From: hakim@bigq.enet.dec.com (Kamran Hakim)
Subject: Re: A Refutation of Baha'i view....
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: 28 JAN 93 10:06:22    


This is a many part reply to the article "A Refutation of Baha'i view on 
Crucifixion and Prophethood" which appeared in soc.religion.islam, and 
soc.culture groups: arabic,turkish,pakistan,iranian,indian,bangladesh.

Dr. Habib Siddiqui (RBNXHS@rohvm1.rohmhaas.com) writes:

HS>In their wishful dream about creating a world religion that encompasses
HS>all the various religions (from polytheistic religions like Hinduism to
HS>monotheistic religions like Islam) the leaders of the Baha'i faith over
HS>last several decades have written books which are self-contradictory.
                                     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Let us examine that together my friend and determine the validity of
your theory.

HS>While the Qur'an and ahadith of Muhammad (SAWS) are very clear that all
								       ^^^
HS>the scriptures (including the Bible) except the Qur'an has been corrupt-
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
HS>ed by human hands, 
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Please let us walk together on the plains of Islamic theology and search 
for other possible meaning to "tah'rif", or "corruption of the Holy Texts". 
I hope the following quotation offers you an ALTERNATIVE approach in 
understanding the Qur'anic concept of corruption of the Book:

"Great God! Notwithstanding their [i.e. Baha'u'llah is referring to Muslim
theologians. KH] acceptance of the truth of this tradition, these divines 
who are still doubtful of, and dispute about, the theological obscurities 
of their faith, yet claim to be the exponents of the subtleties of the law 
of God, and the expounders of the essential mysteries of His holy Word. 
They confidently assert that such traditions as indicate the advent of the 
expected Qa'im [Qa'im means One Who shall arise. He is the 12 Imam expected
by Shi'ahs Who is to appear prior to the Advent of the Return of Christ. 
Mihdi, or Mahdi is the Sunni synonym for Qa'im. Otherwise, Return of prophet
Elijah according to the Jewish expectation, or Return of John the Baptist 
according to Christian expectation. KH] have not yet been fulfilled, whilst 
they themselves have failed to inhale the fragrance of the meaning of these 
traditions and are still oblivious of the fact that all the signs foretold 
have come to pass [i.e. By the Advent of The Bab. KH], that the way of 
God's holy Cause hath been revealed, and the concourse of the faithful,
swift as lightening, are, even now, passing upon that way, whilst these 
foolish divines wait expecting to witness the signs foretold. Say, O ye 
foolish ones! Wait ye even as those before you are waiting!

Were they [i.e. Muslim theologians. KH] to be questioned concerning those 
signs that must needs herald the revelation and rise of the sun of the 
Muhammadan Dispensation [per Biblical prophecies. KH], to which We have 
already referred, none of which have been literally fulfilled, and were 
it to be said to them: "Wherefore have ye rejected the claims advanced by 
Christians and the peoples of other faiths and regard them as infidels,"
knowing not what answer to give, they will reply: "These Books [i.e. The
Jewish and the Christian Scriptures. KH] have been corrupted and are not, 
and never have been, of God." Reflect: the words of the verses [i.e. of 
the Bible. KH] themselves eloquently testify to the truth that they are 
of God. A similar verse hath been also revealed in the Qur'an, were ye of 
them that comprehend. Verily I say, throughout all this period they [i.e.
Muslim theologians] have utterly failed to comprehend what is meant by 
corrupting the text.

Yea, in the writings and utterances of the Mirrors reflecting the sun of 
the Muhammadan Dispensation [i.e. An allusion to Imam Ali and His sons. 
KH] mentions hath been made of "Modification by the exalted beings" and 
"alteration by the disdainful." Such passages, however, refer only to 
particular cases. Among them is the story of Ibn-i-Suriya [i.e. Who was 
a learned Jewish Rabbi, contemporary of Prophet Muhammad. KH] When the 
people of Khaybar [i.e. A town in the northwestern Arabian peninsula. KH] 
asked the focal center of the Muhammadan Revelation [i.e. Prophet Muhammad.
KH] concerning the penalty of adultery committed between a married man and 
a married woman, Muhammad answered and said: "The law of God is death by 
stoning." Whereupon they protested saying: "No such law hath been revealed 
in the Pentateuch." Muhammad answered and said: "Whom do ye regard among 
your rabbis as being a recognized authority and having sure knowledge of 
the truth?" They agreed upon Ibn-i-Suriya. Thereupon Muhammad summoned him
and said: "I adjure thee by God Who clove the sea for you, caused the manna
to descend upon you, and the cloud to overshadow you, Who delivered you 
from Pharaoh and his people, and exalted you above all human beings, to 
tell us what Moses hath decreed concerning adultery between married man and 
a married woman." He made reply: "O Muhammad! death by stoning is the law." 
Muhammad observed: "Why is it then that this law is annulled and hath ceased 
to operate among the Jews?" He answered and said: "When Nebuchadnezzar 
delivered Jerusalem to the flames, and put the Jews to death, only a few 
survived. The divines of that age [i.e. the Jewish religious leaders. KH], 
considering the extremely limited number of the Jews, and the multitude of 
the Amalekites, took counsel together, and came to the conclusion that were 
they to enforce the law of the Pentateuch, every survivor who hath been 
delivered from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar would have to be put to death
according to the verdict of the Book. Owing to such considerations, they
totally repealed the penalty of death." Meanwhile Gabriel inspired 
Muhammad's illumined heart with the words: "They [i.e. Jews. KH] pervert 
the text of the Word of God." [Qur'an 4:45] 

This is one of the instances that have been referred to. Verily by 
"perverting" the text is not meant that which the foolish and abject souls 
[i.e. the Muslim leaders. KH] have fancied, even as some maintain that 
Jewish and Christian divines have effaced from the Book such verses as 
extol and magnify the countenance of Muhammad, and instead thereof have 
inserted the contrary. How utterly vain and false are these words! Can a 
man who believeth in a book, and deemeth to be inspired by God, mutilate 
it? Moreover, the Pentateuch had been spread over the surface of all the 
earth, and was not confined to Mecca and Medina [Two cities in the Arabian 
peninsula. KH], so that they could privily corrupt and pervert its text. 
Nay, rather, by corruption of the text is meant that in which all Muslim
divines [i.e. Muslim theologians. KH] are engaged today, that is the inter-
pretation of God's holy Book in accordance with their idle imagination and 
vain desires. And as the Jews, in the time of Muhammad, interpreted those 
verses of the Pentateuch, that referred to His [i.e. Muhammad's. KH] 
Manifestation after their own fancy, and refused to be satisfied with His 
holy utterance, the charge of "perverting" the text was therefore pronounced 
against them. Likewise, it is clear, how in this day, the people of the 
Qur'an have perverted the text of God's holy Book, [i.e. Qur'an. KH]
concerning the signs of the expected Manifestation, and interpreted it
according to their inclination and desires. 

In yet another instance, He saith: "A part of them heard the Word of God, 
and then, after they had understood it, distorted it, and knew that they 
did so." [Qur'an 2:75] This verse, too, doth indicate that the meaning of 
the Word of God hath been perverted, not that the actual words have been 
effaced. To the truth of this testify they that are sound of mind.

Again in another instance, He saith: "Woe unto those who, with their own 
hands, transcribe the Book corruptly, and then say: `This is from God,' 
that they may sell it for some mean price." [Qur'an 2:79] This verse was 
revealed with reference to the divines and leaders of the Jewish faith. 
These divines, in order to please the rich, acquire worldly emoluments, 
and give vent to their envy and misbelief, wrote a number of treatise, 
refuting the claims of Muhammad, supporting their arguments with such 
evidences as it would be improper to mention, and claimed that these 
arguments were derived from the text of the Pentateuch.

The same may be witnessed today [i.e. Baha'u'llah is referring to Muslim 
leaders' rejection of The Bab's revelation. KH], consider how abundant 
are the denunciations written by the foolish divines of this age against 
this most wondrous Cause [i.e. The Revelation of The Bab. KH] How vain 
their imaginings that these calumnies are in conformity with the verses 
of God's sacred Book, and in consonance with the utterances of men of 
discernment!

Our purpose in relating these things is to warn you that were they [i.e.
Muslim theologians. KH] to maintain that those verses wherein the signs
referred to in the Gospel are mentioned have been perverted, were they 
to reject them, and cling instead to other verses and traditions, you 
should know that their words were utter falsehood and sheer calumny. Yea 
"corruption" of the text, in the sense We have referred to, hath been 
actually effected in particular instances. A few of these We have 
mentioned, that it may become manifest to every discerning observer that 
unto a few untutored holy Men hath been given the mastery of human 
learning, so that the malevolent opposer may cease to contend that a 
certain verse doth indicate "corruption" of the text, and insinuate that 
We, through lack of knowledge [Note: Baha'u'llah is referring to His 
knowledge as being inherent and God-given rather than knowledge gained 
as a result of studying. KH] have made mention of such things. Moreover, 
most of the verses that indicate "corruption" of the text have been 
revealed with reference to the Jewish people, were ye to explore the 
isles of Qur'anic Revelation. 

We have also heard a number of the foolish of the earth [Baha'u'llah is 
making reference to Muslim theologians. KH] assert that the genuine text 
of the heavenly Gospel doth not exist amongst the Christians, that it hath 
ascended unto heaven. How grievously they have erred! How oblivious of the 
fact that such a statement imputeth the gravest injustice and tyranny to 
a gracious and loving Providence! How could God, when once the Day-star 
of the beauty of Jesus had disappeared from the sight of His people, and 
ascend unto the fourth heaven, cause His holy Book, His most great 
testimony amongst His creatures, to disappear also? What would be left to 
that people to cling to from the setting of the day-star of Jesus until 
the rise of the sun of the Muhammadan Dispensation? What law could be 
their guide? How could such people be made the victims of the avenging 
wrath of God, the omnipotent Avenger? How could they be afflicted with 
the scourge of chastisement by the heavenly King? Above all, how could 
the flow of the grace of the All-Bountiful be stayed? How could the ocean 
of His tender mercies be stilled? We take refuge with God, from that 
which His creatures have fancied about Him! Exalted is He above their 
comprehension!"

				Baha'u'llah, Ketab-i Iqan pp. 83-90

I hope this offers you another perspective for consideration of this
issue.

HS>the Bahais, in order to curry support from christians,
HS>appear to give the impression that they believe in the pseudepigraphic
HS>books of the New Testament, and that they accept the authenticity of the
HS>gospel accounts about Jesus's crucifixion. 

People are intelligent enough to differentiate between genuine respect,
sheer disrespect and sales tactics. The Baha'i approach will be judged by 
every Christian in accordance to the directives of the Lord: "Ye shall
know a tree by its fruits."

HS>We, Muslims, don't have to
HS>butter someone in order to accept our views. The matter concerning Jesus
HS>is settled, as far as we are concerned.

Rejecting the Christian Scriptures undermines you own belief. You don't
appear to realize that by refuting the Bible you are chiseling at the 
foundation of Islam by your own hands.

Note: I have included certain comments and informations, however inadequate,
inside [brackets. KH] for further clarification.

						Part 0 of 10
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