Fatwas: Part Fifteen

Issued by: Dr. Ahmed Subhy Mansour, translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Our Stance toward Israel

Published in January 14, 2017

Question:  … What is exactly your stance toward Israel?! …

Answer:

    Until the early 1990s in Cairo, we were among those who adamantly refuse normalization between Israel and Egypt, and we announced that stance in many conferences inside and outside Egypt. We might have made money out of this in our poverty, but we did not. We have discovered that we were wrong in that political stance; we have changed this stance now, and we admitted to that error and declared this in our weekly forum in Ibn Khaldoun Center, in Cairo. The real enemies of Arabs are not the USA or Israel; rather, they are the Middle-Eastern tyrants as well as Wahabism (and its spectra that include the terrorist MB, Salafists, Qaeda, and ISIS). The KSA is the real arch-enemy of Islam and Arabs. The KSA is the axis of evil worldwide in general and in the Middle East in particular. That we have changed our stance toward Israel is a sign if our intellectual  maturity. As an Muslim thinker and as an American citizen of Egyptian origin, we focus only on our work: peaceful religious reform, and we see that Quranic higher values are the same as American values: freedom, justice, human rights, and human dignity.

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Adam's Apple

Published in January 3, 2012

Question: … Dear Sir, … Thank you for your enlightened school of thought that show to us true Islam … I'd like to ask about the expression ''Adam's apple'', and if the forbidden fruit eaten by Adam and Eve was apples … Does the original sin of Adam caused him to have Adam's apple and so are many men now? Is this true or mere folklore and myths? … Thank you …

Answer:

    We are forbidden to think of things unknown that God has chosen not to reveal in the Quran; the type of fruit eaten by Adam and Eve is not important, and it is futile and pointless to think about it. Quranic stories of prophets are repeated to make us draw valuable lessons and be more wise; story of Adam is repeated because it is the story of humanity; all people err and all of them should know why God created them and why they are granted free will and freedom of choice. We learn from the story of Adam that all things and items are permissible with few exceptions and we must obey God in that respect. Adam and his wife were forbidden to eat from one tree, but had the rest of trees to eat from them. This was a test of obedience. We learn also that Adam learned to repent and so must all of us when we commit mistakes and sins and when we disobey God. we are not to imitate the cursed Satan who thought arrogantly he is better than any other creature even angels, and he justified his disobedience. The progeny of Adam mostly forget about warnings of God against devils and they get busy with trivial questions about the forbidden fruit and its type of tree. Indeed, to keep busy thinking of such trivialities is part of devilish whispers to make us avoid drawing valuable lessons from the story of Adam, and any other prophets, so that we forget how devils tempt people to sin and do evil deeds. We want you to ponder deeply on that lesson within the Quranic verses 7:11-25 and to focus on the warning in 7:26-30. Thank you.         

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Zamzam Water

Published in August 1, 2007

Question:  … Dear Sir, … I wonder how come that the Zamzam well goes on to produce water for centuries before Islam until now … any wells get dry one day … What do you think?

Answer:

    The Kaaba is God's House made for people as a safe haven and a sanctuary, and it is God's miracle to provide water in that mountainous spot to go on for centuries without being polluted to water millions of pilgrims for centuries, and the Zamzam well will remain until the end of days when the earth is destroyed on the Day of Resurrection.  

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Guidance At Old Age

Published in January 17, 2014

Question: … Dear Sir, … I am almost at the same age as you are. Coming across your website by accident was the best thing in my life; I agree with most of your views … I am a Quranist now … You are addressing the future generations; your books should be taught in schools and universities … However, it is difficult to change people who lived most of their lives in Sunnite falsehoods … As for myself, I was never a Wahabi and before getting to know Quranism, I used to doubt the so-called hadiths … I used to hate preachers in mosques and I converted to Sufism in my twenties … My question is that I spend more than four decades praying in a nearby mosque that contains a mausoleum. Shall I repeat all prayers? Are they annulled or deemed unacceptable? What do you think? … Thanks for your time …     

Answer:

 God bless you, our brother. Of course, real repentance is linked to good deeds that will replace bad ones. But it is not important at your age to repeat years and years of prayers; focus on piety during your prayers now for the rest of your life and implore God for forgiveness. May God forgive us our sins after converting to real Islam (Quranism). Your feelings of remorse and your repentance and piety are enough atonement; keep up the good deeds and piety.

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Transsexual People

Published in September 15, 2014

Question:  … Can a man get married to a transsexual (a man who became a woman by surgery)? Can a woman get married to a man who was previously a woman? What do you think? … Thank you …

Answer:

  It is OK. Prohibited acts or deeds are only the ones mentioned in the Quran; things that are not specifically mentioned as such are permissible.

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The Vast Majority Is Not All People

Published in November 15, 2008

Question: … I am extremely worried and confused … I want to please God and I wholeheartedly agree with Quranism and your writings, but are all people who are non-Quranists who pray, fast, perform zakat and pilgrimage, etc. would go to Hell because they are not Quranists? Are they polytheistic Sunnite Muhammadans and therefore their good deeds will be annulled? I am thoroughly shocked and I'm sure you do not mean to misguide readers, but I demand further explanation, if you please …     

Answer:

  As per the Quranic verse, the vast majority of people in all eras are misguided ones who will enter Hell; few are those who will be saved as their faith and deeds will be accepted. This vast majority proves Quranic predictions; look around you and reflect on how people in your society are misguided and never think of the Last Day and the eternal life. Remember please that people are born free to choose guidance or misguidance, obedience or disobedience, and to think of inheriting the eternal life or to ignore it. Those who pray while mentioning saints or other mortals deities must reconsider if they want their prayers be deemed acceptable to God. if they really believe in the Last Day, why the Muhammadans are not making sure about their beliefs and read different views to verify everything? The false belief in the Last Day is when one assumes the intercession and general pardon and one is free to sin. This is the case of all Muhammadans; they never care to reconsider anything related toothier myths. This is why they get angry with Quranists who deny and refute myths and insist on preaching the Quranic Truth alone as the only source of guidance. Real believers must make sure their faith and belief are 100% true.  As for you, make sure to be among the minority of winners on the Last Day; if you care for others, try to spread and preach Quranism at least online by making people aware of the existence of our Quranism website. The choice is yours and theirs; do not worry too much about others.         

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The Burden of Prayers!

Published in August 20, 2015

Question: … Dear Sir, … I like you writings especially about prayers … My problem is that I am too lazy to perform the five daily prayers … I always feel them as a burden … What shall I do? Any advice? …

Answer:

    It is very strange indeed that human beings are very active in plating and fun activities as well as work/jobs that make them get money, whereas they are lazy as far as performing prayers is concerned; the devils' role is to make us hate prayers as if it is a burden, though the time that one takes to perform the five daily prayers is no more than 30 minutes a day, as each one is done in less than 6 minutes. Only the pious ones enjoy daily prayers that connect them to God in a seamless bond; it is their priority to be linked in daily contact with the Almighty. In fact, daily prayers (God's right from us) make them bear with problems of life: "And seek help through patience and prayer. But it is difficult, except for the devout." (2:45). If you feel it a burden, ask yourself why you feel it as such. Why is it a burden to dedicate 30 min. to God from the daily 24 hours?! Performing prayers is a chance to purify one's heart, soul, and body, and it gives you spiritual force and feelings of relief, protection, and safety, because you contact the Almighty on a daily basis, imploring Him for mercy and to address Him to fulfill your wishes. God gave us freedom to choose; and we advise you not to waste your lifetime in trivialities and worldly affairs while ignoring to work hard to inherit the eternal life in the Hereafter, instead of entering Hell for eternity. Choose your stance very well, bearing in mind that God did not create you to waste your life in vain. Please ponder deeply upon the following verses: "To your Lord on that Day is the drive. He neither believed nor prayed. But he denied and turned away. Then he went to his family, full of pride. Woe to you; and woe. Then again: Woe to you; and woe. Does man think that he will be left without purpose?" (75:30-36).       

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Weeping in Piety!

Published in October 3, 2015

Question: … Peace be with you … I'm a Quranist thanks to you … I feel estranged during my exile, with no friends at all … I fled oppression in my homeland, but nostalgia is killing me … When I pray, I weep uncontrollably and this cannot be helped … Is it wrong to do so? I wanna concentrate on my daily prayers … Remembering my being oppressed and persecuted, I cry and weep again when I pray … What shall I do? Thank you …

Answer:

  God bless you; piety that moves you to weeping and crying as you implore God during your ordeal is part of Quranic description of the righteous pious ones during their prayers: "And they fall to their chins, weeping, and it adds to their humility." (17:109). In times of serious trouble, a real believer must implore and supplicate God, and it is OK to cry or weep, especially when no other human can help. God will certainly listen to you and send you those who will help you. We ourselves used to do like you when we have been incarcerated in Egypt and when we have been alone, penniless in the USA, and God has sent to me those who aided and helped us. We assure you that God will help you: "With hardship comes ease" (94:5).

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A Natural Son

Published in May 10, 2007

Question: … Dear Sir, … I'm a Muslim American man of Arab origin who used to have an Asian Christian girlfriend … After we broke up, she told me she was pregnant, carrying my child … She does not wanna marry me after I proposed to her … She insists on raising the child as a Christian when she delivers it … She is about to give birth to a baby boy … To get rid of my following her everywhere, she returned to her country of origin, leaving the USA … Shall I follow her to demand my rights as the father of the child … I want my son to be a Muslim … What if I failed? Any advice?  

Answer:

  Clearly, you have been a causal relationship in her life and she does not like to get married to you. Maybe the child is not yours after all. Casual sex (fornication) does not entail any responsibility on your part about the child; she chose to get pregnant without telling you, and she does not want you in her life even as a father for her child. The child is hers alone and not yours. There is nothing you can do; all laws support her stance and not you. She might make her child follow any religious denomination, and this is not your fault. This child will grow up and might choose any other religion freely and he might choose to get to know you. This child may commit fornication as well just as you have. This is a recurrent problem; the sin/crime of fornication is committed in few busy minutes, but its disastrous results remain for years. This is why God says in the Quran: "And do not come near fornication. It is immoral, and an evil way." (17:32); God says nothing but the Truth. 

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Ahmadiyya Group

Published in June 21, 2009

Question:  … Peace be with you … I heard about Al-Ahmadiyya doctrine that shares a lot with Quranists, and its peaceful followers accept many people who convert to their creed easily … Yet, some Salafists and others accuse them of being paid agents to destroy Islam … Little is mentioned about them on the internet … Do you know about them? … What do you think? … Thank you for your time?

Answer:

  Thanks a lot, our daughter Sarah Hamid, for your excellent writings on our website and your defense of our humble self on the Modern Discussion website of Marxists. As for your question about Al-Ahmadiyya group followers, all we know about them that they are peaceful people, but their stance regarding Sunna and hadiths are not identical to Quranists who reject all of them, and the creed notions and tenets of Al-Ahmadiyya group are a mix between the Sufi and the Shiite religions, and its followers have their own deified, sanctified imams and sheikhs. Hence, Al-Ahmadiyya doctrine is an earthly, man-made religion and it has nothing to do with Quranism or the Quran.     

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Hymen Reconstruction Surgery

Published in June 9, 2014

Question: … I'm medical doctor, and I wanna ask about the Quranist stance regarding hymen reconstruction surgery, which is the surgical restoration of the hymen, and about abortion within the very first 10 weeks of conceiving … Are such surgeries prohibited in Islam? … What about wiring fake leave certificates to allow healthy people to be absent from work/school by pretending they are sick? Thank you for your time …

Answer:

   It is a sin of bearing false witness to perform hymen reconstruction surgery or to write fake leave certificates for healthy persons who are not ill. Abortion before 10 weeks is OK because it is not killing of souls, and you can perform it after procuring the prior written permission of the female to assert she wants to have abortion on her own free will.

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Higher Values and Religion

Published in September 9, 2007

Question:  … Can human beings reach, apply, and propagate higher values (Truth, Justice, Freedom, etc.) without guidance from God?! If it is so, what is the use of divine messages or religion, then?! … What do you think? … Thank you …

Answer:

   God created human beings with an unalterable and unchangeable innate nature or instinct that knows right and wrong and that God exists: "So devote yourself to the religion of monotheism-the natural instinct God has instilled in mankind. There is no altering God's creation…" (30:30). Yet, this innateness can be ignored, overlooked, and replaced via devilish whispers and Satanist misguiding inspiration/revelation; God says to us that Satan says the following about corrupting human beings: "…and I will prompt them to alter the creation of God…" (4:119). When people deliberately forget about this innate nature/instinct, they are compellingly reminded of it in times of danger, and they implore and supplicate God for deliverance, while repenting and feeling remorse. Higher values are part of this innate nature/instinct inside every human being, if they sincerely return to their conscience and use it as a criterion to judge all situations and stances. Of course, this does not necessarily entail the divine message itself, but it is another evidence to assert and ascertain these values so that no disobedient persons would go on sinning and committing injustices, since the divine message reached them: "… nor do We ever punish until We have sent a messenger." (17:15). The messenger is not the prophet himself; it is indeed the divine message itself. The problem does not lie in the divine, celestial message; rather, in its being distorted by people as earthly, fabricated, man-made religions are established to replace it, thus opposing and contradicting the divine sharia and faith tenets. This is the underlying problem within all calamities and issues of the Muhammadans in their societies; in their earthly religions, they contradict real Islam (Quran) and its sharia, tenets, and higher values. They ascribe their crimes/sins to Islam, while thinking they are the only guided people. We must define what a real, celestial religion is. The Quran is the divine message from God that has nothing to do with Al-Bokhary and other Sunnite deities. As Muhammadans have discarded the Quran, they are misguided, regressive, and backward and they are not applying higher values. Let us take the example of India and Pakistan: Gandhi was not a Muslims but he was a noble man who adhered to higher values known to all people; this means that he applied Islam (i.e., peace and other higher values) within his behavior, even though he did not believe in the Quran. His peaceful jihad/struggle led to the liberation of India. As for Pakistan, it is a fatal, grave mistake to separate itself from India. Pakistan has been ruined by Wahabi Sunnite, Sufi, and Shiite religions and fought India over Kashmir and later on Bangladesh separated from Pakistan. Civil unrest remains an imminent threat in Pakistan that has lost its real identity. The Muhammadans in Pakistan deify Muhammad, imams, sheikhs, books, and mausoleums, and Wahabi extremism was the catalyst that made Pakistan suffer coups, chaos, bloodshed, poverty, backwardness, and instability. In contrast, India has sided with higher values like democracy, justice, equality, religious freedom, etc. Indian Muslims enjoy safety and security, and India enjoys an excellent economy and is poised to become a greater country in the near future. This means that Indians respect their higher values that match innate nature/instinct in all human beings, and they never made religions be cause for bloodshed and strife or to interfere in politics. As for political calls for returning to 'religion' within countries of the Muhammadans, they are fake and sham, because they refer to earthly, man-made religions (especially Sunnite Wahabism) and not Islam (Quranism). God protects the Quran from being distorted and commands us to use it as criterion; yet, when Quranists call for a return for the Quran alone, they have been persecuted. We are still calling for a return for the Quran alone, as per this verse: "Shall I seek a judge other than God, when He is the One who revealed to you the Book, explained in detail? …" (6:114). Imagine if the Quran were not protected by God Himself, what would have happen? The Muhammadans certainly would have deleted/omitted verses and added ones to support, fit, and reinforce their notions of Al-Bokhary that call for deifying items, things, tombs, and mortals!                           

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Differences in Higher Values

Published in September 9, 2007

Question: … I disagree with you, Sir, in your assertion that Quranic higher values match the Western ones … People in the West see that it is part of human rights to keep the body without being hurt by corporeal punishment (compare flogging in the Quran for fornicators) and to practice sexual freedom like having extramarital sex and homosexuality (both illicit in the Quran). Hence, despite shared higher values between the Quran and the West, like freedom of expression, religious freedom, civil liberties, justice, peace, charity, etc., there are still differences that will persist … What do you think? 

Answer:

     There is a difference between theoretical notions and their practice/application; higher values are abstract notions, and they cannot be applied 100% or to the letter as we wish, because one cannot simply erase all evil tendencies inside each human soul completely. Moreover, one cannot ignore or overlook the struggle between evil and goodness since the devils/Satan are bent on misguiding the progeny of Adam. The Last Day of Judgment, with its Hell and Paradise, shows that there will be those who are winners and those are losers; this entails that evil and goodness will not replace one another, and they will exist until the end of times. Thus, when applying higher values, many human and social factors influence that application in real-life conditions. To be human is to err; one cannot apply higher values 100% right or all the time in all situations equally, even if one is very keen on that. For instance, the human dream of social change via communism spread in order to achieve justice, but it turned into a nightmare of oppression and injustices as freedoms were confiscated and tyranny reigned supreme; history provides us with many painful examples of what we refer to. Such nightmare took place within a reformist human doctrine of the Left. The crimes of tyranny and injustices become aggravated when one ascribes them to God's religion; this is a betrayal and a willful deceit, not just misapplication, as one distorts meanings of the Quran to tyrannize as was the case with the so-called companions of Muhammad, who, once he died, conquered the nations despite the fact that the Quran commands fighting ONLY in cases of self-defense, not to raid and loot. The crime of Arab conquests caused them to distort meanings of the Quranic verses and to fabricate the so-called hadiths, and in the Abbasid Era, such accumulations of narratives created the full-fledged Sunnite religion, which has nothing to do with the Quran. that way, disobedience and sinning became sharia laws and had their theoretical basis to misguide generations later on who assume that such fabricated and distorted sharia laws were part of Islam. For instance, the Quranic command to call for goodness and right and to preach against vice and evil means to call for the application of higher values known to all humanity (e.g., justice, freedom, mercy, charity, patience, pardon, …etc.) and to preach against all types of injustices, tyranny, cruelty, telling lies, hypocrisy, etc. Yet, within distorted application, the evil KSA has created its religious police squad to fight 'vice' by controlling and spying on everyone! This religious police uses violence to change what they deem to be 'vice' to apply the hadith of changing 'vice' by force of one's hands! Hence, it all started by ignoring on purpose Quranic higher values and principles, and then supplanting Quranic sharia laws with countless invented laws, interpretations, fabricated hadiths, narratives, etc.

  As for the secular West, people's belief in absolute freedom of individuals makes them distort higher values to sometimes tolerate and condone some evil ways and sins. Whereas in Middle-Eastern societies, the family is the basis of society, not the individual. In the West, the notion of freedom has led to vices/sins committed within  mutual consent and discussion within the social level. Freedom of expression, however, leads to corrections and modifications of norms. At least, people in the West knows that all human ideas and thought are not infallible and can be discussed, criticized, or refuted. In contrast, corruption, crimes, and evil ways in the countries of the Muhammadans are deemed as part of earthly religions, with hadiths preventing their being discussed. This is why oppressing and persecuting of free thinkers as well as massacring the innocent are deemed Wahabi Sunnite jihad. The earthly, devilish religions of the Sunnites, Sufis, and Shiites make vice/sins the right items to apply and fight goodness and right mentioned in the Quran to prevent its application, while ascribing falsehoods to God and to Muhammad. When we, as one of the Quranists, research such a case in the rest of our life – short years to come, we tend to think – we must be vociferous in condemning and refuting the so-called hadiths and Sunna  that cause such miserable, despicable conditions sponsored by the Wahabi KSA that spreads terror and tyranny worldwide.                              

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Religious Reform Comes First

Published in April 1, 2007

Question: … I disagree with you in giving priority to religious reform in the Middle East; I think political and economic reforms must come first to deal with the core of the problem, especially in Egypt where there are millions of the poor, impecunious ones …

Answer:

   Religious reform comes first to combat extremism and fanaticism that are the underlying foundations of political tyranny; political reform is never enough in itself. In addition, political and religious reform go hand in hand, while the military rule is tyrannical and it needs religious fraud and corrupt notions of religious extremism to thrive to create the environment that will maintain the status quo. This is why the Mubarak tyrannical regime refuses adamantly to apply any religious reform; Wahabism diverts people from all evils of his regime and corruption of his cronies. We never address such a regime in our writings; rather, we address enlightened Muslims. We have spent most years of our life to preach religious reform by calling the Muhammadans to return to the Quran alone. We have warned countless times against books of narratives and hadiths compiled and written during the Abbasid Era to serve the purposes of despots and rulers, who distorted Islam to maintain their power. To revive such corrupt notions now under the banners of the so-called 'Sunna' and Wahabism/Salafism is a crime committed against Arabs and against Islam (Quranism). Traditional notions reflect the age in which they were written; they never reflect Islam/the Quran. We need a new modern look at the Quran in the 21th century that reflect modernity and new understanding to make Arabs go ahead and be civilized and modernized to catch up with the era of human rights. The Quran is God's Word that fit all eras and locations, but it is currently abandoned and discarded by Shiites, Sufis, and Sunnites who claim to be 'Muslims' but we call them as the Muhammadans. The Yathreb city-state applied human rights, as we have shown and proven in our writings, despite its existence in deserts of 7^th century Arabia. Muhammad applied the Quran solely while ruling this city-state, but Arabs after his death did not follow his example; they engaged into conquests and civil wars that resulted eventually (after massacres and bloodshed) into the existence of the Sunnite and Shiite religions that contradict the Quran.

  Before pretending to call for political reform to seek power, one must discard calls for theocracies (as this is the call adopted by the terrorist MB organization and Wahabis/Salafists now in Egypt), and one must apply religious reform first to prevent those manipulating religious mottoes in politics and to apply justice on all levels first within a given society. All religious notions of the Middle Ages must be discarded once and for all, and Wahabism must vanish, before one talks about political and economic reform; otherwise, any reform will be fake/sham and will be wasted or done in vain, as the status quo of corruption will go on using Wahabism and any other earthly creeds. Thus, religious reform comes first to pave the way to any other types of reform. Historically, religious corruption was the cover used in order to hide tyranny and all types of injustices committed by rulers/caliphs and their cronies. Hence, corrupt notions invented in such eras became part of the Sunnite religion, the one assumed by millions to be 'Islam', but the Quran is innocent of such Sunnite creed notions. If Muhammad were to come again in Cairo now, he would preach against mausoleums and hadiths ascribed to him after his death. Muhammad gave us nothing but the Quran, conveyed by him from God Who revealed His final word to him to be made known to the whole world in all eras. Distortions never reached the Quran as God protects it. The Muhammadans had no other options but to create and invent parallel sharia to supplant the Quran, as they could not distort its verses, but they managed actually to distort their meanings. Theocracy-callers must be refuted via the Quran in order show the true Quranic sharia of Islam; let true Islam with its higher values and principles be known to all Arabs first before talking about any political reform. True tenets of the Quran are being discarded now as was the case in the past; we hope Arabs will reconsider their stance toward Islam before it is too late. As for the terrorist Wahabi MB and their likes, it is useless to address them using Quranism, because they are power-seekers and do not believe in the Afterlife or even in the Quran.                  

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SOS

Published in January 31, 2013

Question: … Many Syrian refugees who fled Syria are homeless and penniless… They are hungry and cannot find proper medical care … Things are worse when some of these Syrian families are of Palestinian origin; no one is willing to host them and they face danger of being deported against their will … Can you, Sir, do anything to support them via your IQC? Thank you …  

Answer:

  We are vociferous in our website articles and news-section to call for giving more support and aid to the poor Syrians and Palestinians. 

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An Innocent Heart

Published in May 17, 2013

Question: … Dear Dr. Mansour, … I study at an international high-school at my homeland, an Arab country, and we have female and male students studying together, Arabs and foreigners or non-Arabs … I am having this great friendship with a foreign girl, and though I am boy she is like a sister to me. We play, study, eat, go out, watch movies, etc. together. We spent hours together at her home or mine apart from school … sometimes we hug in a brother-and-sister way; she even tells me about her boyfriend and she seeks my help and advice in all her troubles … I never think of her in a sexual manner and so is she, for she knows I'm like a brother to her … We sometimes remain alone, away from people, for hours … She even gets dressed and undressed to change her clothes before my eyes, as she would want my help or protection if she is changing her clothes in the club … We sometimes sleep in one bed, as brother and sister, when we travel together … Is that OK? Am I a sinner? Please bear in mind that I never desire her sexually at all, and so is she, but people blame me for such innocent close friendship …  What do you think? Thank you …

Answer:

   As per your golden heart and you true sentiments, she is a sister to you as much as you are a brother to her. Hence, you are not committing any sins at all; do not worry about people's opinions. You are indeed a noble person with refined sentiments of humanity and real friendship. We think you are perplexed because Wahabi culture in your Gulf country drives everyone to think using their genitalia instead of their brains, to be obsessed with sex and women. Wahabi bigots cannot imagine an innocent friendship between a male and a female because of their obsessions. God bless you. We take pride in you and in the fact that you are a true Quranist who writes excellent  articles on our website.       

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Salafists and Quranists

Published in April 29, 2011

Question: … The American committee for freedom has issued its annual report … The report says that the Egyptian government in 2011 ignores minorities and their sufferings and failed to protect them against violence and discrimination, especially Egyptian Quranists, Shiites, Sufis, and Baha'is … Do you have any comments on that report? …  

Answer:

  Firstly, we are not to comment on the Congress reports except by thanking them for caring for the wronged, oppressed parties, as we feel gratitude for their good wishes for the minorities oppressed by their fellow Egyptians. Secondly, such reports are neutral and objective and try to reach the truth from the sources as per real-life status. We know this as we worked for one year in an American governmental body and we have written them a research titled "Freedom of Thought between Islam and Extremists". Thirdly, grave transgressions mentioned in this report must be redressed and stopped, not by criticizing those who give us pieces of advice; indeed, such a report applies the Quranic principle of preaching goodness and preaching against evil and vice, applied by the West and not by the Muhammadans who have discarded the Quran. Fourthly, since January 2011, sufferings of Quranists increased by violent Salafists and their thugs and the absence of law and police in streets of most cities. Chaos always follow such turmoil. Fifthly, Quranists are not the only minority suffering now in Egypt after the ouster of Mubarak; there are also Egyptian Baha'is, Sufis, Shiites, Copts, and secular thinkers who are threatened by Salafists to be assassinated (some of those threatened secular thinkers are pro-government and some others are opposed to it). this indicates that Salafist deify themselves and want to punish and chastise all those who oppose Wahabism; Salafists are planning to take over the rule of Egypt, and this danger must be stopped at any cost. In this new era of post-Mubarak Egypt, the law must be applied to prevent Salafists from performing Hisbah (i.e., inquisition-like suing others in court after accusing them of defaming 'Islam' or showing contempt to it, punishable by incarceration as per Egyptian laws now). Sixthly, we demand reforming all laws of the penal code in Egypt to prevent oppression practiced on freedom of expression and religious freedom; Salafists who desire to refute enlightened thinkers must write books to do so not to threaten them by assassination, character assassination, or imprisonment. Salafists judges mostly will imprison free thinkers of religious reform to apply the penal code. No mortal should be allowed to be a judge concerning one's religious beliefs; this is the mission of the Eternal Judge, God, in the Hereafter. All human beings will be judged on the Last Day; they cannot judge one another on earth in affairs related to religious beliefs. If Salafists were true believers in the Quran, they would have known that god postpones judgment on faiths and beliefs till the Day of Resurrection. Those among them who commit the sin of inquisition for worldly political purposes are insulting Islam and God. Seventhly, Quranists are the only people who actually can refute easily all Salafists and their Wahabi notions and thus eliminate their danger, if Egyptian authorities would allow them to appear in Egyptian media (esp. TV channels) to explain true Islam (Quranism) to all Egyptians. Lastly, we appreciate the rule of the military council ruling Egypt now as it prevents state of affairs from turning into chaos in such critical times in Egypt, and we demand from its men to readily and speedily annul all laws that hinder freedom of artistic expression, speech, self-expression, proselytization for all sects, and religious freedom. This will eliminate the Salafist danger forever.                                 

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Salafists Are Never Part of Quranists

Published in November 23, 2012

Question: … I read some of your articles on your website … I am astonished at your heretic views … Salafists adhere to the Quran as much as Quranists do … I can prove your views wrong from within the Quranic verses themselves that prove Salafism is the only true and right understanding of the Quran … … … …. I wonder how come that you, An Azharite, cannot understand the basic truth that Salafism is true Islam … 

Answer:

   Do not wonder or be astonished; it is we that are amazed at those like you who readily criticize and attack us without reading the entirety of our archive of writings and books. For several reasons, we are amazed at ignoramuses like you who are too lazy to read and distort and twist meanings of Quranic verses to fit their man-made, fabricated traditions. Firstly, Quranists are nearer to following the example of Muhammad, as they defend him against fabrications and falsehoods ascribed to him after his death and they deny his being worshipped as an entombed 'immortal' deity in Yathreb, as a god beside Allah. The Quran tells us never to worship and deify mortals (including prophets). To worship Muhammad is to contradict the message (the Quran) he delivered and conveyed to us from Allah. This means that Salafism and Salafists have discarded the only source of Islam (the Quran) and that they fight Islam (Quranism) to support and lend credibility their ancient 'holy' tomes/books of their deified imams. Secondly, if you really want to be guided by the Quran, we advise you first to read your books and articles to cleanse Salafist notions from your mind, especially our writings regarding the Quran is enough and exclusive source of Islam, about Prophet Muhammad as a historical figure, and about the true testimony of Islam (There is no God but Allah). How come one is to discuss a recent article of ours without readings hundreds of articles that are the foundation of our Quranist school of thought? if you read them, you will find all answers to all your question, and this is not an overstatement. Lastly, Salafists never follow our religion of Quranism; they discard the Quran. not follow it the same way as Quranists do, as you claim in your message. They are indeed the enemies of Islam/the Quran, with their Wahabi sharia of falsehoods and myths that deify mortals and things and tombs and spreading corruption and terrorism on planet earth as well as coercing others in religion and massacring the innocent in the name of jihad. How dare you assert that Salafists are like Quranists?! This is an insult!           

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Abraham and the Reward

Published in May 12, 2008

Question: … Reading Quranic stories of prophets and messengers, I've noticed that all of them, with the exception of Moses and Abraham, never asked rewards from their peoples. Why is that? … Another question is that I read that galaxies away from ours explode and take the shape of a red rose in the sky; will this occur to our Milky Way one day? I mean when the universe is destroyed before the Last Day, as per the Quran: "When the sky splits apart, and becomes rose, like paint." (55:37)… What do you think? … Thank you …

Answer:

  Firstly, Quranic stories are for drawing lessons and wisdom for spiritual guidance and not to deduce sharia laws or legislations. Therefore, the Quranic stories of prophets and messengers do not mention all details about them. Historians are NOT to fill in gaps by surmise; one cannot possibly add to the Quranic stories told by God Who is Omniscient. Yet, one can deduce some remarks, from the Quranic stories, that pertain to the mind of researchers and not necessarily related to Islam or Quranism. The main lucid fact is that repeated words of many prophets reflect that their message was one: There is no God but Allah. Secondly, many websites tackle miraculous features about certain Quranic verses that tell us about scientific facts; we refer you to our few articles on that topic and to these websites that we sometimes use to write those few articles.     

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Non-Arabic Words in the Quran

Published in June 6, 2011

Question: … Does the Quranic text containing words that have etymological origins within other languages apart from Arabic? … Another question is as follows: the late Dr. Nasr Hamid Abou Zeid asserts in his book about Al-Shafei (whom he describes as a 'moderate' imam of 'moderate' ideology) that Al-Shafei asserts in his book that the Quran contains no non-Arabic words at all … What is your own view? thank you for your time …

Answer:

   Please read our article about the late secular writer Dr. Nasr Hamid Abou Zeid. When we met him one day in Egypt, we told him he committed a mistake in his book about Al-Shafei; he mentions that the 'moderate' ideology of Al-Shafei was influenced by his opposition to the Umayyad caliphate. We told him that Al-Shafei was born in 150 A.H., eighteen years after the Umayyads dynasty ended, and that he never witnessed the Umayyad rule, and that he died in 204 A.H., but Dr. Abou Zeid told us that this was a misprint!

  As for non-Arabic words in the Quranic text, they do exist and no one can deny this; it is normal that languages that coexist in one location to influence one another by borrowing words, and this is a natural and normal linguistic phenomenon. For instance, these words of non-Arabic origin are found in stories about prophets of the Israelites, like the name ''Abraham''/"Ibrahim" which is a Hebrew name; another example is the Quranic terms/words that mean 'silk': "Sondos" and "Istabrak", which are both from non-Arabic origin. You can write an article on our website about more borrowings from other languages that were added to the Arabic tongue of the 7^th century and are used in the Quranic text.