Recent content by steve_bakr

Well, under excrutiating pain I would first beg for a pain shot. If there is no relief, I cannot gaurantee not to say whatever is wanted. But I am not responsible if I do so under extreme torture. I am responsible.for what I say and do so long as I possess a sound body and mind. By the way, I...

You realize, don't you, that descriptions of hell are metaphorical and not literal?

The mann The manner in which the question is asked requires a "No." The doctrine of hell is undeveloped and much is not known. We cannot say that hell lasts for all time, because we are dealing with eternity. Eternity is outside of time, which is linear. For all we know, eternity is a timeless...

Fundamentalists are sometimes subject to the temptation of absolutist views which might be used to categorize groups of individuals as, for example, enemies. A lot of interesting points have been made so I will just make a brief reply. The absolutist views of Fundamentalism subjects us to the...

I think the right path on this subject is exactly what you suggested. That is, God is omnipotent and infinitely merciful. He can, does, and will save whomever He pleases. No limits can be placed on that. No one but God can say whether or not an individual is saved or will be saved. That would...

You seem to think that being a Muslim is about attacking people from other religions, which is flaming, by the way. But I dont read that in the Quran. Doesn't "Islam" come from the same root as "Peace"? The Muslim strives to live in peace and to play well with others. The Quran says not to...

I see where you're coming from. The problem is not Jesus. It is that many Christians have not let Jesus thoroughly purify their hearts because of residual resistance from sin and bad habits, due to the human ego (flesh). Saying the Sinners Prayer doesn't fully do the job, as far as dying to...

I think what Ibn Arabi said is that everyone worships the "God of their own belief," so that worshipping God is their intention, even if misled. When I referred to the elect, I was referring to the Saints who are aware of the Absolute, or you might say, Al-Haqq. I think the Quran is sometimes...

Sure, some may be receptive and able to make that adaptation. I will tell you, though, just from my experience in learning to read the Quran in Arabic. Arabic is not easy to learn. Not everyone is blessed with the time I was able to invest in it, and I am far from being an expert. I am blessed...

You are quoting some of the rigorous textual and historical criticism of the Bible, which the Quran is not subject to in the Islamic countries. But what, really, is your point? You have to realize the difference in the concept of "Divine Inspiration" between the Bible and Quran. The Bible is...

There were several Gospels that were circulated among Christian communities. The earliest Gospel was Mark, followed by Matthew and Luke, then John. These were all written in the 1st Christian century. A later Gospel was Thomas, which contains "sayings" of Jesus. The Apocryphal Gospels were...

I understand that it is quite natural for the Quran to be the standard for Muslims. I am not well read in the Tafsir literature. However, I listen to and read the Quran in Arabic every day, and am quite familiar with it. Is the Quran the standard for Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and Hindus? The...

This may be a first. I am actually agreeing here with dcalling's major points. Muslim Brothers and Sisters, It is really an unbecoming activity to disrespect another religion's Scriptures, especially if you do not have a strong background in their teachings. Look at my posts, I am constantly...

Well, sure, the Spirituality of Yoga does not match all the teachings of the Catholic Church. I am not saying to accept it wholesale, so to speak. But Yoga can be utilized in Christian Spirituality, for sure. For example, Karma Yoga is simply to offer all one's work to the Lord in a...

There are stories of Muslims saving Christian lives. One Muslim hero of the Crusades saved 15,000 Christians. It is not permitted in Islam to kill anyone for being a Christian. Any hadith which potrays Muhammad at variance with the Quran is a fabrication. The Quran takes precedence over ahadith...