The issue is becoming crystal clear, all of us, the Good people have to come together against a few bad ones amongst us.
As a Muslim, I condemn the ignorance of Pittsburgh’s Muslim preacher Imam Na’eem Abdullah.
All humanity should condemn it, not just Muslims, I have two solid reasons to condemn his sermon;
1) The Imam is ignorant about Islam, what he has learned is rote learning. He is going by what a few idiotic ‘Muslim’ scholars have written in the past. Islam is not about ruling others, but it is about living your life and letting others live theirs. You can study a full chapter on the Source of Extremism among Muslims in the book American Muslim Agenda, available at Amazon and Barnes and Nobles. Phone Order – 1-888-795-4274x 4528
2) Together as fellow humans, we have a responsibility to restore religions to what they were created for; to build cohesive societies where all of God’s creation lives with dignity and freedom, and where no one is more privileged than the other.
My work is that of Pluralism in religion, society, culture, and politics. I am pleased to boldly make a statement, that for every Muslim ass, there is a Hindu, Christian and Jewish ass out there. There is a record out there, and you can find criminal elements in all these groups.
The problem is not with Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism or other religions, and it is with a few individuals who do not get their religion right. As people who care, we have the responsibility to separate the bad elements from the religion and defend the sanctity of every faith. Are we learned enough to do that? I hope we will learn more about each other for our own sanity.
We can punish the Imam, but the poor guy is not the source, we should remove the source that has wrongfully filled some of the secondary Islamic literature. The only authentic book for Muslims is Quran, all else is subject to questioning and correcting. We should not be hung up with the business of condemning, but take action, and that is to have a discussion. The poor rascal will be dumbfounded to learn that, it is not in the Quran. There is an alt-right among Muslims, and there is one in every religious group.
Now, I will respond to the specific verse this Imam talks about, and then share another incident happening in India today. A few extremists are using the name Hindu to taint Hinduism with their ugly enactment of shooting Mahatma Gandhi (Links below).
A Pittsburgh-based Imam Na’eem Abdullah’s sermons are not only filled with outlandish lies, but he also abuses his pulpit to promote unadulterated hatred of followers of other religions. This Pittsburgh imam uses his pulpit to push the vilest hatred of other faiths, demeaning Christians and referring to Jews as “apes and pigs.” More at https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-pittsburgh-hate-preacher-rails-against-jews-and-christians/
The Maligned Verse
I received an email that listed “Top 10 verses Muslims wish were never revealed”. Item number 5 was this. “Qur’an 2:65 mentions that Jews who broke the Sabbath were turned into Apes.” claiming that Islamic God is anti-Semitic. I will post every one of the ten items and hope to wrap it up as soon as I have the time.
As a Muslim, it offends me to read this verse as propagated, and I certainly understand the pain the Jews must feel when they read this quotation. Everyone is busy with their lives, rightfully so and consume the sound bites dished out to them without even wondering the integrity of it. There are at least 60 verses that are in the propaganda machine.
Religions emerged to allay individual fears and bring a balance in one’s life and peace for the society. It is time for us to strip the wrongs people have ascribed to religion, indeed every religion, and find the truth for ourselves. I cannot believe that the Universities and responsible Governments have not undertaken the research to dismantle the false castles of hate from the past, as individuals, we will do what we can and I hope to compile a full book on these falisties about all religions.
Propaganda Verse: Qur’an 2:65 mentions that Jews who broke the Sabbath were turned into Apes.
Caveat: Here is the real verse with 55 some translations, only three idiots have added the word Jews in the translation, it is not in Arabic. It is time we all find the truth on our own to believe it. I can explain all I can, but unless you find the truth, it won’t mean much to you.
So, we have the responsibility to fix the problems if we want to be free from anxiety. The Book “American Muslim Agenda” offers you some guidance. I hope the book to initiate debates and discussions about the nature of Islam which is to live your life and let others live theirs.
Al-Baqara (The Cow) 2:65 ولقد علمتم الذين اعتدوا منكم في السبت فقلنا لهم كونوا قردة خاسئين
2:65 for you are well aware of those from among you who profaned the Sabbath, whereupon We said unto them, “Be as apes despicable!”
What God wants us to do is to take the rest one day a week, so we can refresh our minds with clarity and re-start our week. How many of us bitch about taking a vacation when frustrated? Go ahead, take one and come back with a productive mind, If we don’t, we would behave like apes, meaning irresponsibly. It is as simple as that!
| Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning | |||
| Muhammad Asad | for you are well aware of those from among you who profaned the Sabbath, whereupon We said unto them, “Be as apes despicable!” | ||
| M. M. Pickthall | And ye know of those of you who broke the Sabbath, how We said unto them: Be ye apes, despised and hated! | ||
| Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985) | And well ye knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath: We said to them: “Be ye apes, despised and rejected.” | ||
| Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938) | And well ye knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath: We said to them: “Be ye apes, despised and rejected.” | ||
| Shakir | And certainly you have known those among you who exceeded the limits of the Sabbath, so We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated. | ||
| Wahiduddin Khan | You are aware of those who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath, whereupon We said to them, Be as apes, despised! | ||
| Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar | And, certainly, you knew those who exceeded the limits among you on the Sabbath, to whom We said: Be you apes, ones who are driven away. | ||
| T.B.Irving | Yet you knew which of you had been defiant on the Sabbath, so We told them: “Become apes, rejected!” | ||
| The Clear Quran, Dr. Mustafa Khattab | You are already aware of those of you who broke the Sabbath. We said to them, “Be disgraced apes!” | ||
| Safi Kaskas | You know those of you who profane the Sabbath, so We told them, “Be despicable apes.” | ||
| Abdul Hye | Indeed you know those who transgressed amongst you in the matter of the Sabbath (Saturday). We ordered them: “You be monkeys, and rejected.” | ||
| The Study Quran | And you have indeed known those among you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath, and so We said to them, “Be you apes, outcast.” | ||
| [The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition) | You have come to know who it was amongst you that transgressed the Sabbath, We said to them: “Be despicable apes!” | ||
| Abdel Haleem | You know about those of you who broke the Sabbath, and so We said to them, ‘Be like apes! Be outcasts!’ | ||
| Abdul Majid Daryabadi | And assuredly ye know of those of you who trespassed in the matter of the Sabbath, wherefore We said unto them: be ye apes despised. | ||
| Ahmed Ali | You know and have known already those among you who had broken the sanctity of the Sabbath, and to whom We had said: “Become (like) apes despised,” | ||
| Aisha Bewley | You are well aware of those of you who broke the Sabbath. We said to them, ´Be apes, despised, cast out.´ | ||
| Ali Ünal | You surely know of those among you who exceeded the bounds with respect to the Sabbath, how We said to them, “Be you apes, miserably slinking and rejected.” | ||
| Ali Quli Qara’i | And certainly you know those of you who violated the Sabbath, whereupon We said to them, ‘Be you spurned apes.’ | ||
| Hamid S. Aziz | You know also of those among you who transgressed upon the Sabbath, and how We said to them, “Be you (as) apes, despised and spurned.” | ||
| Muhammad Mahmoud Ghali | And you already know of (the ones) of you who transgressed the Sabbath; so We said to them “Be apes, (miserably) spurned.” | ||
| Muhammad Sarwar | You certainly knew about those among you who were transgressors on the Sabbath. We commanded them, “Become detested apes,” | ||
| Muhammad Taqi Usmani | Certainly you have knowledge of those among you who transgressed in (the matter of) the Sabbath. We said to them, .Become apes, abased. | ||
| Shabbir Ahmed | And you are well aware of those of you who broke the Sabbath, whereupon We said unto them, “Be as apes despicable!” | ||
| Syed Vickar Ahamed | And you knew well those among you who transgressed in the matter of the (Sacred) day (of Sabbath): We said to them: “Be you (like) monkeys, despised and rejected.” | ||
| Umm Muhammad (Sahih International) | And you had already known about those who transgressed among you concerning the sabbath, and We said to them, “Be apes, despised.” | ||
| Farook Malik | You very well know the story of those of you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath; We ordered them: “Be detested apes”. | ||
| Dr. Munir Munshey | Of course, you know very well (the fate of) those of you who exceeded the bounds (and broke the laws) of Sabbath. We said (to them), “You be the apes, despised and spurned!” | ||
| Dr. Kamal Omar | And certainly you knew amongst you who crossed the limits in the matter of As-Sabth. We said to them: “Be you apes, despised and rejected.” | ||
| Talal A. Itani (new translation) | And you surely knew those of you who violated the Sabbath. We said to them, ‘Be despicable apes!’ | ||
| Maududi | And you know well the story of those among you who broke Sabbath. We said to them, “Be apes despised and hated by all. | ||
| Ali Bakhtiari Nejad | Certainly you knew the ones among you who violated the Sabbath, and We told them to be despised monkeys. | ||
| A.L. Bilal Muhammad et al (2018) | And you knew well those among you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. We said to them, “Become apes, despised and rejected.” | ||
| [The Monotheist Group] (2013 Edition) | You have come to know who it was among you that transgressed the Sabbath, We said to them: “Be despicable apes!” | ||
| Mohammad Shafi | And you did indeed know those of you who committed transgression on Sabbath. So We told them, “Be you monkeys, despised!” | ||
| Controversial, deprecated, or status undetermined works | |||
| Bijan Moeinian | You know well how some of you disobeyed God’s Sabbatical law (Exodus,12-17); I told them: “Be apes, resented by all.” | ||
| Faridul Haque | And you certainly know of those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of Sabth (Sabbath – Saturday) – We therefore said to them, “Become apes, despised!” | ||
| Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah | You have surely known of those amongst you who transgressed the Sabbath. We said to them: ‘Be apes, despised! ‘ | ||
| Maulana Muhammad Ali | And indeed you know those among you who violated the Sabbath, so We said to them: Be (as) apes, despised and hated. | ||
| Muhammad Ahmed – Samira | And you had known those who transgressed/violated from you in the Saturday/Sabbath, so We said to them: “Be lowly/ousted out monkeys/apes .” | ||
| Sher Ali | And surely, you have known the end of those amongst you, who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. So WE said to them, `Be ye apes, despised.’ | ||
| Rashad Khalifa | You have known about those among you who desecrated the Sabbath. We said to them, “Be you as despicable as apes.” | ||
| Ahmed Raza Khan (Barelvi) | And, undoubtedly, you surely know, those among you who rebelled in the matter of Saturday (Sabbath). So We said to them, “Be Apes, despised.” | ||
| Amatul Rahman Omar | And indeed you have come to know (the end of) those of you who transgressed regarding the Sabbath. Thereupon We said to them, `Be you (as) apes, despised.’ | ||
| Dr. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri | And (O Jews) certainly you know well those of you who violated (the injunctions concerning) the Sabbath (Saturday). So We said to them: ‘Be you apes: rejected and despised.’ | ||
| Muhsin Khan & Muhammad al-Hilali | And indeed you knew those amongst you who transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday). We said to them: “Be you monkeys, despised and rejected.” | ||
| Non-Muslim and/or Orientalist works | |||
| Arthur John Arberry | And well you know there were those among you that transgressed the Sabbath, and We said to them, ‘Be you apes, miserably slinking!’ | ||
| Edward Henry Palmer | Ye know too of those among you who transgressed upon the Sabbath, and we said, ‘Become ye apes, despised and spurned.’ | ||
| George Sale | Moreover ye know what befall those of your nation who transgressed on the sabbath day; we said unto them, be ye changed into apes, driven away from the society of men. | ||
| John Medows Rodwell | Ye know too those of you who transgressed on the Sabbath, and to whom we said, “Be changed into scouted apes:” | ||
| N J Dawood (2014) | You have heard of those of you that broke the Sabbath. We said to them: ‘Change into detested apes.‘ | ||
| New and/or Partial Translations, and works in progress | |||
| Sayyid Qutb | You are well aware of those of you who broke the Sabbath. To them We said, ‘Be as despicable apes.’ | ||
| Ahmed Hulusi | Assuredly, you would know about those among you who disrespect the Sabbath and transgress the limits. We said to them, “Become apes (live as imitators who refuse to experience the results of their reality), despised.” | ||
| Sayyed Abbas Sadr-Ameli | And certainly you have known those among you who exceeded the limits on the Sabbath, so We said to them: ‘ Be you (as) apes despised and rejected ‘. | ||
| Al-muntakhab fi tafsir al-Qur’an al-Karim | You knew those of you who broke the Sabbath We set apart for rest and worship, and you defiled yourselves with sin and so did heaven lay your transgression to your charge and decreed that you be monkeyfied and your monkey-like character and behaviour be viewed with contempt, and that you be despised and rejected of men”. | ||
| Mir Aneesuddin | And you surely know those among you who exceeded the limits of the Sabbath, so We said to them, “Be apes, looked down upon .” | ||
| The Ascendant Qur‘an, Muhammad H. al-‘Asi | For you are well aware of those from among you who profaned the Sabbath, whereupon We said unto them, “Be as apes despicable!” | ||
Time for Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Hindus to come together to resolve our misunderstandings about each other.
There are Rabbis in Israel who have called for killing all male Palestinian children in 2018, there are Pastors in America who have called for killing all Gays, there are Buddhist Monks who have called for massacring Muslims, the Atheists in China are killing Christians, Muslims, and Falun Dafa, people.
Today, what a bad day it is
Hindu Mahasabha Leader shoots at Mahatma Gandhi’s effigy
https://scroll.in/latest/911410/hindu-mahasabha-leader-shoots-at-gandhis-effigy-garlands-nathuram-godses-statue
Hindu Mahasabha builds a temple to honor the killer of Gandhi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8wFKq4JDxM
I am not sure if India’s Prime Minister consider the killer of Gandhi as a hero or not, but his affiliated organizations do.
Dr. Mike Ghouse is committed to building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. His new book, the “American Muslim Agenda” is about everything you wanted to know about Muslims. The book is available at Xlibris and Amazon. Mike is a public speaker, author, interfaith wedding officiant, and the executive director of the Center for Pluralism in Washington, DC. More about him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghouse/