Wednesday, July 2, 2008

How to break a promise to a Muslim?

Volume 3, Book 36, Number 475:
Narrated Khabbab:
I was a blacksmith and did some work for Al-'As bin Wail. When he owed me some money for my work, I went to him to ask for that amount. He said, "I will not pay you unless you disbelieve in Muhammad." I said, "By Allah! I will never do that till you die and be resurrected." He said, "Will I be dead and then resurrected after my death?" I said, "Yes." He said, "There I will have property and offspring and then I will pay you your due." Then Allah revealed. 'Have you seen him who disbelieved in Our signs, and yet says: I will be given property and offspring?' (19.77)



1) Does Bukhari include this passage to illustrate how easily muslims can get tricked?

2) Since Muslims believe that the after life is a physical existence (i.e. 72 virgins, rivers of wine, boys that are fresh as pearls), does Al-'As bin Wail make a valid point that the physical resurrection will allow people to clear debts would muslims?
a) If muslims argue that heaven is spiritual as opposed to physical, wouldnt it mean Mohammad lied about all the physical delights one would derive in heaven?

Allah revealed the following verse in the middle of a monologue about people not believing in Mohammad getting tortured:

Quran



019.076 YUSUFALI: "And Allah doth advance in guidance those who seek guidance: and the things that endure, Good Deeds, are best in the sight of thy Lord, as rewards, and best in respect of (their) eventual return."
019.077 YUSUFALI: Hast thou then seen the (sort of) man who rejects Our Signs, yet says: "I shall certainly be given wealth and children?"
019.078 YUSUFALI: Has he penetrated to the Unseen, or has he taken a contract with (Allah) Most Gracious?
019.079 YUSUFALI: Nay! We shall record what he says, and We shall add and add to his punishment.
019.080 YUSUFALI: To Us shall return all that he talks of and he shall appear before Us bare and alone.
019.081 YUSUFALI: And they have taken (for worship) gods other than Allah, to give them power and glory!

1) Does the fact that Allah was inspired by Al-'As bin Wail to include a Koran surah mean that Allah was reactionary and thus, not all knowing?
2) Why does the above highlighted surah talk about not believing in Allah when the Al-'As bin Wail only said that one should not believe in Mohammad?
a) Do the surah's try to show that Allah is Mohammad?
b) Or does Bukhari try to show that Allah is Mohammad's alternate personality, as Mohammad clearly equates that not believing in Mohammad is the same as not believing in Allah (whence, Islam results from Mohammad's fertile imagination)?

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