A shameful attack on the Prophet of Islam
Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 12:42 pm
I was reading a website written against the Prophet Muhammad and the Revelation He brought. The author of the website had gathered together every word he could find, written against Islam. There is no shortage of such despicable “histories.” He relied on accounts written at the time of Muhammad by Christian and Jewish clergymen who spread the most loathsome and despicable lies, in an obvious attempt to maintain their own positions. It did not matter how antagonistic the author of a history was, and how suspect his motives; he quoted it and promoted it. He dug into the sewer, and promoted accusations against Muhammad of militaristic conquest, of sexual abuse of his child bride, of promoting narrow-mindedness and hatred. Anyone with the power of perception can see that the author’s sole object is slander, not truth.
The website, for all of its quotations and analysis, left something out: The Prophet, and His Teachings. The author's bias is shown by the fact that nowhere on the site do we find historical accounts from unprejudiced sources. Nowhere do we find the testimony of history showing the advances brought by Islam; the testimony of His followers to the beneficial impact of the Qur’an on their lives, their families, and their communities. Nowhere do we find a fair and representative selection of the teachings of Islam, of the admonitions to turn to God, to live a life of spotless sanctity, to be self-sacrificing, and just, and generous, and noble. And yet, the author pretends to scholarship, citing his sources, and contenting himself with this veneer of fair-mindedness. The man’s sole object is to smear the sacred.
Even if the author was raised in an environment where he was taught hatred of Islam and its Prophet, anyone who presumes to provide guidance to others on what is true and what is false, should at least ask God to guide him to be fair-minded, to quote from Islam’s apologists in response to these accusations, to consider the other side of arguments, to acknowledge the good deeds and the wholesome spirit evident in the Prophet Muhammad. If he wishes to reject His claims, let him at least weigh Him by the standards He Himself recommends. Let him at least conduct himself honorably.
And I read a similar website http://www.bahaiawareness.com which attacks the Baha'i Faith.
The author of this website has searched ardently, and unearthed the dregs of every statement written against the Baha’i Faith by its most implacable enemies, presenting it as unbiased truth. He quotes in scholarly manner, placing on it the veneer of open mindedness, to trap the unwary.
But where is a fair presentation of the Baha'i Teachings? Where is the acknowledgement of the countless noble and beneficial deeds of Baha’is worldwide? Where the testimony of non-Baha’is to the stainless character of the Founders of the Baha'i Faith, and the merits of of Their Teachings? Where is the testimony of those who have been rescued from prejudice and wickedness by Baha’u’llah and the Bab, now leading lives of holiness and devoted to the unity of all peoples? Where is the record of their obedience to governments worldwide? Where is the acknowledgement that the Baha’is, though oppressed in every Muslim country, yet speak up to the general population and present the truth of Islam, the holiness of its Prophet, and the sanctity and divine origin of the Qur’an?
Where is a single word acknowledging the merits of the Baha'i Faith?
The utter absence of all of these shows that the author of this site, known by the name of Imran Shaykh, is consumed by a bitter hatred of the Baha'i Faith. His sole motive is to turn people away from it, by any method. Where are `adl and `insaf? “Equity is rarely to be found, and justice hath ceased to exist.”
When one takes on the role of promoting Truth, the sole motive must be the search for truth, and the humble and fairminded setting forth of truth, including the merits of the religion that is the subject of the website.
You can do better, Mr. Imran Shaykh. Much, much better.
Brent Poirier
The website, for all of its quotations and analysis, left something out: The Prophet, and His Teachings. The author's bias is shown by the fact that nowhere on the site do we find historical accounts from unprejudiced sources. Nowhere do we find the testimony of history showing the advances brought by Islam; the testimony of His followers to the beneficial impact of the Qur’an on their lives, their families, and their communities. Nowhere do we find a fair and representative selection of the teachings of Islam, of the admonitions to turn to God, to live a life of spotless sanctity, to be self-sacrificing, and just, and generous, and noble. And yet, the author pretends to scholarship, citing his sources, and contenting himself with this veneer of fair-mindedness. The man’s sole object is to smear the sacred.
Even if the author was raised in an environment where he was taught hatred of Islam and its Prophet, anyone who presumes to provide guidance to others on what is true and what is false, should at least ask God to guide him to be fair-minded, to quote from Islam’s apologists in response to these accusations, to consider the other side of arguments, to acknowledge the good deeds and the wholesome spirit evident in the Prophet Muhammad. If he wishes to reject His claims, let him at least weigh Him by the standards He Himself recommends. Let him at least conduct himself honorably.
And I read a similar website http://www.bahaiawareness.com which attacks the Baha'i Faith.
The author of this website has searched ardently, and unearthed the dregs of every statement written against the Baha’i Faith by its most implacable enemies, presenting it as unbiased truth. He quotes in scholarly manner, placing on it the veneer of open mindedness, to trap the unwary.
But where is a fair presentation of the Baha'i Teachings? Where is the acknowledgement of the countless noble and beneficial deeds of Baha’is worldwide? Where the testimony of non-Baha’is to the stainless character of the Founders of the Baha'i Faith, and the merits of of Their Teachings? Where is the testimony of those who have been rescued from prejudice and wickedness by Baha’u’llah and the Bab, now leading lives of holiness and devoted to the unity of all peoples? Where is the record of their obedience to governments worldwide? Where is the acknowledgement that the Baha’is, though oppressed in every Muslim country, yet speak up to the general population and present the truth of Islam, the holiness of its Prophet, and the sanctity and divine origin of the Qur’an?
Where is a single word acknowledging the merits of the Baha'i Faith?
The utter absence of all of these shows that the author of this site, known by the name of Imran Shaykh, is consumed by a bitter hatred of the Baha'i Faith. His sole motive is to turn people away from it, by any method. Where are `adl and `insaf? “Equity is rarely to be found, and justice hath ceased to exist.”
When one takes on the role of promoting Truth, the sole motive must be the search for truth, and the humble and fairminded setting forth of truth, including the merits of the religion that is the subject of the website.
You can do better, Mr. Imran Shaykh. Much, much better.
Brent Poirier