Terrorism has no link to Islam, says Arab League

The Holy Qur’an clearly states that if a person saves one life, it’s as if he saved humanity, and if a person kills one human being, it’s as if he killed humanity. The qur’an also says “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Lying is not permitted except in three cases: a man’s speaking to his wife to make her happy; lying at times of war; and lying in order to reconcile between people.’” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 1862; he said: it is a hasan hadeeth. See also Saheeh Muslim, 4717)”. As islam is based on lies, how can it be determined when a muslim is lying as it appears to be that they are all the time.

The Quran teaches that people should not be converted by force: “Let there be no compulsion in religion” (2:256a).

Nonetheless, the doctrine of jihad has led many to allege that Islam was spread by the sword. This is a fair charge, but it needs to be qualified.

Muslims follow not only the Quran, which they believe is a literal transcript of God’s words, but also the Hadith, accounts of Muhammad’s words and deeds. These words and deeds are considered inspired by God and an example for Muslims to follow. According to one widely accepted hadith, whenever Muhammad would send an out expedition, he would admonish his appointed commander:

When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to [accept] Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. … If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the jizya. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah’s help and fight them.[12]

The jizya, a kind of tribute, was part of a larger deal in which non-Muslims submitted to several conditions. In addition to paying the jizya, non-Muslims were also required to wear distinctive clothing and mark their houses (which must not be built higher than Muslims’ houses), must not scandalize Muslims by openly performing their worship services, nor build new churches or synagogues. Those who owned land were also required to pay a land tax.[13]

According to some Muslim jurists, the jizya had to be paid by each person at a humiliating public ceremony, in which the person was struck on the head or the nape of the neck. According to historian Bat Ye’or, this ceremony “survived unchanged till the dawn of the twentieth century.”[14]

Both the jizya and the land tax were often extorted through torture, and were frequently so exorbitant that whole villages would flee or go into hiding.

Technically, then, Christians and Jews were not forced to accept Islam at the point of a sword. But their treatment nonetheless placed them under severe pressure to convert.

And many idolaters were not even allowed to pay the jizya. They were forced to either convert or die.

That is a lengthy comment, Iftikhar Ahmad, so I skimmed through to try to get the jest of what you are communicating. In due respect, you won’t find one qur’an on my book shelves, anymore that you will find the Book of Mormon or any occult or new age literature on my shelves. Don’t have time for it. I forsook that literature after I surrendered my life to Jesus is my Master and Savior. I challenge you to show me the exact chapter and verse in the qur’an where Judaism and Christianity is revered and highly esteemed by islam. (If it is esteem by islam, the qur’an is contradicting itself.) The Holy Bible is my only book of instructions for righteous living. You are too late; the Eternal God I serve has shown me the light.

Do know a lot of Christians who keep such books you mentioned merely as references. Many pastors and Bible teachers do so to keep informed. That is fine, as long as they are not lured by them.

I came from a life of doing horoscopes for people, and had a whole library of books on the occult. Was also heavy on yoga, eastern religions and so forth. Was searching for answers, but was looking at the wrong source.

After re-surrendering my life to Jesus and getting filled with the Holy Spirit, I got rid of the occult library. And when I started to crack open the Book of Mormon, I heard an inner voice (almost audible) say, “NO!!! DON’T READ IT!!!”

Will qualify my statements about keeping some books by Christian authors who warn against the teachings of Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other cults, and how to refute what they say, and even try to convince them that there is no other way to heaven except through Jesus, and Him alone (John 14:6). Have had friendly rounds with JWs at my workplace, and with those who came to my door, but I’ve tried to speak the truth in love.

One day at my workplace, some JW offered some Watchtower literature, and I started to read it. Then all kinds inner flashing red lights and sirens went off. As long as that piece of literature was in my apartment, the inner warnings kept getting louder and louder. I finally ripped up the literature and threw it into the trash.

Am thankful for those who can keep the qur’an and other things as mere references. But where I came from (that is, a marvelous deliverance from the occult), I now “pinch hit” in preaching and teaching the Bible when asked by the pastor, whether at a home Bible study or at the church. So, if I seem passionate against false teachings, this is why I don’t keep questionable books and literature.