I don't know. Different Muslims and Islamic websites have told me different things. Different verses of the Qur'an can be used to support each version.
The all-merciful God would want us to follow the second.
The only way to have two different opposite views is by taking things out of context or presenting part of the "truth" which will become insanely wrong.
I would like to see your sources and discuss them if you are interested.
Thank you, this is pretty much identical to the Christian position (Calvinist heresy notwithstanding).
Thank you, those verses sound agreeable. One question I have though, is this: Whenever I decide to go to quranexplorer.com to listen to the Qur'an being recited (sometimes the mood strikes me, and I find the chanting to be very relaxing), I always come to the beginning passages from Surah al-Baqarah, and the two ones that make me raise my eyebrows go like this:
As for the Disbelievers, Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not. (6) Allah hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom.
Let me get into some explanation here.
The Arabic word used to describe a non believer is كافر
This word is used to describe someone who is covering the truth. One of the biggest reasons for doing so is the negative pride and refusal to hear. So for these people it won't matter if you show them evidences or talk to them or anything because they will choose not to listen.
Allah makes it clear through the Quraan in the other verses that this is because of their own hands and not because Allah is not being good with them. This is shown in other verses in the Quraan, and here is an example.
16:33
Do the disbelievers await [anything] except that the angels should come to them or there comes the command of your Lord? Thus did those do before them.
And Allah wronged them not, but they had been wronging themselves.
I suggest you read this verse in different translations so that the meaning would be clear because I think instead if using the word "Wronged" another word may have given a clearer meaning, in Arabic, the verse is trying to say that Allah wasn't unjust with them, but they were the ones who were unjust to themselves.
(16) Their similitude is that of a man who kindled a fire; when it lighted all around him, Allah took away their light and left them in utter darkness so they could not see. (17) Deaf, dumb, and blind, they will not return (to the path). (18) Or (another similitude) is that of a rain-laden cloud from the sky; in it are zones of darkness, and thunder and lightning they press their fingers in their ears to keep out the stunning thunder-clap, the while they are in terror of death. But Allah is ever round the rejecters of Faith! (19) The lightning all but snatches away their sight; every time the light (helps) them, they walk therein and when the darkness grows on them, they stand still. And if Allah willed, He could take away their faculty of hearing and seeing; for Allah hath power over all things.
About these verses, they are not about the disbelievers, these are about hypocrites.
The verses talking about hypocrites start from the verse number 8 in that chapter. In that verse Allah start describing them, including the verses you have mentioned.
2:8-16
8 And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," but they are not believers.
9 They [think to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not.
10 In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie.
11 And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers."
12 Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not.
13 And when it is said to them, "Believe as the people have believed," they say, "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?" Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish, but they know [it] not.
14 And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe"; but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, "Indeed, we are with you; we were only mockers."
15 [But] Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression [while] they wander blindly.
16 Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided.
If you read these verses, you also see that this is actually because of their actions and what they do. These are the worst for they are trying to deceive Allah and the people. They are trying to show that they believe when they don't.
So verse 17 describes them as people who have the candle or light (the truth) but still they can't see.
When I read the first part, it strikes me very much as if Allah has hardened the hearts of the disbelievers so that they will not believe, and has doomed them to Hell. Is it not Allah's will that all be saved? And in the second part, it sounds to me like Allah punishes those who say they believe but don't, and instead of guiding them, He confuses and disorients them.
As I said, this is because of their own actions.
55:60 Is the reward for good [anything] but good?
6:160 Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof [to his credit], and whoever comes with an evil deed will not be recompensed except the like thereof; and they will not be wronged.
41:46 Whoever does righteousness - it is for his [own] soul; and whoever does evil [does so] against it. And your Lord is not ever unjust to [His] servants.
There are many verses that would illustrate my point more and more. However I don't remember them. I think reading the whole Quraan and taking the whole meaning would explain things much clearer.
Basically, they were a school of Islam that developed in the 900's that emphasized dialogue and reason to deal with matters of the faith. They taught that mankind had complete free will, and Allah didn't force them into anything, unlike some other schools of Islam that stressed Allah's sovereignty to the point where humanity had no free will at all.
Actually this is still a debatable topic today. From my understanding, there is the will of God of how things would go and there are the choices that we can make. Allah has given us the COMPLETE ability to choose what we choose. However what we choose and what we intend has it effect for that we choose our road and God gives us what we deserve after making that choices.
Fair enough. The Christian Bible makes it very explicit that God loves us, and that God is love. Love is easily the most important thing in Christianity, whereas it seems that submission to Allah is the most important thing in Islam (hence the name).
I think if you read the Quraan, you can clearly see the love.
These are very nice hadith. I understand that a hadith cannot be considered valid if it contradicts the Qur'an. Can a Muslim pick and choose which hadith he/she decides to accept?
If hadith contradicts the Quraan than the hadith can't be taken. However, this must be deeply investigated.
The hadiths I provided don't contradict with the Quraan but they confirm.
Almost all of them are in Surah 5.
And behold! Allah will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, 'Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah'?" He will say: "Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, though I know not what in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden. [Qur'an 5:116]
^The problem with this is that the Qur'an claims that we Christians believe that Mary and Jesus are two gods besides Allah. We do not. Mary is a normal human who was exalted and greatly honored for her cooperation with God. And Christians say that Jesus is one Allah with the Father and the Holy Spirit--in fact, Antiochian Orthodox Christians will always say "In the name of the Father and of the Son (i.e. Jesus) and of the Holy Spirit, one God. (or, if you prefer, one Allah)."
I see what you mean here. I think this is not the case of all Christians and not all of them see the same thing you are saying.
Here is a link that explains it
Is the Noble Quran wrong regarding Mary?
Another problematic verse is this one:
They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One Allah. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them. (5:73)
^Again, Christians do not say that Allah is one of three in a Trinity. Allah IS the three of the Trinity, and the three of the Trinity are one Allah, one in essence and undivided.
That is also subject to many Christians, however, the point here is the concept itself how 3 are 1 or 1 are 3 or whatever.
I think it is about the concept here.
(Continued)
