Dr. Zakir Naik Speech in Oxford University. Part 3
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00:00You should understand the concept of God in Judaism and understand Judaism in the right perspective.
00:07Before we discuss the concept of God in Christianity, I would like to clarify a few points.
00:13Islam is the only non-Christian faith which makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus Christ, peace be upon him.
00:20No Muslim is a Muslim if he does not believe in Jesus Christ, peace be upon him.
00:24We believe that he was one of the mightiest messengers of Almighty God.
00:29We believe he was the Messiah at unscented Christ.
00:32We believe that he was born miraculously without any male intervention which many modern day Christians today did not believe.
00:39We believe that he gave life to the dead with God's permission.
00:43We believe he healed those born blind and lepers with God's permission.
00:47The Christians and the Muslims, we are going together.
00:50One may ask, then where is the parting of ways?
00:53The parting of ways is that many Christians believe, or most of the Christians believe, that Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, he claimed divinity.
01:02They believe that he was Almighty God.
01:05In fact, if you read the Bible, there is not a single unequivocal statement.
01:10There is not a single unambiguous statement.
01:13In the complete Bible, where Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, himself says that I am God, always says worship me.
01:21In fact, if you read the Bible, it's mentioned in the Gospel of John, chapter number 14, verse number 28.
01:27Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, said, my father is greater than I.
01:30Gospel of John, chapter number 10, verse number 29.
01:33My father is greater than all.
01:34Gospel of Matthew, chapter number 12, verse number 28.
01:37I cast out devils with the spirit of God.
01:40Gospel of Luke, chapter number 11, verse number 20.
01:42I, with the finger of God, cast out devils.
01:44Gospel of John, chapter number 5, verse number 30.
01:47I can of my own self do nothing.
01:49As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just.
01:51For I seek not my will, but the will of my father.
01:54Anyone who says, I seek not my will, but the will of Almighty God, he's a Muslim.
01:58As I mentioned, Muslim means a person who submits his will to God.
02:01And Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, said, not my will, but the will of Almighty God.
02:06So, in Arabic, we say, he's Muslim.
02:08Therefore, we say, Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, was one of the mightiest messengers of Almighty God.
02:14And he further clarified, in the Gospel of John, chapter number 14, verse number 24, he said,
02:20That the words that you hear are not mine, but my father's who has sent me.
02:24It's mentioned in the Gospel of John, chapter number 17, verse number 3.
02:27Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, said,
02:28This is life eternal, so that you may know one true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent.
02:34It's clearly mentioned in the book of Acts.
02:36Chapter number 2, verse number 22, it says,
02:39E men of Israel, listen to this.
02:41Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God amongst you,
02:45by wonders and miracles and signs, which God did by him and you have witnessed to it.
02:50A man approved of God amongst you,
02:53by wonders and miracles and signs, which God did by him and you have witnessed to it.
02:56And when Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, was asked,
02:59that which is the first of the commandments,
03:00he repeated verbatim what was said by Moses, peace be upon him, earlier.
03:04It's mentioned in the Gospel of Mark, chapter number 12, verse number 29.
03:08Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, said,
03:09Which means, hear, O Israel, the Lord, our God, is one Lord.
03:16So if you read the Bible, you should understand the concept of God in Christianity
03:20and understand Christianity in the right perspective.
03:24Let's discuss the concept of God in Islam.
03:28The best reply that any Muslim can give you regarding the concept of God in Islam
03:32is quote to you surah class.
03:35That is chapter number 112, verse number 1 to 4, which says,
03:38Say he is Allah one and only.
03:41Allah is the absolute and eternal.
03:44He begets not know his begotten.
03:48There is nothing like him.
03:50This is a four-line definition of Almighty God.
03:52Any person says so and so candidate is God,
03:55if he passes these four tests,
03:58we Muslims have got no objection in accepting as God.
04:00The first is, say he is one and only.
04:03The second is, he should be absolute and eternal.
04:06The third, he begets not know his begotten.
04:08And fourth, there is nothing like unto him anything in this world.
04:12This is a four-line definition of Almighty God,
04:15which we call as the litmus test for theology.
04:18It is the touchstone of theology.
04:19And further, the Quran says in Surah Anam,
04:22chapter number 6, verse number 108,
04:24that revile not, abuse not,
04:27those God who they worship besides Allah.
04:30Lest in their ignorance,
04:32they will revile, they will abuse Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
04:35Quran prohibits any Muslim
04:37from speaking bad, from reviling, from abusing
04:41those who other people worship God besides Allah.
04:45Lest in their ignorance, they will abuse Allah.
04:49So to understand the concept of God,
04:51in Islam, you have to read the Quran.
05:00Today, unfortunately,
05:02Islam is the most misunderstood religion in the world.
05:07The religion which has the maximum misconception
05:10in the world today, it is Islam.
05:13And one of the reasons for these misconceptions
05:16about this religion, I would say,
05:19it is the media.
05:22Today, we find in the international media,
05:25there is virulent propaganda regarding Islam.
05:28We find in the international newspapers,
05:30in the international magazine,
05:31on the radio broadcast stations,
05:33on the international satellite channels,
05:34on the internet,
05:35there is virulent propaganda regarding Islam.
05:38And the most misunderstood word regarding Islam,
05:43it is the word jihad.
05:45It is not only misunderstood by the Muslims,
05:48because of the media,
05:50it's also misunderstood by the non-Muslims.
05:52Today, most of the people,
05:54whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims,
05:55they think that any war fought by any Muslim,
05:59for any reason,
06:01whether it be for personal gain,
06:02whether it be for name,
06:03whether it be for fame,
06:05whether it be for honor,
06:06whether it be for land,
06:07any war fought by any Muslim is called as jihad.
06:11Jihad does not mean any war fought by any Muslim,
06:14for any reason.
06:15Jihad comes from the Arabic word jihadah,
06:19which means to strive,
06:20which means to struggle.
06:22In the Islamic context,
06:24jihad means to strive and struggle
06:27against one's own evil inclination.
06:31Jihad also means to strive and struggle
06:33to make the society better.
06:35Jihad also means to strive and struggle against oppression.
06:38Jihad also means to strive and struggle against self-defense.
06:42So, jihad basically means to strive and struggle.
06:46For example,
06:46if a student is striving and struggling
06:48to pass in the examination,
06:50in Arabic, we'll say he's doing jihad.
06:53So, jihad basically means to strive and struggle.
06:56Today, most of the Orientalists,
06:59they translate the word jihad as holy war.
07:04If you translate holy war into Arabic,
07:07it is harbo muqaddasa.
07:08And this word harbo muqaddasa appears nowhere in the Quran,
07:12nowhere in anything of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
07:15This word holy war,
07:17if you go back into history,
07:18was first used for the Crusades.
07:22In the Crusaders,
07:23they forced people to accept
07:24the religion of Christianity by force.
07:26And unfortunately today,
07:28it is used for the Muslims and Islam.
07:30Quran mentions explicitly in Surah Maidah,
07:36chapter number 5,
07:37verse number 32,
07:39if anyone
07:40kills any other human being,
07:43unless it be for murder,
07:44or for spreading corruption in the land,
07:47it is as though he has killed the whole of humanity.
07:49The Quran says,
07:51if any human being kills any other innocent human being,
07:55whether Muslim or non-Muslim,
07:57it is as though he has killed the whole of humanity.
07:59And the verse continues,
08:01if anyone saves any human being,
08:03whether Muslim or non-Muslim,
08:04it is as though he has saved the whole of humanity.
08:07I, being a student of comparative religion,
08:11I have not come across any verse in any scripture besides the Quran,
08:14which is so explicit against terrorism,
08:17against killing innocent human beings.
08:19It says that if any human being kills any other human being who is innocent,
08:23whether Muslim or non-Muslim,
08:25it is as though he has killed the whole of humanity.
08:27And I have not come across any verse in any other scripture,
08:30any other religious scripture besides the Quran,
08:32which promotes the prevention of terrorism.
08:35And it says,
08:36if any human being saves any human life,
08:39whether Muslim or non-Muslim,
08:40it is as though he has saved the whole of humankind.
08:44Islam condemns all forms of terrorism.
08:48Islam condemns the killing of any innocent human being,
08:52irrespective of caste, colour, creed,
08:54irrespective of which nationality belongs to,
08:56irrespective of which religion it belongs to.
08:59Islam and I too,
09:03condemn all forms of terrorism.
09:06I also condemn the 9-11,
09:10which took place on 11th of September 2001,
09:13the Twin Tower bombing in New York,
09:16where few thousand innocent people were killed.
09:18I condemn the 7-7,
09:207th of July 2005,
09:23London bombing,
09:25where more than 50 innocent people were killed.
09:27I also condemn the serial train bomb blasts
09:31that took place in Bombay on the 11th of July 2006,
09:34where more than 180 innocent people were killed.
09:37I also condemn the Gujarat massacre,
09:41the riots which were plea-planned,
09:42which took place in Gujarat in India,
09:45where innocent few thousand Muslims were killed.
09:47I condemn all sorts of terrorism,
09:50where innocent human beings are killed,
09:53irrespective of whether Muslim or non-Muslim.
09:55and whatever acts of terrorism
09:58which takes the life of innocent human beings
10:02is to be condemned,
10:03including suicide bombing.
10:05Now we have,
10:07recently in the past few decades,
10:09that a person goes,
10:11he puts up a bomb,
10:12goes in a marketplace,
10:14goes in a tube station on the road,
10:18and he blows himself up,
10:20and with him,
10:21takes several other human lives.
10:24This act is not tolerable in any religion,
10:27especially Islam.
10:28Suicide bombing,
10:29where innocent human beings are killed,
10:31is totally prohibited in Islam.
10:36Unfortunately,
10:38though Islam is a religion
10:39which condemns
10:40all sorts of terrorism,
10:43all acts of terrorism
10:44that took place in the past,
10:45which is even taking place
10:46in this 21st century,
10:49even though it condemns,
10:50unfortunately,
10:51today,
10:52the media portrays
10:54Islam as a religion
10:55which promotes terrorism.
10:58Every community
10:59has its black ship.
11:01And I'm also aware
11:02that there are black sheep
11:05in the Muslim community.
11:08What does the media do?
11:10The media picks up
11:12the black sheep
11:13of the Muslim community
11:14and they portray
11:15as those exemplary Muslims.
11:20Because of this,
11:21today,
11:22we find
11:22that
11:24most of the people think
11:26that Islam promotes terrorism.
11:28If you read the Quran,
11:30if you read the sayings of the Prophet,
11:31Islam amongst all the religions
11:34is at the foremost
11:35in condemning
11:36the killing of innocent human beings.
11:39And
11:40one such prey of the media,
11:42of these media tactics,
11:46was myself.
11:48eight months back,
11:51in the fourth week of June 2010,
11:55I was supposed to give
11:57a series of talk in UK.
11:59I was supposed to
12:00give a talk
12:01in the Wembley Arena,
12:04in Wembley London,
12:05in LG Arena,
12:06NEC Birmingham,
12:07as well as Sheffield Arena
12:09in Sheffield.
12:10All these venues
12:11had a capacity of
12:1110,000 to 15,000
12:12people.
12:14And these are
12:15prestigious venues.
12:15Just three weeks
12:18before
12:19my lecture tour,
12:21there was an article
12:22which came in one of
12:23the leading newspapers
12:24that is Sunday Times.
12:25Sunday Times,
12:26it gave an article,
12:28Muslim preacher of hate
12:30let into Britain.
12:31And this article,
12:33it gave portions
12:34of my speeches,
12:35which were either
12:36quoted out of context
12:37or they were misquoted.
12:38and it portrayed me
12:40as a preacher of hate,
12:41a person who promotes
12:42terrorism.
12:45And the next couple of days,
12:47the same article
12:48was picked up,
12:50rehashed
12:51and reprinted
12:52in many of the
12:54newspapers of UK.
12:55Not only newspapers of UK,
12:57but newspapers internationally,
12:59including the newspapers of India.
13:02Unfortunately,
13:04these articles
13:05inspired
13:06the Home Secretary
13:09of UK,
13:10Theresa May,
13:11to pass
13:12an exclusion order
13:13on the 16th of June,
13:152010.
13:17After reading these articles
13:18and hearing some clips
13:20from the YouTube,
13:21which were again
13:22either out of context
13:23and
13:25there were portions
13:26which were
13:28manipulated,
13:29based on these
13:31YouTube clips
13:32and the media report,
13:33the Home Secretary of UK
13:35on 16th of June,
13:362010,
13:37she passed
13:38an exclusion order
13:39against me.
13:40And the next day,
13:4170th of June,
13:42the Deputy
13:43High Commissioner
13:44of Britain
13:46in Bombay,
13:47on the 70th of June,
13:49they revoked
13:50and cancelled my visa.
13:52I had
13:52a valid
13:53five years
13:53multiple entry
13:54visa to UK,
13:55which was issued
13:56on the 15th
13:58of July,
13:592008,
14:00valid till
14:0015th of
14:01July,
14:032013.
14:04I have been
14:05coming to UK
14:05since the past
14:0620 years.
14:07I have come
14:07several times
14:07and for lecture
14:08to others
14:09several times.
14:10I had a valid
14:11multiple entry
14:12five years visa
14:13which had come
14:13twice before,
14:14in 2008,
14:152009,
14:16which was cancelled
14:18without giving me
14:18a fair hearing.
14:19I think
14:20this is an attack
14:21on freedom of expression
14:22as well as
14:23on human rights.
14:26Charles Farr,
14:27who is
14:29the Director General
14:30of the Office
14:31of Security
14:32and Counterterrorism,
14:34he was not
14:35in favour
14:36of this
14:36exclusion order
14:36and he wanted
14:38me to reach
14:39to those
14:40Muslims
14:41who he felt
14:42the government
14:43could not reach.
14:45But the Home
14:46Secretary,
14:47ignoring the advice
14:48of her senior
14:49most security
14:50advisor,
14:51she went ahead
14:52with the exclusion
14:52order and later
14:53on,
14:54a few weeks
14:54later,
14:55she even
14:56suspended
14:56one of the
14:57advisors under
14:58Charles Farr
14:59who supported
15:00me.
15:02I personally
15:03have more faith
15:04in the
15:05judiciary system
15:06rather than
15:07the political
15:07system of my
15:08country,
15:09India,
15:09as well as
15:10the country
15:10of UK.
15:12We
15:13did a judicial
15:15review
15:15and took
15:17it to the
15:17High Court
15:18though the
15:19Home Secretary
15:20said I have
15:20no right
15:21to file
15:22under human
15:22rights because
15:23I am
15:23a non-UK
15:24citizen.
15:26Justice
15:26Cranston said
15:27and he reviewed
15:28it and he
15:29said that he
15:31can file a
15:31case and he
15:33passed a
15:33judgment and
15:34said that the
15:35first three
15:35decisions of
15:36the Home
15:37Secretary on
15:3816th of
15:38June,
15:3917th of
15:39June and
15:40the 27th of
15:41June,
15:42all three
15:42were unlawful.
15:44But however,
15:45later on in
15:46the month of
15:47August 2010,
15:48when they gave
15:49additional
15:50information,
15:52he said
15:53that this
15:53is lawful
15:54which is
15:55not logical.
15:57I have
15:58faith in the
15:58judiciary system.
15:59We have
16:00filed for an
16:00appeal against
16:02the last
16:03judgment of
16:03the High
16:03Court and
16:04I have full
16:05faith that
16:05inshallah,
16:07very shortly,
16:08this exclusion
16:09order would be
16:09reversed by
16:11the Court of
16:11Appeal.
16:11I hope in
16:15future I may
16:16have the
16:17chance to
16:18meet the
16:18Home
16:18Secretary
16:19Theresa May
16:19personally and
16:21explain to her
16:22the peaceful
16:23message of
16:24Islam and
16:25remove any
16:26misconception
16:26about Islam or
16:28any of my
16:28lectures that she
16:29may have.
16:30I would have
16:30personally preferred
16:31to come personally
16:33in the Oxford
16:34Union and give
16:35this talk and have
16:36a lively question
16:36translation rather
16:37than the satellite.
16:39Last month I had
16:41gone to France.
16:42I was in Paris.
16:44We had a board
16:45meeting of our
16:47trust, Islam
16:48Research Foundation
16:48International which
16:49is based in UK as
16:50well as Universal
16:51Broadcast Limited.
16:54Because I could not
16:54come to UK I called
16:55the board members to
16:56Paris and I was
16:58shocked.
16:59Normally the world
17:01feels that France
17:03is more strict
17:04against Islam than
17:05UK but when I
17:07applied for visa I
17:08got it within one
17:08hour and we had
17:11the board meeting
17:11there.
17:12I'd prefer having
17:13it in UK but
17:14because of the
17:14exclusion order which
17:15I feel the court of
17:16appeal very shortly
17:17will reverse it and
17:18though the world
17:20may think that
17:23because of the
17:24exclusion order it
17:26is an attack on
17:27freedom of expression
17:28but I would like to
17:29thank the Oxford
17:29Union that even
17:31though an exclusion
17:32order has been
17:33passed on me
17:34yet they permitted
17:35this debate or
17:37this lecture for
17:38the question and
17:39answer session.
17:39I would like to
17:40thank the Oxford
17:41Union especially
17:42the President
17:42Mr. James Langman
17:44for being bold
17:45and agreeing to
17:47have this lecture.
17:50The Oxford
17:50Union may or
17:52may not agree
17:52with my speech.
17:55They may like my
17:56talk or may not
17:56like my talk.
17:57What I appreciate
17:58is that they are
18:00really people who
18:01promote freedom of
18:03expression.
18:11I would like to
18:12conclude my speech
18:13by giving a message.
18:15Peace is the only
18:17solution for the
18:19problems of humanity.
18:21Many nations, many
18:23countries have armies.
18:26They have got military,
18:27they have got navy,
18:29they have got air force.
18:29some countries have
18:31weapons of mass
18:32destruction, some
18:33have nuclear weapons.
18:35Believe me, all
18:36these are not the
18:38solution for the
18:39problems of humanity.
18:41The only solution
18:42according to me for
18:43the problems of
18:44humanity is peace.
18:47There may be
18:48differences.
18:49There are differences
18:50in culture, there are
18:52differences in
18:52languages, there are
18:53differences in color,
18:55there is difference of
18:55vessels.
18:56You