In answer to the video "Islamic Fire Torture"
The prophet did not want to burn anyone. Let us put this saying back in its proper context and dismiss all false allegations. The moment during which the Quran started descending to the heart of the prophet wasnt a random point in time. It was in the night, as darkness symbolically stands for a time of spiritual obscurity. A prophet's advent is always preceded by such darkness. And neither was it a random night. It was during the month of Ramadan 2:185, during the specific night of qadr/destiny 97:1, a most blessed night 44:3. It is blessed because in it the world received the greatest manifestation of Divine light.
This blessed night of destiny is superior to a thousand months, because it intensifies to the maximum, more than at any time of the year, all spiritual endeavors.
Just as in this material world many objectives require the harmonious synchronization of several factors to be fulfilled; likewise, in the spiritual world also there are special times that are set aside for special acts of worship yielding spiritual benefits that cannot be reaped at other times. God selects entities, abstract or concrete, and makes them inherently superior to others. This is true for the spiritual realm as well as the material world. God also selects certain periods, days, nights or months 2:185,197,4:154,9:36 as most suited for specific spiritual accomplishments, just as in our concrete world, certain objectives can only be achieved at specific periods.
As a sign of obedience to the Creator of all things, a believer readily accepts God's decreed special timings, both in the spiritual and material world. The believer applies himself to enter into as many as those spiritual timings as possible in a limited lifetime. The more a person partakes in these opportunities the more God increases him in guidance, making his steps firm as he walks through the spiritual hurdles of this life. It is the case for the rituals of the Night of Qadr, fasting or hajj in certain appointed times, etc. as well as the jumu'a/friday congregational prayers.
Regarding Jumuah, besides the numerous instances where the Quran speaks of and urges believers to perform, for their own benefit, the daily ritual prayers, the prophet is reported to have had thoughts of burning down the houses of those who were unwilling yet able to attend this particular jumu'a prayer. All variant versions in all hadith books say "burn the houses", except in one among several versions within sahih Muslim mistranslated as "burn those persons", the version unsurprisingly passed on among the misinformed and uneducated critics of Islam seeking to draw their hasty and faulty conclusions. The mistranslated part says in Arabic "burn aala/upon the persons". The prophet of course never did or ordered anyone to do so but he was just expressing the importance to his eyes of having people perform that particular prayer.
As stated earlier, God gave to each one a limited time on this earth to do good and yet the same God also gave eachone days and nights that are equivalent to lifetimes of good works. Prophets of all times knew the importance of obedience to God, so much so that Moses for instance, contrary to Muhammad who expressed an intention that was never realized, he actually slew the disobedient Israelites by the thousands so as to prevent others from transgression. The prophet used to remain awake in isolated prayer/i'tikaf the last 10 nights of Ramadan, waking up his close relatives to engage in worship so as to not miss this special timeframe of increased spiritual reward. He was teaching them that there are times where one is given the opportunity to completely set aside the material world and engage in more serious prayer than is usually done.
Most acts of worship are usually squeezed into brief moments in our daily routine, making it difficult for them to be complete transformative spiritual experiences. That is besides his nightly prayers, during which his devotion was so intense that he sometimes prayed until his feet cracked, and that his assiduity and longevity in each position; standing, bowing, and prostrating, was something that could only be marvelled at. The prophet did not ask from the believers the same level of regular, consistent commitment. It was a self imposed restriction
"Allah's Messenger used to pray in his room at night. As the wall of the room was LOW, the people saw him and some of them stood up to follow him in the prayer. In the morning they spread the news. The following night the Prophet stood for the prayer and the people followed him. This went on for two or three nights. Thereupon Allah's Messenger did not stand for the prayer the following night, and did not come out. In the morning, the people asked him about it. He replied, that he way afraid that the night prayer might become compulsory".
Aisha recalled that
"Allah's Messenger used to give up a good deed, although he loved to do it, for fear that people might act on it and it might be made compulsory for them".
The prophet did however want them to seize certain occasions to sometimes go beyond what is normally expected in terms of spiritual practice.
"When `Abdullah bin Ubai (the chief of hypocrites) died, his son came to the Prophet and said, "O Allah's Messenger! Please give me your shirt to shroud him in it, offer his funeral prayer and ask for Allah's forgiveness for him." So Allah's Messenger gave his shirt to him and said, "Inform me (When the funeral is ready) so that I may offer the funeral prayer." So, he informed him and when the Prophet intended to offer the funeral prayer, `Umar took hold of his hand and said, "Has Allah not forbidden you to offer the funeral prayer for the hypocrites? The Prophet said, "I have been given the choice for Allah says: '(It does not avail) Whether you (O Muhammad) ask forgiveness for them (hypocrites), or do not ask for forgiveness for them. Even though you ask for their forgiveness seventy times, Allah will not forgive them. (9.80)" So the Prophet offered the funeral prayer and on that the revelation came: "And never (O Muhammad) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (i.e. hypocrites) that dies." (9. 84)".
His forbearing forefather Abraham before him similarly argued with God to spare people deserving to be wiped out for their sins 11:75-6. Muhammad once said
"My example with my nation and my people is that I see them trying to jump into the fire, and I’m holding onto their belt trying to drag them out, and they want to try to disobey me and jump into the fire".
As he was grieved and over passionate in his admonitions, God would advise the prophet Muhammad not to destroy himself with sorrow, belief cannot be imposed on anyone 18:6,26:3,35:8. The Quran tells him not to show impatience for their lack of receptivity and to go on with his mission as bidden. The success of his mission doesnt depend on the people accepting his message at all costs, rather to bring about a wilful intellectual and moral revolution for the establishment of a righteous society. The process must be natural, not supernatural, so that people might naturally enter this exemplary society based on their rationality, high ideals, best principles of life. If he cannot endure that lengthy and emotionally painful process patiently, and if he imagines that a miracle, conforming to their whims would break their spiritual stagnation, then God tells him, he should try by himself to bring about such a Sign and search for it in the heavens and the earth but at the end he will understand that
6:33-6"Only those accept who listen; and (as to) the dead, Allah will raise them, then to Him they shall be returned".In other words, and as Jesus tells the Pharisees that similarly challenged him for a sign
Mk8:11-13"Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it."
Jesus categorically denied them the performance of Signs, and effectively, Jesus never appeared to those very people who demanded him a miracle after his alleged resurrection. Whoever follows this Quran does it for his own good and whoever rejects it, then Muhammad is only a warner
27:92,20:54,10:41"And if they call you a liar, say: My work is for me and your work for you; you are clear of what I do and I am clear of what you do".He was sent with the truth and to create discipline by setting practical examples, with the same basic warnings as the messengers and prophets of old 35:24,53:56 so that
25:57"he who will, may take the way to his Lord".
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