THE ORIGIN OF JIHAD
The Legacy of Mohammed
PART 4- Some of the Teachings of the Koran
In
the year A.D. 633, when many of Mohammeds earlier acquaintances had
died, the Caliph Abu Bekr ordered Mohammeds chief scribe, Zaid ibn
Thabit, to search out the Koran and bring it together. He
gathered the fragments, says tradition, from date leaves and tablets of
white stone, and the breasts of men, that is, from the dried rib bones
of dead men, on which notes had been made. From Zaids completed
manuscript, several copies were made. The entire book is a heap of
confusion. We are not sure that Mohammed wanted all these scraps of notes
included in a book. In it we find procedures, stories, laws, proclamations
of victory, treaties, appeals for funds, regulation of ritual, trade,
finance. Many of them were momentary details, sometimes changed later.
The
one hundred and fourteen chapters (Suras) are in the order of
decreasing length instead of the order of composition, which was unknown
at that time. Since Mohammed had the most time to dictate notes in later
life, the history of incidents from his life are in reverse, and the
harshest part of the Koran is in front. The best part, consisting
of small Suras, does not fill a lot of space at the back.
All
the Suras take the form of statements by Allah or Gabriel to Mohammed.
Here
are a few of the statements:
The
emphasis on predestination is strong: Allah sendeth whom He will, and
guideth whom He will (xxxv,8; lxxvi,31). We have thrown veils over
their hearts, lest they should understand (xviii,58).
Had
we pleased, we had certainly given to every soul its guidance. But true
shall be the word that has gone forth from me: I will surely fill hell with jinn [ginii; demons] and men together (xxxii,13).
More
than a hundred times, the Koran threatens with hell anyone who
rejects Mohammeds messages (iii,10,63,131; iv,56,115; vii,41; viii,50;
ix,63, etc.).
Hellfire
will last forever and the drink of the damned will be boiling water and
filth (lvi,40f).
Portrayals
of heaven are just as vivid, but we will not quote them here since they
are semi-pornographic. Each male will have seventy-two houris
(women) to wait on him throughout eternity (xliv,56; lxxviii,33;
xxxvii,48, etc.). Children will be born, who will never grow old
(lxxvii,19).
The
husband was not allowed to remarry his divorced wife until after she had
been married and divorced by another man (ii,232).
Every
woman who dieth, and her husband is pleased with her, shall enter
Paradise (iv,35).
Take
not the Jews and the Christians for friends . . Choose not your fathers
nor your brothers for friends if they take pleasure in disbelief rather
than in faith (v,51,55; ix,23).
After
giving unbelievers time to accept Allah, enemy unbelievers were to be
killed wherever found (ix,5). But be sure to give them time to accept the
faith. But if any of the idolaters seeketh thy protection, then protect
him that he may hear the word of Allah . . If they repent and establish
worship [accept Islam], then leave their way free (ix,5-6).
And
one who attacks you, attack him in like manner . . Whoso defendeth himself
after he hath suffered wrong, there is no way [of blame] against them
(ii,194; xlii,41). O ye who believe! Endure! Outdo all others in
endurance! (iii,200).
It
is stated in iii,48 that at least part of the Hebrew and Christian
Scriptures are divinely inspired. Of the one hundred and four revelations
given to mankind, only four have been preserved: the Pentateuch to Moses,
the Psalms to David, the Gospel to Jesus, and the Koran to
Mohammed. The first three are corrupted and only the Koran is safe,
and now replaces them. We are told that God did not really let Jesus die
on the cross (iv,157).
A
few other teachings: culled from Islamic writings, for which I could not
find Koran references:
The
Sabbath teaching was ruined, by transferring the day to Friday. Jesus did
not die on the cross, only a phantom did. Against unbelievers who did not
peaceably submit, a jihad was to be proclaimed in the name of Allah. There
are seven levels in hell, and all Christians and Jews will go into hell. vf
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