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Divine Love: A Biblical and Quranic Perspective
Divine Love: A Biblical and Quranic Perspective
Being A Critique of Shabir Ally’s Arguments
for the Islamic Conception of God’s Love
Sam Shamoun
Renowned Christian philosopher and debater Dr.
William Lane Craig engaged in a series of debates with Muslim polemicist Shabir Ally in Canada.
One of the debates was titled Concept of God in Islam and Christianity which took place on
March 6, 2002, and can be viewed here.
The debaters were to make a case for their particular view of God, i.e. which
conception of Deity was more rational and acceptable. One of the arguments that Dr. Craig
used to demonstrate why Christianity is superior to Islam is that God is the greatest
conceivable Being, and as such one would imagine that his love is the greatest love
imaginable and possible. With this point in mind Craig showed that the Holy Bible says
that God loves sinners whereas Allah does not love them, proving that God’s love in
the Bible is greater than what is taught in Islam and that the Islamic concept is morally
inadequate.
Shabir Ally presented some counterarguments which we would like to examine here to see
if his responses were valid and whether they were based on what Islam actually teaches.[1]
We will deal with a number of issues under the following subheadings:
The Islamic Teaching on God’s Love
Shabir Ally made reference to passages which call Allah Wadood, meaning the Loving:
Ask pardon of your Lord and then turn unto Him (repentant). Lo! my Lord is Merciful,
Loving (Wadoodun). S. 11:90 Pickthall
And He is the Forgiving, the Loving (al-Wadood), S. 85:14 Pickthall
He takes this to mean that Allah loves all. Ally also alluded to this particular text
to prove that Allah loves everyone:
And thus We have made you a medium (just) nation that you may be the bearers of witness
to the people and (that) the Apostle may be a bearer of witness to you; and We did not
make that which you would have to be the qiblah but that We might distinguish him who
follows the Apostle from him who turns back upon his heels, and this was surely hard
except for those whom Allah has guided aright; and Allah was not going to make your faith
to be fruitless; most surely Allah is Affectionate, Merciful to the people.
S. 2:143 Shakir
Yet, as Dr. Craig rightly noted, these verses do not prove that Allah loves sinners
since, if we interpret them in light of the other Quranic statements, it is apparent
that his love and affection are only directed towards those who earn or deserve it.
For example, the Quran says that Allah loves those who do good, repent etc.
And spend in the way of Allah and cast not yourselves to perdition with your own hands,
and do good (to others); surely Allah loves the doers of good. S. 2:195 Shakir
They question thee (O Muhammad) concerning menstruation. Say: It is an illness, so let
women alone at such times and go not in unto them till they are cleansed. And when they
have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah hath enjoined upon you. Truly
Allah loveth those who turn unto Him, and loveth those who have a care for cleanness.
S. 2:222 Pickthall
Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you
and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. S. 3:31 Pickthall
And how many a prophet has fought with whom were many worshipers of the Lord; so they
did not become weak-hearted on account of what befell them in Allah's way, nor did they
weaken, nor did they abase themselves; and Allah loves the patient. S. 3:146
Shakir
Thus it is due to mercy from Allah that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough,
hard hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you; pardon them therefore and
ask pardon for them, and take counsel with them in the affair; so when you have decided,
then place your trust in Allah; surely Allah loves those who trust. S. 3:159
Shakir
And because of their breaking their covenant, We have cursed them and made hard their
hearts. They change words from their context and forget a part of that whereof they were
admonished. Thou wilt not cease to discover treachery from all save a few of them. But
bear with them and pardon them. Lo! Allah loveth the kindly. S. 5:13
Pickthall
(They like to) listen to falsehood, to devour anything forbidden. So if they come to
you (O Muhammad SAW), either judge between them, or turn away from them. If you turn away
from them, they cannot hurt you in the least. And if you judge, judge with justice between
them. Verily, Allah loves those who act justly. S. 5:42 Hilali-Khan
Surely those who believe and do deeds of righteousness -- unto them the All-merciful
shall assign love. S. 19:96 Arberry
And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace
between them both, but if one of them rebels against the other, then fight you (all)
against the one that which rebels till it complies with the Command of Allah; then if it
complies, then make reconciliation between them justly, and be equitable. Verily! Allah
loves those who are equitable. S. 49:9 Hilali-Khan
Lo! Allah loveth them who battle for His cause in ranks, as if they were a solid
structure. S. 61:4 Pickhtall
At the same time, the Quran teaches that Allah does not love those who are evildoers:
And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the
limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits. S. 2:190
Shakir
Assuredly Allah knoweth that which they keep hidden and that which they proclaim.
Lo! He loveth not the proud. S. 16:23 Pickthall
But seek the abode of the Hereafter in that which Allah hath given thee and neglect not
thy portion of the world, and be thou kind even as Allah hath been kind to thee, and seek
not corruption in the earth; lo! Allah loveth not corrupters, S. 28:77
Pickthall
And the recompense of evil is punishment like it, but whoever forgives and amends,
he shall have his reward from Allah; surely He does not love the unjust.
S. 42:40 Shakir
It even claims that Allah doesn’t love the prodigals!
It is He who produces gardens trellised, and untrellised, palm-trees, and crops diverse
in produce, olives, pomegranates, like each to each, and each unlike to each. Eat of their
fruits when they fructify, and pay the due thereof on the day of its harvest; and be
not prodigal; God loves not the prodigal. S. 6:141 Arberry
This basically shows that Allah’s love is conditional and offered only to those
who first love him and turn to him in righteousness. It is therefore not surprising to
find the following Muslims translating Sura 85:14 in this manner:
And He is Oft-Forgiving, full of love (towards the pious who are real true
believers of Islâmic Monotheism), Hilali-Khan
After all is said and done this fact remains: The Quran never affirms that Allah loves
sinners and Shabir failed to prove the contrary.
Moreover, love is ultimately seen in actions. There are many instances in the Bible
where God shows love to the unlovely, and sending Jesus and him dying for sinners is the
greatest of all those acts of love. God becomes "personally involved" and loves
to the point where he himself suffers. Nothing like this is reported of Allah. His claims
to love are nearly always abstract statements. Allah loves … but how? Clear Quranic
examples are necessary in order to show that this is not an empty claim but is backed with
tangible evidence.
Islamic Doctrine of Predestination and Original Sin
Shabir Ally thought that he had another reason which adequately addressed why Allah
only loves those who first love him or do what pleases him. Ally claimed that Allah
created man in a state of salvation from the very start and it is man who strays from this
position. Ally asserted that Islam teaches that man was created in a state of deen
al-fitrah, or the natural religion, a natural inclination to know God and to have a
relationship with him, which is unlike Christianity that teaches that man is born with the
stain of original sin. He takes this as an indication of Allah loving everyone since he
created everyone in this secure condition.
Ally also stated that when men stray from this condition then Allah justifiably loves
them no longer until and unless they repent.
What Shabir does not tell his audience is that this state has nothing to do with
salvation and doesn’t therefore prove that a person is born already saved. Rather,
this state refers to the condition which Allah has predestined a person for, as the
following texts make plain:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: No babe
is born but upon Fitra. It is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a
Polytheist. A person said: Allah’s Messenger, what is your opinion if they were to
die before that (before reaching the age of adolescence when they can distinguish between
right and wrong)? He said: It is Allah alone Who knows what they would be doing.
(Sahih Muslim, Book 033,
Number 6426)
Abu Huraira reported from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) many ahadith and
one amongst them is that he is reported to have said: An infant is born according to
his (true) nature. It is his parents who make him a Jew, a Christian, just as a
she-camel gives birth to its young ones. Do you find any deficiency in their limbs? You
cut their ears (i. e. after birth). They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: What
is your opinion about him who dies in infancy? Thereupon Allah’s Apostle (may peace
be upon him) said: It is Allah alone Who knows best what they would be doing.
(Sahih Muslim, Book 033,
Number 6428)
These statements at first glance seem to support Ally, that is until we take into
consideration the following report:
‘A’isha, the mother of the believers, said that Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) was called to lead the funeral prayer of a child of the Ansar. I said:
Allah’s Messenger, there is happiness for this child who is a bird from the birds of
Paradise for it committed no sin nor has he reached the age when one can commit sin.
He said: 'A'isha, per adventure, IT MAY BE OTHERWISE, because God created for
Paradise those who are fit for it WHILE THEY WERE YET IN THEIR FATHER’S
LOINS and created for Hell those who are to go to Hell. He created them for Hell
WHILE THEY WERE YET IN THEIR FATHER'S LOINS. (Sahih Muslim, Book 033,
Number 6436)
The forgoing statements lead to the conclusion that a child’s fitrah
is connected to that which Allah has predestined him/her for. In other words, Allah
created a person in the circumstances and condition which will lead him/her to realize
his/her destiny, i.e. whether s/he has been created for salvation or wrath. As one writer
put it:
Sultan Muhammad Paul's Argument
In the light of Mawlana Muhammad Ali's translation of Surah 30:30 and
his comments on this verse, three questions arise:
- Is there anything in the verse to substantiate the claim of Mawlana
Muhammad Ali's claim that this verse demonstrates freedom from sin
at birth (payda`ishi ma'sumiyya)?
- What is the meaning of fitra?
- Has God created people, from an Islamic perspective, in (mankind's)
original (perfect) condition?
Nothing in Qur'an 30:30 proves that man is free from sin from birth.
Nor does the hadith quoted by Muhammad Ali state that "fitra is
Islam" - an addition which is only Bukhari's personal commentary.
The hadith, to which Qur'an 30:30 is added, is:
Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying,
"Every child is born in fitra, but his parents make him a
Jew, a Christian, or a Magian; just as a beast is born whole. Do
you find some among them (born) maimed?" Then he was saying,
"God's pattern on which He formed (fitra) mankind. There
is no alteration of God's creation. That is true religion."13
Even Muhammad Ali in the English translation of the Quranic commentary
does not translate fitra by "Islam" but by "the true religion".
A member of any one religion considers that religion to be the true
religion. Still no one need be surprised when Muslims equate fitra
with Islam.
Nevertheless not all Hadith commentators agree with this equation. One
of these commentators writes that `ala`l-fitra means that "a child
is born with a type of condition or disposition that facilitates reception
of any religion. Barring a catastrophe, he will always remain in it."
Jurjani writes that "fitra is that natural disposition (jibillah)
which may be ready for the reception of any religion". Ibn Mubarak,
a renowned specialist of Hadith, writes about this hadith:
Every child is born into his own natural (fitrati)
happiness or misery according to the knowledge of God. Then each
one of them will be present at the end with the same nature
(fitra) with which he was created and likewise acted in
this world. One of the signs of misery is to be born among Jews
or Magians, because they will make him miserable on account of
their religious belief.
The following hadith indicates the unfortunate destiny of children born
to infidels:
`A`isha said: I asked, "Messenger of God,
what happens to offspring of believers?" He replied, "They are
joined to their parents." I asked, "Although they have done nothing,
messenger of God?" He replied, "God knows best what they were
doing." I asked, "What happens to the offspring of polytheists?"
He replied, "They are joined to their parents." I asked, "Although
they have done nothing?" He replied, "God knows best what they
were doing."14
Two other traditions in Bukhari reveal Muhammad's reluctance to predict
the destiny of children born to infidels: children who, being born innocent
like all children, would go to heaven, according to Mawlana Muhammad Ali's
argument.
Did God, then, create all in a perfect state, as Mawlana Muhammad Ali
claims? In fact both the Hadith and the Qur'an demonstrate the creation
of people in two states:
Ibn Mas'ud said that God's messenger who spoke the truth and whose
word was believed told them the following: The constituents of one of
you are collected for forty days in his mother's womb in the form of
a drop, then they become a piece of congealed blood for a similar
period, then they become a lump of flesh for a similar period. Then
God sends to him an angel with four words who records his deeds, the
period of his life, his provision, and whether he will be miserable
or blessed; thereafter He breathes the spirit into him. By Him other
than whom there is no god, one of you will do the deeds of those who
go to paradise so that there will only be a cubit between him and it,
then what is decreed will overcome him so that he will do the deeds of
those who go to hell and will enter it; and one of you will do the
deeds of those who go to hell so that there will be only a cubit
between him and it, then what is decreed will overcome him so that
he will do the deeds of those who go to paradise and will enter it.15
Anas bin Malik reported that he heard God's messenger say:
"God appoints an angel over the womb of a mother who says: 'O Lord,
now there is a drop; O Lord, now there is congealed blood; O Lord,
now there is a lump of flesh.' When God wished to complete His
creation, then (the angel) said: 'O Lord, is it male or female?
Miserable or happy? What is its provision and when does it die?'
All of this is written when it is in the womb of its mother."16
'Abdallah b. 'Amr reported that he heard God's messenger say,
"God created His creatures in darkness17 and cast some
of His light upon them. Those on whom some of that light falls will
have guidance, but those who are missed by it will go astray. On
that account I say that the pen has no more to write about God's
knowledge."18
The latter hadith especially, which states that all mankind (and jinn)
are born in darkness, conflicts with the claim of Muhammad Ali that God
created all mankind in a perfect state.
(A Summary of The Fall of the Human Race by Khwaja Kamal ud-Din,
Mawlawi Muhammad Ali & Sultan Muhammad Khan Paul
(A Muslim-Christian Dialogue on Original Sin: Summarized, Translated and Annotated
by Ernest Hahn); online edition)
In fact, this is not simply an isolated teaching of the hadith but the explicit
combined testimony of the Quran and the Islamic traditions. For instance, the Quran
plainly teaches that Allah predetermines all events and actions, whether good or evil,
and the fate of every person.
Say: 'Naught shall visit us but what God has prescribed for us;
He is our Protector; in God let the believers put all their trust.' S. 9:51
Here is how Sahih al-Bukhari interpreted this specific text:
XIV. "Say: 'Nothing can happen to us except what Allah has ordained
for us." (9:51)
Mujahid said, "Bi-fatinina" (37:162) means misguided, those for
whom Allah has written that they will burn in Hellfire."
"Qaddarra fa-hada" (87:3): He decreed misery and happiness and guided
livestock to their grazing pasture." (Aisha Bewley, The Sahih Collection of al-Bukhari,
Chapter 85. Book of the Decree (Qadar);
source; underline emphasis ours)
Moving on to other texts:
Surely We have created everything in measure. S. 54:49
No affliction befalls in the earth or in yourselves, but it is in a Book,
before We create it; that is easy for God; S. 57:22
And he cast a glance at the stars, and he said, 'Surely I am sick.' But they went away
from him, turning their backs. Then he turned to their gods, and said, 'What do you eat?
What ails you, that you speak not?' And he turned upon them smiting them with his right
hand. Then came the others to him hastening. He said, 'Do you serve what you hew,
and God created you and what you make?' S. 37:88-96
Abraham supposedly claimed that Allah made them and their idols, meaning that it was Allah
who moved them to make statues of false gods!
This is confirmed by the following Islamic texts:
Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:
I did not see anything so resembling minor sins as what Abu Huraira said from the Prophet,
who said, "Allah has written for the son of Adam his inevitable share of adultery
whether he is aware of it or not: The adultery of the eye is the looking (at something
which is sinful to look at), and the adultery of the tongue is to utter (what it is
unlawful to utter), and the innerself wishes and longs for (adultery) and the private
parts turn that into reality or refrain from submitting to the temptation."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 77,
Number 609)
Verily Allah has fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in, and which
he OF NECESSITY MUST COMMIT (or there would be no escape from it). (Sahih Muslim, Book 033,
Number 6421;
see also Number 6422) [2]
The Quran even says that the reason why people turn away from Islam
is because they were designed to do so:
Turned aside therefrom (i.e. from Muhammad SAW and the Qur'an) is he who is turned aside
(by the Decree and Preordainment of Allah). S. 51:9 Hilali-Khan
Moreover, the Quran and ahadith emphatically confirm the doctrine of original sin,
contrary to Shabir’s claims. The Quran states that the sin of Adam and Eve plunged
all of their descendants into a fallen state:
But the Satan made them both fall from it, and caused them to depart from that (state)
in which they were; and We said: Get forth, some of YOU being the enemies of others,
and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time. Then Adam received
from his Lord words (of revelation), and He relented toward him. Lo! He is the relenting,
the Merciful. We said: Go down, ALL OF YOU, from hence; but verily there cometh
unto you from Me a guidance; and whoso followeth My guidance, there shall no fear come
upon them neither shall they grieve. S. 2:36-38
The above clearly shows that Adam’s sin had a negative impact on all future
generations of mankind since in Arabic the YOU in both 2:36 and 38 is plural (referring to
more than two), as opposed to the dual. We know that in the case of Sura 2:38 the plural
cannot be a reference to Satan since he stands condemned to hell and will not follow the
guidance which will come from Allah. Therefore, it is quite obvious that the plural is
addressed to all of mankind, that humanity suffered expulsion due to their federal head,
Adam, a point reiterated elsewhere:
God said, `Go forth, some of you will be enemies of others.
And for you there is an abode on the earth and a provision for a time.' S. 7:24
Renowned Sunni exegete Ibn Kathir says of 2:38-39:
Allah informs of His warning to Adam, his wife and Satan, THEIR OFFSPRING, when he
ordered THEM to descend from Paradise. He says he will send messengers with Scriptures,
signs and proofs… (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Part 1, Surah Al-Fatiah Surah Al-Baqarah,
ayat 1 to 141, Abridged by Sheikh Nasib Ar-Rafa‘i [Al-Firdous Ltd., London:
Second Edition 1998], pp. 109-110; capital emphasis ours)
Regarding Sura 2:34 Ibn Kathir says that:
This Ayah mentions the great honor that Allah granted Adam, and Allah reminded
Adam's offspring of this fact. Allah commanded the angels to prostrate before Adam, as
this Ayah and many Hadiths testify, such as the Hadith about the
intercession that we discussed. There is a Hadith about the supplication of Musa,
"O my Lord! Show me Adam who caused us and himself to be thrown out of Paradise."
When Musa met Adam, he said to him, "Are you Adam whom Allah created with His Own
Hands, blew life into and commanded the angels to prostrate before?" (Tafsir Ibn
Kathir (Abridged) (Surat Al-Fatihah to Verse 252 of Surat Al-Baqarah), abridged by a
group of scholars under the supervision of Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri [Darussalam
Publishers & Distributors, Riyadh, Houston, New York, Lahore; First Edition: January
2000], Parts 1 and 2, Volume 1, p. 193; bold and underline emphasis ours)
He then writes in reference to Sura 7:172:
Commenting on this Ayah (7:172), At-Tirmidhi recorded that Abu Hurayrah said
that the Messenger of Allah said, …
((… So Adam denied that and HIS OFFSPRING FOLLOWED SUIT (denying Allah's
covenant), Adam forgot and HIS OFFSPRING FORGOT, Adam made a mistake and HIS OFFPRING MADE
MISTAKES.))
At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan Sahih, and it was
reported from various chains of narration through Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet. Al-Hakim
also recorded it in his Mustadrak, and said; Sahih according to the criteria of Muslim,
and they did not record it."
These and similar Hadiths testify that Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored,
brought forth Adam's offspring from his loins and separated between the inhabitants of
Paradise and those of the Fire… (Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) (Surat Al-A‘raf
to the end of Surah Yunus), First Edition: May 2000, Volume 4, pp. 201-203;
bold and capital emphasis ours)
Ibn Kathir had the following things to say about those who deny predestination,
that Allah predestines people for salvation and destruction:
Also, Allah relates the misguidance of those who indulged in it, although
they were justly misguided according to Allah's appointed destiny. For instance,
Allah said...
<He whom Allah guides, he is the rightly-guided; but he whom He sends
astray, for him you will find no Wali (guiding friend) to lead him (to the
right path)> (18:17)
and...
<Whomsoever Allah sends astray, none can guide him; and He lets them
wander blindly in their transgression> (7:186).
These and several other Ayat testify to the fact that Allah alone is the One
Who guides and misguides, contrary to the belief of the Qadariyyah
sect, who claimed that the servants choose and create their own destiny.
They rely on some unclear Ayat avoiding what is clear and contradicts
their desires. Theirs, is the method of the people who follow their lust,
desire and wickedness. An authentic Hadith narrated...
<<When you see those who follow what is not so clear in it (the Qur'an),
then they are those whom Allah has mentioned (refer to 3:7). Hence, avoid them.>>
The Prophet was referring to Allah's statement...
<So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth)
they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah
(polytheism and trials), and seeking for its hidden meanings> (3:7).
Verily, no innovator in the religion could ever rely on any authentic
evidence in the Qur'an that testifies to his innovation. The Qur'an came
to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and guidance and misguidance.
The Qur'an does not contain any discrepancies or contradictions, because
it is a revelation from the Most Wise, Worthy of all praise. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir,
Q. 1; source)
Here, also, are the late Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s comments on Sura 2:36:
… Note the transition in Arabic from the singular number in ii. 33, to the dual
in ii. 35, and the plural here [2:36], which I have indicated in English by "All ye
people." Evidently Adam is the type of all mankind, and the sexes go together
in all spiritual matters. Moreover, the expulsion applied to Adam, Eve, and Satan,
and the Arabic plural is appropriate for any number greater than two. (Bold and underline
emphasis ours)
The Islamic narrations take it a step further and say that not only did Adam expel
mankind from paradise but also that Allah actually predestined this for him!
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Adam and Moses argued with each other. Moses said to Adam. 'O
Adam! You are our father WHO DISAPPOINTED US AND TURNED US OUT OF PARADISE.' Then
Adam said to him, 'O Moses! Allah favored you with His talk (talked to you directly) and
He wrote (the Torah) for you with His Own Hand. Do you blame me for action WHICH ALLAH
HAD WRITTEN IN MY FATE forty years before my creation?' So Adam confuted Moses,
Adam confuted Moses," the Prophet added, repeating the Statement three times.
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 77,
Number 611)
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira and Hudhaifa that the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) said: Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, would gather people. The
believers would stand till the Paradise would be brought near them. They would come to
Adam and say: O our father, open for us the Paradise. He would say: What turned you
out from the Paradise WAS THE SIN OF YOUR FATHER ADAM. I am not in a position to
do that; ... (Sahih Muslim, Book 001,
Number 0380)
Abu Huraira reported that God’s messenger told of Adam and Moses holding a
disputation in their Lord’s presence and of Adam getting the better of Moses in
argument. Moses said, "You are Adam whom God created with His hand, into whom He
breathed of His spirit, to whom He made the angels do obeisance, and whom He caused to
dwell in his garden; then BECAUSE OF YOUR SIN caused MANKIND to come down to the earth."
Adam replied, "And you are Moses whom God chose to deliver His messages and to
address, to whom He gave the tablets on which everything was explained, and whom He
brought near as a confidant. How long before I was created did you find that God has
written the Torah? Moses said, "Forty years." Adam asked, "Did you find in
it, ‘And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred’?" On being told that he did, he
said, "Do you then blame me for doing a deed WHICH GOD HAD DECREED THAT I SHOULD
DO forty years before He created me?" God’s messenger said, "So Adam
got the better of Moses n the argument." Muslim transmitted it. (Mishkat
Al-Masabih English Translation With Explanatory Notes by Dr. James Robson, Volume I
[Sh. Muhammad Ahsraf Publishers, Booksellers & Exporters, Lahore-Pakistan, Reprint
1990], p. 23; bold and capital emphasis ours)
Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Adam and Musa
argued and Adam got the better of Musa. Musa rebuked Adam, 'You are Adam WHO LED PEOPLE
ASTRAY and brought them out of the Garden.' Adam said to him, 'You are Musa to whom
Allah gave knowledge of everything and whom he chose above people with His message.' He
said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Do you then censure me for a matter WHICH WAS DECREED FOR ME
BEFORE I WAS CREATED?'" (Malik's Muwatta, Book 46,
Number 46.1.1)
Islamic traditions also blame Eve for causing God's curse to fall on all future
generations of women by having a negative influence on them:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Were it not for Bani Israel, meat would not decay; and were it
not FOR EVE, no woman would ever betray her husband." (Sahih al-Bukhari,
Volume 4, Book 55,
Number 611)
Hammam b. Munabbih said: These are some of the ahadith which Abu Huraira (Allah be
pleased with him) narrated to us from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him), and one
of these (this one): Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Had it not been for
Bani Isra'il, food would not have become stale, and meal would not have gone bad; and
had it not been FOR Eve, a woman would never have acted unfaithfully toward her husband.
(Sahih Muslim, Book 008,
Number 3472)
As if this weren’t enough notice what another renowned exegete and commentator
named al-Tabari narrated regarding the fall:
According to Yunus - Ibn Wahb - Ibn Zayd (commenting on God's word: "And he
whispered"): Satan whispered to Eve about the tree and succeeded in taking her to it;
then he made it seem good to Adam. He continued. When Adam felt a need for her and called
her, she said: No! unless you go there. When he went, she said again: No! unless you eat
from this tree. He continued. They both ate from it, and their secret parts became
apparent to them. He continued. Adam then went about in Paradise in flight. His Lord
called out to him: Adam, is it from Me that you are fleeing? Adam replied: No, my Lord,
but I feel shame before You. When God asked what had caused his trouble, he replied: Eve,
my Lord. Whereupon God said: Now it is My obligation to make her bleed once every month,
as she made this tree bleed. I ALSO MAKE HER STUPID, although I had created her intelligent
(halimah), and must make her suffer pregnancy and birth with difficulty, although
I made it easy for her to be pregnant and give birth. Ibn Zayd said: Were it not for
the affliction that affected Eve, the women of this world would not menstruate,
AND THEY WOULD BE INTELLIGENT and, when pregnant, give birth easily. (The History
of Al-Tabari: General Introduction and From the Creation to the Flood, translated by
Franz Rosenthal [State University of New York Press (SUNY), Albany 1989], Volume 1, pp.
280-281; bold and capital emphasis ours)
Cain also shares in the blame of man’s fallen state:
Narrated 'Abdullah:
The Prophet said, "None is killed unjustly, but the first son of Adam will have
a part of its burden." Sufyan said, "...a part of its blood because he was
the first to establish the tradition of murdering." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 92,
Number 423)
The foregoing perhaps explains why the Quran describes man in the following manner:
1. Man is unjust and ungrateful.
And He gives you of all that you ask Him; and if you count Allah's favors, you will
not be able to number them; most surely man is very unjust, very ungrateful. S. 14:53
Shakir
Cursed be man! how ungrateful is he! S. 80:17 Shakir
"Truly man is, to his Lord, ungrateful; And to that (fact) he bears witness (by
his deeds); And violent is he in his love of wealth." S. 100:6-8
2. Man is foolish and fails to do what is commanded.
"We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains;
but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it;-
He was indeed unjust and foolish;-" S. 33:72 Shakir
"By no means hath he fulfilled what Allah hath commanded him." S. 80:23
Shakir
3. Man is created impatient.
"Verily, man is created impatient and miserly. When evil touches him, he is full
of lamentations, But when good falls to his lot, he is niggardly, Except those who pray,
Those who are constant in their Prayer; And those in whose wealth there is a known
right–" S. 70:19-24 Sher Ali
"And man prays for evil as he ought to pray for good, and man is ever hasty."
S. 17:11 Shakir
4. Man is created weak.
"Allah doth wish to lighten your (difficulties): For man was created weak
(in flesh)." S. 4:28
5. Man inclines to evil.
"Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame): the (human) soul is certainly prone
to evil, unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy: but surely my Lord is Oft-forgiving,
Most Merciful." S. 12:53
The Quran explains that the reason why man has a natural tendency for evil is because
Allah breathed wickedness into him!
By a Soul and Him who balanced it, And BREATHED INTO IT ITS WICKEDNESS
and its piety, S. 91:7-8 Rodwell
Here is how Muhammad purportedly interpreted this passage:
Abu al-Aswad reported that 'Imran b Husain asked him: What is your view, what the
people do today in the world, and strive for, is it something decreed for them or
preordained for them or will their fate in the Hereafter be determined by the fact that
their Prophets brought them teaching which they did not act upon? I said: Of course, IT
IS SOMETHING WHICH IS PREDETERMINED FOR THEM AND PREORDAINED FOR THEM. He (further)
said: Then, would it not be an injustice (to punish them)? I felt greatly disturbed
because of that, and said: Everything is created by Allah and lies in His Power. He
would not be questioned as to what He does, but they would be questioned; thereupon he
said to me: May Allah have mercy upon you, I did not mean to ask you but for testing your
intelligence. Two men of the tribe of Muzaina came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) and said: Allah's Messenger, what is your opinion that the people do in the world and
strive for, is something decreed for them; something preodained for them and will their
fate in the Hereafter be determined by the fact that their Prophets brought them teachings
which they did not act upon, and thus they became deserving of punishment? Thereupon, he
said: Of course, it happens AS IT IS DECREED BY DESTINY AND PREORDAINED FOR THEM, and
this view is confirmed by this verse of the Book of Allah, the Exalted and Glorious:
"Consider the soul and Him Who made it perfect, THEN BREATHED INTO ITS SIN and its
piety" (xci. 8). (Sahih Muslim, Book 033,
Number 6406)
These next narrations provide further substantiation that Allah has preordained
everything that occurs, even wickedness and evil:
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As: I heard Allah's Apostle (PBUH) as
saying: Allah ordained the measures (of quality) of the creation fifty
thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, as His
Throne was upon water. (Sahih Muslim, Book 32,
Number 6416)
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying:
A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer,
and there is good in everyone, (but) cherish that which gives you benefit
(in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if
anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don't say: If I had not
done that, it would not have happened so and so, but say: Allah did that
what He had ordained to do and your "if" opens the (gate) for the Satan.
(Sahih Muslim, Book 32,
Number 6441)
And:
Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab:
Muslim ibn Yasar al-Juhani said: When Umar ibn al-Khattab was asked
about the verse "When your Lord took their offspring from the backs of
the children of Adam" - al-Qa'nabi recited the verse--he said: I heard the
Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say when he was questioned about it:
Allah created Adam, then passed His right hand over his back, and brought
forth from it his offspring, saying: I have these for Paradise and
these will do the deeds of those who go to Paradise. He then passed
His hand over his back and brought forth from it his offspring, saying:
I have created these for Hell, and they will do the deeds of those who
go to Hell.
A man asked: What is the good of doing anything, Apostle of Allah? The
Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) said: When Allah creates a servant
for Paradise, He employs him in doing the deeds of those who will go to
Paradise, so that his final action before death is one of the deeds of those
who go to Paradise, for which He will bring him into Paradise. But when He
creates a servant for Hell, He employs him in doing the deeds of those who
will go to Hell, so that his final action before death is one of the deeds
of those who go to Hell, for which He will bring him into Hell.
(Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 40,
Number 4686)
6. Man is lost.
"Verily Man is in loss, Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and
(join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy."
S. 103:2-3
7. Man thinks he is self-sufficient.
"Day, but man doth transgress all bounds, In that he looketh upon himself as
self-sufficient." S. 96:6-7
8. Sin is universal.
"And if Allah were to seize mankind for their wrong-doing, He would not
leave on it (the earth) a single moving (living) creature, but He postpones them
for an appointed term and when their term comes, neither can they delay nor can they
advance it an hour (or a moment)." S. 16:61 Hilali-Khan
"And your Lord is Most Forgiving, Owner of Mercy. Were He to call them
to account for what they have earned, then surely, He would have hastened their punishment.
But they have their appointed time, beyond which they will find no escape."
S. 18:58 Hilali-Khan
"If Allah were to punish men according to what they deserve. He
would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He
gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily Allah has in His
sight all His Servants." S. 35:45
9. Man is incapable of becoming pure in and of himself.
"O ye who believe! follow not Satan's footsteps: if any will follow the footsteps
of Satan, he will (but) command what is shameful and wrong: and were it not for the grace
and mercy of Allah on you, not one of you would ever have been pure: but
Allah doth purify whom He pleases: and Allah is One Who hears and knows (all
things)." S. 24:21
10. Man is created in distress.
"Certainly We have created man to be in distress." S. 90:4 Shakir
11. Allah debases unbelievers.
"Certainly We created man in the best make. Then We render him the lowest of
the low. Except those who believe and do good, so they shall have a reward never
to be cut off." S. 95:4-6 Shakir
It is evident that an accurate and careful reading of the Quran and Muslim sources
demonstrates that authentic, historic Islam does hold to a doctrine of original sin and
federal headship. These sources even articulate and define this doctrine just as clearly
as the Holy Bible!
Since Shabir Ally’s argument that Allah created man in a state of salvation is not
substantiated by either the Quran or the Islamic traditions this means that he is back to
square one. He is faced with the problem that the Islamic conception of Divine love is
morally deficient since Allah’s love is not the greatest imaginable one. Allah,
unlike Yahweh, is not all loving since his love is partial and has to be earned. As one
source puts it:
Professor Daud Rahbar, a modern Muslim scholar wrote: "Unqualified Divine Love for
mankind is an idea completely alien to the Qur'an. In fact 'to love' is a phrase too
strong to convey the idea of ahabba which can be rendered equally well as to like or to
approve …. Even if we adopt the translation 'loves' for yuhibbu when it is used with
God as the subject, nowhere we find the idea that God loves mankind. God's love is
conditional." [106: (Daud Rahbar, God of Justice, Leiden E.J. Brill, 1960, p.
172] (M. Rafiqul-Haqq and P. Newton, ALLAH: IS HE GOD?, The Love of God -
Who Deserves It?; source)
The following Muslim scholar basically concurs with Rahbar:
"The love of God was not stated by the Qur'an except for those who possess great
virtues which result in the good of mankind and human society. And was denied by God for
those who are described by extreme wickedness which results in spreading harm and
corruption." ('Afif abd-Al-Fatah Tabarah, Roh al-Din al-Islami (Spirit of
the Religion of Islam) [Manshourat Gama'at 'Ebad al- Rahman, First edition, Beirut,
1955], p. 131)
In fact, according to the Islamic position a creature has shown more love than his
creator. The Quran mentions that Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son out of his love
for Allah:
And he said (after his rescue from the fire): "Verily, I am going to my Lord. He
will guide me!" "My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the righteous." So We
gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy. And, when he (his son) was old enough to
walk with him, he said: "O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you
(offer you in sacrifice to God), so look what you think!" He said: "O my father!
Do that which you are commanded, Inshâ' God (if God will), you shall find me of As-Sâbirin
(the patient ones, etc.)." Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will
of God), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for
slaughtering); And We called out to him: "O Abraham! You have fulfilled the dream
(vision)!" Verily! Thus do We reward the Muhsinûn (good-doers -- see
V.2:112). Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial. And We ransomed him with a great
sacrifice (i.e. a ram); S. 37:99-107 Hilali-Khan
Allah has never duplicated this self-sacrificial act of love, unlike the God of the
Holy Bible who offered his only beloved Son for sinners. Thus, a mere mortal showed
greater love than Allah!
The Biblical Teaching on God’s Love
It is time to turn our attention to what God’s Word says about the subject of
Divine love. The Holy Bible affirms God’s love for sinners and that his love for them
is not based on any inherent righteousness or goodness that they possess. Rather, God
loves them in spite of their wickedness and seeks to save and reform them from their evil
ways:
"For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you
to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of
the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD
set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is
because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the
LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery,
from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is
God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and
keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and repays to their face those who hate
him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to
his face. You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the
rules that I command you today." Deuteronomy 7:6-11
"Do not say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out before you,
‘It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in to possess this
land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is
driving them out before you. Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your
heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these
nations the LORD your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the
word that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Know,
therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess
because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people."
Deuteronomy 9:4-6
God also loves the prodigal:
"Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.
And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners
and eats with them.’ So he told them this parable: ‘What man of you,
having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the
open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found
it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his
friends and his neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my
sheep that was lost." Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and
sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she
calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found
the coin that I had lost." Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels
of God over one sinner who repents.’ And he said, ‘There was a man who
had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the share
of property that is coming to me." And he divided his property between them. Not many
days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and
there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a
severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired
himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed
pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him
anything. But when he came to himself, he said, "How many of my father's hired
servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go
to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before
you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired
servants.’" And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long
way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
And the son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am
no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father said to his servants,
"Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and
shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began
to celebrate. Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the
house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these
things meant. And he said to him, "Your brother has come, and your father has killed
the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound." But he was angry
and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father,
'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you
never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of
yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf
for him!" And he said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine
is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is
alive; he was lost, and is found."’" Luke 15:1-32
God’s love for the wicked is beautifully seen in the following instructions of
Christ:
"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so
that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the
evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you
love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the
same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not
even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is
perfect." Matthew 5:43-48
Believers are to reflect God’s perfection by loving their enemies and praying for
those who seek to do them harm since God himself shows kindness and love to the wicked,
not just the righteous.
Jesus’ statements echo the words of the Psalmist who wrote:
"The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made."
Psalm 145:9
In fact, it is because God first loved us that we come to love him:
"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19
God went so far as to prove his love for sinners by sending his beloved Son
to redeem them through his death and resurrection:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
"They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we
believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior
of the world.’" John 4:42
"This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not
die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he
will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my
flesh." John 6:50-51
"and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into
our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were
still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a
righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:5-8
"In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and
sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10
In a nutshell, the true God of the Holy Bible loves the very people that the Quran says
Allah does not love!
Does Yahweh Differentiate in His Love?
Although God loves all mankind and blesses them, the Holy Bible also teaches that he
loves believers in a special and unique way:
"‘Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And
he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.’
Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to
us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep
my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with
him.’" John 14:21-23
"for the Father himself loves you, BECAUSE you have loved me and have
believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the
world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father." John 16:27-28
"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through
their word, 21that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that
they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory
that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in
them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that
you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they
also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have
given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even
though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I
made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love
with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them." John 17:20-26
According to the foregoing, God loves those who obey Christ in the same manner and to
the same extent that he loves his Son. This presupposes that God does not love to the same
degree those who do not believe in Jesus, or obey him. This is similar to what Paul says
in his epistle to Timothy:
"For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living
God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe."
1 Timothy 4:10
God is the Savior of all mankind, i.e. he is the one who delivers man from his enemies,
from calamites, from diseases etc. At the same time, God is the Savior of believers in a
unique way, i.e. he redeems them from their sins and from the eternal wrath to come just
as these texts say:
"She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save
HIS PEOPLE from their sins." Matthew 1:21
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1
"Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall
we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall
we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." Romans 5:9-11
"For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you,
and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his
Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath
to come." 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord
Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Likewise, God loves the world in a specific sense, i.e. he cares and provides for it
as well as sending forth his Son to save it:
"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order
that the world might be saved through him." John 3:17
"If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did
not come to judge the world but to save the world." John 12:47
"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody
does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the
Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but
also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John 2:1-2
"Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one
has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made
complete in us. We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his
Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the
Savior of the world." 1 John 4:11-14
Yet he loves believers in a more intimate and special manner.
What About God’s Hatred of Sinners?
Another way Shabir tried to defend the Islamic conception of God’s love is by
highlighting passages in the Holy Bible where God is said to hate sinners. His purpose in
referring to these biblical texts was to show how similar the Christian and Muslim
conceptions of Divine love are, and that Craig’s criticism of Islam would apply to
his beliefs as a Christian.[3]
Here are the biblical passages where Yahweh is said to hate evildoers:
"Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these
detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you."
Deuteronomy 18:12
"A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing,
for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this." Deuteronomy 22:5
"No Israelite man or woman is to become a shrine prostitute. You must not bring
the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the LORD
your God to pay any vow, because the LORD your God detests them both."
Deuteronomy 23:17-18
"For the LORD your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals
dishonestly." Deuteronomy 25:16
"The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You
destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful
man." Psalm 5:5-7
"The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves
violence." Psalm 11:5
"There they are, in great terror, where there is no terror! For God scatters the
bones of him who encamps against you; you put them to shame, for God has rejected
them." Psalm 53:5
"for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his
confidence." Proverbs 3:32
"There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty
eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who
stirs up dissension among brothers." Proverbs 6:16-19
"The LORD detests men of perverse heart but he delights in those whose ways are
blameless." Proverbs 11:20
"The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful."
Proverbs 12:22
"The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing
to him." Proverbs 15:26
"The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go
unpunished." Proverbs 16:5
"The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. ‘I have loved
you,’ says the LORD. But you say, "How have you loved us?’ ‘Is not
Esau Jacob's brother?’ declares the LORD. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I
have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the
desert.’" Malachi 1:1-3
The apostle Paul in his epistle to the Romans quotes the reference from Malachi:
"As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’" Romans 9:13
Now do these references support Ally’s contention that both the Christian and
Islamic conceptions of God are similar, and that Islam’s teaching on Divine love is
therefore morally acceptable? Not at all for at least two reasons.
First, as Craig rightly pointed out, the most this proves is that both conceptions are
morally inadequate, not that the Islamic view is acceptable. Craig correctly noted that
this is nothing more than a logical fallacy, more specifically the fallacy of tu quoque
(which is what Shabir called it in his response to Craig even though he tried to deny
the charge!).
Secondly, the reason why the true God of the Holy Bible justifiably hates sinners is
because of their rejection of the love that he has shown them. The Holy Bible teaches
that God has taken the initiative in revealing himself to mankind and by providing for
their well-being, both physically and spiritually:
"But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and
they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish
of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of
the LORD has done this?" Job 12:7-9
"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his
handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There
is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their measuring line
goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In
them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his
chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end
of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden
from its heat." Psalm 19:1-6
"Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled
from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently
at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, ‘Stand
upright on your feet.’ And he sprang up and began walking. And when the crowds saw
what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, ‘The gods have
come down to us in the likeness of men!’ Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes,
because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance
to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the
crowds. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and
rushed out into the crowd, crying out, ‘Men, why are you doing these things? We also
are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from
these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all
that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains
from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.’
Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to
them." Acts 14:8-18
"Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him
as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews
and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be
there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some
said, ‘What does this babbler wish to say?’ Others said, ‘He seems to be a
preacher of foreign divinities’--because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection.
And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, ‘May we know what
this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our
ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.’ Now all the Athenians and
the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing
something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: ‘Men of Athens,
I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed
the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, "To
the unknown god." What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not
live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed
anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth,
having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that
they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him.
Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for "In him we live and move and have
our being"; as even some of your own poets have said, "For we are indeed his
offspring." Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine
being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to
repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a
man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from
the dead.’ Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But
others said, ‘We will hear you again about this.’" Acts 17:16-32
When sinners spurn God’s provisions and acts of mercy they arouse God’s
righteous anger and hatred:
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what
can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his
invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly
perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So
they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give
thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their
foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the
glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and
reptiles. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the
dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God
for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed
forever! Amen." Romans 1:18-25
This is even stated in some of the very texts which mention God’s hatred of sinners:
"And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before
you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them."
Leviticus 20:23
"I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you… But
if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary to me, then I
will walk contrary to you in fury, and I myself will discipline you sevenfold for your
sins. You shall eat the flesh of your sons, and you shall eat the flesh of your daughters.
And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your
dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and my soul will abhor you…
But the land shall be abandoned by them and enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate
without them, and they shall make amends for their iniquity, because they spurned my rules
and their soul abhorred my statutes. Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their
enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly
and break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God." Leviticus 26:11, 27-30, 43-44
"But they soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel. But they
had a wanton craving in the wilderness, and put God to the test in the desert; he
gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them. When men in the camp
were jealous of Moses and Aaron, the holy one of the LORD, the earth opened and
swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram. Fire also broke out in their
company; the flame burned up the wicked. They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped
a metal image. They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, wondrous works in
the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. Therefore he said he would destroy
them -- had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away
his wrath from destroying them. Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith
in his promise. They murmured in their tents, and did not obey the voice of the LORD.
Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them that he would make them fall in the
wilderness, and would make their offspring fall among the nations, scattering them
among the lands. Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices
offered to the dead; they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague
broke out among them. Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was
stayed. And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation
forever. They angered him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on
their account, for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke rashly with his lips.
They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them, but they mixed with the
nations and learned to do as they did. They served their idols, which became a snare
to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out
innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the
idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. Thus they became unclean by
their acts, and played the whore in their deeds. Then the anger of the LORD was
kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;" Psalm 106:13-40
"My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest; she has lifted
up her voice against me; therefore I hate her." Jeremiah 12:8
"Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them.
Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of
my house. I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels."
Hosea 9:15
Here is the crucial and foundational difference between the teachings of the Holy
Bible, God’s true Word, regarding Yahweh’s love versus the Quran’s teaching
on the love of Allah. The God of the Holy Bible has taken the initiative and even proven
his love for sinners by caring for them and sending Jesus to die for them. Thus, he is
completely justified in hating them when they spurn his love. The Quran, on the other
hand, never says that Allah loves sinners but expressly states that he only loves those
who love him and do what is good in his sight.
We conclude our analysis with the words of the exalted and risen Lord Jesus:
"If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even
sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same." Luke 6:32-33
Allah’s love rises no higher and is no greater than the love shown by sinners.
Further Reading
http://answering-islam.org/Gilchrist/love.html
http://answering-islam.org/Quran/Themes/love.htm
http://www.carm.org/uni/Godhates.htm
http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/PageServer?pagename=q_and_a
http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/sina/predestination.htm
Endnotes
[1] Even though we felt that William Lane Craig won the debate and easily refuted
Ally’s arguments, we do not agree with all of his points such as his assertion that
biblical passages stating that God hates sinners are not literal, but should be understood
to mean that God hates the sin. Craig argued that most of the verses which speak of God
hating sinners appear in the poetic books, not in the didactic or teaching portions of
Scripture. Craig reasoned that since such books obviously use hyperbole these texts should
not be used to determine theology. Ally rightly pointed out that many of these citations
also appear in the didactic and narrative parts of the Holy Bible and cannot be simply
dismissed as hyperbole. Clearly, Craig’s philosophy hindered him from dealing with
the sound exegesis of the references which speak of God hating sinners, not just their
sins.
[2] Shabir Ally has all but abandoned this classical Islamic view of Allah’s
perfect knowledge and preordainment of all events. Ally has embraced a view of
Allah’s knowledge which is akin to William Lane Craig’s position called middle
knowledge, also known as molinism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molinism). This has
angered many a Muslim such as the following:
Great Scholars and Shaikhs?
Exposing his ignorance of Islamic knowledge and its people, Sami cackles, "lol you guys are so pathetic you attack jamal
badawi, shabir ally, zakir naik, and many other great scholars and sheikhs. you guys live
in your own world, well guess what, all the non-salafee muslims dont have to listen to
your rubbish." Aside from the fact that the names Sami mentions are far from
"great scholars and sheikhs,"
the fact that each of the people named by brother Sami all have legitimate criticisms held
against them pretty much renders Sami’s assertion here as nothing more than
accusations based on love of personalities rather than love of truth and Sunnah.
As the old adage goes, "know the men by the truth and not the truth by the men." This
is how we Salafees judge the people. Take Shabir Ally, for example—a man I have known
personally for some time. He is very similar to Sami’s beloved Osama in that he
accepts and rejects authentic hadeeths according to what agrees or disagrees with his
flawed reasoning and intellect. Worse than that, however, is the fact that he
holds the heretic belief of the Qadarees: that Allah does not know things until they
happen. He has been advised by many over the past few years (including brother
Dr. Bilal Philips) and continues in vain to prove his views as valid by way of semantic
tomfoolery. He attempts to dupe his opponents into thinking that he does not really
believe that Allah does not know everything using sophistry. However, despite his
repeated endeavours—again, similar to Osama’s—he continues to
expose that he still holds the same twisted notions and heretic beliefs concerning
Allah’s pre-destination and foreknowledge of everything that is, was and will be.
Men like Shabir are mere feigners of Islamic knowledge and scholarship.
They do not reach the ankles of many young Salafee shaikhs of today like Shaikh 'Alee
Hasan al-Halabee and his companions in Jordan, Shaikh 'Abdul-Maalik Ramadaanee and many
others in Saudi, Shaikh Hishaam bin Fahmee al-'Aarif in Palestine, and many, many others
around the world; so then how do they fair when compared to older, more experienced and
knowledgeable shaikhs and scholars? Islamic scholars and shaikhs are those who excel in
the Islamic academic sciences, not those who excel in spewing out Bible verses and
engaging in polemical catfights with ignorant Christian missionaries and atheists while
being completely ignorant of the religion in whose name they claim to be doing whatever it
is that they are doing.