Rebuttal to Answering Islam: The Quran's Slaner of Solomon: The communion of Demons.

This article is located at : http://www../Quran/Contra/solomon_jinn.htm

He Wrote:

Quran Contradiction

The Quran’s Slander of Solomon: The Communion of Demons

Muslims complain about the biblical portrayal of prophets and messengers being sinners, committing gross sinful acts, and view this as an indication that the Holy Bible has been corrupted. We have discussed these points elsewhere on our site, so we are not seeking to explain or defend the reason why the Holy Bible presents specific prophets in a negative light.

We, instead, want to use this criterion against the Quran and show that the Muslim scripture is guilty of slandering Allah’s messengers. This is basically a continuation of a series of articles on this subject that can be read here:

http://./Shamoun/sins_of_prophets.htm
http://./Shamoun/adam_and_eve_shirk.htm

Here, we want to examine the Quran’s claim that Solomon had demons working for him and under his authority.

My Response:

[021:079] To Solomon We inspired the (right) understanding of the matter: to each (of them) We gave Judgment and Knowledge; it was Our power that made the hills and the birds celebrate Our praises, with David: it was We Who did (all these things).

[027:015] We gave (in the past) knowledge to David and Solomon: And they both said: "Praise be to God, Who has favoured us above many of his servants who believe!"

[027:036] Now when (the embassy) came to Solomon, he said: "Will ye give me abundance in wealth? But that which God has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay it is ye who rejoice in your gift!

Now, let us look at the Holy Bible:

3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech ^[a] the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.

These verses are from 1 Kings 11:3-6, and I think it pretty much proves the point. Also, compare that verse of the Bible, with this:

[038:030] To David We gave Solomon (for a son),- How excellent in Our service! Ever did he turn (to Us)!

What's even more interesting thing is what Abdullah Yusuf Ali said about this verse (Sura 38:30):

" The greatest in this life have yet need of this spiritual blessing: without it all worldly good is futile. Referring back to the story of David, we are now introduced to Solomon, who was a great king but greater still because he served God and turned to Him. The Quran, unlike the Old Testament, represents Solomon as a righteous king, not as an idolater, doing "evil in the sight of the Lord" (1 Kings xi,6)

(Source: The Qur'an : Text. Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, footnote # 4182)

So is the Muslim scripture guilty of slandering the Prophet's, I think not Mr. Shamoun.....

He Wrote:

The Holy Bible says that demons know God is one:

"You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder!" James 2:19

They even know that Jesus is the Holy Son of God who can destroy them:

"for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’" Mark 3:10-11

"When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.’ For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Legion,’ for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss." Luke 8:28-31

My Response:

In the Quran we read the Jinns as well as Men were made to serve Allah, and Allah SWT alone:

[051:056] I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me.

But let us proceed with Sam's arguments.

He Wrote:

But despite this, no believer can have fellowship or work with Satan or his demons:

"What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?" 1 Corinthians 10:19-22

"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.’" 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

The Holy Scriptures clearly warn true believers from having fellowship with Satan and the demons. If a prophet decided to fellowship or partner with Satan he would clearly be sinning against God.

Even the demons know that true believers cannot and do not have fellowship with them:

"When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. And they cried out, saying, ‘What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?’ Matthew 8:28-29

My Response:

Okay, nothing really important here.

He Wrote:

Yet the Quran says that Solomon had demons, or jinn, working for him and that he was in communion with them:

And to Solomon the wind, strongly blowing, that ran at his command unto the land that We had blessed; and We had knowledge of everything; and of the Satans some dived for him and did other work besides; and We were watching over them. S. 21:81-82

He said, 'O Council, which one of you will bring me her throne, before they come to me in surrender?' An efreet of the jinns said, 'I will bring it to thee, before thou risest from thy place; I have strength for it and I am trusty.' Said he who possessed knowledge of the Book, 'I will bring it to thee, before ever thy glance returns to thee.' Then, when he saw it settled before him, he said, 'This is of my Lord's bounty that He may try me, whether I am thankful or ungrateful. Whosoever gives thanks gives thanks only for his own soul's good, and whosoever is ungrateful -- my Lord is surely All-sufficient, All-generous.' S. 27:38-40

Ibn Kathir wrote:

<O chiefs! Which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me surrendering themselves in obedience (as Muslims)>." ...

<An `Ifrit from the Jinn said:> Mujahid said, "A giant Jinn." Abu Salih said, "It was as if he was a mountain." ...

<I will bring it to you before you rise from your place.> Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Before you get up from where you are sitting." As-Suddi and others said: "He used to sit to pass judgements and rulings over the people, and to eat, from the beginning of the day until noon." ...

<And verily, I am indeed strong and trustworthy for such work.> Ibn `Abbas said: "Strong enough to carry it and trustworthy with the jewels it contains. Sulayman, upon him be peace, said, "I want it faster than that." From this it seems that Sulayman wanted to bring this throne as a demonstration of the greatness of the power and authority that Allah had bestowed upon him and the troops that He had subjugated to him. Power such as had never been given to anyone else, before or since, so that this would furnish proof of his prophethood before Bilqis and her people, because this would be a great and wondrous thing, if he brought her throne as if he were in her country, before they could come to it, although it was hidden and protected by so many locked doors. When Sulayman said, "I want it faster than that, ...

<One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said:> Ibn `Abbas said, "This was Asif, the scribe of Sulayman." It was also narrated by Muhammad bin Ishaq from Yazid bin Ruman that he was Asif bin Barkhiya' and he was a truthful believer who knew the Greatest Name of Allah. Qatadah said: "He was a believer among the humans, and his name was Asif." ...

<I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!> Meaning, lift your gaze and look as far as you can, and before you get tired and blink, you will find it before you. Then he got up, performed ablution and prayed to Allah, may He be exalted. Mujahid said: "He said, O Owner of majesty and honor." ... (Source)

My Response:

Now, this is where the juice is at, first of all, we need to understand this, the evil one among jinns are the ones we call "Shaytaan", how do we know this,, well the Quran ofcourse:

[017:027] Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Evil Ones; and the Evil One is to his Lord (himself) ungrateful.

[017:027] Inna almubaththireena kanoo ikhwana alshshayateeni wakana alshshaytanu lirabbihi kafooran

So why does Sura 21:81-82 say that the "Satans" dived for him, well here is what Sheikh Abdullah Yusuf Ali has to say:

" As in 2736, the literalists and the rationalists take different views. The former say that Solomon had power over supernatural beings of evil, whom he compelled to dive for pearls and do other hard tasks. Rationalists refer this to hostile unruly races whom he subjected to his sway. It was God's power ultimately, Who granted him wisdom. Solomon tamed evil with Wisdom. "

( Source: The Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Footnote # 2738)

And that pretty much refutes your trash. It is true that Solomon had hosts of birds, Men, and Jinns (see Sura 27:17) but as proven, it was God's power ultimately who granted wisdom to Solomon, and Solomon tamed evil with wisdom, and this is the literalists view. But the Rationalists view, in my humble opinion makes more sense, since the Holy Qur'an says that there are evil ones among men and jinns:

[006:112] Likewise did We make for every Messenger an enemy,- evil ones among men and jinns, inspiring each other with flowery discourses by way of deception. If thy Lord had so planned, they would not have done it: so leave them and their inventions alone.

Also, for more proof, read this:

[002:014] When they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe;" but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say: "We are really with you: We (were) only jesting."

[002:014] Wa-itha laqoo allatheena amanoo qaloo amanna wa-itha khalaw ila shayateenihim qaloo inna maAAakum innama nahnu mustahzi-oona

So, Sura 21:81-82 can be referring to Evil men, but ultimately it was God's power. Now, regarding Sura 27:38-40, it is evident that the Ifrit of Jinns, were very fast, but here is the real truth behind it:

" If Solomon had been ungrateful to God i e.. if he had worked for his own selfish or worldly ends, he could have used the brute strength of Ifrit to add to his worldly strength and glory. Instead of it he uses the higher magic of the Book,- of the Spirit- to transform the throne of Bilqis for her highest good, which means also the highest good of her subjects, by the divine Light. He had the two alternatives, and he chooses the better, and he thus shows his gratitute to God for the Grace He had given him"

( Source: The Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Footnote # 3276)

And that also pretty much refutes your trash.

He Wrote:

And here now is the final Quranic text:

And to Solomon the wind; its morning course was a month's journey, and its evening course was a month's journey. And We made the Fount of Molten Brass to flow for him. And of the jinn, some worked before him by the leave of his Lord; and such of them as swerved away from Our commandment, We would let them taste the chastisement of the Blaze; fashioning for him whatsoever he would -- places of worship, statues, porringers like water-troughs, and anchored cooking-pots. 'Labour, O House of David, in thankfulness; for few indeed are those that are thankful among My servants.' And when We decreed that he should die, naught indicated to them that he was dead but the Beast of the Earth devouring his staff; and when he fell down, the jinn saw clearly that, had they only known the Unseen, they would not have continued in the humbling chastisement. S. 34:12-14

The true Word of God says that it was human agents, not demons or devils, which did the work for Solomon under his supervision (Cf. 1 Kings 3-8; 1 Chronicles 22, 28-29; 2 Chronicles 2-7).

Thus, not only do the above Quranic texts slander Solomon by accusing him of working with demons, but they also attack God’s character by claiming that God permitted demons to work on building his holy temple!

The Quran says that certain people followed what Satans slanderously said about Solomon:

and they follow what the Satans recited over Solomon's kingdom. Solomon disbelieved not, but the Satans disbelieved, teaching the people sorcery, and that which was sent down upon Babylon's two angels, Harut and Marut; they taught not any man, without they said, 'We are but a temptation; do not disbelieve.' From them they learned how they might divide a man and his wife, yet they did not hurt any man thereby, save by the leave of God, and they learned what hurt them, and did not profit them, knowing well that whoso buys it shall have no share in the world to come; evil then was that they sold themselves for, if they had but known. S. 2:106

Since the Quran slanderously accuses Solomon of working with demons, these stories must have originated from these very same Satans as a means of degrading David’s son. These tales must have been some of the things which Satan interjected into Muhammad’s message:

We sent not ever any Messenger or Prophet before thee, but that Satan cast into his fancy, when he was fancying; but God annuls what Satan casts, then God confirms His signs -- surely God is All-knowing, All-wise -- S. 22:52

All Quranic quotations taken from A. J. Arberry’s version.

Sam Shamoun

My Response:

First of all, the ignorant Shamoun has to realize that the Jinns have powers which men dont have, for example they can do things quicker then men, as shown in Sura 27:38-40, also these Jinns were just rough workers, the skilled workers are the ones the Holy Quran refer to as " Sons of David" in the next verse:

[034:013] They worked for him as he desired, (making) arches, images, basons as large as reservoirs, and (cooking) cauldrons fixed (in their places): "Work ye, sons of David, with thanks! but few of My servants are grateful!"

And to increase the damage, read this:

" ...... The workers who are called Jinns were only rouch workers, working "in front of Solomon", i.e., under his eyes and the supervision of his men. They should be distinguished from the skilled workers who worked heart and soul for the Temple, and who are addressed as the "Sons of David" in the next verse."

( Source: The Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Footnote # 3805)

Mr. Shamouns interpretation of Sura 2:106 is so lame, I wont even bother refuting it, but I will respond to his interpretation of Sura 22:52:

" Prophets and apostles (the distinction is explained n. 2503 to xix. 51) are but human. Their actions are righteous and their motives pure. But in judging things from a human point of view, the suggestion may come to their mind (from Satan) that it would be good to have power or wealth or influence for furthering God's cause, or that it may be good to conciliate some faction which may be irreconcilable. In fact, in God's plan, it may be the opposite. God, in His mercy and inspiration, will cancel any false or vain suggestions of this king, and confirm and strengthen His own commands and make known His Wll in His Signs or revelations."

( Source: The Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Footnote # 2831)

Also, its funny how Shamoun is totally ignorant of the fact that Allah SWT makes this part in the Ayat very clear>>> .......... " but God will cancel anything (vain) that Satan throws in, and God will confirm (and establish) His Signs: for God is full of Knowledge and Wisdom: "

CONCLUSION:

Now, here is what we would like to ask Sam Shamoun, Which is the Real Solomon? The one of the Bible:

(1 Kings 11:3-6)

Or the one of the Holy Qur'an:

[038:030] To David We gave Solomon (for a son),- How excellent in Our service! Ever did he turn (to Us)!

And whats even more interesting is that Abdullah Yusuf Ali even acknowledges 1 Kings 11:3-6!

(Source: The Qur'an : Text. Translation, and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, footnote # 4182)

So Sam, do you prefer a Prophet who does "evil in the eyes of the LORD" or a Prophet who is excellent in God's service??

And Allah Knows Best!