Answering Islam - A Christian-Muslim dialog

Exposing Zawadi’s Deliberate Lies and Deception

Sam Shamoun

I have been saying for the longest time that Muslim dawagandist Bassam Zawadi is an embarrassment to rational discourse and religious integrity. I have often said that Zawadi is incapable of comprehending basic logic. I have further accused him of being willing to use lies and deception if it will suit his purpose of spreading his false religion.

No greater proof for my accusations could be furnished than the appendix that Zawadi recently published in “reply” to my response where I demonstrated that the Islamic sources contradict themselves concerning whether the Meccans truly believed that Allah was the supreme god or not.

I must say that I was truly taken aback by what Zawadi wrote in this appendix since I couldn’t believe how someone could so blatantly lie about what he actually believed concerning the issue of whether the deity whom Muhammad worshiped and confessed was in fact the same one that the Meccans acknowledged as the chief god, and as the creator and sustainer of all things. Before establishing the evidence which proves that Zawadi is deliberately lying here, it is vitally important to post what he wrote:

Shamoun the neophyte who deceives himself into thinking he is knowledgeable and smart thinks that when the Meccans say "Allah" they mean the same thing that Muslims mean when they say "Allah". That is as silly as saying that Muslims and Arab Christians mean the same thing when they say "Allah".

Sometimes a comparison could be made. For instance, sometimes you will find Muslims trying to relate Allah to whom Christians would refer to as God the Father. However, both Muslims and Christians would agree that they still mean different things. But some Muslims try to make that relation because in Islam Allah who is above the heavens sent Jesus and in Christianity God the Father similarly sent Jesus.

Similarly, the Meccans believed in a supreme God whom they called Allah whom they believed is up above the heavens and isn't present on earth like the idols that they fashioned and created. Yet, everyone with half a brain (i.e. excluding Shamoun) knows that Muslims and paganistic Meccans aren't referring to the same Allah.

So the hadiths show the Meccans believing in their own gods to be superior to the God that Muslims claim to believe in, but which the Meccans disbelieve in.

Keep in mind Zawadi’s assertion that it is silly for me to assume that certain verses and ahadith testify that the Meccans worshiped the same exact god that Muhammad worshiped.

It is vitally important to remember that Zawadi claims to be a Salafi Muslim. As a Salafi, Zawadi believes that there are three main categories or components to Islamic monotheism, namely,

Tauhid al-Rububiyyah – Allah is the only sovereign creator, sustainer, and ruler or lord of all creation.

Tauhid al-Uluhiyyah/Ibadah – Allah is the only deity worthy of worship.

Tauhid al-Asma wa-Sifat – Allah possesses certain names and characteristics which no one else has.

Moreover, as a Salafi Zawadi surely knows what position his own scholars take concerning this issue. Salafi scholars of both the past, such as the eighteenth century founder of Zawadi’s modern cult, Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Wahhab, as well as the present, like Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi, have claimed that both the Quran and the sunna testify that the Meccans of Muhammad’s day believed in and acknowledged tauhid al-rububiyyah. In fact, these scholars provide a plethora of Islamic references to prove that the Meccans testified that Muhammad’s Allah was the same deity whom they worshiped and whom they believed created and sustains all things.

Here are some quotations from some of Zawadi’s Salafi scholars which confirm this point:

Allah sent the Prophet to a group of people WHO USED TO WORSHIP HIM and perform Hajj, and give charity, AND REMEMBER ALLAH. However, they would also make certain created objects intermediaries between them and Allah.

The Arabs to whom the Prophet was sent BELIEVED IN AND WORSHIPPED ALLAH. They had inherited some of the acts of worship from the remnants of the religion of Ibrahim. Hajj was of these acts. The Qur’an mentions the fact that the mushrikun would perform tawaf around the Ka’bah, and during the days of Hajj, would go the holy sites of Muzdalifah, Mina, and Arafat. Likewise, THEY WOULD REMEMBER ALLAH, especially during times of distress, AND CALL OUT TO HIM FOR THEIR NEEDS. They also practiced other acts of worship as well, for they would be generous to guests, and care for relatives, and speak the truth.

These intermediaries, according to the Jahiliyyah Arabs, were not independent, all-powerful creators besides Allah, but were rather holy people, angels, saints and other objects which were believed to enjoy special status with Allah. THEY WOULD OPENLY ADMIT, WHEN ASKED, THAT THEY WANTED TO WORSHIP ALLAH, and had a ready excuse for this worship of other objects…

They would say as an excuse for this act, “We only desire to come closer to Allah through them, and we wish that they intercede for us with Him.”

So the ULTIMATE GOAL in this worship WAS ALLAH. However, they felt that these objects occupied a high status, and that, if they were to intercede with Allah, their intercession would be accepted. They felt that if these intermediaries were pleased, they would in turn, make sure that Allah was pleased with them as well. SO THESE ARABS DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THE GODS THAT THEY WORSHIPPED WERE SUPREME BEINGS BESIDES ALLAH. Rather, they felt that these beings – for various reasons – had reached a state where they were beloved by Allah. Thus, they felt that by pleasing these gods and asking for their intercession, Allah would in turn be pleased with them, and accept such intercession.

The Quran MENTIONS THIS FACT IN MANY VERSES. Allah states…

“And they worship besides Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, ‘They are our intercessors with Allah’” [Surah Yunus; 18].

Allah also quotes the mushrikun as saying…

“We only worship them in order that they bring us closer to Allah in ranks” [Surah al-Zumar; 3]. (An Explanation of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Wahhab’s Kashf al-Shubuhat - Critical Study of Shirk, translation and commentary by Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi [Al-Hidaayah Publishing & Distribution, Birmingham, UK], 13. An Explanation of Kashf al-Shubuhat, The Clearing of Doubts, pp. 76-77; capital emphasis ours)

And:

Otherwise, these pagans that the Prophet was sent to USED TO TESTIFY THAT ALLAH IS THEIR SOLE CREATOR, AND THAT HE IS UNIQUE, HAVING NO PARTNERS LIKE HIM. They also used to testify that none gives any sustenance except He, and none grants life or gives death except He, and that none controls the affairs of creation except he. They also used to believe that of the seven heavens, and that which it contains, and the seven earths, and that which it contains – all of these objects are His servants, and under His Control and Power.

If you wish to know the proof that these same pagans that the Prophet fought used to testify to all this, THEN RECITE THESE VERSES TO HE WHO ASKS FOR PROOF: “Say: Who gives you sustenance from the Heavens and the Earth? Or who controls hearing and sight, and who bring the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living, and who arranges (every) matter?” THEY WILL RESPOND, “ALLAH,” so say, “Then will you not fear Him?” [Surah Yunus; 31]. And the verses: “Say: To whom belongs the earth, and whoever is in it, if you know… until the phrase … then how are you deluded” [Surah al-Mu’minun; 84-89]. AND THERE ARE OTHER VERSES BESIDES THESE THAT PROVE THIS POINT.

So the fact of the matter is that the Jahiliyyah Arabs WERE FULLY AWARE THAT ALLAH WAS THEIR LORD. The idols they worshipped besides Allah WERE BY NO MEANS EQUIVALENT TO ALLAH IN THEIR EYES. Rather, they believed that Allah had full control over these deities, and that these deities, in and of themselves, could neither benefit nor harm them. THEY WERE CONVINCED THAT ALLAH WAS THEIR CREATOR, AND THAT ONLY HE WAS ALL-POWERFUL. They knew that Allah AND ONLY ALLAH, provided them with their rain and sustenance, and that it was Allah who would cause them to die and then resurrect them again.

The only reason why they turned to idols is because they felt they were too impure and unholy to approach Allah directly. They felt that their idols could act as intermediaries between them and Allah, since they were pure and holy. Thus, Allah would accept the intercession of such ‘holy’ intermediaries and grant their requests.

Proofs that the Jahiliyyah Arabs believed in the complete Lordship of Allah ARE NUMEROUS… (Ibid., Proof that the Mushrikun believed in Allah’s Lordship, pp. 80-82; capital emphasis ours)

Finally:

So when you realise that these ignorant disbelievers knew the precise meaning of this phrase, the it is indeed amazing that there are those who claim to be followers of Islam in our times and yet do not understand from this phrase what the ignorant disbelievers understood! Rather, he presumes that he is only required to verbalise this phrase, without necessarily believing with his heart any particular meaning. And the intelligent one amongst them believes that it means that there is no Creator, or Sustainer, or Controller except Allah, WHICH WAS EXACTLY THE BELIEF OF THE PAGAN ARABS. And indeed, there is no good in a person WHEN THE PAGAN ARABS ARE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE MEANING OF THE PHRASE La ilaha illa Allah THAN HE! (Ibid, p. 98; capital emphasis ours)

These quotes make it abundantly clear that, according to the standard Salafi position, the Meccan Arabs believed that Allah was the only sovereign lord, creator and sustainer of all things, and that none of their gods could rival Allah in term of his essence and status.

Zawadi definitely knows all of this and therefore knows that he is deliberately lying to his readers concerning what the Salafi stance is regarding the Meccans believing in and worshiping Allah. In fact, we don't even need these quotes since Zawadi himself admitted in his very own article that the Meccans believed in and affirmed tauhid al-rububiyyah!

1. Tawheed Ar-Ruboobiya. The exclusive uniqueness of Allah as omnipotent Lord. The one and the only one fully capable and in command in His creation. This belief affirms that God is the only ultimate Creator of all things.

THE POLYTHEISTS OF MECCA AFFIRMED THIS BELIEF AS SEEN IN SURAH 23:84-89, 29:61-63 AND 31:25. (Capital and italic emphasis ours)

This not only shows that Zawadi is contradicting himself, it also exposes the fact that he knows that he is deliberately lying to his readers.

It is obvious why Zawadi chose to deceive his readership. He is aware that there are other verses and hadiths which I cited contradicting the claim that the Meccans truly believed in and actually thought that Allah was the supreme god, or that the other gods which they worshiped were not his rivals. This is why Zawadi has to resort to lying about what his position is as a Salafi since he realizes that this is the only way for him to reconcile these gross contradictions and mistakes within the Islamic corpus.

Finally, Zawadi’s false analogy of Muslims relating Allah to God the Father in Christian theology will come to backfire against him. Muhammad expressly taught that Jews and Christians worshiped the same God as he did:

Say (O Muhammad): "O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah. Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims." S. 3:64 Hilali-Khan

And argue not with the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), unless it be in (a way) that is better (with good words and in good manner, inviting them to Islamic Monotheism with His Verses), except with such of them as do wrong, and say (to them): "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you; our Ilah (God) and your Ilah (God) is One (i.e. Allah), and to Him we have submitted (as Muslims)." S. 29:46 Hilali-Khan

This further explains why Muhammad permitted his followers to eat the food of Jews and Christians, and to also marry their women, even though he forbade them from eating any food which didn’t have Allah’s name pronounced over it, and further prohibited them from marrying disbelieving or idolatress women:

And do not marry Al-Mushrikat (idolatresses, etc.) till they believe (worship Allah Alone). And indeed a slave woman who believes is better than a (free) Mushrikah (idolatress, etc.), even though she pleases you. And give not (your daughters) in marriage to Al-Mushrikun till they believe (in Allah Alone) and verily, a believing slave is better than a (free) Mushrik (idolater, etc.), even though he pleases you. Those (Al-Mushrikun) invite you to the Fire, but Allah invites (you) to Paradise and Forgiveness by His Leave, and makes His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) clear to mankind that they may remember. S. 2:221 Hilali-Khan

Made lawful to you this day are At-Tayyibat [all kinds of Halal (lawful) foods, which Allah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, etc., milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits, etc.). The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals, etc.) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them. (Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before your time, when you have given their due Mahr (bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage), desiring chastity (i.e. taking them in legal wedlock) not committing illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girl-friends. And whosoever disbelieves in the Oneness of Allah and in all the other Articles of Faith [i.e. His (Allah's), Angels, His Holy Books, His Messengers, the Day of Resurrection and Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainments)], then fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers. S. 5:5 Hilali-Khan

Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allah's Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal), for sure it is Fisq (a sin and disobedience of Allah). And certainly, the Shayatin (devils) do inspire their friends (from mankind) to dispute with you, and if you obey them [by making Al-Maytatah (a dead animal) legal by eating it], then you would indeed be Mushrikun (polytheists) [because they (devils and their friends) made lawful to you to eat that which Allah has made unlawful to eat and you obeyed them by considering it lawful to eat, and by doing so you worshipped them, and to worship others besides Allah is polytheism]. S. 6:121 Hilali-Khan

O you who believe! When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them, Allah knows best as to their Faith, then if you ascertain that they are true believers, send them not back to the disbelievers, they are not lawful (wives) for the disbelievers nor are the disbelievers lawful (husbands) for them. But give the disbelievers that (amount of money) which they have spent [as their Mahr] to them. And there will be no sin on you to marry them if you have paid their Mahr to them. Likewise hold not the disbelieving women as wives, and ask for (the return of) that which you have spent (as Mahr) and let them (the disbelievers, etc.) ask back for that which they have spent. That is the Judgement of Allah. He judges between you. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. S. 60:10 Hilali-Khan

All of these examples conclusively prove that Muhammad believed that he was worshiping the same God that the Jews and Christians worshiped.

[Sidenote: These commands expose yet another inconsistency in Islamic law. If the Allah of the Jews and Christians is the same as the Allah of the Muslims, and the Allah of the Pagan Meccans is the same as the Allah of the Muslims, on what basis does he allow Muslims to eat Christian food and marry Christian women but not Pagan food or women? After all, the Christians “associate” Jesus with Allah, and the Pagans associate Manat, or Al-Uzza, or Hubal with Allah, but where is the essential difference (in Islamic thinking) that would lead to such drastic legal differences?]

However, both the Jews and Christians believed that God is a spiritual Father to his people:

“Is this the way you repay the LORD, you foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator… You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.” Deuteronomy 32:6, 18

But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.” Isaiah 63:16 – cf. 64:8; Exodus 4:22-23; 2 Samuel 7:14; Psalm 2:7; 89:26-27; Jeremiah 31:9, 20; Hosea 1:10; 11:1; Malachi 2:10

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12-13

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:14-16

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” Galatians 4:4-7

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” 1 John 3:1

Christians also believed that God is not only the Father, but was/is the Son and Holy Spirit as well.

What this means is that, at the very least, Muhammad was claiming to worship and believe in God the Father. However, such is not the case since the Quran denies that Allah is a father to anyone (cf. 5:18; 6:101; 9:30; 19:88-95; 21:26; 39:4; 43:81).

This therefore leaves Zawadi with the following two possibilities.

Muhammad was ignorant since he didn’t know that the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians identified God as a spiritual Father.

Muhammad was being deceptive since he knew that his god wasn’t a father to anyone, let alone a father to the Jews and Christians. Muhammad clearly knew he was lying to the people of the book when he told them that their God and his were one and the same.

More importantly, Muhammad’s rejection of God’s spiritual Fatherhood and of Christ’s unique divine Sonship identifies him as one of the antichrists which the inspired Scriptures spoke against:

“Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.” 1 John 2:22-23

We would like to end this by giving some advice to Zawadi, one which we hope he will seriously ponder in his heart. Since Zawadi is forced to lie and use deception in order to defend his religion it is about time for him to call it quits and hang up his apologetic hat. Zawadi needs to face reality and accept the fact that any religion which causes its adherents to lie and deceive others in order to convince them of its truthfulness is not a belief system worth believing in. Zawadi must therefore come to terms with the fact that Islam is a false religion, Muhammad is a false prophet, and that Allah is a false god. The sooner Zawadi is able to accept all of this the better off he will be as a human being.

Zawadi published an appendix to our reply, in an obvious attempt to save face after having been exposed for lying. We have responded to his desperate and feeble  "rebuttal" over here.