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Friday, June 04, 2010

The LORD vs. Allah: Marriage Rolls

From the Quran
Sura 4:31-33
"(31) And covet not the thing in which Allah hath made some of you excel others. Unto men a fortune from that which they have earned, and unto women a fortune from that which they have earned. (Envy not one another) but ask Allah of His bounty. Lo! Allah is ever Knower of all things. (32) And unto each We have appointed heirs of that which parents and near kindred leave; and as for those with whom your right hands have made a covenant, give them their due. Lo! Allah is ever Witness over all things. (33)Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great."
Summery: Just as Allah is greater than man, so man is greater than woman. If man disobeys Allah, Allah beats him up. If a wife disobeys her husband, the husband beats her up.

And now, from the Bible.
Colossians 3:18-21
"18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged."
Summery: Wives are told to submit to their husbands. This is something they are commanded to give, but not something the husband can demand from his wife. Husbands ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BEAT UP their wives. Tsk tsk, Muhammed. Tsk Tsk.

And now, more from the Bible.
Ephesians 5:22-30
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30because we are members of his body.

Summery: While Allah says beat up your wife to sanctify her, the LORD says give yourself up for your wife to sanctify her.

There's a good chance that whoever equates Christianity and Islam has read neither the Bible nor the Quran. Fundamentalist Christianity and Fundamentalist Islam are two very different creatures, because the Bible and the Quran are two very different books.


2 comments:

Mary Ruth Pursselley said...

Good post, James. I haven't read the entire Quran through yet, but I have read quite enough to know that you are right: anyone who says that Islam and Christianity are comparable either hasn't read any of either at all, or was simply paying no attention at all to what they read.
One other thing that I do find interesting: the verse from the Quran that says "As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them..." leaving the judgement call up to the man. It doesn't matter if the woman actually acts out her rebellion at all, it's just enough for her husband to be suspicious.
Once again and as always, excellent post.

Kyleigh said...

We get that all the time here. It's easy to refute, but they never give you the chance. How can they be the same when our focal point is on the cross, something they deny?

The funny thing is that the "sameness" of Christianity and Islam came up just a few days ago - we were meeting with a seamstress about making Cait's wedding dress and my bridesmaid dress. She's Muslim (but studied in London) and noticed various Bibles and wall hangings and we got into a discussion about Islam and Christianity and she concluded (as she was on her way out the door) that they were the same...