17. #Bloodbrothers

"The sons of Abraham were...

Isaac and Ishmael" (1 Chronicles 1:28)

Once upon a time... 1000's of years ago, there was a man named Abraham. He was called by God to travel to a far away country which just so happens to be modern day Israel. Abraham marries Sarah and they were sadly childless. In their sorrow, God promises Abraham and Sarah a child. Many, many years pass and they are still barren. In Sarah's frustration, she orders her Egyptian maid Hagar to marry Abraham in order to produce an heir. Hagar becomes pregnant and now despises Sarah. Sarah is most unhappy and tells Abraham her trouble with Hagar. Abraham tells Sarah to do with her maid as she wishes and Sarah deals with Hagar harshly causing Hagar to leave the home and flee into the wilderness. There, an Angel of the Lord appears to Hagar and tells her that she is going to have a son and to call her son Ishmael (because the Lord heard her affliction). He also told her to go back home.

Fast forward... Sarah miraculously becomes pregnant long past her childbearing years. She has a son and Abraham names him Isaac. (Key up your favorite soap opera music.) Not surprisingly, there was again upheaval in the atmosphere at home. Sarah went to Abraham and demanded that he cast the bondwoman (Hagar) and her son out of the house. She did not want the "son of a bondwoman" to be an heir with her son. Abraham was very sad to do this, but God told him to allow it. For God said to Abraham that the nation (Israel) that he promised to Abraham was to be fulfilled in his son Isaac. However, God also promised that Ishmael would be father to "twelve princes" and also become a great nation. Because he too was conceived by the seed of Abraham. Eventually Ishmael marries an Egyptian woman... (Genesis 15-21)

And this my Dear Reader is the beginning of a blood feud that has lasted for more than 4000 years. All the nations that surround Israel today and are calling for her destruction are the nations of Ishmael. Egypt did sign up for Peace with Israel through the 1978 Camp David Peace Accord. And although the Egyptians have been relieved not to go to war with Israel they have no love for her.

The Ishmaelites were mostly a nomadic people, however, they eventually settled in all the lands surrounding Israel. They believed in the God of Abraham. They practiced all the Laws of Moses and The Ten Commandments. They shunned polytheism ( the belief in many gods.) You would think these two nations would get along - except for one thing...The Ishmaelite's believed that Ishmael was the chosen son of Abraham by God, and of course, The Jews believed it was Isaac. Isaac ended up having a son named Jacob and God changed Jacob's name to Israel. So although these two nations of people were fathered by Abraham and follow the Torah (First 5 books of the Bible. Which includes the Ten Commandments - written by Moses) They were (and are) in bitter dispute over which son received the blessings promised by God.

600 years after the crucifixion of Jesus, A man named Muhammed (who was born in Mecca), a descendant of Ishmael, claimed to have had an encounter with the Angel Gabriel in a cave in Saudi Arabia. These encounters lasted over the course of several years. This "Angel" was said to have caused him much pain and commanded him to "Recite! - Recite!" He showed Muhammed a book and wanted him to write down what he read. Unfortunately, this "Angel" was apparently unaware that Muhammed was - and remained - illiterate until his death. Muhammed had to have others write down what this "Angel" allegedly showed him from that book. This "Angel" was also very harsh with Muhammed. He "squeezed" him many times and caused him physical pain and extreme distress. Islamic tradition also claims this "Angel" would cause Muhammed to run home to his wife and have her cover him in cloth and douse him with water. It is also said that he experienced shivering, swooning, roaring like camel, had a white, foamy substance run from his mouth, complained of tremendous headaches and others even claim to have heard buzzing around his face. (1) These allegations of disturbing behavior of both the "Angel" and Muhammed came from his wife Aisha, relatives and close followers of Muhammed who truly believed him to be a prophet of God. (2)

These are staggering statements regarding the "Angel Gabriel" and his treatment of Muhammed and what Muhammed suffered from throughout their contact. For Muhammed was a man who believed in Shaitan/Satan, hell, and evil spirits/Jinn, yet he never bothers to test this "spirit" or question if he was from God or not. For even the Quran states that Satan is the "chief deceiver" and man's mortal enemy who "will not miss a chance to misguide an individual in any way possible...and his chief mission is to turn humanity away from God" and will continue in his mission until the resurrection of the dead, when he and his followers on Earth are thrown into Fire. (3,4)

The Quran embraces the 10 Commandments as the Law of God. The Quran embraces Noah, Moses, Abraham and Jesus. In fact, it claims that these men including Mohammed were to establish "The religion - and not be divided therein." (Quran 22:14. Emphasis mine)

And I'll bet you never thought I would get here, but here it is, the Jews, Christians and Muslims all believe in sin and the 10 Commandments. They all believe that sin will be punished by a Holy and Righteous God. All three believe in an afterlife in either heaven or hell. We have also found that even religions who presumably don't deal with sin actually do, and that every religion has a code of proper conduct that aligns itself with many of the precepts in the 10 Commandments. Every religion embraces law, right living, doing good and not hurting others. These fundamental "rules" are needed to build society. But what about our relationship with God? Can following societal rules (which change...depending on the "times" or the place) through doing good, not hurting others, rites, rituals, observances etc... Lead us to eternal life with God? Can anyone, anyone really say that they "Are not a bad person" in front of a Holy God?

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns it." (Proverbs 14:34)

"For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:32)

"THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS - NO NOT ONE." (Romans:3:10)

1. Quranicstudies.com One Night In A Cave That Changed History Forever)

2. rip.hds.harvard.edu Muhammed the Messenger of God)

3. Quranreading.com Quran 2:208-209/7:200

4. londoninterfaith.org.uk Verses on Satan/Satan-Muslim texts.