Ibn Kammuna
Ibn Kammuna
On Hate Speech
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About more than a year ago, a young lady at a prestigious high school contacted me with a set of questions about Islam. She was taking a graduation credit course for advanced students. She had to do a major research project paper. In planning such a project, she wrote a set of questions about Islam. She sent those questions to different researchers who are defending Islam, as well as to researchers like me who are critical of Islam.
One of her questions was: What do you believe “Jihad” is? Well, what difference does it make if I believe “Jihad” is good, or bad, or mean, or generous? The question was rather worded poorly. It was more accurate to ask what does Islam teach about Jihad? That is to say what meaning(s) of Jihad we find when we research the Qur’an and Hadith. What I believe Jihad is has no consequences and remains a subjective matter, and has no importance at all. What Islam teaches Jihad is in its authentic sources is of most importance. I clarified my point to this young student, and proceeded to quote from Qur’an and Hadith to decipher the meaning(s) of Jihad in Islam. Write comment (151 Comments)Allah's 99 Names and Conceptual Problems
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Introduction
It is no surprise that a simple name given to an individual or entity won’t attract much criticism or analysis, but a complicated one would. That is the nature of things. The more attributes attached to an individual or entity may give rise to more analyses and comparisons of those attributes. In Islam, its divine entity Allah has ninety-nine names, each carrying an attribute possessed by Him. So, those varied attributes of Allah calls for comparison and analysis for consistency. In this article, I will show that such attributes pose difficult problems for Muslim believers on the theological level. I will also show that Allah’s name in Islam has at least a hundred names and not just ninety nine.
Write comment (94 Comments)Sura Al-Fatiha
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Introduction
Al-Fatiha is one of the shorter Suras in the Qur’an.
Al-Fatiha is only 7 verses. Muslims must read it in their daily prayers. It is considered the “Mother” of the whole Qur’an, one of the greatest Suras ever.
Ahmad ibn Hanbal recorded in his Musnad that Abu Sa`id bin Al-Mu`alla had said:
"I was praying when the Prophet called me, so I did not answer him until I finished the prayer. I then went to him and he said, What prevented you from coming?
I said, 'O Messenger of Allah! I was praying.'
He said, Didn't Allah say,
O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life.
He then said,
"I will teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur'an before you leave the Masjid (Mosque)."
He held my hand and when he was about to leave the Masjid, I said, `O Messenger of Allah! You said: I will teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur'an.'
He said, Yes.
Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-`Alamin,
It is the seven repeated (verses) and the Glorious Qur'an that I was given.
Muhammad: A Beast or a Prophet?
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Introduction
In this article, I introduce certain stories about Prophet Muhammad. More than a billion human beings today claim that he was a merciful prophet of God. According to them, he was al-Insan al-Kamel, i.e. the perfect human being. Whatever Muslims may believe about Muhammad, the stories of his life as recorded in sacred Islamic texts serve as a 'reality check' of the “true persona” that he was. In this article, I will mostly quote the stories from the most trusted Islamic sources and let the reader judge. I believe that at the end of this essay, the reader would judge Muhammad as a cruel beast, not a saintly prophet of God.
Write comment (50 Comments)Khalid bin Waleed – The Sword of Islam
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Introduction
Muslims brag about the Sahaba, the male companions of Prophet Muhammad. One of the most revered Sahaba is Khalid bin Al-Waleed, a great warrior of Islam. His reverence is such in Islam that he is called the “Sword of Islam” (Saif al-Islam).
Well, truth can be stranger than fiction. Khalid was a very greedy and despicable human being. He stayed with the Meccans when they were stronger than Muhammad. But as he watched the power equation tilting toward Muhammad, and that more and more renegades were joining Muhammad and enriching themselves with booty, he joined the Muslim camp in the year 629 AD in order to be on the stronger side and to have a share of Muhammad's booty. And despite bitter past enmity, Muhammad was very happy to receive him, as he was his own kin and a vicious-heart and ruthless warrior, something any mafia gang desperately wants. Khalid did join Islam purely for the greed of booty. For booty, he could commit the most atrocious cruelty in battles. He was a man with no heart or feelings for others. Greed was prime in his life. This makes him a despicable thug in history.
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