A former Lutheran recounts her path from the Trinity to the Quran alone, arguing that hadith traditions set up a partner with God, that the Quran is complete, and that Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship one and the same God. Letters from incarcerated believers request copies of Quran: The Final Testament, and the office announces new telephone hours.
Do not argue with the people
of the scripture (Jews, Christians, and Muslims) except in the nicest
possible manner—unless they transgress—and say, “We
believe in what was revealed to us and in what was revealed to you, and
our god and your god is one and the same; to Him we are submitters.”
(29:46)
About a year ago I was thumbing through the New Testament when I decided
to read the book of JAMES in its entirety. I do not recall ever reading
it in quite this manner, but rather, in bits and pieces while referencing
passages on a particular topic back when I was engaged in Bible study
during my school days many years ago.
Since those days, I have gone through many spiritual changes. Born into
a Christian family and raised as a Lutheran, Missouri Synod, I often wondered
why there were so many religions, so many factions, so many
sects, each claiming to be the true religion,
and each one claiming God somewhere in the fine print. In my heart I recognized
many truths in the religion of my upbringing, but remained confounded
by the array of choices for anyone seeking to find God. Because I wanted
to know which way was the best way, because I did not believe that a Merciful
God would put us here on this earth without a road map, I asked God to
show me the way to Him, the best way. The answer was not swift or immediate.
It has been an ongoing process for over thirty years. All my youth I had
been taught to accept a Trinity. Changing my mind about that was not a
matter I could undertake casually or lightly. Since most Christians believe
that their salvation hinges on belief in a Triune God, despite the belief
that God is One, this was a very heavy decision for me to make. This was
a decision that I believed would affect my position in the Hereafter and
had to be made with all due consideration.
Ironically, it was made with the use of the same Bible that I had used
throughout my Christian upbringing. I was better versed in scripture than
many teenagers at the time as I had attended Christian schools exclusively
through graduation from high school, and completion of religious courses
was part of the requirements for a high school diploma.
I became a Muslim as a young adult, having been introduced to Islam through
Muslim friends who were able to provide me with literature. There was
no translation of the Quran in English for me to access, although there
were probably some copies at large elsewhere. With so many similarities
between Christianity and Islam, the issue of a Trinity was the one major
obstacle I had to overcome.
Page 2
Letters
From the Incarcerated
Dear Brothers and Sisters
As-salamu Alaikum!
I’m writing to you in regards to the Holy Quran translated
by Rashad Khalifa. I have been learning more and more about Masjid
Tucson and I would like to thank you on behalf of all my brothers
and sisters in Islam for the literature and the knowledge you have
been spreading. I would like to ask if it would be possible for
you to send me a Quran and any other literature possible. I recently
converted to Islam last February and I am eager to learn all that
I can. Anything that you can do to help me would be greatly appreciated.
May Allah’s peace and blessings be on you all.
As-salamu Alaikum
David Underwood
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In the name of Allah, Most Graceful and Most Merciful
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As-salamu Alaikum my brothers of faith. I’m writing in regards
of a glorious Quran that you brothers have sent to another brother
on my unit. I’m in need of a Quran at the time. Plus Ramadan
is a few weeks away and I do need one. The Quran is called “Quran:
The Final Testament.”
So if you can please send me along with any other doctrine you
may have.
Thank you. Peace and blessings.
Bro. Shabazz
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dear Brothers,
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all!
I pray that Allah continue to bless the Submitters in your efforts
to teach the Holy Quran. It is truly a blessing to read the truth
about the Quran and Islam.
I’m presently incarcerated in Texas. I’m trying to
find out the truth of God’s law’s and what they mean,
so that I can stay out of here. And I know that I need this information
to be success.
I would like, if I can, in my effort to please put me in your mailing
list. Also if you can, with the will of God, send me a Quran by
Rashad Khalifa, Ph.D., And once I’m released from here, God
willing, I’ll pay you back for your efforts, and if God wills,
come to your Masjid and pray with some true believers of the Holy
Quran.
Your brother
In true information
Chris Anderson
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In the name of Allah
As-salamu Alaikum
Dear Brothers/Sisters,
May this find you in the best of health and spirits. Thank you
very much for sending the “Submitters Perspective.”
I’ve found it very enlightening and so have several other
believers as well. I have been practicing Islam since 1992 and have
not read anything as truthful
as the translation of the Holy Quran
that your organization puts out. A brother on the wing with me has
one. But is there any way that a indigent brother could receive
one? It would be beneficial to my spiritual growth. I look forward
to hearing from your soon. May Allah bless, guide, and protect you
all.
Your brother and servant
Justin Sharrieff
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As-salamu Alaikum,
May Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
The Islamic community of Eagle Mountain deeply appreciates the
literature which you sent. It’s good to know that our knowledge
will not be stagnated nor hindered by lack of concern or lack of
materials. Our community hearts are moved by your kindness....
Once again, thank you for your kindness.
As-salamu Alaikum
Brothers/Sisters,
Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar, Alhamdullah!
Muslim Secretary,
Sincerely from the heart
Derrick D. Davison Sr.
O. Parker, Coordinator,
Religious Activities
Page 3
Our God is One and the Same
Finding the answer that I sought in the Bible helped me overcome
that obstacle.
I never adopted the hejab, the female dress code which
many women choose to wear. I never read anything during my introduction
to Islam that even suggested that women should do so. My introduction
to Islam was through a westerner’s eyes with a Christian foundation
as strong as any. As there were no mosques to speak of in America
twenty-five years ago, I could only imagine what practicing Islam
might mean and the few Muslim friends that I knew looked like contemporary
college students and business professionals that could fit in comfortably
anywhere in the world.
When the opportunity to travel to a Muslim country presented itself,
I rose to the challenge. I was not prepared for Islam as I found
it being practiced by an entire nation. For over twenty years I
remained skeptical about many practices of the faith, particularly
those based on traditions not specifically mentioned in the Quran.
Although I tried to remain open-minded, I continued searching for
answers. In the meantime I had returned home and was trying to balance
a western upbringing with the basic tenets of Islam which I felt
somehow had to be compatible.
By now there were mosques in many metropolitan centers and I tried
attending one in my area every weekend. At first I enjoyed going
and listening to the sermons. However, there were many issues that
bothered me. The people who practice Islam have many religious laws
and guidelines that they claim are part of the religion. Well, they
certainly are a part of “a” religion, but most are not
the requirements for practicing true Islam, although most Muslims
would strongly disagree with me.
As a Lutheran, I was taught that the Bible was “the”
source for all religious guidance, and that if the Bible could
not substantiate a practice of the faith,
that practice could not be considered a part of the religion.
When I moved on to becoming a Muslim as a young adult, it was on
the basis of the Quran being the final message from God to humanity,
a completion of God’s word to mankind. Moses had been given
the Ten Commandments; other Old Testament prophets and messengers
subsequently followed to enlighten the believers until Jesus came;
the Gospel or New Testament was written, not to replace the Old
Testament but to substantiate it, and to give additional good news
from God. The Quran was for me the final edition of His word. It
was a final testament that supported previous scripture, that confirmed,
consummated and superseded all previous scripture; that established
precedent and as necessary, abrogated or corrected that which had
been altered over time.
So when I saw firsthand the actual practices of Islam and the traditions
associated with Islam, I thought about all the reforms that had
taken place in the Christian church throughout the ages and saw
an immediate parallel. Where did truth stop and fiction begin?
Two years ago, I finally found the answer. A newly written English
translation of the Quran was in my hands at last and I was ready
to read! It was superior to all the other translations I had attempted
to read. All the cultural trappings that many associate with Islam
were absent and all I had to do was ask God to lead the way. Because
God has created each and every one of us specifically for the place
in time that we occupy, consequently His word has to be applicable
to everyone who is fortunate enough to access it, regardless of
one’s position on the timeline.
Islam is not about Muhammad, although he was chosen to deliver
God’s word, the final testament, the Quran. Islam or Submission
is about God and our surrender to His will (2:208), and our acceptance
of His message through all the messengers He has sent down to us.
The purpose of the Quran is to support previous scripture (2:41,
89, 91, 97, 144-146), to clarify that
which has been altered or forgotten
over the centuries (5:48), to repeat to us exactly what is required
for our salvation (5:69), and to clearly distinguish between the
way to Heaven and the way to Hell (39:23)!
The majority of Muslims today will tell you that you cannot follow
Islam by following only the Quran. They will tell you that it is
also essential for your salvation to follow the traditions and practices
of Muhammad. These practices and traditions were not recorded during
the prophet’s lifetime, but began appearing two centuries
after his death. The integrity of these writings relied solely on
the memory of people who were relying on the accuracy of information
handed down to them from previous generations (a.k.a. hearsay).
There is abundant evidence available to anyone who cares to examine
the history of Islam that many splits occurred among the faithful
as they disputed. Today we can see the remains of these disputes,
most notably in the differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims,
although there are other, smaller sects as well (3:105, 6:159).
However, examining the many differences would carry us beyond the
scope of this particular writing. Interestingly enough, they are
united in one way, that being that salvation is dependent on following
the traditions and acts that are attributed to the prophet.
They believe that the Quran is above the mental grasp of all but
the most dedicated religious scholars, since it contains prophetic
information that many could not understand and were unwilling to
accept on faith that God would explain in due course (55:1-2). (As
an example, try to explain the book of Revelations. Most Christians
accept its contents on faith alone.) Consequently, the majority
of traditional Muslims feel the need to rely on the sayings and
the acts of the prophet in conjunction with the Quran in order to
practice their religion. Is this not a partnership?
These Muslims fly in the face of God’s
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Our God is One and the Same
Word by openly defying the very commands that He has given in the Quran.
The Quran states that God has no partners with Him (6:163), that the Quran
is complete and fully detailed (6:38,114-115), that the word of God as
revealed by all His prophets and messengers (2:136) is all anyone needs
for salvation. But if one subscribes to the belief that the Quran is not
complete or is beyond the scope of their understanding, and turns to what
Muhammad did or did not do outside the scope of the Quran for guidance,
then that person is looking for guidance from a source other than God
(6:114-115). God consistently commanded the believers to obey the message
His prophets and messengers
were given during their lifetime within the
scope of the revealed Word and to make no distinction between His messengers
(2:285).
The Quran was written in Muhammad’s own handwriting, contrary
to the belief prevalent among Muslims today that he was illiterate. Muhammad’s
contemporaries accused him of copying the Quran from other sources (25:5)
as a result of his contacts with Christians and Jews. Additionally, numbers
as separate symbols were not in use during his lifetime, so letters of
the alphabet were used to represent numbers, just as Roman numerals were
used. Since the prophet was a successful merchant prior to being called
by God to serve Him, he necessarily had to know how to read and write
in order to make a living.
As a Christian or Jew reading this, one may say the foregoing information
is
irrelevant. There are many people of both
faiths who do not consider Islam or Muhammad’s prophethood to be
from God. However, there is too much evidence to the contrary within the
Quran that disputes such claims. For anyone who is willing to be open-minded,
we have much in common and much to share. For anyone who is a traditional
Muslim reading this, consider this issue carefully before jumping to conclusions.
We all claim belief in One God, but we differ over our approach to God.
Why do we insist on arguing over our customs, our prophets and messengers,
when we all claim that God is the One who created us and God is the One
who will eventually judge us all and that only by worshiping God alone
we can be saved?
Anna E. Jordan
[to be continued in the next issue, God willing]
How to Reach Us?
In order to make it easier for you to reach us, we are
planning to have telephone coverage at the ICS office for 5 hours a
day, Monday through Friday. Most likely hours to get hold of us will
be 10 am to 3 pm Tucson time. As you know, our telephone number is (520)
323-7636. The same line is also used for faxes.
Alternatively, you can visit us at the Web site, or send
us e-mail if you have access to such. The relevant information is given
at the top of this page. Let us know if you have any comments or suggestions.
About this work
Kind
Document
Author
International Community of Submitters
Publisher
International Community of Submitters / Masjid Tucson