tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1938111942632962223.post3540500700360138076..comments2023-11-05T04:29:15.728-06:00Comments on The Seer Stone: إسناد - Transmitting the truthEvgeniihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05787950777870804904noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1938111942632962223.post-17508530637189433432008-08-07T22:53:00.000-05:002008-08-07T22:53:00.000-05:00"What did Muhammad consider himself?"Muhammad cons..."What did Muhammad consider himself?"<BR/><BR/>Muhammad considered himself to be a prophet restoring the covenant people to the true monotheistic religion of Abraham and Ishmael.<BR/><BR/>"What God was he trying to bring the people to? The scriptures he taught from, (the OT prophets) did they mention Allah? or were they still in a recognizable (to a Christian) form?"<BR/><BR/>The covenant people i.e. the children of Abraham. The God of the Islamic interpretation of the OT. The word for God in Arabic is Allah, similar to the Hebrew word Elloh. Hebrew also adds the plural ending "im", this making God Elohim. Joseph Smith wondered in the King Follet Discourse why God was spelled in the plural, even though Rabbis interpreted it to mean one God. Back to my point, Muslims don't view themselves as creating a new branch of religion, but restoring the true religion where Jews had apostized and later Christians had apostisized. Muslims believe in the OT prophets, but believe the way they are taught is incorrect due to an apostasy (Moses = Musa, Joseph = Yusef, Abraham = Ibrahim, etc.) We are so like them sometimes that our fear of 9/11 makes us forget. They believe that Mecca was where the Garden of Eden was, and the mosque in Mecca is the center of the universe.<BR/><BR/>"I'm trying to earn the online Middle Eastern Studies degree."<BR/><BR/>I wish I could have done this. It would have saved me a lot of time. Not that a Middle Eastern Studies degree has helped me out that much.<BR/><BR/>"What did Muhammad consider himself? What God was he trying to bring the people to? The scriptures he taught from, (the OT prophets) did they mention Allah? or were they still in a recognizable (to a Christian) form? And dId he realize he was creating a new branch? I'm trying to earn the online Middle Eastern Studies degree.<BR/><BR/>"I love that statement "God's Love for All Mankind." I think it epitomizes one of the greatest things we have to offer, that everyone will get a chance. Incidentally I read Alma 26 last night, and verse 37 expresses this point beautifully."<BR/><BR/>This is perhaps one of the most vital truths that the Gosepl restored, that all would be judged based on how they lived according to their knowledge. Think about now in the world, that the Gospel is only available to what we would consider the Christian nations. Exclude China (1 bil), India (limited missionary presence for 1 billion people), Arab nations (around 1 bil), most Africa nations (a few more hundred million) and there are not really that many people that have the choice. God would certainly not be a just God if he were to condemn over half the world by virtue of their birth.Evgeniihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05787950777870804904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1938111942632962223.post-77880925409043500272008-08-07T18:44:00.000-05:002008-08-07T18:44:00.000-05:00What did Muhammad consider himself? What God was ...What did Muhammad consider himself? What God was he trying to bring the people to? The scriptures he taught from, (the OT prophets) did they mention Allah? or were they still in a recognizable (to a Christian) form? And dId he realize he was creating a new branch? I'm trying to earn the online Middle Eastern Studies degree.<BR/><BR/>I love that statement "God's Love for All Mankind." I think it epitomizes one of the greatest things we have to offer, that everyone will get a chance. Incidentally I read Alma 26 last night, and verse 37 expresses this point beautifully.JLJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16748662196055415831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1938111942632962223.post-23086873244439072592008-08-06T22:09:00.000-05:002008-08-06T22:09:00.000-05:00An additional point, we do not officially consider...An additional point, we do not officially consider Muhammad to be a prophet in the LDS sense, but we do believe that he was enlighted by God to help bring about the Restoration. The First Presidency said in 1978: <BR/><BR/>"The great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals. … We believe that God has given and will give to all peoples sufficient knowledge to help them on their way to eternal salvation (“Statement of the First Presidency regarding God’s Love for All Mankind,” 15 Feb. 1978)."<BR/><BR/>I say that Muhammad helped bring about the Restoration because during his life, he lived in what Muslims call Jahiliyya, which is a state of apostasy. They were polytheists and were involved in fratricide. Islam really did improve their condition and has prepared them for the future day when the Gospel will be preached to the Islamic nations.Evgeniihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05787950777870804904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1938111942632962223.post-13891065913448723452008-08-06T21:27:00.000-05:002008-08-06T21:27:00.000-05:00The Qur'an taught that Muhammad was the seal on al...The Qur'an taught that Muhammad was the seal on all the previous prophets (Abraham, Moses, all those that we would consider Old Testament prophets). Jesus was considered a prophet himself and not the Messiah as we view hime. So ultimately, Muslims view Muhammad as the seal in the sense that he ratifies all that the previous prophets taught as God's truth. I suppose the way that I think about it is like how LDS believe that Joseph Smith re-affirmed the writings of Enoch and other Old Testament prophets and New Testament prophets. <BR/><BR/>Moreover, Muslims view the Old Testament prophets as their prophets, teaching true Islam, as Jews view Old Testament prophets as teaching true Hebrewism and Christians that believe that the Old Testament prophets testified of Christ. We all tailor it to our own beliefs. I think an even more interesting parallel is that Muslims believe that Muhammad was restoring the truth after the true monotheistic religion had gone into apostasy after Jesus had left the Earth. <BR/><BR/>***Side note, Muslims generally believe that God never would have allowed his prophet to be crucified so Jesus ascended into heaven before the crucifixion.Evgeniihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05787950777870804904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1938111942632962223.post-43274441271656947562008-08-06T19:54:00.000-05:002008-08-06T19:54:00.000-05:00Interesting historical parallels with the Quran . ...Interesting historical parallels with the Quran . <BR/><BR/>If Muhammad is a 'seal,' then was he a Christian? Or what religious basis was he teaching from?JLJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16748662196055415831noreply@blogger.com