One of the best ways to learn a language is by watching movies. But, video players usually only let you show one subtitle language at a time. Also, you can’t easily repeat what was just said or slow down the video when a character may be speaking too quickly. Here’s one way to make it easier to learn a language by watching movies. This example assumes the video is on Netflix.
1. Download the video and subtitles
Let’s say you want to learn Spanish and you speak English. One popular video series is Money Heist. You can download one or all episodes using Flixicam. Flixicam costs XXX. Since the purpose of this activity is to learn a language, you can download the video in the lowest resolution, e.g. 480p, so that the file is too big. Money Heist is at this URL: https://www.netflix.com/watch/80205342. When you play the video, you can click on the subtitles icon to see what subtitle languages are available. Unfortunately, in this case, there aren’t any Spanish subtitles, but you may be able to find Spanish subtitles online.
When watching a video, it helps to see two subtitles at once – one of the language you are learning and one of the language you understand. You can merge two subtitle files using an online tool.
3. Load video and subtitles in a subtitle editor tool
Subtitle editing tools may be designed to edit subtitles, but they’re also good for learning a language. The one I use is HappyScribe free online subtitle editor because I like the interface.
Just open the editor, upload your video, import the merged subtitle file, and start watching, listening and learning. Click on any subtitle paragraph to jump to the corresponding location in the video. Click on it again to repeat what was just said.
Change the playback speed to slow down the speech, if necessary.
The downside to this particular subtitle editor is it is online which means you have to upload your video which can take quite some time on a slow internet connection. You can also install a subtitle editor program on your computer which would eliminate the need to upload large videos. For example, here’s a simple one for Windows called Open Subtitle Editor.
However, with this one, I don’t see an option to change playback speed. If you use this one, you’ll probably want to go to Options > Settings > Double-clicking line in main window list view will “Go to video position and play”.
There are 3 main things that affect muscle growth:
food
strength / resistance training
rest
To grow muscle, you need to
do strength training to break down muscle
have a moderate calorie surplus
have sufficient protein consumption (1 gram of protein per pound of body weight)
rest to build muscle
If you have a calorie deficit, your body will expend more energy resulting in weight loss in the form of BOTH fat and muscle loss.
If you have an excessive calorie surplus, you will GAIN weight, and grow some muscle but also gain a lot of fat.
You build muscle when the amount of protein synthesized into muscle during rest is greater than the amount of muscle protein breakdown during strength training. Without sufficient protein, you will just gain fat and little muscle.
Food
Both creatine and whey protein powder have been shown to increase muscle mass when taken in combination with resistance exercise.
Creatine increases exercise capacity during high-intensity exercise. This leads to improved recovery and adaptations such as increased muscle mass.
Meanwhile, ingesting whey protein in combination with exercise provides your body with a high-quality source of protein, enhancing muscle protein synthesis and leading to increased muscle gains over time.
While both creatine and whey protein promote muscle gain, they differ in the ways they work. Creatine increases strength and muscle mass by increasing exercise capacity, whereas whey protein does so by stimulating increased muscle protein synthesis.
Muscles are made out of protein, among other things. So, you’re going to need to consume enough protein to build muscle. You should target 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. For example, I currently weigh 178 lbs, so I should consume 178 grams of protein. Here are some protein-rich foods.
Consuming a lot of protein without supplements can be difficult because you might feel full before you’ve reached your target daily intake. Also, it can be expensive. For that reason, most bodybuilders take protein supplements. When choosing a protein supplement, it’s important to stay away from ones with a lot of added sugar. The most popular protein supplement is whey protein. To be safe, opt for pure whey protein. I personally get the unflavored Nutricost Whey Protein Concentrate. It contains only one ingredient: Whey protein concentrate. 1 scoop contains 25 g of protein and 130 calories.
You can also buy whey protein isolate, which has 90 – 95% protein compared to whey protein concentrate, which has 60 – 80% protein. Source
Creatine
Creatine monohydrate is the best-studied and most effective form of this supplement. There are 2 dosing regimens:
Option 1
Loading phase: Take 20-25 grams split into 4 or 5 equal doses over 5-7 days.
Maintenance phase: Then, take 3-5 grams per day to maintain your muscle stores of the compound.
Option 2
Skip the loading phase and start the maintenance phase.
Both options are effective. The first option will allow you to experience the benefits 4x faster. Source
Now, don’t go consuming nothing but protein shakes. They are meant to be supplements and not food substitutes. You can eat whatever else you want, but generally, you should avoid processed foods and foods with lots of added sugar. I have personally found the Keto diet (very low-carb diet) to be one of the best, if not the best, diets. I was able to lose 20 lbs following the Keto diet. It’s not just good for losing weight, but it’s also good for overall healthy eating.
Calories
While you can build muscle in a calorie deficit (losing weight), it will be quicker to build muscle by having a moderate calorie surplus. In order to determine how many calories is “moderate”, you first need to know your maintenance calories – the number of calories to consume each day to neither lose nor gain weight.
Maintenance Calories
Your maintenance calories is the number of calories you consume and burn each day to neither lose nor gain weight. Use the calorie calculator from the Mayo Clinic to determine your maintenance calories. It uses the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation, which pros consider the gold standard.
Slight Calorie Deficit to Lose Weight Without Losing Muscle
On days you don’t lift weights, you want to lose fat. You can do this by counting calories consumed and, if you are doing cardio exercises (treadmill, etc), subtracting calories burned such that your net calorie deficit is 5-10% of your maintenance calories. In my case, that would be 2200 – 10% = 1980 calories. You don’t want a huge calorie deficit because then you’ll lose fat and muscle.
Moderate Calorie Surplus Gain Muscle
On days that you lift weights to build muscle, depending on how much muscle you want to put on and how quickly you want to gain it, add 5% to 15% to your maintenance calories. In my case, that would be 2200 + 15% = 2530 calories.
Example Weekly Schedule
DAY
ACTIVITY
CALORIES
Monday
Rest
Calorie Deficit
Tuesday
Strength Training
Calorie Surplus, Extra Protein
Wednesday
Cardio
Calorie Deficit
Thursday
Rest
Calorie Deficit
Friday
Strength Training
Calorie Surplus, Extra Protein
Saturday
Cardio
Calorie Deficit
Sunday
Strength Training
Calorie Surplus, Extra Protein
On calorie-surplus days, your body needs the extra calories above your maintenance calories to build new muscle while you sleep.
Example Meal Plan
Here’s my daily meal plan.
Breakfast
4 eggs in a bowl microwaved for 2 minutes
1 cup of espresso coffee with frothed milk, 1/4 teaspoon of Truvia sugar substitute (erithrytol + Stevia extra), and cinnamon
Without eating snacks, my total daily calorie intake is 1928.
Strength / Resistance Training
Muscle size increases when a person continually challenges the muscles to deal with higher levels of resistance or weight. This process is known as muscle hypertrophy.
Muscle hypertrophy occurs when the fibers of the muscles sustain damage or injury. The body repairs damaged fibers by fusing them, which increases the mass and size of the muscles. This increase, however, does not happen while you actually lift the weights. Instead, it occurs while you rest.
You need to be consistent and lift progressively heavier weights. To do this, you should keep track of your efforts. Personally, I log my workouts using the free version of the FitNotes app.
Sets and reps
A standard way of exercising each muscle is by grouping each exercise into 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps (repetitions). For example, if you bench press, you can choose a weight such that for the first set, you lift X lbs until you reach failure (can no longer lift / perform a complete cycle) after the 12th rep. Then, for the 2nd set, you do the same until your failure is maybe at the 10th rep. And for the 3rd set, you fail maybe at 8 reps.
Set
Weight
Reps
1
100 lbs
12
2
100 lbs
10
3
100 lbs
8
Note that more important than the number of reps is the effort to lift until failure. If, after a while, you feel that you can do more than 12 reps at X lbs for the first set, then you need to increase the weight and continue to lift until failure, regardless of the exact number of reps you can do. This is called “progressive overloading.”
Let me repeat that. Train until failure such that you can barely complete your last rep with proper form. The last 2 to 3 reps before failure are the ones that count towards building muscle.
Breathing
You might be tempted to hold your breath while you’re lifting weights. Don’t hold your breath. Instead, breathe out as you lift the weight and breathe in as you lower the weight. Lowering weights requires less exertion, which makes it an ideal time to inhale. By breathing correctly, you’ll be able to lift more and limit fainting and injury.
Muscles
Here’s a diagram of some of the more obvious muscles that you’ll want to target when lifting weights.
Exercises
There are many types of strength training exercises you can do among free weights and machines. I personally prefer using machines as they are more comfortable and help you perform exercises using proper form and reduce the chance of injury. However, some exercises produce better results when using free weights, e.g. dumbbell or barbell chest press instead of a chest press machine. Here are some of the upper body exercises I prefer.
When you start a workout, your muscles will have rested and you will be able to lift the most weight for any given exercise. As you progress through your workout, you will have less strength when performing other exercises. For that reason, it’s good to be selective in the order of the exercises you perform. For example, I would do 10 or so different exercises in the following order:
Order
Exercise
Muscles Targeted
1
V-Bar Tricep Pushdown
Triceps (Tris)
2
Dumbbell chest press (flat)
Chest
3
Dumbbell chest press (30° incline)
Upper chest
4
Hammer Strength MTS Shoulder Press
Shoulders
5
Biceps Curl Machine
Biceps (Bis)
6
Plank exercise
Abs, Core
7
Lat Pulldown
Biceps and Latissimus Dorsi (Lats)
8
Triceps Press
Shoulders and Triceps
9
Lat Row
Lats, Delts and Back
10
V-Bar Tricep Pushdown
Triceps (Tris)
11
Row Machine
Lats, Delts and Back
12
Biceps Curl Machine
Biceps (Bis)
Each exercise, except the plank, is done with 3 sets. This sequence takes about 1.5 hours and I burn on average 500 calories.
Muscles by Volume
Many men generally want a bigger upper body. Oftentimes, they’ll focus exercises on 2 muscles: chest and biceps. However, to have a larger upper body, they may be better off targeting larger muscles. Following is a list of the 10 largest muscles in the body.
The longer you lift weights, the harder it becomes to grow more muscle. Following are average muscle weight gains for men and women at different stages of resistance training.
You may have heard that muscle weighs more than fat. However, according to science, a pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same. The difference between the two is density.
Rest
In order for your muscles to grow, you need to have sufficient rest. Make sure to sleep enough, e.g. 8 hours a day. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually build muscle while you’re lifting weights. You do need to lift weights to add mass, but training actually causes muscle breakdown.
How to Tell if You’re Gaining Muscle
You’re Gaining Weight Track your weight at the same time each day and plot it on a chart to see your long-term progress.
Your Clothes Fit Differently Getting jacked will often mean your clothes start to fit differently – usually in a good way. If you’re noticing your shirts are fitting a bit tighter around your shoulders, chest, and biceps, or your pants are getting snug in the thigh and hip area, these tend to be good signs you’re gaining healthy weight.
You’re Building Strength If you can lift heavier weights, then you are probably building muscle. Track your strength using a log and practice progressive overloading.
Your Muscles Are Looking “Swole” Feeling puffier or bigger is normal and likely a good sign you’re growing your muscle fibers. Lifting weights increases fluids to your muscle, giving you that post-weight training pump, especially when you are just getting started with strength training. Over time, some of the water retention may diminish, but you should continue to feel bulkier.
Daily or Weekly Progress Photos Stand in front of a mirror and take a full-body photo. Repeat and assess your visual transformation regularly.
Your Body Composition Has Changed Ultimately, the most efficient way to measure your muscle gain progress is to assess your body composition at the beginning and end of your bulk. You can opt for an affordable and convenient at-home scale, or schedule a DXA/DEXA scan that estimates your body fat percentage within a 1.6% margin of error.
The best way to know you are gaining muscle is if you are progressively able to lift heavier weights because the only way you can lift heavier weights if you have bigger muscles.
Tracking Progress
If you use an app to keep track of your progress, you can periodically calculate your percent gains and improvements over time. Here’s an example of my actual gains.
Exercise
Dec 26, 2021
March 12, 2022
% increase
Target area
lbs
lbs
V-bar pushdown
50
72.5
45%
Triceps
Chest press machine
70
120
71%
Chest
Lat pulldown machine
90
130
44%
Back
Shoulder press machine
40
70
75%
Shoulders
Tricep pushdown machine
115
170
47%
Triceps
Bicep curl machine
65
110
69%
Biceps
Gadgets and Accessories
To support your strength training goals, I have found the following gadgets useful.
Wi-fi body scale
I have the Withings smart wi-fi body scale. It automatically records my weight, and in the app, I can see my weight change over time.
Whenever I enter the gym, I start tracking my heart rate and calories burned. When I’m done, I stop tracking. I can see a history of my calories burned and workout duration over time.
Bluetooth Headphones / Earphones
I have the Sony Wireless Behind-Neck Headset (WI-C400). Many people like to wear Beats headphones. I prefer the behind-the-neck style headset because it’s lightweight and doesn’t move around as I exercise, including when I do sit-ups.
Repeatedly lifting weights can result in calluses (thickened skin that forms as a response to repeated friction or pressure). Workout gloves tend to have a cushion to protect your skin. I find it much more comfortable to lift with gloves on.
Summary
Stay in a positive protein balance by hitting your protein consistently.
Get your protein from high-quality sources like meat, eggs, dairy, and soy.
Your body needs energy to grow, so you need to be in a moderate calorie surplus.
Make sleep a priority — both quantity and quality.
Hit the weights consistently, and train harder by adding volume (in weight, reps, and sets) over time – progressive overloading.
Every now and then I come across a documentary that shows extreme poverty in many places around the world. I can’t help but wonder why many of these countries don’t appear to be progressing whereas others that used to be poor, like China and Singapore, have become rich in a relatively short period of time. This article examines some of the reasons that prevent countries from growing.
Inclusive vs Extractive Institutions
In the book, “Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty”, the authors argue that nations fail because of their institutions (judicial, economic, political, etc). A given country’s prosperity is determined by its economic institutional landscape – the systems and regulations that direct economic behavior within its borders. That landscape includes property laws, the strength of public services and access to finance.
Inclusive economic institutions stimulate economic success and are designed to encourage participation in economic activities. They also nurture economic freedom. Examples of countries with inclusive institutions are the US and South Korea.
Extractive institutions derive incomes from groups within society for the benefit of other groups. Examples of countries with extractive institutions are North Korea and Sierra Leone.
The main characteristic of inclusive political institutions is pluralism. This means that various groups in a given society are politically represented, therefore power is shared between them. For institutions to be truly inclusive, it’s also essential that they are centralized. Centralization of power results in the rule of law being upheld; there is no need for these different groups to fight each other for superiority.
This 544-page book is available on Amazon. You can read a summary of it in 30 minutes on Blinkist.
High Levels of Corruption
According to Transparency International, there tends to be less corruption in rich countries and more corruption in poor countries. This makes sense since growth would be limited if governments steal their people’s money.
The problem with corruption is if you elect a new leader / president who isn’t corrupt, they will have a hard time eliminating corruption if other government officials are used to being corrupt. You likely need to sack all government officials and hire new ones who hopefully aren’t corrupt.
No Access to Education
According to this UNESCO study, it’s clear that there’s a correlation between poverty and education.
Pupil-to-Teacher Ratio
If we look at the countries ranked by primary school pupil-to-teacher ratio, we find, unsurprisingly, that there tends to be a smaller percentage of teachers in poor countries than in rich ones.
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/)
Literacy Rate
Another interesting metric is literacy rates. According to this map, we see consistent results showing poorer countries tend to have more illiterate people.
Another issue is the cost of education. While most countries offer free primary school education, most require tuition for a college education. Many rich European countries offer free college education and some, like in the U.S., offer very affordable college tuition. U.S. students can also get free money (grants) and low-interest loans to help pay for college.
High Population
In high-population countries, there aren’t enough resources (jobs, schools, teachers, etc) to support the large population. This situation becomes one of supply and demand where there is a large supply of unskilled workers and a short supply of resources. This results in a large percentage of the population becoming poor because, for example, they are unavailable seats to a nearby school or they are unavailable jobs.
According to this article by the World Economic Forum, there is a correlation between population size and a country’s wealth. In rich countries, people tend to have fewer children whereas in poor countries, people tend to have more children.
There is also a correlation between population size and education. Education leads to lower birth rates and slows population growth. This makes it easier for countries to develop. A more-educated workforce also makes poverty eradication and economic growth easier to achieve. Of course, economic growth brings with it another problem: increased consumption.
In one study, it was found that uneducated Malian women gave birth to almost 7 children whereas educated ones only gave birth to 4.
In order to slow population growth, some countries have tried to limit the number of children born. However, when China did this, it just turned a problem of population growth into one of an aging society.
According to an article on the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health website, fertility rates tend to be higher in poorly resourced countries. In developing countries children are needed as a labor force and to provide care for their parents in old age. In these countries, fertility rates are higher due to the lack of access to contraceptives and generally lower levels of female education. When children are put to work, e.g. by selling water or tissue at busy intersections, they are not in school and end up following in their parents’ footsteps, i.e. having many kids to make them work. Also, couples don’t expect help from the government when they’re old so they have kids who they expect will take care of them later on in life.
Human Capital
Human capital—the knowledge, skills, and health that people accumulate over their lives—is a central driver of sustainable growth and poverty reduction. More human capital is associated with higher earnings for people, higher income for countries, and stronger cohesion in societies. Unsurprisingly, the developed countries tend to be the ones with a high human capital index (HCI) value. Here’s a subset and the ranking.
Rank
Economy
HCI Value
1
Singapore
0.88
2
Hong Kong
0.81
3
Japan, South Korea, Canada, Finland, Macao, Sweden
Low tax revenues means that a government can only fund basic services such as policing, the courts and the armed forces. In order to provide universal healthcare, education, and a social safety net for all of a country’s residents, higher tax revenues are required. According to the UN, this can be achieved if a country’s tax revenues are at least 20% of their GDP [1]. If achieved, this would result in an increase in a society’s quality of life. The Human Development Index (HDI) [2] is a ranking of a society’s quality of life by country. The index groups countries into 4 categories. Following is a 2016 listing of those categories with a sampling of countries. The listing also shows each country’s 2015 tax revenue-to-GDP ratio [3]. Each country’s estimated 2017 GDP per capita per the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is also listed to give an idea of the average individual’s annual income for that country [4]. In addition, I note whether a country is an Islamic country.
Interestingly, the top 10 countries with the highest quality of life are the countries that collect the most tax from their residents.
If we take the average tax revenue as a % of GDP for all countries in each category, we get the following table.
Country Group
Average Tax Revenue as % of GDP
Top 10 Very High Human Development
36.75
Very High Human Development
31.92
High Human Development
22.08
Medium Human Development
17.09
Low Human Development
15.08
Based on the two tables above, it appears that, in general, the more taxes a country collects (higher tax-revenue as % of GDP), the higher the quality of life of its residents.
In addition to higher taxation, tax policy should be progressive such that the poor do not may as much or more as middle and upper-class people. Also, corporations and rich people should not be able to evade taxes using loopholes.
GDP Per Capita From 1960 to 2020
Below is a graph of the change in GDP per capita of a few countries. Singapore was able to catch up to the US in a short period of time. China and India have many similarities, e.g. two of the most populated countries. Both countries started growing around the same time but clearly China grew rapidly whereas India barely grew.
China has 1.4 billion people. 1/5th of all humanity. Chinese was successful up until the 17th century when China closed its doors and decided it didn’t need Western gadgets. Many people ended up dying due to starvation. 14 million Chinese people died in WWII. Mao Tse Dong ruled China and closed all universities. Deng Xioping had a vision to make China prosperous. His slogan was “To be rich is glorious”. Like Mao, he believed that to ensure stability and to prosper, you needed one-party rule. When Mao Tse Dong died in 1976, Deng asked to be in charge of China’s education and science. Deng allowed everyone to take university exams for free. The first exams started in December of 1977. 5.7 million people applied for exams but only 5% could be admitted. In 1978, Deng emerged as preeminent leader. In 1978, Deng went with a delegation of 30 people to Europe. He witnessed how advanced Europe was and how far back China had fallen behind. Deng then went to Singapore and Japan. He noticed that trains in Japan could travel at 210 kph whereas those in China could only go up to 60 kph. He saw robots making cars in Japan. Deng wanted Chinese people to see how people in Japan and Singapore lived so he showed them on TV. Chinese people were in shock to see Japanese people work and have their own refrigerators at home. China embarked on an economic and social experiment – mixing the Communist command economy with the energy of capitalist enterprise. Chinese students were sent to foreign universities. There was a concern that Chinese students may not want to return to China. There was a huge investment in primary and secondary education – especially for women. By the early 80s, the signs of reform were everywhere from the schools to the cars on the streets where there were once only bicycles. The rural population of China had been moving to the cities at a rapid pace. In just 4 years, China’s agriculture, education and industry were reformed. Private business was allowed to flourish. China’s low production costs offered huge opportunities to the outside world. With its fast, expanding urban workforce, China’s GDP would increase nearly 70 times in 40 years. The Chinese way was a marriage of one-party rule with capitalist enterprise. China didn’t want to be dependent anymore on outside people for technology.
Not everyone has specialized skills or the ability to get a 4 year degree or higher due to their unique circumstances. Though having a college education normally results in higher pay, you don’t always get paid more for having a higher education. One must wonder, then, what is the highest paying job for the lowest level of education. Fortunately, the US government collects labor data and provides a ton of information to help people compare careers, salaries, education requirements, and more. This information is updated regularly and available at the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook website.
Here, we can search for careers starting from the lowest level of education up to having a 2-year associate’s degree. With each search, we can filter by average annual salary. Here are the results. Occupations with salaries below $40,000 a year are excluded.
The occupations in the results above are mostly manual labor jobs like carpentry, landscaping, cooking, construction, driving, farming, machine operating, etc.
Education Level: High school diploma or equivalent
For this education level, the fastest growing occupation is “Computer Support Specialist” with a 2019 Median Pay of $26.33 per hour or $54,760 per year.
For this education level, there is only one occupation in the $80,000 more category. It is “Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers” with a 2019 Median Pay of $28.40 per hour or $59,080 per year. However, this occupation is in decline and not growing.
On the summary page for “Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers” we find a link for how to become a Electrical or Electronics Installer and Repairer. It looks like one would go to a vocational or apprenticeship school and take specific courses to become an electrician. A Google search reveals that in California, you must be licensed and there are 5 types of licenses. You would need to enroll in a State-approved electrician trainee school. For example, one school located in San Leandro, California is called Alameda County Electrical JATC. This is a 5 year program includes 8000 hours of paid on-the-job training during the day and 900 hours of classroom instruction during day and evenings.
Costs:
$620 for books (first year)
$500 for tools
An electrician
Education Level: 2 Year Associate’s Degree
For this education level, the fastest growing occupation is “Radiation Therapist” with a 2019 Median Pay of $41.14 per hour or $85,560 per year.
Following is proof that Muslims must study the Quran in an effort to understand it and that simply deferring matters of Islamic to other people, e.g. the Ulama, is not allowed.
Is it better to memorize the Quran or to read the Quran?
Many Muslims go through the huge effort of memorizing the Quran, even if they don’t speak Arabic. In general, many Muslims are also very impressed to hear of someone who has memorized the entire Quran. Sadly, when you ask these people if they understand what they memorized, they say they don’t understand it. In other words, many of these people have managed to memorize the sounds of the Arabic Quran without understanding the meaning of what they’ve spent so much time trying to memorize. According to verse 2:2, the Quran is a guide for people who believe in God.
Then do they not study / think deeply about / understand (yatadabbaruna) the Qur’an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts? (47:24)
While there is nothing wrong with memorizing the Quran, it should be clear that understanding the meaning of the Quran should be a priority. After all, how can you be guided by a book that contains guidance if you don’t understand what you are reading, let alone have memorized?
Is it better to read the Arabic Quran or a translation?
Many non-Arabic-speaking Muslims diligently read the Arabic Quran throughout their lives. Sadly, most of them have no idea of the meaning of the words they read. As such, it doesn’t seem fitting to even say that they are “reading” the Quran since “reading” implies an understanding of the words being read. As such, a possibly more appropriate description of their actions is that they are “making the sounds of the Arabic Quran.” The word Qur’an is an Arabic word that translates to “Reading” in English. It is called as such because it’s supposed to be read. In addition to reading it, God expects you to think deeply about it and understand it (47:24).
This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah – (2:2)
Obviously, in order to be “guided”, you need to understand the meaning of the guide. And obviously, you can understand a guide if you don’t understand the language of that guide. Therefore, it should be obvious that non-Arabic speakers will benefit most from reading a translation of the Quran to satisfy verse 47:24 and be “guided.” People don’t magically get guidance by reading a book they don’t understand. If one feels it important to read the Arabic Quran, they can read both the Arabic version and a translated version side by side.
Are you allowed to sing the Quran?
Many Muslims think that it is better to recite the Quran with a certain intonation. The resulting effect can be somewhat like they are singing a song with or without instruments.
There doesn’t appear to be any ruling against singing the Quran. However, one should keep in mind the purpose of the Quran and what God expects everyone to do with it. As stated earlier, the Quran is a book of guidance (2:2) and God expects everyone to read, understand, and think deeply about it (47:24).
QURAN — UNDERSTANDING
The Quran forbids you from following or believing in something without understanding it
In verse 17:36, God clearly tells people not to follow and believe in what they have no knowledge of. For example, if someone tells you that Muslim men are forbidden from wearing gold and silk, then you shouldn’t just believe what they say, regardless of whether they are learned scholars or imams. You must know what you are doing so that you are not guilty of becoming a blind believer. Examples of blind believers are idol worshippers of the time of Prophet Abraham. When Abraham proved to them, including his own father, that the idols were not God, and told them to stop worshipping them, they refused saying that they wanted to continue worshipping whatever their forefathers worshipped, even though they had no proof that their idols were God.
And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart – about all those [one] will be questioned. (17:36)
As a Muslim, do you have to understand the Quran?
Many Muslims believe that they can just read the Quran without understanding and thinking deeply about its verses. However, God says in verse 47:24 that you are expected to study and think deeply about its verses. The expectation that you understand the Quran is so serious that not doing it is as if your heart was locked up. This expectation is very rational. After all, if you don’t understand the Quran, then your practice of Islam would be based on assumption rather than proof. Furthermore, since verse 17:36 forbids you from blindly following what people tell you without your own personal knowledge or proof of a matter, one obvious way to acquire knowledge of Islamic matters is by studying and thinking deeply about the Quran.
Then do they not study / think deeply about / understand the Qur’an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts? (47:24)
Note the keyword “yatadabbaruun” in this verse which is defined in the Edward Lane’s Lexicon as follows (highlighted).
QURAN — FOLLOWING / JUDGING BY OTHER THAN IT
God forbids people from following any law except God’s laws in the Quran
This is understandable and is proven in verse 6:114. The Quran is the word of God. Other books, e.g. the book of Prophet Muhammad’s sayings (hadith), are not from God but from humans (e.g. indirectly via a chain of people who claim they heard Muhammad say something). Muhammad is not God. Muhammad has no right or authority to make Islamic law. And God never gave Muhammad the authority to make Islamic law as we will prove below.
[Say], “Then is it other than Allah I should seek as judge while it is He who has revealed to you the Book explained in detail?” … (6:114)
Whoever judges by other than the Quran, they are wrongdoers and Kafir (disbelievers)
Many people, usually very religious people, like to tell others that something is haram. Unfortunately, their justification of their statements is based on the supposed sayings of Prophet Muhammad (hadith) and not the Quran. For example, some people tell others that men are forbidden from wearing gold and silk. This information is found in the hadith but you will never find it in the Quran. According to verse 5:45, these people who judge by the hadith think that they are doing the right thing and are very religious but in actuality, God considers them wrongdoers.
… And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the disbelievers. (5:45)
In addition to being wrongdoers, in verse 5:44 God even considers them to be disbelievers (kafir). This verse indicates that
God sent down the Torah
The prophets, Jewish rabbis and scholars used it to judge the Jews
There is no mention of the man-made Jewish Talmud book containing supposed sayings (hadith) of prophet Moses nor opinions of rabbis to be used in place of or in conjunction with the Torah for matters of Jewish law. The same, obviously, would apply to the Quran.
Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light. The prophets who submitted [to Allah ] judged by it for the Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars by that with which they were entrusted of the Scripture of Allah, and they were witnesses thereto. So do not fear the people but fear Me, and do not exchange My verses for a small price. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the disbelievers. (5:44)
Regarding matters of religion, do not follow or believe in hadith besides the Quran
Verses 45:6 and 77:50 should be sufficient proof for everyone that only the Quran, which is God’s sayings (hadith) should be followed and believed in. Any saying (hadith) after that should not be believed in let alone followed as supplementary or overriding laws in the Quran.
Do you have to wash your feet in wudhu (ablution) or can you wipe it?
Many Muslims, especially Sunnis, believe that they must wash their feet when performing wudhu. However, the Quran makes it clear that the feet are to be wiped. Consider verse 5:6.
O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your hands to the elbows and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles. (5:6)
As you can see, any reasonable person would understand the above verse to indicate that the feet are to be wiped and not necessarily washed. If it were so important for believers to wash their feet instead of wipe them, it would make sense for God to have grouped the feet part of the verse with the face and hand washing part instead of with the head-wiping part. Or, God could have added the word “wash” right before the word “feet” to make it clear that the feet must be washed.
How many steps are there in performing ablution (wudhu)?
Most Muslims think there are more than 4 steps to perform ablution (wudhu). However, the Quran makes it very clear in verse 5:6 that there are exactly 4 steps:
O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your hands to the elbows and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles. (5:6)
Some Muslims insist that you must do more such as wash the inside of your mouth, clear your nostrils, wipe your neck, etc. Though it’s probably okay to do these things, one must not say that these additional steps are required since nowhere in the Quran does it require them. Believing that these extra steps are required and telling others that these extra steps are required constitutes belief in an Islamic law that God never approved. Therefore, to be safe and correct, one should not add to the steps clearly specified in the Quran and just stick to the 4 steps. If one feels that they need to wash their mouths or clear their nostrils or wipe their necks, they can do that before performing ablution (wudhu). They can also take a bath or shower before performing ablution (wudhu) as well.
How many times must you perform each step in ablution (wudhu)?
Most Muslims think that they must perform each step of ablution (wudhu) three times as if doing it less or more than three times invalidates the ablution. However, the Quran never mentions a specific number of steps required to perform ablution. Therefore, you are free to perform each step as many times as you want. Also, you are forbidden from telling others that they are required to perform each step a specific number of times since God never required any specific number.
O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your hands to the elbows and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles. (5:6)
… [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. God named you “Submitters” (“Muslims”) before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation (the Quran)] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to God. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper. (22:78)
Prophet Muhammad was not original or any more special than the other messengers
Say (O’ Muhammad), “I am not something original among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear warner.” (46:9)
Muhammad was specifically told to follow the religion of Abraham
And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to God while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth? And God took Abraham as an intimate friend. (4:125)
Muhammad’s sole mission was to deliver the message (the Quran)
And whether We show you part of what We promise them or take you in death, upon you (O Muhammad) is only the [duty of] notification (of the Quran), and upon Us is the account. (13:40)
But if they turn away – then We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], over them as a guardian; upon you is only [the duty of] notification (of the Quran). And indeed, when We let man taste mercy from us, he rejoices in it; but if evil afflicts him for what his hands have put forth, then indeed, man is ungrateful. (42:48)
And there is not an animal moving in the earth nor a bird flying on its wings, but they are a nation like you; We have left out nothing in this Book – then towards their Lord they will be raised. (6:38)
Since God says the Quran is “complete” and He “left out nothing”, then followers must accept this and not argue that it is incomplete and therefore the hadith are necessary.
SAME RELIGION BUT DIFFERENT WAYS AND PRACTICES
Origin of names of religions
Many people nowadays think of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as three completely different religions that all originate from Abraham. However, Judaism and Christianity are actually just incorrectly modified versions of Islam (Submission).
Judaism is named as such because it originates from the Hebrew word Yehudah (Judah)”. Source
Judah is the name of an ancient kingdom in present-day southern Israel. Source
Christianity is named as such because it is based on the name of its leader, Jesus Christ. Christianity grew out of Judaism and began as a Second Temple Judaic sect in the mid-1st century. Source
Christ comes from the Greek word χριστός (chrīstós), meaning “anointed one”. The word is derived from the Greek verb χρίω (chrī́ō), meaning “to anoint.” In the Greek Septuagint, christos was used to translate the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (Mašíaḥ, messiah), meaning “[one who is] anointed”. Source
Unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam (Submission) is not named after a kingdom such as Saudi Arabia or a person such as Muhammad. If it did, it might be called Saudi Arabianism or Muhammadism.
As explained above,
Islam is a word that has a meaning which is “to submit (to one true God).”
As a meaningful word, Islam can be translated as “Submission” in English and “Penyerahan” in Indonesian.
Jesus Christ (Prophet Jesus) was a Muslim (3:52)
The People of the Book (Jews and Christians) were actually followers of Islam (Submission) as they were also called Muslims (Submitters). (28:52-53)
Jews and Christians wrongfully divided their original religion of Submission (Islam) (21:92-93)
The Quran always references Jews and Christians as
Jews (Yahuud) (e.g. 5:82)
Christians (Nasaara) (e.g. 5:82) Note that Nasaara is an Arabic word which, according to the Edward Lanes Lexicon, means Nazarenes, i.e. people from Nazareth.
Children of Israel (e.g. 17:2)
People of the Book (Ahli-l-kitaab) (e.g. 3:199)
The Quran never mentions that the Jews follow a separate religion called Judaism and that the Christians follow a separate religion called Christianity.
Most Jews don’t believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and most Christians don’t believe that Muhammad is the final messenger of God. However, at the time of Muhammad, there were some Jews and Christians who did believe in Muhammad and the revelation to him (the Quran).
And there are, certainly, among the People of the Book, those who believe in God, in the revelation to you (Muhammad), and in the revelation to them (Torah, Injil), bowing in humility to God …. (3:199)
Though Judaism and Christianity originally were no different than Abraham’s religion of Submission (Islam), they have changed a lot, e.g. Christians now believe that Jesus is the son of God, which is clearly a violation of Submission (Islam) as stated in the Quran (4:171)
The religion of Noah, Muhammad, Abraham, Moses and Jesus is the same
He has ordained for you of religion (Arabic: Deen) what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus – to establish the religion and not be divided therein …. (42:13)
The message given to Noah, Muhammad, Abraham, Moses and Jesus was the same
Nothing is said to you, [O Muhammad], except what was already said to the messengers before you. Indeed, your Lord is a possessor of forgiveness and a possessor of painful penalty. (41:43)
Correct Jews, Christians and Muslims are all muslims who share the same God
And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them, and say, “We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.” (29:46)
“Deen” (religion) vs “millat” (ways / practices of a religion)
Many Muslims use verse 2:120 to infer that the Jews and Christians follow a different religion.
And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their form of religion (Arabic: Millatahum). Say, “Indeed, the guidance of God is the [only] guidance.” If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against God no protector or helper. (2:120)
However, you will see a difference between verse 42:13 and 2:120 in that 42:13 uses the word “deen” whereas verse 42:13 uses the word “millatahum”.
The word “deen” means “religion” whereas the word “millat”, in the context of verse 2:120, means “way of belief or form of religion.” According to the Edward Lanes Lexicon, we see this definition as follows:
The word “millat” is also in verse 16:123 where prophet Muhammad was told to follow Abraham’s “form of religion” (millat).
Then We revealed to you, [O Muhammad], to follow the form of religion (Arabic: millat) of Abraham, inclining toward truth; and he was not of those who associate with God. (16:123)
Abraham’s “way” (millat) is the correct way of God’s religion
In other words, people can be part of the same “deen” (religion” but their way / form (“millat”) may be different. The correct way, according to verse 16:123, is the way of Prophet Abraham. This “way”, according to this verse, is to not join anything with God including partnerships, idols, and intercessors. This “way” applies to Muslims, Christians and Jews.
People who convert to Submission (Islam) are told to say the following sentence:
أشهد أن لا إله إلاَّ الله و أشهد أن محمد رسول الله
I bear witness that there is no god but God and I bear witness that Muhammad is God’s messenger.
While it is true that Muhammad was a messenger of God, we must not forget that he was not the only messenger of God and that all messengers of God are to be treated equally (2:136). Many Submitters (Muslims) today think of Muhammad exclusively or as a superior messenger compared to all other messengers. For example, in mosques you will often find Muhammad’s name next to God’s name and nowhere will you find the names of the other messengers including Abraham, the founder of Submission (Islam). When Submitters (Muslims) pray, near the end of the prayer they often ask for blessings on both Muhammad and Abraham. However, this too seems limiting considering that true believers must treat all messengers equally. According to verse 3:13, God tells us how to bear witness in submission to Him.
God witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge – [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise. (3:18)
This verse doesn’t mention Muhammad. This makes sense since we know from 22:78 that Submitters (Muslims) existed before Muhammad existed, e.g. Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and many of their followers.
In verse 27:44, we see an example of how the ruler of Sheba converted to Submission (Islam) and become a Submitter (Muslim). All she said was, “I submit to God, Lord of the Worlds.”
She was told, “Enter the palace.” But when she saw it, she thought it was a body of water and uncovered her shins [to wade through]. He said, “Indeed, it is a palace [whose floor is] made smooth with glass.” She said, “My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, and I submit with Solomon to God, Lord of the worlds.” (27:44)
We also know from 49:14 that one can be a Submitter (Muslim) before being a Believer (Mu’min).
The desert Arabs say, “We believe!” Say, “Do not say you believe; but only say, ‘We have submitted our wills to God (as Submitters / Muslims),’ as belief has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey God and His Messenger, He will not deprive you anything of your deeds: for God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (49:14)
Therefore, becoming a Submitter (Muslim) only requires belief in one God regardless of their belief in God’s angels, messengers, and scriptures. Verse 2:285 gives us the requirements for one to be a Believer (Mu’min).
“The messenger believes in that which has been revealed to him from his Lord and (so do) believers. Each one believes in God and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers – We make no distinction between any of His messengers – and they say: We hear, and we obey. …. ” (2:285)
Therefore, better testimonies that don’t violate verses 2:136 and 2:285 are:
Testimony to be a Submitter (Muslim)
I bear witness that there is no god but God.
Testimony to be a Submitter (Muslim) and a Believer (Mu’min)
I bear witness that there is no god but God.
I bear witness to the existence of God’s angels.
I bear witness that God revealed scriptures including, but not limited to, the Torah, Injil, and the Quran.
I bear witness that Muhammad and many others before him including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, were messengers of God.
Submitters (Muslims) existed before Muhammad’s time
Many Muslims today believe that Muhammad was the first Muslim (submitter). However, below is proof that many people were Muslims (Submitters) way before Muhammad was even born.
And recite to them the news of Noah, when he said to his people, … I have been commanded to be of the Submitters (Muslims).” (10:71-72)
Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Is’haq (Isaac), Ya’kub (Jacob) and Ya’kub’s sons were Submitters (Muslims)
And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham? … When his Lord said to him, “Submit”, he said “I have submitted [in Islam] to the Lord of the worlds.” And Abraham instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Jacob, [saying], “O my sons, indeed God has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims.” Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, “What will you worship after me?” They said, “We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac – one God. And we are Submitters (Muslims) [in submission] to Him.” (2:130 – 133)
…. I am Joseph, …… My Lord …. You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die a Submitter (Muslim) and join me with the righteous.” (12:90-101)
Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) was a Submitter (Muslim)
But when Jesus felt [persistence in] disbelief from them, he said, “Who are my supporters for [the cause of] God?” The disciples said,” We are supporters for God. We have believed in God and testify that we are Submitters (Muslims). (3:52)
People who believed in the previous scriptures (Torah, Injil) were Submitters (Muslims)
Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it – they are believers in it. And when it is recited to them, they say, “We have believed in it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed we were, [even] before it, Submitters (Muslims).” (28:52-53)
God named people before Muhammad’s time Submitters (Muslims)
… [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. God named you “Submitters” (“Muslims”) before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation (the Quran)] that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people. So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to God. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper. (22:78)
Shema Yisrael (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל)
The key part of testimony to be a submitter (Muslim) is “there is no god but God”. Note that this statement regarding the oneness of God is often found in the Quran and matches the Shema Yisrael. The Shema Yisrael is found in the Torah in Deuteronomy 6:4.
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד
Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4)
According to Wikipedia, the Shema is a centerpiece of morning and evening Jewish prayers. Observant Jews consider the Shema to be the most important part of the prayer service in Judaism, and its twice-daily recitation as a mitzvah (religious commandment). It is traditional for Jews to say the Shema as their last words, and for parents to teach their children to say it before they go to sleep at night.
Following is a list of names of prophets and messengers and their scriptures based on the information available in the Quran. There may be more prophets and messengers that just weren’t mentioned in the Quran.
Adam
Adam is often regarded as the first prophet but the Quran never specifically says that he was a prophet. However, the Quran in verse 3:33 does mention that Adam was special similar to Noah and Abraham.
Idris / Enoch
He was a prophet (19:56)
Nuh / Noah
He was a prophet (6:89, 4:163) and a messenger (26:107)
He was sent to the people of Noah (26:105)
Hud
He was a messenger (26:125)
He was sent to the people of Ad (7:65)
Saleh
He was a messenger (26:143)
He was sent to the people of Thamud (7:73)
Ibrahim / Abraham
He was a prophet (19:41, 4:163) and a messenger (9:70)
He was sent to the people of Abraham (22:43)
He was given the “Scrolls of Abraham” (87:19)
Ibrahim was not a Jew or a Christian (3:67)
Lut / Lot
He was a prophet (6:85-89) and a messenger (37:133)
He was sent to the people of Lot (7:80)
Ismail / Ishmael
He was a prophet (19:54, 4:163, 6:85-89) and a messenger (19:54)
Is’haq / Isaac
He was a prophet (19:49, 4:163)
Ya’kub / Jacob / Israel
He was a prophet (19:49, 4:163, 19:58)
Yusuf / Joseph
He was a messenger (12:50)
Ayyub / Job
He was a prophet (4:163)
Shuaib / Jethro
He was a messenger (26:178)
He was sent to the people of Midian (7:85)
Musa / Moses
He was a prophet (19:51) and a messenger (19:51)
He was sent to Pharoah and his establishment (43:46)
He was given the Torah (53:36)
Harun / Aaron
He was a prophet (19:53, 4:163)
Dhul-Kifl / Ezekiel
He was a prophet (21:85-86 chapter of the “prophets”)
Dawud / David
He was a prophet (17:55, 4:163) and a messenger (4:163)
He was given the Zabur (Psalms) (17:55)
Sulaiman / Solomon
He was a messenger (4:163)
Ilyas / Elijah
He was a messenger (37:123, 6:85-89)
He was sent to the people of Ilyas (37:124)
Al Yasa / Elisha
He was a messenger (6:85-89)
Yunus / Jonah
He was a prophet (6:85-89, 4:163) and a messenger (37:139)
He was sent to the people of Yunus (10:98)
Zakariya / Zechariah
He was a prophet (6:85-89)
Yahya / John
He was a prophet (3:39, 6:85-89)
Isa / Jesus / The Messiah
He was a prophet (19:30, 4:163, 6:85-89) and a messenger (4:171)
He was sent to the Children of Israel (61:6)
He was given the Injil (Gospel) (57:27)
His other name was The Messiah (3:45)
Muhammad / Ahmad
He was a prophet (33:40) and a messenger (33:40)
He was sent to the Arabs (42:7) for all of mankind (7:158)
His other name was “Ahmad” (61:6)
He was given the Quran (42:7)
The Quran was revealed in Arabic
because God wanted to make it easy for Muhammad as an Arabic speaker (19:97)
so that Muhammad could warn his local community of Arabs (42:7)
because if it was in another language, the local Arabs would not believe in it (41:44)
The Arabic Quran was revealed to Arabs because if it was revealed to non-Arabs, they would not have believed in it (26:198-199)
Prophets and messengers are not the same thing
This is proven based on the wording used in verse 22:52.
Mankind was [of] one religion [before their deviation]; then God sent the prophets as bringers of good tidings and warners and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between the people concerning that in which they differed. … (22:52)
What is a messenger?
By definition, a messenger is someone who brings or shares a “message”. In the context of the Quran, a messenger shares or relates the message of the Quran.
The role of a messenger
According to verse 6:48, a messenger’s job is to only “give good news” and to “warn”.
And We send not the messengers except as bringers of good tidings and warners. So whoever believes and reforms – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. (14:4)
Each messenger was given the same message
The message that was revealed before the Quran is the same as what was revealed in the Quran. This is proven in verse 41:43.
Nothing is said to you, [O Muhammad], except what was already said to the messengers before you. Indeed, your Lord is a possessor of forgiveness and a possessor of painful penalty. (41:43)
Each messenger received a revelation to worship the one God
And We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that, “There is no deity except Me, so worship Me.” (21:25)
A messenger was sent to every community
Verse 16:36 indicates that messengers are sent to every community / nation. Since new communities / nations existed after Muhammad’s time, then there must be messengers after Muhammad died.
And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], “Worship God and avoid Taghut.” (16:36 part)
Each messenger spoke the language of his people
Verse 14:4 indicates that a messenger speaks the language of his people. Prophet Muhammad only spoke Arabic and he was sent as a messenger for his Arabic-speaking people. Since there are many other languages besides Arabic, there must be many other messengers besides Muhammad, both before and after Muhammad died.
And We did not send any messenger but with the language of his people, so that he might explain to them clearly; …. (14:4)
Messengers relate God’s verses
In verse 7:35, God tells the Children of Adam (all of mankind) that there will be multiple messengers from among humans rehearsing God’s verses. There is no mention of an end of the messengers. Therefore, certain people who rehearse God’s verses after prophet Muhammad died can be a messenger.
O children of Adam, if there come to you messengers from among you relating to you My verses, then whoever fears God and reforms – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. (23:51)
We have made some of these messengers to excel the others among them are they to whom God spoke, and some of them He exalted by rank / degrees; and We gave clear miracles to Jesus son of Mary, and strengthened him with the Holy spirit. … (2:253)
And We have made some of the prophets exceed others [in various ways], and to David We gave the book [of Psalms]. (17:55)
Believers in God and His messengers must consider all messengers equal
Christians celebrate Prophet Jesus’ birthday and they consider him superior to all other prophets. Likewise, some of today’s Submitters (Muslims) celebrate Prophet Muhammad’s birthday and almost all Submitters (Muslims) consider Muhammad superior to all other prophets. Although God favored some messengers over others, God expects everyone to see all messengers as equal including Prophet Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.
Say: We believe in God and that which had been revealed to us, and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and that which was given to the prophets from their Lord, we do not make any distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him. (2:136)
Related verses: 2:285, 3:84, 4:152, 17:55
Multiple messengers have existed at the same time for the same community
In Quran verse 36:14, God sent two messengers to a town but people denied them so He sent a third messenger to strengthen them. The three messengers coexisted and worked together.
When We sent to them two but they denied them, so We strengthened them with a third, and they said, “Indeed, we are messengers to you.” (36:14)
We also see plurality of messengers who came to other communities / nations.
“The people of Noah rejected the messengers” (26:105) “The Ad (people) rejected the messengers” (26:123) “The Thamud (people) rejected the messengers” (26:141) “The people of Lut rejected the messengers” (26:160)
The Quran is the last book of God and Muhammad is the last prophet
Scriptures are only given to prophets. Since Muhammad is the last prophet, the Quran is the last scripture.
Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. And ever is Allah, of all things, Knowing. (33:40)
Conclusion
Based on the analysis above, we can summarize as follows:
A prophet is shares good news, warns, and is given a book (scripture)
A messenger only shares good news and warns by relating verses in books (scriptures) given to prophets
Muhammad is the last prophet
Multiple messengers can exist for any given community / nation both before, during, and after Muhammad’s time
Torah (Arabic: Tawrah) a book which was communicated by God to Moses on Mount Sinai in 1280 BCE over the course of 40 days
Injeel / Gospels Injeel is likely wisdom given to Jesus which was later likely written by his apostles and became known as the Gospels
Psalms (Arabic: Zabuur) given to David
Quran a book which was communicated by God via the Holy Spirit Gabriel to Muhammad gradually from 610 CE when Muhammad was 40 years old until his death in 632 CE. The first revelation came when Muhammad was in a cave called Hira on the mountain Jabal Al-Noor near Mecca.
What scriptures Jews, Christians, and Muslims follow
Jews Jews follow the Jewish Bible. The Jewish Bible is also called the Tanakh which includes the Torah.
Christians Christians follow the Christian Bible. The Christian Bible consists of 2 parts: Old TestamentNew TestamentThe Old Testament includes the Jewish Bible / Tanakh and, depending on Christian denomination, some other books. The New Testament includes various books including the Injeel (Gospels).
Muslims Muslims follow the Quran.
Torah
The Torah is part of the Jewish Tanakh. The Tanakh is also the Christian Old Testament. Tanakh is an acronym of the first Hebrew letter of the 3 subdivisions of the Masoretic texts which are
Torah (which means “teachings”, also known as the 5 Books of Moses or Pentateuch)
Nevi’im (which means “prophets”)
Ketuvim (which means “writings”)
As such, Tanakh is often spelled as TaNaKh. Tanakh is also called “mikra” which means “that which is read”.
The 10 Commandments
The 10 Commandments are a set of principles followed by Jews and Christians. They appear twice in the Torah. They were also written on stone tablets which Moses had when he came down from spending 40 days on Mt. Sinai.
You shall have no other Gods but me.
You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it.
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God.
You shall remember and keep the Sabbath day holy.
Respect your father and mother.
You must not commit murder.
You must not commit adultery.
You must not steal.
You must not give false evidence against your neighbor.
You must not be envious of your neighbor’s goods. You shall not be envious of his house nor his wife, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.
The 613 Commandments
There have been many attempts to codify and enumerate the commandments contained in the Torah. The most popular enumeration is the 613 Commandments by Maimonides.
Tanakh
The Tanakh was mostly written in Hebrew. Following is the list of books in each subdivision of the Tanakh.
Torah (teaching) – 5 books
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Nevi’im (prophets) – 8 books
The former prophets
Joshua
Judges
Samuel
Kings
Latter Prophets
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Ezekiel
12 Minor Prophets (considered one book)
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Ketuvim (writings) – 11 books
Poetic books
Psalms
Book of Proverbs
Book of Job
Five Scrolls
Song of Songs or Song of Solomon (Passover)
Book of Ruth
Lamentations
Ecclesiastes
Book of Esther
Other Books
Book of Daniel
Book of Ezra—Book of Nehemiah
Chronicles
Old Testament
The Old Testament is the first part of the Christian Bible and mostly matches the Jewish Bible. It was written by various authors over a period of centuries.
New Testament
The New Testament is the second of two parts of the Christian Bible. The New Testament discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christianity. It was written in Greek and completed before 120 AD. The books in the New Testament consist of 4 parts as follows.
Gospels (good news / glad tidings) – 4 books Narratives of the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus
The Gospel of Matthew Ascribed to the Apostle Matthew. This gospel begins with a genealogy of Jesus and a story of his birth that includes a visit from magi and a flight into Egypt, and it ends with the commissioning of the disciples by the resurrected Jesus.
The Gospel of Mark Ascribed to Mark the Evangelist. This gospel begins with the preaching of John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus.
The Gospel of Luke Ascribed to Luke the Evangelist, who was not one of the Twelve Apostles, but was mentioned as a companion of the Apostle Paul and as a physician.[17] This gospel begins with parallel stories of the birth and childhood of John the Baptist and Jesus and ends with appearances of the resurrected Jesus and his ascension into heaven.
The Gospel of John Ascribed to John the Apostle. This gospel begins with a philosophical prologue and ends with appearances of the resurrected Jesus. It is about Jesus’s miracles.
Acts of the Apostles A narrative of the apostles’ ministry and activity after Christ’s death and resurrection, from which point it resumes and functions as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke.
Epistles– 21 letters 21 letters, often called “epistles” from Greek “epistole”, written by various authors, and consisting of Christian doctrine, counsel, instruction, and conflict resolution;
Apocalypse (The Book of Revelation) A book of prophecy, containing some instructions to seven local congregations of Asia Minor, but mostly containing prophetical symbology, about the end times.
Earliest Jewish Bible (Tanakh) manuscript
The Aleppo Codex (c. 920 CE) and Leningrad Codex (c. 1008 CE) were the oldest Hebrew language manuscripts of the Tanakh. In 1947 CE the finding of the Dead Sea scrolls at Qumran pushed the manuscript history of the Tanakh back a millennium from the two earliest complete codices. Before this discovery, the earliest extant manuscripts of the Old Testament were in Greek in manuscripts such as Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus. Out of the roughly 800 manuscripts found at Qumran, 220 are from the Tanakh. Every book of the Tanakh is represented except for the Book of Esther; however, most are fragmentary. Notably, there are two scrolls of the Book of Isaiah, one complete (1QIsa), and one around 75% complete (1QIsb). These manuscripts generally date between 150 BCE to 70 CE.
Earliest Christian Old and New Testament manuscript
There are two manuscripts that are considered to be the oldest.
Codex Vaticanus (The Vatican Book)
Text: Old and New Testament Date: c. 300–325 Script: Greek Found: At the Vatican It lacks most of the book of Genesis, Hebrews 9:14 to the end, the Pastoral Epistles, and the book of Revelation.
Codex Sinaticus (The Sinai Book)
Text: Old and New Testament Date: c. 330–360 Script: Greek Found: In Sinai in1844 at St. Catherine’s Monastery About half of the Old Testament survived along with a complete New Testament. A digital copy is available online at http://www.codexsinaiticus.org.
Earliest Quran manuscript
One of the earliest Quran manuscripts is the Birmingham manuscript. It only contains parts of chapters 18 and 20. It was radiocarbon dated to 568 and 645. For comparison, prophet Muhammad lived from 570 to 632. Following is a part of the Birmingham manuscript on the right and the equivalent 21st century Quran on the left. The text matches almost perfectly.
However, notice also that the Birmingham manuscript doesn’t include short vowel markings or harakaat.
The 7 Laws of Noah (Noahide Laws)
These are a set of laws which, according to the Jewish Talmud, were given to Noah’s three sons for all of humanity (Children of Noah). They are similar to the 10 Commandments.
Quran: the last scripture (book)
Since prophets get scriptures (books) and Muhammad was the last prophet, therefore the Quran, which is the scripture (book) given to Muhammad must be the last scripture (book).
Like “Islam” which is an Arabic word that means “Submission”, the word “Quran” is an Arabic word that means “reading” or “recitation.” Based on Arabic grammar, some may argue that it means intense or continuous reading / recitation.
Oral tradition
Islamic Hadeeth
Many Muslims believe that the Quran must be supplemented by the hadeeth or oral sayings / tradition of the prophet Muhammad.
Ḥadīth is the Arabic word for speech, report, account, narrative. Unlike the Qur’an, not all Muslims believe Ahadith accounts (or at least not all ahadith) are divine revelation, and ahadith were not written down by Muhammad’s followers immediately after his death but several generations later (at least 200 years later) when they were collected, collated and compiled into a great corpus of Islamic literature. A small minority of Muslims called Quranists reject all Ḥadīth.
Oral Torah and the Jewish Talmud
Similarly, Jews believe that the Torah consists of two parts, the written Torah which makes up the 5 Books of Moses, and the oral Torah which are sayings of Moses.
According to Jewish tradition, the Oral Torah was passed down orally in an unbroken chain from generation to generation until its contents were finally committed to writing following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE when Jewish civilization was faced with an existential threat.
The major repositories of the Oral Torah are the Mishnah, compiled between 200–220 CE by Rabbi Yehudah haNasi, and the Gemara, a series of running commentaries and debates concerning the Mishnah, which together are the Talmud, the preeminent text of Rabbinic Judaism. In fact, two “versions” of the Talmud exist: one produced in Jerusalem c. 300–350 CE (the Jerusalem Talmud), and second, more extensive Talmud compiled in Babylonia and published c. 450–500 CE (the Babylonian Talmud).
