Answering Christian (Question 5)

Muslims claim that Quran is the absolute word of Allah, and it is capable of giving humankind the happiness in this world and in Hereafter. They claim that the Bible was altered in so many ways. Why, then, Muslims all around the world are apart from each other?

They are various schools, that not only differs in the views of minor things, but also things regarding creed and faith. They are Shiite, who some of them claim that Muhammad wasn't supposed be the Messenger of Allah, it should have been Ali. They are also other group like the Mu'tzilite, Khawarij, Qadiani and so on.


Why are the Muslim so disunited, if Islam is the true religion?


Answer


The answer is very simple. It is because the Quran is simply a guidance to mankind. Being the fact that the Islam, brought by the Quran is the one and only religion recognized by Allah, that does not means that everyone will accept and steadfast in it. Allah s.w.t. said :


(( There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejects false deities and believes in Allah has grabbed a strong handhold that will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower )


Allah said that he who rejects false deities, means that surely there are who chose false deities instead of the Guidance of Allah. In the Quran itself, Allah had talked about the hypocrites, the idol worshippers, the atheist, the Jews and the Christians. That means that not everyone will received the light of the guidance.


The same thing happens to the Muslims. Not everyone will adhere to the true teaching of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. The Prophet had already warned the Muslim :


(( By He who Holds my soul! My people will break into 73 groups, the Christians will break into 72 groups, and the Jews will break into 71 groups. All of them shall be cast in Hell, except one )) The companions asked "Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He said "Al-Jamaah"


With this it is not weird to see the separation between the Muslim. Like we said above, it is not fair to blame the religion if there's anything wrong with the followers. Indeed Islam is the true religion, the one and only that is recognized by Allah.


And Allah Knows best.



Bibliography


Books
1. Rahmat Allah Ibnu Khalil Al-Rahman, Izhar Al-Haq, Ministry Of Islamic Affairs, Maghribi.
2. Syeikh Ahmad Hoosen Deedat, The Choice, Saba Islamic Media, July 1995, Malaysia.
3. Priests Embracing Islam, Conveying Islamic Message Society, Egypt.
4. Dr. Abdullah Yasin, Tafsir Surah Al-Fatihah, Edisi Kedua, Penerbitan Al-Azim, 1996, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
5. Islam Our Choice, Ashraf Publications, 437/D-G. E. Karachi-5, Pakistan.


World Wide Web
1. http://www.islamqa.com
2. http://www.answeringchristian.com
3. http://www.islamtomorrow.com
4. http://www.newmuslims.tk
5. http://thetruereligion.org

Most Common Questions asked by Non-Muslims(Polyandry)

Question:

If a man is allowed to have more than one wife, then why does Islam prohibit a woman from having more than one husband?


Answer:

A lot of people, including some Muslims, question the logic of allowing Muslim men to have more than one spouse while denying the same ‘right’ to women. Let me first state emphatically, that the foundation of an Islamic society is justice and equity. Allah has created men and women as equal, but with different capabilities and different responsibilities. Men and women are different, physiologically and psychologically. Their roles and responsibilities are different. Men and women are equal in Islam, but not identical. Surah Nisa’ Chapter 4 verses 22 to 24 gives the list of women with whom Muslim men can not marry. It is further mentioned in Surah Nisa’ Chapter 4 verse 24 “Also (prohibited are) women already married”


The following points enumerate the reasons why polyandry is prohibited in
Islam:

1. If a man has more than one wife, the parents of the children born of such marriages can easily be identified. The father as well as the mother can easily be identified. In case of a woman marrying more than one husband, only the mother of the children born of such marriages will be identified and not the father. Islam gives tremendous importance to the identification of
both parents, mother and father. Psychologists tell us that children who do not know their parents, especially their father undergo severe mental trauma and disturbances. Often they have an unhappy childhood. It is for this reason that the children of prostitutes do not have a healthy childhood. If a child born of such wedlock is admitted in school, and when the mother
is asked the name of the father, she would have to give two or more names! I am aware that recent advances in science have made it possible for both the mother and father to be identified with the help of genetic testing. Thus this point which was applicable for the past may not be applicable for the present.

2. Man is more polygamous by nature as compared to a woman.

3. Biologically, it is easier for a man to perform his duties as a husband despite having several wives. A woman, in a similar position, having several husbands, will not find it possible to perform her duties as a wife. A woman undergoes several psychological and behavioral changes due to different phases of the menstrual cycle.

4. A woman who has more than one husband will have several sexual partners at the same time and has a high chance of acquiring venereal or sexually transmitted diseases which can also be transmitted back to her husband even if all of them have no extra-marital sex. This is not the case in a man having more than one wife, and none of them having extra-marital
sex.

The above reasons are those that one can easily identify. There are probably many more reasons why Allah, in His Infinite Wisdom, has prohibited polyandry.

The Hindu Religion Exposed

Brahmins always criticize, condemn and mock at other religions.Their criticism and mocking is unreasonable and unacceptable.In his autobiography, Dr Charles, an American scholar says that it is very simple to define a Hindu. He says a Hindu means "one who believes in anything and everything if said in the name of god and shall never question its authenticity".The Brahmins claim that Lord Rama is incarnated (came in human form) to study and understand the difficulties of mankind. Is it really necessary for a god to incarnate Himself? Can he not understand the creation? Why should God become a donkey or a cockroach in orderto understand the sufferings of these creatures?

Lord Rama

Lord Rama is the central character to the Epic RAMAYAN (whose author was Valmiki) Rama is the son of Dasharath, the king of Banaras. Dasharath had three wives, kaushalya, kaikeyi and Smitra besides several hundreds concubines. According to the Ramayana, Rama spent most of his life trying to save his wife, Sita from the clutches of Ravan At the same time Rama was enjoying life to the full at every opportunity.

How Rama was Fooled by Sukrievan

When god Rama was exiled to the forest together with his wife, sukrievan appeared as deer and fooled god Rama. Although Rama was a "god", he was not able to see through Sukreivan's disguise!

12 Years for Rama, but One day to Ravan

To retrieve his wife from Devil Ravan, god Rama sought the help of Hanuman, a monkey god. Hanuman agreed to help Rama bring his wife back on condition that god Rama in turn help him (Hanuman) to kill his twin brother prior to undertaking the mission.

I took more than twelve years for Hanuman to build a bridge and accomplish the task while Ravan just took Sita and flew to Sri lanka in just one day's time Where is the bridge that Rama built?? Who is more powerful - God Rama or Devil Ravan ? Would a god seek the help of another god to murder a third god?

• 1. If Hanuman could fly carrying big mountains, he should have in the first instance carried and flown god Rama to Sri Lanka, which would have resulted in early rescue of Sita.


• 2. Who knows what Ravan might have done to Sita during this period of twelve years? Definitely a devil would have done only "devilish" things!


• 3. Before helping god Rama, Hanuman made Rama shoot his own twin brother in the back and only then did Hanuman help god Rama How can a "god" indulge in such a criminal act for personal gain?
  

Beef Eating Rama

When God Rama was told to go to forest, he mournfully revealed to is mother: "if has been ordained that I have to lose the kingdom, forego the princely comforts and the tasty, MEAT DISHES. (Ayodha Kandam, 20, 26, 94th Chapters).

Rama's Many Wives

Mr. C.R. Sreenivasa lyengar's translation of Valmiki Ramayana says: " Though Rama had married Sita to be the queen, he married many other wives for sexual pleasure in accordance with the royal customs. (Ayodha Kandam 8th Chapter, page 28). (The term "Rama's wives" as been used in many places in Ramayan).

Rama’s Disrespect for his Father

Rama called his father " A FOOL, AN IDIOT" (Ayodhya Kandam, 53rd Chapter)

Rama's Contempt for Women and Low Caste

Rama disfigured and mutilated many women by cutting off her noses, breasts, ears etc., and tortured them (Soorpanaki, Ayomuki).

Rama said, "Women should not be trusted" and that "Secrets should not be confided to the wife" (Ayodhya kandam, Chapter 100).

Sambuka was slain (by Rama) because he was making penance which was forbidden to him by Vedas as he was a "Shudra" (Uttara kanadam, Chapter 76).Looking at is hand Rama said the Sanskirt slogan "O right hand, you kill this Asche Shudra unhesitatingly as killing this Shudra is the only way to get back the life of the deceased Brahmin boy."

Da'wah to Sikhs

I INTRODUCTION TO SIKHISM:

Sikhism is a non-Semitic, Aryan, non-Vedic religion. It is a religion that has the sixth largest following in the world. Some consider it as an offshoot of Hinduism. It was founded by Guru Nanak at the end of the 15th century. It originated in the area of Pakistan and North West India called Punjab, meaning the land of the five rivers. Guru Nanak was born in a Kshatriya (warrior caste) Hindu family but was very strongly influenced by Islam and Muslims.


DEFINITION OF SIKH AND SIKHISM

The word ‘Sikh’ is derived from the word sisya meaning disciple or follower. Sikhism is a religion of ten Gurus, the first Guru being Guru Nanak and the tenth and the last being Guru Gobind Singh. The sacred book of Sikhism is Sri Guru Granth also called Adi Granth Sahib.

THE FIVE – ‘K’s

Every Sikh is supposed to keep the following five ‘K’s, which also serve to identify him as a Sikh:

Kesh – uncut hair.

Kanga – comb; used to keep the hair clean.

Kada – metal or steel bangle; for strength and self-restraint.

Kirpan – dagger; for self-defence.

Kaccha – special knee length underwear or under-drawer for agility.


II CONCEPT OF GOD IN SIKHISM:

MULMANTRA: THE FUNDAMENTAL CREED OF SIKHISM

The best definition that any Sikh can give regarding the concept of God in Sikhism is to quote the Mulmantra – the fundamental creed of Sikhism, which occurs at the beginning of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

It is mentioned in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, volume 1 Japuji, the first verse:

"There exists but one God, who is called The True, The Creator, Free from fear and hate, Immortal, Not begotten, Self-Existent, Great and Compassionate."

Sikhism is a monotheistic Religion

Sikhism enjoins its followers to practise strict monotheism. It believes in only One Supreme God who is, in the unmanifest form, called Ek Omkara.

In the manifest form He is called Omkara and has several attributes such as:

Kartar – The Creator
Akal – The Eternal
Sattanama – The Holy Name
Sahib – The Lord
Parvardigar – The Cherisher
Rahim – The Merciful
Karim – The Benevolent

He is also called Wahe Guru – the One true God.

Besides Sikhism being strictly monotheistic, it also does not believe in Avataravada – the doctrine of incarnation. Almighty God does not incarnate Himself in what is known as Avatara. Sikhism is also strongly against idol worship.

Guru Nanak was influenced by Sant Kabir

Guru Nanak was influenced by the sayings of Sant Kabir so much that several chapters of Sri Guru Granth Sahib contain couplets of Sant Kabir.

One of the famous couplets of Sant Kabir is:

"Dukh mein sumirana sabh karein
Sukh mein karein na koya
Jo sukh mein sumirana karein
To dukh kaye hoye?"

"In times of trouble, God is remembered by all
But none remembers Him during peace and happiness.
If God is remembered in good times of happiness
Why should trouble occur?"

Compare this with the following verse of the Qur’an:

"When some trouble toucheth man,
He crieth unto his Lord,
Turning to Him in repentance:
But when He bestoweth
A favour upon him
As from Himself,
(Man) doth forget what he cried
And prayed for before,
And he doth set up
Rivals unto Allah."
[Al-Qur’an 39:8]

The Sikh scriptures therefore emphasise monotheism and God-consciousness.

by Dr. Zakir Naik

Answering Christian (Question 4)

The Quran talked about our Lord Jesus Christ for almost 15% of its entire content. It talks about His Devine miracles, the virgin birth, and also His creation by the Lord God. We can clearly see that in surah Ali Imran verse 45, it states :

(( When the angels said : O Mary! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and in Hereafter, and one of those brought near to Allah ))

It states "A Word", and indeed Jesus is the Word of God, and as a word a cannot be separated from its body, Jesus is God, from the Quran itself. Jesus had done so many miraculous thing, including giving life back to his dead friend. Who else can do that besides God?

Answer

Indeed we Muslims believe in the creation of Jesus without normal human interaction of male's sperm and female's ovum. We also believe all miraculous thing that he had done, when he talked while he was still in the cradle, he formed a bird from mud and it became real flying bird, he cured the blind and he even give life to dead person, but all of those miracles happened by the permission of Allah.

But, if those miraculous things are to accounted that he is God, or the Son of God, or a part of the Devine Trinity, then they are tons of other Messengers that had performed their own miracles, for example :

1) Noah had flooded the world with his flood.

2) The mountains had glorified Allah along with Daud.

3) Waters came flowing from the marks of Ismael's kick, and still the water is flowing today in Mecca.

4) The sea parted into two from the strike of Moses's stick.

5) How Allah preserved Muhammad (pbuh) miracle that is the Quran, from any sorts of alteration, while millions of Muslim all over the world memorized it without a single mistake!

Those are the miracles that Allah had given upon His messengers; in order to prove they are the Messengers of Allah. If they are to be proofs that Jesus is God by looking to his miracle, then all of the Messengers are God.

Secondly, who said that a word cannot be parted from its body? Of course they can! If we are reading book, for example, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, does that mean that we are reading and looking at him as well? Of course not! The book was indeed written by him, his words, but not him in essence or anything similar.

Same goes, we Muslims believe that the Holy Quran is the Word of God, but that doesn't mean that Quran is God. We also gave the nickname "Kalimullah" to Moses, for he can talk directly to Allah, a miracle that even Jesus had not given with, but that does not mean that he is apart from the Trinity, or he is the Son of God.

Thirdly, the verse quoted above does not means that Jesus is the son of God, indeed if we look at the context of the verse :-

45 (( When the angels said : O Mary! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and in Hereafter, and one of those brought near to Allah ))

46 (( He will speak unto mankind in his cradle and in his manhood, and he is among the righteous ))

47 She said: My Lord! How can I have a child when no man hath touch me? He said: So (it will be). Allah creates what He will. If He decrees a thing, He said unto it: Be! And it is ))

From the context, we can see :-

1) How Mary said " How can I have a child? ", which means her child, a human, a mortal being, not the Essence of Allah. She was the one that Allah chose to show His Greatness, in creating anything He wants to. Surely she was the one who understood this task at most. Why, then, she didn't cry out, " How can you, O Allah can have a child? " ?

2) Clearly Allah s.w.t. said "Allah creates what He will". Creates, not beget. Creates something, anything, in this case, Jesus, which means that Jesus was created, and that means that he was a creation of Allah, not God .

They are also many verses elsewhere one can find in the Quran, which Allah said that Jesus the son of Mary was a messenger of God. If Allah (he is exalted from having a child) ever had a son, His only son, wouldn't it be easy for God to spell the word "Jesus the son of Allah" ?

n addition, the Quran talked about Jesus so many times, 25 times to be exact . This is because Quran is explaining the matter of the Christ very well to solve the confusion that was created by the Christians. As the matter of fact, the People of The Book (Jews and Christians) are the primary group for Muslims to convey the Message of Islam, as their faith and creed are the closest to Islam, since they originated from the same source, that is Allah s.w.t.

We also would like to bring here the words from Jesus himself regarding the Oneness of Allah. In Matthew chapter 23 verse 9, Jesus said :

9 And do not call for yourself any father on the earth, because your Father is one Who is in Heaven.

10 And do not call any teacher because your teacher is the Messiah.

For that, he meant "Allah is One and I'm your only teacher" .

SAYA dan DUNIA DA'WAH

Assalaamualaikum w.b.t kepada semua pembaca yang budiman sekalian...

MUKADIMMAH

Mungkin ini kali pertama saya mengeluarkan artikel dalam bahasa melayu. Ini kerana, pada pemerhatian saya, saya merasakan perlunya ada variasi bahasa (Inggeris & melayu) dalam blog ini, kerna ada dikalangan pembaca yang lebih berminat membaca artikel bahasa ibundanya sendiri.Kerana apa semua ini? adakah ada dikalangan kita yang lemah dalam menguasai bahasa inggeris ? atau sememangnya orang melayu ini lebih mudah memahami setiap prosa dan tutur kata bahasa melayu berbanding bahasa inggeris? tidak kira apa jua "reason" yang kita berikan,sememangnya dalam menempuhi dunia globalisasi ini, kita bertemu dengan MAD'U yang pelbagai latar belakang. Justeru, kita perlu menguasasi pelbagai bahasa selain bahasa ibunda sendiri. Termasuklah bahasa arab,inggeris mahupun bahasa cina.

DAKWAH

Apa ertinya DAKWAH? kalau dahulu pada zaman persekolahan saya hanya mengenal dakwah itu pada ustaz-ustazah, dakwah itu kawan-kawan yang bersekolah di sekolah agama dan dakwah itu merujuk kepada ceramah-ceramah agama di surau dan masjid. Itulah definasi dakwah bagi seorang remaja belasan tahun, yang latar belakangnya bukan dari sekolah menengah agama. Walaupun pernah bersekolah di SAR, namun semua itu tidak mencukupi untuk mengenal dan menghayati definasi dakwah. Selain itu saya hanya mengenal dakwah pada sekumpulan orang yang selalu datang di kawasan perumahan kami, pergi dari satu rumah ke rumah, mengajak kami pergi ke masjid untuk mendengar kuliah yang dianjurkan mereka, seterusnya dijamu dengan makanan yang enak.

MENGENAL DUNIA DAKWAH

Namun, Takdir Allah menentukan segala-galanya. Sewaktu di awal pengajian di sekolah menengah, saya telah dipertemukan dengan sebuah Komik bertajuk "Mencari Kebenaran=suatu dialog ISLAM-KRISTIAN". Mungkin ini sebagai mukadimmah saya dalam dunia dakwah. Bila mula sahaja membaca komik itu, dunia luar seolah-olah tiada, ralitnya terlalu mengasyikkan, wah..hebatnya ustaz di dalam komik ini, seolah-olah macam Hafiz Al-Quran & Bible. Setiap Hujah yang keluar dari ustaz dalam komik itu dikeluarkan berdasarkan dalil dari Al-Quran & Bible, dan yang paling kagum sekali bilamana akhirnya dengan takdir Allah, lelaki yang beragama kristian itu memeluk Islam di pada bab yang terakhir. Lantas, saya berfikir," mampukah aku menjadi seperti ustaz ini? Namun, pengalaman membaca komik sebegitu hanya tinggal sebagai memori indah.

Lantas, sewaktu saya melanjutkan pengajian di Kolej Matrikulasi Pulau Pinang (KMPP), saya melibatkan diri dengan jawatankuasa surau. Melalui medium itulah, saya dipertemukan dengan sahabat-sahabat yang mengikuti Institusi Usrah. Dari situlah saya mula berjinak-jinak secara langsung dengan dunia dakwah. Bergerak dalam Organisasi, JPP (a.k.a MPP) dan Jawatankuasa surau sebagai "Proxy" kami.Pengalaman pertama memberi semangat kepada saya untuk terus istiqamah di kampus Uni Perdana (UM) ini.

Sewaktu di kampus, saya seperti sahabat yang terlibat dalam dunia dakwah ni bukan sahaja mengikuti usrah, malah kami jua sebagai Naqib/Naqibah Usrah. Berpayungkan PMIUM (Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam UM) sebagai wasilah kami dikampus. Namun pada saya itu tidak mencukupi, saya mencari ruang ilmu yang lain, yakni ilmu dakwah khusus kepada Non-Muslim. Alhamdulillah, saya sempat menghabiskan kursus (FCR) selama setahun di IIS (Islamic Information & Services Foundation) di setiawangsa, Ampang. Kursus ini di ajar oleh Bro.Shah kirit dan kawan-kawannya yang lain seperti Bro.Lim dan Bro Engku Fauzi. Syukur pada Allah, pengalaman menuntut disana selama setahun tidak saya sia-siakan.

MYSELF & DA'WAH

Mungkin beberapa pengalaman yang sedikit boleh dikongsi dalam blog ini. Saya ada bertemu dengan seseorang yang dalam proses mencari kebebaran. Amat menakjubkan saya apabila mad'u saya ini dikatakan tidur dengan "Tafsir Al-Quran". Proses untuk menemukan dengan kebenaran yang terulung masih lagi berjalan. Ada juga saya berdiskusi dengan rakan-rakan dari persatuan kristian. Kami berdialog tentang kristian dan Jesus. Selain itu, YM (yahoo messenger) dan Group-group kristian (Katholik atau Protestant) di dalam Frienster juga boleh dijadikan sebagai medium untuk kita berdakwah. Terdapat banyak persoalan yang kita boleh utarakan, salah satunya tentang Ketulenan Bible, Percanggahan di dalam Bible, dan ayat-ayat Bible yang menceritakan tentang kedatangan Muhammad S.A.W

Namun segala pengalaman itu masih belum mencukupi, kita harus terus menerus mengkaji, membaca pelbagai buku, berdiskusi dengan ramai mad'u, supaya segala pengalaman kita dapat dijadikan sebagai alat untuk menawan hati mad'u ini.

Saya masih lagi dalam pertengahan perjalanan dalam dunia dakwah, terlalu banyak rintangan dan halangan yang saya perlu hadapi kelak, anda pula bagaimana....?

Answering Christian (Question 3)

Question 3

Why Islam does always uses violence in dealing with things? For example, we can see in Islam that a man could beat his wife if she doesn't listen to him. We can also see how Islam made war obligatory to its followers, or what the Muslim calls 'Jihad'. Even more, those who kill others will be rewarded by God!

From this concept, we can see nowadays how many people that were killed under the name of Jihad. How many wars had broken into this world, how many innocent people had died and more importantly, how this act of violence can be justified by the name of Jihad!

This idea does not exist in Christianity. We always forgive whoever that had harmed us, and pray that God will have mercy on him, and that he will change. Jesus said, "If anyone hit you on your right cheek, turn to your left cheek". We can also see how Jesus, when he is being crucified, asked God to forgive the Jews, by saying that those men didn't know what they are doing. How merciful!

On the other hand, had this kind of mercy and forgiveness been showed by Muhammad? Islam was spread by the sword that means, preach Islam, and make sure that one converts into Islam, even by the means of the sword!

Answer
This is certainly an invalid view of Islam. In fact, Allah s.w.t. doesn't like those who spread bloodshed in this world. Allah s.w.t. said :

(( And when your Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy on the earth: They said wiil You place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood? ))

For every single little thing that uses physical contact in Islam, there are reasons behind it. The first example given, that is the case of husband and wife. This cannot be used as a proof that Islam permits violence in a family constitution. This should be understood correctly. They are steps to be taken before a man is permitted to beat his wife. First, there most be a good reason, such as the wife had done something wrong and terrible upon her husband. For example, she loves going out at night with her friends, and enjoy visiting and chatting at a certain night club. Her husband, then, should advice her, talk to her softly, so that she can thing properly and hopefully change her behavior. After advising her, and still she does not listen to the advice given, he should then separate her from their place or resting i.e. the bed for certain period of time. After all that, and she still does not change her attitude, then he is allowed to beat her.
Even so, they are rules when he is beating his wife. First, the beating should not be a harmful one. He can only beat her in the very same way that he beat his children in educating them. Secondly, he should not beat his wife at parts that will cause her great harm, such as the face. He also should not beat his wife at parts that will leave a mark, such as the face, that will gives her shame when she is going out, or when anybody sees her.

After this entire rule, does that counts as violence? What then, a husband should do, if his wife did something bad, he advised her and she did not listen, he separates her from his bed, still she would not listen? Just simply forgives and ignores her? Or simply divorce her? Isn't that is more pathetic?

Same goes to Jihad. It is not right to say that by the name of Jihad, Muslim could declare a war, and easily kill anyone who rejects Islam. The best proof is at the time of the Prophet. The first war, the Battle of Badr, was not started by Muslim; instead, it was started by the Quraish in Mecca, who ravaged Muslim's properties back in Mecca. The declaration of war by the Prophet is obviously an act of defense! Anyone can read the Sirah of the Prophet, and see how all of the wars and battles were started by the non-believers. It is not even too much to say that every battle was an act of defense, and every declaration of Jihad was defensive. Even when the Prophet cast away the Jews of Bani Nadhir from Medina, it was because the tribe violated the peace treaty with the Prophet (pbuh).

With this, we can say that from the deeds of the one who brought Islam, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), that Jihad does not means that Muslims could kill anyone who rejects Islam. If there is any Muslim that acts like this, killing innocent people and break a war without a reason of defending the religion or life, then he is a criminal. He should be brought to justice, and if necessary, he should even be killed. Islam does not recognize act of terrorism. The Prophet (pbuh) prohibited Muslim from killing innocent people like old men and women, children, those who are in worshipping place, those who are farming in their farm, cattle, and those who do not fight against Muslim army. Muslims are only permitted to strike those who strike against them. From this point, we can also say that the idea that Islam was spread by sword is not valid. Even more, terrorist exist in all religion, so it is not fair to blame only Islam.

As the matter of fact, jihad can also be found in the Bible. We will quote some of the verses, when Jesus and his disciples were preparing to confront the army of Rome:-

1) From Luke chapter 22, verse 35-36.

35 "When I sent to you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything?". And they said, "Nothing".
36 "Then said he unto them, "But now, he that hath no purse, let him take it, and likewise his bag; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one."
2) From Luke chapter 22, verse 38.
38 "…..Lord, behold, here are two swords." And he said unto them, "It is enough."

A call for sword, to hold a sword in order to protect the Messenger of God, is what we Muslims call Jihad!

Most Common Questions asked by Non-Muslims (Polygamy)

continue..

4. Qur’an permits limited polygyny
As I mentioned earlier, Qur’an is the only religious book on the face of the earth that says ‘marry only one’. The context of this phrase is the following verse from Surah Nisa of the Glorious Qur’an:

"Marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one."[Al-Qur’an 4:3]

Before the Qur’an was revealed, there was no upper limit for polygyny and many men had scores of wives, some even hundreds. Islam put an upper limit of four wives. Islam gives a man permission to marry two, three or four women, only on the condition that he deals justly with them.

In the same chapter i.e. Surah Nisa verse 129 says:
"Ye are never able to be fair and just as between women...." [Al-Qur’an 4:129]

Therefore polygyny is not a rule but an exception. Many people are under the misconception that it is compulsory for a Muslim man to have more than one wife.
Broadly, Islam has five categories of Do’s and Don’ts:
i. ‘Fard’ i.e. compulsory or obligatory
ii. ‘Mustahab’ i.e. recommended or encouraged
iii. ‘Mubah’ i.e. permissible or allowed
iv. ‘Makruh’ i.e. not recommended or discouraged
v. ‘Haraam’ i.e. prohibited or forbidden

Polygyny falls in the middle category of things that are permissible. It cannot be said that a Muslim who has two, three or four wives is a better Muslim as compared to a Muslim who has only one wife.

5. Average life span of females is more than that of males
By nature males and females are born in approximately the same ratio. A female child has more immunity than a male child. A female child can fight the germs and diseases better than the male child. For this reason, during the pediatric age itself there are more deaths among males as compared to the females.

During wars, there are more men killed as compared to women. More men die due to accidents and diseases than women. The average life span of females is more than that of males, and at any given time one finds more widows in the world than widowers.

6. India has more male population than female due to female foeticide and infanticide
India is one of the few countries, along with the other neighbouring countries, in which the female population is less than the male population. The reason lies in the high rate of female infanticide in India, and the fact that more than one million female foetuses are aborted every year in this country, after they are identified as females. If this evil practice is stopped, then India too will have more females as compared to males.

7. World female population is more than male population
In the USA, women outnumber men by 7.8 million. New York alone has one million more females as compared to the number of males, and of the male population of New York one-third are gays i.e sodomites. The U.S.A as a whole has more than twenty-five million gays. This means that these people do not wish to marry women. Great Britain has four million more females as compared to males. Germany has five million more females as compared to males. Russia has nine million more females than males. God alone knows how many million more females there are in the whole world as compared to males.

8. Restricting each and every man to have only one wife is not practical
Even if every man got married to one woman, there would still be more than thirty million females in U.S.A who would not be able to get husbands (considering that America has twenty five million gays). There would be more than four million females in Great Britain, 5 million females in Germany and nine million females in Russia alone who would not be able to find a husband.

Suppose my sister happens to be one of the unmarried women living in USA, or suppose your sister happens to be one of the unmarried women in USA. The only two options remaining for her are that she either marries a man who already has a wife or becomes public property. There is no other option. All those who are modest will opt for the first.

In Western society, it is common for a man to have mistresses and/or multiple extra-marital affairs, in which case, the woman leads a disgraceful, unprotected life. The same society, however, cannot accept a man having more than one wife, in which women retain their honourable, dignified position in society and lead a protected life.

Thus the only two options before a woman who cannot find a husband is to marry a married man or to become public property. Islam prefers giving women the honourable position by permitting the first option and disallowing the second.

There are several other reasons, why Islam has permitted limited polygyny, but it is mainly to protect the modesty of women.

PUBLIC SPEAKING TECHNIQUES WHILE ANSWERING QUESTION

I IMPORTANT POINTS

1. Follow all the techniques of public speaking.
2. Answer very confidently.
3. Answer very loudly.
4. Look more at the questioner while answering, but do not neglect the others.
5. If someone contradicts any of your statements but you are positive about your homework and statistics, please don’t get shaken up.
6. Do not allow the answers to be interrupted by frequent, unwanted comments.
7. Always keep your mind open and alert while answering.

II POINTS TO BE AVOIDED

1. Do not get irritated with the questioner.
2. Do not get angry, and always remain cool and calm.
3. Do not beat around the bush and answer precisely to the point.
4. Do not give false and wrong information.
5. Do not confuse yourself while answering.
6. Do not become blank.
7. Do not fumble.
8. Do not look tense.
9. Do not become nervous.

III UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES

1. Questioner is provocative and violent:

(i) If the questioner is provocative and violent, do not get angry. Maintain your cool and calmness by answering humbly.
(ii) The more violent and provocative the questioner is, the more humble, calm and soft should your approach be while answering.
(iii) Try to have the maximum contrast between the attitude of the questioner and yourself while answering, to win over the questioner and the audience.
(iv) Note and answer all his points with logic and reason.

2. Questioner’s intention is to play mischief:

(i) Note and answer all his points with logic and reason.
(ii) Do not get irritated.
(iii) If required try and expose his intention to the audience by giving an appropriate example.

3. Questioner tries to insult and put down the speaker:

(i) Do not feel offended.
(ii) Do not get nervous or tense.
(iii) Answer very firmly and confidently.
(iv) If required you may raise your voice and answer loudly but do not loose your temper.
(v) Answer loudly to be effective but not out of anger or in retaliation.
(vi) Ask rhetoric questions to the questioner, to substantiate his claim.
(vii) Give information or statistics to prove his point wrong.

4. Questioner interrupts the Answer:

It may happen that the questioner interrupts the answer and makes some comments or remarks before the answer is complete. In such a situation:
(i) If his intention seems to be good and it is a genuine interruption, be patient and complete the answer and include the clarification he requires.
(ii) If the interruption is not required and he poses a sub-question, politely ask him to be patient and say, "I was about to cover the answer to this sub-question and I request you to be patient till I complete my reply".
(iii) If the questioner often interrupts and disturbs, then say that you gave him a fair hearing while he was posing the question and it is his duty to give you a fair hearing while you are answering. (If the chairman is well-versed, then he too can ask the questioner not to interrupt you).

5. If the Questioner argues with the speaker:

(i) Politely but firmly reply that this is a question and answer session and not a discussion or a debate session.
(ii) Say, "This is my view regarding the question, if you like it then Alhamdulillah, you may agree with it. If you don’t, no one forces you to follow it blindly. And Allah knows best".
(iii) Say, "If you have any additional question, you are most welcome to go at the back of the queue and await your next chance to ask your next question."

Most Common Questions asked by Non-Muslims (Polygamy)

1. POLYGAMY

Question:

Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?

Answer:
1. Definition of Polygamy

Polygamy means a system of marriage whereby one person has more than one spouse. Polygamy can be of two types. One is polygyny where a man marries more than one woman, and the other is polyandry, where a woman marries more than one man. In Islam, limited polygyny is permitted; whereas polyandry is completely prohibited.Now coming to the original question, why is a man allowed to have more than one wife?

2. The Qur’an is the only religious scripture in the world that says,"marry only one".

The Qur’an is the only religious book, on the face of this earth, that contains the phrase ‘marry only one’. There is no other religious book that instructs men to have only one wife. In none of the other religious scriptures, whether it be the Vedas, the Ramayan, the Mahabharat, the Geeta, the Talmud or the Bible does one find a restriction on the number of wives. According to these scriptures one can marry as many as one wishes. It was only later, that the Hindu priests and the Christian Church restricted the number of wives to one.Many Hindu religious personalities, according to their scriptures, had multiple wives. King Dashrat, the father of Rama, had more than one wife. Krishna had several wives.In earlier times, Christian men were permitted as many wives as they wished, since the Bible puts no restriction on the number of wives. It was only a few centuries ago that the Church restricted the number of wives to one.

Polygyny is permitted in Judaism. According to Talmudic law, Abraham had three wives, and Solomon had hundreds of wives. The practice of polygyny continued till Rabbi Gershom ben Yehudah (960 C.E to 1030 C.E) issued an edict against it. The Jewish Sephardic communities living in Muslim countries continued the practice till as late as 1950, until an Act of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel extended the ban on marrying more than one wife.

3. Hindus are more polygynous than Muslims

The report of the ‘Committee of The Status of Woman in Islam’, published in 1975 mentions on page numbers 66 and 67 that the percentage of polygamous marriages between the years 1951 and 1961 was 5.06% among the Hindus and only 4.31% among the Muslims. According to Indian law only Muslim men are permitted to have more than one wife. It is illegal for any non-Muslim in India to have more than one wife. Despite it being illegal, Hindus have more multiple wives as compared to Muslims. Earlier, there was no restriction even on Hindu men with respect to the number of wives allowed. It was only in 1954, when the Hindu Marriage Act was passed that it became illegal for a Hindu to have more than one wife. At present it is the Indian Law that restricts a Hindu man from having more than one wife and not the Hindu scriptures.

Let us now analyse why Islam allows a man to have more than one wife.

to be cont'....

Chinese God

GUAN YING

Ch'eng-Huang :
Dewa dinding dan parit. Setiap kampung ada Ch'eng-Huang masing
masing.

Chu Jung :
Dewa Hukuman Api. Emodies justice, revenge, death, and the element of
fire.

Erh-Lang :

Chinese god who chased away evil spirits, the great restorer, the sustainer. He
is invoked for protection.

Fu-Hsing :

Chinese god of happiness. Symbolizes destiny, fate, love, happiness, and
success.

Hou-chi :

Chinese god of harvest and agriculture. Depicted as a kindly old man with
stalks growing from his scalp.

Hsuan-T'ien-Shang-Ti :

Chinese god who removes demons and evil spirits.

I-ti :

Chinese god of wine.

Kue'i-Hsing :

Chinese god of safe travels, tests, literature, and students.

Kuan Ti :

Chinese god of war.

Lao-Tien-Yeh :

Chinese great god.

Lei-Kung :

Chinese god of retribution and thunder. He makes thunder with his hammer,
chases away evil spirits, and punishes criminals whose crimes have gone undetected.

Lu-Hsing :

Chinese god of salaries, wages, and employment. Symbolizes success,
prosperity, earned wealth, justice.

Lu-Pan :

Chinese god of carpenters and masons. Symbolizes artistic talent and fame

CHINESE GODDESSES

Chang O : A moon goddess honored with a festival every
September. The divine archer, Yi's wife. She lives in a palace
made out of cinnamon wood.

Hsi Wang Mu : Goddess of immortality.

Kuan Yin : Goddess of compassion

Chuang-Mu : Chinese goddess of the bed and sexual delights.

Feng-Po-Po : Chinese goddess of the winds, she replaced
Feng-Po. She symbolizes the elements of air and water, storms,
precipitation and moisture.

Hu-Tu : Chinese earth goddess, similar to gaia, the deification
of the earth. Patroness of fertility, element is earth.

Lo-shen : Chinese goddess of rivers.

Meng-Po-Niang : Chinese goddess who stood just within the gates of hell. Her magic potion was administered to each soul, so that they would forget their past lives.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM

In order to convey the message of Islam, dialogue and debate become inevitable. The Glorious Qur’an says: “Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord, with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious!” [Al-Qur’an 16:125]

In conveying the message of Islam to a non-Muslim, it is usually not sufficient to highlight only the positive nature of Islam. Most non-Muslims are not convinced about the truth of Islam because there are a few questions about Islam at the back of their minds that remain unanswered. They may agree with your contentions about the positive nature of Islam. But, in the same breath, they will say - “Ah! But you are the same Muslims who marry more than one woman. You are the same people who subjugate women by keeping them behind the veil. You are fundamentalists, etc.”

The common misconceptions about Islam arise in the minds of a majority of Non-Muslims, because they are constantly being bombarded with misinformation about Islam. International media is mainly controlled by the western world, whether it is international satellite channels, radio stations, news papers, magazines or books. Even so-called ‘local’ newspapers in Muslim countries buy news from the same sources that feed these news channels. As to why Islam and Muslims are being misrepresented and by whom, is a subject on its own. What is clear is that non-Muslims who live among Muslims even in Muslim countries, would find it hard to match facts on the ground with what they read or hear from ‘official’ news channels.

Recently the Internet has become a powerful medium of information. Though it is not controlled by anybody, one finds a large amount of virulent propaganda about Islam on the Internet. Of course, Muslims too are utilizing this tool to portray the right image of Islam and Muslims, but they are far behind as compared to the propaganda against Islam.

The most common questions about Islam are different in different periods and eras. Decades earlier, the set of questions was different and decades later too, the set of questions may change depending upon how Islam is projected by the media. More than that, Dr.Zakir Abdul Karim Naik said that (Founder of Islamic Research Foundation-IRF), “I have interacted with people in different parts of the world and have found most common questions about Islam to be the same everywhere. There may be a couple of additional questions depending upon the locale, the surrounding or culture. For instance in America, the additional common question is - “Why does Islam prohibit taking and giving of interest?”

Beside that, there are many non-Muslims who have studied Islam. Most of them have only read books on Islam written by biased critics of Islam. These non-Muslims have an additional set of twenty common misconceptions about Islam. For instance, they claim to have found contradictions in the Qur’an, they contend that the Qur’an is unscientific, etc. For example, if we have been asked by question like this, “Why do Muslims abuse non-Muslims by calling them Kafirs?” So, we can answer through explain that ‘Kafir’ is derived from the word ‘kafara’, which means to conceal or to reject. In Islamic terminology, ‘Kafir’ means one who conceals or rejects the truth of Islam and a person who rejects Islam is in English called a ‘non-Muslim’. If a ‘non-Muslim’ considers being called a ‘non-Muslim’ or ‘Kafir’, which are one and the same, an abuse, it is due to his misunderstanding about Islam. He or she needs to reach out to proper sources of understanding Islam and Islamic terminology, and not only will he not feel abused but appreciate Islam in the proper perspective.

For Conclusion, as a Muslim, we should note that Da’wah is our duty. Most Muslims know that Islam is a universal religion, meant for all mankind. Allah (swt) is the Lord of the entire Universe, and Muslims have been entrusted with the duty of conveying His message to all mankind. Alas, most Muslims today have become callous towards this duty! While accepting Islam as the best way of life for ourselves, most of us are unwilling to share this knowledge with those to whom the message has not yet been conveyed. The Arabic word Da’wah means a call or an invitation. In Islamic context, it means to strive for the propagation of Islam. The Glorious Qur’an says:

“Ah! Who is more unjust than those who conceal the testimony they have from Allah? But Allah is not unmindful of what ye do!”
[Al-Qur’an 2:140]


Prepared by:
Bro.Akmal

Techniques of Handling the Question and Answer Session

RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION

To be Announced by the Chairman:

"To derive more benefit for all present here today, in the limited time available, we would like the following guidelines or rules to be observed during the Question and Answer Session:

1. Questions asked should be on the topic only. Questions not relevant to the topic will not be entertained.

2. Kindly state your question briefly and to the point. This is a Question and Answer time and not a Lecture or a Debate time.

3. Only one question at a time may be asked. For your 2nd question you will have to go at the back of the row again, and await your 2nd chance for questioning.

4. 3 Mikes have been provided for the questions from the audience: 2 for the Gents next to the stage on the right and left sides, and 1 at the back for the Ladies. Please stand in a queue at one of the mikes if you wish to put a question to the speaker, and speak into the mike only when the mike is handed to you by the mike handling assistants.

5. We will allow one question on each of the mikes in clockwise rotation.

6. Written questions on slips of paper, which are available from our volunteers in the sides, would be given second preference after the open questions on the mikes are answered by the speaker.

7. In the interest of not having any time wasted on irrelevant issues, and to ensure a more educative and an interesting Question & Answer Session, our decision to allow or disallow irrelevant questions will be final.

8. In the interest of getting a proper and clear answer from the speaker, kindly state your name and profession before putting forth your question.


STRUCTURE AND CONTENT WHILE ANSWERING A QUESTION IN PUBLIC

I INTRODUCTION OF THE ANSWER:

1. While the question is being asked, pay careful attention to each and every word of the question.

2. Repeat the question in brief mentioning only the important points.

3. If a question contains two different questions or sub-questions, mention at the outset, that the brother has asked two questions or that the brother’s question contains two or three parts.

4. Advantages of repeating the questions are:
(i) It helps the audience to understand the question better.
(ii) If the speaker has misunderstood the question, the questioner can correct him.
(iii) During video recording, it enables the questions to be recorded clearly.
(iv) If you are not prepared with the answer, it gives you time to think and formulate the contents of the answer, and their sequence.

5. Advantages of repeating the questions are:
(i) Brother has asked a Good Question.
(ii) Brother has asked an Important Question.
(iii) Brother has asked a Relevant Question.
(iv) Brother has asked a Tricky Question.
(v) Brother has asked a Common Question.
(vi) Brother has asked an Unusual Question.

6. Mention the relevance of the question, if any, to the occasion of the talk, present situation, surrounding, etc.

7. If the questioner prolongs his question, after it is clear to you, by giving unnecessary details and background which are not required, then politely interrupt the questioner by saying:
(i) Brother, I have understood your question.
(ii) Brother, the question is clear to me since I am in the field of Da’wah.

8. If the questioner gives a short speech or makes several irrelevant comments without asking a question, then politely interrupt by saying:
(i) Brother, could you please pose your question?
(ii) Brother, could you please be precise and to the point?"

9. If the question is not related to the topic (unless it is an open question and answer session) comment by saying: "I am sorry brother, the question is not relevant to the topic under discussion but…"
(i) "…you are most welcome to have it clarified on Sunday morning at IRF during the open question and answer session (or refer him to an appropriate source)."

(ii) "…however you can refer to my video cassette on the topic… (or any other video cassette of another speaker) for the answer to your question."

10. If the question is on ‘fiqh’ or ‘masaail’ or if it is a controversial question, ask the questioner to go to a Maulana or an expert in that field. You may quote Al-Qur’an 16:43 or 21:7.

11. If the question is related to the topic, and you do not know the answer, reply in a humble manner by saying:
(i) "I am sorry, I do not know the answer, but Inshallah, I will refer and let you know."
(ii) Refer him to the appropriate person by saying, "Shaikh _____________ will do better justice in replying the question".


II BODY OF THE ANSWER:

Answer the question by covering all the following four aspects if possible or as many as possible.

1. Islamic viewpoint
(i) Quote with reference the relevant Qur’anic verse, if any.
(ii) Quote with reference the relevant authentic hadith, if any.
(iii) Commentary and explanation of the Qur’anic verse or hadith quoted.
(iv) View of an expert, scholar or any knowledgeable person in the Islamic field, related to the topic.

2. Comparative Religion
(i) Quote the portions of scriptures of other religions (e.g. Bible, Veda, Upanishad, Geeta, etc.) related to the answer.
(ii) Commentary and explanation of the verses of the religious scripture quoted.
(iii) View of an expert or a scholar of the respective religion, if beneficial.

3. Reason and Logic
(i) Explain the answer with the help of reason and logic.
(ii) Give logical examples to prove your point.
(iii) Give simple examples related to day to day living e.g. school life, household examples, etc.
(iv) Use universally accepted facts to prove your point e.g. 2 + 2 = 4, the world is spherical, etc.
(v) Give statistics to support the answer, mentioning its source.
(vi) Quote articles to support your answer from reputed newspapers, magazines, etc.
(vii) Give references from authentic and famous books to support your answer.
(viii) Quote scholars, historians and experts in the field, related to the answer.

4. Scientific Viewpoint
(i) Mention established scientific facts, if any, to support your answer.
(ii) Give medical reasons, if any, to support your answer.
(iii) Give references from medical journals and books, if any, to support your answer.
(iv) Quote the viewpoint of any Scientist or Doctor, if any, to support your answer.


III CONCLUSION

Use any one or two of the following:
(i) Give a hitting example.

(ii) Ask a rhetoric question.

(iii) Give a quotation with reference of a relevant Qur’anic verse.

(iv) The last sentence should be emphatic: hitting with a punch line.

(v) Whenever there is room for discussion in the answer, or if the contents of the answer are not clearly mentioned in the Qur’an or in authentic Ahadith, then conclude your answer by saying, "Wallaahu-A’alam" (And Allah knows best).


IV IMPORTANT POINTS WHILE ANSWERING:


1. Follow all the important points of the structure and content of Islamic lectures.

2. The answer should not contradict any of your other answers.

3. If the question contains an argument or example to prove the Islamic viewpoint wrong, then either (i) Agree with the questioner’s reasoning of the argument or example and give another example to turn the table over and use the same reasoning to prove the Islamic view point, or (ii) Prove the questioner’s reasoning of the argument or example wrong by giving another argument or example.

4. Do not let the question and answer session run into a discussion or a debate. If required, ask the questioner to meet you after the programme.

5. Non-Muslims should be given preference to ask questions.

6. Notes should never be carried for a question and answer session.

7. The same Qur’anic verse can be utilized in answering several questions.

8. Follow the guidelines of Surah Nahl chapter 16 verse 125 while answering the questions.


V PREPARATION FOR QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION:

1. View all the video cassettes of various Islamic orators dealing with the topic on which you have to speak. (Talk plus question and answer session).

2. Prepare a list of all the possible questions that can be asked on the topic, including the questions asked to various other speakers while they gave the talk on the same topic and categorise the list into very important, important and other questions.
3. Prepare the answer to each and every question.

4. Memorise all the answers.

5. Portions of your talks on other topics can be utilized in answers, if relevant.

6. Memorisation of talks on various topics along with the answers helps you in handling a variety of questions.

7. Note all the verses of the Qur’an dealing with the topic.

8. Note as many authentic hadith as possible dealing with the topic.

101 Contradictions in the Bible (Last Section)

81. Was Jesus body wrapped in spices before burial in accordance with Jewish burial customs?
Yes and his female disciples witnessed his burial (John 19:39-40)
No. Jesus was simply wrapped in a linen shroud. Then the women bought and prepared spices so that they may go and anoint him [Jesus) (Mark 16: 1)

82. When did the women buy the spices?
After the Sabbath was past (Mark 16:1)
Before the Sabbath. The women prepared spices and ointments. Then, on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment (Luke 23:55 to 24:1)

83. At what time of day did the women visit the tomb?
Toward the dawn (Matthew 28: 1)
When the sun had risen (Mark 16:2)

84. What was the purpose for which the women went to the tomb?
To anoint Jesus body with spices (Mark 16: 1; Luke 23:55 to 24: 1)
To see the tomb. Nothing about spices here (Matthew 28: 1)
For no specified reason. In this gospel the wrapping with spices had been done before the Sabbath (John 20: 1)

85. A large stone was placed at the entrance of the tomb. Where was the stone when the women arrived?
They saw that the stone was Rolled back (Mark 16:4) They found the stone rolled away from the tomb (Luke 24:2) They saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb (John 20:1)
As the women approached, an angel descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and conversed with the women. Matthew made the women witness the spectacular rolling away of the stone (Matthew 28:1-6)

86. Did anyone tell the women what happened to Jesus body?
Yes. A young man in a white robe (Mark 16:5). Two men ... in dazzling apparel later described as angels (Luke 24:4 and 24:23). An angel - the one who rolled back the stone (Matthew 16:2). In each case the women were told that Jesus had risen from the dead (Matthew 28:7; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:5 footnote)
No. Mary met no one and returned saying, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him (John 20:2)

87. When did Mary Magdelene first meet the resurrected Jesus? And how did she react?
Mary and the other women met Jesus on their way back from their first and only visit to the tomb. They took hold of his feet and worshipped him (Matthew 28:9)
On her second visit to the tomb Mary met Jesus just outside the tomb. When she saw Jesus she did not recognize him. She mistook him for the gardener. She still thinks that Jesus body is laid to rest somewhere and she demands to know where. But when Jesus said her name she at once recognized him and called him Teacher. Jesus said to her, Do not hold me... (John 20:11 to 17)

88. What was Jesus instruction for his disciples?
Tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me (Matthew 2 8: 10)
Go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God (John 20:17)

89. When did the disciples return to Galilee?
Immediately, because when they saw Jesus in Galilee some doubted (Matthew 28:17). This period of uncertainty should not persist
After at least 40 days. That evening the disciples were still in Jerusalem (Luke 24:3 3). Jesus appeared to them there and told them, stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49). He was appearing to them during forty days (Acts 1:3), and charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise ... (Acts 1:4)

90. To whom did the Midianites sell Joseph?
To the Ishmaelites (Genesis 37:28)
To Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh (Genesis 37:36)

91. Who brought Joseph to Egypt?
The Ishmaelites bought Joseph and then took Joseph to Egypt (Genesis 37:28)
The Midianites had sold him in Egypt (Genesis 37:36)
Joseph said to his brothers I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt (Genesis 45:4)
92. Does God change his mind?
Yes. The word of the Lord came to Samuel: I repent that I have made Saul King... (I Samuel 15:10 to 11)
No. God will not lie or repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent (I Samuel 15:29)
Yes. And the Lord repented that he had made Saul King over Israel (I Samuel 15:35). Notice that the above three quotes are all from the same chapter of the same book! In addition, the Bible shows that God repented on several other occasions:
i. The Lord was sorry that he made man (Genesis 6:6)
I am sorry that I have made them (Genesis 6:7)
ii. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do to his people (Exodus 32:14).
iii. (Lots of other such references).

93. The Bible says that for each miracle Moses and Aaron demonstrated the magicians did the same by their secret arts. Then comes the following feat:
Moses and Aaron converted all the available water into blood (Exodus 7:20-21)
The magicians did the same (Exodus 7:22). This is impossible, since there would have been no water left to convert into blood.

94. Who killed Goliath?
David (I Samuel 17:23, 50)
Elhanan (2 Samuel 21:19)

95. Who killed Saul?
Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.... Thus Saul died... (I Samuel 31:4-6)
An Amalekite slew him (2 Samuel 1:1- 16)

96. Does every man sin?
Yes. There is no man who does not sin (I Kings 8:46; see also 2 Chronicles 6:36; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; and I John 1:810)
No. True Christians cannot possibly sin, because they are the children of God. Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God.. (I John 5:1). We should be called children of God; and so we are (I John 3: 1). He who loves is born of God (I John 4:7). No one born of God commits sin; for Gods nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God (I John 3:9). But, then again, Yes! If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (I John 1:8)

97. Who will bear whose burden?
Bear one anothers burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2)
Each man will have to bear his own load (Galatians 6:5)

98. How many disciples did Jesus appear to after his resurrection?
Twelve (I Corinthians 15:5)
Eleven (Matthew 27:3-5 and Acts 1:9-26, see also Matthew 28:16; Mark 16:14 footnote; Luke 24:9; Luke 24:3 3)

99. Where was Jesus three days after his baptism?
After his baptism, the spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days ... (Mark 1:12-13)
Next day after the baptism, Jesus selected two disciples. Second day: Jesus went to Galilee - two more disciples. Third day: Jesus was at a wedding feast in Cana in Galilee (see John 1:35; 1:43; 2:1-11)

100. Was baby Jesus life threatened in Jerusalem?
Yes, so Joseph fled with him to Egypt and stayed there until Herod died (Matthew 2:13 23)
No. The family fled nowhere. They calmly presented the child at the Jerusalem temple according to the Jewish customs and returned to Galilee (Luke 2:21-40)

101. When Jesus walked on water how did the disciples respond?
They worshipped him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God (Matthew 14:33)
They were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened (Mark 6:51-52)

101 Contradictions in the Bible (Section D)

61. How did Judas die?
After he threw the money into the temple he went away and hanged himself (Matthew 27:5)
After he bought the field with the price of his evil deed he fell headlong and burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out (Acts 1:18)

62. Why is the field called Field of Blood?
Because the priests bought it with the blood money (Matthew 27:8)
Because of the bloody death of Judas therein (Acts 1:19)

63. Who is a ransom for whom?
The Son of Man came...to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all... (I Timothy 2:5-6)
The wicked is a ransom for the righteous, and the faithless for the upright (Proverbs 21:18)

64. Is the law of Moses useful?
Yes. All scripture is... profitable... (2 Timothy 3:16)
No. . . . A former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness... (Hebrews 7:18)

65. What was the exact wording on the cross?
This is Jesus the King of the Jews (Matthew 27:37)
The King of the Jews (Mark 15:26)
This is the King of the Jews (Luke 23:38)
Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews (John 19:19)

66. Did Herod want to kill John the Baptist?
Yes (Matthew 14:5)
No. It was Herodias, the wife of Herod who wanted to kill him. But Herod knew that he was a righteous man and kept him safe (Mark 6:20)

67. Who was the tenth disciple of Jesus in the list of twelve?
Thaddaeus (Matthew 10: 1-4; Mark 3:13 -19)
Judas son of James is the corresponding name in Lukes gospel (Luke 6:12-16)

68. Jesus saw a man sitat the tax collectors office and called him to be his disciple. What was his name?
Matthew (Matthew 9:9)
Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27)

69. Was Jesus crucified on the daytime before the Passover meal or the daytime after?
After (Mark 14:12-17)
Before. Before the feast of the Passover (John 1) Judas went out at night (John 13:30). The other disciples thought he was going out to buy supplies to prepare for the Passover meal (John 13:29). When Jesus was arrested, the Jews did not enter Pilates judgment hail because they wanted to stay clean to eat the Passover (John 18:28). When the judgment was pronounced against Jesus, it was about the sixth hour on the day of Preparation for the Passover (John 19:14)

70. Did Jesus pray to The Father to prevent the crucifixion?
Yes. (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42)
No. (John 12:27)

71. In the gospels which say that Jesus prayed to avoid the cross, how many times did he move away from his disciples to pray?
Three (Matthew 26:36-46 and Mark 14:32-42)
One. No opening is left for another two times. (Luke 22:39-46)

72. Matthew and Mark agree that Jesus went away and prayed three times. What were the words of the second prayer?
Mark does not give the words but he says that the words were the same as the first prayer (Mark 14:3 9)
Matthew gives us the words, and we can see that they are not the same as in the first (Matthew 26:42)

73. What did the centurion say when Jesus dies?
Certainly this man was innocent (Luke 23:47)
Truly this man was the Son of God (Mark 15:39)

74. When Jesus said My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken Me ? in what language did he speak?
Hebrew: the words are Eloi, Eloi ..(Matthew 27:46)
Aramaic: the words are Eloi, Eloi .. (Mark 15:34)

75. According to the gospels, what were the last words of Jesus before he died?
Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit! (Luke 23:46)
"It is finished" (John 19:30)

76. When Jesus entered Capernaum he healed the slave of a centurion. Did the centurion come personally to request Jesus for this?
Yes (Matthew 8:5)
No. He sent some elders of the Jews and his friends (Luke 7:3,6)

77.
Adam was told that if and when he eats the forbidden fruit he would die the same day (Genesis 2:17)
Adam ate the fruit and went on to live to a ripe old age of 930 years (Genesis 5:5)

78. God decided that the life-span of humans will be limited to 120 years (Genesis 6:3)
Many people born after that lived longer than 120. Arpachshad lived 438 years. His son Shelah lived 433 years. His son Eber lived 464 years, etc. (Genesis 11:12-16)

79. Apart from Jesus did anyone else ascend to heaven?
No (John 3:13)
Yes. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven (2 Kings 2:11)

80. Who was high priest when David went into the house of God and ate the consecrated bread?
Abiathar (Mark 2:26)
Ahimelech, the father of Abiathar (I Samuel 1:1; 22:20)

HINDU SCRIPTURE (V2)

Upanishad

Upanishad means the inner or mystic teaching. The term Upanishad is derived from upa (near), ni (down) and s(h)ad (to sit), i.e., sitting down near. Groups of pupils sit near the teacher to learn from him the secret doctrine. In the quietude of the forest hermitages the Upanishad thinkers pondered on the problems of deepest concerns and communicated their knowledge to fit pupils near them. Samkara derives the word Upanishad as a substitute from the root sad, 'to loosen.,' 'to reach' or 'to destroy' with Upa and ni as prefixes and kvip as termination. If this determination is accepted, upanishad means brahmaknowledge by which ignorance is loosened or destroyed. The treatises that deal with brahma-knowledge are called the Upanishads and so pass for the Vedanta. The Upanishads more clearly set forth the prime Vedic doctrines like Selfrealization, yoga and meditation, karma and reincarnation, which were hidden or kept veiled under the symbols of the older mystery religion. The older Upanishads are usually affixed to a particularly Veda, through a Brahmana or Aranyaka. The more recent ones are not. The Upanishads became prevalent some centuries before the time of Krishna and Buddha.

The main figure in the Upanishads, though not present in many of them, is the sage Yajnavalkya. Most of the great teachings of later Hindu and Buddhist philosophy derive from him. He taught the great doctrine of "neti-neti", the view that truth can be found only through the negation of all thoughts about it. Other important Upanishadic sages are Uddalaka Aruni, Shwetaketu, Shandilya, Aitareya, Pippalada, Sanat Kumara. Many earlier Vedic teachers like Manu, Brihaspati, Ayasya and Narada are also found in the Upanishads. In the Upanishads the spiritual meanings of the Vedic texts are brought out and emphasized in their own right.
There are over 200 Upanishads though according to Indian tradition there are only 108. There are 10 main principals but some accord it to having 18 main principals in the Upanishad.
Some of the Upanishads are Brhad-Aranyaka Upanishad, Chandogya Upanishad,Isa Upanishad, Aitareya Upanishad, Taittiriya Upanishad, Katha Upanishad, Prasna Upanishad, Kena Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad, Mandukya Upanishad, Kausitaki-Brahmana Upanishad, Maitri Upanishad, Subala Upanishad, Jabala Upanishad, Paingala Upanishad, Kaivalya Upanishad, Svetasvatara Upanishad, Vajrasucika Upanishad.

The Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita more commonly known as the Gita, is part of the Itihaas scriputre Mahabharata. It is an extremely popular scripture. There are 118 chapters of Gita. If the Upanishads can be compared to the cow, the Gita is their milk. It is in the form of a dialogue between Lord Sri Krishna and the mighty Pandava warrior Arjuna. The battlefield of Kurukshetra is its place of origin. Its central message is that one should discharge one's duty however hard and unpleasant it be - bravely and with selfless dedication.

The Puranas
The Puranas are the richest collection of mythology in the world. Most of them attained their final form around 500 A.D. but they were passed on as an oral tradition since the time of Krishna (c. 1500 B.C.). There are eighteen major Puranas and a few minor ones. Each is a long book consisting of various stories of the Gods and Goddesses, hymns, an outline of ancient history, cosmology, rules of life, rituals, instructions on spiritual knowledge. Hence the Puranas are like encyclopedias of religion and culture and contain material of different levels and degrees of difficulty.

The most important Puranas are the VISHNU PURANA, SHIVA PURANA and
MARKENDEYA PURANA (to the Goddess). The BHAGAVATA PURANA is important to the worshippers of Krishna. Other Puranas are the Vayu, Agni, Skanda, Kalki, Linga.

The Puranas are perhaps the most important or commonly used scriptural texts of the Hindus. They were guide books for the whole of life and society. Some of the Puranas are Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, Vishnu Purana, Shiva Purana, Bhagwata Purana, Narayana Purana, Markandeya Purana, Agni Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Linga Purana, Varaha Purana, Skanda Purana, Vamana Purana, Kurma Purana, Matsya Purana, Garuda
Purana, Brahmanda Purana.

Ramayana

Ramayana is the story of Shree Rama avatar of Lord Vishnu, his consort Sita brother Lakshman and devotee Hanuman and their fight against the evil of Ravana. According to Ramanuja, a famour Ramayana scholar, there are over 300 types of Ramayana, e.g., Tulsidas Ramayana, Kumb Ramayana, etc.

Unlike Mahabrata, Ramayana is the work of reknown scholar, Valmiki, who may have modified it in 3 BC.

Mahabrata

Shree Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu oversees the battle of good vs. evil in this extraordinary scripture. It revolves around the 18 days war between the Kaurava,
which consisted of 100 sons of Dhritarashtra and Pandavas, which consisted 5 sons of Pandu.
The Kurukshetra war involved almost all of the kings in India. The result of the war was the devastation of Kauravas dan their supporters. The head of Pandavas, Yudhishthira was crowned Raja Hastinapura. His victory symbololize victory of good over evil.

KONFUCIANISMA

Konfucianisma

Konfuciasma diasaskan oleh Konfucias sendiri dan dibangunkan oleh Mensius dan di panggil sebagai “Petunjuk Konfucias dan Mencius”. Pada zaman Dinasti Han, Konfuciasma di terima secara rasmi dan ajaran kumpulan yang lain ditindas oleh pemerintah Han untuk
mengambil balik kuasa. Konfuciasma lalu berkembang dan menjadi pengaruh terbesar dalam sejarah dan budaya Cina selama 2000 tahun. Ia kemudian menyebar ke Negara Korea dan Jepun dan juga mempengaruhi kedua-dua budaya itu. Beliau dan ajarannya telah membawa kesan yang sungguh besar ke atas tamaddun Cina. Selama 2000 tahun, Ajaran Konfucias telah mempengaruhi sikap orang Cina terhadap kehidupan, mereka satu sistem corak kehidupan dan taraf nilai masyarakat, mendirikan satu bentuk piawaian untuk pegawai kerajaan dan memperlengkapkan latarbelakang teori politik Cina.

Siapakah Konfucius?

Konfucius (551 B.C. - 479 B.C.), pengasas Konfucianisma dilahirkan di Qufu, Daerah Shandong. Nama asal beliau adalah Kong Qiu dan dihormati sebagai Kong Fuzi atau Kong Zi. Beliau adalah seorang pemikir dan pendidik yang terkemuka pada lewat zaman Musim bunga dan Luruh. Dia
datang daripada keluarga miskin, tetapi mendapat pendidikan yang baik. Beliau dikatakan mengambiljawatan sebagai Perdana Menteri untuk Negeri Lu. Akan tetapi, musuh politiknya berkomplot untuk memaksa beliau untuk bersara pada umur 55. Beliau kemudian mengetuai sekumpulan pengikutnya ke negeri-negeri yang bersaing supaya menyebarkan ajarannya dan menjadi penasihat kepada pemimpin bagaiamana untuk memerintah tetapi beliau merasa sungguh hampa sekali. Beliau memasuki bidang pendidikan dengam 3000 pengikut dan 72 yang terkenal pada lewat usia menurut lagenda. Beliau meninggal dunia pada tahun 479 Sebelum Masihi. Di dalam bidang politik, Konfucias menitikberatkan strata-strata masyarakat yang tegas supaya mengekalkan kesejahteraan orang awam dan menentang pemupukan moral dan melawan kezaliman. Prinsip akhlak yang paling penting dalam anjuran beliau adalah kebajikan atau ren dalam bahasa Cina. Dalam konsep pendidikan pula, beliau menekankan pentingnya memupuk bakat seorang individu dalam pendidikan dan gabungan antara pemikiran dan pelajaran, dan berkata” belajar tanpa berfikir akan mengakibatkan kebingungan dan hasil berfikir tanpa belajar ialah kelekaan.

Konfuciasma adalah satu sistem philosofi dan keperimanusiaan dan sebaliknya bukan satu agama walau ia ada menyifatkan beberapa ciri-ciri keagamaan. Konfucius dan Mencius tidak berniat untuk mengasakan satu agama walaupun mereka disemadikan di seluruh negara Cina.
Konfucias hidup di masa kehuruharaan sosial dan juga moral, apabila nilai murni ditolak
dan tidak dihiraukan. Dalam zaman tidak pasti dan ketakutan, Konfuciasma berkembang dan akhirnya mengubah masyarakat Cina dengan nilai-nilai yang wujud berabad-abad.

Apabila beliau melihat perbezaan yang wajar di antara perpecahan dan kurangnya
kesejahteraan yang wujud dalam masyarakat yang tidak aman dan huru hara
berbanding dengan keharmonian dan kemurnian, falsafah beliau dialu-alukan untuk
memperbaiki nilai dan kebiasaan. Dalam dinasti Qin, Maharaja Shi Huang membakarkan dan memusnahkan buku-buku Konfuciasma supaya mengalakkan perpecahan untuk memudahkan pemerintahannya dan Maharaja itu digulingkan. Di Dinasti Han pula zaman pemerintahan Maharaja Wu(140SM -87 SM), Konficiasma diterima sebagai idealogi rasmi negeri dan ortodoxi kerana Konfuciasma mendakwa bahawa perihal diraja adalah iktirafan oleh tuhan dan
idealogi lain di haramkan secara rasmi untuk mrengekalkan undang-undang, strata sosial dan kesejahteraan masyarakat dengan nilai Konfucias. Semanjak itu, idealogi yang lain tidak mempunyai peluang untuk diperlaksanakan. Sebab-sebab mengapa Konfucianisma sungguh
berpengaruh kerana ia sesuai dengan keperluan orang atasan (pegawai istana). Ia adalah sistem yang sempurna untuk orang umum dan orang atasan. Konfucianisma berpendapat bahawa pemerintah adalah seperti bapa kepada masyarakat yang mengawasi dan menjaga keperluan asas mereka. Ia juga mengalakkan pegawai-pegawai kerajaan supaya patuh kepada pemimpim mereka dan tidak berkhidmat untuk yang korup; Kuasa sepenuh seorang raja ke atas rakyatnya, suami ke atas isteri dan bapa ke atas anaknya dan menekankan lima sifat murni iaitu, kebajikan (ren), kebijaksanaan (zhi), kebaikan (yi), kesopanan(li) dan kesetiaan(xin) sebagai etik

Konfuciasma tidak mengenalkan hak manusia dan maruah wanita dan menurut Konfucianisma, wanita mesti patuh kepada ayahnya jika sebelum kahwin, patuh kepada suami selepas kahwin, patuh kepada anak lelaki kika menjadi balu. Mereka juga mesti menjaga tatacara, nilai moralnya dan mesti rajin mengendalikan kerja mereka. Jikalau mereka dijumpai tidak patuh, bercurang, mandul, berasa cemburu, mencuri dan lain lain, mereka boleh diceraikan tanpa mempertimbangan sebabsebabnya.

HINDU SCRIPTURE

Hindu religious literature, the most ancient writings in the world, is of two types: primary scriptures (Sruti) and secondary scriptures (Smriti). The Sruti scriptures are of divine origin, whose truths were directly revealed to ancient rishis (sages) in their deep meditations.

The Smriti scriptures are of human origin and were written to explain the Sruti writings and
make them understandable and meaningful to the general population. Sruti scriptures
include the four Vedas (Rig, Yajur, Sãma and Atharva) and the Bhagavad Gîtã, and
constitute the highest religious authority in Hindu religion. Smriti scriptures include five
distinct groups of writings :
· Itihãsas (History or Epics)
· Purãnas (Mythology)
· Dharma Shãstras Law Codes
· Ãgamas & Tantras Sectarian Scriptures.
· Darshanas Manuals of Philosophy


The Vedas
It is the ancient scriptures or revelation (Shruti) of the Hindu teachings. The word
Veda is derived from the word Vid which means “knows”, knowledge for
excellence or sacred wisdom. There are four Vedas, each consisting of four parts (though some says there were as many as 1131). Rigveda, Yajurveda and Samveda are considered as the most ancient of the vedas, known as Trai Viddya or “Triple Sciences”.
The Vedas were compiled around the time of Krishna (c. 3500 B.C.).
The “great compiler” of the Veda and Puranas was Vyasa Krishna Dwaipayana.
He was said to be the twenty-eighth of the Vyasas or compilers of Vedic
knowledge.
The vedas are Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda.

TAOISMA

Taoisma

Taoisma adalah salah satu daripada sekolah Falsafah di antara beberapa yang lain.
Pada tahun 440 Masihi, Taoisma kemudian dijadikan sebagai satu agama dan merupakan agama utama pada zaman akhir Dinasti Ha.Falsafah-falsafah Taois yang terkenal ialah Loazi ( Juga di eja : Laotzu, Laotse, Lao dan, Li Er) dan Zhuang Zi (a.k.a Chuang Tzu). Mereka adalah ornag yang bertanggungjawab dalam perkembangan falsafah Taoisma dan tidak ingin melahirkan agama lain. Menurut lagenda, Lao Tzu memiliki kebijaksaan yang luarbiasa
sehinnga ia menerima kunjungan Konfusias. Lao Tzu dan Zhuang Zi melahirkan idea tentang Tao, iaitu daya kuasa asas yang terdapat semua benda hidup. Mereka percaya
bahawa manusia hanya boleh bertambah maju jika dapat hidup harmoni dengan persekitarannya.Tidak ada banyak maklumat yang tercatat tentang riwayat
hidup Lao Tzu dan beliau beransur hilang apabila selesai menulis bukunya yang terkenal, Tao Te Jing. Buku ini terus dijadikan sebagai Kitab Tao.

Chuang Tzu kemudian memperkembangkan teori seterusnya dan mendirikan satu lagi
petunjuk hidup atas namanya ( Kitab Chuang Tzu).
Beberapa tahun kemudian, kemunculan Agama Buddha telah menyelubungi Taoisma,
tetapi Taoisma mendapat sokongan diraja semasa dinasti Tang, Song, Yuan dan Ming.
Pada pertengahan Dinasti Qing, Taoisma kurang mendapat sambutan dan menjadi
semakin susut. Walaubagaimanapun, ia masih mempunyai pengikut yang masih
mengamalkan akupuntur, ubat herba, petapaan dan senaman Tai Chi.
Taoism susah di fahami, tetapi ia mengandungi banyak kebenaran dan petunjuk yang
arif. Konsep Tao, iaitu, alam semulajadi yang sempurna yang tiada penjelasan kerana ia
melampaui kebolehan pancaindera, pemikiran dan imiginasi kita. Ia memerlukan
meditasi dan tafakur dan boleh di fahami melalui gerak hati dan kebatinan.
Taoism is hard to understand, however, it tells many truths and shows wisdom. Secara
harafiah, Tao bererti “ Jalan benar” atau “cara benar”. Tao juga ialah fitrah alam
semesta, dayakuasa kesejahteraan alam semulajadi dan benda-benda hidup. Ia
menjadi asas segala-gala benda dan perlaksanaannya yang melewati pemikiran logik.
Ahli Taoisma percaya bahawa Tao ialah sumber kelahiran alam semesta dan pencipta
segala benda hidup, dan menyembah mereka (benda hidup) dan juga alam
semulajadi. Taisma menggesa manusia supaya berharmoni dengan sejahteranya
dengan alam semulajadi dan bukan sekadar bertentangan.
Ajaran Tao WuWei (non-action) menggesa manusia supaya tidak mengawal alam
semulajadi tetapi menyesuaikan diri dengan persekitaran. Ahli Tao sedar bahawa alam
semulajadi kita malar mengubah rupabentuk dan alirannya lebih stabil.
Taoisma juga mendakwa bahawa manusia boleh mencapai tahap ketidakfanaan
secara fisikal. Alkimia Tao juga mencipta Elixir (ubat) untuk keabadian hidup. Terdapat
dua mahzab alkimia iaitu, Alkimia Luaran (Outer Alchemist) yang mengamalkan ubat
herba dan famakologi dan Alkimia Dalaman (Inner Alchemist) percaya kepada bahanbahan
kimia dalam tubuh manusia iaitu, qi, tenaga dan roh.Dialektik Taisma berpendapat bahawa pergerakan Tao saling pengaruh-mempengaruhi antara elemen dua
yang bertentangan. Dipercayai Yin dan Yang adalah elemen negative dan positive alam semesta. Satu tidak bakal wujud tanpa kewujudan yang lagi satu। Kedua -dua itu saling mewakili prinsip yang bertentangan itu dimana symbol Yin ialah negative, wanita, gelap, jahat dan bumi manakala Yang diwakili oleh positif, lelaki, terang, baik dan langit. Ia berhampir sama dengan
teori Yin dan Yang dalam Wushu, herba Cina dan lainlain.

Taoisma mempunyai birokrasi yang tegas diantara semua Tuhan Tao. Tuhan Tao yang tertinggi adalah tuhan Triniti San Qing ( Tiga Tuhan Suci) iaitu Yu Qing
(Jed Suci), Shang Qing ( Upper Pure ) dan Tai Qing (Maha Suci )। Di antara mereka, Tai Qing ( maha Suci)dipercayai sebagai Lao Tzu yang telah mencapai ketidakfanaan dan diberi kuasa ketuhanan dan pangkatnya lebih tinggi daripada Yu Qing dabn Shang Qing. Di bawah Triniti, terdapat 4 Maharaja Syurga yang dihormati sebagai Yu Huang (Maharaja
Jed) yang memerintah dewa –dewa lain denagn bantuan 3 Maharaja yang lain. Ada Penjaga yang berdiri bersebelahan yang mengawal arah Timur, barat, selatan dan utara. Diantara mereka, satu yang bernama ZhenWu ( ), yang juga dikenali sebagai ZhenWudadi, mendapat lebih kehormatan berbanding Tuhan-tuhan pangkat tinggi, kerana menurut lagenda, beliau telah menjelma semula sebanyak 82 kali sebagai Tai Shang Lao Jun (nama ketuhanan Lao Tzu ). Ada beberapa lagi dewa-dewa seperti Ba