Islam for Christians

O you wrapped ˹in your clothes˺!

Stand all night ˹in prayer˺ except a little—

˹pray˺ half the night, or a little less,

or a little more—and recite the Quran ˹properly˺ in a

measured way.

˹For˺ We will soon send upon you a weighty revelation.

Indeed, worship in the night is more impactful and suitable for recitation.

For during the day you are over-occupied ˹with worldly duties˺.

Always˺ remember the Name of your Lord, and devote yourself to Him wholeheartedly.

˹He is the˺ Lord of th...

The Gospel of John, almost in its entirety, contradicts the Quran. We go over some key passages  and go over some key parts that are significant to Muslims… including what some believe to be a prediction of Muhammad.

Narrated

`Amr bin Maimun:

During the

pre-lslamic period of ignorance I saw a she-monkey surrounded by a number of

monkeys. They were all stoning it, because it had committed illegal sexual

intercourse. I too, stoned it along with them.

The Day of Al-Raji... where Muslim martyrs die in a somewhat Christian style. A woman beats a Jewish man to death... and shames the man who did not do it.

Part 2 of Al-Muddaththir - The Cloaked One. The focus will be on line 31... that long paragraph and talks about Jews and Christians. We also go over what the Quran says about those who are "mindful of it."

A look at the two epistles of Peter... the authorship, the content and its implications for Islamic thinking.

The Prophet said, "I looked at Paradise and found poor people forming the majority of its inhabitants; and I looked at Hell and saw that the majority of its inhabitants were women."

A few stories from the Medina period I haven't shared yet.

1. O you covered up in your clothes!

2. Arise and warn all.

3. Revere your Lord alone.

4. Purify your garments.

5. Continue to shun idols.

6. Do not do a favour expecting more in return.

7. And persevere for the sake of your Lord.

8. For when the Trumpet will be sounded,

9. that will truly be a difficult Day—

10. far from easy for the disbelievers.

11. And leave to me O Prophet the one I created all by Myself,

12. and granted him abundant wealth,

Examining Peter in the Gospels and Acts... and the issues these passages present for Islam. Jesus is presented as divine in every Gospel... often by Peter himself. How to reconcile these accounts with a Quran who claims Peter as a righteous man?

The companions of Allah's Messenger used to practice manual labor, so their

sweat used to smell, and they were advised to take a bath.

Evaluating the moral aspects of the second trench... massacre or justified act in different times? This was, is, and will be a major theme of Jewish history, and how you think of this can vary greatly on the lens you look through and what you believe. Jews, Christians, Muslims and the non-religious all see this differently, and we go over why in this episode.

I do swear by the Day of Judgment!

And I do swear by the self-reproaching soul!

Do people think We cannot reassemble their bones?

Yes ˹indeed˺! We are ˹most˺ capable of restoring ˹even˺

their very fingertips.

Still people want to deny what is yet to come,

asking ˹mockingly˺, “When is this Day of Judgment?”

But when the sight is stunned,

and the moon is dimmed,

and the sun and the moon are brought together,

on that Day one will cry, “Where...

Paul and Muhammad discuss angels, Satan, revelation, heaven and the re-writing of sacred texts. They compare their visions of the afterlife in this second installment of Paul and Muhammad.

It is not permissible to take the life of a Muslim who bears testimony (to the fact that there is no god but Allah, and I am the Messenger of Allah, but in one of the three cases: the married adulterer, a life for life, and the deserter of his Din (Islam), abandoning the community.

The Muslim army turns from north to south... besieging a Jewish tribe of questionable loyalty. The aftermath remains one of the most controversial chapters in Muslim history.

1. Is there not a period of time when each human is nothing

yet worth mentioning?

2. ˹For˺ indeed, We ˹alone˺ created humans from a drop of

mixed fluids, ˹in order˺ to test them, so We made them hear and see.

3. We already showed them the Way, whether they ˹choose to˺

be grateful or ungrateful.

4. Indeed, We have prepared for the disbelievers chains,

shackles, and a blazing Fire.

5. Indeed, the virtuous will have a drink ˹of pure

wine˺—flavoured with camphor—

6. ˹from˺ a spring...

Examining the similarities between Paul and Muhammad... their styles, their reactions to revelation... their place within their respective communities...

I heard Allah's Messenger saying, "Allah does not take away the knowledge, by taking it away from (the hearts of) the people, but takes it away by the death of the religious learned men till when none of the (religious learned men) remains, people will take as their leaders ignorant persons who when consulted will give their verdict without knowledge. So they will go astray and will lead the people astray."

The clock keeps ticking on the viability of the allied army, and the Banu Qurayza begins its indecisive ride toward disaster.

By those winds sent forth successively,

and those blowing violently,

and those scattering rainclouds widely!

And by those angels fully distinguishing truth from falsehood,

and those delivering revelation,

ending excuses and giving warnings.

Surely, what you are promised will come to pass.

So when the stars are put out,

and the sky is torn apart,

and the mountains are blown away,

and the messengers’ time to testify comes up—

for which Day has all this been set?

Looking at the Islamic historical arguments for why the Quran is right and the Gospels are wrong... assessing the ideas and their plausibility.

"A man from Banu Fazarah came to the Prophet and said: 'My wife has given birth to a black boy' -and he wanted to disown him. He said: 'Do you have camels?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'What color are they?' He said: 'Red.' He said: 'Are there any gray ones among them?' He said: 'There are some gray camels among them.' He said: 'Why is that do you think?' He said: 'Perhaps it is hereditary.' He said: 'Perhaps this is hereditary.' And he did not permit him to disown...

The Muslims learn of the large army, and its 600 horses, that are marching toward Medina. This situation looks awful for the Muslims, but an outside convert comes up with a new idea to even up the odds. And Abu Sufyan's army... uninspired as ever... has to deal with a major surprise.

What are they asking one another about?

About the momentous news,

over which they disagree.

But no! They will come to know.

Again, no! They will come to know.

Have We not smoothed out the earth ˹like a bed˺,

and ˹made˺ the mountains as ˹its˺ pegs,

and created you in pairs,

and made your sleep for rest,

and made the night as a cover,

and made the day for livelihood,

and built above you seven mighty ˹heavens˺,

and...

The Quran clearly paints the apostles as righteous and honest men. What does that mean for the difference between the Christian and the Muslim versions of these men?

Three persons set out on a journey. They were overtaken by rain and they had to find protection in a mountain cave where at its mouth there fell a rock of that mountain and thus blocked them altogether. One of them said to the others: Look to your good deeds that you performed for the sake of Allah and then supplicate Allah, the Exalted, that He might rescue you (from this trouble). One of them said: 0 Allah, I had my parents who were old and my wife and my small children also. I tended the flock and when I...

The preamble to the Battle of the Trench... or the Siege of Medina. Same thing. Setting the table with some historical parallels, and also looking at the reasons for the battle and the strengths of the combatants. Muhammad has a week to prepare for an alliance of Arab tribes coming right at Medina -- that's the good news. The bad news? They have 600 horses. He has none.

By those angels stripping out evil souls harshly,

and those pulling out good souls gently,

and those gliding through heavens swiftly,

and those taking the lead vigorously,

and those conducting affairs obediently!

Consider the Day when the quaking Blast will come to pass,

followed by a second Blast.

The deniers’ hearts on that Day will be trembling in horror,

with their eyes downcast.

But now they ask mockingly, “Will we really be restored to our former state,

even after we h...

A review of the Jesus portion of the series.... emphasizing key concepts and being brutally honest of the possibility of Christian-Muslim dialogue about Jesus.

Muhammad, like an overwhelmed parent, tires of the constant questions... particularly those asked in bad faith.

Muhammad marries Zaynab, and we discuss the legacy of this action from several different perspectives.

He frowned and turned his attention away,

simply because the blind man came to him interrupting

You never know O Prophet, perhaps he may be purified,

or he may be mindful, benefitting from the reminder.

As for the one who was indifferent,

you gave him your undivided attention,

even though you are not to blame if he would not be purified.

But as for the one who came to you, eager to learn,

being in awe of Allah,

you were inattentive...

Going through the specifics of the Islamic second coming of Jesus.

Allah's Messenger said, "If somebody innovates something which is not in harmony with the principles of our religion, that thing is rejected."

Muhammad marries his son's ex-wife and the community erupts in scandal. This is his fifth wife and a major break from Arab tradition -- some in the community call it incest. This is what we know about how this situation came to be.

When the sun is overthrown,

And when the stars fall,

And when the hills are moved,

And when the camels big with young are abandoned,

And when the wild beasts are herded together,

And when the seas rise,

And when souls are reunited,

And when the girl-child that was buried alive is asked

For what sin she was slain,

And when the pages are laid open,

And when the sky is torn away,

And when hell is...

The Mahdi is a figure from the hadith... a man from Muhammad's family who will come before Jesus comes... again. The Mahdi is a curiosity for some Muslims, dogma for others, and the source of religious imagination for those who dream of a world beyond Islamic orthodoxy.

Episodes will now be released twice a month rather than the four you may be used to...

For two years after Uhud, both sides avoid major battles and fight on the outskirts of Arabia. A second Battle of Badr is planned but never happens, but it becomes obvious that these sides will fight, and only one can be master of the peninsula.

When the sky splits open,

and when the stars fall away,

and when the seas burst forth,

and when the graves spill out,

then each soul will know what it has sent forth or left behind.

O humanity! What has emboldened you against your Lord, the Most Generous,

Who created you, fashioned you, and perfected your design,

moulding you in whatever form He willed?

But no! In fact, you deny the ˹final˺ Judgment,

while you are certainly observed by vigilant,

...

What the Quran has to say on Jesus and the end times.

He who gets back his charity is like a dog which vomits, and then returns to that and eats it.

The seeds for 1400 years of Jewish-Muslim enmity are planted as Muhammad takes action against a tribe he sees as disloyal and dangerous. This was a first in Muslim history, but for the Jews it was just another in a countless number of expulsions through out time. From Assyria to Babylon to Rome to Spain to Russia to Uganda... this is a familiar pattern - with an ironic twist from the conflict in modern Israel.

Surah 83 continued, focusing in a few more words unique in the Quran.

If the Christian story is wrong... then what exactly is right? If Jesus did not suffer, die, get buried and rise from the dead on the third day -- then what is the Islamic story? There are many theories but little certainty.

The Messenger of Allah said: "The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe, and the believer is the one from whom the people's lives and wealth are safe."

Wrapping up the Battle of Uhud. Who won? The Quran gives one answer, and also downgrades the expected strength of a Muslim warrior.

Woe unto the defrauders:

Those who when they take the measure from mankind demand it full,

But if they measure unto them or weight for them, they cause them loss.

Do such (men) not consider that they will be raised again

Unto an Awful Day,

The day when (all) mankind stand before the Lord of the Worlds?

Nay, but the record of the vile is in Sijjin

Ah! what will convey unto thee what Sijjin is!

A written record.

Woe unto...

The difficulty of the cross has spouted different non-Christian interpretations throughout the years... including a very old heresy called Docetism. Muslims, as believers in the holiness of Jesus, need a much more detailed accounting for Jesus and the cross than Jews.... however, the Quran has little to say on the subject.

"I heard Anas bin Malik narrating that the Prophet said: 'There are three things, whoever attains them will find therein a sweetness of faith: When he loves a person, and only loves him for the sake of Allah; when Allah and His Messenger are dearer to him than all else; and when he would prefer to be thrown into the fire rather to go back to the disbelief from which Allah has saved him.'"

Hamza's body is mutilated.... Quryashi allies recoil at the battlefield mutilation... the battlefield victors leave for Mecca... why they left... an alternate theory on what happened at Uhud.

When the heaven is split asunder

And attentive to her Lord in fear,

And when the earth is spread out

And hath cast out all that was in her, and is empty

And attentive to her Lord in fear!

Thou, verily, O man, art working toward thy Lord a work which thou wilt meet (in His presence).

Then whoso is given his account in his right hand

He truly will receive an easy reckoning

And will return unto his folk in joy.

Jesus as the Word of God. What does that mean anyway? And what does it mean in Islam? Well... it's complicated.

We witnessed along with Allah's Messenger the Khaibar (campaign). Allah's Messenger told his companions about a man who claimed to be a Muslim, "This man is from the people of the Fire." When the battle started, the man fought very bravely and received a great number of wounds and got crippled. On that, a man from among the companions of the Prophet came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Do you know what the man you described as of the people of the Fire has done? He has fought very bravely for Allah's Cause and he has received many wounds."...

The Muslim army begins to win the battle... then suffers an unlikely setback. Muhammad give his archers a clear directive: “Whether we are winning or losing you stay where you are. If you see us plundering a defeated army and wish to have a share of it… stay where you are. If you see us dying and want to help us… stay where you are.” Some listen, some don't, and the battle takes a chaotic turn. Muhammad is wounded, but escapes alive.

By the sky full of constellations,

and the promised Day of Judgment

and the witness and what is witnessed!

Condemned are the makers of the ditch—

the fire pit, filled with fuel—

when they sat around it,

watching what they had ˹ordered to be˺ done to the believers,

who they resented for no reason other than belief in Allah—the Almighty, the Praiseworthy—

the One to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and earth. And Allah is a Witness over all things.

Those...

Jesus as the Son of God. What is a son, anyway? How would it have been seen in Muhammad's world? And what is the function of Jesus -- a special prophet born of a virgin -- within Islam? If Jesus is not the Son of God... then what is He?

Sunan an-Nasa'i 5013

It was narrated from Qatadah that:

He heard Anas say: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'None of you has believed until I am dearer to him than his son, his father and all the people.'"

The armies line up at the foot of Mount Uhud, and the Muslims find yet another great position to fight. The armies fight while 50 key archers protect the flanks, rendering the Meccan cavalry useless. Hamza falls in the battle, basically assassinated by a well-paid slave. And the moment of truth arrives for the 50 archers who could make or break the Muslim army.

God gives solace to Muhammad... and hints at the nature of why evil appears to thrive.

Lo! they plot a plot (against thee, O Muhammad)

And I plot a plot (against them).

So give a respite to the disbelievers. Deal thou gently with them for a while.

Giving a broad take on Jesus' role in Islam, and his importance (or lack thereof) in Islamic theology. A preview of the rest of the Jesus episodes.

The Prophet said: "There are two blessings that many people are deceived into losing: health and free time."

The Meccans come to conquer the Muslims on the outskirts on their own city, and once again, the Muslims are facing towering odds. Muhammad and his companions work out a strategy and head out to face the enemy at the foot of Mount Uhud.

Introducing the concept of abrogation, which is first seen -- classically speaking -- in this surah. The main question in this surah is, "who is the Quran speaking to?" The answer depends on who you ask and their opinion on abrogation.

Possible Biblical sources in the Quran, and its role in the religious free-for-all in Arabia.

The Prophet said, "Your life in comparison to the lifetime of the past nations is like the period between the time of `Asr prayer and sunset. Your example and the example of the Jews and Christians is that of person who employed laborers and said to them, "Who will work for me till the middle of the day for one Qirat (a special weight)?' The Jews did. He then said, "Who will work for me from the middle of the day till the `Asr prayer for one Qirat each?" The Christians worked accordingly. Then you (Muslims) are working...

Medina waits for the inevitable attack, the Muslims remove a potential traitor to the south, and Muhammad's family undergoes some major changes.

Has the news of the Overwhelming Event reached you ˹O Prophet˺?

On that Day ˹some˺ faces will be downcast,

˹totally˺ overburdened, exhausted,

burning in a scorching Fire,

left to drink from a scalding spring.

They will have no food except a foul, thorny shrub,

neither nourishing nor satisfying hunger.

On that Day ˹other˺ faces will be glowing with bliss,

˹fully˺ pleased with their striving,

in an elevated Garden,

where no idle talk will be heard.

In it will be a...

Jesus speaks from the cradle in the Arabic infancy Gospel, and perhaps -- maybe -- part of that makes its way into the Quran. Or, is it the other way around? The final episode regarding the apocryphal Gospels and how they relate to the Quran.

The Prophet said, "Allah will not accept the excuse of any person whose instant of death is delayed till he is sixty years of age."

Abu Sufyan, more powerful than ever, picks up the pieces in Mecca. He's raising an army for a move on Muhammad.

A warning about destruction, examples from history, and an invitation to join God in his hidden garden.

The Gospel of Pseudo Matthew picks up with the holy family's flight to Egypt.... a story that came about 600 years after Jesus was born. Dragons and miracles and dead children -- this imaginative tale is one unfamiliar to Christians and Muslims alike. Well... most of it.

Certainly, the time of prayer shall come and then Jesus (peace be upon him) son of Mary would descend and would lead them. When the enemy of Allah would see him, it would (disappear) just as the salt dissolves itself in water and if he (Jesus) were not to confront them at all, even then it would dissolve completely, but Allah would kill them by his hand and he would show them their blood on his lance (the lance of Jesus Christ).

Cleaning up after the battle... and deciding who lives and who dies. The captives are brought back to Mecca.

I do swear by this land

This land where you are free to dwell

And by the parents and their children

We have created man into a life of pain and distress and toil and trial

Yet he thinks nothing can overpower him

He boasts: I have wasted great wealth

Does he think no one sees him?

Did we not give him two eyes

And a tongue? And two lips?

And guided him to the parting of two paths.

...

The Protoevangelium of James tells us about Mary in the temple.... how she came to be with Joseph and a wildly graphic story about confirming the virgin birth.

Allah's Messenger said, "The Hour will not be established until the son of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you as a just ruler, he will break the cross, kill the pigs, and abolish the Jizya tax. Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it (as charitable gifts).

The duals heat up with Muhammad's family facing another prominent family... the Muslim army displays its fervor... the result is a bloody rout... Bilal gets his revenge... one of history's most consequential military upsets is complete.

Some nature metaphors and an introduction to Thamud:

By the sun and his brightness,

And the moon when she followeth him,

And the day when it revealeth him,

And the night when it enshroudeth him,

And the heaven and Him Who built it,

And the earth and Him Who spread it,

And a soul and Him Who perfected it

And inspired it (with conscience of) what is wrong for it and (what is) right for it.

He is indeed successful who...

Introduction to the apocryphal gospels that may have contributed to the Quranic Jesus. The second part goes over one of those gospels -- The Infancy Gospel of Thomas. Also... an introduction to the general concept of literary criticism in religious texts.

The Prophet said, "Allah said, 'I will be an opponent to three types of people on the Day of Resurrection: -1. One who makes a covenant in My Name, but proves treacherous; -2. One who sells a free person and eats his price; and -3. One who employs a laborer and takes full work from him but does not pay him for his labor.' "

The two sides prepare for the battle. Meccans debate whether to fight, but Muhammad has no doubts. A man tries to drink from the contested well. The first duel begins.

By the night when it covers,

and the day when it shines!

By (the mystery of) the creation of male and female;-

Surely the ends you strive for are diverse.

As for the one who is charitable, mindful ˹of Allah˺,

and ˹firmly˺ believes in the finest reward,

We will indeed make smooth for him the path to Bliss.

But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient,

And gives the lie to the best,-

We will indeed make...

A look at Jesus' both in the Quran and Islamic Mariology... and why Joseph is not only unnecessary but an impossible character.

There was an eclipse of the sun, and the Messenger of Allah got up in a rush, fearing that it might be the Hour. He went to the masjid, where he stood and prayed, standing, bowing and prostrating for the longest time that I ever saw him do in prayer. Then he said: 'These signs that Allah sends do not occur for the death or birth of anyone, but Allah sends them to strike fear into His slaves. If you see any of these things, then hasten to remember Him, call upon Him supplicate and ask for His forgiveness.<...

The newly militarized Muslims target a Meccan caravan. Mecca scrambles an army. The stage is set for the first clash in what will be the years-long war between the Muslims and the Quraysh of Mecca.

God talks to Muhammad once again... after a long, long absence.

By the morning sunlight,

and the night when it falls still!

Your Lord ˹O Prophet˺ has not abandoned you, nor has He become hateful ˹of you˺.

And the next life is certainly far better for you than this one.

And ˹surely˺ your Lord will give so much to you that you will be pleased.

Did He not find you as an orphan then sheltered you?

Did He not find you unguided then guided you?

A...

Learn about Mary... the ascetic Islamic figure who was not only a virgin -- she had no husband, either. And a very, very small nativity scene.

If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets...

The Muslims unite as a fighting force as they increase their will to fight and their total military force. The Quran would prove a very useful recruiting tool, urging Muslims to take up arms. This period would mold the new warrior spirit that would change both Islam and the Arabian peninsula during the run up to The Battle of Badr in 624.

Have We not uplifted your heart for you ˹O Prophet˺,

relieved you of the burden

which weighed so heavily on your back,

and elevated your renown for you?1

So, surely with hardship comes ease.

Surely with ˹that˺ hardship comes ˹more˺ ease.1

So once you have fulfilled ˹your duty˺, strive ˹in devotion˺,

turning to your Lord ˹alone˺ with hope.

John the Baptist's role in Islam. Yahya, as Muslims call him, is a Quran-affirmed prophet, although his actual role in the Islamic story is vague.

The similitude of mine and that of the Apostles before me is that of a person who built a house quite imposing and beautiful and he made it complete but for one brick in one of its corners. People began to walk round it, and the building pleased them and they would say: But for this brick your building would have been perfect. Muhammad said: And I am that final brick.

The Emigrants from Mecca turn from refugees to raiders, and this becomes the preamble to the Battle of Badr. Smaller raids from the Emigrants give way to larger operations as religious commitment and Quranic revelations foster a more militant atmosphere. God Himself changes the rules of warfare in Arabia.

By the fig and the olive,

By Mount Sinai,

And by this land made safe;

Surely We created man of the best stature

Then we reduced him to the lowest of the low,

Save those who believe and do good works, and theirs is a reward unfailing.

So who henceforth will give the lie to thee about the judgment?

Is not Allah the most conclusive of all judges?

The stories about the parents of Mart and John the Baptist: Zechariah and Imran -- and the wives of Zechariah and Imran... the wives did not get their names in the Quran. The stories should sound mostly familiar, except the Quran gives Zechariah a much larger role in the lives of both John the Baptist and Mary.

The Prophet said, "Whoever has (the following) four characters will be a hypocrite, and whoever has one of the following four characteristics will have one characteristic of hypocrisy until he gives it up. These are: (1 ) Whenever he talks, he tells a lie; (2) whenever he makes a promise, he breaks it; (3) whenever he makes a covenant he proves treacherous; (4) and whenever he quarrels, he behaves impudently in an evil insulting manner."

There were 5 factions in Medina in 622. Then 3. Then 2. This is their story, and also a vital foundation for understanding what will come. Wars, rivalries, massacres... this episode is meant to help make sense of it all -- on both a human and religious level.