The Empty Tomb of Hazoor Isa al-Masih

This blog post is a transcript of a teaching that someone made about Step #6 in our discipleship process. Click here to return to the previous step.

The greatness of Hazoor Isa al-Masih is made clear in that His tomb is empty since He is so powerful that He came back from the dead.
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Aslammu Alakum, my friends

In our previous teachings, I shared about the birth, miracles, and teachings of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Many prophets prophesied the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Angels also came and told Hazrat Miriam (PBUH) and others about His birth. Hazrat Isa al-Masih was born of a virgin. He came into the world to save us from our sins through His death on the cross. Did any other prophet have a birth that special? Hazrat Isa al-Masih healed the sick and raised the dead. By His miracles, Hazrat Isa al-Masih showed His love towards sinners. He has such great authority and power that He can forgive sins and perceive our secret thoughts. Can any other prophet work so many miracles? Hazrat Isa al-Masih said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to God the Father except through me.” If we want to enter into a relationship with God, then we must hear and obey the teaching of Hazrat Isa al-Masih.

So, Hazrat Isa al-Masih had a special birth, performed great miracles, and had a great teaching. But these are not the most special things about His life. The most special thing is that Hazrat Isa al-Masih gave His life on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He was buried and, three days later, He came back to life. He came out of His grave and ascended to heaven! Now Hazrat Isa al-Masih sits in heaven waiting until the day of judgement.

Today, I will share with you a story about the resurrection of Hazrat Isa al-Masih from Matthew 28. Hazrat Isa al-Masih was so powerful that He came out of his tomb. When we look around the world, there are many tombs, and the bodies of the holy men are in those tombs. But Hazrat Isa al-Masih is so great that His tomb is empty. Let us read from Matthew 28.

1 After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb.

2 There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men.

5 The angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Hazrat Isa al-Masih who was crucified. 6 He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”

8 So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. 9 Just then Hazrat Isa al-Masih met them and said, “Greetings!” They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Hazrat Isa al-Masih told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.” 

Please let me share with you four things from this story.

First, Hazrat Isa al-Masih rose from the dead! Three days after He died, some women who followed Hazrat Isa al-Masih went to His tomb. They expected to find His body and to mourn. Instead, they encountered Hazrat Isa al-Masih alive! Hazrat Isa al-Masih is so powerful that he did not stay dead. Hazrat Isa al-Masih can also give you eternal life because He is more powerful than death!

Second, an angel came to announce that Hazrat Isa al-Masih rose from the dead. Just like angels came to announce His birth, angels came to tell these women that Hazrat Isa al-Masih had overcome death. Angels came to announce His resurrection because of how special that event was. God wanted everyone to know that Hazrat Isa al-Masih had made a new path through which we could gain eternal life. Today, if you want eternal life from Hazrat Isa al-Masih, then repent of your sins and believe on Him. 

Third, Hazrat Isa al-Masih promised that the disciples would see him. A few verses later, we read, “The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Hazrat Isa al-Masih had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped” (Matthew 28:16-17). In fact, more than 500 people saw the resurrected Hazrat Isa al-Masih. He appeared alive to many people, and the lives of those who saw him were changed. Because so many people saw the resurrected Hazrat Isa al-Masih, we can be confident today that His resurrection is a historical fact.

Last, the women worshipped Hazrat Isa al-Masih. As we read, the disciples also worshipped Hazrat Isa al-Masih when they met him in Galilee. In fact, many people worshipped Him throughout His life. Just after His birth, wise men from the east came and worshipped Him. When He stopped a storm, His disciples worshipped Him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:33). When they said this, they did not mean that Hazrat Isa al-Masih was the physical Son of God, but the spiritual Son of God. When they recognized who He was, they fell down and worshipped Him. 

You see, Hazrat Isa al-Masih is more than a prophet. He was born of a virgin. He forgave the sins of the paralytic. He could see the secret thoughts of men. He healed the sick and gave life to the dead. He gave His life on a cross for our sins. He was buried. But Hazrat Isa al-Masih was so great that He rose from the dead. Indeed, Hazrat Isa al-Masih is worthy of our worship today. 

My hope is that you have seen the greatness of Hazrat Isa al-Masih in these teachings. If you have, then Hazrat Isa al-Masih is calling you to repent and believe to become His disciple. The next set of teachings are eight commands of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Please continue to learn so that you can also become a disciple of Hazrat Isa al-Masih.

Khuda Hafeez, my friends!

The Unique Sacrifice of Hazoor Isa al-Masih

This blog post is a transcript of a teaching that someone made about Step #5 in our discipleship process, The Unique Birth of Hazoor Isa al-Masih. Click here to go to the previous step.

Hazrat Isa al-Masih was the lamb who took away the sins of the whole world.
Photo by Moaz Tobok on Pexels.com

Aslammu Alakum, my friends.

In our previous teachings, I shared about the birth, miracles, and teachings of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Many prophets prophesied the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Angels also came and told Hazrat Miriam (PBUH) and others about His birth. Hazrat Isa al-Masih was born of a virgin. He came into the world to save us from our sins through His death on the cross. Did any other prophet have a birth that special? Hazrat Isa al-Masih healed the sick and raised the dead. By His miracles, Hazrat Isa al-Masih showed His love towards sinners. He has such great authority and power that He can forgive sins and perceive our secret thoughts. Can any other prophet work so many miracles? Hazrat Isa al-Masih said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to God the Father except through me.” If we want to begin a relationship with God, then we must hear and obey the teaching of Hazrat Isa al-Masih.

So, Hazrat Isa al-Masih had a special birth, performed great miracles, and had a great teaching. But these are not the most special things about His life. The most special thing is that Hazrat Isa al-Masih gave His life on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He was buried and, three days later, He came back to life. He came out of His grave and ascended to heaven! Now Hazrat Isa al-Masih sits in heaven waiting until the day of judgement.

Today, I will share with you a story about the death of Hazrat Isa al-Masih from Matthew 27. He died on a cross for our sins. I will read part of the story, stop to comment, then read more, and stop to comment. 

31 After they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him 32 As they were going out, they found a Cyrenian man named Simon. They forced him to carry his cross. 33 When they came to a place called ‘Golgotha’ (which means Place of the Skull), 34 they gave him wine mixed with gall to drink. But when he tasted it, he refused to drink it. 

Although Hazrat Isa al-Masih did nothing wrong, the religious leaders hated Him. They arrested Him at night and lied about Him at trial so that they could put Him to death. The religious leaders did this because they were jealous and wanted people to follow them rather than Hazrat Isa al-Masih. However, this was the plan of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. He planned to die for your sins and for mine. When He was being arrested, He told His disciples not to worry, since He could call on an army of angels to come and save Him if that was His plan.

Let us return to the story from the Injeel Shareef.

35 After crucifying him, they divided his clothes by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and were guarding him there. 37 Above his head they put up the charge against him in writing: This Is Hazrat Isa al-Masih, the King of the Jews.

Crucifixion, or dying on a cross, was a horrible way to die. However, Hazrat Isa all-Masih did this because He loves us. You see, the Injeel Shareef teaches us that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). Because of our sins, our relationship with God is broken. God is holy and perfect. We are sinful and broken. But, the Injeel Shareef also says that “God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Masih died for us” (Rom 5:8). The death of Hazrat Isa al-Masih was a sacrifice to pay for our sins. 

Moving forward in our story from the Injeel Shareef,

45 From noon until three in the afternoon, darkness came over the whole land. 46 About three in the afternoon Hazrat Isa al-Masih cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me ?” 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and offered him a drink. 49 But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 But Hazrat Isa al-Masih cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. 

Many people stood and watched as Hazrat Isa al-Masih died. Some witnesses even tried to give Him wine, but Hazrat Isa al-Masih rejected it. There were many witnesses of His death. These people recognized something special was happening as Hazrat Isa al-Masih was dying on the cross; therefore, a large crowd stayed and watched. Even the weather recognized that something was happening; how else would it have been dark from noon until three in the afternoon? At the end of this time of darkness, our Khudawand Isa al-Masih died. He died for you and for me. 

51 Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53 And they came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Hazrat Isa al-Masih, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”  

Look at how powerful the effects of His death were! These verses show four powerful effects of the death of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. First, the curtain of the sanctuary was torn open. This curtain was in the holy place of worship in Jerusalem and separated the people from the presence of God. By the death of Hazrat Isa al-Masih, this curtain was destroyed, making a way for us to become close to God. Remember what Hazrat Isa al Masih said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to God the Father except through Me.” Hazrat Isa al-Masih provided a way for us to become close to God through His death.

Second, the death of Hazrat Isa al-Masih was so powerful that there was an earthquake! Before He died, the sky was darkened for three hours. Now on His death, the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The created world recognized the greatness of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. 

Third, the tombs of many saints in Jerusalem opened, and prophets came out to testify about Hazrat Isa al-Masih! Jerusalem has the tombs of many saints, like Hazrat Dawood (PBUH), Hazrat Suleiman (PBUH) and Hazrat Zechariah (PBUH). These saints came from their graves and testified that Hazrat Isa al-Masih is the Lord. (Do you want to say that these are specifically the people who came out of their tombs? That’s how this reads, but Scripture is not specific.)

Fourth, even the Roman solider, the centurion, who killed Hazrat Isa al-Masih testified, “Truly, this man was the Son of God!” By calling Him the Son of God, this centurion did not believe that Hazrat Isa al-Masih was the physical Son of God, but rather the spiritual Son of God. The death of Hazrat Isa al-Masih was so powerful that even His enemies recognized His greatness when He died. 

Today, as you hear the story of the death of Hazrat Isa al-Masih, you also have a choice. Will you turn away from your sins and believe on the sacrifice of Khudawand Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Only He has been without sin. He was born without a father so that He would have a spiritual birth, a noorani birth. Because He was without sin, He could become the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, Hazrat Yahyah (PBUH) testified about Hazrat Isa al-Masih, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)!

Today, Hazrat Isa al-Masih wants to take away your sin so that you can become close to God. However, you must turn away from your sins and place your faith on Hazrat Isa al-Masih. I hope that you are ready to become His disciple today! 

Khuda Hafiz, my friends. 

Click here to go to the next teaching about Hazoor Isa al-Masih!

The Unique Teaching of Hazoor Isa al-Masih

This blog post is a transcript of a teaching that someone made about Step #4 in our discipleship process, The Unique Birth of Hazoor Isa al-Masih. Click here to go to the previous step.

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Aslammu Alakum, my friends.

In our previous teachings, I shared about the birth and miracles of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Many prophets prophesied the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Angels also came and told Hazrat Miriam (PBUH) and others about His birth. Hazrat Isa al-Masih was born of a virgin. He came into the world to save us from our sins through His death on the cross. Did any other prophet have a birth that special? Hazrat Isa al-Masih healed the sick and raised the dead. By His miracles, Hazrat Isa al-Masih showed His love towards sinners. He has such great authority and power that He can forgive sins and perceive our secret thoughts. Can any other prophet work so many miracles? Today, we will focus on the special teaching of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to God the Father except through me.” 

So, Hazrat Isa al-Masih had a special birth, performed great miracles, and had a great teaching. But these are not the most special things about His life. The most special thing is that Hazrat Isa al-Masih gave His life on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He was buried and, three days later, He came back to life. He came out of His grave and ascended to heaven! Now Hazrat Isa al-Masih sits in heaven waiting until the day of judgement.

Today, I want to share more about the teaching of Hazrat Isa al-Masih by sharing a passage with you from the Injeel Shareef. This teaching is from the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most famous teachings of Hazrat Isa al-Masih.

Please read with me from the Injeel Shareef, Matthew 7:24-27.

24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 

25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 

26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 

27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.”

This passage teaches us that there are two kinds of responses to the teachings of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. 

First, we read about the wise man. The wise man heard the words of Hazrat Isa al-Masih and acted upon them. In contrast, the foolish man heard the words of Hazrat Isa al-Masih and did not act on them. Both the wise man and foolish man heard the words of Hazrat Isa al-Masih, the only difference was whether they acted on His teachings. Today, you also have a choice when you hear the teachings of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Will you build your life on His teachings? Or, will you be like the foolish man?

Hazrat Isa al-Masih described the life of the wise man as strong. No matter what difficulties or storms came against the wise man, he could stand because he built his life on Hazrat Isa al-Masih. However, the foolish man could not stand in the difficulties of life. Hazrat Isa al-Masih described the foolish man’s life as a house that fell in a storm. No doubt, storms will come against us in this life. Those storms might be sickness or financial problems or family issues. If we choose to stand upon the teachings of Hazrat Isa al-Masih, then we can stand in these storms. If we choose not to obey the teachings of Hazrat Isa al-Masih, then we cannot stand. 

The Sermon on the Mount shows the great authority of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Please let me share one more verse from the Injeel Shareef, John 14:6, about His authority. Hazrat Isa al-Masih said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to God the Father except through me.” 

Today, if you are looking for a path to God, Hazrat Isa al-Masih is that path. Hazrat Isa al-Masih said that He is the way to God. This means that if we follow Hazrat Isa al-Masih, He will be our guide and provide us access to God. But, we must choose to follow Him by hearing His words and obeying them.

Hazrat Isa al-Masih said that He is the truth. If you want to know the truth, then come to Hazrat Isa al-Masih and hear His teaching. As you follow Him, He will show you the truth.

Hazrat Isa al-Masih said that He is the life. By “life” He means “eternal life”. Today, the grave of Hazrat Isa al-Masih is empty because He was so powerful that He came out of His grave and ascended to heaven. If you want eternal life with God, then hear and obey the teachings of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. 

I hope you have now seen the greatness of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. His birth was more unique that anyone else who has ever lived. His miracles were greater than those of any other. He is the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to God except through Him. Today, you have a chance again to follow Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Are you ready to turn from your sins and become His disciple?

Khuda Hafiz, my friends!

Click here to go to the next teaching about Hazoor Isa al-Masih!

The Unique Miracles of Hazoor Isa al-Masih

This blog post is a transcript of a teaching that someone made about Step #3 in our discipleship process, The Unique Birth of Hazoor Isa al-Masih. Click here to go to the previous step.

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Aslammu Alakum, my friends.

In our previous teaching, I shared about the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih from the Injeel Shareef. Many prophets prophesied the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Angels also came and told Hazrat Miriam (PBUH) and others about His birth. Hazrat Isa al-Masih was born of a virgin. He came into the world to save us from our sins through His death on the cross. Did any other prophet have a birth that special? Today, we will focus on the miracles of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. He healed the sick and raised the dead. Once, He stopped a storm. Another time, He walked on water. Did any other prophet work so many miracles? Hazrat Isa al-Masih’s teachings were special. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to God the Father except through me.” 

So, Hazrat Isa al-Masih had a special birth, performed great miracles, and had a great teaching. But these are not the most special things about His life. The most special thing is that Hazrat Isa al-Masih gave His life on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He was buried and, three days later, He came back to life. He came out of His grave and ascended to heaven! Now Hazrat Isa al-Masih sits in heaven until the day of judgement.

Today, I want to share more about the miracles of Hazrat Isa al-Masih by sharing a passage with you from the Injeel Shareef. Before we read the passage today, I have a question. “Who can forgive sins?” I hope your answer is that only God can forgive our sins. 

Please read with me from the Injeel Shareef, Matthew 9:1-8,

1 Hazrat Isa al-Masih stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 

2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Hazrat Isa al-Masih saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” 

3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” 

4 Knowing their thoughts, Hazrat Isa al-Masih said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 

5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 

6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 

7 Then the man got up and went home. 

8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

This passage teaches us four things about Hazrat Isa al-Masih.

First, Hazrat Isa al-Masih healed the paralyzed man. Throughout His life, Hazrat Isa al-Masih was known for healing the sick. The friends of the paralyzed man knew that their friend had a great problem. They knew that Hazrat Isa al-Masih alone could solve his problem. So, they carried their friend to Hazrat Isa al-Masih on a mat. Hazrat Isa al-Masih simply commanded this man, “‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ Then the man got up and went home.” All of us face great difficulties in our lives. Hazrat Isa al-Masih is the one we should go to when we face these difficulties. 

Second, Hazrat Isa al-Masih loves sinners. Hazrat Isa al-Masih recognized that the paralyzed man was a sinner, but still called him “son.” Hazrat Isa al-Masih was known to be a friend to sinners and people who were far from God. If you are far away from God today, please know that Hazrat Isa al-Masih welcomes you to bring you close to God. The Injeel Shareef says, “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Masih died for us” (Rom 5:8). Hazrat Isa al-Masih welcomes us even when we have sin in our lives, so that He can bring us to God.

Third, the greatest miracle of this story is that Hazrat Isa al-Masih forgave the sins of the paralyzed man. Before healing him, Hazrat Isa al-Masih said, “Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven.” If Hazrat Isa al-Masih had simply said that his sins were forgiven, those watching would not have known if they were really forgiven or not. However, Hazrat Isa al-Masih showed that He had the power to forgive sins by physically healing the paralytic. Hazrat Isa al-Masih said that the purpose of this healing was to show that He had the authority to forgive sins. What does it mean about Hazrat Isa al-Masih that He has the authority to forgive sins? 

Hazrat Isa al-Masih can forgive your sins just like he forgave the paralytic man.

Last, Hazrat Isa al-Masih knew the thoughts of others. In this story, Hazrat Isa al-Masih saw the faith of the paralyzed man and his friends. Having seen their faith, He declared the paralyzed man’s sins forgiven. When the religious leaders heard Hazrat Isa al-Masih saying these things, they believed He was blaspheming. Why did they think this? Because only God can forgive sins. The religious leaders could not understand who Hazrat Isa al-Masih was! Hazrat Isa al-Masih was great enough to understand their thoughts. What does it mean about Hazrat Isa al-Masih that He can see the secret thoughts of others? 

He can see your secret thoughts as well. In this story, Hazrat Isa al-Masih showed forgiveness and kindness to the one who wanted to be close to God. However, He opposed those who had hypocrisy in their hearts. Which are you today? 

The life of Hazrat Isa al-Masih is powerful. Truly, He had a more special birth than anyone else who has ever lived. His miracles were greater than those of any other. Today, He is calling you to repent and believe upon Him. He wants you to become His disciple. Are you ready? 

Khuda Hafiz, my friends. 

Click here to go to the next lesson about Hazoor Isa al-Masih!

The Unique Birth of Hazoor Isa al-Masih

This blog post is a transcript of a teaching that someone made about Step #2 in our discipleship process, The Unique Birth of Hazoor Isa al-Masih.

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Aslammu Alakum, my friends. 

In our previous teaching, I shared with you the story of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. Remember, Hazrat Isa al-Masih’s birth was special. He was born of a virgin. Angels came and announced His birth. Did any other prophet have a birth that special? Hazrat Isa al-Masih’s miracles were also special. He healed the sick and raised the dead. Hazrat Isa al-Masih once fed 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish! Did any other prophet work so many miracles? Hazrat Isa al-Masih’s teaching was special. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to God the Father except through me.” 

So, Hazrat Isa al-Masih had a special birth, performed great miracles, and had a great teaching. But these are not the most special things about His life. The most special thing is that Hazrat Isa al-Masih gave His life on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He was buried and, three days later, He came back to life. He came out of His grave and ascended to heaven! Now Hazrat Isa al-Masih sits in heaven waiting until the day of judgement.

Today, I want to share more about the special birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih by sharing a passage with you from the Injeel Shareef. In Matti, the first book of the Injeel Shareef, we read about His miraculous birth.

This is how the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih came about: His mother Hazrat Miriam (PBUH) was pledged to be married to Yusuf, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Yusuf her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Yusuf son of Dawood, do not be afraid to take Hazrat Miriam (PBUB) home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Isa, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Yusuf woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Hazrat Miriam (PBUH) home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Isa.

Let me share with you four amazing things that this story teaches us about Hazrat Isa al-Masih.

First, Hazrat Isa al-Masih’s birth was prophesied by many prophets. In fact, there were hundreds of prophesies about the coming Masih in the Taurat Shareef, the Zabur Shareef, and the writings of other prophets. Over 700 years before the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih, Hazrat Yasayah (PBUH) prophesied, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”).” This prophesy was very specific saying that Hazrat Isa al-Masih would be born of a virgin. It also declares that, when Hazrat Isa al-Masih was in the world, it would be as if God were with us.

Second, the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih was announced by angels. We know that it is Hazrat Jibril (PBUH) who came and told Hazrat Miriam (PBUH) about the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih. In this story, we see that an angel also appeared to Yusuf in a dream and told him that he should marry Hazrat Miriam (PBUH). The Injeel Shareef tells another story about an army of angels announcing the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih to a group of shepherds. So, Hazrat Isa al-Masih’s birth was so special that both the prophets and the angels rejoiced in His birth and announced it to the world.

Third, Hazrat Isa al-Masih’s birth was unique in that he was born of a virgin. From the time of Hazrat Adam (PBUH) until the birth of Hazrat Isa al-Masih, every person was born with a father. However, Hazrat Isa al-Masih had a spiritual birth. Because of this spiritual birth, Hazrat Isa al-Masih was without sin, being purer than any other person who had ever been born from a woman. 

Last, this story tells us that Hazrat Isa al-Masih was born with a purpose. The angel told Yusuf, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Isa, because he will save his people from their sins.” According to the Injeel Shareef, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Only Hazrat Isa al-Masih was without sin because of his spiritual birth. Because He was without sin, He could save us from our sins. He accomplished this by giving His life on a cross for our sins. 

I hope that you have seen the power of the Injeel Shareef today. Hazrat Isa al-Masih truly had a more special birth than anyone else who has ever lived. Today, He is calling you to be His disciple. Are you ready to follow Him? Khuda Hafiz, my friends. 

Click here to go to the next study about Hazoor Isa al-Masih!

Our 14-Step Basic Discipleship Process

One of the keys to making disciples of Muslims is to have a process to help Muslims who want to learn more about Jesus to come to Him. In our ministry, we use a 14-step path. This blog post aims to give a straightforward outline of this process. I hope this will become very easy for you to follow and utilize if you need a method for your ministry to Muslims. 

Learning to follow Jesus is much like walking down a path that others have followed before us.
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So, here are our 14 steps. Many of these steps have links that you can click on to gain more information:

  1. The Gospel (Click here for how we share the gospel with Muslims)
  2. The Unique Birth of Isa – Matthew 1:18-25 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching) (Click here for an overview of the Five Unique Things that are steps 2-6)
  3. The Unique Miracles of Isa – Matthew 9:1-8 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
  4. The Unique Teaching of Isa – Matthew 7:24-27 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
  5. The Unique Sacrifice of Isa – Matthew 27:32-54 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
  6. The Empty Tomb of Isa – Matthew 28:1-10 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
  7. Command #1 – Repent and Believe – Luke 19:1-10 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching – please note that this transcript uses Luke 7:36-50, while we usually use Luke 19:1-10 in our work)
  8. Command #2 – Take Baptism – Acts 8:26-38 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
  9. Command #3 – Pray – Matthew 6:5-15 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
  10. Command #4 – Study the Word – Matthew 4:1-11 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
  11. Command #5 – Go and Make Disciples – John 4:4-42 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
  12. Command #6 – Love – Luke 10:25-37 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
  13. Command #7 – Lord’s Supper – Luke 22:7-20 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)
  14. Command #8 – Give – Mark 12:41-44 (Click here for a transcript of how some people are sharing this teaching)

In general, here is how we use these 14 steps. 

  • For the gospel (step 1), we proclaim the gospel as often as we can, looking for people who are open to learning more. We call these people “yellow lights” (Click here for more information).
  • For the rest of the steps (steps 2-14), we use either inductive Bible study or storying, depending on how literate the person is we are teaching. If they can read the Injeel Shareef for themselves, we open up the Injeel Shareef with them. We ask them to read it and discuss the passage using the inductive questions below. If they cannot read, then we story the passage to them, meaning that we tell the story to them until they can memorize it. Then, after they memorize the story and can repeat it back to us, we ask the same inductive questions. 
  • We use only one inductive question for the Five Unique Things teachings, “What does this passage teach us about Jesus (Isa)?”
  • When we teach the Five Unique Things, we ask learners often, “Are you ready to become a follower of Jesus (Isa)?”
  • We usually transition from the Five Unique Things studies to the Eight Commands by telling learners that the first five studies were about learning who Jesus is, and the next eight teach us what it means to be His disciple. Many learners want to learn more about what it means to follow before they are willing to make that decision.
  • When we teach the Eight Commands of Christ, we use four inductive questions:
    • (1) What does this passage teach us about God?
    • (2) What does this passage teach us about people?
    • (3) What should we do after studying this passage?
    • (4) What shouldn’t we do after studying this passage?
  • The Eight Commands are meant to be obeyed rather than only learned. Therefore, planning for obedience at the end of each teaching is essential when teaching the Eight Commands. Then, begin the next meeting by discussing whether they remember the previous lesson and how they obeyed it. Some learners will want to keep learning but be willing to follow a particular step once they learn more. Move forward with those learners, but keep asking them whether they are ready to obey those past lessons.

It is impossible to lay out an entire discipleship plan in a single blog post! But I hope this simple process might help you learn more about making disciples of Muslims in your work! 

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Here are a few more blog posts on No Cousins Left about Making Disciples:

The Dalit Background of South Asian Islam

It is well-known that Islam in South Asia has a structured caste system (there is even a Wikipedia article about it!). I contend that the caste issue in Islam is essential for those seeking to share the gospel with the Muslims of South Asia. In brief, it seems that lower-caste Muslims have been the most receptive to the message of Jesus. This blog post explores this phenomenon. This blog post describes three aspects of the Dalit background of South Asian Islam:

  1. Casteism in South Asia: Ashraf, Ajlaf, and Arzal.
  2. The conversion of Dalits to Islam during the Delhi Sultanate.
  3. Historic People Movements to Christ in South Asia.

Casteism in South Asian Islam

Casteism in South Asian Islam is a complex and multifaceted issue. I am providing only the broadest strokes here. South Asian Islam is broadly broken down into three categories:

  1. Ashraf are the descendants of foreign Muslims who emigrated to South Asia, such as Arabs, Persians, and Mongols. Ashraf Muslims are considered high-caste Muslims, with different ethnic backgrounds having higher and lower ranks. The highest caste in South Asia are the Sayyid, who claim descendency from the Qureshi tribe of Saudi Arabia. While Ashraf are only about 15% of Indian Muslims, they dominate the leadership in Muslim organizations, whether religious or secular. During Partition, more Ashraf had the financial capacity to emigrate to Pakistan, so the rate of Ashraf there is higher than in India. 
  2. Ajlaf are Hindu converts to Islam who are indigenous to South Asia. Historically, lower-caste Hindus more readily converted to Islam, so there are few Brahmans among the Ajlaf, but there are numerous Rajputs in certain areas. Together the Ajlaf and Arzal are about 85% of Indian Muslims. It is difficult to determine the percent difference between Ajlaf and Arzal, although the percentage of Arzal is much higher.
  3. Arzal are Dalit converts to Islam who are indigenous to South Asia. Historically, many Dalits have abandoned Hinduism to see if they could find favor in other religions. Many Dalits have converted to various religions in South Asian history. B.R. Ambedkar’s conversion to Buddhism in 1956 with 500,000 supporters is perhaps the most famous historical movement of Dalit conversion. Although it is difficult to find accurate historical data, I contend that Arzal Muslims are the most common Muslim community in many areas in South Asia.

The Conversion of Dalits to Islam during the Delhi Sultanate

The most considerable shift in South Asian history of conversions to Islam occurred during the Delhi Sultanate period from 1206-1526 AD. During this period, Muslim rulers from Central Asia dominated Pakistan and North India. Their rule created a period in which Sufi mystics could freely travel and propagate Islam. As they spread the message of Islam, the Islamic government in South Asia began policies that were favorable to conversion to Islam. 

For example, Muinuddin Chisthti (1143-1236 AD) journeyed to Ajmer to spread Islam in 1192 AD. Around that time, Afghani warlords conquered North India. Muinuddin Chisthti then formed the largest Sufi movement in South Asia. He is considered the seventeenth mystic in the Chishti silsila. During the Delhi Sultanate, the four most significant Sufi mystics in South Asian history lived and ministered. They are the seventeenth to twentieth figures in the Chishti silsila. 

  1. Moinuddin Chishti (1143-1236 AD), whose dargah is in Ajmer, Rajasthan, India.
  2. Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki (1173-1235 AD), whose dargah is in Meherauli in Delhi, India. 
  3. Baba Farid (1173-1266 AD), whose dargah is in Pakpattan, Punja, Pakistan.
  4. Nizamuddin Auliya (1238-1325 AD), whose dargah is in Nizamuddin in Delhi, India. 

The modus operandi of these Sufis was to feed the poor through their langar (i.e., soup kitchens), live among the people as mystics, and proclaim Islam. The Islam proclaimed by these men was syncretized with Hinduism leading to disciples who were partially Muslim and partially Hindu. These men often clashed with the orthodox Muslims of their time regarding their theology and practice. For example, these men loved singing praises to Muhammad and Allah and using musical instruments, which orthodox Muslims condemned as haram. 

Nizamuddin Auliya is famous for developing 700 lieutenants who went and formed 700 langars across South Asia as points to practice and proclaim Sufi Islam. These Sufis focused on ministry to the poor, which would have made the Dalit population their primary focus. These men were quite successful in developing other leaders to follow their model. The combination of Muslim rule and Sufi preaching led many Dalits and Hindus to convert to Islam. 

The syncretized nature of the preaching of these Sufis is one reason folk Islam is so dominant in South Asia (more on folk Islam here – there are 12 linked articles on folk Islam). It was not until the reform movements of the 1800s that widespread efforts emerged to convert folk Muslims to a more orthodox brand of their faith. In fact, Maulana Muhammad Ilyas, the founder of the Tablighi Jamaat movement, is known for his rallying cry, “O Muslims, become Muslims!” By this, Ilyas meant that Muslims should abandon folk religion, study the Qur’an and Hadith, and practice Islam according to Hanafi tradition. Dr. Zakir Naik, a famous South Asian Muslim apologist, is likewise known for his attacks on folk Islam. However, his brand of Islam (Salafi) is also at odds with the Hanafi traditions of Tablighi Jamaat.

While most Muslims in South Asia gravitate towards folk Islam, the percentages are changing. Every year, more and more folk Muslims begin reading the Qur’an and reject South Asian traditional Islam. This conflict is famously described in the disputes between the Bareilvi and Deobandi reform movements. 

However, my point in this blog post is that vast areas exist today, especially in rural South Asia, where most Muslims are Arzal-background folk Muslims with little knowledge of the Qur’an and Hadith. Instead, they continue to practice Islam according to the folk Islamic traditions passed down. 

Historic People Movements to Christ in Asia

In 1933, J. Waksom Pickett wrote his seminal Christian Mass Movements in India (you can download a PDF here). He described how people groups had come to Christ in large numbers from particular people groups in South Asia in previous years. In 1979, Pickett’s disciple, Donald McGavran, wrote that “in only twenty-one of the more than three thousand ethnic groups of India do Christians form any considerable proportion of the total population… In more than 2900 castes and tribes there are practically no Christians at all” (Ethnic Realities and the Church, 28). According to Pickett and McGavran, these people movements had primarily been Dalit movements to Christ. 

The phenomenon of Dalits leaving Hinduism has been widely studied. These people are considered to be even below the caste system, being “untouchable.” Being untouchable meant Dalits have no hope or future in their religion. B.R. Ambedkar (d. 1956) was a Dalit political leader who wrote and argued along these lines. Shortly before his death, Ambedkar converted to Buddhism with 500,000 supporters. Throughout South Asian history, Dalits have left Hinduism for every other religion, hoping to find a better hope and a future elsewhere. 

Dalit form a large portion of South Asian populations. In India, Dalits are called “scheduled castes” and formed 16.6% of the population in the 2011 Census. However, the number should be considered higher because this 16.6% does not include Dalits who have left Hinduism to become Buddhist, Muslim Christian, or Sikh. The percentage of Dalits in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and other South Asian countries is hard to determine. 

Returning to the point that many South Asian Christians are from Dalit backgrounds, Pakistan is a good case study. The vast majority of Pakistan’s more than four million Christians descend from the “Sialkot movement” that began in 1874 and swept through the Chamar caste, which is considered Dalit. Likewise, many “people movements” to Christ in South Asia have a high Dalit background. 

The result is that there are many places in South Asia where significant portions of Dalit-background Christians and Dalit-background Muslims live nearby. Culturally and linguistically, there are very few barriers between these communities. It seems likely that as these Christians grow strong in their faith that they will be evangelistically effective in impacting the Dalit-background Muslims in their proximity. Likewise, suppose the Muslim populations were to grow strong in Islam through the efforts of groups like Tablighi Jamaat. In that case, it seems likely that the Muslim people would effectively bring many of these Christians into the fold of Islam. 

To my mind, circumstances where large numbers of Dalit-background Christians and Dalit-background Muslims live in proximity provide the greatest evangelistic opportunity among Muslims in South Asia today. Opportunities like these abound. One goal should be to identify these opportunities and take advantage of them. Significant effort will be required, but significant potential exists. In these circumstances, it seems likely that Muslims will readily accept the gospel. Still, the most essential difficulties will be providing discipleship and church formation opportunities. 

While pursuing opportunities like these, we must acknowledge that these issues will be sensitive. Many Christians do not like discussing their Dalit history for good reasons! They left those things behind and were made royal priests in the kingdom of God. In our faith, we do not have a distinction of castes. We are all one. Therefore, some consider any discussion of these caste issues and dynamics a regression. While I agree with those concerns, an opportunity remains. 

The question is: How can we train movements to Christ in proximity to large groups of Muslims to cross over to their Muslim neighbors?

Ten Ancient Manuscripts of the Qur’an

Recent research indicates that the Qur’an has thousands of textual variants and changes. In fact, the Qur’an that is used today around the world does not seem to be based on the ancient manuscripts, but rather on oral transmission through Hafiz. The result is that the Qur’an that is used today has faced changes. If you want a primer on textual criticism of the Qur’an, I suggest this 21-minute video of Dr. Jay Smith discussing these issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52PEVUpJBtk

I have extensively studied New Testament textual criticism, which is a study and comparison of New Testament manuscripts. These studies have led me to have a curiosity about the ancient manuscripts of the Qur’an. Since I know Greek, I can easily access ancient copies of the New Testament, especially through the online portal of the Center for the Study of New Testament manuscripts. However, I am not aware of any such portal that exists for ancient copies of the Qur’an.

Today, I asked Google’s Bard AI program to develop a table of the fifty oldest manuscripts of the Qur’an. Bard was able to provide a table of ten such manuscripts. In contrast, we have details of thousands of ancient manuscripts of the New Testament. This contrast clearly demonstrates the differences in relative values of studying the most ancient copies of their holy books between the Muslim community and the Christian community.

Here is the table that Bard developed:

ManuscriptLocationDateFeatures
Birmingham Quran ManuscriptBirmingham University Library, UK568-645 ADWritten in Hijazi script, one of the oldest forms of Arabic script.
Sana’a ManuscriptNational Library of Yemen, Sana’a650-670 ADContains the oldest known variant readings of the Quran.
Leningrad Quran ManuscriptRussian National Library, Saint Petersburg700-750 ADOne of the most complete Quranic manuscripts.
Topkapi Quran ManuscriptTopkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul800-850 ADDecorated with gold and silver calligraphy.
Samarkand Kufic Quran ManuscriptState Museum of Oriental Art, Moscow900-950 ADWritten in Kufic script, an early form of Arabic calligraphy.
Gotthelf Bergsträßer ArchiveUniversity of Münster, Germany1000-1050 ADContains a variety of Quranic manuscripts, including fragments, codices, and amulets.
Mingana Quran ManuscriptChester Beatty Library, Dublin1100-1150 ADWritten on parchment, which is made from animal skin.
Dublin Quran ManuscriptChester Beatty Library, Dublin1200-1250 ADOne of the most complete Quranic manuscripts.
Mosque of the Prophet Quran ManuscriptMasjid al-Nabawi, Medina1300-1350 ADWritten on parchment, which is made from animal skin.
Mosque of Omar Quran ManuscriptAl-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem1400-1450 ADWritten on parchment, which is made from animal skin.
The ten most ancient copies of the Qur’an with details (developed by Bard)

Here are a few reflections on these manuscripts before delving in more fully.

  1. The lack of a more developed list shows the lack of value among Muslim scholars in studying ancient copies of the Qur’an. Instead, most Muslims depend on Hafiz (students who have memorized the Qur’an) to provide an accurate transmission of the Qur’an. Therefore, Muslims prefer to depend on oral, rather than written, transmission of the Qur’an.
  2. It is almost impossible to have intelligent conversations about Quranic textual criticism. Most Muslim scholars have chosen not to explore this data. Instead, they simply say, “The Qur’an has never changed.” The feeling is that if they repeat that mantra, and ignore any evidence, that the problem will go away.
  3. More and more people are looking at Quranic textual criticism. People are completing PhDs on this topic and books are being published, mostly by non-Muslims. In fact, it seems that a number of Christians are studying in this field because they have skill regarding textual criticism because of their studies of the Bible using this approach. However, it seems to me that most Muslims simply see that as an attack on their religion by outsiders rather than a genuine engagement with data.
  4. I believe that the narrative will change over the next 20 years and that it will be generally acknowledged soon that the Qur’an has a textual history. After all, even Sahih al-Bukhari acknowledges the textual history of the Qur’an by telling the story of Caliph Uthman having the Hafiz of his time make an authoritative version of the Qur’an, burning the ancient copies, and sending his authoritative version to each of the Muslim provinces. Many Muslims still argue that the Topkapi and Samarkand manuscripts are Uthmanic recensions, even though the field of Quranic textual criticism has not only debunked that statement but also shown that there are a great deal of textual variants between those two manuscripts.

In summary, the Qur’an has a textual history. While Muslim leaders continue to push their narrative that the Qur’an has been faithfully transmitted without any change of any kind, the evidence is clearly against them. It seems like that a generation of Muslim youth will be confronted with this data and begin to ask intelligent questions. It will be interesting to see how the Muslim world responds to widespread doubt about the origins of the Qur’an.

Details about a Few of these Quranic Manuscripts

Birmingham Quran Manuscript. The oldest manuscript of the Qur’an indicates many textual variants in the Qur’an. The Birmingham Quran Manuscript, also known as the Mingana Quran, is believed to be one of the oldest surviving copies of the Quran. The manuscript was discovered in 1932 by Alphonse Mingana, an Iraqi scholar, during his visit to the University of Birmingham’s Mingana Collection of Middle Eastern Manuscripts. It consists of two leaves of parchment, written in an early form of the Arabic script known as Hijazi. Radiocarbon dating conducted in 2015 placed its origin between 568 and 645 AD, making it potentially older than any other known Quranic manuscript (click here for data on this dating this manuscript). The online portal to the Birmingham Qur’an manuscript is available here. Dr. Alba Fedeli is one of the foremost scholars on this manuscript. Her conclusions are available here: https://etheses.bham.ac.uk/id/eprint/5864/ A cursory scan of Dr. Fedeli’s work shows that she spent well over a hundred pages of this work detailing textual variants in early manuscripts of the Qur’an.

The Sana’a Manuscript. The second oldest manuscript of the Qur’an indicates even more textual variants. The Sana’a Manuscript, also known as the Sana’a Palimpsest, is a significant collection of ancient Quranic fragments discovered in the Great Mosque of Sana’a, Yemen, in the 1970s. The Sana’a Manuscript consists of parchment sheets reused for writing purposes, resulting in a palimpsest. Underneath the visible text, scholars discovered a previous layer of text that had been erased and overwritten. This discovery has allowed researchers to study the evolution and variation of the Quranic text. The manuscript’s textual variants and orthographic features suggest that the Quranic text underwent changes and revisions during its early transmission. These variations challenge the traditional Islamic belief in the Quran’s textual preservation and the absence of any changes over time. There have been many videos made to help people understand that the Sana’a manuscript very clearly demonstrates that many textual variants in the ancient Qur’an. Here is one video that I have enjoyed on this subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvPMDyBlUPA

The Leningrad Qur’an Manuscript. The Leningrad Qur’an Manuscript, also known as the Leningrad Codex, is an important manuscript that contains the complete text of the Qur’an. It was probably copied in Cairo in the 9th century AD, during the Abbasid period of Islamic history. The manuscript was written in Arabic and is currently in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It seems that this manuscript has not been well studied since data on it is difficult to find.

The Topkapi Manuscript. The Topkapi Manuscript, also referred to as the Topkapi Codex, is believed to date back to the early 9th century AD, making it one of the oldest known Quranic manuscripts. The Topkapi Manuscript consists of 99 leaves and contains Surahs 17 to 36 of the Qur’an. It is written on parchment and utilizes the Kufic script, which was prevalent during that period. The manuscript’s text lacks diacritical marks and vowel indicators, typical of early Quranic manuscripts. One distinctive feature of the Topkapi Manuscript is that it includes various annotations and corrections, demonstrating the scribal practices and textual development of the Quran during that era. These annotations provide valuable insights into the early transmission and recording of the Quranic text. Many Muslims argue that this is the best and earliest of the Quranic texts. While a book has been written detailing the textual variants of this manuscript, most find the cost of that book prohibitive from purchasing it: https://www.ircica.org/publications/studies-on-the-holy-quran/al-mushaf-al-sharif-topkapi-palace-museum-library-madina-nr-1

The Samarkand Manuscript. The Samarkand Manuscript, also known as the Samarqand Mushaf, is named after the city of Samarkand in present-day Uzbekistan, where it is currently housed.The manuscript is believed to have been written in the 8th century CE and is attributed to the Umayyad period of Islamic history. It consists of two volumes, with Volume 1 containing 282 parchment leaves and Volume 2 containing 268 leaves. The Samarkand Manuscript is written in the Kufic script, which was a prevalent style of Arabic calligraphy during that time. Recent studies indicate that the Samarkand Manuscript has many more variants than the Topkapi manuscript.

86 Common Terms in Muselmani English

This blog post is a strange one! It is my first blog post that is me simply reporting a Chat GPT conversation. Lately, I have been using Chat GPT as one research tool. It can synthesize a great deal of information in a short period of time. Today, I asked Chat GPT a question, and I thought you all might appreciate the response.

My Question to Chat GPT: “I am trying to understand a new dialect of English that I call Muselmani English. My experience is that many Muslims insert a great deal of Arabic terms into English, especially when they are speaking about religious things. Could you provide a list of the 100 most common Arabic terms that English-speaking Muslims tend to insert into English?”

Chat GPT’s response is the rest of this blog post: Certainly! It’s important to note that the usage of Arabic terms in English can vary among English-speaking Muslims, and not all Muslims use these terms in their everyday conversations. However, I can provide you with a list of commonly used Arabic terms that some English-speaking Muslims may incorporate into their speech, particularly when discussing religious matters. Here are 100 such terms:

  1. Allah (God)
  2. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah)
  3. InshaAllah (If Allah wills)
  4. SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah)
  5. MashAllah (What Allah has willed)
  6. Astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from Allah)
  7. Salam (Peace)
  8. Assalamu Alaikum (Peace be upon you)
  9. JazakAllah Khair (May Allah reward you with goodness)
  10. MashaAllah (What Allah has willed)
  11. Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)
  12. Bismillah (In the name of Allah)
  13. Hadith (Sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad)
  14. Sunnah (Prophetic tradition)
  15. Quran (The Islamic holy book)
  16. Sadaqah (Voluntary charity)
  17. Zakat (Obligatory charity)
  18. Fajr (Dawn prayer)
  19. Dhuhr (Midday prayer)
  20. Asr (Afternoon prayer)
  21. Maghrib (Evening prayer)
  22. Isha (Night prayer)
  23. Taraweeh (Nightly Ramadan prayer)
  24. Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca)
  25. Umrah (Minor pilgrimage)
  26. Eid (Religious festival)
  27. Shahada (Testimony of faith)
  28. Halal (Permissible according to Islamic law)
  29. Haram (Prohibited according to Islamic law)
  30. Wudu (Ablution)
  31. Sadaqah al-Fitr (Charity given at the end of Ramadan)
  32. Taqwa (God-consciousness)
  33. Tawhid (Monotheism)
  34. Shirk (Associating partners with Allah)
  35. Barakah (Divine blessing)
  36. Dua (Supplication)
  37. Imam (Religious leader)
  38. Madrasah (Islamic school)
  39. Muezzin (Person who calls to prayer)
  40. Qibla (Direction of the Kaaba in Mecca)
  41. Sira (Biography of Prophet Muhammad)
  42. Tafsir (Quranic interpretation)
  43. Hijab (Head covering)
  44. Niqab (Face covering)
  45. Ramadan (Islamic month of fasting)
  46. Iftar (Breaking the fast)
  47. Suhoor (Pre-dawn meal)
  48. Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power)
  49. Qiyamah (Resurrection)
  50. Jannah (Paradise)
  51. Jahannam (Hell)
  52. Mahr (Dowry)
  53. Ameen (Amen)
  54. Fitnah (Trial or tribulation)
  55. Itikaf (Seclusion in the mosque)
  56. Khutbah (Sermon)
  57. Sadaqah Jariyah (Continuous charity)
  58. Taubah (Repentance)
  59. Zikr (Remembrance of Allah)
  60. Mufti (Islamic scholar)
  61. Ummah (Muslim community)
  62. Wali (Guardian or saint)
  63. Dawah (Propagation of Islam)
  64. Fatwa (Legal ruling)
  65. Halaqah (Religious study circle)
  66. Iman

(Faith) 67. Ihsan (Excellence in worship)

  1. Istikhara (Seeking guidance from Allah)
  2. Masjid (Mosque)
  3. Mubah (Permissible)
  4. Qadr (Divine decree)
  5. Sajdah (Prostration)
  6. Shura (Consultation)
  7. Tawakkul (Reliance on Allah)
  8. Ummi (Illiterate)
  9. Witr (Odd-numbered prayer)
  10. Ta’ala (Exalted)
  11. Sahaba (Companions of the Prophet)
  12. Sahih (Authentic)
  13. Bid’ah (Innovation)
  14. Khutbah (Friday sermon)
  15. Waliullah (Friend of Allah)
  16. Fard (Obligatory)
  17. Tawbah (Repentance)
  18. Azan (Call to prayer)
  19. Fitra (Charity given on Eid)

[Note that ChatGPT could only provide 86 terms, even though I asked for 100! Do you know of anything else that belongs on the list?]

Six Initial Reflections on the Urdu Common Version Translation of the New Testament

I recently encountered the Urdu Common Version translation by Biblica. You can find it here in the Apple store and here in the Google Play store. So, I distributed the app to a few friends and colleagues to begin getting feedback. Of course, people started asking for my feedback almost immediately. Unfortunately, I have only read Matthew 1-3 and flipped through other verses. As I read more, I may come and write another blog post as my understanding of this translation grows. 

Please note that I am transliterating phrases from the UCV into Roman Urdu here (with English glosses in parentheses). Some readers understand Urdu in the Nastaliq script, and others can only read it in Devnagri. Thankfully, the UCV is in both Nastaliq and Devnagri scripts! But I know that all the readers here understand Roman Urdu. 

So, I am writing to move the conversation forward. I honestly believe the UCV might become my translation of choice for work among South Asian Muslims.

I have six initial reflections on this new translation.

First, I like the contextualization of this translation. For example, here are a few of the translation decisions in the UCV.

  • “Isa” for “Jesus.” The name of Jesus usually has the tag “Hazoor” (Persian term for honor) attached, but sometimes “Hazrat” (another Persian term for honor) is used (See my note below on the inconsistent use of Hazrat in this translation). The translators of the UCV generally prefer Hazoor for Jesus over Hazrat to indicate that Jesus is worthy of more honor than any other prophet. I love that translation decision. It is something small, but I like the implications. 
  • “Al-Maseeh” for “Christ.” Many Urdu translations use “Maseeh,” which has a more Christian sound. Most of my Muslim friends prefer to add the prefix “al,” which is simply the Arabic for “the.” There is no shift in meaning, but this small change gives this a better contextualization flavor.
  • “Khuda” for “God.” Khuda is a Persian word for the almighty. Traditionally, most Urdu translations have used this term for God. Another Muselmani Urdu translation primarily uses Allah for God, which also has strengths. The only issue is that more and more Muslims in South Asia are switching from using Khuda to Allah. Some Muslims have come to believe that Khuda is now a Christianese term (a term that Christians rather than Muslims use). Therefore, many Muslims might find the word “Khuda” a foreign-sounding term. 
  • “Khudawand” is used for “Lord.” This choice is faithful to the intent of the original authors of the New Testament in the implications of the Lordship of Jesus. For example, in Romans 1:1, Khudawand Isa al-Maseeh is used for “Lord Jesus Christ.” I enjoy that this translation uses a term as strong as Khudawand for the Lordship of Jesus since this term implies His deity. 
  • The tag Hazrat is applied to various prophets/leaders of the Old Testament. In South Asia, most Muslims attach “Hazrat” before the name of a prophet and “alayhi salaam” (may the peace of Allah be upon him) after the name of the prophet. Many Muslims find it disrespectful of the prophets when we do not follow this custom. The translators of the UCV seem to have found a good balance here by using the “Hazrat” and omitting the “alayhi salaam.” I believe this will cause most Muslim readers to see that the prophets are being respected while not inserting too much into the text. From a contextualization standpoint, I love the insertion of “Hazrat” in this translation. However, my biblicist side hates seeing an extra term repeatedly inserted into the text. The UCV translators have done as well as can be expected to find a middle ground on these two poles. 
  • “Pak-Gusl” for “baptism.” Traditional Urdu translations transliterate the Greek word “baptismos” into Urdu as “baptisma” rather than translating this term. But “Baptisma” is an entirely foreign term and concept for Muslims. However, the ritual washings of gusl and wudu are common among Muslims. A “pak-gusl” (holy bath) clarifies that the text does not refer to the normal gusl used in Islam but something distinct. Therefore, “pak-gusl” is a great term to use for baptism.
  • “Yahya” for John the Baptist’s name. The UCV does a great job of using the Arabic names of prophets that will be familiar to Muslims. I was recently reading Matthew 3 with a Muslim-background believer. That translation used “Yahunna baptisma denewala.” This phrase meant nothing to my MBB friend. But my friend understood when I explained that it was about Hazrat Yahya, who gave a special pak-gusl for repentance. 
  • “Khuda ka beta” is used for “Son of God.” Muslim-friendly translations sometimes seek to obscure fundamental biblical truths, such as the fatherhood of God and the Sonship of Jesus. I am very thankful that the UCV provides the most precise and straightforward translation calling Jesus the Son of God. 

Second, there are a few areas where the contextualization of the UCV translation needs to be improved. Please note that the positives on contextualization are much higher than the negatives! Here are two areas I have noticed so far.

  • Naya Ahadnama instead of Injeel Shareef. I have only seen one paper copy of the New Testament UCV. On the cover, they used the term “Naya Ahadnama,” meaning “New Testament.” The issue with this term is that it bears no significance or meaning to a Muslim audience. If a Muslim sees a Naya Ahadnama, they see a book about which there is no meaning. If they know the term Naya Ahadnama, they understand it is a book for Christians rather than Muslims. Instead, Injeel Shareef is the common term Muslims use for the book of Jesus. When Muslims see the Injeel Shareef, they understand that this book is significant for their community. Therefore, it would be a better contextualization practice to use that term.
  • Allah for God. I understand that there are significant controversies around the word Allah. Half of me thinks that Khuda is the best term to use in a translation like this, and half think Allah is the best. In many contexts, especially in Muslim-majority areas, I fear this translation will fail to gain traction because of the use of Khuda over Allah. In South Asia, Muslims are beginning to trend away from using Khuda and towards Allah in their regular use. 

Third, I am overall pleased with the readability of the UCV, but I have noticed some Christianese remaining. By Christianese, I mean terms that Muslims will not understand but that Christians easily understand. In those cases, there are often better terms to utilize in the Muslim context. While I have found the UCV easy to read overall, here are a few areas where I would have appreciated improvement. 

  • Use of the term rastabaz for righteous. This term occurs in Mathew 1:19 as a description of Yusef/Joseph and in Matthew 3:15, when Jesus asked Yahya/John to baptize him to fulfill all righteousness. In my experience, Urdu-speaking Christians understand the term rastabaz Urdu-speaking Muslims do not. Other terms could be utilized, depending on how the term “righteous” is being used in context, such as the Urdu “nek” or “sadiq.” 
  • Use of “Aap.” An uncommon usage of the Urdu “aap” is to use it in a very respectful way in place of “us” or “un.” The issue is that this is not a very common way to use “aap.” Those who are educated will understand, while those with less education may have difficulty with this term. Let me give on example of how the UCV uses “Aap” in this way. In Matthew 1:6, “Hazrat Daud se Hazrat Suleiman paida hue, aap ki maa pehle Uriyah ki bivi ti.” While this usage is technically correct and highly respectful language, it slightly obscures the meaning. If we obscure too much in a text, the meaning becomes harder and harder for those of low education to understand. A perennial issue in translations in South Asia is a preference towards high language that many need help understanding. Translators should avoid high Urdu terms to make the text more accessible. 

Fourth, I always see weaknesses in the biblical accuracy of translations not done from the original language. Let me give a few indications that the translators did not do this translation from Greek.

  • The insertion of police in Matthew 2:16. The UCV reads that Herod “sipahi bhej kar” (sent police/constables) to kill the children two and under. The Greek text does not mention who was sent, just that Herod sent unnamed people to kill the children. However, the BSI/PBS translations say that Herod sent “admi” (men) to kill the children. While it cannot be conclusively shown from one or two examples, it appears likely that the translators of the UCV leaned heavily on other translations rather than going to the original Greek.
    • BSI means the Bible Society of India; PBS means the Pakistan Bible Society. 
  • The obliqueness of Matthew 1:6. The Greek text boldly declares that “David fathered Solomon by Uriah’s wife.” The Greek text seems to point out the offense of what had happened and the greatness of God that He worked through such a genealogy to bring for Jesus. However, the BSI/PBS translations sought to dull the offense of this passage by saying, “aur Daud se Suleman us aurat se paida hua jo pehle Uriyah ki bivi thi” (and David begot Solomon by that woman who was previously the wife of Uriah). The UCV follows the BSI/PBS very closely, while staying far from the clear Greek text. The UCV translates this as “Hazrat Daud se hazrat Suleiman paida hua, aap ki maa pehle Uriyah ki bivi thi” (Hazrat David fathered hazrat Solomon, whose mother was previously the wife of Uriah”). When I read these texts in parallel, it seems to me that the translators had the PBS and BSI translations in their hands rather than the Greek New Testament.

However, I have always been something of a biblicist. So, I may be too strict here. I dislike it when people obscure the Word of God. It is one of the reasons that I learned Greek because I wanted to see the Word of God without looking through the lens of a translator. Neither of these two examples changes the meaning of the text much. However, there is a danger of simply building new translations on top of old ones rather than returning to the sources. 

Fifth, I am still trying to figure out the inconsistent uses of Hazrat and Hazoor in the UCV. They may include an explanation somewhere. Here are a few of the most interesting examples for me:

  • It was odd that they use Hazrat al-Maseeh about Jesus in Matthew 2:4, when they consistently use Hazoor Isa elsewhere. They want to show the distinctiveness of Jesus by using a different term for him, so why the change in Matthew 2:4? 
  • They call the following unlikely people Hazrat in the genealogy of Matthew 1:2-17: Boaz (1:5), Obed (1:5), Jesse (1:6), Zerubabbel (1:13), Azor (1:14), and Jacob, the father of Joseph (1:16). By affixing Hazrat to these men, they are ascribing them as spiritual leaders or prophets of some type. Of these, I was most perplexed by Azor, about whom we know nothing. Why did they randomly ascribe this title to him? What was the reasoning?
  • At the same time, consider the omission of Hazrat before the following people: Jeremiah (Matt 2:17), Isaiah (Matt 3:3), the Twelve Apostles (Matt 10:2-4), Paul (Acts 13:13), and the Old Testament kings after Solomon (Matt 1:7-11). If the translators used the term Hazrat to show the prophetic nature of a person, surely Jeremiah and Isaiah deserve inclusion, right? The exclusion of the apostles is also striking since it reduces them below Old Testament figures.
  • But think for a moment, Hazrat Azor (Matt 1:14), but not Hazrat Isaiah? Hazrat Zerubabbel but not Hazrat Paul? It’s just strange to me.
  • Another strange example is that Joseph, Mary’s husband, is called Hazrat Yusef/Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25; 2:13, 19, 21). He heard directly from angels and from God in dreams in Matthew 1-2, which would make him a prophet according to Islam… but I have never heard a biblical teaching trying to defend him as a prophet. 

In the end, I would like to re-evaluate how the translators have chosen to utilize the term Hazrat or at least hear a better rationale for their usage of this term.

Sixth, I appreciate the footnotes of the UCV that provide helpful explanations of terms that Muslims would not understand. For example, Matthew 3:7 introduces the Pharisees. A footnote says, “Pharisi yaani yahudiyon ka ek tabka jo shariat ke aleem aur ustad the,” which accurately describes Pharisees as teachings and experts of the Law. It would have been helpful to say that they were experts of the Law of Moses. However, I am thankful for the inclusion of such footnotes. I am also grateful that the translators did not attempt to insert all their comments inside the text. They understood a healthy separation between translating the text and including helpful information in footnotes. 

Overall, I am pleased with the UCV translation. As I said, I need to read further, but it may become my translation of choice. If you want to discuss this translation further, please write to me at nocousinsleft@protonmail.com.