Is the Old Testament Historically Reliable?

Today trying to answer the question:  Is the Old Testament Historically reliable?

And why should we?

One, because there are assaults towards our faith:

Rickard Dawkins on his definition of faith and his view of the Bible:

At 3 and 1/2 minutes in to this video Richard Dawkins commits a critical error by saying:   “…faith means believing something without evidence…”   I am not sure what universe Dr. Dawkins lives in because the Christian faith is based on much evidence that has been collected over hundreds of years. I will simply “sample” some of the facts related to the Old Testament veracity and authenticity here.

Other Disonant Voices

Archaeology does not lead us to Christ but confirms our faith in Him when we see how God orchestrated the discoveries of relics/artifacts.

1. Validates the Hebrew and Greek scriptures on which our faith is based.
2. Slowly over centuries these artifacts have been pulled from ruins, tells, and digs for a time when the “West” grew cold to spiritual things and made a god of facts and the scientific method. Be assured, we as Christians have a response to evolution and all other atheistic and agnostic views that may come at us.

Today,  I want you to come away with is a bigger and better appreciation of the authority and basis for your faith. That you believe it more strongly than you were able to in the past and that you could defend it. That result would come from a better understanding of what God has done. I hope that the understanding will lead to a greater ability to trust Him.

Realize that no archeological discovery has EVER been made that contradicts historical statements in scripture.

“It was the rise of the science of archaeology that broke the deadlock between historians and the orthodox Christians. Little by little, one city after another, one civilization after another, one culture after another, whose memories were enshrined only in the Bible were restored to their proper places. No where has archaeological discovery refuted the Bible as history.”

John Elder, Archaeologist and Author

Outline:

Old Testament reliability in three areas:

1. Text transmission (the accuracy of the copying process)
   1. Professor Wilson’s Process
2. The confirmation of the Old Testament by evidence in archaeology
   1. Sennacherib and Hezekiah in II Kings 18, 19
   2. Tirhakah or Taharkah, the Cushite King
   3. Sargon II, Assyria
   4. Genesis Hittites
3. Documentary evidence also uncovered through archaeology
   1. Work of the Masoretes
   2. Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran

These evidences usually do not “cause” faith but confirm our faith in the Word of God.

Indirectly or directly they are apologetic in nature. That is, these principles and facts can be drawn upon when needed to substantiate and defend belief in the Bible and its eternal truths.

In the market place of ideas Christianity is under assault by atheists, Christians who have problems with the Bible’s infalability (liberal theologians) , Cults, who have substitute scriptures or attack basic beliefs and other religions such as Islam, Hinduism and Sikhs.

Textual Transmission: How Accurate Was the Copying Process?

Professor Wilson (Robert Dick) Process or
don’t misspell the king’s name!

Robert Dick Wilson, Old Testament Scholar, Princeton Seminary, Western Theological Seminary and University of Berlin. Professor of Semitic Philology and Old Testament at Princeton. He wrote Is the Higher Criticism Scholarly? and Scientific Old Testament Criticism.

The Professor did much research on how accurately all the kings, both Israeli and foreign were recorded in the Bible. He looked at accuracy of spelling as well as chronology of the kings and their counterparts or contemporaries in other countries.

1. There are 26 names of foreign kings in the Old Testament
2. Those names are also found on other documents in the time of these kings. These names are also found on monuments to the kings.

Finding:

1. Spellings of king’s names in OT identical to extra-biblical documentation.
2. Changes in spellings of some names are in accordance with the laws of phonetic change as those laws were in operation at the time.
3. Name of Judah and Israel kings are found on the Assyrian contemporary documents.
4. Spellings are the same as we find in the present Hebrew text.
5. 144 cases of transliteration from Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian and Moabite into Hebrew and 40 cases of the opposite.
6. 184 cases total.
7. The evidence shows remarkable accuracy in recording and spelling those names accurately over a period of 2300 to 3900 years BC.

Additional Professor Wilson Research:

1. There are about 40 of these kings living from 2000 – 400 BC.
2. Each appears in chronological order with reference to the kings of the same country and with respect to their contemporary kings of other countries.
3. No stronger evidence for the accuracy of the Old Testament records could possibly be imagined than from this collection of kings.

Wilson’s conclusion:

“The proof that the copies of the original documents have been handed down with substantial correctness for more than 2000 years cannot be denied. That the copies in existence 2k years ago had been in like manner handed down from the originals is not merely possible, but , as we have shown, is rendered probable by the analogies of Babylonian documents now existing of which we have both originals and copies, thousands of years apart, and of scores of papyri which show when compared with our modern editions of the classics that only minor changes of the text have taken place in more than 2,000 years and especially by the scientific and demonstrable accuracy with which the proper spelling of the names of kings and of the numerous foreign terms embedded in the Hebrew text has been transmitted to us.”

Robert Dick Wilson,

Scientific Investigation of the Old Testament, p 85.

An Example of the Alignment of Kings in the Old Testament:
Sennacherib and Hezekiah and Tirhakah

Sennacharib 704 - 681 BC

The man depicted on the right of this Stella is Sennacharib, the son of Sargon II. He did what his father could not, attacking and defeating the southern kingdom of Judah. This king is important as there is much written about him in the Bible, particularly in his dealings with the righteous king of Judah, King Hezekiah. It is Sennacharib who is responsible for building the great city of Nineveh.

At the end of the 8^th century, in 701 BC, Sennacharib came from Assyria, through Phoenicia, and attacked all the fortified towns of Judah. Except for Jerusalem, Lachish, located southwest of Jerusalem, was the last of all the fortified cities to be attacked and destroyed.

As archeologists dug down through the different layers they found artifacts from the battle, e.g., balls, slings, arrowheads, bone and metal.

Balls and Sling retrieved from the Lachish Tell:

Hezekiah Murial out of Nineveh

They also found the Taylor Prism which is Sennacharib’s account of all the battles, including those of Lachish, and Jerusalem, where Hezekiah lived.  Hezekiah was a righteous king, whom the Lord loved and honored.

Taylor Prism

The Taylor Prism, an 8-sided prism, parallels the Biblical account (II Kings 19) in 7 areas. Both agree that:

1. Hezekiah rebelled against Senacharib
2. The fortified towns of Judah fell
3. Lachish also fell
4. Hezekiah was shut up in Jerusalem
5. He paid 30 talents of gold in tribute to Sennacharib to gain favor
6. Jerusalem did not fall
7. The Assyrian army left without firing a single arrow at Jerusalem

Here, however, is a mystery; why did they (the Assyrians) leave? The historical record, including the Taylor prism, gives us no reason. We have to go to the Bible to find out the reason.

According to the Bible Sennacharib did not capture Jerusalem though he destroyed all the other cities. This is found in II Kings 19:9 and Isaiah 37:9. What was the reason for his sudden departure according to the Bible? According to II Kings 19:9, and Isaiah 37:9, he had to return because someone was attacking his southern flanks, King Tirhakah of Ethoipia/Egypt. Historians, however, had always puzzled over Tirhdkah, as there is no documentation for such a king. Is he the product of a myth or legend? Most Historians think the bible is full of myths, and Tirhakah is just another example of such a myth. For centuries only the Bible and no other documents, referred to Tirhakah.

Tirhakah has now been authenticated historically.   Sennacherib had to return to defend the city of Ninevah against Tirhakah. Once he had defended his kingdom, he returned a 2^nd time to Jerusalem.

Preservation of the Hebrew Text

Groups of Hebrew involved in preservation and dissemination of the laws and principles: Sopherim, Zugoth, Tannaim, Talmudists

Talmudists copying process: Evidence that Demands a Verdict, p. 74

•Samuel Davison described some of the disciplines of the Talmudists. The Talmudists preceded the Masoretes.

Here are just some of their techniques.

1. A synagogue roll must be written on the skins of clean animals
2. the roll must be prepared for the particular use of the synagogue by a Jew
3. Rolls must be fastened together with strings taken from clean animals
4. Every skin must contain a certain number of columns, equal throughout the entire codex
5. The length of each column must not extend over less than 48 or most than 60 lines; and the breadth must consist of thirty letters
6. The whole copy must be first-lined and if three words be written without a line, it is worthless
7. The ink should be black, neither red, green, nor any other color, and be prepared according to a definite recipe
8. An authentic copy must be the exemplar, from which the transcriber ought not in the least deviate.
9. No word or letter, not even a yod, must be written from memory,the scribe not having looked at the codex before him
10. Between every consonant the space of a hair or thread must intervene
    1. Between every new parashah, or section, the breadth of nine consonants
    2. Between every book, three lines
11. The fifth book of Moses must terminate exactly with a line; but the rest need not do so
12. Besides this, the copyist must sit in full Jewish dress
    1. wash his whole body
    2. not begin to write the name of God with a pen newly dipped in ink
    3. and should a king address him while writing that name he must take no notice of him

All rolls (read scrolls) were duly verified and only then accepted as authentic and regarded as being of equal value with any other copy.

Davidson adds that “the rolls in which these regulations are not observed are condemned to be buried in the ground or burned.”

What is a Gheniza?

A gheniza was a type of cupboard in which defective and tattered manuscripts were laid aside and from these receptacles some of the oldest manuscripts now extant have in modern times been recovered.

But the Jewish mindset was to prefer the newest copy.

The absence of very old copies of the Hebrew Bible is not a surprise and neither is it unsettling. The Jews discarded older and defective copies and because of the dispersion, many of their good copies were no doubt destroyed.

Hebrew reverence of scripture

Who were The Masoretes and what was their contribution to the preservation to the Hebrew scriptures?

The Masoretes were the Jewish scholars who between 500 AD and 950 AD gave the final form to the text of the Old Testament. The destruction of the temple in 70 AD along with the dispersion of the Jews from their land, became a powerful impetus to 1. standardize the consonantal text, and 2. standardize punctuation and the use of vowels to preserve correct vocalization and pronunciation for reading. They were called Masoretics because they preserved in writing the oral tradition (masorah) concerning the correct vowels and accents, and the number of occurrences of rare words of unusual spellings. They received the unpointed (comparable to English without vowels), consonantal text of the Sopherim and inserted the vowel points that gave to each word its exact pronunciation and grammatical form. They even engaged in a moderate amount of textual criticism. Where ever they suspected that the word indicated by the consonantal text was erroneous, they corrected it in a very ingenious way. They left the actual consonants undisturbed, as they had received them from the Sopherim. But they inserted the vowel points that belonged to the new word they were substituting for the old, and then inserted the consonants of the new word itself in very small letters in the margin. (From Archer, A Survey of the Old Testament, 63)

The Masoretes work resulted in several codices which have survived dispersion and persecution. One of the best examples is the Aleppo Codex in Leningrad. We also saw the Codex Sinaticus in the British Library. Discovered at the Temple of the foot of Mt Sinai.

What about the physical documents on which these kings were recorded?

The collections of manuscripts:

1. Cairo Geniza manuscripts (scattered all over the world now)
2. Dead Sea Scrolls
3. Cairo Codex (895 AD, produced by the Masoretic Moses ben Asher family)
4. Codex of the Prophets of Liningrad
5. Codex Babylonicus Petropalitanus
6. Aleppo Codex
7. British Museum Codex
8. Reuchlin Codex of the Prophets

“We have given practical proof of our reverence for our own Scriptures. For, although such long ages have now passed, no one has ventured either to add, or to remove, or to alter a syllable; and it is an instinct with every Jew, from the day of his birth, to regard them as the decrees of God, to abide by them, and, if need be, cheerfully to die for them. Time and again ere now the sight has been witnessed of prisoners enduring tortures and death in every form in the theatres, rather than utter a single word against the laws and the allied documents.” - Flavius Josephus, First-Century Historian

The Masoretes preserved the Hebrew scriptures as the Jews lived in foreign lands and began in many cases to speak other languages.

Example: the original Torah of Temple Mickve, Savannah ( We saw first hand Jewish respect of the scriptures. ) The Temple has the original copy of the Towrah which was sent with the first 40 Savannah Jewish settlers from England.

These are just some of the ways God worked through man to preserve the message God intended.

Hezekiah

According to the Bible, in the middle of the night, the angel of the Lord came down and destroyed 185,000 of Sennacharib’s men. Therefore, he had no choice but to return to Assyria, an embarrassment, unable to explain what had happened. However, these facts are not found on this the Hezekiah mural taken from Nineveh, and for one very good reason: because these murals are bragging accounts. The kings did not record their failures/defeats, so we would not expect to find such a humiliation to be recorded in this mural. Therefore, historians are faced with a dilemma, as they cannot explain why Sennacharib returned empty handed. The Bible provides the solution, filling in the missing details. Both the Biblical and historical accounts inform us that Assyrians never did defeat Jerusalem, nor was Judah ever completely defeated, but it is the Bible which uniquely explains why.

Tirhakah

Now we can solve the mystery concerning the ruler Tirhakah. Remember, that Sennacharib in his first invasion of Judah, had to suddenly return home to Nineveh, because a king referred to in the Bible as Tirhakah was attacking him on his southern flanks (II Kings 19:9; Isaiah 37:9). Yet there is no secular documentation to support this king; that is until the last century, when this statue (see photo) was discovered. The Egyptian hieroglyphics written on this statue refers to the king Tirhakah by name. So this supposedly mythological king is actually historical, proving that when the Bible speaks about him in Isaiah 37, and II Kings 19, it is historically credible and not simply a myth or legend. We now know that Tirhakah was the ruler of the Cushites, which included present day Sudan, North Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia. He was a great power of that day, so when he attacked Sennacharib, it was a very serious threat. That is why Sennacharib had to return to defend against him, according to II Kings 19:9 and Isaiah 37:9.

Three years ago is the South Hampton (UK) museum, there was a statue of a king that was used as a bicycle stand. One of the curators of the British museum went down to Southhampton in Jan 1999, and when he looked at the figure and hieroglyphics underneath he saw again the reference to Tirhakah. There was another statue of Tirhakah. The Southampton museum had no idea what they had, a statue from the 8^th c. BC in their museum, with no idea as to its importance. So these two statues prove that Tirhakah is historical. Much as we are finding more evidence for Tirhakah we possibly could find further evidence for people or events in the Bible.

Legendary Genesis is now the Historical Genesis

1. Sodom and Gomorrah
2. The Hittites and the Horites of Genesis
3. The Flood
4. Ur

Mari and Nuzi Tablets

7 customs detailed in the Mari tablets which parallel customs shown in Genesis

One tablet from Tell Markikh mentions 5 cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar found in Genesis 14:8 listed in same order.

I don’t have time to develop the significance but this unique listing of cities help biblical scholars fight the liberal theories that Genesis was written in the 6^th c. BC from a long oral tradition and redacted to the 1900 – 1400s BC.

Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls

Importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Many thousands of archeological points could be made about the findings of the Dead Sea Scrolls and their comparison to other scrolls of Hebrew text.  I will simply highlight here an analysis of a chapter in Isaiah, Isaiah 53, a key Old Testament chapter to Christians.

Isaiah 53

1. 166 words in the chapter.
2. Only 17 letters in question.
3. 10 letters are simply a matter of spelling.
4. Four letters are minor stylistic changes, such as conjunctions.
5. Three letters comprise the word “light.” This was added in verse 11 and does not affect the meaning greatly. The word “light” is supported by the Septuigant and IQ Is (one of the Isaiah scrolls found in the Dead Sea caves).
6. Thus, of the 166 words in the chapter, only three letters in question after a thousand years of transmission. This word does not significantly change the meaning of the passage.

Isaiah in the Qumran scrolls: “proved to be word for word identical with our standard Hebrew Bible in more than 95% OF THE TEXT. The 5 % of variation consisted chiefly of obvious slips of the pen and variations in spelling.” Dr. Gleason Archer

Millar Burrows says: “It is a matter of wonder that through something like a 1000 years the text underwent so little alteration. As I said in my first article on the scroll, ‘Herein lies its chief importance, supporting the fidelity of the Masoretic tradition.’”

The Significance of the Qumran documents:

1. These scrolls take the textual scholar back 1000 years earlier than previously known in Hebrew manuscript evidence. Tenth century manuscipts were the earliest prior to these copies.

2. The earliest complete copy dated from the 11^th century.

3. The Dead Sea manuscripts date back to as early as 125 BC.

4. The conclusion is that there was no significant difference between the Isaiah scroll at Qumran and the Masoretic Hebrew text dated 1000 years earlier.

5. This confirmed the reliability of our present Hebrew text.

6. We should accord to the Masoretes the highest praise.

Conclusions

• • All archaeological finding to date have confirmed the text and improved our understanding of the Biblical record
• •We saw that the transmission of Kings names stood up to rigor
• •The Dead Sea Scrolls discovery was probably the biggest archaeological find in history for Christianity and Judaism and confirmed accurate text transmission
• •The work of the Talmudists, the Masoretes, archaeological discoveries, the work of Professor Richard Wilson and hundreds like him confirm for us that the Hebrew scriptures have been passed to us with amazing care by God Himself and those He charged down through the centuries to care for those scriptures and thus with stunning accuracy

“To deny the historical bedrock of the Bible seems nothing less than perverse.” Hugh Williamson, Professor, Oxford University, England

Has the New Testament Changed?

Has the Towrah and Injeel or the Old Testament and New Testament been changed by man?

Jesus said Himself, “My Words shall last forever.”

It is my intent here to show you that the His word has not passed away and that it has the most amazing integrity based on the documentation that accompanies it.

If God, the Almighty, the Creator, took all the trouble to send us the truth in the New Testament, Is it reasonable that He would allow created man to change His book into a lie? I believe the answer is “No.” If God sent the New Testament to guide man, what should He do with His Word? He should protect it. If man changed the written Word of God, who would be stronger–man or God? Man. But this is impossible! God is almighty! If God did not protect His book, the New Testament, how can we be sure that He protected the other books, and that man did not change them, too?

The Qur’an tells us to believe and to study the New Testament, and contrary to popular opinion, nowhere does the Qur’an say that the New Testament was changed. This means that up to the year 600 A. D. the New Testament was not changed. The original manuscripts from which our present translation of the New Testament is taken date back at least 300 years before the Qur’an.

Let me share with you a simple diagram that shows why I believe that the New Testament was not changed.

The original writings of the New Testament were written in the first century. See A.

The oldest manuscripts of a complete New Testament is dated 350 A. D. So more than 250 years before the Qur’an, thisNew Testament was in circulation. This copy was found in the monastery of St. Catherine of Sinai. For that reason it is called Codex Sinaticus. It is displayed in the British Museum in London, where you can see it for yourself, if you go there.

A sister copy exists in the Vatican Library in Rome. It is called Codex Vaticanus. It came to us from the same time, 350 A. D. We have used mainly these copies to translate our Bible that we have today. So we will call this period, between 350 A.D. and the present C in our diagram.

Now, let us call the period between A and C, B. It covers the period of 250 years from 100 A.D. to 350 AD. It is a bridge between A and C. B has thousands of manuscripts of portions of the New Testament from many parts of the Roman world. They all AGREE AMONG THEMSELVES. If that were not enough,We have also the writings of the early church fathers who were scattered throughout the Roman world. They wrote books full of quotations from the New Testament. All of their quotations agree among themselves, even though they wrote in different times and places. If we collect all these quotations we can form the whole Injeel we have today except for some 11 verses. These verses are greetings or salutations and do not affect the basic, important teachings of the New Testament.

Now, if in period B the manuscripts and the quotations from the early church fathers all agree among themselves, it means that they have one source. That source should be A, the original copy of the New Testament books. This means that A = B.

If we compare B with C, we find that they are the same, which means that B = C. Now, if A = B because B has one source, and if B = C by comparison of the two, then A = C by substitution.

Consequently, the New Testament was never changed. It was the same during all periods of history. God protected His book in a marvelous way. If it is the written Word of God, then we have to obey it.

Lee Strobel on the reliability of the Gospel:

The Resurrection of Jesus from the Dead

Recently there have been new radical attacks on the resurrection. We need to rethink our position of the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus to see if any of these new attacks weaken our position.   The following is a partial listing of these attacks.

Misquoting Jesus and other books, by Bart Erhman has come out recently. Erhman says that historians can’t even really investigate and event like the resurrection. He no longer believes what he formerly believed about the resurrection.

The Family Tomb of Jesus: Supposedly the bone box or the ossuary containing the bones of the body of Jesus has been discovered. Well, if His bones were in there then He has not been resurrected.

Ayman al-Zawahri: “Islam correctly believes that Jesus was never put to death, never rose from the dead, and was not divine.”

A prominent Hindu leader says Jesus only was injured when executed and got off the execution tree and went back to India.

The Jesus Papers by Michael Baigent: Pilot didn’t really want to kill Jesus because Jesus was telling people to pay their taxes so they all conspired to make it look like Jesus died by execution when he did not really.

Everything hangs on the resurrection of the physical body of Jesus from the dead.

To counter the above I will list the 5 minimal facts case.

They strip down the case for the resurrection that a vast majority of historians will concede are true whether follower of Jesus or atheist. They may not like the implications but when the evidence is thoroughly investigated, they can’t deny it.

Gary Habermas has done a study of 30 years of literature on referencing the resurrection in three languages: English, French and German. He analyzed these historian’s positions. The minimal facts case for the resurrection is conceded by virtually all skeptics and Christian scholars and historians writing over the last 30 years and in three languages.

Here are Gary Habermas lectures on his findings on the 30 years of literature: http://howtoknowgod.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/jesus-and-the-eye-witnesses/

Details of the 5 Minimal facts case:

Jesus’ death by crucifixion.

1. This is bedrock believe among historians. Gurd Ludderman of Vanderbilt University said that the facts demonstrate that Jesus was crucified. John Dominic Crossan, extreme liberal, and James Taber, atheist professor, concedes that the death by crucifixion took place historically.
   1. Five sources outside the bible help to confirm the crucifixion and that Jesus was dead when He was taken down from the execution tree.
   2. Conclusion: historically speaking there is no question about this event. One would have to be on the radical lunatic fringe of those who say that Jesus never existed, to find people who attempt to dispute these facts.
   3. What kind of condition would Jesus have been in if He somehow survived the crucifixion and burial? If after being crucified he just survived the beatings and hanging, how would that have convinced His followers of this great new life, this eternal life: “Hey, I want a great new resurrection body like Jesus has!!!!” No, if Jesus were not resurrected and they had not seen him after death, then they would not have gone around saying that they were going to have a resurrected body after death and would not have been trying to convince others that they too could have eternal life and a resurrection body that will live forever. They built a worldwide movement on this glorious hope!!!
   4. Jesus was in hypovolemic shock after the beating and even before he was executed based on the conclusions of the best medical experts who have researched the details of what happened to him leading up to the crucifixion. Even if he had not had the beating prior to the crucifixion, he would have suffered instant death with the Roman soldier pushed a spear through his lung and heart!!!
   5. The Journal of the American Medical Association did a study of the historical record and of the events leading up to the execution and the execution process. Their conclusion was that any interpretation of the fact concluding that Jesus did not die during execution is at odds with modern medical understanding of historical evidence.
   6. Did the Roman soldiers understand death to know that a person had died? This was their job. This is what they did for a living. When Jesus was declared dead by multiple experts, they knew that he was no longer among the living.
   7. How does death occur on an execution tree? Hanging on the execution tree puts such severe stress on the muscles surrounding and supporting the lungs that one cannot take in air unless they push up with their feet. So, if one is not pushing up every few minutes, then suffocation will occur from lack of oxygen and the heart will stop beating due also to the lack of oxygen to support its muscles. So, if a Roman soldier is looking on and the person on the tree has not moved for 30 minutes, they can conclusively assume that the person is dead. The soldiers guarding Jesus pierced his lung and heart to confirm that he was, in fact, dead.
2. Belief that the disciples encountered the resurrected Jesus
   1. This is based on the recordings of the Apostle Paul. Paul was friends with James, Peter and John, disciples of Jesus. He says in I Corinthians 15:11 Whether it was I (Paul) or they (the disciples of Jesus), so preach and so believe. He is saying that He and the disciples of Jesus are saying the same thing. We have all these people declaring that Jesus returned from the dead.
   2. Oral tradition: early beliefs of early Christians are codified in early creeds, hymns and other oral sayings. These creeds and hymns are so early after the resurrection of Jesus (within a couple of years) that they cannot be the product of legend.

Some of these creeds and hymns became apart of the New Testament. The Apostle Paul wrote I Corinthians in 55 AD, twenty five years after the resurrection. Here is what he stated. I Corinthians 15:3, “for what I received I passed on to you as of first importance…” Meaning I had passed these truths on to you in person and now I am writing them. I received this information from, according to historians, Peter and James shortly after the resurrection. He goes on to write: “that Christ died for our sins according to the (Hebrew) Scriptures, and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, after that he appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that he appeared to more than 500 brethren at the same time, most of whom are still living. I Cor. 15; 3-6. He is giving his audience an out if they don’t believe him because they can ask those who are still living and witnessed first hand the appearances of Jesus. “then he appears to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all… he appeared to me also.” I Cor 15: 7-8.

Joachim Jeremias, the Jewish scholar, says that these words in Corinthians are words that Paul got from direct sources. This confirms that it cannot be the product of legend.

What is the history on Paul’s education as a new Christian? The crucifixion occurred in 30 AD. From Galatians 1 and 2 we learn that He was converted in 32 AD. In 35 AD he goes back to Jerusalem and compares notes with Peter and James to confirm that he is believing and teaching the same facts that they know to be true. He uses the Greek word, “historeo,” meaning to investigate data or to become acquainted with in Galatians 1:18. He cross examined Peter, James and John to make sure that he was on the same page in beliefs and what he was proclaiming as the evidence and truth. Some scholars believe that he was given this creed, immediately on his conversation. This creed was formed from the facts that go back even earlier, even to the crucifixion and to the resurrection and ascension. This is so rare to have sources that are so close to and involved in the events—it is powerful attestation.

Pinchas Lapide, the Jewish New Testament scholar, this statement by Paul has such incredible historical validity that the statement can be taken as if from eye witnesses.

The written works of the early church. These include the 4 gospels:Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and the writings of the early church fathers.We can look at the 4 gospels as simply ancient historical documents and apply to them the tests we would apply to any other historical writings and investigate their contents as they were written.

Richard Bauckham, in his book, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, reaffirms the eyewitness nature of the Gospels.

Early church fathers, Polycarp, disciple of John, stated that Jesus was resurrected from the dead.

Clemente of Alexandria, disciple of Peter, stated that Jesus rose from the dead. The resurrection from the dead was confirmed by the early church fathers. This demonstrates that the disciples and early believers believed in the resurrection. Honest skeptic researchers will admit that. Gurd Lutterman of Vanderbilt University indicates that it is confirmed historical fact that the disciples believed in the resurrection.

The conversion of the Apostle Paul: Paul as a Pharisee, was a persecutor of the church. He hated Christian and killed them throughout Palestine. He had an encounter with Jesus and was converted and immediately began proclaiming the message he had been persecuting followers of Jesus for proclaiming. He ultimately became the greatest missionary of all times and continued to suffer deprivation, beatings and death because of the message he was preaching.

The conversion of the skeptic James, the half-brother of Jesus. James, the brother of Jesus did not believe in Jesus during His ministry on earth. We know this based on the historical record and the criterion of embarrassment. What is that? The criterion of embarrassment is taken by historian to mean that a story is true due to the fact that it is embarrassing to the authors. What do we mean by that?  For Jesus to have a member of his family, a brother, who was not a follower was a big embarrassment. We know James was not a believer until after Jesus appeared to him after the resurrection. Josephus records that James was put to death for his faith in Jesus, his earthly brother, as a leader of the Jerusalem church. I Cor. 15 tells us what happened to him to cause his transformation. The resurrected Jesus appears to his brother James.

The Empty Tomb: The Empty Tomb is conceded by about 75 % of scholars/historians who have thoroughly studied it.

The Jerusalem Factor: In this city where Jesus was put to death the disciples claimed that he had been resurrected and many began following Jesus as a result. In fact, this is where the church was birthed. Many people saw the crucifixion. Any number of the people who heard the disciples preach after Jesus was put to death, buried and resurrected, had the opportunity go up against the disciples and Jesus’ early followers with evidence to the contrary. This is no historical record that anyone did.

Enemy Attestation: The enemies of Jesus admitted the tomb was empty. They floated a theory that the disciples had stolen the body. If they needed a theory as to why the tomb was empty, the tomb was empty!!

The Testimony of Women: The two women discovered the tomb empty. The witness of women in that culture and age was not admitted in a court of law. So, again the criterion of embarrassment comes into play.

If this was a made up story about his reappearance after execution, someone would have chosen men to discover the empty tomb. Women discovering the tomb is actually a negative in that culture. But the eye witnesses chose to tell the truth and stated exactly what happened.

A summary of the evidence on the resurrection. There is so much more that could be presented here. From this 5 facts case though, we have compelling testimony from the friends of Jesus, enemies, and a skeptic, James, the brother of Jesus. There is much historical evidence that the tomb was empty—even the enemies of the faith agreed to that fact. We must answer where did the body go? But we have the disciples, women, James, Paul and 500 people at one time who saw the risen Jesus after his death.

Adapted from an interview with Lee Strobel by John Ankerburg

See Reliability of Christ’s Resurrection – Lee Strobel

Read more:

Five urgent apologetic issues

The Parables of Jesus, Joachim Jeremias

The True Path Quotes

These quotes are from the book, The True Path, and are quotes from two Muslims who came to understand that they should submit to Jesus and follow Him.  These quotes are taken from their journeys.

The quotes are from Sultan Muhammad P. Khan and J. A. Sabhan

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates

“I considered that all men agree that man, as his name indicates, is a bundle of forgetfulness, disobedience, and transgressions. His life never remains so pure as to be absolutely free from the stain of sin. Sin has become man’s second nature. It is a true saying that `to err is human.’ The question is how can one escape accountability and punishment? How is one to be saved? What does Islam have to say about it? And what is the message of Christianity? It is my duty to investigate this important matter honestly and without prejudice.”

Sultan Muhammad P. Khan

“. . . I found a copy of the English Bible with references . . . The first few days I spent in picking out of it . . . the Gospel of Matthew. In the reading of this gospel what impressed me most was the fulfillment of the prophecies of Christ . . . The search for the fulfilled prophecies gave me an exciting time. As a Muslim I was taught to believe that all the previous scriptures pointed to the coming of Muhammad, the last of the line of the Prophets beginning with Adam, but my study of the Bible proved to me conclusively that Christ was the last of all to come as God’s final Messenger, and being His Son He could not be superseded by another . . . The passages in the book of Isaiah, chapter 53, helped me a great deal to understand the nature of the death of Christ: “He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement for our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed . . .”

J. A. Subhan

I Discovered That God Answers Prayer

When a man desires earnestly to know God, it only indicates that he is responding to God’s search for him, and such a desire, if sincere, must culminate in God’s finding him . . . A copy of the gospel was given to me by a Muslim friend who himself had received it from a preacher or a colporteur. On a previous occasion I had torn it into pieces, for when attracted by its title “Injil,” a term with which I was familiarized by the study of the Quran, I had taken it to my teacher. I was warned in all seriousess not to read it because it was not a true Injil of which the Quran testifies, but a corrupted form of it, and consequently containing blasphemous teachings, the very acts of pronouncing its words pollute the mind and the soul of a believer. My inner longing, however, to read the book revealed to Jesus was very great . . .

J. A. Subhan

The . . . thing that became clear to me from the Traditions (Hadith) was that even the Prophet of Islam cannot save anyone, not even his daughter Fatimah or his relations. Hence, the idea that the Prophet would intercede for the faithful, which I thought would surely prove correct, was proved wrong. One tradition runs thus:

“Abu Huraira related that when the verse, `Cause thy near relatives to fear,’ was revealed to the Prophet of Islam, the Prophet arose and began to proclaim: `Oh people of the Quraysh, and you sons of Abdul Manaf, and you Abbas, son of Abdul Muttalib, and you, Safiyyah my aunt, I cannot save you from the punishment of the Day of Resurrection. Take care of yourself, O my daughter Fatimah; you may use my property, but I cannot save you from God. Take care of yourself.’” (Bukhari)

From the traditions I gathered that no one can obtain salvation unless God’s mercy rests on him. This comforted me a little, but at the same time I began to think: “If God is merciful, He is likewise just. If God should forgive by the exercise of His mercy alone, He would be evading the demands of His justice and righteousness. Such an evasion of His justice would indicate a defect in the being of God. Certainly such an act would be unworthy of the glory of God.”

Sultan Muhammad P. Khan

“Why should I read the Bible?” said I. “Who would read such an altered book which you people change every year?” At my reply . . . he said . . . Do you consider that all we Christians are dishonest? Do you think we fear God so little that we should keep deceiving the world by making changes in the Holy Scriptures? When Muslims say that Christians keep altering the text of the Tawrat and the Injil . . . they suggest that all Christians are dishonest and that they are deceivers of the people. Now this is a serious and unwarranted indictment. Christians believe in the Bible as the Word of God as Muslims do in the Quran. Thus, if no Muslim can change the text of the Quran, how is it that a Christian can change the text of the Book of the all-wise God, the Holy Bible? . . . if some mischievous Christian were to change the text of any verse of Scripture, would not all other true Christians consider him outside the pale of their religion and make public the facts about him? Of course they would! . . . the contention . . . that the text of God’s Word has been altered is absolutely without foundation and futile . . .”

Sultan Muhammad P. Khan

. . . it (the Injil) must contain at least parts of the original revelation, as for its blasphemous contents surely they can be easily detected and consequently discarded as lies and interpolations introduced into it by wicked Christians. The result of my first reading was startling. In the first place I did not find a single sentence or a clause which in any sense could be interpreted as blasphemous or Satanic, and I had read it with a mind vigilant to detect any expression which implied any such notion directly or indirectly. Secondly, my common sense told me that if certain followers of a religion were to corrupt their sacred books or introduce interpolations into it, they must have an adequate reason or sufficient motive behind it. An enterprise as such, which is not only highly impious but also extremely presumptuous, would not and could not be undertaken by any class of people unless they were to derive some great advantage or benefit from it.

In the light of this principle I closely examined every passage of the gospel, and found none which would supply an adequate ground for such an act on the part of the Christians.

J. A. Subhan

I raised my hands to God in prayer: “O God, Thou knowest that I am and was born a Muslim, and that generation after generation of my ancestors were born into this religion and have died in it. In it I, too, have received my education, and in it I have been brought up. Therefore, now, remove every obstacle that would prevent me from discovering Thy true way, and show me the way to Thy salvation that, when I leave this transitory world, I may not be displeasing to Thee. Amen.”

Sultan Muhammad P. Khan

If the gospel was not true, the sun was not shining, the moon was not bright and the stars did not illuminate the path of heaven. I find it difficult to describe the experience that I had at the reading of the gospel on that memorable day; words are inadequate to express it. It was something like an object finding its missing complement. My spiritual life was incomplete without it, but as it had never known that which was intended to complete it, it never missed it till it came to it. It can be illustrated by a piece from a jig-saw puzzle which will not fit in any other part of it but in the particular corner for which it is intended. The gospel dove-tailed my soul, and in the person of Christ that it presented I found the object of my deeper and inner urge, and of the unsatisfied longing of my heart. It was liko a stream of fresh water in a desert to a man dying of thirst. The words of the gospel were the words of God, for they conveyed to me the message of Him who was my Maker.

J. A. Subhan

When I became a Christian, a wonderful change took place in my life. My speech, actions, and whole manner of life were so transformed that a year later, when I visited Bombay for a short time, my Muslim friends wondered at it. They marvelled at my mildness, for they knew how easily I used to lose my temper.

Before I became a Christian, I recognized sin to be sin. But I did not realize, as I do now, what a dangerous and destructive force sin is.  Although I am still merely a weak man and a handful of dust, yet when I have sinned, I cannot describe the shame and sorrow with which I am filled. Immediately I fall on my face and with tears I repent and beg for forgiveness. This attitude can be acquired only by the recognition of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sin cannot be removed by repentance alone. It must be cleansed by the sacred blood of our Savior. For this very reason the world, which makes light of sin, is daily approaching nearer and nearer to destruction.

Sultan Muhammad P. Khan

The Journey of Sultan Muhammad P. Khan

INTRODUCTION

Modern man groans under the weight of false conceptions regarding family, communal, and national excellence. These false conceptions, which are easily discernible in all types of individuals and at all levels of society, issue from self-centredness which, in religious language, is called “the depravity of man. This inner corruption is essentially rooted in the human heart and reveals itself in opposition to the welfare of the whole of society. Moreover, it manifests itself in rebellion against the Holy and Living God. The poisonous effects of sin have so corrupted men’s hearts that, in spite of their awareness of its evil, they enjoy it and freely indulge in it. It was this fundamental problem of sin and the search for freedom from its guilt and bondage which confronted Sultan Muhammed Paul.

There may be those who choose to overlook the problem of sin and the way of salvation. They prefer to veil the condition of their hearts from themselves and others, though they well know that the hidden things of the heart are open to the inspection of God. For such persons, this story will have little relevance. Yet, there are others who are deeply concerned about sin and salvation in their own lives as well as the lives of their fellow men. For them, this booklet will help in the examination their own experiences in light of those of Sultan Muhammed Paul. May it prove to be a source of guidance and blessing from the Living God for all who ponder its contents.

EARLY LIFE AND STUDIES

My native land is Afghanistan. My father was a resident of the capital of Logar, situated about fifty miles south of the city of Kabul.

My father, Payanda Khan, held the rank of colonel in the Afghan army and had the title, “Bahadur Khan. He was known throughout the country as “Colonel Bahadur Khan. My father had two wives. The first was from among his near relatives. She bore him three daughters, but no sons. Lest the family should die out, he married the daughter of Sayyid Mahmud Aqa, a member of one of the most noble and illustrious families of Afghanistan. My younger brother, Taj Muhammed Khan, and I were born of this marriage. I was born in 1881.

Shortly after Abdur Rahman Khan, the Amir (ruler), arrived from Russia to the throne of Kabul, he captured six of the country’s notables and deported them to some unknown destination. Later, they were put to death. Among these was my father. Then a second calamity befell my family. For political reasons, my two maternal uncles were seized, sent to the state prison in Kabul, and later banished to India. Shortly afterwards, my third uncle, with his mother and servants, came to India, with permission from the Amir, while the rest of my nearest relatives remained in Kabul. Upon arrival in India, they settled in Hasan Abdal.

Owing to further political difficulties, our whole family relocated to Hasan Abdal. After several months my mother passed away. Eventually, after a reconciliation between my family and the Amir, Abdur Rahman Khan, all my family, with the exception of my three uncles and myself, returned to our native land.

Later, I went to Delhi and entered the school, Madrasa-i-Fatehpuri, to perfect myself in the study of Arabic. At that time, the head mawlavi (instructor) was Mawlana Abdul Jalil, a pure Pathan of the District of Naushera (Pathans being the main ethnic group of Afghanistan). The second mawlavi was Fateh Muhammed Khan of Quandahar. By the special kindness of these two gentlemen, I soon completed my study of logic and turned to that of the traditions and commentaries. During the day, I studied with my classmates. In the evenings, I received special instruction from Mawlana Abdul Jalil. Thus, by the grace of God, I mastered these subjects.

FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH CHRISTIANS

One day, when I was returning with some friends to the Chandni Chowk (the main thoroughfare of Delhi), we saw a large crowd gathered near our school. Arriving at the scene, we noticed that an argument concerning the doctrine of the Trinity was going on between a Christian preacher and one of our fellow students. The former found support for the doctrine in the following verse of the Qur’an:

“And we are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (Sura Qaf 50:16)

[ All references from the Qur'an are taken from Mohammad Marmaduke Pickethall, THE MEANING OF THE GLORIOUS KORAN, New York, 1954. ]

He was saying that the first person plural (nahnu, “we”) is used here and that if the unity of God were absolute, the first person singular, (ana, “I”), would have been used instead. Since the student was giving an answer that was not to the point, my friends urged me to answer the argument of the preacher. Accordingly, I stepped forward and said that the first person plural of the pronoun, according to Arabic idiomatic expression, is used as an honorific and not as an indication of plurality.

This was the first opportunity I had to meet a Christian in argument. On that very day, there was born in me an indescribable eagerness to argue with Christians, an eagerness derived from a deeply rooted fervour and concern for things sacred. Consequently, as far as lay within my power, I began to collect the notable books in refutation of Christianity. I made a careful study of many books, and on appointed days I began to go to the Fountain, to carry on discussions with the Christian preachers.

One day, an English clergyman, who used to come with the preachers, gave me his visiting card and invited me to his house. He was kind and said that I could bring my friends with me. Accordingly, I went to his residence, in company with two or three friends. While we drank our tea, we began an interesting discussion on matters of religion. He turned to me and asked if I read the Bible. “Why should I read the Bible? said I. “Who would read such an altered book which you people change every year? At my reply, a pitying look appeared on the face of the clergyman, and he said with a faint smile: “Do you consider all Christians to be dishonest? Do you think we fear God so little that we would continue to deceive the world by changing the Holy Scriptures? When Muslims say that Christians keep altering the text of the Tawrat and the Injil (the Torah and the Gospel), they suggest that all Christians are dishonest and that they are deceivers of people. Now this is a serious and unwarranted indictment. Christians believe in the Bible as the Word of God, as Muslims do in the Qur’an. Thus, if no Muslim can change the text of the Qur’an, how is it that a Christian can change the text of the Book of the all-wise God — the Holy Bible? If a mischievous Muslim were to be so foolish as to change the text of any verse of the Qur’an, would not all Muslims consider him outside the pale of Islam and publish the facts about him? In the same way, if some mischievous Christian were to change the text of any verse of Scripture, would not all other true Christians consider him outside the pale of their religion and publicise the facts about him? Of course they would! From this, you can see that the Muslims’ contention that the text of God’s Word has been altered is absolutely without foundation and futile. I believe that this contention is held by Muslims who are generally quite ignorant of the Bible and of the faith and doctrines of Christians.”

The clergyman then gave me two Bibles, one in Persian and the other in Arabic, and urged me to read them. We thanked him and departed. I paid no attention to the plan which this man had suggested. My object in reading the Bible was to find flaws in it, to prove from it the truth of Islam, and to silence Christians in argument. I did not even read through the Bible from beginning to end, but only those passages which Muslim controversialists quote in their writings. As long as I remained in Delhi, I made it my business to carry on controversy with Christians.

FURTHER STUDIES

In time, I decided to go to Bombay. There, I had the good fortune to meet Mawlavi Hidayat Ullah who was highly respected in that region as a man of authority and great learning. His home was in Kabul, and he was well-acquainted with my family. As soon as we came to know each other in Bombay, he gladly promised to give me instruction. He felt that my regular course of studies was nearly complete, and advised me to give more attention to the study of literature. He also gave me permission to use his splendid library. Thus, I began my study under his guidance. This mawlavi had spent most of his life in Istanbul (Constantinople), Egypt, and Arabia, and was a literary genius. He taught in Persian, the mother tongue of us both, and this facilitated my course of instruction.

During this time, another fine scholar, an expert in logic and philosophy, came from Egypt and was appointed as professor in the Madrasa-i-Zakariyya. This was Mawlavi Abdul Ahad of Jalalabad District in Afghanistan. When I learned of his eminence, I entered the Madrasa-i-Zakariyya and began a study of the advanced books on logic and philosophy. This mawlavi treated me as a son and gave me a room next to his own, so that I could call on him for help at any time.

FURTHER CONTROVERSIES WITH CHRISTIANS

One day during the course of a walk, some of my fellow students and I arrived at the Dhobi Talab (a district in Bombay). There, we found some Christian preachers speaking to the people. Immediately, my old enmity was aroused as I recalled my previous experience in Delhi. I was ready to advance towards the preachers when a friend restrained me, saying: “Malawi Sahib, never mind these people. It is a waste of time to argue with them. These poor fellows neither know how to carry on a discussion, nor are they familiar with the rules of debate. They are paid to do this work and are fulfilling their duty, so there is absolutely no use in arguing with them. “I know all about these people, I replied. “They may not know the art and rules of debate, but they certainly know how to lead people astray. It is the duty of every true Muslim to rescue his thoughtless Muslim brethren from their plotting and deception. I stepped forward and began raising a host of objections to what they had said. They countered with a flurry of opposition to my objections.

The discussion was finally cut short for lack of time. News of our encounter soon spread among the students of the school. They too were fired with zeal to engage in controversy. We went regularly, twice a week, to meet the Christians in debate. Eventually, two C.M.S. missionaries invited us to their home through Mr. Joseph Bihari Lal, their head catechist. While we were there, they said that the Dhobi Talab was too far for us to reach easily, so they offered to open a reading room near our school, where we could carry on our investigations once a week to our hearts’ content, if we really wanted to discover the truth about Christianity. I gratefully accepted this offer. When the reading room was opened, we met them there, according to a fixed schedule.

When I perceived that the students in the school and my other friends knew nothing of the Christian religion, and were inexperienced in debate, I rented another house, on the advice of Mawlavi Abbas Khan Sahib. There, we formed a society called “Nadwatul Mutakallimin”, with the aim of preparing controversialists against all non-Islamic religions, with special reference to Christianity.

When my instructor noticed that I was always involved in controversy and that I had no other interest in life, he came into my room one day after evening prayers. Just at that time, I was reading the Injil. He asked me what I was reading. I told him and he responded angrily, “I fear lest you become a Christian.” I was very much provoked at his reply and, although I did not wish to seem disrespectful, I could not help saying: “Why should I become a Christian? Does the mere reading of the Injil make one a Christian? I am reading it in order to destroy Christianity root and branch. You should encourage me in this matter instead of finding fault with me.” He replied: “I said this because I have heard that he who reads the Injil becomes a Christian. Have you not heard what a certain poet has said: `When he reads the Injil, the heart of the faithful one turns away from Islam’?” “This information is inaccurate,” I replied. After giving me further counsel, the mawlavi returned to his room.

JOURNEY TO ARABIA

This interesting religious conflict went on for some years, when suddenly I became possessed with the desire to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Immediately, I made the necessary arrangements, boarded the steamship, “Shah-i-Nur”, enroute to Jeddah, and then went to Mecca. From Mecca, I corresponded with Mawlavi Hassamud Din, editor of the “Kashful Haqaiq”. On the day of pilgrimage, I donned my pilgrim attire and proceeded to Mt. Arafat. On that day, I saw a wonderful sight: the rich and poor, the high and low, all dressed in the same white garment. It looked as if all the dead, clad in their shrouds, had emerged from their graves to render their accounts. The sight brought tears to my eyes. But at the same time a thought struck me: “If Islam is not the true religion, what will my condition be on the Day of Resurrection?” Then and there, I prayed to God: “O God, show me the true religion and your true way. If Islam is the true religion, keep me steadfast in it, and grant me grace to silence the opponents of Islam. If Christianity is the true religion, then reveal its truth to me. Amen.”

After a brief visit to Medina, I returned to Bombay. During my absence, the “Nadwatul Mutakallimin” had disbanded. Immediately upon my return, I organised another society in its place. I myself became president of this society, and Abdur Rauf was its secretary. At his house, near Grant Road, our organisation held its meetings. It was our custom each week to invite a non-Muslim to address us, and one of our members was to answer the argument of our guest. Munshi Mansur Masih used to come regularly to speak for the Christians. Others came to speak on behalf of the Arya Samaj (a Hindu theistic association).

A VITAL ISSUE

One day, Munshi Mansur Masih addressed us very convincingly that there is no salvation in Islam. The members of our society asked me to answer him. To the best of my ability, I tried to prove that there is perfect and certain salvation in Islam. The audience appreciated my address; yet, in my innermost being, I knew very well that my answer left me unconvinced. In fact, as I spoke, I was compelled to admit the weakness of my position. Though I had made much more noise than my antagonist, his voice was thundering in my soul with an indescribable power.

It was nearly 11 p.m. when this discussion ended. I returned home and sat down to think carefully about what Munshi Mansur Masih had said. The more I thought, the more evident it became to me that salvation is the vital breath of religion and its necessary foundation. Without it, a religion is not a religion. Furthermore, I recognised that man is a bundle of forgetfulness, disobedience, and transgression. His life never remains so pure as to be absolutely free from the stain of sin. Sin has become man’s second nature. It is a true saying that “to err is human. The essential question is: how can one escape accountability and punishment? How is one to be saved? It became my duty to investigate this matter honestly and without prejudice. If I found that salvation was certainly to be had through Islam, then I would thank God. How bright my eyes would be and how glad my heart! But if Islam provided no such assurance, then I would be compelled to seek that religion which presents a satisfying plan of salvation. When I came to this decision, I fell on my knees in prayer before God and wept bitterly, covenanting that thereafter I would not read the Bible as I had been reading it. I would read it so that I, a miserable sinner, might discover in it the way of salvation.

QUEST FOR SALVATION

From that day onward, I changed my attitude and, as a genuine seeker of truth, began reading and comparing the Bible with the Qur’an. For my further peace of mind, I borrowed a copy of the Avesta (the Zoroastrian book of sacred writings) from a Parsi friend, and bought a copy of the Satyarth Prakash. Then, I began to compare all these books. After reading the Avesta carefully and talking with Parsi scholars, I became still more dejected regarding the way of salvation, for there is no reasonable method of salvation set forth in this religion.

I turned next to the study of the Satyarth Prakash written by Swami Dayanand Sarasvati, which may be considered the most authoritative work setting forth the doctrines of the Arya Samaj. I read it with the hope that I might find in it that for which I was searching. But instead, I found strange doctrines which made my hair stand on end. I learned from it that God cannot forgive sins. I was amazed at this and concluded that it was absolutely useless for anyone to join the Arya Samaj in the hope of gaining salvation. According to the Arya Samaj, God could not forgive a man’s sins, whether committed before or after his becoming an Arya Samajist. Hence, punishment is inescapable.

Furthermore, I discovered that the Arya Samaj do not consider salvation to be eternal. It became clear to me that there is no salvation with the Arya Samaj and that, even if salvation were obtained by one way or another, it would not be eternal. Consequently, since salvation is temporal, would not one continually fear that further happiness might be refused him at any time? When I reached this point and saw that there was no salvation here for a sinner like myself, I discontinued my study of the Satyarth Prakash.

The most weighty task confronting me was that of examining the Qur’an and the most reliable of the Traditions. Before beginning my search for the doctrine of salvation in these works, I raised my hands to God in prayer:

“O God, You know that I am and was born a Muslim, and that for generations my ancestors were born Muslims and have died in this religion. In it, I too have been raised and have received my education. Therefore, remove every obstacle that would prevent me from discovering Your true way, and show me the path of Your salvation, so that when I leave this transitory world, I may not be displeasing to You. Amen.”

What I found out through studying the Qur’an was what I had known before: attaining salvation is dependent upon doing good works. I found many verses which declare this doctrine, but shall quote only two of them here:

But as for those who believe and do good works, for them are the Gardens of Retreat — a welcome (in reward) for what they used to do. And as for those who do evil, their retreat is the Fire. Whenever they desire to issue forth from thence, they are brought back thither. Unto them it is said: Taste the torments of the Fire which ye used to deny (Sura al-Sajda 32:19,20).

And whoso doeth good an atom’s weight will see it then, and whoso doeth ill an atom’s weight will see it then (Sura al-Zalzalah 99:7,8).

At first glance, these verses were very beautiful and consoling, but in my mind they raised a question: Is it possible for us to do only good and no evil? Does man possess such power? When I considered this carefully, and at the same time reckoned with the faculties and passions of man, it became clear to me that it is impossible for man to remain sinless. He has no power to continually do good and only good.

The moral philosophers of Arabia claimed that there are four faculties in man which give rise to all his actions. Of these four, three powerful ones work against his spiritual interest. There is only one, the angelic faculty, which impels man towards God, helping him to obey God’s commands; but its effects are hidden from man’s sight. On the other hand, there is the combined strength of the other three faculties, the effects of which delight and motivate man at once. Therefore, the mind of man sees only what is on the surface; he cares only for the present, pays more attention to worldly things, and becomes careless in the things of the Spirit and God. A distinguished Muslim described the matter thus:

“I am trapped in four things, the ascendancy of which is the cause of my misery and suffering. These four things are Satan, the world, lust, and greed. How may I be free from these when all of them are my enemies? Evil desires allure me and throw me into the dark abyss of sensuality and pleasure.”

According to the Arabic philosophers, the three faculties gained mastery over the angelic faculty, and Adam did that which God forbade him to do. The result has been manifestly inherited by his descendants down to the present time. According to a Tradition:

It is related from Abu Huraira that the Apostle of God said: “When God created Adam, he stroked his back, and there fell from his back all the men whom He was creating from his descendants until the Day of Resurrection. And He placed before the eyes of each man a flash of light. Afterwards, He brought them to Adam. Adam said: `O my Lord, who are these?’ He replied: `They are thy descendants.’ And he saw a man among them whose flash of light between his eyes astonished him. He said: `O my Lord, how long have You fixed his life?’ He replied: `Sixty years.’ Adam said: `My Lord, increase it from my life by forty years.’ The Apostle of God said: “When the life of Adam was completed, except for forty years, the angel of death came to him. And Adam said: `Are there not yet forty years of my life remaining?’ He replied: `Did you not give them to your son, David?’ Then Adam denied this, and his descendants have denied, and Adam forgot and ate of the tree, and his descendants have forgotten, and Adam sinned and his descendants have sinned” (Tirmidhi).

From this Tradition, it is clear that all the children of Adam are assuredly sinners because Adam’s sin has entered into all. Accordingly, saints and religious leaders have confessed their sins. Thus Adam, the first of the prophets, and Eve say:

“They said: `Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not and have not mercy on us, surely we are of the lost!’” (Sura al-A`raf 7:23).

Likewise, the Prophet Abraham says:

“Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents and believers on the day when the account is cast” (Sura Ibrahim 14:41).

The Prophet of Islam makes this prayer:

“O God, wash my iniquities with snow-water” (Bukhari).

Abu Bakr, the first caliph of the Prophet of Islam, says in his famous poem:

“O God, how shall I be saved, for there is no goodness in me? I am overwhelmed with iniquities, but am wanting in goodness.”

In addition to all this evidence, the following verse from the Qur’an maintains that all men are sinners:

“Lo! man is an ingrate unto his Lord, and lo! he is a witness unto that” (Sura al-`Adiyat 100:6,7).

In this connection, the following thoughts confronted me: the Prophet Jesus was also a man. The Qur’an refers to the sins of the other prophets. But why does the Qur’an record no sin of Jesus? As I found that the Qur’an records only the sinlessness of Jesus, I therefore turned to the Injil. Here I found the following verses:

“Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:46).

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

“[He] committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22).

“And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

Thus, there is solid evidence to prove that, with the exception of the Prophet Jesus, all mankind are sinful. Under these circumstances, who was I that I should claim to be able to gain salvation by good works, when many religious leaders, philosophers, and saints had failed to run this impossible course?

Again I turned to the Qur’an to examine its teachings about the doctrine of salvation by works. I will quote two verses here which make it clear that no human being can escape condemnation, no matter what his status may be:

“There is not one of you but shall approach it. That is a fixed ordinance of thy Lord. Then we shall rescue those who kept from evil, and leave the evil-doers crouching there” (Sura Maryam 19:71,72).

Another translation reads: “There is not one of you who shall not pass through the confines of Hell…” (N.J. Dawood, The Koran, penguin Books Ltd., Middlesex, 1959). Still another translation reads: “No one is there of you who shall not go down unto it…” (J.M. Rodwell, The Koran, J.M. Dent and Sons, London, 1950).

No one but myself knows with what terror, dismay, and disappointment I read these words. I, a spiritually sick man, was reading the Qur’an as if I were consulting a physician, so that it might offer me the remedy for my sinfulness. But instead of giving me a solution, it said: “Everyone of you will go to perdition, for this is the absolute duty of thy Lord.”

But my natural love and attachment for the faith of Islam forbade me to make haste in my personal decision. I thought it fitting to seek a commentary on this verse in the Traditions, that I might see what the Prophet of Islam himself has to say on this matter. After a long search, I found the following Tradition in the Mishkat (a famous book of Sunni Traditions):

Ibn Masud said that the Prophet of Islam said: “All people shall enter hell. Then they will come out of it according to their works. Those who will come out first will do so like a flash of lightning, the next like a gale of wind, then like a horse at full speed, afterwards like a swift rider, then like a man springing, and finally, like the walk of a man” (Tirmidhi and Darimi).

The meaning of the previous verse was now clear. It is inevitable that everyone will enter hell and then emerge according to his works. The meaning of the Qur’an was plain and was supported by the statement of the Prophet of Islam himself. I wished that I could have ended my search at this point, but thought it best to seek an interpretation in the Qur’an itself. Thus, after a long search, I came upon this verse:

“And if thy Lord had willed, He verily would have made mankind one nation, yet they cease not differing, save him on whom thy Lord hath mercy; and for that He did create them. And the Word of the Lord hath been fulfilled: Verily I shall fill hell with the jinn and mankind together” (Sura Hud 11:118,119).

I was so stricken after reading this verse that I slowly closed the Qur’an and became absorbed in anxious thought. Even in sleep I found no rest, for my waking thoughts, taking form in the realm of dreams, made me uneasy. It was unspeakably hard for me to forsake the faith of my fathers; I would have been more willing to forsake life itself. For some time, I kept trying to think of some method of evading the problem or some way of escape, so that I would not need to leave Islam. With this intent, I began to search for help in the Traditions. This was no easy matter, for the Traditions are contained in six thick volumes. Moreover, it is a most difficult task to apply the principles of the science of the Traditions to each Tradition. But despite these difficulties, I carried my work to completion, with the help of God.

According to the Traditions, there are three ways of salvation. First, there is absolutely no connection between works and salvation. The very worst sinner, who has spent his whole life breaking God’s laws, may enter paradise. Also, the best kind of man, having spent his life in good deeds, may enter hell. The following Traditions speak for themselves:

Hazrat Anas relates that the Prophet of Islam was riding, followed by Maadh. When the Prophet repeated thrice, “Anyone who honestly believes and repeats: `There is but one God, and Muhammed is his prophet,’ shall never be doomed to the fire of hell,” Maadh said, “O Prophet of God, shall I not proclaim these tidings?” The Prophet answered, “In that case, they will believe in nothing else but this” (Mishkat).

On this subject, there is a Tradition handed down by Abu Dharr, the words of which force the conclusion that salvation by works is meaningless, for even the adulterer and thief obtain salvation by the mere repetition of the words of the Muslim creed. The Tradition runs thus:

It is related from Abu Dharr that he said: “I came to the Prophet, and he had a white cloth over him and was sleeping. Later on, I came to him after he had awakened. Then, he said: `Any servant of God who says, “There is no God but Allah,” and afterwards dies relying on that, will enter heaven.’ I said, `Although he commit adultery or steal?’ He replied, `Although he has committed adultery and theft.’ I said, `Although he commit adultery and theft?’ He replied, `Although he commit adultery and theft, and in spite of Abu Dharr’” (Muslim, Bukhari).

I found another Tradition, as comforting as a basket of sugar to a child, which promises that , whether a man does good or evil, he can obtain paradise by means of the repetition of a few words. It reads as follows:

It is related from Ubadah bin Samit that the Apostle of God said: “Whoever bears witness that there is no God but Allah alone, and that He has no partner, and that Muhammed is His servant and His Apostle, and that Jesus is the servant of God and His apostle and the son of His handmaid and his word which He cast into Mary and a spirit from Him, and that heaven and hell are true, God will take him into paradise, in spite of what his works may have been!” (Muslim, Bukhari).

When I read these Traditions, the question came into my mind whether it is just that one who spent his whole life doing evil and never thought of good should enter paradise at death, while another who has spent his life in the fear of God, self-restraint, and good works should be cast into hell at death.

Secondly, it is shown in the Traditions that salvation is dependent upon the mercy of God — so much so that the Prophet himself is a needy beggar of this mercy. Unless God has mercy upon him, the Prophet himself cannot obtain salvation through works. One Tradition in the Mishkat reads as follows:

Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet of Islam said: “No one of you will enter Paradise through his good works.” They said: “Not even you, O Apostle of God?” “Not even I,” he replied, “unless God cover me with His grace and mercy. Therefore be strong, and morning and evening, nay every moment, try to do good.”

The reader should kindly bear in mind that Christians do not deny the necessity of doing good works. Christians realise that they are to be always engaged in good works; however, their salvation does not depend upon their works, for no person can do more than is required of him. Thus, no one can do excess works which might serve as an atonement for his evil works (See Luke 17:7-10 [Sultan]).

Compare also the following Tradition:

Jabir reported that the Prophet of Islam said: “No good works of yours can ever secure heaven for you, nor can they save you from hell — not even me, without the grace of God.”

From these Traditions, I understood that no one can obtain salvation unless God’s mercy rests on him. This comforted me a little, but at the same time I began to think: If God is merciful, He is likewise just. If God should forgive by the exercise of His mercy alone, He would be evading the demands of His justice and righteousness. Such an evasion of His justice would indicate a defect in the being of God. Certainly such an act would be unworthy of the glory of God.

The third thing that became clear to me from the Traditions was that even the Prophet of Islam cannot save anyone, not even his daughter, Fatimah, or his relations. Hence, the idea that the Prophet would intercede for the faithful, which I thought would surely be correct, proved to be wrong. One Tradition runs thus:

Abu Huraira related that when the verse, “Cause thy near relatives to fear,” was revealed to the Prophet of Islam, the Prophet arose and began to proclaim: “Oh people of the Quraysh, and you sons of Abdul Manaf, and you Abbas, son of Abdul Muttalib, and you, Safiyyah my aunt, I cannot save you from the punishment of the Day of Resurrection. Take care of yourself, O my daughter Fatimah; you may use my property, but I cannot save you from God. Take care of yourself” (Bukhari).

So, after an extended and penetrating study of the Traditions, there remained nothing more for further research. In sheer terror and desperation, I closed the books of the Traditions and prayed to God:

“O God, my Creator and my Lord, You know the secrets of my heart better than I know them. You know how long I have been seeking Your true religion. I have carried my investigation as far as I have been able. Now, therefore, open to me the door of Your knowledge and Your salvation. Grant that I may enter into the company of Your people who are well-pleasing unto You, so that I may be exalted and content, when I enter Your glorious presence. Amen.”

In this desperate and depressed state of mind, I again began to read the Holy Injil with the idea of correcting any possible defects in my investigations. As I opened the Holy Injil this time, my eyes fell on these words:

“Come to me, all who labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

I cannot say how I happened to come across this passage in the Gospel according to Matthew. I did not intentionally seek it. On the other hand, it was not a chance occurrence; it was the God-given answer to my hard labour and sincere investigation. For a sinner like me, it was indeed the supreme proclamation of good news. This life-giving verse had a tremendous effect upon me. It brought me peace, comfort, and joy and immediately banished all uneasiness and uncertainty from my heart. The Messiah claims: “I will give you rest. He shows how salvation depends upon Him. He does not merely point to a path which is above or beyond Him, but says: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Yet, the question came to my mind: Can one have confidence in this extraordinary claim of Christ? I concluded that one could rest upon it, for in the first place, Christ is accepted by Muslims as sinless, glorious in this world and the next, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God. These and other descriptions, which are applied to Jesus, indicate perfection. Secondly, according to Christians, he is perfect God and perfect man, free from all base passion and worldly ambitions. Thus, it is impossible that Christ, who, according to both Muslims and Christians possesses the highest qualities, would sin or do anything unworthy of Himself.

I then began to ponder how Christ promised to give salvation. To set my mind at rest, I began to search through the Holy Injil and came upon this verse:

“… just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

Upon reading this verse, I discovered how God offers salvation. Christ gave His life for us sinners. This is a marvellous way, to which the world can show no counterpart. Scores of men have founded religions in this world, but none of them has claimed that his death will serve for the forgiveness of sins. Christ alone not only made this claim, but also fulfilled it.

At this thought, I fell into a state of ecstasy. The picture of Christ and His love for men made an indelible impression on my heart. But while I was absorbed in this ecstasy, another question came into my mind: What was the need of Christ’s sacrifice and atonement? Could He not have given salvation without giving His life? After some further thought, I found the answer to this also: God is both merciful and just. If Christ had promised salvation without giving His life, the demands of mercy would certainly have been fulfilled. But in order to satisfy the demands of justice also, Christ paid the ransom — His precious blood. In this way, God has manifested His love for us.

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

I continued my investigation in the New Testament and read it several times from beginning to end. I found hundreds of verses and scores of parables which proved to me, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that salvation — the very heart and purpose of religion — is available only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I quote one passage here to prove this point:

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in his forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed….” (Romans 3:19-25).

DECISION AND CONFESSION

After completing the investigations which I have described, I came to the conclusion that I would become a Christian. Under these circumstances, it appeared to me to be honourable to present the whole matter before the society, that they might consider it and that I might be free from any charge of pursuing my investigations in secret.

I went to the meeting as usual. It was again the turn of Munshi Mansur Masih to speak. Before he began, I interrupted by stating that on this occasion I myself would speak against Islam. I then proceeded to describe the results of my many years of research. The officers of the society were amazed at my words but took comfort in the hope that I would make the rebuttal to my own address. When I finished and took my seat, the vice-president said, “We hope that the president himself will make his own rebuttal to his unfavourable address.” Again I rose and said: “Listen to me, my friends. What I have explained to you is not something which is superficial and fabricated. It is a matter which is certain and decisive, based on years of investigation. To be more specific, it began on that day when Munshi Mansur Masih addressed us on the subject of salvation. At that time, I promised God that henceforth I would read the Holy Bible, not as I had read it previously, but as a seeker after truth, so that the way of truth and righteousness might be revealed to me. Accordingly, setting aside prejudice and philosophical quibbling, I compared the Avesta, Satyarth Prakash, the Bible, and the Qur’an. I came to the conclusion that salvation is to be found in Christ only. That is all I have to say. If there is any defect in my investigation, I would be grateful if any of you gentlemen would point it out. On the other hand, if you yourselves wish me to make the rebuttal to these arguments, I tell you frankly that I cannot answer them; nor is there hope of an answer from anyone else.”

I left the meeting, as it was not prudent for me to remain there longer. Munshi Mansur Masih immediately followed me. When he caught up with me, he embraced me and began to shed tears of joy, saying in a trembling voice, “You must come home with me tonight. It is not safe for you to spend the night alone in your room.” I replied that the officers of my organisation were educated gentlemen, and that I need fear nothing from them. “Of course,” I added, “there are others whom one must fear. I shall come to your house before daybreak. If I am not there by that time, you may kindly come to my lodging.”

After making this arrangement, we separated. I went to my room, bolted the door from the inside, and extinguished the light. I sat down, immersed in thought. I will never forget the fearful fancies and spiritual struggle of that night. It was a night of decision, a night of most desperate testing. At times, the thought confronted me that, if I should become a Christian, I would lose my country, my inheritance, my rights, my family, my friends — in short, everything. I was also bothered by the idea that becoming a Christian would mean entering a world where manners and all else would be different from that to which I had been accustomed. Sleep was impossible that night.

Finally, I said to myself: “Sultan, consider that you are the child of an hour and the world is fleeting. When you die, your country and inheritance will be of no benefit to you; nor will your family and friends be of help to you. All these belong to this world alone. Nothing but your faith can go beyond the grave. Therefore, it is not wise to forsake eternal life and spiritual happiness for the sake of this transitory life.” I then bowed my knees before God and offered this prayer:

“O, omnipotent, eternal God, Searcher of hearts, I yield myself to You. Accept this offering and protect me from all the snares of the devil and from spiritual dangers. Remove from my heart the world and its desires. Grant me courage and strength that I may be able to confess Your only Son Jesus Christ publicly before all men. Hear and accept my prayer for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

After finishing this prayer, I felt somewhat drowsy and slept for a short time. When I awoke, I felt altogether happy and cheerful. No shadow of the former worry and uneasiness bothered me.

The day was breaking. I quickly washed and left for the home of Munshi Mansur Masih. When I arrived there, I found he had been very worried because I had not come. He knew that I was accustomed to tea at that hour and already prepared some for me. After I finished my tea, we talked things over for a short time and then engaged in prayer. After prayer, we went to the home of Padre Ledgeard.

The padre was surprised at hour early arrival. Munshi Mansur Masih proceeded to tell him that I had come to be baptised. At first, he thought we were not in earnest. But when he heard what had taken place on the preceding night, he immediately rose and embraced me, saying: “I knew that if you would read the Bible seriously you would surely become a Christian. Thank God that you have been convinced.” He then promised to baptise me three days later and advised me to memorise the Ten Commandments, and Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, during the interval. He further counselled me not to stay among Muslims. Upon his invitation to stay either with himself or with Munshi Mansur Masih, I decided to accept the second alternative.

When Sunday came, the whole church was filled with Muslims. Seeing the danger, Mr. Ledgeard postponed my baptism. Finally, by the grace and mercy of God, I was baptised on August 6, 1903, in St. Paul’s Church, Bombay. My baptism took place in the presence of the following persons: Rev. Canon Ledgeard, who baptised me, Munshi Mansur Masih, and two other gentlemen, whose names I cannot now recall. Immediately after the ceremony, I was sent to Kanpur, since it was dangerous for me to remain in Bombay.

When I became a Christian, a wonderful change took place in my life. My speech, actions, and whole manner of life were so transformed that a year later, when I visited Bombay for a short time, my Muslim friends wondered at it. They marvelled at my mildness, for they knew how easily I used to lose my temper.

Before I became a Christian, I recognised sin to be sin, but I did not realise, as I do now, what a dangerous and destructive force it is. I am still merely a weak man and a handful of dust, and, when I sin, I cannot describe the shame and sorrow with which I am filled. Immediately, I fall on my face and, with tears, I repent and beg for forgiveness. This attitude can be acquired only by the recognition of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sin cannot be removed by repentance alone. It must be cleansed by the sacred blood of our Saviour. It is because of the very reason of sin that the world is daily approaching nearer and nearer to destruction.

Though Satan may war against me with all the power at his disposal, I am not in the least disturbed because I believe that Christ has crushed his head. Satan cannot harm Christ’s faithful servants, nor can he prevail against them. May God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Searcher of hearts, turn the hearts of my Muslim brethren, as He turned mine, and give them vision, so that they too, remembering the Day of Judgement, may realise their deep spiritual need and come into the fold of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am, my dear Muslim brothers,

Your spiritual well-wisher, Sultan Muhammed Paul

Status of Women in Islam

Let’s explore what the quran and the hadith say about women and marriage, look how these things are practiced. Then we will look at how Jesus views women and how Christian men should treat women. The standard is a model, such that all men should treat women this way.

I want to say this at the front of this post and at the rear. Women, come to Jesus where you will be safe and be loved by One who will not abuse you emotionally or physically.

In Islam, we see a disturbing and fascinating dichotomy regarding women and marriage.

Muslim leaders declare that their men hold women in elevated regard and believe that they must be protected.

To be absolutely fair, in Islam compared to the cultural context from which Islam emerged, there was an elevation of women. However, we are going to see things today that hints that Islam deserves the reputation it has regarding its view of women.

Many Islamic women are educated and successful, but most remain illiterate, hidden away and treated as property.

This is difficult to defend.

Muhammad was painfully specific about his beliefs concerning women. These Qur’an texts I will read are a public relations nightmare in societies were women have freedom and there is in that society greater gender equality.

Look deeper at the Qur’an and Hadith teachings concerning women and their ramifications. Ask youself, did the God who loved the first women, Eve, and created her, deliver these sayings to Muhammad or worse, are these words stored in heaven as God’s word as claimed by Islamic tradition? Does the God of Heaven view women this way?

Islam teachcs women are inferior to men. Some muslim men disagree but here is the Qur’an Surah 2:228 “Women Shall have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable; but men have a degree over them.”

How is this interpreted?

According to Hadith 3.826, Muhammad said that women are genetically and legally inferior: “Muhammad asked some women, ‘Isn’t the witness of woman equal to half of that of a man?’ The woman said, ‘Yes.’ He said, “this is because of the deficiency of the woman’s mind.’” Muhammad said something similar to this in Hadith 2.541, “I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you.” He was speaking to a group of women when he said that!!

Again from the Hadith “Muhammad said, ‘I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers are women.’” As a result of this teaching, women are seen as harmful to men and a bad omen. “Muhammad said, ‘Bad omen is in the women, the house and the horse….after me I have not left any affliction more harmful to men than women.’”

A woman is a lesser creature to Muhammad. She has fewer rights and privileges in most Muslim societies. When it comes to inheritance, a male portion is twice that of a females (surah 4:11). In the legal realm, a woman’s testimony is given half the value and credibility of a man’s testimony (surah 2:282).

Muslim men are allowed to marry up to 4 wives according to surah 4:3. Muhammad received a special dispensation directly from Al ilah to marry as many as he wished. He attained 13 wives and concubines.

It is well know here on the Internet that Aishah was the child that was attached to Muhammad when she was age six. The marriage was not consummated until she was age nine—still a child in a vast majority of cultures.

To show the father’s view of his daughter, when Saddiq, a close friend of the prophet, offered his daughter to Muhammad for marriage at age 8 he said flippantly, “She is eight but dependable!”

Let me quote a former Muslim on the treatment of Aishah. No child… “that young has the physiological, psychological, or biological maturity to willfully consent to a mutual act of love.

Here is another touchy point in the life of Muhammad. When his adopted son, Zaid, saw that Muahmmad wanted his wife, he divorced her so that his father could have her.

Zay-nab Bint Jah-sh, had been Muhammad’s daughter-in-law, but became his wife.

If you are interested in Muhammad’s sexual prowess you can consult Hadith 1.268.  I don’t know of any Jewish prophet who was a polygamist or whose sexual experience was deemed worthy of discovery in Holy Scripture.

Muhammad, after his virtual flight to the 7 heavens, told his dying first wife, Kha-dija, that God had wedded him to Mary, Christ’s mother in paradise. He also told Aiysha the same thing: “Oh Aiysha [sic], didn’t you know that God Almighty in heaven wedded me to Mary the daughter of Imran, to Kulthum, Moses’ sister and to Assiya, wife of the Pharaoh?”

So, we can only conclude that Muhammad was not bound to the very Qur’an he said he had received.

Play Things

In orthodox Islamic regimes where the shari’a law is in force, women are considered possessions. Surah 3:14, “Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: women and sons; heaped-up hoards of gold and silver.” A man can threaten divorce if his wife is not meeting his sexual needs, according to surah 66:5: “It may be, if he divorced you that Allah will give him in exchange consorts better than you.” In both public appearance and private sexual encounter, the onus is on the woman to satisfy her husband’s desires.

The wife is considered the husband’s sex object. The Qur’an states in surah 2:223, “Your wives are as a tilth [that is, a field to be plowed] unto you, so approach your tilth when and how you will.” !! The Hadith says, “wives are playthings, so take your pick.”

According to the Qur’an women are not permitted to divorce their husbands under any circumstance. A man may divorce his wife, however, by simply verbally declaring his intent. If he changes his mind, he must wait until his wife has remarried and divorced again before he can marry her.

In the case of adultery, one again sees a discrepancy in the treatment of men and women. Originally in the shari’a a male adulterer’s punishment was limited to a flogging, while the woman was to be imprisoned until death. This law was later mitigated to eighty strokes for the man and one hundred strokes for the women.

Based on the Qur’an a woman should not look into the eyes of a man in public and they are to cover their bosoms and not display their beauty per surah 24:31 and this is a good thing!!! Here clearly, the woman is protected and hidden from the lustful gaze of men. I ask however, does it stop men from lusting or to put it another way, what admonition in the Qur’an deals with the lust of the muslim man?

But now we must turn to a different aspect. In Islam, a woman is by nature unclean. A man is considered unclean if he touches a woman (even his wife) before prayer!! See Surah 4:43.

And now to an even more difficult subject—beating of the wife. One of the most troubling admonitions in the Qur’an allows marital punishment. The husband is the trainer of his wife. The Qur’an thus gives men much latitude in the area of punishment. The man can be physically abusive or withhold sexual favors from a wife whose conduct is sanctioned: “As to those women on whose part you fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them, refuse to share their beds, beat them” surah 4:34. With regard to withholding sexual conduct, the Qur’an notes, “For those who take an oath of abstention from their wives, a waiting period for four months is ordained; if they return, Allah is oft-forgiving, most-merciful (surah 2:226).

Once the Prophet was asked about this subject: “what rights does the woman have with the man?” He replied, “He should feed her if he eats, clothe her when he dresses, avoid disfiguring her or beating her excessively or abandoning her except at home” (Hadith 7.62.77).

The news in recent years has shown us the result of this mentality. Even in the west there has been at least two examples of daughters who were killed simply because they disobeyed a father’s command or because they wanted to divorce their husband. In the east there are many examples of public stonings or shootings performed as a result of minor violations such as exposing ¼ of their iris in public????

In conclusion, note that abuse and subjection of women have suffered at the hands of adherents to every world religion. Men claiming to be Christian have enslaved women and beat them into submissions.

The difference that must be observed, though, is that any such abuse by a Christian or a so-called follower of Christ are clearly and unmistakably at variance with what the bible instructs and what Jesus explicitly taught. Jesus elevated women. He did not consider their touch to be unclean. Women are, in fact, given special note in the New Testament record. They were the last to leave the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and the first to testify to his resurrection. As male disciples cowered in hiding, the women boldly walked to minister to the body in the tomb. Women surrounded Jesus, not of sexual purposes, but for spiritual ones. Breaking with midrashic tradition, Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) and shared his words with Lazarus’s sisters in Bethany.

Scriptural admonitions regarding a distinction of purpose between men and women in Ephesians 5:22-33 speak out of a context of declared fundamental and essential equality. Women are equal to men before God, yet men and women have complementary roles. Thus, submission to a husband’s servant leadership reflects Christ’s desire to do the will of the Father (Phil. 2: 1-16).

Ephesians 5: 21-33 stresses that the husband is to love and serve the wife with the same devotion Christ showed in loving the Church. If a woman reflects the passage, entrusting her life to her husband’s care, then the husband must also reflect Christ in going further.

Jesus did not simply dedicate His life to the church—He died for it. The responsibility for care that is the husband’s is a far greater burden than the Christian wife’s duties within submission. If the wife sees her husband truly show servant leadership, she is more likely to be willing to submit to his godly care.

Christianity asserts that a husband can never, ever subject his wife to any sort of abuse. An abusive husband violates the very foundation upon which a wife’ s role of complementary submission is based.

In Islam, the picture is darker. One can, for the sake of Islamic apologitics, state that the Qur’an’s passages on women and marriage are culturally outdated, but one cannot say that the passages are not constrained by the context. The Qur’an is so clear that those who regularly abuse their wives are more faithful to the Qur’an than those who would rationalize away its teachings. If a woman is honored and respected in an Islamic home, it is in spite of the teachings of Muhammad, rather than because of them. Muhammad’s teaching are directly opposite to the admonitions of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Bible.

Women, come to Jesus where you will be safe and be loved by One who will not abuse you emotionally or physically.