Sermons

Summary: We enter cautiously into the very unusual world of Islam via the first 3 chapters of its holiest book.

Adam and his wife (who suddenly appears in the story) are assigned to the garden, and are assaulted by Satan, as in the Biblical account. It is not clear here whether the devil and Satan are the same person.

The section then closes with another warning to infidels: Those who "considered our [verses] to be lies, those are companions of the fire, they will abide in it forever." The author continues to impress upon his hearers that they have no choice but to follow Muhammad. Pretty strong motivation to be a Muslim, to "submit."

2:40ff records a message to the Jews. Allah tells them to fulfill God's covenant, as God intends to do the same. "And believe in what I have sent down, confirming what is with you." He seems to say here that his revelations to Muhammad confirm the Hebrew Bible. Yet another clue from the Koran that the Scriptures are intact as late as 610 A.D.

He then goes on to speak as though he were Jehovah of the Old Testament. We are supposed to believe that throughout, by the way. Remember that Islam does not purport to be a new religion, but a final reformation of the old one.

He recites Jewish history from the days of their deliverance from Pharaoh through the time of the worshiping of the calf in the wilderness to the time of the receiving of the law. And then, after the author has shown he knows the Bible fairly well, he adds his extra revelation. See if you can catch it.

"...you said, 'O Moses, we will not believe you until we see Allah openly,' ."

Is that how it happened? Seems to me that the Israelites not only did not want to see God there in the wilderness, but that they did not even want to hear His voice. They had gotten just close enough, thank you. But in Muhammad's account, Allah rewarded their aggression with a thunderbolt from the heavens.

So the author has done it again. He has added to the Scriptures his own ideas for his own reasons. Sometimes though, it seems he just plain got confused and made mistakes as he poured out his story to the many listening ears that gathered. As in this next section:

Remember the Biblical account of Moses striking a rock, and water coming out? Well, actually, the first time he brought forth water it was merely by his word. The second time he was in disobedience. And there was this other time when water was needed, and the Israelites just showed up where there were twelve springs of water. You Bible scholars have surely got all that sorted out by now. Three separate events.

Muhammad combined them all into one story:

2:60, "And when Moses gave drink for his people, so we said, 'Strike the rock with your rod,' so gushed from it twelve springs..."

In the following verses the author brings Israel's story quickly to more humiliating events, suggesting that they went back to Egypt, killed prophets, became disobedient, were transgressors, and of course, infidels. Well, so much for the covenant. So much for the weeping prophets of Israel, the tender heart of the Lord. This Allah, so far, seems to be pretty severe, don't you think? He is called merciful, but his mercy does not reach out and warm your heart like the true God of Israel. Maybe the fact that our God is a Father makes the difference.

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