إجازة الشيخ أحمد بن محمد بن أحمد لبن بقراءة الإمام عاصم

موضوع: Wasif Arra’e السبت 24 سبتمبر 2016, 3:19 pm

Wasif Arra’e
In Amman, the capital of Jordan, Wasif Arra’e was born to a Catholic couple. They have taught their child the love of Christianity and dedication to its rituals. When he reached school age, they enrolled him at the American mission school “Terra Sainte," whose main interest is religious education. Using their smart ways, teachers strengthen the attachment of Wasif and his school mates to Christianity.

Many times the religious education teachers presented pictures of Christ, his mother and also pictures of the so-called saints on the projector. Wasif and his friends enjoyed immensely these presentations.

However, this situation changed when one of the teachers showed them a picture of a very old man with long hair and bushy beard. He was sitting on the clouds. The teacher then asked them who this man was. Wasif expected many answers to the enquiry except one.

Calmly, the teacher answered it is the picture of God. Glory be to Him; he has no partner and no equal.

“I have been shocked; I haven’t known that people kept a picture of God.” It was a defining moment added to the many questions in the mind of the intelligent boy. Ten years of cramming religious courses led Wasif to one conclusion.

“Religion is mystery… as if faith has been revealed in a divine vernacular, hardly known to anyone, except God and his alleged vice-gerents on earth. They interpret it according to their whims and desires.” They have transformed religion into mumble jumble similar to the murmur and grunt of charlatans and sorcerers.

On one occasion, seeking some clarification about a religious matter, someone told him:”You may not argue with me about the texts of the bible. Their meanings are ostensibly different, and their symbols to things are unfathomable by laymen."

Thus, asking a question about religion could entail one of the following. Either it would be taboos, evidence of profanation; doubt or suspicion or what the infamous inquisition termed as (heresy).

Initiating conversations with Wasif and his class mates, teachers or priests usually impose axioms that must be considered dictums and must be obeyed. Even if one realizes that they are in absolute contradiction to reason and logic.

One day, Wasif asked the priest: Why do we need an innocent man parading as God walking the earth to receive forgiveness from him yet this presumed “God” would be killed and crucified in his place? Is God unable to forgive us with a single word from him?

The priest raised his voice with what he considered it to be the axiom: forgiveness of a sin comes only with a price. The spilled Christ’s blood on the cross is the ransom.

Wasif tried in vain to learn more about this wrong fallacy and a proof to this erroneous myth upon which Christianity is built. Who said this? Is this really true? Does God need a swap to grant us forgiveness?

As for Islam, the misunderstood religion, Wasif suckled its hate with his mother’s milk. Then, his missionary school completed what his parents have started. They filled his head with various malicious stories about Islam.

They fed him fabricated and not so fabricated stories. “I have never asked myself once whether this religion deserves mine or someone else’s hatred and hostility.

I swore resentment to a religion; I know nothing about. I only have done so obeying those whose hearts were filled with hatred towards Islam through sheer ignorance, deceit and blind imitation.”

Wasif has not been a religious young man in the true sense of the word, despite his sparse visits to the church. He has tried to apply the Christian morality taught by the teachers or priest. They have told him Christianity was the religion of forgiveness and tolerance. He heard many times what Mathew has said about Jesus:

” But *I* say unto you, not to resist evil; but whoever shall strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other; and to him that would go to law with thee and take thy body coat, leave him thy cloak also. And whoever will compel thee to go one mile, go with him two. But *I* say unto you, Love your enemies, [bless those who curse you,] do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who [insult you and] persecute you, (5-39-44).

“However, when matters become serious, who would turn his left cheek to someone who slapped him on the right? Who would give up his assets to someone who takes it forcibly through theft or coercion? Who would love his enemies or bless those who curse him? And who is among Christians apply these teachings today?”

Besides, such values are submerged in fantasy. They will put the foundation a society where injustice, corruption, subservience reign supreme.

It happened that Wasif’s father had an argument with the missionary school’s management. He moved his son from this school to a private one called “Al-Aqsa schools” known to be of good reputation.

This decision will put Wasif side by side with the Muslims he hated. To avoid troubles, his parents advised him not to participate in any religious discussions.

The weekly Islamic education period hasn’t been a compulsory subject on Wasif the Christian; he has been exempted from taking part in it. However, the nice manner of the teacher, (Mohammad Helail) has drawn Wasif to this course and stuck to it uninterrupted.

He started memorizing verses of the Qur’an and the Prophet’s Sunna. As a matter of fact, He was an excellent student. He surpassed his Muslim class mates in all subjects, including Islamic education.

He participated in many school excursions and field trips; he was also a member of the boys’ scouts. He took part in symposia, lectures and camps with his Muslim school mates. He saw them praying and shared with them a day of fasting. Wasif observed his friends talk about religion; ask and get answers. Their religion has no secrets or specificities.

“Islam has seemed to me a religion of reason and logic; a religion of strength and pride and realism. With strength and pride, you’ll find kindness and mercy."

What Wasif has seen during two years was sufficient enough to refute the erroneous image about Islam. For long years, his head has been crammed with misleading notions about Muslims and Islam. How dare anyone to accuse Islam of Injustice against non-Muslims.

Even so, the Prophet (PBUH) said:”Whosoever does injustice to an ally (Mua’ahad); decrease his dues; overburdens him more than he can bear and takes away anything from him without consent; I will be his foe the Day of Judgment."

Furthermore, Wasif has been stunned by the Caliph Omar’ Bin Al-Khattab’s attitude towards the Jew when he saw him begging. He told the Exchequer:”By God, we haven’t been fair to him. We have used him in his youth and neglected him in his old age. [The alms are meant only for the poor and the needy] (Sura, At-Tawba, verse 60). The poor are the Muslims, and this man is from the needy of the people of the book. He canceled his tribute, and that of the people like him."

Two years of education with Muslims have taught “Wasif” a lot about Islam. Gone are most of the falsehoods that burdened him; however, something most astonishing happened to him. He has become a refined thinker. Now, where would all this lead to?

“It would be impossible for my mind-after the new knowledge I have acquired- to accept Christianity and its incantations, secrets and trinity. It would be difficult to be convinced of the “son of God” and the “mother of God."

It would be hard to confess sins to the priest and swallow bread dipped in wine… there are also many other things that man transcends to accept unless it was locked in intolerance and transmitted blind imitation."

The idea of accepting Islam started to germinate in “Wasif’s” mind. Nevertheless, he rejected it because it collided with his Christian zeal. This step would open a gate of fear of what might come.

“To accept Islam would mean leaving behind familiar principles and beliefs and lifestyle to unknown ones. This matter needs wisdom and courage.”

However, he could no longer carry on being Christian after uncovering its invalidity.

To face up to the struggle between his mind and his prejudice, he opted for atheism.

He has decided to become an atheist. He couldn’t hold this decision for long. He soon changed.

He reverted to the belief in God. It was clear to him the necessity to believe in the existence of Allah, and some of his attributes that supported the majestic splendor in His creations.

Wasif acknowledged many of God’s attributes, such as “The Creator; the all-knowing; the all-wise; the Omnipotent.” He decided to look for them in the books of the three monotheistic religions, (Judaism, Christianity and Islam).

Only in Islam did he find what he wanted. It also happened that he found a book titled “Muslim doctrine,” written by Sheikh Mohammad Al-Ghazali. Within its pages, he discovered that “Islam emphasizes that Allah is unparalleled in Himself; incomparable in His attributes; unique in His actions. Nothing equals him in Himself, in His attribute, and actions. I have found in this transcendence my long pursued aim.

I knew then that what Islam says about Allah is acceptable to every reasonable person.

Furthermore, the writing of Sheikh Mohammad Al-Ghazali about the doctrine of a Muslim was compatible with my own long research findings. With that, I have asserted that Islam is the only true religion that respects my intelligence. It’s indeed a religion from God.”

Fearing the future and the harm, hardship and tribulations expected, made Wasif tarry in accepting Islam. Then, to escape this dilemma a bizarre idea came to his mind.

He decided to mix Islam and Christianity in a strange combination. He will leave out what contradicts Islam in Christianity and becomes a sort of “Muslim Catholic”!

Wasif carried on with his Bible readings.

However, a text drew his attention in which Christ warns-according to Mathew- about false prophets. He gives a clear sign to tell them apart from true prophets. Their impact on earth and the consequences left among humans are the real measures and standards.

“Ye shall know them by their fruits.

Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit; neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. [Mathew, 7/16-20].

Wasif compared this text that describes prophets to Islam. He said: “I have found in these expressions the conclusive evidence that Islam is a divine message and that Mohammad Bin Abdullah is the real and honest messenger of Allah.

Furthermore, the expression”by their fruits ye shall know them” indeed distinguishes true to false among prophets. I reviewed Islam [in it; I have found advantages I haven’t found in other religions].

With this convincing proof, I have simply to say: Islam is a valid and excellent fruit.

Only a good tree will bear such fruit. Then I said: I bear witness, that there is no God worthy of worshiping except Allah, and I bear witness, that Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

At the chemistry period, Wasif uttered the declaration of faith. It was a beautiful day of the year 1966; he was merely twenty years of age.

He moved to Riyadh where he worked and had children. He told the story of his guidance to Islam in a book titled [I was a Christian.] “God has blessed me with Islam after a bitter psychological struggle.

I hesitated many times to take the definite step. I have faced various trials and tribulations throughout my journey. However, Allah has been kind to me and saved me before it was too late.”