Apologetics: Flippin’ Fatwa Friday – The Quran vs. the Bible: Surah al-Baqarah Verses 142-147

I know. After a month of Flippin’ Fatwa Friday posts, we’ll all need a break… a week where there isn’t a Flippin’ Fatwa Friday. At some point, we’ll get to that, but for right now, with Ramadan ending this week, we need to talk about Islamic prayer and how dumb it is, along with the fact that the Quran says that anyone who asks why the Muslims went from praying in the direction of Jerusalem to praying in the direction of Mecca are basically retarded. Let’s go:

¹⁴². The weak-minded among the people will say, “What has made these (Muslims) turn from their (first) Qiblah (-the direction they were facing in their prayer, the holy place of worship at Jerusalem) to which they conformed (so far)?” Say, “To Allah belongs the east and the west, he guides him who wishes (to be guided) to the right path.” ^143. And thus, have we made you a nation exalted and justly balanced so that you may be a guiding example for all people (by carrying to them what you have learnt about Islam), and this perfect Messenger (of God) may be a guiding example for you. And we did not make that which you would have to be the Qiblah but that we might distinguish him who follows the Messenger from him who turns upon his heels. And this (change of Qiblah) is indeed a hard (test) except for those whom Allah has guided aright. It was not Allah’s purpose that your faith and your worship should go in vain. Surely, Allah is Compassionate and Ever Merciful to the people. ^144. Verily, we have seen the turning of your attention (O Prophet) repeatedly towards heaven, we will certainly give you possession of the Qiblah of your liking. So turn you attention in the direction of Masjid al-Haram (the Holy Mosque at Mecca) and wherever you (O Muslims!) be, turn your attentions in the direction of it. And surely those (scholars) who have been given the Scripture know for certain that this (change of the Qiblah) is a true commandment proceeding from their lord. And (as for the disbelievers,) Allah is not at all unmindful as to what they do. ^145. And even if you should bring to those (who went astray and) who have been given the Scripture (before you) all kinds of sign together, they would not follow your Qiblah, nor would you be the follower of their Qiblah, nor would some of them be the follower of one another’s Qiblah. And if you (O reader!) should follow their low desires after (all) this knowledge that has come to you, then indeed, you would be of the unjust. ^146. Those (of the righteous) to whom we have given the Book recognize him (- the Prophet and his truthfulness) as they recognize their own sons, but some of them do conceal the truth even though they know it. ^147. It is the truth from you Lord, so (O reader!) do not be of those who doubt and so waver.

To start with, the question of why in the heck Muhammad changed the Qiblah (direction of prayer) from Jerusalem to Mecca is a legit question. According to the Quran, it was all a test, (of what, I don’t know) and the direction changed after Muhammad had his spiritual Night Journey to the Ka’ba in Mecca. And according to Muslims, it was to somehow bring Islam full circle from the land of its (supposed) early iterations to the center of the world.

Of course, all of this is hyper-spiritual bullcrap trying to hide the truth.

According to Islamic scholar al-Tabari, the real reason is personal, not spiritual. He writes:

According to Musa b. Harun al-Hamdani – ‘Amr b. Hammad – Asbat – al-Suddi – Abu Malik and Abu Salih – Ibn ‘Abbas and Murrah al-Hamdani – Ibn Mas‘ud and some companions of the Prophet: People used to pray towards Jerusalem when the Prophet came to Medina, and for eighteen months after his Emigration. He used to raise his head to heaven when he prayed, to see what he would be commanded, he used to pray towards Jerusalem, and then this was abrogated in favour of the Ka‘bah. The Prophet used to like to pray towards the Ka‘bah, and God revealed the verse: “We have seen the turning of your face to Heaven…”

According to Yunus b. ‘Abd al-A‘la – Ibn Wahb – Ibn Zayd: The Prophet turned towards Jerusalem for sixteen months, and then it reached his ears that the Jews were saying, “By God, Muhammad and his companions did not know where their Qiblah was until we directed them.” This displeased the Prophet and he raised his face toward Heaven, and God said, “We have seen the turning of your face to Heaven.”

Muhammad literally changed the Qiblah because he didn’t like being made fun of, hence the other verses about not following other’s Qiblah.

So, to any Muslims reading this, your “prophet” changed the Qiblah to protect his ego. Does that really sound like something a true prophet of God would do? Because I don’t seem to remember Jesus or literally anyone else from the Bible ever commanding that you pray in any particular direction, much less changing that command because they were on an ego trip.

Furthermore, as though that wasn’t bad enough, did you know that Islamic prayer was also adopted from *drum roll* the Sabians who were pagan? The Sabians had seven prayers a day, five of which correspond with Islamic prayer times. And since Muhammad had much contact with them pre-prophethood, it doesn’t take much to reach the conclusion that he likely stole this practice with a few modifications from them.

Until next time,

M.J.