h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'll try and get a copy of your book. But you should return the favour by reading Ibn Warraq's "Why I am not a Muslim". If your faith is strong enough it shouldn't be a problem...

salaam,

Plaes do not worry about your aggresive style of speech such things are easily ignored. besides the worst you have been is saintly compared to some people I spoke to. I remember this one guy, well anyway lets just say he was the rudest person I have ever spoken to.

As for agreeing with me or not, well thats your choice, I don't expect you to agree with me on articles of faith, simply because faith is an individual thing that can't be pressed on to others. Which is actually reinforced in the Qur'an in many many places.

"In effect he creates a lot of humans purely to go to hell, and the koranic descrpition of hell aint nice. Thats love for you."

I understand your point and I think if you read my article called the five pillars of Islam - Shahada, as it deals with the Muslim concept of fate in their.

But in brief God exists out side of time and space (i.e is not effected by such things and has knowledge of all that has happened and all that will) where as man is confined to inside space time. as a interesting side point they call it space time because on a quantom level in some areas of the universe time and space gets muddles together and some scientists believe that space and time are essentially two different aspects of the same thing. (sorry but I love astronomy and relevant sciences) Anyway back to the point

Now the thing is God knows every think that will happen and will not happen but he does not force people to do anything. Neither can shaytan for that matter. people choose to do what they please because they have been given the capacity for Good and bad within them. God allows people to be born who are going to go to hell simply because it is that individual that chooses his path through life. Once we have been put on this planit we are affectively free to do as we please, be it for the better or the worse, and someone who dos bad may bring out the good in others. Or some one who is evil might have a child who is Good etc later in life, or maybe someone who does evil may become Good in the future etc. the list is endless and God has made humans the trustess of this planit and it is our duty to look after it and what is on it.

Plus it is us who turns our back on him but he did not make us do that. Think of it this way, allah makes a soul and uts it in a person. becasue to him their is no time he knows that this person is going to be bad. But all he has done is place a soul in a body if you know what I mean, its what happens on this planet that people mature and grow without any out side influence.

Its very hard to exlain in a way to fully discribe. But a very rough idea would be if you plant a seed, you know it will grow, you know it will have flowers one day and at some point it will die. though we know this is what is going to be happen, the way the plant grows and how many flowers it has is due to out side influence, for example it depends on how much food and water and sunlight etc that it gets. but we also know that this plant might never get started as it might get eaten by animals etc.

Its kind of like that but this is very crude you understand.

God plants the soul in a zighot (sorry about spelling) and knows that it will grow in to a human and that this person will die. how that person grows and in to what sort of person is due to out side influences, such as up bringing and friends etc.

though of course God knows exactly what influence this person will recieve etc but you get my point.

In Islam every one is born a Muslim, even you but your circumstances such as parents ideals and faith are passed over to you etc, and you will not be blamed for that.

In Islam god is a fair judge meaning thouse who go to hell will be thouse who deserve it, I can't say who or who will not go in to hell because that is the unknown to me. But allah will forgive thouse whom he wills.

anyway I wont go anyfurther on this isuue at this time as I am just repeating my self, you will just have to do a karl, and agree to disagree.

As for the bible stuff.

"The second point, hmmn, now my biblical knowledge is limited but jesus (christ, whatever) said there is no way to the father except through me. This kind of nullifies mohamed. Also he talks of the second coming. When he would come like a theif in the night. Not like another prophet with a new religeon."

Firstly what you have to understand that Islam is not a new religion. Muslims believe that all the Prophets taught Islam, but mainly what was needed then at that time to prepare them for the next message. In Islam the religions that are Judaism, christianity and Islam are all following along the same road, and that originally their message was similier to Islam, and if you look you will see that Judaism is closer to Islam than Christianity. Anyway they were all revealed by the Prophets who taugh Islam.

hmmm HOld on thats confusing let me explain asecond. People refer to Islam as Islam, but this is not true, the arabic word Islam is a verb and not a noun. It means 'to Submit' or simply the act of 'submiting' and we regard Islam as submiting to Allah (to God). An so Islam is an actiaon and not an actual name, the concept of calling Muslims Islam as a sperate faith came about after the time of the Prophet.

The above end paragrph should read " In Islam (the faith)the religions that are Judaism, christianity and Islam (the faith) are all following along the same road, and that originally their message was similier to Islam (the faith), and if you look you will see that Judaism is closer to Islam (the faith) than Christianity. Anyway they were all revealed by the Prophets who taugh Islam (the act of submiting to God).

But what has happened is that over time this message of submiting to God (I will say this from knowon when referring to the actual meaning rather than the faith) has changed and that when Judaism started to move away from the state of submiting sent down by god, He (God) sent them a new message for them which wasfortold in the Old testament (torah) but the Jews rejected this and only some of them moved back to the proper act of submiting to God. Then after Jesus's death the Bible waswritten based on his teachings and a certain man (I think its Paul I'm a bit rusty my self I must get a new copy of the bible if we are going to mix ths stuff in to) added things that where not originally taught, such as the concept of Jesus being God. An so through out the ages Chrisitanity has added and changed the bible further from the revelation of submiting to Islam and so once again God sent the final message of submiting to God to mankind. And so through the ages since the first revelation they have been given new names (that where always labelled after the Propher and Messanger of that time) which where Judaism, christianity and Islam. but if we went further back then we would have buddishm, hinduism etc.

an so for Muslims Islam is not a new religion but a continuation of the other messages.

I have to go and I will read that book.

Adib

speak soon.

Salaam,

Sorry about yesterday my hour at the library was up.

I was dealing with the last part of your sentance:

The second point, hmmn, now my biblical knowledge is limited but jesus (christ, whatever) said there is no way to the father except through me. This kind of nullifies mohamed. Also he talks of the second coming. When he would come like a theif in the night. Not like another prophet with a new religeon.

Unless of course mohamed is the false prophet of revelations!winkeye

as for the second coming I can't remember the exact wording but their is a place in the bible where John the baptist is being questioned and He is asked three question and that this shows that the coming of Jesus again is seperate from another Prophet. I will try and find the actual refrence so I can go in to more detail about it.

The other thing to remember is that when asked how they would know if someone is from God he says on the lines of anyone who acknowledges that he is from God is a messanger of God, and Islam is the only religion other than Christianity that makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus.

your reference to Jesus saying that I and the farther are one, has to be read with that whole segmant wheir you will find that he is talking to the Jews and what he was refering to here is not physical but rather in aim, or mission.

I.e. that Jesus is sent to guide mankind to God and hence in purpose his goals are the same as God's. I will go in to more detail at some point soon I just have to get hold of a bible to qoute accuratly.

As for that book you mentioned it earlier I think, did you write a ISBN number for it then, don't answer that I will check and see, but if you didn't can you provide one as I will read it, I have read several such books and their all the same really.

Adib

Salaam, I can't find the Isbn number for the ook but don't worry about it.

I checked with my library but they or any other library in Birmingham ha s a copy of Ibn Warraq's "Why I am not a Muslim", so I will have to order it from W H Smith or some thing. I hope its not to expensive.

Of course I will read the book, but as I said before I have talked to and read things by people like him before. Normally they point out all the wrongs in Muslim countries and do not even realise that they are cultural and actually completely against Islam, also they point out some sort of contradiction which is usually a load of rubbish, and they got it from a poor translation. And most of them can't read arabic or have actually read a Qur'an in a language they understand and still go on as if they do not what it says, when in truth they only know what others have told them is in side it, which is following blindly which is not allowed in Islam.

Anyway my point is, I will read the book you mentioned but if you expect me to change my faith because of it, I wouldn't hold your breath, and more inportantly if you want me to respond to any points his made then you will have to forgive me writing a massive reply. If you don't expect an explanation of the points thats fine.

I don't know when I will get a copy, it probabley won't come till after Christmas and new year though.

you should be able to get a copy of the book I mentioned from a library, and I think you will like it and find that its not about what you think it is.

Adib

Cool I need something to read over the holidays.

Talk to you soon.

Salaam,

I found out the book you mentioned its ISBN is 1591020115 for the paper back version.

Theirs no way I am going to by the hard back version for some 25 pounds when the paper back is only 17 pounds. The book I mentioned is a hard back with more pages (I think) and is only £14.99

Anyway my copy of the book you mentioned wont come till mid janurary at least, but its on its way at least.

If I don't hear from you before Christmas and new year have a good one.

Take care

Adib

You too.

Salaam,

Hope you had a good holiday, sorry I have not been online, I had some things to do.

Inshallah I will be able to pick up a copy of that book next week.

Take care

Adib

Happy New Year pal. Hope you had a good time. Have to be honest I never read the book, but I will.

Speak soon.

Happy new year to you to, I didn't really celebrate Christmas or new year so I just spent the time working and doing other things, but yes I had a okay time. Had to visit my aunt and nan on boxing day which was nice. Met my other aunts son from Australia and had a good conversation with him and my uncle.

Hope you had a good time.

Don't worry about not reading that book, if you read it you may learn some thing, but if you don't then you'll never know what it says, either way its your choice. I ain't here to make you read it or do anything and I am not here to judge you, I'm just here to help answer people's opinions to the best of my abilities.

Take care

Adib