Latest UPDATE: 31st December, 2007Government reversed ban on use of the word Allah:
Read here for more-End of update
From Malaysia-Today: Read here article by Raja Petra Kamarudin
Click here related article
" It was the Christian cousin of Prophet Muhammad's wife, Khatijah, who 'anointed' Muhammad as the Prophet of Islam.
Khatijah's cousin, (Waraqa bin Naufal) an Arab, who had much earlier converted to Christianity, said that Muhammad was destined to become a Prophet. He also predicted that Muhammad would bring the Arabs out of the darkness of paganism in the period that Muslims call the era of ignorance or jahil.
The Christian cousin of Muhammad's wife was an Arab, as was Muhammad.The Arab Bible was in Arabic, the language of Islam, and the Arab Christian God was called Allah, as was the God of the pagan Arabs who also had 360 other Gods alongside Allah -- which about 22 years later were all 'sacked' in favour of just the one God, Allah, the same God of the Jews and Christians of the Arabian Peninsular of that era.
- Raja Petra KamarudinWhat the Al-Quran says about Jesus Christ (read here for more)
Al-Quran:
Al-Imran (3:55) "(Ingatlah) ketika Allah berfirman: Wahai Isa! Sesungguhnya Aku akan mengambilmu dengan sempurna dan akan mengangkatmu ke sisiKu dan akan membersihkanmu dari orang-orang kafir dan juga akan menjadikan orang-orang yang mengikutmu mengatasi orang-orang kafir (yang tidak beriman kepadamu), hingga ke hari kiamat. Kemudian kepada Akulah tempat kembalinya kamu, lalu Aku menghukum (memberi keputusan) tentang apa yang kamu perselisihkan. "Az-Zukhruf (43:61): Dan sesungguhnya Nabi Isa menjadi tanda kedatangan hari kiamat, maka janganlah kamu ragu-ragu tentang (hari kiamat) itu dan turutlah (petunjukKu); inilah jalan yang lurus.
(Translated) Al-Imran (3:55 ): Behold! Allah said: "O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection: Then shall ye all return unto me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute"
Az-Zukhruf (43:61) And Jesus shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way. (Yusuf Ali translation)
According to ISLAMIC history, Muhammad was a 'restless soul' who used to withdraw from society to contemplate all alone in a deserted cave for days on end. In this isolation or 'solitary confinement', Muhammad would ponder in search of the Creator.
One day, the Angel Gabriel descended to earth to command Muhammad to read. Muhammad replied that he was unlearned and could not read whereby Gabriel repeated the command to Muhammad who continued protesting that he was not capable of reading.
Gabriel finally grabbed Muhammad and shook him with such great force that he was compelled to obey the command lest his very life get shaken out of him.
Muhammad was greatly disturbed and in utter shock. He ran back to his wife, Khatijah, and jumped under the blanket while relating to her what he had just experienced. Khatijah, who was older than him and probably quite intelligent considering she already owned a successful business enterprise before she married Muhammad, decided to go see her cousin. Some accounts say she brought Muhammad to meet her cousin.
Suffice to say, whether Muhammad did or did not go along, Khatijah did go see her cousin and there appears to be no dispute on this.
Khatijah's cousin had much earlier converted to Christianity and was an ulama or learned person. When he heard what Khatijah had to relate he said that Muhammad was destined to become a Prophet and he prayed he would still be alive to see this happen.
He also predicted that Muhammad would face much trials and tribulations in his God-given mission to spread the word and to bring the Arabs out of the darkness of paganism in the period that Muslims call the era of ignorance or jahil.
Yes, it was a Christian who in a way 'anointed' Muhammad as the Prophet of Islam when Muhammad himself thought he was going mad and told his wife so.
But Khatijah's cousin, the learned Christian, convinced Khatijah that Muhammad was not going mad but had been chosen by God as the next Prophet and that she should go home and inform Muhammad of this.
Muhammad would probably never have returned to that cave and would instead have asked Khatijah to commit him into a mental asylum if not for her learned Christian cousin.
That, in a nutshell, was the relationship between Muhammad and Christianity in the days when Muhammad had not yet 'seen the light'. And it took a Christian to convince Muhammad that he was not going mad but was in fact a Prophet. And, yes, the Christian cousin of Muhammad's wife was an Arab, as was Muhammad, and the Arab Bible was in Arabic, the language of Islam, and the Arab Christian God was called Allah, as was the God of the pagan Arabs who also had 360 other Gods alongside Allah -- which about 22 years later were all 'sacked' in favour of just the one God, Allah, the same God of the Jews and Christians of the Arabian Peninsular of that era.
Controversy of use of Allah by non-Muslims
This controversy about banning the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible and banning the use of the word Allah in the Bible is not new. Of course, more than 1,500 years ago in Arabia, the Arabic version of the Bible was not banned, nor was the use of the word Allah in the Bible. In fact, there was already an Arabic Bible long before there was an Arabic Quran and the Arab Christians already called God Allah long before Gabriel commanded Muhammad to read.
Stupidity of Malaysian Ministers
Malaysian Ministers are expected to be learned in matters of religion and Islamic history. And if they are not then it is expected that those from Pusat Islam and the Religious Department who are would be able to guide the Ministers on what is right and what is not.
But ignorant Ministers make stupid statements and come out with stupid policies while learned Muslims from Pusat Islam and the Religious Department, who are there only for the salary and not because of Islam, shut their mouths and do not dare make a squeak.
Hypocrisy of Malaysian Muslims
The hypocrisy of Muslims is so mind-boggling that sometimes I am ashamed to admit I am a Muslim. Stupid Muslims do and say stupid things while those who know better keep quiet and pretend what is being said and done by these stupid people is correct. Their silence and inaction in opposing and correcting transgressions and violations to Islam makes these people guilty of complicity. Those who remain quiet are as guilty as those who commit these crimes against Islam.
I give up on Muslims who are all bloody hypocrites. These people are more concerned about young people who hold hands in a park or about whether the clothes they wear are too 'sexy'. These people do not care whether there are injustices to Islam perpetuated in the name of Islam.
Islam is being put to ridicule. And our government and Prime Minister says one thing but does the opposite.
- Raja Petra Kamarudin
RELATED ARTICLE
Read here for more on "ISLAMIC AWARENESS" Website and HERE
(Click here for the Bahasa Malaysia version of the article below)
Assalamu-alaikum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:
Waraqa is one of the four men who left the pagan faith of Mecca in search for the Hanifite roots ( the religion of Abraham) and returned as a Christian.
Even he was claimed to be the source of the Qur'ân.
(The) hadîths narrated in Sahih al-Bukhârî:
Narrated 'Aisha' : Volume 4, Book 55, Number 605:
The other hadîth is:"..The Prophet returned to Khadija while his heart was beating rapidly. She took him to Waraqa bin Naufal who was a Christian convert and used to read the Gospel in Arabic.
Waraqa asked (the Prophet), "What do you see?"
When he told him, Waraqa said, "That is the same angel whom Allah sent to the Prophet Moses. Should I live till you receive the Divine Message, I will support you strongly."
Narrated 'Aisha' : Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3
Waraqa was an old man and died shortly after Muhammad had received the revelation of the Qur'ân; as clearly can be read from the above hadîth.Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin 'Abdul 'Uzza, who, during the pre-Islamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters.
He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight.
Khadija said to Waraqa, "Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!"
Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?"
Allah's Apostle described whatever he had seen.
Waraqa said, "This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out."
Allah's Apostle asked, "Will they drive me out?"
Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly." But after a few days Waraqa died.
While the revelation of the Qur'ân continued for more than twenty years after the death of Waraqah bin Nawfal, the Prophet was receiving the revelation in different places and even while he was among his Companions.
Also, he was answering direct questions raised later by the Jews in Madinah.
And finally Waraqa himself announced in all of the hadîths reported in Sahih al-Bukhârî that he would support Muhammad strongly if he lived long enough:
"Should I live till you receive the Divine Message, I will support you strongly."
"...if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly."
