The Literate Messenger

I received this comment just yesterday in my October 2004 entry titled "The Illiterate Messenger". This is the kind of answer I've been waiting for, someone who sees a mistake and help to correct it with great effort and very constructively, therefore I'm compelled to publish it here. I need to correct those who thought what I wrote was right. I have visited the sites provided and what a wonderful discovery...truly so much intellecual insights, you try it.

On what is said about women and men being the same, I have always agreed on the specializations that we have. It's the reason men and women would need and complement each other.

Thank you so much Yusof Estes, Salam.

At 11:36 AM, Anonymous said...

Where is the evidence that Shaikh Tareq Swaydan said any of this?

I have met him a couple of times while traveling around to give lectures and I know him personally. I have never heard him mention these things.

Whoever did mention them needs to be corrected in a number of issues, inshallah.

First of all, Allah does NOT say that men and women are equal. Read the Quran itself (for a FREE Quran download: http://www.islamtomorrow.com/downloads/noblequran.exe )

Look up surah An-Nisaa' verse 34: Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means. Then read in surah Al-Baqarah, verse 282 about witnesses to a contract: ... And get two witnesses out of your own men. And if there are not two men (available), then a man and two women, such as you agree for witnesses, so that if one of them (two women) errs, the other can remind her.

The concept of men being the same as women is ridiculous and should be dealt with only from the true Muslims point of view. Men are not equal to women and women are not equal to men. Both are different and both have seperate and important roles to play in life. The idea equality only applies to the treatment with justice for both and the status in front of Allah for those who come to the correct belief and then satisfy their roles in life as Allah has prescribed for them.

Next, using the FREE Quran download mentioned about, click on the magnifying glass (word search of Quran) and type in the word 'man'. You will find it says the number of occurances is not 24 - but rather 771, and the plural form 'men' comes up 1013 times.

Now check the word 'woman', you find only 22 (still not 24) and the plural 'women' appears 83 times.

Now check out 'life' - 203!

Now 'death' - 100!

'People'? - 524

'Messengers?' - 180

'Angels' - 154

'Satan' 100 and 'devil' - 34

Magi c 60 . Fitnah (dissuasion, misleading) 60

Magic (60)? - Nope

Fitnah (dissuasion = 0) misleading - only 1 (Surah Fatihah)

The only Quran quote from the Quran was the dua of Yunus (Jonah in the whale) surah Al-Anbiya, verse 87.

We have something on our website that is very important for all Muslims about these kinds of lies and misrepresentations about Islam, Allah, the Quran and the prophet, peace be upon him. Please take time to enjoy it at:

http://www.islamtomorrow.com/lies

Let us know of any corrections to what we have. Thank you so much. We look forward to sharing with everyone, inshallah.

Thank you, jazakalah khair was salam alaykum,

Yusuf Estes
National Muslim Chaplain
Washington, DC - USA

FREE QURAN to download:
www.IslamTomorrow.com/downloads/noblequran.exe