Some Points For Zakir Naik, Mufti Perlis Dr Maza

PLEASE READ MY CONCLUSION AT THE BOTTOM.

Earlier I have posted about that Court action against the gomen undertaken by 19 Malaysians of various races (Malays, Indians, Chinese, Kadazans, Ibans) seeking a Court order that Zakir Naik be deported from Malaysia and never allowed into this country again.

It is a legal action, according to the laws of Malaysia, submitted for the action of the Courts.  Lets leave it to the Courts to decide.

Some of the religious folks especially the Perlis Mufti Dr Maza have reacted quite emotionally to this whole matter.  I believe they are looking at it from the religious angle.

In this post I would like to raise some other points.    Hopefully Dr Maza will read it and maybe someone can show this to Zakir Naik as well.  

I hope we can take this as an intelligent and intellectual discussion.   

But I do believe such an approach can be quite taxing for many people.   They prefer shouting, screaming and being quite the idiots.

Anyway,  Zakir Naik has made a name for himself as a critic of the Bible and a debater against Christianity, Hinduism and other religions.  

I would like to raise some points about the Bible / Jewish teachings (from the Bible, the Talmud etc) for Zakir Naik's attention.  


1.  The Bible forbids statues.   

This is as per the Bible, Deuteronomy 4:15-18 (prohibition of idolatry).   

"Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, 16 so that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol, an image of any shape, whether formed like a man or a woman, 17 or like any animal on earth or any bird that flies in the air, 18 or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below"  - Deuteronomy

Here both ISIS and Zakir Naik also believe the same thing as the Bible.  Asked about the Taliban blowing up the Buddha statues in Bamiyan in Afghanistan,  Zakir Naik once said, 'Who are we to object?'

There is no ban against statues in the Quran.   What did the Rasul teach us in the Quran ?    The Quran says that the Prophet Solomon had statues built for him (Surah  34:12-13).

" . . They made for him (Solomon)  what he willed of elevated chambers, statues, bowls like reservoirs, and stationary kettles."  Surah 34:12-13


What else did  the Rasul teach us in the Quran ?  That the stories of the prophets like Solomon are intended to strengthen the hearts of the prophet and the Muslims.   

"We narrate to you some history of the messengers to strengthen your heart. The truth has come to you herein, as well as enlightenments and reminders for the believers."  Surah 11:120 


So the story in the Quran about Solomon having statues built for him is also part and parcel of  strengthening  our hearts.  

The Bible, the ISIS and Zakir Naik believe that statues are forbidden.  

So   Zakir Naik  will  agree with the Bible on this point.


2.  The concept of  'aqeedah'  as faith.  

This is  a very important concept among the jihadis and it is a source of much of their  'holier than thou' behaviour.  

The aqeedah of a Shiah  for example is deemed as different.  That is why there is so much fighting against the Shiahs.  

The actual Hebrew word  "aqeeda" plus the concept of "aqeedah as faith" is found in the Hebrew Bible.  Refer Gen 22, Heb 11:17, Rom 4:16.   Aqeedah as faith  is not found in the Quran at all.  

Excerpted with permission from The Jewish Religion: A Companion, Oxford University Press. 

The Akedah Gained Prominence in the Late Roman Period.    The Akedah, or ”Binding of Isaac”,  is the account in the book of Genesis (22: 1-19)  of Abraham, at the command of God, taking his son, Isaac, to be offered as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. Abraham binds his son (hence “the Binding of Isaac”) to the altar"

Once more Zakir Naik has another thing in common, this time with the Hebrew Bible.  But it is not found in the Quran.   

So again  Zakir Naik  will  agree with the Bible on this point. 

3.  Killing the apostates 


This has become the trademark of ISIS and the jihadis. They have beheaded anyone whom they say is an apostate.  The Shariah Law also clearly says that the apostates must be killed. 

Zakir Naik will also most likely believe in this - although that is not very relevant.   What is relevant is that this teaching that apostates must be killed is also found in the Bible, which Zakir Naik often criticises.     

The idea to kill apostates is found in the Bible as well. Refer Mark 7:10, Deut 13:5-10, Lev 24:16 etc.

"6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;

9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people." - Deuteronomy.

What did the Rasul teach us in the Quran ?    The Quran prescribes no temporal punishment for those who believe, then apostate, then believe, then apostate and then persist in their apostacy (Refer Surah 4:137).

"Indeed, those who have believed then disbelieved (apostate), then believed, then disbelieved (apostate), and then increased in disbelief - never will Allah forgive them, nor will He guide them to a way"  Surah 4:137. 

Even if  Dr Maza does not agree, killing apostates  is part of the Shariah Laws. They cannot deny that.    I think Zakir Naik will agree with killing the apostates.   


So again  Zakir Naik  will  agree about  the similarities with the Bible on this point.   

4. Women covering their heads 

The ISIS, the jihadis and also Zakir Naik make a very big fuss about women covering the hair on their heads. Pay attention ok : they say  it is the woman's hair that must be covered. 

Firstly there is no mention of the woman's head or woman's hair anywhere in the Quran.  


Secondly,  nowhere in the Quran does it say that a woman's hair is part of her "aurat" (her nakedness).

Predictably (by now) there is a commandment in the Bible (1st Corinthians 11:5-6) that says women must cover their hair. 

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6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.  (1st Corinthians 11:6)


So again  Zakir Naik  will  agree with the similarities with the Bible on this point as well.

5.  Stoning the adulterer

This is  another favorite of the jihadis, the ISIS and Zakir Naik.   It is also part of the Shariah.  Killing the adulterer is totally   "not found in the Quran".   

This is in the Bible too.  Please refer Lev 20:10, Deut 22:20-23 etc.

"20 But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: 21 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.   22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.."

What did the Rasul teach us in the Quran ?    The Quran says that the adulterer shall be lashed a hundred times. There is no killing the adulterers  in the Quran.
  
So again  Zakir Naik  will  agree with the Bible on this point.

6.  Saying the Amen

At the end of reciting the Surah Fatihah, many Muslims  say Aa-men.  Also at the end of prayers or do'a (but not the Salafis).   If you check the Surah Fatihah there is no such Arabic word Aa-men there at all.   In fact  you cannot find this Aa-men anywhere in the Quran.    

The Aa-men is found in the Bible.

21  'Cursed is he who lies with any animal.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' 

22 Cursed is he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or of his mother.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.' 

23  'Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'



So (whether he practises it or not)  again  Zakir Naik  will  agree the similarity with the Bible on this point as well.


7.   The story of the creation of woman from the man's rib

This story is not found in the Quran at all.   

It is found in the Bible. Here is Genesis 2:22.

The Creation of Woman
 
21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."…

Zakir Naik  will 100% believe that Eve was indeed  created from Adam's rib, very close to  the Bible story above. 


 
So again  Zakir Naik  will  agree with the Bible on this point as well. 

  
8.  The practise that men wear beards 

Zakir Naik wears a beard - like most 'holy men'.  Needless to say (then why say it :) ) there is no such thing in the Quran.     Beards are again found mentioned  in the Bible. 

Leviticus 19:27   "You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard."


So again  Zakir Naik  will  agree with the Bible on this point as well. 


9.  Tattoos are forbidden. 

Zakir Naik, the ISIS and the jihadis will also frown upon or ban tattoos.  The Bible also explicitly bans tattoos.
  
Leviticus 19:28 'You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves'


I am not saying that we should all go out and get tattoos, but I am just pointing out the fact that   again  Zakir Naik  will  agree with the Bible on this point as well.


10.  Wearing the white (or non white) skull cap or 'kippah'.    In Hebrew it is called the 'kippah'.   In Malay it is  called   'kepiyah' - even sounds similar to the Jewish  'kippah'.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A kippah (ki-pah; also spelled as kippa, kipah; Hebrew: כִּיפָּה‎)  is a brimless cap, usually made of cloth, worn by Jews to fulfill the customary requirement held by orthodox halachic authorities that the head be covered. It is usually worn by men in Orthodox communities at all times.

There are some Bible references provided which the Jews refer for wearing the kippah. 

There is also a clear command in the Jewish Talmud  :  The Talmud states, "Cover your head in order that the fear of heaven may be upon you."[Shabbat 156b]
   
Zakir Naik almost permanently wears the white skull cap.  There is no mention of any kind of skull cap or head covering for men or women anywhere in the Quran.  

The white skull cap or 'kippah' of the Jews is obviously a Jewish invention.  

There is no mention of wearing skull caps in the Quran.   What did the Rasul teach us in the Quran about wearing clothes ?

"O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best. That is from the signs of Allah that perhaps they will remember."  Surah 7:26

So righteousness is the best clothing. Not a skull cap, a flowing robe or  a turban.  
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So again  Zakir Naik  will  agree with the Bible and the Jewish Talmud about wearing skull caps. 


11.  Burying the finger nail clippings

I dont know about Zakir Naik but some sects say that  after you clip your finger nails, you must bury them in the ground.  

"For instance, al-Nawawî, the eminent jurist of the Shâfi`î school of law, writes in al-Majmû`: "It is preferred to bury what is trimmed or cut from a person's hair and nail. They should be buried in the ground.    Likewise, Ibn Qudâmah, the leading Hanbalî jurist, writes in al-Mughnî: "It is preferable to bury one's fingernail clippings and the hair left over after the hair is cut." 

Of course there is no such thing in the Quran.  However there is a very similar teaching in the Jewish books (the Talmud, Chabad, Mishnah etc).

"The (Jewish)  Talmud  tells us that "the righteous bury their nails. ." The Talmud explains that nail clippings must be carefully disposed of lest a pregnant woman pass over them and miscarry."


Whether he believes this or not,   Zakir Naik  must   agree  with the similarities between  the Jewish Talmud  and  some sectarian teachings  about  burying  nail clippings. 


12.  Cutting fingernails in an  "out of order"  fashion.

Not only do the sects say that fingernail clippings should be buried in the ground but some of them also say that you must clip your fingernails in an "alternate fingers" fashion or "out of order" fashion.  Here is one school of thought : 
  

"  According to Matn al-Iqnaa (a name of book) of the Hanbali school, it is desirable for a person who clips his/her nails to do that in the following order:   The little finger of the right hand, the middle finger, thumb, ring finger and finally the index finger. Then, one clips nails of one's left as follows: The thumb of the left hand, it middle finger, the little finger, the index finger and finally the ring finger. . "
 
Link : http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=83722


Now here is the Jewish teaching about almost exactly the same procedure  :
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http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3421153/jewish/Why-Do-Jews-Cut-Their-Fingernails-Out-of-Order.htm#footnote2a3421153
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Why Do Jews Cut Their Fingernails 'Out of Order'?

"There is indeed an ancient Jewish custom of not cutting nails sequentially. The earliest mention seems to be in a version of Masechet Kallah quoted by the Machzor Vitry.  .  .There we are told that one should be careful not to cut his nails in order, since it can bring forgetfulness, poverty, and premature death of one’s children.2"


Again whether he believes this sectarian belief  or not,   Zakir Naik  must   agree  with the similarities between  the Jewish teachings  and some sectarian teachings  about  cutting finger nails in an "out of order"  fashion. 



13.  Sighting the new moon with the naked eye, by two men of good character. 

Every year to determine the beginning of the fasting month, the beginning of the Eid festivities (1st Syawal) Muslims all over the world eagerly await the "sighting of the new moon."  A minimum of 'two men of good character'  will go to some place on a hill or by the sea and look out for the crescent  of the new moon. Once they sight it (or not) the two men of good character will inform the religious council etc. The council will then announce if the next day is going to the Eid, the begiining of fasting etc.  I think most Islamic countries are familiar with this process of  sighting of the new moon.  

You should be able to guess by now this is not found in the Quran.  

And you should be able to guess by now the Jews have a similar procedure : 
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THE JEWISH SANHEDRIN AND THE TWO WITNESSES

• The Mishnah, also referred to as the Oral Law, dealt with the legal elements of daily Jewish religious life, in Hebrew called halachah.  
• In volume two called "moed" or festival, .  .teaches us about the Sanhedrin and its selection process of two  witnesses who would tell us when the new moon arrived. 
• Once a month the  Sanhedrin discussed when to proclaim the new moon. 
• They did this through  the agency of two witnesses . .
• They had to be of good character and were always treated  with great honour. . . 
• (Judaea) depended on (them) for the correct timing  of the new month and the festivals.

So again  Zakir Naik  will  agree with these Jewish teachings about sighting the new moon. Bear in mind that the Jews preceded Islam by at least 2000 years (maybe more).  


14.  The halakah

Among Arabs, the halaqah is a religious learning circle to transmit religious teachings. Here is some explanation:

Halaqah linguistically means “circle” in Arabic. Often a halaqah, is a relgious gathering- a study circle if you please. In these gatherings, people generally sit in a circle and it is said the angels also sit in circles surrounding the gathering until they reach our Creator to tell Him that His servants are remembering Him in a gathering.

The Jewish people started the halakah much earlier, more than 2000 years earlier. Here is the Wikipedia :

Halakha (/hɑːˈlɔːxə/; Hebrew: הֲלָכָה‎, Sephardic: [halaˈχa]; also transliterated as halacha, halakhah, halachah) is the collective body of Jewish religious laws derived from the Written and Oral Torah.   Halakha - Wikipedia.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halakha


So the Jewish halakha was the body of religious laws, written and oral.  The halakha was also how the Jews kept and transmitted their religious teachings.

I think I will stop here. There are many, many other similarities between the religious practises, Zakir Naik's own beliefs and the Bible and / or the Jewish teachings (Talmud, Mishnah, etc).


A quick list of other similarities is :

• belief in the 2nd coming of Christ - Mathew 24:27 and others. 
• ownership of slaves - ISIS made headlines with their 21st century slavery.  Ownership of slaves is detailed in the Bible (Lev 25:44,46; Lev 22:10-11; Exod 21:32 etc). Also in the Al Muwatta attributed to Malik. 
• circumcision of men (Genesis 17:10-14)
• wearing holy writing on the foreheads or hanging them on the wall (Deut 6:9)

In closing, we cannot deny that the Jews and their Bible (Old Testament or Torah) preceded Islam by maybe 2000 years or more.  Even the Jewish calendar is already 5000 years old.  So the Jews were the ones who started doing all those things listed above - maybe 2000 years before the Muslims arrived on the scene.  

The Jews can look at the Muslims of today and say, 'been there, done that since more than 3400 years ago'.   
  
But  Zakir Naik will say that  the Jews and Christians are  "kafir".   Despite the fact that Zakir himself upholds those beliefs (or very similar)  Zakir will say that the Jews and Christians are "kafir". 


[BIG BIG DISCLAIMER :  I must stress that in this list above (no 1 - 14) I am merely pointing out FACTUAL things.  These are FACTS.  The references and links are provided. Please search the Websites and satisfy yourselves.  

That is how we learn - by reading as many different books and materials as we can.  

I am not trying to sell any ideology or belief.  Dont get confused.  

If you think you want to be part of this discourse, then go and read for yourself and find out for yourself.  Dont be lazy ! ! And dont behave like ignorant  morons. END DISCLAIMER.]

Anyway as a point of accuracy  this list above  (no 1 - 14)  cannot be found in the Quran. 

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WHAT DOES THE QURAN SAY ABOUT FOLLOWING THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, THE YAHOOD  AND THE NASARA? 
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Surah  3:69-71  "A party of the followers of the Book desire that they should lead you astray, and they lead not astray but themselves, and they do not perceive.  O followers of the Book! Why do you disbelieve in the revelations of  Allah  while you witness? O followers of the Book!   Why do you confound the truth with the falsehood and hide the truth while you know?"

This was a warning to the Rasul and the Muslims. What is the warning? That some of the followers of the Book (AHLIL KITAABI) wished to lead the Muslims astray.  
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Here is another warning along the same lines, this time about the Yahood and the Nasara : 

Surah 2:120 “And the Yahood will not be pleased with you,  nor the Nasara until you follow  their ways (millata-hum). Say: Surely Allah’s guidance is the (true) guidance. And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you shall have no guardian from Allah, nor any helper”.
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Note this :  "And if you follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you shall have no guardian from Allah, nor any helper”. 
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These are two warnings already about the followers of the Book, the Yahood and the Nasara.   Do not follow them.   This is what the Rasul taught the believers in the Quran.  
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And the Rasul also taught the following :
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Surah  3:100  O you who believe! If you obey a party from among those who have been given the Book, they will turn you back as unbelievers after you have believed.
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Yet another warning. Those who were given the Book will turn you back as unbelievers (kafir).  So better watch out. 
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Then the way ahead is shown :
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Surah  3:101 "But how can you disbelieve while it is you to whom the revelations of Allah are recited, and among you is His Apostle? And whoever holds fast to Allah, he indeed is guided to the right path."
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What does this mean?  It means just stick to the revelations.  
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Here are two more verses from the Quran :
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Surah 61:2  "O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do?"
Surah 61:3  "Great is the hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do."
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In brief it means  'dont say one thing and then do something else'.   Allah really does not like that.

So the question is can the Rasul teach us one thing in the Quran and then say something different outside the Quran?  I dont think so.   

(If the Prophet had done any such thing I am sure some smart alec Jew sitting in the corner would have immediately pounced upon the prophet - because the religious people  teach us  that the Jews were always taunting the prophet.) 

Conclusion :  In conclusion I have some advice for Zakir Naik.  

Wherever he goes,  Zakir Naik creates controversy, especially with the Christians  (since Zakir is such an expert critic about the Bible), the Hindus etc.      Zakir likes to highlight the differences, weaknesses and contradictions in the Bible.    

You cannot blame the Christians, Hindus etc  if they feel that Zakir is insulting them or making fun of them.    So Zakir has been banned in Singapore, Bangladesh, UK, Canada and India has issued a 'summons' for him to appear before their investigators. 


But  I have a suggestion for Zakir.    Please look again carefully  at the list above No 1 - 14.     These are similarities. 

Why highlight differences (and create animosity)?

Why not highlight the similarities (and create peace and friendship)?  

Like your famous talk on 'The similarities between Hindusim and Islam'. 

You can tell the Jews and the Christians, 

Your Bible forbids statues, I also forbid statues.
Your Hebrew Bible upholds aqeedah, I also uphold 'aqeedah'.  
Your Bible says kill apostates, I too agree to kill apostates
Your Bible says women should cover their heads, so do I 
Your Bible says stone the adulterer, so do I.
Your Bible says Amen, so do I
Your Bible says Eve was made from Adam's rib, so do I
Your Bible says men should wear beards, so do I.
Your Bible forbids tattoos, so do I.
Your Talmud says wear the skull cap, so do I. 
Your Talmud says bury the cut fingernails, so do some of us.
Your Talmud says cut fingernails 'out of order',  so do some of us.
Your Jewish teaching says two men should sight the moon, so do we. 
Your Bible says circumcise, so do I 
You Jews have the halakha to transmit religious teachings, so do we.

What I mean is,  why not Zakir Naik highlight all these similarities between the Jews, the Bible and your beliefs and practises ? 

Then maybe the  UK,  Canada, Singapore etc might lift the ban on Zakir Naik.

And here is another suggestion for Zakir Naik.  

Why not Zakir Naik's IRF or Islamic Research Foundation do some extensive research on ALL THE SIMILARITIES between your religious beliefs and the Bible and the Jewish teachings?


Let me assure you that there are hundreds and maybe thousands of your religious beliefs that are NOT FOUND IN THE QURAN but they are also found in the Bible and in the Jewish teachings (Torah, Talmud, Mishnah, Gemarrah, Chabad etc).  


This would be a wonderful research project for Zakir Naik's  Islamic Research Foundation or IRF.  

Then you can highlight more and more similarities between the Bible, the Jewish teachings and your own religious beliefs.  

There need not be enmity.  
There need not be animosity. 
There will be more friendhsip.



Of course there might be a smart alec Jew or smart alec Christian sitting in the corner who might say to Zakir Naik :

• Yes these things are in the Jewish teachings and in the Bible. 
• The Jews practised them since more than 3400 years ago, long before you.
• But these things are not in your Quran. 
• And your prophet taught you in the the Quran not to follow the Yahood, the Nasara or the followers of the Book  (Surah 2:120, 3:69-71, 3:100-101). 
• Your prophet would not have said one thing in the Quran and then done something else differently (Surah 61:2-3).
• So why are you following us?
• Why dont you listen to your Rasul?

I think the Jews and the Christians can ask this question.  

This is when Zakir Naik may have to call upon his oratorical skills.