seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 5:18. The Jews and the Christians say, “We are the children of God, and His beloved.” Say, “Why then does He punish you for your sins?” In fact, you are humans from among those He created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. To God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and what lies between them, and to Him is the return.
19. O People of the Book! Our Messenger has come to you, making things clear to you—after a cessation of messengers—so that you cannot say, “No preacher has come to us, and no warner.” In fact, a preacher has come to you, and a warner; and God is Capable of everything.
20. When Moses said to his people, “O my people, remember God’s blessings upon you, when He placed prophets among you, and made you kings, and gave you what He never gave any other people.”
21. “O my people, enter the Holy Land which God has assigned for you, and do not turn back, lest you return as losers.”
22. They said, “O Moses, there are tyrannical people in it; we will not enter it until they leave it. If they leave it, we will be entering.”
23. Two men of those who feared, but whom God had blessed, said, “Go at them by the gate; and when you have entered it, you will prevail. And put your trust in God, if you are believers.”
24. They said, “O Moses, we will not enter it, ever, as long as they are in it. So go ahead, you and your Lord, and fight. We are staying right here.”
25. He said, “My Lord! I have control only over myself and my brother, so separate between us and between the wicked people.”
26. He said, “It is forbidden for them for forty years. They will wander aimlessly in the land. So do not grieve over the defiant people.”
This is from the commentary.
In the Gospels it is said; “Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God” (Matt. 5:9). The Christians think they are the people spoken of here. The Jews considered themselves as the favourite nation, because they thought they were the only nation chosen by God for the gift of Divine revelation, to the exclusion of all other nations of the world. Thus they considered themselves friends of God. They are told that their sins were so great that they were punished for them even in this life. How could people sunk so deep in sins be friends of God or sons of God?
Several centuries had elapsed since the appearance of any prophet in any country when the great Arabian Prophet made his appearance. No nation in the world claims the appearance of any messenger in it between the advent of Jesus Christ and that of the Holy Prophet Mu√ammad. The world was, as it were, preparing itself for the advent of the greatest of all prophets, who was to be a messenger to all the nations of the world. Hence the cessation of prophecy among all people. The name of Khålid is mentioned by some people, but there is no authentic √adßth to this effect, nor any historical evidence showing that any prophet of that name had appeared after Jesus. On the other hand, there is an authentic √adßth according to which the Holy Prophet said, speaking of Jesus Christ: “There has been no prophet between him and me” (B. 21:48).
There is no anachronism here. The Israelites are here told that two favours had been bestowed upon them: (1) prophets were raised among them; (2) they were made kings. The reference need not be to the earlier history of the Israelites, but to their history as dating from the time of Moses, for the advent of Moses had brought about an entire change both in their spiritual and political status. Not only had two prophets, Moses and Aaron, already appeared among them, but with the Mosaic law was laid down the basis of a dispensation which gave them promise of numerous prophets appearing among them. And politically they had no doubt already emerged as an independent nation, being masters of themselves and no more slaves of their Egyptian masters. They had already acquired kingship, but the words as well contain a clear prophetic reference to their future career as a ruling nation. Spiritual dominance combined with political supremacy was manifestly a favour which was not bestowed upon any of the other contemporary nations.
Oh I remember that story. Joshua and Caleb told them the "promised land" was great, but someone uttered the word "giants" and the 2 million refugees with Moses all turned into stubborn mules, refusing to budge. I'm reminded of the part in the story of Pinocchio when he turned into a "mule".
In the world in 600 CE [CE is like AD] the church was really corrupt. There were people going around collecting money for the church. It wasn't a tithe... it was a tax based on whatever the marauders could steal. Ishmael's people were hated by Isaac's people. The people of Saul of Tarsus were claiming their promised status.... ruling the purse strings of the people of Isaac. The people of Paul of Tarsus [yep same guy only claiming to be saved] were running the government and planning the conquest of the children of Ishmael.
Let's talk about the women back in the 600's. We were unschooled. We were property. We could not say no. Only a very few of the women in the 600's were protected by their husbands. Women didn't own property. Women didn't run business. Women didn't command armies. Women were nothing but "helpers" as assigned in the Bible. Oh there were exceptions.... but for the most part.... women were the pets of the past.
So... when the Muslims had enough.... along came Muhammed... the first prophet since Jesus.... and Muhammed was not from the line of Isaac.... Muhammed was from the line of Ishmael.
The Jews and the Christians were stealing from the poor to line the pockets of the church and state. The Muslims were "nothing" to them but brothers from another mother whom God allowed to be run off..... ahhh but they forgot.... God told Hagar He would keep an eye on her and her son, Ishmael. Apparently Muhammed is part of that plan.
I love my life most of the time. I keep thinking.... maybe I'm in Heaven, or just this side of Heaven.... and I'm to rude and self important that I can't accept it. Like those stupid Jewish refugees who wandered around the desert for 40 years because they were "mules".
