Mohd Elfie Nieshaem Juferi (MENJ) takes another stab at trying to prove that Muhammad’s
experiences were similar to the experiences of the true prophets of God. It seems that
MENJ is suffering from the same problem as Osama Abdallah,
namely the Mantra Syndrome. Like Osama, MENJ seemingly thinks that if he repeats
the same falsehood a certain number of times it will then somehow become fact,
at least in the minds of his readers. Here, like in his previous reply, MENJ appeals
to scholars, specifically Orientalists, to prove his contention regarding Muhammad’s
religious experiences and his sincerity. For an overview of the discussion so far, see
this article. MENJ begins:
It is noted that in his alleged "reply" to our summary of the Biblical Prophets' experiences in their encounter with the Divine presence, the missionary had made the arrogant claim that
It is rather evident that NONE of these prophets' experiences are even remotely similar with Muhammad's traumatic experiences...
However, the missionary emphasis on the word "NONE" is amusing in its travesty, especially when examined in light of the following quotations from the following Orientalists who attested that "Muhammad's traumatic experiences" (the words of the missionary, not our own) are strikingly similar to the Biblical prophets. Emphasis in these quotations are our own.
See: "Epileptic Symptoms" In The Biblical Prophets?
RESPONSE:
What is truly an arrogant travesty is how MENJ thinks he can simply brush aside our extensive refutation of his claim by merely repeating his outdated arguments and quoting some Orientalists over and over again. MENJ’s constant repeating himself conclusively shows that he cannot refute our arguments and needs to cover up his inability by obfuscation.
Lord willing, this will be our final response to MENJ on this issue since his evasion tactics do nothing to add substance to the discussion.
See this response to the above referenced article on "Epileptic Symptoms".
MENJ turns to Guillaume for help:
ALFRED GUILLAUME
The outward marks of a prophet in Israel were (a) impassioned utterance; (b) poetry; (c) intense preoccupation with God and moral issues; (d) a sense of compulsion urging him to declare the will of God. Naturally these characteristics varied from prophet to prophet: in some of the later prophets the feeling of excitement, the inner urge which bursts as it were the bounds of language, and the idealism are altogether lacking; but the broad pattern is consistent. How far then is it possible to say that Muhammad was a prophet?
Now if we look at the accounts of his call, as recorded by the early biographers, some very interesting parallels with the Hebrew prophets come to light. They say that it was his habit to leave the haunts of men and retire to the mountains to give himself up to prayer and meditation. One night as he was asleep the angel Gabriel came to him with a piece of silk brocade whereon words were written, and said 'Recite!' He answered, 'What shall I recite?' The order was repeated three times, while he felt continually increasing physical pressure, until the angel said:
Recite in the name of thy Lord who created Man from blood coagulated. Recite! Thy Lord is wondrous kind Who by the pen has taught mankind Things they knew not (being blind).
When he woke these words seemed to be written on his heart (or, as we should say, impressed indelibly on his mind). Then the thought came to him that he must be a sha'ir (literally 'knowers') or possessed, he who had so hated such people that he could not bear the sight of them; and he could not tolerate the thought that his tribesmen would regard him as one of them -- as in fact they afterwards did. Thereupon he left the place with the intention of throwing himself over a precipice. But while on his way he heard a voice from heaven hailing him as the Apostle of God, and lifting up his eye he saw a figure astride the horizon which turned him from his purpose and kept him rooted to the spot. And there he remained long after his anxious wife's messengers had returned to report that they could not find him.
Clearly this story belongs to the realm of visions and dreams. Whatever view is taken of their objective reality, none can doubt their subjective reality to those who experience them. This inaugural vision so affected Muhammad's preaching - at any rate in its early stages - and Muhammad himself, that it is possible to believe that he was a prophet. The burden of Muhammad's message from first to last was the almighty power of God and man's duty to obey him, of sin and judgment. The sense of compulsion under which he labored is clearly brought out in the dream in which the angel forced him to speak. Some of his biographers have deleted the passages which speak of his doubts and fears; but they are perhaps the most convincing elements in the story, and, apart from his contemplated suicide, are strongly reminiscent of Jeremiah's doubts as to whether he was inspired or whether he was on the same level as the false prophets of his day. And as we shall see, Muhammad's tenacity was tested by adversity -- mockery, accusations of soothsayings and of teaching the doctrines of foreigners, and finally undisguised persecution. His biographers says truly that prophethood is a weighty and painful office which few can sustain owing to the opposition that they encounter.
[1]
RESPONSE:
Please note carefully what Guillaume says:
... Then the thought came to him THAT HE MUST BE A SHA’IR (literally 'knowers') OR POSSESSED, he who had so hated such people that he could not bear the sight of them; and he could not tolerate the thought that his tribesmen would regard him as one of them -- as in fact they afterwards did. Thereupon he left the place WITH THE INTENTION OF THROWING HIMSELF OVER A PRECIPICE. But while on his way he heard a voice from heaven hailing him as the Apostle of God, and lifting up his eye he saw a figure astride the horizon which turned him from his purpose and kept him rooted to the spot. And there he remained long after his anxious wife's messengers had returned to report that they could not find him.
And:
... The sense of compulsion under which he labored is clearly brought out in the dream in which the angel forced him to speak. SOME OF HIS BIOGRAPHERS HAVE DELETED THE PASSAGES WHICH SPEAK OF HIS DOUBTS AND FEARS; but they are perhaps the most convincing elements ...
According to Guillaume’s own words, Muhammad’s initial belief was that he was possessed and his suicidal tendencies were such an embarrassment that some Muslims omitted them from their biographies!!! We are really thankful for MENJ helping us to strengthen the arguments made in our initial responses to him.
MENJ apparently hasn’t read Guillaume carefully, since in the above quote the latter implicitly casts doubt on Muhammad’s illiteracy. Note again what Guillaume says, this time with added emphasis:
... One night as he was asleep the angel Gabriel came to him with a piece of silk brocade whereon words were written, and said 'Recite!' He answered, 'What shall I recite?' The order was repeated three times, while he felt continually increasing physical pressure ...
Guillaume’s citation has Muhammad asking, "what shall I recite", as opposed to the traditional version where Muhammad purportedly responded, "I do not know how to read." The mention of brocade with words written on it presumes that the "angel" wanted Muhammad to read these very words. Otherwise, why even bring silk brocade with words on it if the spirit entity simply wanted Muhammad to repeat words heard orally? Hence, Guillaume, by writing "What I shall recite?", may be viewed as an indirect attempt of casting doubt on the traditional story regarding Muhammad claiming to be illiterate, a story which MENJ accepts as historical fact. If this were the case, then MENJ would have to therefore reject Guillaume’s version of the events, and would have no hesitation in admitting that Guillaume is wrong here. Yet, if MENJ can concede that Guillaume is wrong in this issue then he must concede the possibility that Guillaume may also be wrong regarding Muhammad’s experiences being similar to the OT prophets.
Guillaume also says: "... that it is possible to believe that he was a prophet." Yet, his explicitly stated criteria for prophethood are only outward observations of experiences where there may be some superficial similarity. They are NEVER used in the Bible as criteria for prophethood. Why does Guillaume ignore the biblical criteria for prophethood?
Furthermore, Guillaume mentions a very important dissimilarity, the very topic that we are discussing here:
... apart from his contemplated suicide, ...
i.e. this is something which is very dissimilar and not found in the Biblical prophets. Hence, MENJ’s own authority actually supports our case!
It is clear here that Guillaume only gives his opinion. He does not actually carefully compare the experience of Muhammad and Jeremiah. He only thinks they are reminiscent. That is the same issue with all the other quotes. MENJ only provided a list of unsubstantiated opinions. The whole article is one fallacy of appeal to authority while MENJ completely failed to discuss the facts themselves.
We have already shown in our initial rebuttals that authors such as Guillaume are wrong, and will provide additional proofs to show that they are wrong. With that just said, let us contrast Jeremiah’s "doubts" with Muhammad’s:
"The word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’ ‘Ah, Sovereign LORD,’ I said, ‘I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.’ But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not say, "I am only a child." You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the LORD. Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ‘Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.’ The word of the LORD came to me: ‘What do you see, Jeremiah?’ ‘I see the branch of an almond tree,’ I replied. The LORD said to me, ‘You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.’ The word of the LORD came to me again: ‘What do you see?’ ‘I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north,’ I answered. The LORD said to me, ‘From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms," declares the LORD.’" Jeremiah 1:4-15
Jeremiah’s doubts arose from his awareness that he didn’t have the ability, maturity and/or the courage to face the nations. Yet Jeremiah never doubted that the being who spoke to him was God. This is very similar to Moses’ encounter with God. Cf. Exodus 3-4.
Now compare this with Muhammad. Whereas Jeremiah doubted HIMSELF, his rhetorical skills, fearing to be rejected due to young age, etc., Muhammad, on the contrary, doubted that what had happened to him was genuinely of God. Jeremiah’s doubts were about his own abilities; Muhammad’s doubts were about the origin of his experience. That is a completely different kind of doubt.
We also challenge MENJ to show us from the book of Jeremiah where the latter doubted whether he was truly inspired or thought that he was on the same level of the false prophets. In fact, Jeremiah KNEW he wasn’t on their level as the following passage shows:
"In the fifth month of that same year, the fourth year, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, who was from Gibeon, said to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and all the people: ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles of the LORD's house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon. I will also bring back to this place Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and all the other exiles from Judah who went to Babylon," declares the LORD, "for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon."’ Then the prophet Jeremiah replied to the prophet Hananiah before the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD. He said, ‘Amen! May the LORD do so! May the LORD fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the LORD's house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon. Nevertheless, listen to what I have to say in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the LORD ONLY IF HIS PREDICITON COMES TRUE.’ Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, and he said before all the people, ‘This is what the LORD says: "In the same way will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years."’ At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way. Shortly after the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: ‘Go and tell Hananiah, "This is what the LORD says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals."’ Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, ‘Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. Therefore, this is what the LORD says: "I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the LORD."’ In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet DIED." Jeremiah 28:1-17
Jeremiah even warns the people about the false prophets!:
"This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. They keep saying to those who despise me, "The LORD says: You will have peace." And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, "No harm will come to you." But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word? See, the storm of the LORD will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads of the wicked. The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will understand it clearly. I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds. Am I only a God nearby,’ declares the LORD, ‘and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the LORD. ‘I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, "I had a dream! I had a dream!" How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their fathers forgot my name through Baal worship. Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?’ declares the LORD. ‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares the LORD, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? Therefore,’ declares the LORD, ‘I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. Yes,’ declares the LORD, ‘I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, "The LORD declares." Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,’ declares the LORD. ‘They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,’ declares the LORD." Jeremiah 23:16-32
So how could he have even thought that he was on the level of the false prophets!
MENJ needs to stop wasting our time and provide one example of a prophet who thought that he was demon-possessed after his/her divine encounter or erroneously assumed that the entity that appeared to him/her was actually Satan and contemplated suicide because of it.
MENJ continues:
D. B. MACDONALD
...
[Muhammad] was truly in the succession of the Old Testament Prophets.[2]
RESPONSE:
Where is the proof? Claiming something is not the same as proving it. MENJ’s appeal to MacDonald is nothing more than the fallacy of appealing to authority.
Interestingly, we had quoted MacDonald in our initial response to MENJ to show that Muhammad’s religious experience was identical to the experience of Jinn-possessed poets such as Hasan b. Thabit.
Hence, if MENJ believes that MacDonald was correct regarding Muhammad being in the succession of the OT prophets, then MENJ should also accept his claims regarding Muhammad’s experience being similar to Hasan’s possession. In fact, whereas there is no proof that Muhammad’s experiences were like the OT prophets (contrary to MENJ’s wishful thinking) there are plenty of proofs that his experiences were like those of Jinn-possessed poets! See the above link for the evidence.
MENJ now turns to Watt for help:
W. MONTGOMERY WATT
... The [Biblical] passage where the people of God are told that God will raise up for them one of their own number, similar to Moses, who will them [1] give them guidance [2] . This is often taken by Christians to mean that God will raise up a prophetic order (whose supreme exemplar is Jesus) so that in times of difficulty the people of God will have a prophet to guide them. With a little stretching of the sense here and there, Muhammad might perhaps be said to be one fulfillment of this prophecy...
...It has been argued that Muhammad is a charismatic religious leader within the Abrahamic (or Judaeo-Christian) tradition, who guided some of the people of God in a time of difficulty. He may thus be called a prophet in certain senses of the word.[3]
______________
[1] While the original text here has "them", it is most likely a "then".
[2] Deut. xviii. 15, 18.
RESPONSE:
First, which Christians have understood Deuteronomy 18:15-18 to be a reference to a prophetic order? Clearly, not orthodox, Bible-believing Christians since the NT is quite explicit that that prophet whom Moses mentioned was the Lord Jesus Christ:
"But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through ALL the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you-even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.’ Indeed, ALL the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, HAVE FORETOLD THESE DAYS." Acts 3:18-24
Now we do believe that Deuteronomy 18, in principle, applies to all of God's true prophets since they obviously came in Yahweh’s name and proclaimed the words which Yahweh had put in their mouths (Cf. Jeremiah 1:9). In light of this one can then take the position that the prophecy found its complete culmination in Jesus, along with the prophets and apostles whom he sent in his name.
But any prophet that comes after Christ must come in the name of the Lord Jesus and proclaim his eternal gospel of grace:
"Therefore I [Jesus] am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town." Matthew 23:34
"But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it ... It was he [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." Ephesians 4:7, 11-15
"At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’ Revelation 19:10
Second, Watt provides no proof for Muhammad being a prophet like the biblical prophets, but simply says that it has been argued that he was. The question is, who has argued this? Muslims? Obviously since they believe he was a true prophet! Bible-believing Christians? Orthodox Jews? Liberal theologians? Moreover, did those who argue it make a convincing case? Watt does not commit himself to that. Many things have been argued, but have ultimately failed. His statement is so vague as to be useless for MENJ's case.
But do notice Watt’s carefully worded statement again, with slightly changed emphasis:
... With a little stretching of the sense here and there, Muhammad MIGHT PERHAPS be said to be ...
He MAY thus be called a prophet in certain senses of the word.
Even Watt falls way short of admitting that Muhammad was a true prophet, and thus his qualification that Muhammad may be called a prophet in certain senses of the term (but certainly not the biblical sense), and only by way of "stretching of the sense".
Later on MENJ will appeal to Watt’s Muhammad at Mecca. In it Watt argues for the historicity of the satanic verses. Commenting on the variations of the different reports regarding this issue, Watt says:
If we compare the different versions and try to distinguish between external facts in which they agree and the motives which the various historians ascribe in order to explain the facts, we find at least two facts about which we may be certain. Firstly, at one time Muhammad must have publicly recited the satanic verses as part of the Qur’an; it is unthinkable that the story could have been invented by Muslims or foisted upon them by non-Muslims. Secondly, at some later time Muhammad announced that these verses were not really part of the Qur’an and should be replaced by others of a vastly different import. The earliest versions do not specify how long afterwards this happened; the probability is that it was weeks or even months ...
The Muslim scholars, not possessing the Modern Western concept of gradual development, considered Muhammad from the very first to have been explicitly aware of the full range of orthodox dogma. Consequently it was difficult for them to explain how he failed to notice the heterodoxy of the satanic verses. The truth rather is that his monotheism was originally, like that of his more enlightened contemporaries, somewhat vague, and in particular was not so strict that the recognition of inferior divine beings was felt to be incompatible with it... (Watt, Muhammad at Mecca [Oxford University Press, Karachi; second impression, 1993], pp. 103-104; underlined emphasis ours)
MENJ had earlier quoted Guillaume. Here is what he says about the satanic verses:
Distressed by the estrangement from his townsmen and by the illwill that beset him, Muhammad was led into making a temporary but very small concession to heathenism. In sura 53:19 he recited the words: 'Al-lat, al-Uzza, and Manat are the exalted virgins [the exact meaning of the word is not known] whose intercession may be counted on.' These words immediately won over the Meccans who joined him in prostrating themselves before Allah; but, as the biographer reports, Gabriel came to him and upbraided him for including words which had not been revealed to him, and revealed (sura 22:51): 'Never have we sent apostle or prophet before you but when he allowed his own wishes to predominate Satan interjected words into his desires; but God cancels what Satan interjects.' Critics of tradition have endeavored to discredit the honesty of those who reported this story; but it is impossible to suggest a motive for its invention other than a desire to discredit Muhammad, the Quran, and Islam itself-and such a supposition in regard to sincere Muslims is absurd. In fact the incident is the strongest possible testimony to the sincerity of Muhammad. Of course it opens the door to the enquiry whether he may have been mistaken in supposing that his words were inspired on other occasions also; but as the Quran itself rightly says, this has been the possible fate of prophets at all times, and there have been prophets who have not frankly and immediately acknowledged that they were mistaken... All that these interpolated words meant was that the divine or semi-divine beings acted as intercessors with Allah, an office which in Islam is accorded to Muhammad himself. Nevertheless it was a declension from the prophet's doctrine of monotheism inasmuch as the next step would logically be prayer and supplication to the guardian angels or heavenly intercessor...
When Muhammad withdrew these words and asserted that these goddesses had no reality but were mere names, the Meccans were more angry than before... (Guillaume, Islam [Penguin Books, reprinted edition 1990], pp. 35-36)
Since MENJ appeals to both Watt and Guillaume to defend his prophet, perhaps he will also accept their conclusions regarding the satanic verses as well. But since MENJ has already posted articles calling into question the historicity of the satanic verses he will obviously disagree with these scholars, which leads us to our point. Just because an author or recognized scholar makes a claim doesn’t mean that the claim is necessarily correct. Evidence must be given to support the claim, and thus far neither MENJ nor the sources he quotes have provided any evidence that Muhammad’s experiences were similar to those of the biblical prophets.
The plausibility of Muhammad reciting satanic verses becomes more likely in light of his having come under the power of magic:
Narrated Aisha:
Magic was worked on Allah's Apostle so that he used to think that he had sexual relations with his wives while he actually had not (Sufyan said: That is the hardest kind of magic as it has such an effect). Then one day he said, "O 'Aisha do you know that Allah has instructed me concerning the matter I asked Him about? Two men came to me and one of them sat near my head and the other sat near my feet. The one near my head asked the other. What is wrong with this man?' The latter replied he is under the effect of magic. The first one asked, Who has worked magic on him?’ The other replied Labid bin Al-A'sam, a man from Bani Zuraiq who was an ally of the Jews and was a hypocrite.’ The first one asked, 'What material did he use?' The other replied, 'A comb and the hair stuck to it.' The first one asked, ‘Where (is that)?’ The other replied. ‘In a skin of pollen of a male date palm tree kept under a stone in the well of Dharwan’" So the Prophet went to that well and took out those things and said "That was the well which was shown to me (in a dream) Its water looked like the infusion of Henna leaves and its date-palm trees looked like the heads of devils." The Prophet added, "Then that thing was taken out." I said (to the Prophet) "Why do you not treat yourself with Nashra?" He said, "Allah has cured me; I dislike to let evil spread among my people." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 71, Number 660; see also number 661)
In light of the foregoing, we would like to repeat our challenge to him to show us an example of a true prophet coming under the control and possession of Satan, i.e. a prophet being bewitched by a sorcerer or magician.
MENJ:
It is clear that the above citations regarding the genuineness of his mission and its similarites with the experiences of the Biblical Prophets, as attested by even the Orientalists, cannot leave any room for doubt. As remarked by Nöldeke:
Die Hauptsache bleibt doch, daß er bis zum letzten Atemzuge für seinen Gott und das Seelenheil seines Volkes, ja der ganzen Menschheit geeifert, und daß er die feste Gewißheit von seiner göttlichen Sendung nie verloren hat.[4]
(The decisive fact remains that to his very last breath he laboured zealously for his God and for the salvation of his people, for all mankind, indeed, and that he never lost his firm faith in his divine mission.)
W. Montgomery Watt reinforces the same point by stating that
His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement - all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad raises more problems than it solves.[5]
Hence, once again, the missionary is refuted on the matter. And only God knows best!
RESPONSE:
MENJ again for the umpteenth time quotes sources that affirm Muhammad’s sincerity. And we again for the umpteenth time repeat that we are not calling into question Muhammad’s sincerity. As we had stated to MENJ we believe that Muhammad was sincere (and actually correct) when he thought that a jinn had possessed him!
We had also said that a person’s sincerity and beliefs do not prove that the person is right or that he/she is a prophet, since one can be sincerely wrong. We argued that if integrity is a key issue in deciding prophethood then men such as Baha'ullah, Joseph Smith, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Rashad Khalifa and Elijah Muhammad must have also been true prophets and spokespersons of God. Since MENJ keeps pointing to Muhammad’s faithfulness and integrity as one of the reasons for believing in his prophethood then he has no choice but to embrace these other prophets and messengers since they too believed that God had spoken to them and were willing to die for their belief.
Hence, once again, MENJ’s obfuscation is exposed and soundly refuted. It seems that some people just never learn. And, indeed, the true and eternal triune God does know best!
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