Pensacola Terror Attack Connected to Fort Hood Massacre, Al-Qaeda

Shortly before he opened fire at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Second Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani (a Saudi Air Force officer) tweeted a message to the American people. In his tweet, he quoted both Osama bin Laden and Sheikh Anwar al-Awlaki (of al-Qaeda fame). Since the al-Awlaki quotes were taken directly from al-Awlaki's "Message to the American People," Alshamrani clearly read about Major Nidal Malik Hasan's attack at Fort Hood.

Paul vs. Muhammad (Complete Video Playlist)

When Muhammad gets things wrong about Jesus, Muslims typically blame the Apostle Paul for corrupting Christianity. But what happens when we compare Paul and Muhammad, and we realize that Paul is far more reliable than Muhammad? Let's find out in this video series.

Answering Islam 4: Did Muhammad Use Religion for His Own Interests?

Here's Episode 4 of our "Answering Islam" series, where I answer the question: "Did Muhammad use religion for his own interests?" For the rest of the series, click on the playlist.

Here's the full text of the video:

Did Muhammad Use Religion for His Own Interests?

There are several different ways to view Muhammad. Muslims, of course, believe that he was a prophet of God. Among those of us who reject Muhammad, there are some who claim that Muhammad knew that he was deceiving people. They believe that he was an imposter who manipulated people into serving him. I happen to believe, along with many others, that Muhammad sincerely believed that he was a prophet. The general criterion I use here is the same whether I’m evaluating Christianity, or Islam, or any other worldview—it’s that, if a person is willing to die for what he’s saying, he probably believes it. In other words, liars make poor martyrs. There are lots of liars in this world. If you put a gun to someone’s head over a lie, they’re generally going to admit that it’s a lie. People who are willing to die for their claims are usually people who wholeheartedly believe in what they’re dying for.

Based on the number of battles Muhammad was in, and the various dangers he faced, I believe that he really thought he was a prophet. So I don’t believe that Muhammad was intentionally using Islam for his own interests.

However, there are a number of passages in the Qur’an and the Hadith, which prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, that Muhammad’s revelations were influenced by his desires. Let me give you four examples.

First, Surah 4, verse 3 of the Qur’an says that Muslims can marry up to four women. But we know from references in Bukhari and other sources that Muhammad had at least nine wives at one time. So why did Muhammad get more than four wives when the Qur’an says that Muslim men can only marry four women? Well, Muhammad received a special revelation, Surah 33, verse 50, which says that he, and he alone, could have as many wives as he wanted. Now I don’t know about you, but when the guy who’s receiving the revelations starts getting special moral privileges—namely, more sex partners than anyone else—I start getting awfully suspicious.

Second, Muhammad had an adopted son named Zaid, who was called Zaid bin Muhammad—Zaid, son of Muhammad. One day, Muhammad went to visit him and was greeted by Zaid’s wife, Zaynab, who was very beautiful, and who was wearing very little clothing at the time. When Muhammad saw her, he supposedly received some sort of revelation telling him that he was going to marry her, even though she was already married to his adopted son, and Muhammad walked away praising Allah. When Zaid found out that Muhammad was attracted to his wife, he divorced her, so that Muhammad could marry her. Muhammad was worried about what people might think if he married Zaynab, but then he began receiving revelations to justify the marriage. This is when he received Surah 33, verse 37 of the Qur’an, which says that it’s okay to marry the divorced wives of your adopted sons. I’ve never met a person who struggles with this problem. I’ve never met someone who struggles with whether he should marry the divorced wife of his own adopted son. So this verse has no purpose other than justifying what Muhammad did.

Third, Muhammad's wife Hafsa once came home early and caught Muhammad in her bed with another woman—his slave-girl, Mary the Copt. Seeking to avoid further conflict, Muhammad promised that he would stop having sex with his slave-girl. But a little later, Muhammad started having sex with Mary again. How did he justify his sexual relationship with Mary when he had taken an oath to stop having sex with her? Well, he received a revelation. Surah 66, verses 1-2 of the Qur’an, where Allah says:

O Prophet! why do you forbid (yourself) that which Allah has made lawful for you; you seek to please your wives; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Allah indeed has sanctioned for you the expiation of your oaths and Allah is your Protector, and He is the Knowing, the Wise.

Notice, Muhammad swears, “I’ll never have sex with my slave-girl again.” Then he starts having sex with her, because Allah told him to break his oath. Very interesting.

Fourth, one of Muhammad's wives was a woman named Sauda. As Sauda aged, she became unattractive and extremely overweight, and Muhammad decided to divorce her. Terrified of being abandoned in her old age, Sauda hatched a plan. She knew that Aisha was Muhammad's favorite wife, and that Muhammad would like to spend even more time with Aisha. So Sauda told Muhammad that, if he would keep her as his wife and not abandon her, she would give her sex night to Aisha. This arrangement would allow Muhammad to spend twice as much time with Aisha as he spent with any of his other wives. Muhammad was happy with the arrangement, and so was Allah. Allah praises Sauda, in Surah 4, verse 128, for coming up with this solution after fearing cruelty and desertion from Muhammad.

So Islam’s message to women is this: If your husband’s going to abandon you in your old age, just give up some of your rights and let him spend more time with his favorite wife. This will keep him from divorcing you and abandoning you.

Over and over again, Muhammad’s revelations are just too convenient. The Qur’an is supposed to exist eternally in heaven, and yet parts of it have more to do with satisfying Muhammad’s desires than with guiding humanity. Even Muhammad’s wife Aisha noticed this. In Sahih al-Bukhari, Muhammad receives one of his morally convenient revelations, and Aisha says to him, “I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires.”

So, I personally believe that Muhammad was sincerely convinced that he was a prophet. But the evidence is clear that his desires influenced the revelations he was receiving.

"The Psychology of Islam" (Dr. David Wood): The Recording

On Saturday, our own Dr. David Wood made an appearance on my weekly Apologetics Academy live interactive webinar. The topic concerned the psychology of Islam, and in particular the possible role that Muhammad's fatherlessness may have played in Islamic origins. The talk was followed by lively interactive Q&A and discussion from the audience. This was our best attended webinar on record. On Zoom, we peaked at 65 participants, with around 20 or so following via the Facebook LIVE-stream.

Don't forget to subscribe to the YouTube channel to be kept up-to-date with future webinar recordings on all kinds of topics, and also consider contributing to keeping the ministry going at the donations page at my website.

Holy Books of Peace? David Wood and Shabir Ally in the Chattanooga Times Free Press

Before our debates in Chattanooga (see here and here), the Chattanooga Times Free Press invited Shabir and me to submit articles on our views. Here are the articles:

Does Jesus Prophesy the Coming of Muhammad in John 14? Shabir Ally vs. David Wood

According to the Qur'an, both the Torah and the Gospel contain clear prophecies about Muhammad (see Qur'an 7:157). Muslims have had nearly fourteen centuries to find these prophecies, and the most commonly cited New Testament "prophecy" about Muhammad is found in John 14:16, where Jesus declares that the "Comforter" or "Helper" (Greek "paraclete") will come after him. Even though Jesus specifically identifies the Comforter as the "Spirit of Truth" in the very next verse, Muslims claim that the prophecy refers to Muhammad. But can this passage really be applied to Muhammad? In this video, Shabir Ally and David Wood discuss the evidence. (Clips are taken from "Does Muhammad Give Us the Truth about Jesus?")

Are There Numerical Miracles in the Qur'an? Shabir Ally vs. David Wood

When Muhammad was challenged as to why he couldn't perform miracles, he responded by claiming that the Qur'an itself is a miracle. This claim has led Muslims to try to find something miraculous about the Qur'an. Muslims such as Shabir Ally now insist that the Qur'an is filled with mysterious numerical patterns (e.g. patterns of the number 7). Is this good evidence, or can such patterns be found in any book? In this short video, Shabir Ally and David Wood discuss the evidence. (Clips are taken from "Does Muhammad Give Us the Truth about Jesus?")

Does the Quran Limit Muslims to Four Wives? David Wood vs. Shabir Ally

According to standard interpretations of the Qur'an, Muslim men are allowed to have up to four wives (see Qur'an 4:3). However, Muslim sources such as Sahih al-Bukhari, the History of al-Tabari, etc., report that Muhammad had at least nine wives at one time. The most common Islamic response to this inconsistency is to note that Qur'an 33:50 gave Muhammad special permission to have as many wives as he wanted. If this is true, however, the Qur'an gave Muhammad special moral privileges, and how can we not be suspicious when a man receiving revelations gets more sexual partners than anyone else?

In this video, David Wood and Shabir Ally discuss whether the Qur'an limits Muslims to four wives. Wood assumes the typical Muslim view, while Ally claims that the Qur'an doesn't actually limit Muslims to four wives.

Are There Fables in the Quran? David Wood vs. Shabir Ally

The Qur'an contains numerous stories that are known to be taken from ancient forgeries. The Qur'an even acknowledges that Muhammad's contemporaries repeatedly accused him of copying his stories from earlier sources (see Quran 6:25, 8:31, 16:24, 46:17, 68:15, 83:13, etc.). Do these forgeries call into question the reliability of Muhammad? Here's my discussion on this topic with Shabir Ally in our debate on whether Muhammad gives the truth about Jesus.

Debate: Is the Qur'an a Book of Peace? (Shabir Ally vs. David Wood)

Many Muslims insist that the Qur'an promotes peace and religious tolerance, and they quote verses of the Qur'an to justify their position. However, other Muslims claim that the Qur'an calls for the violent subjugation of unbelievers, and they also quote verses of the Qur'an to justify their position. Who's right? Can we reconcile the Qur'an's peaceful commands with its violent commands?

In this fast-paced debate, Shabir Ally argues that the Qur'an is a book of peace, while David Wood argues that it isn't.

David Wood vs. Shabir Ally: "Does Paul Give Us the Truth about Jesus?"

Christians believe that the Apostle Paul was one of history's most faithful men of God. Muslims, however, often claim that Paul was a deceiver who corrupted Christianity. Can an examination of the evidence help us decide who's right? In this debate, David Wood and Shabir Ally debate the question, "Does Paul give us the truth about Jesus?"

Debate: "Was Jesus a Prophet of Islam?" (Shabir Ally vs. David Wood)

Christian sources tell us that Jesus is the divine Son of God who died on the cross for sins and rose from the dead. Muslim sources tell us that Jesus (Isa) was a prophet of Islam who didn't die on the cross and never rose from the dead. Who's right? In this debate, Shabir Ally argues that Jesus was a prophet of Islam, and David Wood responds.

Debate: "Is Jesus the Son of God?" (David Wood vs. Shabir Ally)

Is Jesus the Son of God? Christians and Muslims give very different answers to this question. Can an examination of the evidence show who's right? In this debate, David Wood and Shabir Ally give their reasons for affirming and denying the claim "Jesus is the Son of God."

Debate: Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? (David Wood vs. John Loftus)

Jesus' resurrection is the heart of both Christian preaching and Christian living. In 1 Corinthians 15:17, the Apostle Paul said: "If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless." Hence, Christianity stands or falls with the resurrection of Jesus.

In order to discredit Christianity, atheists simply need to discredit the central miracle on which it is founded. But can atheistic explanations account for the historical facts? If they can't, is atheism a worldview in crisis?

In this video, David Wood (Christian, former atheist) and John Loftus (atheist, former Christian) debate whether Jesus rose from the dead.

David Wood vs. Farhan Qureshi: How Should We Confront the Islamic Challenge?

On the one hand, many of us know peaceful Muslims who have no interest in jihad or imposing sharia law. On the other hand, more than 24,000 deadly terrorist attacks since 9-11, along with the recent advance of jihadist groups like the Islamic State (ISIS), demand our attention. How can we confront intolerance without becoming intolerant? How can we protect ourselves from jihadists while also protecting peaceful Muslims from discrimination?

In this debate on the Trinity Channel, Farhan Qureshi and I discuss how we should respond to the Islamic challenge.

Adnan Rashid vs. David Wood: "Peace and Violence In Christianity and Islam"

It was a pleasure working with Adnan Rashid (and the other Muslim apologists in the UK). He was very kind and pleasant, as were nearly all the Muslims I met in London. I look forward to many more debates on the other side of the Atlantic.

While watching this debate, we would do well to ask ourselves, “How many ways does Adnan condemn his own religion (in his desperate effort to condemn mine)?” Let me count the ways.

(1) Adnan condemns the Old Testament, which (a) he used as evidence for Islam in his opening statement, and (b) his own prophet declared to be the Word of God (in both the Qur’an and the Hadith). Thus, since Muhammad approved of such a book, he must not be a prophet.

(2) Adnan declares that the true God would never kill a child; yet, according to the Qur’an, God destroyed Sodom with fire and flooded the world in the time of Noah (and some children were presumably present). Since the true God would never do this, the God of the Qur'an cannot be the true God.

(3) Adnan declares that the true God would never order a human being to kill a child, despite the fact that one of Allah’s “servants” does just that in Surah 18. Once again, the God of the Qur'an cannot be the true God.

(4) Adnan condemns me for saying that I would kill if, contrary to what God has actually commanded me, He had instead commanded me to kill. In doing so, Adnan condemns the prophet Abraham, who was willing to kill his own son at God’s command. If we agree with Adnan, we would have to say that any book that praises Abraham's (wicked) behavior cannot come from God. Thus, the Qur'an cannot be the Word of God.

We can add other inconsistencies to this list. For instance, Adnan accuses me of only pointing to the negative aspects of Islam, and he then proceeds to degrade Christianity in every possible way. Adnan says that Christianity is violent because Catholics and Protestants once fought (despite the fact that they did so in violation of Christ's teachings), yet it never occurs to Adnan to apply his reasoning to Sunnis and Shias. Adnan points to a handful of Christian thinkers down through the ages who have advocated some form of violence, and he holds that this shows that Christianity is violent (despite the fact that these thinkers are ignoring Christ's teachings). Yet I could easily give him a massive list of Muslim scholars who advocate violence (and who do so in complete harmony with the Qur'an). Adnan points to violent acts committed in the name of Christianity as if this proves that Christianity is violent (despite the fact that such acts are committed in strict violation of Christ's teachings), yet he would never allow me to point to acts of terrorism committed in the name of Islam as proof that Islam is violent (and I wouldn't do this anyway).

As James White often says, “I’m still waiting for the consistent Muslim” (i.e. the Muslim who applies the same criticisms to Islam that he applies to Christianity).

Inconsistencies aside, this debate teaches us four things. First, Islam’s sources command Muslims to fight anyone who (a) doesn’t accept Islam, or (b) refuses to pay the Jizya in complete humiliation. Second, Christianity’s source commands Christians, repeatedly, to live in peace with everyone. Third, no matter how many times I use the same material, Muslims still can’t offer a good response. Fourth, when Muslims get nervous, they cheer more (notice how many times the Muslims burst into applause for no reason whatsoever).

ADNAN'S OPENING STATEMENT


DAVID'S OPENING STATEMENT


1ST REBUTTALS


2ND REBUTTALS


Q&A/CONCLUSIONS


For more on this issue, see Sam Shamoun's debate with Nadir Ahmed ("Is Islam a Religion of Peace?", and my debates with Sami Zaatari ("Is Islam a Religion of Peace?" and "Is Christianity a Religion of Peace?")

Adnan Rashid vs. David Wood: "The Satanic Verses: Fabricated or Authentic?"

I was quite excited when Muslims agreed to debate this topic. I thought it would never happen. Needless to say, I think the evidence makes it abundantly clear that Muhammad delivered the Satanic Verses. The only way around this is for Muslims (1) to declare that their earliest scholars were a bunch of liars, and (2) to cling to an outdated method of historical investigation, which, though originally designed to arrive at truth, is now being used by Muslims to eliminate embarrassing facts about Muhammad.

ADNAN'S OPENING STATEMENT


DAVID'S OPENING STATEMENT


REBUTTALS


Q&A/CONCLUSIONS


For more on the Satanic Verses, see "Muhammad and the Satanic Verses." For more on the implications of the Satanic Verses, see "The Deuteronomy Deductions."

Debate Announcement: James White and David Wood Invade London

The Yanks Are Coming!

Tuesday, 11 November 2008--7:30 P.M.
TOPIC: “Does Belief in the Trinity Necessitate Shirk?”
PARTICIPANTS: Adnan Rashid vs. James White
LOCATION: Westbourne Park Church, Porchester Rd, London, W2 5DX

Thursday, 13 November 2008--8:00 P.M.
TOPIC: "Jesus: Divine Son of God or Prophet of Allah?"
PARTICIPANTS: James White vs. Sami Zaatari
LOCATION: Trinity Road Chapel, 205-207 Trinity Road, Upper Tooting, London SW17. (Contact admin@trinityroadchapel.org for more details.)

Saturday, 15 November 2008--10:30 A.M.
TOPIC: “The Satanic Verses: Fabricated or Historical?”
PARTICIPANTS: David Wood vs. Adnan Rashid
LOCATION: Westbourne Park Church, Porchester Rd, London, W2 5DX

Saturday, 15 November 2008--1:30 P.M.
TOPIC: “The Biblical Jesus: Why We Chose to Accept and Reject”
PARTICIPANTS: David Wood vs. Yahya Hayder Seymour
LOCATION: Westbourne Park Church, Porchester Rd, London, W2 5DX

Sunday, 16 November 2008--7:00 P.M.
TOPIC: “Peace and Violence in Christianity and Islam”
PARTICIPANTS: David Wood vs. Adnan Rashid
LOCATION: Westbourne Park Church, Porchester Rd, London, W2 5DX

Monday, 17 November 2008--7:30 P.M.
TOPIC: "Is Jesus Prophesied in the Old Testament?/Is Muhammad Prophesied in the Bible?"
PARTICIPANTS: James White vs. Shabir Ally
LOCATION: Twynholm Baptist Church, Fulham Cross, 324-326 Lillie Road, Fulham, London, SW6 7PP. (Contact leigh@twynholm.org for more details.)

Abdallah-Wood: "Was Muhammad a True Prophet?" (Google Video Version)

For those of you who don't like the superior technology of Motionbox, here's the Google Video version of my debate with Osama Abdallah.

OSAMA'S OPENING STATEMENT


DAVID'S OPENING STATEMENT


OSAMA'S FIRST REBUTTAL


DAVID'S FIRST REBUTTAL


SECOND REBUTTALS, Q&A, CONCLUSIONS


Here's the Hadith we disputed about on killing dogs:

Sahih al-Bukhari 3323--Narrated Abdullah bin Umar: Allah's Messenger ordered that the dogs should be killed.

Osama accused me of lying and claimed that the passage says "rabid dogs." I corrected him, but then he thanked me for admitting that I had lied! I have trouble understanding how logic works in the Muslim world.

DAVID: "Al-Bukhari 3323 says that dogs should be killed."

OSAMA: "David's lying! It says 'rabid dogs.'"

DAVID: "The Hadith doesn't say anything about rabid dogs; you're thinking of a different Hadith."

OSAMA: "Thank you for admitting that you lied!"

DAVID: "???"

Osama Abdallah vs. David Wood: "Was Muhammad a True Prophet?"

Osama Abdallah has one of the largest Islamic websites on the net (Answering Christianity), and he's been involved in apologetics for a long time, so I was pleased when he challenged me to debate him on the prophethood of Muhammad. While Osama has upset a lot of people with some of the offensive material on his website, he was quite easy to get along with in person. I look forward to another debate with him. I have to say, however, that I think it was a mistake for him to request 50-minute opening statements. I know he wanted the time to lay out his arguments carefully. The problem is that it also gave me plenty of time to refute his arguments. I'll say this to Muslim apologists everywhere: A Muslim argument will only work in a debate if the Christian simply doesn't have adequate time to respond. Hence, giving a Christian a 50-minute opening statement and a 30-minute rebuttal is a recipe for disaster (for Islam). For those interested in the Argument from Scientific Accuracy, Osama and I discussed science quite a bit in this debate. My camera didn't catch his slides, but those who are interested can visit his site to see the images he refers to. [Note: For those who are already familiar with my arguments against Islam, you may want to fast-forward through about half of my opening statement. The arguments I used were virtually identical to the arguments I used in my debate with Bassam, but I soon focused on other issues.]

OSAMA'S OPENING STATEMENT


DAVID'S OPENING STATEMENT


OSAMA'S FIRST REBUTTAL


DAVID'S FIRST REBUTTAL


SECOND REBUTTALS, Q&A, CONCLUSIONS


For those interested in further responses to Osama Abdallah, see the articles here and listen to his debate with Sam Shamoun here.