the sonship of Ezra (Uzayr) in the light of holy Quran verse 9:30

The Jews call  Ezra a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is the saying from their mouth; (In this) they are intimate; what the Unbelievers of the old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the truth.                   ( Holy Quran 9:30 )                 
 before i start my argument on said subject let's read the following verse from holy Quran which also tells about another divine sonship ;but this time its not a specific one rather a common one.


Both) the Jews and the Christians say: "We are sons of Allah, and His beloved." Say: "Why then doth He punish you for your sins? Nay ye are but men,― of the men He hath created: He forgiveth whom He pleaseth, and He punisheth whom He pleaseth: and to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between: and unto Him is the final goal (of all)."(Holy Quran 5:18)
 so your mind should have been enlightened from above verse that sonship not necessarily means a contrived concept of begotten son. the term son denotes " a privileged one "
 having said that now i come to my discussion.

when come to the verse 9:30 some non muslims raise questions regarding divine sonship of Ezra( Uzair) .they try to show that this verse is  something which can be term as wrong supposition of the author.
what they want to say is that this verse blames Jews for a sin which they have not committed  .
in response to this verse, almost all Jews assert that they never heard of any sonship in Jewish sects and their beliefs.but time to time when they got responses from Muslim scholars they went on twisting their words for new allegations against holy Quran but with the grace of ALLAH none of  allegations about holy Quran  proved right, no matter in which regard it been leveled.
the criticism on  said verse is highly ironical indeed.on one hand non muslims deal this matter with historical ground and on the other they totally discard the historical fact that when that verse was revealed the non muslims  specially the Jews of that time did not raise objection against it.The Jews of Medina were avowed critics of Muhammad(peace be upon him), and would drilled him with questions about his prophethood whenever they had the chance, "The Jews used to annoy the Apostle with all kinds of questions" (Ibn Ishaq, Sirah)

eg. "While the Prophet(peace be upon him) was reclining on a palm tree, some Jews passed by. They talked among themselves: Let's ask him about the spirit" (Sahih Bukhari)

The Jews even asked him about the story of the Seven Sleepers, and ALLAH answered with one whole chapter -"The cave".

Yet there's not a single report of the contemporary Jews rebuking prophet Muhammad( peace be upon him) for the notion that Jews call ezra son of god.
But we do have a hadith quoting the prominent Jews of Medina as saying "How could we follow you when you have forsaken our qiblah and does not consider Ezra as a son of God?" (Tabari, Tarikh)

it should be noted that the verse says "these are the words of their mouths" so it's not written in their scriptures they must have said that but it wasn't written down in their holy books.the verse doesn't explicitly imply that Jews worship Ezra, but actually translates as "The Jews SAY Ezra is a son of God".
let's see who is Ezra and how he was elevated to a status where he was considered by some Jews as "son of god "

Also interesting is Dr. Muhammad Mohar Ali's comments on this issue:
Of course there is no evidence in the extant Old Testament about it; but the Qur'an was not referring to what is written in the Old Testament about 'Uzayr but to the belief and assertion of some of the Jews of the time who regarded 'Uzayr as the son of God. In fact the 'ayah in question, 9:30, starts with the expression: "And the Jews say". The commentator Al-Baydawi, to whome Watt refers a number of times in his book, (fn. Watt, Muhammad's Mecca, 108, note 2 to Chapter 1 and notes 2 and 10 to Chapter III) makes it clear with reference to this 'ayah that because the Old Testament was given its present form by 'Uzayr, many of the Jews of the time considered him a "son of God" and that specifically at Madina there was a group of Jews who held that belief. Al-Baydawi futher points out that the 'ayah in question was read out and recited as usual but no Madinan Jew came forward with a contradiction (fn.Al-Baydawi, Tafsir, I, second Egyptian impression, 1968, p. 412). It is to be noted that this 'ayah is unanimously regarded as Madinan. Hence the silence of the Jews of the place on the matter is suggestive enough, particularly as they were avowed critics of the Prophet.
Not only Al-Baydawi but also other commentators mention that the 'ayah refers to the views of a particular group of the Jews. For instance, Al-Tabari bives a number of reports together with their chains of narrators specifically mentioning the leading Jews of Madina who considered Uzayr a son of God. The most prominent of those Jews were Finhas, Sullam ibn Mishkam, Nu'man ibn Awfa, Sha's ibn Qays and Malik ibn al-Sayf (fn. Al-Tabari, Tafsir, XIV, 201-204). Similarly, Al-Qurtubi mentions the same fact and the same names adding that the expression "the Jews" occuring at the beginning of the 'ayah means "some particular Jews", just as the expression "people told them" (qala lahum al-nas) means not all the people of the world but some particular people. He further says that the Jewish sect who held that 'Uzayr was God's son had become extinct by his (Al-Qurtubi's) time (fn. Al-Qurtubi, Tafsir, Pt. VIII, 116-117). (Muhammad Mohar Ali, The Qur'an and the Orientalists, Jam'iyat 'Ihyaa' Minhaaj Al-Sunnah 2004, p. 66)

In his response to Ezra divine sonship, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:


“Ever since then, Ezra has been venerated to such a degree that his verdicts on the Law of Moses have come to be regarded by the Talmudists as being practically equivalent to the Law itself, which, in Qur’anic ideology, amounts to the unforgivable sin of shirk inasmuch as it implies the elevation of a human being to the status of a quasi-divine law-giver and the blasphemous attribution to him—albeit metaphorically—of the quality of “sonship” in relation to God. Compare in this connection Exodus 4:22-23 (“Israel is My son”) or Jeremiah 31:9 (“I am a father to Israel”): expressions to which, because of their idolatrous implications, the Qur’an takes strong exception.” (Muhammad Asad, The Message of the Qur’an. Gibraltar: Dar al-Andalus, 1980, pp. 262-263).

                                         who was Ezra                                            
Ezra (5th-4th century BC, Babylon and Jerusalem) was a religious leader of the Jews who returned from exile in Babylon, and a reformer who reconstituted the Jewish community on the basis of the Torah (Law, or the regulations of the first five books of the Old Testament). This monumental work of Ezra helped to make Judaism a religion in which law was central, that enabled the Jews to survive as a community when they were dispersed all over the world. Ezra has with some justice been called the father of Judaism since his efforts did much to give Jewish religion the form that was to characterize it for centuries after the specific form the Jewish religion took after the Babylonian Exile. So important was he in the eyes of his people that later tradition regarded him as no less than a second Moses
Regarding the tomb of Ezra Encyclopaedia Judaica says:
There are number of traditions concerning the site of Ezra's tomb. According to Josephus it is in Jerusalem; other hold that he was buried in Urta or in Zunzumu on the Tigris; but the general accepted version is that his tomb is situated in Uzer, a village near Basra. This tradition is mentioned by Benjamin of Tuleda, Pethahiah of Regensburg, Judah Alharizi, and other travelers, Jewish and non-Jewish who visited Babylonia.  Encyclopaedia Judaica, Volume 6, Encylopedia Judaica Jerusalem, p. 1108 )                                        
Encyclopaedia Britannica says
On the other hand, Ezra occupies a unique position in the esteem of all Jews, and has always been praised by them in the most extravagant terms. It was he who restored and codified the Torah after it had been lost during the Babylonian Exile, and "edited" it in more or less the form which it has today; and thus "he promoted the establishment of an exclusive, legalistic type of religion that became dominant in later Judaism"(Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1963, vol. IX, p. 15)

                                         the Divine status of Ezra                                       

It is interesting to note that the Jews in Arabia, during the advent of Islam, were involved in mystical speculation as well as anthromorphizing and worshipping an angel that functions as the substitute creator of the universe. That angel is usually identified as Metatron                                            
( G. D. Newby, A History Of The Jews Of Arabia, 1988, University Of South Carolina Press, p. 59.)


 . Newby notes that:
...we can deduce that the inhabitants of Hijaz during Muhammad's time knew portions, at least, of 3 Enoch in association with the Jews. The angels over which Metatron becomes chief are identified in the Enoch traditions as the sons of God, the Bene Elohim, the Watchers, the fallen ones as the causer of the flood. In 1 Enoch, and 4 Ezra, the term Son of God can be applied to the Messiah, but most often it is applied to the righteous men, of whom Jewish tradition holds there to be no more righteous than the ones God elected to translate to heaven alive. It is easy, then, to imagine that among the Jews of the Hijaz who were apparently involved in mystical speculations associated with the merkabah, Ezra, because of the traditions of his translation, because of his piety, and particularly because he was equated with Enoch as the Scribe of God, could be termed one of the Bene Elohim. And, of course, he would fit the description of religious leader (one of the ahbar of the Qur'an 9:31) whom the Jews had exalted.[Ibid, p. 61.]
The Islamic exegetes have mentioned that there existed a community of Jews in Yemen who considered Ezra as son of God. Hirschberg says in Encyclopaedia Judaica:
H. Z. Hirschberg proposed another assumption, based on the words of Ibn Hazm, namely, that the 'righteous who live in Yemen believed that 'Uzayr was indeed the son of Allah.' According to other Muslim sources, there were some Yemenite Jews who had converted to Islam who believed that Ezra was the messiah. For Muhammad, Ezra, the apostle (!) of messiah, can be seen in the same light as the Christian saw Jesus, the messiah, the son of Allah.[Encyclopaedia Judaica, Ibid., p. 1108.]
George Sale makes an interesting comment concerning the Muslim as well as Judeo-Christian opinion on this issue.
This grievous charge against the Jews, the commentators endeavour to support by telling us, that it is meant of some ancient heterdox Jews, or else of some Jews of Medina; who said so for no other reason, than for that the law being utterly lost and forgotten during the Babylonish captivity, Ezra having been raised to life after he had been dead one hundred years, dictated the whole anew unto the scribes, out of his own memory; at which they greatly marvelled, and declared that he could not have done it, unless he were the son of God. Al-Beidawi adds, that the imputation must be true, because this verse was read to the Jews and they did not contradict it; which they were ready enough to do in other instances.
That Ezra did restore not only the Pentateuch, but also the other books of the Old Testament, by divine revelation, was the opinion of several of the Christian fathers, who are quoted by Dr.Prideaux, and of some other writers; which they seem to have first borrowed from a passage in that very ancient apocryphal book, called in our English Bible, the second book of Esdras. Dr. Prideaux tells us, that herein the Fathers attributed more to Ezra, than the Jews themselves, which he laboured much in, and went a great way in the perfecting of it. It is not improbable however, that the fiction came originally from the Jews, though they be now of another opinion, and I cannot fix it upon them by any direct proof. For, not to insist upon the testimony of the Mohammedans (which yet I cannot but think of some little weight in a point of this nature,) it is allowed by the most sagacious critics, that the second book of Ezra was written by a Chrisitian indeed, but yet one who had been bred a Jew, and was intimately acquainted with the fables of the Rabbins; and the story itself is perfectly in the taste and was of thinking of those men.[George Sale, The Koran, IX Edition of 1923, London, p. 152.]
Last but not the least, a Christian writer also proposed that Muhammad got the information of Jews exalting Ezra to son of God from the Samaritans who said the Ezra had acted presumptuously and had changed the old divine alphabetical character of the holy Books of the Law - a character still used and revered to this day by rapidly dwindling Samaritan community.( J. Walker, "Who Is 'Uzair?", The Moslem World, Volume XIX, No. 3, 1939, pp. 305-306 )

This author concludes in a rather unchristian way that:
But it is not at all unlikely that the source of Mohammed's indictment of the Jews is to be found among the Samaritans or amongst Arab tribesmen of Samaritan strain. If we found in Samaritan literature the opposite belief that Ezra (or Uzair) was the son of Satan, we would be well-nigh sure of having settled the matter.      ( Ibid,p.306)

Ezra was regarded as a very important figure in Judaism.By many Jews, he is believed to have never even died: Ezra was regarded as a very important figure in Judaism.By many Jews, he is believed to have never even died and Second Esdras confirm this.

Second Esdras Summary: 
The Second Book of Esdras is an apocalypse that attempts to explain why God allowed the  Jewish Temple in Jerusalem to be destroyed by Gentiles in AD 70.
The book claims to report seven visions of Ezra the Scribe concerning ethical issues and the problem of evil and  suffering.                                                      
   The first three revelations (3:1—9:25) concern the angel Uriel’s instructions to Ezra about the spiritual-moral realm.                                                                     
    In the fourth revelation (9:26—10:59), Ezra witnesses a  mourning woman  change into the heavenly Jerusalem.                                                                         
     The fifth and sixth revelations   (11—13) condemn the Roman Empire and forecast its destruction along with other evil  Gentile nations by a messiah.         
     The seventh revelation (14) describes Ezra’s role in producing the books  included in the canonical Scriptures (the 22 books in the Hebrew Bible) and the (70) apocryphal books. This revelation closes with Ezra being taken into  heaven without dying. Chapters 1 and 2 and 15 and 16 are generally recognized as subsequent Christian interpolations                                                                                                               
excerpt from HERE


a)  The  Samaritans   have  been  considered   by  some  scholars   as  the adherents of a heretic  sect of Judaism,  which  favors  the Jewish  point of view. Others  have seen  Samaritanism   as a different    version  of Israelite  religion,  of Judaism,    but  justified    as  well.  Some   others   thought   that   they are    the descendants   of those  who were  formerly  pagans  and later Judaized  people  of Cuthah,  which  is suggested  in the Bible.......  In  other  words,  major  distinctions  are few in number  but  they are  what  make   the  chief  cultic   characteristics    so  radically   different.    The Samaritan   Pentateuch   (SP)  is  otherwise   basically   the  same  as  the   Jewish Torah,  argue  some,  but these  significant  differences  served  as the  ground  for the  Samaritans   as  a  separate   sect .....................for   the   Muslim chroniclers,  they give some different  information  about the Samaritans.  All of them   basically   see  them   as  a  Jewish   group   or  sect,  which   differs   from Judaism  in some  respects.  Baliidhuri  (d.892)  states  that the  Samaritans  were Jews  and they split into two sects: Düstiin and Küshiin.. .........   Since  both  parties claim to have  the original  Pentateuch,   how did they  fall apart,  and what  is the reason  behind  the schism?  ..........  According   to Walker,  Ezra certainly  played  an important  part  in editing  the Jewish   scripture;   but  only  the  Samaritan   sect  held  an  extreme   opinion   of him.188      in the  eye s  of  the  Samaritans,   Ezra  had  acted  presumptuously    by changing   the  old   divine   script.   Therefore,    he  had   acted   as  if  he   were authorized   by  God,  or  as  if  he  were  the  son  of  God.  Consequently    they accused  the Jews of following  Ezra and accepting  the new edition    of the  true Pentateuch.189          Walker  identifies  Ezra with  'Uzayr  in the Qur'iin,  in which  he is narrated  as the one whom  the Jews claimed  to be the son of God  apparently against  the Christians  who  daim   the same  thing  for Jesus  (Qur'iin,   9/30).190

excerpt from the article
" The Samaritans  (el-Samiriyyün) and Some
Theological  Issues Between Samaritanism  and Islam "           

   by  I'EHRULLAH TERKANDR. ANKARA Üniversity,
FACULTY OF THEOLOGYe-mail: fterkan@uehieago.edu

The Christian Delegation from Najran
While the war of words was raging between Muhammad and the Jews in full intensity, a delegation from the Christians of Najran consisting of sixty riders arrived in Medina. Among them were some of the nobles, learned men, and religious leaders of the tribe whom the emperors of Byzantium had been protecting, encouraging, financing, and assisting in the building of churches. .......... The three scriptural religions thus confronted one another in Medina. The delegation entered with the Prophet into public debate and these were soon joined by the Jews, thus resulting in a tripartite dialogue between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Jews were obstinately denying the prophethood of Jesus as well as of Muhammad, as we have seen earlier, and pretending that Ezra was the son of God. The Christians were defending trinitarianism and the divinity of Jesus. Muhammad was calling men to recognize the unity of God and the spiritual unity of mankind...........Muhammad criticized both Jews and Christians in very strong terms for their compromise of the monotheistic faith that God is one, for tampering with the words of God in their scriptures, and for interpreting them in ways violating the understanding of the prophets whose prophethood they themselves acknowledged


Twice translated into Persian during the Safawid period al-Ihtijal 'ala ahl al-lajaj ("The Disputation against the People of Obstinacy") of al-TabarsT records a tradition relayed through Ja'far al-Sadiq and Imam 'All detailing a debate of Muhammad with a Jew, a Christian, an Atheist, a Dualist (Zoroastrian) and an Idolator (I htijaj, 1:21ff). Muhammad confounds Jewish and Christian assertions about the supposed Sonship (ibn Allah) of Ezra and Jesus. Using his opponents logic he argues that if Ezra who revived the Torah is called Ibn Allah (Son of God) why not Moses to whom this very book was revealed. 

( excerpt from Here )



" The Sunan compilers also recorded this same Hadith.4 [ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. [ ] ] (1. Say: "He is Allah, One.'') (2. "Allah As-Samad.'') (3. "He begets not, nor was He begotten.'') (4. "And there is none comparable to Him.'') The reason for the revelation of this Surah has already been mentioned. `Ikrimah said, "When the Jews said, `We worship `Uzayr, the son of Allah,' and the Christians said, `We worship the Messiah (`Isa), the son of Allah,' and the Zoroastrians said, `We worship the sun and the moon,' and the idolators said, `We worship idols,' Allah revealed to His Messenger , [ ] (Say: "He is Allah, One.'')5 meaning, He is the One, the Singular, Who has no peer, no assistant, no rival, no equal and none comparable to Him. This word (Al-Ahad) cannot be used for anyone in affirmation except Allah the Mighty and Majestic, because He is perfect in all of His attributes and actions. Concerning His saying, 1 2 An-Nasai in Al-Kubra, Tuhfat Al-Ashraf 2:90. Abu Dawud no. 1493, At-Tirmidhi no. 3475, and Ibn Majah no. 3857. 3 Fath Al-Bari 8:679. 4 Abu Dawud 5:303, Tuhfat Al-Ahwadhi 9:347, An-Nasai in Al-Kubra 6:197, and Ibn Majah 2:1275. 5 "
( excerpt from Here)

Al` Awfi reported from Ibn Abbas, " The people of Shirk used to say, we worship the angels and the Messiah and Uzayr, while these (the angels and the Messiah and Uzayr) themselves call upon Allah. excerpt from Here )

when you discuss this verse( 9:30 ) with a Jew,he will ridicule you and will firmly assert that Judaism is free from polytheistic beliefs.he will also assure you that Judaism teaches us to believe in one god.there is no room for divine sonship and ascribing something as deity in Judaism.but you must now that Jews are Jews, they lie and lie only to let holy Quran down.we will quote some articles which will expose Judaism to the core.it will reveal to you that Judaism is full polytheistic and agnostic beliefs.
some polytheistic and agnostic beliefs of Jews.


The Tanakh calls many many people sons of God - most notably david, elijah and the coming messiah in the psalms.
(The Tanakh (Hebrew: תַּנַ"ךְ‎, pronounced [taˈnaχ] or [təˈnax]; also Tenakh, Tenak) is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible.  Wikipedia      )

In the Tanakh, the phrase "sons of god" has multiple meanings:      The Hebrew phrase Benei Elohim, often translated as "The Sons of God", describes angels , demigods or immensely powerful human beings. See Genesis 6:2-4. Many Bible scholars believe that this is a reference to pre-Biblical near-eastern mythology. 
  
It is used to denote a human judge or ruler (Ps. lxxxii. 6, "children of the Most High"; in many passages "gods" and "judges" seem to be equations); and to the real or ideal king over Israel (II Sam. vii. 14, with reference to David and his dynasty; comp. Ps. lxxxix. 27, 28). 

The phrases "sons of God" and "children of God" are applied to Israel as a people (comp. Ex. iv. 22 and Hos. xi. 1), the Jewish people, and also to all members of the human race.

In the Tanakh Tanakh> the term does not connote any form of physical descent from, or essential unity with, God. The Hebrew idiom conveys an expression of godlikeness (see Godliness ).
( excerpt from HERE  )

G-d's Firstborn Son
So how has G-d brought His message of truth to the world? According to the Bible, G-d declares that He does have a special son whose mission is to bring His blessings and His salvation to the entire world.
Who is this son? Many religious leaders have offered their opinions on the identity of His son, but really we should find out G-d's "opinion" on this matter.
In the book of Exodus, G-d openly proclaims His son to the world: "Thus says the L-rd: My firstborn son is Israel" (4).
"Israel" is the Jewish people—all of them. The Jews were chosen by G-d to be His special "son," to be, in the words of the Bible, "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" for the whole world (5).
All people are G-d's children, of course, but the Jews are like a "firstborn son" who brings G-d's Word to his younger brothers. Every person who learns from the Jews, and helps them fulfill their special role, becomes a part of G-d's  kingdom                                                                                                   ( excerpt from HERE )


A Jewish professor & Nazi concentration camp survivor wrote in 1994:
"According to the cabbala, the universe is ruled not by one god but by several deities, of various characters and influences, emanated by a dim, distant First Cause. Omitting many details, one can summarize the system as follows. From the First Cause, first a male god called 'Wisdom' or 'Father' and then a female goddess called 'Knowledge' or 'Mother' were emanated or born. From the marriage of these two, a pair of younger gods were born: Son, also called by many other names such as 'Small Face' or 'The Holy Blessed One'; and Daughter, also called 'Lady' (or 'Matronit', a word derived from Latin), 'Shekhinah', 'Queen', and so on. These two younger gods should be united, but their union is prevented by the machinations of Satan, who in this system is a very important and independent personage."

(Excerpt from Here )






almost all jews believe that jacob wrestled with god(click here)
Israel is a biblical name. The patriarch Jacob was given the name Israel ,after he wrestled with thegod.the isreal  means one wrestled with god.
for more
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob

For there are three philosophical sects among the Jews. The followers of the first of which are the Pharisees; of the second, the Sadducees; and the third sect, which pretends to a severer discipline, are called Essenes...the Sadducees are those that compose the second order, and take away fate entirely, and suppose that God is not concerned in our doing or not doing what is evil; and they say, that to act what is good, or what is evil, is at men's own choice, and that the one or the other belongs so to every one, that they may act as they please. They also take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades...The Sadducees one towards another is in some degree wild, and their conversation with those that are of their own party is as barbarous as if they were strangers to them.( from wikipedia)

following are two  articles which you  may find interesting.

"After the ruin of the temple, the faith of the Hebrew exiles was purified, fixed, and enlightened, by the spiritual devotion of the synagogue; and the authority of Mahomet will not justify his perpetual reproach, that the Jews of Mecca or Medina adored Ezra as the son of God. 74 But the children of Israel had ceased to be a people; and the religions of the world were guilty, at least in the eyes of the prophet, of giving sons, or daughters, or companions, to the supreme God."                                                                                                                                  
                   ( excerpt fro Here )

an interesting article about samaritans can be read at following.
The Fake "Jews" were called Samaritans!(click here)

After providing the above material one point still remains untouched which non muslims raise against this verse.they regard that the clause "The Jews call Uzair( Ezra) a son of Allah" implies that all Jews call him so. in fact this is a superficial understanding due to lack of in depth study of holy Quran.if someone has studied the holy Quran thoroughly,  he would know that Holy Quran has a sublime style and diction which is unique and unsurpassed.its not like a kindergarten text book which is meant to be plain.each word and phrase of holy Quran carry a terse subject in itself but it is up to the reader's own capacity how he explores it to the kernel. 
we will quote some holy Quran verses which describe some characteristics of  man( ins), like the focus verse say about Jews.
each verse below describes some common traits of man but taking it for whole of mankind would be a serious mistake,as it clearly imply the some men or most of the men for which a general word man(Ins) is used.


22:66    It is He Who gave you life will cause you to die and will again give you life: truly man is a most ungrateful creature!

100:6   Truly Man is to his Lord ungrateful;
( it is obvious that all men could not be ungrateful as holy Quran verse 12:38 concludes" yet most men are not grateful." similarly 34:13 says " But few of My servants are grateful! " )

now read first 6 verse of chapter 75. the verse 5 clearly indicates that there are certain people who have an utmost desire for wrong doing.thus this verse speaks of some specific type of human kind.

                     Holy Quran ,chapter# 75
1    I do call to witness the Resurrection Day;
2    And I do call to witness the self-reproaching spirit; (eschew Evil).
3    Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones?
4    Nay We are able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers.
5    But man wishes to do wrong (even) in the time in front of him.
6    He questions: "When is the Day of Resurrection?"

similarly chapter 41,verses 49-51 illustrate some specific human nature

49    Man does not weary of asking for good (things) but if ill touches him he gives up all hope (and) is lost in despair.
50    When We give him a taste of some mercy from Ourselves after some adversity has touched him he is sure to say "This is due to my (merit): I think not that the Hour (of Judgment) will (ever) be established; but if I am brought back to my Lord I have (much) good (stored) in His sight!" But We will show the Unbelievers the truth of all that they did and We shall give them the taste of a severe Penalty.
51    When We bestow favors on man he turns away and gets himself remote on his side (instead of coming to Us); and when Evil seizes him (he comes) full of prolonged prayer!


some miscellaneous examples from holy Quran

   Say: "If ye had control of the Treasures of the Mercy of my Lord behold ye would keep them back for fear of spending them: for man is (ever) niggardly!" (17:100 )

    Now when trouble touches man he cries to Us; but when We bestow a favor upon him as from Ourselves he says "This has been given to me because of a certain knowledge (I have)!" Nay but this is but a trial but most of them understand not! ( 39:49 )
"Truly man was created very impatient" ( 70:19 )

with best regards
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How can Islaam be called the religion of peace when it was spread by the sword?


Q4. How can Islaam be called the religion of peace when it was spread by the sword?
Answer.  

It is a common complaint among some non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of adherents all over the world, if it had not been spread by the use of force. The following points will make it clear, that far from being spread by the sword, it was the inherent force of truth, reason and logic that was responsible for the rapid spread of Islam.  
1. Islaam means peace.
Islam comes from the root word ‘salaam’, which means peace. It also means submitting one’s will to Allah (swt). Thus Islam is a religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting one’s will to the will of the Supreme Creator, Allah (swt).  
2. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace.
Each and every human being in this world is not in favour of maintaining peace and harmony. There are many, who would disrupt it for their own vested interests. Sometimes force has to be used to maintain peace. It is precisely for this reason that we have the police who use force against criminals and anti-social elements to maintain peace in the country. Islam promotes peace. At the same time, Islam exhorts it followers to fight where there is oppression. The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. In Islam force can only be used to promote peace and justice.  
3. Opinion of historian De Lacy O’Leary.
The best reply to the misconception that Islam was spread by the sword is given by the noted historian De Lacy O’Leary in the book "Islam at the cross road" (Page 8):
"History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated."  
4. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years.
Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years. The Muslims in Spain never used the sword to force the people to convert. Later the Christian Crusaders came to Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There was not a single Muslim in Spain who could openly give the adhan, that is the call for prayers.  
5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians.
Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years. For a few years the British ruled, and for a few years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christians i.e. Christians since generations. If the Muslims had used the sword there would not have been a single Arab who would have remained a Christian.  
6. More than 80% non-Muslims in India.
The Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years. If they wanted, they had the power of converting each and every non-Muslim of India to Islam. Today more than 80% of the population of India are non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim Indians are bearing witness today that Islam was not spread by the sword.  
7. Indonesia and Malaysia.
Indonesia is a country that has the maximum number of Muslims in the world. The majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. May one ask, "Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia?"  
8. East Coast of Africa.
Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the East Coast of Africa. One may again ask, if Islam was spread by the sword, "Which Muslim army went to the East Coast of Africa?"
9. Thomas Carlyle.
The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in his book "Heroes and Hero worship", refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam: "The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can."  
10. No compulsion in religion.
With which sword was Islam spread? Even if Muslims had it they could not use it to spread Islam because the Qur'ân says in the following verse: "Let there be no compulsion in religion, Truth stands out clear from error" [Al-Qur'ân 2:256]  
11. Sword of the Intellect.
It is the sword of intellect. The sword that conquers the hearts and minds of people. The Qur'ân says in Surah Nahl, chapter 16 verse 125: "Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious." [Al-Qur'ân 16:125]  
12. Increase in the world religions from 1934 to 1984.
An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’, year book 1986, gave the statistics of the increase of percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984. This article also appeared in ‘The Plain Truth’ magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, and Christianity had increased only by 47%. May one ask, which war took place in this century which converted millions of people to Islam?  
13. Islaam is the fastest growing religion in America and Europe.
Today the fastest growing religion in America is Islam. The fastest growing religion in Europe in Islam. Which sword is forcing people in the West to accept Islam in such large numbers?  
14. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson.
Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson rightly says, "People who worry that nuclear weaponry will one day fall in the hands of the Arabs, fail to realize that the Islamic bomb has been dropped already, it fell the day MUHAMMED (pbuh) was born".
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What does holy Quran say about punishment of thief ?

Misconception: Islam and The Quran orders hands to be cut off for theft

The verse in question will be given then a discussion will be presented. It should be noted that like all punishments relating to members of a society, they are only enforceable if such a society is governed by the laws of The Quran. In such a society, it is a requirement for believers to provide for those in need [2:177, 2:215, 2:219, 5:89, 59:7].
The male thief, and the female thief, you shall mark, cut, or cut-off their hands/means as a recompense for what they earned, and to serve as a deterrent from God. God is Noble, Wise. Whoever repents after his wrongdoing and makes amends, then God will relent on him. Truly, God is Forgiving, Merciful. [5:38-39]
The above verses are commonly translated to mean physical cutting off the thief's hand or hands, however whilst this understanding is a theoretical possibility, when all the information is reviewed it is only one of several possibilities, hence the above translation. Firstly, it should be noted that the verse makes clear whoever commits theft but repents after and makes amends, then this is acceptable to God, thus no punishment can be administered in this case. This of course would only apply to those who do this before they have to be tried and found guilty. To prove this, see the verse below in which being punished is contrasted to relenting:
There are some who await God's decree whether He will punish them or relent on them. God is All Knower, All Wise. [9:106]
And how repenting and making amends shows a true repentance, thus reinforces the notion that a true/sincere repentance is accepted:
And whoever repents and takes corrective action, certainly he turns toward God with true repentance. [25:71]

The Arabic word translated as "cut" in 5:38 is "iqtaa" and occurs 14 other times in the same verb form (QaTaA) in The Quran, and with the exception of 59:5 and possibly 69:46 all other occurrences mean the non-physical or metaphorical action of "cutting off relationship" or "ending" [2:27, 3:127, 6:45, 7:72, 8:7, 9:121, 13:25, 15:66, 22:15, 27:32, 29:29, 56:33].
The derivatives that are read in the 2nd verb form (QaTTaA) occur 17 times. This form, which expresses intensity or frequency of the action, is used both to mean physical cutting off [5:33, 7:124, 20:71, 26:49, 13:31] and metaphorical cutting off [2:166, 6:94, 7:160, 7:167, 9:110, 47:15, 47:22, 21:93, 22:19, 23:53] as well as physically cutting/marking [12:31, 12:50]. It is interesting to note that even though 12:31 uses the more intensive verb form and both "cut" and "hands" together, it does not mean "cut off". The less intensive form is used in 5:38.
Secondly, the Arabic word for "hands" (aydi) is often used in The Quran in a metaphorical/metonymical manner [some examples are 2:195, 2:237, 3:3, 3:73, 5:64, 6:93, 8:70, 9:29, 23:88, 28:47, 30:36, 38:45, 48:10, 48:24, 111:1], and often has a meaning of power/means. It should also be noted that this word is in the Arabic plural meaning 3 or more hands, whilst only two people are referenced: the male and the female thief. Some have commented that this plural usage causes problems for the common interpretation of hand cutting.
Thus, it is possible to understand the punishment for thieves in three alternative ways, (1) cutting off their hands, or (2) cutting or marking their hands, or (3) cutting their means to steal, or cutting their hands from committing the crime. It is up to the society to choose one of these meanings or a combination of them depending on the severity of the crime and their ability to enforce the penalty.
It should be said however that the only working example given in The Quran of theft and its punishment is in the story of Joseph, in which option 3 is done by detaining the one guilty of theft, so that they can work to repay/compensate for the theft.
They said, "By God, you know we did not come to cause corruption in the land, and we are no thieves!"
He said, "What shall be its recompense, if you are not truthful?"
They said, "Its recompense is that he who has it in his bag, then he is its recompense. Like that do we recompense the wrongdoers."

[12:73-75]

Furthermore, 12:79 makes it clear that Joseph (described in 6:84 as one of the guided and a good doer) was acting in accordance with God's law in detaining only the one guilty of theft:
Joseph said: “God forbid that we would detain anyone except he whom we found our belongings with. Indeed, we would then be wrong doers.” [12:79]
Thus, one possible meaning of 5:38 is to apply it in the manner provided by Joseph's example.
One other potential problem is created if 5:38 means to physically cut off the hand or hands of the thief, when we consider what were to happen if a person had no hands or had been punished before hence had no more hands to cut/mark or cut off.
Also, when lashes are given as punishment for proven adultery, The Quran states not to let pity/compassion prevent you from carrying out such a punishment [24:2], but it says no such thing for the alleged hand cutting-off verse, when many consider this punishment to be worse. This adds to the possibility that it should not be taken to mean this.

Lastly, whatever interpretation is chosen, it is important to keep in mind the recurring theme of equivalence in The Quran, thus the punishment should be proportionate to the crime:
And those who, when gross injustice befalls them, they seek justice. The recompense for a crime shall be its equivalence, but whoever forgives and makes right, then his reward is upon God. He does not like the wrongdoers. [42:40]
To conclude, when all the above information is taken into account, it is clear that to physically cut off the hand of the thief is not the only possible understanding and taking into account the law of equivalence would perhaps only be reserved for significant theft which led to harming others, hence harming the perpetrator. If a Muslim in authority, like Joseph was, were to apply the punishment for theft like Joseph did, then they would be following the example of one of the guided and a good doer, as stated by The Quran.

 

Misconceptions about women in Islam



 

 
Misconceptions about women in Islam
 
 
 
There are widespread erroneous misconception about the status of women in Islam (Submission.) This misconception was augmented by some newsmedia that made little effort to correct their understanding before broadcasting their views on this matter. Adding to this misconception are the regrettable practices in most so called "Islamic" countries or societies where myths, traditions and innovations have won over the true Islamic (Quranic) teachings and where women are traditionally subdued and oppressed. In this presentation we will try to clarify the position of the true Islam (Submission) on the status of women. We will list the misconceptions then comment on every issue accordingly.
(1)Muslim women have to wear the veil:  This is a very common misconception, as Quran does not command the veil (Hijab). Wearing the veil is a tradition and is only supported by the man-made books of Hadiths and Sunna. These books do not represent the words of God in the Quran and  on many occasions contradict them. Please see:   Women Dress code in Islam.
(2) Islam encourages wife beating:  On the contrary, Quran uses the best psychological approach to discourage this widespread abuse that is widespread in both Islamic and non-Islamic societies. Please see: Domestic violence, Wife abuse and  beating, a Quranic Perspective.
(3) The woman inherits only half what a man can inherit:  This is a common misconception even among the traditional Muslims themselves. Quran gives the parents total freedom to give their children as much as they see fit even if this means giving the females double what the males would get. Quran,  however, commands that if a will is NOT left, then the estate is distributed in such a manner that the son gets double what the daughter gets. Generally, the son is responsible for a family, while the daughter is taken care of by a husband or her family. However, the Quran recommends in 2:180 that a will shall be left to conform with the specific circumstances of the deceased. For example, if the son is rich and the daughter is poor, one may leave a will giving the daughter everything, or twice as much as the son.
(4)The woman's testimony. is equal only to half of the man's testimony:  This is a gross mis-representation. The woman testimony is equal to the man's testimony except in one case only, the financial transactions. This is according to 2:282;
[ 2:282] O you who believe, when you transact a loan for any period, you shall write it down. An impartial scribe shall do the writing. ........ Two men shall serve as witnesses; if not two men, then a man and two women whose testimony is acceptable to all. Thus, if one woman becomes biased, the other will remind her. It is the obligation of the witnesses to testify when called upon to do so. ......
Financial transactions are the ONLY situations where two women may substitute for one man as witness. This is to guard against the real possibility that one witness may marry the other witness, and thus cause her to be biased. It is a recognized fact that women are more emotionally vulnerable than men. If the woman as a witness was worth half that of a man, the verse would have stated so clearly. But obviously that is not the case. Women's testimony in all other matters are equal to that of a man or even supersedes his testimony as in the case of a wife testifying against her accusation of adultery, 24:6-10. See also, 65:2, 5:106 and 4:6
(5)Muslim woman cannot have jobs outside their homes:  This also is not true. The social structure in the East where Islam (Submission) prevails encourages the woman to make her house her first priority but there is no prohibition whatsoever on women having to work and earn their living. The Muslim (submitter) woman has been given the privilege to earn money, the right to own property, to enter into legal contracts and to manage all of her assets in any way she pleases. She can hold a job or run her own business and no one has any claim on her earnings including her husband. Historically, Muhammed's first wife was a merchant who hired Muhammed to work for her. Muslim women went along with their husbands, fathers and brothers during battles to take care of the wounded and help in the back lines of  the troops..
(6)Polygamy is strongly recommended:  This is one of the most common misconceptions about Islam (Submission.) Quran strongly discourages polygamy. Polygamy was a way of life until the Quran was revealed 1400 years ago. It was advocated and practiced by the followers of the previous scriptures. Quran came to put the first scriptural limit on polygamy and discourages it as much as possible. Please see; Polygamy, the right  way In all the scriptures, the men were allowed to have more than one wife and not vise verse, since the idea of polygamy then was to populate the earth. As we know a woman can be pregnant only once a year even if she is married to four men but one man can have four children in the process at the same time if he is married to four wives. Polygamy was never meant to be abused for sexual pleasure or prove superiority. The emotional make up of a man makes him acceptable to polygamy and the opposite is true for women who prefer a monogamous relationship.
(7)Men status is higher than that of the women :  Again this is not true. Many writers who wrote about women's rights refer to the statement in 4:34 as a sign of the man is above the women in status but it is a misunderstood statement.   In 4:34, the expression "..al-rijalu qawwdmuna 'ala al-nisa'i.... " means "The men are made responsible for the women, and GOD has endowed them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners." This expression simply means that God is appointing the husband as "captain of the ship." Marriage is like a ship, and the captain runs it after due consultation with his officers. It does not assign inequality but rather assigns duties to avoid conflicts and disputes.
Quran provides every possible proof that women and men are equal in th sight of God and treats both genders in the same way and rewards them in the same way. Please see; Are women and men equal in Islam?  ,   Women in the religion of Submission (Islam) and Blame it on Eve. !.
(8) Muslim Women cannot have education: This is not true. Qur'an encourages the pursuit of knowledge by all Muslims (Submitters) regardless of their sex. It repeatedly commands all believers to read, to recite, to think, to contemplate, as well as to learn from the signs of God surrounding us in nature. In fact, the very first revelation to Prophet Muhammad was "READ" and the second revelation talked about God who teaches the people by the "PEN". In either case no gender is advocated, the order is for everyone. Islam (Submission) does not put any limit on the kind or field of education a woman may choose. Islamic history still has the mark of few women scholars
(9)Women cannot share in the political life in their communities: This also is not true. Women in Islam (Submission) have the right to vote, express their views on any public matter, run for an office and even be the head of a state.See 60:12, 27:22-44  Please see; Women and Politics in Islam  and The record set straight: Women in Islam have rights.
(10)Women cannot pray, fast, do Hajj or Ummrah during menstruation: This misconception is even common among women who follow the traditional Islam that derives many of its laws from man-made books. This is totally against the teachings of the Quran. Please see; Religious Duties  and Menstruation . A question/ answer report.
(11)Women are stoned to death for Adultery : This is totally false as there is NO death penalty for adultery in Islam (Submission). The penalty of adultery is equal for both men and women, and involves symbolic lashing. Social pressure, i.e., public witnessing of the penalty, is the basic punishment  see 24:1-2
(12)Muslim women cannot marry Jewish or Christian men:  This common misconception is advocated and promoted by men but have no basis in the Quran. Quran gives both men and women the right to marry from the people of the book, i.e. Muslims (Submitters), Jews or Christians. God also reminds us that the marriage to a believer is much better than the marriage to an idolworshiper. See 5:5 and 2:221. See also; Marriage in the Quran,  and A Marriage question and answer from  the Quran.
(13)Muslim women do not have the right to divorce their husbands: This is not true. Divorce laws in the Quran apply to both men and women equally. Women have the right to divorce their husbands as long as they follow the laws set in the Quran. Please see; Divorce according to the Quran.
(14)Compensation for the murder of a woman is half the going rate for men: This is totally false as both men and women are equally treated and compensated according to the Quran. Such laws are found in the fabricated books of Hadiths and Sunna and they are not the laws of God in the Quran.See 2:178.
(15)For a woman to prove rape, four adult males of "impeccable" character must witness the incident: This a gross misunderstanding of this law. Like any civil law in the civilized world, Quran urges a proof beyond doubt for such a horrendous crime. Quran accepts a proof of a crime if the proof is beyond doubt, e.g. see 12:75. Therefore although the verses of adultery which is used in cases of rape are applied, a proof beyond doubt, e.g. DNA of the offender should be an acceptable proof instead of four witnesses in these cases. Insisting on four witnesses when the  other proof is beyond doubt is NOT Quranic.
(16)The legal age for girls to marry tends to be very young:  This is not an Islamic law but local tribal or cultural tradition. In reality Islam (Submission) expects marriage to be established on mutual understanding, acceptance and approval. Such requirements cannot be achieved in the very young girls (or boys). Maturity, mentally, emotionally and physically is the rule in Islam (Submission)  before marriage. The story of prophet Muhammed marrying his wife Aysha when she was only six is a gross lie that can be found in the Hadiths books that are full of many other similar lies that do not represent Islam (Submission.) Please see; Prophet Muhammed's marriage to Aysha.
(17)Female circumcision, also called female genital mutilation: Quran does not mention nor advocates female circumcision and all the rituals that go with it. This is NOT an Islamic practice by all means. This practice predates Muhammad and is also common among some Christian communities.
(18) Muslim women are not allowed to drive: Again this is not Islamic law but rather a local tradition in some of these so called "Islamic" countries. Quran has no restriction on the women moving freely in the society, whether this includes riding a horse, driving a car or flying an aeroplane. Local laws that require the women to be accompanied by a male relative whenever they travel are traditional laws that have NO basis in the Quran.
(19) Typically, fathers win custody of boys over the age of six and girls after the onset of puberty: This is only a local law that is not supported by the Quran. Cases of custody are to be decided on a case by case basis with the interest of the children being the priority in any judgment. God puts a great emphasis on protecting the right of the weak and unprotected kids, please see; 6:151-152, 17:31, 17:34, 2:233, 6:140, 60:12, 4:127, 4:2, 4:10, 33:5, 93:9, 2:215, .....
(20) Women must be segregated form men in public, work and places of worship: This is a common misconception even among some Muslims but has NO basis in the Quran. On the contrary, God meant for the women and men to be together with NO segregation whether in public, work or worship places. Hajj (pilgrimage) is a vivid example of how women and men are not segregated and worship in the same place, then go ahead with their lives and practice commerce after Hajj with no limits..
(21) "honor killings" of women:  Murders by husbands or male relatives of women suspected of disobedience, usually a sexual indiscretion or marriage against the family's wishes. These are tribal laws, not Islamic laws. There is no such thing as HONOR killing in Islam (Submission.) All killings are condemned in the Quran. in the strongest language possible. Please see; 5:32, 6:151 and 17:33.  Punishment for these killers will follow the same general rules in the Quran and would not get a lighter sentence for his claims even if they were true. After all, these killers violated the sacred laws of God in the Quran. The punishment in the Quran is based always on an attempt to save lives not to waste lives. Please see Capital Punishment in Islam.
(22) "Morality Police" keeps control on the behaviour of women:  Islam (Submission) does not assign police for morality as such character is not created by force but rather by understanding of God's laws in the Quran. The practice of the so called "Morality Police" is a total innovation of some of these so called "Islamic" countries but has nothing to do with Islam (Submission.)
(23) Women cannot travel freely except in the company of a male relative, "mahram":  This is a man made fabrication that has no support in the Quran. According to the Quran, women have no limitations on their moves, travels or activities. Men who hire themsleves guards on the women's moves do this out of their own wishes not beause of any religious law in the Quran.