THE TRAGEDY OF MUSLIMS

 Muslims are the primary victims of Islam. However, the vast majority of Muslims fail to recognize this essential truth. This is the tragedy of Muslims. If you are a Muslim, we earnestly encourage you to read this article carefully. Devoting your time to examine this article may be one of your most vital investments in your life. Our objective is to sincerely alert Muslims of the tragic consequences that await all those who submit to Islam. Our call for concern has to do with your salvation. It is our genuine desire to prevent Muslims from becoming victims of a serious tragedy regarding their eternal salvation. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to know the truth about Islam. You can avert this tragedy. It all depends very much on your response to the facts provided here. If for some reason you are skeptical about what we have just stated here, please read the rest of the article to prove us wrong.

Islam stands and falls on the person of Muhammad. The validity of Islam is very much dependent on the reliability of Muhammad. Therefore, we will start with Muhammad. Muslims strongly believe that Muhammad was a descendant of Ishmael. However, it may surprise them to learn that nowhere in the Qur’an does it say that Ishmael was the predecessor of the Arabic race. Neither does the Qur’an claim that Ishmael was a forefather of Muhammad. The Qur’anic evidences go against any ties of lineage between Ishmael and Muhammad. In fact, there is no correlation whatsoever between Ishmael and Muhammad. What is vital for Muslims to understand is the fact that their claim Muhammad was a descendant of Ishmael contradicts the teachings of the Qur’an. It is crucial for Muslims to learn the truth on this matter if they really value their eternal salvation. Read on to find out why we say this.

In order to determine whether Muhammad was a descendant of Ishmael or not, it is absolutely essential to consider four vital facts which the Qur’an reveals on this matter. A comprehensive study of these four vital facts is absolutely a must to establish the truth. The truth about Muhammad will be established in this article. Consider now the evidences from the sources of Islam itself.

FACT NUMBER ONE

The Qur’an clearly testifies that no Messengers or Prophets were ever sent to the Arabs before the time of Muhammad:

Surah 28:46-47: Nor were you present on the side of Mount Sinai when We called out to Moses. But you too have been sent as an act of grace from your Lord, to give warning to a people to whom no Warner has come before, so that they may take heed and may not say, if a disaster should befall them as a result of what they have done with their own hands, ‘Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we might have followed Your message and become believers.’ (Abdel Haleem)

Surah 32:3: Or do they say, “He (Muhammad) has invented it?” Nay! It is the truth from your Lord that you may warn a people to whom no Warner has come before you, that they may follow the right direction. (H. S. Aziz)

Surah 34:44: And We have not given them (Arabs) any Books (Scripture) which they read, nor did We send to them before you a Warner. (H. S. Aziz)

Surah 36:2-6: I call to witness the Qur’an, custodian of all laws, That you are indeed one of those sent on a path that is straight, A revelation from the mighty, ever-merciful God, That you may warn a people whose ancestors had never been warned, who are therefore heedless. (H. S. Aziz)

FACT NUMBER TWO

Yet at the same instance, the Qur’an testifies that Ishmael was both a Messenger and a Prophet of Allah:

Surah 19:54: And remember Ishmael in the Book. Truly, he had been one who is sincere in his promise, and he had been a Messenger, a Prophet. (Laleh Bakhtiar)

FACT NUMBER THREE

The Qur’an repeatedly testifies that the Arabs – the forefathers of Muhammad – never received any Scriptures of Allah before the time of Muhammad:

Surah 6:157: Or lest ye should say: If the Scripture had been revealed unto us, we surely had been better guided than are they. Now hath there come unto you a clear proof from your Lord, a guidance and a mercy. (Pickthall)

Surah 11:49: This is of the tidings of the Unseen which We inspire in thee (Muhammad). Thou thyself knewest it not, nor did thy folk know it before this. Then have patience. Lo! The sequel is for those who ward off (evil). (Pickthall)

Surah 34:44: And We have not given them (Arabs) any Books (Scripture) which they read, nor did We send to them before you a Warner. (H. S. Aziz)

Surah 62:2: He it is who has sent a Messenger among those who had never before received a Scripture – to convey unto them His Messages. (Shabbir Ahmed)

FACT NUMBER FOUR

On the other hand, the Qur’an clearly states that Ishmael was given the Scriptures of Allah:

Surah 6:86-89: And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot… These are they unto whom We gave the Scripture and command and prophethood. (Pickthall)

Surah 4:163: We have sent revelations to you as We sent revelations to Noah and the prophets who came after him; and We sent revelations to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob, and their offspring, and to Jesus and Job, and to Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and to David We gave the Book of Psalms. (Ahmed Ali)

Surah 3:84: Say (O Muhammad): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob. (Pickthall)

In addition to the above facts, the Qur’an also provides another vital piece of information that is equally important in our discussion. The Qur’an admits that prior to the time of Muhammad only two groups of people – the Jews and the Christians – received the Scriptures of Allah. No other national groups are named in the Qur’an as ever receiving the Scriptures of Allah. It is essential for Muslims to remember this vital fact that is taught in the Qur’an:

Surah 6:155-156: And this (Qur’an) is a Book which We have revealed full of blessings. So now follow it and fear Allah persistently so that you are shown mercy. The Qur’an has been revealed lest you should say: ‘The heavenly Book was only sent down before us to the two communities (the Jews and the Christians), and undoubtedly, we were unaware of their reading and teaching.’ (Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri)

Substantiating this fact even further, the Qur’an recognizes only three Books by name as the revealed Books of Allah before the time of Islam. These three Books are the Torah, the Psalms, and the Gospel. That is why only the Jews and the Christians are recognized as the “People of the Scripture” or as the “People of the Book” in the Qur’an. Not even the Muslims are recognized as such.

Surah 5:68: Say (O Muhammad) “O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! You have nothing as regards till you act according to the Torah and the Gospel. (Hilali-Khan)

Therefore, the Scripture which the Qur’an claims that was given to Ishmael cannot be for the guidance of the Arabs. This fact is supported by numerous Qur’anic verses which state clearly that the Arabs were not given any Scriptures before the time of Muhammad. The Arabic Qur’an which was revealed at the time of Muhammad is the only Scripture that was given to the Arabs. Prior to this they had none:

Surah 32:3: Or say they: “He (Muhammad) has fabricated it?” Nay, it is the truth from your Lord, that you may warn a people to whom no Warner has come before you (O Muhammad), in order that they may be guided. (Hilali-Khan)

All the above facts are based not on any external sources. They are all based on the Qur’an – the primary source of Islam. What essential truth can Muslims learn when we piece all these vital facts together? The following segment will answer this question.

THE MUSLIM DILEMMA

The above verses of the Qur’anic clearly state that no Scriptures were given to the ancestors of Muhammad. Yet at the same instance, the Qur’an reveals that the Prophet Ishmael was given the Scriptures of Allah. Logically, if the Prophet Ishmael was truly an ancestor of Muhammad, then this would mean that the ancestors of Muhammad had already received the Scriptures of Allah before the time of Muhammad. Thus, for the Qur’an to be true, the Prophet Ishmael simply cannot be an ancestor of Muhammad as claimed by the Muslims. How are Muslims going to reconcile the claim in the Qur’an that no Scriptures were given to the ancestors of Muhammad with the verses which state that the Prophet Ishmael was given the Scriptures of Allah if the Prophet Ishmael was truly an ancestor of Muhammad? With no Scriptures to prove the lineage between the Prophet Ishmael and Muhammad, how can Muslims then assume that Muhammad was a descendant of the Prophet Ishmael?

Furthermore, besides stating that no Scriptures were ever given to the ancestors of Muhammad, the Qur’an also states that neither were any Prophets sent to them. Yet, the Qur’an clearly testifies that Ishmael was a Prophet of Allah. If the Prophet Ishmael was truly an ancestor of Muhammad, this would then mean that a Prophet of Allah was already living amidst the ancestors of Muhammad. Thus, it would be a gross error for the Qur’an to state that no Prophets were sent to the ancestors of Muhammad who were Arabs. However, since the Qur’an states positively that no Prophets were sent to the ancestors of Muhammad, this proves that the Prophet Ishmael could not have lived or set foot in Arabia as Muslims claims. The only option that now remains for Muslims to accept the Qur’an as true is to acknowledge the fact that Muhammad simply cannot be a descendant of the Prophet Ishmael. Muslims who challenge or deny this fact will be proving the Qur’an false.

Al-Tabari, the renowned Muslim scholar and historian recognizes the fact that Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, was an Egyptian. (Al-Tabari, The History of al-Tabari, Vol. II, Prophets and Patriarchs, translation from Arabic by William M. Brenner, pp. 62-63) Abraham, the father of Ishmael was not an Arab. And neither was his mother. Can a father who is a Hebrew and a mother who is an Egyptian produce an Arab son? Therefore, Ishmael cannot be an Arab. And to further distant this claim by Muslims, the wife of Ishmael was an Egyptian. (Genesis 21:20-21) As such, Muhammad cannot be a direct descendant of Ishmael. In the Bible, the Prophet Abraham is clearly identified as a Hebrew:

Genesis 14:13: After that a man who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew.

Abraham was known as Abram until God changed his name to Abraham. (Genesis 17:5) And the Bible clearly states that Abraham was a Hebrew. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia the terms “Hebrews” and “Israelites” describe the same people. It explains that they were called Hebrews before the conquest of the Land of Canaan and subsequently they were called Israelites after the conquest. If the Hebrews were Arabs then they would not be Hebrews would they? Since Ishmael was the first-born son of Abraham, he simply cannot be someone other than a Hebrew like his father. Muhammad has to be a Hebrew in order for Muslims to claim he was a descendant of Ishmael.

Indicating their nomadic lifestyle, the Qur’an refers to the Arabs as the “wandering Arabs” in Surah 33:20. And the Qur’an also identifies them as “Quraish” in Surah 106:1. But the Arabs were never identified, even once, as the “Children of Ishmael” or as the “Children of Abraham.” In fact, it is the style of the Qur’an to draw clear connections of lineage if at all there exists one. You will surprised at the number of times the term “Children of Israel” (Arabic: Bani Israel) is mentioned in the Qur’an with reference to the Israelites. However, there is no “Bani Ishmael” in the Qur’an with reference to the Arabs. This is truly an important observation which Muslims must not fail to take into consideration. The Muslim argument that Muhammad was a descendant of Ishmael is not based on any historical evidences. Today anyone can claim that he is a descendant of Noah and he is technically right.

THE QUR’AN DISQUALIFIES THE PROPHETHOOD OF MUHAMMAD

Even if Muslims ignore all these evidences and presumptuously insist that Muhammad was a direct descendant of Ishmael, it still does not change the fact that Muhammad does not qualify as a true prophet of God. Why do we say that? It is because the Qur’an itself disqualifies him as a prophet of the true God. After addressing the Prophet Abraham, Allah clearly testified in the Qur’an that the “Prophethood” will thereafter continue through the lineage of Isaac and Jacob – not Ishmael. In view of its importance, two different translations of Surah 29:27 are provided below:

And (as for Abraham), We bestowed upon him Isaac and (Isaac’s son) Jacob, and caused Prophethood and Revelation to continue among his offspring. (Asad)

And We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and We established the Prophethood and the Scripture among his seed. (Pickthall)

It is vital for Muslims to note the fact that with the inauguration of the “Prophethood” with Abraham, Surah 29:27 goes on to state that the Prophethood will thereafter continue through the lineage of Isaac and Jacob. Therefore, the Prophethood will be established uniquely through the seeds of Isaac and Jacob. In other words, the office of the Prophethood would be entrusted only to Isaac, Jacob and their descendants. This means that anyone claiming to be a Prophet of the true God must be born in the “Prophetic Race.” They must be born in the lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

If Allah intended to include Ishmael, his name would be placed before Isaac as he was older than Isaac by about fourteen years. But as it can be noted, Surah 29:27 completely omits any reference to Ishmael. This raises some vital questions:

Why was the name of Ishmael left out completely at the most significant time when the lineage of the Prophethood was revealed in the Qur’an?

Why was Ishmael totally ignored if he was as important as Muslims claim him to be?

Thus, the Qur’an itself teaches that the Prophethood will be established exclusively through the lineage of Isaac – not Ishmael. Muslims have to choose between the Qur’an and Muhammad. If Muhammad was truly a prophet of God then the Qur’an is false. If the Qur’an is true, then Muhammad simply cannot be a prophet of the true God. For further evidence on this subject, please click the following links:

THE QUR’AN DISQUALIFIES THE PROPHETHOOD OF MUHAMMAD

SURAH 3:81 – AN INDISPUTABLE ERROR IN THE QUR’AN

We will now move on to discuss the primary purpose of this article. This is where the tragedy of the Muslims begins. This is where the issue of salvation comes to the fore. This is where Muslims must decide regarding the outcome of their eternal salvation.

DID ABRAHAM AND ISHMAEL BUILD THE KA’BA?

The Qur’an claims that the Prophet Abraham and the Prophet Ishmael built the sacred House of Allah:

Surah 2:125-127: We made the House a resort and a sanctuary for people, saying, ‘Take the spot where Abraham stood as your place of prayer.’ We commanded Abraham and Ishmael: ‘Purify My House for those who walk round it, those who stay there, and those who bow and prostrate themselves in worship.’ Abraham said, ‘My Lord, make this land secure and provide with produce those of its people who believe in God and the Last Day.’ God said, ‘As for those who disbelieve, I will grant them enjoyment for a short while and then subject them to the torment of the Fire – an evil destination.’ As Abraham and Ishmael built up the foundations of the House they prayed, ‘Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the All Hearing, the All Knowing. (Abdel Haleem)

Although the location of the House of Allah is not stated in the above or any other verses of the Qur’an, all Muslims without exception believe that it refers to the Ka’ba in Mecca. Some Muslim translators of the Qur’an boldly took the liberty to edit the Scriptures of Allah by inserting the word “Mecca” in parenthesis even though it does not appear in the original Arabic Qur’an. How could the Prophet Abraham and the Prophet Ishmael build the Ka’ba in Mecca when the Qur’an clearly states that no Prophets were ever sent to the Arabs before the time of Muhammad? Since Muslims insist that the Prophet Abraham and the Prophet Ishmael built the Ka’ba in Mecca, then this assumption comes at a great cost to the Muslims. Muslims have to now accept that either there is a serious contradiction in the Qur’an or the Prophet Abraham and the Prophet Ishmael could not have built the Ka’ba in Mecca.

As we have noted, numerous Qur’anic verses clearly testify that no Prophets were sent to the Arabs prior to the time of Muhammad. This simply means that the Prophet Abraham and the Prophet Ishmael could not have set foot in Arabia. Therefore, it is obvious that they could not have built the Ka’ba. Since the Ka’ba was already in existence before the time of Muhammad and since no Prophets of the true God were ever sent to the Arabs before the time of Muhammad, it leads us to one very obvious conclusion. Only the local pagan Arabs could have built the Ka’ba. Only they could have laid the foundation of the Ka’ba. That the Ka’ba was indeed a pagan shrine before the coming of Islam is confirmed in numerous authentic sources of Islam itself.

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 43, Number 658:

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin Masud: The Prophet entered Mecca and (at that time) there were three hundred-and-sixty idols around the Ka’ba. He started stabbing the idols with a stick he had in his hand and reciting: “Truth (Islam) has come and Falsehood (disbelief) has vanished.”

When Muhammad conquered Mecca, he destroyed all the idols of the Ka’ba with the exception of the preeminent idol – the Black Stone. The Ka’ba which is known as “Baitullah” in Arabic means “House of Allah.” Muslims will do well to seriously consider the following thought provoking questions:

If the Ka’ba which was supposedly built by the Prophet Abraham and the Prophet Ishmael was originally the House of Allah, how did it become a Pagan Temple housing 360 idols? How could a House of God turn into a Temple of Idols?

Exactly when did Allah allow this change to take place?

How did the most sacred place for the Worship of Allah become a place for the Worship of Idols? How is it possible for this corruption to occur in the first place?

Why was Allah powerless to prevent his most sacred shrine from becoming contaminated with the idolatrous worship of demons?

What theological reason is there for Allah to allow his original House of Worship to become a Pagan Temple?

The late Dr. Taha Husayn, a prominent professor at Cairo University, recognized the fact that the message of the Qur’an regarding the construction of the Ka’ba at the hands of Abraham and Ishmael is historically untenable. And he gave the following reason as to why it is not possible:

“The case of this episode is very obvious because it is of recent date and came into vogue just before the rise of Islam. Islam exploited it for religious reasons” (Quoted in Mizan al-Islam by Anwar al-Jundi, p. 170).

In other words, the Ka’ba did not and could not have existed at the time of Abraham.

IDOLATRY IN ISLAM

Islam retained many of the rites and rituals that had been prevalent in the Arabian Peninsula. While Muhammad destroyed the rest of the idols at the conquest of Mecca, he left the Black Stone untouched. Why? It was simply because of his deep-rooted reverence for the Black Stone brought on by years of submission to the pagan practice of stone worship.

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 661:

Narrated by Abu Raja Al-Utaridi: We used to worship stones, and when we found a better stone than the first one, we would throw the first one and take the latter, but if we could not get a stone then we would collect some earth (i.e. soil) and then bring a sheep and milk that sheep over it, and perform the Tawaf (circumnavigation) around it.

Today Muslims perform the Tawaf (circumnavigation) around the Black Stone. Muhammad not only left the Black Stone untouched to represent Islam but he was also deeply attached to it emotionally.

Sahih Muslim, Book 007, Number 2916:

Suwaid b. Ghafala reported: I saw Umar (Allah be pleased with him) kissing the Stone and clinging to it and saying: I saw Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) having great love for you. This Hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sufyin with the same chain of transmitters (and the words are): “That he (‘Umar) said: But I saw Abu’l-Qasim (way peace be upon him) having great love for you.”

Muhammad is known as Abu’l-Qasim to his Companions. Some believe that this was Muhammad’s original name.

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 26, Number 675:

Narrated by Zaid bin Aslam: From his father who said: “Umar bin Al-Khattab addressed the Corner (Black Stone) saying, ‘By Allah! I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit nor harm. Had I not seen the Prophet touching and kissing you, I would never have touched and kissed you.’ Then he kissed it.”

The single most important reason in Islam for the kissing of the Black Stone is that Muhammad did it. He thereby set the example for Muslims to follow. The Black Stone which was sacred to the Pagans became sacred to the Muslims. The Black Stone which was venerated by the Pagans became the focal point of the Muslim pilgrimage. The Black Stone which had been an object of worship before the time of Muhammad became the central shrine of Islam. Muslims today touch and kiss the Black Stone with reverence during the Hajj. The kiss that the pious Muslims bestow on the Black Stone is a survival of an age old pagan practice that was common in ancient Arabia. Muslims are kissing the same Black Stone which the Pagans were kissing before.

In his book, “The Life of Muhammad,” the Egyptian writer, Muhammad Husayn Haykal, whose works are based on the scholarly manuscripts of Ibn Hisham, acknowledged the following facts regarding the worship of the Black Stone:

In fact, the Arabs venerated these stones so much that not only did they worship the Black Stone in the Ka’bah, but also they would take one of the stones of the Ka’bah as a holy object in their travels, praying to it and asking it to bless every move they made. (p. 30)

Here we find another prominent Muslim scholar who candidly testifies that the Black Stone was indeed worshipped by the Pagans before the coming of Islam. The fact that many of the rituals performed during the Hajj are connected to pagan worship shows that Islam was conceived in idolatry. Such practices are consistent with pre-Islamic pagan rituals involving the Ka’ba. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would never send a Black Stone for his worshippers to submit to idolatry. If the true God forbids even the bowing towards the glorious sun that he himself had created, do you think he will command his worshippers to bow towards a dead Black Stone? While Christians clearly see this as absolute idolatry, Islam is blind to this abomination. The Holy Bible clearly states:

Deuteronomy 4:19: “You must not raise your eyes to the heavens and indeed see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the army of the heavens, and actually get seduced and bow down to them.”

Of course, Muslims will strongly deny that they are actually engaging in idolatrous worship when they kiss or bow towards the Black Stone whenever they pray. And they will insist that their prayers are directed towards Allah alone. However, in actual practice, Muslims treat the Black Stone with the same reverence as the Pagans do towards their idols. The denial of the idolatrous nature of the reverence that Muslims display towards the Black Stone can be likened to that of a man who claims innocence for his adulterous affair by saying that he was only thinking of his wife while committing the illicit immoral act. Adultery is adultery. And idolatry is idolatry. The justification for the veneration of a dead stone, especially to the extent of bowing down and kissing it, can only be identified with the primitive pagan practice of idolatry than with the true spirit of monotheistic worship. It is idolatry–pure and simple. All Muslims are idolaters.

In fact, honest Muslim scholars acknowledge that the act of kissing the Black Stone by Muslims is an expression of worship. Sheikh Sha’rawi, one of Egypt’s renowned scholars admitted that the practice of kissing the Black Stone by Muslims is an expression of worship:

“The kissing of the meteorite is a firm practice in Islamic law because Muhammad did it. You must not ask about the wisdom behind that because this rite is an expression of worship in spite of the obscurity of its wisdom.” (Sheikh Sha’rawi, Legal Opinions, pt. 3, p. 167, Muslim)

Additionally, Muhammad stated that on the Day of Judgment the Black Stone will testify favorably on behalf of all those who touched it with sincerity. The Prophet of Islam also taught that the sins of those who touched the Black Stone would be forgiven on Judgment Day. If ascribing the role of a Mediator and the role of Savior to a mere stone is not idolatry, then what is it?

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 961; Ibn Maajah, 2944:

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said concerning the Stone: “By Allah, Allah will bring it forth on the Day of Resurrection, and it will have two eyes with which it will see and a tongue with which it will speak, and it will testify in favour of those who touched it in sincerity.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 959:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) says: “Touching them both (the Black Stone and al-Rukn al-Yamani) is an expiation for sins.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 877, Ahmad, 2792:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When the Black Stone came down from Paradise, it was whiter than milk, but the sins of the sons of Adam made it black.”

Thus, it is dishonest to say that the Black Stone is just a focal point for Muslims to direct their prayers for the sake of unity. In reality, it means much more than Muslims are willing to admit. Is it not idolatrous to believe that the sins of the Muslims can be forgiven simply by touching a mere stone? Muslims strongly reject the atoning value of the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Ironically, these very same Muslims believe that a dead stone can achieve the very objective that they deny Jesus could accomplish.

All Muslims are required to bow towards the Black Stone every day, whenever they pray. They are forbidden to face any other object or direction. For Muslims to face any other direction is a violation of the commandment of Allah in the Qur’an. The commandment of Allah clearly states:

Surah 2:144: “Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction.”

According to the Qur’an, Muslims cannot pray to Allah without facing the Black Stone. When a Muslim makes the Hajj, or runs between the hills, or bestows a kiss on the Black Stone, he is performing the rituals of the Pagans. And these rituals are deeply rooted in pagan superstition. And Muhammad sanctioned and incorporated these pagan practices into Islam. Thus, the poison remains the same, only the labels were deceitfully changed by Allah. Consequently, paganism became an integral part of Islam. Consider now the following additional evidence:

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 23:

Narrated By ‘Asim bin Sulaiman: I asked Anas bin Malik about Safa and Marwa (i.e. two mountains at Mecca). Anas replied, “We used to consider (i.e. going around) them a custom of the Pre-Islamic period of Ignorance, so when Islam came, we gave up going around them. Then Allah revealed, ‘Verily, Safa and Marwa (i.e. two mountains at Mecca) are among the Symbols of Allah. So it is not harmful of those who perform the Hajj of the House of Allah or perform the Umra to ambulate (Tawaf) between them.’” (Surah 2:158)

Provided below is the Qur’anic verse which is cited in the above Hadith:

Surah 2:158: “Lo! (The mountains) As-Safa and Al-Marwah are among the indications of Allah. It is therefore no sin for him who is on pilgrimage to the House of Allah or visiteth it, to go around them as the pagan custom is.” (Pickthall)

How can the very same mountains that were sacred to the Pagans suddenly become the “Symbols of Allah” after the Muslim conquest of Mecca? Moreover, how is it that the very same pagan ritual of running between the two hills is also retained in Islam? Islam is the only religion where after kissing a stone, its devotees pick up stones to stone a stone representing the Devil. There are far too many similarities between Islam and paganism for sincere Muslims to ignore.

Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would never incorporate the pagan practices of the nations into his divine arrangement for pure worship. He would never sanction the pagan practices of the nations to become an integral part of the sacred services of his worshippers:

2 Corinthians 6:14-17: Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness. Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? For we are a temple of a living God. Just as God said: “I shall reside among them and walk among them, and I shall be their God, and they will be my people.” “Therefore get out from among them and separate yourselves. Quit touching the unclean thing and I will take you in,” says Jehovah.

Centuries before the arrival of Islam, Jehovah God lovingly warned the Israelites of a subtle snare of Satan which Islam failed to avoid. Regarding this devious snare of Satan, the Holy Bible warned the descendants of Abraham to shun the evil practice of idolatry in all its various forms:

Leviticus 26:1: “Do not make for yourselves worthless idols. You must not erect for yourselves a carved statue or a sacred pillar and you must not put a stone as a sacred showpiece in your land to bow down toward it. I am Jehovah your God.”

Can any warning be clearer than this? Either it is acceptable to bow towards a stone or it is not. Both cannot be true. This is a very serious matter because it demonstrates that either Allah or Jehovah is the true God. Not both! The eternal salvation of every single Muslim lies in the hands of only one of them.

Think carefully! Will the true God encourage his worshippers to continue in the same sin of idolatry of the Pagans? Avoiding the idolatrous practices of Islam is an essential first step towards true worship. However, leaving false worship is only part of the solution. For a full recovery, false worship should be replaced with true worship. That is why it is vital not only to shun idolatry:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11: Do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

But also to earnestly search for the true God:

Isaiah 55:6: Search for Jehovah while he may be found. Call to him while he is near.

Taking this decisive step will save you from the Tragedy of Islam.