Rebuttal to Matt Slick's Article "More questions for Muslims"
By
Bassam Zawadi
This article is in response to Matt Slick's article here.
The answers mostly are not of my own. I just provide them.
Matt Slick said:
The Qur'an states that you shall marry only up to four women: "If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with orphans, marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or that which your right hands possess..." (4:3).
- If the Qur'an is eternal, having been written on the table in heaven, then the four wife limit was an eternal decree.
- Question: Why did Muhammad have 12 wives if the Qur'an says to have only four? Khadija, sawda, Aesah (8 years old), Omm Salama, Hafsa, Zaynab (originally the wife of Muhammad's adopted son), Jowayriya, Omm Habiba, Safiya, Maymuna, Fatima, Hend, Asma (of Saba), Zaynab, Habla, Asma?
My Response:
Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad's_marriages
Many of Muhammad's detractors have criticized his conduct in having more wives than his followers. During the Medina period, he received a new revelation telling Muslim men to marry no more than four wives, and that only if they could treat them all equally. A flurry of divorces followed, as Muslim men gave the extra wives their liberty. Muhammad, however, kept all his wives. He had nine or ten wives at his death. Is this unfair? Did Muhammad selfishly exempt himself from rules imposed on others?
Muslim scholars note that the Qur'an exempts Muhammad from the general decree.
- O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee thy wives to whom thou hast paid their dowers. (Al-Ahzab 33: 50)
They explain this as a kind concession to Muhammad's wives. If he were to divorce them, no one else could marry them, and they would be left alone until their deaths. The prophet's wives were revered as "Umm ul Mo'mayneen" or Mothers of the Believers; it would be tantamount to incest for a believer to marry one of Muhammad's widows. So the Qur'an commands:
- Nor is it right for you that ye should annoy God's Apostle, or that ye should marry his widows after him at any time. Truly such a thing is in God's sight an enormity. (Al-Ahzab 33: 53)
If Muhammad is to be criticized for breaking the Qur'anic rules, he is exempted by those same rules.
Those who regard him as the inventor of these Qur'anic rules see this as a case of a leader enjoying privileges he denied to his followers. However, it may be noted that other traditions show him as content with a humble, almost ascetic lifestyle. In most things he lived as simply as the poorest of his followers.
For more details visit the following links...
http://www.islamonline.net/English/In_Depth/mohamed/1424/misconception/article10.shtml
http://www.wefound.org/texts/Muhammad_files/Muhammad2.htm
Matt Slick said:
The Qur'an says that Allah created the heavens and earth in six days. "Your Guardian Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days..." (7:54) See also, 10:3.
- 41:9 - "Say: Is it that ye deny him who created the earth in two days..."
- Question: Which should we believe, the Bible or the Qur'an? The Bible says God created the earth in one day, the xth day (xxx).
- 41:10 - "He set on the (earth), mountains standing firm, high above it, and bestowed blessings on the earth, and measured therein its sustenance in four days..."
- Question: Does 41:10 included the 2 days of 41:9 above? If so, why does 41:9 say God created the earth in two days, but 41:10 says that God measured its sustenance in four days? They are different occurrences.
- 41:11 - "Then he turned to the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: he said to it and to the earth: 'Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly..."
- 41:12 - "So he completed them as seven firmaments in two days, and he assigned to heaven its duty and command..."
- Question: the two days of 41:9 plus the four days of 41:10 and the 2 days of 41:12 equals eight days of creation, not six. Why is that?
My Response:
Go here and see the answer to question number 33. Also visit this article.
Matt Slick said:
It is a commonly held belief among Muslims that Muhammad was sinless.
- If Muhammad was sinless, then why does the Qur'an state: "Patiently, then, persevere: for the promise of Allah is true: and ask forgiveness for thy fault, and celebrate the praises of they Lord in the evening and the morning." (40:55).
- Pickthall translates 40:55 thus: "Then have patience (O Muhammad). Lo! the promise of Allah is true. And ask forgiveness of thy sin, and hymn the praise of thy Lord at fall of night and in the early hours."
- The Hadith says, "I heard Allah's Apostle saying." By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day." Volume 8, Book 75, Number 319, Narrated Abu Huraira:
- Question: If it is the common belief that Muhammad was sinless, why do the Qur'an and Hadith contradict that notion? Which is correct?
My Response:
Taken from http://www.tasabeeh.com/english/html/article.php?sid=87
And the prophet Muhammad -peace be upon him- and whom God forgave all his sins of the past and those who follow as The Right -be He blessed- said: "That Allah may forgive thee they faults of the past and those to follow; fulfill His favor to thee; and guide thee on the straight way" (SOURAT AL FATIH- Verse: 2)
But also still he is always asking for forgiveness, and it was mentioned in Saheeh Al Bukhari that he said: "God, forgive me my sin, ignorance and immoderation in all my matter, and what else you know more than me, O my Lord forgive me, my sins, purpose, ignorance and my joking and all, God, forgive me for what I did and to follow what I hided and what I declared, you are the one who put in advance and after, and you are able to do every thing"
And as it was mentioned in Saheeh Muslim that he -peace be upon him- asks for God's forgiveness seventy time in the day and night and when God -be He blessed- forgave him of the past and those to follow, He -be He blessed- doesn't mean to open the way of wrongdoing to him, no it is the forgiveness which is depends on the knowledge of The Right -to whom belongs might & majesty- of what was the prophet of a true and real faith with a real work and his uncovering to the hide invisible which He knows that this forgiveness will increase the obedience and thanks of the prophet -peace be upon him- and he used to get up in the night until his feet became swollen, they told him: God forgave you of the past and those to follow! Then he said: "Shouldn't I be a thankful servant?!"
And because of The Right -be He blessed- mercy of the nation of prophet Muhammad -peace be upon him- He grants us with the escape from sins and to get the complete (general) forgiveness like: The Hajj (to whom can do it), it was mentioned that prophet Muhammad -peace be upon him- has said: "who went for Hajj and doesn't dissipate then he will be as the day of his birth"
This just shows how humble the Prophet was and that if the Prophet is asking for forgiveness then what should we be doing? The Prophet is a role model for us and he is showing us what to do.
Read the following articles...
http://www.islamonline.com/cgi-bin/news_service/fatwah_story.asp?service_id=499
http://www.islamlife.com/down/sin.pdf
Matt Slick said:
The Qur'an says to have no divisions within Islam. "The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah - the [sic] which we have sent by inspiration to thee - and that which we enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou callest them..." (42:13).
- Question: If Islam is the truth, which of the divisions within it is the "most" true?
- Question: Is Islam in a state of sin since there are divisions within its ranks?
My Response:
It is illogical for Matt Slick to say that Islam is in a state of sin, no it is the Muslims who create sects that are sinning. Matt Slick is right, it is forbidden for Muslims to create sects among themselves. However, there are sects in Christianity as well. So if I ask Matt Slick "how do you know which Christian sect is the true one" He is going to say "the one that adheres to the bible". Just like how if Matt Slick asks me "If Islam is the truth, which of the divisions within it is the "most" true?", then I would say the sect that adheres to the Quran and authentic traditions of the glorious Prophet Muhammad.
Matt Slick said:
The Qur'an says, "And dispute ye not with the People of the Book [Jews and Christians and the Bible], except in the best way, unless it be with those of them who do wrong but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you," (29:46).
- Question: Isn't the Qur'an here saying that the Muslim is to believe what the Bible says?
My Response:
This is referring to the revelation that was originally sent down to Jesus. Not the corrupted bible that we have today.
Visit my Does Islam Endorse The Bible? section
The debate continues here.
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