Abu al-Hasan Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Ishaq al-Rawandi commonly known as Ibn al-Rawandi, was an early skeptic of Islam and a critic of religion in general. In his early days, he was a Mu'tazilite scholar, but after rejecting the M ... read full comment
Abu al-Hasan Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Ishaq al-Rawandi commonly known as Ibn al-Rawandi, was an early skeptic of Islam and a critic of religion in general. In his early days, he was a Mu'tazilite scholar, but after rejecting the Mu'tazilite doctrine, he adhered to Shia Islam for a brief period before becoming a freethinker who repudiated Islam and revealed religion. Although none of his works have survived, his opinions had been preserved through his critics, Muslim apologists and the surviving books that answered him. His book with the most preserved fragments (through an Ismaili book refuting Al-Rawandi's ideology) is the Kitab al-Zumurrud (The Book of the Emerald).
Abu al-Husayn Ahmad bin Yahya ben Isaac al-Rawandi was born in Rawand in Kashan, today located in Central Iran or some say in Marv-rud in Greater Khorasan, today located in northwest Afghanistan, about the year 815 CE. According to the Egyptian scholar Abdur Rahman Badawi, Al-Rawandi was born in Basra at the time of the Abbassid Caliph Al-Mamoun. His father, Yahya, was a Jewish scholar and convert to Islam, who schooled Muslims in how to refute the Talmud. Al-Rawandi abandoned Islam for atheism and used his knowledge of Islam, learned from his father, to refute the Quran.
He joined the Mu'tazili of Baghdad, and gained prominence among them. But then he became estranged from his fellow Mu'tazilites, and formed close alliances with Shia Muslims and then with non-Muslims (Manichaeans, Jews and perhaps also Christians). He then became a follower of the Manichaean zindiq Abu Isa al-Warraq in which he wrote several books that criticized revealed religion.
It is generally agreed among Muslims that Ibn al-Rawandi was a heretic, but there is no agreement as to the nature of his heresy. Some look for the roots of his heresy in his connections with Shi'ism, and depict him as a Mu'tazilite. Some regard him as an Aristotelian philosopher, while others see him as a radical atheist, and some stress the political challenge he presented to the Islamic polity.
Scholars also try to account for the more positive view of Ibn al-Rawandi in some Muslim sources. Josef van Ess in particular has suggested an original interpretation that aims at accommodating all the contradictory information. Van Ess notes that the sources which portray Ibn al-Rawandi as a heretic are predominantly Mutazilite and stem from Iraq, whereas in eastern texts he appears in a more positive light. As an explanation for this difference, van Ess suggests "a collision of two different intellectual traditions," i.e., those in Iran and in Iraq. He further suggests that Ibn al-Rawandi's notoriety was the result of the fact that after Ibn al-Rawandi left Baghdad, "his colleagues in Baghdad ... profiting from his absence ... could create a black legend." In other words, van Ess believes that Ibn al-Rawandi, although admittedly eccentric and disputatious, was not a heretic at all.
He rejected the authority of any scriptural or revealed religion. This is borne out by citations from his other writings, besides the Kitab al-Zumurrud and The Futility of (Divine) Wisdom (Abath al-hikma).
Primacy of the intellect
God has bestowed upon human beings the gift of intellect, by which they can judge right and wrong. If what the prophets announce corresponds to what the intellect decrees, then prophets are superfluous. If it contradicts what the intellect decrees, then one should not listen to them. The discussion with the Barahima, the issue of the abrogation of the law, and the question of the possibility of substituting one law for another are also part of this argument. The argument is then applied to Islam in particular.
Connected with the claim of the sufficiency of human intellect is the discussion of various expressions of this intellect. Human children are taught to speak by their parents, from one generation to another, and this has always been the case. Ibn al-Rawandi is here probably addressing the question of whether human speech is natural or conventional. He seems to favor the solution of ilham (i.e., natural, innate knowledge), although the term itself does not appear.
The sciences are also mentioned as proof for the sufficiency of the intellect. According to him, people developed the science of astronomy by watching the skies. They did not need a prophet to teach them how to watch. Nor did they need prophets in order to teach them how to build flutes. It is absurd to assume that without prophetic revelation people would not have learned that the intestines of a sheep, when dried and stretched upon a piece of wood, can produce pleasant tones. All these skills are acquired by the assiduous application of the inborn human intellect, discernment, and power of observation.
Muslim traditions
According to the Zumurrud, traditions concerning miracles are inevitably problematic. At the time of the performance of a supposed miracle only a small number of people could be close enough to the Prophet to observe his deeds. Reports given by such a small number of people cannot be trusted, for such a small group can easily have conspired to lie. The Muslim tradition thus falls into the category of flimsy traditions, those based on a single authority (khabar al-ahad) rather than on multiple authorities (khabar mutawatir). These religious traditions are lies endorsed by conspiracies.
The Zumurrud points out that Muhammad's own presuppositions (wad) and system (qanun) show that religious traditions are not trustworthy. The Jews and Christians say that Jesus really died, but the Qu'ran contradicts them.
Ibn al-Rawandi also points out specific Muslim traditions, and tries to show that they are laughable. The tradition that the angels rallied round to help Muhammad is not logical, because it implies that the angels of Badr were weaklings, able to kill only seventy of the Prophet's enemies. And if the angels were willing to help Muhammad at Badr, where were they at Uhud, when their help was so badly needed?
Muslim rituals
The Zumurrud criticizes prayer, preoccupation with ritual purity, and the ceremonies of the hajj; throwing stones, circumambulating a house that cannot respond to prayers, running between stones that can neither help nor harm. It goes on to ask why Safa and Marwa are venerated, and what difference there is between them and any other hill in the vicinity of Mecca, for example the hill of Abu Qubays, and why the Kaaba is any better than any other house.
This sketch of the arguments contained in the Zumurrud confirms several of the conclusions presented in previous sections of the present study. It shows the close similarity between the Majalis Muayyadiyya, Maturidi, and the Tathbit, and thus corroborates the claim that they derive from the same source, the Zumurrud. It also strengthens the impression that all three sources summarize rather than quote the Zumurrud. And it shows that none of the three sources relied on either of the other two for its information, since in each one of them we find elements that are lacking in the other two. A comparison of the sources allows us to see that the same arguments are attributed at times to Ibn al-Rawandi, at times to al-Warraq and at times to both of them. A correct understanding of the Zumurrud must allow for the active participation of both Ibn al-Rawandi and al-Warraq in the dialogue, and take into account the heretical convictions of both of them.
From the Encyclopaedia of Islam:
"The plentiful extracts from the K. al-Zumurraudh provide a fairly clear indication of the most heterodox doctrine of Ibn al-Rawandi, that of which posterity has been least willing to forgive him: a biting criticism of prophecy in general and of the prophecy of Muhammad in particular; he maintains in addition that religious dogmas are not acceptable to reason and must, therefore, be rejected; the miracles attributed to the Prophets, persons who may reasonably be compared to sorcerers and magicians, are pure invention, and the greatest of the miracles in the eyes of orthodox Muslims, the Quran, gets no better treatment: it is neither a revealed book nor even an inimitable literary masterpiece. In order to cloak his thesis, which attacks the root of all types of religion, Ibn al-Rawandi used the fiction that they were uttered by Brahmans. His reputation as irreligious iconoclast spread in the 4th/10th century beyond the borders of Muslim literature."
suleiman 9 years ago
this is the best answer to Ayaan Hirsi (xirsi) Ali (Cali), Ask the real Muslim Women about islam if you really want to know about Islam but never ask a fake woman who does not know nothing about islam apart of the Name.Everyo ... read full comment
this is the best answer to Ayaan Hirsi (xirsi) Ali (Cali), Ask the real Muslim Women about islam if you really want to know about Islam but never ask a fake woman who does not know nothing about islam apart of the Name.Everyone can tell that this so called Ayaan Hirsi receives finance and fund from Anti-Islamic Organisations and that she is an attention seeker. she got what she wanted and hereafter hell of a lot is to be expected for sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CndpOykqmoM
USMAN 9 years ago
If you want to test how strong Islam is then allow countries like Saudi,Kuwait, UAE, Iran, Afghanistan, etc, open their borders to Christianity. I bet you, within a month, you would have seen how a lot of them will change the ... read full comment
If you want to test how strong Islam is then allow countries like Saudi,Kuwait, UAE, Iran, Afghanistan, etc, open their borders to Christianity. I bet you, within a month, you would have seen how a lot of them will change their faith in droves. It is because the Ayaan Hirsi Ali got her freedom from the shackles of Islam that is why she is now seeing the light.
Kwame-Razak 9 years ago
I was born into a Christian family, I became a christian by birth, however as I grow I began asking some questions and researching from pastors and later moved on to Imams, my questions were answered, I analysed the answers c ... read full comment
I was born into a Christian family, I became a christian by birth, however as I grow I began asking some questions and researching from pastors and later moved on to Imams, my questions were answered, I analysed the answers critically and without prejudice. I have seen the light and Islam is the true religion upon which every soul shall attain eternal success. I am not here to convince anyone, but to pray and wish all those in darkness to see the light
KWESI 9 years ago
Islam is the true religion of God.Ayaan is a prostitute who want to make money by publishing something the enemies of Islam want to hear.Hahaha.She needs money.THE POPE RESIGNED WHY??? GHANAWEB IS ALSO AN AGENT WEB.
Islam is the true religion of God.Ayaan is a prostitute who want to make money by publishing something the enemies of Islam want to hear.Hahaha.She needs money.THE POPE RESIGNED WHY??? GHANAWEB IS ALSO AN AGENT WEB.
USMAN 9 years ago
Abu 'Isa al-Warraq, full name Abu 'Isa Muhammad ibn Harun al-Warraq, was a 9th-century Arab skeptic scholar and critic of Islam and religion in general. He was a mentor and friend of scholar Ibn al-Rawandi in whose work The B ... read full comment
Abu 'Isa al-Warraq, full name Abu 'Isa Muhammad ibn Harun al-Warraq, was a 9th-century Arab skeptic scholar and critic of Islam and religion in general. He was a mentor and friend of scholar Ibn al-Rawandi in whose work The Book of the Emerald he appears. Some Muslim sources[which?] have described him as being a Muslim and others a Manichaean.[citation needed] The modern scholar of the Qur'an and critic of Islam, Ibn Warraq, derives his pseudonymous name from al-Warraq.
Al-Warraq was skeptical of the existence of God because "He who orders his slave to do things that he knows him to be incapable of doing, then punishes him, is a fool".[citation needed]
Al-Warraq challenged the notion of revealed religion. He argued that if humans are capable of figuring out that, for instance, it is good to be forgiving, then a prophet is unnecessary, and that we should not heed the claims of self-appointed prophets, if what is claimed is found to be contrary to good sense and reason. Al-Warraq admired the intellect not for its capacity to submit to a god, but rather for its inquisitiveness towards the wonders of science. He explained that people developed the science of astronomy by gazing at the sky, and that no prophet was necessary to show them how to gaze; he also said that no prophets were needed to show them how to make flutes, either, or how to play them.
Al-Warraq also doubted claims portraying Muhammad as a prophet:
That Muhammad could predict certain events does not prove that he was a prophet: he may have been able to guess successfully, but this does not mean that he had real knowledge of the future. And certainly the fact that he was able to recount events from the past does not prove that he was a prophet, because he could have read about those events in the Bible and, if he was illiterate, he could still have had the Bible read to him.
USMAN 9 years ago
Mahatma Gandhi, the most acknowledged freedom fighter of India, found the history of Muslims to be aggressive, while he pointed out that Hindus have passed that stage of societal evolution:-
Though, in my opinion, non violen ... read full comment
Mahatma Gandhi, the most acknowledged freedom fighter of India, found the history of Muslims to be aggressive, while he pointed out that Hindus have passed that stage of societal evolution:-
Though, in my opinion, non violence has a predominant place in the Quran, the thirteen hundred years of imperialistic expansion has made the Muslims fighters as a body. They are therefore aggressive. Bullying is the natural excrescence of an aggressive spirit. The Hindu has an ages old civilization. He is essentially non violent. His civilization has passed through the experiences that the two recent ones are still passing through. If Hinduism was ever imperialistic in the modern sense of the term, it has outlived its imperialism and has either deliberately or as a matter of course given it up. Predominance of the non violent spirit has restricted the use of arms to a small minority which must always be subordinate to a civil power highly spiritual, learned and selfless. The Hindus as a body are therefore not equipped for fighting. But not having retained their spiritual training, they have forgotten the use of an effective substitute for arms and not knowing their use nor having an aptitude for them, they have become docile to the point of timidity and cowardice. This vice is therefore a natural excrescence of gentleness.
The Hindu philosopher Vivekananda commented on Islam:
Now, the Muslims are the crudest in this respect, and the most sectarian. Their watch-word is: there is one God (Allah), and Mohammed is His Prophet. Everything beyond that not only is bad, but must be destroyed forthwith, at a moment’s notice, every man or woman who does not exactly believe in that must be killed; everything that does not belong to this worship must be immediately broken; every book that teaches anything else must be burnt. From the Pacific to the Atlantic, for five hundred years blood ran all over the world. That is Mohammedanism.
The more selfish a man, the more immoral he is. And so also with the race. That race which is bound down to itself has been the most cruel and the most wicked in the whole world. There has not been a religion that has clung to this dualism more than that founded by the Prophet of Arabia, and there has not been a religion, which has shed so much blood and been so cruel to other men. In the Koran there is the doctrine that a man who does not believe these teachings should be killed, it is a mercy to kill him! And the surest way to get to heaven, where there are beautiful houris and all sorts of sense enjoyments, is by killing these unbelievers. Think of the bloodshed there has been in consequence of such beliefs!
Why religions should claim that they are not bound to abide by the standpoint of reason, no one knows. If one does not take the standard of reason, there cannot be any true judgment, even in the case of religions. One religion may ordain something very hideous. For instance, the Mohammedan religion allows Mohammedans to kill all who are not of their religion. It is clearly stated in the Koran, Kill the infidels if they do not become Mohammedans. They must be put to fire and sword. Now if we tell a Mohammedan that this is wrong, he will naturally ask, "How do you know that? How do you know it is not good? My book says it is."
GIDEON ATONGO 9 years ago
The fact is that islam owes its existence to terrorizing and bullying both muslims and non-muslims. Any attempt to entertain the idea of reformation will lead to its immediate demise.
The fact is that islam owes its existence to terrorizing and bullying both muslims and non-muslims. Any attempt to entertain the idea of reformation will lead to its immediate demise.
abokyi 9 years ago
Have you ever read the Quran? The fact is that Islam is a great religion; and it is supreme. Understand that despite criticisms and evil plots against Islam, it is the fastest growing religion in the world. This is enough to ... read full comment
Have you ever read the Quran? The fact is that Islam is a great religion; and it is supreme. Understand that despite criticisms and evil plots against Islam, it is the fastest growing religion in the world. This is enough to indicate that Islam is from the Almighty Allah. Try and watch the debate between Two great schorlars on the topic : Quran and bible in the light of science by Dr. Zakir Naik and Dr. WILLIAM CAMBELL.
You will come to know the supremacy of Islam and the fact that it originated from the Almighty Allah.
USMAN 9 years ago
By the behaviour of Muslims across the globe we all know how blood thirsty Allah is.
By the behaviour of Muslims across the globe we all know how blood thirsty Allah is.
abokyi 9 years ago
There is no doubt: Ayaan is ignorant. Why would she not debate Islamic schorlar? Dr. Zakir Naik. Islam is the light; and it is the only religion acceptable before Allah.
Quran Says:
" They want to extinguish the light o ... read full comment
There is no doubt: Ayaan is ignorant. Why would she not debate Islamic schorlar? Dr. Zakir Naik. Islam is the light; and it is the only religion acceptable before Allah.
Quran Says:
" They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, although the disbelievers dislike it " (QURAN 61: 8)
For any objective mind to read quran from Head to toe with its meaning; and still think or believe that it was revealed by a Human being other than Allah (SWT); THEN that mind is sick or seriously corrupted.
PERCOBA 9 years ago
mohamed is not divine at any level.He probably is satan's mesenger but NOT a messenger of the TRUE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND CHRIST JESUS
mohamed is not divine at any level.He probably is satan's mesenger but NOT a messenger of the TRUE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND CHRIST JESUS
abokyi 9 years ago
PERCOBA, You will come to know the truth InshaAllah when you are about to die on the bed. That Mohammed (Peace be upon him) is the last and the final messenger of the Almighty Allah.
I hope that is not what you are taught ... read full comment
PERCOBA, You will come to know the truth InshaAllah when you are about to die on the bed. That Mohammed (Peace be upon him) is the last and the final messenger of the Almighty Allah.
I hope that is not what you are taught in the Sunday Church. The truth is being hidden from you. Please get Quran and read it for your self ; and your brain to reflect. We
muslims read bible and point out certain untruth statement attributed to Jesus, the son of Mary (peace be onto him). Why are you afraid of the truth. You should also read....
Randy from Hannover 9 years ago
This woman is nothing but a 419 atheism.Why did Holland denounced her citizenship and seized her passport?
They found out that she was only trying to disort islam on false allegation.She run to USA and da best way is to beco ... read full comment
This woman is nothing but a 419 atheism.Why did Holland denounced her citizenship and seized her passport?
They found out that she was only trying to disort islam on false allegation.She run to USA and da best way is to become an atheist bitch.
Time will tell.
ebola 9 years ago
who is dr.zakir naik?if he speaks for 3min.you will find almost 25mistake of what he said....haha thats why muslims are backward....nobody hate u people but everything they say about islam is 100 per cent true
who is dr.zakir naik?if he speaks for 3min.you will find almost 25mistake of what he said....haha thats why muslims are backward....nobody hate u people but everything they say about islam is 100 per cent true
mensa 9 years ago
SHE AS MUSLIM WOMEN PUT HERLIFE ON THE LINE TO EXPOSE ISLAM CURELTIY
AND EVIL WAYS GOD BLESS THIS WOMEN FOR TALKING THE TRUTH OOO
SHE AS MUSLIM WOMEN PUT HERLIFE ON THE LINE TO EXPOSE ISLAM CURELTIY
AND EVIL WAYS GOD BLESS THIS WOMEN FOR TALKING THE TRUTH OOO
daladam 9 years ago
HER BOOK IS A MUST FOR ALL TO UNDERSTAND ISLAM AND FOR THE MAJORITY OF CONFUES MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD, THAT DONT REALY UNDERSTAND ISLAM AND HOW DARK AND EVIL IT IS
HER BOOK IS A MUST FOR ALL TO UNDERSTAND ISLAM AND FOR THE MAJORITY OF CONFUES MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD, THAT DONT REALY UNDERSTAND ISLAM AND HOW DARK AND EVIL IT IS
Al 9 years ago
Only islamophobes who are searching for straws to validate their bigotry will waste their hard-earned cedis to buy this garbage. Isn't it obvious that Ayaan has smartly diagnosed the psyche of the West and is exploiting it th ... read full comment
Only islamophobes who are searching for straws to validate their bigotry will waste their hard-earned cedis to buy this garbage. Isn't it obvious that Ayaan has smartly diagnosed the psyche of the West and is exploiting it the best way possible?
kwasi 9 years ago
why are you trying to discredit someone who talk truth what is it that you are trying to hide o?
why are you trying to discredit someone who talk truth what is it that you are trying to hide o?
partofman 9 years ago
ayaan,i doubt this personality because did not quote any school of thought.secondly this person did not quote the quran to defend his/her claims.
ayaan,i doubt this personality because did not quote any school of thought.secondly this person did not quote the quran to defend his/her claims.
USMAN 9 years ago
“And the holy prophet said: Allah created Adam. Then He stroke his right shoulder and took out a white race as if they were seeds, and He stroke his left shoulder and took out a black race as if they were coals. Then He sai ... read full comment
“And the holy prophet said: Allah created Adam. Then He stroke his right shoulder and took out a white race as if they were seeds, and He stroke his left shoulder and took out a black race as if they were coals. Then He said to those who were on his right side: towards paradise and I don’t care. He said to those who were on his left shoulder: towards hell and I don’t care.”( Mishkat ‘ul Masabih)
Is it fair to exempt people who have toiled their whole lives pursuing the cause of Islam to be exempted from enjoyment in the hereafter because of the colour of their skins? I think some of them have sacrificed a lot by abstaining from wine in order to prepare their throats for the Great Beyond where there are rivers of wine flowing(Sura47:15; 76:5&21; 83:25-29). It is also unfair to deny black African access to the Islamic heaven where there are a lot of Marriages and Sex. (56:10-22,35-38). The lowliest of the inhabitants of the Islamic heaven will have 72 wives- I am wondering how much wives will the district and regional chief Imams get and how many our good old Sheik Sharubutu will also get. I believe the old man will need a lot of Viagra and a long and robust LANGALANGA to perform his Islamic duties in the Islamic Heaven if he is eventually permitted to enter there. Hmmmmmmm
urryt 9 years ago
I love ur comment muslims ar evil and they ar eva ready to pursue and gruesomely kill anyone or thing that opposes their jaundiced view of their moon god worshipping religion.
I love ur comment muslims ar evil and they ar eva ready to pursue and gruesomely kill anyone or thing that opposes their jaundiced view of their moon god worshipping religion.
partofman 9 years ago
this ayaan should do scholarly work than saying what she does not know.Go to the hadith the prophet usually pardon people and do not order for their slaughter.he the prophet Mohammed(SAW)said killing one person is better to ... read full comment
this ayaan should do scholarly work than saying what she does not know.Go to the hadith the prophet usually pardon people and do not order for their slaughter.he the prophet Mohammed(SAW)said killing one person is better to bring down the KAABA.So upon the second thought think ayaan is not a muslim and if she is one,she was then ignorant.SALAAM
USMAN 9 years ago
You remember, Boko Haram abducted 292 girls and converted them to Islam at gun point against their will. After this, all of these girls will be raped and if they become pregnant and give birth will their children be Muslims o ... read full comment
You remember, Boko Haram abducted 292 girls and converted them to Islam at gun point against their will. After this, all of these girls will be raped and if they become pregnant and give birth will their children be Muslims or Christians. Your guess is as good as mine. This has been the modus operandi right from the inception of Islam.
USMAN 9 years ago
Dr Jane Smith of the Harvard University has clearly shown in a dissertation that even the term Islam did not originally mean submission.Also in ‘The Spiritual Background Islam’, a renown Middle East scholar Dr M. Bravmann ... read full comment
Dr Jane Smith of the Harvard University has clearly shown in a dissertation that even the term Islam did not originally mean submission.Also in ‘The Spiritual Background Islam’, a renown Middle East scholar Dr M. Bravmann also reveals that the term ‘Islam’ did not originally mean Mohammed’s religion or that of any Jewish partriarchal religion as claimed by Muslims. According to Dr. Bravmann, the word ‘Islam’ was a secular concept denoting a sublime virtue in the eyes of the primitive Arab; defiance of death, heroism, to die in battle, etc’. The term denoted bravery in battle. It did not mean ‘peace’ or ‘submission’. Marshal Hodgson reminds us that the English word ‘assassin’ is purely of arabic origin. It was originally ‘Hash shashin’( or assassinus in Latin) meaning ‘smokers of harshish’. It referred to the pratice by Muslims in the 11th-13th who took hashish(hemp/ganja) to receive enough energy to fight for Allah.
Awudu Hamza 9 years ago
'' why should criticism of Islam be the sole preserve of the so called “learned” of a faith brought to the world by a medieval desert merchant who could hardly read or write?''
WONDERFUL QUOTATION from the young woman wh ... read full comment
'' why should criticism of Islam be the sole preserve of the so called “learned” of a faith brought to the world by a medieval desert merchant who could hardly read or write?''
WONDERFUL QUOTATION from the young woman who deserted her fate just because of a man. Much as the 'medieval desert merchant' could not read and write but could bring down a book that has real meaning, law and order, with both scientific and natural evidence. If we want to question Christianity and Jesus as the son of God, I believe this platform will not be interesting. Because if Jesus is the son of God, then, do we say Mary is the Wife of God? after the birth of Jesus Mary Married another man, do we call him the Rival of God? there are a lot of unanswered questions that are still looking for answers. if I may ask who the father of Jesus is? it will create a lot of confusion, as there is no scientific proof that justify that a child can be born without any fertilization from a man. but as we speak both Christians and Muslim believe this principle without any challenges. Both at-least agreed that he was born without a male fertilization. So if we agreed that the lord that made Merry to give birth to Jesus without any seamen from a male counterpart, why then do we find it difficult to believe that he could send down His revelation [Quran] to somebody who could not read and write. It is all about Faith, the fact that you don't believe in somebodies religion is not a platform to condemn. faith is believing in the unbelievable, and this happen in all form of religion. All that every religion believe in is not real to scientist, because they will demand for scientific proof. if the young lady has struggle to marry husband of her choice through struggling with her family members and other religious laws in her country of origin is not the problem of the religion, it is the problem of where she is coming from. in our part of the country Christians marry Muslims and Muslim marry Christians and both couple live a happy life. so she shouldn't use her part of frustration to generalize for Islam as a religion. PLEASE You can contact me on hamzaawudu@yahoo.com
USMAN 9 years ago
Abu 'Isa al-Warraq, full name Abu 'Isa Muhammad ibn Harun al-Warraq, was a 9th-century Arab skeptic scholar and critic of Islam and religion in general. He was a mentor and friend of scholar Ibn al-Rawandi in whose work The B ... read full comment
Abu 'Isa al-Warraq, full name Abu 'Isa Muhammad ibn Harun al-Warraq, was a 9th-century Arab skeptic scholar and critic of Islam and religion in general. He was a mentor and friend of scholar Ibn al-Rawandi in whose work The Book of the Emerald he appears. Some Muslim sources[which?] have described him as being a Muslim and others a Manichaean.[citation needed] The modern scholar of the Qur'an and critic of Islam, Ibn Warraq, derives his pseudonymous name from al-Warraq.
Al-Warraq was skeptical of the existence of God because "He who orders his slave to do things that he knows him to be incapable of doing, then punishes him, is a fool".[citation needed]
Al-Warraq challenged the notion of revealed religion. He argued that if humans are capable of figuring out that, for instance, it is good to be forgiving, then a prophet is unnecessary, and that we should not heed the claims of self-appointed prophets, if what is claimed is found to be contrary to good sense and reason. Al-Warraq admired the intellect not for its capacity to submit to a god, but rather for its inquisitiveness towards the wonders of science. He explained that people developed the science of astronomy by gazing at the sky, and that no prophet was necessary to show them how to gaze; he also said that no prophets were needed to show them how to make flutes, either, or how to play them.
Al-Warraq also doubted claims portraying Muhammad as a prophet:
That Muhammad could predict certain events does not prove that he was a prophet: he may have been able to guess successfully, but this does not mean that he had real knowledge of the future. And certainly the fact that he was able to recount events from the past does not prove that he was a prophet, because he could have read about those events in the Bible and, if he was illiterate, he could still have had the Bible read to him.
Walewale boy 9 years ago
I guess by now you are aware that muslims on this web realize that you are an agent of christiandom and satan, misquoting, using falsed islamic name and hanging on to any satanic, devilish antics to strive at the true religio ... read full comment
I guess by now you are aware that muslims on this web realize that you are an agent of christiandom and satan, misquoting, using falsed islamic name and hanging on to any satanic, devilish antics to strive at the true religion, Islam. Just be sincere and deep in your heart do you believe the bible is true? Please take a deep breadth and reflect honestly about christian faith and worship and compare that to islam. Maybe I am biased as a muslim but I tell you that in islam you will find true spirituality, happiness and satisfaction if you obey by the tenants of islam. I have asked you to seriously reflect, please don't just come back to me now. Take you time before you respond.
SAEED ADAM 9 years ago
AND WHAT MAKE U THINK U HATERS OF ISLAM THAT THE VIEW OF THIS UNSTABLE AYAAN HIRSI ALI REALLY MATTERS WITHIN THE SCHEME OF THINGS!. NO IT DOESNT AM AFRAID. THE REAL FACT HERE IS THAT SHE DIDN'T DESERT ISLAM, IT IS RATHER ISLA ... read full comment
AND WHAT MAKE U THINK U HATERS OF ISLAM THAT THE VIEW OF THIS UNSTABLE AYAAN HIRSI ALI REALLY MATTERS WITHIN THE SCHEME OF THINGS!. NO IT DOESNT AM AFRAID. THE REAL FACT HERE IS THAT SHE DIDN'T DESERT ISLAM, IT IS RATHER ISLAM THAT DESERTED HER, FOR ISLAM IS BIGGER THAN HER AND ALL OF US. IN ANY CASE, THE VERY DAY SHE LEFT ISLAM AS SHE CLAIMED, HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EMBRACED ISLAM. IT IS THE FASTEST GROWING RELIGION IN THE WORLD, AND AM AFRAID NOBODY CAN DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.FOR ALLAH(GOD) HAS ALREADY PROMISED AND DECREED IN THE HOLY QURAN THAT THE RELIGION OF ISLAM IS HIS AND HE IS GOING TO PROTECT IT NO MATTER WHAT THE NON BELIEVERS DO... SO YOU HATERS OF ISLAM SHOULD START GETTING USED TO THIS SECRET. I CANT EMPHASISE HOW PROUD I AM TO BE A MUSLIM AND I PRAY TO ALLAH TO LET ME DIE IN IT COME MY TIME INSHA ALLAH. MY HUMBLE ADVISE TO YOU HATERS OF ISLAM IS TO START TO READ AND GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THIS GREAT RELIGION, AND NOT LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING FROM THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA OF THIS WORLD AND IGNORANT FOLKS LIKE AYAAN HIRSI ALI. THANKS.
urryt 9 years ago
Continue with your beheadings and stoning of women u bloody devil worshipers of a moon god and drinkers of blood.I wish all muslims were just wiped out from the world some way some how....harmlessly though! xtians are not ver ... read full comment
Continue with your beheadings and stoning of women u bloody devil worshipers of a moon god and drinkers of blood.I wish all muslims were just wiped out from the world some way some how....harmlessly though! xtians are not very gud ba they are mor reasonable than muslims bu all standards.
Paul 9 years ago
Please don't make money out of Islam. There are many Somalians in the USA who use her strategy to advantage of Christians not only to make money but to get their papers.Peole will say and do anything to get what they want.Opp ... read full comment
Please don't make money out of Islam. There are many Somalians in the USA who use her strategy to advantage of Christians not only to make money but to get their papers.Peole will say and do anything to get what they want.Opportunist!!!
Yiddana 9 years ago
Ayaan Is a sore looser, she go back and fix her country which for more than 20 years has no functional government. She is a non entity, and pathological liar.Her fabrications of lies caught up with her, that was why the Dutc ... read full comment
Ayaan Is a sore looser, she go back and fix her country which for more than 20 years has no functional government. She is a non entity, and pathological liar.Her fabrications of lies caught up with her, that was why the Dutch revoked her citizenship. A
Oburumankoma 9 years ago
This is an excellent review except for when the writer - as is fashionable - uncritically cites the so-called "Enlightenment" in Europe as a positive phenomenon.
This is an excellent review except for when the writer - as is fashionable - uncritically cites the so-called "Enlightenment" in Europe as a positive phenomenon.
copied 9 years ago
Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been back on American television
lately , mounting scathing attacks on Islam as she promotes her newest book. Her outbursts are the outcome of her own pain — the brutal physical scars inflicted on her b ... read full comment
Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been back on American television
lately , mounting scathing attacks on Islam as she promotes her newest book. Her outbursts are the outcome of her own pain — the brutal physical scars inflicted on her body during childhood, justified by an intolerant radical version of the religion into which she was born. Having suffered abuse at the hands of those who embraced the literalist, monolithic view of the Saudi Wahhabi tradition of Islamic law, her writings are suffused with an abiding rage at the beliefs of her tormentors. But in the process, she concedes to them the very monopoly over narrating Islam’s truth upon which they insist, whether in the form of the violent ideology of groups such as ISIS or of the official authoritarian intolerance of Saudi Arabia.
It is my own, very different experience of Islam that compels me to challenge Hirsi Ali’s work.
As a Muslim woman married to a Jew and the mother of a Catholic daughter, I have lived in Jerusalem, Cairo, Rome and New York, and I am a regular visitor to other Muslim countries. What I have seen, particularly after the 9/11 attacks, was a broad rejection, not only of the extremism of Al-Qaeda but also of the authoritarian violence of Western-backed secular dictators — who, by stripping Muslims of their constitutional rights, jailing and torturing them, accomplished only the mass radicalization of young Muslims.
My father, a guard at al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, believed, like most of the world’s one billion Muslims, that Sharia is not fixed and monolithic, but always in flux, its core principles — such as preserving life, faith, intelligence, family and property — remaining sacrosanct, but requiring translation into more flexible rules to match our lives in a changing world.
He believed that context and interpretation matter when reading the Quran and the Hadiths, and that interpretations had changed along with centuries of social change. Context mattered since the early days of Islam. We always, for more than a millennium, understood text in context. We have 1,400 years of inherent pluralism within Islam to testify to that diversity within our religion
But Saudi Arabia and its state religion, Wahhabism, sought to stamp out the Islamic renaissance of the Golden Ages (under the Abbasids and then the Ottomans), enforcing instead a puritanical, literalist interpretation that codified violence against women and intolerance of other faiths. That is the tradition into which the Somali-born Hirsi Ali was raised in Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Kenya. It is this tradition that serves as the theological basis for the ideology of nearly every jihadist group from Al-Qaeda to ISIS.
That’s the Islam that Hirsi Ali knows, but she conflates it with the beliefs of a billion Muslims who see the violence she and many other women have suffered as an abominable violation of Islamic tenets. Worse, she has called for a war on Islam and Muslims, a war to be led by the West. American elites hailing Hirsi Ali as a savior of freedom and reform do not understand the fire with which they are playing. To endorse Hirsi Ali so unabashedly is to insult and mock a billion Muslims. She backs Western invasions of Muslim countries in the name of freeing their women, yet it is those women who have suffered most as a result of those wars, which have mostly set back the real struggles of Muslim women to expand their rights.
And so America’s talk-show culture risks creating a dangerous narrative in which the only Muslim voices heeded are, in fact, ex-Muslims, and anti-Muslims.
Reviving a pluralist, compassionate Islam depends on an internal conversation amongst Muslims, from whom Hirsi Ali has famously severed herself by insulting the Quran and the Prophet, and supporting military interventions in the Muslim world. She is not known to most Arabs and Muslims, and where she is known, she is thoroughly discredited in the eyes of those she claims to be seeking to liberate.
You can’t count yourself among those working to reform Islam when you openly argue that the only way to reform Islam is to “crush” it. That message may resonate with Islamophobic audiences in the West, but it simply underscores her alienation from — indeed, her antagonism towards — those actually involved in a struggle to reform Islam and fight violent extremism. We cannot fight jihadists while embracing views as intolerant and inflexible as theirs, or make common cause with monarchs who share the religious outlook of the jihadists. Hirsi Ali actually plays a destructive role by reinforcing a belief among young Muslims that the hatred of Islam has been normalized in the West — a sentiment that further fuels radicalization.
Sheikh Rachid al-Ghannouchi, the leader of Tunisia’s Al-Nahda party; The Mauritanian-born Saudi-based cleric Abdallah Bin Bayyah; Iraq’s preeminent Shia jurist, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani: These are leaders who command hundreds of millions of Muslims, and who are challenging radicalism and the jihadist criminals who have hijacked our faith. They use the vibrant tradition of Ijtihad (or jurisprudential reasoning) and free thought to undermine jihadist arguments and stand up for representative democracy.
Only Muslims can shape what is normative in Islam. Which is why the conversation among those looking to negotiate a new future for Islam in the shadow of violence from tyrants and terrorists is far more important – and meaningful – than the shrill grandstanding of Hirsi Ali.
To the extent that American elites are mesmerized by Hirsi Ali’s message, they are choosing to embrace the “war of civilizations,” a self-fulfilling prophesy that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives over the past decade, and promises only more war and chaos. It’s time to listen to what is being said by the Muslim voices of peace and tolerance. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is not one of them.
Rashid Agwedicham 9 years ago
We do not need to be in line with Western socalled cultures and civilization. Our Qur'an, our Traditions are enough for us. We muslems do not crave for western acceptance or to belong to their civilized norms.
The killing an ... read full comment
We do not need to be in line with Western socalled cultures and civilization. Our Qur'an, our Traditions are enough for us. We muslems do not crave for western acceptance or to belong to their civilized norms.
The killing and violence we see today are not just originating from muslems alone. Was the murder of Gadaffi by America and NATO justified? by misusing the UN to do their dirty work? No No and No. Now after Kaddaffi's murder, look at what is happening. It is politically driven events set off by others.
Islam and real Muslems do not kill non muslems. The Prophet did not kill his uncles/guardians who were not muslems. We do not need your said reformation. Ayaan is a western stoog.
The Ghanaian Nationalist 9 years ago
Excellent review. I'll rush and buy the book today. Personally, i don't think there is much difference between Muslim and Christian fundamentalists. The Bush coalitions that invaded and bombarded Iraq were goaded on by Christ ... read full comment
Excellent review. I'll rush and buy the book today. Personally, i don't think there is much difference between Muslim and Christian fundamentalists. The Bush coalitions that invaded and bombarded Iraq were goaded on by Christian fundamentalists. The American military-industrial complex is based on Christian fundamentalism.
The violence that permeates the Quaran and the Hadith is not very different from the one in the Biblical Old Testament. Religions can be so divisive and Dangerous. Period.
urryt 9 years ago
u r ryt
u r ryt
Justice 9 years ago
She is just trying to make Money, Period...
She is just trying to make Money, Period...
Daud 9 years ago
The Quran stated categorically that "Who ever Allah guides no one can misguide and the vice Versa."
The Quran stated categorically that "Who ever Allah guides no one can misguide and the vice Versa."
lorinzokk 9 years ago
ISIS, AL SHABAB, BOKO HARAM, AL QUAEDA.
What do they all have in common????
Some people argue that, they a few bad apples.
if there are so many bad apples in the news all the time, maybe the tree is bad as well
ISIS, AL SHABAB, BOKO HARAM, AL QUAEDA.
What do they all have in common????
Some people argue that, they a few bad apples.
if there are so many bad apples in the news all the time, maybe the tree is bad as well
Islam 9 years ago
All of them represent anti American expansion.
All of them represent anti American expansion.
rogger milla 9 years ago
its one of the propagandas of enemies of islam,islam is still and will forever be the fastest growing religión in the world,so we should expect hatred
its one of the propagandas of enemies of islam,islam is still and will forever be the fastest growing religión in the world,so we should expect hatred
SAANUUNU 9 years ago
I think Ayaan is expressing her opinion but to me ISLAM is a perfect religion GOD has finally handed down to mankind.Any attempt to reform will not work because who are you to correct the work of GOD.
I think Ayaan is expressing her opinion but to me ISLAM is a perfect religion GOD has finally handed down to mankind.Any attempt to reform will not work because who are you to correct the work of GOD.
Asiwome 9 years ago
She didn't know much about Islam until she went to Europe, even though she was born a Moslem. There is something to be said for our African way of doing things
She didn't know much about Islam until she went to Europe, even though she was born a Moslem. There is something to be said for our African way of doing things
I hope this muslim lunate wld listen
Abu al-Hasan Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Ishaq al-Rawandi commonly known as Ibn al-Rawandi, was an early skeptic of Islam and a critic of religion in general. In his early days, he was a Mu'tazilite scholar, but after rejecting the M ...
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this is the best answer to Ayaan Hirsi (xirsi) Ali (Cali), Ask the real Muslim Women about islam if you really want to know about Islam but never ask a fake woman who does not know nothing about islam apart of the Name.Everyo ...
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If you want to test how strong Islam is then allow countries like Saudi,Kuwait, UAE, Iran, Afghanistan, etc, open their borders to Christianity. I bet you, within a month, you would have seen how a lot of them will change the ...
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I was born into a Christian family, I became a christian by birth, however as I grow I began asking some questions and researching from pastors and later moved on to Imams, my questions were answered, I analysed the answers c ...
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Islam is the true religion of God.Ayaan is a prostitute who want to make money by publishing something the enemies of Islam want to hear.Hahaha.She needs money.THE POPE RESIGNED WHY??? GHANAWEB IS ALSO AN AGENT WEB.
Abu 'Isa al-Warraq, full name Abu 'Isa Muhammad ibn Harun al-Warraq, was a 9th-century Arab skeptic scholar and critic of Islam and religion in general. He was a mentor and friend of scholar Ibn al-Rawandi in whose work The B ...
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Mahatma Gandhi, the most acknowledged freedom fighter of India, found the history of Muslims to be aggressive, while he pointed out that Hindus have passed that stage of societal evolution:-
Though, in my opinion, non violen ...
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The fact is that islam owes its existence to terrorizing and bullying both muslims and non-muslims. Any attempt to entertain the idea of reformation will lead to its immediate demise.
Have you ever read the Quran? The fact is that Islam is a great religion; and it is supreme. Understand that despite criticisms and evil plots against Islam, it is the fastest growing religion in the world. This is enough to ...
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By the behaviour of Muslims across the globe we all know how blood thirsty Allah is.
There is no doubt: Ayaan is ignorant. Why would she not debate Islamic schorlar? Dr. Zakir Naik. Islam is the light; and it is the only religion acceptable before Allah.
Quran Says:
" They want to extinguish the light o ...
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mohamed is not divine at any level.He probably is satan's mesenger but NOT a messenger of the TRUE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND CHRIST JESUS
PERCOBA, You will come to know the truth InshaAllah when you are about to die on the bed. That Mohammed (Peace be upon him) is the last and the final messenger of the Almighty Allah.
I hope that is not what you are taught ...
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This woman is nothing but a 419 atheism.Why did Holland denounced her citizenship and seized her passport?
They found out that she was only trying to disort islam on false allegation.She run to USA and da best way is to beco ...
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who is dr.zakir naik?if he speaks for 3min.you will find almost 25mistake of what he said....haha thats why muslims are backward....nobody hate u people but everything they say about islam is 100 per cent true
SHE AS MUSLIM WOMEN PUT HERLIFE ON THE LINE TO EXPOSE ISLAM CURELTIY
AND EVIL WAYS GOD BLESS THIS WOMEN FOR TALKING THE TRUTH OOO
HER BOOK IS A MUST FOR ALL TO UNDERSTAND ISLAM AND FOR THE MAJORITY OF CONFUES MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD, THAT DONT REALY UNDERSTAND ISLAM AND HOW DARK AND EVIL IT IS
Only islamophobes who are searching for straws to validate their bigotry will waste their hard-earned cedis to buy this garbage. Isn't it obvious that Ayaan has smartly diagnosed the psyche of the West and is exploiting it th ...
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why are you trying to discredit someone who talk truth what is it that you are trying to hide o?
ayaan,i doubt this personality because did not quote any school of thought.secondly this person did not quote the quran to defend his/her claims.
“And the holy prophet said: Allah created Adam. Then He stroke his right shoulder and took out a white race as if they were seeds, and He stroke his left shoulder and took out a black race as if they were coals. Then He sai ...
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I love ur comment muslims ar evil and they ar eva ready to pursue and gruesomely kill anyone or thing that opposes their jaundiced view of their moon god worshipping religion.
this ayaan should do scholarly work than saying what she does not know.Go to the hadith the prophet usually pardon people and do not order for their slaughter.he the prophet Mohammed(SAW)said killing one person is better to ...
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You remember, Boko Haram abducted 292 girls and converted them to Islam at gun point against their will. After this, all of these girls will be raped and if they become pregnant and give birth will their children be Muslims o ...
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Dr Jane Smith of the Harvard University has clearly shown in a dissertation that even the term Islam did not originally mean submission.Also in ‘The Spiritual Background Islam’, a renown Middle East scholar Dr M. Bravmann ...
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'' why should criticism of Islam be the sole preserve of the so called “learned” of a faith brought to the world by a medieval desert merchant who could hardly read or write?''
WONDERFUL QUOTATION from the young woman wh ...
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Abu 'Isa al-Warraq, full name Abu 'Isa Muhammad ibn Harun al-Warraq, was a 9th-century Arab skeptic scholar and critic of Islam and religion in general. He was a mentor and friend of scholar Ibn al-Rawandi in whose work The B ...
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I guess by now you are aware that muslims on this web realize that you are an agent of christiandom and satan, misquoting, using falsed islamic name and hanging on to any satanic, devilish antics to strive at the true religio ...
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AND WHAT MAKE U THINK U HATERS OF ISLAM THAT THE VIEW OF THIS UNSTABLE AYAAN HIRSI ALI REALLY MATTERS WITHIN THE SCHEME OF THINGS!. NO IT DOESNT AM AFRAID. THE REAL FACT HERE IS THAT SHE DIDN'T DESERT ISLAM, IT IS RATHER ISLA ...
read full comment
Continue with your beheadings and stoning of women u bloody devil worshipers of a moon god and drinkers of blood.I wish all muslims were just wiped out from the world some way some how....harmlessly though! xtians are not ver ...
read full comment
Please don't make money out of Islam. There are many Somalians in the USA who use her strategy to advantage of Christians not only to make money but to get their papers.Peole will say and do anything to get what they want.Opp ...
read full comment
Ayaan Is a sore looser, she go back and fix her country which for more than 20 years has no functional government. She is a non entity, and pathological liar.Her fabrications of lies caught up with her, that was why the Dutc ...
read full comment
This is an excellent review except for when the writer - as is fashionable - uncritically cites the so-called "Enlightenment" in Europe as a positive phenomenon.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been back on American television
lately , mounting scathing attacks on Islam as she promotes her newest book. Her outbursts are the outcome of her own pain — the brutal physical scars inflicted on her b ...
read full comment
We do not need to be in line with Western socalled cultures and civilization. Our Qur'an, our Traditions are enough for us. We muslems do not crave for western acceptance or to belong to their civilized norms.
The killing an ...
read full comment
Excellent review. I'll rush and buy the book today. Personally, i don't think there is much difference between Muslim and Christian fundamentalists. The Bush coalitions that invaded and bombarded Iraq were goaded on by Christ ...
read full comment
u r ryt
She is just trying to make Money, Period...
The Quran stated categorically that "Who ever Allah guides no one can misguide and the vice Versa."
ISIS, AL SHABAB, BOKO HARAM, AL QUAEDA.
What do they all have in common????
Some people argue that, they a few bad apples.
if there are so many bad apples in the news all the time, maybe the tree is bad as well
All of them represent anti American expansion.
its one of the propagandas of enemies of islam,islam is still and will forever be the fastest growing religión in the world,so we should expect hatred
I think Ayaan is expressing her opinion but to me ISLAM is a perfect religion GOD has finally handed down to mankind.Any attempt to reform will not work because who are you to correct the work of GOD.
She didn't know much about Islam until she went to Europe, even though she was born a Moslem. There is something to be said for our African way of doing things