What is "True Islam" and does it need to be modernised?

Many people wonder about "what is the true Islam?", "does Islam need modernising?", "has the Islam we have been given and passed down been patriarchal and misogynistic?" and so on.
There have been many discussions and writings on this topic, and my aim is not to summarise them or include them all here but to point to one Sahih (authentic) hadith and then relate it to the questions mentioned above. The hadith of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) states:
"From every succeeding generation its upright folk shall carry this knowledge in turn. They shall repeal from it the distortions of the extremists (tahrif al-ghalin), the (mis)interpretations of the ignorant (ta'wil al-jahilin), and the pretenses of the liars (intihal al-mubtilin)." (see the discussion on grading and references in Note 1 below).
If a person reflects on the above mentioned hadith, the following will be realised:
a) True Islam will be present in every generation. It will never be absent from even one generation.
b) There will be scholars representing true Islam and they will openly refute misguidance and misguided sects. Thus the true Islam will be open and victorious.
c) If you come across a sect or belief claiming to be the "true Islam" but that belief or sect did not exist in every generation, and the scholars holding its views did not "repeal the distortions etc" and were not prominent,, then it is not the true Islam. For example some "feminists" claim that Islamic scholarship was misogynistic and this led to misogynistic interpretations of Islam dominating for centuries. Thus these feminists claim to reinterpret the Qur'an, hadiths and Islam in "progressive/feminist/women-friendly" ways. Ask the feminists "Did these interpretations that the feminists bring exist in every generation of Islamic history?". If these interpretations did not exist in every generation, then know that it they are false. The same question should be asked of other modernist "Islamic" movements and even of the "Salafi" movement. For example you will never find in every generation of Islamic history a scholar saying "inheritance laws should be divided equally because the context has changed". Nor will you find in every generation a "Salafi" scholar or a "feminist" scholar.

d) Islam does not need to be "changed" or "modernised" or "progressed" or made "gender equal", because the true Islam is the Islam that has been followed for centuries. 

In conclusion one will find that the Ahlus Sunnah  existed in every generation of Islamic history and were always prominent and dominant. 

I hope the above answers the questions above.

Notes:

1) Sheikh GF Haddad wrote the following:

"This hadith is narrated from the Companion Ibrahim b. `Abd al-Rahman al-`Adhari from the Prophet (upon him blessings and peace).

"From every succeeding generation its upright folk shall carry this knowledge in turn. They shall repeal from it the distortions of the extremists (tahrif al-ghalin), the (mis)interpretations of the ignorant (ta'wil al-jahilin), and the pretenses of the liars (intihal al-mubtilin)."

عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْعَذَرِىِّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم: يَرِثُ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ مِنْ كُلِّ خَلَفٍ عُدُولُهُ يَنْفُونَ عَنْهُ تَأْوِيلَ الْجَاهِلِينَ وَانْتِحَالَ الْمُبْطِلِينَ وَتَحْرِيفَ الْغَالِينَ

It is a fair hadith graded hasan gharib sahih by al-`Ala'i in Bughyat al-Multamis (p. 14=p. 34-35) and sahih according to Imam Ahmad (as narrated by al-Khallal in his `Ilal per al-Khatib in Sharaf As-hab al-Hadith p. 29), Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr in the introduction to his Tamhid -- as cited by Ibn Kathir in al-Bidaya wal-Nihaya (1993 Turath ed. 10:371) and al-San`ani in Thamarat al-Nazar (p. 144) -- and Ibn al-Wazir in al-`Awasim min al-Qawasim (1:312) and al-Rawd al-Basim (1:21-23) but da`if mu`dal cf. al-Daraqutni in Ibn al-Mulaqqin, al-Muqni` (1:246); `Abd al-Haqq al-Ishbili in al-Ahkam al-Wusta (1:121); Ibn Kathir in al-Ba`ith al-Hathith; al-`Iraqi in al-Taqyid (p. 116), al-Bulqini in Mahasin al-Istilah (p. 219), and al-Sakhawi's long discussion in Fath al-Mughith (2:14-17). Ibn al-Qattan discussed it in his Wahm wal-Iham (3:37-41 §691) as did Abu Ghudda in Khams Rasa'il fi `Ulum al-Hadith (p. 133-141 marginalia to Ibn `Abd al-Barr's discussion) and al-Zabidi devoted to it his monograph al-Rawd al-Mu'talif fi Takhrij Hadith Yahmilu Hadha al-`Ilma min Kulli Khalaf.

Narrated:

[1] from Abu Hurayra by al-Tabarani in Musnad al-Shamiyyin (1:344) with two chains, one of which is fair, and by al-Khatib in Sharaf As-hab al-Hadith (p. 28 §52) and al-Jami` (1991 ed. 1:193 §137=1983 ed. 1:128) with a very weak chain because of Maslama ibn `Ali;

[2] from Abu Umama by al-`Uqayli in the introduction to his Du`afa' (1:9) with a weak chain;

[3] from Usama b. Zayd by al-Khatib in Sharaf (p. 28 §53);

[4] from Abu Hurayra and `Abd Allah b. `Umar by al-Bazzar (Mukhtasar 1:122 §86), Tammam al-Razi (Fawa'id 1:350), Ibn `Abd al-Barr in al-Tamhid (1:59), and al-`Uqayli in al-Du`afa' (1:10) -- the latter two stating "ibn `Amr" -- with very weak chains because of `Umar b. Khalid who is discarded as a narrator (matruk) as indicated by al-Haythami (1:140);

[5] from `Abd Allah b. Mas`ud -- the first sentence only, and with "inherit" instead of "carry" -- by al-Khatib, Sharaf (p. 28 §54);

[6] mursal from the Tabi`i Abu `Abd al-Rahman Ibrahim b. `Abd al-Rahman al-`Adhari by al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra (10:209 §20685-20686) and Shu`ab al-Iman (10:209), Ibn `Abd al-Barr in al-Tamhid (1:59), Ibn Abi Hatim in al-Jarh wal-Ta`dil (2:17), Ibn Hibban in al-Thiqat (4:10), and al-Khatib, Sharaf (p. 28-29 §52-56) where the latter narrates that Imam Ahmad declared it sound (sahih), a grading faulted by Yahya b. Sa`id al-Qattan as cited by Ibn `Adi in al-Kamil (1:153) from al-Khallal's `Ilal. Ibn `Adi then cites a chain of trustworthy narrators for it. Al-Dhahabi in Mizan al-I`tidal (1:45 §137) states that Ma`an ibn Rifa`a -- who reports from al-`Udhri -- is not reliable (Ibn Hajar grades him layyin, Taqrib §6747) but in al-Mughni (2:308 §6309) states that Ibn al-Madini declared him trustworthy, as did Ahmad (cf. al-Khatib, Sharaf p. 29 §56). Al-`Iraqi in al-Taqyid wal-Idah (p. 116) and al-Tabsira (1:298) said: "This narration is missing al least two sub-narrators (mu`dal) or missing the Companion-link (mursal). And this Ibrahim, who related it without naming the Companion, is not known to relate any narration other than this."

[7] From a number of other Companions -- Abu al-Darda', `Alī b. Abi Talib, Jabir b. Samura, and Mu`adh b. Jabal -- all through weak chains as stated by Abu Nu`aym followed by al-`Iraqi and al-Qari in al-Mirqat (1994 ed. 1:509 §248) cf. al-Arna'ut. in Sharh Mushkil al-Aathaar (10:18 §3884).

In view of al-Tabarani's fair chain, Ibn `Adi's chain of reliable transmitters, Ahmad and Ibn `Abd al-Barr's gradings of sahih, al-`Ala'ī's similar grading, the number of Companions related to narrate it, and the widespread use of this narration among the hadith Masters, the correct grading appears to be at the very least that of "fair" (hasan), and Allah knows best."

Raw milk example

Udderly Controversial



NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., May 3 – Mrs Khan does what many may consider irresponsible parenting.



Every morning, she whips out three glasses from her cupboard and fills them to the top with unpasteurized milk.



One glass is for her, and the other two are for her 3- and 4-year-old daughters.
It is the only milk her youngest daughter, Zahrah, is able to tolerate.
“If she drinks regular, pasteurized milk, she throws up,” said Khan. “She can’t keep any of that stuff down.”

Unpasteurized milk, also known as raw milk, has been a topic of debate for some time now.
Because it is illegal for sale in New Jersey, many New Jersey residents, like Khan, go out
of their way to travel to New York or Pennsylvania where unpasteurized milk is permitted to be sold.



Proponents of raw milk praise it for its nutritional benefits, while adversaries warn it may be infested with harmful bacteria.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has declared anything containing unpasteurized milk unsafe to consume.
“Raw milk can harbor dangerous microorganisms that can pose serious health risks to you and your family,” said the FDA.

The FDA cited a study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which founded that between 1993 and 2006, more than 1,500 people in the U.S. became sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk.

“That kind of makes me unsure about raw milk,” said Rutgers University junior Alyson Escalona. “I don’t think I would want to take the risk.”
            But any food can make you sick, argues a soil scientist at Rutgers University, Dr. Joseph Heckman.
            “There is no food that is perfectly safe,” said Heckman. “The assumption is made that the pasteurization process is done to guarantee safety, but the fact is, well-recorded in scientific record, that people have gotten sick and died from pasteurized milk.”

In 2007, as reported by the Journal of American Medical Association, three men in Massachusetts died from Listeria which came from pasteurized milk.



There was an outbreak in the 1980s, as well, in which over 160,000 became sick with salmonella from pasteurized milk. Since then, there have been at least 40 outbreaks caused by pasteurized milk over the decades , said Heckman.



That is not to say that some individuals do not get sick from raw milk, but it is a fact that
the numbers of individuals getting sick due to raw milk consumption have not been as high as the numbers of individuals getting sick from the consumption of pasteurized milk, said Heckman.
           It might also be noteworthy to add in that no one has ever died of drinking raw milk in the last few decades, either.
“Sometimes people do get sick by raw milk but it has to do with how it is produced,” said
Heckman. “If it is carefully produced, it has a pretty darn good safety record.”



Pasteurization, applauded as one the greatest achievements by the food industry, was
essential in the 18th century when the U.S. did not have the safety procedures and the technology to ensure the production of safe milk



“Pasteurization was developed as a solution for an old problem that we have moved far
beyond,” said Heckman. “At one time there were cows that were sickly, people milking by hand,
sneezing in milk buckets, and there was no refrigeration.”



Mechanical milkers, refrigeration, good sanitary practices, and knowing how to check for
pathogens have been advancements in the public health arena to ensure the production of clean
milk.



            If raw milk, intended for human consumption, is just as safe as pasteurized milk, why
then single out raw milk and the risks associated with it?

“Because they want to make money off of your fears,” said Rumana Abbasi.

Abbasi, a N.J. resident, has been purchasing raw milk from New York since December 2012.



“Raw milk is as safe as pasteurized milk if the farmer produces it carefully,” said Abbasi.
“And it’s better for you, too.”



Studies have shown benefits in raw milk, such preventing asthma and allergies, that cannot be found in pasteurized milk.
Khan claims her youngest daughter used to suffer from eczema, but it went away after switching to raw milk.
“Zahrah’s eczema went away with raw milk. That is to say, raw milk caused her eczema to go away,” said Khan. “I firmly believe that.”



            Khan says she won’t be turning back to pasteurized milk anytime soon, and will continue to make those drives out-of-state every week to get raw milk.



But that brings up a larger issue: how long will New Jersey residents continue going to other states to buy raw milk?



Should we not be allowed to choose the foods we wish to consume?



Many nations, and many states within the U.S., give people the choice of buying pasteurized milk or raw milk, but not New Jersey.



Heckman  hopes for Jersey residents to one day be given the choice to buy pasteurized milk or raw milk, without having to go to great lengths such as driving out-of-state every weekend.



“I’m not an advocate for raw milk,” said Heckman. “I’m an advocate for informed choice. I just want people to have the choice and I want them to make a well-informed choice.”

(Written by a friend)

Prophet Muhammed in Bible Song of Songs? (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)

So I asked Ali Ataie about the mentioned of the word Prophet Muhammed (sallallahu alaihi 

wa sallam) in the Bible,  Song of Songs (sometimes called "Song of Solomon") and his rebuttal to the popular Christian arguments, and he said:

"The Song of Songs is a lyrical poem, and prophecy in embedded in poetry is quite often elliptical - in other words, there are strong indications or "echoes," to use Imam Shabbir Aly's word in lyrical poetry or prose. 

The text is not going to explicitly say, "The name of my beloved in Muhammad." Just like Psalm 20:6 - which gives an indication about the name of the Messiah "hoshiy'a Adonai Mashikho" (The Lord saves his Messiah); "hoshiy'a" is related the Yeshu'a (the saved one). 

With this in mind, Roger Alysworth identified Jesus as the object of Song 5:16 in his book, "He is altogether lovely: Discovering Jesus in the Song of Solomon." Alysworth (Pres. of Illinois Baptist Assoc) - knows how prophecy works. Unfortunately, he has misapplied it. Prophecy according to Origen contains MULTIPLE levels of meaning (exoteric and esoteric). Isaiah 7:14, for example, is claimed by Matthew to be about Jesus - but Immanuel was born in Isaiah 8? - BUT the esoteric meaning is the coming Messiah (as Matthew would say). So it "echoes" the Prophet's name -the rest of the passage describes him quite succinctly (Song 5:10-15). -"v'kollo machamadim" (All of him is praiseworthy). - All of him is Muhammad - b/c that's his name!

By the way, Song of Songs 5:16 is the ONLY occurrence of MACHAMADIM in the Hebrew Bible - the other passages that contain the word have different forms in Hebrew (pronominal suffixes, etc)."

To see how the word "Machamad" (that's how the letters are spelt in English. its not how its pronounced) is pronounced like "Muhammed", see the Rabbi read it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm3sZfPwv1g

Telecommunications in hadith

Abū Sa'id (RA) related a long hadith, in part of which the Holy Prophet Muhammed (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

"By Him in Whose hand is my soul, the Hour will not come until wild creatures talk to men, and a man speaks to the end of his whip and the straps of his sandals (shoes), and his thigh will tell him about what happened to his family after he left".[ Aħmad, Musnad (3:84 and 85). Ħākim, Mustadrak (4:467).)

“A man speaks to the end of his whip,” could indicate that people will speak into something with a cord like speaking into a telephone. Students of physics experiment by oscillating a string to see the resultant waveforms. Also, when one shakes a whip it creates a waveform down the length of the whip. The Prophet could be showing through the motion of the whip that people in the Last Days will discover a technology using waveforms by which they will speak. This transmission using wavelengths includes all kinds of communications whether radio, television, or satellite. One’s cellular telephone in his pocket next to “his thigh will tell him about what happened to his family after he left.”

.

In fact Nike has made shoes that speak to people. (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE7D7123FF932A35752C1A9609C8B63)

Travelling to space and the Qur'an

"[I swear by] the moon when it is full, you will mount up stage by stage! What is the matter with them, that they have no faith?" (Qur'an, 84:18-20)

So I asked Mufti Muhammed Sajaad about this verse, and whether it predicts space travel, and he said:

"Regarding whether it is possible to take the meaning of the verse in al-Inshiqaq for space-travel, I believe you can, because one of the classical interpretations of this verse is that is referring to the (Holy) Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) ascending but the meaning of it applying to humans generally seems stronger because the sura starts explicitly addressing all humans (al-Insan).
 
Ibn Kathir says:
وقال ابن أبي حاتم: حدثنا أبو سعيد الأشج، حدثنا أبو أسامة عن إسماعيل عن الشعبي: { لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقاً عَن طَبقٍ } قال: لتركبن يا محمد سماء بعد سماء. وهكذا روي عن ابن مسعود ومسروق وأبي العالية: { طَبَقاً عَن طَبقٍ }: سماء بعد سماء (قلت): يعنون: ليلة الإسراء؟ "

Seal of Prophethood in Bible

We know that Salman al Farsi (RA) and other people, looked for the seal/symbol of the Prophet on his back, before accepting Islam. Now the question is, how did they know to look for it? Let’s see the Shama’il, about an account of Salman’s story, mentioned by Buraydah:

“He had seen the signs of Sayyidina Rasullullah (Muhammed Sallalahu alaihi wa sallam) in the books of previous Prophets that he will not accept sadaqah, but shall accept presents and gifts, and the seal of Prophethood will be between his two shoulders after witnessing the first two signs). He then saw the ‘Seal of Prophethood’ on the back of Sayyidina Rasullullah (Muhammad Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and embraced Islam.”

So I asked Ali Ataie about a verse in the Bible which talks about a person to be born (as it talks about “will be”) with a symbol on his shoulder/back, and he said:

“Isaiah 9:6...the Hebrew "vat-hi ham-misrah 'al-shikhmo" literally, "the symbol of dominion will be upon his shoulder." The seal of the Prophet (s) was directly behind his heart which means that it was more oriented towards the left. This could refer to the extreme right portion of his left shoulder blade- which is also his back. The hadith of Imam Ali says "bayna katifayhi," between his shoulders - but I don't think that this negates the blade of the shoulder. Allahu 'Alim. 

I just checked the Lexicon Strongs' Concordance and the Hebrew word shekhem can be translated as "back" as well. In Psalm 21:12, it is translated as "back" in the King James.”

So there you go, Alhamdulillah for the blessings of Islam. We find another proof for the Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in the Bible. Here’s some more on the topic by Ali Ataie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzYzBuh7aCk

Bible Isaiah Prophecy of Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)

Isaiah 42:1-20
(God is speaking, now notice how exact the description is of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). It fits like a glove, even more): Note: According to our Christian brothers they say that this is about Jesus Christ peace be upon him. This is not possible because this speaks of a prophet sent to Gentiles in Arabia! And Jesus wasnt sent to gentiles and most absolutely not in Arabia.



1 “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights! 
I have put My Spirit upon Him; 
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. 

Mohammed brought justice to the gentiles (the Pagan Arabs at that time). He banned taking interest and the poor Arabs at that time were suffering from the interest inflicted upon them by the rich Arabs. Even once, a man whos money was taken away from him was asking around in Mecca for someone who could defend him and get him back his money which Abu Lahab took from him. The people told him that he should go see a guy named Mohammed. When he told the Prophet what had happened to him the Prophet immediately stormed to the hous of Abu Lahab and ordered him to give the man back his money and he did. Not only did he do that but also:

The Jews, in spite of their hostility to the Prophet (pbuh), were so impressed by his impartiallity and sense of justice that they used to bring their cases to him, and he decided them according to Jewish law. (Abu Dawud, Sunan Dawud) 


2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. 


Abu Abdullah Al-Jadali reports that he asked Aishah about the Prophet’s manners. Her answer to him was: “He was never given to using vulgar language, and he would never deliberately do so. Nor would he raise his voice in the market place. He did not reply to a bad deed with a similarly bad one. Rather, he would forbear and forgive.” (Related by Ahmad, Al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood Al-Tayalisi)

Abdullah ibn Amr gives a similar report, stressing that the Prophet never used obscenities, whether by spontaneous reaction or deliberately. He then adds that the Prophet used to say: “Those of you who are best in manners are the best of you.” (Related by Al-Bukhai and Muslim)

3 A bruised reed He will not break, 
And smoking flax He will not quench; 
He will bring forth justice for truth. 
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, 
Till He has established justice in the earth; 

Not only was Mohammed so persistent to establish Islam on earth and justice. He was even beaten severely and starved peace be upon him. For three years, almost all he had to eat were leaves and what would be snuck to him of meat from sympathizers. He was never discouraged. When beaten, and began to blead he would say:

During the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet’s incisor was broken, . His lower lip was ruptured, and he had a bleeding wound on his forehead. He was constantly drying up the blood to keep it from falling upon the ground, saying, “If any of this blood falls on the ground, Divine Punishment would descend upon them [the Quraysh].” The situation weighed on the Companions, and they implored, “Why do you not pray against them?” He replied, “I have not been sent to damn people. I have been sent as a caller and a mercy. O, God! Forgive my people for they know no better.”

When the Arab Pagans realized the threat Islam was turning into,they went to him and said that they will let him be King of the Arabian peninsula, give him all the money that he would be the richest Arab, and give him all the women he wants, all he had to do was stop calling people for Islam. What did he say? Did he hesitate?

"I sware by the name of Allah O uncle, that if they placed the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, to force me to renounce my work, verily I would not desist thereform until Allah made manifest His cause, or I perished in the attempt." (Ibid) 



And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” 
The king of Yemmen at that time, converted to Islam secretely and was waiting for Islam to prevail.

5 Thus says God the LORD, 
Who created the heavens and stretched them out, 
Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, 
Who gives breath to the people on it, 
And spirit to those who walk on it: 
6 “ I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, 
And will hold Your hand; 

We see this in Mohammeds trust in God. 

Abu Bakr was frightened when pursuers came close to the cavern in which he and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) were hiding during their flight, but the Prophet (pbuh) heartened him, 

"Grieve not. Allah is with us." 

A guard was kept at the Prophet's house in Madinah because of the danger that surrounded him but he had it withdrawn when the Quranic verse was revealed: 

"Allah will protect you from the people" (translation of Qur'an 5:67). 


I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, 
As a light to the Gentiles, 
7 To open blind eyes, 

Any person who has the slightest idea of Islamic history knows that Mohammed did this in an undoubtful unquestionable way. The Arabs were desert nomads, the Persians passed them and didnt even bother conquering them. The Romans didnt bother conquering them also, they didnt even bother converting them to Christianity! They were in great darkness. They would go to war for the st**idest reason. One war lasted for fourty years, over what? Over a donkey. Can you imagine! Mohammed transfered this nation in less then 20 years to a nation that 100 years after his death would conquer half of the world and lead the world into the world of sciences and math.


To bring out prisoners from the prison, 
Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. 

Obviously the Arab Pagans who worshiped more than 300 Gods were prisoners of there sins and ignorance. But also, if we take the verse in a literal aspect, we find that it also fits Mohammed!

Abu Aziz, a witness who was a polytheist and POW during the Battle of Badr narrates, "They (the Muslims) ate bread and dates, and they would divide their food with me. They would prefer me to themselves, giving me the dates and eating the bread. I would return the dates to them, out of embarrasment of their actions, but they would insist that I eat them. 

And Mohammed freed hundreds of prisoners. Almost all prisoners that were taken.


So metaphorically it fits him and literally it also fits him.


8 I am the LORD, that is My name; 
And My glory I will not give to another, 
Nor My praise to carved images. 
9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, 
And new things I declare; 
Before they spring forth I tell you of them.” 

10 Sing to the LORD a new song, 
And His praise from the ends of the earth, 
You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, 
You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!


Here we see that the Lord is going to sing a new song, meaning a new language, what else other than Arabic? Why song? Listen to someone reciting the Quran and you will know exactly why. You see, the Quran was a verbal revelation, it was no inspirational revelation like the Holly Bible. More explicitly, prophesies Isaiah "For with stammering lips, and another tongue, will he speak to this people" (Isaiah 28:11). This latter verse correctly describes the "stammering lips" of Prophet Muhammad reflecting the state of tension and concentration he went through at the time of revelation. Another related point is that the Qur'an was revealed in piece-meals over a span of twenty three years. It is interesting to compare this with Isaiah 28:10 whichspeaks of the same thing.


11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice,
The villages that Kedar inhabits. 


Who is Kedar? Kedar is Ishmaels son. Where did he inhabit? Arabia, specifcally Mecca. And the Muslims lifted up their voices in Mecca when it was finally surrendered to them and they performed the Adhan or the Muslim prayer call from the highest peaks of Mecca.


Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, 
Let them shout from the top of the mountains. 
12 Let them give glory to the LORD, 



The word Sela, can also mean rock. And if you observe the ritual of Muslims (especially during Hajj), you will see that cities (Makkah and Al-Madinah) lift up their voices and people shout and glorify Allah from top of mountains, especially Mt. Arafa. The rock is the rock that God sent to Adam from heaven, and it is located at the side of Kaba. As you know Muslim people make 7 tours around Kaba and kiss this rock while glorifying the Lord. 


And declare His praise in the coastlands. 
13 The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; 
He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. 
He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; 
He shall prevail against His enemies. 


As we all know Mohammed prevailed against his enemies.



14 “ I have held My peace a long time, 
I have been still and restrained Myself. 
Now I will cry like a woman in labor, 
I will pant and gasp at once. 
15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills, 
And dry up all their vegetation; 
I will make the rivers coastlands, 
And I will dry up the pools. 


Here God is talking about the deserts of Arabia. Mountains and hills of sand are not steady, they diminish with winds and others appear. We have also come to know that thousands of years ago, rivers did exist in Arabia, but now they dont.


16 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; 
I will lead them in paths they have not known. 
I will make darkness light before them, 
And crooked places straight. 
These things I will do for them, 
And not forsake them. 


As said above. God will make darkness light for them (the gentiles, the Arab pagans). They never had a prophet sent to them. They were lost. They used to kill baby girls, drink alcohol, gamble, they were drowning in ignorance.
After Islam they engtered the world of sciences, maths, etc and they made the worlds greatest civilisation.


17 They shall be turned back, 
They shall be greatly ashamed, 
Who trust in carved images, 
Who say to the molded images, 

‘ You are our gods.’ 


Who else is this other than the Pagan Arabs who worshiped idols and used to say to them "you are our gods"! And they were turned back every time they tried invading Mohammed and they were defeated and were shamed in front of all the Arabs (the Quraish tribe). A great example of this is the battle of Badr which was the first battle between the Pagans and the Muslims. The pagans were thousands and the Muslims were almost 300 give or take and the Muslims defeated the Pagans! Can you imagine the shame one would endure if he has an army of thousands being defeated by 300? I dont have to describe it, its common sence. And they were shamed. They thought that now all the Arabs would mock them and there bussiness would be ruined. It was the first time in the history of the Quraysh tribe that they were defeated.

Listen to what the Roman Emperor Heraclius says in a conversation with Abu Sufian (the leader of the Arab Pagans who fought and hated Mohammed) keep in mind Heraclius was a Christian:

"Heraclius called them in the court and he had all the senior Roman dignitaries around him. He called for his translator who, translating Heraclius’ question said to them, “Who amongst you is closely related to that man who claims to be a Prophet?” Abu Sufyan replied, “I am the nearest relative (amongst the group) to him.” 


Heraclius said, “Bring him (Abu Sufyan) close to me and make his companions stay behind him.” Abu Sufyan added, “Heraclius told his translator to tell my companions that he wanted to put some questions to me regarding that man (The Prophet) and that if I told a lie they (my companions) should contradict me.” Abu Sufyan added, “By Allah! Had I not been afraid of my companions labeling me a liar, I would not have spoken the truth about the Prophet. 


The first question Heraclius asked me about was: “What is his family status among you?” I replied, “He belongs to a good (noble) family amongst us.” Heraclius further asked, “Has anybody else amongst you ever claimed the same (i.e., to be a Prophet) before him?” I replied, “No.” He said, “Was anybody amongst his ancestors a king?” I replied, “No.” Heraclius asked, “Do the nobles or the poor follow him?” I replied, “It is the poor who follow him.” He said, “Are his followers increasing or decreasing (day by day)?” I replied, “They are increasing.” He then asked, “Does anybody amongst those who embrace his religion become displeased and renounce the religion afterwards?” I replied, “No.” Heraclius said, “Have you ever accused him of telling lies before his claim (to be a Prophet)? I replied, “No.” Heraclius said, “Does he break his promises?” I replied, “No. We are in a truce with him but we do not know what he will do in it.” I could not find opportunity to say anything against him except that. Heraclius asked, “Have you ever had a war with him?” I replied, “Yes.” Then he said, “What were the outcome of the battles?” I replied, “Sometimes he was victorious and sometimes we.” Heraclius said, “What does he order you to do?” I said, “He tells us to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our kith and kin.”


After this conversation it is reported that Heraclius said: 


“I asked you about his family and your reply was that he belonged to a very noble family. In fact, all the Apostles come from noble families amongst their respective peoples. I questioned you whether anybody amongst you ever claimed such a thing, your reply was in the negative. If your reply had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man was following the previous man’s statement. Then I asked you whether anyone of his ancestors was a king. Your reply was in the negative, and if it had been in the affirmative, I would have thought that this man wanted to take back his ancestral kingdom. I further asked whether he was ever accused of telling lies before he said what he said, and your reply was in the negative. So I wondered how a person who does not tell a lie about others could ever tell a lie about God. I then asked you whether the rich people followed him or the poor. You replied that it was the poor who followed him. And in fact all the Apostles have been followed by the poor in the beginning. Then I asked you whether his followers were increasing or decreasing. You replied that they were increasing, and in fact this is the way of true faith, till it is complete in all respects. I further asked whether there was anybody, who, after embracing his religion, became displeased and discarded his religion. Your reply was in the negative, and in fact this is (the sign of) true faith, when its light enters the hearts and mixes with them completely. I asked you whether he had ever betrayed. You replied in the negative and likewise Apostles never betray. Then I asked you what he ordered you to do. You replied that he ordered you to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him and forbade you to worship idols and ordered you to pray, to speak truth and to be chaste.


If what you have said is true, he will very soon occupy this place underneath my feet and I knew it (from the scriptures) that he was going to appear but I did not know that he would be from you, and if I could reach him definitely, I would go immediately to meet him and if I were with him, I would certainly wash his feet.” "


In end, please tell me, if Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him)was no prophet how could he have reacted this way when:

Anas ibn Malik, the Prophet’s servant reports: “I was once walking with God’s Messenger, and he was wearing a thick robe made in Najran which had rough edges. A Bedouin caught up with him and strongly pulled him by his robe. I could see the side of the Prophet’s neck with a clear mark made by the edge of his robe as a result of the Bedouin’s pull. He then said to him: ‘Muhammad! Give an order for me to be given something of the money God has given you.’ The Prophet turned to him, smiled and gave instructions for a payment to be made to him.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad and Al-Baghawi).

In conclusion, I quote George Barnardshaw when speaking about Mohammed:

"He must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness."
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW, The Genuine Islam, Singapore, Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936

This is all taken from:http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-5941.html