The Importance of Verifying Information

A statistics email has been circulating the web since many years, forwarded mostly by well-meaning Muslims, yet it may be misleading many. The number of verses of the Quran mentioned in it is 6666. 

Many years ago, a Christian reverted to Islam but was unsure about it, as according to the Christian beliefs, 666 is the number of the beast. This is a matter of concern for Christians as they then worry in case the Quran is the work of the devil. When my father (Illias Suttar) shared with him his elder brother (Ibrahim Suttar)'s article on the number of verses in the Quran (he had counted them and had arrived at the total 6236), the man was so relieved - his doubts about the authenticity of the Quran disappeared and his heart was at ease. 

I share this story to emphasise the importance of being very scrupulous when sharing anything about Islam.  

React or Respond

Someone trying to live by his interpretation of Quran 9:112 complained:  This is exactly what I said. In Surah 9 verse 112 says the same thing . The conditions mentioned in that Surah is very difficult. Specially Al- Munkar. Have you asked anybody to stop taking Riba? I have. They don't talk to me. I was very sick about 3 months ago and nobody came to see me or even ask about my health on the phone.  That is how difficult it to deal with people. Do you ask young and old relatives do they say prayers regularjy and read the Quran. They don't talk to me anymore. Ask your close relatives the same questions and see the reaction.

As I said try it and see how they react. 

My Answer: I think the key word is 'react'. If we want people to respond, then we need to follow the guidance in the following verse: [Quran 16:125 Translator: Sahih International] Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.
We are all 'convinced' of the veracity of our understanding and interpretation of religion, and nobody appreciates a 'holier than thou' attitude, or being scolded, spoken down to, or worse, ad hominem remarks against their persons or their near and dear ones.  We are all human, each one of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, good deeds and faults, and each one is trying from their own level of consciousness and understanding. Nobody wants to deliberately cause temporal or eternal loss to themselves. Besides, every saint has a past, every sinner a future! 

Intercession

Here are some verses which appear to explain your concern about intercession as mentioned in Ayat-ul-Kursi and the verse preceeding that. It seems that our selves (nafs) will not be able to intercede or invoke intercession. However, there are angels in Heaven whom Allah will allow to intercede on behalf of those whom He wishes to grant intercession. Since we humans cannot invoke angels, hence it is beyond our power to seek intercession. We can only try to keep our duty, and hope that our errors and sins will be pardoned. Please see the following verses (I've pasted the translations, but you will have to check up the Arabic yourself):  

2:48 And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided.

39:44 Say, "To Allah belongs [the right to allow] intercession entirely. To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. Then to Him you will be returned.” 

43:86 And those they invoke besides Him do not possess [power of] intercession; but only those who testify to the truth [can benefit], and they know. 

53:26 And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after Allah has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves. 

74:48 So there will not benefit them the intercession of [any] intercessors. 

You may also want to check out the intercession mentioned in the various places in the Quran by following this link: http://corpus.quran.com/search.jsp?q=intercession 

Please see Surah Taha, verses 109-114 for confirmation of the intercession mentioned in ayat-ul-kursi. 

[Quran 20: 108-114, Translator: Yusuf Ali] 

108 On that Day will they follow the Caller (straight): no crookedness (can they show) him: all sounds shall humble themselves in the Presence of (Allah) Most Gracious: nothing shalt thou hear but the tramp of their feet (as they march). 

109 On that Day shall no intercession avail except for those for whom permission has been granted by (Allah) Most Gracious and whose word is acceptable to Him.

110 He knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them: but they shall not compass it with their knowledge.

111 (All) faces shall be humbled before (Him) - the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Eternal: hopeless indeed will be the man that carries iniquity (on his back).

112 But he who works deeds of righteousness, and has faith, will have no fear of harm nor of any curtailment (of what is his due). 

113 Thus have We sent this down - an arabic Qur'an - and explained therein in detail some of the warnings, in order that they may fear Allah, or that it may cause their remembrance (of Him)  

114 High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth! Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to thee is completed, but say, "O my Lord! advance me in knowledge."

Salvation, Fire and Love

Love: I love God for all He is: His love for me, His beneficence and mercy, His compassion, the sustenance He provides me, the guidance He continually gives me, the messengers and books He has sent, the education He has given me, the words that I’m able to read, write and ponder upon, the mind that He has given me to think and understand, the wonderful people that continually enrich my life and mind, the love and blessings that continually keep coming my way, and for so much more. And every page of the Quran that I read, I find His love and mercy pouring forth: continuously guiding me and telling me what is right and what is wrong, and lovingly telling me to repent from my wrongs and be blessed, reminding me of the unseen, the reality of Heaven and Hell, and how I still have a chance, and how keen He is that I respond to His mercy and love with a true heart, and how wonderful a state of felicity I would find myself in forever, if only I respond.

Fire: The fire of Hell is a reality. God could have used His All-Encompassing Knowledge to fill heaven and hell with us, without sending us to Earth for this trial, but yet, He gave us a chance. And He has given us guidance and warnings, so that we believe and save ourselves.

Salvation: Salvation is a need, our need, because when disease or some affliction strikes us in this mortal world, we find it difficult to bear, and when it gets unbearable, inspite of human instinct for a long life, we sometimes wish for death. But, in the hereafter, there will be no death! Those in the gardens of heaven will be in a perpetual state of felicity, while those in hell a perpetual state of pain. We do, indeed, need salvation from that.

Pope

Continuation of the discussion on Real vs Pretender and Jesus Christ, J asks: would you call the luxurious life of the Pope of Rome - his successor(?) - a proof for false messages? 

Answer: We believe the basic teachings of the Paul and his successors are against the letter and spirit of the teachings of Jesus. Jesus came to confirm the Law and to explain its wisdom, so that it is upheld with the correct spirit, and not in a half-hearted manner. Jesus taught Monotheism and to keep duty whole-heartedly. Yet, Paul did away with the Law and started Jesus-worship. Have you visited the Vatican? Its full of symbols of polytheism, particularly of ancient Egypt, including the Obelisk right in the middle of St. Peter's Square. Consider the following two verses from the Bible: 

http://biblehub.com/exodus/20-4.htm New International Version

"You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 

http://biblehub.com/matthew/5-17.htm New International Version 

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.     

Will Jesus allow St. Paul to enter the Kingdom of Heaven: http://can-you-answer.com/CanChristiansAnswer/canChrisAns.htm   

Different Sects - Same Quran

Question: do Shiates 'read' the same Quran as Sunnis? 

Answer: Yes, they do read the same arabic Quran, though they differ in some beliefs, which leads to them being different sects. It is important to bear in mind that all religions have sects in them. In fact, two of the world's great religions: Judaism and Christianity both read the same book: What the Christians refer to as the Old Testament are the books which were written before Jesus. 

[http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/what-is-the-difference-between-the-torah-and-the-old-testament-in-the-catholic-bible ] 

Jesus Christ

As a continuation of the Real vs Pretender, J wrote: I would have liked to 'see' that ALL false messengers DO require worldly benefits - some may not. Jesus Christ did not - 

Answer: We believe that Jesus was a true Messenger of God.  

http://quran.com/2/87 Sahih International

And We did certainly give Moses the Torah and followed up after him with messengers. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Pure Spirit. But is it [not] that every time a messenger came to you, [O Children of Israel], with what your souls did not desire, you were arrogant? And a party [of messengers] you denied and another party you killed. 

http://quran.com/2/136 Sahih International

Say, [O believers], "We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him." 

http://quran.com/2/253 Sahih International

Those messengers - some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some of them in degree. And We gave Jesus, the Son of Mary, clear proofs, and We supported him with the Pure Spirit. If Allah had willed, those [generations] succeeding them would not have fought each other after the clear proofs had come to them. But they differed, and some of them believed and some of them disbelieved. And if Allah had willed, they would not have fought each other, but Allah does what He intends. 

http://quran.com/3/45 Sahih International

[And mention] when the angels said, "O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary - distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah ]. 

http://quran.com/3/59 Sahih International

Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created Him from dust; then He said to him, "Be," and he was.

http://quran.com/4/157 Sahih International

And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah ." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain. 

Concordance of verses about Jesus (Isa) in the Quran: http://corpus.quran.com/search.jsp?q=Isa