how can the Son be 2 years older then his Father?

"Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away, to no one's regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. (2 Chronicles 21:20)


According to Bible Jehoram was 32 years old when he became king and died 8 years after at the age of 40.

Immediately after Jehoram's death, his son Ahaziah became king.


"And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead: for the band of men that came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah reigned."

"Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah the daughter of Omri." (2 Chronicles 22:1-2)

NOTE:

Father died at age 40 years old and immediately son aged 42 years old took over the reign.

How is it possible for the son to be older than his father by 2 years

The issue is difficult to resolve. Let’s say Jehoram was 32 when Ahazia was born in order for him to reach 42 would be 30 years. No Kingdom would have a time gap of 30 years without a King to fill. This would mess up the whole chronology timeline if there was such a gap which is not historical. Let's say Jehoram was 10 years old when Ahazia was born, this would still leave a 12-year gap between the time Jehoram passing and Ahazia taking the throne.

The Attributes of Allaah & The Creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jama’ah – Sharh as-Sunnah | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

by AbdurRahman.org

Sharhu Sunnah : Lessons 32 & 33 : Point 42
Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

Imaam Barbahaaree rahimahullaah said:

وكل ما سمعت من الآثار شيئا مما لم يبلغه عقلك نحو قول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قلوب العباد بين إصبعين من أصابع الرحمن عز وجل وقوله إن الله ينزل إلى السماء الدنيا وينزل يوم عرفة وينزل يوم القيامة وإن جهنم لا يزال يطرح فيها حتى يضع عليها قدمه جل ثناؤه وقول الله تعالى للعبد إن مشيت إلي هرولت إليك وقوله خلق الله آدم على صورته وقول رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رأيت ربي في أحسن صورة وأشباه هذه الأحاديث فعليك بالتسليم والتصديق والتفويض والرضا ولا تفسر شيئا من هذه بهواك فإن الإيمان بهذا واجب فمن فسر شيئا من هذا بهواه ورده فهو جهمي

And whenever you hear something from the narrations, which your intellect cannot fully comprehend such as the saying of Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam : “The hearts of the servants are between two fingers from the fingers of the Most Merciful, the Mighty and Majestic”

and His saying:  “Allaah descends to the lowest heaven and He descends on the Day of `Arafah and He will descend on the Day of Resurrection and that the Hellfire will continue to have people cast into it until He, the Majestic and Praise will place His foot upon it”

and the saying of Allaah the Most High to the servant: “if you come towards Me walking, I will comes towards you running.”

And His saying “Allaah created Aadam upon His image.”

And the saying of the Messenger of Allaah sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam : “I saw my Lord in the most excellent form” and the like of these ahaadeeth.

Then upon you is to submit and to believe and to consign the how to Allaah and to be pleased and do not explain anything from this based upon your desires since having eemaan in this is obligatory so whoever explains anything from this based upon his desires and rejects it then he is a Jahmee.

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

Transcribed Audio:

The texts of the sifaat (attributes) that are established for Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, it is obligatory upon you to affirm them just as they come upon their reality without interfering with them with your intellect and saying this does not befit Allaah. Allaah is declared free of that and this is resemblance; tashbeeh, as is said by the Mu’attilah; deniers of the attributes or that you believe that Allaah resembles His creation as is said by the Mumaththilah; those who declare the Creator to be like the creation. So each of the two groups are upon misguidance.

• Mu`attilah; those who deny the attributes, they went beyond the limit in tanzeeh (declaring Allaah free) to such an extent that they denied the names and attributes in order to flee away from tashbeeh (resemblance) they claimed.
• Mumaththilah; those who liken Allaah to the creation, they went beyond the limit in affirming to such an extent that they likened Allaah to His creation.

Both of these positions are baatil (false and futile).

And the position of the Ahl-ul-Sunnah is al-wasat (the middle and justly balanced position), they affirm the names and attributes for Allaah with affirmation without tashbeeh (without likening Allaah to the creation) and they negate from Him any resemblance to a created being declaring Him free of imperfections but without denying the attributes. This is the position of the Ahl-ul Sunnah W`al Jama`ah. In accordance with His saying He the Most High said:

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ

There is nothing like Him.
(Sooratus-Shurah (42) aayah 11)

This is a refutation of the Mumaththilah; those who liken Allaah to the creation, “there is nothing like Him.”

وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

And He, Allaah is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
(Sooratus-Shurah (42) aayah 11)

This is a refutation of the Mu`attilah; those who deny the attributes and the aayah proves that affirming the names and attributes does not necessitate tashbeeh (resemblance) to the creation nor tamtheel (His being like) the creation and the fact that the people affirm whatever attributes He has affirmed for Himself or His Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam, we affirm those attributes and that in no way necessitates that we have likened Him to the creation or declared Him to be resemblance to the creation. This is the correct methodology with regard to the matter of Al-Asma Wa-Sifaat (names and the attributes).

Like such as “The hearts of the servants are between two fingers from the fingers of the Most Merciful, the Mighty and Majestic,”[1] you should affirm asaabi` (the fingers) for the Most Merciful as occurs in the hadeeth and you should not say that they are like the fingers of the created being for this is tashbeeh (likening) Him to the creation, we declare Allaah free of it. Rather, we affirm it as befits the Majesty of Allaah, the Perfect and Most High not like the fingers of the created beings.

And we affirm the Hadeeth Qudsee in which Allaah, the Majestic and Most High says:

“Whoever comes to me walking, I come to him running.”[2]

Meaning whoever hastens towards My pleasure and towards obedience to Me then I will hasten to forgive his sins and to carry out his needs. so the meaning of harwalah (running) is not the meaning that is well-known with us but rather it is explained by the end of the hadeeth by His saying, “If he were to ask Me, I would certainly give to him and if he were to ask My refuge, I would certainly grant him refuge.” So, the meaning of al-harwalah here is hastening to carry out the needs of His servant just as the servant hastens to the obedience to Allaah. So, does the servant run in reality or in meaning?[3]

So this contains a refutation of some of those who are overhasty in affirming al-harwalah (running) for Allaah and this is the case of actions which are done as a response just as He, the Most High said:

فَيَسْخَرُونَ مِنْهُمْ ۙ سَخِرَ اللَّهُ مِنْهُمْ

So they (the disbelievers) mock at the believers, Allaah will mock at them.(Sooratut-Towbah (9), aayah 79)

He, the Most High said:

إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَهْزِئُونَ

اللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ

They (the hypocrites) say, “We were only mocking.” Allaah will mock them.(Sooratul-Baqarah (2), aayah 14-15)

He, the Most High said:

وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ

And they plotted and Allaah planned.
(Soorah Aali `Imraan (3), aayah 154)

So, it is obligatory to have awareness of these tremendous principles so that a person may be upon clear insight and be aware of the position of the Salaf with regard to it; those who are more firmly grounded than you and had more knowledge than you and a person should not try and make himself independent with his own understanding and his own intellect and affirm for Allaah things that he does not know about based upon what is apparent or based upon some unclear things, when there are decisive evidences, which explain and clarify them. So, it is obligatory to refer that which is unclear back to that which is clear and only those who are firmly grounded in knowledge will be guided to doing this. So, it is obligatory upon the student of knowledge and the beginner that he should not be hasty in these matters. Rather, he should withhold with regard to them and he should learn how he is to understand them upon the methodology of the Salaf and upon the clear, correct way. The Salaf (predecessors) did not fall short in making the truth clear and in laying down principles and regulations. However, this requires learning and understanding.

And the like of this also is his saying sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam:

“Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven.”[4]

“And He descends on the evening of Arafah.”[5]

“He will come on the Day of Resurrection.”

He, the Most High said:

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الْغَمَامِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ ۚ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ

Do they but await that Allaah should come to them screened by clouds and the angels come and the affair will be finished and to Allaah return all affairs. (Sooratul-Baqarah (2), aayah 210)

And likewise with regard to Allaah, the Most High’s coming on the Day of Resurrection, it occurs also as a side point in a hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah radiyAllaahu `anh.[6]

“He will come on the Day of Resurrection to carry out judgement upon His servants.”[7]

We affirm these matters for Allaah upon their reality (haqeeqah) without interfering by defining the kayfiyyah (how). So, we do not burden ourselves with awareness of how He will descend and how He will come. So, the kayfiyyah (how), we do not enter into it but as for the meaning then it is ma’qool (understood) and therefore, when Imaam Maalik was asked about how al-istiwaa; how the ascending is when the questioner said:

الرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَىٰ

The Most Merciful ascended over the Throne.
(Soorah Taa Haa (20), aayah 5)

Then the questioner said to Imaam Maalik:

“How did He ascend?”

He was asking about kayfiyyah (how).

Imaam Maalik rahimahullaah said to him:

الاستواء معلوم

“The ascending is known.”

Meaning known with regard to its meaning.

Imaam Maalik said:

والكيف مجهول , والإيمان به واجب , والسؤال عنه بدعة

“And how is unknown and having eemaan in it is obligatory and asking about it is bid’ah (innovation).”

This is the sound methodology in the like of these affairs.[8]

Likewise, affirmation of as-soorah (a form) for Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic in his saying sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam:

“Allaah created Aadam upon his image.”[9]

And in a narration:

“Upon the form of the Most Merciful one.”[10]

So, we affirm as-soorah (a form or image) for Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic just as His Messenger affirmed it for Him in his saying:

“I saw my Lord in the best form.” [11]

i.e this was in the world seeing Him in a dream in the best form. It contains affirmation of as-soorah (form or image) for Allaah, the Majestic and Most High as befits His Majesty, not like the images of the created beings but rather, it is the as-soorah (image or form) of the Most Merciful, the Majestic and Most High. So, these matters, we affirm them and we do not enter into them nor raise doubts about them nor delve further into them.

His saying, “We consign or surrender the matter,” what is correct is to perform tafweed of the kayfiyyah (how) it is, not tafweed of the meaning.[12]

His saying, “Do not explain anything from these with your desires,” rather you must explain them with the correct meaning that befits Allaah, the Majestic and Most High. It should not be said that they are not to be explained. Rather, they are to be explained and their meaning is to be made clear and tafweed (surrender, consigning) is just with regard to how only. So, therefore you affirm an-nuzool (His descending) but you negate the kayfiyyah (how). Allaah, the Majestic and Most High comes on the Day of Resurrection to carry out the judgement just as He, the Most High said:

وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا

And your Lord will come. (Sooratul-Fajr (89), aayah 22)

هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَأْتِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي ظُلَلٍ مِّنَ الْغَمَامِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَقُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ ۚ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ

Do they but await that Allaah comes to them screened by clouds and the angels and the affair is concluded. (Sooratul-Baqarah (2), aayah 210)

He, the Perfect will come to carry out judgement upon His servants. However, it is not like the coming of the created being and the coming of one of the creation. Rather, it is coming as befits His Majesty however He wishes, He, the Perfect and Most High.

His saying, “You should not explain any of this Bi Hawaaka (with your desires),” meaning do not explain them without knowledge (`ilm) but as for your explaining them as necessitated by the evidences and referring that which is unclear back to that which is clear then there is no harm in it. But as for a person who is a beginner or an ignorant person then he should not enter into these very grave matters and these tremendous matters because this is a mistake and something very dangerous and I see many of the youth who feign knowledge being bold upon the matters of `aqeedah and they start to derive things from them and to speak about them and then they have enmity towards each other based upon these things and they break ties with each other when they disagree.

So, oh brothers, Allaah did not burden us with these matters. Upon you is to proceed upon the methodology of the Salaf and to say what they said. The books of `aqeedah are precisely written and all praise is for Allaah and printed and corrected and being studied and carefully checked so do not introduce things from yourselves and understandings from yourselves, you have been  sufficed having to do this.

His saying, “Having eemaan in this is obligatory,” having eemaan in the names of Allaah and attributes and His actions is obligatory. It is obligatory upon the servant and from having eemaan in Allaah is to have eemaan in His names and His attributes as befits His Majesty, He, the Perfect and Most High. So, the person who interferes in the matters of names and attributes, either with ta`teel (negation) or with tamtheel (likening the Creator to the creation) or with tafweed (claiming ignorance about the meaning) or by bringing explanation from himself then this person has not believed in Allaah with true and full eemaan. Rather, his eemaan is deficient.

His saying, “So, whoever explains anything from this based upon his desires and rejects it then he is a Jahmee,” the Jahmiyyah negated the names and attributes because they explain them in accordance with what befits the created being. There is no doubt that Allaah is declared free of that which befits the created being. So, they initially likened Him and then secondly, they negated based upon their tamtheel (having likened Him to the creation) since nothing was apparent to them from these texts except that which resembles the created beings.

So, therefore they denied them on account of that but as for if they had just said these texts contain attributes and names of Allaah in reality, that they are as befit Him, they are not like the names of the created beings nor like the attributes of the created beings, if they’d just followed this methodology, they would have been safe and sound but they were afflicted on account of their understanding and their desires.

And the Jahmiyyah, this is an ascription to Al-Jahm ibn Safwaan at-Tirmidhiyy or As-Samar Qandee, this well-known deviant, ascribed to the town of Tirmidh or the area of Samar Qand and he was the first one who manifested the saying that the Qur'aan is created and who had the saying that the names and the attributes are to be negated and who said that eemaan is just merely awareness in the heart to the rest of his sayings of misguidance and disbelief. So, whoever holds this belief then he is ascribed to him or it is to be said this person is a Jahmee in ascription to Al-Jahm.

Footnotes:

[1] Part of a hadeeth reported by Muslim (2,654) from a hadeeth of `Abdullaah ibn `Amr ibn al-`Aas radiyAllaahu `anhuma.

[2] Reported by Al-Bukhaariyy (7,405) and Muslim (2,675) from a hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah radiyAllaahu `anh.

[3] Side point: Whether ar-harwalah (running) is to be understood literally or it’s to be explained as Shaykh al-Fowzaan mentioned in the likes of what occurs at the end of the hadeeth then as Shaykh al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah said, This is also what was said by Shaykh ul-Islaam ibn Taymeeyah in Majmoo` al-Fataawa and likewise you’ll find in the explanation of Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh upon Al-Waasitiyyah of Ibn Taymeeyah, the same explanation, he explained it that here in this particular hadeeth al-harwalah means Allaah, the Most High’s hastening to carry out the needs of His servant and to forgive him.

However, there are others from the People of Knowledge who affirm al-harwalah (running) as an attribute for Allaah, the Most High as is apparent. From them was Imaam Ad-Daranee in his refutation of Al-Mareesee. Likewise, from the present day scholars Shaykh bin Baaz rahimahullaah in his fataawa; Fataawa Noor `Alaa al-Darb. Likewise, Shaykh ibn `Uthaymeen in his fataawa and in his fataawa of al-`aqeedah in his book Al-Qawaa`id al-Muthlaa and Shaykh `Ubayd in his explanation, he agreed with that as well. Likewise, the Saudi Lajna also and likewise, Shaykh al-Albaaniyy in Silsilatul Huda Wan-Noor tape series, all of them affirming this as an attribute for Allaah as befits His Majesty."

Likewise, Shaykh Saalih as-Suhaymee hafizahullaah said in his taped explanation - "So, the Salaf had a great deal of speech concerning it, however, what has most right in the matter is that we should have eemaan in it as befits the Majesty of Allaah, meaning we affirm it as an attribute for Allaah as it stands and it is a proof for His responding to His creation, we affirm the attribute and what’s necessitated by the attribute is that Allaah indeed responds to His creation. So what is indicated by the attribute and its affect is His reward. So affirming the attribute ar-harwalah has more right than the saying of those who say that it means giving reward alone.”

[4] Reported by Al-Bukhaariyy (6,321) and Muslim (758) from Abu Hurayrah radiyAllaahu `anhu.

[5] Reported by Muslim (1,348) from `Aa`ishah that Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam said:

“There is no day when Allaah frees more slaves from the fire than the day of Arafah and He indeed draws close then He boasts about them to the angels and says “what do those people want?” 

[6] Reported by Al Bukhaariyy (806) and Muslim (182), a long hadeeth containing the wording:

“And Allaah will come to them, He, the Mighty and Majestic.” 

[7] He, the Most High said:

وَجَاءَ رَبُّكَ وَالْمَلَكُ صَفًّا صَفًّا

And your Lord will come and the angels in ranks.
(Sooratul-Fajr (89), aayah 22)

[8] Side point: Shaykh Saalih as-Suhaymee hafizahullaah in his explanation mentioned a number of attributes and he applied the same principle to each one with regard to Allaah’s hand for example, he says, “The hand the meaning is known, the how is unknown, having eemaan in it is obligatory and asking how is an innovation.”

[9] Reported by Al Bukhaariyy (6,227) and reported by Muslim (2,841) from a hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah radiyAllaahu `anhu.

[10] Reported by At-Tabaraaniyy in Al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer and by Al-Haarith ibn `Abee Usaamah in his Musnad and by Ibn Khuzaymah in Kitaab at-Tawheed from a hadeeth of `Abdullaah ibn `Umar radiyAllaahu `anhuma and it was declared authentic by Imaam Ahmad and Ishaaq ibn Raahaweyh as occurs in Meezaan al-I’tidaal of Imaam ath-Thahabiyy.

Side point: Some of the People of Knowledge such as Ibn Khuzaymah and some others declare this wording to be weak and likewise Shaykh al-Albaaniyy declared this wording weak in Ad-Da`eefah, hadeeth number 1,176 because of four weaknesses in the chain of narration. Ibn Khuzaymah himself pointed out three of the weaknesses and Shaykh al-Albaaniyy mentions the 4<sup>th</sup> weakness as well, Allaahu `Aalam.

[11] Reported by Imaam Ahmad in his Musnad and it should be volume 5, page 243 and by At-Tirmidhiyy in his Sunan from a hadeeth of Mu`aadh radiyAllaahu `anhu and it was declared authentic by At-Tirmidhiyy and he mentioned Al-Bukhaariyy declared it authentic also and likewise it was declared  saheeh (authentic) by Shaykh al-Albaaniyy.

[12] Side Point: The position of the People of the Sunnah is with regard to the attributes of Allaah, the Most High then we say just as Imaam Maalik said as for the meaning of the attributes then we affirm the meaning but as regards to how the attribute is then we do not know so that is what we consign to Allaah, we give up on that, how it is; we do not know, we leave that to our Lord, Allaahu `Aalam. Whereas, as regards to the Mufawwidah; the deviant group then they  do the tafweed of the meaning i.e  they say we don’t know what the meaning is.

--

Ithaaful-Qaaree bit-Ta`leeqaat `alaa Sharhis-Sunnah
(A Gift To The Reader In Annotation Of Sharh As-Sunnah)
by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah
Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah

Transcribed by Saima Zaher.

Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah

Listen to the full Audio Series of Sharhus Sunnah
Sharh-us-Sunnah – Shaykh Saalih Fawzaan – Dawood Burbank [Audio|En]

Visit : Book Study of Sharhu Sunnah of Imaam Barbahaaree

No Muslim Exits Islaam Unless He Perpetrates That Which Nullifies It – Sharh as-Sunnah | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org posted: " Sharhu Sunnah : Lesson 32 : Point 41 Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English] Imaam Barbahaaree rahimahullaah said: ولا يخرج أحد من أهل القبلة من الإسلام حتى يرد آية من كتاب الله عز وجل أو يرد شيئا من آثار رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أو يصلي لغ" by AbdurRahman.org Sharhu Sunnah : Lesson 32 : Point 41 Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English] Imaam Barbahaaree rahimahullaah said: ولا يخرج أحد من أهل القبلة من الإسلام حتى يرد آية من كتاب الله عز وجل أو يرد شيئا من آثار رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أو يصلي لغير الله أو يذبح لغير الله وإذا فعل شيئا من ذلك فقد وجب عليك أن تخرجه من الإسلام فإذا لم يفعل شيئا من ذلك فهو مؤمن ومسلم بالاسم لا بالحقيقة And no one from the People of the Qiblah leaves Islaam unless he rejects an aayah from the Book of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic or rejects anything from the narrations from Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam or praise to other than Allaah or sacrifices for other than Allaah. So, if he does any of that then it is binding upon you to expel him from Islaam and if he does not do anything from that then he is a believer and a Muslim in name, even if not in reality. [Souncloud Audio Link]  Transcribed Audio: No one from the People of the Qiblah exits from Islaam except through committing one of the well-known nawaaqid (nullifiers of Islaam) along with any valid excuse being removed. His saying, “or through his rejecting anything from the narrations of Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam”, if he denies the Qur'aan or a part of it or the authentic Sunnah or a part of it or he rebuts anything from the Qur'aan or rebuts anything from the authentic Sunnah then he is judged to be guilty of riddah (apostasy) because he is denying the truth of what has been said by Allaah and his Messenger as long as he is not jaahil (an ignorant person) or muqallid (someone just blindly following somebody else) or muta`awwil (somebody’s who’s misinterpreting), in which case the matter is made clear to him and when it is made clear to him and if he still persists then he is judged to be guilty of apostasy. And what is meant by aathaar (narrations from Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) is the ahaadeeth. And his saying, “or he rejects anything from the narrations of Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam”, meaning he becomes a disbeliever and this is a tremendous principle with the people of the Sunnah and the Jamaa`ah. With it they contradict two groups; Khawaarij and the extremists, those who declare people to be disbelievers on account of kabaa`ir (committing major sins), which are less than shirk and, Murji`ah, those who say that sin does not harm if a person has eemaan as long as the person is a believer; has eemaan in his heart then no sins will harm him even if he leaves off all actions and does not do any action then he will be a believer (mu`min) who is complete in his eemaan. As for the Ahl-ul Sunnah W`al Jamaa`ah (the people of the Sunnah and the Jamaa`ah) then it is just as the author said that they are upon a middle and balanced position between the two groups. So they say that the kabaa`ir (major sins) vary. So, if it something from shirk or major kufr then he exits from the religion by consensus. And as for if it is not kufr (disbelief) and if it is not shirk and it is not denying the Book of Allaah nor the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah and it is not abandoning the prayer and it is not calling upon other than Allaah or sacrificing for other than Allaah, rather it is just a major sin, it is less than that then this does not cause a person to exit from Islaam contrary to the Khawaarij and the Mu`tazilah. However, it does harm the believer and it will reduce his eemaan contrary to the Murji`ah, those who say that sin does not harm along with eemaan. So, this is the middle position, which harmonises between the texts of Wa’eed (which mention a threat of punishment) and the texts of Wa‘ad ( which mentions a promise of reward) The Khawaarij and the Mu`tazilah took hold of the texts of the threat and they abandoned the texts of promise. Whereas, the Murji’ah did the opposite, they took hold of the texts of promise and they abandoned the texts where there is a threat. So, each of the two groups are daal (astray). His saying, “or unless he prays to other than Allaah or he sacrifices for other than Allaah,” such that he prays towards a grave seeking nearness to it or he makes prostration to an idol or he makes a sacrifice for other than Allaah and does anything from the acts of worship for other than Allaah then this person is a mushrik (a person of shirk), a kaafir (disbeliever) outside the religion and whatever is lesser than that then the people of the Sunnah are upon a middle position with regard to him in between the Murji`ah and the Khawaarij. His saying, “and if he does anything from that then it becomes binding upon you to expel him from Islaam,” if he does anything from that, meaning if he prays to other than Allaah or sacrifices for other than Allaah or does an act of worship for other than Allaah then it is binding upon you to expel him from the religion and it is binding upon you to believe that he is a disbeliever (kaafir) and you may not say this is not my concern or I don’t know about him. Rather, it is obligatory upon you to declare the disbeliever and the mushrik to be a disbeliever and that you declare the sinner to be a sinner, one who commits a major sin, which is less than shirk. So, the truth about this matter must be made clear. His saying, “and if he does not do anything from that then he is a believer and a Muslim in name, even if not in reality,” meaning with regard to what is apparent with us and his hidden condition is left to Allaah. -- Ithaaful-Qaaree bit-Ta`leeqaat `alaa Sharhis-Sunnah (A Gift To The Reader In Annotation Of Sharh As-Sunnah) by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah Transcribed by Saima Zaher. Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah Listen to the full Audio Series of Sharhus Sunnah Sharh-us-Sunnah – Shaykh Saalih Fawzaan – Dawood Burbank [Audio|En] Visit : Book Study of Sharhu Sunnah of Imaam Barbahaaree

Satan the flying belly flapper

Suppose for once we even accepted Satan was the Serpent according to the bible, then this would been Satan crawls on his belly as mentioned in Genesis 3:14

So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.

What’s worse this very same Satan who crawls on his belly also has wings, since he was able to fly up to the heaven and meet Yahweh

And the LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it." (Job 2:2)

Now let’s ponder on this for a moment. Satan crawls on his belly, also has wings he can fly to heaven.? I know Christians will try to respond by saying “crawling on you belly” is not literal rather metaphorical. Here’s the problem if this statement is not literal then how is this a curse? The whole point of Yahweh saying that was to curse Satan as a punishment right. If that’s the case then the curse of Eve should also be taken as metaphorical not literal, which means as the end of the day there were not cursed, and Yahweh’s words were meaningless nothing came to terms?

The next problem Christians have to deal with is, when Jesus was tempted by Satan was Satan crawling on his belly when he took Jesus up the mountain and temple? Or did Satan fly holding Jesus?  

All all this we can conclude Satan doesn’t walk instead crawls and eats dust for a living and when he feels bored he flies up to the heaven to meet Yahweh. Sounds about right.

Did Noah of the bible warn his people?

The biblical account of the destruction of Noah’s people is vague and shows no detail on why Yahweh destroyed that nation. The question arises for what reason were those people punished?  The accounts of Noah’s story is found in the book of Genesis, starting from chapter 6 and ending at chapter 9. Those 3 crucial chapters fail to give a valid reason why that nation was punished. Christians normally point to Genesis 6:5 where Yahweh saw “wickedness in man on earth”. The text continues to describe how Yahweh grieved in his heart why he made man, and orders that the people of that land should be destroyed utterly.

⁵ And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

⁶ And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

⁷ And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

As you can read, Yahweh gave no valid reason why that nation should be destroyed. Now to answer Genesis 6:5 that the lord saw wickedness of man on earth, that is not a valid reason why they should be all destroyed. The reality is wickedness of man still remains on earth, in fact the people during the time of Jesus were also wicked, why were they not destroyed?

A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. (Matthew 16:4)

Here Jesus is not only calling them “wicked” he is referring them as a “generation of wicked people” if being wicked is such an extravagant crime, why than did Yahweh keep them alive and not destroy them? After all they went against his “so called son” was that not enough to destroy them. There seesmt o be injustice going on toward a nation who had no warning from God. And this brings us to our second point. Were the people of Noah warned? And the honestly answer is no.

If we continue reading Genesis it reads in verse 8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”  Noah found grace in the eye of God, yet this “so called loving God of the Bible” showed no mercy by sending Noah to his people as a warning so he could tell them to stop doing “wicked” and turn to God.

The ironic thing is, from chapter 6 all the way to chapter 9, not a single instance is it mentioned where Noah spoke to his people to turn to God or admonished them for the evil doing.  There’s also a change of theme in verse 12 Yahweh now blames the nation because they turned corrupt

^12 “And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”

Once again this is not a valid reason since Moses himself testified the Jews would turn to “corruption”

“For I know that after my death [i.e., after the death of Joshua, whom Moses considered like himself] you will corrupt yourselves and you will turn from the way that I commanded unto you, and the……” (Deuteronomy 31:29)

Just for the record the problem is not that evil people were destroyed, the problem that we have is why were they not warned by a Prophet who was among them, why did Noah being a Prophet not speak to them about there wrong doings. Why was Noah silent towards there wickedness? Why didn’t Yahweh tell Noah to go speak to his people and bring them back to God.

It is not possible for a Prophet of God to be among his people and keep silent. Every Prophet sent on earth came as a Warner for there people. They brought the message of God to save their nation from perishing, how comes nothing is mentioned about Noah preaching to his people? If those people were not preached and taught about God whilst a messenger was among them, then this is unjust towards them. They had no on to warn them. Why would God destroy a nation without warning them? Without giving them a chance.

Genesis says nothing at all about Noah preaching or warning anyone to repent. This idea is based on late Jewish and Christian traditions that date from around the turn of the eras and presumably arose to answer the question of why Noah didn't warn his contemporaries about the coming destruction.

Apart from the passage in 2 Peter 2:5 that describes Noah as a "preacher" or "herald" of righteousness (note that this text does not specify who Noah preached to or whether it was before or after the flood), the idea that Noah warned his contemporaries is found in Josephus, I Clement, the Sibylline Oracles and some Rabbinic writings. On the other hand, I Enoch attributes this preaching activity to Enoch (who reproves the Watchers) while Philo says that the antediluvians were given 120 years to repent but doesn't mention Noah preaching at all.

This late tradition of Noah the preacher is actually contradicted in the gospel of Matthew: As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. (Matt 24: 37-39)

Here we are told that the pre-flood generation know nothing about the coming flood until it arrived.

With regard to the second part of your question, Genesis says nothing about the construction time for the ark

For this reason the story of Noah found in the Bible cannot be accepted a genuine by Muslims.

blame the serpent

So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. (Genesis 3:14)

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From the above verse we read Yahweh cursed the “SERPENT” for the fall of man. our Christian friends tells us “SATAN CAME IN DISGUISE AS THE SERPENT”, the question is why would Yahweh curse a reptile who had nothing to do with the fall?

Imagine someone disguised as you and shot a person and you get the blame for it instead if the assailant. You are now charged for manslaughter and taken to court, even though the judge had sufficient evidence that you were not involved yet still punished you, would you all that justice? No of course not, then why is the serpent being punished for the act of Satan.

Also if the serpent is supposed to be the cause of man’s fall why then did Jesus say be smart as the serpent?

"I am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, so be wise as SERPENTS and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

Christian tend to respond that Satan was the serpent in disguise and quote Revelation

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)

it took over 2000 years for John to tells us that the serpent in the garden of Eden was actually Satan?

what’s funny about this is, Christians attack Muslims by saying “your Book came 600 years later”, let’s use the same criteria for their Book. nowhere in the entire Old Testament is Satan blamed for insinuating eve to eat the fruit, why did it take 2000 years for a Greek unknown man to tell us? why did the Old Testament miss out such crucial detail of all time. why couldn’t the Torah simple just say Satan was the cause of man’s fall, rather than using the serpent as its opponent? The Talmud, Midrash nowhere do we find such details that Satan was the serpent in disguise