LOVE THAT CAN APPRRECIATE

Now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13 IT seems impossible to describe love, this wonderful quality without which nothing is acceptable in the sight of God! The apostle does not attempt to define love, but contents himself with giving us some of its manifestations. Those who possess a love with such characteristics are able to appreciate it, but not able otherwise to explain it. The fact is that love, like life and light, is difficult to define; and our best endeavors to comprehend it are along the lines of its effects. It is of God; it is godlikeness in the heart, in the tongue, in the hands, in the thoughts--supervising all the human attributes and seeking to control them. Where love is lacking, the results are more or less evil; where love is present, the results differ according to the degree of love, and are proportionately good. `

THE CHIEF TEST OF NEARNESS

Keep yourselves in the love of God. - Jude 1:21 WHETHER I am something or nothing in God's estimation is to be measured by my love for him, for his brethren, for his cause, for the world in general, and even for my enemies, rather than by my knowledge, or fame, or oratory! Yet we are not to understand that one could have a knowledge of the deep mysteries of God without having been begotten by the Holy Spirit of love; for the deep things of God knoweth no man, but by the Spirit of God; but one might lose the Spirit before losing the knowledge it brought him. In the measure of character, therefore, we are to put love first, and to consider it the chief test of our nearness to and acceptance with the Lord. `

THE FATHER'S CHOICE

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. - Acts 9:15 IT is because we see Jesus to be the Father's choice that we unite ourselves to Him; because we see the Father's character manifested in Him that we leave all to follow Him. Similarly, if we lend our aid, our support to any human being in connection with the divine plan and service, it should be simply upon this ground--not merely a personal magnetism or favoritism, but because our hearts are touched by the Lord with a realization of the leader being of His appointment.

...GOD WHOM WE SERVE

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thy hand, O king; but if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. - Daniel 3:17, 18 THE answer of the Hebrews to Nebuchadnezzar,--"Our God whom we serve," is worthy of note. They not only acknowledged God and worshipped Him but they additionally served Him, according as they had opportunity....Let us resolve, dear brethren, as did the three Hebrews, that we will worship and serve only the Lord our God--that we will neither worship nor serve sectarianism, in any of its many forms, nor mammon, with its enticements and rewards, nor fame, nor friends, nor self. God "seeketh such to worship Him as worship Him in spirit and in truth," is the declaration of our Lord and Head.

Qur'an Contradiction The Age of Marriage

The Quran, in at least one passage, presupposes that there is an age which a girl must attain before she can be considered marriageable:

And try orphans (as regards their intelligence) until they reach the age of marriage; if then you find sound judgement in them, release their property to them, but consume it not wastefully, and hastily fearing that they should grow up, and whoever amongst guardians is rich, he should take no wages, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable (according to his work). And when you release their property to them, take witness in their presence; and Allah is All Sufficient in taking account. S. 4:6 Hilali-Khan

Note that the expression "until they reach the age of marriage" takes it for granted that there is an age that girls have to reach before a man can marry them. Presumably, that age would be puberty, a point accepted by Muslim expositors.

Here are three commentaries regarding the meaning of the above text, taken from some of Islam’s greatest scholars and exegetes:

(Prove orphans) test the intelligence of orphans (till they reach the marriageable age) the age of puberty; … (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs; source; bold and italic emphasis ours)

Try, test, well the orphans, before reaching maturity with regard [the duties of] religion and [before] they can [legally] manage their own affairs, until they reach the age of marrying, that is, until they have become eligible for it through puberty or [legal] age, which, according to al-Shafi'i, is the completion of fifteen years; … (Tafsir Al-Jalalayn; source; bold and underline emphasis ours)

<until they reach the age of marriage>, the age of puberty, according to Mujahid. The age of puberty according to the majority of scholars comes when the child has a wet dream. In his Sunan, Abu Dawud recorded that `Ali said, "I memorized these words from the Messenger of Allah, …

<<There is no orphan after the age of puberty nor vowing to be silent throughout the day to the night.>>" In another Hadith, `A'ishah and other Companions said that the Prophet said …

<<The pen does not record the deeds of three persons: the child until the age of puberty, the sleeping person until waking up, and the senile until sane.>> Or, the age of fifteen is considered the age of adolescence. In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that Ibn `Umar said, "I was presented in front of the Prophet on the eve of the battle of Uhud, while I was fourteen years of age, and he did not allow me to take part in that battle. But I was presented in front of him on the eve of the battle of Al-Khandaq (The Trench) when I was fifteen years old, and he allowed me (to join that battle)." `Umar bin `Abdul-`Aziz commented when this Hadith reached him, "This is the difference between a child and an adult." There is a difference of opinion over whether pubic hair is considered a sign of adulthood, and the correct opinion is that it is. The Sunnah supports this view, according to a Hadith collected by Imam Ahmad from `Atiyah Al-Qurazi who said, "We were presented to the Prophet on the day of Quraizah, whoever had pubic hair was killed, whoever did not was left free to go, I was one of those who did not, so I was left free." The Four Sunan compilers also recorded similar to it. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih." (Tafsir Ibn Kathir; source; bold and capital emphasis ours)

All three of the above commentators agree that puberty is the right age for a girl to consider marriage, with both Ibn Kathir and al-Shafi placing that age at fifteen. Al-Shafi happened to be one of the greatest Islamic scholars and jurists and even has an Islamic school of jurisprudence named after him.

Once again, Muhammad is found violating his very own command since he married a girl who was nine years old:

Narrated Aisha:
The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj. Then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then, and when my breathing became all right, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it. Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw some Ansari women who said, "Best wishes and Allah's Blessing and a good luck." Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly Allah's Apostle came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58,Number 234)

Narrated 'Aisha:
that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old, and then she remained with him for nine years (i.e., till his death). (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62,Number 64; see also Numbers 65 and 88)

A Muslim may say that, contrary to the opinion of Ibn Kathir and al-Shafi, the age of puberty cannot be fixed at fifteen since some girls attain puberty at a younger age. They may further argue that Aisha happened to attain puberty at nine, which means that she was lawful for Muhammad. The problem with this assertion is that it contradicts the express statements of specific Islamic sources that say that Aisha hadn’t attained puberty when Muhammad consummated his marriage with her:

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) married her when she was seven years old, and he was taken to his house AS A BRIDE WHEN SHE WAS NINE, AND HER DOLLS WERE WITH HER; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old. (Sahih Muslim, Book 008,Number 3311)

The reason why Muhammad permitted Aisha to take her dolls to his house and play with them after their marriage was because she hadn’t reached puberty:

Narrated 'Aisha:
I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah's Apostle used to enter (my dwelling place) they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me. (The playing with the dolls and similar images is forbidden, but it was allowed for 'Aisha at that time, as she was a little girl, NOT YET REACHED THE AGE OF PUBERTY.) (Fateh-al-Bari page 143, Vol.13) (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 151)

The problems are just starting for Muslims. Elsewhere in the Quran men are permitted to marry and divorce young girls who haven’t attained sexual maturity:

And those of your women as have passed the age of monthly courses, for them the 'Iddah (prescribed period), if you have doubts (about their periods), is three months, and for those who have no courses [(i.e. they are still immature) their 'Iddah (prescribed period) is three months likewise, except in case of death]. And for those who are pregnant (whether they are divorced or their husbands are dead), their 'Iddah (prescribed period) is until they deliver (their burdens), and whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make his matter easy for him. S. 65:4 Hilali-Khan

Those who haven’t menstruated yet are girls who haven’t attained maidenhood or puberty. The Quran says that there is no waiting period (iddah) for those women whose marriages have not been consummated:

O ye who believe! When ye marry believing women, and then divorce them before ye have touched them, no period of 'Iddat have ye to count in respect of them: so give them a present. And set them free in a handsome manner. S. 33:49 Hilali-Khan

What this means is that Q. 65:4 is referring to young prepubertal girls (girls who haven’t attained sexual maturation) who got married and were divorced sometime after the consummation of their marriages!

Lest a Muslim accuse us of distorting the meaning of the reference, here, once again, are the three exegetes we had cited earlier:

(And for such of your women as despair of menstruation) because of old age, (if ye doubt) about their waiting period, (their period (of waiting) shall be three months) upon which another man asked: "O Messenger of Allah! What about the waiting period of those who do not have menstruation BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO YOUNG?" (along with those who have it not) because of young age, their waiting period is three months. Another man asked: "what is the waiting period for those women who are pregnant?" (And for those with child) i.e. those who are pregnant, (their period) their waiting period (shall be till they bring forth their burden) their child. (And whosoever keepeth his duty to Allah) and whoever fears Allah regarding what he commands him, (He maketh his course easy for him) He makes his matter easy; and it is also said this means: He will help him to worship Him well. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs; source; bold, capital and italic emphasis ours)

And [as for] those of your women who (read alla'i or alla'i in both instances) no longer expect to menstruate, if you have any doubts, about their waiting period, their prescribed [waiting] period shall be three months, and [also for] those who have not yet menstruated, because of their young age, their period shall [also] be three months - both cases apply to other than those whose spouses have died; for these [latter] their period is prescribed in the verse: they shall wait by themselves for four months and ten [days] [Q. 2:234]. And those who are pregnant, their term, the conclusion of their prescribed [waiting] period if divorced or if their spouses be dead, shall be when they deliver. And whoever fears God, He will make matters ease for him, in this world and in the Hereafter. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn; source)

The `Iddah of Those in Menopause and Those Who do not have Menses

Allah the Exalted clarifies the waiting period of the woman in menopause. And that is the one whose menstruation has stopped due to her older age. Her `Iddah is three months instead of the three monthly cycles for those who menstruate, which is based upon the Ayah in (Surat) Al-Baqarah. [see 2:228] The same for the young, WHO HAVE NOT REACHED THE YEARS OF MENSTRUATION. Their `Iddah is three months like those in menopause. This is the meaning of His saying…

<and for those who have no courses...> as for His saying…

<if you have doubt…> There are two opinions: First, is the saying of a group of the Salaf, like Mujahid, Az-Zuhri and Ibn Zayd. That is, if they see blood and there is doubt if it was menstrual blood or not. The second, is that if you do not know the ruling in this case, then know that their `Iddah is three months. This has been reported from Sa`id bin Jubayr and it is the view preferred by Ibn Jarir. And this is the more obvious meaning. Supporting this view is what is reported from Ubay bin Ka`b that he said, "O Allah's Messenger! Some women were not mentioned in the Qur'an, THE YOUNG, the old and the pregnant." Allah the Exalted and Most Honored sent down this Ayah…

<Those in menopause among your women, for them the `Iddah, if you have doubt, is three months; and for those who have no courses. And for those who are pregnant, their `Iddah is until they lay down their burden.>Ibn Abi Hatim recorded a simpler narration than this one from Ubay bin Ka`b who said, "O Allah's Messenger! When the Ayah in Surat Al-Baqarah was revealed prescribing the `Iddah of divorce, some people in Al-Madinah said, `There are still some women whose `Iddah has not been mentioned in the Qur'an. There are THE YOUNG, the old whose menstruation is discontinued, and the pregnant.’ (Tafsir Ibn Kathir; source; capital and underline emphasis ours)

These scholars weren’t alone in claiming that Q. 65:4 refers to prepubertal girls getting married and divorced by Muslim men. Notice what the modern, late Muslim commentator Syed Abu-Ala’ Maududi wrote regarding this very verse:

They may not have menstruated as yet either because of young age, or delayed menstrual discharge as it happens in the case of some women, or because of no discharge at all throughout life which, though rare, may also be the case. In any case, the waiting-period of such a woman is the same as of the woman, who has stopped menstruation, that is three months from the time divorce was pronounced. 
Here, one should bear in mind the fact that according to the explanations given in the Qur'an the question of the waiting period arises in respect of the women with whom marriage may have been consummated, for there is no waiting-period in case divorce is pronounced before the consummation of marriage. (Al-Ahzab: 49). Therefore, making mention of the waiting-period for girls who have not yet menstruated, clearly proves that it is not only permissible to give away the girl at this age but it is permissible for the husband to consummate marriage with her. Now, obviously no Muslim has the right to forbid a thing which the Qur’an has held as permissible. (Maududi, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, volume 5, p. 620, note 13; source; bold emphasis ours)

Moreover, note how the hadith compiler al-Bukhari explained this passage:

XXXIX. A man giving his young children in marriage

By the words of Allah, "that also applies to those who have not yet menstruated" (65:4) and He made the 'idda of a girl before puberty three months.

4840. It is related from 'A'isha that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, married her when she was six years old and consummated it when she was nine, and she was his wife for nine years. (Aisha Bewley, The Sahih Collection of Al-Bukhari, Chapter 70. Book of Marriage; source)

The imam al-Bukhari used Aisha’s marriage as an illustration of a prepubescent girl who was married, thereby supporting the fact that Q. 65:4 does permit men to marry prepubescents. Moreover, the imam’s comments provide additional corroboration that Muhammad married Aisha before she reached maidenhood!

So now we have a contradiction between two directives of the Quran, one that presupposes a marriageable age for girls and the other which places no limits on the age a girl can get married!

Hence, no matter from what angle a Muslim tries to examine this, Muhammad still turns out to be guilty of breaking his own commands and of introducing contradictory teachings within his so-called miracle, the Quran

REEDINESS IN FAITH TO RECEIVE

Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. - Psalm 37:3 AS we think of the Lord's goodness promised to the world in general in his own due time, in the sweet by and by, and as we look back also and see his gracious care over those of ancient times who trusted him, what shall we say respecting ourselves of this Gospel age, who have much advantage every way over those of olden times as well as over those of the age to come, in that we have the special favor and blessing of the Lord in the knowledge of his gracious plan and an adoption into his family? Shall we not reckon that he who was careful in the past, who will delight in giving blessings in the future, is now ready and willing to pour out to each of us as his children blessings, especially spiritual, to the extent of our willingness and faith to receive? If while we were yet sinners God loved us so as to redeem us, much more now that we are forgiven and accepted into his family, and adopted and made joint-heirs with our Lord Jesus prospectively, may we not expect of the Lord continually, day by day, the blessings and favors which he assures us he is well pleased to bestow upon us? Surely faith can trust him, come what may! While the Lord is now pouring out his Spirit upon his servants and handmaidens, it is for them to see that they are emptied vessels--empty that he may fill them--enlarged more and more that they may be more and more filled with the Spirit of God. `

IF YOU HAVE BEEN WITH JESUS

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16 NOT only shall it be true that the Lord's Anointed One shall be head and shoulders above all others, "the chiefest among ten thousand, the one altogether lovely," but it should also be true to a considerable extent that all those who are intimately associated with the members of the body of Christ in the present life--before He is proclaimed King of the whole world--should be able to recognize the largeness and grandeur of character in those whom the Lord is choosing for this place of honor in the affairs of men. They should be able to take knowledge of them that they have been with Jesus, should see their largeness of heart, their moral heights--should discern in them the spirit of a sound mind.

FREE WILL SACRIFICE

Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. - Colossians 3:23 THE Lord leaves his people free from restraints; free from threats; free from compulsion; to the intent that they may present their bodies living sacrifices day by day. Now, as then, whoever grows cold may discontinue his sacrificing, but himself will be the loser. We want to keep distinctly before our minds that while God condemns sin, and while his people have no liberty in this respect, but are obligated to do their best to withstand sin, it is different in the matter of sacrifice. The Lord is calling for freewill offerings, and whatever is not given with a hearty good will, yea, with an earnest desire, with zeal, may as well be kept--but the rewards promised to those who imitate the spirit of the Master and his devotion will be lost also. `

PRAY RIGHT PRAYER

Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss. - James 4:3 LET us learn to pray aright, as well as to labor and to hope aright; and in order to do so let us be swift to hear, slow to speak, swift to hearken to the Word of the Lord and to the lesson which He has already given us, and to His method of instructing us and guiding us and blessing us. Let us be slow to tell Him what our preferences are; indeed let us seek to attain that development of Christian character which will permit us always not to seek our own wills, but the will and the way of our Father in heaven.

FIGHT OF FAITH

Help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee. - 2 Chronicles 14:11 LET the world fight its fight: the Lord will supervise and the results will be glorious eventually. Let us who belong to the new nation, to the new kingdom that is not of this world, who use no carnal weapons, but the sword of the Spirit--let us fight the good fight of faith, lay hold upon the glorious things set before us, and not only stand ourselves, but help all those begotten of the same Spirit and members of the same heavenly army corps to stand, complete in him who is the Head of the body, the Captain of our Salvation. By and by God's loving care over all his creatures will be manifested in the glorious kingdom of his dear Son, which shall bless and rule, instruct, and uplift mankind in general. “The groaning creation” will then be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God--so many of them as will then accept the blessings. Then all will see that God so loved the world as to give his Son to die for us and to thus open the way for his kingdom blessings. `

PREACHING THE WORD IN SEASON

Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season. - 2 Timothy 4:2 THIS cannot mean that we are to violate the laws of reason and decency by intruding the good tidings upon others at times inconvenient and unseasonable to them; but it does mean that we are to have such a love for the Truth, such an earnest desire to serve it, that we will gladly accept the opportunity to do so, however inconvenient it may be for ourselves. It is the chief business of our lives, to which life itself even is subservient, and hence, no opportunity for service must be laid aside.

FRUITFUL STEWARD

Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee. - Mark 5:19 OH, that we all might be diligent to be thus faithful stewards of the grace of God, and faithful representatives of our great Redeemer--not only witnessing with our lips, but in all the departments of life testifying that we are now sane, that we have now the spirit of a sound mind, that we love the things that are right and true and noble and good, that we hate and are living in opposition to the things which are sinful and contrary to the mind of the Lord and the ways of righteousness!

SHORTCOMING OF THE FLESH

Henceforth know we no man after the flesh. - 2 Corinthians 5:16 THE apostle did not mean that we should pay no attention to the shortcomings of the flesh, either in ourselves or in other members of the body. All fleshly weaknesses should be striven against, and they may frequently demand rigorous treatment in the interest of the New Creature; but nevertheless, we are to distinctly differentiate between the New Creature and his weak mortal body, and are to love and sympathize with the brother, while it may be necessary for us, in his interest, and also in the interest of the church, to reprove or rebuke or otherwise correct his wrong course. The apostle's definition as to how we are to know the two classes apart is that the unregenerate will mind the things of the flesh, while the regenerate will mind the things of the Spirit.

Qur'an Inconsistency On Divorce

The 'Iddah rules for divorced and widowed women

As a general rule, when a marriage ends — whether by a divorce or by the death of the husband — Islam prescribes a waiting period ('iddah) for the woman before she can marry again.

Divorced women shall wait concerning themselves for three monthly periods. Nor is it lawful for them to hide what God Hath created in their wombs, if they have faith in God and the Last Day. ... 2:228 Yusuf Ali

O Prophet ! when you divorce women, divorce them for the prescribed period, and thereafter reckon the period; and fear ALLAH, your Lord. ... And if you are in doubt as to the prescribed period for such of your women as have despaired of monthly courses, then know that the prescribed period for them is three months, and also for such as do not have their monthly courses yet. And as for those who are with child, their period shall be until they are delivered of their burden. And whoso fears ALLAH, HE will provide facilities for him in his affair. S. 65:1,4 Sher Ali

If any of you die and leave widows behind, they shall wait concerning themselves four months and ten days: when they have fulfilled their term, there is no blame on you if they dispose of themselves in a just and reasonable manner. And Allah is well acquainted with what ye do. S. 2:234

A woman who was divorced by her husband has to wait (at least) three monthly periods and a woman whose husband died has to wait (at least) four months and ten days before they can marry again. The main objective appears to be that there should be no doubts as to the identity of the father if the woman gives birth to a child later on. Within this period it should become obvious whether or not a woman is pregnant. If she turns out to be pregnant, then her waiting period lasts until the birth of the child, otherwise she is free to remarry after the three months are over.

One could certainly wonder why a widow has to wait longer than a divorced woman, and view this as an inconsistency or injustice, but this issue shall not be our concern in the present paper.

More interesting is the observation that the Qur'an makes an explicit exception to the above mentioned rule for divorced women:

O you who believe: When you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have touched them, no period of idda (waiting) have you to count in respect of them: so give them a present and set them free in a graceful manner. S. 33:49

In other words, if the marriage was not yet consummated, i.e. there was no sexual intercourse, there cannot be an unborn child. In this case, the woman does not have to observe the 'iddah period; and the husband who does not like to keep her (for whatever reason), does not have to pay her expenses for another three months, which would otherwise be his obligation (cf. S. 65:6-7).

However, this exception is made only for divorced women, not for widowed women. The focus of the present paper is to discuss this inconsistency . In the following I will present some quotations from Muslim commentators in regard to the waiting period for widows in order to understand the Islamic regulations on this topic.

The classical Qur'an commentator Ibn Kathir states in his commentary on 2:234:

The `Iddah (Waiting Period) of the Widow

This Ayah contains a command from Allah to the wives whose husbands die, that they should observe a period of `Iddah of four months and ten nights, including the cases where the marriage was consummated OR OTHERWISE, according to the consensus (of the scholars).

The proof that this ruling includes the case where the marriage WAS NOT CONSUMMATED is included in the general meaning of the Ayah. In a narration recorded by Imam Ahmad and the compilers of the Sunan, which At-Tirmidhi graded Sahih, Ibn Mas`ud was asked about a man who married a woman, but he died before consummating the marriage. He also did not appoint a Mahr (dowry) for her. They kept asking Ibn Mas`ud about this subject until he said, "I shall give you my own opinion, and if it is correct then it is from Allah, while if it is wrong it is because of my error and because of (the evil efforts of) Satan. In this case, Allah and His Messenger are innocent of my opinion. She has her full Mahr." In another narration, Ibn Mas`ud said, "She has a similar Mahr to that of the women of her status, without stinginess or extravagance." He then continued, "She has to spend the `Iddah and has a right to the inheritance." Ma`qil bin Yasar Ashja`i then stood up and said, "I heard Allah's Messenger issue a similar judgment for the benefit of Barwa` bint Washiq." `Abdullah bin Mas`ud became very delighted upon hearing this statement. In another narration, several men from Ashja` (tribe) stood up and said, "We testify that Allah's Messenger issued a similar ruling for the benefit of Barwa` bint Washiq."

As for the case of the widow whose husband dies while she is pregnant, her term of `Iddah ends when she gives birth, even if it occurs an instant (after her husband dies). This ruling is taken from Allah's statement…

<And for those who are pregnant, their `Iddah is until they lay down their burden.> (65:4)

There is also a Hadith from Subay`ah Al-Aslamiyah in the Two Sahihs, through various chains of narration. Her husband, Sa`d bin Khawlah, died while she was pregnant and she gave birth only a few nights after his death. When she finished her Nifas (postnatal period), she beautified herself for those who might seek to engage her (for marriage). Then, Abu Sanabil bin Ba`kak came to her and said, "Why do I see you beautified yourself, do you wish to marry By Allah! You will not marry until the four months and ten nights have passed." Subay`ah said, "When he said that to me, I collected my garments when night fell and went to Allah's Messenger and asked him about this matter. He said that my Iddah had finished when I gave birth and allowed me to get married if I wished." (Source; capital and underline emphasis ours)

Ibn Kathir also confirms what was stated above, i.e. that the reason why this period was prescribed is to find out whether or not the woman is pregnant:

The Wisdom behind legislating the `Iddah

Sa`id bin Musayyib and Abu Al-`Aliyah stated that the wisdom behind making the `Iddah of the widow four months and ten nights is that the womb might contain a fetus. When the woman waits for this period, it will become evident if she is pregnant. Similarly, there is a Hadith in the Two Sahihs narrated by Ibn Mas`ud stating …

<(The creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of his mother in forty days in the form of a seed, and next he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar period, and next a morsel of flesh for a similar period. Then, Allah sends an angel who is ordered to breathe life unto the fetus.>

So, these are four months and ten more days to be sure, as some months are less (than thirty days), and the fetus will then start to show signs of life after the soul has been breathed into it. Allah knows best. (Source)

The late contemporary Muslim scholar Abu A’la Mawdudi basically reiterated this same position since he wrote in reference to this Quranic passage that:

259. The waiting period owing to death of the husband is obligatory EVEN FOR A WOMAN WITH WHOM CONSUMMATION OF MARRIAGE HAS NOT TAKEN PLACE. A pregnant woman, however, is exempted from this. Her waiting period expires with childbirth, irrespective of whether the time between the husband’s death and the childbirth is less than the waiting period prescribed by Law. (Mawdudi, Towards Understanding the Qur’an: English Version of Tafhim al-Qur’an, translated and edited by Zafar Ishaq Ansari [The Islamic Foundation, Leicestershire, United Kingdom, Reprinted 1995], Volume I, Surahs 1-3, pp. 182-183; capital emphasis ours)

To summarize: The reason for instituting the 'iddah is the possibility that the woman may be pregnant at the time of the divorce or the death of her husband. Therefore, if the woman delivers a child, then her 'iddah is automatically over. It has served its purpose. This holds equally for the divorced and the widowed woman.

The other case in which one can be certain that there will be no child in regard to whom the Muslim community does not know the identity of the father, is if no sexual intercourse has taken place between husband and wife. Therefore, the exception found in S. 33:49 is logical.

Here, however, is the inconsistency: The Qur'an does not grant the widow the same exception as the divorcee. If the marriage is terminated before it was consummated — whether by divorce or by the death of the husband — why does the widow have to undergo a waiting period of four months and ten days, but the divorcee is free to marry as soon as she likes? Why are these two women not treated equally?

The commentators quoted above merely follow the Qur'an in this inconsistent regulation, and seek to support this regulation for widows with reference to the practice of Muhammad. This does not resolve the inconsistency as such, but simply means that Muhammad followed the Qur'an in being inconsistent in regard to this issue.

The Qur'an states explicitly that divorced and widowed women have to observe a waiting period of three months or four months and ten days respectively, see S. 2:228, 65:4 and 2:234 quoted above. There are no exceptions stated for widowed women. There are two exceptions stated for divorced women: (a) If the woman is pregnant then her waiting period ends with the delivery of the child (S. 65:4), (b) if the couple has not consummated their marriage, then there is no waiting period at all (S. 33:49).

This reveals the second inconsistency. Both exceptions are stated for the divorced woman only but the commentators apply exception (a) also to widowed women, while they do not accept that exception (b) is also applied to them.

To summarize again: There are two inconsistencies. (1) When a marriage is terminated before it is consummated, the women are treated vastly differently. The divorcee can marry again immediately, but the widow has to wait at least four months and ten days. (2) In the Qur'an, there are two exceptions to the normal waiting period for a divorced woman. There are no exceptions mentioned for the widowed woman. The Muslim commentators and jurists apply one of the exceptions that is given for the case of a divorce also to the case of the widow, i.e. they extend the application of the law based on analogy, but they refuse the application of the second exception even though the same kind of analogy could be used.

[ Excursus: For illustration, imagine the following two cases: Couple A and couple B just married. As is still common in many parts of the Islamic world, it may even be a marriage arranged by relatives, i.e. husband and wife may hardly have known each other before the wedding ceremony. Shortly after the wedding something happens which greatly upsets the husband and he becomes very angry at his wife. Husband A pronounces a divorce against his new wife. Husband B has a weak heart, and before he can divorce his wife, he dies of a heart attack. The situation is very similar in both cases, but the quranic ruling is very different. None of the couples ever consummated their marriage. Both women find themselves without husband shortly after their wedding. Yet, the first one is free to marry immediately, while the second one has to observe a waiting period of over four months. ]

The Islamic data are clear. The question remains: Why is the ruling so different in these two similar cases?

The marriage is terminated before it is consummated. That is the same in both cases. What is it that makes them different? Perhaps the reason for the waiting period will provide a clue. The main concern is apparently that there should be no child whose father is in doubt. In both cases, no sexual intercourse was performed by the couple. But how do we know that this is indeed so?

That is the crucial question: How can we be sure? Here is the difference:

In case of the divorcee we have the testimony of the ex-husband, a Muslim man's testimony, that no intercourse has taken place. In case of the widow we only have a woman's testimony.

Could the real reason for the different treatment be that a woman's testimony is not sufficient

RICHES OF HIS GRACE

In the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. - Ephesians 2:7 ALL this abundance of grace and glory is the possible inheritance of even the weakest saint who, trusting not to his own ability to make his calling and election sure, humbly looks to God for strength from day to day to endure hardness as a good soldier. If any man attempts to do this in his own strength he must surely fail, for the fiery trial that is to try every one will prove too much for the mind of the flesh; but God who worketh in the consecrated to will and to do his good pleasure will so fortify and equip those who depend upon his grace that with the Psalmist they can say, “It is God that girdeth me with strength....By thee I have run through a troop, and by my God have I leaped over a wall”; and with Paul, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me.”

LOVE IS KIND

Love...is kind. - 1 Corinthians 13:4 IT is no more obligatory upon the Lord's people to denounce every wrongdoer whom they may meet in the street than it is for them to tell all homely persons they may see of their lack along the lines of beauty....Politeness is always a part of Christian character. In the world it may be a polish, but in the Christian it is not merely a veneer, but represents the true sentiments of the heart, developed along the lines of the spirit of life--love. Love leads to gentleness, patience, kindness, etc., and even in the case of disobedience it will hesitate to utter an unkind word, and will avoid the same so far as duty will permit.

GOD'S WONDERFUL PLAN

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High. - Psalm 92:1 THERE are millions of people in the world who have never heard of God's wonderful plan; therefore our mouths should be used in praising God. We should be continually remembering the Lord in all of our moments of rest, whether upon a bed, or wherever it may be. The great and holy laws of God find expression in him. We should think of God as the personification of all that is just, loving, kind, wise, in character and in principle. This should stimulate us to be like him. The more we appreciate a noble character the more we desire to emulate it. The more we see of God's mighty works in nature and his mercies toward us, in that same proportion our hearts and lips will praise him. If there is a prophetic thought connected with this passage, it is that all through the Dark Ages, all through the nighttime of this age, God's faithful people have been praising him. All of his true people have been praising him and have done so with joyful lips. Those who have not been doing this are not of this class. We should, therefore, render praise to our God. We should meditate more and more upon his holy will and ways, and strive to conform ourselves thereto. Thus shall we become more and more like unto our Father in heaven. `

OUR DIVINE HOPE

We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him: for we shall see Him as He is. - 1 John 3:2 LET the hope that we shall soon experience our resurrection change, and be made like our dear Redeemer, and see Him as He is, and share His glory in the great "epiphania," or shining forth of the sons of God in the glory of the Kingdom, enthuse us--let this energize our hearts, loose our lips, and strengthen us for every duty, privilege and opportunity--to serve our Master and the household of faith. If this hope has been an anchor to the Lord's people for so many centuries, how much more does it mean to us who are living now in the very time of His presence, waiting for His "apokalupsis"--His revealing in the glory of the Kingdom!

WHAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD WORK IN US

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. - Galatians 5:25 THE apostle explains that those who have become Christ's followers have crucified the flesh with the passions and desires thereof. They have voluntarily agreed that they will live contrary to the emotions and desires of the fallen flesh. He urges, If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk! It is the Spirit of God which has quickened us and which ultimately is to perfect us. But it can perfect us only if we are led by it and walk in its ways. Otherwise we will not be fit for a place in the kingdom, whatever other place in God's arrangement we may have. One of the most dangerous besetments of the Christian is vanity. It leads to more trouble, provokes more quarrels and envyings than is generally supposed. If we are walking after the Spirit of our Master it will mean that instead of being vainglorious we will be meek, humble, teachable. And only such will eventually be ready for the glory, honor, and immortality which God will bestow upon the faithful at the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. `

LOVE WILL NEVER FAIL

And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13 AS love is the most excellent thing, so is it the most enduring,...for will not faith practically come to an end when we shall see and know thoroughly? And will not hope practically be at an end when we shall reach the fruition of all our hopes and be possessors of the fullness of our heavenly Father's promises? Love, however, will never fail, even as it had no beginning. God is love, and since He was without beginning, so love was without beginning; because it is His character, His disposition; and as He endureth forever, so love will endure forever.

GROWING IN CHRIST

Grow up into...Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. - Ephesians 4:15 THE apostle's thought seems to be that while each new creature may be considered as a complete member of Christ, and have all the parts of his own character thoroughly lubricated with the spirit of love, in addition to this all the new creatures are to recognize themselves as members one of another, and of the body of Christ, the church, and are to exercise toward one another in their various efforts toward co-operation in obedience to the will of the Lord such love, such unction, such anointing, such lubrication, as will prevent friction and enable the whole body of Christ to co-operate for its own upbuilding in the graces as well as for its own completion in numbers.

BUSINESS OF THE SAINTS

Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business? - Luke 2:49 SHOULD we not all have the Master's Spirit, expressed by His words?...The Lord's true saints have no business of their own, for they gave their all to the Lord at consecration. Their business they manage as trustees for the Lord--not to be turned over at their death, in prosperous condition, to their children or their friends, possibly to their injury. It is to be used by the trustee as wisely as he knows how before death; for then his trusteeship ends, and he must render his account.

THE 1st THING TO SEEK DAILY

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. - Matthew 6:33 THE Lord's people of spiritual Israel will do well to bear this thought continually in mind--that spiritual interests are to be given the preference always; that temporal affairs are to be managed and controlled from the standpoint of the everlasting welfare;-- from the standpoint of spiritual growth and development and prosperity;--from the standpoint of the best interests and influences upon their children. They should not only hesitate to follow any suggestion that would take themselves and their families into unfavorable, godless surroundings, but they should determine that not under any consideration would they follow such a suggestion;--that on the contrary the Lord's people should be their people, even though this meant less of the comforts and luxuries of this present life.

WEALTHY MIND

THE start-up of wealth is in developing a wealth consciousness; whatever you manifest in life hinges on your level of consciousness. This implies that wealth begins from the state of the mind and materializes as the state of life. The start-up of poverty is in possessing a poverty consciousness and it is the poverty consciousness that keeps people perpetually poor and not just the condition of poverty. Therefore, to break free from the condition of poverty, you begin by raising the level of your consciousness.
We live in a universe of infinite possibilities and infinite supply; however, many people have locked themselves and those they influence out of this abundance through selfishness and fear. The good news is that you about to encounter the key to open the door to abundance others may have locked against you or you may have locked against yourself; you are unstoppable because nobody on earth can stop you from exercising the limitless power of the mind.

Herein lies the secret; genuine wealth is not a product of what you struggle for rather it is what you attract because of what you are. In other words, enduring wealth that outlives you is attracted to you because of what you are; life does not give you what you want but what you are.

Whatever you focus your thoughts upon expands and grows into your experience. Hence, when you focus your thoughts on abundance; abundance expands and manifests itself in your experience. When you focus your thoughts on lack; shortage expands and grows as the condition of your life. Every negative thoughts and feeling about money triggers the outflow of abundance from circulating in your life. Every positive thoughts and feeling attracts the inflow of the circulation of abundance in your life.

When you busy your mind with feelings of the need of money you attract into your life more need of money. However, if you focus your mind on abundance knowing that within your subconscious mind lies infinite ideas that could translate into infinite supply of wealth your heart will bask in immense gratitude for this ocean of abundance within you. Remember, money does not flow in a vacuum; money flows through ideas.

A farmer does not go around looking for fruits to consume rather a farmer is aware that if he can get a seed and plant it in a well prepared soil and give it adequate nourishment and care the seed with time will grow into a tree and if these is replicated the farmer will have a forest and he can consume any fruits he wants and at the same time makes money out of it by selling his produce.

It is also important to note that the farmer does not go back to his farm to dig up the seed after planting in order to see if it is growing or not. He has implicit faith that nature will cause to grow whatever is planted in the soil. In other words, he is aware that he cannot play nature’s part and also nature cannot play his part.
It applies, you don’t go around looking for money to spend rather you search inward for an idea that taps into your gift and passion that will help solve a problem in the society.

Never try to figure out “how” you are going to accomplish your dreams, when you step out in pursuit of your dreams Life will provide the answers; your business is to hold the outcome of your dream consistently in your mind.
Focus your mind on wealth; think abundance; feel abundance; visualize abundance; talk abundance-say to yourself repeatedly “By day and by night I am prospering in all my ways” and you shall handle abundance if you do not allow limited or negative thoughts to dominate your mind. Remember, you become what you think and you bring to reality what you feel.

Caution: “If there is no enemy within the enemy without can do you no harm”. Life will never deliver to you its vault of valuables when envy lurks within your innermost heart. Being critical and envious of other people’s wealth or progress drags a person deeper into poverty. When you do not feel happy for someone else’s success you cause money to develop wings and fly away from you.

Wealth is attracted and sticks to those who have largeness of heart to accommodate it; those who compliment people rather than compete with people; those who seek to be channels of blessings rather than those who hoard to be reservoirs; those who sees money as a means to an end rather than an end in itself.

UNDERSTAND LOVE

1. THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.
3. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing.
4. Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6. Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8. Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13. And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

UNDERSTAND THE COMMISSION

He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted. - Isaiah 61:1 THE anointed ones are not to spend their time endeavoring to break the hard hearts of the worldly, for this is not a part of their commission....The message is to “bind up the brokenhearted.” How much there is of this very kind of work that needs doing! The poor in spirit, contrite and mellowed of heart, disappointed with the world, vexed with the flesh and the Adversary, are to be found in nearly every quarter of the world; and whosoever has received the anointing of the Holy Spirit should realize that this power upon him is given to be exercised upon this needy class--pouring in the oil and the wine of the divine promises, to cheer and comfort and bless, and prepare for joint-heirship in the kingdom some of the very class whom the Lord will be pleased to accept.

THE REAL GOSPEL

Whom therefore, ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. - Acts 17:23 THE apostle's method is worthy of imitation. All wise people distrust novelty, and incline to say that whatever is valuable has long been. We, like the apostle, should endeavor to show that the true gospel is not a new theology, but the old theology; not a new gospel, but the old gospel,--the one foretold to Abraham;the one declared by the Lord Jesus Himself and by all His apostles. In proportion as we would show that errors prevail today, which had their origin in the "Dark Ages," we must show that we are not forging a new theory equally erroneous, but that we have discarded the errors of the Dark Ages, and have gone back to the first principles and precepts and instructions of the gospel, as announced by the Lord and His authorized representatives, the apostles.

BE STRONG

Be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you. - Haggai 2:4 ALL who have confidence in the Lord may rely upon his assurance that he has all things needful for the accomplishment of his purposes. “The Lord knoweth them that are his.” Therefore, in the language of the text, let us all be strong and work, for God is with us; we are merely co-workers with him. He will surely accomplish the great work he has promised; the spiritual temple shall be built; but our individual blessing in connection with it will be in proportion as we have been strong in the Lord and full of faith and full of zeal, as co-workers together with him.

ABSTAIN FROM EVIL

Abstain from every form of evil. - 1 Thessalonians 5:22 THE exhortation is that everything that is evil, whether it have a good form or a bad form, is to be resisted and opposed....To abstain from every appearance of evil is another thought--a different one from what the apostle's words in the original would warrant; nevertheless, they represent a sound principle. We surely should abstain not only from evil things, whatever their form or garb, but we should abstain so far as possible from doing things that we know to be good, which our friends or neighbors might misunderstand and consider to be evil things. The spirit of a sound mind dictates that not only evil in its every form, but everything that has an evil appearance even, should be avoided--that our influence for the Lord and the Truth may be the greater.

THINGS DEPT FREE PEOPLE DO

Try To Optimize Every Aspect Of Your Life
By optimizing we don’t mean you need to restrain from certain pleasures. It’s just that debt-free people do a lot of calculation and planning on an everyday basis. Good planning helps them keep their finances sufficient to meet all their ongoing needs that may arise.
This doesn’t mean that you won’t need to resort to lending money at certain points of time, but make sure not to lose your head and run to the bank whenever in need of a financial injection. Remember, good planning is the key to financial success.
If you are having hard time planning your finances try to put everything to paper and see how much money you are literally wasting and throwing away. Maybe you are buying things you don’t need. Perhaps you are paying bank fees when using credit cards when you actually don’t need to, for example.
You will be amazed how much you can save just by changing some everyday habits you might not even be aware of.
Make Your Money Multiply
There undoubtedly comes a time during the month when you have more money than you need at the moment. It almost by default corresponds to that moment of receiving your paycheck. The thing that distinguishes debt-free people from the rest is their art of investing money into viable solutions that will make their money actually multiply.
Most of the people just go out shopping or treat them with a little something. While this is not a bad thing to do, of course, it doesn’t benefit your budget in any way.
Try to educate yourself about ways of investing your money in commodities, financial instruments or something similar. There are a lot of possibilities that you can take advantage of and use that little extra money you have to build it up and speed up paying your debts.
Continuing education will benefit you in many ways. It will make you more money-wise, ie. it will teach you of ways how to consolidate your debt and how to manage your money more effectively while at the same time it will nurture that learning mindset of yours.
Getting out of debt is not easy thing to do but it’s certainly something that can be done with a little bit of organization and discipline.

YOU INSTRUCTOR

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. - 2 Peter 3:17 ALL who seek to teach the divine plan to others are exposed to peculiar temptations, so that the honor of serving the Lord and his people demands a correspondingly larger measure of the graces of the Holy Spirit, as well as of knowledge. The tendency of knowledge, the apostle points out, is merely to puff up, make vain and conceited, and to become a temptation of the Adversary, to draw away followers after them. (`Acts 20:30`) Whoever therefore would be an instructor of others, a mouthpiece of the Lord should cultivate all the various graces of the Holy Spirit, including meekness; that these combined (love) with knowledge, may build up himself as well as build up those to whom he ministers. “Knowledge (alone) puffeth up, but love buildeth up.”

PROVE ALL THINGS

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. - 1 Thessalonians 5:21 HOWEVER much they should ever come to respect prophesying, or public speaking, the Lord's people should learn proportionately not to receive what they might hear without proper examination and criticism: they should prove all things that they hear, should exercise discrimination of mind, as to what is logically and scripturally supported, and what is mere conjecture and possibly sophistry. They should prove what they hear with a view to holding fast everything that stands the test of the divine Word, and shows itself to be in accordance with the Holy Spirit; and they should as promptly reject whatever will not stand these tests.

LOVE IN DEEDS & TRUTH

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. - 1 John 3:18 THIS is a personal matter. Each one of us is under this testing. If not yet, sooner or later, undoubtedly, this willingness to sacrifice in the interests of the brethren will prove each one of us either loyal, faithful to our covenant, or contrariwise--unfaithful. Let us make this matter of love for the brethren and laying down our lives for the brethren a matter of personal study and of practical application to our own hearts, minds, thoughts, words, actions. And let us pray for one another, as well as exhort one another along these lines, striving to be filled with our Master's Spirit. `

QUR'AN CONTRADICTION ON ANGELS

Why will the quran contradict a big issue like this one?

The Quran, by way of rebuking the Christians and idolaters, claims that none of those individuals that they called upon and worshiped could intercede, create, give life, or cause to die:

Is He then Who creates like him who does not create? Do you not then mind? … And those whom they call on besides Allah have not created anything while they are themselves created; Dead (are they), not living, and they know not when they shall be raised. S. 16:17, 20-21 Shakir

And they have taken besides Him gods, who do not create anything while they are themselves created, and they control not for themselves any harm or profit, and they control not death nor life, nor raising (the dead) to life. S. 25:3 Shakir

No intercessor will they have from those whom they made equal with Allah (partners i.e. their socalled associate gods), and they will (themselves) reject and deny their partners. S. 30:13 Hilali-Khan

And those whom they invoke besides God HAVE NO POWER OF INTERCESSION;- only he who bears witness to the Truth, and they know (him). If thou ask them, who created them, they will certainly say, God: How then are they deluded away (from the Truth)? (God has knowledge) of the (Prophet's) cry, "O my Lord! Truly these are people who will not believe!" S. 43:86-88

The Quran also rebukes and warns individuals from venerating and calling on angels, which presupposes that angels were being worshiped:

And he commanded you not that ye should take the angels and the prophets for lords. Would he command you to disbelieve after ye had surrendered (to Allah)? S. 3:80 Pickthall

Say: Cry unto those (saints and angels) whom ye assume (to be gods) beside Him, yet they have no power to rid you of misfortune nor to change. Those unto whom they cry seek the way of approach to their Lord, which of them shall be the nearest; they hope for His mercy and they fear His doom. Lo! the doom of thy Lord is to be shunned. S. 17:56-57 Pickthall

According to the Quran, some of those nearest to Allah include both Jesus and the angels:

Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to God; S. 3:45 Y. Ali

The Messiah does by no means disdain that he should be a servant of Allah, nor do the angels who are near to Him, and whoever disdains His service and is proud, He will gather them all together to Himself. S. 4:172 Shakir

Thus, we can conclude from the foregoing that Sura 17:56-57 is referring to the veneration given to Christ and the angels by unbelievers. Ibn Kathir confirms this exegesis in his comments on Sura 17:56:

<Say: "Call upon those whom you pretend> Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn ‘Abbas, "The people of Shirk used to say, ‘we worship the angelsand the Messiah and ‘Uzayr,’ while these (the angels and the Messiah and ‘Uzayr) themselves call upon Allah." …

<Those whom they call upon, desire) Al-Bukhari recorded from Sulayman bin Mahran Al-A’mash, from Ibrahim, from Abu Ma’mar, from ‘Abdullah …

<Those whom they call upon, desire a means of access to their Lord,> "Some of the Jinn used to be worshipped, then they became Muslims.'' According to another report: "Some humans used to worship some of the Jinn, then those Jinn became Muslim, but those humans adhered to their religion (of worshipping the Jinn)." (Source; bold emphasis ours)

Ibn Kathir wrote regarding another text (cf. Sura 21:98-103) that:

<Verily, those for whom the good has preceded from Us.> It was said that this referred to the angels and ‘Isa, and others who are worshipped instead of Allah. This was the view of ‘Ikrimah, Al-Hasan and Ibn Jurayj. Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar said in his book of Sirah: "According to what I have heard, the Messenger of Allah sat down one day with Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah in the Masjid, and An-Nadr bin Al-Harith came and sat down with them. There were also other men of Quraysh in the Masjid. The Messenger of Allah spoke, then An-Nadr bin Al-Harith came up to him and the Messenger of Allah spoke to him until he defeated him in argument. Then he recited to him and to them, …

<and therein they will hear not.> Then the Messenger of Allah got up and went to sit with ‘Abdullah bin Al-Zab’ari As-Sahmi. Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah said to ‘Abdullah bin Al-Zab’ari, "By Allah, An-Nadr bin Al-Harith could not match the son of ‘Abd Al-Muttalib in argument. Muhammad claims that we and these gods that we worship are fuel for Hell."' ‘Abdullah bin Az-Zab’ari said: "By Allah, if I meet with him I will defeat him in argument. Ask Muhammad whether everyone that is worshipped instead of Allah will be in Hell with those who worshipped him, for we worship the angels, and the Jews worship ‘Uzayr, and the Christians worship Al-Masih, ‘Isa bin Maryam." Al-Walid and those who were sitting with him were amazed at what ‘Abdullah bin Az-Zab’ari said, and they thought that he had come up with a good point. He said this to the Messenger of Allah, who said … (Source; bold, italic and underline emphasis ours)

To summarize what we have learnt thus far, the Quran rebukes unbelievers for worshiping beings that cannot intercede, create, give life, or cause death. Some of these entities that the unbelievers were worshiping included the angels, with the implication therefore being that none of these angelic creatures are able to intercede, create life or take it away.

In fact, one Muslim used some of the very references cited above to prove that Jesus could not create anything, leading him to allegorize those Quranic references which say that he could:

"... The act of khalq (creating) in the sense of creation cannot be attributed to any being except Allah. The Quran has laid the greatest stress upon this point. It again and again speaks of the Divine Being as the Creator of everything, so that there is nothing of which any one else may be said to be a creator. And of those who are taken as gods by any people, it says in particular that they do not create anything, while they are themselves created (16:20; 25:3)." (Ali, Holy Qur'an - Arabic Text, English Translation & Commentary [Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at Islam Lahore Inc. USA 1995], f. 49: http://www.muslim.org/english-quran/ch003-59.pdf; bold and underline emphasis ours)

And:

"To understand the significance of this passage it is necessary to bear in mind that the chief characteristic of Jesus' speeches is that he spoke in parables and preferred to clothe his ideas in allegorical language... It is perfectly intelligible if taken as a parable, but quite incomprehensible as a statement of fact. If on the one hand a prophet's dignity is much above such actions as the making of clay birds, on the other hand the act of creation is not attributable to any but the Divine Being..." (Ibid.; bold emphasis ours)

The above logic, if it is to be consistent, must also apply to the belief that angels can create.

Yet the Quran plainly teaches that angels actually bring death upon persons, which means that they do indeed cause death, thereby contradicting itself!

Verily, those whom the angels cause to die while they are wronging their own souls, the angels will say to them: ‘What were you after?’ They will say: ‘We were treated as weak in the land.’ The angels will say, ‘Was not ALLAH's earth spacious enough so that you could have emigrated therein?’ It is these whose abode shall be Hell, and an evil destination it is; 4:97 Sher Ali

Those whom the angels CAUSE TO DIE while they are unjust to themselves. Then would they offer submission: We used not to do any evil. Aye! surely Allah knows what you did. … Those whom the angels CAUSE TO DIE in a good state, saying: Peace be on you: enter the garden for what you did. S. 16:28, 32 Shakir

Say, `The angel of death that has been put in charge of you will cause you to die; then to your Lord will you be brought back.' S. 32:11 Sher Ali

The Islamic narrations go so far as to even say that angels are used to create a person’s soul while still in the womb:

'Abdullah b. Mas'ud reported: Evil one is he who is evil in the womb of his mother and the good one is he who takes lesson from the (fate of) others. The narrator came to a person from amongst the Companion of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) who was called Hudhaifa b. Usaid Ghifari and said: How can a person be an evil one without (committing an evil) deed? Thereupon the person said to him: You are surprised at this, whereas I have heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saving: When forty nights pass after the semen gets into the womb, Allah sends the angel and gives him the shape. Then he creates his sense of hearing, sense of sight, his skin, his flesh, his bones, and then says: My Lord, would he be male or female? And your Lord decides as He desires and the angel then puts down that also and then says: My Lord, what about his age? And your Lord decides as He likes it and the angel puts it down. Then he says: My Lord, what about his livelihood? And then the Lord decides as He likes and the angel writes it down, and then the angel gets out with his scroll of destiny in his hand and nothing is added to it and nothing is subtracted from it. (Sahih Muslim, Book 033, Number 6393)

Abu Tufail reported: I visited Abu Sariha Hudhaifa b. Usaid al-Ghifari who said: I listened with these two ears of mine Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The semen stays in the womb for forty nights, then the angel gives it a shape. Zubair said: I think that he said: One who fashions that and decides whether he would be male or female. Then he (the angel) says: Would his limbs be full or imperfect? And then the Lord makes them full and perfect or otherwise as He desires. Then he says: My Lord, what about his livelihood, and his death and what about his disposition? And then the Lord decides about his misfortune and fortune. (Sahih Muslim, Book 033, Number 6395)

Here is another version that is translated from the Arabic:

Abdullah ibn Masud said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who is the most truthful (of human beings) and his being truthful (is a fact) told us: ‘The constituents of one of you is gathered in his mother’s womb for forty days, then it becomes a clot of blood within another period of forty days. Then it becomes chewed lump of flesh, and forty days later, Allah sends His angel to it to breathe into it the spirit. The angel comes with instructions concerning four things, so the angel writes down his livelihood, his death, his deeds and whether he will doomed or blessed." (Sahih Muslim, Book 33, Number 6893 (??), text and reference are quoted as given in this Muslim article)

Moreover, the Quran and ahadith teach that angels do intercede:

And We did not send before you any apostle but We revealed to him that there is no god but Me, therefore serve Me. And they say: The Beneficent God has taken to Himself a son. Glory be to Him. Nay! they are honored servants. They do not precede Him in speech and (only) according to His commandment do they act. He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they do not intercede except for him whom He approves and for fear of Him they tremble. And whoever of them should say: Surely I am a god besides Him, such a one do We recompense with hell; thus do, We recompense the unjust. S. 21:25-29 Shakir

Note that this reference says that at least some of those honored servants who were worshiped as gods or considered children of God will indeed intercede! That this clearly includes angels can be seen from the following references:

Those who sustain the Throne (of God) and those around it Sing Glory and Praise to their Lord; believe in Him; and implore Forgiveness for those who believe: "Our Lord! Thy Reach is over all things, in Mercy and Knowledge. Forgive, then, those who turn in Repentance, and follow Thy Path; and preserve them from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire! And grant, our Lord! that they enter the Gardens of Eternity, which Thou hast promised to them, and to the righteous among their fathers, their wives, and their posterity! For Thou art (He), the Exalted in Might, Full of Wisdom. And preserve them from (all) ills; and any whom Thou dost preserve from ills that Day, - on them wilt Thou have bestowed Mercy indeed: and that will be truly (for them) the highest Achievement". S. 40:7-9 Y. Ali

The heavens wellnigh are rent above them, when the angels proclaim the praise of their Lord, and ask forgiveness for those on earth. Surely God -- He is the All-forgiving, the All-compassionate. S. 42:5 Arberry

... "Surely! Allah wrongs not even of the weight of an atom (or a smallest ant) but if there is any good (done) He doubles it." (4.40) The Prophet added, "Then the prophets AND ANGELS and the believers will intercede, and (last of all) the Almighty (Allah) will say, 'Now remains My Intercession. He will then hold a handful of the Fire from which He will take out some people whose bodies have been burnt, and they will be thrown into a river at the entrance of Paradise, called the water of life. ..." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 532s)

Let us now take a moment to reflect on the implications of the above references by summarizing all of the points:

The Quran says that the beings that the unbelievers were calling upon cannot intercede, create anything or cause death.Some of these beings that the unbelievers worshiped included the angels.The Quran, obviously forgetting what it said elsewhere, asserts that angels can cause persons to die.Certain Islamic narrations state that Allah uses an angel to create the soul of a human being, and to give it its shape during its formation in the womb. They also teach that angels do in fact intercede for others.The unbelievers were therefore justified in worshiping angels even by the Quran's own criteria, since they are conscious beings that can create life and cause death.Hence, not only are the hadiths contradicting the Quran, but the Quran is also contradicting itself.

QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT FIRE

Quench not the Spirit. - 1 Thessalonians 5:19 THE Spirit of the Lord amongst His people is compared to "a flame of sacred love" for the Lord and all connected with His cause: this flame is enkindled through the divine message in each one individually, when begotten of the Holy Spirit, and appertains, therefore, to the church collectively, under the guidance of that Spirit. In proportion as the church grows in knowledge and in love and in fellowship with the Lord this "flame of sacred love" will make it a light in the world,--a city set on a hill, which cannot be hid.

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. - Psalm 122:6 THESE words are as true of the Jerusalem the higher and her children of peace as of the earthly Jerusalem. Those who are praying the Lord's blessing upon his cause are seeking to serve it and are proportionately blessed. Those who are indifferent to the welfare of Zion and the Lord's cause now are standing in a slippery place and are in great danger of falling....It keeps us humble as we remember our needs, and it strengthens us as we remember the Lord's sufficiency and his willingness to pour out his blessing in answer to our prayers. These prayers, and the divine power to which they are attached are to our hearts a bulwark against the many Satan-blinded foes who beset us continually because of our loyalty to the Lord and to his Word.

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. - Psalm 122:6 THESE words are as true of the Jerusalem the higher and her children of peace as of the earthly Jerusalem. Those who are praying the Lord's blessing upon his cause are seeking to serve it and are proportionately blessed. Those who are indifferent to the welfare of Zion and the Lord's cause now are standing in a slippery place and are in great danger of falling....It keeps us humble as we remember our needs, and it strengthens us as we remember the Lord's sufficiency and his willingness to pour out his blessing in answer to our prayers. These prayers, and the divine power to which they are attached are to our hearts a bulwark against the many Satan-blinded foes who beset us continually because of our loyalty to the Lord and to his Word.

GIVE THANKS IN EVERYTHING

In everything give thanks. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 HAVING the condition of heart which is in fellowship with the Lord and fully devoted to the doing of His will, the Lord's people not only implore His blessing at the beginning of each day, and present their thanks at the close of each day, but in all of life's affairs they seek to remember that they have consecrated their all to the Lord, and by faith look up to Him in all the affairs of life;--and in proportion to the importance of their undertakings they, by faith, realize the association of God's providence with all the interests of life and give thanks accordingly. This is the will of God concerning us;--He wills that we live in such an attitude of constant regard for His will and for His blessing;--and He wills it in respect to us because it will be the condition most favorable to our progress in the narrow way, and which will best assist us in making our calling and election sure.

WHAT IT MEAN TO WORSHIP IN SPIRIT & TRUTH

The true worshipers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. - John 4:23 WORSHIP in Spirit and in truth does not apply simply to prayer, praise, supplication, and thanksgiving. It goes deeper than all these and takes hold upon the affections, upon the heart, and hence signifies not an “act of worship” but rather a life of worship--a life in which, through the begetting of the Spirit and the knowledge of the divine plan, the individual becomes so at one with God and so in unison with the law of God and all the features of the plan of God that it is, in the words of our Lord, his meat and his drink to do the Father's will. This is worship in Spirit and in truth. It will find its expression in bended knee and in orderly and reverential demeanor in approach to God in personal prayer, in family prayer and in company with the household of faith, and it will find its expression also in all the acts and words of life. The captivated heart will seek to bring every talent of the body into complete subjection to the will of God and of Christ. The whole of this is the worship which God seeketh; and, surely, only those who are thus captivated to the Lord in heart, and who serve him in Spirit and in truth and endeavor to have his will done in their hearts, words, and conduct are in the full sense the true worshipers whom the Lord seeketh; the “little flock,” the faithful “royal priesthood.”

GROW IN PATIENCE

Now we exhort you, brethren,...be patient toward all. - 1 Thessalonians 5:14 THIS seems to imply that the better balanced amongst the Lord's people should look with sympathy upon and exercise patient forbearance not only toward the weak and those who lack courage, but toward all; including thoso who have too much courage and self-push.... Growth in knowledge helps us to grow in this grace of patience, for as we appreciate more and more the heavenly Father's patience with us it helps us to apply the same principle toward others. ...The thought that our heavenly Father has favored and called any one should make us extremely careful how we would co-operate with the Lord in respect to the call, and be as helpful as possible to all thoso who are seeking to walk with us in the footsteps of our Lord in the narrow way.

THE TRUTH IS A SWORD

It is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master, and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of His household? - Matthew 10:25 HOWEVER graciously stated, the Truth is a sword which penetrates in every direction, and which as our Lord foretold, frequently sets parents against children and children against parents, because the darkness hateth the light and opposeth it in every possible manner....In view of the Lord's teachings regarding this subject, and of how the wisest presentation of it may be ultimately misconstrued, it behooves every one who would serve the Truth faithfully to be as careful as possible not to be misunderstood;--to let it be clearly understood that we neither participate in nor advocate anarchy of any kind; but on the contrary, are standing for righteousness and the highest of laws, the divine law.

PEACE OF THE CHURCH

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 5:1 THIS scripture would not apply to any who have not come to the point of consecration and acceptance and who are merely approaching through the court. These do, however, have a measure of peace in proportion as they progress. A certain measure of peace and joy comes from finding that there is a way back to God through the endeavor to put away sin and to draw near to him; but the peace of the church mentioned by the apostle in this text can apply only to those who have come into the condition of the sons of God. God is not at peace with any others.

KEEPING A PURE HEART

Cleanse Thou me from secret faults. Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me....Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. - Psalm 19:12-14 IT would appear that every intelligent Christian would continually pray this inspired prayer, for cleansing from secret faults, that he might thus be restrained from presumptuous sins; and thus praying heartily, he would also watch against these beginnings of sin and keep his heart in a cleansed and pure condition, by going continually to the fountain of grace for help in every time of need. He who seeks to live a life of holiness and nearness to the Lord by merely guarding against outward or presumptuous sins, and who neglects the beginnings of sin in the secrets of his own mind, is attempting a right thing in a very foolish and unreasonable way.

THE PRESENT TRUTH

Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. - Psalm 89:15 OUR Lord in symbol pointed out to us the fact that the message of his grace in the closing days of this Gospel age would be so different from the commonly accepted message, misnamed the Gospel, that it would properly be termed a new song, although it would be the old song of Moses--the message of blessing typified by the writing of Moses and by all the ceremonies of the Law;...and the testimony of all the apostles respecting the Lamb of God and the great work to be accomplished by him in taking “away the sin of the world.” It is merely this same song that is now being sung by those whom God has blessed with a knowledge of present truth--it is the “joyful sound” which only the people thus blessed know or can sing....Our text implies that in order to be of the people who will know the joyful sound it will be necessary to walk in the light of God's countenance. Or, reversing the statement, the thought is that all who walk in the light of God's countenance shall be his blessed people, and shall know the joyful sound.

THE PRESENT TRUTH

Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. - Psalm 89:15 OUR Lord in symbol pointed out to us the fact that the message of his grace in the closing days of this Gospel age would be so different from the commonly accepted message, misnamed the Gospel, that it would properly be termed a new song, although it would be the old song of Moses--the message of blessing typified by the writing of Moses and by all the ceremonies of the Law;...and the testimony of all the apostles respecting the Lamb of God and the great work to be accomplished by him in taking “away the sin of the world.” It is merely this same song that is now being sung by those whom God has blessed with a knowledge of present truth--it is the “joyful sound” which only the people thus blessed know or can sing....Our text implies that in order to be of the people who will know the joyful sound it will be necessary to walk in the light of God's countenance. Or, reversing the statement, the thought is that all who walk in the light of God's countenance shall be his blessed people, and shall know the joyful sound.

WINNING OUR HEAVENLY PRIZE

Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. - Revelation 2:10 WE are to anticipate a second attack upon the true church (not upon the nominal system), and this may mean, as in the case of John the Baptist, a second and a seemingly complete victory of the Babylonish woman and her paramour, the world, over the faithful members of the body of Christ in the flesh. We shall certainly not be surprised if the matter so result; but this and all things must work together for good to thoso who love the Lord. We must all die to win our heavenly prize beyond the veil. The Elijah class this side of the veil must and will be vanquished, but the apparent defeat only hastens the Kingdom glories.

GRATITUDE TOWARDS GOD

Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. - 1 Thessalonians 5:4 OUR present attitude, dear brethren, should be one of great gratitude toward God, increasing appreciation of the beautiful truth which he has granted us the privilege of seeing and being identified with, and increasing zeal in helping to bring that truth to the knowledge of others. In the meantime, our eyes of understanding should discern clearly the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty now in progress; and our faith, guiding our eyes of understanding through the Word, should enable us to see the glorious outcome--Messiah's kingdom. Furthermore we can be fully content not to know how long the harvest work will last--content that the great Captain, who by divine appointment has the entire matter in charge, is too wise to err, and has promised us that all our experiences shall work together for our good if we love him and are of the called ones according to his purpose, seeking to make our calling and election sure.

THE SPIRIT OF COMFORT

If there be any consolation [comfort] in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. - Philippians 2:1, 2 WHAT exhortations these are to unity, peace, brotherly kindness! How they suggest to us patience, forbearance, gentleness, helpfulness and comfort one toward another in the church; that thus the Spirit of the Lord may abound in all, that each may make the greatest possible progress in the right way. Dear brethren and sisters, let us more and more be worthy of the name of Barnabas--Comforter of the brethren. Let us have the Holy Spirit abounding in us more and more, for this is the Lord's good pleasure; that with it dwelling in us richly we may be all sons and daughters of comfort in Zion, representatives of our Father, and channels of the Holy Spirit, as well as of the Truth.

ANOTHER CONTRADICTION IN QUR'AN ON HELL

What will be the food for the people in Hell?

The Qur'an makes the following statements regarding the food that unbelievers will have in hell:

No food will there be for them but a bitter Dhari   S. 88:6 Y. Ali

Nor hath he any food except the foul pus from the washing of wounds,   S. 69:36 Y. Ali

In a footnote, Yusuf Ali gives the following explanation for Dhari:

It is a plant, bitter and thorny, loathsome in smell and appearance, which will neither give fattening nourishment to the body nor in any way satisfy the burning pangs of hunger. ...

Other translators render the term as "bitter thorn-fruit" (Pickthall) "dry, bitter and thorny herbage" (Sher Ali), "cactus thorn" (Arberry), "the foul thorn" (Palmer).

Obviously, both kinds of ‘food’ are chosen to evoke a feeling of horror when thinking about Hell. However, the contradiction is in the double claim that this or that will be the only food, i.e.

No food except Dhari (88:6).No food except foul pus (69:36).

There is yet another passage that is relevant to this discussion:

Is that the better entertainment or the Tree of Zaqqum? 
For We have truly made it (as) a trial for the wrong-doers.
For it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell-Fire:
The shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the heads of devils:
Truly they will eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith.
Then on top of that they will be given a mixture made of boiling water.
Then shall their return be to the (Blazing) Fire.   S. 37:62-68 Y. Ali; cf. 56:52

Thus, regarding this one topic alone, the Qur'an contains three contradictions:

"Eating of the tree of Zaqqum" (37:66) contradicts "eating only Dhari" (88:6)."Eating of the tree of Zaqqum" (37:66) contradicts "eating only foul pus" (69:36)."Eating only Dhari" (88:6) contradicts "eating only foul pus" (69:36).

REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE

Remember Lot's wife. - Luke 17:32 WE believe there are some now who need to have their attention called to the antitype of this typical incident referred to by our Lord. Quite a number are disposed to sympathize and fraternize with those who have come under divine condemnation. We are told by St. Jude that the destruction of Sodom was “set forth as an example” or type. Those who assume to be more gracious or long-suffering than the Lord, make of themselves opponents, who instead of being students of the principles of righteousness, attempt to be judges and teachers of Jehovah. The proper attitude of heart accepts God's decisions as not only wiser but more just than our own. Consequently when we see any who have enjoyed the light of present truth abandoned by the Lord and led into outer darkness, we are to conclude that before being thus abandoned there must have been in them “an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.”

IF YOU LOVE THE FATHER...

Every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him. - 1 John 5:1 HE who loveth the Father must love the Son also, who is the Father's express image and who has manifested to us in his own flesh the glorious character of the Father. As the Son loved the Father, prayed to the Father, and felt that he must be about the Father's business, and finally died in the accomplishment of the Father's will--the work unto which the Father had sent him--so with us imbued with the Spirit of our dear Redeemer, our Head. We as his members must have such a reverence for the Father and for his will as is here specified. The nation of Israel could not love the Lord with all its heart, with its soul, with its might; this exhortation must be understood to be of an individual kind. Similarly the church, spiritual Israel, is not called upon to love the Lord with heart, soul, being, strength, but the individuals who are the Lord's and who are seeking to please him, to serve him, to lay down their lives in obedience to his will and in the forwarding of the divine purposes, are called upon so to do.

IS YOUR LIGHT SHINING?

If the light that is in thee be [come] darkness, how great is that darkness! - Matthew 6:23 THE "harvest" is a time for winnowing the "wheat"--a sifting, a separating time, and it is for each of us to prove our characters: "Having done all, stand!" The tests of this "harvest" must be like those of the Jewish or typical "harvest." One of them is the cross, another is the presence of Christ, another is humility, another is love. The Jews were reproved because they "knew not the time of their visitation." The matter is doubly distressing for those who have once seen the light of Present Truth, and afterward go into the "outer darkness." It implies unfaithfulness.

WHAT THE TRUTH CAUSE

Into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. - Luke 10:5, 6 EACH laborer in the present harvest should note well the Lord's instruction in these verses. Wherever the Lord's representatives go peace should go, not strife, confusion, turmoil, quarreling. True, the Truth will prove to be a sword that will arouse opposition, yet it should be the Truth that causes the opposition and division and not any rudeness or unkindness of word or action on the part of the Lord's representatives. There are plenty of things to aggravate mankind in this our busy day, and all who have received the Truth should receive also its spirit "speaking peace through Jesus Christ."

SHINING THE LIGHT

Ye are the light of the world. - Matthew 5:14 IN order to have the Holy Spirit in large measure, we must keep near to the Lord, for if we get away from him, the light will go out. If we neglect the privilege of prayer or of study of the Scriptures or of fellowship with the Lord through failure to think of him, the illumination of the Spirit will grow dim. On the other hand, it will become brighter in proportion to our realization of our own imperfections and to the degree of our consecration to the Lord. This we manifest by the zeal with which we study his will as expressed in his Word, and with which we practice that will in the affairs of life. These are the means by which we may supply the oil to keep our light burning brightly. `