JEWS IN HOLY QURAN

A NOREAGAAA & ACHERNAHR PRODUCTION: THE ARRIVALS: PART 16 -20

2010-02-19T03:47:00.000-08:00

THE ARRIVALS: PART 16 - ANTI-SEMITISM LAWS..WHAT ABOUT ANTI-ISLAMOPHOBIA?

THE ARRIVALS: PART 17 - CONSPIRACY: WAR AGAINST TERRORISM

THE ARRIVALS: PART 18 - THE HYPOCRISY OF DEMOCRACY

THE ARRIVALS: PART 19 - THE UFO PHENOMENA I

THE ARRIVALS: PART 20 - THE UFO PHENOMENA II

A NOREAGAAA & ACHERNAHR PRODUCTION: THE ARRIVALS: PART 11 -15

2010-02-18T01:37:00.000-08:00

THE ARRIVALS: PART 11 - ILLUMINATI'S CONTROL: LYRIC & CHOREOGRAPHY

THE ARRIVALS: PART 12 - RA = RAY = SUNRAY: FREEMASON FOR 'RA'

THE ARRIVALS: PART 13 - JEWS MAGIC: 'KABBALAH' & 'TANTRA' (SEXUAL RITUAL)

THE ARRIVALS: PART 14 - DREAM MACHINE

THE ARRIVALS: PART 15 - HOLLYWOOD VS ARABS: CONSISTENT PATTERN

A NOREAGAAA & ACHERNAHR PRODUCTION: THE ARRIVALS: PART 6 - 10

2010-02-17T02:11:00.001-08:00

THE ARRIVALS: PART 6 - FIRST FREEMASON PRESIDENT (GEORGE WASHINGTON)

THE ARRIVALS: PART 7 - WHO IS THE MILLENIUM 'FIRAUN'?

THE ARRIVALS: PART 8 - INSIDE DUBAI: THE FREEMASON DOMINANT

THE ARRIVALS: PART 9 - NOREAGAA, ACHERNAHR & ABDULLAH HASHEM?

THE ARRIVALS: PART 10 - DAJJAL: THE FALSE MESSIAH!

A NOREAGAAA & ACHERNAHR PRODUCTION: THE ARRIVALS: PART 1 - 5

2010-02-17T01:20:00.000-08:00

VERSI MELAYU: THE ARRIVALS (SATU KEDATANGAN)

THE ARRIVALS: INTRO

THE ARRIVALS: PART 1 - WHO IS 'KNIGHT TEMPLAR'?

THE ARRIVALS: PART 2 - PROTOCOLS OF ZION

THE ARRIVALS: PART 3 - ALL INSIDE YOUR HOME

THE ARRIVALS: PART 4 - LUCIFERIAN (PENYEMBAH IBLIS)

THE ARRIVALS: PART 5 - 'ENERGY WAR'

THE REAL TERROR

2007-09-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

TRY THIS ONE: (CHANGE, Q33 NY TO WINGDINGS FONT).
NAH...YOU CAN KNOW WHO'S THE REAL TERROR!!!

UNITED WE STAND
1) New York City has 11 letters

2) Afghanistan has 11 letters.

3) Ramsin Yuseb (The terrorist who threatened to destroy the Twin Towers in 1993)
has 11 letters.

4) George W Bush has 11 letters.

5) The two twin towers make an "11"

This could be a mere coincidence, but this gets more interesting:

2) The first plane crashing against the Twin Towers was flight number 11.

3) Flight 11 was carrying 92 passengers. 9 + 2 = 11

4) Flight 77 which also hit Twin Towers, was carrying 65 passengers.
6+5 = 11

5) The tragedy was on September 11, or 9/11 as it is now known. 9 + 1+ 1 = 11

6) The date is equal to the US emergency services
telephone number 911.9 + 1 + 1 = 11.

Sheer coincidence?
Read on and make up your own mind:
1) The total number of victims inside all the
hi-jacked planes was 254. >2 + 5 + 4 = 11.

2) September 11 is day number 254 of the calendar year.
Again 2 + 5 + 4 = 11.

3) The Madrid bombing took place on 3/11/2004. 3 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 4 = 11.

SEPTEMBER 11 CONSPIRACY

2007-07-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

Conspiracy Theory The tragic events at the World Trade Centre have spawned a veritable industry of imbecility.
You want conspiracy?
Try this out:

Here we have Q33NY in Wingdings font. It clearly shows a plane about to hit the WTC. Throw in a skull and crossbones and a Star of David, and there you have it - Zionist terrorist conspiracy. It all makes sense. After all, thousands of Jewish office workers stayed at home on 11 September, didn`t they? But hold on, what`s Q33NY got to do with it? Well, it`s the flight number of one of the hijacked planes. Actually, it isn`t. But hey, we`ve found a meaningful set of symbols. Let`s not let the truth get in the way of a good yarn. Indeed, the Wingdings controversy has been raging for some time. Why not render NYC in the same font?:

But Nostradamus said... Ok, that`s all rubbish. But Nostradamus really did predict the WTC disaster. What about this posting gleaned from advogato.org?: Nostradamus once wrote: "In the City of God there will be a great thunder, Two brothers torn apart by Chaos, while the fortress endures, the great leader will succumb" , "The third big war will begin when the big city is burning" - Nostradamus 1654 I always believed in the words of the great Nostradamus. Again, he prophesized the truth. Convincing stuff. Even more so given that Nostradamus` powers must have extended to divination from the `other side` - he died in 1566. Interest in Nostradamus has rocketed in the weeks following the WTC attack. The above `quatrain` (four-line verse), and many other versions of it, have been doing the rounds. They have found a credulous audience among those who have, apparently, neither the time nor the inclination to check the veracity of the words. It`s a hoax. The face fits No disaster conspiracy theory would be complete without a complimentary set of images demonstrating a hidden and sinister power at work. Who else but Satan himself would appear at the WTC?:

Others Theory. The date of the attack: 9/11 - 9 + 1 + 1 = 11.
September 11th is the 254th day of the year: 2 + 5 + 4 = 11.
After September 11th there are 111 days left to the end of the year.
119 is the area code to Iraq/Iran. 1 + 1 + 9 = 11.
Twin Towers - standing side by side, looks like the number 11.
The first plane to hit the towers was Flight 11 =
State of New York - The 11th State added to the Union New York City.
11 Letters Afghanistan.
11 Letters The Pentagon.
11 Letters Ramzi Yousef = 11 Letters(convicted of orchestrating
the attack on the WTC in 1993).
Flight 11 - 92 on board : 9 + 2 = 11.
Flight 77 - 65 on board : 6 + 5 = 11.

NOSTRADAMUS

ONLY 271,301

2007-06-25T06:47:00.000-07:00

OFFICIAL RECORDS FROM INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS PROVE "HOLOCAUST" WAS A FRAUD!
RECENTLY RELEASED RECORDS, SEALED FOR YEARS, SHOW "CONCENTRATION
CAMP" DEATH TOTALS OF ONLY 271,301.
SIX MILLION JEWS DID NOT DIE; THE WHOLE CLAIM WAS A COMPLETE FABRICATION.

By: Hal Turner

For years, Jews have told people around the world that six million of
them were systematically murdered in German "Concentration Camps"
during World War 2. Anyone disputing this claim has been viciously
smeared as a hateful anti-Semite. Countries around the world have
even jailed people for disputing the claim that 6 Million were killed.

Here now, for all the world to see, is a scanned image of an Official
International Red Cross document proving the so-called "Holocaust"
never happened. Jews around the world intentionally lied for the
purpose of gaining emotional and business advantages for
themselves. They committed willful, criminal FRAUD upon millions
around the world!

"The Holocaust" is the greatest lie ever told. Millions of dollars
have been paid out to "holocaust survivors" and their descendants for
something that DID NOT HAPPEN. THis is intentional, criminal fraud on
a scale so massive as to almost incomprehensible.

Below is the scanned image of the Official Death Total report from
the International Red Cross.

"The Holocaust" is the greatest lie ever told. Millions of dollars
have been paid out to "holocaust survivors" and their descendants for
something that DID NOT HAPPEN. The claim of a "Holocaust" was
intentional, criminal fraud on a scale so massive as to be almost
incomprehensible.

I call for criminal prosecution of individuals and groups who filed
false lawsuits to obtain holocaust reparations and financial damage
awards, for perpetrating deliberate fraud upon Courts. I call for the
removal of Holocaust references in History books and educational
materials. I call for the removal of Holocaust Memorials worldwide.

It is long overdue this intentional fraud be halted and those who
perpetrated it be brought to justice for 60 years of vicious lies and
financial fraud.

-SOURCE:http://www.halturne rshow.com/ RedCrossRecordsP roveHolocaustWas Fraud.html

HOLOCAUST - A EUROPEAN SIN

2007-03-15T05:43:00.000-07:00

A GREAT EFFORT BY JEWS

HOLOCAUST CARTOON EXHIBIT IN IRAN.

HOLOCAUST?

ANOTHER JEWS PROJECT.

A EUROPEAN SIN?

IRAN HOLOCAUST CARTOON

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UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM.
'THE HOLOCAUST'

During World War II, Nazi Germany and its collaborators murdered approximately six million Jews. The Holocaust is the name used to refer to this systematic, bureaucratic, and state-sponsored campaign of persecution and murder. Beginning with racially discriminatory laws in Germany, the Nazi campaign expanded to the mass murder of all European Jews

During the era of the Holocaust, the Nazis also targeted other groups because of their perceived "racial inferiority": Roma (Gypsies), people with disabilities, and some of the Slavic peoples (Poles, Russians, and others). Other groups were persecuted on political and behavioral grounds, among them Communists, Socialists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and homosexuals.

"Holocaust" is a word of Greek origin meaning "sacrifice by fire." The Nazis came to power in Germany in January 1933. The Nazis frequently used euphemistic language to disguise the true nature of their crimes. According to this vocabulary, Germans were considered "racially superior" and the Jews, and others deemed "inferior," were "life unworthy of life."

In 1933, the Jewish population of Europe stood at over nine million. Most European Jews lived in countries that Nazi Germany (the Third Reich) would occupy or influence during World War II. The Nazis established concentration camps to imprison Jews, other people targeted on ethnic or “racial” grounds, and political opponents. Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, beginning World War II. Over the next two years, German forces conquered most of Europe.

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GAMBAR INI DIAMBIL DI SANDIEGO NAVALBASE,CALIRFONIA AMERICA.INI MENYERLAHKAN LAGI BETAPA PERISTIWA HOLOCAUST ADALAH PALSU.JIKA TIDAK MASAKAN KERAJAAN YANG KUAT MENYOKOKNG ZIONIST MENGAMPLIKASIKAN LAMBANG KERAJAAN NAZI DIBUMI MEREKA.

BENARKAH HOLOCAUST?

ENAM juta Yahudi dibunuh dalam dewan beracun oleh tentera Jerman. Pemimpin Jerman, Adolf Hitler melancarkan program pembersihan etnik dan pembunuhan beramai-ramai Yahudi ketika Perang Dunia Kedua di berpuluh kem tahanan di Jerman dan Poland. Kem seperti Dachau, Buchenwald serta kem tahanan lain di Jerman termasuk kem Auschwitz dan kemudahan induknya Birkenau, Stutthof, Treblinka, Chelmno, Sobibor, Majdanek dan Belzec di Poland dianggap sebagai kem maut bagi Yahudi apabila berjuta orang mati di kem itu.

Banduan Yahudi disumbat ke dalam bilik sebelum dilepaskan gas beracun, menyebabkan mereka mati serta-merta.

Malah, penderitaan masyarakat Yahudi akibat dasar kejam Hitler menerusi program Penyelesaian Akhirnya turut digambarkan dengan ribuan gambar mayat bertimbun-timbun di luar kem tahanan itu.

Semua kem di Poland ini dibebaskan tentera Soviet dan tentera bersekutu, menyelamatkan saki baki penduduk Yahudi.

Kisah penderitaan ini dicatatkan dengan penuh dramatik oleh seorang wanita Yahudi menerusi Diari Anne Frank. Diari ini, yang dianggap catatan peribadi paling menakjubkan berdasarkan kesengsaraan yang dialami, dijadikan teks bagi pelajar dan antara rujukan utama kisah kezaliman terhadap Yahudi.

Dalam rencana halaman 12, The Christian Science Monitor bertarikh 10 Ogos 1994 tulisan Jewess Linda Joffe menyatakan, kira-kira 560,000 Yahudi tinggal di Jerman ketika Nazi berkuasa pada 1933.

Hampir semua Yahudi itu dibunuh. Kini, hanya 50,000 Yahudi di Jerman, tulisnya.

Penderitaan Yahudi ini diistilahkan sebagai Holocaust atau malapetaka dan kemusnahan besar masyarakat itu ketika Perang Dunia Kedua. Selepas perang dan sehingga kini, rata-rata masyarakat dunia menganggap Nazi dan rejim Hitler adalah manusia paling keji dalam peradaban dunia.

Nazi yang membunuh Yahudi tidak kira wanita, bayi dan kanak-kanak, orang tua atau muda.

Beliau dan konconya dianggap anti-Semitik. Penyokongnya digelar anti-Yahudi alias anti-Semitik. Sebarang kegiatan yang dilihat menggugat Yahudi digelar anti-Semitik, dari era selepas Perang Dunia Kedua dan sehingga ke alaf baru ini.

Hakikat kejelikan Hitler dan tenteranya, sudah terpahat utuh dalam sanubari masyarakat dunia.

Dunia semakin maju dan penduduk Bumi semakin cerdik dan sentiasa ingin mencari kebenaran dalam setiap fakta menggunakan bahan sejarah dan kaedah saintifik.

Maka terbongkarlah kebenaran, terserlah segala pembohongan dan kesimpulannya, Holocaust adalah rekaan, satu kisah dongeng Yahudi bagi membolehkan mereka meraih simpati, melaksanakan agenda sulit, menguasai dunia dan menghambakan mereka yang tidak sealiran dengan Yahudi.

Kisah Holocaust sebenarnya berasaskan kepada dongeng yang dibina di atas pembohongan, tokok tambah dan rekaan penyedap cerita.

Ia sebenarnya berpunca daripada tindakan Hitler yang berjaya membawa Parti Sosialis Kebangsaan menguasai kerajaan dan pada 1933 beliau mula melancarkan gerakan untuk mendesak penduduk Yahudi supaya meninggalkan negara itu dan jika perlu secara paksa.

Mereka menggubal akta mengenai perkara itu yang menyekat hak Yahudi untuk bekerja dan berniaga. Semua langkah ini diambil selepas kerajaan Hitler ketika itu merasakan ia perlu dilaksanakan bagi menjamin hak penduduk pribumi dan penganut agama lain kerana bangsa ini, menguasai sepenuhnya bidang perundangan, perubatan, media dan ekonomi.

Pada 1934, masyarakat Yahudi mengutuk Jerman dan memulaukan negara itu dan menjelang Perang Dunia Kedua pada September 1939, hanya 200,000 Yahudi yang masih menetap di Jerman.

Dr David Irving, seorang pakar sejarah Britain yang mengkhusus dalam kajian Perang Dunia Kedua menegaskan Holocaust adalah lagenda. Malah, seorang lagi pakar sejarah Britain, Alan Bullock berkata, Hitler tidak pernah mengarahkan Yahudi dibunuh.

Ia disokong pakar sejarah lain yang menyatakan tiada satu bukti kukuh Nazi melakukan pembersihan etnik seperti yang didakwa sama ada menerusi ribuan dokumen yang dirampas selepas perang atau kenyataan saksi.

Pada Mei 1988, Irwing, membentangkan laporan yang dibuat oleh Fred A Leuchter, seorang pakar rekaan dan peniruan alat membunuh, termasuk bilik gas beracun. Leuchter yang mengkaji dan mengambil sampel dari bilik kem tahanan Auschwitz, Birkenau dan Lublin menegaskan tiada proses menyalurkan gas beracun berlaku.

Malah, apa yang mengejutkan kepada Leuchter, tiada sebarang kesan racun sianida dikesan dalam sebarang bilik kem terbabit. Kajian juga menyatakan sejenis racun yang didakwa digunakan untuk membunuh Yahudi, Zyklon-B, sebenarnya hanya digunakan untuk membunuh serangga.

Ini kerana Zyklon-B meninggalkan kesan yang tidak boleh hilang meskipun selepas beratus tahun dan kajian tidak menemui kesan ketara penggunaan racun itu.

Pada 1991, kerajaan Poland mengulangi ujian ini dalam usaha menyangkal hasil penemuan Leuchter, tetapi mereka juga gagal menemui sebarang bukti peristiwa kejam itu berlaku.

Kewibawaan mengenai dewan bunuh ini juga amat palsu. Kajian menunjukkan bilik ini hanya sekadar bilik biasa yang tidak kedap udara dan mempunyai ruang udara yang agak besar di lantai dan bawah pintu. Jika benar Jerman menyalurkan gas di bilik terbabit, pasti racun ini turut mematikan tentera. Selain itu tiada peralatan lain bagi melakukan proses itu ditemui.

Meskipun dakwaan enam juta orang mati akibat gas beracun, tiada satu pun mayat yang dihimpunkan selepas perang sama ada di kubur besar atau reput di tepi kem tahanan, dijalankan bedah siasat bagi membuktikan punca sebenar kematian mereka.

Masyarakat dunia yang ditunjukkan gambar timbunan mayat ketika perang akibat kezaliman Nazi, sebenarnya tertipu kerana hakikat gambar itu adalah mereka yang mati akibat kebuluran dan wabak penyakit berjangkit atau mangsa bedilan bom tentera Amerika dan sekutunya.

Kebanyakan mangsa yang maut itu adalah rakyat Jerman dan hanya segelintir Yahudi.

Malah, kajian juga membuktikan, tentera Jerman memerlukan masa 68 tahun untuk menyumbat tahanan dalam bilik beracun seperti di Auschwitz, bagi membunuh enam juta Yahudi.

Dicatatkan lagi oleh pakar sejarah, Diari Anne Frank juga palsu kerana sebahagian daripada diari itu ditulis menggunakan pena mata bola. Pen seperti itu belum lagi wujud pada zaman itu.

Sebenarnya, usaha menyangkal pembohongan besar Yahudi ini bermula sejak selepas perang lagi. Seorang rakyat Perancis yang terselamat daripada kem Nazi ini, Paul Rassinier dalam bukunya Le Mensonge d?Ulysse (Pembohongan di Ulysse) pada 1949 serta buku Le Drame des Juifs Europeens (Drama Yahudi Eropah) pada 1964, menegaskan beliau tidak pernah melihat sebarang bukti Yahudi dibunuh beramai-ramai dalam bilik beracun.

Sementara itu, dalam buku tulisan profesor Universiti Northwestern, Amerika bertajuk The Hoax of The Twentieth Century, Dr Arthur Butz, menegaskan meskipun ramai juga Yahudi yang dibunuh oleh Nazi, mereka bukan menjadi mangsa pembersihan etnik dan pembunuhan beramai-ramai.

Butz berkata, setengah juta mati dalam kem tahanan Nazi ketika Perang Dunia Kedua tetapi sejumlah kecil daripada mereka Yahudi.

Usaha menyangkal pembohongan ini diperkukuhkan oleh badan bebas yang ditubuhkan di Costa Mesa, California pada 1979 dan dikenali sebagai Institut Kajian semula Sejarah (IHR). Dan, seperti lazimnya, usaha membongkar kebenaran ini mendapat tentangan hebat Yahudi terutama daripada Jawatankuasa Yahudi Amerika (AJC) dan Liga Anti-Fitnah (ADL), sebuah badan Yahudi yang berusaha keras mendokong kisah Holocaust ini.

Bukti tetap bukti dan hakikat ini turut diakui oleh seorang sejarawan Yahudi, David Cole yang melawat Auschwitz pada lewat 1992. Dalam lawatannya itu beliau merakam temu ramah dengan Ketua Kurator Muzium Holocaust di kem itu, Dr Fransiszek Piper.

Dalam temuramah itu, Piper mengakui bahawa bilik gas beracun yang ditunjukkan di kem itu untuk tatapan berjuta pelancong dunia, sebenarnya diubah suai oleh tentera Russia selepas perang.

Berikutan itu, Cole menegaskan, kenyataan Piper ini membuktikan kenyataan Irwing.

Lebih mengejutkan apabila Ketua Mahkamah Agung Amerika, Harlan Fiske Stone, menyatakan Perbicaraan Nuremberg yang ditubuhkan bagi membicarakan pesalah jenayah perang Jerman sebenarnya adalah adalah usaha peringkat tertinggi menghancurkan Jerman.

Pesalah jenayah perang Nazi pada perbicaraan itu yang sebelum ini menjadi Pemerintah Aushwitz, Rudolf Hess, juga menyatakan beliau didera dan diugut untuk membuat pengakuan bahawa kem itu, membunuh dua juta Yahudi di dewan bunuh beracun berkenaan.

Ditegaskan sekali lagi Holocaust sebenarnya digunakan untuk memastikan agenda Yahudi menguasai dunia. Ia juga digunakan sebagai cara mewajarkan sumbangan berbilion dolar oleh Washington kepada Israel serta menutup mulut masyarakat dunia terhadap kezaliman Zionis dan Yahudi ini membunuh rakyat Palestin.

Seperti yang ditegaskan oleh Profesor W D Rubinstein dari Australia dalam Quadrant (Australia, September 1979, halaman 27), ?jika Holocaust ini berjaya dibuktikan sebagai palsu, maka senjata terkuat propaganda Israel ini akan roboh berkecai?.

Ia diakui sendiri oleh masyarakat Yahudi, yang menyatakan Holocaust ini adalah satu perniagaan yang menguntungkan. Ini didokumenkan menerusi tulisan seorang Yahudi, Jocobo Timerman dalam bukunya The Longest War.

Beliau menyatakan ramai rakyat Israel menganggap Holocaust ini seperti agama baru.

Katanya perkataan Holocaust ini berasal dari Hebrew iaitu Shoah dan katanya lagi, tiada perniagaan lain yang sama seperti Holocaust.

Media Yahudi menggambarkan betapa Holocaust ini adalah orang Yahudi yang tidak bersalah tetapi sebenarnya membawa mesej perkauman dan menentang hak asasi penganut agama lain atau golongan yang tidak sealiran dengan mereka, tulis Mark Weber dari IHR.

Kebenaran pasti akan muncul, meskipun kerajaan Barat terutama Amerika menyekat sebarang perbahasan terbuka mengenai Holocaust. Golongan yang ingin mengadakan perbincangan terbuka sering diugut dan dianiaya oleh pelampau Yahudi.

Malah, jika ada pemimpin dunia yang cuba mengetengahkan fakta sebenarnya mengenai pengaruh Yahudi, pasti beliau akan diserang dengan pelbagai tuduhan seperti anti-Semitik, senasib dengan Hitler.

Jika benar Yahudi betul, mereka seharusnya berani membiarkan kajian mengenai Holocaust ini diteruskan tanpa sebarang campur tangan atau ugutan. Jika permintaan ini tidak dilayan malah diugut, masyarakat dunia masa kini berhak meragui dan berasa sangsi terhadap Yahudi dan penyokongnya.

Keadilan dan kebenaran perlu diketengahkan meskipun pahit atau akhirnya mungkin terpaksa mengakui Hitler adalah wira.

JEWISH SOURCES OF THE HOLY QURAN

2007-03-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

JEWISH SOURCES OF THE QURAN

By W. St. Clair-Tisdall

At the period when Mohammed was using the utmost endeavor to turn his people from idolatry to the Faith of Abraham, the Arabs had no religious writings acknowledged in common by them all, so that it was a matter of extreme difficulty to make them see the evils of their native faiths. There were three religions in the Peninsula - the Sabaean, Jewish, and Christian - each of which, as we hope to show, helped to nurse Islam, which at the first lay like an infant in its cradle The SABAEANS have disappeared. No trace of them anywhere remains, and even of their history but little is known. We are told by Eastern authorities 1. that they were the first of all peoples who inhabited Syria; that they derived their faith from Seth and Idris; and that they possessed a book called Pages of Seth, In which were inculcated righteousness, truth, bravery, care of the poor, and avoidance of evil. They had seven times for prayer, five of which were at the same hour as chosen by the Prophet. They prayed also for the dead, but without prostration; fasted thirty days from night to sunrise, and also if any new moon rose badly, for the remaining day of the month; observed Fed from the setting of their five stars; and venerated the Kaaba. Hence we see that the Sabaeans kept many observances still in force among the Moslems.

We turn to the JEWS. Of Course it is known to all how numerous and powerful the race was in Arabia at the time of Mohammed, and especially before the Hijra. Amongst their chief tribes were the Beni Coreitza, Cainucaa, and Nadhir, having their three villages in the vicinity of Medina.

When it became manifest that the Jews would in no wise recognize the prophetic office of Mohammed, he fought several severe battles with them and, not without difficulty, either took them prisoners and slew them with the sword, or at last expelled them from the land. Now, although these Jews were an ignorant people, yet they possessed and carefully preserved the Torah, the Psalms, etc., and were called (as also the Christians) The People of the Book. Though the nation at large knew little or nothing of Hebrew, yet (like the Jews we see in Persia at the present day) they were familiar with the stories of the Talmud and the foolish tales which had come down from their ancestors, and which, being ignorant of their own Sacred books, they regarded as holy and divine.

The ignorant Arabs of the day looked upon their neighbors the Jews with honor and respect as being of the seed of Abraham, and possessed of the Word of God. Hence when the Prophet turned aside from idols as hateful to the Almighty, and sought to bring his people back to the faith of Abraham, he betook himself with the utmost care to learn in what the teaching, customs, and obligations of that Faith consisted. Comparing these with the Koran and Tradition, we find the closest similarity between the two. Thus the Koran throughout bears witness to the faith of Abraham, to the truth of the Jewish religion, and the heavenly origin of their divine books. The following passages will be found to that effect:- Dispute not with the People of the Book, but in the mildest way, excepting such as behave injuriously; and say, We believe in that which has been revealed unto us, and in that which has been revealed unto you; our God and your God is One, and to Him we are resigned. And again:- Say, We believe in God, and in that which has been sent down unto us, and and in that which was sent down unto Abraham and Ishmael, and Isaac and Jacob, and the Tribes; and in that which was delivered unto Moses and Jesus, and in that which was delivered to the Prophets from the Lord. We make no distinction between any of them; and to Him we are resigned. At this period, also, Mohammed made the Holy House (Jerusalem) the Qibla of his followers, being then, (as it has since remained) the Qibla of the Jews.

To this it might be objected that Mohammed, as the "illiterate prophet," 2. must have been unable to read, and how then could he have gained all this knowledge from Jewish literature? But even admitting it to have been so, it must still have been easy enough for him to have learned all about their beliefs and customs and tales from his companions, such as Abdullah, Waraca, or even himself from his Jewish friends. For these people, though they had but an imperfect knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures, yet well knew the foolish tales current amongst the Jewish nation. And now, if we compare the Koran with the tales in the Talmud and other books still current among the Jews, it becomes evident that although the Koran speaks of Abraham and many others of whom we read in the Torah, still all the wild stories it tells us are taken from Jewish traditional Sources. And we shall now give a few specimens to prove that it is so.

1. What follows is from Abu Feda, who quotes from Abu Isa alMaghrabi .

2. Surah vii. 156. The word used for illiterate is Ommy. R. Geiger's view is that this word has an altogether different meaning -- viz. that Mohammed held he was of the Ommat or Arab people, and not an Ajemy or non-Arab, as a Jew would be held to be. But seeing that the word has been universally held to mean unlearned (and unable to read), I think we must accept that interpretation. It does not, however, much matter in the present argument.

1. Cain and Abel. -

In Surah v. 30-35 we have the following passage:-

And tell them the story truly of the two sons of Adam. When they offered up their sacrifice, and it was accepted from one of them, and not accepted from the other, Cain said, "I will kill thee." Abel answered, "God accepteth (offerings) of the pious alone. If thou stretchest forth thine hand against me to kill me, I will not stretch forth my hand to kill thee; for I fear God, the Lord of all worlds. I desire that thou shouldest bear my sin and thine own sin, and become a dweller in the Fire, for that is the punishment of the oppressor." But the soul of Cain inclined him to slay his brother, and he slew him; then he became one of the destroyed. And God sent a raven which scratched the earth to shew him how he should hide his brother's body. He said, "Woe is me! I am not able to belike the raven"; and he became one of those that repent (v. 35). For this cause we wrote unto the children of Israel that he who slayeth a soul, -- without having slain a soul or committed wickedness in the earth, - shall be as if he had slain all mankind; and whosoever saveth a soul alive, shall be as if he had saved all mankind.

Now this conversation and affair of Cain and Abel, as given above in the Koran, has been told us in a variety of ways by the Jews. Thus when Cain, according to them, said there was no punishment for sin and no reward for virtue, Abel, holding just exactly the reverse, was killed by Cain with a stone. So also in the book Pirke Rabbi Eleazer, we find the Source of

the burying of Abel as described in the Coran, there being no difference excepting that the raven indicates the mode to Adam instead of to Cain, as follows:-Adam and Eve, sitting by the corpse, wept not knowing what to do, for they had as yet no knowledge of burial. A raven coming up, took the dead body of its fellow, and having scratched up the earth, buried it thus before their eyes. Adam said, Let us follow the example of the raven, and so taking up Abel's body buried it at once.

If the Reader will look at the last verse (35) in the quotation above from Surah v. of the Koran, he will see that it has no connection with the one preceding. The relation is explained thus in the Mishnah Sanhedrin, where in quoting from Genesis the verse, - The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground, 2- the Commentator writes as follows:- "As regards Cain who killed his brother, the Lord addressing him does not say, 'The voice of thy brother's blood crieth out,' but 'the voice of his Bloods'; - meaning not his blood alone, but that of his descendants; and this to shew that since Adam was created alone, so he that kills an Israelite is, by the plural here used, counted as if he had killed the world at large; and he who saves a single Israelite is counted as if he had saved the whole world." Now, if we look at the thirty-fifth verse of the text above quoted, it will be found almost exactly the same as these last words of this old Jewish commentary. But we see that only part is given in the Koran, and the other part omitted. And this omitted part is the connecting link between the two passages in the Koran, without which they are unintelligible.

2. Abraham saved from Nimrod's fire.-

The story is scattered over various passages of the Koran, chiefly in those noted below. 3 Now whoever will read these, as well as the Traditional Records of the Moslems, 4 will at once perceive that the tale as there told has been taken from one of the ancient Jewish books called Midrash Rabbhh. To bring this clearly to view, we must first shew the history as given in the Koran and Moslem writings, and then compare it with the Jewish tale in the above book.

In a work of Abdul Feda we have the
1. LTargum of Jonathan ben Uzziah; also the Targum of Jerusalem. In Arabic Cain is called Cabtl. 2 Gen. iv. 10, "Bloods" in the margin for blood.3. Surah ii. 260, vi. 74-84, xxi. 52-72, xix. 42-50, xxvi. 69-79,xxix.15, 16, xxxvii. 81-95, xliii. 25-27, Ix. 4, and other passages 4. Such as the Qissas al Anbia and ArPish al Majalis.5 Ancient History from the Mukhtasar fi Akhb~r ii Bashar.

Moslem story as follows. 5. ‘Azar, Abraham's father used to construct idols, and hand them over to his son to sell Abraham would go about crying, "Who will buy that which will hurt and not benefit him?" Then when God Almighty commanded him to call his people to the Divine unity, his father refused the call, and so did his people. Thus the matter spread abroad till it reached Nimrod, son of Cush, king over the country who took Father Abraham, and cast him into a fierce fire; but the fire grew cool and pleasant unto Abraham, who came out of it after some days. And thereupon his people believed in him.

Again, in the Araish al Majalis we read: Before this, when Abraham one night came up out of his cave and saw the stars before the moon arose, he said: This is my Preserver. (Surah 6:76) And when the night overshadowed him, he saw a star, and said, This is my Lord; and when it set, he said, ! love not those that · set. And when he saw the moon rising, he said, This is my Lord; but when it set, he said, Verily if my Lord direct me not, I shall be of those that go astray. And when he saw the sun rising, he said, This is my Lord; this is the greatest. But when it set, he said, O my people! Verily I am clear of that which ye associate together with God. Verily I direct my face unto him who hath created the heavens and the earth. I am orthodox, and not one of the idolaters.

They say that Abraham's father used to make idol images and give them to Abraham to sell. So Abraham taking them about would cry: "These will neither hurt nor help him that buys," so that no one bought from him. And when it was not sold, he took an image to the stream, and striking its head, would say, Drink, my poor one! in derision, - for his people and the heathen around him to hear. So when his people objected, he said, Ah! do ye dispute with me concerning God, and verily God hath directed me….And this Is our argument wherewith We furnished Abraham for his people. We raise the dignity of whom we wish, for thy Lord is wise and knowing. (Surah 6: 80-85) And so in the end Abraham overcame his, People by such arguments. Then he called his father Azar to the true faith, and said: O my father, wherefore dost thou worship that which , neither hears nor sees, nor yet doth profit thee in any way and so on to the end of the story. (Surah 19:40) But his rather refused that to which Abraham called him; whereupon Abraham cried aloud to his, people that he was free from what they worshipped and thus made known his faith to them. He said, what think ye? That which ye worship, and your forefathers also, are mine enemies, excepting only the lord of the worlds (Surah 26:75-77) " They said, Whom then dost thou worship? He answered, "The Lord of all worlds." "Dost thou mean Nimrod?" "Nay, but he that created me and guideth me," and so on. The thing then spread abroad among the people, till it reached the ears of the tyrant Nimrod, Who sent for him, and said: "O Abraham! Dost thou hold him to be thy god that hath Sent thee; dost thou call to his worship and speak of his power to those that worship other than him? Who is he?" Abraham replied. "My Lord, he that giveth life, and giveth death." (surah 2:260) Nimrod answered . "I give life, and cause to die." A. "How dost thou make alive, and cause to die?" N. "I take two men Who at my hands deserve death, one I kiII, who thus dies; the other I forgive. who thus is made alive." Whereupon Abraham answered, "l/erily God bringeth the sun from the East, now do thou bring him from the West."(Surah 2:260) Thereupon Nimrod was confounded, and returned him no reply. The people then went away to celebrate their Eed, and Abraham, taking the opportunity, broke all the idols but the biggest, and then the story proceeds as follows: When they had prepared food, they set It before their gods and said, "When the time comes we shall return, and the gods having blessed the meat we shall eat thereof." So when Abraham looked upon the gods, and what was set before them, he said derisively. "Ah! ye are not eating", and when no answer came, "What aileth you, that ye do not speak?" and he turned upon them and smote them with his right hand.(Surah 37:90) And he kept striking tht:m with a hatchet in his hand. until there remained none but the biggest of thenl. and upon Its neck he hung the axe.(Surah 21:59) ) He broke them all in pieces except the biggest, that they might lay the blame on it Now when the People returned from their Eed
1. Surah vi. 76, etc.; all is from the Koran so far as in italics; and so also in the next two pages.2. Cotada and Al Sidy are quoted here; and it is added from Al Dzahhak, "Perhaps they may giveevidence as to what we should do, and punish him."

to the house of their gods, and saw it in such a Stafe, they said, Who hath done this to our gods? Verily he is a wicked one. They answered, We heard a young man speaking of them They call him Abraham. He it is, we think, who hath done it. When this reached the tyrant Nimrod and his chief men, They said, Bring him before the eyes of the people; perhaps they will bear witness that he hath donethis thing. And they were afraid to seize him without evidence.2 So they brought him and said: Hast thou done this unto our gods, O Abraham? He answered, Nay but that big one hath done it; he was angry that ye worshipped along with him these little idols, and he so much bigger than all; and he brake the whole of them in pieces. Now ask them if they can speak.1 When he had said this, they turned their backs, and said (among themselves), "Verily it is ye that are the transgressors.. We have never seen him but telling us that we transgress, having those little idols and this great one." So they broke the heads of them all, and were amazed that they neither spake nor made any opposition. Then they said (to Abraham), Certainly thou knowest that they speak not. Thus when the affair with Abraham was ended, he said to them: Ah! do ye indeed worship, besides God, that which cannot profit you at all, nor can it injure you. Fie on you, and on that which ye worship besides God! Ah, do ye not understand?

When thus overthrown and unable to make any answer, they called out, Burn him, and avenge your gods if ye do it. Abdallah tells us that the man who cried thus was a Kurd called Zeinun; and.the Lord caused the earth to open under him, and there he lies buried till the day of Judgment. When Nimrod and his people were thus gathered together to burn Abraham, they imprisoned him in a house, and built for him a great pile, as we read in Surah Saffat: They said, Build a pile for him and cast him into the glowing fire. Then they gathered together quantities of wood and stuff to burn; and so, by the grace of God, Abraham came out of the fire safe and sound, with the words on his lips, - God is sufficient for me (Surah 39;39); and He is the best Supporter (Surah 3. 37). For the Lord said, O Fire! be thou cool and pleasant unto Abraham. 2

Now, let us compare the story of Abraham as current amongst the Jews, with the same story in Koran and Tradition as given above, and see how they differ or agree. The following is from the Midrash Rabbah on Abraham brought out of Ur (Gen. xv. 7).

MIDRASH RABBAH

Terah used to make images. Going out one day, he told his son Abraham to sell them. When a man came to buy, Abraham asked him how old he was. Fifty or sixty years, he replied. Strange, said the other, that a man sixty years of age should worship things hardly a few days old! On hearing which the man, ashamed, passed on. Then a woman carrying in her hand a cup of wheaten flour said, Place this before the idols. On which, Abraham, getting up, took his staff in his hand, and having broken the idols with it, placed the staff in the hand of the biggest. His father coming up, cried, "Who hath done all this?" Abraham said, "What can be concealed from thee? A woman carrying a cup of wheaten flour asked me to place it before the gods; I took and placed it before them; one said, I will eat it first, and another, I will eat first. Then the big one took the staff, and broke them all in pieces." His father: "Why do you tell such a foolish tale to me? Do these know anything?" He answered, "Does thine ear hear what thy mouths speaks?" On this his father seized and made him over to Nimrod, who bade him worship Fire. Abraham: "Rather worship Water that putteth out Fire." N. "Then worship Water." A. "Rather worship that which bringeth Water." N. "Then worship the Cloud." A. "in such case, let ua worship Wind that drives away the Cloud." N. "Then worship Wind." A. "Rather let us worship Man that standeth against the wind." On this
1 A note is here added to the following purport:-- Mohammaed on this remarked that Abraham in all told three lies, all on behalf of the Lord, namely, "I am sick"; "the big one hath done this"; and what he said to the King regarding Sarah, "She is my sister."2 In the last few pages the quotations from the Koran are all from Surahs 21. and 37., and the verses being so numerous and detached are not numbered in detail; but they will be found in passages succeeding verse 52 of the former, and verse 84 of the latter Surah. The Koran passages are throughout printed in italics.

Nimrod closed: - "If thou arguest with me about things which I am unable to worship other than Fire, into it I will cast thee; then, let the God thou worshippest deliver thee there from." So Abraham went down into the flames, and remained there safe and unhurt.

Comparing, now, this Jewish story with what we saw of it in the Koran, little difference will be found; and what there is no doubt arose from Mohammed hearing of it by the ear from the Jews. What makes this the more likely is that Abraham's father is in the Koran called Azar,(Surah 6.74) while both in the Midrash and Torah he is called Terah. But the Prophet probably heard the name in Syria (where, as we learn from Eusebius, the name had somewhat of a similar sound), and so remembered it.

The Moslems, of course, hold that their Prophet gained the tale of Abraham's being cast into the fire neither from Jews nol Christians, but through Gabriel from on high; and as the Jews, being children of Abraham, so accepted it, the Koran, they say, must be right. But it could only have been the common folk among the Jews who believed it so; for those who had any knowledge of its origin must have known its puerility.

The origin of the whole story will be found in Genesis 15:7: I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees. Now Ur in Babylonish means a "city" as In Ur-Shalim (Jerusalem), "the City of Peace." And the Chaldaean Ur1 was the residence of Abraham. This name Ur closely resembles in speech another word, Or signifying light or fire. And so ages after, a Jewish Commentator2. Ignorant of. Babylonish, when translating the Scripture into Chaldean, put the above verse from Genesis, as follows: Im the Lord that delivered thee out of the Chaldean fiery oven. The Same Ignorant writer has also the following comment on Genesis 11:27: "Now this happened at the time when Nimrod cast Abraham into the oven of fire, because he would not worship the idols, that leave was withheld from the fire to hurt him - a strange confusion of words, - Ur the city, for Or light and fire. It is as if a Persian seeing notice of the departure of the English post, should put in his diary that an Englishman had lost his skin, - not knowing that the same word for skin in Persian means the Post in English. No wonder then that an ignorant Jew should have mistaken a word like this, and made it the foundation whereon to build the grand tale of Abraham's fiery Oven. But it is somewhat difficult to understand how a Prophet like Mohammed could have given credence to such a fable, and entered it in a revelation held to have come down from heaven. And yet the evidence of it all is complete, as quoted above from the Jewish writer. Apart from this we know from Genesis that Nimrod lived not in the days of Abraham but ages before his birth. The name indeed is not in the Coran, though freely given in the Moslem Commentaries and Tradition. As if a historian should tell us that Alexander the Great cast Nadir Shah into the fire, not knowing the ages that elapsed between the two, or that Nadir never was so thrown.

.3. Visit of the Queen of Saba (Sheba) to Solomon

The story of Balkis, Queen of Saba, as told at length in the Koran, corresponds so closely with what we find in the II. Targum of the Book of Esther, that it was evidently taken from it, as heard by Mohammed from some Jewish source. The following is from the

Surah of the Ant (27.17et seq):

His armies were gathered together unto Solomon, consisting of Genii, men and birds, and they were kept back...Solomon smiled at the ant and said: O I,ord! may I do that which is right and well pleasing unto thee, so that thou introduce me amongst thy servants the righteous. And he viewed the birds and said, Why is it that I see not the Hudhud (Lapwing)? Is she among the absent ones? Truly I will chastise her with a severe chastisement, or will put her to death unless she bring a just excuse. Hut she did not wait long, and said, I have viewed a country that thou hast not seen: and I come unto thee from Saba with certain news. I found a female ruling over them, surrounded with every kind of possession, and having a magnificent Throne. I found her and her people worshipping the Sun apart from God. Satan hath made their deeds pleasant unto them, and hath turned them aside from the right way, and they are not rightly directed, -- lest they should worship God who manifesteth that which is in heaven and earth, and knoweth what they conceal and what they discover. God! there is no God but he, the Lord of the great Throne! Solomon said: We shall see whether thou tellest the truth or art amongst the liars. Go with this my letter, and having delivered it to them turn aside, and see what answer they return. The Queen having received it, said: O ye Nobles! verily an honourable letter hath been delivered unto me. It is from Solomon. It is in the name of the Most Merciful God; "Rise not up against me; but come ye submissive unto me." She said: O ye Nobles! advise me in the affair; I will not resolve upon it, until ye be witnesses thereof. They said: We are men of strength and of great prowess; but the matter belongeth unto thee: see therefore what thou wilt command. She said: Verily kings when they enter a city waste it, and abuse its most powerful inhabitants; and so will they do. But I will send gifts unto them, and wait to see what the messengers will return with. So when they went to Solomon, he said: Ah! do ye present me with wealth? Verily that which God hath given unto me is better than that which he hath given you, but ye do rejoice in your gifts. Return unto them; we will surely come unto them with an army which they cannot withstand, and we shall drive them thence humbled and contemptible. O ye Nobles (he continued), which of you will bring me her Throne, before they come submissive unto me? A giant of the Genii cried, I will bring it unto thee before thou gettest up from thy place, for I am strong in this, and to be trusted. And one who had knowledge of the Scriptures: I will bring it unto thee before the twinkling of thine eye. Now when (Solomon) saw it placed before him he said: This is a favour of my Lord, that he may try me whether I am grateful or ungrateful; he that Is grateful is grateful for his own benefit but he that is ungrateful, verily the Lord is rich and beneficent. And (Solomon) said: Alter her throne, that we may see whether she be rightly directed, or be amongst those who are not rightly directed. And when she came, it was said, Is this thy throne? She said, It is as if it were; and knowledge hath been bestowed upon us before this, and we are resigned (Unto God). But that which she worshipped besides had turned her aside, for she Was of an unbelieving people. It was said to her, Enter the Palace. And when she saw it, she imagined that it was a great surface of water, and she uncovered her legs, when (Solomon) Said, Verily it is a palace floored with glass. And she said, Truly I have done injury to my own soul, and I resign myself, along with Solomon, unto God, the Lord of all creatures. (Surah 27. 20-45).

Such is the account the Koran gives us of Queen Of Saba. What it tells us of the Throne differs but little from the Targum, where it is said to have belonged to Solomon, and to have had no other like it in any land. There were six Steps of gold to ascend, and on each twelve golden Lions, while twelve eagles of gold were Perched around. Four-and-twenty other eagles cast their shadow from above upon the King, and when he wished to move anywhere, these powerful eagles descending would lift the Throne and carry it wherever he wished. Thus they performed, according to the Targum, the same duty the Koran tells us the Genii did. But otherwise inrespect of Queen Of Saba, her visit to Solomon, the letter sent by him to her, etc., there is a marvellous resemblance between the two, excepting this, indeed, that in place of the Lapwing of the Koran, the Targum Speaks of a Red-cock, - Not a very vital difference after all! The whole story is told in the Targum asfollows:-

II TARGUM of Ester

At another time, when the heart of Solomon was gladdened with wine, he gave orders for the beasts of the land, the birds of the air, the creeping things of the earth, the demons from above and the Genii, to be brought, that they might dance around him, in order that all the kings waiting upon him might behold his grandeur. And all the royal scribes summoned by their names before him; in fact, all were there except the captives and prisoners and those in charge of them. Just then the Red-cock, enjoying itself, could not be found; and King Solomon said that they should seize and bring it by force, and indeed he sought to kill it. But just then the cock appeared in presence of the King, and said: O Lord, King of the earth! having applied thine ear, listen to my words. It is hardly three months since I made a firm resolution within me that I would not eat a crumb of bread, nor drink a drop of water until I had seen the whole world, and over it make my flight, saying to myself, I must know the city and the kingdom which is not subject to thee, my Lord King. Then I found the fortified city Qitor in the Eastern lands, and around it are stones of gold and silver in the streets plentiful as rubbish, and trees planted from the beginning of the world, and rivers to water it, flowing out of the garden of Eden. Many men are there wearing garlands from the garden close by. They shoot arrows, but cannot use the bow. They are ruled by a woman, called Queen of Sheba. Now if it please my Lord King, thy servant, having bound up my girdle, will set out for the fort Qitor in Sheba; and having "bound their Kings with chains and their Nobles with links of iron," will bring them into thy presence. The proposal pleased the King, and the scribes prepared a dispatch, which was placed under the bird's wing, and away it flew high up in the sky. It grew strong surrounded by a crowd of birds, and reached the Fort of Sheba. By chance the Queen of Sheba was out in the morning worshipping the sea; and the air being darkened by the multitude of birds, she became so alarmed as to rend her clothes in trouble and distress. Just then the Cock alighted by her, and she seeing the letter under its wing opened and read it as follows: "King Solomon sendeth to thee his salaam, and saith, The high and holy One hath set me over the beasts of the field, etc.; and the kings of the four Quarters send to ask after my welfare. Now if it please thee to come and ask after my welfare, I will set thee high above them all. But if it please thee not, I will send kings and armies against thee; - the beasts of the field are my people, the birds of the air my riders, the demons and genii thine enemies, -- to imprison you, to slay and to feed upon you." When the Queen of Sheba heard it, she again rent her garments, and sending for her Nobles asked their advice. They knew not Solomon, but advised her to send vessels by the sea, full of beautiful ornaments and gems, together with 6000 boys and girls in purple garments, who had all been born at the same moment; also to send a letter promising to visit him by the end of the year. It was a journey of seven years but she promised to come in three. When at last she came, Solomon sent a messenger shining in brilliant attire, like the morning dawn, to meet her. As they came together, she stepped from her carriage. "Why dost thou thus?" he asked. "Art thou not Solomon?" she said. "Nay, I am but a servant that standeth in his presence." The queen at once addressed a parable to her followers in compliment to him, and then was led by him to the Court. Solomon hearing she had come, arose and sat down in the Palace of glass. When the Queen of Sheba saw it, she thought that the glass floor was water, and so in crossing over lifted up her garments. When Solomon seeing the hair about her legs, cried out to her: Thy beauty is the beauty of women, but thy hair is as the hair of men; hair is good in man, but in wonian It is not becoming. On this she said: My Lord, I have three enigmas to put to thee. If thou canst answer them, I shall know that thou art a wise man: but if not thou art like all around thee. When he had answered all three, she replied, astonished: Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath placed thee on the throne that thou mightest rule with right and justice. And she gave to Solomon much gold and silver; and he to her whatsoever she desired.

In the Jewish statement, we see that the Queen put several enigmas for Solomon to solve; and though this Is not mentioned in the Koran, it is In the Moslem traditions. And so with the story of her legs; for in the Aiaish al Majalis we find the following: - When the Queen was about to enter the Palace, she fancied the glass floor to be a sheet of water, and so She uncovered her legs, that is, to pass over to Solomon; and lo her legs and felt were covered with hair; which when Solomon saw, he turned his sight from her, and called out, The floor is plain glass.

Here we would ask whether there is any reality whatever in all this story. There is indeed so much as we find in the First Book of Kings, 10: 1-11 (also see 2 Chronicles 9 1-9) which is as follows:-

And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the I,ord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. I Kings 10:1-11

Now these are the facts of the Queen's visit, and all beyond mere fiction. The Jews themselves admit it to be so, - excepting, indeed, Solomon's magnificent Throne, though not its being carried aloft. The Koran account of Solomon ruling over Demons, Genii, etc., is in entire accord with what we have cited from the Targum; and it is curious to find, as learned Jews tell us, that the origin of the notion lay in the similarity of two Hebrew words 1., with two kindred words signifying demons and genii, and the ignorant Commentator confounding them together led to the strange error.

In concluding our notice of the fanciful tale which we have given from the Jewish Targum, we might say that it reminds one of such stories as we find in the "Arabian Nights." But strange that the Prophet could not have seen it so. Having heard it from his Jewish friends, he evidently fancied that it had been read by them in their inspired Scriptures, and as such introduced it, as we find, into the Koran.

4. Harat and Marut.

- There are many other stories in the Koran taken from the fanciful details of Jewish writers; but we shall content ourselves with this one other before entering on more general questions. We shall first recite the tale of those two Spirits as given in the Koran and Tradition, and then compare it

with the same as told by Jewish writers. The passage in the Coran is this:-- Solomon was not an unbeliever; but the Devils believed not. They taught men sorcery, and that which was sent down to the two angels at Babel, - Harat and Marut. Yet these taught no man until they had said, - Verily we are a temptation, therefore be not an unbeliever. (Surah 2:96)

The following is from the Araish al Majalis:-

The Commentators say that when the angels saw the evil doings of mankind ascending up to heaven (and that was in the days of Idris), they were distressed and complained thus against them: Thou hast chosen these to be the rulers upon earth, and lo they sin against thee. Then said the Almighty: If I should send you upon the earth, and treat you as I have treated them, ye would do just as they do They said, O our Lord, it would not become us to sin against thee. Then said the Lord, Choose two angels from the best of you, and I will send them down unto the earth. So they chose Harut and Marut; who were among the best and most pious amongst them.

Al Kalby's version:-- The Almighty said: Choose ye three: so they chose (Azz, i.e) Harut, and (Azabi, i.e.) Marut, and Azrael; and the Lord
1. 1. Meaning "a lady and ladies" in Ecclesiastes 2:8

changed the names of the two when they fell into sin, as he changed the name of the Devil, which was AzaziI. And God placed in their heart the same fleshly lust as in the sons of Adam; and sending them down to the earth, bade them to rule righteously amongst mankind, to avoid idolatry, not to kill but for a just cause, and to keep free from fornication and strong drink. Now when Azrael felt lust in his heart, he prayed the Lord to relieve him, and was taken up to heaven, and for forty years wan unable to raise his head for shame before his Maker. But the other two remained steadfast, judging the people during the day, and when night came ascending to the heavens, worshipping the name of the Almighty. Catada tells us that before a month had passed they fell into temptation; for Zohra. one of the most beautiful of women (whom Aly tells us was queen of a city in Persia), had a suit before them, and when they saw her they fell in love with her, and sought to have her, but she refused and went away. The second day she came again, and they did the same; but she said, Nay, unless ye worship what I worship, and bow down to this idol, or kill a soul, or drink wine. They replied, It is impossible for us to do these things, which God hath forbidden; and she departed. The third day again she came holdIng a cup of wine, and her heart inclined towards them; so when they desired her, she said the same as yesterday, but they replied, To pray to other than God is a serious thing, and so is the killing of anyone; the easiest of the three is to drink wine: so they drank the wine, and becoming intoxicated Fell upon her and committed adultery: and one saw it, and they slew him. And it is said that they worshipped an idol, and the Lord changed Zohra into a star. Aly and others tell us that she said, Come not near me till you teach me that by which ye can ascend to the heavens They said, We ascend by the name of the great God. Again she said, Come not near me till ye teach me what that is. So they taught her; and forthwith she, repeating it, ascended to the skies, and the Lord changed her Into a star.

Turning now to the Jews, the same account is given In two or three places of the Talmud, especially in this extract from the Midrash Yalkut: (Capp 44)

Rabbi Joseph being asked by his disciples about Azael, told them as follows:-- After the Flood, idolatrous worship prevailing, the Holy One Was angry. Then two angels, Shamhazai and Azael arose and addressing him Said, O Lord of the Universe, when thou createdst the world, did we not say to thee, What is man that thou art mindful of him? and now we are anxious about him. The Lord replied: I well know that if ye be sent to rule over the earth, your evil passions will have possession of you, and ye will become tyrants over mankind. They answered: If thou wilt give us leave, and we shall dwell amongst them, thou shalt see in what wise we shall sanctify thy name. Go then, he said, and dwell amongst them.

Soon after, Shamhazai saw a beautiful maiden called Esther, and turning his eyes upon her to come and be with him, she said, I cannot surrender myself to thee until thou teach me that great name by which thou canst ascend to the heavens above. He told her, and she having spoken it, ascended upwards undefiled. ~Then said the Holy One, -- Since she hath kept herself clear from defilement, she shall be raised aloft amid the Seven Stars, there to give praise unto the Lord. Forthwith the two went forth and consorted with the beautiful daughters of men, and children were born unto them. And Azael adorned the women he was inclined to with all kinds of beautiful ornaments.

(Azrael is the same as in the Talmud is called Azael)

Now anyone comparing the two stories together, must see that they agree, excepting that in the Moslem one the angels are called Harut and Marut, and in the Jewish, Shamhazai and Azael. But if we search whence the names in the Koran and Tradition came, it will be seen that Harut and Marut were two idols worshipped far back in Armenia. For in writers of that country they are so spoken of, as in the following passage from one of them:

Certainly Horot and Morot, tutelary deities of mount Ararat, and Aminabegh, and perhaps others now not known, were Assistants to the female goddess Aspandaramlt. These aidedher, and were excellent on the earth.

In this extract, Aspandaramlt is the name of the goddess worshipped of old in Iran also; for we are told that the Zoroastrians regarded her as the Spirit of the Earth, and held that all the good products of the earth arise from her. Aminabegh also was held by the Armenians to be the god of vineyards, and they named Horot and Morot the assistants of the Spirit of the Earth, seeing that they held them as spirits who had control over the wind so as to make it bring rain. They sat on the top of the lofty mountain Ararat, and sent down showers that fertilized the earth; the two were thus rulers of the wind. 1 The Armenians, - fancying that Morot came from Mor, genitive of Mair, "Mother," - formed Horot in the same way from Hair, "Father." When also it is said that the two angels came down to propagate mankind, the meaning is that they caused the earth to bring forth its produce for that end. Zohra in Hebrew reads as Ishtar or Esther, the same as of old was worshipped in Babylon and Syria as the goddess over the birth of children and promoter of passion and desire. In proof of all this, we find in the ruins between the Tigris and Euphrates the name Ishtar on the primeval tiles. The story of one Gilgamlsh, with whom Ishtar fell in love but was rejected, has been decyphered in ancient Babylonian character upon these tiles. Ishtar came to him having the crown upon her head and asked him to kiss her, and with many loving words and gifts to be her husband, when he would in her Palace have a quiet and happy life. Gilgamish in derision rejected her offer, whereupon she ascended to the sky and appeared before the God of the heavens. 3 It is remarkable that the idolators of Babylon are shown in this primeval story to have held that Ishtar, that is Zohra, ascended on high, - exactly as is told us in Moslem tradition, as also in the Jewish commentaries.

Now if we search for the Source of the above tale, we shall no doubt find it in what the Talmud says of the angels associating with women, in its commentary on the two verses in Genesis quoted below.1. Speaking of the second verse, a Jewish commentator gives us the following interpretation: - "It was Shamhazai and Uzziel who in those days came down from heaven." Hence we see that the whole imaginative tale has come out of the mistake of this and other ignorant commentators. For the word giant, as shown below, was misconstrued by them to signify not those who tyrannically "fell" on the poor people around them, but angels who "came down, or fell, from heaven." 4 And this unhappy mistake has led to the spread of the strange idol-worship just narrated. Nor was there any apparent reason for the mistake; since in the Targum we find the name (Nefilim) explained in its right and natural sense as

"giants." But by and by the Jews came to love the wild tales that spread abroad; and so in a counterfeit book ascribed to Enoch, we are told that 200 angels under Samyaza (i.e. Shamhazai) came down from the heavens to commit adultery on the earth, as we read:-

The angels of heaven having seen the daughters of men, fell in love with them, and said to one another, Let us take for ourselves these women, the daughters of mankind, and beget children for ourselves. And Samyaza, who was their chief, said....Azaziel taught men to make swords, daggers, and shields, and taught them to wear breastplates. And for the women they made ornaments of kinds, bracelets, jewels, collyrium to beautify their eyelids, lovely stones of great pice, dresses of beautiful colours, and current money.

Let it be remembered also that we have mention of this in the Koran:- Men learned from these two (Harut and Marut) that by which to cause a division between a man and his wife; but they did not injure any one thereby excepting by leave of God; and they learned that which would hurt them and not profit them. (Surah 2:96) This is similar to what we have seen above in the Midrash Yalkut, where we are told that Azael
1. The origin of the name is traced still fllrther East to the ancient Sanskrit wind-gods the Maruls.2 The original Babylonish text is here given, as indeed the Author does in most of the Oriental quotations. A close translation is also given, but only the general purport is here attempted.3. Genesis 6:2-4"The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and took them wives of all which they chose...There were giants in those days,...when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children unto them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown." The "sons of God," according to our Author, mean righteous men of the seed of Seth. The Commentator quoted is Jonathan son of Uzziel.There is a Sanskrit story of the similar ascent of two angels, and a Houry like Zohra, from which the Armenians may possibly have taken their tale; and from this idolatrous source the Jews no doubt received it; and from them, the Moslems. 4 The term is Nefilim, i.e. persons who fell upon the helplessaround them and committed violence and oppression on the earth.

embellished the daughters of men with ornaments to make them lovely and attractive.

But enough has been said to show that the story of Harut and Marut, as we find it in the Coran and Moslem books, has been derived from Jewish sources.

FIFTH

A few other things taken by Islam from the Jews. - If time permitted, we could easily tell of many other narratives in the Koran, not in our Scriptures but taken from foolish tales of the Jews, about Joseph, David, Saul, etc-.; but space will not permit, excepting for a few. Here, for example, is the account of "·Sinai overhead" as we have it in Surah 7. 172: And when we raised the mountain over them, as though it had been a canopy, and they imagined that it was falling upon them, (we said) Receive that which we have sent unto you with reverence, and remember that which is therein, if may be that ye take heed; and we have two other passages (vv. 60 and 87) in Surah Bekr to the same effect; -- the meaning being that when the Jews held back from accepting the Torah, the Lord lifted Mount Sinai over their heads to force their reception of it. The same tale is given by a Hebrew writer thus: "I raised the mount to be a covering over you, as it were a lid."1. It need hardly be said that there is nothing of the kind in the Torah. The tale, however, may have arisen (Exodus 32:19) from the fact that when Moses returning from Mount Sinai, saw his people worshipping the calf, "his anger waxed hot and he cast the tables (of the Law) out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount." The words "beneath the mount," simply mean that he cast the tables down at the foot of Mount Sinai. And hence all this wild fiction of the mountain being lifted over their heads! We can only compare it to a like Hindoo tale of a mountain similarly lifted over the people's heads, very much resembling what we have in the Koran.

Here are one or two other tales of Moses in the wilderness; and first, that of the Golden Calf which came out of the fire kindled by the people at Sinai. The Koran

tells us that Sameri also cast (what he had into the fire) and brought out unto them a bodily calf which lowed.(Surah 20:9) The origin of this fiction we find in a Jewish writer.2 as follows: "The calf having cried aloud, came forth, and the children of Israel saw it. Rabbi Yahuda says that Sammael from the inside of it made the cry of the calf in order to lead the Israelites astray." No doubt the Prophet in this matter got his information from the Jews; strange that he should have been led to adopt this baseless tale. But he has used the wrong name Al Sameri. The name of the people, of course, occurs often in the Bible, and the Jews regarded the Samaritans as their enemies; but as the city of Samaria did not arise till some four hundred years after Moses, it is difficult to imagine how it came to be entered in this story.3. We also note that in this matter the Koran is in opposition to the Torah, which tells us that Aaron was the person who for fear of the Israelites around him, had the molten calf set up. Another story, given us twice in the Koran, (Surah 2:28, Surah 4:152) is that when the Israelites insisted on seeing the Lord, they were punished by death, but eventually restored to life again; and to add to the foolish tale we are told that it was the Torah which appealed for help and thus obtained their revival.

SIXTH

A few other Jewish matters. - In the Koran are a number of Chaldaean and Syrian words which the Moslems have been unable rightly to explain, find it written of the Genii that "they listened behind the curtain" in order to gain knowledge of things to come.

In Surah 1. 29, we read:- On the day we shall say unto hell, Art thou full? and ii shall reply, Is there yet any more? Similarly in a Jewish author:-- "The Prince of Hell shall say, day by day, (;ive me food that I may be full."

In Surahs 11. 42 and 23. 27, it is said of the Flood, The oven boiled over; and in a Jewish work we have this: "The people of the Flood were punished with boiling water." These similarities are interesting as showing the close connection between the Koran and Jewish remarks; but enough has been given of them.
1. From the Jewish story in the Abodah Sarah.2 Pirke Rabbi Eleazer.3. No. doubt the Prophet thought that the Jews said Sameri (Samaritan) when they said Sammael. They regarded Sammael as the angel of death.

SEVENTH

Religious usage’s of Islam taken from the Jews. ?'here are many such, but it will suffice to mention two or three. We have seen that keeping the fast of Ramadan has been taken from the Sabaeans and not the Jews, still there is one point certainly coming from the latter, and that regards eating and drinking at night during the month. In Surah 2. 83, we read: Eat and drink until ye can distinguish a white thread from a black thread by the day-break, then fulfil the fast. In a Jewish book (Mishnah Berakhoth) we find it similarly laid down that "the beginning of the day is at the moment when one can but distinguish a blue thread from a white thread," - a striking coincidence.

Again, Moslems of all lands, at the fixed time of their five prayers, wherever they happen to be, whether in the house or in the street, perform their devotions on the spot, - especially at places where people are passing by. This strange practice is entirely confined to them, and would be seemly In no other religion. But in the days of the Prophet there were Jews in Arabia who used this habit; for many of them were descended from the Pharisees, of whom our Savior said:- "They love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men." (Matt. 6:5) Thus the Companions of Mohammed looking upon the Jews as the People of the Book and children of father Abraham, regarded such practices as having descended from him, and so adopted, and have continued them to the present day, as we see, unchanged, though they are no longer kept up by the Jews themselves.

Does it not seem strange to the Reader, that although the Koran repeatedly attests our Scriptures as the Word of God, yet but one quotation is taken from them; viz. Surah 21. 105, - Verily we have written in the Psalms after the mention (of the Law) that my servants the righteous shall inherit the earth; an evident reference to Psalm 37. 11; - "But the meek shall inherit the earth ."

Two other matters borrowed from the Jews. Every Moslem thinks the Koran to have been on the heavenly Table (Lauh) from before the creation of the world, as is mentioned in a passage already quoted:- Truly it is the glorious Koran, on a preserved Table. (Surah 85:21,22) Now before saying anything about this Table, one may ask, was the Book of the Psalms in existence before the Koran or not? For we have given above a verse in which is revealed the inheritance given by the Lord to his servants, as mentioned in the Psalms before the Koran was revealed. The Koran quotes from the Psalms: is it not clear, therefore, that the Psalms were before the Koran? How then could the Koran, produced so late in the world, have been placed on the heavenly Table?

Now let us hear what Tradition tells us about this Table:-

One tells us that the Throne is made out of a pearl, as is also the Preserved Table, the height of which is 700 years' journey, and its breadth 300. All around it is adorned with rubies. The Lord commanded that there should be written upon it what he had wrought in Creation, and onwards till the Day of Judgment:-- "In the name of the Lord, the Compassionate and Merciful. I am God and there is none else beside me. He that accepts my decree, is patient at my punishment, and thankful at my mercies, I will write and place him along with the righteous; he that doth not accept my decree, let him go forth from beneath my heaven," etc.' (Quissas al Anbia)

The Source of this tale is to be found in Jewish books, but vastly exaggerated by the Moslems. We find in the Torah that when God desired to give forth the Ten commandments, he thus addressed Moses, who has himself given the account in Deut. 10:1-5

At that time the Lord said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark. And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount our of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the Lord gave them unto me. And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which had made; and there they be, as the Lord commanded me.

Elsewhere also we are told that the two Tables were preserved in the Ark of the Covenant, made by Moses at the Lord's command.' (Exodus 24:12, I Kings 8:9 Hebrews 9:3,4) But in course of time the Jews imagined that all the books of the Old Testament, nay the Talmud itself, were deposited in the Ark on the Tables, Mohammed hearing this of the Jewish Law and Scriptures, imagined the same of his own, and said (as we are told above) that the Koran also was placed on the Preserved Table; and his followers not understanding of what heavenly Table he spoke, swelled out the whole matter into the story given above. The following is from a Jewish writer, Rabbi Simeon:-

What is that which is written that the Lord said to Moses: Come up to me into the mount, and be there; and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them (Exodus 24:12) The tables are the Ten Commandments; and the Torah the Law which is read; and the Commandments also mean the Mishnah; and "that which I have written" means the Prophets, and the Holy Writings; and "that thou mayest teach them" points to the Gemara. And from this we learn that all these were delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai.

No intelligent Moslem would for a moment credit this foolish story, knowing that the Mishna was not written till about the year 220 of the Christian era; the Gemara of Jerusalem in 430 A.D.; and the Gemara of Babylon about 530 A.D. But ignorant Moslems believing it all, added their own Koran to the rest, and so comes this wretched story. The Reader will not think it necessary, we are sure, that anything more of the above kind be added, excepting this, perhaps, that the Jews themselves hold the Tables to be of date beyond time; for one tells us they were made "at the creation of the world at the sunset before the Sabbath day."(Pirke Aboth, v. 6)

THE MOUNT CALF

The origin of what the Moslems tell us about this mountain clearly originated from the Jews. Here is what the Tradition of the Moslems tell us:2(Araish al Majalis)

The Lord Almighty formed a great mountain from green chrysolite, - the greenness of the sky is from it, -- called Mount calf and surrounded the entire earth therewith, and it is that by which the Almighty swore, and called it Calf (see Surah 1.1).

And again:-

One day Abdallah asked the Prophet what formed the highest point of the earth. "Mount Calf," he said. "And what is Mount Calf made of?" "Of green emeralds," was the reply; "and from hence is the greenness of the sky." "Thou hast said the truth, O Prophet; and what is the height of Mount Calf?" "A journey of five hundred years.~~ "And round about it how far is it?" "Two thousand years' journey."

Now all these strange ideas are founded on the Jewish writing called Hagigah, where we meet with the following comment on the word thohu in Genesis 1:2 "Thohh is a green line (Cav or Calf which surrounds the whole world, and hence comes darkness." And so the Companions of the Prophet hearing this explanation of the word Cav, and not understanding what was meant, fancied it must be a mountain, or succession of great mountains, surrounding the world and making it dark. From all that has now been said, it must be clear tothe Reader that the Jewish writings, and specially the fanciful tales of the Talmud, formed one of the chief Sources of Islam. And now we must turn our attention to the similar influence on Islam exercised by the Christian religion, and especially by those foolishstories which in the Prophet's day the heretical sects, with their forged and got-up tales, spread abroad.

JEWISH FAITH

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JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADER

ISRAEL FLAG

STAR OF DAVID

JEWISH ALPHABET.

MENORAH

TORAH

JEWISH ICON

MENORAH

ROMAN EXILE OF JEWISH
(YAHUDI YANG DIBUNAG NEGERI OLEH KERAJAAN ROMAN)

SEDAR

DREIDEL

TEMPLE
DURA TEMPLE

HANUKAH

JEWS ANCESTORS

RELIGIOUS SECT

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MAZHAB DAN FIRQAH DI DALAM AGAMA YAHUDI.

Agama Yahudi sepertimana agama lain mempunyai pelbagai fahaman dan mazhab, di mana setiap mazhab mendakwa bahawa mereka adalah yang terbaik berbanding dengan yang lain.

Perkara utama yang menjadi perbezaan di antara mazhab-mazhab tersebut ialah pengiktirafan mereka terhadap kitab Talmud dan kepercayaan terhadap kebangkitan selepas kematian.

Di antara mazhab utama dalam agama Yahudi ialah :-

a. Farasiyun (Rabbaniyun) d. Hadasiyun
b. Soduqiyun e. Samiriyun
c. katabah f. Qurraayun.

Golongan Farasiyun lahir selepas kejatuhan kerajaan Bani Israel di Palestin yang disebabkan oleh serangan orang-orang Babylon, golongan ini menyeru Bani Israel agar kembali berpegang kepada aqidah mereka yang asal sebelum kejatuhan kerajaan mereka. Mereka berkeyakinan bahawa hanya dengan kembali kepada ajaran yang sebenar sahaja yang mampu untuk mengembalikan kegemilangan mereka.

Mereka beriman dengan hari akhirat dan kebangkitan selepas kematian. Pada pandangan mereka balasan baik hanyalah terhadap orang-orang yang soleh dan ia akan berlaku di atas muka bumi ini. Adapun orang-orang yang jahat dan derhaka, mereka akan mati.

Mereka juga beriman bahawa di samping kitab Taurat, terdapat sebuah kitab yang bernama Talmut yang mana ia juga adalah kitab suci. Para pendita mereka yang bergelar Hakamah adalah maksum iaitu terpelihara dari segala kesilapan dan kedosaan. Aqidah ini begitu menebal di dalam jiwa orang-orang Yahudi sehinggakan jika seorang Hakamat berkata kepada seseorang bahawa tangan kirinya adalah tangan kanannya, orang itu haruslah membenarkan kata-kata Hakamat tersebut dari dirinya sendiri.

Sebenarnya golangan "Farasiun" adalah sebuah gerakan politik yang berasaskan agama dan bertujuan untuk mengembalikan negara Israel. Mereka kadang-kadang menggunakan keganasan dan kekerasan untuk mencapai matlamat mereka. Cogankata yang mereka gunakan ialah "matlamat menghalalkan cara".

Golongan "Assodiqiun" pula mengingkari balasan dan hari kebangkitan. Mereka beriman bahawa balasan baik dan buruk hanyalah di dunia ini sahaja.

Mereka tidak mengiktiraf akan kesucian kitab Talmut kerana hanya kitab Taurat sahaja yang menjadi panduan hidup mereka. Golongan ini terdiri daripada orang-orang bangs.a.w.an yang menghormati undang-undang negara dan agama yang lain selagi tidak bercanggah dengan ajaran Taurat.

"Hasadiun" pula bererti mereka yang menjadikan kezuhudan sebagai cara hidup mereka. Golongan ini lahir pada zaman pemerintahan kerajaan Mokabi di sekitar tahun 173-175 sebelum masihi. Mereka amat berbeza jika dibandingkan dengan golongan yang lain dari segi ibadah dan adat resam. Orang-orang Hasadiun mengharamkan segala bentuk penyembelihan dan korban. Dari segi syariat pula, mereka menolak fahaman pembezaan etnik di antara Yahudi dan bukan Yahudi. Mereka menyeru kepada kaum Yahudi agar hidup secara aman dan damai bersama kaum yang lain. Mereka mengharamkan perniagaan dan penipuan serta mengajak kepada kehidupan yang zuhud dan menjauhkan diri dari perempuan. Ini berbeza dengan ajaran yang dibawa oleh agama Yahudi yang mana perkahwinan merupakan kewajipan agama.

Golongan "Qurraun" merupakan pengikut kepada Anan bin Daud iaitu salah seorang dari ulamak di kalangan orang Yahudi yang hidup di Baghdad pada zaman pemerintahan Abu Jaafar Al-Mansur. Mereka hanya mengiktiraf kitab Taurat sebagai kitab suci dan menggunakan ijtihad dalam meletakkan beberapa perundangan dalam agama Yahudi.

Golongan "Katabah" pada asalnya merupakan penyalin atau tukang tulis kitab suci kepada sesiapa yang menghendakinya.

PENYELEWENGAN TAURAT DAN PENDIRIAN ISLAM TERHADAPNYA.

Di dalam beberapa ayat Al-Quran ada menyatakan bahawa Allah SWT telah menurunkan beberapa buah kitab kepada para nabinya. Di antara kitab-kitab tersebut ialah Taurat, Injil, Zabur, Suhuf Ibrahim dan Musa. Apabila kita perhatikan kepada ayat-ayat Al-Quran yang menceritakan mengenai kitab-kitab tersebut, ia boleh disimpulkan kepada dua bahagian yang utama:-

i. Sebahagian dari kitab-kitab tersebut masih kekal dengan keaslianya sebagaimana
ia diturunkan.
ii.Sebahagian yang lain pula telah diubah dan sebahagian yang lain pula telah hilang atau disembunyikan.

Dalam perbicaraan ini kita akan menjadikan Al-Quran sebagai pengukur kepada kebenaran, keaslian dan kesohehan isi kitab-kitab tersebut.Firman ALLAH S.W.T: (Telah kami turunkan kepada mu wahai Muhammad Al-Quran dengan kebenaran yang akan membenarkan dengan apa yang terdapat di tangan kamu dari kitab-kitab yang terdahulu) Al-Maidah : 48.

Contoh yang pertama adalah sama seperti yang disebut di dalam Safar pembentukan alam iaitu mengenai tempoh penciptaan langit dan bumi selama 6 hari. Begitu juga umur Nabi Nuh a.s iaitu selama 950 tahun.

Contoh yang kedua pula sama seperti yang terdapat di dalam Safar pembentukan alam yang menceritakan bahawa Allah telah beristirehat dari kepenatan mencipta langit dan bumi pada hari yang ketujuh iaitu hari sabtu. Mengikut sejarah, kitab Taurat yang diturunkan kepada Nabi Musa yang mana ia diletakkan di dalam sebuah peti telah hilang dari tangan orang-orang Yahudi beberapa kurun. Apabila peti tersebut telah dapat diambil kembali oleh Thalut dari tangan orang-orang Kan'an kemudian dibuka, didapati beberapa helai tulisan sahaja yang mengandungi 10 wasiat. Ini bertepatan seperti yang ditegaskan di dalam Al-Quran (Dan ia adalah saki-baki dari apa yang telah ditinggalkan oleh Nabi Musa dan Nabi Harun.)

Kesimpulan dari beberapa dalil dan pengakuan yang dibuat oleh para sarjana bahawa kitab Taurat telah diubah, disembunyikan dan kadang-kadang sengaja dilupakan kandungannya yang asal. Secara keseluruhannya, kitab Taurat bukan lagi sebuah kitab yang asli seperti yang telah diturunkan kepada Nabi musa.

Pendirian Islam terhadap apa yang terdapat di dalam kitab Taurat, secara kesimpulannya terbahagi kepada tiga jenis:-

i. Menepati dengan apa yang terdapat di dalam Al-Quran dan Sunnah.
Perkara seperti ini diterima kerana ia bertepatan dengan Al- Quran dan Hadis.
ii. Ia bercanggah dengan apa yang terdapat di dalam Al- Quran dan As-Sunnah. Sudah semestinya ia ditolak dan wajib bagi kita untuk mendustakannya.
iii. Ia tidak disebut di dalam Al-Quran dan juga As-Sunnah tetapi tidak bercanggah dengan kedua-duanya. Contohnya seperti nama orang atau tempat.

Perkara seperti ini kita tidak boleh menolak dan membenarkannya. Ia hanya sekadar penghuraian bukannya suatu hujah bagi kita. Ini berpandukan kepada sebuah hadis yang telah dikeluarkan oleh Bukhari di dalam kitab At-Tauhid yang berbunyi: " Jangan kamu membenarkan apa-apa yang diriwayatkan oleh ahli kitab dan jangan pula kamu mendustakannya tetapi berkatalah kami beriman kepada Allah dan apa yang diturunkan kepada kami".

RUJUKAN
1.Al-Qur'anul Karim dan terjemahannya.
2. Kitab perjanjian lama.
3. Yahudi.Profesor Ahmad Shalabi.
4. Pengantar pengajian agama.Doktor Safwat Hamid.
5. Kajian mengenai kitab Taurat.Doktor Aminah Mohd. Nasir.

JEWISH PRINCIPLES OF FAITH

2007-03-06T22:39:00.001-08:00

KITAB SUCI ORANG YAHUDI.

Dikalangan orang-orang Yahudi terdapat dua kitab suci iaitu:-

a . Perjanjian lama.
b . Talmut.

Melihat kepada pendapat yang terkuat, kitab perjanjian lama adalah lebih utama dari kitab Talmut walaupun ada dikalangan sarjana pengajian ilmu ketuhanan mengatakan bahawa kitab Talmut lebih utama dari kitab perjanjian lama. Namun, saya lebih cenderung kepada pendapat yang pertama dan akan membicarakan mengenai kitab perjanjian lama sahaja dengan menyentuh pengamalan terhadap kitab Talmut

Kitab Talmut ialah tulisan tulisan riwayat-riwayat yang dinukilkan daripada pendita-pendita Yahudi dari generasi ke generasi. Talmut bolehlah dianggap sebagai pentafsilan kepada ajaran yang terdapat di dalam kitab perjanjian lama.

Kitab perjanjian lama merupakan kitab suci di kalangan orang-orang Yahudi dan Kristian. Namun, terdapat perbezaan diantara mazhab Katolik dan Prosteston dalam mengiktiraf beberapa Safar dalam kitab perjanjian lama.

Mazhab Katolik mengiktiraf sebanyak 46 Safar termasuklah 5 Safar Musa yang dinamakan dengan Taurat. Manakala Prosteston pula, hanya mengiktiraf 39 Safar sahaja termasuk Safar Musa (Taurat).

Kitab suci perjanjian lama merupakan ajaran, syariat, akhlak, bacaan, doa dan sejarah perjalanan Bani Israel. Ia terbahagi kepada Safar-safar yang boleh diertikan sebagai surah-surah di dalam Al-Quran. Selain itu, ia juga terbahagi kepada Al-Ashah. Beberapa Ashah pada setiap Safar adalah sama pengertian dengan hizib di dalam surah-surah Al-Quran.

Kitab perjanjian lama terbahagi kepada 4 bahagian utama :-

a . Kitab Musa atau Safar 5 ( Pantateuch ).
b . Safar-safar sejarah.
c . Safar-safar doa dan syair.
d . Safar kenabian.

Saya akan membicarakan secara ringkas mengenai Safar Musa atau Taurat manakala bakinya akan disebut pengenalannya sahaja. Ini kerana Safar Musa atau Taurat merupakan kesimpulan ajaran yang dibawa dalam agama Yahudi.

SAFAR MUSA.

Safar Musa dikenali sebagai Safar 5 atau Taurat. Ia adalah sebahagian dari kitab perjanjian lama dan mengandungi 5 Safar iaitu:-

a . Safar ciptaan alam.
b . Safar penghijrahan.
c . Safar pengulangan.
d . Safar Kaum Lawai.
e . Safar Bilangan.

"Safar ciptaan alam" diberi nama sempena sejarah penciptaan alam, Adam dan Hawa yang diturunkan ke bumi bersama anak-anaknya setelah memakan pohon yang dilarang. Ia juga menceritakan tentang Nabi Nuh a.s. dengan peristiwa taufan, Nabi Ibrahim serta keturunannya Ishak dan Yaakub, Nabi Yaakub dan anak-anaknya, Nabi Yusuf dan kehidupannya di Mesir dan berakhir dengan kisah kematian Nabi Yusuf a.s.

"Safar penghijrahan" pula mengisahkan tentang keadaan Bani Israel selepas kewafatan Nabi Yusuf dan kezaliman raja Mesir terhadap mereka. Ia juga mengandungi cerita mengenai kelahiran Nabi Musa a.s., mukjizat yang Allah berikan kepadanya, kisahnya yang membawa Bani Israel keluar dari Mesir dan berjaya menyeberangi lautan sehinggalah mereka sampai ke timur Jordan. Safar ini juga menceritakan tentang 10 wasiat yang diwahyukan oleh Allah kepada Nabi Musa sebagai ajaran dan larangan kepada Bani Israel.

"Safar kaum Lawi" dinisbahkan kepada puak Levi yang mana ia adalah salah satu dari 12 puak Bani Israel. Hasil dari keturunannya, lahir Nabi Musa dan Nabi Harun a.s. Safar ini merupakan safar yang menceritakan tentang syariat dan perundangan yang perlu dipatuhi oleh orang-orang Yahudi dalam kehidupan seharian mereka.

"Safar bilangan" pula bersempena dengan peristiwa Nabi Musa yang membilang pemuda-pemuda yang berumur dalam lingkungan 20 tahun ke atas selepas mereka terselamat dari Firaun - Mesir iaitu seramai 603550 orang kecuali pemuda dari puak Levi.

"Safar Ulangan" pula ialah safar yang mengulangi dan menyempurnakan hukum-hakam dan syarat yang terdapat dalam safar Levi.

SAFAR SEJARAH

Safar Sejarah mengandungi 16 safar iaitu:-

a. Safar Yasyu'. (Seorang panglima perang yang telah berjaya
membawa Bani Israel masuk ke kota Palestin.)

b. Safar Hakim. (Mereka ialah para hakim yang memerintah Bani Israel ketika awal mereka berada di bumi Palestin.)

c. Safar Raja I.

d. Safar Raja II.

e. Safar Raja III.

f. Safar Raja IV.

g. Safar Hari-hari I.

h. Safar Hari-hari II.

i. Safar Raaus. (Nenek kepada Nabi Daud dari sebelah ayahnya.)

j. Safar Azra.

k. Safar Nahmia.

l. Safar Tubia.

m. Safar Astir. (Seorang panglima Israel yang telah berkahwin dengan raja Parsi dan telah menyelamatkan bangsa Israel.)

n . Safar Yahoudid.

o . Safar Mukabi I.

p . Safar Mukabi II.

SAFAR DOA DAN SYAIR.

Safar ini mengandungi 6 safar yang bermula dengan:-

a . Safar Ayub. d . Safar Himpunan.
b . Safar Mazanir. e . Safar Lagu.
c . Safar Pujangga. f . Safar Kesedihan Armia.

SAFAR KENABIAN.

Safar kenabian terdiri dari:-

a. Ashaia. h. Amus. o. Hiji.
b. Armia. i. Oubdia. p. Zakaria.
c. Barukh. j. Yunan. q. Malakhi.
d. Hazkial. k. Mikha. r. Safar Hikmah.
e. Dania. l. Nahum. s.Yasyu'Sirakh.
f. Husya'. m. Hebkuk.
g. Yuail. n. Sofnia.

Kitab perjanjian lama merupakan himpunan cerita-cerita dongeng,kata-kata hikmah,pesanan dan syariat.Uslub penulisannya berbeza diantara satu safar dengan safar yang lain.Kadang-kadang ia ditulis dalam bentuk syair ataupun biasa dengan membawa roh yang menggambarkan penderitaan dan kesedihan.Ia juga kadang-kadang ditulis dalam bentuk yang ganas dan tidak bertamadun.

BEBERAPA PERSOALAN PERBANDINGAN.

a. Ketuhanan seperti yang terdapat dalam kitab perjanjian lama.
b. Sifat-sifat tuhan dalam kitab perjanjian lama.
c. Sifat-sifat para nabi dalam kitab perjanjian lama.
d. Hari Kiamat.

Sesungguhnya semua agama yang diturunkan oleh Allah menyeru kepada mentauhidkannya. "Sesungguhnya telah kami utuskan untuk semua ummah para utusan bagi mengajak mereka menyembah Allah dan menjauhkan diri daripada Thoghut". (Surah al-Nahl : 26).

Begitulah peranan para rasul dan nabi dalam mentauhidkan Allah. Nabi Musa adalah nabi yang pertama diutuskan oleh Allah untuk umat Israel. Beliau mengajak umat Israel menyembah Allah dan mengesakan-Nya. Ini jelas terdapat dalam Al-Quran juga At-Taurat walaupun telah diselewengkan seperti yang disebut di dalam wasiat 10 yang berbunyi:- "Jangan ada di kalangan kamu tuhan yang lain di hadapanku. Jangan kamu mengambil patung yang diukir atau sesuatu gambar dan apa-apa yang ada di langit di atas dan di bawah, di dalam air dan di bawah bumi. Janganlah sekali-kali kamu sujud kepada tuhan selain dariKu dan menyembah mereka." -Safar penghijrahan Ishah ke-20, ayat 3.

Kitab perjanjian lama telah menceritakan kepada kita bahawa Bani Israel tidak berpegang kepada ajaran yang dibawa oleh Nabi Musa. Contohnya seperti kisah lembu Samiri, mereka tetap menyembahnya dan mengingkari Allah walaupun Nabi Musa masih hidup. Begitu juga selepas kewafatan Yusya' bin Nuh, sekali lagi mereka mengsyirikkan Allah. Mereka telah menyembah apa yang disembah oleh tuhan orang-orang Asyur yang bernama Ba'lim. Salah seorang raja Bani Israel yang bernama Yusijia telah membersihkan tempat ibadat mereka dari ribuan berhala dan patung yang disembah dengan menghancur dan membakarnya. Sekaligus menghalau para pendita yang mengajak Bani Israel menyembah berhala. Di awal perpecahan kerajaan Israel Yarbaam, raja kerajaan Israel telah membuat sebuah patung yang berupa anak lembu dari emas tulen sebagai sembahan dan tempat penyembelihan bagi orang-orang Yahudi untuk mengelakkan mereka dari pergi ke Our Shalim, ibu negara kerajaan Yahuza yang dipimpin oleh Yarbaam.

Apabila kita membaca kitab perjanjian lama, kita akan dapati Bani Israel telah beberapa kali mengsyirikkan tuhan mereka dengan menyembah pelbagai patung sama ada ia dari kaum di sekeliling mereka atau yang dibuat oleh mereka sendiri.

Sifat-sifat tuhan yang terdapat di dalam kitab perjanjian lama merupakan gambaran kepada kecenderungan Bani Israel dan keperibadian mereka. Jadi, bukanlah suatu perkara yang pelik jika tuhan yang digambarkan oleh kitab perjanjian lama bersifat ganas, penipu, perompak dan tidak bermaruah. Seolah-olah mereka menggambarkan bahawa tuhan mereka adalah ketua kepada kumpulan penyamun.

Seperti yang disebut di dalam "safar pembentukan alam" bahawa tuhan telah menyerupai seorang manusia dan bergelut dengan Nabi Yaakub sehingga ke subuh. Tuhan tidak mampu mengalahkan Nabi Yaakub melainkan dengan menggunakan satu tipu helah yang berjaya mematahkan peha Nabi Yaakub.

Ini jelas terbukti apabila tuhan Yahudi itu membatalkan hasratnya untuk menghancurkan hamba-hambanya yang menyembah berhala setelah dipujuk oleh nabi Musa. Sebaliknya dia merasa sedih dan menyesal.

Apabila kita ingin memperkatakan tentang sifat para nabi, semestinya kita akan menyifatkan mereka dengan sebaik-baik sifat kerana mereka adalah rasul dan pilihan Allah di atas muka bumi. Namun sebaliknya yang berlaku dalam kitab perjanjian lama kerana ia telah meletakkan para nabi di suatu tempat yang tidak selayaknya. Kadang-kadang ia menganggap nabi tersebut sebagai penzina, penipu dan pembunuh yang tidak berperikemanusiaan.

Di dalam "safar penghijrahan", perjanjian lama telah mengatakan bahawa Nabi Harun a.s telah mencipta sebuah patung yang berupa lembu untuk disembah oleh Bani Israel sewaktu ketiadaan nabi Musa disebabkan oleh perasaan dengkinya.

Di dalam "safar samwil ke-2" telah menceritakan bahawa Nabi Daud pernah mencintai seorang wanita yang merupakan isteri kepada salah seorang tenteranya. Keadaan ini bermula sewaktu Nabi Daud bersiar-siar di istananya di Aour Shalim. Pada ketika itu dia telah melihat seorang perempuan yang sedang mandi di rumahnya lalu terus jatuh cinta. Apabila diselidik perempuan tersebut adalah isteri kepada salah seorang tenteranya. Maka dia telah memerintahkan panglima tentera supaya menugaskan suami kepada perempuan tersebut berada di barisan hadapan dalam peperangan. Apabila berita kematian lelaki berkenaan sampai kepada nabi Daud, dia terus mengahwini perempuan tersebut. Sebenarnya perempuan itu adalah ibu kepada Nabi Sulaiman.

Mengenai Nabi Sulaiman pula, perjanjian lam telah menceritakan bahawa Nabi Sulaiman mempunyai 700 orang isteri di kalangan perempuan yang merdeka dan 300 di kalangan hamba. Setengah daripada isterinya itu adalah penyembah berhala. Mengikut cerita, Nabi Sulaiman sentiasa menyembah berhala yang dimiliki oleh para isterinya pada akhir hayat beliau.

Apabila kita perhatikan di dalam Al-Quran, Allah telah menegaskan bahawa Nabi Musa telah membawa satu risalah yang mengajak ummahnya menyembah Allah yang Maha Esa, mendirikan solat serta beriman dan yakin akan kedatangan hari kiamat (surah Taha). Berbeza dengan apa yang digambarkan oleh kitab perjanjian lama yang mana tidak didapati satu kalimah pun yang menceritakan tentang hari kiamat dan apa-apa yang berlaku di dalamnya seperti balasan baik dan buruk. Kitab perjanjian lama hanya menyatakan bahawa balasan terhadap amalan yang di lakukan oleh seseorang hanyalah di dunia semata-mata. Sesiapa yang berbuat baik akan mendapat kehidupan yang bahagia di dunia dan sesiapa yang engkar serta kufur juga akan terus menerima penyiksaan di dunia ini.

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JEWISH PRINCIPLES OF FAITH.

There are a number of basic principles that were formulated by medieval rabbinic authorities. These principles were put forth as fundamental underpinnings inherent in the acceptance and practice of Judaism.

Monotheism

Judaism is based on a strict unitarian monotheism, the belief in one God. The prayer par excellence in terms of defining God is the Shema Yisrael, "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One", also translated as "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is unique/alone."

God is conceived of as eternal, the creator of the universe, and the source of morality. God has the power to intervene in the world. The term God thus corresponds to an actual ontological reality, and is not merely a projection of the human psyche. Maimonides describes God in this fashion: "There is a Being, perfect in every possible way, who is the ultimate cause of all existence. All existence depends on God and is derived from God."

The Hebrew Bible and classical rabbinic literature affirm theism and reject deism. However, in the writings of medieval Jewish philosophers, perhaps influenced by neo-Aristotelian philosophy, one finds what can be termed limited omniscience. [See Gersonides "Views on omniscience"]

God is creator of the universe

According to the Biblical account, the world was created by God in six days. While many Haredi Jews take this literally, many Modern Orthodox, Conservative and Reform authorities feel that the six days should be interpreted as "stages" in the creation of the universe and the earth, and that Judaism would not be in contradiction to the scientific model that states that the universe is over 13 billion years old.

God is One

The idea of God as a duality or trinity is heretical - it is considered akin to polytheism. "[God], the Cause of all, is one. This does not mean one as in one of a pair, nor one like a species (which encompasses many individuals), nor one as in an object that is made up of many elements, nor as a single simple object that is infinitely divisible. Rather, God is a unity unlike any other possible unity." This is referred to in the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:4): "Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one." (Maimonides, 13 principles of faith Second Principle).

While Jews hold that such conceptions of God are incorrect, they generally are of the opinion that non-Jews that hold such beliefs are not held culpable.

See also Divine simplicity.

God is all-powerful

Orthodox Jews believe in the omnipotent, omniscient God of the Bible - “Attribute to the Lord all glory and power” (Psalms 29). Thus, most rabbinic works present God as having the properties of omnipotence, omniscience and omnibenevolence (being all good). This is still the primary ways that most Orthodox and many non-Orthodox Jews view God.

The issue of theodicy was raised again, especially after the extreme horrors of the Holocaust and several theological responses surfaced. These are discussed in a separate entry on Holocaust theology. The central questions they address are whether and how God is all powerful and all good, given the existence of evil in the world, particularly the Holocaust.

God is personal

Most of classical Judaism views God as personal. We have a relationship with God, God has a relationship with us. Much of the midrash, and many prayers in the siddur portrays God as caring about humanity in much the same way that we care about God.

Harold Kushner, a Conservative rabbi, writes that "God shows His love for us by reaching down to bridge the immense gap between Him and us. God shows His love for us by inviting us to enter into a Covenant (brit) with Him, and by sharing with us His Torah". Hasidism seems to endorse this view to some degree.

On the other hand, Maimonides and many other medieval Jewish philosophers rejected the idea of a personal God as incorrect. (For Maimonides, such a view was heresy.)

The Nature of God

God is non-physical, non-corporeal, and eternal. A corollary belief is that God is utterly unlike man, and can in no way be considered anthropomorphic. All statements in the Hebrew Bible and in rabbinic literature which use anthropomorphism are held to be linguistic conceits or metaphors, as it would otherwise be impossible to talk about God at all. See Divine simplicity; Negative theology; Tzimtzum.

To God alone may one offer prayer

Any belief that an intermediary between man and God could be used, whether necessary or even optional, has traditionally been considered heretical. Maimonides writes that "God is the only one we may serve and praise....We may not act in this way toward anything beneath God, whether it be an angel, a star, or one of the elements.....There are no intermediaries between us and God. All our prayers should be directed towards God; nothing else should even be considered."

This view was disagreed with some rabbinic authorities. Notably Nachmanides was of the opinion that it is permitted to ask the angels to beseech God on our behalf. This argument manifests notably in the Selichot prayer called "Machnisay Rachamim", a request to the angels to intercede with God. Modern printed editions of the Selichot include this prayer. Hasidic Orthodox Jews teach that rebbes, as righteous and pious leaders, amplify prayers of their followers in heaven.

Scripture

The Tanakh and the Talmud are the main holy books in Judaism. The Tanakh contains the Torah (five books of Moses), the prophets, and the Ketuvim ("writings"). Judaism's oral law is contained in the Mishnah, Tosefta, classical midrashim, and the two Talmuds.

Moses and the Torah

Orthodox and Conservative Jews hold that the prophecy of Moses is held to be true; he is held to be the chief of all prophets, even of those who came before and after him. This belief was expressed by Maimonides, who wrote that "Moses was superior to all prophets, whether they preceded him or arose afterwards. Moses attained the highest possible human level. He perceived God to a degree surpassing every human that ever existed....God spoke to all other prophets through an intermediary. Moses alone did not need this; this is what the Torah means when God says "Mouth to mouth, I will speak to him."

However, this does not imply that the text of the Torah should be understood literally, as according to Karaism. Rabbinic tradition maintains that God conveyed not only the words of the Torah, but the meaning of the Torah. God gave rules as to how the laws were to be understood and implemented, and these were passed down as an oral tradition. This oral law was passed down from generation to generation and ultimately written down almost 2,000 years later in the Mishna and the two Talmuds.

For Reform Jews, the prophecy of Moses was not the highest degree of prophecy; rather it was the first in a long chain of progressive revelations in which mankind gradually began to understand the will of God better and better. As such, they maintain, that the laws of Moses are no longer binding, and it is today's generation that must assess what God wants of them. (For examples see the works of Rabbis Gunther Plaut or Eugene Borowitz). This principle is also rejected by most Reconstructionist Jews, but for a different reason; most posit that God is not a being with a will; thus they maintain that no will can be revealed.

The origin of the Torah

The Torah is composed of 5 books called in English Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. They chronicle the history of the Hebrews and also contain the commandments that Jews are to follow.

Rabbinic Judaism holds that the Torah extant today is the same one that was given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. Maimonides explains: "We do not know exactly how the Torah was transmitted to Moses. But when it was transmitted, Moses merely wrote it down like a secretary taking dictation....[Thus] every verse in the Torah is equally holy, as they all originate from God, and are all part of God's Torah, which is perfect, holy and true."

Haredi Jews generally believe that the Torah today is no different from what was received from God to Moses, with only the most minor of scribal errors. Many other Orthodox Jews suggest that over the millennia, some scribal errors have crept into the Torah's text. They note that the Masoretes (7th to 10th centuries) compared all known Torah variations in order to create a definitive text. Some Modern Orthodox Jews hold that there are a number of places in the Torah where gaps are seen, and accept that part of the story in these places may have been edited out. However, all Orthodox Jews view the Written and Oral Torah as the same as Moses taught, for all practical purposes.

Accepting the findings of biblical scholarship, archeological and linguistic research, most non-Orthodox Jews reject this principle. Instead, they may accept that the core of the Oral and Written Torah comes from Moses, but maintain that the Torah extant today has been edited together from several documents.

Conservative Jews tend to believe that much of the Oral law is divinely inspired, while Reform and Reconstructionist Jews tend to view all of the Oral law as an entirely human creation. Traditionally, the Reform movement held that Jews were obliged to obey the ethical but not the ritual commandments of Scripture, although today many Reform Jews have adopted many traditional ritual practices. For more details see Richard Elliot Friedman's "Who Wrote the Bible?" and the entry on the documentary hypothesis.

The words of the prophets are true

The Nevi'im the books of the Prophets, are considered divine and true. This does not imply that the books of the prophets are always read literally. Jewish tradition has always held that prophets used metaphors and analogies. There exists a wide range of commentaries explaining and elucidating those verses consisting of metaphor.

Reward and punishment

The mainstream Jewish view is that God will reward those who observe His commandments and punish those who intentionally transgress them. Examples of rewards and punishments are described throughout the Bible, and throughout classical rabbinic literature. See Free will In Jewish thought.

In contrast, philosophical rationalists such as Maimonides believed that God did not actually mete out rewards and punishments as such. In this view, these were beliefs that were necessary for the masses to believe in order to maintain a structured society and to encourage the observance of Judaism. However, once one learned Torah properly, one could then learn the higher truths. In this view, the nature of the reward is that if a person perfected his intellect to the highest degree, then the part of his intellect that connected to God - the active intellect - would be immortalized and eternally enjoying the "Glory of the Presence" for all eternity. The punishment would simply be that this would not happen; no part of one's intellect would be immortalized with God. See Divine Providence In Jewish thought.

The common understanding of this principle is accepted by most Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews; it is generally rejected by the Reconstructionists.

According to the Kabbalah (a non-normative set of doctrines) God judges who has followed His commandments and who doesn't and to what extent. Those who do not "pass the test" go to a purifying place called Sheol lit. gloom (sometimes referred to as Purgatory, sometimes Hell) to "learn their lesson". There is, however, for the most part, no eternal damnation. The vast majority of souls can only go to that reforming place for a limited amount of time (less than one year).

Judaism has always considered "Tikkun Olam" (or Perfecting the world) as a fundamental reason for God's creating the world. Therefore, the concept of "life after death" in the Jewish view, while considered the eventual eternal reward or punishment for all, is not encouraged as the sole motivating factor in performance of Judaism. Indeed it is held that one can attain closeness to God even in this world through moral and spiritual perfection.

Israel chosen for a purpose

God chose the Jewish people to be in a unique covenant with God; the description of this covenant is the Torah itself. Contrary to popular belief, Jewish people do not simply say that "God chose the Jews." This claim, by itself, exists nowhere in the Tanakh (the Jewish Bible). Such a claim could imply that God loves only the Jewish people, that only Jews can be close to God, and that only Jews can have a heavenly reward. The actual claim made is that the Jews were chosen for a specific mission, a duty: to be a light unto the nations, and to have a covenant with God as described in the Torah. Reconstructionist Judaism rejects also this variant of chosenness as morally defunct.

Rabbi Lord Immanuel Jakobovits, former Chief Rabbi of the United Synagogue of Great Britain, describes the mainstream Jewish view on this issue: "Yes, I do believe that the chosen people concept as affirmed by Judaism in its holy writ, its prayers, and its millennial tradition. In fact, I believe that every people—and indeed, in a more limited way, every individual—is "chosen" or destined for some distinct purpose in advancing the designs of Providence. Only, some fulfill their mission and others do not. Maybe the Greeks were chosen for their unique contributions to art and philosophy, the Romans for their pioneering services in law and government, the British for bringing parliamentary rule into the world, and the Americans for piloting democracy in a pluralistic society. The Jews were chosen by God to be 'peculiar unto Me' as the pioneers of religion and morality; that was and is their national purpose."

The messianic age

There will be a Jewish Messiah known as Mashiach, a king who will rule the Jewish people independently and according to Jewish law. The Jewish vision of Messianic times has little to do with the Christian definition of this term. Jewish views of the Messiah as derived from the Davidic line, the Messianic era, and the afterlife are discussed in the entry on Jewish eschatology.

The soul is pure at birth

Humans are born morally pure; Judaism has no concept analogous to original sin. Judaism affirms that people are born with a yetzer ha-tov (יצר הטוב), a tendency to do good, and with a yetzer hara (יצר הרע), a tendency to do evil. Thus, human beings have free will and can choose the path in life that they will take. The rabbis even recognize a positive value to the yetzer ha-ra: without the yetzer ha-ra there would be no civilization or other fruits of human labor. The implication is that yetzer ha-tov and yetzer ha-ra are best understood not only as moral categories of good and evil but as the inherent conflict within man between selfless and selfish orientations.

Judaism recognizes two classes of "sin": offenses against other people, and offenses against God. Offenses against God may be understood as violation of a contract (the covenant between God and the Children of Israel). (See Jewish views of sin.)

A classical rabbinic work, Avoth de-Rabbi Natan, states: "One time, when Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai was walking in Jerusalem with Rabbi Yehosua, they arrived at where the Temple in Jerusalem now stood in ruins. "Woe to us," cried Rabbi Yehosua, "for this house where atonement was made for Israel's sins now lies in ruins!" Answered Rabban Yochanan, "We have another, equally important source of atonement, the practice of gemiluth ḥasadim (loving kindness), as it is stated: "I desire loving kindness and not sacrifice" (Hosea 6:6). Also, the Babylonian Talmud teaches that "Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Eleazar both explain that as long as the Temple stood, the altar atoned for Israel, but now, one's table atones [when the poor are invited as guests]" (Talmud, tractate Berachoth 55a). Similarly, the liturgy of the Days of Awe (the High Holy Days; i.e. Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur) states that prayer, repentance and tzedakah atone for sin.-(ENCYCLOPEDIA)

END OF YAHOUZA AND ISRAEL

2007-03-06T22:10:00.000-08:00

KEHANCURAN KERAJAAN YAHOUZA DAN ISRAEL.

Pada tahun 721 sebelum masehi, raja-raja orang-orang Ashur yang bernama Shalman Ashar telah menyerang kerajaan Israel dan berjaya menawan rajanya Husya' Bin Ilah. Kerajaan Israel merupakan sebahagian dari tanah kerajaan Ashur.

Pada tahun 608 sebelum masehi, kerajaan Mesir bersama bala tentera yang besar telah menyerang Palestin dan menawan kerajaan Yahouza. Dalam peperangan tersebut mereka mendapat kemenangan dan mereka meneruskan serangan ke utara sehinggalah kerajaan Israel yang berada di bawah taklukan kerajaan Ashur jatuh ke tangan mereka.

Kejatuhan kerajaan Israel ke tangan orang-orang Mesir telah menimbulkan kemarahan Maharaja Bakhtanshar lalu berlakulah satu pertempuran yang hebat di antara dua maharaja Mesir dan Babylon. Akhirnya Maharaja Bakhtanshar dapat menawan kembali kerajaan Israel sekaligus dapat merebut takhta kerajaan Yahouza dari tangan Maharaja Mesir. Maharaja Bakhtanshar telah membunuh raja kerajaan Yahouza yang terakhir bernama Sidqia dan menghancurkan bandar Aour Shyalim serta menghalau semua Bani Israel keluar dari negara mereka. Ini berlaku pada tahun 586 sebelum masehi dan mereka dikenali sebagai tawanan Babylon.

BANI ISRAEL SELEPAS KEHANCURAN NEGARA MEREKA.

Selepas kehancuran kerajaan Israel dan Yahouza, tiada lagi mereka yang berketurunan Bani Israel di bumi Palestin. Pada tahun 538 sebelum masehi Kerajaan Babylon telah jatuh ke tangan orang-orang Parsi. Ketika itu Raja Parsi telah membenarkan orang-orang Yahudi yang hidup di pelusuk negara Babylon pulang ke tanahair mereka.

Kepulangan orang-orang Yahudi ke negara mereka di zaman pemerintahan Parsi tidak ubah seperti daripada kepulangan beberapa keluarga untuk menziarahi sanak saudara. Mereka lebih suka hidup di dalam buangan daripada kembali ke Palestin.

Mereka yang pulang dan menetap di Palestin telah bekerjasama dengan panglima Iskandar Al-Makdoni untuk menyerang Palestin dan menentang kerajaan Parsi. Selepas kewafatan Iskandar, Palestin diperintah oleh kerajaan Rom. Di sepanjang pemerintahan tersebut, Bani Israel bangkit memberontak pemerintah mereka sehinggalah pada tahun 70 masehi kerajaan Rom telah menghukum mereka dengan memusnahkan kediaman mereka dan menghalau mereka keluar dari Palestin.

Pada zaman pemerintahan kerajaan Rom ke atas Palestin, lahirlah seruan yang dibawa oleh Nabi Isa a.s untuk mengajak Bani Israel ke jalan yang benar akan tetapi seruan tersebut ditolak oleh mereka.

Pada tahun 135 masehi sekali lagi Bani Israel bangkit memberontak menentang kerajaan Rom. Di dalam pemberontakan tersebut, kerajaan Rom telah membunuh sesiapa sahaja yang mereka temui dari kalangan Bani Israel. Mereka yang terselamat dari penghapusan etnik kerajaan Rom telah lari ke serata dunia dan bumi Palestin telah sunyi daripada Bani Israel.

Ketika Saidina Umar r.a. membuka Baitul Maqdis pada tahun 636 m, tidak seorang pun yang berketurunan Yahudi berada di kota suci itu. Di antara syarat penyerahan kota suci ke tangan orang islam ialah tidak dibenarkan seorang pun orang Yahudi mendiami kota suci ini.
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NAMES OF GOD IN JUDAISM.

In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title. It represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relation of God to the Jewish people. In awe at the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for them, the scribes of sacred texts took pause before copying them, and used terms of reverence so as to keep the true name of God concealed. The various names of God in Judaism represent God as he is known, as well as the divine aspects which are attributed to him.

The numerous names of God have been a source of debate amongst biblical scholars — some have advanced the variety as proof that the Torah has many authors (see documentary hypothesis), while others declare that the different aspects of God have different names, depending on the role God is playing, the context in which he is referred to and the specific aspects which are emphasized.

OTHER NAMES OF GOD.

Adonai, Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh, El, Elohim, Elyon,
Shaddai, Shalom, Shekhinah, Yah, YHWH Tzevaot/Sabaoth.

LESSER USED NAMES OF GOD.

Adir — "Strong One".
Adon Olam — "Master of the World".
Avinu Malkeinu — "Our Father, our King".
Boreh — "the Creator".

#Ehiyeh sh'Ehiyeh —"I Am That I Am": a modern Hebrew version of "Ehyeh asher Ehyeh".

#Elohei Avraham, Elohei Yitzchak ve Elohei Ya`aqov — "God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob".

#El ha-Gibbor — "God the hero" or "God the strong one".

#Emet — "Truth".

#E'in Sof — "endless, infinite", Kabbalistic name of God.

#Ro'eh Yisra'el — "Shepherd of Israel".

#Ha-Kaddosh, Baruch Hu — "The Holy One, Blessed be He".

#Kaddosh Israel — "Holy One of Israel".

#Melech ha-Melachim — "The King of Kings" or Melech Malchei ha-Melachim "King of
Kings of Kings", to express superiority to the earthly rulers title.

#Makom or Hamakom — literally "the place", meaning "The Omnipresent"; see Tzimtzum.

#Magen Avraham — "Shield of Abraham".

#YHWH-Yireh (Yahweh-Yireh) — "The Lord will provide" (Genesis 22:13, 14).

#YHWH-Rapha" — "The Lord that healeth" (Exodus 15:26).

#YHWH-Niss"i (Yahweh-Nissi) — "The Lord our Banner" (Exodus 17:8-15).

#YHWH-Shalom — "The Lord our Peace" (Judges 6:24).

#YHWH-Ra-ah — "The Lord my Shepherd" (Psalms 23:1).

#YHWH-Tsidkenu — "The Lord our Righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:6).

#YHWH-Shammah — "The Lord is present" (Ezekiel 48:35).

#Tzur Israel — "Rock of Israel".

IN ENGLISH

The words God and Lord (Adonai) are often written by many Jews as G-d and L-rd as a way of avoiding writing a name of God, as to avoid the risk of the sin of erasing or defacing the name. Any Hebrew name of God is forbidden to erase. In Deuteronomy 12:3-4, the Torah exhorts one to destroy idolatry, and from here it is understood not to erase the name of God. However, since this is in English, it is often considered unnecessary since only the Hebrew name is considered God's actual name, but since God is God's name in English, it is often done out of a side of respect and just an extra precaution. There is a dispute to the degree of holiness that the word "God" is. The common rabbinic opinion on whether this applies only to Hebrew names of God, or to the English word "God" as well is that "God" written in any language other than Hebrew, has no holiness and can be erased. So while considerd unnecessary, it is still often written with a hyphen as to give the Name proper respect. It is considerd necessary by some, a minhag (custom) by most, and not done at all by others. Most Orthodox Jews and many Jews in general will write G-d in this manner. The Orthodox Jewish information website, Aish.com, uses God instead of G-d. They cite the reason that many users coming to the Aish HaTorah website are unfamilar with Judaism and would be initially unfamilar with the spelling G-d, so since it is not required that G-d is written, only preferred, they do not do it. According to their website, spelling it G-d is not according to halacha (Jewish law), so according to "leading Torah scholars", non-Hebrew names can be erased.[1] Other Jewish websites, such as Chabad.org, spell it G-d, and this is commonly found on most Jewish publications.

With writing on the computer screen, technically the words are actually
erased and rewritten 50 or 60 times a second ("refreshed").This is no
different to erasing the word God or shutting the computer off.
Nonetheless, many Jews still write G-d on the commputer as a sign
of respect,to demonstrate a reference to God is being made.-(ENCYCLOPEDIA)

HISTORY OF THE JEWS

2007-03-06T20:50:00.000-08:00

SEJARAH KELAHIRAN YAHUDI

Agama Yahudi walaupun ianya salah satu daripada agama langit namun ianya amat berbeza daripada dua saudaranya Nasrani dan Islam. Ini dapat dilihat daripada hubungan di antara sejarah dan ajaran agama Yahudi.

1. Agama Yahudi diperingkat awalnya lahir dibumi Palestin dan persekitarannya yang merangkumi Iraq, Mesir, Jordan, Syria dan Lubnan. Kawasan ini juga dikenali dengan nama Antara dua Sungai, Furat dan Dajlah. Kawasan ini berada di suatu kedudukan yang paling strategik di mana ia menghubungkan antara tiga benua; Asia, Eropah dan Afrika.

2. Penduduk asal kawasan ini terdiri daripada beberapa kabilah yang datang dari Semenanjung Arab dan pulau-pulau di persisiran laut Mediterranian.

3. Pada tahun 3000 sebelum masehi, satu kabilah yang bernama Finique telah berhijrah dari Semenanjung Arab menuju ke Utara kawasan di antara dua sungai dan menetap di sana. Ia terkenal dengan nama Lubnan. Pekerjaan yang dilakukan oleh orang-orang Finique ialah nelayan, perniagaan melalui laut dan membina kota-kota besar.

4. Pada tahun 2500 sebelum masehi, sebuah kabilah yang bernama Kan'an juga telah meningalkan Semenanjung Arab kerana kemarau yang panjang dan menuju ke barat sungai Jordan serta menetap di persisiran sungai tersebut. Kawasan yang didiami oleh orang-orang Kan'an dikenali dengan nama Bumi Kan'an .

5. Sebuah kabilah yang datang daripada kepulauan Creat di lautan Mediterranian yang bergelar Palestin telah berhijrah ke bumi Kan'an dan menetap di satu kawasan yang bernama Yafa dan Ghaza. Ini berlaku pada tahun 1200 sebelum masehi. Telah berlaku perkahwinan campur di antara kabilah Palestin dengan orang-orang Kan'an yang berketurunan Arab dan akhirnya mereka dikenali dengan orang Palestin dan Tempat tinggal mereka dikenali sebagai Tanah Palestin.

6. Adapun orang-orang Aram yang asalnya menetap di bumi Iraq telah meninggalkan tanahair untuk mencari satu penempatan baru. Akhirnya mereka telah menetap di tanah Syria dan menjadikan Damsyik sebagai ibu negara mereka dan bekerja sebagai petani dan peniaga. Di dalam kitab suci Yahudi, orang-orang Aram dikenali sebagai orang Syiria.

7. Di utara Semenanjung Arab, terdapat sebuah negara yang bernama Madyan. Ia adalah penghubung antara Mesir, bumi Kan'an dan Semenanjung Arab. Pada ketika itu, Madyan adalah medan peperangan di antara Mesir dan Babylon kerana ia merupakan gurun Sahra' yang menjadi pintu masuk kepada tanah Palestin dan tanah sekitarnya.

8. Sebuah Kabilah yang bernama Haxsos berketurunan Arab telah menuju ke negara Mesir disebabkan oleh kemarau yang panjang menimpa mereka dan telah menawan kerajaan Mesir pada ketika itu disebabkan oleh lemahnya tampuk pemerintahan mereka . Mereka telah memerintah 2098 sebelum masehi hinggalah ke tahun 1587. Di sepanjang pemerintahan mereka, berlaku beberapa peperangan untuk merampas kembali pemerintahan negara mereka daripada tangan orang-orang Haxsos. Peperangan tersebut berlaku pada akhir pemerintahan kerajaan Mesir yang berpusat di Luxor.

9. Di akhir pemerintahan Haxsos, seorang panglima yang bernama Ahmash telah berjaya menghalau orang-orang Haxsos daripada bumi Mesir dan mengasaskan keluarga yang ke-18 kembali memerintah Mesir.

10. Sepanjang tempoh pemerintahan orang-orang Haxsos ke atas negara Mesir, ketika itulah Bani Israel hidup dengan mendapat keistimewaan daripada kerajaan Haxsos dan mereka telah ditempatkan di suatu tempat yang terletak di sebelah timur Sungai Nil. Apabila kerajaan Mesir memerintah kembali negaranya, Bani Israel tidak lagi mengecapi keistimewaan yang pernah dikecapi suatu masa dahulu dan akhirnya mereka keluar dari negara Mesir dengan diketuai oleh Nabi Musa a.s.

11. Di antara kabilah yang datang ke kawasan ini (antara dua sungai) ialah kabilah Ibrani (kalimah Ibrani bermaksud Nabi Ibrahim dan anak-anaknya selain daripada Nabi Ismail a.s dan keturunannya).

12. Nabi Ibrahim a.s dilahirkan di Iraq. Bapanya bernama Azar bekerja sebagai pembuat patung dan menjual kepada penyembah berhala. Melalui hidayat Allah SWT Nabi Ibrahim telah dipilih untuk membawa risalah Tauhid kepada kaumnya. Malangnya risalah yang dibawa telah mendapat tentangan yang hebat dari kaumnya sendiri sehinggalah Nabi Ibrahim dibakar hidup-hidup. Akhirnya Nabi Ibrahim terpaksa berhijrah bersama isterinya Sarah, dua anak saudaranya Luth dan beberapa teman serta pengikutnya meniggalkan negara Iraq.

13. Dalam perjalanan mencari tempat untuk menyambung kehidupan, mereka telah menuju ke bumi Syria kemudian meneruskan perjalanan mereka ke bumi Kan'an dan selepas itu ke bumi Palestin. Di sepanjang perjalanan mereka hanya menternak dan mengembala binatang.

14. Selepas beberapa ketika, Nabi Ibrahim a.s bersama isterinya Sarah telah berhijrah ke Mesir yang pada ketika itu di bawah pemerintahan Haxsos. Mengikut beberapa riwayat, Maharaja Mesir tertarik dengan kecantikan Sarah apabila dia ingin menghampiri Sarah tiba-tiba dia menggigil, maka dia merasa bersalah dan mengembalikan semula Sarah kepada Nabi Ibrahim lalu menghadiahkan pula seorang permaisuri Mesir yang bernama Hajar.

15. Sarah ialah seorang isteri yang mandul maka dia mencadangkan kepada Nabi Ibrahim supaya mengahwini Hajar. Setelah beberapa lama perkahwinan Ibrahim dan Hajar, mereka dikurniakan seorang putera yang diberi nama Ismail. Kelahiran Ismail telah menimbulkan rasa cemburu di hati Sarah lantas dia meminta daripada suaminya agar memisahkan Hajar dan anaknya daripada mereka berdua.

16. Nabi Ibrahim a.s telah membawa puteranya yang pertama bersama isterinya Hajar menuju ke suatu tempat yang tidak mempunyai tanaman dan air. Akhirnya tempat tersebut dikenali sebagai Baitullah.

17. Selepas 14 tahun kelahiran Ismail, isteri Nabi Ibrahim yang pertama iaitu Sarah telah melahirkan seorang putera yang bernama Ishak. Ishak mempunyai dua orang putera yang bernama Iesu dan Yaacob.

18. Yaacob digelar sebagai Israel dan mempunyai 12 orang anak. Daripada merekalah datangnya 12 keturunan Bani Israel. Yaacob juga mempunyai empat orang isteri iaitu ;-

i- Laiah; anak sulung kepada bapa saudaranya. Mempunyai enam orang anak iaitu Raubin, Syam'un, Lawai, Yahouza, Yashaki dan Zabuloun.

ii- Adik kepada Laiah bernama Rahil (isteri yang paling disayangi oleh Yaacob). Mempunyai dua orang anak iaitu Yusuf dan Bunyamin.

iii- Zalfah; hamba kepada Laiah. Mempunyai dua orang anak iaitu Jadd dan Ashir.

iv- Balhah; hamba kepada Rahil. Mempunyai dua orang anak iaitu Dann dan Naftaley.
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PENGASINGAN BANGSA YAHUDI

20. Jika diperhatikan pada orang-orang Ibrani (Bangsa Yahudi) selepas penghijrahan mereka daripada tanah Iraq, didapati mereka ini mempunyai satu ciri yang berbeza iaitu suka mengasingkan diri ke mana mereka pergi dan menetap. Mereka tidak suka bergaul dengan kabilah lain malah mereka lebih suka hidup sesama mereka di satu tempat yang berasingan di antara mereka dan kabilah lain. Mereka tidak akan membenarkan sesiapa pun samada di kalangan mereka sendiri atau orang lain untuk menembusi benteng ini. Sebab-sebab pengasingan ini terbahagi kepada dua perkara :-

i. Perbezaan Aqidah, orang-orang Ibrani beriman dengan ajaran Tauhid yang dibawa oleh Nabi Ibrahim. Akan tetapi setengah kabilah dan kaum lain menyembah berhala.
ii. Perbezaan Pemikiran, orang-orang Ibrani hidup berpindah randah dan tidak bertamadun. Berbeza pula dengan kabilah lain yang hidup mene tap, mempunyai ilmu pengetahuan dan ketamadunan.

21.Tabiat mengasingkan diri dari orang lain telah menjadi satu kebanggaan kepada orang-orang Ibrani walaupun mereka mempunyai ilmu pengentahuan dan meninggal cara hidup lama mereka namun tetap mengamalkan tabiat mengasingkan diri dari masyarakat lain. Ini dapat dilihat di mana-mana tempat yang mereka tinggal.

22. Sikap mengasingkan diri ini telah melahirkan natijah yang negatif terhadap mereka dan bangsa lain. Setelah sekian lama sikap ini meresap ke dalam darah daging orang-orang Yahudi maka timbullah perasaan tidak tenang di dalam jiwa mereka terhadap bangsa lain. Mereka sentiasa merasa bahawa bangsa lain akan mengkhianati dan menghapuskan mereka. Lantaran itulah mereka berterusan merancang dan melaksanakan rancangan jahat untuk menghapuskan bangsa-bangsa lain demi mengembalikan ketenangan jiwa mereka. Daripada perancangan jahat mereka ialah ajaran Marxis, Darwin, Freemason dan lain-lain.

23. Daripada sikap tersebut juga lahir dalam setiap jiwa orang-orang Yahudi, mereka tidak akan memberi ketaatan kepada mana-mana pemerintahan melainkan pemerintahan Yahudi sahaja. Mereka sanggup melakukan apa yang tidak terfikir di akal kita demi ketaatannya kepada bangsa Yahudi.
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PERSPECTIVES.
Within mainstream Jewish religious communities.

According to Halakha (Jewish law), only a convert or a child born to a Jewish mother is counted as Jewish. A child with a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother is considered a non-Jew. Although an infant conversion might be contemplated in some circumstances (such as in the case of adopted children or children whose parents convert), children who convert would typically be asked if they want to remain Jewish after reaching religious adulthood, which is 12 years old for a girl, 13 for a boy. This standard is applied within Conservative and Orthodox Judaism, which accept Halakha as normative (although differing in their interpretations).

Other Jewish denominations, which do not accept Halakha (Jewish law) as normative, have adopted different standards. American Reform Judaism and British Liberal Judaism accept the child of one Jewish parent (father or mother) as Jewish if the parents raise the child as a Jew by Progressive standards. All mainstream forms of Judaism today are open to sincere converts.

Though there is also controversy surrounding conversion to Judaism, all religious movements accept converts converted by their denominations fully as Jews.

IN MODERN ISRAEL.

The phrase Mihu Yehudi (transliterated from Hebrew:("Who is a Jew?") came into widespread use when several high profile legal cases in Israel grappled with this subject after the founding of the Jewish state in 1948. These legal cases arose because being Jewish is not simply a matter of subscribing to a set of religious beliefs. For a variety of reasons related to Jewish history, Judaism's religious laws, and cultural norms, being a Jew involves being part of a people, or a nation in modern terminology. For most, it is a product of their birth when they are born into a Jewish family; for others, becoming Jewish involves applying and formally "converting" to Judaism. Identifying who is a Jew matters for religious reasons as well. Orthodox authorities hold that a valid Jewish marriage can only exist between two Jews; a traditional minyan (the quorum required for communal prayers) can only be formed with ten adult Jews (necessarily male according to Orthodox authorities).

All Jewish denominations and groups within the Jewish community agree that it is possible for virtually anyone to become a Jew, but since the mid 20th century there has been increasing disagreement about what precisely determines whether someone is born Jewish, or what it would take to join the Jewish people.-(ENCYCLOPEDIA)

JEWS, HEBREW AND ISRAEL

2007-03-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

MAKNA KALIMAH YAHUDI, IBRANI DAN ISRAEL.

1. YAHUDI

Kalimah Yahudi dinisbahkan kepada anak yang ke-4 bagi Nabi Yaacob a.s yang bernama Yahouza dan ia juga merupakan salah satu daripada puak-puak Bani Israel. Gelaran ini mula terkenal selepas daripada keutuhan kerajaan Yahouza pada tahun 586 sebelum masehi. Kemudian kalimah Yahudi diitlakkan kepada mereka yang menganut agama Yahudi atau agama Musa. Menurut pengarang dalam kitab yang menjelaskan makna Yahudi ialah "Yahudi adalah agama yang dianuti oleh kaum Bani Israel semenjak dari zaman Nabi Musa a.s. Ini diambil dari kata-kata Nabi Musa "Sesungguhya kami kembali kepada-Mu wahai Tuhan". Mereka adalah umat Nabi Musa dan kitab suci mereka bernama Taurat.

2. IBRAN

Adapun makna kalimah Ibrani ialah nama bagi kabilah yang sampai nasabnya kepada Saam Bin Nuh. Daripadanyalah terbentuk sebuah ummah yang besar dinamakan keturunan Saam. Terdapat lapan jenis bangsa yang lahir daripada keturunan Saam iaitu Ashour, Babil, Finique, Aram, Kan'an, Kaldan, Ibrani dan Masri.

Terdapat perbezaan pendapat di kalangan ahli sejarah mengenai asal usul nama kabilah ini. Ada yang mengatakan ianya diambil sempena dengan nama moyang Nabi Ibrahim iaitu Aabir. Pendapat kedua pula mengatakan ianya adalah satu gelaran yang diberikan kepada Nabi Ibrahim kerana dia adalah orang pertama menyeberangi Sungai Furat. Manakala pendapat yang ketiga sepertimana yang disebut oleh Dr Ahmad Syalabi bahawa gelaran Ibrani yang diberikan kepada Nabi Ibrahim serta pengikutnya kerana mereka hidup berpindah-randah dan sentiasa merentasi padang pasir dan gurun untuk mencari rumput bagi ternakan laut.

3. ISRAEL

Israel ialah kalimah Ibrani yang membawa maksud "kamu mengalahkan Tuhan". Ia adalah gelaran yang diberikan oleh Tuhan-tuhan orang-orang Yahudi yang bernama Yahwu kepada Nabi Yaacub selepas Nabi Yaacub dapat mengalahkan Tuhan di dalam pergaduhan di antara mereka berdua. Yahwu berkata : "selepas ini, jangan lagi kamu dipanggil dengan nama Yaacub malah panggillah Israel kerana kamu bersungguh-sungguh dan telah mengalahkan aku". (Safar/TAURAT: pembentukan alam 32/28.)
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WHO IS A JEWS?

Is a religious, social and political debate on the exact definition of which persons can be considered Jewish. The Hebrew phrase Mihu Yehudi came into widespread use when several high profile legal cases in Israel grappled with this subject after the founding of the Jewish state in 1948. As the Jewish identity shares some of the characteristics of an ethnicity and a religion, the definitions of a Jew may vary, depending on whether a religious, sociological, or ethnic approach to identity is used. Throughout the Jewish history, Jews have been characterized in many different lights.

According to most definitions, a Jew is either born into the Jewish people, or becomes one through religious conversion. The debate centers around some of the following questions:
Mixed parentage debate - tries to identify when people with mixed parentage should be considered Jewish, and when they should not be.
Conversion debate - centers around the process of religious conversion in an attempt to specify which conversions to Judaism should be considered valid, and which should not.
Life circumstances debate - focuses on whether people's actions (such as conversion to a different religion) or circumstances in their lives (such as being unaware of Jewish parentage) affect their status as a Jew.-(ENCYCLOPEDIA)