The 
Infidel's Guide 
to Islam 

THIS PRESENTATION INCLUDES 
IMAGES OF MUHAMMAD AND SHOULD 
BE VIEWED ONLY BY INFIDELS
(THOSE BILLIONS WHO, BY THE WILL 
OF ALLAH, ARE DESTINED TO A 
CERTAIN AND AWFUL DOOM).  
THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM AND ITS 
PROPHET WILL BE TOLD WITHOUT 
RECOURSE TO APOLOGETICS:  
THEREFORE THE FOLLOWING SHOULD 
NOT BE VIEWED BY MUSLIMS

There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.

Any questions?
    
Good

Islam means “submission” or, by a stretch, “peace” the peace that comes from total submission to the Will of Allah.
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A Muslim is one who submits utterly to the Will of Allah.
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Abraham, Moses, and Jesus were also prophets, but Allah only gave the final, complete, and true religion to Muhammad. 
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Although Muhammad is not divine, not himself to be worshiped, he is al-insan al-kamil, or “The Perfect Man.” 
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It took 23 years for Allah, speaking in Arabic through the Angel Gabriel, to dictate the Holy Qur'an to The Prophet.
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Every single word in the Qur'an is the literal, unaltered Word of the One True God.
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How do we know this? 
 
Because Muhammad said the Angel Gabriel said that Allah said so, that's why.
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So, who is Muhammad?
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(The following to scroll up Star Wars style)

A long time ago, in a desert far, far away, a poor orphan named Muhammad grows up to become a dashing camel driver who soon makes good by marrying a wealthy 40-year old widow. Six children later, discontent with his life in Mecca, Muhammad starts spending a lot of time in a nearby cave. 

Here, at age 40, he starts having seizures and hearing voices who tells him that no one is worshiping Allah the way they are suppose to, and that he, Muhammad, has been chosen to be the One True Prophet.  Muhammad preached at the citizens of Mecca for 12 years, but gained few converts.  

One night he flew with the Angel Gabriel from Mecca to Jerusalem, spoke to Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, and took a tour of heaven and hell before returning the morrow morn. 

For some reason, Muhammad and his followers were mocked and persecuted in Mecca, so they eventually left, going to Medina where he had better luck attracting new followers among the warring tribes.  

After his wife's death, Muhammad married Aisha, the six-year old daughter of a friend, but only with the agreement that he would wait three years, until Aisha was nine, before consummating the marriage.  A man of his word, the 53 year-old Muhammad did so.
  
He wife collection grew over time, though Aisha remained his favorite—the total count being somewhere between 11 and 21, not counting concubines and slave girls.

For six years Muhammad and his growing band of followers fought a war of attrition against the unbelievers in Mecca.  Meccan caravans were raided, looted, and hostages taken for ransom.  Allah himself decreed (through Muhammad) that one fifth of all booty must be given to The Prophet.  A very wealthy Muhammad finally gained control of Mecca in the year 630.  The conquest of the Arabian peninsula was next, and the conquest of the known world continued long after his death in 632.  

One in five humans are now Muslims.

What the Holy Qur'an says depends on who's doing the quoting....

Moderate Muslim:

Islam is tolerant:

There is no compulsion in religion. 2:256

Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion. 109:4

Say: (It is) the truth from the Lord of you (all). Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve.... 18:29

Fundamentalist Muslim:

Say: (It is) the truth from the Lord of you (all). Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve. Lo! We have prepared for disbelievers Fire. Its tent encloseth them. If they ask for showers, they will be showered with water like to molten lead which burneth the faces. Calamitous the drink and ill the resting-place! 18:29

The curse of Allah is on disbelievers. 2:89

There is no compulsion in religion. Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believe. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. Such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein. 2:256-257

Fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah. 2:193

Say (O Muhammad) unto those who disbelieve: Ye shall be overcome and gathered unto Hell, an evil resting-place. 3:12

And whoso seeketh as religion other than the Surrender (to Allah) it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the Hereafter. 3:85

Those who purchase disbelief at the price of faith harm Allah not at all, but theirs will be a painful doom. 3:177

So choose not friends from them [the unbelievers] till they forsake their homes in the way of Allah; if they turn back (to enmity) then take them and kill them wherever ye find them. 4:89

If they [the unbelievers] keep not aloof from you nor offer you peace nor hold their hands, then take them and kill them wherever ye find them. Against such We have given you clear warrant. 4:91

And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah. But if they cease, then lo! Allah is Seer of what they do. 8:39

Slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. 9:5

Fight them! [the unbelievers] Allah will chastise them at your hands, and He will lay them low and give you victory over them. 9:14 

He it is Who hath sent His messenger with the guidance and the Religion of Truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all religion, however much the idolaters may be averse. 9:33

O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites! Be harsh with them. Their ultimate abode is hell, a hapless journey's end. 9:73

O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him). 9:123

Those who are neglectful of Our revelations, Their home will be the Fire. :8-9

If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and the alarmists in the city do not cease, We verily shall urge thee on against them. Accursed, they will be seized wherever found and slain with a (fierce) slaughter. 33:60-61
 
O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them. Hell will be their home, a hapless journey's end. :9

Allah hath cursed them for their unbelief. 2:8

Guard yourselves against the Fire prepared for disbelievers, whose fuel is of men and stones. 2:24

But they who disbelieve, and deny Our revelations, such are rightful Peoples of the [Hell] Fire. They will abide therein. 2:39

And humiliation and wretchedness were stamped upon them and they [the Jews] were visited with wrath from Allah. That was because they disbelieved in Allah's revelations and slew the prophets wrongfully. 2:61

Ye know of those of you [Jews] who broke the Sabbath, how We said unto them: Be ye apes, despised and hated! 2:65

Allah (Himself) is an enemy to the disbelievers. Verily We have revealed unto thee clear tokens, and only miscreants will disbelieve in them. 2:98-99

As for him who disbelieveth, I shall leave him in contentment for a while, then I shall compel him to the doom of Fire. 2:126

Warfare is ordained for you, though it is hateful unto you; but it may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you, and it may happen that ye love a thing which is bad for you. Allah knoweth, ye know not. 2:216

Obey Allah and the messenger. But if they turn away, lo! Allah loveth not the disbelievers 3:32

As for those who disbelieve I shall chastise them with a heavy chastisement in the world and the Hereafter; and they will have no helpers. 3:56

And whoso disobeyeth Allah and His messenger and transgresseth His limits, He will make him enter Fire, where he will dwell for ever; his will be a shameful doom. 4:14

Lo! the hypocrites (will be) in the lowest deep of the Fire, and thou wilt find no helper for them; 4:145

But as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; boiling fluid will be poured down on their heads, Whereby that which is in their bellies, and their skins too, will be melted; And for them are hooked rods of iron. 22:19-20

Those who strive against Our revelations, challenging (Us), theirs will be a painful doom of wrath. 34:5

Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. 48:29

Who setteth up another god along with Allah. Do ye twain hurl him to the dreadful doom. 50:26

That, when Our revelations are recited unto him, he saith: Mere fables of the men of old. We shall brand him on the nose.  68:15-16 

Lo! those who disbelieve, among the People of the Scripture and the idolaters, will abide in fire of hell. They are the worst of created beings. 98:6

Believe ye in part of the Scripture and disbelieve ye in part thereof ? 
And what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the life of the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous doom. 2:85

Those who disbelieve, and die while they are disbelievers; on them is the curse of Allah and of angels and of men combined.  

They ever dwell therein.  The doom will not be lightened for them, neither will they be reprieved. :161-162

Those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah, theirs will be a heavy doom. 3:4

And be ye not as those who separated and disputed after the clear proofs had come unto them. For such there is an awful doom. 3:105

Those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers, and seek to make distinction between Allah and His messengers, and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others, and seek to choose a way in between; Such are disbelievers in truth; and for disbelievers We prepare a shameful doom. :150-151

Lo! they who deny Our revelations and scorn them, for them the gates of heaven will nor be opened. Theirs will be a bed of hell .  7:41

When thy Lord inspired the angels, (saying): I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger. That is because they opposed Allah and His messenger. Whoso opposeth Allah and His messenger, (for him) lo! Allah is severe in punishment. 8:12-13

Seest thou not that We have set the devils on the disbelievers to confound them with confusion? 19:83

But as for those who disbelieve, for them is fire of hell; it taketh not complete effect upon them so that they can die, nor is its torment lightened for them. Thus We punish every ingrate. 35:36

Islam: Tolerant or Intolerant?  You decide.

 Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities - Voltaire 

End disclaimer:

Islam is a system of beliefs and practices based on the teachings of Muhammad.  It is not the same as the 1.4 billion people who have been conditioned to accept it and to believe that any criticism of Islam, the Qur'an or The Prophet is intolerable. The vast majority of those possessed by this faith are no doubt likeable, decent, law-abiding citizens—but perhaps this is because they are human, not because they are Muslim.

The Infidel's Guide to Islam 1: Director's Commentary

The images of Muhammad are, for the most part, the editorial cartoons published by a Danish newspaper that lead to widespread riots, the burning of embassies, and the death of over 130 people in 2005.

There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger.  This is the fundamental dogma of Islam.  Agree and you're a Muslim—all other dogmas follow.  To be a true Muslim you must be a true believer.  As for the infidel disbelievers, well they, as the Holy Qur'an so charmingly puts it, are subject to being “slain with a fierce slaughter.”

One of the more extraordinary things that Muslims believe is that Muhammad is the embodiment of the perfect man.  Many non-Muslims, however, have difficulty seeing how he could be regarded as a goodman, let alone a perfectone.

Another extraordinary thing that 1.5 billion Muslims believe is that a hyper-intelligent, pan-dimensional creator of a 100 billion galaxies sent an angel to the third planet of an obscure star, to a desert region that was backward even by 7th century standards, to dictate to an illiterate merchant God's one and only book whose teachings all humans must follow, now and forever.

It really all comes down to Muhammad and the voices in his head.  How absolutely certain can anyone be that the voice he heard was an angelic one?  At first Muhammad was disturbed by the voices, fearing his grasp of reality was becoming fragile.  It was his wife who interpreted the voices as divine and helped him come to believe he was The Prophet.  Could he have been right the first time?  

Did Muhammad really ride a white horse through the sky galloping at hundreds of kilometers per hour, take a tour of hell, and ascend all the way to the seventh heaven and beyond to behold the face of Allah himself?  You better believe it—if you're a Muslim that is.  Otherwise, just say, "I doubt it."

Muhammad dreamed about seeing Aisha naked.  Allah soon spoke to him, revealing that she must become his wife.  Muhammad later coveted the wife of his adopted son, and Lo!, Allah spoke to him saying he should have her too.  Could Allah be Muhammad's alter ego?

History 101: A camel driver, turned merchant, turned prophet, becomes a warlord.  To further demonstrate his perfection, Muhammad used genocide, assassination, torture, lies, and a scorched earth policy to further his conquest of those whose only apparent crime was that they refused to submit to him.

To bring Muhammad's character into focus, consider that when his men asked him if they should practice withdrawal when they were raping hostages (so as not to impregnate and lessen the ransom their families would pay for them), Muhammad replied that it didn't matter since whether they became pregnant or not was the Will of Allah.  Welcome to Muhammad's moral universe.

The terms “moderate” and “fundamentalist” have different connotations when applied to Muslims.  Among Christians only fundamentalists believe their Book to be the inerrant word of God and an infallible guide to life, the universe, and everything.  All Muslims, however, must believe that the Qur'an is of supernatural origin, the very word of Allah, and therefore inerrant.  

Moderate Muslims, however, like their Christian counterparts, tend not to come home from work and read their Holy Book—they have interests other than religion.  They believe that the Qur'an is just too subtle for laymen to correctly interpret and so they go to the mosque once a week where specialists, with a talent for exegesis, tell them what the Qur'an says and what it means to submit to Islam.

Fundamentalists, however, tend to just read the book, take it at face value, and actually believe what it actually says.  They may have traded their swords in for guns and bombs, but otherwise they necessarily must reject the modern world in order to be true to the life, the teaching, and the example set by their 7th century prophet.

Moderates, however, want to embrace both modernity and Islam.  They insist that Muhammad is a man for all times and all people.  Any apparent disparity between Islam and life as they wish to live it in the 21st century is merely a misunderstanding that their Imams are only too happy to explain away.

The disparity, which is big enough to fly several Boeing 767's through, nevertheless exists—they just refuse to see it.  It's rather like the inability to see the emperor's nakedness while insisting that his new clothes are beautiful beyond description.

Unfortunately it seems to be the case that when confronted by Islamists, good Muslims will do nothing.  Moderate Muslims, and we're talking about most Muslims (I hope), are basically good people.  The beauty they see in Islam, however, is clearly in the eyes of the beholders; it is their own basic decency, their desire for peace, their human sense of fairness and tolerance that they project into their religion.

Like moderate Jews and Christians, Muslims turn a blind eye upon the nasty bits in order to see only the good.  And yet they cannot allow themselves to doubt the basic dogmas of Islam, they can't think outside the Islamic box, and when push comes to shove, they cannot stand up to and oppose their fundamentalist brethren.

At some point in reading the Qur'an, you have to ask yourself, "Does this book read like it was written by a Supreme Being? Or does it kind of, sort of, sound like something a 7th century self-serving Arab prophet turned warlord might come up with?"

Let me propose a challenge.  Pick any 10 pages from the Qur'an at random and read them.  I predict that most who accept this challenge will fail—the book is that unreadable.  One fifth is simply incomprehensible, another fifth is altogether too awful, and one fifth is true but banal, such as being told that it is wrong to steal from orphans.  The rest of the book is, as Mark Twain once said of a similar book, “chloroform in print.”

If you suspect bias in selecting the quotes used, you'd be absolutely correct—I only used about one tenth of the nasty bits I could have quoted.

If we should not tolerate atrocities, perhaps we should also not tolerate absurdities. If you believe in absurdities maybe gassing people in subways will seem like a good idea, or maybe you'll drink the Kool-Aid, or agree to wear a bomb to go to heaven.

If you really, really believe that you are the chosen people, that there is only one path to salvation, or that there is but one God, yours, and the Perfect Man is his Prophet, then what can you notbe made to believe? What can you notbe made to do?

Part 2

Moderate Muslim:

Allah is forgiving and merciful:

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. 1:1

He is the relenting, the Merciful. 2:37

For Allah is Full of Pity, Merciful toward mankind. 2:143

Yet whoso doeth evil or wrongeth his own soul, then seeketh pardon of Allah, will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful. 4:10

Keep to forgiveness (O Muhammad), and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant. 7:199

Say: O My slaves who have been prodigal to their own hurt! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, Who forgiveth all sins. Lo! He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. 39:153

Fundamentalist Muslim:

Those who disbelieve and deal in wrong, Allah will never forgive them. 4:168

Those who disbelieve Our revelations, We shall expose them to the Fire. As often as their skins are consumed We shall exchange them for fresh skins that they may taste the torment. Lo! Allah is ever Mighty, Wise. 4:56
Forgiveness is only incumbent on Allah toward those who do evil in ignorance (and) then turn quickly (in repentance) to Allah. These are they toward whom Allah relenteth. :17

Lo! those who disbelieve and deal wrong, Allah will never forgive them, neither will He guide them unto a road, Except the road of hell, wherein they will abide for ever. And that is ever easy for Allah. 4:168-9

The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger...will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom. 5:33
And the dwellers of the Fire cry out unto the dwellers of the Garden: Pour on us some water or some wherewith Allah hath provided you. They say: Lo! Allah hath forbidden both to disbelievers. 7:50
Though thou ask forgiveness for them seventy times Allah will not forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allah and His messenger. 9:80
It is not for the Prophet, and those who believe, to pray for the forgiveness of idolaters even though they may be near of kin (to them) after it hath become clear that they are people of hell-fire. :113
Those who disbelieve in the revelations of Allah and in (their) Meeting with Him, such have no hope of My mercy. For such there is a painful doom. 29:23

Lo! Allah hath cursed the disbelievers, and hath prepared for them a flaming fire, Wherein they will abide for ever. They will find (then) no protecting friend nor helper. On the day when their faces are turned over in the Fire, they say: Oh, would that we had obeyed Allah and had obeyed His messenger! 33:64-66

Who heareth the revelations of Allah recited unto him, and then continueth in pride as though he heard them not. Give him tidings of a painful doom. And when he knoweth aught of Our revelations he maketh it a jest. For such there is a shameful doom. 45:8-9
As for the Disbelievers, Whether thou warn them or thou warn them not it is all one for them; they believe not.  Allah hath sealed their hearing and their hearts, and on their eyes there is a covering. Theirs will be an awful doom. :6-7
Allah taketh away their [the disbelievers] light and leaveth them in darkness, where they cannot see, Deaf, dumb and blind; and they return not. 2:17-18

Lo! Allah forgiveth not that a partner should be ascribed [by Christians] unto Him. 4:48

Those who believe, then disbelieve and then (again) believe, then disbelieve, and then increase in disbelief, Allah will never pardon them. 4:137

Ask forgiveness for them (O Muhammad), or ask not forgiveness for them; though thou ask forgiveness for them seventy times Allah will not forgive them. That is because they disbelieved in Allah and His messenger. 9:80

Those who disbelieve and turn from the way of Allah and then die disbelievers, Allah surely will not pardon them. 47:34

They believed, then disbelieved, therefore their hearts are sealed so that they understand not. ... Whether thou ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them is all one for them; Allah will not forgive them. 63:3-6

The forgiveness is not for those who do ill-deeds until, when death attendeth upon one of them, he saith: Lo! I repent now; nor yet for those who die while they are disbelievers. For such We have prepared a painful doom. 4:18

And they [infidels] set up rivals to Allah that they may mislead (men) from His way. Say: Enjoy life (while ye may) for lo! your journey's end will be the Fire. 14:30

On the day when the wrong-doer gnaweth his hands, he will say: Ah, would that I had chosen a way together with the messenger (of Allah)! 25:27

On the day when He will call unto them [Christians] and say: Where are My partners whom ye imagined? 28:62

The Infidel's Guide to Islam 2: Forgiving and Merciful

The daily prayer that Muslims recite five times a day while bowing towards Mecca says Allah is merciful, ergo he is.  Muhammad was considered by the standards of his day to be forgiving and merciful in that he did not automatically put to death those he conquered, but gave some of them the chance to submit first. As for those who chose not to submit, well, you don't wanna know.

As you read through the quotes, even without having read the hundreds of other like-minded quotes, you can hardly fail to get the message that Allah is indeed forgiving and merciful....but only to believers.  As for the disbelievers, you don't wanna know.

It would seem that in Muhammad's scheme of things the absolute worst thing you can do is to disbelieve, to disbelieve in him and his message.  To believe is to submit; to disbelieve is to oppose, and that cannot be tolerated.  As Emily Dickinson put it, "Ascent and you are sane; demur and you're straight away dangerous and handled with a chain."

It is possible, however, to overstate Muhammad's hostility and intolerance towards disbelievers.  Muslim apologists point out that Muhammad was at times tolerant of Christians, on one occasion he even invited a visiting delegation to pray in his mosque; he even tolerated Jews.

What you need to understand is that Islam is an Abrahamic religion cut from virtually the same cloth as Judaism and Christianity.  Muhammad's god is the one true god, the same god as the Jews and Christians imperfectly understand and worship.

Adam was a Muslim, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus were Muslims too.  Muhammad is called the “Seal of the Prophets” because he finished what they started.  These prior prophets, Muslims believe, taught part of what Allah wanted people to know, but it was left for Muhammad to finally spell it all out correctly.

Those who follow the earlier prophets are viewed as imperfect monotheists, followers of true prophets whose teachings, however, they imperfectly recorded and so came to misunderstand.  Jews and Christians are certainly mistaken, but not entirely, so they are viewed as sort of wayward relatives whose existence can at times be tolerated.

Indeed, Muhammad borrowed heavily from Judeism, hoping to curry their favor, and expected the Jews to accept him as a Jewish prophet.  It was only when they refused to embrace him as the new Abraham that he turned against them.  Ironically, contemporary Muslim’s are far more antisemtic than Muhammad was.

Muhammad's fellow Arabs were fragmented into numerous polytheistic tribes, and for such infidels, Allah had no mercy whatsoever.  When Muslims conquered Spain, however, they showed the Jews and Christians a degree of tolerance.

Yet when the Muslims conquered India around 1000 AD, they spent the next 500 years destroying Hindu places of worship and slaughtering on sight any Hindus caught worshiping false gods.  Estimates of the total number of Hindus put to the sword, based on records kept by the Muslim conquerors themselves,  run into the millions.  By one account, Muslim fanatics killed 100,000 Hindus on just one of their better days.

After 500 years, they finally realized that the Hindus were not going to convert; that there were just too many Hindus to kill them all, and so they decided to tax them instead—to make them pay for the privilege of not believing in Muhammad's religion.  Since not every single Hindu was killed, what more proof do you need, the apologists will say, that Allah is truly forgiving and merciful?

Part 3

Moderate Muslim:

Islam respects women:

Lo! I suffer not the work of any worker, male or female, to be lost. Ye proceed [are equal to] one from another. 3:195

Whosoever doeth right, whether male or female, and is a believer, him verily we shall quicken with good life. 16:97

And of His signs is this: He created for you helpmeets from yourselves that ye might find rest in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy. Lo! herein indeed are portents for folk who reflect. 30:21

Whoso doeth an ill-deed, he will be repaid the like thereof, while whoso doeth right, whether male or female, and is a believer, (all) such will enter the Garden, where they will be nourished without stint. 40:40

Fundamentalist Muslim:

Your women are a tilth for you (to cultivate) so go to your tilth as ye will.  2:223

And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness, and men are a degree above them. Allah is Mighty, Wise. 2:228

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands. 24:31

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. 4:34

And call two witness from among your men. And if two men be not at hand, then a man and two women. 2:282

Marry of the women, who seem good to you, two or three or four; and if ye fear that ye cannot do justice (to so many) then one (only) or (the captives) that your right hands possess. 4:3

Ye will not be able to deal equally between (your) wives, however much ye wish (to do so). 4:129

O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). 33:59

They question thee (O Muhammad) concerning menstruation. Say: It is an illness, so let women alone at such times and go not in unto them till they are cleansed. And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah hath enjoined upon you.  2:222

If ye are sick or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet [toilet], or ye have had contact with women, and ye find not water, then go to clean, high ground and rub your faces and your hands with some of it. 5:6

Allah chargeth you concerning (the provision for) your children: to the male the equivalent of the portion of two females, and if there be women more than two, then theirs is two-thirds of the inheritance, and if there be one (only) then the half. 4:11

Except the feeble among men, and the women, and the children, who are unable to devise a plan and are not shown a way. 4:98

And if they be brethren, men and women, unto the male is the equivalent of the share of two females. 4:176

O mankind! Fear your Lord. Lo! the earthquake of the Hour (of Doom) is a tremendous thing. On the day when ye behold it, every nursing mother will forget her nursling and every pregnant one will be delivered of her burden 22:1-2

O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those [slaves] whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war. 33:50

(And it is said unto the angels): Assemble those who did wrong, together with their wives and what they used to worship instead of Allah, and lead them to the path to hell. 37:22-23

O ye who believe! Lo! among your wives and your children there are enemies for you, therefor beware of them. 64:14

It may happen that his Lord, if he [Muhammad] divorce you, will give him in your stead wives better than you, submissive (to Allah), believing, pious, penitent, devout, inclined to fasting, widows and maids. 66:5

And those who preserve their chastity save with their wives and those [slave girls] whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy. 70:30

And as for those who believe and do good works, We shall make them enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow - to dwell therein [in heaven] for ever; there for them are pure companions [virgins]. 4:57

The Infidel's Guide to Islam 3:  Women

Moderates point out that Muhammad, by the standards of his day, was a veritable women's libber.  He granted full spiritual equality to women—they too could go to heaven or burn in hell.  They were even allowed to attend mosque (albeit in a separate section behind the men).  In some Muslim countries today, women are allowed to drive cars and leave their homes without being escorted by a male relative.

Muslim apologists (virtually all of them men except for a few women suffering from Stockholm Syndrome) sincerely believe that Muslims alone, of all the peoples of the world, truly respect women.  It was no doubt out of respect for women that Nigerian Muslims, in a country where women can still be stoned to death under Sharia law, felt compelled to riot during the Miss Universe Pageant that was being held in their country in 2002.

The intolerable flaunting of female flesh contributed to riots triggered by a remark made by a newspaper journalist.  Muslims had posed the question of what would Muhammad do.  The commentator suggested that, if Muhammad were alive today, he might marry one of the contestants.  For this offense, the newspaper's headquarters was burned and over 200 people killed.

While the beliefs of Islam are accessible to all, the experience of being a woman brought up within Islam is not.  I can do no better, then, than to quote a bit from Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book, "The Caged Virgin:  An Emancipation Proclamation for Women and Islam."

Ali was raised to be a good Muslim in her native Somalia, and as a child she also lived in Saudi Arabia, Kenya, and Ethiopia.  She sought asylum in the Netherlands to escape a forced marriage, took advantage of educational opportunities there, and was elected to the Dutch parliament.

She wrote the script for a 10-minute film about the plight of women in Islam.  The film maker, Theo Van Gogh, was knifed to death on the streets of Amsterdam by an offended Muslim.  Ayaan Hirsi Ali lives to this day under threat of execution for exercising independent thought and her right to free speech.  In chapter 1 she writes:

“I am distressed that the vast majority of Muslim women are still enchained by the doctrine of virginity, which requires that women enter marriage as green as grass: experience of love and sexuality before marriage is an absolute taboo.  This taboo does not apply to men.  Furthermore, men and women do not have equal rights or opportunities in any way within their specific Muslim culture.  Many women simply lack all opportunity to organize their lives independently or as they see fit.

“I do not despise Islam.  I am thoroughly conscious of the noble values that the religion promotes, such as charity, hospitality, and compassion for the [Muslim] weak and poor.  But for women, the situation is very different.  In the name of Islam, women are subjected to cruel and horrible practices, including female genital mutilation and disownment, the latter a common practice in which women are cut off from their families both emotionally and financially for any perceived misbehavior.

“Obviously, far from all Muslim men are disrespectful or violent toward women.  I know countless wonderful Muslim men who treat their mothers, sisters, and spouses decently.  Moreover, men are every bit as much victims of the culture of virginity as women, albeit indirectly.  As a result of this repressive culture, boys and men are not raised by healthy, balanced, and well-educated mothers.  This in turn puts men themselves at a disadvantage when pursuing education, employment, and social development.

“Because of the disproportionately strong emphasis on "manliness" in the Muslim upbringing and because of the physical and mental separation of the sexes, men hardly have the opportunity to develop the communication skills necessary for living harmoniously within a family.... Muslim marriages, prearranged by the family when the daughter is very young, give men heavy responsibilities that are not of their own choosing—for girls they scarcely know.

“Ironically, the repression of women is maintained to a large extent by other women.... even educated women often have difficulty relinquishing ideas that have been instilled in them since childhood.  In the traditionally oriented Muslim communities, it is often the mothers who keep their daughters under their thumbs and the mothers-in-law who make the lives of their daughters-in-law unbearable.  Cousins and aunts gossip endlessly about one another and about others.  The effect of this social control is that Muslim women maintain their own repression.”

Read Ayaan Hirsi Ali's, "The Caged Virgin" and “Infidel.”

Note:  The reference to female genital mutilation being done “in the name of Islam” is misleading as there is no mention of it in the Qur'an. The practice was and remains common in parts of Africa, including Muslim tribal areas—areas where Islamic law is total, where everything is seemingly done “in the name of Islam.”

If hacking off the genitalia of young girls was clearly against Islam, the practice would have been crushed centuries ago.  Instead it continues to be done with the full approval of the local Muslim populace, so for Ayaan to say that what was done to her was done “in the name of Islam” would be entirely true to her experience.

Consider this:  Muslims are NOT free to decide for themselves what is right and wrong.  While mutilating little girls is not mandated by the Qur’an, if it had been—and it could well have been as it was practiced by Muhammad’s followers, then all Muslims today would feel compelled to do it.  The Muslim true-believer  comes to resemble a drone in a Borg-like collective—“We are Muslim, resistance is futile, you will be assimilated.”

Pretty funny “religion” this Islam.

Part 4

Moderate Muslim:

Islam for truth and justice:

O ye who believe! Be ye staunch in justice, witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or (your) parents or (your) kindred. 4:135

Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. 16:90

Confound not truth with falsehood, nor knowingly conceal the truth. 2:42

Whoso interveneth in a good cause will have the reward thereof, and whoso interveneth in an evil cause will bear the consequence thereof. Allah overseeth all things. 4:85

O ye who believe! Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in equity, and let not hatred of any people seduce you that ye deal not justly. Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty. Observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Informed of what ye do. 5:8
 
(O man), follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will 
be asked. 17:36

Fundamentalist Muslim:

Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us, Thou, our Protector, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk. 2:286

And believe not save in one who followeth your religion. 3:73

As for those of your women who are guilty of lewdness, call to witness four of you against them. And if they testify (to the truth of the allegation) then confine them to the houses until death take them. 4:15

Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him We shall bestow a vast reward. 4:74

Those who believe do battle for the cause of Allah; and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the minions of the devil. 4:76

As for the thief, both male and female, cut off their hands. It is the reward of their own deeds, an exemplary punishment from Allah. 5:38

Allah promiseth the hypocrites, both men and women, and the disbelievers fire of hell for their abode. It will suffice them. Allah curseth them, and theirs is lasting torment. 9:68

And never (O Muhammad) pray for one of them who dieth, nor stand by his grave. Lo! they disbelieved in Allah and His messenger. 9:84

Wed not idolatresses till they believe; for lo! a believing bondwoman is better than an idolatress though she please you; and give not your daughters in marriage to idolaters till they believe, for lo! a believing slave is better than an idolater. 2:221

Whatever of good befalleth thee (O man) it is from Allah, and whatever of ill befalleth thee it is from thyself. 4:79

And whoso opposeth the messenger after the guidance (of Allah) hath been manifested unto him, and followeth other than the believer's way, We appoint for him that unto which he himself hath turned, and expose him unto hell - a hapless journey's end! 4:115

In their [hypocrites] hearts is a disease, and Allah increaseth their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie. 2:10

Lo! Those who hide the proofs and the guidance which We revealed, after We had made it clear to mankind in the Scripture: such are accursed of Allah and accursed of those who have the power to curse. 2:159

Lo! those who hide aught of the Scripture which Allah hath revealed and purchase a small gain therewith, they eat into their bellies nothing else than fire. Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He make them grow. Theirs will be a painful doom. 2:174

Allah preferred Adam and Noah and the Family of Abraham and the Family of 'Imran above (all His) creatures. 3:33

Allah chargeth you concerning (the provision for) your children: to the male the equivalent of the portion of two females, and if there be women more than two, then theirs is two-thirds of the inheritance, and if there be one (only) then the half. 4:11

It is not lawful for you forcibly to inherit the women (of your deceased kinsmen), nor (that) ye should put constraint upon them that ye may take away a part of that which ye have given them, unless they be guilty of flagrant lewdness. 4:19

All married women (are forbidden unto you) save those (captives) whom your right hands possess. 4:24

Who doeth greater wrong than he who denieth the revelations of Allah, and turneth away from them ? We award unto those who turn away from Our revelations an evil doom. 6:157

And those who disbelieve will be gathered unto hell, That Allah may separate the wicked from the good, The wicked will He place piece upon piece, and heap them all together, and consign them unto hell. :36-37

If thou couldst see how the angels receive those who disbelieve, smiting faces and their backs and (saying): Taste the punishment of burning! 8:50

Thou wilt see the guilty on that day linked together in chains, Their raiment of pitch, and the Fire covering their faces. 14:49-50

The Infidel's Guide to Islam 4: Truth and Justice

Once again we see that moderates cherry-pick the Qur'an for passages that a sane person living in the 21st century might agree with.  The fundamentalists, however, who read the whole book, take home a different message:  There is only one Truth, theirs, and justice is for believers only—it is a depressingly old story.

But let me tell you another story about another Mohammad, one I knew back in college.  As a student I went out of my way to befriend the foreign students, and I even hung out with some native grown Christian fundamentalists.  I preferred the company of those who were, well, nice—those having some ethical qualms, who were fairly bright, and who were unlikely to agree with anything I might have to say.  And yes, Muslims and even fundamentalist Christians can be very bright and likable.

Mohammad was easily the nicest and brightest (he went on to get his doctorate).  While my Christian friends agonized over their sinful nature, Mohammad, so far as I could tell, simply didn't have one.  

He was, in addition to being a moderate and devout Muslim, an Iranian.  This was just before and during the Iranian hostage situation, and he, along with other Muslim students, most also from Iran, were a little short on American friends.

I recall one day going to a Christian Varsity meeting, and later to a meeting of the Muslim Student Association.  An ironic thought occurred to me—the only thing the two groups had in common was, well, me.

Mohammad and I went together on an overnight class field trip; the class, actually several classes combined, along with three professors, stayed at an unused firefighters camp high in the mountains.  Most of the students had plans for a good old time that night around the fire, complete with firewater.  Neither Mohammad nor I had any interest in what someone once called, "that misery men misjudge delight."

We had a different idea about what constituted a good time.  We had each spotted a patch of snow high on a nearby mountain, and with little more than a nod between us, we decided we would hike to it in the morning.

While the other students were just getting warmed up, including Mohammad's fellow Muslims, we retired to the bunkhouse.  I awoke before first light and wondered if Mohammad was still up for an adventure.  To my delight, a slight touch showed he was awake too and ready to go.

As we climbed, daylight gradually came upon the land and we saw that it was good.  Stopping to rest, Mohammad shared a passage from the Qur'an having to do with mountains.  He was in awe that one day, these very mountains would be leveled by Allah.  I offered no rebuttal, but a passage from Thoreau instead—it was a fine time for sharing inner visions.

We climbed about an hour and a half to get to the snow, then decided to bring some back.  Mohammad's jacket was waterproof, so we piled snow on it and started back down.

The slope invited running, zigzagging back and forth, and leaping great distances.  It was such an utterly joyful decent, made all the more so by having a friend like Mohammad to share it.  In midair, I recall suddenly being aware that, given the unevenness of the terrain, the high speed and the jumping of bushes whose backsides were unseen, it was a small miracle we were still upright.  Our bodies were doing things our conscious minds could take no credit for.

As we approached the camp, we got the idea of staging a mock attack upon it with snowballs.  Most of the students were still in bed, a few, with that death-warmed-over look, were nursing their coffee around the remains of the fire, trying to recover from the night's festivities.  We threw snowballs their way, taking care not to actually hit anyone.

Mohammad disappeared into the bunkhouse to rudely awaken one of his friends with a bit of snow down his backside.  We then, committed terrorists that we were, barged into the mess hall where the professors were preparing breakfast.  We threaten them with certain doom, but their wit saved them.  We were in high spirits and, as I recall, we were the only live wires among the students that day.

Now the question arises, was Mohammad's sweet nature, his goodness, and basic decency the result of his being Muslim?  I'm sure he would say it was, but I see no connection at all.

That Mohammad saw great beauty in Islam, I have no doubt—he spoke of it several times, but it is oh so clear to me that the True, Good, and Beautiful that he saw in Islam was what he and other moderates had projected into it; they, not the Prophet, were the authors of that beauty.

His faith, his inability to think outside the Islamic box, added nothing, absolutely nothing to his character, his life, his mind, or anything else.  It was an impediment that made religious inquiry, for him, as for billions of others, quite impossible.  This too is a depressingly old story. 

Part 5

Moderate Muslim:

Islam for peace and brotherhood:

Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors. 2:190

O ye who believe! Squander not your wealth among yourselves in vanity, except it be a trade by mutual consent, and kill not one 
another. Lo! Allah is ever Merciful unto you. 4:29

For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. 5:32

And if they incline to peace, incline thou also to it, and trust in Allah. Lo! He, even He, is the Hearer, the Knower. 8:61

The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better, then lo! he, between whom and thee there was enmity (will become) as though he was a bosom friend. 41:34

And he saith: O my Lord! Lo! these are a folk who believe not. Then bear with them (O Muhammad) 
and say: Peace. But they will come to know. :88-89

Lo! those who believe, and those who are Jews, and Sabaeans, and Christians - Whosoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right - surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve. 2:62

Fundamentalist Muslim:

And slay them [the disbelievers] wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter.  2:191

Thou hadst no hope that the Scripture would be inspired in thee; but it is a mercy from thy Lord, so never be a helper to the 
disbelievers. 28:86

Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. 3:28

O ye who believe! Take not for intimates others than your own folk, who would spare no pains to ruin you; they love to hamper you. Hatred is revealed by (the utterance of) their mouths, but that which their breasts hide is greater. :118

We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve because they [Christians] ascribe unto Allah partners, for which no warrant hath been revealed. Their habitation is the Fire 3:151

So choose not friends from them [the unbelievers] till they forsake their homes in the way of Allah; if they turn back (to enmity) then take them and kill them wherever ye find them. 4:89

Relent not in pursuit of the enemy. If ye are suffering, lo! they suffer even as ye suffer and ye hope from Allah that for which they cannot hope. Allah is ever Knower, Wise. 4:104

O ye who believe! Choose not disbelievers for (your) friends in place of believers. Would ye give Allah a clear warrant against you? 4:144

Hast thou not seen those unto whom a portion of the Scripture hath been given, how they [Jews and Christians] believe in idols and false deities, and how they say of those (idolaters) who disbelieve: "These are more rightly guided than those who believe" ? Those are they whom Allah hath cursed. 4:51-52

Because of the wrongdoing of the Jews We forbade them good things which were (before) made lawful unto them, and because of their much hindering from Allah's way, And of their taking usury when they were forbidden it, and of their devouring people's wealth by false pretenses, We have prepared for those of them who disbelieve a painful doom. :160-161

O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them. 5:51

They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. The Messiah (himself) said: O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Lo! whoso ascribeth partners unto Allah [Son, Holy Ghost], for him Allah hath forbidden paradise. His abode is the Fire. For evil-doers there will be no helpers. 5:72

They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the third of three; when there is no God save the One God. If they desist not from so saying a painful doom will fall on those of them who disbelieve. 5:73

Thou seest many of them making friends with those who disbelieve. Surely ill for them is that which they themselves send on before them: that Allah will be wroth with them and in the doom they will abide. 5:80

How many a township have We destroyed! As a raid by night, or while they slept at noon, Our terror came unto them. No plea had they, when Our terror came unto them. 7:-5

O Prophet! Exhort the believers to fight. If there be of you twenty steadfast they shall overcome two hundred, and if there be of you a hundred (steadfast) they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they (the disbelievers) are a folk without intelligence. 8:65

O ye who believe! Choose not your fathers nor your brethren for friends if they take pleasure in disbelief rather than faith. Whoso of you taketh them for friends, such are wrong-doers. 9:23

The Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old. Allah (Himself) fighteth against them. How perverse are they! 9:30

If ye go not forth [to fight] He will afflict you with a painful doom.  9:39

The Infidel's Guide to Islam 5: Peace

I depended on the apologists for the moderate quotes, and here, as elsewhere, I include all the quotes the apologists like to cite.  As for the quotes fundamentalists seem to find inspiration in, I have again, as elsewhere, included only a small fraction of those I could have used.  So please bear in mind that the overall impression you are getting here is highly biased in favorof the moderates and againstthe fundamentalists.

When will there be peace in the world?  I once put this question to both Christian and Muslim university students.  Both gave the same answer:  Peace will come when everyone accepts Jesus as their lord and savior, when everyone submits to the will of Allah.

These may seem like irreconcilably different answers, and they are, yet they are also the same answer:  We, the true believers, have the answer, our infallible book tells us so, and when everyone accepts the one true faith, then the lion will lie down with the lamb, there will be peace on Earth and goodwill among believers.  If zealous believers can't bring all the disbelievers of the world into the fold, they are certain that one day, hopefully soon, their god will do it for them.

But what if their god doesn't smite the disbelievers?  What if the future resembles the past?  Are we all doomed to endless dissension?  

Well, yes, and a fine thing it is that we don't all agree about everything.  The trick, perhaps, is to learn to disagree without killing one another.  This may require that we cease to be true-believers, let go of our certitudes, and learn to acknowledge the possibility that we might be wrong.

For there to be peace, humans must find some common ground upon which to meet.  Belief systems, religious or political, can never provide that common ground.  Beliefs divide people.  This is an obvious fact, and endless misery has been the result.  

Certitude is what makes for fanaticism.  So, what if everyone was taught to acknowledge the possibility that they might be wrong?  Imagine if everyone could say, "Gee, I really think X is true (having considered the evidence available), but I could be wrong."  This mere admission of the possibility of error becomes the common ground upon which all people can meet.

If we do not claim absolute certainty, then there is room for doubt, and doubt has a way of giving rise to inquiry.  A mind that is in a state of inquiry becomes capable of learning; a door is opened, however slightly, to insight and understanding. 

But freedom must come first.  You must first free the mind of any compulsion with respect to believing, or disbelieving, anything—an inability to let go of one's beliefs makes inquiry impossible.

Muslims, along with every other believer, seem to have an extraordinarily difficult time letting go of their beliefs long enough to effectively question them.  It is as if those who have beliefs are also had by them.  Is it possible to have beliefs, to entertain them, without being had or possessed by them?

People cling to beliefs for a reason, usually fear, but they were not born that way, they were brought up to be that way; it is an acquired affliction, and what can be learned, can be unlearned.  Children are good sponges, but only the adult mind is capable of unlearning on its own.  If you were brought up to be a believer, a believer in any thing—theism, atheism, it doesn't matter what—consider alternative ways of knowing.  

Consider that the inquiring mind is different from the believing mind.  It may have beliefs of a sort, but none are held to be immutably true, none are beyond questioning.  Evidence and reason determine what one's provisional conclusions are.  It is the opposite with the believing mind: conclusions determine what one's reasoning shall be, and such reasoning is sham.

Are some ways of knowing better than others?  I have to confess that I think some are.  If someone were to draw insulting cartoons of Darwin, I might...be amused.  If someone claimed Darwin had got it all wrong, I might...buy his book.  If he came to my city, I might...go to his lecture.  I might beg to differ, but I wouldn't riot, I wouldn't kill. While a moderate believer wouldn't riot or kill either, they would be offended, angry, and defensive; they wouldn't say, "All wrong you say?  How interesting, tell me more!"

Wouldn't it be better to live in a world where it's okayto criticize someone, even Darwin? even Muhammad?  As Voltaire noted: "One owes respect to the living; but to the dead one owes nothing but the truth."

Muhammad is dead. May truth be upon him.