I consider Prophet Muhammad an honorary American because he is a better believer in America than All Muslim Americans, 33:6

“The prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves…” 33:6

Verse 33:6 can be interpreted that Muhammad the Prophet’s belief in the message of the Quran is closer to ideal than anyone. I doubt that any American, or anyone else would question that?

But most people, and perhaps most Americans, either do not believe that the Quran was revealed to Muhammad the Prophet from God or they do not particularly care (17:89); but if these Americans somehow chose to answer the question of which verses of the Quran are best (39:18), I would think that they would choose the verses which best relate to America, verses that speak to values like freedom, justice, and equality.

Meanwhile, if Muslims we asked if American ideals such as freedom, justice, and equality are ideals which Muhammad the Prophet shared, what kind of Muslim would say no?

So I think America and Muslims would agree, that the best of the Quran* agrees with the best of America, and that the best believer in those Quranic/American ideals is Muhammad the Prophet, and thus he should be considered an honorary American.
What do you think? Post a comment.

*Note: For anyone who does not know of the verse that speaks about the best of the Quran, or of verses of the Quran which coincide with American ideals or American ideals which coincide with Muhammad the Prophet’s ideals, I included a few below. Plus, almost every post on this blog includes ideals which America and Muhammad the Prophet have in common.

“Those who listen to the word, and follow the best of it. Those are the ones whom God has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding.” 39:18

“…In God we trust.” 7:89

“…To males belongs what they earn, and to females what they earn.” 4:32

“And why should you not fight in the cause of God and for those who, because they are weak, are ill-treated? Men, women, and children whose cry is, “Our Lord, rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors, and raise for us, from you, one who will protect, and raise for us, from you, one who will help.” 4:75

“Nor kill the soul, which God has made sacred, except for just cause, and if anyone is killed wrongfully, We have given his heir authority, but do not let him exceed bounds in the matter of taking life, for he will be helped.” 17:33

“…give of your sustenance… to your family, to orphans, to the needy, to street children, to those who ask….” 2:177

“..do not use it (money) as bribes for the judges.” 2:188

Some of the sayings of Muhammad the Prophet, found in Hadith but not in the Quran, are as practical and wise as the sayings of the other messengers of God, as found in the Bible. But I think Muslims do Muhammad the messenger of God, and ourselves, a disservice when we emphasize that Muslims follow the Sunnah of the Prophet, especially in light of verses like these…

“The messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the people of faith. Each one believes in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers. They say, ‘We make no distinction between one and another of His messengers.’ And they say, ‘We hear, and we follow. We seek Your forgiveness Our Lord, and to You is the end of all journeys.’ ” 2:285

“To those who believe in Allah and His messengers, and make no distinction between any of them, we will soon give them their rewards. For Allah is Oft Forgiving, Mercifully Redeeming.” 4:152

But when asked why Muslims follow the Sunnah, the following verses are referenced.

“You indeed have in the Messenger of Allah, an excellent example of conduct, for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day, and who engages much in the praise of Allah.” 33:21

The believers, men and women, are protectors one of another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. They observe salat, pay zakat, and obey Allah and His messenger. On them Allah will pour His mercy, for Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. 9:71

It is true, Muhammad the Prophet is an excellent example of conduct. But notice that Allah did not emphasis Muhammad, and did not even use his name in either of these verses. Allah did not say in these verses, or any other verse, to do the things Muhammad the Prophet did, or follow the things he said (i.e. follow the Sunnah),  although sometimes it might be a good idea.

But if you interpret “obey Allah and His messenger” as obey the Quran and Sunnah of Muhammad, then not only are you unnecessarily assigning yourself an impossible feat seeing how you cannot do some of the things he did, you are also unnecessarily setting yourself up to be a hypocrite because you will not do some of the things he did, although you could if you wanted to. But worse of all you are assigning yourself to hell. Consider the following verse… 

“Unless I proclaim what I receive from Allah and His messages. For any who disobey Allah and His messenger, for them is hell. They will dwell therein forever.” 72:23

And further, believers who interpret 72:23 as advice to follow the sunnah of Muhammad are the same believers who say that some things like Sunnah prayers, and Sunnah fasting are optional. But if verse 72:23 states that disobeying His messenger will result in hell, and it does, then whatever “obey His messenger” means is obviously mandatory, Then how can some Sunnahs be optional?

Here is how I interpret theses verses.

When I read 9:71, “Obey Allah and His messenger”, I think obey the words of Allah and Muhammad the Prophet found in the Quran. For after all, obeying the words of the Quran is in fact obeying both Allah and Muhammad the Prophet, because all the words found in the Quran came from Allah, and out of the mouth of Muhammad the Prophet.

And when I hear “excellent example of conduct” in 33:21, I do not hear advice to simply consider what the messenger Muhammad and the other messengers of God did, but I hear ”what would the Messengers do, if they were you”.

What do you think? Post a comment.

Do the spiritually dead, actually look dead even before they physically die?

35:22 “Nor are those alike who are living and those who are dead. Allah can make any whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make those to hear who are in graves.”

30:52 So indeed you cannot make the dead to hear, nor can you make the deaf to hear the call, when they show their backs and turn away.

I used the term “spiritually dead”, but Allah uses the term “dead”. What type of death do you think Allah is talking about?

What do you think? Post a comment.

I actually think he looks more dead in his “living” pictures than he does in his “dead” pictures.

Did we choose this life? Was it a bad idea?

Based on this verse, I think a “yes” for both can be argued.

33:72 We indeed offered the trust to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but they refused to undertake it, being afraid of it, but the human being undertook it. He was indeed wrong and ignorant.

What do you think? Post a comment.

Is the Quran the word of Allah and Muhammad?

Are the verses in Surahs 69 and 81 explaining to us that the Quran is the word of Allah and Muhammad? If so, one way to understand it could be like we understand that the song sung by a singer that was written by a song writer, is a song by both the singer and the songwriter.

And perhaps by understanding how the Quran is the word of Allah and Muhammad also explains how following the Quran is following Allah and His Messenger (33:33).

What do you think? Post a comment.

69:40 That this is indeed the word of an honored messenger,

81:19 Indeed it is the word of an honorable messenger,

33:33 … and follow Allah and His messenger…