Pete ,
If you are a student of Islam you will be in a better position than most of us born of Muslim parentage partly because you will start like a 'white sheet of cloth' devoid of the excess baggage of the 'assumption' that we already 'know all that is to know about Islam ' so common amongst those of us given Islam on a silver platter .For New Converts like you steeped in childhood ' sunday school biblical tradition' perhaps of all the Surahs in the Quran , Surah Mariam will certainly bring back memories of your happy times on sundays long past .
Indeed Christians and Muslim share many things in common but because of human shortcomings and lack of wisdom and knowledge amongst people of both traditions we have this ongoing Crusade going on long after the bones of Salahuddin Al Ayyubbi and the likes of Richard The Lion Hearted et al had perished with the sand of time .
Just let us ponder at the beauty , compassion and mercy of God's word from Surah Mariam from verses [27] to [35] as in the Quran from [ http://www.quranexplorer.com/quran/ ] :
'Then she brought him to her own folk , carrying him .They said : O Mary ! Thou has come with an amazing thing [27]. O sister of Aaron ! Thy father was not a wicked man nor thy mother a harlot [28].Then she pointed to him.They saith : How can we talk to one who is in a cradle , a young boy ? [29] .He spoke : Lo ! I am the slave of Allah .He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a Prophet ,[30] and hath made me blessed wheresoever I may be , and had enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving so long as I remain alive ,[31] And [had made me] dutiful toward her who bore me , and hath not made me arrogant , unblest [32] .Peace on me the day I was born , and the day I die , and the day I shall be raised alive ! [33] Such was Jesus ,son of Mary :[this is ] a statement of truth concerning which they doubt [34] .It befitteth not [ the Majesty of ] Allah that he should take upon himself a son . Glory be to Him ! When he decreed a thing , He saith it only : Be [Kun ] , and it is [ Fayakun] . [35] .'
If you are a student of Islam you will be in a better position than most of us born of Muslim parentage partly because you will start like a 'white sheet of cloth' devoid of the excess baggage of the 'assumption' that we already 'know all that is to know about Islam ' so common amongst those of us given Islam on a silver platter .For New Converts like you steeped in childhood ' sunday school biblical tradition' perhaps of all the Surahs in the Quran , Surah Mariam will certainly bring back memories of your happy times on sundays long past .
Indeed Christians and Muslim share many things in common but because of human shortcomings and lack of wisdom and knowledge amongst people of both traditions we have this ongoing Crusade going on long after the bones of Salahuddin Al Ayyubbi and the likes of Richard The Lion Hearted et al had perished with the sand of time .
Just let us ponder at the beauty , compassion and mercy of God's word from Surah Mariam from verses [27] to [35] as in the Quran from [ http://www.quranexplorer.com
'Then she brought him to her own folk , carrying him .They said : O Mary ! Thou has come with an amazing thing [27]. O sister of Aaron ! Thy father was not a wicked man nor thy mother a harlot [28].Then she pointed to him.They saith : How can we talk to one who is in a cradle , a young boy ? [29] .He spoke : Lo ! I am the slave of Allah .He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a Prophet ,[30] and hath made me blessed wheresoever I may be , and had enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving so long as I remain alive ,[31] And [had made me] dutiful toward her who bore me , and hath not made me arrogant , unblest [32] .Peace on me the day I was born , and the day I die , and the day I shall be raised alive ! [33] Such was Jesus ,son of Mary :[this is ] a statement of truth concerning which they doubt [34] .It befitteth not [ the Majesty of ] Allah that he should take upon himself a son . Glory be to Him ! When he decreed a thing , He saith it only : Be [Kun ] , and it is [ Fayakun] . [35] .'
A group of early Muslims during theearly days of Islam in Mecca ,took refuge from persecution back home in Mecca to neutral Abbysinia then under a 'Christian' king .A member of the group recited Surah Mariam infront of the king . His heart melted as this was the missing link that his heart had been searching for ,for years .The Muslims were given permission to live there . The king finally embraced the 'new Islam ' . He was already a Muslim anyway . Adam , Eve , Noah , Abraham , Isaac , Jacob ,Zachariah , David , Solomon , Jesus , Ismael , ....they were all Muslims .Mohamed was just the last of the missing link !
Dr Nik Howk
March 24th 2008
Dr Nik Howk
March 24th 2008
No comments:
Post a Comment