Refutation Of The Internal Contradictions In The Qur'ân
Saifullah & Ghoniem attempt to rebut the following Quranic difficulty, yet prove incapable of providing a meaningful rebuttal as we shall shortly demonstrate:
Will Jesus burn in Hell? Jesus is raised to Allah, [Sura 4:158], near stationed with him [Sura 3:45], worshiped by millions of Christians, yet Sura 21:98 says, that all that are worshiped by men besides Allah will burn in Hell together with those who worship them.
Muhammad Ghoniem & M S M Saifullah
Assalamu-alaikum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:
According to the Christian missionaries:
Surely you and what you worship besides Allah are the firewood of hell; to it you shall come. -- Sura 21:98
The logic is clear, Jesus is not God [5:75], millions of Christians are worshiping Jesus today and even the Qur'an acknowledges this [5:119], therefore Jesus will be fuel for the Hell fire [21:98] together with the Christians. This clearly contradicts the verses on Jesus' special place near to Allah [Sura 3:45; 4:158 and others].
Rebuttal
What is logically clear is that the Christian missionaries have not shown any support for their statement that the verse 21:98 indeed refers to Jesus(P). The issues here are:
i.What does the verse 21:98 actually say?
ii.Why should Jesus(P) go to hell-fire?
iii.Grammatical considerations & tafsîr
Response:
Christians do not necessarily believe that this verse was revealed specifically with Jesus in mind, but that taken to its logical conclusion this verse would include Jesus as well. If indeed all that is worshiped will become firewood of hell, then this would definitely include Jesus since he is worshiped by millions.
Furthermore, unless the authors want to claim that this verse has no significance apart from the intended audience originally addressed when it was "revealed", then this means that this passage is still valid today. Hence, this implies that everything and everyone that is worshiped even today would also be included as firewood for hell.
Therefore, the authors' assertion that Christians must show that this verse refers to Jesus is a straw man, since the point is not necessarily who or what the verse is addressing, but what ramifications does it have on the Christian worship of Christ. Does the fact that Christians worship Jesus imply that he, much like the pagan idols, will be tossed into hell? Or shall we simply assume, as Muslims do, that Jesus never condoned worship and hence is not held accountable for what others have chosen to do in his name?
What Does The Verse 21:98 Actually Say?
Let us see what the Arabic actually says in the verse 21:98.
Surely you and what you worship besides Allah are the firewood of hell; to it you shall come. [Qur'ân 21:98]
The word "mâ" translated as "what" (and underlined with red) in verse 21:98 is used to refer to things/objects and seldom would it refer to people. Otherwise, it would be "man" (i.e. who or whom).
Thus Jesus(P) is not referred to in that verse. This verse would rather refer to idols worshipped by the pagan Arabs who lived in the time of Prophet Muhammad(P). More details are available in the section Grammatical considerations & tafsîr.
Response:
Again, the straw man arguments persist. Christians do not believe that this verse originally referred to Jesus, but that Jesus would naturally be included in a verse that condemns the worship of anything or anyone apart from God.
Furthermore, the authors admit that the word "ma" can seldom refer to people, not just things. This is essential since the impersonal "ma" is used of God in the Quran:
By the heaven and THAT WHICH built it. S. 91:5
Arabic: Was-samaaa-i wa MAA ba-naahaa.
And the earth and THAT WHICH spread it, S. 91:6
Arabic: Waal-ardi wa MAA tahaha
And a soul and THAT WHICH perfected it S. 91:7
Arabic: Wanafsin wa MAA sawwaha
Finally:
And THAT WHICH hath created male and female, S. 92:3
Arabic: Wa MAA khalaqa alththakara waal-ontha
Either the authors will agree that the impersonal ma can include persons, or they must argue that Allah is an impersonal force. (See also S. 109:2-5.)
Finally, the authors claim that S. 21:98 is referring to the idols of the pagan Arabs but forgot to point out that some of these idols represented personal beings. For instance, Allat, Al-Uzza, Manat and Hubal were clearly viewed as living entities, not impersonal objects. In fact, one idol that was venerated in the Kaba according to some Muslim sources was an icon of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus. Does this imply that the Virgin Mary and Jesus are impersonal objects simply because an idol was made in their image? Obviously not, which means that the impersonal ma does not deny the fact that the Quran is attacking the veneration of both the images and the persons represented by these images.
Hence, we are left with the problem that if Jesus is worshiped then this implies that he too will be firewood of hell (God forbid!).
Why Should Jesus(P) Go To Hell-fire?
It is true that many Christians worship Jesus(P) and that according to the Qur'ân [21:98] whoever worships any deity except God would be the firewood of hell. In this context, what will happen to Jesus(P)? The Christian missionaries say rightfully that Jesus(P) is highly esteemed in Islam:
Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah; [Qur'ân 3:45]
For the sake of debate, the question would be: What was the mischief committed by Jesus(P) for which he would deserve hell? Did he order the Christians to worship him? We, the Muslims, believe he did not:
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, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden. "Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, 'Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord'; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when Thou didst take me up Thou wast the Watcher over them, and Thou art a witness to all things. [Qur'ân 5:116-117]
Response:
Nor do Christians believe that Jesus ever commanded his followers to venerate both him and his mother as TWO GODS APART FROM GOD. Instead, Jesus commanded his followers to honor him as they honor the Father since he and the Father are one and, along with the Holy Spirit, comprise the unity of the ONE true Godhead.
And God Almighty also says:
On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. [...] [Qur'ân 2:286]
and
No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We punish until We had sent a messenger (to give warning). [Qur'ân 17:15]
So, as shown in verses 5:116-117, Jesus(P) will be confronted with those who worship him. After he washes his hands from the Christian polytheism, each one will be accountable for his own deeds because the messenger (Prophet Muhammad(P)) has warned the Christians against their error and they refused to follow him and the consequences of not heeding to the advice (see verse 17:15).
Response:
Actually, all this verse states is that Jesus will wash his hands from those who claimed that he and his mother were two gods along with God, turning the Godhead into a triad. Hence, according to the Quranic claim, Jesus will rebuke individuals who believe that there are three gods consisting of Father, mother and son. Since this is not the historic position of Bible-believing Christians, this verse does not apply to them at all.
Grammatical Considerations & Tafsîr
Coming back to the original issue, verse 21:98 (saying that what is worshipped besides God will be the firewood of hell) refers to things/objects and not to the people for obvious grammatical reasons.
Response:
As we have demonstrated, the grammatical reasons prove nothing unless the authors are willing to admit that Allah is an impersonal force or object as well, not a personal being.
Moreover, as discussed above Jesus(P) is innocent from the Christian worship and thus he cannot be accountable for the Christian misguidance after his ascension to the Heaven. Of course, Jesus(P) is honoured by Islam and there is no contradiction between this fact and the Christian misguidance from which he is totally innocent (according to the Qur'ân too).
Response:
Actually, Jesus is innocent of the misinformation of the Quranic assertion that Christians believe that Jesus and his mother are two gods apart from the true God. Since neither Jesus or his true followers ever taught this, S. 5:116 has no bearing on the true biblical teaching and historic orthodox Christian belief.
Some missionaries go further with this argument by quoting Sîrah concerning the revelation of verse 21:98. We have cross-checked the quotation from as-Sîrah an-Nabawiyyah by Ibn Hishâm which says:
Here is its English translation:
Ibn Ishâq said:
The Apostle of God(P) sat one day, so I have heard, with al-Walîd Ibn al-Mughîrah in the mosque, and an-Nadr Ibn al-Harith came and sat with them in the assembly where some of Quraysh were. So the Apostle spoke but an-Nadr interrupted him. Then the Apostle spoke to him until he silenced him. Then he read to him and to the others: "Verily ye and what ye serve other than God is the fuel of hell. You will come to it. If these had been gods they would not have come to it, but all will be in it everlastingly. There is wailing and there they will not hear".
Ibn Ishâq said:
Then the Apostle of God(P) left and Abdullâh Ibn az-Zibirâ as-Sahmî came and sat down. al-Walîd said to him: "By God, an-Nadr could not stand up to the (grand)son of Abdul-Muttalib just now and Muhammad alleged that we and what we worship among these deities of ours [mâ nabudu min 'âlihatinâ hâdhihî] are fuel for hell". Abdullâh Ibn az-Zibirâ said: "If I had found him I would have refuted him. Ask Muhammad, "Is everything which is worshipped besides God in hell with those who worship it?' We worship the angels; the Jews worship Uzayr; and the Christians worship Jesus the Son of Mary." Al-Walîd and those with him in the assembly wondered at the words of Abdullâh Ibn az-Zibirâ and saw that he had argued convincingly. When the Apostle of God(P) heard of the speech of Ibn az-Zibirâ, he said:
"Everyone who appreciates being worshipped to the exclusion of God will be with those who worship him. They worship only devils and whom they have ordered to be worshipped." So God Almighty revealed concerning that "Those who have received kindness from us in the past will be removed far from it and will not hear its sound and they abide eternally in their heart's desire", i.e., Jesus Son of Mary and Uzayr and those rabbis and monks who have lived in obedience to God, whom the erring people worship as lords beside God. And He revealed concerning their assertion that they worship angels and that they are the daughters of God, "And they say the Merciful has chosen a son, (exalted be He above this); nay, they are but honored slaves, they do not speak before He speaks, and they carry out His commands", as far as the words, "and he of them who says, I am God as well as He, that one we shall repay with Hell. Thus do they repay the sinful ones." [1]
In the quotation above, the pagans of Makkah understood that verse 21:98 concerned them specifically as well as their idols (see how they stress: "what we worship among these deities of ours"- in Arabic: mâ nabudu min 'âlihatinâ hâdhihi). No mention of deified humans was understood. However, the question of Abdullâh Ibn az-Zibirâ - even if it was out of the real scope of the verse - came as a relief for them especially after Prophet Muhammad(P) had silenced Ibn an-Nadr one of their best orators.
Response:
The fact that az-Zibira's question brought them relief affirms that the pagans did indeed have in mind "deified humans" as well as other divine agents whom the pagans believed were actual personal beings, refuting the authors' assertion that they only had idols in mind.
Furthermore, that az-Zibira would use a passage that originally referred to idols, applying it to other objects of worship proves our point. It proves that this verse implies that every object in general that is worshiped, whether things or persons, shall be firewood of hell.
When the Prophet(P) heard of Abdullâh's objection, he brought an answer to his specific question, i.e., what about the humans that are worshipped?
Response:
Notice the trick the authors play upon their readers and the liberties they take in interpreting the text. Nowhere does the passage even make a distinction between the impersonal objects of worship and the so-called "deified human" beings. The authors assume that this must be the case due to the impersonal usage of "ma" but have failed to show us why this must be the case. Furthermore, az-Zibira indicates that the idols venerated by the pagans symbolized the angels that they worshiped:
The Arabs were not simply venerating stone or wooden objects, but worshiped what these objects represented, namely angels etc. In fact, according to the earliest traditions al-Uzza manifested as a real person and was killed:
"When Khalid arrived he destroyed her and returned to the apostle." (Ishaq, Sira Rasulullah- trans. Alfred Guillaume, The Life of Muhammad [Oxford University Press, Karachi, tenth impression 1995], p. 565)
The Muslim author Martin Lings continues:
These traditions affirm that what the pagans worshiped were not just impersonal objects, but spirits or humans that were represented by these icons and images.
The answer was: if and only if their being worshipped pleased them, then they will meet the same fate as their worshippers - Hell. This saves Jesus(P), Mary(P), the Angels and whatever pious people who were later worshipped against their own consent.
Response:
The problem is that according to the inspired eyewitness record of the New Testament, which the Quran agrees is the uncorrupt word of God, it is Jesus who personally demanded his followers to worship him:
"And I will do whatever YOU ASK IN MY NAME, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. YOU MAY ASK ME FOR ANYTHING IN MY NAME, and I will do it." John 14:13-14 NIV
Hence, it is Jesus who demands that we should honor him just as we honor the Father, which also includes praying directly to him. Interestingly, Ibn Ishaq quotes the Gospel of John without ever hinting that it is corrupt:
The Munahhemana (God bless and preserve him!) in Syriac is Muhammad; in Greek he is the paraclete." (Ishaq, pp. 103-104)
Despite the obvious change from "Father" to "Lord" and Ishaq's erroneous assertion that this is a prophecy of Muhammad, the Gospel citation is virtually identical to what we find in John 15:23-16:1. Ishaq claims that John wrote down the Gospel, affirming that his writing is that which the Quran refers to as the Gospel of Christ. This citation along with the following from Ishaq establishes the reliability of the NT text in our possession:
This being the case, this means that Jesus is the one responsible for Christians worshiping him. This means that if the Quran is correct, Jesus will then be tossed into hell (God forbid!)!
Moreover, many Qur'ânic commentaries such as those of al-Tabarî, al-Qurtubî and Ibn Kathîr mention this quotation of Sîrah concerning the following passage of surat az-Zukhruf:
When (Jesus) the son of Mary is held up as an example, behold, thy people raise a clamor thereat (in ridicule)! And they say, "Are our gods best, or he?" This they set forth to thee, only by way of disputation: yea, they are a contentious people. He was no more than a servant: We granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example to the Children of Israel. And if it were Our Will, We could make angels from amongst you, succeeding each other on the earth. 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. [Qur'ân 43:57-61]
Very interestingly, al-Qurtubî had the following to say in his tafsîr, while commenting on verse 43:57: (Arabic Text Follows)
Ibn Abbâs said:
This verse refers to the argument between Abdullâh Ibn az-Zibirâ and the Prophet of God(P) concerning Jesus. The one who held the example [in the verse] is Abdullâh Ibn az-Zibirâ while he was still a pagan. This took place when Quraysh reported to him that Muhammad recites:
"Verily ye and what ye serve other than God is the fuel of hell." [21:98]. He said: "If I had attended him, I would have replied to him." They asked him: "What would you say?" I would say: "The Christ is worshipped by the Christians and the Jews worship Uzayr. Are they among the firewood of hell?" Then Quraysh wondered at his words and saw that he had argued convincingly and this is the meaning of yasiddûn [raise a clamour in ridicule]. So, God revealed: "Surely (as for) those for whom the good has already gone forth from Us, they shall be kept far off from it;" [21:101]
If Ibn az-Zibirâ had pondered on verse 21:98, he wouldn't have objected to it because it makes mention of "what ye serve" and not "whom you serve" because the verse speaks about the idols and other things, and not about Jesus nor the angels even if they are worshipped.[2]
Two things stand out from this quotation:
Firstly, the grammatical considerations that we made in the beginning of this article according to which only inanimate things are included in verse 21:98. Al-Qurtubî stands by this opinion when commenting on verse 43:57 as well as verse 21:98.
The scholars say that Jesus, Uzayr and the angels are not meant by verse 21:98 because "mâ" [i.e., "what"] refers to inanimate things and not to people. If the verse pointed to them, it would use "man" [i.e., "who" or "whom"] instead.[3]
As-Sâbûnî in Mukhtasar Tafsîr Ibn Kathîr points out this argument too in the explanation of verse 43:58
Regarding His divine words: "This they set forth to thee, only by way of disputation: yea, they are a contentious people" means: they say so for the sake of argument while they know that their argument is not applicable to this verse since it refers to things only [i.e., in the Arabic language "mâ" is used to refer to things and God Almighty used "mâ" and not "man"] and so it is in His divine speech "Verily ye and what ye serve other than God is the fuel of hell." Moreover, this verse was addressed at Quraysh who were used to worship idols and they did not worship Jesus so that he could be included here. Therefore, their answer is no more than a fake argument in which they do not believe themselves.[4]
Response:
Actually, had all these writers meditated upon the Quran they would have seen that az-Zibira was correct since the impersonal "ma" is used of Allah. Either the authors must say that the Quran is grammatically wrong for using the impersonal term for Allah in S. 91:5, or must admit that the usage of "ma" can and does refer to persons. Hence, the grammatical construction fails to prove anything.
Secondly, it is implied that Abdullâh Ibn az-Zibirâ, the one who opposed the Prophet(P) about verse 21:98, became a Muslim. The reader may check entry number 4682 in al-Isâbah[5] by Ibn Hajar where we get the confirmation that Ibn Zibicrâ converted to Islam and praised the Prophet(P) with his poetry. If he knew that there were a contradiction in the Qur'ân concerning Jesus(P) and whether he would go to hell, would he believe in Muhammad(P) and convert to Islam?
Response:
The authors introduce irrelevant arguments to defend the mistake within the Quran. It is irrelevant to discuss the conversion of az-Zibira when the issue at hand is not az-Zibira. Rather, the issue centers on the Quranic difficulty that individuals who receive and/or accept worship will be tossed into hell, which would also include Jesus. Az-Zibira could have had many ulterior motives for converting to Islam such as power, wealth and woman seeing that Islam became the dominant force in Arabia:
Al-Baidawi comments:
According to the Mishkat, the fact that money played a dominant role in the Muslim zeal in striving against unbelievers is admittedly true:
Furthermore, az-Zibira could have also been coerced into embracing Islam by the threat of death seeing that many others had converted due to the threat of the Islamic sword:
On the Day of Hunayn, Umm Sulayman took out a dagger she had in her possession. AbuTalhah saw her and said: Messenger of Allah, this is Umm Sulayman. She is holding a dagger. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) asked (her): Why are you holding this dagger? She said: I took it up so that I might tear open the belly of a polytheist who comes near me. The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) began to smile (at these words).
She said: Messenger of Allah, kill all those people --other than us-- whom thou hast declared to be free (on the day of the Conquest of Mecca). (They embraced Islam because) they were defeated at your hands (and as such their Islam is not dependable). The Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: Umm Sulayman, God is sufficient (against the mischief of the polytheists) and He will be kind to us (so you need not carry this dagger). (Sahih Muslim, Book 18, Number 4453)
In either case, az-Zibira's conversion is trivial and has no bearing on the discussion. The authors have confused a question of relevance (i.e. that az-Zibira's conversion is irrelevant to our discussion) with a question of fact (i.e. the fact that the Quran condemns all who are worshiped apart from the true God to hell).
In conclusion, it can said that there is no difference between the arguments of Abdullâh Ibn az-Zibirâ when he was a pagan and the Christian missionaries of this day. The verse 21:98 does not refer to Jesus(P) at all and neither does the Qur'ân say that Jesus(P) would be going to hell. Everything points to the fact that the missionaries' argument is hollow and that they are contentious indeed!
Response:
In conclusion, we have discovered that either the authors didn't understand the point of the Christian argument, or badly misrepresented it in order to attack a straw man. Seeing that the Christians have never claimed that S. 21:98 originally referred to Jesus, or had Jesus in mind when it was revealed, we are left wondering why the authors chose to misrepresent the Christian argument? The fact remains that if everything that is worshiped will be firewood for hell, and since Jesus commanded his followers to worship him, this implies that if the Quran is true then Jesus will be one of those tossed into hell as firewood.
This issue is also discussed as a logical fallacy committed by the Quraysh.
The reader would also notice that the best tafsîr of the Qur'ân is Qur'ân itself (notice how 21:98 is explained using 43:57-58), i.e., al-Qur'ân yufassiru baduhu badan (different parts of the Qur'ân explain each other). What is given in a general way in one place is discussed in detail in some other place in the Qur'ân. What is dealt with briefly at one place is expanded in some other place. Such an exegesis involves the use of Context & Internal Relationships.
And Allah knows best!
Response:
Indeed, the Quran is its best interpreter and once a person allows it to speak for itself, the gross errors within it remain.
And Jesus knows best! And what he wants mankind to know is revealed in the Holy Bible, the only inspired word of God.
QUESTION FOR SAIFULLAH & GHONIEM :
In light of the fact that the authors claim that those who allowed others to worship them will be held responsible, and hence tossed into hell, what do the authors do with the following verses where God commanded angels to worship Adam? :
"And when We said unto the angels: Prostrate yourselves before Adam, they fell prostrate, all save Iblis. He demurred through pride, and so became a disbeliever." S. 2:34
"And We created you, then fashioned you, then told the angels: Fall ye prostrate before Adam! And they fell prostrate, all save Iblis, who was not of those who make prostration. He said: What hindered thee that thou didst not fall prostrate when I bade thee? (Iblis) said: I am better than him. Thou createdst me of fire while him Thou didst create of mud. He said: Then go down hence! It is not for thee to show pride here, so go forth! Lo! thou art of those degraded." S. 7:11-13
"And (remember) when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am creating a mortal out of potter's clay of black mud altered, So, when I have made him and have breathed into him of My Spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him. So the angels fell prostrate, all of them together Save Iblis. He refused to be among the prostrate. He said: O Iblis! What aileth thee that thou art not among the prostrate? He said: I am not one to prostrate myself unto a mortal whom Thou hast created out of potter's clay of black mud altered!" S. 15:28-33
"And when We said unto the angels: Fall down prostrate before Adam and they fell prostrate all save Iblis, he said: Shall I fall prostrate before that which Thou hast created of clay?" S. 17:61
"And when We said unto the angels: Fall prostrate before Adam, they fell prostrate (all) save Iblis; he refused." S. 20:116
All these verses state that it was Allah who commanded the angels to prostrate before Adam. The word signifying prostration is only used in relation to a believer prostrating before God in adoration and worship. Abdiyah Akbar Abdul Haqq comments on S. 7:12:
"Despite Jalal al-Din's apology, strictly speaking, 'Sajda' (prostration) is due only to God. That is why the commentator did not support adequately the exception he has made to the rule, from the Koran. The 'Wahhabis,' who consider themselves strict Muslims and true Monotheists, forbid worship of any creature. God alone deserves to be worshipped, according to them. They would not allow 'Sajda' to a civil authority- the kind of prostration which is meant to be used in prayers to God... Moreover, it is true that strictly speaking prostration before any being other than God is a practice against monotheism and spirit of the Koran, as Wahhabis would say." (Haqq, Sharing Your Faith with a Muslim [Bethany House Publishers, Minneapolis, MN 1980], p. 78 emphasis ours)
If the Quran is right that anyone that is worshiped besides God will be firewood for hell, does this mean Adam will be thrown in hell as well? Does this also mean that since Allah commanded angels to worship Adam that Allah will now toss himself into hell? If the authors claim that Allah allowed the angels to show respect to Adam by bowing down before him, then why is it forbidden for Muslims to do so today? Why are Christians condemned for worshiping Jesus seeing that he is greater than Adam and more worthy of the "Sajda" that was given to the latter? It seems that when the authors try to solve one contradiction, another arises to take its place.
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