Sunshine and puppies

[Niblo]

I have no objection.

Just out of curiosity, what “flavor” of Islam do you follow?
[I know just enough to be dangerous ]

Hello again.

Nice one!

Raised a Welsh Baptist, I became – at the age of fifteen – a Catholic; and remained one for over fifty years.

For ten years I was a professed member of the Carmelite Third Order. I spent a year with the Carmelite Friars at Hazlewood Castle in Yorkshire (now a hotel); and over a year with the Cistercians (Trappists) at Mount Saint Bernard Abbey in Leicester, testing a vocation (I first visited the Abbey in my early twenties, and knew the community well). It became clear that life in a religious order was not my calling, and so I became a husband (as the Abbey Secretary said to me: ‘Our novitiate is a seedbed of good Catholic marriages!’).

I look back at my time with the Carmelites and Cistercians with great affection. I admire their spirituality, and their way of life – especially that of the Cistercians. It has been my privilege to know many excellent Christians: paternal grandfather; priests, religious and laity. Each was an example of the best of their Faith.

About twenty years ago my son became a Muslim. He obtained a degree in Classical Arabic; married a Moroccan lass (who I consider to be my third daughter); and now lives there. He is a translator of Qur’anic and aḥadīth exegesis; and of other scholarly works. One of my daughter’s ancestors, ʻAbd al-Salām ibn Mashīsh al-ʻAlamī, was the spiritual guide of Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadhili, founder of the Shadhili Tariqa. My son is a Sufi of that Tariqa; and a murīd of Shaykh Seyyed Hossein Nasr.

Having gained a Muslim family, I made it my business to learn all I could about Islam (I’m still learning). It was during this long process (around fifteen years) that I began to question certain Christian beliefs I once held as true; and which I had defended many times over the years. Moving from Christianity to Islam was a painful journey (emotionally); but it was the right journey……at least for me.

Since most of the Islamic scholars I study are Sunni, I guess I lean – ever so slightly – in their direction.

Continued:

 

[Niblo]

You write: ‘Sunni Muslims emphasize jihad (holy war) as a salvific and purifying action to gain special access to Paradise.’

For sure, there are folk – Muslim and non-Muslim – who render ‘jihad’ as a ‘holy war’; but this rendition is incorrect.

‘Holy war’ renders ‘al-harb al-muqaddasa’; a phrase that does not exist in the classical Arabic of the Qur’anic text; nor in the ʼaḥādīth; nor the works of the Muslim theologians.

According to the Qur’an, no war is holy; not under any circumstance. Most assuredly, it is not a ‘salvific and purifying action to gain special access to Paradise.’

Khaled M. Abou El Fadl – Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Distinguished Professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law – writes:

‘The Qur’an does not use the word jihad to refer to warfare or fighting; such acts are referred to as qital. While the Qur’an’s call to jihad is unconditional and unrestricted, such is not the case for qital. Jihad is a good in and of itself, while qital is not. Jihad is good because it is like the Protestant work ethic: hard work toward a good cause. Qital—war—however, is a different matter altogether. Every reference in the Qur’an to qital is restricted and limited by particular conditions; but exhortations to jihad, like the references to justice or truth, are absolute and unconditional. On every single occasion that the Qur’an exhorts Muslims to fight, it hastens to qualify the exhortation by a command to believers to not transgress; to forgive; or to seek peace. Although this fact is recognizable by simply reading the text of the Qur’an, this textual reality has strangely eluded a large number of Muslim and non-Muslim scholars of the Qur’an. Nevertheless, it is beyond dispute that the Qur’an never endorses the military option without conditioning that choice in some significant way.

‘Puritans entirely ignore the Qur’anic teaching that the act of destroying or spreading ruin on this earth is one of the gravest sins possible—fasad fi al-ard, which means to corrupt the earth by destroying the beauty of creation. This is considered an ultimate act of blasphemy against God. Those who corrupt the earth by destroying lives, property, and nature are designated as mufsidun (corruptors and evildoers), who, in effect, wage war against God by dismantling the very fabric of existence. Corrupting the earth entails the act of undoing and breaking down the ties and relationships that God has established through creation by disrupting the process of human intercourse and by destroying the very possibility of human beings coming “to know one another” through interactive social dynamics.

‘Most importantly, according to the Qur’an, war by its very nature is the primary contributor to this process of corruption that plagues and ultimately destroys human beings. This is exactly why Islamic theology teaches that an integral part of the Divine covenant given to human beings is to occupy themselves with building and creating, not ruining and destroying life.’ (‘The Great Theft – Wrestling Islam From the Extremists’).

If you wish to discuss this matter further, that would be fine; otherwise – in šāʾ Allāh – I shall address, in turn, the other matters I referred to in my original post.

May the Beloved bless you – and all those you love – and keep you safe and happy in these most difficult times.

 

[pinacled]

What do you mean by that?

1 Corinthians 3 11-15

 

[Stephen]

1 Corinthians 3 11-15

???

 

[pinacled]

???

Excerpt;
[ I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 So neither the planter nor the waterer is anything, only God who makes things grow — 8 planter and waterer are the same.

However, each will be rewarded according to his work. 9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 Using the grace God gave me, I laid a foundation, like a skilled master-builder; and another man is building on it. But let each one be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah. 12 Some will use gold, silver or precious stones in building on this foundation; while others will use wood, grass or straw. 13 But each one’s work will be shown for what it is; the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire — the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If the work someone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward; ]

 

[Stephen]

Excerpt;
[ I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 So neither the planter nor the waterer is anything, only God who makes things grow — 8 planter and waterer are the same.

However, each will be rewarded according to his work. 9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 Using the grace God gave me, I laid a foundation, like a skilled master-builder; and another man is building on it. But let each one be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah. 12 Some will use gold, silver or precious stones in building on this foundation; while others will use wood, grass or straw. 13 But each one’s work will be shown for what it is; the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire — the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If the work someone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward; ]

I do know how to look up a scripture reference. I just don't see the relevance.
But never mind; I think this thread has run its course.

 

[Niblo]

Hello again, @atpollard.

I trust you are well

You write:

‘If Allah is the true “god”, then god has no love for men and we can never be “good enough”. All men are damned irrespective of beliefs and Paradise is full of god’s mass murderers. No human being has any hope.’

I would be wary of suggesting to an Arab speaking Christian (or Jew) that the one they call ‘Allāh’ is not the true God!

However jarring it may be to those who claim that Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla) is the ‘god of Islam’, the term existed in the Arabic world long before the coming of that Faith.

As a Muslim, I accept – without reservation – that Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla)) is our Creator and Lord; who can be known with certainty, by the natural light of reason from created things; who is absolutely perfect; who is actually infinite in every perfection; who is absolutely simple; who is the True God, possessing an infinite power of cognition; who is absolute Veracity; who is absolutely faithful; who is absolute ontological Goodness in Himself and in relation to others; who is absolute Moral Goodness or Holiness; who is absolute Benignity; who is absolutely immutable; who is eternal and everywhere present in created space; whose knowledge is infinite; whose Attributes really are identical among themselves and with His Essence; who is omnipotent; who is Lord of the heavens and of the earth; who is infinitely just and infinitely merciful.

Can this be said of any other Being?

You will be familiar with the Ishihara colour blindness testing system. On one of the test plates the number ‘74’ will be clearly visible to viewers with normal colour vision. Viewers with red-green colour blindness will read it as ‘21’; while viewers with monochromacy will see no number at all.

Are there three testing plates; or just the one – understood in three different ways? Just the one.

Is there more than one Creator; or just the One – understood in different ways? Just the One.

And why would you suppose that the Beloved has no love for humanity; or that ‘all men are damned, irrespective of beliefs’; or that ‘no human being has any hope’?

Continued:

 

[Niblo]

You write: ‘According to the Qur’an, the “people of the Book” will go to Hell……’.

Islam teaches that on the Day of Judgment all humanity shall stand before Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla). Each will be given a record of their lives. Those whose book is placed in their right hand will be admitted to Paradise; and those whose book is placed in their left will not.

It is said that a record of good deeds is made straight away; but that a record of bad deeds is delayed for some hours, to allow for repentance. Even when a sin is recorded it can be erased by sincere and genuine repentance (tawbah): ‘But He will overlook the bad deeds of those who have faith, do good deeds, and believe in what has been sent down to Muhammad – the truth from their Lord – and He will put them into a good state’ (Muhammad: 2).

Not only does sincere and genuine repentance wipe out an evil deed, it transforms that deed into a good one: ‘Those who repent, believe, and do good deeds, Allāh will change the evil deeds of such people into good ones. He is most forgiving, most merciful’ (Al-Furqan: 70).

Every day of their lives – many times a day – Muslims recite the words: ‘The Lord of Mercy’; ‘The Giver of Mercy’; ‘The Compassionate’; ‘The Merciful’. These are the Beloved‘s Names. We did not give them to Him, He chose them for Himself. Of all His Names these are His favorite. That is why we are asked to recite them so often – so that we do not forget who it is who loves us; who it is that binds us to Himself with ties of tenderness, mercy and forgiveness.

The Qur’an makes it clear that people are given different paths to follow:

‘We have assigned a law and a path to each of you. If Allāh had so willed, He would have made you one community, but He wanted to test you through that which He has given you, so race to do good: you will all return to Allāh and He will make clear to you the matters you differed about.’ (Al-Ma’ida: 48).

Whatever path we happen to be on – whatever religion we profess – we are expected to follow our conscience – even if it conflicts with the religious verdict of a respected scholar – until new learning, new understanding, creates honest doubt. If this should happen, we must: ‘Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt. Verily, truth brings peace of mind and falsehood sows doubt.’ (Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 2518).

This is what the Qur’an has to say about the ‘People of the Book’ – an honorific title given to Jews and Christians – who are true to their religion:

‘Those who believe, and do good deeds, are the best of creation. Their reward with their Lord is everlasting Gardens graced with flowing streams, where they will stay forever. God is well pleased with them and they with Him. All this is for those who stand in awe of their Lord.’ (Al-Bayyina: 7-8).

This is the Beloved’s promise; and He does not renege on His promises. May He continue to bless you, and all you love.

 

[atpollard]

@Niblo
Respectfully, I have little interest in debating Islam or attempting to convince you of the truth of Christianity. Transforming hearts and minds is a task that belongs to God.

To the statements in your posts, I would respond with only three words:

• Abrogation
• Quran 9:5
• Hadith

My only question concerning Islam in this particular topic concerns the purpose of good works. I have claimed that Islam teaches that good works result in blessings in this life. You are free to confirm or refute my understanding of the benefits of good works on the living under Islam.

 

[RichWh1]

Let me add that we are saved to do good works; we are not saved by our good works.
Eph 2:10


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pinacled]

Hello again, @atpollard.

I trust you are well

You write:

‘If Allah is the true “god”, then god has no love for men and we can never be “good enough”. All men are damned irrespective of beliefs and Paradise is full of god’s mass murderers. No human being has any hope.’

I would be wary of suggesting to an Arab speaking Christian (or Jew) that the one they call ‘Allāh’ is not the true God!

However jarring it may be to those who claim that Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla) is the ‘god of Islam’, the term existed in the Arabic world long before the coming of that Faith.

As a Muslim, I accept – without reservation – that Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla)) is our Creator and Lord; who can be known with certainty, by the natural light of reason from created things; who is absolutely perfect; who is actually infinite in every perfection; who is absolutely simple; who is the True God, possessing an infinite power of cognition; who is absolute Veracity; who is absolutely faithful; who is absolute ontological Goodness in Himself and in relation to others; who is absolute Moral Goodness or Holiness; who is absolute Benignity; who is absolutely immutable; who is eternal and everywhere present in created space; whose knowledge is infinite; whose Attributes really are identical among themselves and with His Essence; who is omnipotent; who is Lord of the heavens and of the earth; who is infinitely just and infinitely merciful.

Can this be said of any other Being?

You will be familiar with the Ishihara colour blindness testing system. On one of the test plates the number ‘74’ will be clearly visible to viewers with normal colour vision. Viewers with red-green colour blindness will read it as ‘21’; while viewers with monochromacy will see no number at all.

Are there three testing plates; or just the one – understood in three different ways? Just the one.

Is there more than one Creator; or just the One – understood in different ways? Just the One.

And why would you suppose that the Beloved has no love for humanity; or that ‘all men are damned, irrespective of beliefs’; or that ‘no human being has any hope’?

Continued:

@pollard... Has not one motive

Christians know better than to slander the 12 knights

Blessings always

 

[pinacled]

@Niblo
Respectfully, I have little interest in debating Islam or attempting to convince you of the truth of Christianity. Transforming hearts and minds is a task that belongs to God.

To the statements in your posts, I would respond with only three words:

• Abrogation
• Quran 9:5
• Hadith

My only question concerning Islam in this particular topic concerns the purpose of good works. I have claimed that Islam teaches that good works result in blessings in this life. You are free to confirm or refute my understanding of the benefits of good works on the living under Islam.

Abrogation ??

 

[pinacled]

You write: ‘According to the Qur’an, the “people of the Book” will go to Hell……’.

Islam teaches that on the Day of Judgment all humanity shall stand before Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla). Each will be given a record of their lives. Those whose book is placed in their right hand will be admitted to Paradise; and those whose book is placed in their left will not.

It is said that a record of good deeds is made straight away; but that a record of bad deeds is delayed for some hours, to allow for repentance. Even when a sin is recorded it can be erased by sincere and genuine repentance (tawbah): ‘But He will overlook the bad deeds of those who have faith, do good deeds, and believe in what has been sent down to Muhammad – the truth from their Lord – and He will put them into a good state’ (Muhammad: 2).

Not only does sincere and genuine repentance wipe out an evil deed, it transforms that deed into a good one: ‘Those who repent, believe, and do good deeds, Allāh will change the evil deeds of such people into good ones. He is most forgiving, most merciful’ (Al-Furqan: 70).

Every day of their lives – many times a day – Muslims recite the words: ‘The Lord of Mercy’; ‘The Giver of Mercy’; ‘The Compassionate’; ‘The Merciful’. These are the Beloved‘s Names. We did not give them to Him, He chose them for Himself. Of all His Names these are His favorite. That is why we are asked to recite them so often – so that we do not forget who it is who loves us; who it is that binds us to Himself with ties of tenderness, mercy and forgiveness.

The Qur’an makes it clear that people are given different paths to follow:

‘We have assigned a law and a path to each of you. If Allāh had so willed, He would have made you one community, but He wanted to test you through that which He has given you, so race to do good: you will all return to Allāh and He will make clear to you the matters you differed about.’ (Al-Ma’ida: 48).

Whatever path we happen to be on – whatever religion we profess – we are expected to follow our conscience – even if it conflicts with the religious verdict of a respected scholar – until new learning, new understanding, creates honest doubt. If this should happen, we must: ‘Leave what makes you doubt for what does not make you doubt. Verily, truth brings peace of mind and falsehood sows doubt.’ (Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 2518).

This is what the Qur’an has to say about the ‘People of the Book’ – an honorific title given to Jews and Christians – who are true to their religion:

‘Those who believe, and do good deeds, are the best of creation. Their reward with their Lord is everlasting Gardens graced with flowing streams, where they will stay forever. God is well pleased with them and they with Him. All this is for those who stand in awe of their Lord.’ (Al-Bayyina: 7-8).

This is the Beloved’s promise; and He does not renege on His promises. May He continue to bless you, and all you love.

God's Torah has an effect on the world that reflects a temporal corporal stain upon the youth full ears.

I heard tell of a well where 12 springs were named after living water.

A place where peace keeps a secure grip upon the truth.

As Hagar has

Blessings Always

 

[Niblo]

@Niblo
Respectfully, I have little interest in debating Islam or attempting to convince you of the truth of Christianity. Transforming hearts and minds is a task that belongs to God.

To the statements in your posts, I would respond with only three words:

• Abrogation
• Quran 9:5
• Hadith

My only question concerning Islam in this particular topic concerns the purpose of good works. I have claimed that Islam teaches that good works result in blessings in this life. You are free to confirm or refute my understanding of the benefits of good works on the living under Islam.

Hello yet again, @atpollard.

Rest assured, this is not a debate.

Concerning abrogation and the ʼaḥādīth:

It is a principle of Islamic jurisprudence that the only person who can abrogate a text is the original speaker himself, or one who is higher in authority.

There is no higher authority than Allāh (subḥānahu ūta'āla); therefore only the Qur'an can abrogate the Qur'an.

Professor Ahmad Hasan writes:

‘There is a highly important fact that we need to keep on our minds while we study abrogation: the Qur'an does not contain a single verse explicitly stating that any verse was abrogated by another! Similarly, there is no statement attributed to the Prophet confirming that a verse was abrogated by Qur'anic or non-Qur'anic revelation.’ (‘The Early Development of Islamic Jurisprudence’ – my emphasis).

Dr. Israr Ahmad Khan writes:

‘Neither God nor His Prophet ever guided man in a categorical manner that this verse or that verse is practically invalid. There are many verses in the Qur’an that spell out various attributes of the Qur’an (e.g., guide, wise, cure, et cetera.), which necessitate the practical relevance of the Qur’an in its entirety. There is no authentic statement of the Prophet referring to the abrogated verses of the Qur’an. The only viable way to resolve the abrogation-related controversy is to endeavor to interpret the verses concerned. Sincere effort to understand the practical relevance of the verses in dispute will certainly bring results.’ (‘Arguments for Abrogation in the Qur’an: A Critique’ – my emphasis).

Continued:

 

[Niblo]

Concerning Al-Tawba, verse 5:

This is the so-called ‘Sword Verse’ (an ironic title, since the word ‘sword’ does not occur in the Qur’an).

Since the tenth century certain Islamic scholars have claimed that this verse abrogated many Qur’anic verses, including those that permitted Muslims to deal fairly towards non-Muslims, and to live peacefully with them.

The majority of scholars deny this claim. However, this does not prevent militant Islamists – and non-Muslims – using the verse, either to justify their atrocities – in the case of the former – or their attacks on the Qur’an – in the case of the latter.

Muhammad Abdel Haleem – King Fahd Professor of Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London states (correctly) that Al-Tawba 5 is: ‘Much referred to but notoriously misinterpreted and taken out of context.’ (‘Understanding the Qur’an – Themes and Style’).

Here is the verse: ‘When the (four) forbidden months are over, wherever you encounter the idolaters, kill them, seize them, besiege them, wait for them at every lookout post; but if they turn (to Allāh), maintain the prayer, and pay the prescribed alms, let them go on their way, for Allāh is most forgiving and merciful.’

You will note – I trust – that this verse does not refer to Christians or Jews at all, but rather to the polytheists of Mecca (the Quraysh), whose long-standing fitna (persecution) of the Muslims grew so great that the Quraysh were determined to convert the Muslims back to paganism, or else finish them off.

Professor Haleem writes: ‘It was these hardened polytheists in Arabia, who would accept nothing other than the expulsion of the Muslims or their reversion to paganism, and who repeatedly broke their treaties, that the Muslims were ordered to treat in the same way – to fight them or expel them.

‘Even with such an enemy Muslims were not simply ordered to pounce on them and reciprocate by breaking the treaty themselves; instead, an ultimatum was issued, giving the enemy notice, that after the four sacred months mentioned in v.9:5 above, the Muslims would wage war on them.

‘The main clause of the sentence ‘kill the polytheists’ is singled out by some Western scholars to represent the Islamic attitude to war; even some Muslims take this view and allege that this verse abrogated other verses on war. This is pure fantasy, isolating and decontextualising a small part of a sentence.

‘The full picture is given in 9:1–15, which gives many reasons for the order to fight such polytheists. They continuously broke their agreements and aided others against the Muslims, they started hostilities against the Muslims, barred others from becoming Muslims, expelled Muslims from the Holy Mosque and even from their own homes. At least eight times the passage mentions their misdeeds against the Muslims.

‘Consistent with restrictions on war elsewhere in the Qur’an, the immediate context of this ‘Sword Verse’ exempts such polytheists as do not break their agreements and who keep the peace with the Muslims (9:7). It orders that those enemies seeking safe conduct should be protected and delivered to the place of safety they seek (9:6). The whole of this context to v.5, with all its restrictions, is ignored by those who simply isolate one part of a sentence to build their theory of war in Islam.’ (op.cit).

In šāʾ Allāh, I shall return to the matter of Islam and the purpose of good works.

May the Exalted continue to bless you - and those you love - and draw all of you to Himself.

 

[Niblo]

Christians know better than to slander the 12 knights

Blessings always

Good evening, brother.

Please explain what you mean by the above. The only '12 knights' I am aware of - apart from an hotel of that name in Port Talbot - are the so-called 'Knights of the Round Table'

I'm intrigued.

Many thanks, and blessing upon you, also.

 

[pinacled]

Good evening, brother.

Please explain what you mean by the above. The only '12 knights' I am aware of - apart from an hotel of that name in Port Talbot - are the so-called 'Knights of the Round Table'

I'm intrigued.

Many thanks, and blessing upon you, also.

The 12 tribes of ishmael

 

[atpollard]

Those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it.

With respect to Islam, I have observed a consistent cycle played out of “poor oppressed Islam” just seeking refuge from those that hate it irrationally, followed by “political activist” Islam stirring up controversy among those that granted them shelter, and ending with “Caliphate Islam” as the law of the land with groups like the Coptic Christians stripped of civil rights.

Mohammad followed this path in his day, and it has been repeated right up to the present. So I cannot accept your pretty words when the ugly actions speak so much louder. I do not believe the talk of peace when I know people of the book that lived under Muslim rule in Egypt and experienced the love for Christians first hand. The Coptic Church buries martyrs in above ground churches and currently has a shortage of space to house all of the Christian Martyrs being added by their peaceful Muslim neighbors. England and France have become living examples of Muslim peace in the frequent news stories from those places.

No, good sir. Actions deafen compared to your sweet sounding words.

 

[atpollard]

In the introduction to the 2005 exposition of al-Wala wal-Bara by Muhammad Qahtani, Sheikh Abdar Razaq Afifi, deputy president of the Department of Guidance and a member of the Board of Great Ulema of Saudi Arabia, declares:

The subject matter is of paramount importance and utmost interest: Firstly, it is concerned with one of Islam's main foundations, which has two major prerequisites of true faith: al-Wala is a manifestation of sincere love for Allah, his prophet and the believers; al-Bara is an expression of enmity and hatred toward falsehood and its adherents. Both are evidence of true faith. Secondly, it has been written at a very crucial time where Muslims are no longer aware of those qualities which distinguish the believers from the nonbelievers; their faith has become so weak; and they have taken the disbelievers as their friends while displaying enmity toward the believers.[3]

Qahtani's English publisher adds the following:

It is impossible to provide a literal translation in English of the al-Wala wal-Bara, but the meaning of this Arabic term indicated, on the one hand, drawing near to what is pleasing to Allah and His Messenger and, on the other hand, withdrawing from what is displeasing to Allah and His Messenger.[4]

Al-Wala wal-Bara means then total loyalty to Islam and total disavowal of anything else. It is one of Islam's main foundations and is of paramount importance, second only to Tawhid, acknowledgement of the oneness of God. Total allegiance and love are only to be given within the Islamic community, and rejection, hate, and enmity against the other is commanded, based upon Qur'anic foundations:

Say: "If you love Allah then follow me that Allah may love you and forgive your faults… Allah does not love the infidels. … They are the residents of Hell, and will there forever abide."[5]

Al-Wala wal-Bara doctrine originated in the pre-Islamic Arab tribal system from which it was passed on to the umma (Islamic community). The constructs of love and loyalty were extended to the family and the hamula (clan) while suspicion and hatred was directed toward those outside the clan, the "other" who did not embrace Muhammad's teachings. The Islamic umma has evolved into a super-tribe by way of religious linkage.[6]

The medieval exegete Ibn Taymiya (1263-1328 C.E.), one of the authorities cited most by Wahhabis and Salafists, expressed al-Wala wal-Bara this way:

Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, and hates for the sake of Allah, and whoever seals a friendship for His sake, or declares an enmity for His sake, will receive the protection of Allah. No one may taste true faith except by this even if his prayers and fasts are many.[7]

A real-world application of this conceptual framework was provided by Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz, formerly chief mufti of Saudi Arabia, who issued a fatwa (religious ruling) before the 2003 Iraq war prohibiting seeking help from the infidels (kuffar) in jihad and urging Muslims to hate non-Muslims and show animosity toward them.[8]



[3] Sheikh Muhammad Said al-Qahtani, al-Wala wal-Bara (Jeddah: Kashf ul Shububat Production, 2005), p. 4.
[4] Sheikh Muhammad Said al-Qahtani, al-Wala wal-Bara, According to the Aqeeday of the Salaf, Part 1, Omar Johnstone, trans. (Jeddah: Kashf ul Shubuhat Publications, 1992).
[5] Qur. 3:31-32; 2:257; see, also, Qur. 4:89; 5:51; 9:71; 60:4.
[6] Ignac Goldziher, Introduction to Islamic Theology and Law (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1981), pp. 50, 230-1; Ibn Khaldun, al-Muqaddima (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1967), pp. 98-9; Ira Lapidus, "Historical, anthropological, methodological, and comparative perspectives: Tribes and State Formation in Islamic History," in Philip S. Khoury and Joseph Kostiner, eds., Tribes and State Formation in the Middle East (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990), pp. 30, 34.
[7] Al-Ihtijaj bil-Qadir (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, 1993), p. 62.
[8] Ta'qib Ala Maqalat ash-Sheikh Jad al-Haq Sheikh al-Azhar bi-Unwan: Ilaqat al-Islam bil-Adyan al-Ukhra, accessed Apr. 29, 2013.

 

[atpollard]

The Qur'an says that all other religions are cursed by Allah.[28] All those who join idols[29] or false gods to Allah,[30] or invent lies about Him,[31]or deny Allah,[32] or change even one word of Allah's book,[33] or do not believe in Allah's messenger Muhammad[34] are to be "seized wherever found and slain with a slaughter."[35]

Judaism and Christianity are rejected and not acceptable to God since he has sent his final messenger to the entire world, who has revealed their errors. To love God is to reject those who reject Him.

O believers do not hold Jews and Christians as your allies. They are allies of one another; and anyone who makes them his friends is surely one of them; and Allah does not guide the unjust.[36]

The practical applications of this are delineated by the Hadith:

Narrated Ibn Umar: Allah's apostle said: "I have been ordered to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's apostle."[37]

[28] Qur. 9:30; 48:28; Muhammad Ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari (Lahore: Kazi, 1979), vol. 8, no. 427.
[29] Qur. 14:30.
[30] Qur. 11:14.
[31] Qur. 29:17.
[32] Qur. 40:63.
[33] Qur. 6:115; 10:64; 30:30.
[34] Qur. 2:99; 4:150-2; 13:33-4; 16:28-9; 22:19-22.
[35] Qur. 33:60-2.
[36] Qur. 5:51.
[37] Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 1, bk. 2, no. 25, bk. 8, no. 387.