And many false prophets shall rise,
and shall deceive many.
Matthew 24:11
وَيَقُومُ أَنْبِيَاءُ كَذَبَةٌ كَثِيرُونَ وَيُضِلُّونَ كَثِيرِينَ.
--This is a SIMPLIFIED Overview/Outline--
--The Division
--The Sunni
--The Shia
--Ibadi
--Sufism
----The Mahdi: ISIS & who is the Mahdi?--
---Dawah
Pagan Practices Adopted In Islam--Djinn (Genies)
--Tawaf between Safa and Marwa
Tawaf between Safa and Marwa
"Doing Tawaf between Safa and Marwa is an Islamic ritual associated with the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Praying 5 Times Towards Mecca
"Pagans prior to Islam would pray five times per day towards Mecca.
(The Encyclopedia of Islam (edited by Eliade) P. 303FF)
Muhammad retained for Islam, this pre-Islamic practice, sanctioning it with a story of a night trip to heaven on a mythical beast called al-.webp)
Buraq. In heaven, the Hadith tells us that Allah demanded 50 prayers per day per Muslim. Upon advice from Moses, Muhammed bargains with Allah and successfully reduces it to five prayers per day.
Zoroastrians are also expected to recite their (kusti) prayers at least five times a day having first cleansed themselves by washing (ablution). These Islamic practices show Zoroastrian influence.
(Bowker, John, The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, New York, Oxford University Press, 1997, pp. 763-764)
But, contrary to the Muslims, Zoroastrians pray in the direction of the Sun (at each time of the day) and/or of the Holy Fire (if they are in a Fire Temple).
(Joseph H. Peterson – GAHS (prayers for each period of the day) – Avesta Zoroastrian Archives, accessed May 27, 2011)."
Q&A
Requirement of Ihram
"Ihram is a state a Muslim enters into for his pilgrimage to Mecca. It involves a series of procedures like ritual washing, wearing ‘Ihram
garments’, etc. Ihram was according to Sahih Bukhari originally a pagan requirement for worshiping idols during pre-Islamic times. Muhammad retained this practice for Islam. Muslims assume Ihram to perform the Hajj or Umrah.
Narrated ‘Urwa:
"I asked ‘Aisha : …But in fact, this divine inspiration was revealed concerning the Ansar who used to assume “Ihram” for worshipping an idol called “Manat” which they used to worship at a place called Al-Mushallal before they embraced Islam, and whoever assumed Ihram (for the idol), would consider it not right to perform Tawaf between Safa and Marwa.
Sahih Bukhari 2:26:706."
Q&A
Circumambulation 7 Times
"In the Islamic ritual of Tawaf, Muslims go around the Kaaba 7 times. In the Hindu marriage rite of Satphere, the married couple goes around a fire also 7 times. In both of these rituals, religious phrases are repeated during the circumambulation.
Circumambulation is to go in circles around a particular object. In.webp)
Islam, worshipers and pilgrims do this around the Ka’aba at Mecca. Pre-Islamic pagans are alleged to have done it to please the moon god Hubal, the 360 deities and Allah (who was merely one among the many deities worshiped there). Muhammad himself used to do it, even before the 360 idols inside the Ka’aba were removed.
Judaism and Christianity (the religions of those who are considered People of the Book) do not practice ritual circumambulation to please God.
Worship at the Ka’aba
"According to the hadith, the Ka’aba in Mecca was a center of idol-worship, with the Ka’aba housing 360 idols.
Narrated ‘Abdullah bin Masud:
The Prophet entered Mecca and (at that time) there were three hundred-and-sixty idols around the Ka’aba. He started stabbing the idols with a stick he had in his hand and reciting: “Truth (Islam) has come and Falsehood (disbelief) has vanished.”
Sahih Bukhari 3:43:658
The Prophet Muhammad discarded the 360 idols but retained for Islam, the Ka’aba with its Black Stone, justifying it with the claim that Abraham and Ishmael originally constructed it.
However, there is no historical or archaeological evidence for the existence of the Ka’aba beyond a few hundred years before Muhammad’s lifetime. In fact, the Quran contradicts this connection between Abraham, Ishmael, and the Ka’aba.
The Quran says Abraham built it:
Remember We made the House a place of assembly for men and a place of safety, and take ye the station of Abraham as a place of prayer; and We covenanted with Abraham and Isma’il, that they should sanctify My House for those who compass it round or use it as a retreat, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer).
Quran 2:125
One hadith claims Muhammad says it was built 40 years prior to the Temple at Jerusalem:
Narrated Abu Dhaar:
I said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Which mosque was built first?” He replied, “Al-Masjid-ul-Haram.” I asked, “Which (was built) next?” He replied, “Al-Masjid-ul-Aqs-a (i.e. Jerusalem).” I asked, “What was the period in between them? He replied, forty years.
Sahih Bukhari 4:55:636
The Temple at Jerusalem was built by Solomon around 958-951 BC. This implies that if Muhammad were to be believed, the Ka’aba must have been built approximately 998-991 BC. But Abraham is alleged to have lived around 2000 BC so both Abraham and Ishmael would have been dead by then.
*The traditions of the hadith and the Quran are mutually contradictory and do not align with other traditions about Abraham and Ishmael.
Rather than being the creation of Abraham, Egyptian Professor and authority on Arabic literature, Dr. Taha Husayn, said the following:
“The case for this episode is very obvious because it is of recent date and came into vogue just before the rise of Islam. Islam exploited it for religious reasons.“
(As quoted in Mizan al-Islam by Anwar al-Jundi, p. 170)
Also, according to a sahih hadith of Bukhari, Muhammad even considered dismantling it:
Narrated Aswad:
Ibn Az-Zubair said to me, “Aisha used to tell you secretly a number of things. What did she tell you about the Ka’ba?” I replied, “She told me that once the Prophet said, ‘O ‘Aisha! Had not your people been still close to the pre-Islamic period of ignorance (infidelity)! I would have dismantled the Ka’ba and would have made two doors in it; one for entrance and the other for exit.” Later on Ibn Az-Zubair did the same.
Sahih Bukhari 1:3:128
Worship at the Ka’aba and the kissing of the Black Stone are according to the Islamic tradition one of many practices adopted from the 7th-century paganism of the Meccans and repackaged within monotheistic Islam."
Crescent Moon Symbol
"Hubal was the moon god worshiped at the Ka’aba. The crescent moon was Hubal’s symbol. Muhammad’s pagan grandfather Abd al-Muttalib almost slaughtered Muhammad’s father Abdallah at the Ka’aba, to Hubal.
From Ibn Hisham:
An arrow showed that it was ‘Abdullah to be sacrificed. ‘Abdul-.webp)
Muttalib then took the boy to Al-Ka’bah with a razor to slaughter the boy. Quraish, his uncles from Makhzum tribe and his brother Abu Talib, however, tried to dissuade him. They suggested that he summon a she-diviner. She ordered that the divination arrows should be drawn with respect to ‘Abdullah as well as ten camels. … the number of the camels (finally) amounted to one hundred. … They were all slaughtered to the satisfaction of Hubal.
(Ibn Hisham 1/151-155; Rahmat-ul-lil’alameen 2/89,90)
The Ka’aba, Islam’s holiest shrine, has been a place where such pagan human sacrifices and slaughters have taken place for Hubal. When Muhammad founded Islam, according to Islamic sources he discarded Hubal and all the other pagan god.
At the Battle of Badr, his enemy Abu Sufyan praised the high position of moon god Hubal, saying “O Hubal, be high”. Muhammad asked his followers to yell back, “Allah is higher”.
“…After that he started reciting cheerfully, “O Hubal, be high! On that the Prophet said (to his companions), “Why don’t you answer him back?” They said, “O Allah’s Apostle What shall we say?” He said, “Say, Allah is Higher and more Sublime.”…” –
(Sahih Bukhari 4:52:276)
*This is supposed to be the origin of the commonly uttered phrase “Allahu Akbar” in Arabic."
--Praying 5 Times Towards Mecca
--Requirement of Ihram
--Circumambulation 7 Times
--Worship at the Ka’aba
--Veneration of the Black-stone
--Crescent Moon Symbol
--Path from Babel to the COUNTERFEIT RELIGIONS
--Closing Question
The Division
When Muhammed died his followers elected a Caliph (sort of a political and military leader) to lead them.
Ali, cousin of Mohammed, who married Mohammed's daughter Fatima, believed that the bloodline of the so-called prophet should be leader.
Ali's followers would become the Shia, followers of Ali.
The Sunni were his opponents, named for the Sunna or tradition.
After 3 caliphs, Ali was finally narrowly elected caliph but would be assassinated.
At the battle of Karbala Ali's son Hussein was killed by the new caliph and from then on Shia were hunted by Sunni and the split came.
The Sunni
The Sunni have 4 schools, or denominations, based on interpretations of the Quran, Hadiths (stories written about Mohammed with quotes written supposedly by his followers after his death), Sunnah, and other writings.
1) Hanafi: They use reasoning in theological interpretations and for legal rulings along with their holy writings.
2) Maliki: Follow the writings and rulings from the early Muslims at Medina on topics and legal rulings. They consider them, as the relatives of Muhammed, to be closest to truth from those closest to the time of the so-called prophet.
3) Shafi'i: They generally reject using opinions by scholars outside of the Quran itself and the Hadiths.
4) Hanbali: Their focus is on the Quran and Sunnah. Much more strict in their interpretation.
--Another group are known as Non-Denominational. They do not subscribe to any of the 4 sects and just follow the Quran.
["Pristine Sunni" Sub-Groups]
--Salfai: Sunni's who began in the late 1800's to get back to the basics of the writings and commentaries from the first 3 generations of Islam. They also are wary of western culture impacting Islam. There are 3 schools of Salafi.
1) Queitess: Tend to reject being in involved in politics or worldly affairs. Focus should be on worship and study for personal spiritual advancement.
2) Islamist: Belief that Islam should guide both one's politics and personal life. The Muslim Brotherhood are of this sect.
3) Jihadi: Believe in the global struggle to restore the Caliphate.
--Wahhabism: Been around since the Middle Ages but took it's name after a leader of the 19th century. Calls for a return to pristine Islam and strong supporters of Jihadi sentiments. Osama Bin Laden was of this school.
--Deobandi: Began in India in the Middle Ages to get back to pristine Islam of the early days yet borrow some Sufist meditation practices. A large amount but not all of the Taliban follow this sect.
OUTLIER: Ahmadiyya: They reject Jihad and, unlike most Muslims who claim Christ was a prophet sent before Muhammed, but failed, the Ahmadiyya also add to the list Moses, Buddha, Krishna and Zoroaster. They can study their texts for wisdom along with the Quran although the Quran is the holy writing.
The Shia
The Shia have 3 major groupings:
1) 12er's: Believe in the first 12 Imams to be on par with Muhammed as they came from his bloodline starting with his cousin Ali. The last one was a 4 year old boy who disappeared. He is thought to be in hiding waiting to return as the Mahdi in the end
times. (Sunni believe the Mahdi will be born among them but perform a sign when he is ready to reveal himself to them).
2) 7er's: (Ismailism) Believe in the first 6 Imams but believe the brother of the 7th should have been the 7th Imam. He gave mystical teachings bordering on Sufism. They follow his teachings.
3) 5er's: (Zaydism) They disagree with who the 5th Imam was. They tend to believe in rationalism over literal interpretations of the Quran.
OUTLIER: Alawite: They use secret teachings only passed along by males by word of mouth. The very few texts they have are tightly guarded from outsiders. They believe in reincarnation believing that they come back as Christians then back as an Alawite for another chance until they get life right. They believe they are fallen stars from the heavens. They adopt the Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter. They take their name from the founder of the Shia -- Ali. They believe Ali was the reincarnation of Allah. They believe the 5 Pillars of Islam are more voluntary rather than mandatory. Unlike other Muslims they believe in baptism, Assad of Syria was an Alawite. Split from 12er's.
OUTLIER: Druze: They believe in reincarnation of just the Druze where each time they come back they work on being better in each life. They do not allow new conversions to their religion. They split from the 7er's. For some reason they highly revere Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses. They have no official houses of worship.
OUTLIER: Alevi: They borrow some mysticism from the Sufists as well as viewing Ali of the Shia as a spiritual guide. They follow the "4 gates and forty stations" on their path to enlightenment. They also engage in nature veneration. They believe that Muhammed and Ali are a reflection of Allah's light. They believe in the curse of giving one the evil eye. They also believe in the immortality of the soul.
Although the Sunni believe angels can't sin because they have no free will, and Shia believe angels have free will but choose not to sin, the Alevi believe in both good and bad angels who are both very active in the affairs of man. They confess their sins once a year and have shamans (witch doctors). The Sema Dance is performed by twirling around to represent the planets around the sun as they put off self to unite with Allah.
OUTLIER: Bektashism: Blends Shia 12er beliefs with Sunni beliefs with a heavy dose of Sufism. Also places in high respect the
companions of Muhammed. They have monasteries that require celibacy. Prominent in south east Europe and parts of Turkey.
They do NOT pray towards Mecca and do NOT celebrate Ramadan.
They consider Allah, Mohammed and Ali to be a Holy Trinity. The 12 Imams of Shia Islam are viewed more as the 12 disciples are in Christianity.
Their imams/priests are called babas and hear confession from congregants similar to Catholic priests.
Ibadi
The Ibadi were those who were basically tired of the wars between
Sunni and Shia so packed up and headed south. They believe they should just follow the Quran. They accept all Muslims as real Muslims who profess Muhammed as the prophet. The only criticism of other Muslims is of Sufists of whom they reject their mysticism.
Sufism
In a simplified form Sufists are Islamic Mysticism/New Age. 
They include rites such as deep meditation techniques and self purification. Some also engage in dancing worship forms similar to the dancing dervas of Hinduism. Although mostly Sunni in orientation sometimes Shia have been allowed to join at different times in history.
The Mahdi: ISIS & who is the Mahdi?
a) ISIS: al Bahgdadi
The former leader of ISIS, al Bahgdadi, preached that he was the Caliphate renewed and fulfilling Islamic prophecy to prepare the way for Mahdi.
That's why he had his men would dress in black with black banners for parades claiming prophecy was being fulfilled as he came from the "east".
The "lone wolfs" online around the world plotting attacks were those Muslims who believed his propaganda and decided to help his cause.
"Tradition states that:
"The Messenger of Allah said: The black banners will come from the East and their hearts will be as firm as iron. Whoever hears of them should join them and give allegiance, even if it means crawling across snow.
In Islam there are two flags. One is white and one is black. Written across both flags in Arabic are the words, “There is no God but
Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger”. The white flag is called Al-Liwaa and serves as the sign for the leader of the Muslim army and is the flag of the Islamic State.
"Tradition states that:
"The Messenger of Allah said: The black banners will come from the East and their hearts will be as firm as iron. Whoever hears of them should join them and give allegiance, even if it means crawling across snow.
In Islam there are two flags. One is white and one is black. Written across both flags in Arabic are the words, “There is no God but
The black flag is called Ar-Raya and is used by the Muslim army. It is also called the flag of jihad, and is carried into battle.
Islamic tradition pictures the Mahdi as joining with the army of Muslim warriors carrying black flags.
The Mahdi will then lead this army to Israel and re-conquer it for Islam. The Jews will be slaughtered until very few remain and Jerusalem will become the location of the Mahdi’s rule over the Earth." Joel Richardson/Study in Islamic Eschatology
b) Who is the Mahdi?
"Crucial to this study is a clear understanding of just what Islam teaches regarding the Major Signs. The Major Signs or the Greater Signs, obviously speak of far more significant events than the Minor Signs. These signs relate to issues such as the coming of the Muslim Anti-Christ (Ad-Dajjal), or the return of the Muslim Jesus (Isa Al-Maseeh) or most importantly, the coming of the Muslim Savior/Messiah figure (Al-Mahdi).
While there is more than one tradition regarding the nature and timing of the Mahdi’s ascendancy to power, there is one particular
hadith that places this event at the time of a final peace agreement between the Arabs and the Romans (“Romans” should be interpreted as referring to Christians, or more generally, the West).
*Although this peace agreement is made with the “Romans”, it is said to be mediated specifically through a Jew from the priestly lineage of Aaron. The peace agreement will be made for a period of seven years.
*It appears that the period of this seven year peace agreement will likewise be the period of the Mahdi’s reign.
*In one final very interesting series of traditions regarding the Mahdi we find that he is said to produce some previously undiscovered Bible scrolls and even the Ark of the Covenant: Apparently, the purpose of finding these “lost” portions of the Old and New Testaments as well as the Ark of the Covenant is to help the Mahdi win converts from both Christianity and Judaism prior to “eradicating” the remainder who do not convert to Islam.
After reviewing the various Islamic traditions and opinions of the Muslim scholars, let’s now review and walk through a list of what we have learned about the person and the mission of the Mahdi as he exists in the minds of many of the 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide.
The Mahdi is Islam’s primary messiah figure.
He will be a descendant of Muhammad and will bear Muhammad’s name (Muhammad bin Abdullah).
He will be a very devout Muslim.
He will be an unparalleled spiritual, political and military world leader.
He will emerge after a period of great turmoil and suffering upon the earth.
He will establish justice and righteousness throughout the world and
eradicate tyranny and oppression.
He will be the Caliph and Imam (vice-regent and leader) of Muslims worldwide
He will lead a world revolution and establish a new world order.
He will lead military action against all those who oppose him.
He will invade many countries.
He will make a seven year peace treaty with a Jew of priestly lineage.
He will conquer Israel for Islam and lead the “faithful Muslims” in a final slaughter/battle against Jews.
He will establish the new Islamic world headquarters from Jerusalem.
He will rule for seven years (possibly as much as eight or nine).
He will cause Islam to be the only religion practiced on the earth.
He will appear riding a white horse (possibly symbolic).
He will discover some previously undiscovered Biblical manuscripts that he will use to argue with the Jews and cause some Jews to convert to Islam.
He will also re-discover the Ark of the Covenant from the Sea of Galilee, which he will bring to Jerusalem.
He will have supernatural power from Allah over the wind and the rain and crops.
He will posses and distribute enormous amounts of wealth.
He will be loved by all the people of the earth."
After reviewing the various Islamic traditions and opinions of the Muslim scholars, let’s now review and walk through a list of what we have learned about the person and the mission of the Mahdi as he exists in the minds of many of the 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide.
The Mahdi is Islam’s primary messiah figure.
He will be a descendant of Muhammad and will bear Muhammad’s name (Muhammad bin Abdullah).
He will be a very devout Muslim.
He will be an unparalleled spiritual, political and military world leader.
He will emerge after a period of great turmoil and suffering upon the earth.
He will establish justice and righteousness throughout the world and
He will be the Caliph and Imam (vice-regent and leader) of Muslims worldwide
He will lead a world revolution and establish a new world order.
He will lead military action against all those who oppose him.
He will invade many countries.
He will make a seven year peace treaty with a Jew of priestly lineage.
He will conquer Israel for Islam and lead the “faithful Muslims” in a final slaughter/battle against Jews.
He will establish the new Islamic world headquarters from Jerusalem.
He will rule for seven years (possibly as much as eight or nine).
He will appear riding a white horse (possibly symbolic).
He will discover some previously undiscovered Biblical manuscripts that he will use to argue with the Jews and cause some Jews to convert to Islam.
He will also re-discover the Ark of the Covenant from the Sea of Galilee, which he will bring to Jerusalem.
He will have supernatural power from Allah over the wind and the rain and crops.
He will posses and distribute enormous amounts of wealth.
He will be loved by all the people of the earth."
Joel Richardson/Study in Islamic Eschatology
Dawah
"Dawah is a three-step process. Immigrate, increase, eliminate.
Immigrate as a religious refugee and then increase the number of your followers in the minority neighborhoods and get involved in politics and then you have random outbreaks of violence usually by the young men.
And and there's a 1,400year track record of watching this happen.
Immigrate as a religious refugee and then increase the number of your followers in the minority neighborhoods and get involved in politics and then you have random outbreaks of violence usually by the young men.
And and there's a 1,400year track record of watching this happen.
--So there's two ways it spreads.
One is through the sword and the other is through immigration.
*In 610 AD, Muhammad goes into Mecca and feels like there's something in his faith for everyone and nobody is excited about it. He gets confrontational. They chase him out of town.
*It's his year of sorrows. And so then he tries going to a city of Alt Taif. They don't want him. They pelt him with rocks and stones.
*In 610 AD, Muhammad goes into Mecca and feels like there's something in his faith for everyone and nobody is excited about it. He gets confrontational. They chase him out of town.
*It's his year of sorrows. And so then he tries going to a city of Alt Taif. They don't want him. They pelt him with rocks and stones.
*And so in 622 AD, he goes to a majority Jewish city called Medina.
they let Muhammad in as the first ever Muslim immigrant.
So he goes into the minority neighborhoods and he organizes a following uh sort of like a community organizer. When the following gets big enough, he goes back to the Jews and pressures he gets involved in politics.
Then his followers back in Mecca get confrontational. They get chased out of town for disturbing the peace. Now there's lots of
Muslim immigrants. So the victimhood thing, we're the victims.
they let Muhammad in as the first ever Muslim immigrant.
So he goes into the minority neighborhoods and he organizes a following uh sort of like a community organizer. When the following gets big enough, he goes back to the Jews and pressures he gets involved in politics.
Then his followers back in Mecca get confrontational. They get chased out of town for disturbing the peace. Now there's lots of
Muslim immigrants. So the victimhood thing, we're the victims.
*They were intolerant of us, so we're justified in attacking their
caravans. And so Muhammad gets verses from his Allah that he gets a fifth of the booty from robbing caravans. One of the verses says, "Allah has given you the slave girls as your booty." So he tells his men, you can have four wives plus as many extra women as your right hand possesses that you take in battle. They're bond women,
concubines, slave wives. They just don't have the status of a wife.
*And um and so the 624 AD, the Meccans send a thousand soldiers to protect their caravan. And Muhammad with 300 defeats a thousand at the battle of Badra. This amazing victory convinces him to be a military leader. And then in 627 AD, the Meccans send 10,000 soldiers to Medina. And Muhammad digs potholes and trenches all around the city. It's called the Battle of the Trench. And that renders the cavalry of the Meccans useless. You can't charge your horses across a field full of potholes and trenches.
So Muhammad goes to some of the Mechans at night, bribes them, they slip away. Gets freezing cold for a week. The rest of the Meccans lose heart and retreat. And Muhammad takes this as a victory that his enemies.
*He goes back into that Jewish city, gets offended at one of the Jewish tribes, confiscates their sproperty, chases them out of town, and the other two tribes sort of stand down.
Well, at least is not picking on us, and they were always competition for me.
Well, at least is not picking on us, and they were always competition for me.
*Now there's only two Jewish tribes. He gets offended at the smaller of the two and the big tribe sort of stands back well he's not picking on us and there were always competition now there's only one Jewish tribe and according to the hadith Muhammad is taking a bath and
that spirit appears to him and says how can you rest when all his enemies are in your midst he says where points at that last Jewish neighborhood he surrounds them for 28 days when they surrender he brings them into the market chops off the head of the men about 600 or 700 and then sells the women and children into slavery so within 5 years of Muhammad coming into the Jewish city of Medina as an immigrant.
*There's not a Jew left in the city of Medina. They were chased out, killed or enslaved.
And again it's a three-step process. Immigrate, increase, eliminate."
And again it's a three-step process. Immigrate, increase, eliminate."
William Federer
Djinn (Genies)
Adopted into Islam from pre-Islamic pagan Arabia. 
Some of these beings are good, some evil, some neutral.
They can supposedly mate with humans.
They are beings who live in bottles or lamps and are loyal to whoever possesses it.
They have magical powers.
Iblis, Islam's version of Satan, was a Djinn who refused to bow to Adam at the order of Allah and became Allah's foe.
Tawaf between Safa and Marwa
"Doing Tawaf between Safa and Marwa is an Islamic ritual associated with the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Safa and Marwa are two mounts, located at Mecca.
This ritual entails Muslims walking frantically between the two mounts, seven times.
According to a hadith in Bukhari, this was originally a pagan pre-Islamic practice. Muhammad retained it for Islam, sanctioning it with yet another Qur’anic revelation.
“Behold! Safa and Marwa are among the Symbols of Allah. So if those who visit the House in the Season or at other times, should compass them round, it is no sin in them. And if any one obeyeth his own impulse to good,- be sure that Allah is He Who recogniseth and
knoweth.“Sura 2:158
‘Asim: I asked Anas bin Malik:
“Did you use to dislike to perform Tawaf between Safa and Marwa?” He said, “Yes, as it was of the ceremonies of the days of the Pre-lslamic period of ignorance, till Allah revealed: ‘Verily! (The two mountains) As-Safa and Al-Marwa are among the symbols of Allah. It is therefore no sin for him who performs the pilgrimage to the Ka’ba, or performs ‘Umra, to perform Tawaf between them.’ ” (2.158)
Sahih Bukhari 2:26:710
This Hadith states that Muhammad adopted this pagan ceremony from the pre-Islamic “period of ignorance” and justified it with yet another convenient Qur’anic revelation.
A tradition also exists about Hagar running between these two mounts in search of water until she found the Zamzam Well."
According to a hadith in Bukhari, this was originally a pagan pre-Islamic practice. Muhammad retained it for Islam, sanctioning it with yet another Qur’anic revelation.
“Behold! Safa and Marwa are among the Symbols of Allah. So if those who visit the House in the Season or at other times, should compass them round, it is no sin in them. And if any one obeyeth his own impulse to good,- be sure that Allah is He Who recogniseth and
‘Asim: I asked Anas bin Malik:
“Did you use to dislike to perform Tawaf between Safa and Marwa?” He said, “Yes, as it was of the ceremonies of the days of the Pre-lslamic period of ignorance, till Allah revealed: ‘Verily! (The two mountains) As-Safa and Al-Marwa are among the symbols of Allah. It is therefore no sin for him who performs the pilgrimage to the Ka’ba, or performs ‘Umra, to perform Tawaf between them.’ ” (2.158)
Sahih Bukhari 2:26:710
This Hadith states that Muhammad adopted this pagan ceremony from the pre-Islamic “period of ignorance” and justified it with yet another convenient Qur’anic revelation.
A tradition also exists about Hagar running between these two mounts in search of water until she found the Zamzam Well."
Q&A
"Pagans prior to Islam would pray five times per day towards Mecca.
(The Encyclopedia of Islam (edited by Eliade) P. 303FF)
Muhammad retained for Islam, this pre-Islamic practice, sanctioning it with a story of a night trip to heaven on a mythical beast called al-
.webp)
Zoroastrians are also expected to recite their (kusti) prayers at least five times a day having first cleansed themselves by washing (ablution). These Islamic practices show Zoroastrian influence.
(Bowker, John, The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, New York, Oxford University Press, 1997, pp. 763-764)
But, contrary to the Muslims, Zoroastrians pray in the direction of the Sun (at each time of the day) and/or of the Holy Fire (if they are in a Fire Temple).
(Joseph H. Peterson – GAHS (prayers for each period of the day) – Avesta Zoroastrian Archives, accessed May 27, 2011)."
Q&A
Requirement of Ihram
"Ihram is a state a Muslim enters into for his pilgrimage to Mecca. It involves a series of procedures like ritual washing, wearing ‘Ihram
Narrated ‘Urwa:
"I asked ‘Aisha : …But in fact, this divine inspiration was revealed concerning the Ansar who used to assume “Ihram” for worshipping an idol called “Manat” which they used to worship at a place called Al-Mushallal before they embraced Islam, and whoever assumed Ihram (for the idol), would consider it not right to perform Tawaf between Safa and Marwa.
Sahih Bukhari 2:26:706."
Q&A
"In the Islamic ritual of Tawaf, Muslims go around the Kaaba 7 times. In the Hindu marriage rite of Satphere, the married couple goes around a fire also 7 times. In both of these rituals, religious phrases are repeated during the circumambulation.
Circumambulation is to go in circles around a particular object. In
.webp)
Judaism and Christianity (the religions of those who are considered People of the Book) do not practice ritual circumambulation to please God.
Two of the other major faiths with similar practice are Hinduism and Buddhism (called Parikrama). Both of these faiths are accused by traditional Islam of “paganism” and practicing idolatry."
Q&A
"According to the hadith, the Ka’aba in Mecca was a center of idol-worship, with the Ka’aba housing 360 idols.
Narrated ‘Abdullah bin Masud:
The Prophet entered Mecca and (at that time) there were three hundred-and-sixty idols around the Ka’aba. He started stabbing the idols with a stick he had in his hand and reciting: “Truth (Islam) has come and Falsehood (disbelief) has vanished.”
Sahih Bukhari 3:43:658
The Prophet Muhammad discarded the 360 idols but retained for Islam, the Ka’aba with its Black Stone, justifying it with the claim that Abraham and Ishmael originally constructed it.
The Quran says Abraham built it:
Remember We made the House a place of assembly for men and a place of safety, and take ye the station of Abraham as a place of prayer; and We covenanted with Abraham and Isma’il, that they should sanctify My House for those who compass it round or use it as a retreat, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer).
Quran 2:125
One hadith claims Muhammad says it was built 40 years prior to the Temple at Jerusalem:
Narrated Abu Dhaar:
I said, “O Allah’s Apostle! Which mosque was built first?” He replied, “Al-Masjid-ul-Haram.” I asked, “Which (was built) next?” He replied, “Al-Masjid-ul-Aqs-a (i.e. Jerusalem).” I asked, “What was the period in between them? He replied, forty years.
Sahih Bukhari 4:55:636
The Temple at Jerusalem was built by Solomon around 958-951 BC. This implies that if Muhammad were to be believed, the Ka’aba must have been built approximately 998-991 BC. But Abraham is alleged to have lived around 2000 BC so both Abraham and Ishmael would have been dead by then.
*The traditions of the hadith and the Quran are mutually contradictory and do not align with other traditions about Abraham and Ishmael.
Rather than being the creation of Abraham, Egyptian Professor and authority on Arabic literature, Dr. Taha Husayn, said the following:
“The case for this episode is very obvious because it is of recent date and came into vogue just before the rise of Islam. Islam exploited it for religious reasons.“
(As quoted in Mizan al-Islam by Anwar al-Jundi, p. 170)
Also, according to a sahih hadith of Bukhari, Muhammad even considered dismantling it:
Narrated Aswad:
Ibn Az-Zubair said to me, “Aisha used to tell you secretly a number of things. What did she tell you about the Ka’ba?” I replied, “She told me that once the Prophet said, ‘O ‘Aisha! Had not your people been still close to the pre-Islamic period of ignorance (infidelity)! I would have dismantled the Ka’ba and would have made two doors in it; one for entrance and the other for exit.” Later on Ibn Az-Zubair did the same.
Sahih Bukhari 1:3:128
Worship at the Ka’aba and the kissing of the Black Stone are according to the Islamic tradition one of many practices adopted from the 7th-century paganism of the Meccans and repackaged within monotheistic Islam."
Q&A
Veneration of the Black-stone
"The pagan gods of pre-Islamic Arabia were worshiped in the form of rectangular stones or rocks.
For example, the pagan deity ‘Al-Lat’, mentioned in Quran 53:19,
and believed by pre-Islamic pagans to be one of the daughters of Allah, was once venerated as a cubic rock at Ta’if in Saudi Arabia according to Islamic sources on the subject written after the rise of Islam.
An edifice was built over the rock to mark it apart as a house of worship. Al-lat stood in al-Ta’if, and was more recent than Manah. She was a cubic rock beside which a certain Jew used to prepare his barley porridge (sawiq). Her custody was in the hands of the banu-‘Attab ibn-Malik of the Thayif, who had built an edifice over her.
She is the idol which Allah mentioned when He said, “Have you seen Al-lat and al-‘Uzza (Surah 53:19)?
(The Book of Idols, p 14; (translation of Kitab Al-Asnam ) by Hisham Ibn-Al-Kalbi, 819 CE, translated by Nabih Amin Faris, 1952)
Kitab Al-Asnam (The Book of Idols), p 14
The Black Stone seems to have been one among many stones and idols venerated at the Ka’aba by the pre-Islamic pagans of Arabia. The Black Stone was kissed during pre-Islamic pagan worship. Though Muhammad is asserted to have thrown out 360 other objects at the Ka’aba, he retained this Black Stone and continued the practice of kissing it. It is this same stone that the pre-Islamic pagans once kissed, that Muslims kiss today when visiting Mecca.
Narrated by Abu Raja Al-Utaridi:
We used to worship stones, and when we found a better stone than the first one, we would throw the first one and take the latter, but if we could not get a stone then we would collect some earth (i.e. soil) and then bring a sheep and milk that sheep over it, and perform the Tawaf (circumnavigation) around it.
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 661."
"The pagan gods of pre-Islamic Arabia were worshiped in the form of rectangular stones or rocks.
For example, the pagan deity ‘Al-Lat’, mentioned in Quran 53:19,
An edifice was built over the rock to mark it apart as a house of worship. Al-lat stood in al-Ta’if, and was more recent than Manah. She was a cubic rock beside which a certain Jew used to prepare his barley porridge (sawiq). Her custody was in the hands of the banu-‘Attab ibn-Malik of the Thayif, who had built an edifice over her.
She is the idol which Allah mentioned when He said, “Have you seen Al-lat and al-‘Uzza (Surah 53:19)?
(The Book of Idols, p 14; (translation of Kitab Al-Asnam ) by Hisham Ibn-Al-Kalbi, 819 CE, translated by Nabih Amin Faris, 1952)
Kitab Al-Asnam (The Book of Idols), p 14
The Black Stone seems to have been one among many stones and idols venerated at the Ka’aba by the pre-Islamic pagans of Arabia. The Black Stone was kissed during pre-Islamic pagan worship. Though Muhammad is asserted to have thrown out 360 other objects at the Ka’aba, he retained this Black Stone and continued the practice of kissing it. It is this same stone that the pre-Islamic pagans once kissed, that Muslims kiss today when visiting Mecca.
Narrated by Abu Raja Al-Utaridi:
We used to worship stones, and when we found a better stone than the first one, we would throw the first one and take the latter, but if we could not get a stone then we would collect some earth (i.e. soil) and then bring a sheep and milk that sheep over it, and perform the Tawaf (circumnavigation) around it.
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 661."
Q&A
"Hubal was the moon god worshiped at the Ka’aba. The crescent moon was Hubal’s symbol. Muhammad’s pagan grandfather Abd al-Muttalib almost slaughtered Muhammad’s father Abdallah at the Ka’aba, to Hubal.
From Ibn Hisham:
An arrow showed that it was ‘Abdullah to be sacrificed. ‘Abdul-
.webp)
(Ibn Hisham 1/151-155; Rahmat-ul-lil’alameen 2/89,90)
The Ka’aba, Islam’s holiest shrine, has been a place where such pagan human sacrifices and slaughters have taken place for Hubal. When Muhammad founded Islam, according to Islamic sources he discarded Hubal and all the other pagan god.
At the Battle of Badr, his enemy Abu Sufyan praised the high position of moon god Hubal, saying “O Hubal, be high”. Muhammad asked his followers to yell back, “Allah is higher”.
“…After that he started reciting cheerfully, “O Hubal, be high! On that the Prophet said (to his companions), “Why don’t you answer him back?” They said, “O Allah’s Apostle What shall we say?” He said, “Say, Allah is Higher and more Sublime.”…” –
(Sahih Bukhari 4:52:276)
*This is supposed to be the origin of the commonly uttered phrase “Allahu Akbar” in Arabic."
Q&A
Path from Babel to the COUNTERFEIT RELIGIONS:
ROOT of Their REBELLION
--The tower they tried to build up to heaven by their own might.
So too does the sins of Babylon in the end reach unto heaven - For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Revelation 18:5 We don't need a man-made tower...we already have a strong tower - The name of the LORD is a strong tower: Proverbs 18:10
--The name they tried to make for themselves was rooted in pride...pride is how this war all began - How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!,..For thou hast said in thine heart, ...I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:12-14
"I" is the Root of this REBELLION----- Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. Psalm 10:4 NIV
Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only
Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.
A: --Look at the Sanctuary (plan of redemption laid out)
1) Paul tells us -
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood;
and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Hebrews 9:22
a) What was this "blood" for?
For this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Matthew 26:28
b) Almost? (How without the "blood"?)
.jpg)
They could bring flour. Hence, Paul is referring to that with the word "ALMOST all things" when referring to the blood sacrifice. 
and character.
Heaven's plan of salvation is broad enough to embrace the whole world. God longs to breathe into prostrate humanity the breath of life. And He will not permit any soul to be disappointed who is sincere in his longing for something higher and nobler than anything the world can offer.
God’s test of heathen, who have not the light, and of those living where the knowledge of truth and light has been abundant, is altogether different. He accepts from those in heathen lands a phase of righteousness which does not satisfy Him when offered by those of Christian lands. He does not require much where much has not been bestowed."
Ellen G. White
"Let it be observed, I purposely add, ‘to those that are under the Christian dispensation,’ because I have no authority from the Word of God ‘to judge those that are without.’ Nor do I conceive that any man living has a right to sentence all the heathen and Mahometan world to damnation. It is far better to leave them to Him that made them, and who is ‘the Father of the spirits of all flesh,’ ...and who hateth nothing that He hath made."
John Wesley
ROOT of Their REBELLION
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower,
whose top may reach unto heaven;
and let us make us a name,
lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
Genesis 11:4
3 Goals:
-1- A City
-2- A Tower
-3- A Name
--The city was in direct rebellion against the word of God - Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. Genesis 9:1--The tower they tried to build up to heaven by their own might.
--The name they tried to make for themselves was rooted in pride...pride is how this war all began - How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!,..For thou hast said in thine heart, ...I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:12-14
"I" is the Root of this REBELLION----- Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. Psalm 10:4 NIV
"They lost God, because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:21.
They attributed everything to themselves,
--and as self was advanced,
--faith in God decreased,
till they were in the darkness of idolatry." -- And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
E.J. Waggoner/Romans 1:23"The principle that man can save himself by his own works lay at the foundation of every heathen religion."
E.G.W.
REINCARNATION (where you never really die) -- The Quest for Immortality:Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only
1 Timothy 6:15,16
"Fifteenth chapter of Gibbons' Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, paragraph 17; he says of the heathen in the inquiry after the immortality of the soul:
"In the sublime inquiry, their reason had been often guided by their imagination, and their imagination had been prompted by their vanity."
*When they viewed with complacency the extent of their own mental powers,
-a-when they exercised the various faculties of
memory, of fancy, and of judgment, in the most profound speculations, or the most important labors,
-b- and when they reflected on the desire of fame, which transported them into future ages, far beyond the bonds of death and of the grave;
-c- they were unwilling to confound themselves with the beasts of the field or to suppose that a being, for whose dignity they entertained the most sincere admiration,
-d- could be limited to a spot of earth and to a few years of duration.
*What is that but the description of Satan's career when he started.
-a- His reason prompted by his imagination; his imagination guided by his vanity,
-b- and viewing with complacency the extent of his own mental powers; the desire for fame beyond that of God,
-c- and unwilling to allow that a person for whose dignity he entertained the most sincere admiration
-d- could be properly confined to a subordinate place in the universe of God.
Q: Is not this an exact description of mankind in a heathen condition, written by a philosopher, looking only at the question from man's side of it?
Q: Could there be a clearer description of the working of Satan in his original career?"
A.T. Jones 1893 Sermon
"Fifteenth chapter of Gibbons' Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, paragraph 17; he says of the heathen in the inquiry after the immortality of the soul:
"In the sublime inquiry, their reason had been often guided by their imagination, and their imagination had been prompted by their vanity."
--The Formula--
Vanity the root of the inquiry,
and self the root of the vanity.
I read on:*When they viewed with complacency the extent of their own mental powers,
-a-when they exercised the various faculties of
-b- and when they reflected on the desire of fame, which transported them into future ages, far beyond the bonds of death and of the grave;
-c- they were unwilling to confound themselves with the beasts of the field or to suppose that a being, for whose dignity they entertained the most sincere admiration,
-d- could be limited to a spot of earth and to a few years of duration.
*What is that but the description of Satan's career when he started.
-a- His reason prompted by his imagination; his imagination guided by his vanity,
-c- and unwilling to allow that a person for whose dignity he entertained the most sincere admiration
-d- could be properly confined to a subordinate place in the universe of God.
Q: Is not this an exact description of mankind in a heathen condition, written by a philosopher, looking only at the question from man's side of it?
Q: Could there be a clearer description of the working of Satan in his original career?"
A.T. Jones 1893 Sermon
Closing Question:
Q: Will Non-believers be in the 1st Resurrection?A: --Look at the Sanctuary (plan of redemption laid out)
1) Paul tells us -
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood;
and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Hebrews 9:22
a) What was this "blood" for?
For this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Matthew 26:28
b) Almost? (How without the "blood"?)
For when the Gentiles, which have not the law,
do by nature the things contained in the law,
these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts,
for their own conscience and
thoughts either accuse them
or tell them they are doing right.
Romans 2:14,15
----- In the Sanctuary the blood sacrifice was required for the forgiveness of sins. But there was a small opening, through mercy, for those too poor to afford a lamb or turtle dove for the blood offering..jpg)
In other words, there is an opening for a few, who never believing on the blood sacrifice of Christ (because they hadn't the chance to hear) could be judged based upon the law God implants in our conscience. But this would be very rare, as was the flour sacrifice.
2) Paul also informs us -
Neither is there salvation in any other:
for there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved.
Acts 4:12
So in other words, no one (via the "flour" route in the Sanctuary) will be saved because they followed their pagan religion faithfully.
Another way to say it--God does NOT believe in pluralism for salvation. A person who might be in the 1st resurrection, but never heard the name of Christ, won't be there because they were a good Hindu, Buddhist, etc. Their pagan religion has NOTHING to do with their salvation.
3) What does this show?
This shows the atheists, who like to mock Christians with the taunt of "What kind of God would destroy people who never got a chance to hear of Him"? ...that God left open one last avenue for the lost, though a small one, albeit an opening none the less. One last drop of MERCY.
...for God is love.
1 John 4:8
"Satan had blinded them.----Among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, He sees men and women who are praying for light and knowledge. Their souls are unsatisfied; long have they fed on ashes. The enemy of all righteousness has turned them aside, and they grope as blind men. But they are honest in heart and desire to learn a better way. Although in the depths of heathenism, with no knowledge of the written law of God nor of His Son Jesus, they have revealed in manifold ways the working of a divine power on mind2) Paul also informs us -
Neither is there salvation in any other:
for there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved.
Acts 4:12
So in other words, no one (via the "flour" route in the Sanctuary) will be saved because they followed their pagan religion faithfully.
3) What does this show?
This shows the atheists, who like to mock Christians with the taunt of "What kind of God would destroy people who never got a chance to hear of Him"? ...that God left open one last avenue for the lost, though a small one, albeit an opening none the less. One last drop of MERCY.
...for God is love.
1 John 4:8
Heaven's plan of salvation is broad enough to embrace the whole world. God longs to breathe into prostrate humanity the breath of life. And He will not permit any soul to be disappointed who is sincere in his longing for something higher and nobler than anything the world can offer.
God’s test of heathen, who have not the light, and of those living where the knowledge of truth and light has been abundant, is altogether different. He accepts from those in heathen lands a phase of righteousness which does not satisfy Him when offered by those of Christian lands. He does not require much where much has not been bestowed."
Ellen G. White
John Wesley
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