http://www.islamawareness.net/Deviant/Submitters/rashad_khalifa_purifier_or_pretender.html
The excerpt from the critique “Rashad Khalifa Purifier or Pretender?” by Paigham Mustafa: “Dr. Rashad Khalifa’s discovery of the number 19 pattern in the Quran was a momentous step for Muslims all over the world. However, his changing views regarding the essence of faith, recorded in his two renditions of the Quran, are not appropriate for a man commissioned by God. To declare himself as a divine messenger was an unfortunate decision. It has overshadowed the seriousness of his previous achievement. Rashad Khalifa’s impaired claims to messengership undermine all the good that he has done. The contents of this particular translation (1992) go against the views he expressed in his previous commentary and against the Quran.”
The quick review depicts that Mr. Paigham Mustafa has accepted the discovery of Rashad’s 19-based mathematical system of the Quran while he has rejected him to be God’s Messenger of Covenant stating that it is self-instated but not from the Almighty because of discrepancies found in Rashad’s two translations published some years apart. Is it not an unfortunate decision for someone who has accepted the message but rejected the messenger sent with that message while both are inseparable (72:26-27), and has shared his conviction with others stating the claim to be impaired one?
[72:26-27] A Knower of the unseen that He does not reveal of His unseen to anyone, except whom He has chosen of a messenger, then indeed, He places guard of his past and of his future.
However, let us review his allegations and arguments what Paigham has presented in support of his disagreement for better understanding, and append analysis to justify whether Rashad Khalifa is a messenger of God or a false claimant:
1. The discrepancies found in Rashad’s two translations published some years apart are evidence that his designation to be God’s Messenger of Covenant is self-instated and not from the Almighty:
In the February 1989 issue Rashad is quoted as saying “I was most assertively told, through Gabriel, that Sura 36, and more specifically verse 36.3 (Surely, you are one of the messengers), refers to me, and I was provided with the following mathematical proof … ” But in his early translation (1980) he interprets this verse as` Y.S. And this Quran that is full of wisdom; (prove that) you (Muhammad) are one of the messengers. Advocating the right path.’ Sura 36.I-4. In his commentary to these verses he states: `The miraculous numerical code associated with the Quranic initials such as Y.S. here, proves that Muhammad was indeed a messenger of God’. Since Gabriel transmitted the Quran to Muhammad the obvious implication here is that Gabriel made a mistake at some point. If this not the case then Rashad has prevaricated his story. It is his ‘final testament’ published in 1992, which is defective, and it is in this corrupt version that his name appears within the text of his unscrupulously paraphrased translation of the Quran. The introduction and commentary of this sacrilegious text one wonder what is the source of his information. The inconsistencies found do not correspond with the mission of a messenger who has come to purge Islam of all contamination. However, the discrepancies found in his two translations published some years apart are evidence that his designation is self-instated and not from the Almighty.
The translation of Quran in any languages is an intellectual work not a revelation from God, which may need several rounds of attempts to remove errors or inconsistencies towards perfection. Dr. Rashad Khalifa translated Quran to English and updated it incorporating information in the later editions to help us understand divine message better what he had learned or had been informed over time, which can be part of a specific plan of God. Since there is a prophecy in the Quran on the advent of the Messenger of Covenant (3:81, 33:7), we should not be surprised if there are any references related to him in the other verses of the Quran to introduce him to the world so that people can believe in him and accept the message he is sent with subject to fulfill the prophecy. Thus, it should not matter when the references are unveiled if they can be taken as statements of facts. However, it is quite natural for any human to make mistakes, even if you examine Rashad’s latest edition of the English translation of Quran, you may find some inconsistencies in the subtitles, the words within parentheses, commentaries in the footnotes or the appendices based on the latest discoveries and interpretation or as a particular reader’s point of view. Although his translation is claimed immune to Hadiths and traditions but are not completely freed from traditions as we see there is influence of tradition in his translation in certain verses related to beating of wife (4:34) and the annual observance of laylat al-qadr (A Night of the Power) on the night of 27th Ramadan (97:4, 44:4, 2:185 & 187).
[3:81] And when God has taken a covenant of the prophets: “Certainly, what I have given you of scripture and wisdom, then has come to you a messenger confirming that which is with yourselves. You must believe in him and you must support him.” He said, “Have you affirmed and taken My covenant on that?” They said, “We have affirmed.” He said, “Then you shall bear witness and I am with you among the witnesses.”
[33:7] And when we have taken their covenant from the prophets and from you (Muhammad), and from Noah, and Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus, son of Mary. And we have taken from them a solemn covenant.
2. Rashad’s claim as Messenger of Covenant is based on calculations of complex gematrical values of the Arabic letters and verses, which must be verified by a recognized authority before they can be taken as a statement of fact:
The foundation of his claim is based on the complex geometrical values of the Arabic letters and verses. While it is acceptable that the alphabet has numerical significance, any findings, which form the basis of an extraordinary claim, must be verified by a recognised authority before they can be taken as a statement of fact. Rashad’s research can be corroborated by independent investigation to substantiate his claim whether his claim otherwise fragile.
In the Quran we see that humans have always been hesitant to accept a new messenger when he came to them (2:87). The Jews refused to accept Jesus when he came to them and the Christians did the same with Muhammad and the majority Muslim refused to accept Rashad Khalifa (40:34). The Muslims particularly, find it quite difficult to accept a new messenger because of their strong programming in their mind that no more messengers will come after Muhammad, especially due to misinterpretation of the verse (33:40). Also, there is a tendency among people to attach a ‘mystique and heavenly’ persona to all messengers, whereas in reality, all messengers are just like everyone else having families, work responsibilities, contemporary lifestyles, weaknesses, etc. People must abandon their preset notions and come to terms with the reality of the expectations from the human race that God has given.
[2:87] We gave Moses the scripture, and subsequent to him we sent other messengers, and we gave Jesus, son of Mary, profound miracles and supported him with the Holy Spirit. Is it not a fact that every time a messenger went to you with anything you disliked, your ego caused you to be arrogant? Some of them you rejected, and some of them you killed.
[40:34] Joseph had come to you before that with clear revelations, but you continued to doubt his message. Then, when he died you said, “God will not send any other messenger after him. (He was the last messenger)!” God thus sends astray those who are transgressors, doubtful.
[33:40] Muhammad has not been a father of anyone of your men, but he has had a messenger of God and a seal of the prophets. And God has done being Knower of everything.
The Quranic prophecy (3:81, 33:7) is fulfilled with the message of the Quran’s mathematical proofs sent with Rashad being God’s messenger of covenant supported by the great miracle (74:30, 74:35). The unveiling of the Quran’s code 19 is a prophetic sign as God did not send any messenger in the past without His support or miracle (29:51). Is it not befitting that a messenger chosen with such a crucial mission must be supported by the most powerful miracle? While the miracles of previous messengers were limited in time and place, God’s miracles supporting His final prophet and messenger of the covenant are perpetual; they can be witnessed by anyone, at anytime, at any place until the end of the world. Thus, his claim of messengership is based on the message (7:75) while the calculations from the gemetrical values of the Arabic letters and the verse numbers are the physical evidences in support of his claim as God’s messenger of covenant. The gematrical system was the established fact while the Quran was revealed and the Quran provides solid evidences to support his messengership. Still do we need any independent commission to substantiate his claim to be God’s messenger to validate God’s message that never happened in case of other messengers of God in the past? However, such commission as suggested does not conform to the God’s system as it would be authority above God.
[7:75] The arrogant leaders among his people said to the common people who believed, “How do you know that Sãleh is sent by his Lord?” They said, “The message he brought has made us believers.”
[74:30 & 35] Over it is nineteen. Indeed, it is undoubtedly one of the greatest (miracles).
[29:51] Is it not enough of a miracle that we sent down to you this book, being recited to them? This is indeed a mercy and a reminder for people who believe.
3. Rashad makes a notable distinction between prophethood and messengership:
A Messenger, he maintains, does not bring anything new and he, as a messenger of the covenant, confirms and purifies the existing scripture. And how does he refine the Quran? From Sura 9 he has removed the last two verses.
Rashad did not maintain the distinction between prophethood and messengership from his own opinion rather he has derived and confirmed it from the Quran (2:213, 3:81) disregarding the definition given by the old Islamic scholars or as found in the dictionary:
[2:213] The people used to be one community when God sent the prophets as bearers of good news, as well as warners. He sent down with them the scripture, bearing the truth, to judge among the people in their disputes. Ironically, those who received the scripture were the ones who rejected any new scripture, despite clear proofs given to them. This is due to jealousy on their part. God guides those who believe to the truth that is disputed by all others, in accordance with His will. God guides whoever wills in a straight path.
4. Tampering with the Word of God:
In appendix 24 and under the title ‘Tampering with the Word of God’ he explains: “Nineteen years after the Prophet death, some scribes infected two false verses at the end of sura 9.’ And further on says: “One of the scribes suggested adding a couple of verses to honour the Prophet”. God sent down His message, assembled it and preserved it. `We are in charge of putting it together into Quran’. Sura 75.17, `Surely, we sent down this message, and surely, we will preserve it’. Sura 15.9, `No falsehood can ever enter it, in the past or in the future; for it is a revelation from God, most wise, praiseworthy’. Sura 41.42. To believe any verses were added is a perverted idea belonging only to those who dream to assert their own authority above God.
In fact, there are different versions of the Arabic Quran that are still in print what is not known to the majority of Muslims. They differ in many aspects although they convey the same message. In addition, the concept of divine preservation of Quran around the traditional circle that no one will be able to make any change in the revealed Quran is not reflected in the verses (15:9, 41:42) rather God has provided us with the tool to verify the correct version and confirm His preservation of the Quran what He has promised in the Quran. Thus, the mathematical code not only confirms that Quran is from God but also makes it possible to expose the “always suspicious” two verses of Sura 9 to be false that are removed as per God’s will (74:4-5). It is noteworthy that the built-in mathematical structure of the Quran is only maintained in the Hafs transmission of Quran.
[15:9] Indeed, we have revealed the reminder, and indeed, we will certainly be protectors of it.
[41:42] No falsehood could enter it, in the past or in the future; a revelation from a Most Wise, Praiseworthy.
[74:4-5] Purify your garment. Forsake what is wrong.
The conspicuous absence of beginning Basmalah from the Sura 9 is the first hand evidence that this sura is the candidate of distortion. Besides a lot of irrefutable mathematical evidences of this distortion, there are evidences from both historical record and events that something happened horrendous with the Quran in the past. Ali’s protest “…I have pledged never put on my street clothes, except for the prayer, until the Quran is restored” is found in different references including Al Itqaan Fee Ulum Al Quran by Jalaluddin Al-Suyuty published by Al-Azhareyyah press, Cairo, Egypt, 1318 AH. The 50-year war that took place between two parties of Muslims (battle of Karbala). Marwan b. Hakam (d.65/684), the first peacetime ruler after the end of the 50-year war (battle of Karbala) burned the only copy of Quran left for the Muslims by the prophet Muhammad lying with Hafsa. It has always been a question for many until recently that if the copies available to Marwan B. Hakam or the copies in circulation were the same like Muhammad’s own copy that Hafsa’s had, it would be no problem. These copies differed and caused M.B. Hakam a lot of political unrest; therefore he ended this turmoil by burning the ONLY copy left for the Muslims by the prophet Muhammad. Burning of Hafsa’s copy was the last chapter in covering up the addition of two false verses in sura 9 as was discovered later.
5. Discrepancy in counting of word “God”:
The conspicuous discrepancy worthy of note is that in the early translation in appendix 1 under the title of simple facts’, the word ‘God’ is noted as having a count of 2,698 (19 x l42). In the later translation the count is also given as 2,698. But the two verses of Sura 9, one with the word ‘God’, have been eliminated. How can the total remain the same? In two other books by Rashad, Quran: Visual Presentation of the miracle and The Computer Speaks: God’s Message to the World’, Rashad has counted the word ‘God’ only once in Sura 9.15 when it appears twice. In the later translation it has been shown in bold letters and correctly counted as two separate words. this does raise some pertinent questions and puts Rashad’s research under suspicion.
Counting was a team work before developing an efficient software system. However, counting error is a human mistake. Mistakes in the initial counting are corrected through recounting which is not only found in the counting of the word “God” but also in the initial counting of some Quranic initials. However, the updated counts are available online @ http://submission.org, which is examinable and verifiable. However, the updated counting does not impact the built-in Quranic phenomenon discovered by Rashad even there is variation between two counts in some cases.
6. Rashad has made celestial flight in 1971:
Rashad also had a vision in which he alleges to have experienced heavenly travel. In some place in the universe he was introduced to all the prophets and recognised a strong resemblance that the prophet Abraham had to his own father, uncles and, to himself. This fantasy is in complete contrast considering the disparaging remarks he made about the people who forged such nonsense about the prophet Muhammad. In his early translation, Rashad wrote in footnotes to sura 17:1: `”Two hundred years after Muhammad, some storyteller with limited knowledge, and a lot of imagination, fabricated a story alleging a night journey…”
Rashad has just shared his divine status in the near future publication what he has experienced. The celestial travel is not an unusual event for him that also happened for other messengers as well, and he has also confirmed Muhammad’s travel to the high heaven to receive the whole Quran well known among the Muslim circle. This is a clear indication that he has learned many things in phases and was not infallible. What we need to accept his travel to the high heaven is to be open-minded, which is one of the most important traits of the righteous.
7. He advocates an eccentric belief that anyone who dies before the age of 40 goes to heaven:
One of the eccentric beliefs peddled is that anyone who dies before the age of 40 goes to heaven. This crucial period, if this notion is to be accepted, is the post, which marks the human beings `coming of age’. A person under forty is not considered responsible for his actions and anyone who does not believe this bizarre idea denies God’s mercy! What about those who idolise others besides God? Would all their sins also be absolved? Or would they be subject to certain qualifications? Sura 4.48 states: `God never forgives the idolisation of anything besides him, and He forgives all lesser often see for whomever He will.’This may seem a paradox to most people but not to the community of Rashad.
God guides us as well as He misguides us. He exactly knows when someone will die. He knows exactly who deserves to go Heaven and who deserves to go to Hell. Hence, anyone who dies before the age of forty goes to Paradise is neither a wishful thinking nor a myth to give people a false sense of security rather it is a God’s mercy to give equal opportunity to all people to redeem their sins and a promise from Him based on the Quran (46:15-16) what we may not understand because of our insincerity or God has left it to unveil through His messenger:
[46:15] We enjoined the human being to honor his parents. His mother bore him arduously, gave birth to him arduously, and took intimate care of him for thirty months. When he reaches maturity, and reaches the age of forty, he should say, “My Lord, direct me to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do the righteous works that please You. Let my children be righteous as well. I have repented to You; I am a submitter.”
[46-16] It is from these that we accept the righteous works, and overlook their sins. They have deserved Paradise. This is the truthful promise that is promised to them.
8. Innovation of novel universal faiths:
The religious philosophy the Revised Version proclaims is that the job of the messenger of the covenant is to lead the righteous believers – Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, and others out of darkness and into light. Appendix 2 announces `… one may be a Muslim Jew, Muslim Christian, a Muslim Hindu, a Muslim Buddhist, or a Muslim Muslim’. The theory to include all religions based on beliefs common to all faiths is not a new one. This peculiar idea has been tried, without success, by Emperor Akbar of India, M. K. Ghandi, Brahmu Samaj and other novel innovations pronouncing universal faiths. To try and assimilate other faiths into Islam in order to gain converts is a disreputable idea and the Quran warns: `Anyone who seeks other than Islam (submission) as a religion, it will not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he will be n loser’. Sura 3.85 `As for the compromises, they will be fuels for hell. ‘ Sura 72. 1 5
Submission (Islam in Arabic) is a universal religion. Anyone who voluntarily submits to God and worships Him alone is a Submitter (Muslim in Arabic) (46:15). Rashad preaches to worship God alone and follow the Quran alone. If anyone from any faith accepts this message while there is nothing wrong if he/she maintains his/her association with people of the previous faith, which also conforms to the commandment given in the Quran (2:62) as the religion is not just a social recognition rather the state of soul:
[46:15] “My Lord, direct me to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do the righteous works that please You. Let my children be righteous as well. I have repented to You; I am a submitter.”
[2:62] Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in God, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.
9. Rashad’s soul was raised before his attackers:
‘Submitters Perspective’ (sometimes titled Muslim Perspective) is a monthly publication of the Masjid Tucson (U. S. A) of which Rashad Khalifa was the imam before his death in 1990. In the April issue number 64, his murder is likened to the termination of the Prophet Jesus’ life. It is said Rashad’s soul was raised before his attackers, described as disbelievers, struck. How this comparison is known to be true is not stated -unless someone else from the Masjid Tucson has also started receiving inspiration from God. In another issue, writer Parvaneh Parnian ends an article on Salat by saying `… Thus, in addition to the information sent down by God during the last few months, all aspects of Salat are confirmed ‘. The Quran says: `Who is more evil than one who invents lies then attributes them to God, or claim to have received divine revelation when nothing has been revealed’. Sura 6.93.
The slaying of God‘s prophets and the messengers is not new what we learn from the Quran (2:87, 3:21, 3:183) that several prophets and messengers were killed in the cause of God by disbelievers who disliked and rejected the message they preached, which has always been the same, “There is no god except God or worship Him done.” God does not terminate the life of His messengers until they deliver their message and serve their function in this world. Rashad served as a messenger for 19 years. During this time, he unveiled the Quran’s 19-based mathematical composition by God’s leave and spread the message to worship God alone and to follow the Quran alone. He studied the Quran thoroughly and translated it into English and updated his translation where necessary.
[2:87] …Is it not a fact that every time a messenger went to you with anything you disliked, your ego caused you to be arrogant? Some of them you rejected, and some of them you killed.
[3:21] Those who have rejected God’s revelations, and killed the prophets unjustly, and killed those who advocated justice among the people, promise them a painful retribution.
[3:183] …Say, “Messengers before me have come to you with clear proofs, including what you just demanded. Why then did you kill them, if you are truthful?”
We know that everybody has a pre-determined life span that he can never change it by one minute (3:145). If the messenger of God was in his bed sleeping instead of coming to the mosque that morning, he would have died in his bed anyway (3:154). However, it was God‘s will and plan to coincide the disbelievers’ action with the time that He would terminate the life of His messenger, in order to give him an honorable exit, and it is the assurance that comes from the example of Jesus set by God that Rashad’s soul was raised before the disbelievers struck (4:157-158) as all messengers are honorable servants of God (21:26). This information is derived from Quran and it does not need any inspiration from God.
[3:145] No one dies except by God’s leave, at a predetermined time. …
[3:154]… Say, “Had you sta1yed in your homes, those destined to be killed would have crawled into their death beds.”…
[4:157-58]… In fact, they never killed him, they never crucified him – they were made to think that they did… Instead, God raised him to Him; God is Almighty, Most Wise.
[21:26] … Glory be to Him. All (messengers) are (His) honored servants.
10. Where and when Rashad has established a criminal justice system to accomplish one of his principle duties:
The June 1990 issue announces that the Messenger of the Covenant has accomplished his mission. In appendix 2 of the new translation one of his principal duties was to establish a criminal justice system. Where and when, if at all, did Rashad establish such a system is not mentioned, If he has not founded such a system then his mission has not yet been completed.
Rashad has preached people to bring them back to the Quran and to adopt the Ouranic criminal justice that will eliminate any cruel and inhumane punishment such as symbolic lashing for adultery (24:2, 24:4) instead of stoning to death, making mark on the thief’s hand (5:38) instead of cutting off the thief’s hand and the murderer compensate to victim’s family instead of lifetime imprisonment or death penalty involving the victim’s family with judgment as the Quran discourages the capital punishment (2:179).
[24:2] The adulteress and the adulterer you shall whip each of them a hundred lashes. Do not be swayed by pity from carrying out God’s law, if you truly believe in God and the Last Day. And let a group of believers witness their penalty.
[24:4] Those who accuse married women of adultery, then fail to produce four witnesses, you shall whip them eighty lashes, and do not accept any testimony from them; they are wicked.
[5:38] The thief, male or female, you shall mark their hands* as a punishment for their crime, and to serve as an example from God. God is Almighty, Most Wise.
[2:179] Equivalence is a lifesaving law for you, O you who possess intelligence, that you may be righteous
11. There are three categories: the believers, the disbelievers and the hypocrites while making distinction between messengers is tantamount to idolatry:
The dominant factor enunciated in Rashad’s first translation was the Oneness of God and worship to Him alone. He sentiments for the idol worshipers were clearly evident. Especially those who mention a prophet’s name besides God are particularly despised. In the beginning of sura Al-Baqarah he clearly defined the three categories of people (The Believers, The Disbeliever, the Hypocrites), and in 2.285 the unconditional requisite to make no distinction between messengers is articulated. To extol one messenger above another is tantamount to idolatry.
According to Quran the categories of people are believers, disbelievers or hypocrites based on their belief while they are idol worshipers if their beliefs and practices are not based on God’s laws and teachings.
12. Those who believe Rashad as a messenger of God are the believers but a separate new sect belonging to the community of Rashad:
Yet in the Submitters Perspective of April 1993 followers of Rashad’s principles are defined as `community of Rashad’. In effect the disciples of Rashad are differentiating themselves not as Muslims, The Believers, but as a separate new sect belonging to the community of Rashad. ‘Those who divide their religion into sects do not belong with you (O Muhammad). Their judgement rest with God, and He will inform them of everything they did ‘ Sura 6.159. `The religion you preach is one religion and I am your Lord, so observe Me. But the people divided themselves into sects, each happy with what they have. Thus, leave them in their blunder for a while. Sura 23.52-54.The only reason behind the existence of several Islamic sects today is that the Muslims’ have abandoned the Quran in favour of the human opinions of their leaders who are in fact their idols’. This is exactly what has happened in case of the community of Rashad.
The reference that comes from the Submitters Perspective of April 1993 that followers of Rashad are defined as `community of Rashad’ is a mispresentation. Its source is a talk delivered by Fareil Sanders to the Quranic Society of New York where he mentioned ‘the community of Rashad’ but he meant the people of the whole world to be the community of Rashad NOT the followers of Rashad as we all know from the Quran that God chooses every prophet/messenger to deliver His message for the particular community of the humanity (16:36, 23:44). However, Submitters (Muslimeen in Arabic) are to practice religious rites given to Ibrahim and to follow the Quran (literary) revealed through Muhammad and its 19-based mathematical pattern unveiled through Rashad sticking to the principle that there is no hierarchy in Islam and everyone is responsible for his/her own soul accepting information upon verification:
[16:36] We have sent a messenger to every community, saying, “You shall worship God, and avoid idolatry.” Subsequently, some were guided by God, while others were committed to straying. Roam the earth and note the consequences for the rejectors.
[23:44] Then we sent our messengers in succession. Every time a messenger went to his community, they disbelieved him. Consequently, we annihilated them, one after the other, and made them history. The people who disbelieved have perished.
In addition, history indicates that the dividers of Islam into major sects/sub-sects such as Sunni, Shi’ite, Baha’is, Ahmadiyyas, and Ismailia etc. had not been born in America or they did not preach their teachings from America. Then how true is the statement of Paigham that America is a breeding ground for religious groups of different shades? Is it not a statement without facts to misguide others disregarding the warning given in the Quran (16:25):
[16:25] They will be held responsible for their sins on the Day of Resurrection, all of them, in addition to sins of all those whom they misled by their ignorance. What a miserable load!
13: ‘To utter we do not need a messenger.’
To justify why people deny Rashad’s messengership, the community of Rashad says these people are hypocrites who are expected ‘to utter we do not need a messenger.’ God says in the Quran `…you do not need to exalt yourselves; He is, fully aware of the righteous’ Sura 53.32. At the end of appendix 24 of Rashad’s new version, the contributors acknowledge themselves with unanimous vote of thanks for a ‘job well done’. The Quran says: `What about the one who idolises his own ego? Can you do anything for him?’ Sura 25.43.
If someone volunteers to share any information with us derived from Quran should not be taken it other way if it has truth. However, there are people who have accepted the Quran’s 19-based mathematical proofs unveiled through Rashad by God’s leave and believe him to be God’s messenger of covenant accepting the message sent with him being the truth but disputed by many (2:213). They never claim themselves to be the community of Rashad rather they practice the religious rites given to Abraham as purified and follow the teachings given in the Quran as confirmed using Quran’s mathematical code being the right path for Muslims.‘Submitters Perspective‘, a Monthly Bulletin of International Community of Submitters is published by Masjid Tucson to spread Islam advocating the Quran being only valid source of Islamic laws and teachings as well as practices of religious rites as purified by using God given tool.
[2:213] … God guides those who believe to the truth that is disputed by all others, in accordance with His will. God guides whoever wills in a straight path.
God’s covenant with the prophets of sending a messenger upon delivery of all the scripture is found in (3:81 and 33:7) while the behavior of the deniers is found in (3:82 followed by (3:81 and the consequences of the disbelievers is found in 33:8) followed by (33:7 when the covenant is fulfilled. Hence, the believing the message and the messenger is a requirement from God to stay in the right path as well as to do the righteous deeds:
[3:82] So whoever has turned away after that then those – they are the disobedient.
[33:8] And that He may ask the truthful about their truth, and has prepared a painful punishment for the disbelievers.
There is an acknowledgment for contributors for their discoveries that are included in the appendix while no vote of thanks is found there. How they have exalted themselves or what’s wrong with it, is not understandable as Paigham does not specify any reason.
In brief, taken all relevant information and circumstances into account, it is found that difference between two translations of Rashad is not discrepancies rather the update being his effort to help understand God’s message better. The English translation of Quran is not the proof of the messengership of Dr. Rashad Khalifa, yet his translation can be persuaded as it is simple, clear presentation and ease of use to understand the divine message coded in each and every verse, even in the letter, and the theme throughout the translation reflects the Oneness of God and worship to Him alone as well as to know and understand the 19-based pattern in the Quran being a momentous step for Muslims all over the world that Paigham has also pointed out in his critique. It is noted that Rashad’s investigation starts with the Quranic initials popularly known as mysterious letters, meaning only known to God or meaning was known between God and Muhammad, which occur at certain frequencies in the Arabic text of the Quran’s initialed suras, which have been a mystery for 1400 years among the Muslim world. His research continues and has found many physical facts that are added to his later editions.
Here are sufficient inconvertible proofs in the Quran that Rashad was a messenger of God, who advocates the worship of God alone as well as the Quran is the only valid source of Islam. He preached Islam left by Muhammad clarifying many things for us including removing the two false verses from the Quran, thus restoring the pure Quran for us and for future generations by God’s leave as well as purifying all the religious practices removing all corruptions that occurred after the death of Muhammad using the God given tool (message). However, it may help someone to accept Quran’s mathematical proofs and recognize Rashad as a messenger of God if God blesses him/her for avoidance of preset programming notions: divine preservation of Quran means none can change anything in the Quran down the transmission, there is only one version of Quran in circulation all over the world, making distinction between prophet and messenger based on definition given by old Islamic scholars or dictionary, prophets/messengers are heavenly persona, Muhammad is not only the last prophet but also the last messenger and Islam originated at the time of Muhammad with the revelation of Quran. However, it is a requirement from God to believe His message when it is new and His messenger sent with His message to do the righteous deeds being the guided ones.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (10/23/2015)