https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-10/pope-prayer-peace-virgin-mary-countries-at-war.html
(that’s almost polytheism, not that i really care since i agree with the meaning, but i’ll stay on the muslim side on this, prayers can logically only be attributed to God, i don’t see how the Holy Mary could possibly hear us and intervene, and God is beyond the distinction male//female, even if i don’t understand all the double language of christianity, and “hear” and “intervene” would need to be defined if i intend to use them in a rational/provable way)
I’ve finished the book of Nahum, clearly oriented toward Assyria(, and its capital Nineveh), at a moment it says : Nahum 3:8-9 :
Nineveh, do you feel safer than the city of Thebes(Egypt) ? The Nile River was its wall of defense.
Thebes trusted the mighty power of Ethiopia and Egypt ; the nations of Put and Libya were her allies.
The book of Micah has seven chapters, it begins by criticising the samaritans, saying that God will completely destroy them and their lands, that their sins will also have an impact on the fate of Israel and Judah. : Micah 1:3-5 :
And [God] will come down to crush underfoot every pagan altar.
Mountains will melt beneath his feet like wax beside a fire. Valleys will vanish like water rushing down a ravine.
This will happen because of the terrible sins of Israel, the descendants of Jacob. Samaria has led Israel to sin, and pagan altars at Jerusalem have made Judah sin.
Here’s the second half of yesterday’s speech : John 5:31-47 :
If I speak for myself, there is no way to prove I am telling the truth. But there is someone else who speaks for me, and I know what he says is true.
[I don’t understand]
You sent messengers to John, and he told them the truth.
I don’t depend on what people say about me, but I tell you these things so that you may be saved.
John was a lamp that gave a lot of light, and you were glad to enjoy his light for a while.
But something more important than John speaks for me. I mean the things that the Father has given me to do !
All of these speak for me and prove that the Father sent me.
The Father who sent me also speaks for me, but you have never heard His voice or seen Him face to f(/F)ace.
You have not believed His message, because you refused to have faith in the one He sent.
[I’ve added the capital letters because i think “He” points to God and not John]
You search the Scriptures, because you think you will find eternal life in them.
The Scriptures tell about me, but you refuse to come to me for eternal life.
I don’t care about human praise, but I do know that none of you love God.
I have come with my Father’s authority, and you have not welcomed me. But you will welcome people who come on their own. How could you possibly believe ?
You like to have your friends praise you, and you don’t care about praise that the only God can give !
Don’t think that I will be the one to accuse you to the Father.
You have put your hope in Moses, yet he is the very one who will accuse you.
Moses wrote about me, and if you had believed Moses, you would have believed me.
But if you don’t believe what Moses wrote, how can you believe what I say ?
[I’m not aware of all these talks about the messiah that existed back then, only that many prophesied his coming, and a.f.a.i.k. most of them were accomplished in the gospels.]
[I still didn’t like this part, my praises go to God, because i can justify my decisions, i won’t praise a human because he says so, but there may be a point in going beyond the tale of a simple prophet, the long awaited messiah after Israel’s destruction, centuries after the last book of the old testament, i could understand eventually the need to be excessive, but it still makes me uneasy, in a jewish culture that says God speaks to prophets a few times per century, it probably shouldn’t be that shocking though(, it also makes us understand a bit more the reaction of the jewish leaders).
And God indeed speaks to none//some//all of us according to some definitions, i accept all three of these definitions personally, even if i have a preference for the one stating that the more a believer manages to get closer to God, and the truer h.er.is statement( of knowing God’s words) is.]
Surah Al-Baqarah(, “The Cow”) 2:109-121 :
Many of the people of the Scripture(, jews and christians,) wish that if they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy from their ownselves, even after the truth(, that Muhammad ﷺ is God’s messenger,) has become manifest unto them.
But forgive and overlook, till God brings His Command. Verily, God is Able to do all things.
And perform As-Salât, and give Zakât ; and whatever ‘of good’/‘deeds that God loves’ you send forth for yourselves before you, you shall find it with God.
Certainly, God is All-Seer of what you do.
And they say, “None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian.” These are their own desires.
Say(, O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), “Produce your proof if you are truthful.”
Yes, but whoever submits his face( himself) to God, and he is a Muhsin[1], then his reward is with his Lord, on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
[1] : “Muhsin” is a good-doer who performs good deeds totally for God’s sake only without any show off or to gain praise or fame, etc., and in accordance with the Sunnah of God’s Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم.
The jews said that the christians follow nothing(, i.e., are not on the right religion) ; and the christians said that the jews follow nothing ; though they both recite the Scripture.
Like unto their word, said (the pagans )who know not.
God will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein they have been differing.
And who are more unjust than those who forbid that God’s Name be glorified and mentioned much(, i.e., prayers and invocations, etc.,) in God’s Mosques and strive for their ruin ?
It was not fitting that such should themselves enter them/‘God’s Mosques’ except in fear. For them there is disgrace in this world, and they will have a great torment in the Hereafter.
And to God belong the east and the west, so wherever you turn( yourselves or your faces) there is the Face of God.
Surely ! God is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-Knowing.
And they(, christians(, or some pagans),) say : God has begotten a son(/children/offspring)[2]. ‘Glory be to Him’/‘Exalted be He’(, above all that they associate with Him).
Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth, and all surrender with obedience to Him.
[2] : Narrated Ibn ‘Abbâs رضي الله عنهما :
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "God said, ‘The son of Adam tells lies against Me though he has no right to do so, and he abuses Me though he has no right to do so.
As for telling lies against Me, he claims that I cannot re-create him as I created him before ; and as for his abusing Me : it is his statement that I have a son/offspring.
No ! Glorified be Me ! I am far from taking a wife or a son/offspring.’ "
(Sahih Al-Bukhâri, Vol. 6, Hadîth No. 9).
The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it : “Be !” - and it is.
And those who have no knowledge say : “Why does not God speak to us( face to face), or why does not a sign come to us ?”
So said the people before them words of similar import. Their hearts are alike, We have indeed made plain the signs for people who believe with certainty.
Verily, We have sent you( O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) with the truth(, Islâm), a bringer of glad tidings(, Paradise,) and a warner(, the Hell-fire).
And you will not be asked about the dwellers of the blazing Fire.
Never will the jews nor the christians be pleased with you( O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) till you follow their religion.
Say : "Verily, the Guidance of God is the (only )Guidance. And if you( O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) were to follow their(, jews and christians,) desires after what you have received of Knowledge(, the Qur’ân), then you would have against God neither any protector/guardian nor any helper.
Those(, jews, christians, or muslims,) to whom We gave the Book ‘recite it’/‘follow its teachings’ as it should be recited/followed, they are the ones who believe therein.
And whoso disbelieve in it, those are they who are the losers.
[Here’s an addition :]
Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه :
One day while the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was sitting in the company of some people, (the angel )Gabriel عليه السلام came and asked, “What is Faith ?”
God’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم replied, “Faith is to believe in God, His angels, (the )meeting with Him, His messengers, and to believe in Resurrection.”
Then he further asked, “What is Islâm ?”
God’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم replied, “To worship God Alone and none else, to perform As-Salât, to give the Zakât, and to observe fasts during the month of Ramadân,”
then he further asked, “What is Ihsân/perfection ?”
God’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم replied, “To worship God عز وجل as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you.”
Then he further asked, “When will the Hour be established ?”
God’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم replied, "The answerer has no better knowledge than the questioner. But I will inform you about its portents :
(1) When a slave gives birth to her master.
(2) When the shepherds of black camels start boasting and competing with others in the construction of higher buildings.
And the Hour is one of the five things which nobody knows except God.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then recited : “Verily, the knowledge of the Hour is with God( Alone).” (31:34).
Then that man(, Gabriel عليه السلام,) left, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked his Companions to call him back, but they could not see him.
Then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “That was (angel )Gabriel عليه السلام who came to teach the people their religion.”
Saints of the day : Sts. Simon and Jude/Taddeo, Apostles(, Vatican news).