Responses to Akbarally Meherally's site

The Lord of Retribution


After the quotation of several claims from the Quran, Meherally begins his article with this statement:

Political Posturing and False Claims:

The arrogant and unjust Jews and Christians claim that the Holy Land of the Middle East had been given by God to Isaac and as such the Arabs of Palestine have no right to settle in "the Land of Jews".

RESPONSE:

It is quite sad to see how Meherally lumps all Jews and Christians together as being both arrogant and unjust. Muslims often complain (and rightfully so) that the West unfairly labels all Muslims as terrorists. Yet here we find Meherally adopting the same hate tactics in order to poison the minds of his readers. This shameful rhetoric is deliberately employed to stir hatred in the hearts of people towards those that do not share their worldview.

MEHERALLY:

Here are the Verses from the Bible that the Jews and Christians both revere as their Revealed/Inspired Scriptures. Read and understand the BIBLICAL TRUTH. It clearly indicates without any doubt that God gave all the Land (mentioned below) to Abraham for HIS DESCENDANTS when Abraham had NO CHILD. Ishmael and Isaac were born after the Covenant of the Land. Arabs of Palestine are the descendants of Ishmael, and the Jews are the descendants of Isaac.

RESPONSE:

Typically, Meherally chooses to misquote the Holy Bible in order to make it say what it in fact does not say. He did this in our debate regarding the child of sacrifice, and even though I kept pointing out his error Meherally refused to acknowledge his deliberate twisting of the scriptures. Sadly, He repeats the same distortion here.

MEHERALLY:

Genesis 15: 18 to 20
On that day the Lord made a Covenant (agreement) with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,
the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaims, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the land of Jebusites."

REPONSE:

Let us quote the passage in its context to see what Meherally conveniently left out:

“As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the LORD said to him, ‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.’ When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates- the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.’” Genesis 15:12-21

Once the passage is read in its intended context, it becomes quite clear that the descendants that were to inherit the promise land could not be the Ishmaelites. The promise could only be referring to the descendants of Isaac, i.e. Israel. It was the Israelites that served as slaves in a foreign land, namely Egypt, for four generations only to return to Canaan afterwards:

“Then he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ The LORD said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their sufferings. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.’” Exodus 3:6-10

“Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey. The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, "The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God." But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go. And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.’” Exodus 3:16-22

“Now the LORD had said to Moses, ‘I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely. Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.’ (The LORD made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh's officials and by the people.)” Exodus 11:1-3

“The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many other people went up with them, as well as large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. With the dough they had brought from Egypt, they baked cakes of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves. Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD's divisions left Egypt.” Exodus 12:35-41

Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, HE BROUGHT YOU OF EGYPT by his Presence and great strength, to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you FOR YOUR INHERITANCE, as it is today.” Deuteronomy 4:37-38

“After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.’ No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that LORD is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of the land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 9:4-5

The context of Genesis 15 by itself sufficiently refutes Meherally's false assertions. But let us move on to see what else Meherally has to say.

MEHERALLY

Notes:
1. There is NO RECORD in the Bible that the above Solemn Covenant made by God has been revoked or changed at any time. God gave "the Land" out of His own Will to the DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM.

RESPONSE:

We agree with Meherally that this Solemn Covenant is irrevocable, just like the Holy Bible says:

“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.’ As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved ON ACCOUNT OF THE PATRIARCHS, for God's GIFTS and his CALL ARE IRREVOCABLE.” Romans 11:25-29

Seeing that Genesis 15 identifies the nation of Israel as the ones to whom the Solemn Covenant was referring, this only refutes Meherally's entire position. It serves to establish that the land of Israel irrevocably belongs to the children of Isaac, not to the Ishmaelites.

MEHERALLY:

2. Please do not be misguided if some one quotes you a passage from Genesis chapter 24. The text is concerning the taking of a wife for Isaac. Here the Prophet Abraham had simply REPEATED the above quoted Covenant of God for the Land, given for his DESCENDANTS.

RESPONSE:

There is no need to go to any other chapter, since the context of Genesis 15 itself establishes that the descendants to whom the promise was made are the Israelites, not the Ishmaelites. Genesis 24 only reinforces that Genesis 15 refers to the nation of Israel.

MEHERALLY:

3. In Genesis chapter 17, God speaks of establishing TWO separate Covenants. The God's First Covenant was with Ishmael. It reads;

"As for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous, he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation." (Genesis 17: 20).

This prophecy has been fulfilled in ISLAM - a great nation. Every fifth person on this planet is a Muslim. Prophet Muhammad was a Descendant of Ishmael. The God's Second Covenant was with Isaac. It reads;

"I will give you a son by her (Sarah), I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." (Genesis 17: 16).

Judaism and Christianity are the two Nations that came from Isaac. The great Kings viz., Saul, David and Solomon were from the line of Isaac.

RESPONSE:

First, Meherally doesn't quote the entire passage, since he realizes that to do so would refute his false assertions and expose his deliberate misquotations. Here is the passage in its context:

“‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish MY COVENANT as an EVERLASTING COVENANT between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give AS AN EVERLASTING POSSESSION to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God’ ... Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’ And Abraham said to God, ‘If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!’ Then God said, ‘Yes, BUT your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH HIM AS AN EVERLASTING COVENANT FOR HIS DESCENDANTS AFTER HIM. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. BUT MY COVENANT I WILL ESTABLISH WITH ISAAC, WHOM SARAH WILL BEAR TO YOU BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.’” Genesis 17:4-8, 17-21

This exposes Meherally's lie that Genesis 17 refers to two separate covenants, since it does not. It refers to only one covenant which included the inheritance of the land of Canaan. And since God himself says that this one covenant extends to Isaac alone, it is little wonder that Meherally needs to distort the context of the scriptures in order to prove his point. He realizes that the Holy Bible explicitly denies that God made a covenant with Ishmael.

Second, God's promise to Ishmael to make him a great nation does not refer to Islam. Let us quote the passage that Meherally alludes to:

“As for Ishmael, I have heard you; I will bless him and make him fruitful and exceedingly numerous, HE SHALL BE THE FATHER OF TWELVE PRINCES, and I will make him a great nation.” (Genesis 17:20).

The Holy Bible records the fulfillment of this promise:

“This is the account of Abraham's son Ishmael, whom Sarah's maidservant, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of THE TWELVE TRIBAL RULERS according to their settlements and camps. Altogether, Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people. His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.” Genesis 25:12-18

The promise to make Ishmael a great nation refers to the twelve tribal rulers born to Ishmael. It has absolutely nothing to do with Islam or Muhammad.

MEHERALLY:

The Mother of Ishmael, was NOT a concubine as falsely claimed. She was a "WIFE" of Abraham...

Often FALSE claims are made by the Outrageously Arrogant Jews and the Epistle Thumping Evangelical Christians (based upon the erroneous writings of Paul) that since Ishmael was born to Hagar, an Egyptian Hand Maid of Sarah and NOT a WIFE Ishmael was regarded as a "seed" of Abraham but NOT a "son" of Abraham. The following verses from their BIBLE tell us that both such claims are UNTRUE and moreover they DIRECTLY CONTRADICT the Verses of the Bible.

RESPONSE:

Meherally assaults Paul by labeling his writings as erroneous. We shall see that it is Meherally's misreading of the Holy Bible which is erroneous and fallacious. Paul, on the other hand, was in complete agreement with the Old Testament portrait of Hagar as a slave of Sarah, and therefore excluded from God's covenant promises.

Second, it might be true that some Christians have argued that Ishmael is not Abraham's son and therefore excluded from the covenant promises, yet not all Christians argue this way. The reason why many informed Christians claim that Ishmael is not part of God's covenant promises is not because they believe that Ishmael was not a son of Abraham, since he certainly was. Rather, informed Christians reject the claim that Ishmael was part of the promises made to Abraham since God himself excluded Ishmael from sharing in the covenant See above for proof.

Meherally might claim that since Ishmael was Abraham's firstborn son he would naturally be Abraham's heir. To therefore transfer the right of the firstborn over to Isaac would be an express violation of God's Law. (Cf. Deuteronomy 21:15-17)

This would ignore the fact that God is free to choose whomever he wants and is not bound to the laws he imposes upon others. Furthermore, in several places throughout Genesis we find that God sovereignly chose the younger son over the firstborn. One such example is God preferring Jacob to his older twin brother Esau:

The LORD said to her (Rebekah, Isaac's wife), "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older (Esau) will serve the younger (Jacob)." Gen. 25:23

Joseph's son Ephraim was also chosen in place of the firstborn son Manasseh:

“When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. Joseph said to him, ‘No, my father, this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.' But his father refused and said, "I know my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.’” Genesis 48:17-19

Since it wasn't Abraham who chose Isaac but rather God who chose the latter, Abraham is therefore not guilty of violating any command. God can do as he sees fit and all that God chooses to do is perfect.

MEHERALLY:

Genesis 16: 1 to 3
Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children: I pray to you, go in to my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. (K.J.V.)

The following verse establishes the fact the Ishmael was called the "son" of Abraham in the Bible, more than once, after his birth.

Genesis 16: 15
And Hagar bare Abram a son; and Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.
Genesis 17: 25 - 26
And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

RESPONSE:

Let us read the verses in context and see what kind of picture emerges:

“Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian MAIDSERVANT named Hagar; so she said to Abram, ‘The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with MY MAIDSERVANT; perhaps I can build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian MAIDSERVANT Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise HER MISTRESS. Then Sarai said to Abram, ‘You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put MY SERVANT in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me.’ ‘YOUR SERVANT IS IN YOUR HANDS,’ Abram said. ‘DO WITH HER WHATEVER YOU THINK BEST.’ Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. And he said, ‘Hagar, SERVANT OF SARAI, where have you come from, and where are you going?’ ‘I'm running away from MY MISTRESS SARAI,’ she answered. Then the angel of the LORD told her, ‘Go back to YOUR MISTRESS AND SUBMIT TO HER.’” Genesis 16:1-9

In this passage Sarai, Abram and the angel of the Lord call Hagar Sarai's servant, relegating Ishmael's mother to the status of a slave. Abram tells Sarai that since Hagar is her servant she could do to her as she sees fit. The Angel himself tells Hagar to return and submit to her mistress Sarai.

In light of this, it is obvious what the term “wife” means in context. Hagar was acting as a surrogate mother, conceiving a child for her mistress. It is in this sense that she is termed Abraham's wife, namely that since she had conjugal relations with Abraham to procure a child for her mistress, she was therefore functioning as a wife. Other passages reiterate this fact:

“But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, ‘Get rid of that SLAVE WOMAN and her son, for that SLAVE WOMAN'S SON will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.’ The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. But God said to him, ‘Do not be so distressed about the boy AND YOUR MAIDSERVANT. LISTEN TO WHATEVER SARAH TELLS YOU, BECAUSE IT IS THROUGH ISAAC THAT YOUR OFFSPRING WILL BE RECKONED. I will make the son of THE MAIDSERVANT into a nation also, because he is your offspring.’” Genesis 21:9-13

Not only does God tell Abraham to listen to Sarah, calling Hagar a maidservant, God also clearly singles out Isaac as the child of the promises and inheritance.

“This is the account of Abraham's son Ishmael, WHOM SARAH'S MAIDSERVANT, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.” Genesis 25:12

Even after the death of Sarah, Hagar is still identified as her slave.

Secondly, it might be interesting to note that the Quran nowhere names Hagar as a wife of Abraham. The Quran actually gives the impression that Abraham's two sons are from the same woman since the Quran doesn't mention Hagar either explicitly or implicitly. In fact, the Quran implies that Abraham had only one wife. It is only when consulting the Holy Bible or the Islamic traditions is one able to discover that Abraham actually had more than one wife.

Noted Christian Apologist John Gilchrist in his book, The Christian Witness to the Muslims, commenting on the child of sacrifice notes:

Of even further significance is the complete absence of any mention of Hagar in the Qur'an, even of the slightest allusion to her. One writer states:

It is strange that the name of Hagar should not be mentioned in the Qur'an. (Stanton, The Teaching of the Qur'an, p. 46).

In actual fact, the Qur'an has no reference to her whatsoever, let alone by name. In this section we shall shortly see that the Qur'an speaks plainly of Isaac's mother as the wife of Abraham, the only wife of the prophet to whom there is any reference. Is not the complete silence in the Qur'an about Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, a testimony to the fact that Sarah alone was the wife of Abraham and that Hagar was merely her mistress? The Muslim argument that Ishmael was the sacrificial son quite clearly has no solid evidence to substantiate it. The plain statements in the Bible that it was Isaac must obviously be preferred to the Qur'an's nebulous and at times confusing treatment of the identity of the son whom Abraham was commanded to sacrifice...

Earlier in this chapter we quoted Surah 11.71 which states that God gave to Abraham's wife glad tidings of Isaac, and after him, of Jacob. As the son is specifically named as Isaac there can be little doubt as to the identity of his mother. Yusuf Ali has no difficulty identifying her as Sarah (The Holy Qur'an, p. 533), and Muhammad Asad likewise, in his commentary names the wife spoken of as Sarah (The Holy Qur'an, p. 326). The whole text reads, in Arabic, Wamra'atuhuu qua 'imatun fadhahikat, fabash- sharnaahaa bi-Ishaaq - And his wife was standing there and laughed, but we announced to her Isaac (Surah 11.71). The word for wife in this text, imra' ah, is in the singular. Now if Hagar had also been one of Abraham's wives, surely the text would have said "one of his wives", or it would positively have identified her as "his wife Sarah". When it purely speaks of Abraham's wife in the singular, however, without any form of identification, it is quite clearly implied that Abraham had only one wife and that his wife was Sarah.

When the promise of Isaac came to Abraham and Sarah, Ishmael had already been born, and the mention of Sarah at this point as Abraham's only wife is a clear testimony that Hagar was not one of his wives. We also note once again that there is no mention of Hagar in the Qur'an whatsoever, a strange omission if she also was a wife of Abraham. In fact no one reading through the Qur'an without reference to any other work could possibly guess that there was another woman in Abraham's life. The only such woman mentioned is described as the single wife of Abraham and she is expressly described as the mother of Isaac. If, therefore, Sarah is mentioned in the Qur'an alone as the wife of Abraham and is also so described in the Bible, can there be any further objection to the description of Isaac as "your only son" in Genesis 22.2 when the command comes to Abraham to sacrifice him? If Sarah is the only legitimate wife of Abraham, is it not perfectly in order to describe her son Isaac as Abraham's only son as well?

This matter begs further scrutiny. We must bear in mind that a promise was made to Abraham that he would bear a son through his wife. In the Bible the promise comes directly by the Word of God to Abraham (Genesis 17.19), whereas in the Qur'an it comes through the heavenly messengers who have come to destroy the people of Lot (Surah 11.70). In both cases, however, it is the express promise of God that a son would be born to Abraham and that the son would be Isaac. In Surah 15. 53 the narrative is repeated and the promise of a son again appears, though this time Isaac is not mentioned by name. The same goes for Surah 51.28-29 where once again the promise of a son to Abraham's only wife (again imra 'ah in the singular) is repeated. Once again Yusuf Ali, in a footnote, takes it to be Sarah (The Holy Qur'an, p. 1424). Finally, as we have seen, the promise of a son to Abraham appears again at the introduction of the story of the sacrifice (Surah 37.101) and a little lower down the promised son is again specifically named Isaac (Surah 37.112). There can be no doubt that Isaac is the only son promised to Abraham in the Qur'an and he must therefore be identified as the intended sacrificial son.

Ishmael is nowhere mentioned as the child of promise. (Wherry, A Comprehensive Commentary on the Qur'an, Vol. 2, p. 360).

As Sarah alone is mentioned in the Qur'an and as the single wife of Abraham, it is surely too hard to believe that God would announce to him the birth of a ghulamin halimin, a righteous boy (Surah 37.101), by an illegitimate union with a slave woman, especially as no mention whatsoever of this woman appears in the Qur'an. The only son promised to Abraham in the Qur'an is Isaac and, as Surah 37.102 makes it quite plain that it was this very same promised son who was to be sacrificed, the only reasonable conclusion we can draw is that the Qur'an takes no issue with the Bible on the specific identification of the sacrificial son as Isaac. It is only the popular sentiment of the Muslims that it was Ishmael and that for obvious reasons. We have shown just how the promise of a son to Abraham was inextricably linked to the subsequent command to sacrifice him and how Abraham, through a deliberate consideration of all that was involved against the background of God's unchanging faithfulness, foresaw the coming of the Son of God into the world together with his sacrificial death and subsequent resurrection.

(Source; bold emphasis ours)

Before trying to prove his point from the Holy Bible, Meherally needs to try to make sense out of the Quran since his own religious text doesn't even support his case.

MEHERALLY:

An over zealous fabricator may claim that Ishmael was regarded "son" of Abraham, but he lost that status after the birth of Isaac.
This fictitious allegation is negated in the following verse.

Genesis 25: 9
And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him (Abraham) in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron....

The God gave the "Holy Land" to the Arabs and the Jews, the descendants of Ishmael and Isaac.

RESPONSE:

God gave the Holy Land to the seed of Isaac alone, just as the entire context of Genesis states. In fact, here is what Genesis 25 says in context:

“Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. ABRAHAM LEFT EVERYTHING HE OWNED TO ISAAC. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east. Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.” Genesis 25:1-11

Not only did Abraham send his six sons far away from Isaac, much like he had done with Ishmael, but Abraham left all that he owned to Isaac. This again demonstrates that the promises God made to Abraham to make him a great nation refers to Isaac and his offspring. This promise has nothing whatsoever to do with Ishmael, his descendants or Islam.

MEHERALLY:

In the end, the "Righteous Servants" shall
inherit the earth... says the Qur'an & the Bible:

The Qur'an 21: 105
Before this (Qur'an) We wrote in the Psalms, after the Message (given to Moses): My servants the righteous shall inherit the earth.

The Psalms 37: 28 - 29
For the Lord loves Justice; He will not forsake His faithful ones. The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever.

Who are the "Servants of Allah"?

JEWS consider themselves as the Chosen People of their Yahweh.

CHRISTIANS consider themselves as the disciples of their Lord Jesus.

MUSLIMS consider themselves as well as Prophet Muhammad, to be the Slaves of Allah. They willingly submit themselves to Allah Alone.

RESPONSE:

It makes little difference what Muslims think. What matters is who God's righteous servants are according to God's pure word, the Holy Bible. Let us quote Psalm 37 in context and compare that with the words of the Lord Jesus:

“A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace... the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.” Psalm 37:10-11

“Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. HIS DISCIPLES came to him, and he began to teach THEM, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you BECAUSE OF ME. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.’” Matthew 5:1-16

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:16-18

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:10-14

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:3-5

“Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10-11

“To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—‘He will RULE THEM with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father.” Revelation 2:26-27

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Revelation 3:21

“And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests TO SERVE OUR GOD, and they will reign ON THE EARTH.’” Revelation 5:9-10

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6

The righteous that inherit the earth are the meek of the Lord who, through faith in Jesus, become children of God and coheirs in God's kingdom. The righteous cannot be the Muslims since Muslims can never be sons of Allah since Allah has no sons:

They say: "The Most Gracious has begotten a son!" Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! At it the skies are about to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin, That they attributed a son for the Most Gracious. For it is not consonant with the majesty of the Most Gracious that He should beget a son. Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth BUT MUST COME TO THE MOST GRACIOUS AS A SERVANT. S. 19:88-93

And they say: "The Most Gracious has taken a son!" Glory to Him! They are (but) SERVANTS raised to honor. S. 21:26

So much for Meherally's argument.

MEHERALLY:

In the end, the Believers will laugh at the Unbelievers...

The Qur'an 83: 29 to 34
Those in sin used to laugh at those who believed. And, whenever they passed by them used to wink at each other (in mockery); And, when they returned to their own people they would return jesting; And, whenever they saw them they would say "Behold! these are the people truly astray!" But they had not been sent as Keepers over them! But on this Day the Believers will laugh at the unbelievers.

RESPONSE:

Indeed, the true followers of Christ will laugh at both the unbelievers and the false believers who think they are followers of the true God:

“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One (i.e. his Messiah). ‘Let us break their chains,’ they say, ‘and throw off their fetters.’ The One enthroned in heaven LAUGHS the Lord SCOFFS at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ‘I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, ‘You are MY SON; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.’ Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss THE SON, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” Psalm 2:1-12

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

“I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars-I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.” Revelation 3:9

MEHERALLY:

Undeniable facts:

ISLAM IS THE FASTEST GROWING FAITH IN THE WORLD...

The events of September 11th and the subsequent episodes have in reality made the entire world looking for the Qur'an based True Teachings and the Factual Fundamental Principals of ISLAM.

I can personally vouch that from the number of e-mails
I am receiving and the requests for the copies of the Glorious Qur'an.

AT THIS RATE OF FANTASTIC GROWTH, INSHA'ALLAH, "THE RIGHTEOUS SERVANTS" OF ISLAM SHALL SOON OVER TAKE JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY COMBINED.

Glorious Qur'an 110: 1 to 3
When comes the Help of Allah and Victory and thou dost see the People enter Allah's Religion in crowds. Celebrate the Praises of thy Lord and pray for His Forgiveness: for He is Oft Returning (in Grace and Mercy).

RESPONSE:

Meherally commits several fallacies here. He first assumes that since Islam is the fastest growing religion this somehow proves it is true. This is the fallacy of ad populum. Numbers do not determine truth, God's word does. And since God's word, the Holy Bible, exposes Islam as a false religion this means that all who embrace it are far from salvation.

Second, not all Muslims believe the same. For instance, many of these so-called Muslims are members of the Nation of Islam which teaches that Allah is a black man, that Allah became incarnate in Master Fard Muhammad, and that whites are devils. You also have Ismailis who believe that Agha Khan is the manifestation of Allah. And then there is the Ahmadiyyas who deny that Muhammad was the last Prophet. Does Meherally believe that all these groups are truly Muslims? If not, then he is simply being dishonest when he claims that Islam is the fastest growing religion since not all those who profess Islam are orthodox in their views and would therefore be labeled as heretics or unbelievers.

In fact, here is what the Ismailism teaches regarding those Muslims who do not share Ismaili beliefs, taken from none other than Meherally's book!

The only Tariqah acceptable by Allah!

The fact that the Ismaili Tariqah is the only Tariqah that will be acceptable to Allah on the Day of Judgment; all other sects of Islam be rejected by Allah, is a popular belief and a deep rooted impression upon Ismaili minds. To substantiate their claim, Ismailis often quote a Hadith, the reported saying of Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which says that after the Prophet Muhammad's passing away Islam will be divided into 73 sects. Of these 73 sects, only one will be on the right path and acceptable on the day of Judgment and the rest will be rejected or worthy of damnation. The obvious question is why is it the Ismaili Tariqah, followed by 1 million out of 1,000 million Muslims, will be the only one acceptable from the 73 Tariqahs? (Source.)

Not only do the Ismailis claim that Allah will reject most Muslims, but Muhammad himself stated this as well! In light of this, it is simply dishonest and erroneous to appeal to the growth of Islam as a proof of its divine origin, especially when different Muslim sects condemn other sects as false.

Third, the fact that Islam is growing rapidly actually demonstrates that it is not a true revelation from God:

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

In light of Jesus' own words, that Islam is attracting many converts clearly indicates that it is a gate and a road that leads to hell since only a few will find the gate that leads to life. This gate is Jesus Christ:

“Therefore Jesus said again, ‘I tell you the truth, I AM THE GATE for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I AM THE GATE; whoever enters through me WILL BE SAVED. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’” John 10:7-10

“Jesus answered, ‘I am THE WAY and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Finally, Meherally misapplies S. 110:1-3 since this passage is not referring to the growth of Islam in modern times. According to the Hadiths, this passage was meant for a sign that was fulfilled during Muhammad's own lifetime:

‘Aisha said: The Messenger of Allah used to frequently say “Glory and praise be to Allah, Him I ask for forgiveness and to Him do I repent.” I said: O Messenger of Allah, I heard you frequently say, “Glory be to Allah and all praise is to due to Him.” The Prophet said: My Lord informed me that I would see a sign in my community and when I see it I should frequently say “Glory be to Allah and all praise is to due to Him.” The Prophet said: I HAVE SEEN THAT SIGN.

“When comes thy help of Allah and victory,
And thou dost see the people enter Allah's religion in crowds,
Celebrate the praises of thy Lord
And pray for His forgiveness,
For he is Oft-Returning (in grace and mercy)

Qur'an: 110. (Al-Ahadith Al-Qudsiyyah - Divine Narratives translated by Dr. Abdul Khaliq Kazi & Dr. Alan B. Day [published by Dar Al Kitab Arabi - USA, 1995], Hadith 6, pp. 34-35; bold and capital emphasis ours)

Ibn Kathir records the following interesting story regarding this very passage:

((Verily, my Lord has informed me that I will see a sign in my Ummah and He has commanded me that when I see it, I should glorify His praises and seek His forgiveness, for He is the One Who accepts repentance. And indeed I HAVE SEEN IT (i.e., the sign). <When there comes the help of Allah and the Conquest (Al-Fath). And when you see that the people enter Allah's religion in crowds. So glorify the praises of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness. Verily, He is the One Who accepts repentance and Who forgives.>)) Muslim also recorded this...

Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu ‘Ammar that a neighbor of Jabir bin ‘Abdullah told him, “I have returned from a journey and Jabir bin ‘Abdullah came and greeted me. So I began to talk with him about THE DIVISIONS among the people and what they had started doing. Thus, Jabir BEGAN TO CRY and he said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,...

((Verily, the people have entered into the religion of Allah in crowds and they will also leave it in crowds.))" (Tafsir Ibn Kathir - Abridged Volume 10 Surat At-Tagabun to the end of the Qur'an, abridged under a group of scholars under the supervision of Shaykh Safiur Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors Riyadh, Houston, New York, London, Lahore, September 2000], pp. 620-621; bold and capital emphasis ours)

It seems that much like today, the throngs of Muslims that Allah promised failed to remain unified.

MEHERALLY:

Islam is the name chosen by Allah.
The name Judaism has its roots in Judah.
The name Christianity has its roots in Jesus Christ.

RESPONSE:

Since Allah is not the God of the Holy Bible it really doesn't matter what name he has chosen for his followers. The Holy Bible teaches that all true believers are sealed with the name of Christ:

“However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” 1 Peter 4:16

“Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.” Revelation 3:12

“Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.” Revelation 14:1

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” Revelation 22:1-4

MEHERALLY:

Book of Isaiah 45: 21 - 22
There is no other god besides Me, a righteous God and a Saviour; there in no one besides Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By Myself I have sworn, from My mouth has gone forth in righteousness "To ME every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."

Notes:
1. The above verses from the Book of Isaiah are very EXPLICIT.

RESPONSE:

It is indeed so explicit that we cannot understand how Meherally failed to see the significance this passage has in establishing the Triunity of God.

MEHERALLY:

2. The Concept of JESUS CHRIST being the Saviour or the "Only Saviour" is out rightly refuted in very explicit language possible.

RESPONSE:

The only thing that this refutes is Meherally's false assertions and gross misunderstanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. Meherally assumes that Yahweh God is unipersonal, one in Person and one in Being. Since Meherally assumes that God is a Unitarian Deity and that Jesus is not God, it is little wonder that Meherally erroneously concludes that Jesus cannot be our Savior.

The problem with Meherally's logic is that it is thoroughly unbiblical. The Holy Bible teaches that God is one eternal, infinite, personal Being. The Holy Bible also teaches that God's eternal Being is shared fully and eternally by three distinct, yet inseparable Persons or centers of consciousness.

Therefore Jesus can be our Savior without this contradicting Isaiah 45:21-22 since Jesus is Yahweh God Almighty. This is precisely why the NT authors apply OT passages of Yahweh to the Lord Jesus Christ:

“Declare what is to be, present it—let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’ All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult.” Isaiah 45:21-25

“He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached IN HIS NAME TO ALL NATIONS, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.’” Luke 24:44-48

“Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you TO THEM to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are SANCTIFIED BY faith IN ME.’” Acts 26:15-18

“To the church of God in Corinth, to those SANCTIFIED in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours... but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God... It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:2, 24, 30

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

“Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:” 2 Peter 1:1

This does not mean that Jesus is the Father or the Holy Spirit since the three members of the Trinity are distinct Persons that exist as the one true God.

Secondly, Isaiah himself affirms that the one true God Yahweh exists in three Persons:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Father of Eternity (abi ad), The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7

According to Isaiah, a child will be born who will be the Mighty God himself and the Father or Source of eternal life. Isaiah takes the same titles of the child and applies them elsewhere to the true God Yahweh:

“A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God.” Isaiah 10:21

“O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done WONDERFUL things; Your COUNSELS of old are faithfulness and truth.” Isaiah 25:1 NKJV

“LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us.” Isaiah 26:12

“This also comes from the LORD of hosts, Who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance.” Isaiah 28:29

This means that Isaiah clearly believed that the one true God Yahweh is multi-personal as opposed to being an uni-personal Entity.

In case Meherally tries to claim that Isaiah 9:6-7 does not refer to the Messiah, we present the following ancient Jewish commentary, one that thoroughly embraces the messianic interpretation of this passage:

“For to us a Son is born, to us a Son is given; and His name is called from of old, Wonderful, Counselor, Eloha (God, Arabic - Allah), The Mighty, Abiding to Eternity, THE MESSIAH, because peace shall be multiplied on us in His days.” Targum Jonathan

Continuing further into Isaiah:

“I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us - yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses. He said, ‘Surely they are my people, sons who will not be false to me’; and so he became their Savior. In all their distress he too was distressed, AND THE ANGEL OF HIS PRESENCE (Hebrew - face) SAVED THEM. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. Yet they rebelled and GRIEVED his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them. Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people - where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses' right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown, who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name.” Isaiah 63:7-14

This passage attributes the redemption of Israel to Yahweh, the Angel of his Presence/Face and to the Holy Spirit. Dr. Robert Morey comments on the significance of the Angel being identified as God's presence:

“There are three distinct persons in this passage. There is the Speaker who sent the Messenger. That makes two Persons. Then the Holy Spirit was grieved. That makes three Persons.

“In the Hebrew text of verse 9, the words ‘the Messenger of His presence’... literally translates as ‘the Messenger of His face.’ It was an idiomatic expression which meant that the Messenger who is His face, i.e. who is the outward expression of His essence. The classic German commentator Carl Wilhelm Nagelsbach explains:

For by ‘the angel of His face’ who saved them, the suppliant evidently intends... by whom the redemption of the people from Egyptian slavery was effected. The expression... refers immediately to Ex. xxxiii. 14,15, where to the request of Moses that the LORD would let him know whom He intends to send with them (vers. 12,13), the answer is given... Moses thereupon rejoins: ‘If... (thy Face) go not, carry us not up hence.’

“Because Moses wanted to know whether God Himself would be with them, he asks whether God's ‘face’ would be with them. The divine Messenger who appeared to Moses and the Patriarchs was the ‘face’ of God. As Delitzsch rightly points out:

‘the face of God’ is His self-revealing presence. The genitive..., therefore, is not to be taken objectively in the sense of ‘the angel who sees His face’ but as explanatory, ‘the angel who is His face, or in whom His face is manifested.’

“This has been pointed out by modern commentators as well. E.J. Young comments:

This angel (the word means messenger) God had promised to send to His people (Ex. 23:20-23) and actually did send to them (Ex. 14:19; Num. 20:16). He is the Lord's angel (Ex. 33:14, 15) and is actually the Lord (Yahweh) Himself (Ex. 33:12).

“The ‘Messenger of His face’ is clearly the ‘Messenger of Yahweh’ who is Yahweh in human form. Who else could be described with such terminology? Even the pre-Christian Jews understood this quite clearly. Thus, the Septuagint renders Isaiah 63:9 as:

ek pases thlipseos ou presbus oude angelos all autos kurios esosen autous dia to agapan autous

... out of their affliction; not by an ambassador, or an angel but the Lord himself saved them through His love.

“The Alexandrian Jews in their paraphrase of this verse pointed out that the ‘messenger of His face’ was not a human ambassador (presbus) or a mere created angel (angelos) but Yahweh himself.” (Morey, The Trinity - Evidence and Issues [World Bible Pub Co; September 1996 ISBN: 0529106922], pp. 200-202; bold emphasis ours)

We therefore discover that this Angel was not a mere creature, but rather the eternal God himself appearing to the Israelites on behalf of Yahweh their God. The Angel was distinct from Yahweh as well as being fully God in nature, since he himself is Yahweh God appearing in visible form.

Furthermore, The Holy Sprit is viewed as a Person since the Spirit can be grieved and grants rest to God's people. These are traits belonging to a Person, not a force.

This means that for Isaiah the one true savior Yahweh God exists in three distinct Persons. This sufficiently puts to rest Meherally's false dilemma.

MEHERALLY:

3. The text speaks of all the ends of the earth! To say that this Verse has been made Null and Void by the historicity of the Crucifixion of Jesus is to claim that GOD the ALMIGHTY was ill informed of the FUTURE.

RESPONSE:

Since informed Christians do not say that Jesus' crucifixion nullifies God's statement in Isaiah 45:21-22, we see that Meherally chooses to attack a straw man. Rather, Jesus' mandate to his disciples after his resurrection to go into all the nations and make disciples actually fulfills the promise of Isaiah:

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20

“I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Mark 14:9

“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So when they met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, AND TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.’ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” Acts 1:1-9

“May the God of peace, who through the blood of THE ETERNAL COVENANT brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21

“And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests TO SERVE OUR GOD, and they will reign ON THE EARTH.’” Revelation 5:9-10

“Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel TO PROCLAIM TO THOSE WHO LIVE ON THE EARTH-to every nation, tribe, language and people.” Revelation 14:6

MEHERALLY:

4. The last sentence endorses that EVERY MAN AND WOMEN will Swear the Confession of Faith and Surrender to Allah and Pray like the

MUSLIMS

RESPONSE:

Contrary to what Meherally thinks, the only thing that the last sentence endorses is the fact that every created thing will bow down to Jesus and confess him as Lord just like the true Christians do:

“Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son JUST AS they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.” John 5:22-23

“You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” Acts 10:36

That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” Romans 10:9-13

“If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.” Romans 14:8-9

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 1:18-23

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

“who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” 1 Peter 3:22

“Then I heard EVERY CREATURE in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne AND TO THE LAMB be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’ The four living creatures said, ‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.” Revelation 5:13-14

This concludes our long rebuttal. More rebuttals to Meherally's misinformation and deceitful exegesis to follow shortly, Lord Jesus willing.

Sam Shamoun


A. Meherally made an attempt of a response to the above article. Sam Shamoun responds with this follow-up.

Responses to Akbarally Meherally
Answering Islam Home Page