On Tue, 9 May 2006, Gilberto Simpson wrote:
> On 5/9/06, Iskandar Hai, M.D. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > On Tue, 9 May 2006, Gilberto Simpson wrote:
>
> > > On 5/8/06, Iskandar Hai, M.D. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Iskandar:
> > > > Things didn't magically change in 1844, nor in 610, nor in year 30.
> > > > Think
> > > > continuum.
>
> Gilberto:
> > > I do think in terms of continuum. That's why I don't think that a new
> > > Manifestation who will change things around is all that necessary.
> > > While remaining faithful to Islam, the rulings of scholars will take
> > > new realities into account.
>
> ISkandar:
> > So, why did God bother to send Prophets? He could have just given His total
> > Revelation to Adam as the final Prophet and then scholars would have
> > done the rest.
>
> Gilberto:
> God can do alot of different things. He could have stopped with one
> prophet. He could have stopped with 144,000 prophets. "Don't tie up
> the hands of God". He sends prophets and saintly people as exemplars.
> He also gave human beings brains and a conscience.
>
Yes, exactly, God could have done a lot of things. And, He decided to send
Prophets after Muhammad; and He will continue to send Prophets after
Baha'u'llah too.
The argument that Islam was/is the last religion can easily be applied to
any of the 144,000 religions before it too. It's totally irrational to
believe that God, all of a sudden, stopped sending Prophets after
Muhammad.
>
> > Your argument is self-defeating.
> >
>
> Not really. It's just realistic. Even today there are isolated parts
> of the world where the messages of Muhammad or Jesus haven't reached.
> Isolated indigenous communities in the rain forrest etc. God still
> cares for them, no? They are left to rely on whatever prophetic
> message they got in the past.
>
That's a very strange argument. Of course God cares for all His peoples.
And He will continue to care. That's why He continues to send Messengers
and Prophets. Because He cares.
Anyway, if you are saying that Islam is the last religion because some
indiginous peoples haven't yet heard about Jesus or Muhammad, then why did
God send Muhammad to begin with? He could have (or should have, based upon
your argument) waited until all those peoples had heard about Jesus.
Your argumet just does not make any sense at all.
> Gilberto:
> > > So, for example, without banning polygamy, there are certainly Muslims
> > > who are cautious about it and aren't encouraging it.
>
> Iskandar:
> > So? It's still legal. And polygamy is still practiced.
>
> Gilberto:
> To me that suggests you are not really thinking in a continuum but are
> thinking in more absolute terms. Polygamy certainly isn't for everyone
> but I don't see what is wrong if a few people willingly engage in it
> with their eyes open.
>
> Peace
>
> Gilberto
>
No, you are the one who is not thinking of contiuum. The Islamic shari`ah
law very clearly allows polygamy. And if Islam is going to be the final
religion of God, then polygamy will be permissible indefinitely into the
future. That's not continuum. That's being static and being frozen in
time, in 7th century norms, culture, values, etc.
I'm saying that the continuum now is the Revelation of Baha'u'llah in
which God prescribes monogamy and disallows polygamy. Very clear cut.
salAAm,
Iskandar
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