for his fear of Allah stated:

Again, this man did not even show any signs of repentance. He merely was afraid of Allah, but he did not say he regretted his actions or tried to repent and restitute anything to those whom he had harmed. Without even being asked for forgiveness, Allah simply forgives him?
Is that Islam's superior justice when compared with the biblical concept?

It's ironic that Shamoun and Katz are saying what they are saying. They are objecting to someone being forgiven for a sin that he did not repent for, yet they as Protestants believe the same exact thing regarding their faith. Shamoun and Katz don't believe that a Christian is required to repent for every single sin that he commits in order to avoid hell. Rather, the Protestant Christian is to believe and accept Jesus's sacrificial death and he is pretty much Scot free! Yes sure, the Christian from time to time is said to repent in order to "restore his relationship back with God continuously" (whatever that means), however Protestant Christians don't believe that if a Christian committed a sin and didn't repent for it then he would go to hell for it or be punished for it, since Jesus already took care of that for them according to them. For them they think that it is justice.

Talk about attacking a straw man and chasing red herrings! As anyone reading what we actually wrote can testify, our point wasn’t that a person must necessarily repent and ask forgiveness for every single sin s/he has committed otherwise s/he will not be forgiven. Our point in context was that here was a man who clearly knew he had sinned and instead of showing genuine signs of repentance and asking for forgiveness he chose to be cremated so as to escape Allah’s judgment! The man actually thought that by being cremated he would manage to avoid punishment for his sins.

This, again, is hardly the signs of a genuine believer since the Quran says that a person must turn to Allah and seek his forgiveness as opposed to running away from him in order to avoid him:

Will they not rather turn unto Allah and seek forgiveness of Him? For Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. S. 5:74

The man’s actions showed that he didn’t truly believe that Allah was merciful enough to forgive his wickedness. This individual despaired of the mercy of Allah:

Say: O my servants! who have acted extravagantly against their own souls, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; surely Allah forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving the Merciful. S. 39:53

However, only the wicked despair of Allah’s mercy:

He said: And who despaireth of the mercy of his Lord save those who are astray? S. 15:56

Therefore, this person was of those who stray and deserving of hell. That was our point which Zawadi obviously didn’t understand or comprehend.

The fact is that we all commit innumerable sins each day, sometimes without even realizing that we have done so. We believe and trust that God in his mercy will wipe away these sins that we have failed to repent and ask forgiveness for or were unaware of because of the perfect righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ and his vicarious sacrifice.

Moreover, Biblical Christianity commands that those who have turned to Christ in faith seeking his forgiveness must strive to live holy lives to the best of their ability. They cannot continue in willful sin:

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:1-23

Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” 2 Timothy 2:19

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:11-14

It is actually the teachings of Muhammad and his false god that justifies all sorts of evil, vile acts and immoral behavior.

Zawadi raises more red herrings and strawman arguments by referencing scholars to prove that when the hadiths say that the man didn’t perform any good deeds whatsoever it doesn’t mean that. It really means something else, i.e. he didn’t do them perfectly or completely! This, however, IS NOT WHAT THE HADITHS SAY! Zawadi is simply reading into the narratives his own interpretation since he cannot accept the implications of the plain and literal reading of the texts. These hadiths prove that Zawadi’s god is a wicked and unjust being who has no problems whatsoever in perverting justice.

However, it seems that Zawadi himself doesn’t buy his own explanation since he quotes a Shaykh who offers a different explanation:

Shaykh Safar Al Hawali states regarding this hadith…

This person has not done any good, even though he used to pray and worship, however he had no good deeds on his account. Why did he not do any good? That is because his good deeds went away with the accumulation of the bad deeds and the marks of prostration remained with him. (Source)

What Shaykh Safar is saying is that this hadith shows a man who as an end result has done no good because of the outweighing bad deeds he has done, nevertheless he still actually did do some good deeds in his life.

Notice that the Shaykh does not say that the man’s good deeds were imperfect or incomplete. Rather, the Shaykh interprets the phrase to mean that his good deeds were nullified by his bad deeds which obviously means that the bad greatly outnumbered all the good he had done.

Again, not only is this NOT the plain reading of the hadiths but this explanation actually provides further evidence that Allah is unjust and wicked because he should have sent the man to hell according to the following Quranic verses: 

The balance that day will be true
(to a nicety): those whose scale (of good) will be heavy, will prosper: Those whose scale will be light, will find their souls in perdition, for that they wrongfully treated Our Signs. S. 7:8-9

We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment
, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it (to account): and enough are We to take account. S. 21:47

Then when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no more relationships between them that Day, nor will one ask after another! Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy,- they will be successful: But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls, in Hell will they abide. S. 23:101-103

According to these verses Allah will weigh a person’s good and bad deeds on scales and if his/her good deeds are light, meaning less than his/her bad actions, then s/he will end up in hell.

Since the man’s good deeds in Muhammad’s story were outweighed by his bad actions this means that Allah was obligated to send him to hell, that is if he were truly just and consistent with his own "revelation." However, seeing that Allah is an unjust deceiver it doesn’t surprise us that he again contradicted his statements in the Quran and acted unjustly.

Zawadi thinks that William Lane Craig’s court analogy somehow refutes our assertion that no Christian would claim that a murderer or a defrauder who genuinely repents and accepts Jesus as his Savior from sin and Lord over his life should not be punished (here on earth) because s/he has been forgiven by God. Here is what Craig said:

The more accurate analogy is that the murderer in the story has genuinely repented of his crime and that you, having once been in his place yourself, want the judge to forgive him.
But the judge is obligated to see that justice's demands are met. So the judge himself volunteers to have the responsibility of the crime imputed to him, so that he will die in the murderer's place. I think you'll agree that if such imputation is possible, then justice will be served, even if vengeance is not wrought. The real issue, therefore, is imputation.

This only provides further evidence that Zawadi doesn’t understand the objections and statements of those whom he seeks to refute. Craig said absolutely nothing about the courts letting a murderer or defrauder go on the grounds that s/he received forgiveness for his/her sins by turning to Christ in repentance and faith. Craig was using the analogy of a human judge volunteering to take the punishment of a criminal in order to demonstrate that the Christian understanding of Divine forgiveness and imputation is thoroughly just.

What makes all of this rather amazing and ironic is that Zawadi has the audacity to attack the Christian doctrine of God volunteering to take the punishment of sinners upon himself in order to satisfy his perfect justice and righteousness while also demonstrating perfect love and mercy to all who would turn to him in faith and repentance. And yet he has absolutely no shame justifying and even defending the perverted and corrupt justice of his god and false prophet!

Zawadi has the temerity to think that there are no problems with Muhammad’s teaching that Allah simply forgives anyone who says the shahadah, despite the fact that these individuals have done no good or have lived very evil, perverted, and outright immoral lives! He truly believes that there is absolutely nothing unjust with Allah ransoming vile, wicked Muslims by punishing Jews and Christians in hell for the sins committed by Muhammad’s umma!

Islamic Concept of god
This wicked and capricious god fails to hold people accountable for their sins. Allah has absolutely no shame in perverting justice and contradicting his own commandments in the book which he supposedly sent down to his messenger.
Allah’s decision to forgive is not based on justice or righteousness but upon his own arbitrary desires and whims. These individuals could have wronged others, murdered people, raped young girls and women, and enslaved young boys and it wouldn’t matter in the least. All they would have to do is profess the shahadah and Allah could choose to forgive them without demanding justice for their wicked crimes or for their victims. Clearly, Muhammad’s god resembles Satan more than he does the all-holy, all-just, all-merciful and all-loving God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Protestant Christian Concept of God
The true God of the Holy Bible doesn’t simply wink at sin or arbitrarily forgives whomever he wills like Muhammad’s false god. Rather, the true God demands that all sins be justly punished and that righteousness be observed. However, seeing that God is perfectly loving and merciful he also desires to forgive all those who truly repent and seek his forgiveness. This is why God chose to take the punishment that sinners deserved in order to maintain his perfect justice and righteousness while also exhibiting the greatest display of love and affection that mankind has ever seen. God then sends his Holy Spirit upon all true believers in order to transform them so as to live holy and godly lives, turning away from their wickedness and sin. This is unlike Muhammad’s deity who allows his followers to commit sexual immorality, rape, adultery, murder and theft as long as they profess that he is god and that Muhammad is his messenger!

Once again we want to praise the Triune God that we are not Muslims and do not follow a deceptive, unjust, amoral god or his murdering, lying, immoral prophet. We are truly grateful and eternally thankfully that we worship, serve, and love the infinitely just, holy, righteous, merciful, gracious and loving God of the Holy Bible, namely Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Source: http://answering-islam.org/authors/shamoun/rebuttals/zawadi/perverted_justice2.html

IHS

Thursday 13 August 2015

Reexamining Islam’s Divine Insurance Scam Pt. 1‎

Sam Shamoun

As promised we continue with our refutation of Bassam Zawadi’s rather weak defense of Islam’s gross perversion of Divine justice and mercy.

Here is what Zawadi had to say in response to the hadiths we cited to prove that Muslims will enter hell despite what they do:

Shamoun and Katz then cite hadiths that state that Muslims will enter paradise regardless of what happens.
Yes this is true; the Muslim will eventually enter paradise. However, that in no way means that they can guarantee for themselves an escape from punishment. There are Muslims who could enter into hell for their sins just as this hadith illustrates:

Saheeh Bukhari Volume 9, Book 93, Number 542: Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, "Some people who will be scorched by Hell (Fire) as a punishment for sins they have committed, and then Allah will admit them into Paradise by the grant of His Mercy. These people will be called, 'Al-JahannamiyyLin' (the people of Hell)."

So justice will still prevail. Muslims would get punished for their heinous unforgiving sins, yet due to their belief in Allah they wouldn't deserve eternal punishment just like the disbelievers. There are also other hadith which state that Muslims who have committed sins will be 'cleansed' by having a more painful death experience or having a punishment in the grave and therefore not go to hell, but the point is that they will be punished for sins they weren't forgiven for and justice would prevail.

Zawadi then writes:

Shamoun and Katz then argue that Allah rewards people for committing sins. Actually, this is not the case. The hadith actually shows that they were punished for their sins:

Abu Dharr narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: "I know that the last of the people of the Fire depart from the Fire and the last of the people of Paradise to enter Paradise. A man will be brought forth and He will say: 'Ask about his small sins and hide his large sins.' So it will be said to him: 'Did you do this and that on such and such a day, did you do this and that on such-and-such a day?'" He said: "Then it will be said to him: 'for each of your sins you shall have a reward.' He said: "So he will say: 'O Lord! I have done things that I do not see here.'" He (Abu Dharr) said: "I saw the Messenger of Allah laugh until his molars were visible."

The hadith is stating that AFTER the person leaves hell for the sins he committed, he would be rewarded with paradise (i.e. for his faith) and Allah out of His mercy would convert each sin (which the man was already punished for) into a good deed and then Allah will reward him accordingly for the good deeds he has.

Zawadi conveniently ignores the fact that the hadith clearly says that Allah will reward EVERY SPECIFIC SIN that the Muslims have committed.

He said: "Then it will be said to him: 'for each of your sins you shall have a reward.'…

To say that this is a gross perversion of God’s holiness and justice would be a wild understatement!

Apart from his desperate attempt to brush aside this gross perversion of justice Zawadi failed to see how his response introduces a whole host of additional problems for his views.

For instance, as we had mentioned in our initial rebuttal there are specific narratives which say that Allah will save or ransom Muslims from hell by sending Jews and Christians there to suffer in their place:

Chapter 8: THROWING OF NON-BELIEVERS IN HELL-FIRE FOR BELIEVERS AS DIVINE GRACE AND MERCY

Abu Musa' reported that Allah's Messenger said: When it will be the Day of Resurrection Allah would deliver to every Muslim a Jew or a Christian and say: That is your RESCUE from Hell-Fire. (Sahih Muslim, Book 037, Number 6665)

Abu Burda reported on the authority of his father that Allah's Apostle said: No Muslim would die but Allah would admit IN HIS STEAD a Jew or a Christian in Hell-Fire. 'Umar b. Abd al-'Aziz took an oath: By One besides Whom there is no god but He, thrice that his father had narrated that to him from Allah's Messenger. (Sahih Muslim, Book 037, Number 6666)

Abu Burda reported Allah's Messenger as saying: There would come people amongst the Muslims on the Day of Resurrection with AS HEAVY SINS AS A MOUNTAIN, and Allah would FORGIVE THEM and He would PLACE IN THEIR STEAD the Jews and the Christians. (As far as I think), Abu Raub said: I do not know as to who is in doubt. Abu Burda said: I narrated it to 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz, whereupon he said: Was it your father who narrated it to you from Allah's Apostle? I said: Yes. (Sahih Muslim, Book 037, Number 6668)

432. Abu Musa al-Ash'ari reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "On the Day of Rising, Allah will hand over a Jew or a Christian to every Muslim and say, ‘Here is your redemption from the Fire’." [Muslim]

In another variant from him is that the Prophet said, "Some of the Muslims will be brought on the Day of Rising with sins the size of mountains and Allah will forgive them." (Al-Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya bin Sharaf An-Nawawi Ad-Dimashqi, Riyad as-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous), 51. Chapter: On Hope; emphasis ours)

If these Jews and Christians are being punished for the sins committed by the Muslims then why were the Muslims suffering in hell? What kind of ransom can this be if Muslims are still required to undergo torment in hell for their crimes and evil deeds?

Secondly, the Quran clearly says that no person will bear the sins of another:

Say: 'Shall I seek after a Lord other than God, who is the Lord of all things?' Every soul earns only to its own account, no soul laden bears the load of another. Then to your Lord shall you return, and He will tell you of that whereon you were at variance. S. 6:164 Arberry

And every man's work have WE fasten to his neck; and on the Day of Resurrection WE shall bring out for him a book which he will find wide open. It will be said to him, ‘Read thy book.
Sufficient is thy own soul as a reckoner against thee this day.’ He who follows the right way follows it only for the good of his own soul; and he who goes astray, goes astray only to his own loss. And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another. And WE shall never punish until WE have sent a Messenger. S. 17:13-15 Sher Ali

That no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another
, And that man will have nothing but what he strives for; And that the result of his striving shall soon be known; Then will he be rewarded for it with the fullest reward; And that with thy Lord is the final judgment; S. 53:38-42 Sher Ali

With that being the case why will the Jews and Christians go to hell in order to bear the burden of the sins of the Muslims? Where is the justice in that?

But it gets worse for Zawadi. Recall the hadith from al-Bukhari that Zawadi referenced to show that Muslims will be punished in hell for their sins before they are allowed to enter paradise. This isn’t an isolated report since this is repeated throughout the hadith literature:

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet said, "Some people will come out of the Fire after they have received a touch of the Fire, changing their color, and they will enter Paradise, and the people of Paradise will name them 'Al-Jahannamiyin' the (Hell) Fire people." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 564)

Abu Huraira reported: The people said to the Messenger of Allah: Messenger of Allah, shall we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection? The Messenger of Allah said … They would say: Thou art our Lord. And they would follow Him, and a bridge would be set over the Hell; and I (the Holy Prophet) and my Ummah would be the first to pass over it; and none but the messengers would speak on that day, and the prayer of the messengers on that day would be: O Allah! Grant safety, grant safety. In Hell, there would be long spits like the thorns of Sa'dan. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Have you seen Sa'dan? They replied: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He said: Verily those (hooks) would be like the thorns of Sa'dan, but no one knows their size except Allah. These would seize people for their misdeeds. Some of them would escape for their (good) deeds, and some would be rewarded for their deeds till they get salvation. When Allah would finish judging His bondsmen and because of His mercy decide to take out of Hell such people as He pleases. He would command the angels to bring out those who had not associated anything with Allah; to whom Allah decided to show mercy, those who would say: There is no god but Allah. They (the angels) would recognise them in the Fire by the marks of prostration, for Hell-fire will devour everything (limb) of the sons of Adam except the marks of prostration. Allah has forbidden the Fire to consume the marks of prostration. They will be taken out of the Fire HAVING BEEN BURNT, and the water of life would be poured over them, and they will sprout as seed does in the silt carried by flood.

Then Allah would finish judging amongst His bondsmen; but a man who will be the last to enter Paradise will remain facing Hell and will say: O my Lord I turn my face away from Hell, for its air has poisoned me and its blaze has burnt me
He would then say: O my Lord, admit me to Paradise. Allah. Blessed and Exalted, would say: Did you not give covenants and agreements that you would not ask for anything more than what I had granted you? Woe to you! son of Adam, how treacherous you are! And he would say: O my Lord, I do not wish to be the most miserable of Thy creatures. He would continue calling upon Allah till Allah, Blessed and Exalted, would laugh. When Allah would laugh at him, He would say: Enter the Paradise… (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0349)

These narratives clearly affirm that some of the Muslims will only leave hell after being burned and harmed by its fire.

However, this contradicts other particular narratives which claim that Allah will not allow any Muslim who sincerely proclaims the shahadah to enter hell!

Zawadi himself is aware of these reports since this is what he writes later on:

… As for believers "merely proclaiming the Shahada", well this just exposes the ignorance of Shamoun and Katz.
It is not a "mere" proclamation; it must be a sincere one:

Saheeh Bukhari
Volume 1, Book 3, Number 130: Narrated Anas bin Malik: "Once Mu'adh was along with Allah's Apostle as a companion rider.
Allah's Apostle said, "O Mu'adh bin Jabal." Mu'adh replied, "Labbaik and Sa'daik. O Allah's Apostle!" Again the Prophet said, "O Mu'adh!" Mu'adh said thrice, "Labbaik and Sa'daik, O Allah's Apostle!" Allah's Apostle said, "There is none who testifies sincerely that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is his Apostle, except that Allah, will save him from the Hell-fire." Mu'adh said, "O Allah's Apostle ! Should I not inform the people about it so that they may have glad tidings?" He replied, "When the people hear about it, they will solely depend on it." Then Mu'adh narrated the above-mentioned Hadith just before his death, being afraid of committing sin (by not telling the knowledge).

The testimony has to be sincere. This would save him from abiding in the hellfire for eternity. Just merely saying the testimony and not meaning it does not save someone from the hellfire. Even the hypocrites used to say the Shahadah and not mean it:

Surah 63:1 When the hypocrites come to you, they say: We bear witness that you are most surely Allah's Apostle; and Allah knows that you are most surely His Apostle, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are surely liars.

What this actually does is expose not our ignorance but Zawadi’s and further documents his gross inability to carefully follow and understand the hadiths which he quotes to prove his position.

For instance, we are expressly told in what Zawadi quotes above that Allah will save any Muslim who sincerely proclaims the shahadah from hell-fire. In fact, both the Quran and certain hadiths explain this to mean that Allah will not allow any sincere Muslim to suffer torment in hell:

Surely you (O mushrikin) and your deities that you worship besides Allah shall be the fuel of hell; therein you shall all enter. If those deities would have been true gods, they would not have gotten there; but there they shall abide forever. In there, sobbing will be their lot, and they will not be able to hear anything else. Certainly those for whom the good reward from Us has preceded them will be kept far away from it. They shall not hear even its slightest sound, and they shall dwell forever in the midst of whatever their souls desire. The time of Great Terror (Day of Judgement) will not grieve them, and the angels will receive them with greetings: "This is your Day that you were promised." S. 21:98-103 F. Malik

Narrated 'Utban bin Malik Al-Ansari: who was one of the men of the tribe of Bani Salim: Allah's Apostle came to me and said, "If anybody comes on the Day of Resurrection who has said: La ilaha illallah, sincerely, with the intention to win Allah's Pleasure, Allah will make the Hell-Fire forbidden for him." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 431)

It is narrated on the authority of Sunabihi that he went to Ubada b. Samit when he was about to die.
I burst into tears. Upon this he said to me: Allow me some time (so that I may talk with you). Why do you weep? By Allah, if I am asked to bear witness, I would certainly testify for you (that you are a believer). Should I be asked to intercede, I would certainly intercede for you, and if I have the power, I would certainly do good to you, and then observed: By Allah, never did I hear anything from the Messenger of Allah which could have been a source of benefit to you and then not conveyed it to you except this single hadith that I intend to narrate to you today, since I am going to breathe my last. I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: He who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, Allah would prohibit the fire of Hell for him. (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0045)

Note carefully what is being said. Hell-fire is strictly forbidden for every Muslim who dies affirming the Islamic confession of faith sincerely which contradicts the hadiths that expressly say that Allah will actually take out of hell specific Muslims who will be burning in the fire!

So Zawadi is now confronted with some major problems and contradictions. Certain hadiths promise that Muslims who profess genuine faith in Islamic monotheism will not be touched by fire since Allah has forbidden hell for them. Other narrations contradict this claim by asserting that a host of Muslims will end up in hell, and even experience torment while there, despite the fact that they genuinely believed that there is no god besides Muhammad’s deity.

But this introduces another problem. The fact that these Muslims ended up in the fire suggests that their profession of faith was not genuine since if it were then they would have never gone to hell in the first place. This means that these Muslims must have been hypocrites, otherwise why did they end up in hell if they were sincere?

However, this contradicts the following Quranic verses which say that such hypocrites will never be taken out from hell since Allah will not accept anyone’s help or intercession on their behalf!

And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Qur'an) that when you hear the Verses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely, Allah will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell, Those (hypocrites) who wait and watch about you; if you gain a victory from Allah, they say: "Were we not with you," but if the disbelievers gain a success, they say (to them): "Did we not gain mastery over you and did we not protect you from the believers?" Allah will judge between you (all) on the Day of Resurrection. And never will Allah grant to the disbelievers a way (to triumph) over the believers. Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little. (They are) swaying between this and that, belonging neither to these nor to those, and he whom Allah sends astray, you will not find for him a way (to the truth - Islam). O you who believe! Take not for Auliya' (protectors or helpers or friends) disbelievers instead of believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest proof against yourselves? Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths (grade) of the Fire; NO HELPER WILL YOU FIND FOR THEM. S. 4:140-145 Hilali-Khan

And they swear by Allah that they are in truth of you, when they are not of you, but they are folk who are afraid
.
Had they but found a refuge, or caverns, or a place to enter, they surely had resorted thither swift as runaways… And of them is he who defameth thee in the matter of the alms. If they are given thereof they are content, and if they are not given thereof, behold! they are enraged. (How much more seemly) had they been content with that which Allah and His messenger had given them and had said: Allah sufficeth us. Allah will give us of His bounty, and (also) His messenger. Unto Allah we are suppliants. And of them are those who vex the Prophet and say: He is only a hearer. Say: A hearer of good for you, who believeth in Allah and is true to the believers, and a mercy for such of you as believe. Those who vex the messenger of Allah, for them there is a painful doom. They swear by Allah to you (Muslims) to please you, but Allah, with His messenger, hath more right that they should please Him if they are believers. Know they not that whoso opposeth Allah and His messenger, his verily is fire of hell, to abide therein? That is the extreme abasement. The hypocrites fear lest a surah should be revealed concerning them, proclaiming what is in their hearts. Say: Scoff (your fill)! Lo! Allah is disclosing what ye fear. And if thou ask them (O Muhammad) they will say: We did but talk and jest. Say: Was it at Allah and His revelations and His messenger that ye did scoff? Make no excuse. Ye have disbelieved after your (confession of) belief. If We forgive a party of you, a party of you We shall punish because they have been guilty. The hypocrites, both men and women, proceed one from another. They enjoin the wrong, and they forbid the right, and they withhold their hands (from spending for the cause of Allah). They forget Allah, so He hath forgotten them. Lo! the hypocrites, they are the transgressors. Allah promiseth the hypocrites, both men and women, and the disbelievers fire of hell for their abode. It will suffice them. Allah curseth them, and theirs is lasting torment. S. 9:56-59, 61-68 Pickthall

O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers AND THE HYPOCRITES! Be harsh with them. Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey's end. They swear by Allah that they said nothing (wrong), yet they did say the word of disbelief, and did disbelieve after their Surrender (to Allah)
. And they purposed that which they could not attain, and they sought revenge only that Allah by His messenger should enrich them of His bounty. If they repent it will be better for them; and if they turn away, Allah will afflict them with a painful doom in the world and the Hereafter, and they have no protecting friend nor helper in the earth. And of them is he who made a covenant with Allah (saying): If He give us of His bounty we will give alms and become of the righteous. Yet when He gave them of His bounty, they hoarded it and turned away, averse; So He hath made the consequence (to be) hypocrisy in their hearts until the day when they shall meet Him, because they broke their word to Allah that they promised Him, and because they lied. Know they not that Allah knoweth both their secret and the thought that they confide, and that Allah is the Knower of Things Hidden? Those who point at such of the believers as give the alms willingly and such as can find naught to give but their endeavours, and deride them - Allah (Himself) derideth them. Theirs will be a painful doom. Ask forgiveness for them (O Muhammad), or ask not forgiveness for them; though thou ask forgiveness for them seventy times Allah will not forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allah and His messenger, and Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk. Those who were left behind rejoiced at sitting still behind the messenger of Allah, and were averse to striving with their wealth and their lives in Allah's way. And they said: Go not forth in the heat! Say: The fire of hell is more intense of heat, if they but understood. Then let them laugh a little: they will weep much, as the reward of what they used to earn. If Allah bring thee back (from the campaign) unto a party of them and they ask of thee leave to go out (to fight), then say unto them: Ye shall never more go out with me nor fight with me against a foe. Ye were content with sitting still the first time. So sit still, with the useless. And never (O Muhammad) pray for one of them who dieth, nor stand by his grave. Lo! they disbelieved in Allah and His messenger, and they died while they were evil-doers. Let not their wealth nor their children please thee! Allah purposeth only to punish them thereby in the world, and that their souls shall pass away while they are disbelievers. And when a surah is revealed (which saith): Believe in Allah and strive along with His messenger, the men of wealth among them still ask leave of thee and say: Suffer us to be with those who sit (at home). They are content that they should be with the useless and their hearts are sealed, so that they apprehend not. And those among the wandering Arabs who had an excuse came in order that permission might be granted them. And those who lied to Allah and His messenger sat at home.A painful doom will fall on those of them who disbelieve. The road (of blame) is only against those who ask for leave of thee (to stay at home) when they are rich. They are content to be with the useless. Allah hath sealed their hearts so that they know not. They will make excuse to you (Muslims) when ye return unto them. Say: Make no excuse, for we shall not believe you. Allah hath told us tidings of you. Allah and His messenger will see your conduct, and then ye will be brought back unto Him Who knoweth the Invisible as well as the Visible, and He will tell you what ye used to do. They will swear by Allah unto you, when ye return unto them, that ye may let them be. Let them be, for lo! they are unclean, and their abode is hell as the reward for what they used to earn. They swear unto you, that ye may accept them. Though ye accept them. Allah verily accepteth not wrongdoing folk. The wandering Arabs are more hard in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more likely to be ignorant of the limits which Allah hath revealed unto His messenger. And Allah is Knower, Wise. And among those around you of the wandering Arabs there are hypocrites, and among the townspeople of Al-Madinah (there are some who) persist in hypocrisy whom thou (O Muhammad) knowest not. We, We know them, and We shall chastise them twice; then they will be relegated to a painful doom. S. 9:73-101 Pickthall

And among those around you of the wandering Arabs there are hypocrites, and among the townspeople of Al-Madinah (there are some who) persist in hypocrisy whom thou (O Muhammad) knowest not. We, We know them, and We shall chastise them twice; then they will be relegated to a painful doom
. And as for those who chose a place of worship out of opposition and disbelief, and in order to cause dissent among the believers, and as an outpost for those who warred against Allah and His messenger aforetime, they will surely swear: We purposed naught save good. Allah beareth witness that they verily are liars. Never stand (to pray) there. A place of worship which was found upon duty (to Allah) from the first day is more worthy that thou shouldst stand (to pray) therein, wherein are men who love to purify themselves. Allah loveth the purifiers. Is he who founded his building upon duty to Allah and His good pleasure better; or he who founded his building on the brink of a crumbling, overhanging precipice so that it toppled with him into the fire of hell? Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk. The building which they built will never cease to be a misgiving in their hearts unless their hearts be torn to pieces. Allah is Knower, Wise. S. 9:101-110 Pickthall

These passages are clear and unambiguous. The hypocrites are those who profess faith in Allah and Muhammad but whose actions testify that their belief is nothing more than lip service. It is these individuals that the Quran says will be punished in hell with no one to help them. The true Muslims, on the other hand, will never be tormented in hell.

In light of this, how could the hadiths say that Muhammad will deliver Muslims from hell when sincere Muslims will never suffer the pain and torment of hell-fire? Does this mean that Muhammad is actually delivering the hypocrites from the punishment of the fire even though the Quran says that such individuals will have absolutely no one to save or help them?

And if he is in fact saving the hypocrites then this contradicts the following Quranic passage which says that Muhammad’s prayer for them is of no use:

When the hypocrites come unto thee (O Muhammad), they say: We bear witness that thou art indeed Allah's messenger. And Allah knoweth that thou art indeed His messenger, and Allah beareth witness that the hypocrites indeed are speaking falsely. They make their faith a pretext so that they may turn (men) from the way of Allah. Verily evil is that which they are wont to do, That is because they believed, then disbelieved, therefore their hearts are sealed so that they understand not. And when thou seest them their figures please thee; and if they speak thou givest ear unto their speech. (They are) as though they were blocks of wood in striped cloaks. They deem every shout to be against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. Allah confound them! How they are perverted! And when it is said unto them: Come! The messenger of Allah will ask forgiveness for you! they avert their faces and thou seest them turning away, disdainful. Whether thou ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them is all one for them; Allah will not forgive them. Lo! Allah guideth not the evil-living folk. They it is who say: Spend not on behalf of those (who dwell) with Allah's messenger that they may disperse (and go away from you); when Allah's are the treasures of the heavens and the earth; but the hypocrites comprehend not. They say: Surely, if we return to Al-Madinah the mightier will soon drive out the weaker; when might belongeth to Allah and to His messenger and to the believers; but the hypocrites know not. S. 63:1-8 Pickthall

The Quran further claims that Muhammad cannot save any individual from hell:

Is, then one against whom the Word of punishment justified (equal to the one who avoids evil). Will you (O Muhammad) rescue him who is in the Fire? S. 39:19 Hilali-Khan

How, then, can the so-called sound hadiths claim that Muhammad will save individuals from hell when Allah has destined them to suffer there?

To make matters worse, the Quran clearly says that a person can only merit good or evil for himself:

Say: 'Shall I seek after a Lord other than God, who is the Lord of all things?' Every soul earns only to its own account, no soul laden bears the load of another. Then to your Lord shall you return, and He will tell you of that whereon you were at variance. S. 6:164 Arberry

In light of this, how can Muhammad intercede for anyone at all when his actions can only benefit him and not another?

More importantly, since Muhammad is said to save Muslims by his intercession why then does Allah send Jews and Christians into hell in the place of Muslims? Why ransom Muslims from hell by sending Jews and Christians in their place if Muhammad’s intercession is sufficient to save his followers from punishment and judgement? Does this make any sense at all?

Finally, does Zawadi really want us to believe that this perversion and mass confusion make more sense and are a lot more just and merciful than the Christian view of salvation?

In conclusion here is a summary of all the massive problems with Islam’s perverted system of justice:

- Allah will punish Muslims in hell for their sins for a period of time.
- Allah will then ransom Muslims from hell by sending Jews and Christians there to suffer for the sins which these Muslims have committed.
- This is clearly a perversion of justice since Allah is not only punishing Muslims for their personal sins but he is also punishing Jews and Christians for transgressions which they have not committed.
- To make matters worse, the Jews and Christians will also be punished for their own evil deeds and disbelief!
- Thus, Allah is going to punish Muslims, Jews and Christians for the wicked acts that these Muslims have committed and then punish the Jews and Christians for their own transgressions!
- Punishing Jews and Christians for the crimes of others contradicts the Quran which says that no person will bear another’s burden or sins.
- Muslims entering hell to suffer for a period of time also contradicts the express teaching of the Quran along with certain hadiths that say that Allah will not allow any sincere Muslim to be harmed by the fires of hell.
- According to the Quran only the hypocrites or those who professed faith in Allah and Muhammad but did not truly obey their teachings will enter hell to suffer.
- This seems to suggest that the ahadith may actually be referring to these so-called Muslims, e.g. Allah will save these hypocritical Muslims from hell since true believers will not be allowed to enter there.
- However, this leads to more problems since the Quran clearly says that the hypocrites will remain in hell and have no helper to save or intercede for them.
- The Quran further says that Muhammad’s intercession for the hypocrites is of no use since Allah will not forgive them no matter how many times Muhammad prays for him.
- Moreover, according to the Muslim scripture a person’s deeds can only benefit the individual and not someone else.
- However, the ahadith claim that Muhammad will be able to save Muslims from hell by his intercession thereby contradicting the Islamic scripture.
- But this then leads to another contradiction. If Muhammad’s intercession can actually save anyone then why does Allah need to punish Jews and Christians in order to save Muslims from hell?

Hence, instead of clarifying the issues Zawadi’s reply actually created a bigger mess by giving us the opportunity to highlight some of the major problems and gross contradictions with his god’s perverted system of justice!

There are other problems that we could have mentioned but which will have to wait for the second part of our rebuttal.

Related Articles

http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/qi029.html
http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/muslims_in_hell.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/muslims_in_hell2.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Shamoun/muslims_in_hell_ahadith.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/suffer_for_sin.html
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Menj/consequences_of_sin.htm
http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/astray.html
http://answering-islam.org/Responses/Osama/karim_in_hell.htm

Source: http://answering-islam.org/authors/shamoun/rebuttals/zawadi/perverted_justice1.html

IHS