The Fasting & The Furious

Lecture by Sh. Muhammad al-Shareef

Ramadan Hadith (2)

Narrated Anas (Radi-Allahu 'anhum):

Zaid bin Thabit said, "We took the Suhur with the Prophet (Sallallahu
'Alaihi Wa Sallam). Then he stood for the prayer." I asked, "What was the
interval between the Suhur and the Adhan?" He replied, "The interval was
sufficient to recite fifty verses of the Quran."

Bukhari Vol. 3 : No. 144

Aqim Salah (Stand for Prayer)

Pray before you are prayed upon.

Ramadan is the best time to get into the habit of praying if you are not praying; don't miss the chance before it's too late. Stop browsing now and if you haven't prayed go ahead and pray.

Living the Quran

Reading the Quran will be of little benefit to you, it may even bring misery and harm, unless you, from the first moment, begin to change and reconstruct your life in total surrender to God who has given you the Quran. Without the will and striving to act, neither the states of heart and enraptures of the soul, nor the ecstasies of mood, nor intellectual enrichment will be of any use to you. If the Quran does not have any impact upon your actions and if you do not obey what it enjoins and avoid what it prohibits, then you are not getting nearer to it.

Reading the Quran should induce faith inside your heart; that faith should shape your lives. It is not a gradual piecemeal process, by which you first spend years reading the Quran, then understanding it and strengthening your faith, and only then act upon it. All things take place simultaneously: as you hear or recite the words, they kindle faith inside you; as you have faith inside you, your life begins to change.

What we must remember is that to live by the Quran requires a major decision on our part: we have to completely alter the course of our life, irrespective of what may be the dominant thought-patterns around us, or what our society may be dictating, or what others may be doing. This decision requires major sacrifices. But unless we, as believers in the Quran being the word of God, are prepared to take the plunge, not much good will come out of the time spent with the Quran.
Source:"QURAN: Your Gateway To A New World" - Young Muslims Publication

Ramadan Hadith (1)

Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi-Allahu 'anhum):

The Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, "Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)"

Bukhari Vol. 3 : No. 127

How To Benefit From the Qur'aan

Allaah the Most High says:

"Indeed in this there is a remembrance for those who have a living heart, listen attentively and are awake to taking heed." [Qaaf: 37]

Therefore, if you desire to benefit from the Qur'aan, gather your heart when reciting it, focus your attention to it and focus as if you are the one being directly addressed by it. For indeed it is an address from Allaah via the path of the Messenger sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam.

This is because gaining complete benefit from the Qur'aan is dependent upon the object providing the benefit, the place by which it is to be received, the conditions related to attaining the benefit and the non existence of anything that may hinder the benefit from occurring. Hence the verse contains an explanation of all of these points, with the shortest and clearest of words, and those that best prove the point.

Thus the saying of Allaah: {Indeed in this there is a remembrance} has an inference to what has preceded the verse from the beginning of Soorah Qaaf up to this verse and this is what is causing the benefit.

Whilst the saying of Allaah {who have a living heart} then this refers to the place that receives the benefit and this is the heart that has life and comprehends what Allaah has sent, as Allaah the Most High says:

"Indeed this is only a clear reminder and a Qur'aan so as to warn those who have a living heart." [Yaaseen: 69-70]

And His saying {listen attentively} i.e. who turns his attention to it and listens mindfully to what is being said. This is the condition that is placed so that one can be benefited by it. And His saying {are awake to taking heed.} i.e. that the heart is attentive to it.

Ibn Qutaibah said: "Listen to the book of Allaah whilst your heart and mind is attentive, not neglectful nor distant."

This is an inference to the matter that prevents one from attaining benefit. That is when the heart is distant and unmindful such that it does not understand what is being said, nor comprehend it.

Therefore if the cause of the benefit - the Qur'aan, is found and the place of receiving it - and that is the heart has life - and the condition is fulfilled - and that is listening attentively - and the barriers that would prevent benefit from being attained are avoided - and that is the heart being pre-occupied with something else and it being unmindful of what is said - then one attains the benefit, of being benefited by the Qur'aan. [Refer to al-Fawaa'id by Ibn-ul-Qayyim]

Written by: Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zeeno

The Millionaire Who Went To Jannah

I am not advertising any organization I thought this is good Hadith that's why I am posting it.

The Wisdom of Suhoor

Allah (SWT) made fasting obligatory upon us as He (SWT) had made it obligatory on the people of the Book before us. He (SWT) said , (which means): {O you who believe Fasting is prescribed upon you as it was prescribed upon those before you so that perhaps you may attain Taqwaa.} [Al-Baqarah 2 : 183]

In the first period of Islam, the duration and regulations of fasting were in accordance with what was legislated by Allah upon the People of the Book. They were not allowed to eat, drink or engage in sexual intercourse after they slept. That is once one sleeps, he could not eat nor do any of the above until the night of the following day, this implied that they took no Suhoor (Pre-dawn meal).
However, when the above ruling was abrogated, the Messenger (SAW) commanded the Muslims to take the Suhoor (Pre-dawn meal) as a means of being different in our fasting from the fasting of the People of the Book. 'Amr Ibn al-Aas reported that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "The distinguishing feature between our fast and the fast of the People of the Book is in the eating at the time just before dawn." [Muslim]

The Suhoor is Barakah (blessed)

Salmaan (RA) said that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: Blessings are found in three things, the Group (Al-Jama'ah), Ath-thareed (a type of food) and As-Suhoor (the Pre-dawn meal)." [At-Tabaraanee, Abu Na'eem]

Abu Hurairah (RA) said that Rasoolillah (SAW) said: "Verily Allah placed Barakah (blessing) in the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) and in perfect measurement (weighing)."[Ash-Shairazee]

'Abdullah Ibn Haarith said that one of the Sahabah (companion) said: 'I entered the house of the Messenger (SAW) whilst he was taking the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal), and he (SAW) said: "Indeed it (the Suhoor) is blessing that Allah has given to you so do not leave it out." [An-Nasaaee and Ahmad]

The reality that there are great blessings in the Suhoor (Pre-dawn meal) is very apparent because there is in it:
(a) the following of the Sunnah,
(b) it makes the fast easier upon the person who is fasting,
(c) it increases the desire in the person to want to continue to fast because of the ease upon the fasting person and
(d) there is also in it the principle of being different from the People of the Book because they are prohibited from taking the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal).

For this reason the Messenger of Allah (SAW) called it the blessed meal.

Allah (SWT) and the Angels send Salaah upon the people who take the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal)

The greatest blessing of the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) may be that Allah (SWT) engulfs those who partake in it with His Forgiveness, showers His Mercy on them, while His angels ask of Him to forgive and pardon them.

Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree said that the Messenger (SAW) said: "Eating the Suhoor is blessed. Do not neglect it even if you take a gulp of water, because Allah and His angels invoke blessings upon those who partake in the pre-dawn meal." [Ahmad]. It is very important that the Muslim does not allow this great blessing from his Merciful Lord to escape him.

What is the best thing the Muslim can eat for Suhoor

The Messenger (SAW) said: "The best Suhoor for the believer is dates." [Abu Dawood, Al-Baihaqee and Ibn Hibbaan]

Delaying the Suhoor

It is recommended to delay the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) till just before dawn. Zaid ibn Thaabit said: "We ate the Suhoor with the Messenger (SAW), then we got up to offer the Salaah (prayer - in this case the Fajr prayer). I asked "What was the time between the Adhaan (call to prayer) and the Suhoor?" He said: "(The time it would take) to recite fifty verses." [Bukhaaree and Muslim]

It must be known that it is allowed to eat, drink and have sexual relationship with one's spouse as long as one doubts and is uncertain that the dawn has started. Allah (SWT) and His Messenger (SAW) have made clear the criterion for establishing the Fajr, and this is what one is required to go by.

The Ruling for Suhoor
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) commanded that whoever wants to fast must take the Suhoor (pre-dawn meal). He (SAW) said: "Whoever wishes to fast, then let him eat something for Suhoor." [Ibn Abi Shaibah, Ahmad and others]

And he (SAW) also said: "Take the Suhoor because in the Suhoor is Barakah (blessings)."[Bukhaaree and Muslim]

Then he (SAW) also prohibited the Muslims from neglecting it. He (SAW) said: "What differentiates our fast from the fast of the People of the Book is the Suhoor meal." [Ibn Abi Shaibah, Ahmad]

Ramadan Mubarak

Virtues Of Ramadan

The Purpose of Fasting

Firstly we must note that one of the names of Allah is al-Hakim (the Most Wise). The word Hakim is derived from the same root as hukm (ruling) and hikmah (wisdom). Allah alone is the One Who issues rulings, and His rulings are the most wise and perfect.

Secondly: Allah does not prescribe any ruling but there is great wisdom behind it, which we may understand, or our minds may not be guided to understand it. We may know some of it but a great deal is hidden from us.

Thirdly: Allah has mentioned the reason and wisdom behind His enjoining of fasting upon us, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (the pious)

[Noble Quran 2:183]


Fasting is a means of attaining taqwa (piety, being conscious of Allah), and taqwa means doing that which Allah has enjoined and avoiding that which He has forbidden.

Fasting is one of the greatest means of helping a person to fulfill the commands of Islam.

The scholars have mentioned some of the reasons why fasting is prescribed, all of which are characteristics of taqwa, but there is nothing wrong with quoting them here, to draw the attention of fasting people to them and make them keen to attain them.

Among the reasons behind fasting are:

Fasting is a means that makes us appreciate and give thanks for pleasures. For fasting means giving up eating, drinking and intercourse, which are among the greatest pleasures. By giving them up for a short time, we begin to appreciate their value. Because the blessings of Allah are not recognized, but when you abstain from them, you begin to recognize them, so this motivates you to be grateful for them.

Fasting is a means of giving up haram things, because if a person can give up halal things in order to please Allah and for fear of His painful torment, then he will be more likely to refrain from haram things. So fasting is a means of avoiding the things that Allah has forbidden.

Fasting enables us to control our desires, because when a person is full his desires grow, but if he is hungry then his desire becomes weak. Hence the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: O young men! Whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and protecting one's chastity. Whoever cannot do that, let him fast, for it will be a shield for him.

Fasting makes us feel compassion and empathy towards the poor, because when the fasting person tastes the pain of hunger for a while, he remembers those who are in this situation all the time, so he will hasten to do acts of kindness to them and show compassion towards them. So fasting is a means of feeling empathy with the poor.

Fasting humiliates and weakens the Shaytan; it weakens the effects of his whispers (waswaas) on a person and reduces his sins. That is because the Shaytan "flows through the son of Adam like blood as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, but fasting narrows the passages through which the Shaytan flows, so his influence grows less.

[Shaykh al-Islam said in Majmu' al-Fatawa, 25/246


Undoubtedly blood is created from food and drink, so when a person eats and drinks, the passages through which the devils flow – which is the blood – become wide. But if a person fasts, the passages through which the devils flow become narrow, so hearts are motivated to do good deeds, and to give up evil deeds.

The fasting person is training himself to remember that Allah is always watching, so he gives up the things that he desires even though he is able to take them, because he knows that Allah can see him.

Fasting means developing an attitude of asceticism towards this world and its desires, and seeking that which is with Allah.

It makes the Muslim get used to doing a great deal of acts of worship, because the fasting person usually does more acts of worship and gets used to that.

These are some of the reasons why fasting is enjoined. We ask Allah to help us to achieve them and to worship Him properly.

And Allah knows best.

[See Tafsir al-Sa'di, p. 116; Ibn al-Qayyim's footnotes on al-Rawd al-Murabba', 3/344; al-Mawsu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 28/9]

What is Ramadan

PAUL

On the road to Damascus, while persecuting the early Christians, after the death of Jesus, a man claimed that he saw a vision, a vision of Jesus. The man was Saul of Tarsus (Latinized as Paul). From there on, the teachings of Christ were transformed and Romanized and modern Christianity was born.

The vision in which Paul claims that Jesus gave him an authority to teach in his name is recorded a number of times in the New Testament. If we were to analyze these variant descriptions, made by the same man, as in a court of law, they would be thrown out as fabricated "evidence" because of inconsistencies. For example:

1. Acts (9:3-7)

[3] Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him.

[4] And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

[5] And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; [6] but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

[7] The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

In this description, it is stated that only Paul fell to the ground. And, the other men who traveled with him did not see anything but heard a voice. Compare this to the next description:

2. Acts (22:6-9)

[6] "As I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone about me.

[7] And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, `Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?'

[8] And I answered, `Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, `I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.'

[9] Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

In this description, in complete contradiction to the one above, Paul states that those who traveled with him did not hear the voice but saw the light. The previous description said that they did not see anything but heard a voice!

3. Acts (26:14)

[14] And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, `Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.'

In this description, Paul says that they "all" fell to the ground whereas in the previous description, only Paul had fallen to the ground.

In any court of law, anywhere in the world where justice is upheld, this testimony of Paul would have been thrown out as fabrication and he would have been prosecuted for perjury.

Paul's Christianity is not what Jesus taught:

The German philosopher, Fredrick Neitzsche recognized Paul's role in constructing the "new" Christianity, and was convinced of deception:

In Nietzsche's view, the very worst of them was Paul, the actual founder of the Christian church and doctrine. Nietzsche was convinced that Paul was not sincere in his beliefs, that "his requirement was power." Nietzsche cannot bring himself to believe that Paul, "whose home was the principal center of Stoic enlightenment," is sincere when he offers up a hallucination as proof that The Redeemer still lives. Paul invented the doctrines of 'eternal life' and 'the Judgement' as a means to his ends. In Die Morgenrote (translated by R. J. Hollingdale as Daybreak, Cambridge Univ. Press, 1982), Nietzsche had earlier discussed Paul's frustrations at being unable to master, and to comply with, Jewish law, and hence Paul "sought about for a means of destroying" that law. Christianity offered Paul just the weapon he had been seeking.

[A 40-42; Die Morgenrote 68, http://www.debunker.com/texts/anti_chr.html, retrieved 12/08/'01].

Elderly

The Prophet's (peace be upon him) teachings establish a high regard and respect for the elderly and rejuvenate in them feelings of hope and vigour during the sunset of their lives. Anas reported that the Prophet said: "If a young man supports an old man because of his old age, God will definitely assign people who will respect him when he is old" [Tirmidhi]. In fact, the Prophet of mercy went one step further and joined the respect of such people with the worship of God Himself by saying "it is part of venerating God to respect the elderly Muslim" [Abu Dawud].

He once related that "the Angel Gabriel commanded me to give priority to the elderly. he taught that 'when serving food and (at) ceremonies, the old must be taken care of first.' He said: "Start with the elderly'" [Abu Yala].

The merciful Prophet's regard and respect for the elderly went beyond the boundaries of religion. On the day of Victory of Makkah when the Prophet entered the sacred mosque, Abu Bakr brought his elderly polytheistic father to meet the Prophet of mercy. When he saw his companion's elderly father, he asked Abu Bakr: "Why didn't you leave him at home? I would have gone to him" [Ibn Kathir].

Compiled From:"Mercy: Prophet Muhammad's Legacy To All Creation" - Ibrahim H. Malabari, pp. 48-50

Mary in the Bible and the Qur'an

Q: I would like to ask about Maryam, the Mother of Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace be upon him). When God raised `Isa to the heavens before the Jews could crucify him, did Maryam know about it? I would like to know if the Jews did anything to her and what she answered to them. I would also like to know who got crucified in place of Prophet `Isa. Thank You very much for answering my question.

A: Your question is about Maryam (Mary), the mother of Isa (Jesus Christ, peace be upon him), who lived some two millennia before our time. We have two sources for our knowledge about her: the Qur'an and the Gospels of the Christian Bible.

Muslims accept the Qur'an as divine revelation and the Gospels as containing in part the revelation received by Jesus. As history, the gospels are relied on, similar to the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Muslims accept them to the extent they do not contradict the Qur'an and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad.

Mary in the Bible

We read in the Gospels about the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. In fact the Gospel narrations raise a number of questions, which we need not go into in this context.

The Gospels present the Romans, not the Jews, as the actual perpetrators of the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. Some Jews are reported to have demanded Jesus' crucifixion after he was arrested.

Of the four gospels, only the Gospel of John tells us that Mary was present near the cross when the crucifixion took place. But we are told absolutely nothing about how she felt about it or what she said about the incident. This may seem odd, considering the importance given by Christians to Mary as 'the Mother of God'.

Now this is what the New Testament has to say about Mary:

Paul writes: "God sent forth his Son, made of a woman…" (Galatians 4:4, King James Bible)

Note that there is no mention of Mary by name; and strictly speaking this is no reference to Mary in particular. Except for this indirect reference, no mention is made of Mary in the Epistles of St. Paul.

Only very few details of Mary's life are given even by the four Gospels, written between 65 and 100 C.E. We should remember that the Gospels are the only real sources for the Christians for the worship of Mary, encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church.

Mark narrates how Jesus treating his mother and brothers somewhat disrespectfully, as they came to see him: He was addressing a crowd of people. When he was told that his mother and brothers were looking for him, he asked:

"Who is my mother or my brethren?" And pointing at the people around him, he said: "Behold my mother and my brethren!" (Mark 3:33-34, King James Bible)

Luke, while describing the circumstances of Jesus' birth, pictures Mary as

"the handmaid of the Lord" (Luke 1: 38, King James Bible),

a virgin to whom the angel says:

"Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women" (Luke 1: 28, King James Bible)

Matthew presents Mary less conspicuously than Luke. He says:

"When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost". (Matthew. 1:18, King James Bible)

John speaks twice of Jesus' mother (without mentioning her name): At Cana she is said to have asked Jesus to change water into wine. (John 2:1-12, King James Bible)

On Calvary, she is said to have stood beneath the cross at Jesus' death:

"Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister…". (John 19:25, King James Bible)

An eminent Christian theologian says about John's account of Mary standing at the foot of Jesus' cross:

"Most probably, this scene is not historical and is symbolic. In this scene, the mother of Jesus and the beloved disciple, act as representative figures." (Merle Salazar, O.L.S.H, The Mother of Jesus in the Gospel of John)

Tradition motivated by later Christian beliefs says that when Jesus died, his body was taken down from the cross and placed in Mary's arms.

We have no reason to accept without question these pious beliefs invented and instilled into "the Christians" by ecclesiastical fervor.

The point to underscore here is: There is only very meager references to Mary (who is venerated by the Catholics as the "Mother of God") in the Gospels of the Christians.

Mary in the Qur'an

Now, what does the Qur'an say about Mary?

The first point to note is that the noble Qur'an gives far more importance to Mary the Mother of Jesus than the Christian Gospels. The following points are noteworthy:

Mary is mentioned in the Qur'an as the most honored woman of all the nations in these words:

*{Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah hath chosen thee and purified thee- chosen thee above the women of all nations.}* (Aal `Imran 3:42)

There is a whole chapter in the noble Qur'an titled "Maryam", the nineteenth chapter of the Qur'an.

The Qur'an honors Jesus as the worthy son of a worthy mother: Whenever Jesus is mentioned, he is named as "'Isa ibn Maryam" meaning Jesus the Son of Mary.

The foregoing gives an idea of the importance given to Mary in Islam. But this does not mean that all the details of the life of Mary we would like to know – or of Jesus or any other prophet for that matter – are recorded in the Qur'an. Nor do we need to know them all for any earthly or heavenly purpose.

When Allah the Almighty says that Jesus was saved from an ignominious death on the cross, that is enough for us. We hear the word of God on the matter and we have no doubt about them.

And the response of Mary to what happened in the context is immaterial. If it had been significant in any way, Allah would have told us in the Qur'an.

Who Was Really Crucified?

You know that Islam was taught to us by the Last Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). He gave us the Qur'an and his own Sunnah. These two will suffice us, for leading a life of submission to Allah in our earthly life, and to earn the reward of Paradise in the Hereafter.

It is not part of our articles of faith to know how Allah saved his servant Jesus from an accursed death on the cross, or who was crucified in his place, etc. If such details had any relevance to our felicity here in this world or in the Hereafter, they would have been in the Qur'an.

Now that there is no such information available to us, we are not authorized to indulge in the luxury of conjecture. Even in the same verse where Allah discredits the false claim that Jesus was crucified, He decries those who indulge in conjectures without any certain knowledge:

*{That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Apostle of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not..}* (An-Nisaa' 4:157)

So, let us not be among those who follow conjecture with no certain knowledge.

May Allah guide us and help us in all our endeavors in His Way.

I hope this answers your question. Please keep in touch.

Old age home

Where was that picture taken? Ask the web

Those boxes and boxes (and gigs and gigs) of old photographs make for fun moments of nostalgia, but they can also lead to plenty of confusion, too.

To wit: That interesting-looking house you shot on the family summer vacation 10 years earlier... but is that John Quincy Adams' childhood home or John Tyler's?*
Who knows. But when memory fails, why not turn to the web?

That's the promise of an upcoming technology in development at Google, whose developer says can identify 50,000 unique landmarks worldwide based on a snapshot alone and correctly identify them without the need for humans to get involved.

Using a data set of 42 million images stored on web-based photo sharing sites, Google's Jay Yagnik first spent time algorithmically separating famous landmarks from your average backyard, in part using GPS tags to help identify landmark-rich locations (such as Paris or Washington, D.C.).

The engine then took the collected photos of identified landmarks and analyzed the images under as many angles and lighting conditions as possible to put together a composite picture of each place, so to speak.
The engine currently has an accuracy of 80 percent, and Yagnik says his team is trying to improve on that in advance of an actual product release for consumers to use.

I love this idea, and I'm hopeful Google will keep working on it. In fact, I hope they expand it beyond just looking at old buildings. Could the engine someday be adapted to figure out where a landscape photo (sans man-made structure) was shot, based on the size of the mountains in the distance, or the type and density of foliage in the foreground? And what about people? Say I find a photo of a celebrity online but can't quite place their name. Surely Google could look at those cheekbones and figure out who they are, right?

*It's Adams' birthplace.

Source: C. Null yahootech

Is Jesus Really God?

Without a doubt, you have often heard the claim that Jesus is God, the second person in the "Holy Trinity". However, the very Bible which is used as a basis for knowledge about Jesus and as the basis for doctrine within Christianity clearly belies this claim. We urge you to consult your own Bible and verify that the following conclusions are not drawn out of context:

1. God is All Knowing... but Jesus was not.

When speaking of the Day of Judgment, Jesus clearly gave evidence of a limitation on his knowledge when he said, "but of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in Heaven, neither the son, but the Father." (Mark 13:32 and Matt 24:36) But God knows all. His knowledge is without any limitations. That Jesus, of his own admission, did not know when the Day of Judgment would be, is clear proof that Jesus is not all-knowing, and that Jesus is therefore not God.

2. God is All-Powerful... but Jesus was not.

While Jesus performed many miracles, he himself admitted that the power he had was not his own, but derived from God. He said, "Verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do..." (John 5:19) Again he said, "I can of mine own self do nothing: As I hear I judge, and my judgment is just because I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which has sent me." (John 5:30) But God is not only all-powerful, He is also the source of all power and authority. That Jesus, of his own admission, could do nothing on his own is clear proof that Jesus is not all-powerful, and that therefore Jesus is not God.

3. God does not have a God... but Jesus did have a God.

God is the ultimate judge and refuge for all, and He does not call upon nor pray to any others. But Jesus acknowledged that there was one whom he worshipped and to whom he prayed when he said, "I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God." (John 20:17) He is also reported to have cried out while on the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt 27:46) If Jesus were God, then couldn't this be read "Myself, myself, why hast thou forsaken me?" Would that not be pure nonsense? When Jesus prayed the Lord's prayer (Luke 11:2-4) was he praying to himself? When in the garden of Gethsemane he prayed, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: Nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt." (Matt 26:36-39) Was Jesus praying to himself? That Jesus, of his own admission, and by his own actions, acknowledged, worshipped and prayed to another being as God, is clear proof that Jesus himself is not God.

4. According to the Bible, God is invisible to humans... but Jesus was flesh and blood.

While thousands saw Jesus and heard his voice, Jesus himself said that this could not be done with God when he said, " No man hath seen God at any time." (John 1:18) "Ye have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His shape." (John 5:37) He also said in John 4:24, "God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." That Jesus would say that no one had seen or heard God ant any time, while his followers both saw and heard him, is clear proof that Jesus was not God.

5. No one is greater than God and no one can direct Him... but Jesus acknowledged someone greater than himself whose will was distinct from his own.

Perhaps the clearest indication we have that Jesus and God are not equal, and therefore not one and the same, come again from the mouth of Jesus himself who said in John 14:28, "My Father is greater than I." When someone referred to him as a "good master" in Luke 18:19, Jesus responded, "Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God..." Further more, Jesus drew clear distinctions between himself and God when he said, "I proceeded forth and came from God, neither came I of myself but He sent me." (John 8:42) Jesus gave clear evidence of his subordination to God, rather than his equality with God, when he said in Luke 22:42, "not my will but thine be done," and in John 5:30, "I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which has sent me." That Jesus would admit that he did not come into the world on his own initiative but was directed to do so, that he would acknowledge another being as greater than himself, and that he would negate his own will in deference to affirming the will of another, give clear proof that Jesus is not the Supreme One and therefore Jesus is not God.

Conclusion

The Church recognizes the Bible as the primary source of knowledge about God and Jesus. But since the Bible makes it clear that Jesus is not the Supreme Being and the Supreme Being is not Jesus, upon what basis have you come to believe otherwise?

My brother or sister, the belief that the Supreme Being is a Trinity is false and completely inconsistent with the words of Jesus as presented in the Bible. God is One, not three. He is a perfect unity.

If you are interested in the truth about God and your relationship to Him, we invite you to investigate the religion of Islam.

What is the word of God about Jesus?

A. Regarding the Sonship of Jesus:

That is Jesus, son of Mary, in word of truth, concerning which they are doubting. It is not for God to take a son unto Him. Glory be to Him! When He decrees a thing, He but says to it "Be", and it is. (Qur'an 19:34-35)

And they say, 'The All-Merciful has taken unto Himself a son.' You have indeed advanced something hideous. The heavens are well nigh rent of it and the earth split asunder, and the mountains well nigh fall down crashing for that they have attributed to the All-Merciful to take a son. None is there in the heavens and earth but he comes to the All-Merciful as a servant. (Qur'an 19:88-93)

Truly the likeness of Jesus, in God's sight, is as Adam's likeness; He created him of dust, then said He unto him, "Be", and he was. (Qur'an 3:59)

People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say not as to God but the Truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God, and His word that He committed to Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not 'Three', Refrain, better it is for you. God is only One God. Glory be to Him – that He should have a son! To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth, God suffices for a guardian. (Qur'an 4:171)

B. Regarding Jesus being God:

And when God said, 'O Jesus, son of Mary, did you say unto men, "Take me and my mother as gods, apart from God?" He said, 'To You be glory! It is not mine to say what I have no right to. If I indeed said it, You knew it, knowing what is within my soul, and I do not know what is within Your soul; You know the things unseen. I only said to them what You did command me: "Serve God, my Lord and your Lord." And I was a witness over them, while I remained among them; but when You did take me to Yourself the Watcher over them; You are the witness over everything. (Qur'an 5:116-117)

C. Regarding the Crucifixion of Jesus:

And for their unbelief, and their uttering against Mary a mighty calumny, and for their saying 'We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the Messenger of God'... yet they did not slay him, neither crucified him, only a likeness of that was shown to them. Those who are at variance concerning him surely are in doubt regarding him, they have no knowledge of him, except the following of surmise; and they did not slay him of certainty... no indeed; God raised him up to Him; God is Almighty, All-Wise. There is not one of the people of the Book but will assuredly believe in him before his death, and on the Resurrection Day he will be a witness against them. (Qur'an 4:156-159).

Source: deenshow