Category: Interfaith dialogue

  • Quran 6:108: The difference between self-shaming, guilt, insult and blasphemy according to psychology

    Self-shaming and guilt about trying to hurt God’s honour are good. Because Guy Winch admits that guilt is a relationship protector with God or another human. But God says that even the most faithless should not be insulted in Quran 6:108. As mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10:28 Pulpit Commentary But if any man say unto you. Who is the “any man” is left undefined. Perhaps some “weak” Christian is meant, who happens to be a fellow guest. This is offered in sacrifice unto idols. The true reading is probably, hierothuton, sacred sacrifice, not eidolothuton, idol sacrifice. Perhaps there is a touch of delicate reserve in the word, implying that the remark is made at the table of heathens, who would be insulted by the word eidolothuton, sacrificed to idols.
    Submitted by Ishmael on November 11, 2017 – 2:26pm
    I am involved in an interfaith dialogue with a Christian sister from US about the nature of spiritual self-shaming and guilt for displeasing God. Thanks for contributing to our dialogue by adding the nuance.
  • I learnt what Nick Elam means after an American Zionist called me Asshur the Antichrist :)

    He did not even know that that my biological forefather was the one who killed Nimrod. May God make me a spiritual, intellectual and possibly a physical purifier of Temples of Jerusalem and Baca like the holy Elam of Nehemiah 12.
    Elam is also the name of the place where the Muslim philosophical saint Ghazali was born which is modern day Iran.
    Elam is also included in the name of my tolerant American secularist virtual neighbour Nick Elam.
    When the temple of Baca is purified, the oud pefume is mixed with holy water which is made from agarwood. First-grade agarwood is one of the most expensive natural raw materials in the world, with 2010 prices for superior pure material as high as US$100,000/kg
    The name Nick also has wonderful connotations for me. Nick is shortened form of Saint Nicholas who was born in Turkey and apparently my Nick loves The Young Turks who are involved in US politics. However, there is something even more interesting he was involved in anti-unitarian heresy and Isaac Newton and Muslims would have disagreed with him, but with rise of greek rationalism, unitarianism makes more sense than trinity.
    Santa Claus is thought by some to have evolved from Saint Nicholas too. I hope just like people today disagree with idea of Santa, they may also overcome the trinity of Saint Nicholas.
  • Refuting a trinitarian Zionist in biblical terms

    Thomas Edward Morgan Jr. Deuteronomy 29:25-29 “and they will say, ‘ALLAH (the accursed), for they forsook the covenant of Yahweh the God of their fathers, Asshur (he who shall come forth) shall cut off they who were brought out of the land of Egypt.’ They will come to serve another god (Allah), and prostrate before a god, Asshur (he who shall come forth) shall know to divide. And the breath of Yahweh shall burn against that land (Palestine whole – see Isaiah 14:29-31) to bring upon all a curse written in this book. Yahweh shall uproot the land in anger, fury of great wrath, to cast another land as it is this day concealed. Yahweh our God. Uncover the Son. For unto the last, this is the observance of all of the words of this book of law.” Ishmael Abraham Both US and Israel worship the golden calf and Sodom instead of One God of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac peace be upon them. So, you should fear being uprooted. The verse 17 even talks about punishment for sinful thoughts and in US and Israel people proudly express their sinful thoughts. The verse 29 talks about observance of all laws of Torah. Do you obey all laws of Torah? Are you circumcised? Do you avoid pork?
  • The passionate desire of 21st century believers for a sapio-adorans synthesis

    Peter Bell I heard recently from a respected friend that the theology of technology is just beginning to be developed, and is not caught up to the actual changes in technology that we face every day. This is a cutting-edge field of work for the brightest minds and most faithful hearts to engage the ethics and cosmic dynamics of our upcoming technology. We as a society (and as believing people) very much need this.
    Ishmael Abraham Since, I am involved in cutting edge research in technology while being a student of sacred Islamic texts, please pray for me to contribute much to this area of sapio-adroans synthesis before dying, so that God consider us a knight of Christ as well as the Ishmaelite righteous King. Future belongs to the faithful, God willing/In Sha Allah. Martin Seligman admits that believers are far more optimistic about future than the Godless. I read the word technology in a spiritual context here, which may not be precisely relevant here, but shows the passionate desire of believers for a sapio-adorans synthesis.
  • My orthodox Muslim zoologist mother and stolen dead body of James Lind

    My mother was teaching students about James Lind so I wanted to know his beliefs so I discovered that his dead body has been stolen.
    From contemporary correspondence still on file we know that ‘the Vicar of Portchester had it by hearsay from his predecessor that an old lady organist told him that Lind’s body had been disinterred from the Portchester vault about 20 years after the burial, and removed to the Isle of Wight’ (Summary 1953). James Lind’s son John had moved to Ryde, and is buried in Holy Trinity Church there: but there are no other Lind coffins in the church except for those of John’s wife and two of his daughters. The Commander-in-Chief then advertised in the local papers, the Evening News (Evening News 1953a; 1953b) and the Hampshire Telegraph. No definite result emerged from this that did not contradict the story already known: but by 10 May 1953, the Sunday Dispatch carried the headline ‘Body vanished fifty years ago – hospital advertises for it’ (Sunday Dispatch 1953). The article continues ‘Search is going on all over the country for the body of the great naval surgeon, James Lind, which was buried in St Mary’s Church, Portchester, Hampshire, in 1794 but had disappeared – with its coffin – when the vault was opened 50 years ago.’ After some discussion of Lind and his work the article concludes on a dramatic note: ‘Some old inhabitants of Portchester say ‘It is possible body-snatchers took it. Those were queer days. Strange things happened.’’
  • Authentic Torah Zionism and how greco-roman pagan culture tries to destroy it

    Ishmael Abraham Hertzl was anything but orthodox.
    James Lay Zionism predates Hertzl, he may have been responsible for the modern take on it but it’s integral to the Jewish culture and religion.
    Ishmael Abraham We believe in Torah Zionism too which means that God’s laws should prevail in the Holy Land. But heretic Godless Zionists use that desire of believers to advance gay rights and greco-roman paganism of western culture.
    James Lay Nothing wrong with gay rights or the Greco-Roman pagan culture.
    Ishmael Abraham The cultural imperialists think like that. But we are not like Native Americans, we have Quran.
    James Lay Native Americans had less of a hangup about homosexuality than their European western counterparts. In fact homosexuality has more of a stigma in the judeo Christian islamic traditions. The Quran doesn’t mean anything to me, it has the same position as any other holy book.
    Ishmael Abraham But their traditional culture has been completely obliterated. And, we and our future generations will keep resisting it. Prostitution arrived in North America with the early European settlers. According to The Reader’s Companion to American History, there was no Native American counterpart to the purchase of sexual favors (Gilfoyle)
  • How Islam saved us from the equivalent of struggle between greek mysticism and greek rationalism

    I am happy that trinitarian greek orthodox church did not ban me. I was curious about greek mysticism because modern world is more influenced by greek rationalism which is employed by secularists to supposedly bury God. I am happy to learn that those with greek DNA still have love in their hearts for the spiritual homeland of Middle East.
  • How to Scripturally and intelligently deradicalize a trinitarian Christian extremist

    Thomas Edward Morgan Jr. Jesus is God in physical form.
    The Father is Shekinah Glory and boundless.
    The Holy Spirit is the fullness of God indwelling sinful men.
    Jesus can reveal the Father or Shekinah Glory by transfiguring. We can gain Jesus’ spirit by becoming a believer in the power of His blood to cover our sin.
    If I step boldly before the throne of God, I shall see Christ Jesus sitting at the throne.
    I will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
    Shekinah Glory shall be filling the whole of the heavens.
    What is not to understand? These three are one.
    Ishmael Abraham Can God take the physical form of an idol? I think Shekinah is creation not Creator. God mentions Shekinah in Quran 2:248 9:26 9:40 48:4 48:18 48:26. For the curiosity of Shia readers, most of these verses are from Chapter of Repentance which mentions the first Caliph of Islam and Chapter of Victory which contains the most famous verse honouring the blessed Companions. I think God the Creator is the fullness of God. Since the concept of indwelling can lead to heresy of making an infinite God occupy a finite space, we use the concept of spiritual vitality and/or re-birth as mentioned in Quran 8:24 and 36:70. I think if spirit supposedly indwells, we cease to be sinners but when we become sinners faith departs. This is how the Ishmaelite light of gentiles (p) described it. He said: When a believer commits fornication, faith departs him and hovers over him like a shadow and when he stops doing that the faith returns. We believe that ink of sacred scholars is more beloved to God than blood of martyrs and according to Ezekiel 18:20 no one can die for the sins of another. However, God commands in Quran 108:2 that we should spill the blood of animals to remind us of the Abrahamic sacrifice. We also believe that an Ishmaelite saint gave his blood for God in desert of karbala. We admit that Jesus peace be upon him had willingness to give blood but since he is a victorious King Messiah, even secular Antichrist cannot kill him. If you really want to be close to the Throne of God please recite Quran 2:255 and 9:129. Some sufi Muslims also think that the Ishmaelite light of gentiles will sit with God on his throne, but orthodox scholars consider it a heretical and blasphemous concept. I understand the concepts you use more than American secularists whom you love more, but I find the hypostatic union an influence of greco-roman paganism which has seduced both Christians and secularists.
    Thomas Edward Morgan Jr. Sampson was indwelt and slew humans who were as wicked as Muslims in the thousands.
    Ishmael Abraham Muslims fight with jawbones like Samson while America has weapons like Goliath?
    Assalamu alaykum. This article has helped me during dialogue with a trinitarian militant Christian on the concept of indwelling of spirit. Thanks a lot.
  • The ignored traditional scholars and skepticism of halal courtship

    I think such projects should involve traditional scholars, because many orthodox Muslims treat even courtship as scandalous. The Nouman Ali Khan controversy has shown us that traditional scholars have not been consulted on specifics of halal courtship.
    Sheikh Ahmad Kutty a graduate of Madina university has discussed this issue but still the input of major mainstream traditional scholars is missing on this issue. He writes: “ It is, therefore, important that as a community we should encourage creative ways of facilitating marriages.” If we really want to counter the sexual revolution and reduce zina in traditional societies, we should facilitate nikah between compatible believers based on the concept of kufu.
  • A Shia believer tries to outwit me through sarcasm for being a dissenter of popular Shi’ism

    Sean Stone: A convert to Islam with Jewish descent
    Hussain Murtaza Waqar Anwar jumped off his chair the moment you tagged him on this post.
    Ishmael Abraham Sean became a Shia BTW.
    Ishmael Abraham But he loves Sunni Rumi too.
    Hussain Murtaza Rumi is frowned upon first and foremost by your beloved Salafis. Many Shi’a scholars, including Ayatullah Khomeini, openly expressed admiration for him.
    Ishmael Abraham But I have read riwayat of Ahlulbayt where they critcize Sufis like Salafi scholars as well. Ayatollah Borqei is an example of such a Salafi Shia scholar.
    Hussain Murtaza Please also tag Waqar Younis, he was one of the greatest fast bowlers Pakistan ever produced.
    Hussain Murtaza I know. The condemnation of Sufia is unanimously established among all of mainstream Islam, particularly Ithna Asharia. But what kind of Sufi, and for what reasons, is a subject to this condemnation is a question of much. Hence the case of Maulana Rumi becomes subjective. Personally I neither admire nor condemn him. Ishmael Abraham I neither admire nor condemn you