Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

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Pursuing Excellence, The Guide to Memorising The Holy Qur’an

Author(s): S.L. Al-Hakim

www.alhassanain.org/english

This text explores the importance of Memorising the Holy Qur'an in light of the Holy Books itself and many traditions of the Holy Prophet (S) and the Pure Imams of the Ahlul Bayt (as). It gives also many practical suggestions that will help anyone who would like to start memorising the Holy Book at any age.

Miscellaneous information:

Pursuing Excellence, The Guide to Memorising The Holy Qur’an S.L Al-Hakim Authors contact Telegram: https://telegram.me/samerhakim Telephone: Islamic Republic of Iran: +98 902 1 505 247 Australia: +61 432 44 11 96 Address: P.O. Box 2051 Rowville VIC 3178 - Australia

Notice:

This version is published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english

The composing errors are not corrected.

Table of Contents

Dedication 10

Authors Foreword 11

Beware: Satan’s Whispers 13

Part 1: Why Memorise The Holy Qur’an? 15

Memorisation of the Holy Qur’an in the eyes of the Holy Qur’an 15

Al Qamar 54:17 - Easy To Recite And Remember 15

Al Ankabut 29:49 - In The Breasts Of Those Who Have Been Given Knowledge 16

Al Ahzab 33:34 - Remember That Which Is Recited In Your Houses 16

Al Muzzammil 73:20 - Recite as much as is feasible 16

Memorisation of the Holy Qur’an in the eyes of the Divinely Guided 17

1. Recommendations 18

Narration 1 - It is incumbent upon the believer 18

Narration 2 - It is the best narration 18

Narration 3 - Happiness, Martyrdom, Salvation 18

Narration 4 - The best of the best of you 18

Narration 5 - The trust to His creation 19

Narration 6 - A house of ruin 19

2. Start Young 19

Narration 7 - Infused in to blood and flesh 19

3. The Holy Qur’an Will Complain 19

Narration 8 - Three will complain 19

4. Merits of Recitation 19

Narration 9 - Better than remembrance 19

5. Types of People Who Recite 20

Narration 10 - Three kinds of people 20

Narration 11 - Nobility 20

5. Memorising Through Hardship 21

Narration 12 - Double the reward for hardship 21

6. Don’t Forget What You Learnt! 21

Narration 13 - How I wish you were mine 21

Narration 14 - No sin was greater 22

7. The Holy Qur’an is Your Protection 23

Narration 15 - I fear learning the Holy Qur’an 23

Narration 16 - The fire will not touch it 23

Narration 17 - No punishment 23

Narration 18 - The earth responds 23

Narration 19 - Reduce punishment upon parents 23

Narration 20 - A calamity from the sky 23

8. Implementing the Holy Qur’an is a Pre-Requisite 24

Narration 21 - Two kinds of scholars 24

9. Supplications for Memorisation 24

Narration 22 - Bless me with the memorisation 25

Narration 23 - Hold my heart to the memorisation 26

Narration 24 - Light, Insight, Comprehension 26

10. Be An Intercessor 26

Narration 25 - Intercede on behalf of ten 26

11. Levels of Heaven 27

Narration 26 - Levels in Paradise 27

12. Teaching the Holy Qur’an 27

Narration 27 - A driver and a guide 27

Narration 28 - Rights upon the father 27

Narration 29 - Forgiveness 27

13. Reciting From the Holy Qur’an 27

Narration 30 - By heart or from the book? 28

Narration 31 - Satan’s nightmare 28

14. Measurable Motivation, Immeasurable Strength, Social Status 28

Narration 32 - Annual Income 28

Narration 33 - Societal Status 28

Narration 34 - Strength 29

Narration 35 - Highest status 29

Narration 36 - Pass the Straight Path with the prophets 29

Narration 37 - Most honourable 29

Narration 38 - The standard of Islam 29

15. Memory and Cognition Is Maintained 30

Narration 39 - Faculty of mind 30

Narration 40 - Memory 30

Quick Overview 30

Memorisation of the Holy Qur’an in the eyes of Scholars 31

The First Martyr 31

The Second Martyr 31

Ayatollah Borujerdi 32

Ayatollah Muhammad Taqi Bahjat 32

Ayatollah Sheikh Muhammad Nahavandi 33

Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani 33

Ayatollah Khoei 33

Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani 33

Ayatollah Ja'far Sobhani 34

Ayatollah Ma’refat 34

Ayatollah Hassan Hasanzadeh Amoli 34

Syed Ali Khamenei 34

Summary 35

Notes 35

Part 2: How to Memorise the Holy Qur’an? 39

Strengthening Your Memory 39

First: Hygiene 39

Second: Healthy Diet 39

Third: Strengthening the Soul 40

Fourth: Exercising the Mind 40

Preliminaries to Memorising the Holy Qur’an 40

Pure Intention 40

Will Power and Effort 40

Planning And Consistency 41

Supplication 41

Find A Partner 41

Use a Guide and Mentor 41

Choosing Your Holy Qur’an 42

Selecting a Translation 43

Selecting a Reciter 43

Necessary Skills and Sciences 44

Recitation Skills 44

Tajweed 44

Conjugation and Syntax 44

Translation and Interpretation 45

Understanding the Fundamentals of Memorisation of the Holy Qur’an 45

Conditions of Initiation 45

What Age Is Suitable To Start? 45

Memorisation During Gestation? 46

Best Years 46

How Long Will It Take? 47

Best Time 48

Prioritise Tasks 48

Body and Mind Attentive 48

Pavlovian Training 48

Serenity 48

Best Place 48

Simplicity 48

Holy Places 49

Consistency 49

Continue Regardless 49

Kinds of Memorisations 49

Sequential Memorisation 49

Thematic Memorisation 49

Selected Surahs 50

Methods of Memorisations 50

Audio Only 50

Prompting 50

Writing 50

Repeated Reading 50

The Eight Step Method of Memorisation 50

Step 1: Translation and Understanding 50

Step 2: Listening to Reciters 51

Step 3: Recitation 52

Step 4: Subdivision and Repetition 52

Step 5: Connecting the Dots 53

Between Sentences of an Ayah 53

Between Ayahs 53

Step 6: Strengthening and Finalising 53

Step 7: Writing from Memory 53

Step 8: Repetition and Passage 53

Sample Memory Chart 54

Target Number of Chapters for Daily Passage 55

Tips for New Ayahs 56

Group 56

Focus 56

Scansion 56

Experience 57

Imagination 57

Rest 57

Exercise 57

For The Younger Ones 57

Tips for Parents 57

Memorising Ayah Numbers 58

Pros 58

Cons 59

Methodology 59

Notes 61

Appendices 62

Appendix 1: Holy Qur’an Memorisation Tracker 62

Appendix 2: One Month Daily Memorisation Chart 63

Appendix 3: Target Number of Chapters For Daily Passage 64

Appendix 4: Points of Interest 65

Overall Word Qur’anic Statistics 66

Surahs of Obligatory Prostration 66

Names of Prophets (as) Mentioned in the Holy Qur’an 66

Note 66

Bibliography 67

Dedication

Dedicated to

Syeda Fatima Massooma (s.a.) in Qom, heart of Islamic knowledge and sanctuary for The Purified Household (as).

Written for

Our Children

For the desire is for the new generation of our Nation to live with and by the Holy Qur’an, and not be in the despair and regret I find myself in when compiling this booklet because of my self-inflicted negligence and failure, of years gone past that could have been used with more wisdom.

And special thanks,

and request for prayers, to my

parents.

Authors Foreword

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم :

إني تارك فيكم الثقلين: كتاب الله وعترتي أهل بيتي، وإنهما لن يفترقا حتى يردا علي الحوض

I leave behind amongst you two weighty things: The Book of Allah and my Progeny - The Purified Household, and never shall these two ever separate till they return to me by the Pool (of Paradise).

The Prophet of Allah (S)

The Prophet (S) has stated in narrations that are agreed upon by both major schools of thought, in multiple ways and at multiple times, that he leaves with us two significant and invaluable resources, which are inseparable. In another similar narration, he states that we shall never go astray if we hold fast on to these two weighty things.

This undisputed tradition, and others like it, cement in place the importance of both the Holy Qur’an and the etiquettes and teachings of The Purified Household (as).

That we cannot separate one from the other, nor can we hold on fast to one, but not the other. It is a confirmation that if we wish to climb the spiritual journey in pursuit of perfection, our prescribed goal, we must adhere to both weighty things. And to neglect one ultimately leads to neglecting both!

A bird, after all, can only fly with two wings.

In Surah Ibrahim, the Holy Qur’an states:

كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ

A Book We have sent down to thee that thou mayest bring forth mankind from the shadows to the light by the leave of their Lord, to the path of the All-mighty, the All-laudable. (Ibrahim 14:1)

No doubt, the Holy Qur’an is the key to ascension from the darkness of the bottomless pit of the lowly world to the spiritual heights that can be reached by every human being.

Familiarity with the Holy Qur’an is one of the most important and significant requirements of every Muslim. It is a guide, protector and answers all the necessary questions to reach the perfection for which mankind was created for.

Of course, reciting the Holy Qur’an once twice a year is not going to find any form of the intimate familiarity and in-depth understanding being sought, but only a cold, distant, and perhaps even mundane glimpse at shallow words.

Reciting it and understanding the terminology is only a first step, and an ever so important one… but further steps are needed to help find intimacy.

One of the best ways in which one can be familiar with the Holy Qur’an is its memorisation. This requires effort, dedication, time, and motivation. Like anything of great value and worth, it takes years and a constant review of one’s own reasons and methods for memorising the Holy Qur’an, renewing and realigning intentions to suit the best and most perfect of intention - the intention of seeking nearness to Allah .

Familiarity is gained because to memorise, one needs to constantly review and repeat the verses until they become engrained in the heart. Like your mother language, or your own name, it will be an unforgettable and everlasting part of your flesh and blood and the heart will beat to the tunes of the Holy Qur’an with every pulse, eyes with every blink, and lungs with every breath.

In the Islamic world, the need for those who carry the Holy Qur’an in their heart is growing ever so strongly as the influence of materialism and capitalism strains our relationship with the Creator, and our love for the deceptive glitz and glamour of the world grows. To distance the faithful from their religious scriptures, those with differing world views have, and are, sparing no effort and no cost to detach people from the only source of true perfection and completeness that humans can reach, the Holy Qur’an.

It is with this view that we present a small contribution presenting the importance, significance, benefits, and proven method for memorising the Holy Qur’an, while dispelling some of the myths surrounding this important subject.

S.L Al-Hakim

Ramadhan 1438

Beware: Satan’s Whispers

A common argument is that there is no point in reading, let alone memorising, the Holy Qur’an if we do not understand it, and that the language is foreign to us. This, of course, is one of many forms of demotivating sophistries by the master of fallacies, Satan. Subtle, yet convincing. Plausible, yet fallacious. Imam Khomeini, may his soul rest in peace, states that

We imagine that recitation without insight has no effect -this is the whisper of Satan.

Had it not been for worship and piety, Satan would have been amongst the noblest, and behind the Divinely Guided (as), Satan would be most knowledgeable of creations in all forms of sciences. With that knowledge, and having sworn to be the enemy of mankind, the tools at the disposal of Satan, the cursed, is far greater than imaginable, and he should always be expected to be waiting in ambush for the next opportunity.

قَالَ فَبِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ

Satan Said, 'Now, for Thy perverting me, I shall surely sit in ambush for them on Thy straight path; then I shall come on them from before them and from behind them, from their right hands and their left hands; Thou wilt not find most of them thankful.' (Al-A’raf 7:17-18)

Be on guard!

Always. Even at times when one feels that finally they have started to climb the mountain of spirituality. For it could be an illusion, a decoration of our deeds, a deception of the time, and one that can lead to a greater loss. And we must also be on guard that the actions we think are pious and good, and performed in the name of religion, may not be according to the commands of the Creator. We must always question our actions lest they be decorated in a way that makes us believe something which is not.

وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ وَكَانُوا مُسْتَبْصِرِينَ

…and Satan decked out fair to them their works, and barred them from the way, though they saw clearly. (Al-Ankabut 29:39)

فَلَوْلَا إِذْ جَاءَهُم بَأْسُنَا تَضَرَّعُوا وَلَـٰكِن قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

..if only, when Our might came upon them, they had been humble! But their hearts were hard, and Satan decked out fair to them what they were doing. (Al-A’nam 6:43)

Is it a wonder why so many narrations confirm the need to start any task in the Name of Allah, reciting the first Ayah of the Holy Qur’an.

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. (Al-Fatiha 1:1)

Yet, when wanting to recite the Holy Qur’an, we must first seek refuge from the cursed Satan?

فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy]. (An-Nahl 16:98)

Satan will do everything to take you away from reciting the Holy Qur’an, finding every excuse, and showing you every temptation. Phones will ring, messages start coming in on social media, and lucrative deals and opportunities will be put before you.

Take heed, this is the work of Satan, the Cursed one, tempting us away from the duty on hand.

The Absolute Oneness of God from the rest of the Bible

In many instances in the Bible, God and His prophets mention that God is only One, and not three in one. The following are some of the many verses from the Bible:

• Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” God is one and not three in one.

• Isaiah 43:10-11“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.” God wants us to“know,” “believe,” and“understand” that He is the LORD, and“beside” Him there is no other. Had there been any other “beside” Him then He would have said it.

• Ephesians 4:6“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

• I Timothy 2:5“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus .

• James 2:19“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” What makes the devil tremble is the belief that God is one, and not three.

• Deuteronomy 4:35“Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.”

• I Samuel 2:2 “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.”

• Isaiah 44:6“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

• Isaiah 44:8“Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.”

• Isaiah 45:5“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.”

• Isaiah 45:6 “That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.”

• Hosea 13:4“Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.”

Some of these verses testify that God is“one,” others attest that there is nothing“beside” Him, one of them declares that nothing is“like” Him, and so on. None of the above verses include anything that describes that God is three in one. Jesus did not say that he was one of three, nor did God in His own words.

I am told that although God and Jesus never mentioned the idea of the trinity, yet John who was inspired by God clarified this idea for all of us, the idea that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are one.

My argument is: God never said that He is three in one, never were any prophets of God ever instructed to say that God is three in one, not even

Jesus was instructed to say that, yet John who was not a prophet of God (he was an apostle of Jesus, or a disciple) said that God is really three in one, and the whole world of Christians believe him! I am wondering, who has more authority? What is more powerful? That which was quoted from Jesus’ mouth and God’s words, or the interpretation of John?

Before I end this section,“The Absolute Oneness of God from the rest of the Bible,” I would like to raise some points about the idea of inspiration:

• If the idea that the Bible is the book of God because it was inspired is to be believed, then we should disregard the book of Luke if we are willing to take Luke for his own words, when we read Luke 1:1-3“For as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus.” Luke tells us that he saw it good to write his book. It was his own choice, and not an inspiration.

• If we should believe that the Bible is the book of God because it was inspired, then we should also believe in the book“The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” The Author of this book, Joseph Smith, claims he too was inspired by God. Why should we stop at the Bible alone?

• There are hundreds of different denominations in Christianity, and many in almost all denominations claim to be inspired by God, yet they are all different in their beliefs and convictions. Who are we to believe? Who is right and who is wrong? Especially when some of these denominations differ with others on the most crucial points in Christianity. Also, why does God deliver different message to each denomination, is God the author of confusion? I Corinthians 14:33“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

What about worshipping God through Jesus?

The worship of God should be aimed directly to God. God does not need a medium for prayers to come to Him. This is clear from the Bible. When God says in such a bold manner:

Exodus 20:1-5:

“And God spake all these words, saying,

I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.”

We should not make any images or likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth as something to worship. God is the only One that we should bow down to. God, the God of everything, is a Jealous God, and he does not like us to worship anything but Him, not even Jesus. God shows how jealous He is when people worship images in Exodus 34:14 “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

Romans 1:21-32:

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Who is Jesus?

If Jesus is not God, not the son of God, and not one of three (trinity), then who is Jesus? I have briefly discussed this in Chapter Three “Is Jesus the Son of God?” This time I would like to expand on Jesus’ life (peace be upon him). I want to talk about Jesus from birth, starting with his mother (peace be upon them both) till the day he was taken up to God.

Who was his mother?

His mother was The Virgin Mariam (Mary) the daughter of Imran (father) and Hinnah (mother). When Hinnah carried Mariam in her womb she vowed to offer Mariam to God by letting her serve Him in one of His houses of worship. When Mariam was born her mother wrapped her in a piece of cloth, and took her to Al-Aqsa Mosque where she was handed over to the priests.

When the priests looked at her, and found out that she was the daughter of their lord and leader Imran they all wanted to take care of her. Although Zachariah the prophet (P.B.U.H.) was the person in charge of sacrificial offerings he was not allowed to take charge of Mariam’s matter this time. After a long quarrel over her, they all decided that the person who wins the lottery is the one that takes her in.

Zachariah won, and sponsored Mariam. He gave her a place to live, assigned her a female caretaker and personally watched over her until she was old enough to take care of herself and didn’t need the caretaker anymore.

When Zachariah came to Mariam in her place of worship he used to find fruits that would normally grow in other seasons. When he asked her where she acquired these fruits from, she would say that it was from God Almighty. The following verse relates the story of Mariam after she was born and offered by her mother to God:

“So her Lord accepted her with gracious acceptance and caused her to grow an excellent growth and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the chamber, he found with her provisions. He said, ‘O Mary whence hast thou this?’ She replied, ‘It is from ALLAH.’ Surely ALLAH gives to whomsoever HE pleases without measure.” (CH 3: Vr 37)

Angels used to always come to Mariam and tell her of her purity, and chastity. They also used tell her that God has chosen her above the women of the world, and that He has protected her from all types of corruption. She was constantly inspired to work harder and apply herself more in worship, supplication, and prostration for God. The Quran says,

“And remember when the angels said, ‘ALLAH has chosen thee and purified thee and chosen thee above all women of the time. `O Mary, be obedient to thy Lord and prostrate thyself and worship the one God with those who worship HIM.’” (Ch 3: Vr 42-43)

How was Jesus born?

The following verses from the Chapter 19 (Mariam) narrate the story of the birth of Jesus Christ the prophet who was born without a father:

And relate the story of Mary as mentioned in the Book, when she withdrew from her people to an eastern place; [16] And screened herself off from them. Then WE sent OUR angel to her and he appeared to her in the form of a well proportioned man. [17] She said, “I seek refuge with the Gracious God from thee if indeed thou dost fear HIM.” [18] The angel said, “I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may give thee glad tidings of a righteous son.” [19]

She said, “How can I have a son when no man has touched me, neither have I been unchaste?” [20] The angel said, “Thus it shall be.” But says thy Lord, “It is easy for ME; and WE shall do so that WE may make him a Sign unto men, and a mercy from US, and it is a thing decreed.” [21]

So she conceived him, and withdrew with him to a remote place. [22] And the pains of child-birth drove her unto the trunk of a palm-tree. She said, “O, would that I had died before this and had become a thing quite forgotten!” [23] Then the angel called her from beneath her, saying, “Grieve not. Thy Lord has placed a rivulet below thee; [24]

“And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree; it will drop upon thee fresh ripe dates; [25] “So, eat and drink and cool thine eye. And if thou seest any man, say, ‘I have vowed a fast to the Gracious God; I will, therefore, not speak this day to any human being.’” [26]

Then she brought him to her people, mounted. They said, “O Mary, surely, thou hast committed a monstrous thing! [27] “O sister of Aaron, thy father was not a wicked man, nor was thy mother an unchaste woman!” [28] Thereupon she pointed to him. They said, “How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?” [29]

Jesus said, “I am a servant of ALLAH. HE has given me the Book, and has made me a Prophet; [30] And HE has made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and has enjoined upon me Prayer and almsgiving so long as I live; [31] And HE has made me dutiful towards my mother, and has not made me arrogant and graceless; [32] And peace was on me the day I was born, and peace will be on me the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised up to life again.” [33] That was Jesus, son of Mary. This is a statement of the truth concerning which they entertain doubt. [34]

This was the story behind Jesus’ birth. Two of the most magnificent miracles were connected to his birth: the first was the birth to a chaste mother, and without the need for a father. This miracle shows that God has the ability to do anything He wishes. God says after the above verse, “It does not befit the Majesty of ALLAH to take unto Himself a son. Holy is HE. When HE decrees a thing, HE says to it, ‘Be,’ and it comes into being.’” (Ch 19, Vr 35).

The idea of Sonship is ambiguous. What does it mean for God to have a son when everything in this world is His creation, and a mere command of His?

The other miracle was that Jesus spoke when he was in the cradle. God gave him the ability to talk to people to fend off any accusations made to his

virtuous mother, and to notify the world that he was a prophet of God. That was Jesus. He was sent to tell people about the true God. The One and only One God of this universe. It was people who then changed this idea, and took Jesus as the Son of God. The Quran relates,

“said Jesus, ‘Surely, ALLAH is my Lord and your Lord, so worship HIM alone, this is the right path.’” (Ch 19: Vr 36).

Who was Jesus sent to?

Jesus was sent to the entire world. It is known that the total number of prophets that God sent were 124,000. Five of these prophets were considered to be the best, and they were called o-loo Al-Azm. These prophets were Nooh (Noah) Ibraheem (Abraham), Mousa (Moses), Ee-saa (Jesus), and Muhammad (Peace be upon them all, and Muhammad’s progeny). Being one of the five o-loo Al-Azm prophets meant that Jesus was sent to the entire world of mankind and Jin (other beings living amongst us that can see us without us seeing them).

Did Jesus have a heavenly book?

Yes. God sent down to Jesus the In-jeel (the gospel). The book is non-existent today, and the Bible that we have today is authored by people who came after Jesus (P.B.U.H.). The proof is simple: none of the books in the Bible is named after Jesus (the book of Luke, John, and so forth). All the books were written by people other than Jesus the prophet of God. It is a known fact amongst scholars that not a single word in the Bible was instructed to be written or written by Jesus himself during his time on earth. The Bible was written after Jesus was risen.

What were Jesus’ miracles?

Jesus (P.B.U.H.) had many miracles. They are mentioned in the Holy Quran, and I have already mentioned two of them: the first being his birth without a father, and the other being his speech while he was in the cradle. God says in the Holy Quran,

“And will send him as a Messenger to the Children of Israel with the Message, ‘I come to you with a Sign from your Lord, which is, that I will fashion out for you a creation out of clay after the manner of a bird; then I will breathe into it a new spirit and it will become a soaring being by the command of ALLAH; and I will heal the night blind and the leprous, and I will quicken the dead by the command of ALLAH; and I will announce to you what you will eat and what you will store up in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you, if you are believers.’” (Ch 3: Vr 49).

• He was able to make birds out of clay, and breathe life into them.

• He was able to bring back the dead to life.

• He was able to predict what people stored of food.

• He was able to heal the blind, and the leprous.

• He was able to do all this by God’s permission and will.

Was Jesus crucified?

No. Jesus (P.B.U.H.) was raised to God.

On the night that Jesus was supposed to be taken up by God he called the 12 apostles for a meeting. He advised them, and told them of what he wanted from them. Then he asked if one of them would volunteer to take his place (form) after he left. God would then make that person look like Jesus. That apostle would have to endure killing, and crucifixion by the Jews, and in return he would be in the same level in paradise as Jesus.

One of the apostles agreed to sacrifice himself, and Jesus was taken up from one of the corners of the house while the apostles were watching. When the Jews came looking for Jesus, God made the volunteer look like him, the Jews took him, and crucified him.

Is Jesus coming back again?

Yes. Jesus will have a second coming. Jews and Christians together will follow him and become Muslims.

The discussion of this topic is long. Therefore, I will leave it up to you to find out more about Jesus’ second coming and the events associated with his arrival.

What is My Responsibility Now?

I remember once in my callow years when I did not pay attention to a call for help from a friend in the US. He asked me if I would give him a copy of the Holy Quran. When I asked why, he said something to this effect, “The Bible doesn’t make sense to me. It’s too mythical. I want to read the Quran and see if it’s any different.” I never gave him a copy of the Holy Quran. I was too busy being selfish! I was busy playing! Now, I sincerely regret my inaction, and hope I can someday reach him again.

I feel sorry because people like him are hard to find. It is very hard to find people who are self motivated to look for the truth. People who need very little direction in order to make serious decisions about their future. People who have an open mind!

And this is why I present these pages to you. I present them to you so you would seize the opportunity. After reading these few pages surrounding Jesus Christ (P.B.U.H.) you should take more steps to find the truth about the Bible and the Quran. I guarantee if you keep an open mind, and make some effort in searching for the truth, God will come to your aid and help you. I guarantee you will find Islam to be your choice for your “hereafter” investment.

People on a daily basis invest money and time towards their well being in this short life of seventy years or so. What about your infinite life that starts right after death? Are you willing to invest in it?

There you will find many people who are more than willing to help answer any of your questions and steer you in the right direction.

The Absolute Oneness of God from the rest of the Bible

In many instances in the Bible, God and His prophets mention that God is only One, and not three in one. The following are some of the many verses from the Bible:

• Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.” God is one and not three in one.

• Isaiah 43:10-11“Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.” God wants us to“know,” “believe,” and“understand” that He is the LORD, and“beside” Him there is no other. Had there been any other “beside” Him then He would have said it.

• Ephesians 4:6“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

• I Timothy 2:5“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus .

• James 2:19“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” What makes the devil tremble is the belief that God is one, and not three.

• Deuteronomy 4:35“Unto thee it was showed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.”

• I Samuel 2:2 “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.”

• Isaiah 44:6“Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.”

• Isaiah 44:8“Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.”

• Isaiah 45:5“I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.”

• Isaiah 45:6 “That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.”

• Hosea 13:4“Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.”

Some of these verses testify that God is“one,” others attest that there is nothing“beside” Him, one of them declares that nothing is“like” Him, and so on. None of the above verses include anything that describes that God is three in one. Jesus did not say that he was one of three, nor did God in His own words.

I am told that although God and Jesus never mentioned the idea of the trinity, yet John who was inspired by God clarified this idea for all of us, the idea that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are one.

My argument is: God never said that He is three in one, never were any prophets of God ever instructed to say that God is three in one, not even

Jesus was instructed to say that, yet John who was not a prophet of God (he was an apostle of Jesus, or a disciple) said that God is really three in one, and the whole world of Christians believe him! I am wondering, who has more authority? What is more powerful? That which was quoted from Jesus’ mouth and God’s words, or the interpretation of John?

Before I end this section,“The Absolute Oneness of God from the rest of the Bible,” I would like to raise some points about the idea of inspiration:

• If the idea that the Bible is the book of God because it was inspired is to be believed, then we should disregard the book of Luke if we are willing to take Luke for his own words, when we read Luke 1:1-3“For as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus.” Luke tells us that he saw it good to write his book. It was his own choice, and not an inspiration.

• If we should believe that the Bible is the book of God because it was inspired, then we should also believe in the book“The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ.” The Author of this book, Joseph Smith, claims he too was inspired by God. Why should we stop at the Bible alone?

• There are hundreds of different denominations in Christianity, and many in almost all denominations claim to be inspired by God, yet they are all different in their beliefs and convictions. Who are we to believe? Who is right and who is wrong? Especially when some of these denominations differ with others on the most crucial points in Christianity. Also, why does God deliver different message to each denomination, is God the author of confusion? I Corinthians 14:33“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

What about worshipping God through Jesus?

The worship of God should be aimed directly to God. God does not need a medium for prayers to come to Him. This is clear from the Bible. When God says in such a bold manner:

Exodus 20:1-5:

“And God spake all these words, saying,

I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.”

We should not make any images or likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth as something to worship. God is the only One that we should bow down to. God, the God of everything, is a Jealous God, and he does not like us to worship anything but Him, not even Jesus. God shows how jealous He is when people worship images in Exodus 34:14 “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

Romans 1:21-32:

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Who is Jesus?

If Jesus is not God, not the son of God, and not one of three (trinity), then who is Jesus? I have briefly discussed this in Chapter Three “Is Jesus the Son of God?” This time I would like to expand on Jesus’ life (peace be upon him). I want to talk about Jesus from birth, starting with his mother (peace be upon them both) till the day he was taken up to God.

Who was his mother?

His mother was The Virgin Mariam (Mary) the daughter of Imran (father) and Hinnah (mother). When Hinnah carried Mariam in her womb she vowed to offer Mariam to God by letting her serve Him in one of His houses of worship. When Mariam was born her mother wrapped her in a piece of cloth, and took her to Al-Aqsa Mosque where she was handed over to the priests.

When the priests looked at her, and found out that she was the daughter of their lord and leader Imran they all wanted to take care of her. Although Zachariah the prophet (P.B.U.H.) was the person in charge of sacrificial offerings he was not allowed to take charge of Mariam’s matter this time. After a long quarrel over her, they all decided that the person who wins the lottery is the one that takes her in.

Zachariah won, and sponsored Mariam. He gave her a place to live, assigned her a female caretaker and personally watched over her until she was old enough to take care of herself and didn’t need the caretaker anymore.

When Zachariah came to Mariam in her place of worship he used to find fruits that would normally grow in other seasons. When he asked her where she acquired these fruits from, she would say that it was from God Almighty. The following verse relates the story of Mariam after she was born and offered by her mother to God:

“So her Lord accepted her with gracious acceptance and caused her to grow an excellent growth and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the chamber, he found with her provisions. He said, ‘O Mary whence hast thou this?’ She replied, ‘It is from ALLAH.’ Surely ALLAH gives to whomsoever HE pleases without measure.” (CH 3: Vr 37)

Angels used to always come to Mariam and tell her of her purity, and chastity. They also used tell her that God has chosen her above the women of the world, and that He has protected her from all types of corruption. She was constantly inspired to work harder and apply herself more in worship, supplication, and prostration for God. The Quran says,

“And remember when the angels said, ‘ALLAH has chosen thee and purified thee and chosen thee above all women of the time. `O Mary, be obedient to thy Lord and prostrate thyself and worship the one God with those who worship HIM.’” (Ch 3: Vr 42-43)

How was Jesus born?

The following verses from the Chapter 19 (Mariam) narrate the story of the birth of Jesus Christ the prophet who was born without a father:

And relate the story of Mary as mentioned in the Book, when she withdrew from her people to an eastern place; [16] And screened herself off from them. Then WE sent OUR angel to her and he appeared to her in the form of a well proportioned man. [17] She said, “I seek refuge with the Gracious God from thee if indeed thou dost fear HIM.” [18] The angel said, “I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may give thee glad tidings of a righteous son.” [19]

She said, “How can I have a son when no man has touched me, neither have I been unchaste?” [20] The angel said, “Thus it shall be.” But says thy Lord, “It is easy for ME; and WE shall do so that WE may make him a Sign unto men, and a mercy from US, and it is a thing decreed.” [21]

So she conceived him, and withdrew with him to a remote place. [22] And the pains of child-birth drove her unto the trunk of a palm-tree. She said, “O, would that I had died before this and had become a thing quite forgotten!” [23] Then the angel called her from beneath her, saying, “Grieve not. Thy Lord has placed a rivulet below thee; [24]

“And shake towards thyself the trunk of the palm-tree; it will drop upon thee fresh ripe dates; [25] “So, eat and drink and cool thine eye. And if thou seest any man, say, ‘I have vowed a fast to the Gracious God; I will, therefore, not speak this day to any human being.’” [26]

Then she brought him to her people, mounted. They said, “O Mary, surely, thou hast committed a monstrous thing! [27] “O sister of Aaron, thy father was not a wicked man, nor was thy mother an unchaste woman!” [28] Thereupon she pointed to him. They said, “How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?” [29]

Jesus said, “I am a servant of ALLAH. HE has given me the Book, and has made me a Prophet; [30] And HE has made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and has enjoined upon me Prayer and almsgiving so long as I live; [31] And HE has made me dutiful towards my mother, and has not made me arrogant and graceless; [32] And peace was on me the day I was born, and peace will be on me the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised up to life again.” [33] That was Jesus, son of Mary. This is a statement of the truth concerning which they entertain doubt. [34]

This was the story behind Jesus’ birth. Two of the most magnificent miracles were connected to his birth: the first was the birth to a chaste mother, and without the need for a father. This miracle shows that God has the ability to do anything He wishes. God says after the above verse, “It does not befit the Majesty of ALLAH to take unto Himself a son. Holy is HE. When HE decrees a thing, HE says to it, ‘Be,’ and it comes into being.’” (Ch 19, Vr 35).

The idea of Sonship is ambiguous. What does it mean for God to have a son when everything in this world is His creation, and a mere command of His?

The other miracle was that Jesus spoke when he was in the cradle. God gave him the ability to talk to people to fend off any accusations made to his

virtuous mother, and to notify the world that he was a prophet of God. That was Jesus. He was sent to tell people about the true God. The One and only One God of this universe. It was people who then changed this idea, and took Jesus as the Son of God. The Quran relates,

“said Jesus, ‘Surely, ALLAH is my Lord and your Lord, so worship HIM alone, this is the right path.’” (Ch 19: Vr 36).

Who was Jesus sent to?

Jesus was sent to the entire world. It is known that the total number of prophets that God sent were 124,000. Five of these prophets were considered to be the best, and they were called o-loo Al-Azm. These prophets were Nooh (Noah) Ibraheem (Abraham), Mousa (Moses), Ee-saa (Jesus), and Muhammad (Peace be upon them all, and Muhammad’s progeny). Being one of the five o-loo Al-Azm prophets meant that Jesus was sent to the entire world of mankind and Jin (other beings living amongst us that can see us without us seeing them).

Did Jesus have a heavenly book?

Yes. God sent down to Jesus the In-jeel (the gospel). The book is non-existent today, and the Bible that we have today is authored by people who came after Jesus (P.B.U.H.). The proof is simple: none of the books in the Bible is named after Jesus (the book of Luke, John, and so forth). All the books were written by people other than Jesus the prophet of God. It is a known fact amongst scholars that not a single word in the Bible was instructed to be written or written by Jesus himself during his time on earth. The Bible was written after Jesus was risen.

What were Jesus’ miracles?

Jesus (P.B.U.H.) had many miracles. They are mentioned in the Holy Quran, and I have already mentioned two of them: the first being his birth without a father, and the other being his speech while he was in the cradle. God says in the Holy Quran,

“And will send him as a Messenger to the Children of Israel with the Message, ‘I come to you with a Sign from your Lord, which is, that I will fashion out for you a creation out of clay after the manner of a bird; then I will breathe into it a new spirit and it will become a soaring being by the command of ALLAH; and I will heal the night blind and the leprous, and I will quicken the dead by the command of ALLAH; and I will announce to you what you will eat and what you will store up in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you, if you are believers.’” (Ch 3: Vr 49).

• He was able to make birds out of clay, and breathe life into them.

• He was able to bring back the dead to life.

• He was able to predict what people stored of food.

• He was able to heal the blind, and the leprous.

• He was able to do all this by God’s permission and will.

Was Jesus crucified?

No. Jesus (P.B.U.H.) was raised to God.

On the night that Jesus was supposed to be taken up by God he called the 12 apostles for a meeting. He advised them, and told them of what he wanted from them. Then he asked if one of them would volunteer to take his place (form) after he left. God would then make that person look like Jesus. That apostle would have to endure killing, and crucifixion by the Jews, and in return he would be in the same level in paradise as Jesus.

One of the apostles agreed to sacrifice himself, and Jesus was taken up from one of the corners of the house while the apostles were watching. When the Jews came looking for Jesus, God made the volunteer look like him, the Jews took him, and crucified him.

Is Jesus coming back again?

Yes. Jesus will have a second coming. Jews and Christians together will follow him and become Muslims.

The discussion of this topic is long. Therefore, I will leave it up to you to find out more about Jesus’ second coming and the events associated with his arrival.

What is My Responsibility Now?

I remember once in my callow years when I did not pay attention to a call for help from a friend in the US. He asked me if I would give him a copy of the Holy Quran. When I asked why, he said something to this effect, “The Bible doesn’t make sense to me. It’s too mythical. I want to read the Quran and see if it’s any different.” I never gave him a copy of the Holy Quran. I was too busy being selfish! I was busy playing! Now, I sincerely regret my inaction, and hope I can someday reach him again.

I feel sorry because people like him are hard to find. It is very hard to find people who are self motivated to look for the truth. People who need very little direction in order to make serious decisions about their future. People who have an open mind!

And this is why I present these pages to you. I present them to you so you would seize the opportunity. After reading these few pages surrounding Jesus Christ (P.B.U.H.) you should take more steps to find the truth about the Bible and the Quran. I guarantee if you keep an open mind, and make some effort in searching for the truth, God will come to your aid and help you. I guarantee you will find Islam to be your choice for your “hereafter” investment.

People on a daily basis invest money and time towards their well being in this short life of seventy years or so. What about your infinite life that starts right after death? Are you willing to invest in it?

There you will find many people who are more than willing to help answer any of your questions and steer you in the right direction.