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Was Muhammad Inspired of God?


CA Steve

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I would like to thank Dan Peterson for an enjoyable and interesting 2 hours last night at the fireside in CA. I found the comparisons between Muhammad & Joseph Smith very interesting, especially the part about Muhammad being inspired and perhaps even a prophet. A question occurred to me after the meeting was over. Why would God inspire a man to create a religion whose intent is to remove Christianity from the earth? It seems to me that given the spread of the Islam that perhaps the inspiration was not from God.

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I would like to thank Dan Peterson for an enjoyable and interesting 2 hours last night at the fireside in CA. I found the comparisons between Muhammad & Joseph Smith very interesting, especially the part about Muhammad being inspired and perhaps even a prophet. A question occurred to me after the meeting was over. Why would God inspire a man to create a religion whose intent is to remove Christianity from the earth? It seems to me that given the spread of the Islam that perhaps the inspiration was not from God.

Considering that from a general LDS perspective, the Institutionalized Christianity of Muhammad's day was in pretty deep apostasy ...

Seriously, though, however, one could easily make the argument that the Islam of Muhammad's day is to Extremist Islam as the Christianity of the NT is to Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church.

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Well the funny thing is that some have supposed, back in 2003 iirc, that the Qur'an is a corrupted Christian document. But despite any similarities with JS, I think it's a grave mistake and downright dangerous to think that Muhammad was inspired by God in the case of Islama nd the Qur'an any more than anyone else using the available light of Christ to start a religion. There is absolutely no evidence of anything greater than that and there is quite a bit that is contrary to God in any Jewish or Christian, let alone LDS, sense.

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I don't know if we can answer positively whether or not Muhammed was inspired of God. What we can answer is that the Koran and Islam as we have it today is not the gospel and, though it may inspire its adherents to do good, it won't lead someone to accepting Christ as their savior by itself.

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Yes. This is not to say that Muhamad was entirely wonderful, but the positive outweighs the negative.

Volgadon,

Would you explain a bit more on your two responses please?

Isn't the intent of both Christianity and Islam to convert everyone?

And how is 1.4 billion (Dan's number I think) believers in a religon that does not consider Christ divine an improvement? Seems to me they are still godless.

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Well the funny thing is that some have supposed, back in 2003 iirc, that the Qur'an is a corrupted Christian document.

I am paying large sums of platitudes for a source. (:

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I agree it was a great fireside!

Mormon Expressions recently did a podcast interview with Ed Decker*, which was actually pretty dang interesting. When asked his opinion on the whole "Are Mormons Christian?" question, Decker jokes that a better question is "Are Mormons Muslim?", since he sees so many similarities between the two religions. That comment came to mind as Peterson drew parallels between the two.

I, for one, think it is absurd to think that God would create a non-Christian religion. It kind of makes the Plan of Salvation into a farce if we theorize that God is Himself setting up churches that inspire their followers to zealously follow paths devoid of proper authority, teachings or ordinances. It just makes no sense. Ultimately, it fosters the feel-good idea of "many paths" back to God, which is a nice idea but pretty contrary to the whole LDS scheme of things.

*The podcast contains a minute or two of discussion of the Temple, so listener discretion is advised.

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Volgadon,

Would you explain a bit more on your two responses please?

Isn't the intent of both Christianity and Islam to convert everyone?

Not quite the same thing as saying that their focus is on wiping out any particular group. Is Christianity focused on destroying Judaism and Islam?

And how is 1.4 billion (Dan's number I think) believers in a religon that does not consider Christ divine an improvement? Seems to me they are still godless.

It seems to me that your thinking is a little bigotted. That they don't believe in Christ's divinity hardly makes them godless. In the recent Gaza war several Israeli soldiers were killed by friendly fire. An Orthodox Jew, father of one of the victims, wrote a letter to the tank crew telling them that he forgave them and that they should forgive themselves. Is he godless because he doesn't believe in the divinity of Christ?

The rise of Islam definitely improved the lot of most of Arabia. Its role in world history has also been fairly positive. There was (and is) plenty wrong in Islam. That doesn't cancel out the good anymore than Christianity's numerous excesses.

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Not quite the same thing as saying that their focus is on wiping out any particular group. Is Christianity focused on destroying Judaism and Islam?

I think my OP said 'remove". You used the term 'wiping out'. I do not like 'destroying' either. Perhaps a better way to phrase it would be convert, as in the intent of both religions is to convert each other completely. If either side accomplished that then the other side would be removed from the earth. I do not know why God would inspire the founding of a religion whose intent is to convert his true religion.

It seems to me that your thinking is a little bigotted. That they don't believe in Christ's divinity hardly makes them godless. In the recent Gaza war several Israeli soldiers were killed by friendly fire. An Orthodox Jew, father of one of the victims, wrote a letter to the tank crew telling them that he forgave them and that they should forgive themselves. Is he godless because he doesn't believe in the divinity of Christ?

The rise of Islam definitely improved the lot of most of Arabia. Its role in world history has also been fairly positive. There was (and is) plenty wrong in Islam. That doesn't cancel out the good anymore than Christianity's numerous excesses.

I was both too harsh and not clear. By "Godless" i was referring to Christ himself as our God. I did not mean to imply they are without a God. It is all speculation, but how do we know that Christianity would not have filled in those areas where Islam is if Islam never began?

Thanks for your responses.

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I often hear somebody question if God would inspire a non-Christian/non-Mormon to deliver a message to somebody and then I often reply that God did this through Sydney Rigdon before he was baptized into the Church.

D&C 35

3 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto my servant Sidney, I have looked upon thee and thy works. I have heard thy prayers, and prepared thee for a greater work.

4 Thou art blessed, for thou shalt do great things. Behold thou wast sent forth, even as John, to prepare the way before me, and before Elijah which should come, and thou knewest it not.

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I would like to thank Dan Peterson for an enjoyable and interesting 2 hours last night at the fireside in CA. I found the comparisons between Muhammad & Joseph Smith very interesting, especially the part about Muhammad being inspired and perhaps even a prophet. A question occurred to me after the meeting was over. Why would God inspire a man to create a religion whose intent is to remove Christianity from the earth? It seems to me that given the spread of the Islam that perhaps the inspiration was not from God.

Having read the Qu'aran while in Afghanistan, as well as some other books on the subject of Islam... (I'm not an authority of the subject, I don't claim to be) I have found that that there are some things that are good within the writings of the Qu'aran. However, there is also much of the Qu'aran which is horrible, distateful, and violent. (much like some of the old laws in the Old Testament). I do not believe that the good that has come out of Islam, has outweighted the bad.

The major difference between Islam and Modern-Day apostate Christianity; is that Christianity has gone through a moderation. Islam has not.

Mohammad may have started off being inspired of God. However, at some point he became a fallen Prophet, if he ever was. He became blinded by pride and wealth.

Unfortunately many in the Islamic community still rever Mohammed as the perfect man, and aspire to follow his example. While Mohammad may have been a very good example for people in his time, his behavior is unacceptable in today's society.

In some areas of the Islamic world, girls as young as 9 years old are married off to men much much older, because Mohammad married his favorite bride, Ashia, at 9 years old.

There are Muslims in countries like France and Great Britian who still practice polygamy dispite it being outlawed.

Mohammad promised those who would wage Jihad against the unbelievers may things, including the much lauded 72 Virgins, as well as 26 28 pre-pubecent young men. (Book of Sunah)

There are Muslims who would protest the fact that I have written the name of Mohammad without "Prophet" before it, or "Peace Be Upon Him" after his name. There are those who killed other people because of the Cartoons drawn of Mohammad a few years back.

There is very little I would praise about Islam; and far more I would spend a lifetime condemning.

Radical Islam makes Fred Phelps look like a good alternative; and we know that Fred Phelps is a bioted, mean-sprited, un-Christian, wack-job.

I personally beleive that the organizations of Al Queda and other offshoots are the 21st Century's Gadiantion Robbers.

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cinepro:

Does God work with what he is given? Does he inspire people to be better? Did he not say inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

I guess it seems silly to me that God would need to inspire someone to join a non-LDS church, as if there are people who can accept a strong spiritual confirmation to attend their local protestant Church, but couldn't be open to a strong spiritual instruction to joint the local LDS Church.

As if God could inspire Muhammad to start Islam, but he couldn't clearly tell Muhammad about Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation.

I'm all for ecumenism, especially with other Christian Churches, but let's not forget what we really believe.

And consider what the Book of Mormon teaches about the "two churches", and consider what Islam teaches about Jesus Christ and the atonement. Which Church would Nephi say they belong to?

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Mohammad promised those who would wage Jihad against the unbelievers may things, including the much lauded 72 Virgins

See here for a little more accuracy as to what the Qur'an and Muhammad claimed would be the reward for all faithful Muslims, concerning these 'Houri'.

Technically, it appears the Qur'an, and the trusted attributed saying of Muhammad, claimed that the faithful (not singled out to Jihadists) would be permitted to have immortal, perfected, 'pure companions' with them at death.

Which, I don't think any Mormon would have any fundamental disagreement with. Seeing as most Mormons consider their spouses to be a pure companion, and plan to enjoy eternity with her.

I like the commentator who claims, "that mainstream Muslims regard this belief about 72 virgins in the same way that mainstream Christians regard the belief that after death they will be issued with wings and a harp, and walk on clouds."

...Or how Mormons view some of the assumptions and speculations by Brigham Young not necessarily supported by the actual scriptures.

Using Anti-Mormon websites as sources of Mormon belief is evil, but using Anti-Islam sites for cherry-piecked quotes and info is somehow okay...?

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Using Anti-Mormon websites as sources of Mormon belief is evil, but using Anti-Islam sites for cherry-piecked quotes and info is somehow okay...?

Really? Cherry picked quotes? Anti-Islam sites? Please show I've used either. There were no quotes in what I wrote.

Mohammad as the perfect man.

Man accused of polygamy in France fights back

Aisha

Hadiths

Child Marriage

The Hadith's are hardly the Journal of Discourses. It is my understanding the the Hadiths must be followed just like the Qu'aran.

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