Re: Islam: A fundamental flaw

Re: Islam: A fundamental flaw

By: Agbati Yusuf Bamidele

In response to the well structured essay authored by Deji Yesufu as posted on his Facebook page, I have many things to say. Before I start anything, permit me to introduce myself shortly. I’m Agbati Yusuf Bamidele, I’m a Muslim and always a truth seeker but not an apologist. Though, my approach might look like one but in a real sense, I am not. Therefore, I can say that both of us on the same page about this, because he never claim to be an apologist too.

Deji Yesufu opened the essay with the reasons behind making his theological position open. This, according to him, was to know the ability of his position to withstand scrutiny. In order to achieve this, he has been reading English Qur’an and Hadith as recommended by his Muslim friends. For better understanding about the matter, he chose Christian men as teachers who would guide him on the Islamic matter. This is indeed a biased decision as he has accepted. Irrespective of the reasons behind this biased decision, he would always be taken to be biased and hypocritical. This is tantamount to asking about your step mother from your mother, every rational persons would always perceive the biasness as every judgement and conclusion from the favorite side would always be hypocritical. The conclusion made in his essay could be an attestation to this. As a truth seeker, one needs to be open minded whenever making findings and be ready to take whatever the result brings.

His beautiful essay was then snaked through his choice of Islamic apologist and debater, Dr. Shabir Ally; and he later addressed the questions that an audience asked his favorite Islamic debater during an interfaith dialogue with one of his annointed Christian men (Teachers on Islamic matters), David Wood. The points raised from the question seems to the epicenter of his essay – if I am not mistaken. I would therefore address this more than other parts of the essay. The fact that he has to look at the matter from the view of his Christian men made him not to have evaluated the question asked and the response given critically. Therefore, permit me to say some things about the question asked:

“As a Christian, we believe that we have the assurance and blessing of eternal life because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Dr. Ally, you reject this premises. What promise does Allah, in the Qur’an, give you for an assurance of salvation and eternal life?”

As reported by Deji Yesufu, the two debaters responded to the question to the best of their knowledge. The biased status of Deji Yesufu made him to make a biased conclusion because he rather listened to his teacher than asking for the facts and truth.

In this vein, I would like to comment on the question than responses. According to the question, did God ever promise that the blessing of eternal life is assured if you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ? If God made such direct claim in the scripture then, you position would have more weight but if not then, your position is feeble. If there’s any portion of the scripture that explicitly answer this, I would like to have it for knowledge. Instead of looking for the word of God he rather ran to the teaching of Paul as stated in 2 Corinthian 15:11. Even Jesus does not make such claim (beware of using John 11:25). No wonder, it is believed that Paul is the founder of most of the faith in nowadays Christianity.

Meanwhile, the questioner proceeded to use the shaky premise to ask Dr. Ally that does Allah, in the Qur’an, give assurance of salvation and eternal life? Dr. Ally’s response was quite affirmative (i.e Yes) while explaining how it will happen. In the other hand, David Wood expectedly tried to debunk the affirmation made by his debater by running to Q 46:9 and an Hadith underneath it.

I wouldn’t like to bore you with clarification on the misrepresentation made in this verse and Hadith as it might make this essay lengthy than expected but for the purpose of knowing more about it I would refer you to the commentary and explanation made (Basan Zawad) on the verse via the links: https://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=46 and https://www.call-to-monotheism.com/was_prophet_muhammad_uncertain_of_his_own_salvation_

If Mohammed and Muslims are not assured of the promised eternal blessing, then there should not be an admonition that we should not die except as a Muslim (believer) as in Q 3:19. The eternal assurance is stated in many verses like in Q 23:1-11 where Allah assures the believer of the paradise where lives eternally as it is also explicitly stated in Q 98:8-9 that those who believe and do right deeds, their rewards with Allah will be Jannah (Paradise) of eternal residence beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever (eternally).

Why would Christian believe and defend this Paul teaching (in 2 Corinthian 15:11). It is simply because he has said that there faith is nothing if truely Jesus did not resurrect. Why such threatening and impositional statements?

In order to entrench the biased conclusion, Deji Yesufu used another Pauline teaching that a true Christian is never afraid to die, for them it is even better. Yes that’s true even a typical idol worshiper is not afraid to die too. The assurance that Allah gives says you shouldn’t die except you are a Muslim and you are a Muslim at the point of death – is a smiling bonus for you, that’s assurance not what someone stylishly imposed on us.

Having looked at the questions asked and the responses, we can conclude that there’s misrepresentation of the Muslim position as you’ve agreed in your essay. Also, I would like to let you know that neither God not Jesus explicitly say that your Saviour and blessings of eternal life lies on the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. At least God if not Jesus should be aware of the event before it happened (if it happened at all) but the belief is mere impositional statement by Paul. Even, those who are to be with him in the Kingdom are not known by Jesus because it’s not for him to give but the Father (Mathew 20:20). However, it’s clearly stated in the Qur’an by Allah that eternal life is yours if you are a Muslim. Therefore, Islam has the fundamental law as it negates your belief.

I have not claimed to be an island of knowledge or to be Mr. Perfect. Apology for in any way that I have been abusive due to choice of word but I never meant any harm.

Thanks