[Zdmlscid]

I and some other people in my MSA do volunteer work at a soup kitchen run by Christians (not wishy-washy sorts, they really seem to believe in what they believe in) for dawa purposes. I've grown to be quite comradely with a couple of them, one of whom I actually knew in high school. The other day I was sweeping the floor when one of them began asking about whether Islam 'says that you should hate and kill Christians,' which he says is something a former pastor of his concluded after 'studying' (which to him no doubt meant 'reading a translation once') the Qur'an.

He also said that I must simply 'not be following' some injunctions of the Qur'an as a result of my obvious non-hatred for him, which was kind of a funny thing when I think back on it. He did not seem to think I was doing 'taqiyah' so at least he's not read Robert Spencer or other polemicists, just something his old pastor said.

I wish to give him some writings which will explain to him that no, hating Christians is not something that I am required to do. I believe he has a faulty understanding of certain things with regards to the Qur'an that probably stems from the way he reads the Bible (as a translation of a translation of a translation of a translation and without scholarly guidance).

What writings could I give to him to illuminate this?

[evarekataVame]

Salaam,

Ask him why in the Bible it says this;

The people of Samaria must bear their guilt, because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the ground, their pregnant women ripped open. - Hosea 13:16

Or this;

O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us - he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. - Psalm 137: 8-9

Or this many of other such verses.

Tell him that you will not discuss the Quran until he tells you about these and why, at any point in human history should a man be "happy" about crushing the heads of infants against rocks.

[TheDoctor]

Good answer. Mashallah.

Having lived with christians i can recognise why he asked u that question. It was to sow seed.of doubt in ure head not to follow the Qur'anul Kareem, and to compliment u in a backhanded way that gosh despite belonging to a violent and uncivilized religion ure personally a nice guy who just needs a push in Jesus's direction...kid u not bro

[Xiciljed]

Good answer. Mashallah.

Having lived with christians i can recognise why he asked u that question. It was to sow seed.of doubt in ure head not to follow the Qur'anul Kareem, and to compliment u in a backhanded way that gosh despite belonging to a violent and uncivilized religion ure personally a nice guy who just needs a push in Jesus's direction...kid u not bro

You mean the opposite of Jesus's direction.

[Zdmlscid]

Good answer. Mashallah.

Having lived with christians i can recognise why he asked u that question. It was to sow seed.of doubt in ure head not to follow the Qur'anul Kareem, and to compliment u in a backhanded way that gosh despite belonging to a violent and uncivilized religion ure personally a nice guy who just needs a push in Jesus's direction...kid u not bro

This isn't really the tack I want to take with him. I believe he is sincere in his desire to connect with me, and he asked this question because it's an easy thing to think with the rampant misinformation that is passed around by the news media and the general public; I cannot blame someone for having incorrect suppositions when there's an entire media structure built around giving people such incorrect suppositions and nobody has ever corrected them, now, can I? I can despise the suppositions, but I refuse to despise a person who has incubated them unless he has received correction from a Muslim and ignored it, which he has not (yet).

As such, I am asking for material which roundly refutes these very suppositions, not material attacking the corrupted texts upon which he bases his faith. I am trying to proceed from a direction which assumes good faith on his part because I have no reason to believe that he is indeed preaching to me, and even if he is, it has all the effect on me that blowing air at a statue of steel has on its toppling down.

[Xiciljed]

I heard this was a good introduction to Islam, Haven't had the ability to read it myself yet though.

http://www.islamicbookstore.com/b2720.html

[entaifsfets]

Al-Mumtahina (Surah 60)

لَّا يَنۡهَٮٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمۡ يُخۡرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَـٰرِكُمۡ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمۡ وَتُقۡسِطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡہِمۡ*ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَ (٨)

Allâh does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion nor drove you out of your homes. Verily, Allâh loves those who deal with equity. (8)

[TheDoctor]

No problems just felt compelled to warn you for some reason. Mashallah applaud ure effort, gud luck wasalaam

[en-druzhba]

Tell him also , one is not allowed to derive injunction by mere reading of text as he is trying. Tell him also Islamic injunction is a result of analytical process and only a ignornat individual lacking the tool will do this. tell him if killing christian was permissible then why is it under the ottomon khilafat (Led by shariah Jews sought protection from spanish inquistion. Also ask him about how the christian dealt with Pheronic priest used to live in Ezypt or how the Red indian or aborginies were treated by forced removel of children as was done by the spanish inquistor of muslim women and children.
Allahualam

[sat23neus2]

Salaam,

When Christians were following their religion, their nations were in the Dark Ages. When Muslims were following their religion their empire was in enlightenment, people lived in peace & harmony, slavery was washing away, Christians & Jews were protected under the umberella of the calipha. This is fact in every history book. When Christians broke from their religion (separation of church & state) they became powerful, but when Muslims broke from Islam they became weak. Subhanallah.

Look at how the Christians crusades are causing bloodshed in the world today. Muslims don't have a problem with anyone. However, we hate people that are unjust, that oppress, that murder innocent people. Allah hates certain qualities i.e. hypocrites, homosexuality, the opppresors, etc. Whatever Allah hates we hate. Any human being with a sound mind would hate those too. When it comes to the root of it all, we really don't hate people we hate certain (wrong) actions.

[evarekataVame]

Salaam,

OK this is what you do

a) Ask him if he has every read an English translation of the Qur'an.

b) Ask him if he has every read the Bible.

c) Say you don't know too much about the interpretations of the Qur'an and that you will gladly ask any questions to an authorized scholar. In this emphasize that lay muslims are not supposed to just interpret as they wish but rather should study and learn the meaning from scholars. If we do not do this, a lot of problems arise. If he mocks this, just say, in the same way he relied on his minister to tell him what Islam is, we too go to our scholars who have devoted themselves to religious study to learn the orthodox understanding.

d) Say you also have some questions about the Bible and would like to know about it from him. In this way you can open his eyes to what is contained in the Bible and how much of the imagery is horribly violent and gruesome, probably he has never even read these things. This will give him at least an idea that there religion is not just fun and games, and love, love, love.

e) Ask him why Christians don't follow those parts of the Bible? Was God still love when He commanded those things? Does God change?

Just ask questions like someone seeking knowledge and putting that other person as if they are a teacher. I notice that a lot of the time Christians make accusations against Islam when they don't know about their own book, and before anything can be reasoned with them, they need to be put to shame in some degree with their own book. Allah knows best.

[Cheaperisdeeper]

Assalam alaikum

The True Message of Jesus Christ (pbuh)

I Know Jesus (pbuh) & I Love Him. Do You Know Muhammad (pbuh)?

A brief illustrated guide to understanding Islam.

The Amazing Qur’an.

The Truth about the Original Sin

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