I say this not to blaspheme, or to insult anyone, but only to share my own opinion, the conclusions I have reached as I have studied.

"It was men, mere human beings who chnaged His message into what they wanted to be and deviated from the truth."

This is just who I believe Muhammad to be.  I do not doubt that he wanted to be a man of God.  But here's the way I see it after much study.
Muhammad came and he said of himself that he was a prophet of God
- and because he spoke with beautiful words he was believed.
Muhammad came and said not to believe in the Bible (which was what itching ears wanted to hear anyway since he was speaking to a people who had already rejected the One God religion).  He said not to believe in the Bible even though it is the testimony of many writers
- and because he said he was a prophet of God, he was believed... Or was it because he came with power to do harm?
Muhammad came and said not to believe what was known and testified about Jesus
- and he was believed because he claimed to be a prophet of God and came with power(the power of the sword), power to do harm.

and yet the Bible itself foretold of all these things... that one would come preaching another Gospel and speaking against Christ.

To justify himself, or perhaps it is the Immams that seek a way to justify his claim... it is said of him that he is the Comforter of which Jesus spoke, but this is not possible.  Jesus was clear that the Comforter would be Spirit not man... specifically the Holy Spirit... the One who would come after He was gone, to be with His disciples.  That the Spirit(the Comforter) could not come until He went.  He was clear that the Holy Spirit would be, He Himself, indwelt in them.  Muhammad could not come to Jesus' disciples(was he even born yet?).  He certainly would not claim to be a disciple of Jesus.   He was not spirit, and he could not indwell in any human being. 

I do not doubt that Muhammad wanted a better world, and I think he knew the Word of God and saw this as a way of accomplishing his purposes.  But, I see him as setting himself up much as Pharaoh did... as Lord and ruler... whatever it took to win the people to become united.

Here is just one example:
Narated By Abu Huraira : Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hands my life is, none of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father and his children." - Sahih Bukhari Volume 001, Book 002, Hadith Number 013.

37 He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. (Matthew 10, Luke 14)
32 Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 10)

Islam simply takes the known scriptures and changes them to fit their circumstances and purpose.  Do you see(notice) that the Hadith leaves out the mother here?  This is to fit Islamic culture and purpose.  At least that is what I see.  I have many other examples.

Thank you for responding to my question.   and listening to my reply
Salaam

Inshaallah I will share it with you later on.
    

I heard that camels were unlawful to be eaten in the Old Testament but made lawful in the Qur'an. Same with sabbath day as resting day Jesus allowed people to be active in the sabbath. You know this better than I, so is this true?


You are welcome.

Caringheart,
what you suggest may be so and may be not as their is no record that that is the case. Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) as a young man did travel and must have known more about other places and people than those who never had a chance to do so. Similarly, I am sure there were those who traveled more than him and known Psalms more than him. I, as a Muslim believe that Psalms or Zaboor was from God Almighty given to Prophet David or Daood (pbuh), a prophet of Islam. So if the Prophet was reading the Psalms, as you suggest I don't see any problem with that. What was given to Prophet Mohmmed (pbuh)as the Quran was in line with what God Almighty has sent through many prophets before, there is no surprise in that for a Muslim. The Quran states that:3:84 (Y. Ali) Say: "We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam)."
Do we have Psalms or Zaboor in its pure state, that's a separate question.
Hasan

Edited by honeto - 12 July 2012 at 12:40pm

If this is true then why is it unacceptable for others to have 'faith' in many gods.  If no proof is needed, only ignorance.  Who is to say that their 'faith' is wrong, or misplaced?  If we all follow our own ignorance.  My God said to 'discern the truth'... to 'test and approve all things' that you might not be led astray. We are warned that satan is a deceiver, and that the 'enemy prowls like a lion waiting to devour'.

I do appreciate your honest reply.  Thank you.

We are also told that we must come to Him as little children(trusting in faith, wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil) - the words of Jesus
I think to be wise about what is good though, we must examine what we believe.



Edited by Caringheart - 12 July 2012 at 8:34pm