Some questions regarding the Muslim Fatih

Salam/Peace,

Welcome to the forum of discussions at islamicity - BW77. Wishing you a happy stay. You have wonderful set of questions beautifully answered by semar.

However would like to add little explanation related to 3rd and 6th.

Criteria to enter heaven is - to believe and do righteous deeds, and recommend one another to the truth, and recommend one another to patience. Belief in Allah swt as only God, and His Prophet Muhammad as His messenger. { This line also answers your 1st question of second set :)

One who enters hell if believes in Allah [islamic monotheism} and His Last messenger, shall not stay their forver. They shall undergo the punishments of the sins and then be sent to heavens. However every muslim enters heaven only by the mercy of Allah swt. None of us enter jannah on the basis of our deeds. None of us eligible.

We muslim know Jesus thru holy Qur'an as one of the messengers of Allah swt sent towards the place called Jerusalem. For your knowledge, BW77, all the messengers of Allah swt were sent towards some limited area, while the final prophet was sent for whole world, untill earth get wrapped up.

Thank you again for your time,further clarification and insight on my questions. From your answers I would like to ask a few more questions, since this is a very interesting topic and that I am able to write to those who have a deeper understanding of their faith.Thank you for quoting the texts from the Qur�n.

1. Apparently there are many verses that speak about those who have corrupted the gospels, are there any original texts from the gospels by which we can compare with the ones that are said to be corrupted?

2. Does the Qur�n say that Jesus is the word of God and the Spirit of God? If so what does that mean in Islam?

3. How does a Muslim know they are loved and accepted by God on earth. This relates to my previous question about is God personally knowable and how?

4.What does the Qur�n say anything about heaven for the faithful women. What waits for them there?

I really appreciate the time and answers that have been given and look forward to anyone who could help me with this.

BW77

BW77 wrote: Thank you again for your time,further clarification and insight on my questions. From your answers I would like to ask a few more questions, since this is a very interesting topic and that I am able to write to those who have a deeper understanding of their faith.Thank you for quoting the texts from the Qur�n. 1. Apparently there are many verses that speak about those who have corrupted the gospels, are there any original texts from the gospels by which we can compare with the ones that are said to be corrupted?

Hi BW77!

As Muslims, one way we assume the text is corrupted is when it deviates from the Message of Allah. As Muslims, we believe that since Day 1 (i.e. Adam) God has taught us to worship one God i.e. Him. So texts that talk of Jesus being son of God etc will be considered corrupted by us [an example]. It is possible that the texts which have a common message as the Qur'an could be uncorrupted! God Knows best...

Also, in order for the Texts to be uncorrupted, they should not have been written by a man - so any Texts written by Saints etc, should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Also, I think you have a 'red letter' bible, in which the actual words of Jesus are in red font - which indicates even to Christians that the non-red font is not Jesus' words... chances are, they are probably corrupted. (I hope that did not offend you if you are Christian).

So it would be difficult to say which parts or texts are uncorrupted, and whether we do have texts that are untouched. We can only assume based on our research, historic accuracies etc.

2. Does the Qur�n say that Jesus is the word of God and the Spirit of God? If so what does that mean in Islam?

Well, the Qur'an speaks of Jesus as a Prophet of God, and that He sent down his Word (i.e. a gospel/book) upon Jesus. But there is no mention of Jesus being the spirit of God. Jesus was a prophet similar to Prophet Muhammad - i.e. a mortal human being. There are numerous verses that talk about Jesus peace be upon him, here is a compilation of all verses in Qur'an pertaining to Jesus, hope it helps:

http://www.cyberistan.org/islamic/jesusq.htm#religion

3. How does a Muslim know they are loved and accepted by God on earth. This relates to my previous question about is God personally knowable and how?

Well, our inner meter tends to tell us if we are doing the right thing... but then again there are many people who have a broken moral  compass, so it might not work for them!!!

There is no one-line or one-word answer to how we can gain the love of God. It has to be through our intentions (foremost) and then our actions. There are numerous verses in the Qur'an that mention how Allah loves so & so, or such & such deeds. Hence if a Muslim is striving to perform those deeds and measure up to the standard set by God - they will gain the love of God. A few examples from Islamic texts:

1. And My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him. And My servant continues to draw near to me with nawaafil (supererogatory) deeds until I Love him. When I Love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to seek refuge with Me, I would surely grant him refuge. [Hadith from Bukhari]

2. �Truly Allah (God) loves those who turn to Him in repentance� [Qur'an: Al-Baqarah: 222]

3. �Allah (God) loves those who put their trust in Him.� [Qur'an Ali 'Imran: 159]

4. �Verily, Allah (God) loves those who acts justly.� [Qur'an Al Ma'idah: 42]

And there are many more attributes that God says He loves, mentioned in Hadith (Prophetic Sayings) and the Quran. So if we are performing those deeds [with sincere intentions] then we are gaining the Love of God. If you would like to read more, this is where I got the verses from:

http://msmwestmidlands.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/steps-to-gain-allahs-love/

So a muslim, depending on his/her situation or role in society can gain the love of God in numerous ways!

This relates to my previous question about is God personally knowable and how?

Of course a person can feel an intimate closeness to God, and how we perceive Him is different. The hadith I related above describes it nicely, that when we 'really know God' - whatever we do, we do as if we could see Him... one can also 'know' God by understanding the 99 attributes of Allah. Also, God says Himself:

I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me.
If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and
if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an
assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me an arm�s length, I draw
near to him a fathom�s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him at
speed. [Hadith al-Buhkari (also by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn-Majah)]

Edited by Chrysalis - 28 August 2011 at 7:35am