Mark A. Gabriel (2)Rezensionen

The author was raised Islamic, memorizing the Qoran. This book walks you side by side with Jesus and Muhammad, from their births to their deaths as written in the respective Scriptures.

The book is a courageous historical and textual comparison by a professor of Islamic Studies in the most prestigious Islamic university in the world, Al-Azhar University in Cairo.

The author does not hesitate to show what each says, from the Scripture. Significantly he finds that much of what he was taught to believe about Christianity was untrue, and much of what Islam is teaching to the West, about Islam, is also a lie.

The author finds that of the two teachings, only one taught "Love" and "Peace". Only one teaches eternal war, a belief in Jinns, and a rejection of unbelievers to the point of "killing them if necessary in order to make them submit to Islam". [150]. He contrasts this express invocation of slaughter, with John 13:34 -- "A new command I give you: Love one another."

I was disappointed - the author is uniquely qualified to address this subject, but instead took a proselytizing angle. The central theme of the book is his own religious struggle; the titular theme is only referenced insofar as it was appropriate for the underlying narrative.½

NO OF PAGES: 230 SUB CAT I: Jewish Wars SUB CAT II: Islam SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: To make sense of the headlines today, you need a clear understanding of the teachings of Islam.
I didn't just do research about Islam; I lived it for thirty-four years!?
Learn the truth! Author Mark Gabriel presents facts, not opinions, about what is going on in the Middle East, especially between Muslims and Jews.NOTES: SUBTITLE: The Unfinished Battle

For a while I was struggling between the Christian faith I was raised in and the allure of the Islamic faith. The same day that I said a prayer for God to show me the direction He wanted me to go, I found this book. It answered every doubt and question that I had.

This book was refreshing in a way that most comparative religion books aren't. Instead of comparing the modern-day faiths, Dr. Gabriel took it back to their respective founders and compared the way they lived their lives with what they preached. He also revealed some of his own history and journey of faith.

I found "Jesus and Muhammad" to be throughly researched and very well-written. I highly recommend it for anyone who is questioning their faith (whatever it may be), or who just wants a better understanding of the men who founded the two biggest religions on Earth.

Chilling! Must read for any resident of a western country.

By Mark A. Gabriel
Charisma House 2003
230 Pages; US$13.99
ISBN 9780884199564

Mark Gabriel is not the author's original name. He has not chosen to reveal his original name, both because of possible repercussions to his family in Egypt, and also because of his definite break with his former life. Gabriel was born in Egypt, had memorized the Qur'an by age twelve, and studied at Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Unfortunately, he expressed a doubt about Islam, and was fired by the university and questioned by the secret police. This started a turn of events that led to Gabriel fleeing Egypt and becoming a Christian. He attempted to make contact with the Coptic Christians of Egypt, but they turned him away for fear that he was a spy. It remains a crime under Shari'a law to seek converts from Islam, so the Copts fears are understandable. He traveled to South Africa, and from there to America.

The brunt of this book is to explain the anti-Semitism he feels is pervasive in Islam. His personal hatred of Jews began with Egypt's humiliation in the Six Day War, but was fed by the popular anti-Semitic suras in the Qur'an, such as sura 5:60, "those (Jews) who incurred the Curse of Allah and His Wrath, and those of whom (some) He transformed into monkeys and swine."

Lest this seem to be proof-texting, Gabriel devotes a section of the book to Quranic interpretation. It is perfectly true that the Qur'an contains passages praising the Jews as well as condemning them. The keys to understanding the Qur'an are the doctrine of abrogation, and the hadith. Taking the latter first, the hadith are the words and deeds of Muhammad, as passed down by tradition. There are six compilations of these, with al-Bukhari's the most authoritative in the Sunni world. These compilations purport to trace the sayings directly back to Muhammad, from whence they derive their authority. Thus the historical record is particularly important, since it provides the warrant for using the hadith as a guide to daily life. The doctrine of abrogation is the method by which Islamic scholars reconcile apparently contradictory statements in the Qur'an, which being the Word of Allah, is by definition free from error. The method by which this is done is later verses abrogate earlier verses. Thus an early statement praising the Jews, such as sura 2:47, "O Children of Israel! Remember My Favour which I bestowed upon you and I preferred you to the 'Alamin [mankind and djinn (of your time period, in the past)].", is abrogated by a later one, such as sura 5:78 "Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of Dawud (David) and Isa(Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). That was because they disobeyed (Allah and his messengers) and were ever transgressing beyond bounds."

Thus again, history is very important because the temporal sequence of the suras is critical to their interpretation. The suras are organized according to length, so knowing which is earlier and which is later is the object of much study. Gabriel provides background on the early history of Islam to explain why the peaceful verses are considered earlier, and thus abrogated by the later verses of the sword. A pivotal event was the point at which the Jews of Arabia began to mock Muhammad, and he turned on them with vengeance. This history is part of the cultural environment in which Gabriel grew up, and thus he continued to hate Jews even after he became a Christian.

In addition to this historical and theological perspective, this book is one man's personal contrition for hatred, as he explains how he came to shed his anti-Semitism. This casts a personal light on the otherwise grand, impersonal narratives that Gabriel uses to explain the enmity he felt for Jews.

Overall, an interesting book, although occasionally challenging due to the the author's non-native English syntax. This limits the book simply because the author cannot express subtleties well. This book is brutally honest, and as such probably not the best work for dialogue. Should be taken as evidence only of the interpretation of Islam that Gabriel studied at al-Azhar University, but valuable for that.

Islam explained through the perspective of a man who converted to Christianity (for which he was persecuted by his family, employer and government). Attempts to explain how the Quran justifies acts of violence and hatred.

http://www.harrysufehmi.com/phpwiki/index.php/AnalysisOfIslamAndTerrorism

Warning: this book, when it discusses something, fail to give the complete facts in many occasions. You may wish to confirm anything in it with experts in Islam.
You can also read my review about it.½