seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 16:101. When We replace a verse with another — God knows what He reveals — they say, “You're a fraud.” But most of them don’t know.
102. Say, “The Holy Spirit brought it down from your Lord, with the truth, to stabilize the believers; and guidance and good news for submitters.”
103. We know that they say, “A certain man teaches him.” But the language of the person to whom they refer is foreign, while this is in plain Arabic.
104. Those who don’t believe in God’s revelations — God won’t guide them. They’ll suffer a painful punishment.
105. Those who don’t believe in God’s verses invent lies. They are liars.
106. Whoever disbelieves in God after believing — except someone who is forced, but his heart is sure in faith — but whoever willingly opens his heart to unbelief, upon them comes God's wrath, and they’ll suffer a terrible punishment.
107. That's because they preferred this life to the Hereafter, and God doesn’t guide the unbelievers.
108. God sealed their hearts, hearing, and sight. These are the careless.
109. Without a doubt: In the Hereafter, they’ll be the losers.
110. Your Lord forgave and was kind to those who emigrated after the persecution, continued fighting, and remained patient
Here's the commentary.
It is not the change of the Quranic verses that is spoken of here; it is the change of the previous messages sent through former prophets for the message of the Holy Qur’ån. This chapter belongs to Makkah, and the upholders of abrogation have never asserted that any verse was abrogated while the Holy Prophet was at Makkah. Moreover, the context clearly shows that it was the revelation of the Qur’ån itself that was called a forgery, and not an occasional change that any of its commandments could have undergone, with which change the disbelievers had, in fact, no concern.
The Holy Spirit is here stated to be the bearer of the revelation to the Holy Prophet, while elsewhere the same bearer is called the al-R∂ƒ al-Amßn, or the Faithful Spirit, and the same is called Gabriel in 2:97.
Various names have been suggested as to the person whom the opponents of the Prophet referred to. These are mostly the names of Christian slaves, Jabr, Yåsir, ‘Aish or Ya‘ßsh, Qais, ‘Addås, who were not Arabs. The name of Salmån is suggested by Prideaux, which Sale shows to be an utterly baseless conjecture, as Salmån came after the Flight. All these slaves were among the early converts to Islåm, and it was they who were most cruelly persecuted by the Quraish; yet they remained firm under the severest tortures. Is it possible that they, without being in the least gainers, should have thus willingly suffered persecutions for a cause which they knew to be false? This is sufficient to show the absurdity of the allegation, and it is to this that v. 105 refers. The general opinion of the Christians is that it was a Nestorian monk named Sergius, who is identified with the monk Buƒairah, whom the Holy Prophet, while yet a boy, met on his journey to Syria with his uncle Ab∂ Ôålib. The absurdity of this view is also pointed out by Sale. As regards the Christian slaves, they certainly cannot be supposed to have been the authors of the sublime themes of the Holy Qur’ån. That the opponents of the Prophet said so is rather a proof of the falsehood of the assertion than an indication of its truth; for, unable to meet the arguments of the Holy Qur’ån, they had to adopt less honest methods of making the Qur’ån unpopular.
The allegation was that certain slaves taught the Prophet. How could a forger of lies be a believer, specially when he had to undergo the severest trials for its sake.
Only very rare instances are met with in the early history of Islåm in which the converts even under compulsion ever recanted. For instance, Yåsir and Sumayyah, husband and wife, suffered death at the hands of the disbelievers because they would not recant, the latter being put to death most cruelly, her legs being tied to two camels which were made to run in opposite directions. Their son ‘Ammår, however, was not so resolute. The cruellest persecutions were inflicted on those slaves who had become converts to Islåm. Muir says: “These were seized and imprisoned, or they were exposed upon the scorching gravel of the valley to the intense glare of the midday sun. The torment was enhanced by intolerable thirst, until the wretched sufferers hardly knew what they said.” Yet even under these trying circumstances, which would have maddened even the most resolute man, there were those among these slave-converts who were as firm as a mountain; as in the case of Bilål, of whom it is recorded that “in the depth of his anguish the persecutors could force from him but one expression, Aƒad! Aƒad! (One! One! God)” (Muir).
It is clear from this that Allåh does not seal the hearts of men and thus hinder them from accepting the truth; on the other hand, it is they who reject the truth, turning a deaf ear to the preaching of the Prophet, as the previous verses show. Nor are the hearts sealed for ever, for, as v. 110 shows, even after that Allåh forgives them, if they repent and show perseverance.
It should be noted that the struggle (Ar. jihåd) spoken of here is certainly not in connection with fighting, for the verse was revealed at Makkah. Note also that God is spoken of here as being Ghaf∂r, translated as Protecting, to those who flee from their homes on account of persecution and then struggle hard to establish Truth. Both these are deeds of sacrifice, highly virtuous deeds, and therefore God’s being Ghaf∂r is in relation to the exaltation of their degrees by protecting them from the commission of sins, not the pardoning of any sins which they may have committed, for it is their acts of sacrifice that are spoken of here, not their sins.
So.... someone started another rumor about the Muslims.... saying their Book, unlike the Bible, was written by slaves. They said that so people would say "Oh... never mind... ". Someone started a rumor once about the Bible... they said there are verses in the Bible that show Jesus was gay.... and people who claimed to be good Christians actually started to go away from the Bible. If it worked for those who hate Christians.... then lying about the Quran might work to destroy the faith of Muslims too. Remember when the Christians were being hunted down by the Jewish leaders and Roman Guard? The disciples had to go into hiding. Saul.... who became Paul... in the Bible... had to be lowered out of a window to escape. Christians were arrested and imprisoned regularly. John was on a put on a deserted island because they didn't want him spreading the Gospel. That's when he wrote the Book of Revelation. Christians were beaten to death in the streets... just for being Christian.
Well in the Quran... the Muslims were also tortured and imprisoned for their beliefs. In the commentary it talks about one couple who were tortured. The woman was tied to two camels... and then the camels were swatted so they would run away.... they tore her in two. That sounds like a story out of our own Old West. Like being tied to an ant hill.... remember those stories? Or are you too young?
I remember reading the Left Behind Series.... it was a big deal with the ladies in the church about a decade ago. Anyway... in one of the books.... humans had to pledge allegiance to the anti-christ and have a tattoo on their arm..... or have their heads lobbed off. That book came to mind while I was reading these verses. One guy claimed to get the tattoo by mistake.... God will know just how big a mistake it will be... should that happen to you.
Some humans have had to put their lives on the line for God..... that's the kind of person the Quran is talking about here. They believe His message. They Believe!
Some humans will choose God over their own parents, siblings, spouses and children... just because God called them. They Believe!
Others will never crack open the Bible for themselves to find out what it really says. They just go with whoever pounds the pulpit and yells at God the loudest.... after all... gotta be high on the list to be able to yell at God.... gotta be chosen.... right? WRONG.....Read the book... don't follow a long path of lies.
When we reach judgement.... and we all will one day..... God will forgive some of our errors. According to the Muslim tradition..... if you never stray.... it helps your witness. And..... According to the Muslim tradition.... if you stray... but come back repentant.... it helps your witness. But.... if you stray... and Judgement day comes.... you are so screwed. It's the same in the Bible.... know why? Because Muslims and Christians and Jews all Believe in the same God!
There is only one True Living God.
