Do Muslims, Jews & Christians worship the same God?

[OnlyOne]

And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)." (Qur'an, 29:46)


What is the exact meaning of this verse? Could someone explain to me the historical context and everything?

 

[msameer]

As far as the jews are concerned " Yes they do worship Allah Subhanahu Ta'la.With regards to christians, The Concept of trinity is not according to Islamic teachings and they have committed shirk by claiming that Jesus(pbuh) and the holy ghost ( whatever that is! ) are ( God forbid ) gods beside Allah.

 

[brighten]

:salam2:

Sis you might want to read Tafsir Ibn Kathir at

http://www.qtafsir.com

another site http://www.al-sunnah.com/call_to_islam/quran/index.html

below is excerpt of the tafseer on the verse you're asking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ARGUING WITH THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK

What is meant here is that anyone who wants to find out about religion from them should argue with them in a manner that is better, as this will be more effective.

(and say (to them): "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you means, `if they tell you something which you do not know to be true or false, say to them: We do not hasten to say it is a lie, because it may be true, and we do not hasten to say it is true because it may be false. We believe in it in general, under the condition that it has been revealed and has not been altered or deliberately misinterpreted.' Imam Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The People of the Book used to read the Tawrah in Hebrew and explain it in Arabic to the Muslims.

The Messenger of Allah said:
(Do not believe the People of the Book and do not deny them. Say: "We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to you. Our God and your God is One, and to Him we have submitted.'')'' This Hadith was narrated only by Al-Bukhari. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said:
"How can you ask the People of the Book about anything, when your Book that was revealed to the Messenger of Allah is more recent, you read it pure and uncontaminated, it tells you that the People of the Book altered and changed the Book, that they write the Book with their own hands and then say, `This is from Allah,' to purchase with it a small price. Should not the knowledge that you have, prevent you from asking them. No, by Allah, we have never seen any of them asking you about what was sent down to you.''

Al-Bukhari recorded that Humayd bin `Abdur-Rahman heard Mu`awiyah talking to a group of Quraysh in Al-Madinah. He mentioned Ka`b Al-Ahbar, and said: "He was one of the most truthful of those who narrated from the People of the Book, even though we found that some of what he said might be lies.'' I say, this means that some of what he said could be classified linguistically as lies, but he did not intend to lie, because he was narrating from manuscripts which he thought were good, but they contained fabricated material, because they did not have people who were so conscientious in memorizing the Scriptures by heart as the people of this great Ummah.

(47. And thus We have sent down the Book to you, and those whom We gave the Scripture believe therein as also do some of these and none but the disbelievers reject Our Ayat.) (48. Neither did you read any book before it nor did you write any book with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted.) (49. Nay, but it is clear Ayat, (preserved) in the breasts of those who have been given knowledge. And none but the wrongdoers deny Our Ayat.)

 

[NewMuslim]

With regards to christians, The Concept of trinity is not according to Islamic teachings and they have committed shirk by claiming that Jesus(pbuh) and the holy ghost ( whatever that is! ) are ( God forbid ) gods beside Allah.

:salam2:
They (Christians) worship the same God as we do. "God the Father" is basically Allah. The "Holy Ghost" (really "Holy spirit)" is the angel Gabriel according to some Muslims.

 

[OnlyOne]

Ok, so here's the big question: If they worship the same God, then how come they won't enter heaven?

See, I think I know the answer and that is because they reject the message of Mohammad (peace be upon him). If they reject his message, then they can't believe in the same God, right?

The reason I ask these questions is because I have a work buddy who keeps telling me that Muslims and Jews (not Christians with the exception of the Trinity) worship the same God, because we all worship the God Abraham worshipped. So, how do I respond to this because I say that Allah and "Yahweh" or "Jehovah" aren't the same. He says that they are the same God, but with different names. Uh, how can this be? I say that if you reject Mohammad (peace be upon him), you reject Allah, and that makes the difference. But, he still doesn't really take this for an answer. What would you guys say?

 

[acedoc]

Tafsir of 29:46 Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Arguing with the People of the Book

Audu Bil Allahi min shytanir rajeem Bismilahir Rahmanir Raheem

Following is the Tafsir (commentary) on the verse 29:46 from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (one of teh most respected Tafsir of all times)


What is meant here is that anyone who wants to find out about religion from them should argue with them in a manner that is better, as this will be more effective. Allah says:


[ادْعُ إِلِى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ]


(Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair preaching...) (16:125) And Allah said to Musa and Harun when he sent them to Fir`awn:


[فَقُولاَ لَهُ قَوْلاً لَّيِّناً لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى ]


(And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear.) (20:44)

Allah says here:


[إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ]


(except with such of them as do wrong meaning, those who turn away from the truth, turning a blind eye to clear evidence, being stubborn and arrogant. In this case you should progress from debate to combat, fighting them in such a way as to deter them from committing aggression against you. Allah says:


[لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ وَأَنزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ وَأَنزْلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌ شَدِيدٌ]


(Indeed We have sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance that mankind may keep up justice. And We brought forth iron wherein is mighty power) until: r


[إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ]


(Verily, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty) (57:25). Jabir said: "We were commanded to strike with the sword whoever opposes the Book of Allah.'' And His saying:


[وَقُولُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِالَّذِى أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَأُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ]


(and say (to them): "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you means, `if they tell you something which you do not know to be true or false, say to them: We do not hasten to say it is a lie, because it may be true, and we do not hasten to say it is true because it may be false. We believe in it in general, under the condition that it has been revealed and has not been altered or deliberately misinterpreted.' Imam Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The People of the Book used to read the Tawrah in Hebrew and explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. The Messenger of Allah said:


«لَا تُصَدِّقُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ، وَقُولُوا: آمَنَّا بِاللهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ، وَإِلَهُنَا وَإِلَهُكُمْ وَاحِدٌ، وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُون»


(Do not believe the People of the Book and do not deny them. Say: "We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to you. Our God and your God is One, and to Him we have submitted.'')'' This Hadith was narrated only by Al-Bukhari. Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas said: "How can you ask the People of the Book about anything, when your Book that was revealed to the Messenger of Allah is more recent, you read it pure and uncontaminated, it tells you that the People of the Book altered and changed the Book, that they write the Book with their own hands and then say, `This is from Allah,' to purchace with it a small price Should not the knowledge that you have, prevent you from asking them No, by Allah, we have never seen any of them asking you about what was sent down to you.'' Al-Bukhari recorded that Humayd bin `Abdur-Rahman heard Mu`awiyah talking to a group of Quraysh in Al-Madinah. He mentioned Ka`b Al-Ahbar, and said: "He was one of the most truthful of those who narrated from the People of the Book, even though we found that some of what he said might be lies.'' I say, this means that some of what he said could be classified linguistically as lies, but he did not intend to lie, because he was narrating from manuscripts which he thought were good, but they contained fabricated material, because they did not have people who were so conscientious in memorizing the Scriptures by heart as the people of this great Ummah.


Also from commentary of the same Chapter (surah Ankaboot) in Tafsir Ibn Kathir:

""Evidences of Tawhid


Allah states that there is no God but He. The idolators who worshipped others besides Him recognized that He was the sole creator of the heavens and earth, the sun and the moon, alternating the night and day. They acknowledged that He was the Creator Who provided for His servants and decreed how long they should live. He made them and their provision different, so that some were rich and some were poor, and He knew best what was suitable for each of them, who deserved to be rich and who deserved to be poor. So, Allah stated that He has alone created everything, and that He alone is controlling them -- if this is how it is, then why worship anyone else Why put one's trust in anyone else Since dominion is His Alone, then let worship be for Him Alone. Allah often establishes His divinity by referring to their acknowledgement of His Unique Lordship, because the idolators used to acknowledge His Lordship, as they said in their Talbiyah (during Hajj and `Umrah: "At Your service, You have no partner, except the partner that You have, and You possess him and whatever he has.''


[وَمَا هَـذِهِ الْحَيَوةُ الدُّنْيَآ إِلاَّ لَهْوٌ وَلَعِبٌ وَإِنَّ الدَّارَ الاٌّخِرَةَ لَهِىَ الْحَيَوَانُ لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ - فَإِذَا رَكِبُواْ فِى الْفُلْكِ دَعَوُاْ اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاهُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ إِذَا هُمْ يُشْرِكُونَ - لِيَكْفُرُواْ بِمَآ ءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ وَلِيَتَمَتَّعُواْ فَسَوْفَ يَعلَمُونَ ]


(64. And this life of the world is only an amusement and a play! Verily, the home of the Hereafter -- that is the life indeed, if they but knew.) (65. And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their faith pure for Him only, but when He brings them safely to land, behold, they give a share of their worship to others.) (66. So that they become ingrate for that which We have given them, and that they take their enjoyment, but they will come to know.)""

 

[acedoc]

""Ok, so here's the big question: If they worship the same God, then how come.."

""Ok, so here's the big question: If they worship the same God, then how come they won't enter heaven? ""


SHRIK = Making partners (other gods) with Allah) A sin that Allah will NOT forgive!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is the true meaning of shirk and what are its types?

Question:
I often read that “this action is major shirk” and “this is minor shirk”. Could you explain to me the difference between the two?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

One of the most important obligations is to know the meaning of shirk, its seriousness and its different types, so that our Tawheed (belief in the Oneness of Allaah) and our Islam may be complete, and our faith may be sound. We say – And Allaah is the Source of strength and true guidance comes from Him:

Know – may Allaah guide you – that the word shirk in Arabic means taking a partner, i.e., regarding someone as the partner of another. It is said [in Arabic]: ashraka baynahuma (he joined them together) when he regarded them as two of equal status; or ashraka fi amrihi ghayrahu (he introduced another into his affair) when he made two people involved in it.

In terms of sharee’ah or Islamic terminology, shirk means ascribing a partner or rival to Allaah in Lordship (ruboobiyyah), worship or in His names and attributes.

A rival is a peer or counterpart. Hence Allaah forbids setting up rivals with Him and he condemns those who take them (rivals) as gods instead of or besides Allaah in many verses of the Qur’aan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Then do not set up rivals unto Allaah (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshipped)”

[al-Baqarah 2:222]

“And they set up rivals to Allaah, to mislead (men) from His path! Say: ‘Enjoy (your brief life)! But certainly, your destination is the (Hell) Fire!’”

[Ibraaheem 14:30]

In the hadeeth it is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever dies claiming that Allaah has a rival, will enter Hell.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4497; Muslim, 92.

The types of shirk:

The texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah indicate that shirk and the ascribing of rivals to Allaah sometimes puts a person beyond the pale of Islam and sometimes does not. Hence the scholars divided shirk into two types which they call shirk akbar (major shirk) and shirk asghar (minor shirk). There follows a brief description of each type:

1 – Major shirk

This means ascribing to someone other than Allaah something that belongs only to Allaah, such as Lordship (ruboobiyyah), divinity (uloohiyyah) and the divine names and attributes (al-asma’ wa’l-sifaat).

This kind of shirk may sometimes be outward, such as the shirk of those who worship idols and graves, or the dead or absent.

Or it may sometimes be hidden, such as those who put their trust in other gods besides Allaah, or the shirk and kufr of the hypocrites. For even though their (hypocrites’) shirk puts them beyond the pale of Islam and means that they will abide forever in Hell, it is a hidden shirk, because they make an outward display of Islam and conceal their kufr and shirk, so they are inwardly mushriks but not outwardly.

Shirk may sometimes take the form of beliefs:

Such as the belief that there is someone else who creates, gives life and death, reigns or controls the affairs of the universe along with Allaah.

Or the belief that there is someone else who must be obeyed absolutely besides Allaah, so they follow him in regarding as permissible or forbidden whatever he wants, even if that goes against the religion of the Messengers.

Or they may associate others with Allaah in love and veneration, by loving a created being as they love Allaah. This is the kind of shirk that Allaah does not forgive, and it is the shirk of which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allaah as rivals (to Allaah). They love them as they love Allaah”

[al-Baqarah 2:165]

Or the belief that there are those who know the Unseen as well as Allaah. This is very common among some of the deviant sects such as the Raafidis (Shi’ah), extreme Sufis, and Baatinis (esoteric sects) in general. The Raafidis believe that their imams have knowledge of the unseen, and the Baatinis and Sufis believe similar things about their awliya’ (“saints”), and so on. It is also shirk to believe that there is someone who bestows mercy in a manner that is befitting only for Allaah, so he shows mercy as Allaah does and forgives sins and overlooks the bad deeds of his worshippers.

Shirk may sometimes take the form of words:

Such as those who make du’aa’ or pray to someone other than Allaah, or seek his help or seek refuge with him with regard to matters over which no one has control except Allaah, whether the person called upon is a Prophet, a wali (“saint”), an angel or a jinn, or some other created being. This is a kind of major shirk which puts one beyond the pale of Islam.

Or such as those who make fun of religion or who liken Allaah to His creation, or say that there is another creator, provider or controller besides Allaah. All of these are major shirk and a grave sin that is not forgiven.

Shirk may sometimes take the form of actions:

Such as one who sacrifices, prays or prostrates to something other than Allaah, or who promulgates laws to replace the rulings of Allaah and makes that the law to which people are obliged to refer for judgement; or one who supports the kaafirs and helps them against the believers, and other acts that go against the basic meaning of faith and put the one who does them beyond the pale of Islam. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.

2 – Minor shirk

This includes everything that may lead to major shirk, or which is described in the texts as being shirk, but does not reach the extent of being major shirk.

This is usually of two types:

1 – Being emotionally attached to some means which have no basis and for which Allaah has not given permission, such as hanging up “hands”, turquoise beads etc on the grounds that they offer protection or that they ward off the evil eye. But Allaah has not made them the means of such protection, either according to sharee’ah or according to the laws of the universe.

[Translator’s note: the “hands” referred to are objects made of metal, pottery etc, usually blue or turquoise in colour, that some people hang up to ward off the evil eye, according to their mistaken belief]

2 – Venerating some people or things in a way that does not go so far as ascribing lordship to them, such as swearing by something other than Allaah, or saying, “Were it not for Allaah and So and so,” etc.

The scholars have stipulated guidelines to distinguish major shirk from minor shirk when shirk is mentioned in the texts of sharee’ah. These guidelines include the following:

(i) – When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) states clearly that this action is minor shirk, such as in al-Musnad (27742) where it is narrated that Mahmoud ibn Labeed said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The thing that I fear most for you is minor shirk.” They said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what is minor shirk?” He said: “Showing off, for Allaah will say on the Day when people are recompensed for their actions: ‘Go to those for whom you were showing off with your deeds in the world, and see what reward you find with them.’” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 951.

(ii) – When the word shirk is used in the texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah in the indefinite form [without the definite article al-]. This usually refers to minor shirk, and there are many examples of this, such as when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Incantations, amulets and love spells are shirk.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3883; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 331.

What is meant by shirk here is minor shirk, not major shirk.

Amulets are things that are hung on children such as turquoise beads and the like, which they claim will protect them from the evil eye.

Love spells are something that they do, claiming that it will make a woman beloved to her husband and a man beloved to his wife.

(iii) – If the Sahaabah understood from the texts of sharee’ah that what was meant by shirk here was minor shirk, not major. Undoubtedly the understanding of the Sahaabah carries weight, because they are the most knowledgeable of the people concerning the religion of Allaah, and the most knowledgeable as to the intent of the Lawgiver. For example, Abu Dawood (3910) narrated from Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Tiyarah (superstitious belief in omens) is shirk, tiyarah is shirk,” three times, and there is no one among us but (will have some of that) but Allaah will rid him of it by means of tawakkul (putting his trust in Allaah). The words “there is no one among us…” are the words of Ibn Mas’ood, as was explained by the prominent scholars of hadeeth. This indicates that Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) understood that this was minor shirk, because he could not have said, “There is no one among us…” referring to major shirk. Moreover, major shirk cannot be eliminated by means of tawakkul, rather it is essential to repent therefrom.

(iv) – If the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) interpreted the words shirk or kufr in a manner which indicates that what is meant is a minor form thereof and not the major form. For example al-Bukhaari (1038) and Muslim (74) narrated from Zayd ibn Khaalid al-Juhani that he said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led the morning prayer for us at al-Hudaybiyah following rainfall during the night. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) finished, he turned to face the people and said to them: “Do you know what your Lord has said?” They said: “Allaah and his Messenger know best.” He said: “This morning one of My slaves became a believer in Me and one a disbeliever. As for him who said: ‘We have been given rain by the grace of Allaah and His mercy,’ that one is a believer in Me, a disbeliever in the stars; and as for him who said: ‘We have been given rain by such-and-such a star, that one is a disbeliever in Me, a believer in the stars.’”

The interpretation of the word kufr here is given in another report narrated from Abu Hurayrah who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do you not know what your Lord said? ‘I do not send any blessing upon My slaves but a group among them become kaafirs thereby because they refer to the stars and attribute things to the stars. This explains that if a person attributes rainfall to the stars by believing that they caused it to fall – when in fact Allaah has not made the stars a means of causing rainfall – his kufr is a kind of ingratitude for the blessing of Allaah. It is well known that ingratitude for the blessing of Allaah is minor kufr. But if a person believes that the stars are controlling the universe and they are the ones that cause the rain to fall, then this is major shirk.

Minor shirk may sometimes take the form of outward actions, such as wearing talismans, strings, amulets and the like, and other words and deeds. And sometimes it may be hidden, like a little bit of showing off.

It may also take the form of beliefs:

Such as the belief that something may be a cause of bringing benefit or warding off harm, when Allaah has not made it so; or believing that there is barakah (blessing) in a thing, when Allaah has not made it so.

It sometimes takes the form of words:

Such as when they said, “We have been given rain by such and such a star,” without believing that that the stars could independently cause rain to fall; or swearing by something other than Allaah, without believing in venerating the thing sworn by or regarding it as equal with Allaah; or saying, “Whatever Allaah wills and you will,” and so on.

It sometimes takes the form of actions:

Such as hanging up amulets or wearing a talisman or string to dispel or ward off calamity, because everyone who attribute powers to a thing when Allaah has not made it so either according to sharee’ah or according to the laws of the universe, has associated something with Allaah. This also applies to one who touches a thing seeking its barakah (blessing), when Allaah has not created any barakah in it, such as kissing the doors of the mosques, touching their thresholds, seeking healing from their dust, and other such actions.

This is a brief look at the division of shirk into major and minor. We cannot go into great detail in this short answer.

Conclusion:

What the Muslim must do is to avoid shirk in both its minor and major forms. The greatest sin is shirk and transgression against the unique rights of Allaah, which are to be worshipped and obeyed alone, with no partner or associate.

Hence Allaah has decreed that the mushrikeen will abide forever in Hell and has told us that He will not forgive them, and He has forbidden Paradise to them, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills; and whoever sets up partners with Allaah in worship, he has indeed invented a tremendous sin”

[al-Nisa’ 4:48]

“Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers”

[al-Maa'idah 5:72]

Every wise and religiously-committed person should fear shirk for himself and should turn to his Lord, asking Him to help him avoid shirk, as al-Khaleel [Ibraaheem – peace be upon him] said:

“and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols”

[Ibraaheem 14:35 – interpretation of the meaning]

One of the salaf said: “Who can claim to be safe from this after Ibraaheem?”

So the sincere believer’s fear of shirk should increase as should his desire for his for his Lord to keep him away from it, and he should say the great du’aa’ which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught to his companions when he said to them: “Shirk among you will be more subtle than the footsteps of an ant, but I will teach you something which, if you do it, both minor and major shirk will be kept away from you. Say: Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a’lam wa astaghfiruka lima la a’lam (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness for that of which I am unaware).”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3731

The above refers to the difference between major and minor shirk, defining each and describing its types.

With regard to the difference between them as far as the ruling is concerned:

Major shirk puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, so the one who does that is judged to be out of Islam and to have apostatized therefrom, so he is a kaafir and an apostate.

Minor shirk does not put a person beyond the pale of Islam, rather it may be done by a Muslim but he still remains in Islam; but the one who does that is in great danger because minor shirk is a major sin. Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “If I were to swear by Allaah falsely, that is better for me than if I were to swear by something other than Him sincerely.” So he regarded swearing by something other than Allaah (which is minor shirk) as being worse than swearing by Allaah falsely, and it is well known that swearing by Allaah falsely is a major sin.

We ask Allaah to make our hearts steadfast in adhering to His religion until we meet Him, and we seek refuge in His Might – may He be glorified – from going astray, for He is the Ever-Living Who never dies, but the jinn and mankind will die. And Allaah knows best and is most wise, and to Him is the final return of all.

Islam Q&A

 

[NewMuslim]

Ok, so here's the big question: If they worship the same God, then how come they won't enter heaven?

Allah may/may not let them into Heaven if they please Him (which will take a LOT of work for Muslims and non-Muslims alike). It's all up to Him.

See, I think I know the answer and that is because they reject the message of Mohammad (peace be upon him). If they reject his message, then they can't believe in the same God, right?

They do. That just means that they worship Allah incorrectly.

The reason I ask these questions is because I have a work buddy who keeps telling me that Muslims and Jews (not Christians with the exception of the Trinity) worship the same God, because we all worship the God Abraham worshipped. So, how do I respond to this because I say that Allah and "Yahweh" or "Jehovah" aren't the same.

They are the same. Allah means "The God" in Arabic, Yahweh means (according to some who translated it) "He Who Overcomes", and Jehovah is the English equivelant of Yahweh. It's the same God, but with different names.

Uh, how can this be? I say that if you reject Mohammad (peace be upon him), you reject Allah, and that makes the difference. But, he still doesn't really take this for an answer. What would you guys say?

Yes, they are rejecting the truth of Allah. That doesn't mean, however, that they aren't worshipping the same God. That's why they're called "People of the Book"; because they follow the Holy Books from Allah (though they are corrupted). Since they follow the Holy Books, they follow the commandments of worshipping one God; and that God is Allah.

 

[OnlyOne]

Allah may/may not let them into Heaven if they please Him (which will take a LOT of work for Muslims and non-Muslims alike). It's all up to Him.



They do. That just means that they worship Allah incorrectly.



They are the same. Allah means "The God" in Arabic, Yahweh means (according to some who translated it) "He Who Overcomes", and Jehovah is the English equivelant of Yahweh. It's the same God, but with different names.



Yes, they are rejecting the truth of Allah. That doesn't mean, however, that they aren't worshipping the same God. That's why they're called "People of the Book"; because they follow the Holy Books from Allah (though they are corrupted). Since they follow the Holy Books, they follow the commandments of worshipping one God; and that God is Allah.

If, in the end, they do worship the same God, then why be Muslim? Then it wouldn't make a difference if you were a Muslim, Christian or a Jew. For some reason, what you told me doesn't make sense to me. If they are worshipping one God, then, ok, they are worshipping Allah (in a different yet incorrect manner?). But, Allah says that only those who believe in Him and His Messenger will enter jannah, right? So, if they are worshipping the same God, it doesn't really matter because they reject part of the message and only hold steadfast to what they want.

I kind of went on a rant there and answered my own questions, sort of. But, do my thoughts make sense?

 

[Karima]

Asalamualkium,

I have found that in the jewish and christian religions, they do not say 'their' God....and no one else will go to heaven.

If, in the end, they do worship the same God, then why be Muslim? Then it wouldn't make a difference if you were a Muslim, Christian or a Jew. For some reason, what you told me doesn't make sense to me. If they are worshipping one God, then, ok, they are worshipping Allah (in a different yet incorrect manner?). But, Allah says that only those who believe in Him and His Messenger will enter jannah, right? So, if they are worshipping the same God, it doesn't really matter because they reject part of the message and only hold steadfast to what they want.

But, do my thoughts make sense?

You have a good point to think about.

Salam

 

[Solemn_G]

"Those who believe–Jews, Nazarenes, and Sabians–whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does good deeds - shall be rewarded by their Lord; they have nothing to fear nor are they saddened"{2:62; Sura Al-Baqarah)

The above verse shows that one who beleives in Allah(swt), Who is God, even if they are a Christian, Jew, or Sabian will find saftey with Allah. But their beleif must not be a tainted one as in the case of most Christians who loved Prophet Isa(pbuh) so dearly that the gave him a status higher than he really was (i.e. God or "Son of God"). Even so, there are those few Christians and Jews who sincerally beleive in One God and ascribe nothing to him and call to Him and not Isa(pbuh) or any other false god in prayer, these are the people that Allah rewards and guides, inshallah they can find Islam and realize their beleifs are true.

We as Muslims are different in the fact that we accept all Holy Scriptures from Allah. The religion of God was revealed in succession through the many Scriptures but on the way several deviated from the worship of God and instead began to pick and choose in their religion and even resorted to idol worship. We as Muslims follow the pure religion, one for the One God and no other. Though Christians and Jews have a reminense of Allah(swt) message with them( their beleif in a One God), they still lack the acceptance of all of Allah(swt) Prophets and messangers as well as the final purified monotheistic religion. Acceptance of all the Prophets and all the Holy text of Allah(swt) is integral and one who denies that will struggle in attaining peace from God.

So, yes, I beleive that in a lot of ways we worship the same God, but its just that Jews and Christians do not know how to go about worshipping him properly and accepting His pure Oneness. Especially Christians who ascribe partners on to Him and beleive that mankind are His children, this is extreme deviation.

 

[Abdul Hasib]

Ok, so here's the big question: If they worship the same God, then how come they won't enter heaven?

See, I think I know the answer and that is because they reject the message of Mohammad (peace be upon him). If they reject his message, then they can't believe in the same God, right?

The reason I ask these questions is because I have a work buddy who keeps telling me that Muslims and Jews (not Christians with the exception of the Trinity) worship the same God, because we all worship the God Abraham worshipped. So, how do I respond to this because I say that Allah and "Yahweh" or "Jehovah" aren't the same. He says that they are the same God, but with different names. Uh, how can this be? I say that if you reject Mohammad (peace be upon him), you reject Allah, and that makes the difference. But, he still doesn't really take this for an answer. What would you guys say?

Christainity has more than 10 differant sects.(Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox,etc,)
Catholics in general believe in saint worshiping. Christainity adapted pagan beleifs so it'd be easier for the Romans to accept it. Christains beleive in not god, but other ones who they associate with god.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7130386243942838336&q=yusuf+estes

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8973699615616612892&q=yusuf+estes

 

[Karima]

Asalamualikum,

Can you enlighten me with this? I thought Christians believed in God, as Jews do.... They might be those who say " 'Saint So and So' helped me...." This would be a deviation from God, in my opinion.

Christains beleive in not god, but other ones who they associate with god.

Salam

 

[lauratutila]

New here. Questions.

What is your opinion on Trinity?

 

[ibn azem]

Hello Laura,

Trinity is a thing pushed into Christianity by Paul. Jesus (peace be upon him) did never teach it himself.

There is One God (Allah) and nothing nor anyone else deserves to be worshiped apart from Him, the Creator, Allah swt (the Almighty God).

Jesus was a great Messenger from Allah (swt) just like Adam, Noah, Moses and the last and final Messenger and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all), he had miracles from Allah (swt) to prove his Prophethood just like all the other Prophets. For that is a criteria to prove their Prophethood.

There is a lot of info you can browse through in the forum and any questions you have please don't hesitate, we'll try to assist.

Enjoy your stay Laura.

 

[Bluegazer]

Assalamu Alaikum,


The People of the Book [Jews and Christians] who live after the advent of the prophethood of Muhammad [peace be upon him] have an obligation to revert to Islam. If they do not revert to Islam -after the message of Islam reaches them in a clear and undistorted way- and they die in that state, then they will enter Hell and dwell therein forever.


The following is Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid's answer to question no. 2912 [Who are the Jews and Christians who will enter Paradise?]:

"Question:
For the time being, I do not have the resources to quote the exact Quranic verse, nor can I tell you what sura it has been taken from. However, I believe it is a common verse. I understand little Arabic; hence I found that in English. The verse can be interpretted as such:
The godfearing Jews, muslims and christians will not have fear (on that day).
I am not exactly sure of the bracketted phrase.
Now my question to you: is it mistranliteration?
We know that christians and jews in general cannot be hoped to have any sanction in the life hereafter. So, how do we understand the verse?


Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

What you refer to in your question is mentioned in two similar aayaat in the Qur’aan. The first of them is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians, whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day and do righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” [al-Baqarah 2:62]

The second is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “Surely, those who believe, those who are the Jews and the Sabians and the Christians – whosoever believed in Allaah and the Last Day, and worked righteousness, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” [al-Maa’idah 5:69]

In order to understand these aayaat correctly, we need to refer to the scholars of Tafseer (Qur’aanic commentary). The great Imaam Ismaa’eel ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in his tafseer of the aayah from Soorat al-Baqarah:

“Allaah, may He be exalted, points out that whoever of the previous nations did well and was obedient, will have a good reward, and this will be the case for everyone who follows the Unlettered Prophet [Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) until the Hour comes – he will have eternal happiness, and they will not fear what they are going to face, nor will they grieve for what they have left behind. As Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘No doubt! Verily, the awliya’ of Allaah [i.e., those who believe in the Oneness of Allaah and fear Allaah much, and love Allaah much], no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve.’ [Yoonus 10:62]. And Allaah tells us what the angels say to the believers at the time of death (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Verily, those who say, “Our Lord is Allaah,” then they istaqaamu [stood straight, i.e., truly followed Islam], on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): “Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Paradise which you have been promised!”’ [Fussilat 41:30]

As far as the Jews are concerning, their faith meant believing in the Tawraat (original Torah) and following the way of Moosa (peace be upon him) until ‘Eesa came, after which whoever continued to follow the Torah and the way of Moosa, and did not leave this and follow ‘Eesa, was doomed. As far as the Christians are concerned, their faith meant believing in the Injeel (original Gospel) and following the laws of ‘Eesa; whoever did this was a believer whose faith was acceptable to Allaah, until Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came, after which whoever did not follow Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and leave the way of ‘Eesa and the Injeel that he had been following before, was doomed.

The aayah (interpretation of the meaning), “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:85] is a statement that Allaah will not accept any way or deed from anyone, after sending His Final Messenger, except those that are in accordance with the laws of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Prior to this, however, anyone who followed the Prophet of his own time was on the Straight Path of salvation. So the Jews were those who followed Moosa (peace be upon him) and referred to the Tawraat for judgement at that time. When Allaah sent ‘Eesa (peace be upon him), the Children of Israel were obliged to follow him and obey him, and so they and others who followed him became Christians.. When Allaah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as the Final Prophet and a Messenger to all the children of Adam, all of mankind was obliged to believe in him and obey him, and refrain from what he prohibited. Those who did so are the true believers. The ummah (nation) of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) are called the believers because of their deep eemaan (faith) and conviction, and because they believe in all the past Prophets and in the prophesied events that are yet to come.”

Commenting on the aayah in Soorat al-Baqarah, Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“What is meant is that every group believed in Allaah and the Last Day, which is the appointed Day of Reckoning, and did righteous deeds. But after Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sent to both mankind and the jinn, true belief can only be in accordance with the way of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Whoever follows his way will not fear the future or grieve for what they leave behind.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid"

Source: http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=2912&ln=eng


The following is Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid's answer to question no. 1244 [The fate of kuffaar who did not hear the message of Islam]:

"Question:
Someone has asked me this question (she is about to
become a muslimah). Her statement: 'A lot of others will never meet a Muslim in person. Will they be held responsible for their ignorance? What exactly does this mean: "After the revelation of the Quran who ever receives this message & does not abide by it is a non-believer"?
i. Who is considered to have received the message?
ii. Isn't it possible for people to have not received the message even though the Quran is in existence?'

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

It is part of the justice of Allaah that He does not punish any people until He has first sent a warning to them and unless there is evidence against them. Allaah does not treat anybody unfairly. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).” [al-Israa’ 17:15].

In his tafseer (commentary) on this aayah, Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “These words, ‘…And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)’ tell us of the justice of Allaah, may He be exalted, and that He does not punish anyone until after He has established evidence against him by sending a Messenger to him. This is like the aayat (interpretation of the meaning): ‘… Every time a group is cast therein [into Hell], its keeper will ask, “Did no warner come to you?” They will say, “Yes indeed; a warner did come to us, but we belied him and said: ‘Allaah never sent down anything (of revelation), you are only in great error.’”’ [al-Mulk 67:8] and: ‘And those who disbelieved will be driven to Hell in groups, till, when they reach it, the gates thereof will be opened (suddenly like a prison at the arrival of its prisoners). And its keepers will say, “Did not the Messengers come to you from yourselves, - reciting to you the Verses of your Lord, and warning you of the Meeting of this Day of yours?” They will say: “Yes, but the Word of torment has been justified against the disbelievers!”’ [al-Zumar 39:71]…”

A person who has never heard of Islam or the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and who has never heard the message in its correct and true form, will not be punished by Allaah if he dies in a state of kufr (disbelief). If it were asked what his fate will be, the answer will be that Allaah will test him on the Day of Resurrection: if he obeys, he will enter Paradise and if he disobeys he will enter Hell. The evidence (daleel) for this is the hadeeth of al-Aswad ibn Saree’, who reported that the Prophet of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are four (who will protest) to Allaah on the Day of Resurrection: the deaf man who never heard anything, the insane man, the very old man, and the man who died during the fatrah (the interval between the time of ‘Eesaa (Jesus, upon whom be peace) and the time of Muhammad SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). The deaf man will say, ‘O Lord, Islam came but I never heard anything.’ The insane man will say, ‘O Lord, Islam came but the children ran after me and threw stones at me.’ The very old man will say, ‘O Lord, Islam came but I did not understand anything.’ The man who died during the fatrah will say, ‘O Lord, no Messenger from You came to me.’ He will accept their promises of obedience, then word will be sent to them to enter the Fire. By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, if they enter it, it will be cool and safe for them.”

According to another report, he said: “Whoever enters it, it will be cool and safe for him, and whoever does not enter it will be dragged to it.” (The hadeeth was reported by Imaam Ahmad and Ibn Hibbaan, and deemed saheeh by al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jaami’, 881).

Everyone who hears the message of Islam in a sound and correct form (and rejects it), will have evidence aginst him. Whoever dies without having heard the message, or having heard it in a distorted form, then his case is in the hands of Allaah. Allaah knows best about His creation, and He will never treat anyone unfairly. And Allaah is All-Seer of His slaves.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid"

Source: http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=1244&ln=eng


The following is Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid's answer to question no. 6688 [Whoever does not believe that the kaafirs are kaafirs is himself a kaafir]:

"Question:
Is it true that anyone who does not accept that kuffaar are kuffaar is a kaafir himself, even if he prays, believes in the Qur'aan, and the Prophet Muhammad ( )? If so, what is the proof for this? Can a person insist on believing that Jews and Christians can be believers and go to heaven after being shown clear evidence against this, and still be considered a Muslim?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Yes, this is correct. Whoever is not convinced that the person who disbelieves in the religion of Allaah is a kaafir, does not believe what Allaah has told us about their being kaafirs, and he does not believe that the religion of Islam abrogates all previous religions and that all people must follow this religion no matter what their religion was before.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]

“Say (O Muhammad): “O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allaah” [al-A’raaf 7:158]

Al-Qaadi ‘Ayyaad said: hence we regard as a kaafir everyone who follows a religion other than the religion of the Muslims, or who agrees with them, or who has doubts, or who says that their way is correct, even if he appears to be a Muslim and believes in Islam and that every other way is false, he is a kaafir

(Al-Shifaa’ bi Ta’reef Huqooq al-Mustafaa, 2/1071)

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Know that among the greatest things that can nullify Islam are ten things:

Associating othes in worship of Allaah alone, Who has no partner or associate. The evidence ofr that is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, Allaah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills, sins other than that” [al-Nisaa’ 4:116].

This also includes offering scarifices to other than Allaah, such as to the jinn or at graves.

Whoever regards others as intermediaries between him and Allaah and calls upon them to ask them to intercede for him, is a kaafir according to scholarly consensus.

Whoever does not regard the Mushrikeen as kaafirs or doubts that they are kaafirs or regard their way as correct, is a kaafir according to scholarly consensus.

After enumerating them, he said (may Allaah have mercy on him):

In the case of all these things that nullify Islam, there is no difference whether a person is joking or is serious or is afraid – except in cases where he is forced to do something. All of them are among the things that are very dangerous and which happen very often. The Muslim has to beware of them and fear them happening to him. We seek refuge with Allaah from the things that earn His wrath and His painful prunishment, May Allaah bless Muhammad.

(Mu’allafaat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab, 212, 213).

Shirk and kufr are the same when it comes to the ruling (hukm)

Ibn Hazm said:

Kufra and shirk are the same; every kaafir is a mushrik and every mushrik is a kaafir. This is the view of al-Shaafa’ and others.

(al-Fisl, 3/124).

The Jews and Christians are kuffaar and mushrikeen. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And the Jews say: ‘Uzair (Ezra) is the son of Allaah, and the Christians say: Messiah is the son of Allaah. That is their saying with their mouths, resembling the saying of those who disbelieved aforetime. Allaah’s Curse be on them, how they are deluded away from the truth! … They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allaah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allaah), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded [in the Tauraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] to worship none but One Ilaah (God — Allaah) Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Praise and glory be to Him (far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him).” [al-Tawbah 9:30-31].

It was reported from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By the One is Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, not one of this nation, Jew or Christian, will hear of me and will die without having believed in that with which I have been sent, but he will be one of the dwellers of Hell fire.”

(Narrated by Muslim, 153)

Whoever says that the Jews are not kaafirs is disbelieving in the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meanings):

“And their hearts absorbed (the worship of) the calf because of their disbelief” [al-Baqarah 2:93]

“Among those who are Jews, there are some who displace words from (their) right places and say: “We hear your word (O Muhammad) and disobey,” and “Hear and let you (O Muhammad) hear nothing.” And Raa‘ina [in Arabic it means “Be careful, listen to us, and we listen to you”, whereas in Hebrew, it means “an insult”] with a twist of their tongues and as a mockery of the religion (Islâm). And if only they had said: “We hear and obey”, and “Do make us understand,” it would have been better for them, and more proper; but Allaah has cursed them for their disbelief…” [al-Nisa’ 4:46]

“Because of their breaking the covenant, and of their rejecting the Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allaah, and of their killing the Prophets unjustly, and of their saying: “Our hearts are wrapped (with coverings, i.e. we do not understand what the Messengers say)” — nay, Allaah has set a seal upon their hearts because of their disbelief, so they believe not but a little. And because of their (Jews) disbelief and uttering against Maryam (Mary) a grave false charge (that she has committed illegal sexual intercourse); And because of their saying (in boast), “We killed Messiah ‘Eesaa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of Allaah,” — but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but it appeared so to them the resemblance of ‘Eesaa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man)]…” [al-Nisa’ 4:155-157]

“Verily, those who disbelieve in Allaah and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allaah and His Messengers (by believing in Allaah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, “We believe in some but reject others,” and wish to adopt a way in between. They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating torment” [al-Nisa’ 4:150-151]

Whoever says that the Christians are not kuffaar is disbelieving in the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meanings):

“Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allaah is the Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary)…” [al-Maa’idah 5:17]

“Surely, disbelievers are those who said: “Allaah is the third of the three (in a Trinity).” But there is no Ilaah (god) (none who has the right to be worshipped) but One Ilaah (God —Allâh). And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall on the disbelievers among them” [al-Maa’idah 5:73]

And he is disbelieving in the words of Allaah concerning the Jews and Christians who do not believe in our Prophet or follow him:

“Verily, those who disbelieve in Allaah and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allaah and His Messengers (by believing in Allaah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, “We believe in some but reject others,” and wish to adopt a way in between. They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating torment” [al-Nisa’ 4:150-151]

What is there left to say after these clear statements from Allaah, may He be exalted? We ask Allaah to guide us. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid"

Source: http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=6688&ln=eng


The following is the answer of the Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research, Ifta, Propagation and Guidance in Saudi Arabia. It deals with the topic of "Applying the description of kufr upon the Jew and the Christian":

"Question:

Is it permissible to declare a Jew or a Christian to be a kaafir (disbeliever)?
Answer:

It is permissible for a Muslim to say that a Jew or a Christian is a kaafir because Allaah has described them with this attribute in the Quraan. And this is known to the person who reflects upon the Quraan. From this is His - the most High – statement:
Indeed those who disbelieved (kafaroo) from the People of the Book and the Polytheists are in the Fire of Hell to reside therein forever. They are the worst of all Creation. (al-Bayyinah 98:6)

And the People of the Book are the Jews and the Christians.


Permanent Committee for Research and Verdicts
Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz
Shaykh `Abdullah bin Ghudayaan
Shaykh `Abdullaah bin Qu`ood
Shaykh `Abdur-Razzaaq al-`Afeefee

Question 2 from fatwa number 4252 P143 Volume 2 of the fatawa of the Permanent Committee
Translated by Abu Abdir Rahmaan ibn Najam"

Source: http://fatwaislam.com/fis/index.cfm?scn=fd&ID=584


The mere fact that Jews and Christians do not believe that Muhammad [peace be upon him] was a Messenger of God Almighty makes them disbelievers. The Prophet [peace be upon him] said it very clearly:


والذي نفسي محمد بيده ! لا يسمع بي أحد من هذه الأمة يهودي ولا نصراني ، ثم يموت ولم يؤمن بالذي أرسلت به ، إلا كان من أصحاب النار



"By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, he who amongst this nation; a Jew or a Christian, who hears about me, but does not affirm his belief in that with which I have been sent and dies in this state (of disbelief), he shall be but one of the denizens of Hell-Fire."

[Collected by Muslim, Book 001, Number 0284, translated by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui, with modifications by myself]


The underlined words were changed by myself to reflect the original Arabic. The words originally used by Abdul Hamid Siddiqui were "the community of Jews or Christians". I also added the word "who".


It is also very important to realise that just because a person is a disbeliever does not mean that his life and property can be violated. The following is part of an answer given by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid to question no. 26721:

"8- The Muslims believe that it is not permissible, under any circumstances whatsoever, for a Muslim to mistreat a non-Muslim who is not hostile towards Islam; so the Muslim should not commit aggression against him, or frighten him, or terrorize him, or steal his wealth, or embezzle him, or deprive him of his rights, or deny him his trust, or deny him his wages, or withhold from him the price of his goods when buying from him or withhold the profits of a partnership if he is in a business partnership with him.

9- The Muslims believe that it is obligatory upon the Muslims to honour treaties or agreements made with a non-Muslim party. If a Muslim has agreed to their conditions when seeking permission to enter their country (i.e., a visa) and has promised to adhere to that, then it is not permissible for him to commit mischief in their land, to betray anyone, to steal, to kill or to do any destructive action, and so on."

Source: http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=26721&ln=eng



Best regards,

Bluegazer

Wassalamu Alaikum

 

[NewMuslim]

Christains beleive in not god, but other ones who they associate with god.

:salam2:
You're mixing Catholicism and Christianity. Granted, they are the same religion, but Protestants (EVERYONE not Catholic) believe Catholics to be an invalid sect (such as Sunnis believe Shi'ites to be).

Catholics pray to and worship their saints while Protestants pray to and worship only God (even if they assume that Jesus and Gabriel are also God).

 

[searching soul]

Just want to clear up the Trinity issue:

Most who call themselves Christians believe that there is one God.
However, the history of God's imminence in the world is not one dimensional. There are three main aspects of God's work that we talk about. One, that He created the world, another, that He entered the world clothed in a human body, and another, that He guides people and intervenes in the events of the world via revelations, visions, miracles e.t.c. (the Holy Spirit). When focusing on the idea that God created the world, we (and we believe Jesus did too) call Him 'the Father'. This doesn't mean He isn't other things as well. Does not the Koran refer to God with 99 names, all refering to different aspects of His character? When talking about 'God the Son', we don't mean that God literally conceived a child in the same way as His creations do - how could that be when we believe that this 'Word' (another name) 'was with God' and 'was God' even 'in the beginning', before the world? (See John 1-6). Instead, part of Him, that wasn't created by another, took on the features of this creation and entered the world rather as children do. At this time, the part of God in Heaven (whom Jesus called 'Father', as the human body was a creation and Jesus was in a state of lessened power) and the part of Him on Earth, were still of the same essence. The term is a way of expressing something of the unique situation so that humans can at least partially comprehend it. We don't pretend it's straightforward.

Only Catholics pray to Saints, and they don't do it in the same way as they pray to God directly. They would deny that they 'worship' them. I'm not sure exactly how it works, but I know they don't see it as worship.

There are other groups such as the Jehova's Witnesses, who believe that Jesus was a creation of the Father, but by the definitions of most others who believe in the Bible's inerrancy, they are not Christians. There probably are some who think of the Trinity as three completely different individuals, but that is not the official line that denominations I know of hold.

 

[ripefig]

It will not be accepted

:salam2:

In Sura 3 (Al Imran) verse 85, Allah most high says "and whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the hereafter he will be one of the losers.

It is obligatory to have belief in the Messengership of (Prophet Muhammad ).Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him):- Allah's Messenger said: "by him in Whose Hand Muhammad's soul is, there is none from among the Jews and the Christians (of these present nations) who hears about me and then dies without believing in the message with which I have been sent (i.e. Islamic Monotheism), but he will be from the dwellers of the (Hell) fire." (Sahih Muslim, the book of faith, Vol 1, Hadith No. 240)

Also see Quran Sura :3, V: 116

 

[lauratutila]

Hi, SearchigSoul. Your comment was absolutely awesome. It completely gathers the whole point. I could have never come up with such an awesome and simple explanation, but so to the point. I raly to what you have said.