A Commentary on Surah Maryam: Jesus, Mary, John, and Zachariah in the Bible and the Qur'an

This is a discussion with Hassan Ahmad, a graduate student at Harvard University in Islamic Studies, about Surah Maryam, the 19th chapter of the Qur'an. We go line by line through the beginning of the Surah and discuss its touchpoints with the Bible and theological message, as well as the conclusions of recent critical scholarship on the matter.
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[@AHK802]

The second verse is a play on words in Hebrew, Zachariah means mention of the lord in Hebrew. The verse starts with “a mention of the mercy of your lord to his servant Zachariah (mention of the lord).”

[@j.mtherandomguy8701]

Where is Yahweh then? For Zechariah refers to Yahweh remebers, not the Lord remebers, kind of blasphemous if that was the intention of the author, for Yahweh is not a name of Allah's.

[@AHK802]

@@j.mtherandomguy8701 you’re conflating two different things the Tetragrammaton with Yahweh there’s no agreement on how it is pronounced but the name Zachariah contains an abbreviation of it as does Joshua and Jesus name. In Zachariah’s name it’s the last syllable or the yah sound at the end. In other names the it’s the Hu sound like in JosHua (pronounced yesHUWa). Commonly it is replaced with Adonai since ancient times so that it is not pronounced, it is said it encompasses the meaning of eternality and interestingly the prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) said the 255th verse of the second chapter contains the greatest name of Allah it starts like this : “Allahu la Illaha illa Hu Al hayyul qayyum “ Allah there’s is no god except ‘Hu’ the Living, the Eternal The Hu means he or him but it is the same exact letters and pronounced the same exact way is in the name of Joshua or Jesus’s orginal name Yehoshua meaning ‘saved by Hu or Huwa’. So it covers between pronunciation and meaning

[@pebystroll]

​@j.mtherandomguy8701 I mean in a practical context Yahweh is a name of Allah, when considering the Influence of Judaism on Islam

[@celestialknight2339]

Great segment! Just wanted to share a few more random insights: 1) The link between Sūrah 19’s structure and the Gospel of Luke is indeed compelling. Moreover, the fact that Zechariah’s prayer is never mentioned in the Bible is significant-because the third verse of Sūrah 19 actually says: *”When he (Zechariah) called out to his Lord in **_PRIVATE.”_* This subtle phraseology seems to suggest that the author of the Qur’an not only knew of the story of Zechariah’s miracle, but the absence of his word-for-word prayer in the previous Scriptures-and thus wanted to emphasize that his prayer was private or “secret” (khafiyyā) such that it melds with the Biblical narrative (or the lack thereof) quite well. Especially intriguing is the juxtaposition of this word (‘khaffiyan’) with the term “nādā’” (to call out) which almost definitionally involves a loud or outspoken proclamation. Therefore, it is akin to saying that Zechariah called out earnestly to God in a loud, vocal prayer-but no one else was there to hear it. Thus-the Qur’an is now filling in that gap with “divine knowledge”. 2) As someone else already mentioned, the name Zechariah in Hebrew means “the Lord remembers”, which therefore indicates that verse 2 of Sūrah 19 is a play on words, since it spells out the meaning of the name within the name itself: *”A remembrance of your Lord’s mercy to his servant, ‘the Lord remembers’ (Zechariah)”* This is not something that the untrained ear could detect-but it’s presence is astounding. 3) A similar play on words is actually made with the name of John himself, Zechariah’s son. In Hebrew, ‘John’ would translate into Joshua. However, the Greek formulation of his name is in fact “Yochanan” (Ἰωάννης (Ioannes)) which literally means “The Lord is gracious”. Well lo & behold, verse 13 of Sūrah Maryam describes John as: *”A gracious tenderness” (HANNĀN) from Us”* Strikingly, this Arabic word “hannān” (which matches the Greek etymology perfectly) is found nowhere else in the entire Qur’an but in this single verse, to describe John the Baptist. This suggests that an explanation by coincidence is highly unlikely. 4) In Qur’an 19:10, we are told that Zechariah’s divine sign would be his inability to speak to people for “3 nights straight”-which as the panel mentioned, contrasts with the Biblical account which extends his muteness to the entire length of his wife’s pregnancy until John’s birth. However, there is in fact a possibility (weakly, but interesting nonetheless) that these two accounts may be compatible. And the connecting factor lies in Sūrah 3:41, where a parallel narrative of Zechariah’s promise tells us that Zechariah was turned mute for: “3 DAYS” (thalāthata ayām). Now if we entertain the idea that the word “Yowm” (day) is not necessarily a 24-hour fixed period, but a generic and flexible span of time (which I think is comfortably supported by the Qur’an & Classical Arabic [ex. The “Day” (Yowm) of Judgement is described to be 50,000 years in the Qur’an), then another passage of the Qur’an may hold the key to joining these Qur’anic & Biblical accounts. And it is Sūrah 39:6, which says: *”He (God) creates you inside the wombs of your mothers, in successive formations-in **_THREE PERIODS OF DARKNESS.”_* The events of pregnancy & child-bearing are described by the Qur’an as “triple darkness” which therefore may be understood as the intended meaning of “3 days” in the Zechariah account; or “3 periods of dark” (like the night) which symbolically represent the length of his wife’s pregnancy. While I myself consider this to be a bit of a far cry, I thought it nonetheless interesting to point out. 5) Without giving it any considerable significance, it is also interesting to note that despite the parallel statements of “Peace” made to John and Jesus at the end of their respective narratives (‘Peace in birth, peace in death, and peace in resurrection’)-the word “Salām” (peace) is actually in a different form each time. With John, the formulation is just “Peace” (Salām) without a definite article. But when it comes to Christ, he declares: “And THE Peace (As-Salām) shall be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised alive.” - Different interpretations may be given for this subtle difference, but I thought it worthy to point out. 6) When it comes to the “date-palm” incident of Mary’s pregnancy & Jesus’ birth in the narrative, I simply wanted to point out that this passage could be seen as the “Qur’anic indication” of Christmas, and the correct date of Jesus’ birth-which has often been a long-held debate within Christendom for centuries. That is because the “date-palm” (nakhl) grows at a particular season within this region, which is around the fall season if I’m not mistaken (~August to October). In any case, this verse could be used as an intriguing theological counter-narrative to the traditional “December 25th” date of Christ’s birthday, which many have often doubted and challenged for various reasons. Just something fun to think about. 7) Finally, so much can be said about the entire “sister of Aaron” discussion. However, let me just add two brief points: - 1) Dr. Reynolds was right to bring up that Elizabeth is identified as “of the daughters of Aaron” within Luke’s Gospel. However, equally significant is the identification of Mary herself as being a cousin of Elizabeth herself (Luke 1:36), which could therefore indirectly link her to the Aaronic priestly lineage by her familial connection to Elizabeth. - 2) Secondly, it was mentioned that the Qur’anic name of Mary’s father “Imrān” is highly suggestive of the name of Moses & Aaron’s father “Amram” as found in the Hebrew Bible. However, it turns out that the name of the Virgin Mary’s father according to Christian-Catholic tradition was: “Jehoakim” which means “set up or established (by God)”. And why is this significant? Because the name “‘Imrān” in Arabic, may in fact be linked to the cognate Arabic root “‘amr” (to set up or maintain)-which can be seen in such as passages as Sūrah 9:19 (“maintaining the Sacred Sanctuary” [وَعِمَارَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ]). These two names may therefore be etymologically parallel, just as we see for example between the name “Enoch” in Hebrew (which means ‘teacher, to teach’) and the Qur’anic parallel figure of “Idrīs” (which derives from the Arabic term “darasa” [learning or teaching]-who is also interestingly mentioned just later in the same Sūrah (Q 19:56-67). I will leave it there, but much more can be said. In any case, thank you once again for an interesting discussion, and I hope we can all continue to learn and arrive at a greater understanding with peaceful, respectful, and logical discussions. Peace (Salam) to all.

[@truthfinder6538]

Pure gibberish mate, the Quran committed a great blunder by placing Mary sister of Moses on the same historical timeline with Mary mother of Jesus.

[@homer1273]

@@truthfinder6538 typical chrstian hypocrite! ignores the fact that the bible calls Elisabeth “daughter of Aaaron” and calls Jesus “son of David” but that you see as no problem! but when Quran calls Mary sister Aaaron, then you claim to see a problem. even though the word “sister” and brother are used non literally in all semetic languages. All you did is expose your pathetic hypocrisy and your fellow polytheist

[@homer1273]

@@truthfinder6538 the irony is as Paul from blogging theology showed, is that even Palestinian chrstians before Islam referred to Mary as “sister of Aaron” . So your pathetic attempt to claim that the Quran contains blunders like the bible is full of blunders. Fact is, you can’t show anything that proves that the Quran means the word “sister” literally. You only have conjecture as the Quran says about Christian’s. If the Quran made the mistake of also putting Jesus or John the Baptist or Zachariah in the time of Aaron or Moses then you would have an argument, but sadly for you the Quran does not. Unlike the bible that put Jesus in the time of David

[@fadiljelin7297]

And the prophet [Jeremiah] said: ‘His coming will be a sign for you, and for other children at the end of the world. And nobody will bring forth the hidden Ark from the rock, except the priest AARON, the BROTHER OF MARY (not Miriam as distinctly called in Georgian). And nobody will unveil the tables therein, nor be able to read them, except the lawgiver Moses, the chosen of the Lord. And at the resurrection of the dead, the Ark will be the first to rise from the rock and to be placed on Mount Sinai, so that the word of the prophet David will be fulfilled, in which he said: ‘Arise, O Lord, to your resting place, You and the Ark of Your holiness’, which is the Holy Virgin Mary who passes from this world to the presence of God, she to whom the apostles proclaimed in Zion the praise of Myrrh saying: ‘Today the Virgin is being guided from Bethlehem to Zion, and today from earth to heaven’, and all the saints are gathered together around her and wait for the Lord, putting to flight the enemy who aims to destroy them.” The Lection of Jeremiah

[@homer1273]

@@truthfinder6538 the Quran mentions Moses and Aaron and pharaoh many times, and at no time does the Quran put jesus or zakaraiah or john the Baptist in the same time line. so the Author of the Quran is very aware that they didnt live in the same time line, but somehow the polytheist cross worshipers want to claim that the Quran didnt know that Mother of jesus didn't live in time of Moses. the Quran doesnt even put Jesus or his mother in the time of David and Solomon which the bible does do, claiming that jesus is the son of david which he was not

[@DrOmar11]

Hassan and Gabriel, I just want to share a thought that is very relevant regarding the Mary and "sister of Aaron" issue. My first cousin's name is Sarah Waheed (who is a tenured professor in south asian studies), her sister is Hajra Waheed (who is one of the top artists in Canada) and they have a sister whose name is Amina Waheed (as you both know Amina is mother of Prophet Muhammad). And Sarah is name of Abraham's wife and Hajra was a servant of Sarah who had given him to Abraham to have child as Sarah was so old and did not have a child. So it is common for parents to give names that have connections to their children...obviously Sarah and Hajra are connected. Amina is also connected as another religious name and family member of a prophet (Prophet Muhammad) as Sarah and Hajra are family members of prophets (Prophet Abraham and Prophet Ishmael). So it is not surprising if Mary, mother of Jesus had a brother whose name was Aaron. Emphasizing my point further with another example with my cousins is that the husband of my cousin Amina is Essa (name of Prophet Jesus in Quran). And guess what is the name of Essa? Essa's brother's name is Musa (name of Prophet Moses in Quran). And this phenomena of naming children with religious and connected names was far more prevalent in the past than now. And even more so in the same ethnic community such as Mary who was from Children of Israel. This point is lost in the conversation.

[@dastanabilev]

Thanks you both , Hassan Ahmad and mr Reynolds! Please please record an extensive video on mysterious letters. Would love to hear discussions on all hypothesis on what do they mean. Me myself is leaning to the one that says the letters are initials of names of the ones who provided the suras when they were compiled in one Quran.

[@mohamedfaixan]

Yeah

[@karlxtrava]

Always up for an episode with Hassan Ahmad 👍🏼

[@chrisazure1624]

I like how at the end it discussed Muhamnad borrowing credence from prior scriptures to promote himself.

[@Noorfollower]

yeah sure, he managed to do that and leave out the mistakes 😅

[@chrisazure1624]

@@Noorfollower You mean he created mistakes and jumbled everything up. Who was Miriam's father, LOL.

[@childofgod4862]

@@Noorfollower Do you know who is writer of your quran as per your Quran? Go look answer is there in your qura sura 69 (al Haqqa)

[@j.mtherandomguy8701]

​​@@NoorfollowerDefine a mistake that he has left out.

[@Noorfollower]

instead of being a clown, ask me the question properly and ill answer it!@@chrisazure1624

[@Edward549]

Great work! Please upload your content as podcast. Thanks

[@jma7600]

Very insightful way to go verse by verse to explore the ambiguities of the Qur’anic text. Guillaume Dye would have been great to have on your list of researchers to pursue these discussions further. Enjoyed it tremendously. Thanks 🙏

[@adnanmahmutovic]

Like all episodes, this was very nice to see. Respect and admiration to both. I do wonder about the question of language. As a writer and lit scholar I am always stunned by certain types of discussions on language which seem to show very little understanding of how language and narrative work. I understand the host and the guest are not necessarily into those simplistic discourses and are just bringing them up as an example. Still, the fact that there are ridiculous discussions of the type "Jesus didn't speak Arabic," as if that is an even remotely reasonable interpretation, makes me wonder about the level at which some discourses are carried. In any case, generally wonderful discussions. Keep up the good work.

[@DrOmar11]

Another intellectually stimulating discussion on the Quran. Thank you Gabriel and Hassan. Regarding the discussion about Mary and Miriam and if there is a conflation or not, I am trying to imagine what the people around Mary would actually say if they saw her present a baby she had out of wedlock. I find the quotation by @onnixchaney8797 on 2 Chronicles 23:6 that only descendants of Aaron can enter the Temple to be very relevant. If Mary was able to not only enter but practically live in the Jerusalem Temple as the verses of Surah Maryam indicate, then I would expect those outraged would point to her lineage as particularly egregious as being a Levite was so important for that time period. Regarding "the wife of Imran," I recall some study how certain names were hugely popular in the time of Jesus. It would be expected that those who are Levites to keep names of traditional Levites such as the father of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. And it would be expected for a Levite names Aaron to name his daughter. I hope Gabriel or Hassan or others can comment on the above. Peace.

[@childofgod4862]

DrOmar Your point of Baby out of wedlock is stupidity Bc in old time nobody cared about how you get your children Another thing you said in same statement Mary and Mriam if trhre is conflation is again foolishness bc your Quran suppose to be written by your Allah andhand delivered to Mhmd, how can your allah screwed up those things? Why your allah did not know there are two different Mariiyams? They lived 1500 years apart and your Allah did not know about it? Another problem about the Mary the Mother of Jesus was from another tribe called "Juda" Why did you Allah knows nothing about that? My friend, your quran is totally screwed up and as your Quran says Sura 4:82 > Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein much contradictions /discrepancy If this was from real God, then there should be NO contradictions Correct? and yet Allah confessing there are some but not much contradicitons!

[@DrOmar11]

Dear Gabriel, yesterday I was looking at The Study Quran regarding 3:35 where wife of 'Imran is mentioned...the note says: "'Imran is the name of Maryam's father who is not named in the Bible but known in extra-Biblical literature as Joachim which means "He whom Yahweh set up."...The Quran and Hadith do not name Moses's father so it is unclear how the equation between 'Imran ('Imraan) and Amram came to be...It is noteworthy that 'Imran comes from the root ', m, r, among whose meanings is to "erect," "build," or "set up." The name is close to the word 'umraan which means a building, edifice, or structure, and the 'aan ending is common in Arabic as in the name 'Uthman and many other words such as ghadbaan, subhaan, sakhraan, hirmaan, hasraan, furqaan. One could speculate that 'Imran Allah is Yehoyaqim." I assume 'Imraan Allah has same meaning as Joachim (Yehoyaqim).

[@childofgod4862]

@@DrOmar11 Why you Muslim spectulate instead of listening to your scholars? You have many Hadithe written and nowhere it is explain like you just described So are you telling me your scholars are WRONG? Or are they LIARS

[@sidneysentell2510]

This is another video that may be of interest. “Maria Dakake: "Maryam: Pious Woman, Saint, or Prophet?" kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWmmlJWdppx3mK8

[@osamaheba7383]

I think the answer to the wonder at 23:00 can be found in Al-Emran (ch3) verses 37,38; Zakria recognized some blessings in Marry's retreat so he decided to ask God for a son in that exact place. One more thing, the emphasis on "The Temple" is not that apparent in Arabic.

[@childofgod4862]

@osamaheba: My friend Quranis screwed up Book Why your Allah does not know the two different Mariyam? there is at least 1500 year difference between them? Do you know Zakariah means? It means "Yah remembers it" but in your Quran there is NO Yah or Yahweh is mentioned who is the Father of Yeshua. Why? So basically Islam is an antichrist relgion Correct?

[@atifbangash]

The question you should ask is, how did Jesus have a "Kitab" in his cradle. He said that he has gotten the "Book" right. which book?

[@user-kj8yl6sn2z]

To answer your question: The Jews corrupted the correct belief, and the Prophet Jesus was the reformer of the belief and brought them back to the correct belief and the development of Sharia (law) because the laws change with the change of time and place. When Jesus spoke when he was an infant, the aim was to acquit Our Lady Mary of the accusation because the Jews would stone her according to the Old Testament. Jesus spoke was to testify to the innocence of the Virgin Mary So the Jews witnessed the miracle, so they did not stone it Jesus was a prophet and the revelation came from Gabriel when Jesus was a man, sane and an adult to communicate the message of the Creator. So Jesus lived like any other child until he reached adulthood, then the revelation came to him from Gabriel The Qur'an does not mention at what age of Jesus' life the revelation began to descend on Jesus, peace be upon him. Eight KZbin channels that I like about explaining Islam to non-Muslims from Muslim preachers: DawahIsEasy Channel, The Muslim Lantern( Mohamed Ali), DUS Dawah Channel(shamsi), and One Message Foundation Channel (Sheikh Othman bin Al-Farouq) ,Sheikh Mohammad Tarawneh, EFDawah, I am “THE WARNER” ,One True Message Foundation These channels offer Islamic lessons that you can benefit from: DUS Dawah and Green Lane Masjid and Masjid Ribat and Al Madrasatu Al Umariyyah and Masjid Al-Huda Sheffield.

[@JohnGeometresMaximos]

It's all nonsense. The "Injeel" doesn't exist. Just like Allah doesn't exist.

[@husnainkhalil2554]

Al-kitaab in the Quran does not refer to a literal book. It means a decree, a message etc. like one a king might give, there were no literal books dropping out of the sky, I thought this was obvious. For example, when Allah says, KATABA RABBUKUM ALA NAHFSIHI R-RAHMA - this does not mean literally written, it is something Allah has prescribed for Himself i.e. Allah has chosen to be merciful.

[@stupav9830]

Noticed that you started with discussing the word Al-Rahman (The Almighty) and the duration of the video is 1:13:29 clearly showing 329 which is the Abjad value of Al-Rahman

[@childofgod4862]

Are you a Muslim? and yet you dont know the meaning of Rehman? Wow You said (the alimighty) No It means Merciful Go study your quran your Allah is called ar Rehman and your Mhmd is also called ar Rehman Why? First he took the name and title of his Allah Mhmd and the taking some of the titles of his Allah also!

[@onnixchaney8797]

Also only the descendants were permitted inside the temple according 2 Chronicles 23:6 “to No one is to enter the temple of the LORD except the priests and Levites on duty; they may enter because they are consecrated, but all the others are to observe the LORD’s command not to enter.” So to make this claim that the Quran has put forth concerning “Maryam sister of Aaron” is 100% consistent with Jewish tradition and is a revelation to the Christians previously not acknowledged literally a Ayat/proof/evidence that the Quran is from Al rahman

[@DrOmar11]

This is a critically important note. Please see my comment regarding your point.

[@childofgod4862]

@onnixchaneys My friend your allah is screwed up in the lineage of Mother Mary who belongs to Juda tribe Even ask google it will tell you Ok? Did you know christian people of his time told Aisha and she told Mhmd and Mhmd was caught lying so he made up the stories like in the old times people used to called them by their well known ancesstors which is Big Lie of Mhmd

[@celestialknight2339]

I wanted to add an important point regarding the Qur’anic statement in this Sūrah where Jesus is described as “kind to his mother”. One may actually take this as being a ‘counter-narrative’ to the Biblically-controversial notion that Jesus was distant or even impolite to his own family. Because throughout the New Testament, one may get the feeling or suggestion that Jesus was not very close to his mother, and almost gives off a feeling of “apathy” or dare we say even “rudeness” towards his family on several occasions. For example: • In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is said to have suddenly left his family as a teenager to go discuss and debate with the Rabbis in the synagogue, and seemingly didn’t care when his family returned DAYS later, and his worried mother Mary says “We’ve been anxious looking all over for you!”-to which Jesus never even apologizes, but merely responds with “Don't you know I’m doing the business of my father?” • In another instance when he is older, a man informs Jesus (inside the synagogue as he is preaching) that his mother and family are outside looking & waiting for him, and he responds by saying: “My mother and my brothers? These here, who do the will of God-THESE are my mothers and my sisters and my brothers!” (Gospel of Mark 3:35) - and this has been actively noted by some writers as a seemingly unethical gesture of impoliteness towards his mother & family. (Regardless of whether it is true or not) • Moreover, if you take into account the fact that Jesus is actively reported to have stated: “Whoever HATES their mother and family to come follow me…” (is beloved)-then this once again gives off the aura that Jesus does not heavily cherish family relations or values as one might expect. These are obviously not necessary conclusions-but passively implied by the sheer responses & reactions given by Jesus towards his kin. • Finally (and perhaps there are even more), Jesus in John’s Gospel outrightly calls his mother “Woman”-saying: “Woman, why do you involve me?” (John 2:4) Which has caught the attention of many readers (both laymen & scholars) and sparked the apologetics of many Christians, including countless articles and responses to this seemingly ‘egregious’ act of impoliteness from Jesus towards his mother; so much so that even many Biblical translators have felt compelled to leave a footnote on this passage to clarify that Jesus was not being rude to his mother, as this was ostensibly a normal and harmless figure of speech. Nonetheless, for ALL of these reasons, the Qur’an-as it so often does-brings clarity and correction to the situation, and reminds us (including Christians) that: *”He has made me [Jesus] blessed wherever I am…and KIND to my mother, and He did NOT make me a DISOBEDIENT REBEL & TYRANT.”* - Qur’an 19:31-32 Finally, it should be noted that the last segment of this verse is especially interesting (“He did not make me a disobedient/tyrannical rebel”), since we find in early Christian writings like the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, that Jesus was in fact a disobedient student as a child, to the point that he even used the powers he wielded to kill his very own teacher, and to also end the life of an innocent boy for a petty mistake. Such writings make out Jesus to have been a highly rebellious and dare I say even “miscreant” individual from the age of youth & adolescence-all of which the Qur’an therefore fiercely denies, and affirms his status as a pure-hearted & kind soul-from no less than childbirth.

[@j.mtherandomguy8701]

That will be expected from someone who wants to have his scriptures appear authentic, for given the Quran's claims of Jesus being a pure boy and a Prophet, not having him be dutiful towards his parents will constitute a glaring contradiction.

[@user-kj8yl6sn2z]

Dear Professor Gabriel Said Reynolds, I think you need these Islamic names that will enjoy meeting them and benefit viewers more, such as: Muhammad Ali (The Muslim Lantern), Sheikh Muhammad Tarawneh, Sheikh Hassan Somali, Dr.Sami Ameri, Sheikh Othman bin Al-Farouq, Dr.Tahir Wyatt, Ustaadh Abdur Rahman Hassan, Sheikh Bilal Philips.

[@raularnela3654]

Are these legit scholars or just popular Muslim apologists/preachers?

[@user-kj8yl6sn2z]

@@raularnela3654Scientifically, they are more knowledgeable than all the professor's guests. Academically, they studied in Islamic universities, and you can choose to know them by watching their lessons and dialogues with non-Muslims or the books they authored. A Muslim can be a scholar and a Muslim preacher at the same time. But the word scholar and jurist is a very big word, so we say a sheikh if ​​he has some knowledge in aspects of religion or an imam of a mosque.

[@raularnela3654]

@@user-kj8yl6sn2z One big problem I’ve seen is Muslim apologists just being straight up dishonest in order to try to present their religion in the best possible light, often mis-applying or inventing context in order to do so. And they won’t admit any difficult issues existing in the religion. I’m not familiar with everyone you listed, but I’ve seen Othman Ibn Farouq exposed multiple times for lying, and Bilal Philips is even banned from several countries for promoting extremist views. I think you would like western scholars to interact with such apologists in order that the apologists would somehow educate the western scholars and answer stuff for them, as if the western scholars aren’t already aware of what Islam traditionally teaches. And it’s not like western scholars haven’t extensively read and studied the writings of classical Muslim scholars. But the reality is that Islamic education does not equip Muslim apologists with the training or knowledge necessary to engage with western scholarship in historical-critical analysis. There is a hard limit on how far one is allowed to question or investigate within Islamic education. Graduates from Islamic universities haven’t even been exposed to what is common knowledge in western universities, for example the connection between stories in the Quran and apocryphal material. If you yourself are not aware of this reality then that only further serves to prove my point. Muslim apologists never studied these things because Islamic universities omit this area of study because it would call the religion itself into question. And Muslims derive their knowledge from these sheikhs and apologists who graduate from these institutions. And so they are unaware of this important research unless they are exposed to western scholarship. Sheikh Yasir Qadhi even admitted that the علماء in the east are unaware and don’t have answers to the pressing questions being raised by western scholarship. If Islamic education does not allow any investigation that would call the religion into question, then that means graduates from Islamic universities are wholly unprepared to respond to critiques raised by western scholarship where critical investigation is not barred. Islamic education keeps its students from being aware of historical-critical issues. The result is its graduates are only knowledgeable to a certain extent, with a limit on what forms of questioning are even allowed. They will be knowledgeable in what the religion teaches and how it operates, but they will not be knowledgeable in the area of historical criticism of the religion, because that form of analysis is omitted from Islamic education. The result of such education makes such persons super knowledgeable in specific areas but entirely ignorant in other crucial areas without realizing it. So they would be like a fish out of water when discussing such topics with western scholars. If western scholars were to engage with Muslim apologists, the apologists would just be repeating what Islam teaches people to believe without actually responding directly to the issues being raised by western scholarship. However, when Muslim scholars actually start engaging with western scholarship, they begin nuancing their views to account for the data and start making admissions that don’t exist in Islamic education. I would encourage you to look deeply into the subject of the Quran repeating earlier apocryphal traditions, and really get a feel for the data and historical context of what you see, and then see if any Muslim apologist actually has an adequate response to this clear historical issue. An excellent resource to start with is Dr. Gabriel Reynolds’ “The Qur’an and its Biblical Subtext.” Read this book and then look and see if any Muslim apologist has engaged with or responded to such research. You will come up empty-handed. There’s a reason Muslim apologists aren’t taken seriously by western scholarship. It’s because Muslim apologists will say anything in order to promote their religion or try to show that it’s right, but they don’t have adequate answers and don’t even engage in certain subjects. So they’re not even in the same playing field. If they want to be taken seriously then they need to start addressing such historical issues within their own educational systems. Islamic scholarship is way behind on historical study of the religion. Idk how else to say it but Muslim apologists simply wouldn’t have much of a thoughtful, researched contribution to the discussion about things being investigated by western scholars, because their education didn’t prepare them for that, and their ideology doesn’t allow them to consider certain possibilities. All it would be would be the apologists repeating apologetic claims that don’t account for the mountain of data.

[@mohamedfaixan]

They are not scholars but apologists.

[@j.mtherandomguy8701]

​@@raularnela3654They are Muslims apologists, not scholars.

[@Alkishayi]

شاهدت مقابلة السيد جبرائيل رونالدوز في قناة فرنسا 24 في آخر سؤال حينما سأله عن العنف فأكد وجوده في القرآن ولكنه لم يذكر بأن الله قد وضع في كتابه شروطا وأسبابا لاستخدامه يمكن له قراءة بعض تلك القواعد الأساسية مثلا : 1- في سورة البقرة آية 190 قال عز وجل( وقاتلوا في سبيل الله الذين يقاتلونكم ولا تعتدوا إن الله لا يحب المعتدين ) وفي سورة المائدة آية كرر النهي عن الاعتداء بقوله سبحانه ( ولا تعتدوا إن الله لا يحب المعتدين) 2- أمر الله بالبر وبذل المعروف والعدل مع كل الناس إلا من يقاتلون المسلمين ويخرجونهم من ديارهم تجد ذلك في الايتين 8 - 9 من سورة الممتحنة قال الله سبحانه وتعالى: (لم ينهاكم الله عن الذين لم يقاتلوكم في الدين ولم يخرجوكم من دياركم أن تبروهم وتقسطوا إليهم إن الله يحب المقسطين (8) إنما ينهاكم الله عن الذين قاتلوكم في الدين وأخرجوكم من دياركم وظاهروا على إخراجكم أن تولوهم ومن يتولهم فأولئك هم الظالمون)

[@user-gk1po2ke9s]

" Sister of Aaron " this means that the talker is from Aaron Lineage ... that's Arabic way to talk to a member from same tribe , Ancient Arabs says " o brother of Arab "يا اخا العرب or " sister of Tay " يا اخت طي only members of the tribe can say that . i think that talking of Jesus when he was a new born was front of few people from the Aaron linage .Later on probably Mary married to yousuf Al Najar , Hence Mary can not survive as a single mother never been married .

[@childofgod4862]

@user gk1po2ke9s My friend your Allah is screwed up there Mary the Mother of Jesus is from tribe of Juda and not from Levite tribe which belongs to Moses and Aaron So poor Allah did not know the root of Mother Mary's lineage Correct?

[@user-gk1po2ke9s]

@@childofgod4862 its good to criticize and make point which i will investigate , but you cant be too ignorant to know that Allah means the God in Arabic and Arabo-Aramaic The Christians Arab calls the Father God Allah and Samarian Jews call God Allah , But you child of god call him god with small g .. that is ignorance too .

[@childofgod4862]

@@user-gk1po2ke9s My friend how long are you a Muslim? May be you were born from Muslim parents? Well I studied your Islam for last 10 years and I know more than you normal Muslim Why? Now if you remember your shahada? It says I bear witness there is NO God but Allah" in your Arabic correct? Do you know what is Arabic word they use? It is ilah means God Al Lah the Lah Or God Lah Go study El or Al in Aramaic used for God but Allah is the name of pagan Mhmd's pagan god Ok? Now if you like me to teach you your quran then opne your Sura Taha verse 14 "Verily, I am Allah: There is no god but I: Btw Taha is Surah 20 Ok? So read your context and learn from me It was your Allah talking with Moses and he is saying to Moses those words. Ok? Now you can see the name of god of Islam is "Allah" Ok?

[@user-gk1po2ke9s]

🤨

[@NejiBHTahar]

Quran is aware of…,how that be.. well you have the answer in the Quran to your 50:34 question in the same Surat: Al-Imran, verse 44 This is a part of the news of the Ghaib (unseen, i.e. the news of the past nations of which you have no knowledge) which We reveal to you. You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam; nor were you with them when they disputed. ذَ‌ٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۚ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُونَ أَقْلَامَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ and the same confirmation at the end of the same Surat, ذَ‌ٰلِكَ نَتْلُوهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ وَالذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيمِ إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ ۖ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ This (which) We recite unto thee is a revelation and a wise reminder. Lo! the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then He said unto him: Be! and he is. This is) the truth from thy Lord (O Muhammad), so be not thou of those who waver. (The great Quran, chapter 3, verses:58-60 -translated by Pickthal-) You do not need to deny the existence of Prophets and the revelation of God to them on order to understand the Quran..Muhammad-PBUH- never proclaimed that the Quran is his, and Quran 50:34 never said that. وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ إِذْ قَالُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ بَشَرٍ مِّن شَيْءٍ ۗ قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَابَ الَّذِي جَاءَ بِهِ مُوسَىٰ نُورًا وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ تَجْعَلُونَهُ قَرَاطِيسَ تُبْدُونَهَا وَتُخْفُونَ كَثِيرًا ۖ وَعُلِّمْتُم مَّا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنتُمْ وَلَا آبَاؤُكُمْ ۖ قُلِ اللَّهُ ۖ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِي خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ (الانعام:91) And they do not assign to Allah the attributes due to Him when they say: Allah has not revealed anything to a mortal. Say: Who revealed the Book which Musa brought, a light and a guidance to men, which you make into scattered writings which you show while you conceal much? And you were taught what you did not know, (neither) you nor your fathers. Say: Allah then leave them sporting in their vain discourses. (Chapter 6, verse 91, translated by Shakir) The Quran does not use copy paste when talking about same story, but authenticate, correct, and keep under control: وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ…. And We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, verifying what is before it of the Book and a guardian over it,… The Quran is like Jesus -PBUH-, unless you believe in God you will never understand how it comes to existence, and you will risk to commit a tremendous calumny “That they rejected Faith; that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge;” (Quran:4:156) وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ عَلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ بُهْتَانًا عَظِيمًا (النساء: 156) Sociologically speaking, a book is the produce of a society, therefore it should follow an evolution path to teach “perfection”. Muslim society is not an exception, and one can easily serve what it produced at its beginning and at its apogee (almost nothing at its first century, but great books few centuries later). However, the Quran remains outside that societal rule by remaining the unreachable high quality standard even though it came to existence at t=0 of the Muslim society, the first book that gave birth to that same society.) Therefore, the Quran cannot be the production of a society let alone a single or a group of people. وَمَا كَانَ هَـٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ أَن يُفْتَرَىٰ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِن تَصْدِيقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ مِن رَّبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (يونس:37) And this Quran is not such as could be forged by those besides Allah, but it is a verification of that which is before it and a clear explanation of the book, there is no doubt in it, from the Lord of the worlds. (Quran, chapter 10, verse 37) The Quran clearly That’s also explains why the Quran become the source of the stories it contains NOT the opposite, and that’s why it authenticates them, corrects when apply, and do not let any falsehoods to enter its content, and it remains aware of all of that: لَّا يَأْتِيهِ الْبَاطِلُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ ۖ تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ (فصّلت:42) Falsehood shall not come to it from before it nor from behind it; a revelation from the Wise, the Praised One. (Quran, chapter: 41, verse:42) That remains the case regarding the story of Meriam - PBUH- discussed in this recording, and any other story it has. The Quran goes very far by reconstructing the lost symmetry of the story as one can easily see regarding the story of Joseph-PBUH-.. Thank you! The discussion was a great one..

[@childofgod4862]

Your Mhmd was pagan for 39 years of his life What was he doing those days? He was also sacrificing to al Uzza. Go read your books!

[@syedasimali1946]

Rooh in the Quranic parlance is just “a part of God’s command”. یسئلونک عن الروح قل الروح من امر ربی. Rooh doesn’t mean spirit. God doesn’t have a spirit or a body. “We breathed into her our decree” and that’s it.

[@fadiljelin7297]

And the prophet [Jeremiah] said: ‘His coming will be a sign for you, and for other children at the end of the world. And nobody will bring forth the hidden Ark from the rock, except the priest AARON, the BROTHER OF MARY (not Miriam as distinctly called in Georgian). And nobody will unveil the tables therein, nor be able to read them, except the lawgiver Moses, the chosen of the Lord. And at the resurrection of the dead, the Ark will be the first to rise from the rock and to be placed on Mount Sinai, so that the word of the prophet David will be fulfilled, in which he said: ‘Arise, O Lord, to your resting place, You and the Ark of Your holiness’, which is the Holy Virgin Mary who passes from this world to the presence of God, she to whom the apostles proclaimed in Zion the praise of Myrrh saying: ‘Today the Virgin is being guided from Bethlehem to Zion, and today from earth to heaven’, and all the saints are gathered together around her and wait for the Lord, putting to flight the enemy who aims to destroy them.” The Lection of Jeremiah

[@childofgod4862]

What resurrection of dead? Did not Mhmd saw Moses and Aaron in the heaven when mhmd visited his allah on the Buraq? My friend Islam is false and quran is screwed up book of Mhmd

[@kronos01ful]

Muhammad never spoke to Angel Gabriel from the Bible. Gabriel will never contradict scripture.

[@syedasimali1946]

The Injeel given to jesus is not the present body of Christian scriptures. Those are anonynous, eponymous human compositions. The Quran refers to a revealed book given to Jesus which is lost. The idea that Jesus didn’t die is non Quranic. It says: انی متوفیک ورافعک الی و مطھرک من الناس. What Muslims generally say is what they borrowed from the Christian creed despite the Quran.

[@husnainkhalil2554]

KITAABA does not mean a literal written book - it can be a decree, a message etc. Many people seem too confused about this simple fact, books were not falling out of the sky, they were inspired to the prophets - the INJEEL refers to the EU-ANGELLION which is the preaching of Isa alaihi salaam.

[@atiharsh1993]

Mr Hasan Ahmed look like too junior for this kind of discussion.. professor Gabriel is seem to have much more knowledge of Qur'an and need someone as experienced and knowledgeable as him...no offense for Mr Hasan Ahmed..he is very young and alot of potential to learn ..

[@Leila0S]

exactly. it seemed like professor Gabriel is the guest and Mr. Hassan is the host.

[@khalid7915]

You are suffering from inferiority complex.. Typical of middle eastern and south Asian people.. Degrade their own to suck up to the white man.. Someone looking junior doesn't disqualify them from having knowledge.

[@porphyry17]

​@@khalid7915when you worship a p3d0 warlord for 1400 years and are aware that your book is a collection of plagiarised text, improvised verses, bad science, moral decadence, non-virtues and flaws... well... yeah... if you don't want the Europeans(and people from other regions) to laugh at your behavour of an 7th century bedouin with an iq of 60, THEN STOP BEHAVING LIKE THAT.

[@chrisazure1624]

So many ads.

[@A.--.]

Stop posting fake depictions and drawings of righteous people Gabe.

[@declansutherland8526]

He’s not a Muslim, he doesn’t have to adhere to Islamic standards

[@thenun1846]

There is nothing wrong with showing images of how Muhammad was depicted historically Even more so, there is nothing wrong with satirizing the character of Muhammad

[@A.--.]

@@thenun1846 there's nothing wrong to burn a country's currency too right LoL 🤣. Respect each other.

[@thenun1846]

@@A.--. sure go right ahead....respect is earned and there's nothing wrong with burning the Quran for that matter I wouldn't personally do it but I wouldn't stop someone from doing so

[@A.--.]

@@thenun1846 would you burn currency? 💵

[@samantarmaxammadsaciid5156]

It's very odd to say that “Qur’aan 19:35” doesn't have the same rhyming structure with the surrounding Aayaat (Qurʼaanic verses), considering that their contextual narrative structurally fit perfectly together!!! Postscript in the sense that it's the opinionated of the ones he associates with academically, rather than what's actually written there structurally meaning wise!!! Reading to fit with one's own handicap!!! Qurʼaan 19:28 mentions “Uḵt Haaruun = sister of Haaruun = Maryam ibnat ᶜimraan; her father ᶜimraan and her mother” = altogether dual biologically related families as one family, through the birth of Maryam (without direct brothers and sisters and dead father before her birth and dead mother perhaps after her birth or within her earlier years) and Muusaa (with older sister and middle brother) and hence a linked if not exactly the same but approximate structurally and through the middle brother Haaruun, and her own sonʼs: ᶜiisaa (of Ruuḥu-lQudus and of KalimatuHu / His Word = “Kun! = Be!”) rhymes with the name Muusaa (Wa-iṣṭanaᶜtu-ka li-nafsii = I produced / created you for Myself) = Creation through the feminine and out of her the selection of the masculine!! Hence the Qur’aan doesn't borrow or take from human sayings or writings; Allaah's narratives are all self-referential!!! = the Qurʼaan is all about Allaah's creation (masculine = final-middle selective) / evolution (feminine processes = objective collectively within) = contrastive duality = Qurʼaanic creation = Allaah's creation!!!

[@AHK802]

It fits perfectly . It also rhymes, you’re just seeing what you want to see there

[@childofgod4862]

@@AHK802 what? last word is > فَيَكُونُ in verse 35 and verse 36 end up with > مُّسْتَقِيمٌ But for unliterate and blind followers, everything will be the same Correct? Those are proffesors who can eb criticize for every statement they make Ok? and yet your any sheick or Imams have not responed to them Corrrect?

[@AHK802]

@@childofgod4862 it’s simple look at the the previous verse or listen to it and the surrounding verse being recited, I’ll put up the transliteration and put some of the rhyming aspects in CAPS: 34. Zaalika 'Eesab-nu Maryama; qawlal haqqil lazee feehi YAMTAROON 35. Maa kaana lillaahi ai yattakhiza minw waladin Subhaanah; izaa qadaaa amran fa innamaa yaqoolu lahoo KUN FA YAKOON 36. Wa innal laaha Rabbee wa RABBUKUM FA’BUDOOH; haazaa Siraatum Mustaqeem There’s other things that rhyme and have a rhythm to them in these verses also but I’ll leave it at that

[@j.mtherandomguy8701]

Or maybe you are just thinking too much.

[@AHK802]

@@j.mtherandomguy8701 it’s actually one of favorite Surah’s and I recite it often