How do I know which message is truly from God? (Criterion 2) | Sheikh Aous Asfar

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Ahlul Bayt Center of Toledo
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How do I know which message is truly from God? (Criterion 2) Sheikh Aous Asfar | Ramadan Night 18 at the Ahlul Bayt Center of Toledo | 2024

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[0:16]Allah subhana T states in the Holy Quran and what he says

[0:21]is the truth Allah says in Shah so we continue with this

[0:32]beautiful verse in which Allah subhana T says and surely we will

[0:37]show them our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it

[0:42]becomes apparent and clear to them that he is the truth is

[0:46]it not sufficient for you that Allah Bears witness over all things

[0:55]as we continue our discourse we were able to through the intellect

[1:00]to reach certain realities and certain truths that have strengthened our relation

[1:05]our relationship with Allah subhana tala Paradigm shifting ideas and Paradigm shifting

[1:13]processes of thought that have allowed us to now change or at

[1:20]least alter or let's say tweak our moral compass we've come to

[1:24]understand that really the reason why we are here is to know

[1:29]Allah subhana wa ta'ala and that knowing Allah subhana T is a

[1:33]privilege it's an honor that Allah subhana T bestowed upon us why

[1:36]because he is the all perfect we said the creator of something

[1:40]is greater than what they create therefore the creator of all of

[1:44]limitation is greater than limitation which means that he is unlimited and

[1:48]that means that he is all perfect right so since he is

[1:54]all perfect that means then that not only is he all wise

[1:56]but he's all just and that means that any oppression we see

[2:00]in the world is not from our creator but rather from the

[2:03]doings of our own hands from Human choice so once we come

[2:09]to understand this it becomes easy to be able to navigate through

[2:11]life because I won't be questioning well why is it that God

[2:16]has allowed this to happen why because we said Allah subhana T

[2:19]has to give us choice because choice is good and being forced

[2:22]to do something is bad therefore Allah subhana tal won't compel us

[2:27]he won't Force us not even to choose him because imagine if

[2:29]we were all compelled and we were all forced then what's the

[2:31]point of this life in the first place life becomes pointless and

[2:37]Allah subhana wa tala is what is all purposeful since he's all

[2:40]perfect therefore everything that we go through in this life is for

[2:45]a purpose and that purpose first and foremost serves me it doesn't

[2:49]serve my Creator because he's he's not in need he deemed me

[2:52]worthy of existing and therefore my worth is from him right that

[2:56]means then what must I do I must thank him and thanking

[3:00]him can be by me guessing or by me emulating him or

[3:05]it can also be by me asking him or Allah just like

[3:10]I communicate with others aren't you going to communicate with me so

[3:13]we reached the point where we understood that Allah subhana tala has

[3:16]to communicate with me and we determine that there have to be

[3:21]criteria through which I can determine whether a message truly is from

[3:24]my Creator or not agreed if you agree say I agree So

[3:29]based on that then I said okay well let me think of

[3:31]certain criteria that I can use to be able to determine whether

[3:35]a message is truly from Allah or not and so we were

[3:38]able to list a few criteria and I'll list all five right

[3:43]now yesterday we were only able to do one of them today

[3:45]we'll inshallah do the second so the five criteria are number one

[3:51]that the message has to be a reflection of its author right

[3:57]and since the author is unlimited that means he's constant he's unchanged

[4:00]that means his message must be constant and unchanged we said secondly

[4:05]since he is unlimited that means he's all perfect therefore his message

[4:08]must be non-contradictory it must have no mistakes no errors because he

[4:13]is perfect his message must be perfect as well we also mentioned

[4:17]that since he is Supernatural and Beyond nature he is the creator

[4:22]of all of limitation that means that his message must also be

[4:26]Supernatural meaning miraculous right we also mentioned two other important criteria one

[4:32]is that the Creator himself must in his message correct any false

[4:40]um claims that were made by either uh Scholars of past religions

[4:45]or otherwise and also finally that the message itself must have information

[4:49]in it that nobody would know about the universe except for the

[4:54]Creator himself we were able to determine after we were able to

[5:00]understand the Bible and the Torah that the Torah doesn't exist anymore

[5:03]and that the um Bible today was written 100 to 1300 years

[5:10]after the um what we say as Muslims the raising of Jesus

[5:14]to Allah subhana wa tala because we don't believe that he was

[5:20]crucified that means then that uh we have to look at the

[5:22]Holy Quran because the Torah and the Bible are not constant right

[5:27]they don't exist today in their original form next we looked at

[5:31]the Holy Quran we said well the Quran exists today and if

[5:34]we compare a Quran from 1,400 years ago 800 300 200 100

[5:39]to this very day wherever you go in the world the Quran

[5:42]in its original language is exactly the same completely unchanged right to

[5:49]the to the short vow now you might see certain changes in

[5:53]font depending on the time period or the country that you might

[5:58]see it in but everything is exactly the same next we move

[6:08]on to the second Criterion and that Criterion we set is that

[6:13]the message has to be perfect so even though at this point

[6:16]we can set the Torah and the Bible aside we won't okay

[6:20]we'll still see um do they meet the second criteria or not

[6:25]just to be fair right so since the Torah today doesn't exist

[6:31]and our brothers from the Jewish faith they use we mentioned the

[6:34]pentat talk which is the uh first five gospels within the Old

[6:37]Testament as their Jewish Bible then we'll look at the Old Testament

[6:44]and the New Testament as well okay and since the Christians they

[6:46]take the whole Bible Old and New Testaments then that means then

[6:49]we can hit you know two birds inshallah with one feather not

[6:54]one stone we don't want to hurt to anyone right so that

[6:56]then we can be um we can be aware and see if

[6:59]there are any contradictions in both and then of course we'll take

[7:04]a look at the Holy Quran okay so if we look at

[7:07]the Old Testament and if you remember we said the Bible is

[7:09]composed of two Testaments the old and the new now in the

[7:16]Old Testament the very first gospel is called Genesis the gospel of

[7:21]Genesis in Genesis 7:1 it says and Noah was the most righteous

[7:28]of his generation and that God Comm commanded him to enter the

[7:34]ark okay cuz remember Noah was being building this huge Arc this

[7:41]huge ship where he would bring like you know uh um one

[7:44]of each pair of of animals and so on and and only

[7:49]the Believers would get onto the ship with him and all um

[7:51]kitabis meaning those who follow the books of Allah subhana wa tala

[7:55]we believe this right we believe in the story of prophet Noah

[7:58]so it says that in chapter 7:1 that Noah was the most

[8:03]righteous to his generation now these words they sound very Godly right

[8:07]because if if he is the most righteous of his generation then

[8:13]he must be a prophet to his people does that make sense

[8:15]if it makes sense it makes sense right so if God says

[8:19]you're the most righteous then who's better than you on the earth

[8:24]there isn't right so based on that then we say okay great

[8:27]so according to the Bible according to Genesis 7 verse one Noah

[8:31]was a prophet of God he was the most righteous of his

[8:35]people next if we move on to top chapter 9: 20-2 we

[8:40]find a really interesting scenario unfolding and it says that basically and

[8:46]I'll paraphrase that when the Ark of Noah landed Noah became a

[8:50]husband man and he planted a Vineyard interesting if he is a

[8:56]prophet of God why would he plant a Vineyard isn't aren't Vineyards

[8:59]for wine making we say okay no well let's read on maybe

[9:02]you know it's just you know when you have an orchard a

[9:07]grape Orchard maybe that's what it's called a Vineyard if we read

[9:09]on we find that there's this scenario that occurs where one of

[9:16]the sons of Noah enters his tent and he finds him unclothed

[9:19]uncovered naked not wearing any clothes okay you might say well I

[9:26]mean he's in the privacy of his own tent right you know

[9:28]it's okay if he takes off his clothes but that's not the

[9:32]problem the problem is that it continues to say and that he

[9:35]was drunk drunk I thought he was the most righteous in chapter

[9:39]7:1 why is it that in chapter 9: 20-2 it says he

[9:45]planted the vineyard and he's uncovered in a stent and he's drunk

[9:50]how can a prophet of God partake in being drunk and drinking

[9:57]that doesn't sound right does it so there's an obvious contradiction here

[10:03]in the Old Testament now someone might come to you and they

[10:06]might say to you well what if what if drinking wasn't prohibited

[10:09]at that time right because someone can come and say that to

[10:14]you so then we say okay well let's look at the Old

[10:15]Testament and see was drinking wine and alcohol prohibited or not so

[10:23]when we look at the chapter or sorry the gospel of Proverbs

[10:26]the gospel of Proverbs what do we find in chapter 20 verse1

[10:35]and chapter 23 um verse 32 in chapter 23 vers 20 and

[10:38]21 okay it speaks about wine and what does it say and

[10:43]be not among wine bibbers riotous Eaters of Flesh let's take a

[10:48]look at this verse be not among wine bibbers meaning don't be

[10:55]amongst people who do what who drink wine and not just wine

[10:58]bibbers a wine bibbers a person who literally spills wine every time

[11:03]they drink which means they drink a lot so that means then

[11:06]if it says do not be amongst wine Biers amongst itself as

[11:11]a word can either mean don't be one of them or don't

[11:14]even be around them so to be precautious it's better to say

[11:20]don't even be around them does that make sense which means avoid

[11:24]such individuals because it would be unrighteous Behavior to be associated with

[11:29]such individuals does that make sense so if it says don't be

[11:37]amongst them around them avoid them then of course By Priority it

[11:40]would mean don't drink does that make sense if it makes sense

[11:44]say it makes sense next what does it say it says and

[11:49]wine is a mocker and whomsoever is deceived is unwise that wine

[11:57]humiliates a person makes a mockery out of them and whoever is

[12:00]deceived by this drink is considered to be unwise so how can

[12:07]he be righteous and unwise at the same time how could this

[12:09]most righteous person of his generation allow a simple drink to make

[12:13]a mockery of him and to humiliate him as is depicted in

[12:19]the tent where he was uncovered and found drunk by his son

[12:23]right that doesn't make any logical sense right so obviously we're seeing

[12:28]that so far there is is truly a contradiction and Proverbs is

[12:33]making it clear for us right that drinking wine is prohibited not

[12:37]just that what do we find we find in another verse it

[12:42]describes what alcohol and drinking does to you also in Proverbs what

[12:46]does it say it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an

[12:49]Adder so what does a serpent do it bites its prey it's

[12:53]WRA it wraps itself around it right takes a hold of it

[12:56]suffocates The Living Daylights out of it and if it's as venomous

[13:01]as a snake that means it's poisonous agreed if you agree say

[13:06]I agree and we all know that alcohol poisons your your liver

[13:10]right Burns brain cells right so obviously then the Bible is clear

[13:15]in telling us that drinking is prohibited agreed so far so then

[13:20]there is an obvious contradiction here in the Old Testament being the

[13:24]Jewish Bible and the Bible itself so let's look at the chapter

[13:31]of Luke or or the Gospel of Luke 1:1 15 in this

[13:35]verse of the New Testament now now we're in the New Testament

[13:38]okay the New Testament now what does it say it says and

[13:43]it speaks about Prophet Yahya okay and he was great in the

[13:46]sight of of his Lord and He neither drank wine nor strong

[13:49]drink so Yahya was a prophet of God and he according to

[13:55]that verse was great in the sight of the Lord wow that

[13:59]means he was a Prophet agreed so these sound like the words

[14:06]of God so if we read on what does it say and

[14:10]he neither drank wine nor strong drink which means that a prophet

[14:14]of God does not drink wine and does not drink strong drink

[14:17]which means any drink that has alcohol in it not a Raman

[14:26]Coke not vodka nothing like that okay so that means that all

[14:30]prophets because if this applies to one Prophet then all prophets have

[14:37]to be this way because they all represent God agreed So based

[14:40]on that then that means that clearly there is a contradiction within

[14:46]the Old Testament and between the Old Testament and the New Testament

[14:51]now while some of the words sound Godly and Noah was the

[14:57]most righteous of his generation right sounds Godly and he was great

[15:02]in the sight of the Lord sounds Godly right but unfortunately there

[15:09]are contradictions now why did this happen well you have to understand

[15:13]that these gospels of the Bible there are many of them some

[15:16]were included some were removed because of whatever reason we'll talk about

[15:22]that later but these gospels nobody claims that they were written by

[15:26]Jesus everybody will tell you that these gospels were written by normal

[15:33]men some are associated with the Disciples of Jesus okay even those

[15:39]books themselves some say that it wasn't the disciples but rather their

[15:42]students who wrote them but 85% at least of the gospels were

[15:49]written by unknown authors so now if a message is a reflection

[15:53]of its author and we don't know who the author is then

[15:58]how can we authentic iate that this is truly the word of

[16:01]God what they do tell us is this the spirit entered them

[16:06]and guided their hand to write well listen if you write a

[16:09]book and I write a book and the other writes a book

[16:13]right we're different people we have different styles of writing right agreed

[16:18]and maybe we have different patrons who paid for us to write

[16:23]these books and maybe those patrons have political motivations right part of

[16:28]it might be to corrupt people's thoughts and so to corrupt the

[16:33]idea of the Perfection of a prophet and the representative of God

[16:37]is clear here in these in in that specific in those specific

[16:41]group groupings of verses from chapter n um verses 20 to 25

[16:51]agreed obviously someone is trying to um discredit right the prophets and

[16:55]the representatives of God and so that's why we say look while

[16:58]the Bible does have some elements that sound Godly but because there

[17:02]are contradictions in it we can't take it including the other reason

[17:06]why is because we don't know who all the authors are anyway

[17:10]right so by your own admission so then I can't take the

[17:13]Bible because I I it has contradictions and I can't take the

[17:17]Torah as well so now I move on to the Holy Quran

[17:20]does the Holy Quran have contradictions in it no one has found

[17:24]a contradiction in the Holy Quran not a single contradiction and those

[17:29]who have come and tried to claim that there is a contradiction

[17:33]at the end of the road they've been refuted the simplest one

[17:35]is they come and they say what they say well the Holy

[17:40]Quran States in it and whoever gives life to one individual for

[17:42]he has given life to all of humanity and whoever gives life

[17:45]whoever takes one life has killed all of humanity right they say

[17:51]doesn't that contradict with kill all the infidels we say first of

[17:54]all there's no such word as infidels in the Holy Quran and

[17:57]the verse that they are referring to the second verse actually refers

[18:01]to because we can't take verses out of context right okay just

[18:05]like we didn't take the verse out of the verses out of

[18:08]context in the Torah I mean in the Bible the Old Testament

[18:10]and the New Testament we can't take things out of context when

[18:14]we look at any text right or even when we talk to

[18:16]anyone right we don't take just a little exerpt and then say

[18:20]oh you know this is the reason why and just make up

[18:21]a reason right in actual fact the verse that they're referring to

[18:27]refers to the mus of that they were trying to push the

[18:30]Believers out of Mecca right and Allah subhana tala commanded them to

[18:37]hold their ground and to protect themselves and if you continue reading

[18:40]the verse and inshallah we'll talk about it in more detail tomorrow

[18:43]if you continue reading the verse you'll find that it actually tells

[18:46]you that Allah says and don't be the initiator and don't fight

[18:49]them in front of which and if they stand down then just

[18:56]forgive them right so then the is no contradiction in the Holy

[19:02]Quran So based on that then the Holy Quran passes the first

[19:06]two criteria now what we have is three more criteria to look

[19:10]at inshallah we'll take a look at those tomorrow though we'll take

[19:13]a break from looking at the criteria we will cover chaos theory

[19:20]and coincidence sounds good until then we ask that Allah subhana tala

[19:26]accepts our Deeds that he bestows his mercy upon our deal departed

[19:28]relatives that he supports our dear brothers and sisters that make programs

[19:31]like this happen whether it was in the past or today or

[19:36]in the future inshallah and we ask that Allah subhana T removes

[19:38]oppression from all those who are oppressed we ask that Allah subhah

[19:42]subhana wa tala gives Health to Our Sick and we ask that

[19:46]Allah hastens the appearance of and he makes us of his willful

[19:57]servants Muhammad

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