A DIALOGUE BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND HIS PAGAN FATHER, As Narrated By Jesus Christ.

 

From The Gospel of Barnabas:

A Dialogue Between

Abraham And His

Pagan Father

(As Narrated By Jesus Christ)

(M. Javed Naseem)

In the old, gods were made of wood too but

it was not sinful to burn wood! Today, in

digital India, the racist extremist Hindus are

killing Muslims & Christians because they eat

beef. And beef comes from the Holy Cow (or

Holy Bull?). At the same time, ironically, India

is the biggest exporter of beef to the Muslim

Middle East. Is it all about money & hypocrisy?

In Chapters 26, 27 and 28 of the Gospel of Barnabas, Jesus Christ narrates the story of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim, a.s.). We know the story of Abraham from the Holy Quran. The Quran says that Ibrahim’s father was called Azar, while the Bible says he was called Terah. But the name is not important; the dialogue is. Here is how the Gospel of Barnabas narrates it:

‘Thereupon Jesus said: “You will be mad if you do not give your senses to God to buy your soul in which resides the treasure of love; for love is an incomparable treasure. For he that loves God has God for his own; and whoever has God has everything.”

Peter answered: “O master, how can one love God with true love? Tell us.”

Jesus replied: “Truly I say to you that he who shall not hate his father and his mother, and his own life, and children and wife for love of God, such is not worthy to be loved of God.”

Peter answered: “O master, it is written in the Law of God in the Book of Moses: Honour your father, that you may live long upon the earth. And further he says: Cursed be the son that obeys not his father and his mother.” God commanded that such a disobedient son should be stoned by the wrath of the people before the gate of the city. (Why) do you bid us to hate father and mother?”

Jesus replied: “Every word of mine is true, because it is not mine, but God’s, who has sent me to the House of Israel. Therefore I say to you that all that which you possess God has bestowed it upon you; and so, what is more precious, the gift or the giver? When your father and your mother with every other thing is a stumbling block to you in the service of God, abandon them as enemies. Did not God say to Abraham: Go forth from the house of your father and of your kindred, and come to dwell in the land which I will give to you and to your seed? Why did God say this, except that the father of Abraham was an image-maker, who made and worshiped false gods? For this reason, there was enmity between them, such that the father wished to burn his son.”

Peter answered: “Your words are true. I pray you tell us how Abraham mocked his father.”

Jesus replied: “Abraham was seven years old when he began to seek God. So one day he said to his father: ‘Father, what made man?’

The foolish father answered: “Man (made man); for I made you, and my father made me.”

Abraham answered: ‘Father, it is not so; for I have heard an old man weeping and saying: ‘O my God, why have you not given me children?’

His father replied: “It is true, my son, that God helps man to make man, but he does not put his hands to (the task); it is only necessary that man come to pray to his God and to give him lambs and sheep, and his God will help him.”

Abraham answered: ‘How many gods are there, father?’

The old man replied: ‘They are infinite in number, my son.’

Then Abraham said: ‘O father, what shall I do if I serve one god and another (god) wishes me evil because I do not serve him? In any case discord will come between them, and so war will arise among the gods. And if, perhaps, the god that wills me evil shall slay my own god, what shall I do? It is certain that he will slay me also.’

The old man, laughing, answered: “O son, have no fear, for no god makes war upon another god; no, in the great temple there are a thousand gods with the great god Baal; and I am now near seventy years old, and yet never have I seen that one god has smitten another god. And assuredly all men do not serve one god, but one man one, and another.”

Abraham answered: “So, then, they have peace among themselves?”

His father said: “They have.”

Then said Abraham: “O father, what be the gods like?”

The old man answered: “Fool, every day I made a god, which I sell to others to buy bread, and you know not what the gods are like!” And then at that moment he was making an idol.

“This,” said he, “is of palm wood, that one is of olive, that little one is of ivory; see how fine it is! Does it not seem as though it were alive? Assuredly, it lacks but breath!”

Abraham answered: “And so, father, the gods are without breath? Then how do they give breath? And being without life, how give they life? It is certain, father, that these are not God.”

The old man was wroth at these words, say: “If you were of age to understand, I would break your head with this axe. But hold your peace, because you have not understanding!”

Abraham answered: “Father, if the gods help to make man, how can it be that man should make the gods? And if the gods are made of wood, it is a great sin to burn wood. But tell me, father, how is it that, when you have made so many gods, the gods have not helped you to make so many other children that you should become the most powerful man in the world?”

The father was beside himself, hearing his son speak so; the son went on: “Father, was the world for some time without men?”

“Yes”, answered the old man, “and why?”

“Because,” said Abraham, “I should like to know who made the first God.”

“Now go out of my house!” said the old man, “and leave me to make this god quickly, and speak no words to me; for, when you are hungry you desire bread and not words.”

Abraham said: “A fine god, truly, that you cut him as you will, and he defends not himself!”

Then the old man was angry, and said: “All the world says that it is a god, and you, mad fellow, say that it is not. By my gods, if you were a man I could kill you!” And having said this, he gave blows and kicks to Abraham, and chased him from the house.’

Very interesting story indeed! Now, a question comes to mind. Abraham was only seven years of age and he was talking intelligently and reasonably about God. What were you and me talking about at the age of seven? We have graduated from the most modern universities of the world while Abraham probably didn’t even go to school!

Forget about the childhood and talk about maturity. We consider ourselves successful or almost successful in this world, but how do we think now? Do we care and fight for God-given rights of liberty, freedom, discipline, justice and equality? We put the most corrupt and dishonest people into power to make decisions about our lives and then we complain about injustice !

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ALLAH'S PROMISE: "Remember Me, I'll Remember You!"

 

Allah’s Promise:

"Remember Me,

I’ll Remember You!"

(M. Javed Naseem)

فَٱذْكُرُونِيۤ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُواْ لِى وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ

“Therefore remember me, I will

remember you! Give thanks to Me,

and reject not Me!”

(al-Quran 2:152)

Remembering Allah should be like remembering your name – you never forget it, no matter what! It’s so simple but it’s so hard at the same time. The Devil and the forces of evil surround us and they are always attacking us from all sides to distract us from the remembrance of Allah.

The Bible says:

“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” -- (1-John 2:17).

From the very first day when Adam was created and Iblees (the Devil) refused to prostrate in front of him, God, the Almighty, destined Iblees (the Devil) to the Hell for his rebellion and disobedience. The Devil wanted to prove that humans were also disobedient and don’t merit Paradise. Allah made it clear to him that “if humans followed you, instead of following Me, I’ll fill up Hell with you and your followers but those who would repent and ask for Allah’s forgiveness, I’ll forgive them, every time they repent and ask for forgiveness and mercy.” So, the challenge was accepted and the game is on since then. The Devil is trying to take as many humans as possible with him to Hell. On the other hand, Allah warned us – the humans – that Iblees was our enemy number one; and we should watch out to avoid Hellfire.

Unfortunately, the Devil has won so many rounds (actually most of it) of this bout against humans. We have been on a losing spree with some exceptions. And today, it looks even worse in view of the wars, bloodshed, injustice, corruption and aggression. All those horrible things are happening because of our failure to remember our Lord.

On the other hand, if you seek peace, calm, satisfaction and contentment, only the remembrance of Allah can guarantee that because Allah is infinitive Love, Mercy and Peace. He tells us:

"Those who believe, and whose hearts find

satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah; for,

without doubt, in the remembrance of Allah

do hearts find satisfaction.”

(al-Quran 13:28)

(My book title at amazon.com) 

Remembering Allah is very simple. Just remember that Allah is watching you always! No matter what you do, say or plan, remember that He is watching you. That will keep you in check. But most of us don’t care, although it’s a very serious matter. Remembrance of Allah can win us this world and the Hereafter too; whereas forgetting or ignoring Allah can not only be harmful for us in this world but would also make us ‘losers’ in the Hereafter, which is the eternal life.

“O you who believe! Let not your riches or

your children divert you from the remembrance

of Allah. If any act thus, the loss is their own.”

(al-Quran 63:9)

The Bible says:

“Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord.” -- (2. Isaiah 1:4)

We have been created by Allah to obey Him and worship Him. It’s our obligation. But Allah tells us that this is the greatest thing in our lives. So, think about it!

“Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration

to you, and establish regular prayer; for prayer

restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and

remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in

life) without doubt. And Allah knows

the (deeds) that you do.”

(al-Quran 29:45)

“But keep in remembrance the name of

your Lord and devote yourself to Him

whole-heartedly!”

(al-Quran 73:8)

Since remembering Allah is an obligation, we cannot escape from it. We better do it willingly and voluntarily, otherwise get ready to be punished. I am sure, none of us can afford that severe punishment and losing the Hereafter at the same time.

Allah's Promise In The Quran:

"That We might try them by that (means).

But if any turns away from the remembrance

of his Lord, He will cause him to

undergo a severe penalty.”

(al-Quran 72:17)

“And be not like those who forgot Allah;

and He made them forget their own souls!

Such are the rebellious transgressors!”

(al-Quran 59:19)

Moral of the story:

Only in the remembrance of Allah will we find real peace, happiness, prosperity and contentment. Nothing else can guarantee that!

The Bible says:

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” – (Micah 6:8).

“Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed; the offspring of the wicked will perish. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.” – (Psalms 37:27-29).

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PAKISTAN WAS A MIRACLE! But Today It's An Example How Corruption Destroys A Strong State!

 

Pakistan Was A Miracle!

But Today It’s An Example

How Corruption Destroys

A Strong State!

(M. Javed Naseem)

اگرچہ بت ہیں جماعت کی آستینوں میں

مجھے ہے حکم اذاں ، لا الہ الا اللہ

 علامہ اقبال ---

(“Although there are hypocrites (Munafiqeen) in the ranks of

the Ummah, I have the mandate to pronounce the Truth

that there is no god but Allah.” – Allama Iqbal)

++++++++++++++++++++

Corrupt nations can only

survive as beggars,

pimps & prostitutes,

and slaves to other

stronger corrupt nations!

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14th of August is the independence anniversary of Pakistan, the second biggest Islamic state in the world. On this occasion, I would like to share with you the thoughts of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan. Jinnah was not a Prophet but he did show the world his miracle. He singlehandedly carved Pakistan out of the world map – a homeland for millions of Muslims of India. And that could only happen with the Divine support as many Mullahs of India opposed him for one reason or the other. But most Muslims adored him and were so impressed that, out of love and respect, they called him “Quaid-e-Azam” (the great leader), and justly so!

During its ‘golden era’ in the 1960’s, Pakistan was a strong country with solid economy. Under the leadership of President General Mohammad Ayub Khan, it helped countries like Germany, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and others. That was the time when US Dollar was equal to Pakistan Rs.4.50 only.

The best way to celebrate the Independence Day is to recall the struggle, fight and sacrifices offered by the Muslims of joint India, and renew the pledge. On this occasion, I would like to remind Pakistani people of the thoughts of their Father of Nation, M.A. Jinnah.

Quaid-e-Azam (Mohammad Ali Jinnah) said:

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“I should like to give a warning to the landlords

and capitalists who have flourished at our expense

by a system which is so vicious, which is so wicked

and which makes them so selfish that it is difficult

to reason with them. The exploitation of the masses

has gone into their blood. They have forgotten

the lessons of Islam.”

-- Quaid-e-Azam

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“No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you.”

“No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men.”

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“If we want to make this great State of Pakistan

happy and prosperous we should wholly and

solely concentrate on the well-being of the people,

and especially of the masses and the poor.”

-- Quaid-e-Azam

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“Think 100 times before you take a decision, but once that decision is taken, stand by it as one man.”

“With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile that you cannot achieve.”

“Expect the best, prepare for the worst.”

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“You have to stand guard over the development

and maintenance of Islamic democracy, Islamic

social justice and the equality of mankind

in your own native soil.”

-- Quaid-e-Azam

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“Islam expect every Muslim to do this duty, and if we realize our responsibility time will come soon when we shall justify ourselves worthy of a glorious past.”

“You will no doubt agree with me that the first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property, and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the State…..…if we want to make this great State of Pakistan happy and prosperous we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well-being of the people, and especially of the masses and the poor.”

(Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Fatimah Jinnah with Ayub Khan who became President in 1958, and later founded Islamabad.)

“That freedom can never be attained by a nation without suffering and sacrifice has been amply borne out by the recent tragic happenings in this subcontinent.”

“The great majority of us are Muslims. We follow the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). We are members of the brotherhood of Islam in which all are equal in rights, dignity and self-respect. Consequently, we have a special and a very deep sense of unity. But make no mistake: Pakistan is not a theocracy or anything like it.”

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“The adoption of Western economic theory

and practice will not help us in achieving our

goal of creating a happy and contented people.

We must work our destiny in our own way

and present to the world an economic system

based on the true Islamic concept of equality

of manhood and social justice”

-- Mohammad Ali Jinnah

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“Brotherhood, equality, and fraternity of man – these are all the basic points of our religion, culture and civilization and we fought for Pakistan because there was a danger of the denial of these human rights in the Subcontinent.”

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IF YOU DISOBEY ALLAH OR TURN AWAY, You'll Be Replaced!

 

Warnings In The Quran:

If You Disobey Allah

Or Turn Away,

You’ll Be Replaced!

(M. Javed Naseem)

Allah the Almighty, the Supreme Creator, created humans to glorify Him, worship Him, obey Him, thank Him and live on the planet Earth as per the rules prescribed by Him through the Scriptures. He also made it very clear that Satan (the Devil) was the No.1 enemy of humans. Allah forbade us (humans) to spread corruption in the world. He also warned us of severe punishment (like Hellfire) if we disobeyed Him and spread corruption through our evil deeds.

Now, if we look at the world today, we see only evil and corruption all over. Only a very small minority of people obey Allah and live the righteous life. The Devil rules us because we allow him to do that. If we honestly and sincerely obey the Almighty, the Devil and his friends would be defeated. But this is not happening because of our hypocrisy and dishonesty. The temporary glitter of the fake gold (this world) has mesmerized us. We are chasing the material world at the cost of our Hereafter. And we don’t seem to care about the results.

« Have they not seen how many generations We

destroyed before them which We had established

upon the earth as We have not established you?

And We sent [rain from] the sky upon them in

showers and made rivers flow beneath them;

then We destroyed them for their sins and brought

forth after them a generation of others. »

(al-Quran 6:6)

The Almighty God destroyed many a nation in the past that rebelled against Him, disobeyed His Commands and promoted evil-living or corruption. We were supposed to learn our lesson from the stories of those earlier nations but we seem not to care. It is obvious that if we don’t care and mend our ways, our fate would be similar to those nations passed before us. The Laws of Allah don’t change and His promise is true. We are just fooling ourselves.

We have abandoned Allah and the teachings of the Prophets and Messengers of Allah do not interest us any more. Our lives are shallow and our characters are dubious. We have become empty shells but we are trying our best to paint those shells with attractive colors like Easter eggs. That fools everybody. We prefer to be cool, hip and mod instead of being righteous and pious. A serious look at the Muslim world tells us that there’s bloodshed, death & destruction, turmoils, social, economic and political problems in every Muslim country. Its leaders are dishonest, corrupt and of shady characters who are ruling people with lies, deception and betrayal. But where those corrupt leaders come from? From the corrupt and dishonest nation! Simple as that! When we leave God, keep Faith out of our daily lives, we become herds of animals and cattle driven only by stronger animals and cattle, even by wolves. There’s one valid excuse though – the Zionist Agenda. But that agenda is more like a means of punishment. The real reason is hypocrisy, ignorance and corruption among Muslims. With practically no faith and no conviction, you can’t go too far on the road to success. Here’s a warning from Allah:

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« O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns

back from his religion (Islam), Allah will bring a people

whom He will love and they will love Him; humble

towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers,

fighting in the Way of Allah, and never afraid of the

blame of the critics. That is the Grace of Allah which

He bestows on whom He wills. And Allah is All-

Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knower. »

(al-Quran 5:54)

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As believers, we have made covenant with Allah that we will worship only Him, obey Him, seek help from Him and live in this world by the rules prescribed by Him. But most of the time, we break that covenant. We disobey Him, we ignore Him and we disregard all His warnings of punishment. That’s really stubborn and stupid on our part. Allah does not need us but we need Allah in our lives all the times. We simply cannot survive without Him. He is our sole Provider, our Cherisher and Protector in every way, always and forever!

The Bible says:

1. “Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.'” (John 14:23)

2. “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:17)

3. “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)

4. “Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” (Proverbs 10:17)

5. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22)

Reading the Bible or the Quran is not good enough unless and until we DO what it says. We need to practice what we learn from the Scriptures. We must live by the Book to avoid punishment of Hellfire. From the teachings of the Scriptures, it is evident that we can succeed in this world only if we obey the commandments of our Lord God. He has promised us that if we do what He commands us to do (stay obedient and loyal to Him), He will bless us and grant us success. And if we remain grateful to Him, He would give us more.

As regular human beings, we cannot thank enough the Almighty Allah for all the bounties and blessings He bestows upon us. We can’t even count His blessings. Unfortunately, we take things for granted and become ungrateful. We enjoy life in this world but we don’t really appreciate the Almighty One who makes everything possible for us. We love to be boastful and give all the credit to ourselves for success. We forget that without His mercy we cannot achieve anything at all. He is the Most Merciful and kindest to us. But He wants us to share His bounties with fellow human beings and help them whenever they need us. Charity is a virtue. That’s the real spirit of Islam and the true sentiment of a believer! He warns us against withholding and ignoring the poor. He says in the Quran:

“Here you are, those invited to spend in the cause

of Allah, but among you are those who withhold

[out of greed]. And whoever withholds only

withholds [benefit] from himself; and Allah is

the Free of need, while you are the needy. And

if you turn away, He will replace you with another

people; then they will not be the likes of you.”

(al-Quran 47:38)

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