islamic-jihad-legacy-of-forced-conversion-imperialism-slavery

Life of Prophet Muhammad and the Birth of Jihad6. The Bible says, ‘There are many other things which Jesus did, which if written down, Isuppose that even the world could not contain the book that should be written’ [John 21:25].The Quran puts it: ‘If the seas were ink, it would be insufficient for the words of the Lord’[Quran 18:109].Christian terminology in Islam: The major terminology of Islam was also borrowed from those inChristian religious usage. "Islam" (also "Muslim"), meaning "submission to God", has its root in the Semiticterm ‘SLM and was in Christian usage to mean "devotion to God". The term "Quran" originates from theChristian Aramaic term Kerana, then in usage to mean readings of the sacred texts in church services. Theword sura originates from the Aramaic Christian term sutra, meaning portion of the scripture, and the wordaya, meaning verse or sign, were also taken from Christian usage. There are other Islamic terms that werethen in Christian use.Jesus and Bible in good light in the Quran: The Quran accords an honorable status to Jesus and theBible. It states that God sent Jesus as a sign of mercy for mankind [Quran 19:21]. It affirms that the Gospel(Injil from ‘Evangel’) is a divine book, which was given to Jesus and that God has planted mercy in the heartsof those who follow him [Quran 57:27]. The Quran confirms Christian Gospels as the guide to mankind[Quran 3:3], which contains the truth [Quran 9:111] and gives guidance and light [Quran 5:46]. The Quranalso regards Virgin Mary (Maryam) as a highly esteemed woman. Having been chosen above all women ofthe world, the Quran says, she was purified by God [Quran 3:37] and maintained in purity [66:12]. She ‘was asaintly woman’ [Quran 5:75]. God breathed His spirit into her womb; and hence, the birth of Jesus was acreative act of God vested upon an immaculate virgin, who kept her maidenhood [Quran 19:21, 21:91]. Thosewho follow the Gospel will enjoy bounties from both above and below, asserts the Quran [5:69].No novelty in Islam: It is evident that all types of religious thoughts and practices—namely Christian, Jewish,Zoroastrian, Hanifite, Pagan, and popular legends, and myths—which were current in Arabia duringMuhammad’s time, have found place in the Quran, either as such or in modified forms. Indeed, Allah didreveal, or Muhammad did innovate, almost nothing new in the formulation of Islam. There is rarely, if at all, adoctrine, ritual or practice in Islam that was not current in the existing religious beliefs, social customs andpopular myths and legends. Allah and Muhammad only assimilated the existing ideas, thoughts and practicesinto Islam. Scholars, such as Ignaz Goldziher and Samuel Zwemer, are, therefore, correct in insisting thatMuhammad created no new ideas but only mixed the existing ideas and practices into a new concoction. Inagreement, Ibn Warraq writes:Muhammad was not an original thinker; he did not formulate any new ethical principles, butmerely borrowed from the prevailing cultural milieu. The eclectic nature of Islam has beenrecognized for a long time. Even Muhammad knew Islam was not a new religion and therevelation contained in the Quran merely confirmed the already existing scriptures. The prophetalways claimed affiliations with the great religions of the Jews, Christians and others. 115Christianity obviously had the most inspiring impact on Muhammad’s mission, initially intended forreforming the Paganism in Mecca. Christian doctrines and practices were most widely assimilated into Islam.Therefore, the historical Christian belief that Islam was a heretic sect of their own religion is largely justified.Condemnation of Christianity in the QuranDuring the first five years of Muhammad’s prophetic mission, when nearly twenty out of 114 chapters of theQuran were revealed, his verses mentioned very little about the Bible or Christianity. Only after Muhammad115. Ibn Warraq (1995) Why I am not a Muslim, Prometheus Books, New York, p. 3444