Islam.OrthodoxViewpriestDanielSysoev

The book represents a critical analysis of Islamic doctrine as well asanalysis of theological and mystic aspects of life and work of Muhammad,Islamfounderintheframeworkoftraditionalorthodoxcomparativetheology.TheauthorrevealsbasicnotionsofIslamanddemonstratessalvificdifferencesofChristianreligion.Thebookisintendedforawiderangeofreaders.

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Editorialnote

DearReader!WerepresentyouthebookbyDaniilSysoyev,awell-knownpublicperson

andpriestwhosemortallifeendedtragicallyonноября,20,2009.Accordingtoone version of law enforcement investigation themurderwas committed forreligious reasons,becauseofhismissionaryandpredicatoryactivitiesamongMuslims. The deceased was continually threatened by representatives ofextremistgroup.

This edition Islam. Orthodox View is a print version of father Daniil’svideolecturesthatcirculatedintheInternet.Inhislecturestheauthorgivesacritical analysis of Islamic doctrine as well as analysis of theological andmystic aspects of life and work of Muhammad, Islam founder, in theframework of traditional orthodox comparative theology.Deep knowledge ofHoly Bible and Holy Tradition and broad erudition allowed father Daniil tocreateabrightimageoforthodoxdispute.

The publishers put the author’s oral performance into paper havingpreservedhispersonal intonationand individualpeculiarityof fatherDaniil’sspeech.Profoundscientificworkhasbeenundertakentomakethispublication:thequoteswerecheckedinaccordancewiththeoriginaltext,uncertaintieswereedited,referencestoauthoritiesswellascommentswereprovidedthroughoutthebook.Allquotesare takenfromTheMeaningofTheGloriousKoran.Anexplanatoty translation by Marmaduke Pickthall with an introduction byWilliamMontgomeryWatt.Everyman’sLibrary.London,1992.

The book consists of three chapters: 1. On Islam; 2. Muhammad; 3.Answers to questions; father Daniil’s biography and Primatial word ofPatriarch ofMoscow andAllRussiaKirill after the funeral service of priestDaniilSysoyev.EverychapterrevealsnotonlythebasicnotionsofIslam,butalsodemonstratesthesalvificdifferencesofChristianreligion.AlthoughfatherDaniil always took a balanced and a reasonable approach to what he wasspeakingabout,vouchinghisargumentswithquotesfromoriginaltexts,notallcontemporary theologians fullyaccepthisconclusions.FatherDaniil’spublicspeechesgaveoccasionstodiscussionsamongorthodoxreligiousscholars.

FatherDaniilwasknownbythefreshnessofideaandcreativeactivity.Hehad a gift of a true preacher and amissionary,who showedhis audience theonlywaytoperfectjoyintheworldofmanysorrows–thewaytoChrist.Wehope that the livingword of fatherDaniil will help and support peoplewhoseekforthetruemeaningoflife.InlovingmemoryoffatherDaniil.

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Dearestreaders,webegyourpardonforpossiblegaps.

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1.OnIslam

Today we’ll speak not only about Islam as it is. Certainly, we need totouch upon this topic for so many people don’t know anything about thisreligion – they know something about the traditional belief, something thatgivesthisconfessiononlypositivecharacteristics…We’llspeakaboutthistoo,but we’ll also speak about those particular trends and forms that existnowadaysbecausesomanypeoplewhohaven’taslightestideaofwhatisgoingonsay:“Well,Muslimsmaketerroristattacks,theyareallterrorists”,oronthecontrary:“Muslimsarenot terroristsbecause thisparticularMuslimdoesnotmake a terrorist attack”. It happens because people do not know the innerstructureof theMuslimcommunity,which is calledummah inArabic.ThisreligioustrendwecanjudgeonlyfromGod’spointofview.

WhydoIsay“fromGod’spointofview”?WeChristianstrynottohaveour ownpoint of view. It is not very interesting.AsoneEnglishwriter oncesaid:“Youмаяhavehundredthousandpointsofviewunlessyoufindtheonlytrue.Thenyou’llhavetheonlypointofview–thetrueone”.

Firstofall,itisnecessarytosaywhatIslamisasitis.Veryoften,whenpeoplestartspeakingaboutIslamtheycallitareligion.Thenotion“religion”characterizes some religious organization, church or sectwhere people cometogethertoprayandsolvesomespiritualproblems.

Actually, it is not quite true. To ourmind, Islam seems to be far fromtraditional religion. It is very important to remember this because ourconversationoftenturnsouttobeaconversationoftwodeafs.WhenwespeaktoMuslimswespeakaboutonethingandtheyspeakaboutsomethingdifferent.Consequently, we cannot understand each other because we put absolutelydifferentideastooneandthesamewords.

Ihave recently received the invitation to take Islamfromoneverygoodmanaswell as the explicationof reasons forwhichhehad taken it andwhyIslamisatruereligion.ThatmanwastryingtoexplainmethatIslamisatruereligionbecauseMuslimsdonotsmokeortakedrugs,allgirlsarevirgins,anddissipation isnot accepted, that iswhy Islam is averygood religionand theonlyhopefortheprogressivemankind.

Actually it isnotquite true, for80%ofallheroine isplanted in Islamiccountries.But thethingis thatamanlooksat thereligionasasystemof lifebeing.Bytheway,itisapeculiartrait.IfwevisitsuchIslamicsitesasislam.ruor koran.ruwe’ll see that themajority of allmaterials represented there aredevotedtothewayweshouldbuildourlife:articlesaboutArabiancuisineand

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market;whatstandardsofthelengthofbeard,underwear,whateveritisexistinshariahetc.Asyousee,itisanattempttobuildaglobalsystemofourlifebased on God’s authority. In this sense Islam can be compared with suchprojectsasnational-socialisticandcommunistbuilding,modernglobalizationetc.,butnotwiththechurch–orthodoxorcatholic.It isaprojectofcreatingGod’s kingdom in ourworldwith the help of divinemeans and underGod’sauthority.

Moreover, a Muslim never divides religion and politics. It is veryimportanttorealizeitforitisatypicaltraitofIslamasitis.WecanimagineanOrthodoxwholives,forexample,inAmericaamongPapuaNewGuinea,i.e.amongMuslims.Asyousee,Orthodoxyoverwhelmingthewholelifeofamanstillassumesthathecanlive togetherwith theorder that isabsolutelyalien .Moreover,weknowthatitisanormalsituationinOrthodoxyforweknowthatChrist’s kingdom “is not from thisworld”, as ourGod said. That is why anorthodox Christian can stay orthodox even in antichristian environment.Certainly,itisnotnormalforusthatsuchenvironmentexists,butitseemstobeinevitableeviluntilthedoomsday.AsStJustinthePhilosopher oncesaid,“Weknow that theChurchwill bepersecuteduntil thedoomsday,whenGodcomesbackandgivesfreedomtoallofus”.Thatiswhypersecutionisanormforus.

Why?Becausewearealiens,wearerepresentativesofGod’skingdominthisworld.Wefeelas ifweare,andactuallywearespiessent to thehostileterritory.Situationsмаяbemoreorlesscomfortable,butthisworldisaplacewhere we can exist, at the same time, we do not hope that this world willbecome God’s kingdom due to our efforts. We hope that God himself willinterfereandrestructuretheUniverse.

ItisquitedifferentinIslam.ForIslamthereisonlyserviceofGodwhichis mainly realized via shariah, i.e. the law. This law overwhelms the man’sphysical,spiritualandsociallife,itdefineshisfamilylifeasallotherspheresofhisactivities.So,shariahisaglobalproject,andwhatseemstobethemostinteresting, it does not include God Himself. Here lies a radical differencebetween Islam and Orthodoxy: while in Orthodoxy everything is done byAlmightyGod,inIslamGod’sinterferenceissubtle.

I’lltrytoexplain.InIslamalldeedsperformedbyaman,anangeloranatomareperformedbyGod–Allah.Itleadstoaparadoxaccordingtowhichamanshoulddoeverythingbyhimself.ForthereasonthatthereistoomuchofGodthereispracticallynospacefortheman’sfreedom,andtheonlypieceoffreedom that hehas is the freedom to choose and this is theonly instrumentwiththehelpofwhichhecandoanything.Thisistheparadoxthatfollowsand

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itdefinestheIslamicmentality.Ontheotherhand,amancandoeverything,forexample,hecanmakea

terroristattackandregarditasakinddeed.Why?BecausethatwasAllahwhodid it via theman.At the same time, themanknows thathe cannotwait forAllah’shelp.Whyhecannotdoit?BecauseAllahdoeseverythinghimselfandyouhavenorighttoaskforanythingbecauseyouareapuppet.Youhaveonlyasmallpieceoffreedom.

OmarKhayyam once said: “Ball no questionmakes ofAyes andNoes,ButHereorThereas strikes thePlayergoes”.Sodowe, asAllah strikesgo.What we see is a weird attempt to build God’s kingdom in this world butwithout God himself, what really makes Islam look like communism ornationalsocialism.Bytheway,itisinterestingtonoticethatIslamiccountrieseagerlyacceptedsocialism.AlotofIslamiccountriesaresocial:Syria,Iraqatthe time when Saddam Hussein was its leader. A lot of Islamic countriescooperatedwiththeSovietUnion.Thecooperationwasbasednotonlyonthearmsexportbutalsoonthecommonideology.

NowitisnecessarytodefinewhatIslamis.FromIslamicpointofview,theworldisdividedintotwoparts:theHouse

of safety and theHouseofwar .TheHouseof safety is theworldwhere theshariah lawsfunction.ThesecountriesbelongtotheHouseofsafetyandliveinaccordancewithAllah’slaws.Thosewhodisobeytheselawstakeaspecialplace.AccordingtoshariahandtheQuran onwhichshariahisbased,allnon-believers are divided into two groups: Polytheists and People of the Book.Polytheists are people who do not accept the Scripture authority and do notrespectCreator,forexample,atheists,Buddhists,Hindus,shamanists,anybody.They are subject to forcible conversion into Islam or to capital punishment,there is no third option. People of the Book, in the Quran these includeChristians, Judaists and Zoroastrians, have right for life. They are given thehonorary right for life on condition that they do not oppose Islam, do notcriticizeIslam,donotpreach,payjizyah (taxonbelief),andalsoobeysomerestrictions: Christians must wear crosses on their backs, live in one-storeyhouses,havenohorses.Therearealsosomeotherrestrictionsconnectedwithlife.

Jizyahgenerallyamountedto80percentoftheincome.Meanwhile, ifaChristian was inevitably harassed as a second-rate citizen, his life was notjeopardized. This should be recognized by right, for to think that IslamdemandsexterminationofallChristiansisabsolutelywrong.

OntheotherhandconversiontoIslamwasencouraged.BecauseIslamhasnodoctrineofindividualfreedom(wewilldiscussitinduetime),apersonand

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an individual will could be destroyed. According to the Quran, « Seek theyotherthanthereligionofAllah,whenuntoHimsubmittethwhosoeverisintheheavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and unto Him they will bereturned. » The expression « unwittingly » designates the lack of freedom,captivity,andservitude.Thisresultsinfrightfulstatementsthat,forexample,aChristiandeclaringhiswishtoadoptIslaminthepresenceoftwoMuslimsisconsidered aMuslim, andwhoeverwishes to renounce is convicted to death.Indeed,defectioninIslammeansdeathorimprisonmentforlife.Thelatterisonly applied in very few cases.Death has been and still is themost popularpunishment.ArecentcaseofdeathpenaltyforbaptismwastheexecutionofaPhilippine Christian in Saudi Arabia in 2005. Another Christian convert,George, was executed in Yemen in 2004. The regulations are still active inshariahcountries.

Theotherpartoftheglobeisthelandofwarsubdividedinto:theHouseofJihadandtheHouseoftruce.TheHouseofwaristhenon-shariahland,anon-regulatedcommunity,theonetobebroughttoIslam.ThisisachievedthroughaHolywar, the Jihad , practiced in several forms.Characteristically, jihadhas the form of a mission, the amicable Jihad. Muslim missionary work iscalledjihad.Andjihadisamissionindeed,butnotonlythat.Jihadcaninvolvehostility, pogroms, and poisoning enemy well water. According to currentinterpretationofferedby someMuslim leaders inSaudiArabia, the so-calledwahhabis , jihad includes heroin traffic. This is why heroin is mainlycultivated in Afghanistan as an instrument to undermine enemy power.Destroyingenemymanpowerispartofthewar,puremilitarytactics.

TheHouseofwarissubdividedintwocategories,asIsaidbefore.First,thereisthelandofhostility.TheHouseofJihadistobeannihilatedtooth-and-nail because it opposed Islam in one way or another. Every possible meanscould be used against such countries. They are listed among jihad rules.Accordingly,allmale,andoldpeople,mustbekilled,andwomenandchildrenshouldbetakenprisoners:womentobeusedassexualslaves,andchildrentobeconvertedtoIslamundercompulsion.Specialtreatisesarewrittenonjihad(also in Russian). The rules have been adopted in Islam since the days ofMuhammadinthe7 century.

The House of truce is where Islam makes a contract with non-Islamicgovernment. This means that Muslims can more or else follow the shariahwithin the non-Islamic community. This is the House of truce. Why so?Because thepeople,or rather thecommunityallowingMuslims to follow theshariah is actually non-Islamic, abnormal, and thus should be destroyed andmade Islamic without victimizing theMuslim brethren. A truce is therefore

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concludeduntilthewholecommunityisreducedtoIslam.How does one adopt Islam?What should one do? In the same way as

Orthodox Christianity involves belief in the Holy Trinity, the God-man, theCreation, as well as baptism and communion, Islam specifies the rules andevents thatmake aMuslim. So there are the celebrated five pillars of Islamoftenconfusedwiththesixarticlesoffaith.

The first andprobablymost importantof the fivepillarsof Islam is theShahadah.Aman professing the Shahadah, i.e. confession of faith, before atleasttwoor,better,fourMuslimsbecomesaMuslim.

There are certain websites where one can type one’s name under“denomination”, click “I adopt Islam”, and become aMuslim automatically.Forthismeansprofessingone’sfaithbeforeallMuslimsvisitingtheInternetatthemoment. As amatter of fact, however, Shahadah (the Shahid is the oneconfessingShahadah, a confessor ormartyr,witness) is the confession of nogodbutAllahandMuhammadasHisprophet(recitationoftheIslamicwitnessoffaith,“ThereisnogodbutGodandMuhammadisthemessengerofGod”–ed.). The statement is pronounced inArabic though, in principle, Russian oranyotherlanguageisadmissible.

Thefourremainingpillarsaretobeprofessedtoo.Thesecondpillaristheobligatoryprayer,namaz .Thethirdoneiszakah,

the obligatory charity . This generally amounts to 1/40 of the income paidannuallyintheRamadan.ThefourthpillarisRamadan fasting,andthefifthisthehajj,IslamicpilgrimagetoMecca.

ManybelievethatjihadrepresentsthesixthobligatorypillarofIslam.ButinstrictSunniinterpretationjihadisonlyobligatoryinthecountriesoppressingIslam,i.e.intheHouseofJihadproper.Itisnotprescribedelsewhere.

HowarethepillarsofIslamtobedescribedandinterpretedintermsoftheOrthodoxChurch,andintheAbsolute?

(1) The first pillar, the confession of faith, is by no means limited to“ThereisnogodbutGodandMuhammadisthemessengerofGod”,addingtheso-calledaqidah (creeds)containing,first,theAllah,abeingneverdescribedasaperson(amatterofprimeimportance).IslamneverpersonifiesAllah.

ThequestionofwhetherAllahcouldbereferredtoasapersonwasonceposedinnegotiationsbetweentheRomanCatholicChurchandIslamicummah.It occurred that there was no Arabic term for the notion. Our “person” isrenderedinArabicas“alad”.Apersonisidentifiedwithalad…Thisisquitewrongandwecannotuseit.OnecannotrefertoGodasalad!AndtherearenoothertermsforAllahasaperson.

When debating the issue with Muslims, or just discussing everyday

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problems… Talking with a Muslim in Turkey this summer, for instance, Iasked:“What isAllah toyou?”Hesaid:“TomeAllah isagreatpower,veryremote,andveryobscure”.

NoMuslimknowswhatAllahis.Itisapowercreatingtheworld,givingthelaws,makingallthingsrun,andquitevague.TheQuransaysonthesubject:“Allah maketh the provision wide for whom He will of His bondmen, andstraiteneth it for whom (He will)”. Hence the curse of Israelites andChristiansbelieving themselves tobeGod’snaturaloradoptedchildren.Andthe conception of God as a remote power demanding worship and actuallyincomprehensible!

ThereisaconceptionofAllah’sattributes.Whatattributes?Theyarenotjust qualifications but properties that Allah himself discovers about himself.The point is whether they are compatible with his nature. Two schools inmedievalIslamdisputedthesubject:somemaintainedthatAllahdiddiscoversomequalitiesinhimself,hisowninherentproperties;othersarguedthatAllahappeared as he wished, keeping his substance to himself. The attributes areconsideredofgreatimportanceeventhoughIslamcannotsettletheissue.Theyareknownasthe99namesofAllah.

You might have seen bead charms in cars, orMuslims fingering greenbeads. They count the names ofAllah. The action has amagic sense thoughSufis think it is a way to heat up one’s love for Allah. Anyway, this isevidenceofborrowingfromChristianity.

The attributes are contradictory. For instance, the Loving, Gracious,Beneficent –notLovebut loving thosewho lovehim.There is theSpeakingattribute.Amongothers,thereistheTyrant,AuthorofEvil.Thatis,inIslamictradition Allah is beyond good and evil, author of both good and evil. TheQuransaysthat,“Nordidthey(thetwoangels)teachittoanyonetilltheyhadsaid:We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance ofAllah). And from these two (angles) people learn that by which they causedivisionbetweenmanandwife;buttheyinjuretherebyno-onesavebyAllah’sleave”. .Yethemakesonestrayorkeepstraightathiswill.Thatis,bothgoodandevilareofhim.

A hadith ascribed to Muhammad reads as follows: “He whom Allahleadeth, he indeed is led aright, while hewhomAllah sendeth astray – theyindeedarelosers” ,sothefatesdecree.

In Islamic view, archangelGabriel comes into the view ofAllah on thefortiethdayofconceptionandaskswhatisdestinedforeachparticularinfant.And Allah gives him a list of designations. Archangel Gabriel immediatelyassignsanangeltoattachthatregisteroffuturegoodandevildeedstotheman.

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Inaddition,thelistdescribesone’spredestination:i.e.asadwellerinheavenorinhell.Alltheseareattachedtooneonthefortiethdayofconception.

More fundamentalist Muslims believe in Allah’s geometric constraint.“Prominent”Wahhabis argue thatAllah can travel.He resides in the seventhheaven and descends to the first heaven on Ramadan night, the night ofrevelation, to hear prayers in the best possible way. So one should alwaysappealtoAllahonthenightofrevelationwhenheisclosebyandlistening.

Islam rejects the divine triad: several surah contest the Trinity.Interestingly,theyallseemright.ConceivingAllahasthethirdofthree,thatis,oneofthreeGods,isanunpardonablesin.Anyonecanseewhy!CantherebethreeindividualGods?!OneayahintheQurandescribesAllahaskingJesus:“OJesus,sonofMary!Didstthousayuntomankind:TakemeandmymotherfortwogodsbesideAllah?”.Ofcourse,Jesussaysheneverdid .

Muhammad simply misunderstood Christianity. Moreover, allcondemnations of Christians in the Quran seem totally justified. We alsoanathematize those who think so. Could one accept the idea of three Gods?Wouldthereberoomforthree?ForHeisGodomnipresent.

Sohowcanone treat the issueofwhoandwhatAllah is?Ofcourse, theGeneralCouncilatConstantinoplein1180concerningtheGodofMuhammaddecidedthatAllahwastotallyunrelatedtoscripturalGod.AllahwasinventedbyMuhammadwhomisinterpretedtheOldandNewTestament.Indeed,formallogicexcludesidentificationofAllahwithGodoftheBible.Godshouldhaveattributes of genuine Divinity. Principal divine attributes are by no meansevident in Muhammad’s doctrine of God as a remote power with obscureattributes.TheonlysubstantialattributeistheeternalQuran!

The idea of the eternal Quran existing in parallel with God is veryproblematic.SomedescribeaneternalgreenthroneerectedbeforeAllah,withthe splendid Quran volume in green morocco, the Source of Decreesmentioned in the Quran. Archangel Gabriel copied each surah and madeMuhammad learn itbyheart.Thus theQuranwasbrought toEarth.HowdidMuslimsknowwhatwaswrittenonthegreenthrone?Itappearsthatthemainornament of the green thronewas the inscription “ToMuhammad”.Yet thisseemsaninformaldoctrineofsorts.

Meanwhile, the dogma of the eternal Quran paralleling Eternal Allahsurvives, indicating Muslim renunciation of monotheism they advocate sovehemently.Coexistenceoftwoeternalentitiesisparadoxical.

Moreover, the history of the Quran demonstrates an interesting way todenouncepolytheism.TheQurandenouncesArabsregardingthreegoddessesasthedaughtersofAllah.Toquote:“HaveyethoughtuponAl-LatandAl-«Uzza

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andManat,thethird,theother?AreyoursthemalesandHisthefemales?Thatindeedwereanunfairdivision!Theyarebutnameswhichyehavenamed,yeandyourfathers,forwhichAllahhathrevealednowarrant”(an-Najm:TheStar53:19–23).

Arabsactuallyworshipped threefemaledeities:Venus,MoonandStar–there were celestial deities. The three goddesses were considered to bedaughtersofMecca’smainDeity .AtalatertimewhenMuslimsmetreal-lifeJews and Christians rather than heretic inhabitants of Arabia, they came toidentify theirAllahwithGod revealed in theScripture.Butwe should neveridentify the God revealed in the Holy Writ with the God worshipped byMuslims.Theyaredifferent,andwecannotsaythatweandMuslimshaveoneGod.

Can we take an unbiased attitude on the matter today? Objectivelyspeaking, there is a mental idol created by Muhammad. That is, the AllahdescribedbytheQurandoesnotexist,itisadistortedpicture,aparodyoftrueGod, imposed on Muhammad by a force of evil. This is the most possibleimpartialjudgmentoftheconceptofAllahtodate.

Nicholas of Serbia told an interesting tale of old days when peopleperceiveGodasaverydistantcampfireorlight.Theysawitfromafarwithoutknowingwhat itwas.ButwhenGodapproachesand isquitenear,wesee thetriplefireofDivinity.SoonecansaythatGodinIslamasaverydistantDeity,a gleamof trueGod, distorted inMuhammad’smind and thus eclipsing trueGod.Itwasamentaldummyoftruenotions.

OnefindspreposterousnotionsofGodintheQuran!Forinstance,GodissaidtoinventsophisticatedtorturesforHisenemies.HeissaidtolovewhoeverloveHimandhatewhoeverhateHim.AndwhoeverhateHimwouldbemadehappywithsheer torture: theywouldburn inhell, andHewouldgive themanewskineach time, toprolongsuffering .Thiswould last forever, and theywouldbegivenmoltenirontodrink.

Imagine a simple, ordinary man offended and unable to overcome hispassions.Whatwouldhedo?Wouldhetakevengeanceontheoffender?Andifhehadinfinitepower?Hewouldavengehimselfinfinitely.Thismeansthattheman drewGod from his own nature. But his nature was not perfect! Not tomentiontheGospelswhereGodsays:forifyoulovethosewholoveyou,whatrewardhaveyou?DonoteventheGentilesdothesame?ButIsaytoyou“loveyour enemies, bless them that curse you… and pray for them whichdespitefullyuseyou, andpersecuteyou ; thatyeмаяbe the childrenofyourFatherwhichisinheaven:forhemakethhissuntoriseontheevilandonthegood,andsendethrainonthejustandontheunjust”. .Logically,theChristian

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notionhasmore incommonwith trueGod than Islamicwhich is toohuman-likeifyouwill.Thisisthecaseofapureanthromorphism.

The secondarticleof faith forMuslims reads as follows:Muslimsmustbelieve in angels. Strictly speaking, aqidah maintains that a Muslim mustbelieveinAllah,hisangels,hisBook,hisenvoys,andthelastday .Thesearethesixpoints.

Angels are conceived by Muslims as spirits of light always followingAllah’s wishes. According to Islam, angels cannot fall. The only case of afallenangelisIblis–ourSatan–turningshaytan,e.g.Satan.YetwhetherIblisisanangelorasupremejinnisamatterofargument.SomeauthoritiessaythatIblis is a mutinous angel, while others perceive him as jinn. Angels havevariablewings,andvariousstoriesaretoldaboutthem.ThusarchangelGabrielpresumablyhas600wingsandgoesbathinginaspringeverydaywhendropsfrom his wings turn to pearls. The fantastic tales of Arabia illustrate anidealisticnotionofangels.

Inadditiontoangels,therearespiritsdesignatedasjinn .Jinnarebeingsof non-angelic substance, created of smokeless fire and existing in the twotypes:Muslimjinnandheathenjinn.

Where does the notionofMuslim jinn come from?Oneday at the verybeginningofhislifeMuhammadvisitedatowninArabia.HehadnoarmyofhisownandwishedtopreachhisWord.Drivenawayandverymuchupset,hewas inspired to think that hiswasnot a fruitless effort for jinnof allArabiacame to hear his preaching and adopted Islam. This meant that he hadaccomplishedhismission.Muhammadhadthisconsolation.AndthatwastheoriginofMuslimjinn.

Unlikeangels, jinnaremaleandfemale.Theycan intermarryandmarryhumanbeings.Whether theshariahshouldapproveofmarriagewithjinnwasthe subject of wide speculation in Islamic newspapers of Tatarstan in 2004!Why?Idon’tknowwhythe issuewassourgent inTatarstanin2004,but thecaseisonrecord.ThereitwasinTatarnewspapers,aslargeaslife.

Jinn can be injurious toman: smother himor put an evil curse on him.MutinousheathenjinnareledbyIblis–Satan,shaytan.InIslamicview,Iblisandhisjinnwilleventuallybepunishedandcastintohell-firealongwiththosewhodefeatIslam.

Howcanweinterprettheview?Thequestionisnotofmeretalesandlore,butratherofagravedistortionofspiritualrealities.Thevividandactiveworldofspirits,andthenotionofthatworld,isdistortedtopreventhumanstruggleagainst evil spirits. For if a jinn can be converted to Islam without anyreservations,whynotnegotiate?!

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Islamdemandssystematicstruggleagainsttheworldofevilspirits.Allahhimselfispresumedtodefendhumanbeings.Onepossessed–acommoncaseinIslamicworld(whenpreachinginIzhevsk,IsawaMuslimwomantremblingandfaintingwhentheGospelwasrecited)–shouldreadtheQurantopacifyajinn.

This,however,ishardlytruefortheIslamicworldseemsterriblyafraidofevilcurse.Visitors inTurkeyorEgypt,andin theEastat large,wouldnoticemultiple apotropaic charms. They are taken quite seriously: a Fatima sleeve,forexample,istheonlywaytorepudiateassaultingjinn.ThatiswhyMuslimsalways appearpanic stricken. InChristian terms this is explainedby the factthatmanishelplessagainst theDevil’sattacks, livingintheshadowofdeathunlessprotectedbybaptism.

The second article of faith forMuslims as opposed to Christians is thebelief in the sacred Scriptures. For Muslims, the Quran is an eternal beingalongwithAllah.AsitshouldonlyexistinArabictext,translationsareneverregarded as adequate. Among the first expressions in the Quran is the“translation of senses”. This results in Islamic view of the impossibility ofadequatetranslationfortheQuran.TheQuranrepresentsAllah’sdirectspeechinArabic.The ideaofGodusing a temporal language to speak in eternity isalso anthropomorphic, attributing variability toGod.Not tomention the factthattheideaofaneternalrealityparalleltoGodwithoutbeingGodiscertainlypolytheistic.

SoconcerningtheScripture,Muslimsmaintainthat“yourBibleisnottheDivineWordbecauseitcontainsbothGod’swordsandtalesofevents”.

HowcanweexplaintoaMuslimthattheScriptureistheDivineWord?InTheHolyWritistheDivineWordforusforGodspeaksinWord,andinaction.Takeacaseofschooling:schoolmethodsincludelecturinganddemonstratingthe case on the blackboard. Or else, one can use working models. So Godteaches mankind by divine Revelation with His Word, appearing in action,word,punishment,preaching,demonstration,etc.Moreover,unliketheQuran,theScriptureistheBookoftheCovenantbetweenGodandmankind,theUnionof the Creator and His creatures. On the other hand, the Quran assumes nocovenant of God and people. The Quran is a one-way communication, acommandmenttoman,instructionsofsorts.

The Quran stories frequently contradict the Scripture. Thus Solomon’sgreatestdeedwas,according to theQuran,conversingwith jinnandbeasts .Similarly,theQurandescribesVirginMaryasasisterofMoses,andAmmaninthe Book of Esther as Pharaoph’s Vizier in the days of Joseph . There aremanyotheractualerrors.TheQurancontains225contradictionsevennoticed

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byMuslims .Theyareexplainedbyrevokedandreplacedayat.TheChurchthereforeregardstheQuranasMuhammad’sinventionlargely

inspiredbyevilforces.Whyso?Becauseweareconvincedthattherevelationwas transmittedvia…Yet therevelationdidoccur!WemustalsoknowthatMuhammadhadagenuinerevelationanditwasevident.AccordingtoAishah,Muhammad’s favorite wife, Muhammad trembled, turned pale or red, orsweatedwhen the revelation occurred.He often fainted, sometimes foaming.Muhammadsaid thatat timeshehadaheadacheorheardbellsringinginhishead,gettinglouderandterriblypainful,andthenhecouldnotrememberwhathadbeentransmitted .

Ofcourse,wecouldregardthesymptomsasevidenceofrevelation.Therecertainly was a spiritual intervention though by no means divine. Christianwould describe the stories ofMuhammad’s followers describe as demonicalpossession. Thus the case of a child cured by Jesus Christ after theTransfigurationonMountTabor ,(thechild’ssymptoms)appearsinlinewithMuhammad’s. Moreover, this is confirmed by Muhammad himself.Muhammad first thought that he was attacked by an evil spirit as he wassmothered.He said that archangelGabriel appeared, strangledhimandmadehimreadatexthecouldnotunderstand.ForalongtimeMuhammadbelievedthathewasassaultedbyanevilspirit,andevenwantedtotakehislife.Hewastorturedbysuicidalthoughtsafterthefirstrevelation,whichforusisastrikingcaseofenticingtrickery.HewasonlydissuadedbyKhadijah,hisfirstandelderwife.

Unfortunately, however, Muhammad became convinced of being God’sdelegate. Therefore the Church rejects theQuran andwill never regard it asGod’sWordorallowbringingtheQuranandthetrueWordofGodtogether.

Belief in delegates also distinguishes Islam from Christianity andJudaism. Interestingly, the everlasting identity of Allah’s message is aprincipal concept of Islam. InChristianity andOld, and evenNew–modernTalmudic – Judaism the concepts are more or less variable… In this senseIslamhasevenlesstodowithChristianitythanmodernTalmudicJudaism,letaloneOldJudaism,atrueprecursorofChristianity.

ProphetsaresenttoacertainmanwithacertainwillofGoddependingonthatman, tomake a covenant, a union.That is, a prophet heralds a covenantwithGodgraduallyrevealed.RevelationinChristianviewgrowsdependingonman’sor, tobeprecise,humanspiritualgrowth,culminatingnot in theWordbutintheappearanceofGodHimself,theIncarnationofChristbecomingMan.TherepropheticalmissionendswhenprophetsheraldIncarnation,theultimaterevelation.This is told in theEpistle to Jews recited onChristmasEve.God

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who spoke of prophets before the Fathers many times and in many waysultimatelyspoketousinHisSonWhomheputattheheadofeverythingandthroughWhomHecreatedthetimes.

InIslam,monotheismistheonlymessage.Allahcouldonlyannouncetomankind thatnoonewas tobeworshippedapart fromhimself.Consideralsothat some hadith reports mention 124 thousand messengers invariablymaintaining thatnoonedeservesworshipbutAllahwhoshouldbeobeyed.Thatwasallthenews!

AdiscussionwithMuslimsontheInternetconcernedtheQuranasafreshmessage compared to the Bible.What wasMuhammad charged with?Whatgaps in the Bible were to be filled in by the Quran? Apparently, the Quranbrought no news except permission to partake of suet. But suet had beenformallypermittedby theNewTestament.So therewasnothingneweven inthatpoint.

The qiblah – that is, the direction of worshipping (salat, namaz), wasdifferent,andthatwasprobablyalltherewas.TheQuranoffersnothingthattheBibledoesnot.TheQuranisatrivialdoctrineifany.TheQuranhasnothingtoadd to the Bible, and nothing to reveal of God, simply overriding the truestatementsandrejectingsomeoftherevelations.

Wearecomingnowtothequestionofmessengers.ThosedescribedintheQuranwidelydisparatefromourcommonnotions.Theyallhavetheirbiblicalnames like Noah, Joseph, Abraham, Isaac and James, Adam and Eve, MaryMotherofGod,JesusChrist,JohntheBaptist,KingDavidorSolomon.ButinfacttheydepartbothfromtheHolyWritandsimplehistoricalreality.Indeed,many scriptural characters are known from historical studies supportingScripture texts. By way of example, consider the attitude to Jesus Christ,criticalinChristianity.ItмаяbearguedthatMuslimsrespectJesusChristbutthisiswrongfortheyknownoJesusChrist.TheMessiah,IsaoftheQuranisfundamentally different from Jesus Christ. First, by his name. A loantranslation of Jesus in Arabic would yield Jesuah or Jeshuah but never Isa.Arabic Christians never refer to Jesus Christ as Isa but always as Jesua, totranslate the Word of God as accurately as possible. Characteristically,Muhammadexplainstheloantranslationbythefactthatheknewtherealnamebutcouldnotadjust it to rhythmof theQuran.Canyou imagine thenameofJesusChristtuneduptotheQuran?

Well,wewillnotquarrelaboutthename.It isnotthatimportantfortheloan translation couldbemuchworse.Thepoint is thatChrist is not seen asGod but as a creature, contrary to theGospel and Early Prophets. There areapocryphalstoriesofinconceivablemiracleslikeanimatingclaybirdsinyoung

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childhoodor talkingat birth. Interestingly, the apocryphal “ArabicGospelofChildhood” used by Muhammad for his story describes the new-born Jesussaying,“IamGodsenttotheEarthbyMyFather”,whileMuhammad’sversionreads“Iambutacreature”.SoMuhammadevendistortedtheapocryphaltext.

ThereisanotherstoryofamealhegotoutofAllahattheinstanceofhisdisciples. The Last Supper was thus combined with the story of feeding themultitudesinanaffluentmealservedbyamagic tablecloth.Thewondersarequiteabsurd.

Yet Christian and Islamic notions of Christ mainly differ in theirinterpretationofChrist’sdeath.JewsandatheistsareknowntorejecttheideaofResurrection.MuslimsrejecttheCrucifixion.TheybelievethatJesusChristwasnotcrucifiedbuthiddenbyAllahsubstitutinganothervictim.ItwaseitherSimonofCyrenemade to carry theCross or Judas Iscariot.Christ, however,wastakentoheavenandwillreturnattheendoftimestodestroyChristendom,break the crosses,marry anddie, and be buried atMuhammad’s side.BurialgroundisreservedforJesusChristinMedinawhereMuhammadlies.

SotheJesusChristdescribedbytheQurandiffersradicallyfromgenuineChrist, and even from the historical Christ, for the Crucifixion theory iscorroborated by every historian. All the sources, even other than Scriptural,relatingtoJesusChristasapersoninitiallydescribethecrucifixion.Forusthisisthekeymessage.“ButwegivethegoodnewsofChristonthecross,ahardthing to the Jews, and a foolish thing to theGentiles;But to those ofGod’sselection,JewsandGreeks,ChrististhepowerandthewisdomofGod” .

Incidentally, here lie the origins of the fearful hatred of the Cross.DestroyingthecrosshasbeenamongtheprincipalMuslimactionsinoccupiedterritories.And,torepeat,theMuslimChristwoulddestroythecrosses.

Inaddition,Muslimsareprohibitedtopartakeofwine.TheQuranbannedwine but not drug already in use at the time. A doubtful hadith says thateverything springing from poppy is blessed. Anyway, Muslims have alwaysused narcotic drugs.This is a nude fact and it has been so since the days ofMuhammad.

Whythenthewineban?ForusitmeansthebanontheHolyCommunion.Christians were periodically persecuted in Islamic countries because of theCommunionwine.Sotheyhadtouseraisinwinetoescapeoppression.

Andmost interestingly,Muslims venerateAlexander ofMacedonia as aprophet.HeissaidtobeaprophetofAllah.ButAlexanderbelievedhimselftobeasonofZeus,andwasazealouspartisanofpolytheism.YetheisrespectedasagenuineprophetanddescribedintheQuranasDhual-Qarnayn,“thetwo-horned”, for his two-horned casket. The Two-Horned indeed… There is a

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fascinating story of his coming to a dirty, stinking spring where the Sundescendstoeachnight.AccordingtoMuhammad,thestinkingspringislocatedintheFarWest.WhileMuslimsof todayfeelveryawkwardandtry toevadetheconfusion, theQurantextdefinitely indicates that theSungoesdownintothatparticularstinkingspring.ThisisoneexampleofpopularerrorsresultingfromMuhammad’signorance.

MuslimbeliefintheLastDayalsocontrastswithChristianity.InMuslimdoctrine,deathoccursas follows: thesoul leaves thebodywith thehelpofacertainangel; it is then judgedbyAllahandreturns to thebody.AMuslim’ssoul remains in the dead body until Resurrection Day, and enjoys it. I keptasking Muslims in vain what pleasure one could find in a grave. I askedcommonpeopleand imams,andnoone informedme.Moreoften theanswerwas: “This is mysterious delight you can never understand”. And that’s allthereistoit.

Accordingly,asinner’ssoul remains in thedeadbodyand is torturedbyangels.AndsooneliesinhisgravetotheLastDay,enjoyingitorsuffering.

Islamspecifiesthefollowingbeforetheendoftheworld:Jesus(Isa)shallreturn to Earth, destroy all Christians, break all crosses,marry, andworshipAllah.Moreover,hewillnotleadtheMuslimprayer,thenamaz,onlyassistingtheleadingimamofthetime, theMahdi.Thenal-Dajjal,acounterpart toourAntichrist,shallappear, tobekilledbyAllah.Finally,angelIzrailshallblowhis trumpet and all theworld shall die: people, jinn, and angels. Then Izrailshall kill himself by order ofAllah.And thenAllah shall raise the dead andthey shall comebeforeAllah, andAllahwill judge them.Muslimswill havetheirsinsproduced,confessandreceiveabsolution.MoresinfulMuslimswillbecastintohellbutledoutbyMuhammadathousandyearsafter.ThosewhodiedinJihad,theHolyWar–terroristsandthelike–shallnotbejudgedbuttaken straight toparadise.Hadith say that theirwoundswouldopenandshedmuskonresurrection.IforoneamnotparticularlydelightedbythescenebuttheyseemtolikeitIdon’tknowwhy.Thisdefiesreason.

OthersshallcrosstheAs-Sirat bridgetoparadise.Thebridgeshallbeasa razor blade for sinners but broad and smooth for the righteous. MuslimswouldridetheramstheyhadsacrificedforGreaterBayram .Aworthlessramwould stumble and fall down into fire. Those riding good rams – i.e. havingmadegoodsacrifice–wouldcometoparadise.

Muslimparadise isunlikeChristianconceptions.It is, toput itmildly,aspecialplacetomakegreatandvigoroussex,delightinheavenlybeauty,walkin the gardens and enjoy one’smeals. Somehadith provide for threemilliondishes per day and ability to eat them all. In addition, there would be 124

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thousandhouris per day.Ahouri is a being– not at all human– of variableappearance and black-eyed as a pearl to enjoy, etc. She instruments sexualpleasurealone.Therewouldbe124thousandeveryday,andenduranceenoughto cope. According to St Simeon of Thessaloniki, Muslims are promised“paradise gardens filled with all kinds of dissipation” . This is the actualpromiseofafterlife,impossibleasitseems.

Moreover,oneshallneverseeAllahexceptasamistyMoonfromafar,asonehadithputsit.AndAllahwouldask:“Areyoucontent?Wouldyoulikeanymore?” Amanwould say, “Oh yes, please”. AndAllah would fulfill all hiscarnaldesires,butnomore.

How should we interpret this? Inmy opinion,Muslim paradise is fullypracticable.ChurchFathersmentionsuccubiandincubi ,demonsoflust.Thisis a case of insatiable… like bulimia, excessive or insatiable appetite due toeatingdisorder.Itwouldbemorelikehellforus.

Christians believe in the Kingdom of Heaven, life with God, DivineCommunionasprimarydelightofeternity,andpersonalDivineUnion,DivineVision and state of Grace. Therefore we can neither accept nor conceive ofMuhammadandelight.

AnotherpointofMuslimdoctrineisbeliefindivinedecree.AccordingtoHadith and the Quran, Allah told a pen to write 50 thousand years beforeCreation,andthepenbeganwritingdowneverythingtocomeuntiltheendofdays.Thiswas howaworld programwaswritten down.Only theQuranwasexcludedforitwascreated.SoAllahisthecreatorofalldeeds,bothevilandgood.Hecreatesgoodandevil.

Inarecentdebateheldon3февраля,Polosin unwittinglysupportedthedoctrineofAllahasthecreatorofevil.Forustheideaisinconceivableasthereis no evil and what does not exist cannot be created. Evil has no propersubstance,it isthedistortedgood,pervertedgoodabusingdivinegoodworks,andGodwillnotdisfigureHiscreation.Godthegoodandmerciful,absolutelyjustandholywillnottolerateevil.

AccordingtoIslam,however,Allahenablesamurdertokill,anadulterertocommitadultery,andaclementmantogivealms.Allahisbelievedtohavetwo will types: the approving and the disapproving one. This is notpermissivenessbutwill.Anexampleofdisapprovingwill ismakingamanamurder and then punishing him for it. The only line of freedom forman inIslamisathinlineofchoice.AmanмаяfollowornotfollowthewayofAllah.Thesourceoffreedomisobscure.Whilerefutingoriginalsinandperversityofhuman nature, Islam proposes a nafs, cognate of the Hebrew nefesh (soul)opposingthewillofAllahforreasonsunknown.DifferentIslamictrendshave

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different opinion on the subject. Somedeny freewillwithout reserve, othersbelievethatmanмаяwishandonlyAllahcanfulfill.Itfactitrepeatsanoldlie.RememberAdamblaming“thewifeYougaveuntome”forhisownsin.Thatis, the sinwas committed by thewifeGod palmed onAdam.Mywife is toblame and not myself. In fact, the blame is put on God, and man declinesreform. This invariably leads to theomachy. Thus Islam andChristianity aretotallyoppositeandincompatibleondoctrinalgrounds.

OtherpillarsofIslamlikewisedifferfromtheProtoplastconception.(2)Adoration (namaz)– significantly,notprayer.Namaz textsprescribe

man’sattitudetoGodwithnosupplicationwhatever.Personalappealinprayeris allowedperiodically, thoughnothighly approvedofdue to thedoctrineofpredestination:thedivinedecreewouldtakecareofyourpersonalneeds.

Of course, Islam allows for private prayer but namaz is the rite ofadoration.Interestingly,ritualisthekeyelementofnamaz.Ifritualisbroken,namazisinvalidandhastoberepeated.Allahseemstoberatherindifferenttoman’s heart which is the first consideration for us Christians. Thus a nightservicecelebratedinallformwillbevoidifthemindisindulginginaflightoffancy. Prayerwithout consideration and sincere concern isworthless toGod.“Man sees the face andGod the heart.”God seesman’s sincerewish.Allahcaresnot.

It is evident for us Christians that namaz is authored by someone whosimply cannot see into a man’s heart. In Christian view, only God and notangels can knowman’s inner life.And the angel dictating theQuran did notknow man’s heart, being mainly concerned with ritual. Similarly, heathensmaking Christians celebrate the rite of adoration never required any sincereconcernintheprocess.Theyevenusedtosay:youмаяworshipanyoneinyourheart, just put some incense in the fire, and that’s it.Verymuch like Islam,isn’tit?

(3)Thethirdpillarisoftendescribedasalms.Butitisnothingofthekind.Zakahisanobligatorycharity.Traditionally,itamountsto1/40oftheincomethoughthereisafixedannualsumequivalentto9gsilver.Forthefirst,itmustbepublic.Zakahisgenerallyannouncedinpublic,ofteninamosque:so-and-sodonates somuch.This isnotuniversalbutmost frequent.And then, zakah isonlydonated toMuslimsorpotentialconverts.Bycontrast,Christiansshouldgive alms to anyone. The proverbial charitable Samaritan helped anyone,Christianornot,believersandnonbelievers,asweshouldhelpeveryoneinthename of the Lord . As regards the alms, God forbids ostensible Christiancharity.

Incidentally, sectarians boasting of great charity but actually far less

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charitable thanOrthodoxChristians,oftenusecharity topromote theirwrongbeliefs.

(4) The fourth pillar concerns the Ramadan month of fasting. EarlyMuslims in the days ofMuhammad kept the fast in a Christianmanner: 40days,andthenonemonthabstainingfrommeatandmilkproductsasChristiansdotoday.ThenMuhammadsaiditwastoohard,anditwasrevealedtohimthatdaylight fasting would suffice. Accordingly, Ramadan fasting involvesabstinencefromdrinkandfood,sexualintercourseand,funnyenough,cuppingglasses(otherbansaredetailedbytheShariah)fromthedawntothemomentwhenablackthreadisindistinguishablefromthewhiteoneout-of-doors.Thencomesthefirstmealafterfastingwhenyouмаяeatanythingyoulike.IvisitedCairoinaRamadan.Itwasapatheticsight.ImagineaMuslimmilkingagoatinthestreetinbroaddaylight,themilkflowingontheasphalt.Ofcourse,thegoathad tobemilkedbecauseof theswellingudderbutwhymakeapoolonthe asphalt?Late in theday the streets arequitedangerouswithmotorcyclesandfastcarsalmost touching thepavementwhenMuslimsareracing to theirmeals.Tablesarebroughtoutwithshishkebabandallthatpiledandeveryonewaitingformuezzin’s call fromtheminaret tostart themeal.Thenthecallcomeslikeafactorysirenandtheyallfallalmostdivingonthefoodatonce.Iwasratheramusedbecausetheyseemedtoregardfastingasdietingratherthanawayofspiritualgrowth.Yetitshouldberealizedforthesakeofobjectivitythat many good Muslims prefer in-depth study of the Quran during theRamadan. This certainly resembles our fasting devoted to fundamentalknowledge of theHolyWrit. Thus Islam retains some elements of Christianfasting.On the other hand, Islamic fasting involves no efforts to drive one’spassions.FastingisratherusedasaninstrumentofdevotiontoAllahinparallelto namaz. The key element of the fast for Christians is the struggle againstgluttony,anger,andotherpassions.Islamknowsnosuchnotions.PassionsarenottobedriveninIslambecausetheyareallnatural.Man’spresentconditionis natural for Islam, with the exception of Sufi who recognize the struggleagainstpassionsthoughonlytodestroytheegoandunitewithAllah.

(5)Then,thefifthpillaristhepilgrimagetoMecca,thehajj.Originatinginheathendays,thehajjcopiestheheathenriteandremainsobscure.Whykisstheblackrock,forinstance?CaliphOmarsaidhedidnotknowwhyandonlyfollowed the herald’s example. The custom seems superstitious. Indeed,sacrifice isnot importantandhasnothing todowithredemption, it issimplysenseless.Mercifully,MuslimshaveabandonedpagannotionsofAllah livingonsacrificialflesh.NeitherdotheybelieveinHebrewconceptionofsacrificereminiscent of the sin and redemption, nor in Christian purifying sacrifice.

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Why then sacrifice camels or rams? We see it as worthless and certainlysuperstitious.

Stoning is likewise inconceivable.Manypeople are pelted to deathwithstonesinMeccaeveryyear.TheythinkitmeansstoningtheSatan.Idoubtthatone can stone a genie or an angel for they are hard to hit. This is meresuperstition.And, of course, death comes at the end.While old riteswere topreparemen to theComingofTheLord,modernhajj ritesarementallyvoidandthusobscure.Muslimswouldgenerallyexplainthatwhiterobessymbolizespiritual purity, and that is all. NowOrthodoxChristians are known towearwhiterobesforbaptism.WhiterobeswerealsowornbyHebrewsontheDayofAtonement,theYomKippur .Therestisincomprehensible.

They say, “Wedo not know.Allah saidwe should and sowe do”.Whyshould they do so and so in namaz? No idea.That is, some things that areabsurd and inconceivable in doctrinal terms are done just because theyweretoldtodoso.Thisisindeedsuperstitious.Christiansregarditassuperstitiontoberejectedinbaptism.

(6)Andfinally,thesixthpillarisjihad.ItisamissionofsortsforIslam.Whyisitomittedinstandardregulations?Muslimsrefusingjihadasthesixthpillardonotopposeit.AMuslimcannotopposejihadbecauseitismentionedinQuranicayah53.Theygenerallyexplainthatjihadcannotbeuniversalandthuscannotbeapillarforall.Andthatisthat.

ThisiscommonforallMuslimsintheworld.YetIslamisnotsolid.Therearefourprincipalschools,andtwofundamentallydifferentkindsofIslam:theso-calledEuro-Islam(EuropeanIslam),andthetraditionalIslamoftheArabicworld.

TheEuro-Islamincludes,forexample,ourIslamconfessedbyallTurkicnations inRussia. It is referred toas jadidism ,adoctrineemerging in1809and adapting Islam to traditional notions and traditional laws of Bashkirs,Tatars, and other Turkic people. The resulting doctrine is not considered asgenuineIslambyArabicMuslims.Andthisisfairenoughasjadidismactuallyinvolves non-Islamic notions like the holy examples, pagan remedies for theevileye,etc.

Tatars generally have vague notions of Islam, saying that, “we areMuslimsbecauseweareTatars,butourIslammeansnationalidentity.IfIamnotMuslim,IamnotTatareither”.ThusIslamisidentifiedwithnationalism.

Remember that nationalism resulted from damnation. According to theBible,therewerenonationsbeforetheTowerofBabel ,anddifferentnationsresulted from the damnation of the Tower of Babel, to prevent them frombuilding together a city in defiance of God. Thus deifying nation is defying

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God, the God of all People, the Maker of Universe. According to FatherSophrony Sakharov , “if nationalism is not overcome, Christian missionfails”.Ifpeopleclingtonationalityratherthansearchforabsolutetruth, theywillneverfindGod.

Of course this presumably mild Islam is destructive because of thenationalist trends, as evident in Tatarstan today appearing as a symbol ofnationalism.Wewillneveragreetoit.Asamatteroffact,ArabicMuslimsarenomore enthusiastic.And Iwill certainly agreewithArabicMuslimson thesubject:Truthismoreimportantthannation,truthisindependentofnation,andonecannotbeMuslimbecauseoneisTatar.Similarly,onecannotbeChristianbecause one isRussian.Christianity does not dependon nation but rather onbeliefintheLordunitingallpeopleintheChurchuniversalwherethereis“noGreeknorJew,andnobarbariannorScythian”andwherethedamnationoftheTower of Babel is removed. For people serve God in different language butworshipGodofallpeople in theChurchuniversal.Accordinglywewillholdthis Thursday service in Krutitsky town house both in Tatar, and in OldSlavonic,celebratingtheChurchuniversal.

IntheCaucasus,Shariah,orthedivineLawofIslam,wascombinedwiththetraditionalTurkiccode,theadat, toproduceapeculiarsynthesis.Someofthe regulations emerging in the guise of Islam actually disagreewith it. Thefeud is the classic example.Feud runscontrary to Islamicpractices, andwasdisapproved of by Muhammad who promoted communal Shariah Courts.Meanwhile,feudalpracticespersistaspartoftheadaptedheathencode.

Additionally, veneration of hallowed places, holy springs, and saints iswidespread in theCaucasus,obviouslycontradicting Islam that isunawareofholiness as communionwith the Lord. The only holiness in Islam is that ofdervishes.Adervishisamanofexceptionalabilitiesgenerallyregardedasnotquite agreeable.There is a saying thatmiracles are themenses of saints andrighteousmen,thatis,somethinguncleanthatrighteousmenhave.Moreover,dervishes generally produce miracles of occult nature, and admit it. Theydescribetheprocessasatrance,acertainstatenotinvokedbyAllahbutratherbyintercoursewithjinn.

PersistentvenerationofsaintsamongCaucasian,andsomeArabicnations,is indicative of Islam’s inhumanity. People want saints because that is theirnature.Manwantstobeholy.Godcreatedmanforholiness.Andmanlooksforsacredobjects.IslamprovidesnothingofthekindandthusfallsshortofGod’smessage.

Andfinally, twomoreIslamtypesemerge inRussia.Onerecruitsyoungpeople regarding Islam as a more vigorous style of living. They think that

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RussianOrthodoxChurchisgoodforoldwivesandstrongmenshouldchooseIslam. In my opinion, it suits teenagers more. Anyway, this is why RussianconvertsadoptthemoreradicalformofIslam,theWahhabis.

TheothertypeisthefemaleIslamwhenaRussianwifeofaMuslim,oraman marrying aMuslim woman, converts under the influence of her or hismate.ShariahpermitsaMuslimtomarryaChristian,aJew,oraZoroastrian,butnot the reverse.Nevertheless, the latter isa ratherwidespreadoccurrencenow.

Similarly popular today is the sufism, an Islamic trend formallycondemnedasheretic anddescribingGodasan impersonalpowercapableofabsorbinganddissolvingmanwhichis,strangelyenough,theultimategoalofhumanbeing!Thetrendisalsoverypopularinsomeintellectualcircles.

Let’sdiscussWahhabis.Itiscriticizedseverelyandsometimesreferredtoas a sect though President Putin justly disproved the term. And he wasabsolutelyrightindoingsoforWahhabisisnotasect.Ratherit is thepurestremnantofthecoreIslam,andtheofficialconfessioninSaudiArabiaadoptingtheWahhabisversionalongwithsomeotherArabiccountries.Thisparticularversionofhanbalimadhhab tracingbacktothe8 centuryacceptstheQuranand Sunnah – the prophetic tradition – as the only sources of Islamic law,rejectinganypossiblechange.

It was founded by Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Wahhab . He initiated thedestructionof all sacredplaces inArabia, and the removalof all decorationsfrom the Kaaba . Wahhab advocated strict observance of Sunnah, socialjustice forMuslims, and active jihad against the infidels.Those unwilling toreject the vestiges of paganismwere condemned as unfaithful and should besuppressed.AmonghisfollowersweretheSaudites, theroyalfamilyinSaudiArabiatoday.TheywerefirstdefeatedbyTurks,butregainedpowerinthe20century,notwithoutthesupportofGreatBritainandtheUnitedStates.

Onerelatedtrendwasthemurids ofShamilintheCaucasus.TheShamilmovement had a genetic affinitywith theArabianmovement ofMuhammadWahhab. It is a revival of Old Islam, the more barbaric components inparticular. To say nothing of slave-trading! Slave trade was practiced in theIslamic world until recently. Slave trade was only abolished in Islamiccountriesin1980sand1990sthoughactuallysurvivingtoday.

The main component of Wahhabis is certainly the law. Remember theTaliban ,aWahhabismovementspecificallycontrollingbeardlengthformenoveracertainage.Itappearedthatamanover30shouldwearabeardaslongas that of ProphetMuhammad.Moreover,Wahhabis detailed human life allround.Thispresumablyguaranteedsalvation.

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Whendiscussingthemorebarbaricvestiges,ImeanttheWahhabisnotionof divine restriction, of Allah’s restricted mobility. The idea is inherent inWahhabis. They maintain that the main goal for a Muslim is creating thekingdomofjustice.ThisisactuallyimpossibleasnojusticeispossibleontheEarthwithoutGod,withoutdefeatingdeaththatwillotherwisedevourjustice.AndevilcannotbedefeatedwithouttheinterventionofChrist.

TheothermajortrendinIslammajor,inadditiontoSunni followingthesacred tradition, is the shii . Shii is an Islamic trend followed in Iran andAzerbaijan.Shiialsoacceptsthefivepillarsthough,characteristically,relyingboth on a council of scholars like in Sunnah, and an Islamic leader, thehereditary caliph, for the correct interpretation of Islam. A sequence ofimams securingreligiouscontinuitywouldguaranteeadequateinterpretationoftheQuran.Thisissomewhatsimilartoournotionofreligioushierarchyforthe correct interpretation of the Scripture. For them, however, it was thehierarchyofinitiatesratherthanhierarchyatlarge.ThisisrelatedtoGnosticsinamostimplicitway.Shiiactuallystartsfromgnosticism.Thatis,asequenceof imams – twelve in all – shared a secret knowledge inaccessible for theprofane. The process went on until the 10 century when the last imamdepartedtoreappearsometimeinthefuture.

ThefirstImamAli waskilledinafeudandthenworshippedasamartyralong with other imams. Martyrdom, that is self-torment or self-torture, isregardedasGod-pleasing.ThisistheoriginofthesceneyoumighthaveseenonTV:Muslimsbeatingthemselveswithpiecesofiron.Theybelievethatself-torturedeservesmerit andbringsdivinepower.Forus it looksmore like thestabbing and flagellating priests of Baal. Not a salutary action. ThemartyrsveneratedbyShiis arenot theChristianmartyrs.While aChristianmartyr iswitness to death defeated, his death confirming that death was defeated byJesus Christ, a Shii martyr demonstrates his obedience to Allah, andwillingness to torturehimself for the sakeofAllah.The twoconceptions arequitedifferent.AShiinotionisslaveryandaChristiannotionisfreedom.

We also think that the notion of imams as keepers of spiritual light isshamanisticratherthananythingrelatedtodivinerevelation.Indeed,GodistheCreatorofallpeopleandHehasamessageforallpeople.Ofcourse,differentpeopleacceptthemessageastheywish.ButwehaveneithersecrettenetsnorsecretdoctrinesforGod’steachingismystery.Itisnotsecretbutprofoundandonlyrevealedtothosewholivebyitandknowtheimplicationofthewords.Asweseeit,theShiiideaofspirituallightisquitewrong.Itisjustanattempttopassfictionforobjectivemystery.

ForustheAliandMuhammad’sgrandsonHasanibnAli–whosegraves

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aremajorShiisanctuaries–arenottheheroesworshippedbyShiisbutratherour primordial enemies as Ali was among the first caliphs destroyingChristianssystematically.WarsagainstChristianshadbeencommonsincethedaysofMuhammad,butitwasAliwhoinitiatedanti-Christiangenocide.Itwashispersonalachievement.

ShiialsodifferfromSunnitesbytemporalmatrimony.Islamacceptsvariousmatrimonialschemes.ThusaMuslimcanhavefour

lawfulwivesandanarmfulofconcubines,as theQuranputs it – that is,asmanyashewishes.Ofcourse,hemustsupportthemall.

Shii extends the scheme with temporal marriage contracted for 1 to 99yearsor,tobeprecise,from1hourto99years.Moreoftenthecontractismadefor1hour.Theschemeisgenerallyusedforrapeandprostitution.ThatiswhyShii countries, unlike Sunni Islamic countries, have no prostitution. In themeanwhile, prostitution is not banned in either. The highmoral standards ofIslamindeed!Objectiveevidenceprovesthecontrary.ItwouldbewrongtosaythatallMuslimsarelikethat.ManyofthemfollowSunnahinpractice.Butthevery rootsof thedoctrineareungodly.Theyoffendhumanity, and thedivinewill.

AndtheworstofitisthatIslamadmitsofanysinexceptapostasy.Allsinsarepermissibletowardstheinfidels.ThusanywomancapturedbyaMuslimisregarded as a concubine whether she wants it or not.WhenWestern humanrightsactivists ransomed4500people inSoudan in2001,mainlywomenandchildren,3/4ofthewomensworethattheyhadbeenrapedregularly.Moreover,nooneisinterestedwhetherthewomanismarriedornot.Themostregrettablebehavior certainly indicated double standards. This is inconceivable for usbecausethereisnoself-non-selfdiscriminationinmurder!

SowhatshouldwethinkofIslam,andtheworldofIslam?Whatisit?Theworld of Islam is certainly a major phenomenon provoked by the angel ofdarkness.Thisistheonlypossibleinterpretation.Ontheotherhand,theworldof Islam is so extendednotbecause thepeople, theChristiansonwhomGodbroughtdownMuslims,areunworthyofbeingChristian.InancienttimesGodspoketoAbrahamofhissonIsmail,Muhammad’sforefather,sayingthat“hewillbelikeamountainassamongmen;hishandwillbeagainsteverymanandevery man’s hand against him, and he will keep his place against all hisbrothers” .

Islam is so widespread because Christians have acted against God’swishes, in defiance of God’s laws. As one righteous man says, Islam is thescourgeofGodforChristiansgrowinglazy.AndsoIslamandIslamiccarnageemerge in Russia today when people facing Islamic terrorism turn to TV

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chewingthecud,andmanyrefusetheguidanceofGod!ThisisavisitationofGodforthepeople’ssins.

HowthenshouldwetreatMuslims?Christiansshould live inpeacewithall people.We should never offend the people of Islam. I for onewill neverapprovethescandalousWesterncartoons.IthinkthatMuslimswererightandWestern“friends”werewronginthecase.Asamatteroffact,theideawastomockatreligioninanyform.TheyjeeratChrist,Islam,Muhammad,andGodonthewhole.Thisisbarefacedtheomachy,andletMuslimsreproveit.IthinkthatChristians should not take the side of cartoonists abusing falseworship.Eveniftheshrinesarefalse,theabuseisnotinGod’sname,anditisnotthewaytopreachChrist.

NoticealsothatIslamasareligionhasnothingincommonwithus.TheirGodisnotourGod,andtheydonotrespectChrist.TheydonotrespectMotherofGod.TheirreligionisverydifferentfromourbeliefintheRevelationand,ofcourse, allMuslims are yet to acceptDivineRevelation.Otherwise theywillcertainlyperishwithnohopeforsalvationbecause theydonotbelieve in theSonofGod.TheLordsaysthatwhoeverrejectstheonlybegottenSonofGod,“will not see life, God’s wrath is resting on him” . Do not think that it isimpossible. In fact, the Holy Writ contains implicit prophesy of Muslimscoming to God some day. Psalm 72, 10 mentions gifts offered to Christ bykingsofArabiaandSeba–placesrightintheheartofmodernIslamicworld.

Therefore, having confidence in salvation, we shall pray that the LorddestroytheIslamicsystembarringpeoplefromgoingover,forthosedepartingfromIslaminIslamiclandsnowaretobekilledimmediately.AndweshallnotonlypraybutalsopreachChristamongMuslims, tomake themourbrothers.Formany of them are good people and, I insist on it, for themost they aregood.

ThisiswhatIwantedtosaytoday.

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2.Muhammad

WearetotalkofMuhammadtoday:whoheistosumupfortheOrthodoxChurch,howweshouldregardhim,andhowheshouldbeinterpretedfromtheviewpointoftheChurchand,moreimportantly,inrespecttotheHolyWrit,fortheChurchhasnostandpointotherthanofGod’sWord.

For Muslims Muhammad is the greatest Prophet, the “Seal of theprophets” ,thebrilliantexampleevensuperiortoJesusChrist.Hisactionsareexemplary,perfect;he is said tobeperfectdespitehisall-too-human foibles,andhisstyleisimmaculate.Evennow,thestyleoftheQuranisusedinliteracytests.

Sowhowasheintruth?WasheaProphet?CanaChristianthinkofhimasaProphet?

To find the truth, a review of his life and fates, his mission, and hismessagetohumanityatlargeisappropriate.ForMuhammadasapersonisnotanordinarypolitician,hereticor teacher.He is a figureofglobal importancecomparabletoBuddha,Confucius,ZoroasterorAlexanderofMacedonia.Sinceheranksamongthegreatbyright,andhiscausesurvives,weshouldmakeanestimateofhiscareer.

Howdoweknowabouthim?Islamicstudiesarelargelyinhibitedbythefact that the bulk (99 per cent) of information on Muhammad comes fromIslamic sources. No contemporary evidence was supplied by his opponents,adversariesoranydisinterestedpersons.Wehavenothingtomatch,sotosay.Our situation is somewhat similar to that of future scholars investigating thelives of Ron Hubbard or Grigory Grabovoy two hundred years after.Moreover,availableIslamicsourcesor,moreprecisely,writtenevidence,werefar away from Muhammad’s days. Muhammad’s biography was eventuallyrecordedahundredyearsafterhisdeath,andthehadithwerecompletedatthesametime,almostahundredyears–notmeredecades–afterhisdeath.

This certainlyposes agreatproblembecause, despite the efforts (titaniceffortsindeed)thatMuslimsmadetoverifythisorthathadith,orthisorthattradition,studyofMuhammad’slife,thatis,interpretationofindividualeventstendstoaccumulateerrorswiththelapseoftime.

For example, early stories of Muhammad’s migration from Mecca toMedinatellthathehidedinacaveandawhirlwindpreventedhisenemiesfromfindinghim.Laterversionsinvolveamysteriousspiderspinninghisweboverthecavemouth.Thusarealepisodewasfantasized.

The problem is there but I think it immaterial. For the most important

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spiritualprinciple,thekeyspiritofMuhammad’sliferemains.Muhammad was born in 570 – tradition having it as the Elephant year

when Ethiopians attempting to seize Mecca and destroy the Kaaba weredefeated.Hisfather,Abdullah,diedbeforehewasborn, leavingtheboyhalf-orphaned.

Muhammad was a 46 -generation descendant of Ishmael, and adescendant of Abraham through Ismail, Abraham’s son by his concubine.ThereforetheprophecyofIsmailwasrealizedinMuhammadandhisdisciples:“hewillbelikeamountainassamongmen;hishandwillbeagainsteverymanandeveryman’shandagainst him, andhewill keephisplace against all hisbrothers” .Muhammad…appearedasascourgeofGodforwhoeverforsakestheCreator.

Arabia was in the tribal state at the time, with the exception of SouthArabia.MostArabsworshippedidolswhilerespectingasupremedeitycalled“Allah” almost a century before Muhammad. The name of “Allah” firstoccurredinwritingsometimeinthe5 centuryBC.Themaintempleforthisdeity was the Kaaba traditionally associated with Abraham and even Adam.The templeof theblack rock“lighter thanwater”contained themain idolofKaaba’s divine patron, Hubal – or Baal, the Baal that Prophet Elias foughtagainst.Most interestingly, theQuran never condemned theHubal cult eventhoughMuhammaddestroyedtheidol.

Hubalwaspresumedtohavethreedaughters,thepagangoddessesAl-Lat,Al-«Uzza,andManat.Theywereplanetarydeities,mediatorsbeforeAllahorHubal,andthecultwassowidespreadbecausetheArabicworld,likemankindingeneral,believed thatGod theCreator is toodistant toworshipandminordeitiesshouldbefoundcloseby,moreintimate,moretameifyouwill,tobowtoandrespect.

In addition to the popular paganism, Arabia practiced many otherreligions.First,therewerethepowerfulJudaiccommunities.Therehadbeenalarge and strongHebrew kingdom in Yemen shortly beforeMuhammadwasborn. StArethas andhis 4299martyrs refusing to forsake JesusChrist hadbeen executed by Jews in Yemen. They are remembered in prayer on 24октябряoldstyle,theeveoftheRedоктябряrevolutionday.ItwastheywhowitnessedChristamongtheArabs.

TheHebrewkingdomwasdestroyedbyEthiopiansforthepersecutionofChristians,andJewishtribeswerescatteredabouttheparadisepeninsula.Asamatteroffact,theJewsknewperfectlywellthatmanyArabictribes,thoughnotall, were blood descendants of Abraham and, consequently, of Shem andHam . There is a notion of a “black Arab”. Emir Khattab , for one, was

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referred to as “the black Arab”. For Arabians, the true black Arab is adescendantofHam.Itisadiscriminationofsortsliketheblueandredblood.Ido not know if Khattab is a classical example of the “black Arab” but thenotionremains.JewsrecognizingArabsfortheirrelationshadmanyconvertedtoJudaism.TherewereArabianJewsandJewishtribes.

Christianity was also professed among Arabians. The ChristiancommunitywithChristianbishopsinYemenмаяbecitedasanexample.ManyChristiansinhabitedthecoastofthePersianGulf.TherewereChristianArabicnomads too. Some Ghassani tribes wandering at the borders of ByzantineEmpirewerealsoChristian.

Regretfully, they were mostly non-Orthodox. Arabia was outsideByzantine limits, and whoever was persecuted within the Empire – heretics,Manichees, anyone perverting evangelism – took refuge in Arabia. Theygenerated a syncretic union similar to Moscow today with its various andpreposterous notions and no true conception of Christianity. So Arabs oftenknewChristianityinhereticalform.IntheQuranandvarioustalesMuhammadoften meets “Christians” arguing in the way we would never imagine. Forinstance, Muhammad contests the doctrine of God being Allah, and JesusChrist and Virgin Mary as additional deities. Clearly, the Church professednothing of the kind.Muhammad seems to knownothing of trueChristianity,exceptbyhearsay.

Andamong themassofcontradictionssomepeoplesay that,“wefollownotradition,wearesuccessorstothereligionofIbrahim,thatis,Abraham;wearepuremonotheistsandwillonlybowdowntotheOneGod”.

Accordingtotheclassical“LifeofMuhammad”,hisadventwaspredictedbyvarious foretellers.Thus a sorcerer andastrologerpredicted thebirthof agreat prophet on his parents’ wedding day. Christian heretics and HebrewspredictedaprophetamongtheArabs.MuslimsbelievethatalltheseprovethegenuinemissionofMuhammad.

Muhammad was a sickly child prone to fits. At about the age of threewhenhewasstayingwithhisgrandfatherandtendedbyawetnurse,hefainted.Hewaspromptlybroughtbacktohismotherunlesshediedininfancy.

Muhammad recollected that he was approached by some spirits whoopened his bosom, took out his heart and removed a black clot, then put hisheartbackandclosedhisbody.Hewasthuscleansedofsomefilthiness.

AccordingtoIbnHisham ,Muhammadhadamarkonhisbacksimilartoa slash which Muslims believed to be a symbol of prophecy and his mainidentification, like a birthmark. Interestingly, some nations think thatbirthmarks are offensive. This is certainly superstition though people with

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birthmarks are generally more emotional and nervous. This is explained bypigmentationandmetabolicimbalance.Superstitiouspeople,however,believethat birthmarks are evil. They are sometimes described as “witches marks”,identifyingawitchinmedievaltimes.Arabians,ontheotherhand,believedabirthmarktobeasymbolofMuhammad’smission.

Muhammadgrewuptobecomeaproficientmerchant.Hewasemployedas a clerk by a rich woman by the name of Khadijah and subsequentlymarriedher.Hewas25,shewas15yearsolder.Helovedherpassionatelyandtooknootherwifeuntilherdeathbecausehewasverymuchattached toher.Khadijahwashisassistant,andsheconvincedhimthatwasaprophetandhismissionwaswilledbyAllah.Theapparentmisallianceprovedtobehappy.

Incidentally,Muhammadwassaidtobeafairlygiftedmerchant,andtheideaofhisilliteracyisdoubtful.Indeed,operatinghisbusinessthroughouttheMiddleEastalmostup toPersia,andcertainlyvisitingSyria,hecouldhardlyfigure out (using literal rather than yet non-existent numeral system) beingilliterateasheneverwenttoschool.

Asignofhisimminentmissionwashiscontribution,attheageof35,tothe reconstruction of a heathen shrine, the dilapidated Kaaba. A ship waswrecked at the time and Arabs came marauding according to custom. Theyplundered the ship including the planking and stocks, and decided to use theplunderwithgoodintentiontoreconstructtheKaaba.Thepointwaswhowastolaythecelebratedblackstone, themostsacredgiftofAllah.Muhammadwaschosen as the most truthful man inMecca. He was charged with laying theblackstone.ThatwasasignofhisimminentmissionasMuslimsseeit.

In 610 when Muhammad was 40, he was summoned to prophecy.Interestingly,itisdescribedverymuchasaclassicalcaseofshamanicdisease.The term designates a man unprotected by baptism and God’s grace, andassaultedbyevilspirits.Itusuallyhappenslikethis:ashamanhearsslowandbeautiful signing from afar, or distant rocks or trees announcing imminentcommandment.Themanisusuallyfrightenedbythestrangephenomena.Andifheshowsweakness,theevilspirit–theshamanspirit–visitshim,breakingand torturing until the man agrees to be a “wizard”, a shaman. The word“shaman”istranslatedinRussianasamaninchargeofsecretknowledge.

Asimilaror,tobeprecise,anidenticalsituationisthatofMuhammad.HeoftenretiredtoHira toprayforatrueway.WhenclimbingthehillonedayintheRamadan,heheardtherocksandtreessaying:“YouaretheheraldofAllah.Youare theApostleofAllah,rejoiceyouApostleofAllah”.Lookingaround,hesawnonebutthehailingrocksandtrees.

MuhammadretiredtotheHiracavetoprayeverynight,bringinghisfood,

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andonlyreturnedtoKhadijahformorefood.OnemorningMuhammadprayedintheHiracaveuntilthetruthwasrevealedtohim.Anangelappearedsaying:“Read!”Thechosenoneanswered:“Idonotknowhow”.AndtheProphetgoeson: “He held and crushed me to exhaustion. Then he released me saying:“Read!”AgainIanswered:“Idon’tknowhow!”Heseizedmeagain,squeezingtillmystrengthfailed.Hethensetmefree,commanding:“Read!InthenameoftheLordwhocreatedmanoutofabundle!”

Muhammadwasthusforcedtoutterthewordsthatthespiritputintohismouth,squeezinghim,orevenstrangling,accordingtoalternativehadith.

WeaskedMuslimsinarecentdebatewhythecreatorwantstobreakhisservant’swill.TheyretortedthatIsaiahhadlivecoalappliedtohislips .Asamatterof fact, Isaiahvolunteered for theordeal.Godasked: “Whomam I tosend, and who will go for us?” Isaiah asked to be purified, he strove forprophecy.Hiswillwasfree.Andthecoaldidnotscorchbutratherpurified,asweallknow.PurificationbyGodismysterious.NoticethattheGod-givenfiredescendingfromheavenontheHolySepulcheronEasterEveisnotscorchingattheoutset!Weareallawareofthemiracle.Bycontrast,Muhammad’sisacaseofviolenceagainstman,andtheexactcopyofshamanicdecease!

Interestingly, shamanic tribes respect aman resisting shamanic deceasemost.Heissaidtobemostnobleandrespectable.Suchmenarescarce,forthedevilisverystronginthisouterworld.Muhammadwasfrightenedbyaspiritsubsequently known as Jibril – that is, Gabriel – though never introducinghimself.ItwasMuhammad’skinsmanWarakah whosaiditwasJibril.

Anyway,whathappenedafterthevision?TheProphetwentbackwiththerevelationandanervouscrampinhisneck,asIbnHishamputit.«HecametoKhadijah muttering: “Wrap me up!“. She did, and he asked: “What is it,Khadijah?”Shetoldhimwhatitwas,andhesaid:“Iamfrightened”.Andsheanswered: “Oh no, don’t worry, for I swear by Allah that Allah will neveroffend you since you are kind to your kinsmen, truthful in your speech,merciful to the poor, generous to visitors, and helpful to the unfortunate”.Khadijah took him toWarakah ibn Nawfal, her paternal cousin. He adoptedChristianity in thedaysof innocence, andknewArabicwriting.Hehad evencopiedsomeGospel texts inArabicbyGod’swill informerdays,buthewasoldandblindatthetime.Khadijahsaid:“Yousonofmyuncle,listentoyournephew”.Warakahasked:“Whatdidyousee,nephew?”TheProphetdescribedwhathehadseen.

AndWarakah said: “It was the angel that had been sent to Moses. OhwouldIbeyoungagainandlivetothedaywhenyourpeoplerejectyou!”

Theelectedasked:“Willtheyrejectme?”

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Warakah answered: “Whoever brings what you have brought is alwaysquarreledwith.WouldIlivetotheday,Iwouldlendyouahand”.

Warakah died soon after, and revelation was interrupted because theprophet grieved so as to try to jump down from high rocks. But each timeclimbing a mountain peak to jump down, he met angel Jibril saying: “OhMuhammad, you are the truemessenger of Allah!” So he calmed down andwenthome.Thishappenedeachtimetherevelationwasinterrupted».

The hadith says that on leaving the cave Muhammad witnessed therevelation again. He saw a giant angel (black, according to hadith reports)reaching the skies and sitting on a throne.WhereverMuhammad turned, hekept seeing the vision. Hewas horrified by the sight, by that terrible visionhauntinghim.

How shall we interpret the vision? There were visions indeed. There isample evidence of Muhammad’s falling into a trance, as attested byeyewitnesses.Hebathedinsweatincoldweatherorblushedtotherootsofhishair.Somesaythatheevenlostconsciousnessandfrothedatthemouthbutthehadithdenytheevidence.Anyway,herearesomepointstoconsider.

First,thevisionswereaccompaniedwithviolence;second,theangelneverintroduce himself, third, the angel does not deliver of the dread. RememberwhatarchangelGabrielvisitingVirginMarysaidfirst?“HailyoutheBlessed”.AndZachariaswastold:“Donotbeafraid”.IfZachariasandtheHolyMotherwere toldnot tobeafraid,whywasMuhammadnotsoothedbyhisangel? Infact,thelatterseemstoenjoytorturingtheman.

TheRussianterm“bes”isknowntoderivefromtheSanskrit“horrifying,scaring”. Many people мая have suffered demoniacal assaults making themsick,horrifiedandscaredtodeath.Andweknowtheremedy–thesignofthecross,fortheconditioniscausedbythetorturingdevil.

It is of interest that similar things happened to our ancient saints. TheHolyFathersmentionaneldervisitedbyanangelbeing rathervaguebutnotblack.Bycontrast,itwasalightangel.AsweknowfromtheScript,Satancanappearintheguiseofalightangel.Thevisitorsaid:“IamarchangelGabriel,and God has appointed you through me as a great messenger”. The elderretorted:“WhoamI tobeappointedbyGod?IonlyserveChrist theSavior”and crossed himself. The false archangelGabriel vanished immediately. Thesituation is quite similar except that the elder was protected against hisdestroyerbyasignofthecross,whileMuhammadwasnot.

AnthonytheGreat saysthatevilspiritsoftenvisitedhimintheguiseofangels, offering gold or presenting themselves as God’s agents, as follows:“Believe me, my children, I saw the devil disguised as an uncommon giant

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havingthecheektosaythat,“IamtheDivinepowerandwisdom”.(ThespiritvisitingMuhammadalsopresentedhimselfasGod’sspirit, theholyspirit,orthe spirit of Allah). “Ask for whatever you wish, Anthony”. What wasAnthony’sresponse?Anthonysays:“ButIspatathismouthandattackedhimwithallmymightinthenameofChrist.Theshamgiantwanedinmyhands”.

Quite a different attitude!Why so?Muhammad has chosen the way ofprideattheonset.Hedeniestheholycommunityandtherevelation.Hewantsto explore new ways. Explorers generally discover new ways though by nomeansforthebest.

AnotherinterestingpointisthatafterthevisionMuhammadwashauntedby terrifying suicidal thoughts.Persistent craving for suicide is a remarkabletrend. It is only inhibited by the spiritwho seems to hookhim to a spiritualneedle,ifyouwill.Whatdoesthisindicate?Thisindicatessubjectiontosatanicinfluence.

Asamatteroffact,thisiswhatMuhammadbelieved.Foralongtimehebelievedinbeingattackedbyshaytan–thatis,Satan(shaytanbeingtheArabicversionofSatan).ItwasonlyKhadijah,hiswife,whocouldassurehimthathewas actually God’s agent, a faithful servant of God.Why? Because he doeswell.

Whata logic!Our rule is to shunourgoodworks, is itnot?One shouldnever boast of one’s good works. Muhammad’s wife, however, supports hisvanity.WemustrememberthatourgoodworksaredonewithGod’sstrengthandforGod’ssake.Yetthewifesays:“Butyoudiditbyyourself,anditmeansthatGodwillnotabandonyou”.Thereisnosinlikepride,andheisgiventopride.

Therevelationsoccurredregularlyinawhile.Andthemessenger,thefalseagent of Allah, the angel, sent him preaching. Muhammad preached for 13years(notquite,becauseheonlyhadrevelationsbutwasnotsentpreachinginthefirstthreeyears).ThenhepreachedinMeccaforanotherdecade,andfailed.He was mocked and only supported by a small community of neophyteMuslims,and,ofcourse,byKhadijah.

Having failed with preaching, Muhammad made a mistake: being indesperatestraits,hismostloyalalliesseekingrefugefrompersecutionwiththeChristianrulerofEthiopia,theNegus ,hedecidedtomakepeacewithheathenQuraysh .HerecitedtheQuran onedayandcomingtothephrase:“haveyethoughtuponAl-LatandAl-«UzzaandManat,thethird,theother?”–thethreegoddessesworshippedbyArabs–he said: “Hereare thenoblecranes to relyuponforprotection”.

In fact, he followed the primary pagan principle allowing simultaneous

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worship of their deities and the Creator. The idea is quite on modern lines.Some people want to visit magicians and sorcerers, and worship God,promotingapermissivesociety.

Muhammad was inspired to reconcile with heathens but Muslimsreproachedhimforcontradictinghisowncensureonpaganism.AndJibrilsaidthat Satan inserted his verses in the revelation of Allah. Satan crept in andinserted a wrong text to confuse Muhammad. Jibril reassured Muhammad,saying: “Never mind, do not worry. In fact, no prophet will escape Satanputtingevilinhismind”.

Afascinatingversionindeed!Arevelationoccursbut theauthor isofnoimportance.

Doubting whether the revelation came from God or from the devil,Muhammad resorted to a test:Khadijah said that, “if it is Satan, hemust bevoluptuous. Let us test it: you sit down and I sit behind you. TellmewhenJibrilarrives”.Jibrilcame,Khadijahshedherveilandwasnaked.Muhammadasked:CanyouseeJibril?No,–shesaid,–heretired.YoucanseenowthatheistheangelofGod.Ifhewasnot,hewouldfalluponme”.

Astrangeargumentconsideringthatanangelcannotmarry,forangelsaresexless.Apeculiarandmostsuperstitiousviewindeed!

Of course, the test is immaterial. Spirits are actually tested by othercriteria.Inthecaseofrevelation,asJohntheDivinesays,“everyspiritwhichsaysthatJesusChristhascomeinthefleshisofGod:andeveryspiritwhichdoesnotsaythisisnotfromGod:thisisthespiritofAntichrist” .

In fact, theOldTestament says that if aprophetordream-teller appearswithasignoramiracle,andthesignandthemiraclecometrue,andhesays:“Letusgoafterothergods,whicharestrangetoyou,andgivethemworship”,donotobeyhimeven then, for theprophetwantsyou toabandon theGodofyourfathers,whodeliveredyoufromEgypt,thelandofslavery .

Muhammadneverapplied thecriterion.His spiritnever spoke tohimofJesusChrist.Notice that theHolyFathers donot say that the apparitionwillreject Him. He will not confess and celebrate the name of Jesus ChristIncarnated,GodtheSon,theSonofManand,atthesametime,theSonofGod.

Muhammaddidnot profess the faith but renewed thedoctrine, rejectingthe God of the Prophets. Evil interference was obvious, and the resultsrepresentthespiritofillwillandhostility.

Meanwhile, theheathenswantedMuhammad toproducesomesigns. IbnHisham describes in a most vivid manner how the Quraysh, Muhammad’skinsmen, came to him saying: “You know that you say you are the agent ofAllah,andyouknowthatwelovegold,welovesilver,welovewomen,andwe

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loveamplegain.Weknowthatyouloveallthesetoo.Youareabusinessman;you do business and do it well. So you cannot say that you are no grabber.Makeaheapofgoldappearhere”.Heanswers:“Icannotdo this”.Theysay:“Well,wehadashaykh .Hewasagoodman,theshaykh.Hedied.Raisehimfrom the dead”.He says: “I cannot do it either”. Then they say: “Well, youthreatenuswitheternal fire ifwedonotobeyyou.Well, take the firedown.Rightnow,alittle,justabit.Makeabitoftheskyfallonus.Letushavetheawardsorsuffertheretributionsyouthreatenuswith”.Heanswers:“Icandoneither.Iamonlyamessenger.AndtheQuranismyonlywitness”.Theysay:“Allright,noharm.Weknowamanisteachingyou.Butwedonottrusthim,noway.Wedonot trustyoueither.Wedonotpayattention toyouclackingtongue.Whoareyoutotalkanyway?”

YetMuslimstoldthemthat,“heisatruemessenger,forheisnosorcerer,poet or priest”. He is no sorcerer for he does not blow or spit on strings(commonwitchcraftinvolvingstringstretching,incantationandspittingacross,toputanevilcurse).HeisnopoetforhistheQuranisunrhymed.And,heisnopriestforthelackofproperritualsacceptedamongtheArabs.Consequently,heis a Prophet. It never occurred to them that he might be an imposter, eventhoughitwassosimpleandobvious.Interestingly,whenearlyMuslimscametoEthiopia,oneofthemadoptedChristianitybecausethebeautyofitsurpassedalltheexhortationsofMuhammad.

WhenKhadijahandMuhammad’sprotector(whoneveradoptedIslambutprotectedhimto theendofhisdays)died,Muhammadandhisadvisorswereputunderboycottandhewasindangerofdeath.Anattemptwasmadeonhislifewhensome tribescolluded tohave theiryoungmensaberMuhammadatnight for his preaching and refusal of their gods. Theywanted to involve asmany as possible in the feud, to avoid individual responsibility. Havingsurmised the design, Muhammad asked a friend to lie down in his bed andcoverhimselfwithhisblanket.Thekillerswanted tosee thevictimfirst,butfoundAliinhisstead.Theysparedhislife,andMuhammadescapedtoMedinawhere he had already established contacts andwheremost of his communityhadmoved.

Muhammadflees toMedina in622.Theyearmarks theMuslimera, theHijrah .HetravelswithhisfriendAli.Theyarepursued.Aninterestingstorydescribes Muhammad as a singular man making contact with an alternativeworld.

A party is chasing him, led by a man locatingMuhammad with magicarrows.Yetthearrowssay:“Donotpursuehim”.Heretorts:“Iwillpursuehimallthesame”.Thedialogueisrepeatedthreetimes.Atlast,whenthesorcerer

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stillrefusestodoasthearrowscommand,hishorsefallswithbrokenlegs,andthe pursuer falls to the ground and sees a blackwhirlwind.Recognizing thatMuhammad is protected, he returns to Mecca, and Muhammad escapes toMedina.Wasitanintercession?Ifso,whowastheauthor?

Having quarreledwith Judaic tribes inMedina,Muhammad changes thedirectionofworship.Whileheused tobowtowardsJerusalemas theHebrewdo, he now turns to theKaaba surroundedwith idols at the time. There is asubstantialMuslimcommunity, for jobs are scarce andmeansof subsistencepoor.Thequestion isof survival.ThenMuhammadhas theblessingofAllahforrobbery.

Inasacredmonth,MuslimsmakesasurpriseattackonaQurayshcaravan,killstheguards(onlytwoescaping)andbringshomerichplunder.Therobbersweresomewhatembarrassed.Plunderingacaravanwassimpleandeasy.Arabsregarded robbery as natural. No daily plunder was a wasted life.Well, theywere barbaric tribes, don’t you forget it. Therewas the primitive system. Socaravans couldbeplundered.Yet therewere some sacredmonths– four in ayear – when war, plunder and the like were forbidden. And they did it in aforbiddenmonth!

Muhammad reassured them saying that Allah “speaks bad of wars inforbiddenmonthsbutmuchworseofharassingtheservantsofAllah.Sodon’tworry,youdidwell”.

The enraged Quraysh, Muhammad’s enemies, equip a great army andмартаonMedina, declaringwar onMuhammad.Muhammad’s army crushesQuraysh.

TheobjectivetruthisthatMuhammadkindlyallowedthemtobuyoutthecaptivesexceptforhismostardentenemies.HeonlymadethemsweartogiveupfightingagainstMuslims.ThetaleoftheBattleofBadr alsodemonstratestheunforgivingnatureofMuhammad.Thusafterthedefeatheorderedtofindanoldenemyofhis,deadoralive.Themancouldbeidentifiedbyawoundinhisleg.Muhammadfoughtwithhimasaboyandwon,inflictingawound.Thescarwouldbestillvisible.Andwhoeverfoundthemanshouldbringhishead.

Canyou imagine remembering a six-year old boy’s fight!And the fightwonatthat!Theideaofhavingtheman’shead!

Themanwasfoundamongthewounded,andwasbeheaded.HisheadwasbroughttoMuhammadwhosaid:“GreatistheAllahallowingmetoovercomemyenemies”.Thenhehadthebodiesthrowninawellandsaidasifaddressingthem:“Youseethatyoupersecutedmefornothing?маяyousuffernow”.Histeam-mates wondered: “Why, they can hear you no better than rocks”. AndMuhammedretorted:“Theyhearmebetterthanyoudo”.(Incidentally,thiswas

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theoriginoftheIslamicconceptionofthesoulstayinginthebodyafterdeath.It probably leaves the body and then comes back to stay. Sinners have theirsoulssufferingwithinthebody).

Quraysh then fit out a new army andMuhammad, inspired with recentvictory, toldhismen that itwasAllah’swill. “Yousee thatAllah isonyoursideandwillgrantyouagreatervictory”.TheymetQurayshatMountUhud .AndMuhammadcheereduphismenas follows:“Youmustknowforcertainthat your victory is ensured, your enemieswill scatter, and youwill triumphovertheinfidels”.

Quite the contrary, Muslims were utterly defeated, Muhammad wasstrickenwith a stone in his face, losing his front teeth and fainting, coveredwithblood,sothatQurayshmistookhimforthedeadandwouldnotchasetheescaping Muslims. They were happy to do away with the faith. However,MuhammadcametoconsciousnessandblamedtheMuslimswhoseinadequatedevotiontoAllahcausedthedefeat.

Hereisapointtoconsider.WhatwouldyoucallamanprophesyinginthenameofGodiftheprophesyfailstopass?Youwouldcallhimafalseprophet.What is the general opinion? The general opinion is that the author ofunrealizedprophesiesisafalseprophetnottobelisteneddoorfrightenedby.Heisa traitordaringtospeakinthenameofGod.AndtheProphetJeremiahdescribestheLordsaying:“Igavethemnoorders,andIsaidnothingtothem:what they say to you is a false vision and wonder-working words withoutsubstance,thedeceitoftheirhearts” .

WhenQurayshweretoldthatMuhammadsurvived,theyequippedagreatarmy again to crush him. But Persian Muslim suggested digging a trencharound Medina. Quraysh did not know how to cross the dig as they werenomads and could not assault fortifications. So they retreated after a briefsiege.ThatishowMuhammadgainedtheadvantage.

Muhammad arrangedwith theMeccans to be let in. He approached thecitywithhisarmy,andtheMeccanshadhimpromisetosparethesurrendered(displeasingtheMuslims,ofcourse).MuhammadmadeaceremonialentryinMeccanotlongbeforehisdeath.HedestroyedallidolssurroundingtheKaaba,worshippedtheblackrock,andwasthesovereignrulerofMecca.Severaldaysafter he had all the residents adopt Islam on penalty of death. Some of hisenemies,opponentsandpoetsbelievingtheirownversesuperiortotheQuran,wereputtodeath.

Whatwasallthisabout?Infact,theprincipalargumentfortheQuranasan exceptional revelation of God was its beauty, for no one could write asbeautifully as Muhammad. So the impudent authors were beheaded

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immediatelytopreventpotentialrivalry.Competencewasnippedinthebud.Muhammadwasmaking ready for thewar againstByzantine.His army,

however, failed to encounter the enemy , also in spite of his prophecy. HewishedtomakewarbyhimselfbutsuddenlybecamequitesickanddiedinthearmsofhisfavoritewifeAishah .

Hewasunconsciousbut regainedconsciousness thedaybeforehisdeathandwent tothemosquetospeakinthisway:“Harken!Thefire isflaringup.Discorddarkerthannightisapproaching.FortheloveofAllah,bearnomaliceagainstme. For you know that I only permittedwhat theQuran permits andforbadewhat theQuran forbids” . Then he felt worse and died in Aishah’sarms.

To revert to Muhammad’s prophetic service. Revelations were grantedhimuntiltheendofhisdaysbutthegreatestoneinhisviewwastheflighttoheavensastridethemagichorseal-Buraq whenstayinginMeccabeforetheHijirah .

TheangelJibrilappearedtohimonenightandhadhimmountabeastwiththeheadofamuleandahumanface,al-Buraqbyname.Al-BuraqcarriedhiminstantlytotheTempleofSolomoninJerusalem(whichhadnotbeenthereforsomesixhundredyearsthoughhesaysitwas).HelaterdescribedtheTempleof Solomon (to everyone’s wonder as the Temple is generally known to benonexistent). He then once again mounted the Buraq and was taken to thevarious heavens. In the First heaven he met Adam, the righteous men andsinners.Thesinnersweretorturedandtherighteousmenreveled.Inthesecondheaven he met Jesus Christ and John the Baptist. So he met various earlierprophets in various heavens until he met Abraham in the last and seventhheavenand,havingcrossedagardenandcomingtothelastbloominglotus,hesawAllah.

Noexplicit descriptionofAllah is available today. In adoubtful hadith,MuhammaddescribesAllahasagreencylinder.Butthehadithisthoughttobeof little value and should not be referred to in discussion with Muslims.Anyway,accordingtothehadith,hesawthegreenfigure.

Allahinstructedhimtoofferprayers50timesperday.Onhisreturn,Mosesasked:“Howmanyprayerswereyoutoldtooffer?”

He said fifty.Moses: “Go back and ask to reduce the number”. The Prophetreturnedandasked to reduce it to10 times.Andhecontinuedaskinguntil itwasreducedto5.

MosesurgedhimtoaskagainbutMuhammadanswered:“Iamashamedtoaskofreducedprayersandwillnotdoitanymore”.

SoMuslimsaretooffertheir5namazperday.

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Whatkindofastory is it?Theremustbesome truth in it.Forexample,ridingthegreathorse,hesawahaltingcaravan,andajugofwatercoveredwitha cloth against flies.He took off the cloth, drank thewater, put the cloth inplace, andwas carriedon.Another text describeshimdiscovering a runawayfemalecamelinSyria.HetoldQurayshwhathehadseen,andtheyfoundthecamel right there. Interestingly, however, his beloved wife Aishah said thatMuhammadtraveledwithhissoulonlywhilehisbodystayed inhisbed.Theflightseemssomewhatshamanic.

AcluetothephenomenaisfoundinastoryofAnthonytheGreat.Inthedaysofhishermitagehewassittingatthemouthofhiscaveoneday,weavingbaskets forvisitingpilgrims.He suddenly felt that a rodhewasholdingwasdrawnfrombehind.He turnedbackandsawacreature looking likeadonkeywithahumanface.Doyourememberit?Itwasal-Buraqwhocametofrightenhimincompanywithvariousreptiles.AnthonytheGreatspoketothecreaturesaying:“IamAnthony,andifyouwantme,hereIam.IfGodwantsyoutokillme,doso,andifnot,goaway”andmadethesignofthecrossoverit.Thebeastandall the frightsvanishedatonce.Anthonyuttered:“Confound thecreaturemeddlingwithmybaskets”andkeptonweaving.Itisclearwhotheapparitionswere.

Popularopinionsubsequentlyascribedvarioussigns toMuhammad.Onewaswaterrunninghisfingers.Itwasalsosaidthatwhenhesnappedhisfingers,the moon broke in two, and the mountain was seen in between. The talesactuallyremindusofthewondersproducedbysorcererslikeSimonMagusorDoctorFaustus .

Compare the “Life ofMuhammad” and a tale of Doctor Faustus…Thestoriesarecompatible,youknow!DoctorFaustusdrillsahole in thewoodenfloorandbringsoutwine,justlikethecaseinquestion.Thewondersareverysimilar,actuallyabsurdandnon-provable.Muhammadneverhealedasickmanorablindman,nordidheraiseanyonefromthedead.Hedidwelltonone.Hiswonderswere all illusions, fantasies.Moreover, in all probability, hedidnotwork them at all. Popular opinion developed at a much later time. And hiswondersaregettingevenmoreillusionarywithtime.Itisapopularerroralsoassociatedwith JesusChrist,with all the falsegospels and apocryphalworkspaintingHislifeinquitefabulouscolors.

In fact, Muhammad said that, unlike other prophets, he came with nosigns, and his primarymissionwas theQuran. Therewere some visions butonly imaginary and unnatural, and most probably, later authors inventedChristianandHebrewprophetsworkingwonderstodemonstratetheirmission,whichMuhammadneverdid.Sothatwastheirproblemtosolve.

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Muhammad’s family life deserves special notice, being far fromexemplary thoughconsideredotherwise.According to theQuran,Muhammadwasprivileged.Hewasentitledto1/5oftheplunder,andanunlimitednumberofwives.Thishasinterestingconnotations.

The Quran says that Muhammad’s wives are mothers to Muslims.Muhammad,however,isnotthefatherofMuslims.Howcanhiswivesbetheirmothers?Why, this isquitesimple.Thepoint is thatonecannotmarryone’sown mother. Muhammad worried about his wives getting married after hisdeath,sohedeclaredhiswivestobeinviolable.Thisisquitepersonal.

Hehadthirteenwives.Khadijahwasthefirst,andtherewereotherwivesafter her but only one, Aishah was virgin. She was his second wife and hemarriedheramonthafter thedeathofKhadijah.He fell in lovewithAishahwhenshewas6,andhemarriedherandhadsexualintercoursewithherwhenshe was 9. A girl of 9 is still regarded eligible for marriage in Islamiccountries. Then he took other wives, mostly the widows of his brothers-in-arms.

HisadoptedsonZayd hadabeautifulwife,andMuhammadfellinlove.Thenitwasrevealedtohimthat,first,hecouldhavenoadoptedchildren.Well,letitgoatthat.AnotherrevelationsaidthatZaydshoulddivorcehiswife,andsohedid.AndthenMuhammadwasinspiredthathecouldtakethedivorceeforhiswife.Therevelationsmadetomeasureindeed!Ofcourse,hewasnotquitehappywiththatwifebecauseoftheviolentscenesofjealousybetweenherandAishah. In fact, all his wives were at loggerheads with each other, andMuhammadwas hard put to deal with them. SowhenAishah surprised himwitha concubineand scoldedhim, a fresh revelation said thatwives abusingtheProphetwouldcometoabadend.TheconflictsabatedbutsmoldereduntilMuhammad’sdeath.

Ofcourse,therewassomegoodinMuhammad:hewasfairenough,oftencharitabletothosewhoneededfood,clothesandthelike.Moreover,hiswordwasasgoodasgoldandArabsnamedhim theTruthfulor theLoyal.On theotherhand,Muhammadwas rancorous,viciousanddissoluteatheart.Due tohis inconsistentnature,he abandonedGodand isdeplorably staying inhell’sdens.

Hesaidthathesawanapproachingfireandwasthenenvelopedinflames.It happened because he fell fromGod, failed to renderGlory toGod and toglorifytheHolyTrinity,andneverreceivedbaptismthoughhewasacquaintedwith Christians and could adopt the true faith. Moreover, he allured manypeoplestillfollowinghiswayandperishinginthecourse.HemistookanevilangelforGod’sangel,theangeloflight,andthatdarkangeldeceivedhimashe

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haddeceivedEve.KhadijaharguedforthepresenceofGod’sangelinaveryprimitiveway,

andnotwithout reason.SaintPaulwarned: “But I have a fear, that in someway,asEvewastrickedbythedeceitofthesnake,yourmindsмаяbeturnedaway from their simple and holy love for Christ” . Eve was tempted ininnocence. Shewas seducedwithout considering Satan’s proposal. The samehappened toMuhammad:hewasseducedandproveddefenselessagainstevilspirits. He had good reason to read the Quran regularly, apprehending evilintervention.Hewasafraidofmagicspellsuntilhisdeath.Helivedinfearandaweeventhough,asaGod’sagent,heoughttobebrave.Buthewasquitethereverse,forhehadnoinnerwitnessingoftruth.

Onhimfalls theprophecy in3Ezraofdragonsof thedesert seizing theearth . Muhammad is the great dragon yielding to the enemy and ruiningmanywhohad faith inhim.His service iscarriedon, serviceof the scourge.MuslimsarethescourgeforuswhenwefallfromthearmsoftheLord.IfwearenotdedicatedtoGod,theoneenticedbytheeternalenemywillcomeandscourgeus.

Nevertheless,thiswillnotgoonforever.TheScripttellsusthatthekingsofArabiawilleventuallyoffergiftstoChrist.ThisispredictedinthePsalmsofKing David . And we therefore believe that manyMuslims will eventuallyadopt the veritable Christian faith, worship Jesus Christ, the eternal Son ofGod, and join our fraternal community.Bywayof example,mentionмая bemadeofmanysaintswhohadbeenMuslimsbeforebutthenadoptedChristianfaithandDivineRevelation.IthappenedeveninthedaysofMuhammad.

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3.Questionsandanswers

IwouldliketoknowhowMuhammadobtainedtheQuran.DidhewriteitorreceiveitfromaboveasMosesdid?

Therewasanapparition,Jibrilbyname.Itappearedregularly.Muhammadfeltverysick:heheardaterriblerumbleinhishead,someswellingclash,andhe shivered.Thenhehad an inspiration andpronounced it like a sermon.Heneverrecordedit.Hedeliveredhissermonsandeveryonelearntthembyheart.Ofcourse,somepeopleputthemdownonpebblesorpalmleaves.Butthetextemergedasasermon,andMuhammadsermonizedwhatoccurredtohim,itwasa superhuman speech hurting him awfully. He said that the agony was notcomparabletoanythinghehadsuffered.

AndtheQuranstartsfromtherecords?Just so. Records were made, and then more and more records. After

Muhammad’s deathwhenMuslimswagedwar against all flags (Muhammadinitiating the conquest of all other tribes), subsequently involving halfmankind,expertsknowingthetextbyheartwerekilledinthewarsgeneratingthe need for registering and consolidating the Quran texts. Several versionswerecompiledandthenUthman,thefourthcaliph ,chosetheQuranofZayd,Muhammad’sformeradoptedson,acopyistslave.Hecombinedall the texts.Zaydarranged the textsaswesee themtoday. Interestingly, thesurahsdifferfromMuhammad’ssermonsinlengththoughmanymistakenlythinkthattheyareidentical.Somesermonsareequaltocorrespondingsurahswhileothersмаяonlycoveronehalfofasermon.Thecompilationispurelymechanical.

What was the guiding principle? According to the Islamic doctrine ofeternal the Quran in Allah’s mind, the texts were arranged in descendingpowers: from the longest surah down to the shortest 114 . In fact, themechanicalcompilationwasgovernedbysizeratherthanchronology.

Allthealternativeversions,whichweremany,wereburntoff.WasMuhammadtheonlyauthoroftheQuran?Orsomeoneelseaddedhis

ownvisions?Again,thequestioniswhethertherecordsreconstructedfrommemoryare

reliable.For instance, the final ayatswerewrittenby a scribe frommemory.But was the memory trustworthy enough? Of course, they start from thesermonsofMuhammadwhobelievedthemtobeinspiredbyalternatespheres.Thisissimilartothe“IsisDisclosed”byBlavatskaya .Shethoughtthatthe“Isis Disclosed” was only written in her hand and certainly inspired, eventhough the text represents her singular ideas. For example, she compiles

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quotationsderivingfromvarioussources.Nevertheless,shebelievedthatitwasactuallyauthoredbyaspirit.ThisisalsotrueaboutMuhammad.

HowlongdidMuhammadlive?Helivedfor63years.Howmanychildrendidhehave?Hehad3sonsdyingininfancy,and5daughterswithonlythreereaching

adulthood.Doesitmeanthathewasonlyperpetuatedindaughters?Muhammadwasonlysucceededbyhisdaughters.Arethereanysurvivingdescendants?Yes,ofcourse.TheKingofMorocco isone.TherearesomeinRussia.

Muhammad’sdescendantssurvivetoday.Whatabouthisadoptedson?Arehisdescendants…Sincehewasproclaimednottobe…Actually,thesurvivingdescendants

are the Sheikhs ruling in Saudi Arabia, descending from Zayd . Yet, theadoptionbeingrevoked,theyareinformalonly.

TheQuranemergedinaheathen,non-Christianenvironment,andwasnotintendedforanti-Christianstrife.

Therewasnosuchintention,forMuhammadbelievedthatChristianswerehis allies against the Hebrew. As a matter of fact, Muhammad’s originalintentionwas tounitewith theJewsbuthefailed in that,andonlyChristianssupported him. That is, they actually saved earlyMuslims in Ethiopia fromextermination.

Is there anything positive in Islam? Islam actually emerged in a paganenvironmentasamonotheisticreligion.

Whatismeantby“positive”?Anyconfessionhassomepositiveelements.There are right and just elements in paganism too, like recognition of theCreator,ortraditionalArabicvirtuesincludingloyalty,stickingtoone’swordand aversion to treachery. Both paganism and Islam have their positiveconcepts.

As of monotheism proper…Well, worship of the one false God is nogood,isit?Inprinciple,monotheismcouldbereferredtoassatanismaswell.Butthiswon’tdo.WorshippingtheoneSatanisbad.IamnotsayingthatIslamis satanism, it would not be right. It just means that monotheism is notprogressiveinitself.Allthemore,thereweretheHebrew,andtheChristians.NativeArabiansknewboth.

CouldtheQuranrepresenttheOldTestamentforArabians?CoulditbeasteptotheGospel?

Bynomeansso.TheQuranderivesfromhumansources.Itcannotbetoo

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highlystressedthatMuhammadwasnoscoundrel,noway.Itwouldbewrongto present him as a willful freak like Grabovoy, ready to do anything formoney.Thiswoulddohimaninjustice.Hedidhavesomeinspirationsthoughthey certainly came from an evil source. The Old Testament revelations,however,derivefromagoodsource.Religionisnottobestructuredinpoliticalterms. Religion means human attitude to a superhuman world, the world ofangels. In thisview,Muhammadwasprimarily temptedby theevil,which iscertainly quite different. Moreover, I daresay that it was the Quran thatpreventedArabiansfromadoptingChristianity.

Could you specify the criteria for differentiating between a false and atrueprophet,tofitthecaseofMuhammad?

Criteria of a prophet are specified by the Scripture. First, it is therecognitionofcompleterevelationsgrantedbytheOldandtheNewTestament.This means recognizing the fullness of revelations without modifying anddistortingtheScripture.ThuswhoeversaysthatthepharaohchasingMosesisthe same pharaoh who wished to build the Tower of Babel designed byHaman wholived1000aftertheevent,isobviouslynottheprophetofGod,forhemusthavehadactualknowledge.

Additionally,atrueprophetshallprofessthefaithofallearlierprophets,thefaithinGod,HisWord,andHisHolySpirit–thatis,theTrinitarianGodofthe earlier prophets.And a prophetmust recognize divine Incarnation as theGreatRevelation.For“God,whoatsundrytimesanddiversmannersspakeintimepastuntothefathersbytheprophets,hathintheselastdaysspokenuntous by his Son,whom he hath appointed heir of all things, bywhom also hemadetheworlds” .ThismeansthatthegreatrevelationofIncarnationmustbeacceptedasaccomplishedfact.AprophetmustthereforeacceptJesusChristasGodandMan.Clearly,Godcannotlie;HehasnoneedtodenyHiswords.Aprophet cannot budge fromhis position.And a true prophetwould never saythatfutureprophecywouldbecorrupted.For,ifGodholdstheRevelation,Hewouldhold it forever.Hewouldnotsave theQuran toexclude theScripture!Godwouldbeabsolutelyinfallible.

Then,heshallpreach,bringingpeopleintothefellowshipofChrist–thatis,HishistoricalChurch,fortheactofdivineIncarnationistheactofhistoryand the community of the Covenant is one. The single community of theCovenantstartingwithAdamandsurvivingtodateistheEcumenicalOrthodoxChurch.

A true prophet shall also support his mission with predictions of thefuture,tobeborneoutwhentheycometrue.Seehowearlierprophecieswererealized!

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Aprophet shalluse thewords thatcouldalterman’s soul,his inner life,bringing him to confession and absolution. The question is not of merepenitence, this should be realized! Why, Judas repented and then hangedhimself.Repentanceshouldleadtoabsolution.

A trueprophetmust rememberChrist saying, “thatbelievethonme, theworks that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do,because I go unto my Father” . Therefore he shall always support hismission.

He must also speak to reconcile men with God without heeding otheropinions.ProphetJeremiahsays:Isnotmywordlikeafire?sayththeLord,andlikeahammerthatbreakeththerockinpieces?” Canyouseeit?Hiswordmustfightman’sinherentevil,independentoftheman.

These are the basic criteria. Whoever does not match them is a falseprophet.

DidMuhammadactuallyfallintoepilepticfitswhenhehadrevelations?As I have said, some symptoms of epilepsy are evident even though

overruledby thehadith–frothingat themouth,convulsions.Andheactuallyfeltawfullychillyandfeverish.HewasnicknamedtheMuffler(al-Mudathir–ed.)forwrappinghimselfup.

Muhammad has been mentioned in manuals of psychoneurology as atypical case of epilepsy. On the other hand, epilepsy with its causes andetiologyislittlestudiedanddifficulttodistinguishfromdemonicalpossession.

Could you tell howMuhammad treated the Gentiles? Does the attitudepersisttoday?

Contemporary view specified the two categories of Gentiles: thepolytheists and the so-called people of the Book. The latter includingChristians, Hebrews, and Sabaeans (an idolatrous sect in Arabiasubsequently loosely identified with Zoroastrians), were tolerated with theexclusionofmissionarywork.TheyweretopaythetaxesbutweredisabledandcouldnotopposeMuslemsonpenaltyofdeath.

PolytheistsweretoadoptIslamonpenaltyofdeath.This was his attitude. And it persists today. Muhammad made a sharp

distinction: in cases where Shariah requirements are impracticable, strangefaith is not to be abused. Thus Muhammad preaching in his first, MeccanperiodwasinspiredthatgentilegodswerenottobeabusedorelsetheinfidelswouldabuseAllah.JustbelieveinAllahandneverabuseothers!YetthatwasgoodwhenMuslemswereknowinglyweakerthatlocalheathens.

Theprinciple isnowfollowedin thecountrieswhereMuslimsare in theminorityandunabletoexercisepower,allowingtoregardIslamasapeaceful

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religionhurtingnone,supportingnoevildeedoractofterrorism.ThisisonlytheguiseofIslam.

AssoonasMuslimsgainpower,theydeclarethatanyrenegadeMuslimistobeput todeath.RememberarecentcaseofamanadoptingChristianity inAfghanistan .

Yousay thatMuslimsbelieveMuhammad tobe infallible.What is sin inMusliminterpretation?

Sinisabuseoflaw.AbusingthelawofAllahisasin.Even though it is not in conflict with moral standards? Muhammad’s

plunderofcaravansisnotsinful…No,itisnotasin.Andcuttingoffathief’shand…ItwascommandedbyAllah.SoMuslimsarenotembarrassedbydiscord?Admittedly,morality isasecularversionofcommandments.There isno

conceptofabsolutemorality.There is aconceptofvalidity starting from theScripture. This is true about Christianity, Islam and any other religion. SoGod’swill is theprimary factor.Yet itmust be admitted thatMuhammad isopen to criticismeven in termsof theQuran.For example,onedaywhenhewaspreaching Islam toaman, ablindmancameupbegging tobeadmitted.Muhammadsenthimawaythinkingthatablindgood-for-nothingisofnouseto him. Even Allah reproached him for treating the blind man so badly. SoMuhammad is not faultless even by the Quran standards. And yet he isofficiallyrespectedasimpeccable!

IwouldliketoaskagainabouttheWahhabisandtheactsofterrorisminChechnya,andthearmedgangs:whatareallthese?IsthistheMuslimreligionofMuhammad,orsomealternativetrendssimilartoChristianschisms,eachinitsownway?

MuhammadWahhab was an 18 -century reformer of Islam. Islam inArabiawasactuallydissolvedinpaganism,andalmostexhausted.Itwasbutadummy. So Wahhab intended to reconstruct Islam in accordance with theQuranandtheSunnah.HeurgedtopurifyIslamofthereverenceofsaints,cultsofsacredplaces,Sufismand its inheritance, requiring themostprecise,quiteliteralcompliancewiththeShariah,i.e.thelaw.

He founded the sect referred to as theWahhabism. This is the officialreligioninSaudiArabia,fortheSauditeshadpromotedWahhabisdoctrinesinthe18 century.TheywerefirstdefeatedbytheTurksbutthencametopowerwithBritishsupport.TheSauditesrulinginSaudiArabiaarestillfollowingtheWahhabis. It isalsoofficiallyprofessed inMeccaandMedina, in thecoreof

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Islamicworld.Asregardsterrorism…Thepointisasfollows:warisdirectlyrelatedto

Islam.WarispresumedtobeasimportantfortrueIslamasthesixthpillar.Butthisisoptional.ThereareonlyfivebasicpillarsofIslamthoughmanybelievethatwarisasobligatoryasadherencetothefivepillars.Othersargueagainstitnotbecausetheythinkthatwarisbadbutbecauseitcannotberegardedasthesixth pillar since it is not always practicable. Indeed, Jihad is absolutelyimpracticableinSaudiArabia!WhytheyareallMuslims!Yetwaragainsttheinfidelsisamust,adoctrinalrequirementforaMuslim.

Wenowturntotheissueofterror.Suicides,theShahids,firstappearedinIslamis sects. The Assassins were the first to use hired assassins andsuicides,andtherewereShiissects.

Other facts generally associated with terror are largely authorized byMuhammad.ThusMuhammadsetafixedrateforransom.Practicalaspectsofhostage and ransom were authorized by Muhammad and prescribed in theSunnah. They are described in every detail: who is to take or to be takenhostage,whoistobeornottobeheldhostage,andwhoistobekilledonthespot.Andallthespecificationsarecompliedwithasfaraspossible.

Asregardsslaveholding…ItwasauthorizedbyMuhammad.Therewasacase of a dyingMuslim setting his slaves free in his will. Muhammad wasenraged.Hesummonedtheslaves,dividedthemin4groups,releasedoneandenslavedallothers.

This is also true about rape. Does Islam permit rape?Not of amarriedwomanifsheisnotaslave.Andifsheis,theQuranpermitsrapeexplicitly.Toquotewordforword:“…marryofthewomen,whoseemgoodtoyou,twoorthree or four; and if ye fear that ye cannot do justice (to somany) then one(only)or(thecaptives)thatyourrighthandspossess” .

Ontheotherhand,wellwaterpoisoningpossiblyemergedatalaterdate.Suicide involving murder certainly originated with the development ofexplosives.Suicides first appeared in the19 -century .Theywere the firstShahidkillers.Butcommonmurder,fighting,andhostagewereinstitutedintheveryfirststage.

This is an interesting point ofmentality: compare the attitude ofChristwiththatofMuhammad.EveryoneknowsthestoryofChristandtheforgivenadulteress.TheLordtoldthem:“hethatiswithoutsinamongyou,lethimfirstcast a stone at her” .And they departed conscience-stricken.And theLordsaid: “Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemnedthee?”…“NeitherdoIcondemnthee;go,andsinnomore” .

NowtoMuhammad.Awomancame tohimsaying thathewaspregnant

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by adultery. She said: “Oh envoy ofAllah, I am guilty, so punishme!” TheProphetsummonedherguardianandtold(him):“Treatherwell,andbringhertomeupondelivery”.(Theman)didashewastold,(andwhenhebroughtherafterdelivery)theProphethadherstonedandthenprayedforthereposeofthedead.WhenOmarasked:“OhenvoyofAllah,youprayforher(eventhough)shecommittedadultery?!”,theProphetretorted:“Shehasrepentedforseventy(others)” .

Howdoesthiscorrelate?Weseeidenticalsituationswithoppositeresults,forMuhammad has no absolving authority and thus cannot forgive sins. Hebelievesthattoescapeeternaltorture,manshouldbeputtodeathontheEarth.So Muslim cruelty is a genetic extension of impossibility of forgiveness,absolutionontheEarth.

Asamatteroffact,thisisoftenignored.ThereisagreatdealoftalkaboutageneticcrueltyofMuslims,whichismostlywrong.MostMuslimsaredecentfolk and pleasant personal contacts. There is no question of genetic cruelty!Thequestion is of believing that slaughter is theonlyway toovercomeevil.Canyou see it?Theydonotknow thatnature canbe improved, thatonecanpurify oneself, that one canbe justified byvirtue of and in communionwithChrist.Theyaresimplyunawareofit!Forthemthereisnoalternative.

Of course, imposing faith with the sword is typical for Islam,demonstratingMuhammad’sinnerfoible.

On the other hand, the Euro-Islam originating in 1809 represents arenovated,user-friendlyIslaminEuropeanstyle. InRussia it is theJadidism.TheyaretryingtoincludeintotheireverydaylifeageneralideaofworshippingGod, recognizing the authority of Muhammad, and reading the Quran ashistoricalwriting.ThisIslamtypeor,strictlyspeaking,noIslamatall,ismoreor less peaceable. Few accept it and many digress these days, for half-faithwould not sustain: people either fall into atheism or move up to traditionalIslam.

Godspeedtousall, letusprayandhopethatMuslimsadoptChristianityandrefusetofollowtheirfalseprophet.

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“Thegoodkeepergiveshislife…”

Birth,baptism,childhood,schoolFather Daniel (Daniil Alexievich Sysoev) was born in Moscow on 12

января1974inthefamilyofartistteachers.Hisparents,AlexeyNickolaevichSysoev and Anna Midhatovna Amirova, received baptism after Daniel wasborn, but the child was not baptized until 1977. This happened because hisgrandmotherwould not have the boy christened and even threatened to seizehimwiththeassistanceofPartyauthoritiesshouldthebaptismbeadministeredin secret. This was a substantial danger at the time, so the christening waswaived.

ForalongtimehisparentsattendedchurchwithoutDaniel.Whentheboywasseriouslyillthreeyearslater,awomanoffaithknowingthatthechildhadnotbeenbaptizedwarnedthemofaterriblefateofamotherfailingtochristenher child, and an imminent tragedy for an unchristened child should he passaway.Thewarninggovernedhismother’sdecisiontohaveherchildbaptized.On31октября,Daniel received theHolyBaptism in theChurchof theLife-Giving Trinity on Vorobyevy Hills. The anointing priest was father Evgeny(Eugene).

Daniel always wanted to be a priest. His mother said that he lovedpreachingfarmorethanplaying.HeandhisparentswerepermanentmembersoftheChurchofStNicholastheMiracleWorkerinKuznetskayaSloboda(theSmithery Suburb), and also attended the minor Cathedral of DonskoyMonastery and the Church of the Deposition of the Venerable Vestment inShabolovka.WhenhisfatherwassextonintheChurchoftheBeheadingofStJohntheBaptistinMoscowRegionAfineevovillage,Danielassistedhimatthealtarandsanginthechoir.

Daniellovedstoriesofholymen,andpainting.Thelatterwasquitenaturalforanartist’sson.Hepaintedwonderfullandsofmountainsandwaterfalls,andvillagesatthefootofahill.Thereweremany(fiveandmore)churchesinthevillages,andbeastsinthewoods.Andtheskyofincredibleradiance!

Studies came easily to him, and he read much. His school years alsoinvolvedaconfessionoffaith.Whenhefell illoneday,his teacherscametoseehim.Hismotherledthesurprisepartyin.But,insteadofgreetingthem,thevisitors expressed irritation at the “home icon-screen”.Thiswas followedbyofficial reforming at school. First, they resorted to persuasion hoping for a“sobering effect”. Daniel went through the public disgrace with fortitude,declaringbeforetheclass:“Yes,Idoattendthechurch,IbelieveinGodandI

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knowtheprayers”.Thisishowheconfessedhisfaithevenasafirstgrader.TheologicalSeminaryandAcademyinMoscowOnleavingschoolin1991,DanielenteredMoscowTheologicalSeminary.

He was an extremely penurious student. His parents could not weed him.Luckily,hesolvedtheproblembyusinghisencyclopedicknowledgetocoachslow students. He was reading excessively. Nothing could divert him fromtheologicalknowledgethatbroughtmantoGodashebelieved.Inthedepthsofthelibrary,hedugoutalmostforgottenbooks.Hedida lotof translating.Hewas deeply convinced that Orthodoxy alone holds the salutary truth. As aSeminarystudent,DanieldidhisworkofpenanceasachoristerandpreceptorofCantorschoolchoir.

On 19 декабря 1994, Right Reverend Rostislav (Devyatov), Bishop ofMagadan andChukotka,madeDanielSysoev a reader.That сентябряDanielSysoevmetYuliaMikhailovnaBrykina.On22января1995theyweremarriedin gymnasium church of St John the Theologian, Apostle and Evangelist bypriestDionisius Pozdnyaev.Daniel Sysoev, then a Seminary student, and hiswife renteda flat inSergievPosad.Upongraduation theymoved toMoscow.TheirdaughterYustinawasbornsoonafter.

On 13 1995 Daniel was ordained to the office of a deacon by RightReverendEvgenyBishopVereysky.TheofficewasperformedintheChurchoftheAssumptionofVirginMaryinGonchary(Bulgariantownhouse).Hestayedthereuntilянваря2001whenhewasordainedtotheministry.On14июняthatyear Daniel graduated from Moscow Theological Seminary and entered theExtramuralDepartmentofMoscowTheologicalAcademy.

Hisrecordofserviceisstrikinglyextensiveanddiversified.FatherDanielofficiated in the Church of St Peter-and-Paul in Yasenevo (Moscow), wassecretary of Missionary Education Center “Hexameron”, worker of arehabilitation center for victims of totalitarian cults and false religiousmovementsinthenameofStJohnofKronstadt.Thefuturepriestauthoredthebookentitled“ChronicleoftheBeginning”(M.,1999),editedcollectedpapers“HexameronversusEvolution”(M.,200)andalmanac“DivineRevelationandmodernscience”.Hepublishedmorethanadozenarticlesofcreativeandanti-sectarianorientation.

Father Daniel taught religion to senior school students of OrthodoxClassical Gymnasium in Yasenevo from сентября 1995, and led, with theblessing of the Holy Patriarch, missionary Bible discussions for victims ofsectarian and occultist activities inKrutitsky Patriarch’sHouse fromAugust1996. From 1997, Father Daniel led Thursday afternoon Bible discussions(commentedrecitals)inKrutitskyHouse.

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On24мая2000,theDepartmentofreligiouseducationandcatechizationgranted priest Daniel Sysoev with a letter of commendation for his activeteachingandcatechizationpractices.

PriesthoodIn января 2001 Daniel Sysoev was ordained to the ministry and made

clergyman of the St Peter-and-Paul’s Church in Yasenevo under hegemon-abbotMelchizedek(Artyukhin).Hisseconddaughter,Dorothea,wasbornthatyear.

Between 2004 and 2009 father Daniel did a great deal of traveling andteacing: he taught at Perervinskaya Orthodox Theological Seminary inPerervinskyStNicholasMonastery–firstliturgicsandthenmissiology;andhevisited (outside a mission team) many eparchies in Russia and elsewhere(including two visits in Macedonia in 2007 and 2008). Father Daniel wasinvitedbytheMoslempartytoassistintwopublicdebateson“TheBibleandthe Koran as Divine Revelation” (December 2006) and “The Conception ofGod”(February2007).

FatherDanielperiodicallyappearedinTV-andradioprograms.From2006FatherDanielledregularafternoonBiblestudies(commented

Bible recitals) in the Church of St Thomas the Apostle in Kantemirovskayastreet.HebeganwithachapteroftheOldTestament,explainingalmosteveryversefrominterpretationsofStJohnChrysostomandtheHolyFathers.Thenachapterora fragmentof theNewTestamentwas recited,alsocommentedbyfatherDaniel.

In 2007 Reverend Father Daniil Sysoev led amissionary group visitingbaptismal villages in Tatarstan. Father Daniel primarily saw his missionaryworkasChristianmessage.HisLiturgyalways includeda sermon, aword inprayerinfuneralserviceandonanyotheroccasion.

In 2008 a summer missionary trip to Kyrghyz Republic was organizedwith active contribution from father Daniel: he led discussions in localOrthodoxparishes, talked to local residents, andbaptized some citizens.Onepartof themissionarygroupvisitedaMoslemregionnearOsh town.And in2009themissionarygroupvisitedZainskdistrictcenterinTatarstan.ThatyearDaniilSysoevrepeatedlyreportedbeingthreatenedforhisopinionsofIslam.

MartyrdominChristThatmorningfatherDanielrecitedliturgyintheChurchofStThomasthe

Apostle in Kantemirovskaya Street, and made his communion. Then hebaptizedaninfantandadministeredthesacramenttoamanpreviouslyleavingOrthodox faith for occultism. Several hours later father Daniel led a Biblediscussion and then conversed with all comers till late at night. Then the

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masked murderer burst into the church, shooting and shouting: “Where isSysoev?” Father stepped intrepidly from behind the altar and was mortallywounded.Hediedstillunconsciousseveralhourslater.

FatherDaniel often reported threats leveled at him byMoslems.Yet heconsideredpreachingChristashismost importantmission.Hewasmurderedinministry,afterreceivingaconfession,inhistippetwiththecross.

The funeral service in the orphaned church on Friday night 20 ноября2009was attended byDaniil Sysoev’s friends and family,missionary schoolpupilsandlocalresidents.

MoscowbidfarewelltotherecentlydeceasedfatherDanielthatMonday.The burial servicewas performed in the Peter-and-Paul Church inYasenevowherethedeadman’sfatherhadofficiated.TheservicewasledbyArchbishopArseny (Epifanov). Hundreds Orthodox Christians came to memorize thepriest.

AlmostahundredmembersofMoscowclergygatheredinthechurch,allinwhiteandwithlights.Onlythemourningfamilystoodoutagainstthewhiterobes.AfterthefuneralservicePatriarchCyrilreadthelityforthedeadatthecoffin and recited the pontifical Word. After three-hour prayers the cortegeadvancedtoKuntsevoCemetery.

FatherDanielwasburiedinthegroundsoftheChurchoftheIconofOurLordJesusChristofSetuninKuntsevoCemeteryinMoscow.ThefortiethdayobitforthedeceasedpriestDaniilSysoevfellonhisnameday,theMemorialDayofProphetDanielonthe30 (17 oldstyle)ofдекабря.

ThepastoraldeedsofdevotionDaniil Sysoev helped people to discover and understand the Truth. He

envisagedpreachingChristamongtheworldnations.FatherDanielappearedasa missioner and preacher among adherents of different creed. In one of hisinterviewshe said: “Wehavebaptizedmore than80Moslems inour church.AmongthemareTatars,Uzbeks,ChechensandDaghestani.”Heopenedawayfor spiritual and moral development in present-day environment andencouragedpeople to follow theApostles’principle: “Ifpossible, so far as itdependsonyou,livepeaceablywithall.”(Rom. 12, 18).

FatherDanielknewandlovedGodwithallhisheartandallhissoul,andhis lovewas true and sacrificial.Hewas a partisan ofuranopolitism (havingderived the term fromGreekUranos – sky andpolis – city) – a doctrine ofDivine laws preceding the earthly. The followers of uranopolitism maintainthat communion in Christ prevails over kinship or ethnic relations, andChristiansonEarthareonlypilgrimsandstrangersfromheaven.

FatherDaniel sufferedmartyrdom inChrist.Life inChrist isan integral

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partofspiritual lifeforeveryChristian.ThisgoodcausehasanassistantandmanofprayerinfatherDaniel.ForallOrthodoxChristiansbelievethathelivesandpraysforalllostsheep.

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PontificalwordofCyrilPatriarchofMoscowandallRussia

ONTHEBURIALSERVICEOFPRIESTDANIILSYSOEVWearepayingour last tribute to fatherDaniilSysoev,aMoscowpastor

well-known toallofus.His lifewas takenbyanevilwill.Hediedaviolentdeath.Butpastoralministryisamostpeacefulservice,fortheLordcalledustopeaceandanythingapriestsayswhenappealingtopeopleisimbuedwiththisDivineappeal tobuildone’s lifeonGod’s law,maintainingpeacewithone’snearanddistant.For twothousandyearsofchurch life, thiswitnessofGod’speacewas continuously apprehendedwith ahappy throbbingofheart.Peoplehave opened and are still opening their hearts and minds to the Gospel,fascinatedbyDivinetruth,despitethemanytemptationsandscandals,andlifepatternspromotingungodlyexistence;andtheytrytoarrangetheirlifebytheWord of God. However, the two thousand-year history of the Church alsoindicates something else. TheWord is a huge challenge formany, requiringreexaminationofone’swholelifeandmentalattitudes.InsomecasestheWordprovokes unbelievable and inexpressible spite rather than happy heartbeat,focusingonfiercestruggleagainsttheWord.Thesedaysarenoexception.Asin the past, human spite attacks witnesses of God’s truth, including acts ofviolence.

Thereisnothingnewinhumanhistory.AsTertullianstrikinglyhasit:“Amartyr’s blood is the seed of Christianity”. Those who have no otherarguments,thoseblindedwithangerattackthemessengersofGod’struthwithspiteandviolence.Incapableofopposingthepriestlywordintheirmindsandhearts,theyattackthepastorwithslanderandmalignantgossip,andevenraisetheirhandsagainst them.FatherDanieldidagreatdeal toassertGod’s truth.He tookpart invariousdiscussionsanddebates.HewitnessedGod’s truth tothebestofhisabilityandtalent.Buthisstrongestwordwasprobablythewordwearewitnessing.WhenoneiskilledforGod’s truth, itmeansthat the truthstrikesthosewhodonotacceptit.Ithasagreatpower.ThestatementmadebyTertullian has been supported by thewhole history of Christianity, and eachnewbloodspiltforChristsowedabundantseedsoffaithandbroughtabundantharvest,

Weknow that the selfless lifeanddeathof fatherDaniel is agreat seedplantedintofertilesoiltoyieldfruit.

Prayerfulintercessionbeforethiscoffinshouldmakeusordainedtoholyorder reflectseriouslyon thesenseandnatureofpreaching inmodernworld,andtheimportanceofpreachingtheDivinecausesoastoreachtheheartand

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mind of the audience; so that the days of our earthly lifewere not spent fornothing,inspiritualidlenessandlaziness.

WebelievethattheLordwilltakethesoulofHisservantinHisheavenlyabodes.For hekept his faith in death even.Let us pray in our hearts for thememoryofthemurderedservantofGodpriestDaniil.

†CyrilPatriarchofMoscowandAllRussia

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BookspublishedbyfatherDaniel

WitnessforthedoctrineofDivineCreationChronicleoftheBeginning–M.:SretenskyMonasteryPublishing,1999.–

2 ed.–M.:“Axios”Publishers,2003.“NoonebutGod”orhowlongwasthedayofcreation?–M.:St.Johnof

KronstandtCounselingCenterPublishing,2003.FundamentalsofOrthodoxChristianityWhy are you not baptized yet? – M.: “Danilovsky blagovestnik”

Publishing, 2004; 2 ed. – M.: Prophet Daniel Church in KantemirovskayaPublishing,2008.

Why attend church every Sunday? – M.: Prophet Daniel Church inKantemirovskayaPublishing,2007,2008.

Marry a nonbeliever? –M.: ProphetDanielChurch inKantemirovskayaPublishing,2007.

Discussing the “Song of Songs”. – M.: Prophet Daniel Church inKantemirovskayaPublishing,2008.

Howoftenshallyoureceivecommunion?–M.:ProphetDanielChurchinKantemirovskayaPublishing,2009.

Instructionsforimmortals,orWhatshallyoudoifyoudieallthesame…–M.:ProphetDanielChurchinKantemirovskayaPublishing,2009.

PolemicswithadherentsofdifferentcreedAnthropology of Seventh-Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses. –

“RusskiiKhronograf”Publishing,“Hexameron”MissionaryEducationCentre,2002.

AProtestant’sStrollinanOrthodoxChurch.2001;St.JohnofKronstandtCounselingCenterPublishing,2003.

MarriagetoaMoslem.–M.:ProphetDanielChurchinKantemirovskayaPublishing,2006.

EventhoughfatherDaniilSysoevwillcertainlylookafterhisfamilyfromheavens,wemust not stand aloof. To say the truth, one cannot bring up andeducate threechildren inMoscowonapensionfor the lossofabreadwinner.Besides, amartyr’s family is not entitled to amiserable life, andwewill allsupportmotherYuliawithnoprayeralone.

“He said he would be murdered. I asked him who would leave us to,myselfandourthreechildren.Hesaidhewouldgiveustoagoodhome.“IwillgiveyoutoMotherofGod.Shewilltakecareofyou”.

ThosewhowishtosupportthefamilyofourfatherDaniel–motherYulia

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and her three daughters: Yustina, Dorothea and Angelina, can use bankremittance:

Recipient:SysoevaYuliaMikhailovnaAccountofthereceiver:40817810238254901389Bankofthereceiver:OAOSberbankRussiaLublinskoedept7977/01315PIN:7707083893Loroaccount:30101810400000000225BIC:044525225ETF:Yandex.Den’gi[Money]41001490442413–transferintoaccounty.sysoeva@yandex.ru–transferviae-mail.ETFWebMoney.Pursenos:R999920625415-rubles.Z439597687838–UJSdollars.Pleasemark“SubscriptionforfatherDaniel’sfamily”Обсудитьнафоруме

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Примечания-Ummahisareligiouscommunityandaformofsocialorganizationof

people.TheoreticallytheMuslimcommunityunitesMuslimsfromallovertheworldregardlesstheirethnicandculturalbackground.

-JustinthePhilosopher(JustintheGreat,JustintheRoman,JustinMartyr)(about100–about160)–anearlyChristianapologistandoneoftheFathersoftheChurchwhowasamongthefirstwhoimplantednotionsofGreekphilosophytoChristianityandinitiatedtheologicalinterpretationofhistory.Heisrememberedonиюня,1(14).

-OmarKhyyam(about1048–after1112)–aPersianpoet,mathematicianandphilosopher.ThePoetisfamousallovertheworldbyhisquatrainscalledrubaiyat.Thelinesquotedinthetextarefromthefollowingrubaiyat:TheBallnoquestionmakesofAyesandNoes,ButHereorThereasstrikesthePlayergoes;AndHethattoss’dyoudownintotheField,Heknowsaboutitall–Heknows–HEknows!

-SaddamHusseinAbdal-Majidal-Tikriti(1937–2006)–theIraqistateleader,thefifthpresidentofIraq(1979–2003),thesecretarygeneralofIraqiregionalorganizationBa’athparty,themarshal(1979);dethronedinапреля,2003asaresultoftheamerican-britishtroopsinvasion;sentencedtodeathbytheIraqicourt.

-TheHouseofwarisdividedintotwoparts:theHouseofactualwar(jihad)andtheHouseofconciliation.ThedifferencebetweenthemisshownintheQuran(an-Nisa»,4–90:Women):“Theylongthatyeshoulddisbelieveevenastheydisbelieve,thatyeмаяbeuponalevel(withthem).SochoosenotfriendsfromthemtilltheyforsaketheirhomesinthewayofAllah;iftheyturnback(toenmity)thentakethemandkillthemwhereveryefindthem,andchoosenofriendnorhelperfromamongthem,exceptthosewhoseekrefugewithapeoplebetweenwhomandyouthereisacovenant,or(thosewho)comeuntoyoubecausetheirheartsforbidthemtomakewaronyouormakewarontheirownfolk.HadAllahwilledHecouldhavegiventhempoweroveryousothatassuredlytheywouldhavefoughtyou.So,iftheyholdalooffromyouandwagenotwaragainstyouandofferyoupeace,Allahallowethyounowayagainstthem”.

-ShariahisthemoralcodeandreligiouslawofIslamdescribedintheQuranandSunnah.ItsetsethicstandardsofMuslimsanddefinesnormsoftheirbehavior.

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-TheQuran(literarymeaning‘reading’or‘recitation’)isthecentralreligioustextofIslam,ahomiliary,asetceremonialsandlaws,prayersandallegoriestoldbyMuhammadinMeccaandMedina.TheearliestscrollsdatetoVII–VIIIcenturies.SurahischapteroftheQuran,Ayah/Ayat(usualltranslatedas‘verse’or‘sign’)isthesmallestunitoftheQuran.

-Jizyah(compensation),apercapitataxpaidbynon-MuslimcitizenslivinginIslamicstates.

-Al-Imran:TheFamilyOfImran3:83.-Jihad(effort)isaholywarforfaith.Thislargelyinvolvesarmed

struggleagainsttheenemiesofIslam,andstruggleforfaithinamoregeneralsenselikecorrectingindividualinclinations,encouragingobediencetoshariahrules,starkrefusalofallthingscondemnedbyshariah,etc.AnamicableJihadmeanspersonalimprovement,inotherwords,self-perfection,andstruggleagainstallthingsimproper,bywordanddeed.

-WahhabisarethefollowersofareligiousandpoliticalmovementinIslam,initiatedbyMuhammadibnAbdal-Wahhab(1703–87)inCentralArabia.StrivingtopurifyIslam,WahhabisadvocatedmoralsimplicityandfoughtforArabianconsolidation.WahhabisistheofficialideologyofSaudiArabiaandacommontrendinotherArabiccountries.

-Namaz/salat(prayer,worship,oneofthemainritesofIslam–dailyfive-foldprayer.

-Zakah–(purifying)–religious“purifying”charityforMuslims,prescribedbytheQuranwithamountsandratesspecifiedbyshariah.

-Ramadan,ninthmonthoftheIslamiclunarcalendar(hijrah)whenMuhammadfirsthadtherevelation.Ramadanisthemonthofobligatoryfasting.

-Aqidah,Islamiccreedorarticlesoffaith.QuranicformulationincludesbeliefinGod,angels,prophets,scriptures,andtheDayofJudgment.

-al-«Ankabut:TheSpider29:62-Sufism,Islamicmysticismoriginatinginthe8thand9thcenturyand

elaboratedbetweenthe10thand12thcentury.Sufismtypicallycombinesmetaphysicsandasceticpractices,thedoctrineofprogressiveconceptionofandunioninGodviamysticlove(intheilluminativeway).SufismhadapronouncedinfluenceonArabicand,inparticular,onPersianpoetry(Sanahi,Attar,Rumi).

-al-Baqarah:TheCow2:102.-Hadith,reportofthewordsanddeedsofMuhammadandotherearly

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Muslims;consideredanauthoritativesourceofrevelation,secondonlytotheQuran(sometimesreferredtoassayingsoftheProphet).

-al-Àraf:TheElevatedPlaces7:178.-al-Ma’idah:TheFood5:116.-az-Zukhruf:TheEmbellishment43:2–4:“BytheScripturewhich

makethplain,Lo!WehaveappointeditaLecture,inArabicthathaplyyeмаяunderstand.AndLo!intheSourceofDecrees,whichWepossess,itisindeedsublime,decisive”.

-an-Najm:TheStar53:19–23.ThethreeGoddessesworshippedinArabiawere:Al-Lat,Al-«Uzza,andManat.

-St.NicholasofSerbia,(1880–1956)(NikolaiVelimirovich,BishopofOhridandZiCa,eminentdivineandreligiousphilosopher.

-an-Nisa":Women4:56:“Lo!ThosewhodisbelieveOurrevelations,WeshallexposethemtotheFire.AsoftenastheirskinsareconsumedWeshallexchangethemforfreshskinsthattheyмаяtastethetorment.Lo!AllahiseverMighty,Wise”.

-Matthew5:44–45.-an-Nisa":Women4:136:“BelieveinAllahandHismessengerandthe

ScripturewhichHehathrevealeduntoHismessenger,andtheScripturewhichHerevealedaforetime.WhosodisbelievethinAllahandHisangelsandHisscripturesandHismessengersandtheLastDay,heverilyhathwanderedfarastray”.

-Jinn,creaturesknowninpopularbeliefinpre-IslamicArabiaandmentionednumeroustimesintheQuran,paralleltohumanbeingsbutmadeoutoffireratherthanclay.

-an-Naml:TheAnt27:15–54.-al-Qasas:TheNarrative28:6–16.-RevocationofreligiousrulesislegitimizedbyQuranicactsand

authentichadithreports.Somerevelationsandrules,however,arenottoberevoked.

-IbnSaad,Tabaqat,vol.1,p.225;IbnSaad,Tabaqat,vol.1,p.228;Muslim,17,4192.

-Matthew17,14–21.-“ThereisnogodbutGod,andMuhammadisthemessengerofGod”

(shahadah,witness).“(Wetakeour)colourfromAllah,andwhoisbetterthanAllahatcolouring.WeareHisworshippers”(al-Baqarah:TheCow2:138).“UntoAllahbelongtheEastandtheWest”(al-Baqarah:TheCow2:142).

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“WhencesoeverthoucomestforthturnthyfacetowardtheInviolablePlaceofWorship”(al-Baqarah:TheCow2:149).

-Qiblah,directionMuslimsfaceduringprayer(towardstheKaabainMecca),oraprayerwallinthemosqueintowhichthemichrab(niche)isset,indicatingthedirectionofprayer.

-1Corinthians1,23–24.-Siratal-Mustaqim,al-,therightway;thestraightpath.The“right

way”isalsoappliedtotheQuranitself,asitrevealsbroadmoraldirectives,withsomelegalprescriptions,asguidanceforhumanity.

-Greater-Bayram,feastoftheSacrifice(qurban).AlsoknownasIdal-Adha.CelebratedattheendoftheannualpilgrimagetoMecca,onthetenthdayofDhual-Hijjah,themonthofpilgrimage.

-StSimeonofThessaloniki(SymeonofSolun)(d.1429),archbishopandsaint.Formalglorificationtookplacein1981.Remembranceday–15(28)сентября.Cit.fromhis“Vs.heathensorMohammedans”.

-Succibi(pl.ofsuccubus)(fromlat.succubare–lieunder),incubbi(pl.ofincubus)(incubus,fromlat.incubare–lieabove)–demonsoflust.

-AliVyacheslavSergeevichPolosin(b.1956),formerOtrthodoxpriest,nowIslamictheologianandpublicfigure.

-Luke10,29–37.-Muezzin,amaleMuslimwhoissuesadhan(calltoprayer)inArabic

fromatoptheminaretfivetimesdaily.-YomKippur(theDayofAtonementtranslatedinRussianasthe

Doomsday),themostimportantHebrewfeat,one-dayfast,thedayofrepentanceandabsolution.

-Placingone’shandsattheface(ed.).-Jadidism(renovationism),socialandpoliticaltrendamongMuslim,

primarilyTurkicnations.-Genesis11.-Sophrony(Sakharov),archim.(1896–1993),theologian,confessor

andmonasticelder,pupilofStSilouanofMtAthos.-Madhhab,schoolofreligiouslawwithinIslam,inabroadersense–

theMuslimway.IslamiclawwithinAhlas-Sunnahwa’l-Jama»ah(sunni)evolvedinthe4schoolsoflaw(madhhab):theHanafi,theShafii,theMaliki,andtheHanbali.TheHanafimadhhab–eponym-AbuHanifahdevelopedthemethodologicalprinciplesofMuslimjurisprudence.HismethodoflegalinstructionstartedfromtheQuran,Sunnah(withcarefulselectionofHadithat),

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statementsofhisco-workers,analogytoexistingRevelation,preferenceofsolutioncontradictingthepreviousbutmorerationalinthesituation,agreementoftheologians,andtraditionalopinion.Thechoiceofavailableenactmentswasdictatedbymoreearnestormajorityopinion.MostofthemodernMuslimsbelongtothefollowersofthislegaltrend.

-Sunnah,establishedcustom,normativeprecedent,conduct,andcumulativetradition,typicallybasedonMuhammad’sexample.Inaddition,Sunnahinvolvesactionsthataredesirablebutnotobligatory.

-MuhammadibnAbdal-Wahhab(1703–87),founderofWahhabis,officialideologyofSaudiArabia.

-Kaabaisthecube-shaped“HouseofGod”locatedinMecca,SaudiArabia.

-Murids,followersofsufichargedwithimplicitobediencetotheirreligiousleader(sheikh,imam).MuridswerelargelyinvolvedintheactionsofNorthCaucasianmountaineersinCaucasianWar1817–64.

-Taliban(arab.talib–knowledge-seeking),afundamentalistIslamicmovementinAfghanistan,institutedin1992bygraduatesofMuslimreligiousschools(madrasah)openedinPakistanforPashtunrefugeesfromtheneighboringAfghanistan.ThecenterforTalibanledbyMullahMuhammadOmarwhoproclaimedthe“genuineIslamic”stateastheobjectivestobepursuedwasKandagar(insouth-eastAfghanistan).Byфевраля1995TalibsoccupiedhalfofthesouthernprovincesandsurroundedKabul,andin1996мартаedintothetown.Bylate1990sTalibscontrolledmostofthecountry.Televisionandmostofthepopularpastimeswerebanned,womenandreligiousminoritiesweredisabled.

-Sunniis,alongwithshii,themajorbranchinIslamanalternativetrend.SunnisholdthemajorityinmostIslamiccountries(exceptIran,SouthIraqandNorthYemen).TheyacceptSunnahalongwiththeQuran.DecisionsonMuslimleaders(imam-caliph)aregovernedby“communalagreement”.

-ShiiistheothermajorbranchinIslam(alongwithSunni)originatinginthe7thcenturyfromdebatesonthenumberofimamsandidentificationofthelastimam.Shiiisdividedinsects.ShiisrejectSunnicaliphs,regardingAlideImamsastheonlylegitimatesuccessorsofMuhammad.ShiiistheofficialreligionofIranandisalsopopularinYemen,Iraq,Lebanon,Bahrain,etc.

-ImamforMuslimsis:1)serviceleaderinamosque;2)secularandspiritualleaderinacommunity.

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-Ali(AliibnAbiTalib)(d.600),thefourthofthe“piouscaliphs”(656–661)oftheArabCaliphate,Muhammad’scousinandson-in-law(husbandofhisdaughterFatima).ShiirespecthimasthefirstImam,andthe“extremeShiis”sethimaboveMuhammad.

-Caliph/khalif,insomeOrientalIslamiccountries,titleofsovereigntycombiningspiritualandsecularauthority.InTurkey(asMuslimspiritualleader)validuntil1924.

-an-Nisa":Women4:3:“Andifyefearthatyewillnotdealfairlybytheorphans,marryofthewomen,whoseemgoodtoyou,twoorthreeorfour;andifyefearthatyecannotdojustice(tosomany)thenone(only)or(thecaptives)thatyourrighthandspossess.Thusitismorelikelythatyewillnotdoinjustice”.

-Genesis16,12.-John3,36.-Sealoftheprophets(Khatamal-Nabiyyin),phraseoccursinQuran

(al-Ahzab:TheAllies33:40:“Muhammadisnotthefatherofanymanamongyou,butheisthemessengerofAllahandtheSealoftheProphets;andAllahiseverAwareofallthings”),referringtoMuhammad,andisregardedbyMuslimsasmeaningthatheisthelastoftheseriesofprophetsthatbeganwithAdam.SomebiographersoftheProphetmentionthathehadaphysicalmark(seal)ofsomesortbetweenhisshouldersthatwasregardedasoneofthesignsofhisprophethood.

-Hubbard,LafayetteRon(1911–1986),AmericanauthorknownasafounderofDianeticsandScientology.Hisworkshavewonconflictingratings.

-Grabovoy,GrigoryPetrovich(b.1963)declaredhimselftheSecondMessiahcapableofraisingpeoplefromthedead,achievingteleportation,healingAIDSandcancerineverystage,andidentifyingfaultsinelectronicsatadistance.Hewasconvictedtoeight-yearimprisonmentunderRussianFederationCriminalCodeArticle159of“FraudulentActivities”.Hegainednotorietywhen,accordingtovarioussources,hepromisedtheBeslanfamiliestoraisevictimsofterrorismformoney.

-Genesis16,12.-St.Arethasandhis4299martyrssufferedforChristtheKinginthe

5thcentury.ArethaswastheleaderoftheChristiancommunityofNajraninGrabia.TheArabian(Himyarite)princeJewDhuNuwaswishedtodestroyChristianityinthecountryandorderedtokillallChristianadepts.ThepeopleofNajranremainedconstantintheirfaith,andDhuNuwasbroughtalarge

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armytodestroythecity.TheroyalheraldannouncedatthewallsofNajranthatDhuNuwaswouldsparethelivesofthosewhorenouncedtheCrucifiedManofGalileeandHisCross.Failingtotakethecitybyforce,DhuNuwasdeceivedtheChristians,swearingthathewouldnotmakethemconvertbutwouldonlylayNajranundertribute.ThepeopleignoredArethas’sadvice,believedDhuNuwasandopenedthegates.MorethanfourhundredthousandChristians,men,women,oldpeopleandchildrenofNajranandneighboringvillages,sufferedmartyrdomforChristtheSavior.

-ShemandHamarethescripturalsonsofNoah“andfromthemalltheearthwaspeopled”aftertheFlood(Genesis9,18).

-EmirKhattab,professionalterroristandleaderofarmedunitsintheself-constitutedChechenrepublicofIchkeria,killed.

-TheGhassanids(al-Ghasasinah,alsoBanuGhassan“SonsofGhassan),dynastyinthekingdomofJabiyah,EastPalestine(Jordan)until636.

-IbnHisham,AbuMuhammadAbdJamalal-Malik(d.827),ArabianscholarfromBasra.His“BiographyoftheProphetMuhammad”representsthemostcomprehensiveevidenceofMuhammad’slifeandwork.ItranksasthethirdimportantsourceofIslam(aftertheQuranandtheHadithat).

-KhadijahbintKhuwaylid(d.ca618),firstandonly(untilherdeath)wifeofProphetMuhammad,founderofIslam.Muhammadonlytookotherwifeafterherdeath.Reveredasagoodandfaithfulwife,mother,andMuslim.

-MountHira,mountainnearMecca,thecradleofIslam,saidtohavebeenthesceneofthefirstrevelationgiventoMuhammadontheNightofDestiny(laylatal-qadr).TheProphetmeditatedinthecaveatthesummitofthemountain.AlsoknownasJabalal-Nur,theMountainofLight.

-Isaiah6,6–7:“Thenawingedonecametomewithaburningcoalinhishand,whichhehadtakenfromoffthealtarwiththefire-spoon.Andaftertouchingmymouthwithit,hesaid,See,yourlipshavebeentouchedwiththis;andyourevilistakenaway,andyouaremadecleanfromsin”.

-Isaiah6,8:“AndthevoiceoftheLordcametomyears,saying,WhomamItosend,andwhowillgoforus?ThenIsaid,HereamI,sendme”.

-WarakahibnNawfalibnAsad,ChristiancousinofMuhammad’sfirstwife,Khadijah.Accordingtotradition,assuredMuhammadthathiscalltoprophecyandmessagegenuinelyfromGod.

-Sahihal-Buhari,oneofsixworksofhadithwidelyrecognizedasauthenticandcanonicalandconsideredthemostauthoritativesourceofhadithalongwithSahihMuslim.Compiledandcodifiedintheninthcenturyby

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MuhammadibnIsmailal-Bukhari.Forthisparticularhadithseech.1,4.-AnthonytheGreat,saint(c.251–356),founderofChristian

monasticism,ahermitinEgypt.-Negus(infullform:“kingofkings”),titleoftheemperorofEthiopia

untilthesubversionofmonarchyin1975.Neguswastheheadofthestateandtheheadofthegovernment,holdingabsoluteexecutiveandlegislativeauthority.

-Quraysh,powerfulMeccantribeatthetimeoftheProphetMuhammad;descendantsofQusayy,whounitedthem.MuhammadwasbornintotheHashemiteclanoftheQurayshtribe.TheQurayshnamedaftertheirancestor.MuhammadmetwithnosympathyamonghisfellowtribesmenbutdeclaredtheQurayshdialecttobetheperfectArabiclanguage,whichresultedinthedialectemergingastheliterarylanguage.PresentlythekeystotheKaabaareheldbytheQurayshclan.Surahal-Quraysh:TheQuraish106intheQuranisdirectedatthem.

-an-Najm:TheStar53:19–20.-1John4,2–3.-Deuteronomy13,1–3:“Ifeveryouhaveamongyouaprophetora

dreamerofdreamsandhegivesyouasignorawonder,Andthesignorthewondertakesplace,andhesaystoyou,Letusgoafterothergods,whicharestrangetoyou,andgivethemworship;Thengivenoattentiontothewordsofthatprophetorthatdreamerofdreams:fortheLordyourGodistestingyou,toseeifalltheloveofyourheartandsoulisgiventohim”.

-Shaykh,apre-IslamichonorifictitleofprincesorchiefsofnomadictribesinArabia.Theterm“sahaykhal-din”alsohasbeenappliedtomenwhopossesscripturallearning;avillageelderintheLevantandtheMiddleEast;sometimes,justavenerableman.Headsofreligiousordersarecalledshaykh,asareQuranicscholars,jurists,andthosewhopreachandleadprayersinthemosque.

-Hijrah(migrationorwihdrawal),typicallyreferstothemigrationofMuhammadandhisCompanionsfromMeccatoMedinain622C.E,thefirstyearintheIslamiccalendar.HijrahwasproclaimedasthebeginningoftheMuslimeraunderCaliphOmarI(634–644).Theinitialdateisthe1stdayofthe1stmonth(Muharram)622–16июля622.

-TheBattleofBadr,thefirstimportantbattlebetweenMuslimsandQuraysh(therewereminorarmedconflictsbetweenMuslimsandresidentsofMeccain623and624)foughtinHejaz(WestArabia)inthesecondyearof

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HijrahontheseventeenthdayofRamadan,Fridaymorning17марта624.SeenasasymbolofvictoryofIslamoverpolytheismandunbelief.ItwasasignificantvictoryforMuslimsandamajorlandmarkintheirfightagainstQuraysh.ThishelpedtopromoteIslamuntiltheirutterdefeatinthebattleofUhud.Egyptiansused“OperationBadr”asacodenameforthe1973Egyptian-Israeliwar.

-TheBattleofUhudwasfoughton23марта625atMountUhudinNorth-WestArabiabytheMuslimcommunityofMedina,ledbyProphetMuhammad,andQurayshforcescommandedbyAbuSufyanfromMecca.TheQurayshrequitedforthebattleofBadrwonbyMuslimsin624.

-Jeremiah14,14.-NoGreekdescriptionisavailablebutintheArabicworldthe

Byzantinecampaignisdescribedasagreathistoricevent(BattleofTabuk).Mostprobably,however,thearmiesnevermet.

-Aishah,daughteroffirstcaliph,AbuBakr;youngestandreputedlyfavoritewifeofMuhammad.WithMuhammadwhenhedied.

-IbnHisham“LifeoftheProphet”,chapteronTheDeathoftheProphet.

-Buraq,wingedcreature,usuallydepictedasahorse,whichMuhammadmountedandrodetoJerusalem,throughsevenheavens,hell,andparadise,intothepresenceofGod,andbacktoearth,accordingtothestoryofhisNightJourney.ThenamederiveseitherfromtheArabic“blaze”,“glare,“shine”;orfromthePersian“bara”–“steed”.

-Hijirath(dial.Hijir),Muhammad’smigrationfromMeccatoMedina.BeginningoftheyearinIslamicCalendar(Miladi16/VII.622).

-SimonMagus,magicianmentionedintheNewTestamentandsomeothersources;DoctorFaustus,necromancerlivinginGermanyinthesecondpartofthe16thcentury,hislegendarybiographydevelopedduringtheReformationandhassincebeenthesubjectofmanyliteraryworksinEurope.

-ZeydibnSabith,amajorassociateofandprivatesecretarytoProphetMuhammad.HechairedacommissionforthefinalformulationoftheQuran.

-2Corinthians11,3.-3Ezra15,29–31.-ThePsalms71,10.-UthmanibnAffan(d.656),companionoftheProphetMuhammad,

thirdcaliphinthesuccessionofearlyleaders.Underhisleadership,thetextoftheQuranwasstandardized,withvariantcollectionsbeingdestroyed.

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-BlavatskayaElenaPetrovna(1831–1891),RussianauthoressinitiatingtheTheosophymovement.

-MuhammadVI(b.1966),18thKingofMoroccoand36thdescendantofMuhammad.

-StatestructureinSaudiArabiaisgovernedbytheHomegovernmentactapprovedin1992.Accordingly,SaudiArabiaisanabsolutemonarchyruledbysonsandgrandsonsofthefirstking,AbdelAziz.KoranrepresentstheconstitutionofSaudiArabia.ThelawreliesonIslamiclaw.Thekingistheheadofstate.ThecurrentrulerisAbdallahibnAbdelAzizal-Saud,sonofthefounderofthisstate.

-al-Mu’min:TheForgivingOne40:36–37:“AndPharaohsaid:OHaman!BuildformeatowerthathaplyIмаяreachtheroads,theroadsoftheheavens,andмаяlookupontheGodofMoses,thoughverilyIthinkhimaliar”.

-Hebrews1,1–2.-John14,12.-Jeremiah23,29-al-Baqarah:TheCow2:62:“Lo!Thosewhobelieve(inthatwhichis

revealeduntothee,Muhammad),andthosewhoareJews,andChristians,andSabaeans–whoeverbelievethinAllahandtheLastDayanddoethright–surelytheirrewardiswiththeirLord,andthereshallnofearcomeuponthemneithershalltheygrieve”.DifferenttranslationsdescribepeopleoftheBookaspeopleoftheScriptorholdersoftheScript.Al-Imran:TheFamilyOfImran3:113:“Theyarenotallalike.OfthePeopleoftheScripturethereisastaunchcommunitywhorecitetherevelationsofAllahinthenightseason,fallingprostrate(beforeHim)”.

-ReligiousfeelingsranhighinAfghanistanin2006.ThecourtofKabulbroughtachargeagainstthe41-yearoldAbdulRakhmanwhohadconvertedtoChristianity16yearsbefore.HewasindangerofdeathpenaltyunderthenewAfghanlawprimarilygroundedonShariahrules.TheaccusedwassecretlyconveyedtoEurope.

-MuhammadibnAbdal-Wahhab(1703–87)founderofWahhabis,officialideologyinSaudiArabia.

-Assassins(Nizaris),oneoftwobranchesofIsmailiShiis(theotheristheMustalis).TheIsmailisplitin1094overthesuccessiontotheFatimidcaliphate.OriginallyinIran,andSyria,NizarisarefoundcurrentlyinAfrica,theWest,andSouth,Central,andWestAsia.

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-an-Nisa":Women4:3.-ExplosivetrotylwasfirstobtainedbyGermanscholarWillbrandt

in1863.-John8,7.-John8,10–11-ImamAn-Nawiwi(631–676),collectedhadithGardensofPiousThe

BookofCommandments22,60–67;Muslim1696.-John10,11.

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Содержание

Islam.OrthodoxViewpriestDanielSysoev 1Editorialnote 21.OnIslam 42.Muhammad 273.Questionsandanswers 42“Thegoodkeepergiveshislife…”116 49PontificalwordofCyrilPatriarchofMoscowandallRussia 54BookspublishedbyfatherDaniel 56

Примечания 58

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