Islam and Pagan Rituals: The Pilgrimage to Mecca
Matthew 23:15
Woe unto you, lawyers and politicians, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one convert, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell-fire than yourselves.
Sura 4:136-142
4:136. O ye who believe! Believe in God and His Messenger (
Christ*), and the Scripture which He hath sent to His Messenger (the Gospel/New Covenant) and the Scripture which He sent to those before (him)(the Old Covenant). Any who denieth God, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and The Day of Judgment, hath gone far, far astray.
4:137. Those who believe, then reject Faith, then believe (again) and (again) reject Faith, and go on increasing in Unbelief,- God will not forgive them nor guide them nor guide them on
The Way (
Matt. 7:13-14,
John 14:6).
4:138.
To the Hypocrites give the glad tidings that there is for them (only) a grievous Penalty;-
4:139. Yea, to those who take for friends Unbelievers rather than Believers: is it honour they seek among them? Nay,- all honour is with God.
4:140. Already has He sent
you Word in The Book (Bible), that when ye hear the Signs of God held in defiance and ridicule, ye are not to sit with them unless they turn to a different theme: if ye did, ye would be like them.
For God will collect the Hypocrites and those who defy Faith - all in Hell-Fire;-
4:141. (These are) the ones who wait and watch about you: if ye do gain a victory from God, they say: "Were we not with you?"- but if the Unbelievers gain a success, they say (to them): "Did we not gain an advantage over you, and did we not guard you from the Believers?" But God will judge betwixt you on The Day of Judgment. And never will God grant to the Unbelievers a way (to triumph) over the Believers.
4:142.
The Hypocrites - they think they are over-reaching God, but He will over-reach them: when they stand up to prayer,
they stand without earnestness, to be seen by men (
Matt. 6:5), only little do they hold God in remembrance;
*CHRIST, THE MESSENGER OF GOD:
Sura 4:157-158
4:157. That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ the son of Mary,
THE MESSENGER OF GOD";- but they killed Christ not, nor crucified Christ, but so it was made to appear to them (as they crucified the human body called Jesus, that Christ the spirit-being used -
Psalm 22;
Isaiah 52:13 to
54:1;
Zechariah 11:10-13;
Matthew 27), and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) Knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed Christ not:-
4:158. Nay,
GOD RAISED HIM UP unto Himself and God is Exalted in Power, and in Wisdom;-
Sura 7:157-158
7:157. "Those who follow The Apostle, the unlettered Prophet,
whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures - the Bible),- in The Law (Torah) and the Gospel (New Testament - Covenant);- for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); he releases them from their heavy burdens (
Matthew 23:1-4) and from the yokes that are upon them (
Matt. 11:28-30). So it is those who believe him, honour him, help him, and follow the Light which is sent down with him,- it is they who will prosper (
King of kings' Bible -
John 8:3, KJV John 8:12)."
7:158. Say: "O men!
I am sent unto you all, as the Messenger of "I AM", to Whom belongeth the Dominion of the heavens and the Earth: there is no god but He: it is He That giveth both life and death. So believe in "I AM" and
His Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet* (
John 7:15-19), who believeth "I AM" and His words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided (by "The Way" -
John 14:6)."