Dating back to around 2500 BC, the Ebla tablets provide very important information regarding the history of religions. The most important feature of the Ebla tablets, discovered by archaeologists in 1975 and which have been the subject of much research and debate ever since, is that they contain the names of three prophets referred to in holy scriptures.
The discovery after thousands of years of the Ebla tablets and the information they contain is extremely important from the point of view of clarifying the geographical location of societies revealed in the Qur’an.
Around 2500 BC, Ebla was a kingdom covering an area that included the Syrian capital Damascus and south-east Turkey. This kingdom reached a cultural and economic peak but later, as happened to a great many civilizations, it disappeared from the stage of history. It was apparent from the records that were kept that the Kingdom of Ebla was a major cultural and commercial center of the time. (1) The people of Ebla possessed a civilization that established state archives, built libraries and recorded commercial contracts in written form. They even had their own language, known as Eblaite.
The History of Buried Religions
The true importance of the Kingdom of Ebla, regarded as a great success for classical archaeology when first discovered in 1975, came to light with the finding of some 20,000 cuneiform tablets and fragments. This archive was four times greater than all the cuneiform texts known to archaeologists over the last 3,000 years.
When the language used in the tablets was deciphered by the Italian Giovanni Pettinato, an epigrapher from the University of Rome, the scale of their importance was better understood. As a result of this, the finding of the Kingdom of Ebla and this magnificent state archive became a matter not just of archaeological interest, but one of interest to religious circles, too. That was because as well as the names Michael (Mi-ka-il) and Talut (Sa-u-lum), who struggled alongside the Prophet David, they also contained the names of prophets mentioned in the three holy books: The Prophet Abraham (Ab-ra-mu), the Prophet David (Da-u-dum) and the Prophet Ishamel (Ish-ma-il). (2)
The Importance of the Names on the Ebla Tablets
The names of the prophets identified in the Ebla tablets are of the greatest importance as this was the first time that they had been encountered in historical documents of such age. This information, dating back to 1500 years before the Torah, was most striking. The appearance in the tablets of the name of the Prophet Abraham recorded that the Prophet Abraham and the religion brought by him had existed before the Torah.
Historians analyzed the Ebla tablets from this perspective, and this major discovery regarding the Prophet Abraham and his mission became the subject of research with regard to the history of religions. David Noel Freedman, an American archaeologist and researcher into the history of religions, reported, based on his studies, the names of such prophets as Abraham and Ishmael in the tablets. (3)
Other Names in the Tablets
As stated above the names in the tablets were those of prophets referred to in the three holy books, and the tablets were far older than the Torah. In addition to these names there were also other subjects and place names in the tablets, from which it can be seen that the Eblaites were very successful traders. The names Sinai, Gaza and Jerusalem, not too distant from Ebla, also appeared in the texts, showing that the Eblaites enjoyed commercial and cultural links with these places. (4)
One important detail seen in the tablets was the names of the areas of Sodom and Gomorrah, where the people of Lot lived. It is known that Sodom and Gomorrah was a region on the shore of the Dead Sea where the people of Lot lived and where the Prophet Lot communicated his message and called people to live by religious moral values. In addition to these two names, that of the city of Iram, which appears in the verses of the Qur’an, is also among those in the Ebla tablets.
The most noteworthy aspect of these names is that apart from in the texts communicated by the prophets, they had never before appeared in any other text. This is important documentary evidence showing that reports of the prophets who communicated the message of the one true religion at that time had reached those areas. In an article in Reader’s Digest magazine it was recorded that that there had been a change in the Eblaites’ religion during the reign of King Ebrum and that people had begun to add prefixes to their names in order to exalt the name of Almighty God.
God’s Promise Is True…
The history of Ebla and the Ebla tablets which came to light after some 4,500 years actually point to one major truth: God sent messengers to Ebla, as He did to every community, and these called their peoples to the true religion.
Some people adhered to the religion that came to them and thus attained the true path, while others opposed the message of the prophets and preferred a wicked life. God, Lord of the heavens, the earth, and all that lies between, reveals this fact in the Qur’an:
We sent a Messenger among every people saying: “Worship God and keep clear of all false deities.” Among them were some whom God guided but others received the misguidance they deserved. Travel about the earth and see the final fate of the deniers. (Qur’an, 16: 36)
Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) said: “Verily the grinder of Islam will continue to grind, so continue with the Quran wherever it moves. Verily the Quran and the authority (of Islam) will be separated from each other, do not leave the Quran. There will be rulers amongst you, who will allow for themselves things which they will prevent for you. If you disobey them then they will kill you. If you obey them they will misguide you. Do as the apostles of Jesus did; they were cut by saws and hung upon wood. Being killed in obedience to Allah (swt) is better than a life of sin.”
[at-Tabarani, Mu’jam al-Kabeer, Mu’jam as-Sagheer and Shameen]
It is a common misconception with some non-Muslims that Islam would not have millions of followers all over the world, if it had not been spread by forcing people to convert.
Islam comes from the root word ‘salaam’, which means peace. It also means submitting one’s will to Allah. Thus Islam is a religion of peace, which is acquired by submitting one’s will to the will of the Supreme Creator, Allah.
War was an exception than a rule in Islam
At times; the force has to be used to maintain peace. Islam stands for peace. However, it allows its followers to fight where there is oppression. The fight against oppression may, at times, require the use of force. Thus in Islam, force is in fact used to restore peace and justice.
The aim for the Islamic conquests was to convey the message of Islam by eliminating all suppressive powers which come between the people and their freedom of choice, and calling people to Islam without compulsion or force, rather they should come to it willingly and by choice.
“Whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve…” [Quran, 18:29]
“This is a reminder, so let he who wishes take a path to his Lord.” [Quran 73:19]
“And if your Lord had pleased, surely all those who are in the earth would have believed, all of them; will you then force men till they become believers?” [Quran 10:99]
Islam has always given respect and freedom of religion to all faiths.
Allah (God) says in the Quran: “There is no compulsion in religion; verily the guidance has become clear from the error. So whosoever rejects the idol and believes in God, he has laid hold onto the most firm rope which will not break; God is All-hearing, All-knowing.” [Quran 2:256]
“Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching;and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious.” [Quran 16:125]
The Islamic faith can not be gained by force because the person’s faith must be pure and sincere.
Facts speak for themselves
Indonesia is the country that has the largest number of Muslims in the world, and the majority of people in Malaysia are Muslims. But, no Muslim army ever went to Indonesia or Malaysia.
Indonesia entered Islam not due to war, but because of its moral message. Despite the disappearance of Islamic government from many regions once ruled by it, their original inhabitants have remained Muslims. Moreover, they carried the message of truth, inviting others to it as well, and in so doing endured harm, affliction and oppression.
The Mongols invaded and conquered large portions of the Islamic Empire, instead of destroying the religion, they adopted it. This is a unique occurrence in history – the conquerors adopting the religion of the conquered! Since they were the victors, they certainly could not have been forced to become Muslims!
Spain was ruled by Muslims for about 800 years. During this period Christians and Jews enjoyed freedom to practice their religions, and this is a documented historical fact.
Christian and Jewish minorities have survived in the Muslim lands of the Middle East for centuries. Countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan all have significant Christian and Jewish populations.
Muslims ruled India for about a thousand years and therefore had the power to force each and every non-Muslim of India to convert to Islam, but they did not, and thus more than 80% of the Indian population remains non-Muslim.
Islam spread rapidly on the West Coast of Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal … etc). and the East Coast (Somalia, Djibouti … etc) Although there is no Muslim army was ever dispatched to the East or the West Coast of Africa.
An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’, yearbook 1986, gives the statistics of the increase of the percentage of the major religions of the world in half a century from 1934 to 1984.
This article also appeared in The Plain Truth magazine. At the top was Islam, which increased by 235%, while Christianity had increased by 47%. During this fifty-year period, there was no “Islamic conquest” yet Islam spread at an extraordinary rate.
Today the fastest growing religion in America and Europe is Islam. The Muslims in these lands are a minority. The only sword they have in their possession is the sword of truth. It is this sword that is converting thousands to Islam.
Islamic law protects the privileged status of minorities, and that is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic world. Islamic law also allows non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities themselves. The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred whether they are Muslims or not.
Historian’s testimony
De Lacy O’Leary in the book “Islam at the cross road” (Page 8):”History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myth that historians have ever repeated.”
Thomas Carlyle, in his book “Heroes and Hero worship” refers to this misconception about the spread of Islam:”The sword indeed, but where will you get your sword? Every new opinion, at its starting is precisely in a minority of one. In one man’s head alone. There it dwells as yet. One man alone of the whole world believes it, there is one man against all men. That he takes a sword and try to propagate with that, will do little for him. You must get your sword! On the whole, a thing will propagate itself as it can.”
In the beginning, the rabbi speaks about Christianity, saying that it does not provide a clear governing system. The case, he says, is similar with Judaism. Both of them have become politicized. There are several Christian democratic parties. As far as Israel is concerned, it is governed by Jewish religious parties. This means, he says, that Christianity as a religion that provides a spiritual base for the people has died.
As for Islam, the rabbi said, it has a strong ideology that can withstand changing developments in the world. Islam grew up in a way that was different from the emergence of Christianity. It had a real and living leader to whom the Qur’an was revealed. There is not an iota of doubt in this. This was not the case with Christianity. There are differences of opinion about the growth of the religion even among its followers.
the rabbi said, “we live in an era when rampant atheism is engulfing the world and when Christianity prevails only in certain heritage buildings and little remains of Judaism by virtue of it having fallen under the influence of Zionism. Hence, in the present world, nothing prevails except Islam. Muslims are in constant contact with their Creator. As far as a Christian is concerned, if he goes to church every Sunday, then it is good. As for a Muslim, he kneels down to pray five fixed times a day. “
“When I traveled to Europe, there was a quiet prayer corner at the airport. When the time of prayer came, I went there. Then, two Muslims also came. I stood to perform prayer while the other two spread out newspapers and knelt down while praying. This is Islam and it has many implications. A man performs prayers five times daily and these prayers are not long.”The rabbi continues: “I had access to the prayers of Muslims and looked at what is written in the Qur’an. It is not long, but is very serious and profound. While performing prayer by bowing, kneeling, and reciting from the Qur’an, within a few minutes, a man is actually addressing Almighty Allah. This is an important thing and this has great implications. Hence, Islam, as a whole, is the religion of the future.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9a6blduFb0
“I (Just) must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” [Luke 4:43]
Jesus was not sent to die for anybody’s sin, nor he was appointed by himself, he was sent only to preach the message which was given to him by God.
“I (Jesus) tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and BELIEVE IN GOD WHO SENT ME have eternal life. THEY WILL NEVER BE CONDEMNED FOR THEIR SINS, but THEY have ALREADY PASSED from death into life.” [John 5:24]
“Jesus answered, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me.” [John 7:16]
Jesus preached to his people that they should worship Allah the one who sent him, his lord, and their lord, and this is Islam, all prophets were preaching this concept.
“[We sent] messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners so that mankind will have no argument against Allah after the messengers. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise.” [Quran 4:165]
“The Lord came from Sinaiand rose from Seir unto them; he shined forth from Mount Paran.” (Deut. 33: 2)Mount Sinai stands for the place where Moses recieved from the Message from God. Seir stands for the hills in Jerusalem where Jesus preached. while Paran signifies the heights of Makkah where the chosen Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) proclaimed his mission.
The heavenly light signifies inspiration, Revelation and Divine prompting.
a former Jewish rabbi as- Samaw’al al-Maghribi (d.576 A. H.; 1180 A. C.) who converted to Islam, looked at the same passage and then stated that the Jews know that Seir is the mountain range Sharat (Genesis 36:8, 20, 21; Deut. 2:5), on which lived the children of Esau who followed Jesus.The same author goes on to say that there is clear evidence from the Torah that Mount Paran is the mountain of Makkah; in fact the Torah states that, when Ishmael parted from his father, Abraham settled in the wilderness of Paran (Genesis 21:21).
As-Samaw’al, moreover, says: “Mount Paran is the abode of the people of Ishmael. If the Torah alluded in this verse to prophecy coming from Mount Paran, it follows that it is the prophecy unto the people of Ishmael, because it is they who are the dwellers of Paran.All will then see that the allusion to prophecy from the progeny of Ishmael points to Muhammad, for it was he who was sent forth from Makkah, formerly the abode of Ishmael.This indicates that the mountains of Paran are those of Makkah, and that the Torah, in this passage, alluded to the mission of Muhammad (Pbuh) and announced it; but the Jews, in ignorance and error, fail to connect these two verses.They admit the premises but, in their excessive ignorance, not the conclusion. The Torah bears witness to their poor understanding and counsel, namely, in the passage.
“The mention of the three revelations was arranged by time, first the Torah, then the Gospel, then the Quran. he said about the first one “came” and in the second “rose up” and about the third “shined up”, indeed the revelation of Torah resembled the break of dawn, while the revelation of the Gospel was like the rising of the sun, and as for the revelation of Quran it is like the appearance of the sun in the sky, thats why Allah called Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) in Quran as “a lamp of spreading light” and calls the sun as “a shining lamp”. (Ibnul Qayyim al-Jawziyya (1292- 1350))
“Allah takes an oath by these same three places in Quran, as He says: “By the fig, and the olive, by mount Sinai, and by this city of security (Makkah)..” (Quran 95:1-3)The fig and olive is asymbolic reference to the Holy Land in which the fig and the olive grow, and in which Christ was sent and the Gospel was revealed.he also swore by mount Sinai; the mount from which Allah spoke to Moses. then he swore by the city of security which is Makkah the city in which Ibrahim (Pbuh) lodged his son ismael (Pbuh) and his mother ” (Ibn Taymiyyah (1263– 1328 CE))
Christians and Non-Muslims asks; If Allah is sealing the hearts of disbelievers, he is taking away their free will so they can not be judged !!
“Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their vision is a veil. And for them is a great punishment.”(Quran 2:7)
[1] This verse does not refer to all the disbelievers rather it refers to those who bent on rejecting the truth although they knew it.
this verse is directed to:
◕ Jews who used to harass Prophet Moses in spite of all the signs and miracles they saw but the rejected truth.
◕ Jews who rejected Prophet Jesus (Pbuh) and used to insult and blaspheme against him and against his mother although they saw signs and miracles that Jesus did but they insisted on rejecting it.
◕ People (Jews & Christians & Pagans) who insist on disbelieving in Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) although they know in their hearts that he is a true Prophet.
◕ Hypocrites who if they want to convert to Islam that would only to corrupt Islam and misguide people.
[2] Allah did not wronged this people rather they wronged themselves. so it is not because Allah has set a seal on their hearts that these disbelievers do not understand and believe, but it is vice-versa. It is because these disbelievers bent on rejecting the truth and whether they are warned them or not they will not believe, that Allah has set a seal on their hearts.
[3] Their hearts are only sealed for as long as they wish to keep themselves in denial and ignorance. So, if a person wishes to open his eyes and learn, his seal will be removed because the door of repentance is always open.
“Except those who repent, have faith and good deeds, those Allah will charge their sins for good deeds. Certainly Allah is most forgiving and merciful.” (25:70)
[4] If you are a Christian or a Jew you will understand in the light of these verses
[John 12:40-42] “The Lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts— so that their eyes cannot see, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and have me heal them.”
Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory. Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders.
But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue.
[Exodus 9:12] “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.”
[Romans 9:18] ‘Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.”
[Mark 6:52] “for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.”
[Ezekiel 12:2] “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.”
“Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found (wajada) it set in a spring of murky water: “(Qur’an 18:86)
They say, the verse clearly says that sun sets in the murky water and needless to say it is blunder and proves that Qur’an is not the word of God
What does the Qur’an actually say?The word used by the Qur’an:
The word which is translated as “found” is وجد i.e. ‘wajada.’ in Arabic language This word is used to describe the perception of a person through any one of the senses.
Qur’an uses the wording from Zulqarnain’s perspective: Qur’an has used the word from the perspective of Zulqarnain and merely describes his perception and how it appeared in ➫ his sight.
Muslims have always understood the verse like this: Someone may argue, the above explanation is the concoction of modern Muslim apologists and the verse reads as the skeptics say because early Muslims never knew the scientific facts about the cosmos as they are known today.
◕ In Tafsir Jalalayn co-authored by al-Suyuti (d. 911 A.H.) and al-Mahalli (d. 864 A.H.), we find the following words; وغروبها في العين في رأي العين “… its setting in a spring is [described as seen] from the perspective of the eye.”
◕ Before them Ibn Kathir (d. 774 A.H.) wrote: رَأَى الشَّمْسَ فِي مَنْظَرِهِ تَغْرُبُ فِي الْبَحْرِ الْمُحِيطِ، وَهَذَا شَأْنُ كُلِّ مَنِ انْتَهَى إِلَى سَاحِلِهِ، يَرَاهَا كَأَنَّهَا تَغْرُبُ فِيهِ، وَهِيَ لَا تُفَارِقُ الْفَلَكَ الرَّابِعَ الَّذِي هِيَ مُثَبَّتَةٌ فِيهِ لَا تُفَارِقُهُ “… he saw the sun as if it were setting in the ocean. This is something which everyone who goes to the coast can see: it looks as if the sun is setting into the sea but in fact it never leaves its path in which it is fixed.”
◕ And even before him Nasiruddin al-Baydhawi (d. 691 A.H.) said: ولعله بلغ ساحل المحيط فرآها كذلك إذ لم يكن في مطمح بصره غير الماء ولذلك قال { وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ } ولم يقل كانت تغرب “Perhaps he reached shore of an ocean and saw it like that as there was nothing in his sight except water and for this reason it is said, “and he perceived it to set”, and not that it actually sets.” (Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Tawil 4/14)
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran
” Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see; is firmly established on the throne (of authority); He has subjected the sun and the moon (to his Law)! Each one runs (its course) for a term appointed. He doth regulate all affairs, explaining the signs in detail, that ye may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord. ” [Quran 13:2]” And He hath made subject to you the sun and the moon, both diligently pursuing their courses; and the night and the day hath he (also) made subject to you. ” [Quran 14:33]” It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course. ” [Quran 21:33]“The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed” [Quran 55:5]
In the Bible we have something interesting on these lines. Talking about the two mountains, Gerizim and Ebal, the Book of Deuteronomy tells us;
“Are they not on the other side Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites, which dwell in the campaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?” (Deuteronomy 11:30)
Now the question is do the sun actually goes down in the land of Canaanites? Certainly not! There is no doubt the verse simply refers to how humans perceive it and calling it a scientific error is nothing but sheer cunningness.
But the point here is, why adopt double standards? Why do the missionaries divorce with the common sense when they speak about Islamic texts? — with Olaleye Damilare.
The Truth about Jesus is that e was only a Servant, Messenger of God and the Massih (Messiah) who was sent to guide the Children of Israel with a new scripture called the Injīl (Gospel).
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24)
“The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus” (Acts 3:13).
“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” (Acts 10:38)
“So Jesus answered them, ‘My teaching is not mine, but His Who sent me.'” (John 7:16)
To aid in his ministry to the sons of Israel , Jesus was given the ability to perform miracles, all by the permission and power of God rather than of his own power.
“I can of myself do nothing…..” [John 5:30]
“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” (Acts 2:22)
Jesus was not God, as he himself said:
“And Jesus said unto him, Why call me good? none is good, except one, that is, God. ” (Luke 18:19)
“As it is, you are determined to kill me (Jesus), a Man who has told you the truth that I heard from God” (John 8:40)
The belief in the true Jesus is required to get eternal life, you can not claim that you believe in Jesus while your ideas about him is totally different from the truth.
“indeed, the creation of heavens and earth is greater than the creation of mankind, yet most people do not know.” [Quran 40:57]
The Truth Shall Set You Free 