Ashura 2025

[lforrest]

“In Islamic tradition, since our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, has been the last of all prophets, God is not going to send another prophet. but God might send inspired preachers to bring people back to the right path. And so this is all within God’s will.”

Why were prophets only sent to the Middle East?

Question from viewer: "If Allah wanted mankind to follow Islam and abide by its rules, then why did he send prominent prophets with their scriptures to the Middle East region only, leaving America, Australia, India, China, and many other areas? Allah tells us in the Quran that he sent prophets...

www.quranspeaks.com

I’ve characterized the incident that happened to me at the mosque as a prophetic warning. That’s my perspective. From an Islamic perspective, what happened to me at the mosque might be understood as “Allah sent an inspired preacher to bring me to the right path”.

Before I visited the mosque, my Muslim friend spoke with the Imam about it and made the arrangements. My friend didn’t know ahead of time that the Imam was going to speak briefly with me in private. Neither did I. I hadn’t requested a meeting and was surprised when it happened. So was my friend.

Inspiration, yes... But what spirit?

Be mindful that the devil has plans and sharing those plans may be perceived as prophecy.

It is plausible that when the AntiChrist comes he will claim to be the Christ. And so I believe it is reasonable that his followers will be called Christian.

 

[Matthias]

Inspiration, yes... But what spirit?

I’m willing to replace my characterization of the conversation as “a prophetic warning“ with “an inspired message”.

Be mindful that the devil has plans and sharing those plans may be perceived as prophecy.

Just to clarify for my readers, the Imam himself didn’t call what he said to me was a prophecy. I perceived his message as prophectic.

Who inspired the Imam? He said the message was from Allah and the Catholic Church says that Allah and the God of Catholicism is the same God.

It is plausible that when the AntiChrist comes he will claim to be the Christ. And so I believe it is reasonable that his followers will be called Christian.

That’s an interesting thought. One that I hadn’t previously considered.

The Imam didn’t say anything about the message being related to the days of the AntiChrist. It could be that it is.

 

[Niblo]

@Niblo do you have any thoughts on the encounter I had with the Imam during my visit to the mosque in Atlanta, Georgia in 2007?

Greetings, Matthias.

Shaykh Assim bin Luqman al-Hakeem is correct.

This is what Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla) has to say about Christians (and Jews):

‘Those who believe and do good deeds are the best of creation. Their reward with their Lord is everlasting Gardens graced with flowing streams, where they will stay forever. Allāh is well pleased with them and they with Him. All this is for those who stand in awe of their Lord.’ (Sūrah ‘Al-Bayyina: 7-8’; my emphases).

There is no disagreement between Islamic scholars that Muslim men are permitted to marry Christian or Jewish women. In such marriages, the wife retains an absolute right, not only to retain her faith, but to practise it. My own wife, for example, is a Catholic.

Why would a Muslim be forbidden to shake the hand one who is counted among the ‘best of creation’?

The Imam you encountered behaved in a manner that was entirely appropriate.

Blessings.

PS: In Allāh, I shall return to the thread ‘The Qur’anic Dilemma’ within a day or so.

 

[Matthias]

Greetings, Matthias.

Shaykh Assim bin Luqman al-Hakeem is correct.

This is what Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla) has to say about Christians (and Jews):

‘Those who believe and do good deeds are the best of creation. Their reward with their Lord is everlasting Gardens graced with flowing streams, where they will stay forever. Allāh is well pleased with them and they with Him. All this is for those who stand in awe of their Lord.’ (Sūrah ‘Al-Bayyina: 7-8’; my emphases).

There is no disagreement between Islamic scholars that Muslim men are permitted to marry Christian or Jewish women. In such marriages, the wife retains an absolute right, not only to retain her faith, but to practise it. My own wife, for example, is a Catholic.

Why would a Muslim be forbidden to shake the hand one who is counted among the ‘best of creation’?

The Imam you encountered behaved in a manner that was entirely appropriate.

Blessings.

PS: In Allāh, I shall return to the thread ‘The Qur’anic Dilemma’ within a day or so.

Thank you. What do you think about what the Imam said to me in our brief private meeting?

 

[Niblo]

Greetings, Matthias.

My understanding is that you had a private meeting with an Imam (in 2007), who claimed that he had received, from Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla), a message concerning yourself.

This message foretold a time of persecution; one that would lead to your death (martyrdom) – at the hands of a Christian – should you fail to obtain refuge in a mosque.

What do I make of this?

The matter of protection is straightforward:

Al-Qarafi – a distinguished 13th-century scholar of the Maliki school of Islamic law, known for his expertise in legal theory – writes:

‘The covenant of protection obligates us to grant them (non-Muslims) rights over us because they are our neighbours and under our care and the protection of Allah the Exalted, the protection of His Messenger, and the religion of Islam. Hence, whoever transgresses against them with even a bad word, or backbiting, or dishonouring one of them, or commits any type of harm against them or lends support for that, then he has violated the covenant of Allah, the covenant of His Messenger, and the religion of Islam.’ (‘Al-Furuq’).

The Imam would be obliged to protect you. There would be no obligation on your part to accept Islam

Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla) says:

‘There is no compulsion in religion (lā ikrāha fī’l-dīn)’ (Sūrah ‘Al-Baqara: 256’).

Muhammad Abdel Haleem, King Fahd Professor of Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, writes:

‘This verse begins with the phrase lā ikrāha fī’l-dīn (there is no compulsion in religion). It is introduced by ‘lā’, the particle of absolute negation in Arabic, which negates absolutely the notion of compulsion in religion. Religion in the Qur’an is based on choice, and true choice is based on knowledge and making matters clear for people to choose. The rest of the ‘there is no compulsion in religion’ verse gives reasons justifying and explaining this.’ (‘Exploring the Qur'an: Context and Impact’).

The claim that you will be persecuted by fellow Christians is less straightforward (at least for me!).

For sure, Christians have persecuted other Christians for hundreds of years; and in many ways.

Sectarian violence between Catholics and Protestants, for example, has occurred in our lifetime; and could well break out again.

The risk of Christian-on-Christian persecution is increased when certain Christians gain political influence; when they are able to persuade their government to pass laws against those whom they consider to be the ‘wrong’ type of Christian; to be the enemy.

I have no way of knowing how great a risk – if any – faces you.

Blessings.