BLASPHEMY OF ALLAH - PART 2

"Say that ALLAH is One, ALLAH is Self-Sufficient Master to Whom all creatures need, He begets not, nor was He begotten. ALLAH has no Son, nor Daughter, nor Mother, nor Father! And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him”

7. THE BIBLE**

And after reading the English translation of the Bible, I found out that that the book that you call The Bible is actually a book consisting of two books - The Old Testament and The New Testament.

The Old Testament is the Holy Book of the Jews still used by them in its original Hebrew language. Even the writing is still in Hebrew, although there exist the romanised version of the Old Testament.

Whereas the New Testament is a book written by many including Saul (now popularly known as Paul) and other writers like Mark, Luke, Matthew and John; and other writers believed to followers of the disciples of Jesus. The New Testament is preserved in the Greek language.

So what you have done is you have translated The Old Testament from Hebrew to old English, and The New Testament from Greek to Old English. Then you combined both books The Old Testament and The New Testament into one book and named it as The Bible.

As to why there were so many versions (not translation) of the Bible, this is not the proper forum to discuss; although I find it rather intriguing, especially when even the King James version was revised materially few times. If you want to know the detail, feel free to google and go to “Ahmad Deedat on whether the Bible is God’s words”.

8. YHWH & ELOHIM

However, in the Bible, there is a name of your God referred to as ‘YHVH’, some put it as YHWH, and some even called it ‘Yahweh’ although the Hebrew language has no vowel.

But you are forbidden from even using this word. At Lev, 24:16 it says “He that names the name Yahweh shall surely be put to death”.

However, you can find other names like Eli, Eloi, Adonai or Elohim (the plural form of Eli or Eloi). All this words were translated into English as ‘GOD’.

So my question is, why don’t you use these term in your Bible Al-Kitab Malay-Indonesian version?

Why don' t you say "Elohim Bapak, Elohim Putra & Elohim Ruh Kudus"?

Why do you insist on using the word ALLAH?

9. THE HIDDEN AGENDA?

That brings me to the next question; do you have a hidden agenda in using the word ALLAH?

I ask this question because I read in your own publication Christianity Today published in July 2009 where it says:

"My opinion is that using Allah in Indonesia is strategic, if the point is to have people understand who Christ is," said the translator, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The negative impact of not using it is that it would make it harder for a Muslim to pick up a Bible."

(please refer www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/august/14.15.html at page 2).

10. DROPPING ALLAH FOR ELOHIM

And why is it that when the controversy over the song by Agnes Monica entitled ‘ALLAH Peduli’, the Indonesian Christian through Yayasan Lentera Bangsa (a christian organization) change the use of the word ‘Allah’ to ‘Elohim’ in their Bible now called Kitab Suci Indonesia Literal Translation (KS-ILT)?

This is what was reported at www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/august/14.15.html : 

Perhaps in anticipation of another unfavorable ruling, the Indonesian organization Yayasan Lentera Bangsa has published a new translation of the Bible in Indonesian. ‘Allah’ does not appear in the Kitab Suci Indonesian Literal Translation (KS-ILT). Instead, the publishers transliterated Hebrew terms (such as Elohim) and substituted some less-common Indonesian names for God.

"Coincident with the forbidding of the use of Allah by non-Muslims in Malaysia, we think it is the time for us to release ourselves from the dilemma," said editor Jahja Iskandar.

Meaning which the use of the word ‘ALLAH’ as translation of the word ‘God’ can be changed to other word like ‘Elohim’.

11. ALLAH PRE-DATED ISLAM?

And I saw that you keep on repeating this argument, that the word ALLAH predated Islam.

You see, the existence of ALLAH as the One and Only God pre-dated humanity, it even pre-dated the universe. It existed in human history right from day one – even before Prophet Adam was created. After all, it was ALLAH who created Adam, and the universe!

That’s why the name ALLAH is consistently being used to refer to God throughout the history of mankind.

But as time goes by, the concept of ALLAH as One God has been tainted and corrupted by the practice of polytheism.

ALLAH was alleged to have begotten a Son, like the belief of the Jew (of Uzair/ Ezra being the Son of God), and even the Christian (in believing Yasu @ Yeshua @ Jesus as Son of God). And the infidels polytheist Meccan, that associate Allah with other being called Latta wal Uzza.

That is why Prophets after Prophets were sent by ALLAH to remind mankind of the gross wrong and injustice they have committed. The act of polytheism or syirk!

And for your information, Islam is not a religion that exists because of Prophet Muhammad saw. Prophet Muhammad saw merely continue with the message of Islam. In fact, Islam is a religion that exist right from Prophet Adam 'alaihissalam (a.s).

That is why we Muslim belief in all the Prophets, from Adam a.s, Idris a.s (Enoch), Noh a.s (Noah), Hud a.s (Heber), Saleh a.s (Methusaleh), Ibrahim a.s (Abraham), Ismail a.s (Ishmael), Ishaq a.s (Isaac), Lut a.s (Lot), Ya'qub a.s (Jacob), Yusuf a.s (Joseph), Shu'ayb a.s (Jethro), Musa a.s (Moses), Harun a.s (Aaron), Ilyaas a.s (Elijah), Al-Yasaa' a.s (Elisha), Daud a.s (David), Suleiman a.s (Solomon), Ayub a.s (Job), Zulkifli a.s (Issaiah/ Ezekiel), Yunus a.s (Jonah), Zakariya a.s (Zacharias), Yahya a.s (John The Baptist), Issa a.s (Jesus) and the final prophet for mankind, Muhammad saw.

We even belief in Maryam (Mary), and the Al-Quran has a special chapter dedicated to her called Surah Maryam. You may want to read it, and upon reading it you will find the Quranic description of Maryam is totally ‘different’ with the biblical version of her!

And we Muslim believe Prophet Muhammad saw was sent to mankind as the last and final Prophet, to rectify this blasphemy of ALLAH. To correct what has been wrongly attributed to ALLAH. That He neither Begeth nor Begotten, nor does He has any associates. He is ALLAH, the One and Only God!

12.  LONG USED OF THE WORD ALLAH.

And you claim that the name Allah has been used in the Malay archipelago for hundred of years. Yes that maybe so, but do you know that was the very time when the west colonial power (meaning the Christian) colonized us. The Dutch in Indonesia, The Portugese (and later British) in Malaya, the Spain in Mindanao (now Philippine), The Brook Family in Sulu Sultanate (now Borneo) and so on.

And we know the western Christian colonisation came with a 3G agenda - Gospel, Gold & Glory.

You have unilaterally, and wrongly translated the word God to Malay-Indonesian version as 'ALLAH' without our consent. You simply translated the word ‘God’ in your English translation bible to ‘ALLAH’ in the Malay version. For what purpose one may asked?

Is it for your missionary work, and to make Muslim to believe in Jesus as Son of ALLAH; that we share the same God called ALLAH? To achieve your 3G target?

You see, you cannot correct what has been wrongly used, even if had been used for hundreds of years. The white American has for so many years wrongly used the word ‘Negro’ or ‘Nigger’ in describing the black African. And after so many hundred years of wrongly used it, the white American was told it was wrong used of the word.

What did they do? They didn’t go to Court to claim they can continue using it! Instead they took the civilized way of settling it – by simply stopping using it!

Even some Indonesian christian took the same approach. They simply dropped the word 'ALLAH' and substitute it with 'Elohim'!

Maybe you should emulate the white Americans, or your comrade-in-faith in Indonesia!

13. ALLAH IN ENGLISH VERSION

Finally, I just want to propose to you one thing. Let us turn the table, and use the word ALLAH in your English translated Bible as follows:

“Eli..Eli..lamma sabachthani”..Matthew 27:46!

Do you think it is correct and proper to translate the verse in English as follows:

“Allah..Allah..why do you forsaken me?”

You would agree with me that it doesn't sound right, isn’t it? It may even be ridiculous to suggest so! And I bet that you don’t even use such translation in your English version sermon every Sunday!

Why? I think you know better!

And that is exactly how we Muslim think and feel. It is not right, and it is linguistically wrong for the word ALLAH to be used to translate the word ‘God’, as we have in our Bahasa Melayu a correct and proper translation of the word God – i.e Tuhan!

That is why the 1^st Pillar of Rukunegara is ‘Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan’, and was not written as "Kepercayaan kepada ALLAH", nor  translated as ‘Believe in Allah’; because we know, and respect that other religion do have their own God (with its own special name) that they believe in.

Or would you now agree that we change the 1st pillar of Rukunegara to "Kepercayaan kepada ALLAH", and translated as "Believe in ALLAH"?

And that’s all we asked from you – please reciprocate by respecting Islam. And let us live in peace and harmony, and happily ever after!

And if you are so adamant in using the word ALLAH, there's is a way to do it. Just revert to Islam, and pronounce the syahadah "La ila ha illallah, Muhammad dur Rosul lallah - There is no God but ALLAH, and Muhammad is the Messenger of ALLAH".

After that, you are more then welcome to use the kalimah 'ALLAH' for eternity!

Adios amigos, grasias! 

Yours truly, the servant of ALLAH.

Zulkifli Bin Noordin

Kuala Lumpur

Jumaat / Friday

02nd Rabi'ul Awal 1435

03rd Jan 2014

 Note:

* I stand corrected on my interpretation of the Sikhism belief as aforesaid for I may be wrong in concluding that Sikhism also belief in Oneness of ALLAH.

** Again I stand corrected if my understanding of The Bible as aforesaid is wrong.