Transcript: The Holy Bible in the Light of Science – Answersing Questions by Dr. Zakir Naik

 

No matter how many times you answer a Muslim, he will come back with the same question again to another Christian who may not know the answer. The bring these questions as they cannot stand on a theological debate with Christians. It is in this context, we thought of publishing the entire transcript of Bro. Jerry Thomas on refuting Dr. Zakir Naik on the questions related to the Holy Bible as it is.

 

Refutation: The Holy Bible in the Light of Science

Let the name of Yahweh, the only true name of God upon which all the true prophets have called, who in flesh was known by the name Lord Jesus Christ, be glorified forever and ever, Amen.

A very good evening to all of you.

At the outset I must reiterate what our respected moderator for the day had mentioned.

We are conducting this rebuttal series because Janab Dr. Zakir Naik refuses to debate with us.

In the past, Janab Dr. Zakir had debated with honest Christians, preachers and writers but never with a Christian debater.

For example, Bro. Sam Shamoun of Answering Islam, Bro. David Wood of Answering Muslims, scholars who have written probably the maximum number of papers defending Christian faith against Dawwah preachers and refuting claims on Islam, have also invited Janab Dr. Zakir for a debate. Janab Dr. Zakir still did not accept their invitations.

I have heard that one of the excuses that Janab Dr. Zakir makes always is that you will have to bring 10000 people.

However, if you notice the profile of debaters with whom Janab Dr. Zakir, some could bring 10000 people and some could not bring 10000 people. The only common factor that all of them had was none of them had an experience in inter-religious debates.

Debating with itinerant  preachers, and avoiding debates with well-known debaters is like playing chess with Sachin Tendulkar and claiming that you have played with one of India’s greatest players and when Vishwanathan Anand comes and invites you to play, you tell him that he does not have enough fan followers.

By the grace of God, after effectively debating and refuting with similar Dawwah preachers in other places, on July 22, 2010, Sakshi Apologetics Network invited Janab Dr. Zakir for a public debate at the expense of Sakshi, at a stadium or a public ground.

When we invite someone to a public stadium or an open ground for debate, we are assuring that we will bring 1000s of people to the ground.

But even then Janab Dr. Zakir refused to accept our invitation. If Janab Dr. Zakir does not want to debate, let him not debate, we have no issues.

But then let him not speak anything against the holy Christian faith. If he speaks against the holy Christian faith, he must be ready to debate.

Since he will neither stop speaking against the holy Christian faith nor accept our debate invitation, we have no option except to conduct rebuttals such as these.

Interestingly, when we mentioned this to an immensely popular Muslim leader in India, Janab PJ Moulvai, that Janab Dr. Zakir did not accept our debate invitation, Janab P J Moulvai told to us that he had also invited Janab Dr. Zakir for a debate because of his false Islamic doctrines. 

Janab P J Moulvai is the head of a large sect of Islam, Tamil Nadu Towheed Jammat, a with over 10 lakh people in Tamil Nadu.

This is what PJ Moulvai said to Sakshi team when Sakshi visited his office before we debated with him:

“Zakir Naik is in some false doctrine, even we are calling him (but) he is not coming. We have been calling him (because) he does some false (propagation).  Even he is not coming to us, are you then saying that he is not coming if you call?  We also have been calling him for debate but he is not even coming to us. Therefore he is not a big matter, debate and all will not work out for him, he will speak on some general topics.”

I do not want to speak without evidence; so even though the clip is in Tamil, we will still show you.

Video: 1 PJ on Zakir

If Janab Dr. Zakir does not want to debate with the head of a sect with over 10 lakh people in Tamil Nadu alone, let him never again make the claim that he would debate with anyone who would bring 10000 people.  These are lame excuses.

As Janab Dr. Zakir continues make excuses to evade debate, and continues to attack the holy Christian faith, we are left with no option except to conduct rebuttals such as these.

I will be doing a comparative religious approach in answering Janab Dr. Zakir’s allegations against the Holy Bible. There are over 40 questions that he had raised in this debate. As per IRF, 37- related to science and a few more questions related to other subjects. We will answer all.

In this refutation, we will be first displaying a set of questions from Janab Dr. Zakir and then I will be answering it; again, we will show the next set of questions and I will answer it. Let us start with the first set of questions against the Holy Bible.

Video: 2 Part 1 Astronomy

1: Astronomy (Dr. Zakir Naik) 1:48:00- 1:54:25

First we deal with Astronomy. The Bible speaks about the creation of the universe. In the beginning, 1st Book, Book of Genesis, 1st Ch. , it is mentioned – It says… ‘Almighty God created the Heavens and the Earth, in six days and talks about a evening and a morning, referring to a 24 – hour day. Today scientists tell us, that the universe cannot be created in a 24 hour period of six days. Qur’an too speaks about six ‘ayyams’. The Arabic word singular is ‘yaum’ plural is ‘ayyam’. It can either mean a day of 24 hours, or it is a very long period, a ‘yaum’, an epoch. Scientists say we have no objection in agreeing that the universe – it could have been created in 6 very long periods. 1:49:03

Point No.2 – Bible says in Genesis Ch. No. 1 Verses No. 3 and 5,…‘Light was created on the first day.’ Genesis , Ch. , 1 Verses, 14 to 19… ‘The cause of light – stars and the sun, etc. was created on the fourth day’. How can the cause of light be created on the 4th day – later than the light which came into existence on the first day? – It is unscientific.

1:49:30

Further, the, Bible says Genesis, Ch. 1, Verses 9 to 13… ‘Earth was created on the 3rd day. How can you have a night and day without the earth? The day depends upon the rotation of the Earth Without the earth created, how can you have a night and day?

 Point No..4, Genesis , Ch. No. 1 Verses 9 to 13 says… ‘Earth was created on the third day.’ Genesis Ch. No. 1 Verses 14 to 19 says…‘The Sun and the Moon were created on the fourth day.’ Today science tells us… ‘Earth is part of the parent body… the sun.’ It cannot come into existence before the sun – It is unscientific.

Point No. 5, the Bible says in Genesis, Ch. No.1, Verse No. 11 to 13…‘The vegetation, the herbs the shrubs, the trees – they were created on the 3rd day And the Sun, Genesis, Ch. No. 1, Verses. 14 to 19, was created on the 4th day. How can the vegetation come into existence without sunlight, and how can they survive without sunlight?

Point No.6, that the Bible says in Genesis, Ch. 1, Verses No.16, that…‘God created two lights the greater light, the Sun to rule the day, and the lesser light the Moon, to rule the night. The actual translation, if you go to the Hebrew text, it is ‘lamps’…‘Lamps having lights of its own.’ And that you will come to know better, if you read both the Verses – Genesis , Ch. No.1, Verse. 16, as well as 17. Verse No.17 says…‘And Almighty God placed them in the firmament, to give light to the earth… To give light to the earth.’ Indicating, that Sun and the Moon has its own light – which is in contradiction with established scientific knowledge that we have. (Dr. Naik) There are certain people who try and reconciliate, and say that the six days mentioned in the Bible, it actually refers to epocs – like the Qur’an long periods – not six, 24 hour day. It is illogical – you read in the Bible, evening, morning – It clearly states 24 hours, it indicates. But even if I use the concordance approach – no problem. I agree with your illogical argument – Yet they will only be able to solve the 1st scientific error of 6 days creation, and second, of first day ‘light’ and 3rd day ‘earth.’ The remaining four, yet they cannot solve. Some further say that… ‘If it is a 24-hour period, why cannot the vegetables survive for one 24 hour day without sunlight?’ I say ‘Fine – If you say that the vegetables were created before the sun, and can survive for one 24-hour day, I have got no objection. But you cannot say the days mentioned are 24 hours as well as epochs – You cannot have the cake and eat it, both. If you say it is long period, you solve Point No.1 and 3, the remaining 4 are yet there. If you say the days are 24 hours day, you solve only Point No.5 – the remaining 5 are yet there – It becomes unscientific. I leave it to Dr. William Campbell, whether he wants to say… ‘It is long period’, and say that there are only 4 scientific errors – or say… ‘It is a 24 hour day’, and say there is only 5 scientific errors in the creation of the universe.

Regarding the concept of Earth, there are various Scientists who have described… ‘How will the world end.’ Hypothesis – Some may be right, some may be wrong. But either the world will perish or the world will live forever. Both cannot take place simultaneously – It is unscientific. But this is exactly what the Bible says. It is mentioned in the Bible, in the book of Hebrews, Ch. No.1 Verses No.10 and 11, and the book of Psalms, Ch. No.102, Verse No.25 and 26, that…‘Almighty God created the Heavens and the Earth, and they will perish.’ Exactly opposite is mentioned in the book of Ecclesiastics, Ch. No.1, Verse No.4, and the book of Psalms, Ch. No.78, Verse No.69, that… ‘The earth will abide forever.’ I leave it to Dr. William Campbell to choose which of the two Verses are unscientific – the first pair or the second pair. One has to be unscientific – Both cannot take place. The world cannot abide forever as well as perish – It is unscientific.

Regarding ‘the Heavens’, the Bible says in Job, Ch. 26, Verse 11, that…‘The pillars of the Heaven will tremble.’ Qur’an says in Surah Luqman, Ch. 31, Verse No.10, that…‘The Heavens are without any pillars – Don`t you see? Don’t you see the Heavens are without any pillars? – Bible says heaven have got pillars. Not only do the Heavens have got pillars – Bible says in the first book of Samuel, Ch. No.2 Verses No.8, as well as the book of Job Ch. No.9, Verse No.6, and the book of Psalms Ch. No.75, Verse No.3, that… ‘Even the earth have got pillars.’

 

Let us start with the first question;

PPT: Slide 2

(1) Genesis 1: God created the universe in six days- evening and morning- referring to 24 hour six literal days. Today, science tells us that universe could not have been created in six literal days but billions of years. Quran too says 6 days but the Arabic word “ayyam’ (singular yawm), which can mean six days or six long epochs, periods.

Answer:

According to Janab Dr. Zakir since Quran uses the word youm, which can mean literal days or long periods, he took it as long period. If there are two meanings for a word, you should assume the correct meaning until proven otherwise.

Can we really know what Quran meant? Quran says yes.

Allah of the Quran says it is Hazarath Muhammad who clarifies the meaning of Quran.

In Quran, Surah 16: 44 says it is Hazarath Muhammad who establishes the meaning of the Quran.

Further, Quran says:

In Surah 53: 3-4– everything that Hazarth Muhammad speaks is inspired by Allah.

Therefore, Islam has at least two authoritative sources.

Quran, which Muslim claims to be direct speech of Allah, and:

Sunnah of Hazarath Muhammad or in other words, the inspired revelation of Allah.

Janab Dr. Zakir agrees with this:

Video: 3 Quran and Hadiths.

Janab Dr. Zakir says Quran and Sahih Hadiths. Quran does not just say Hadiths; it says Sunnah. Sahih Hadiths are a source of Sunnah but not the Sunnah itself.

But ok. We will be very gracious with Janab Dr. Zakir; Islam has two authoritative sources – Quran and the Sahih Hadiths, both which will never contradict each other.

So, to establish the meaning of the Quran, let us look at the infallible interpretation of the Quran- the Sahih Hadiths.

Sahih Muslim Book 39, Number 6707:

Saturday- He created clay

Sunday- He created the mountains

Monday- He created the trees

Tuesday- He created the things entailing labour

Wednesday – created light

Thursday – He caused animals to spread

Friday – He created Adam (pbuh) after ‘Asr on Friday; the last creation at the last hour of the hours of Friday, i.e. Between afternoon and night.”

In the History of al-Tabari, Volume 1- General Introduction and from the Creation to the Flood pp. 187-193,  Al Tabari, probably the greatest Muslim historian of Islam, also cites a hadith with isnad, saying that these days are Saturday, Sunday, Monday, etc.

PPT Slide 3:

So, the long periods of Janab Dr. Zakir happens to be: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc.

Quran and the hadith will never contradict each other. But what should we do, if a scholar contradicts the hadith?

Video: 4 Scholar contradicting Hadiths

If a scholar contradicts Sahih Hadith, you do not have to follow him.

PPT: Slide 5

What Does the Holy Bible Says?

The Holy Bible says the world was created in six literal 24-hour days.

Exodus 20: 11 “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them.”

These are 24-hour literal days.

But, the Holy Bible also indicates that these were not from the perspective of earth:

In Genesis 1:14-19, sun and moon were made and appointed for days and seasons only from the fourth day.

If sun and moon were made the point of reference from only the fourth day, it could not have been the solar days from the perspective of earth.

The point of reference is outside the earth? Does it make a difference?

Yes, according to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.

There are billions of points in the universe, where a 24 hour day in earth can be billions of years over there or a 24 hour day over there, can be billions of years in the earth.

Now, as we are used to taking time as constant, it might be difficult for us to understand. But that is what the science says.

In layman’s language time can be compressed and expanded.

If there are billions of points in the universe, where our one day is equal to billions of years or vice-versa; what would be the correct point of reference when the Holy Bible speaks about the creation of universe.

It would be the point of big bang or let us call it as edge of the universe in layman’s language.

Is there a way for us to know what would be the equivalent of one day at the edge of the universe to that of the earth?

Dr. Gerald L Schroeder, a PhD in Physics from MIT, a distinguished scientist and a Jewish theologian, in his book, The Science of God: the Convergence of Scientific and Biblical Wisdom, uses the scientific data and calculates what would six days with 24 literal hours at the edge of the universe mean for earth?

He gets this figure.

PPT: Slide 5

Can something be both 24 hour six literal day and billions of years? Yes, as per science. There is no contradiction there.

Interestingly, now, there are certain Muslims such as the website miraclesofthequran.com, who take this approach.

They have abandoned Janab Dr. Zakir’s approach as they seem to have realized that it contradicts the authoritative sources of Islam- the Sahih Hadiths.

The events recorded in the days of the Holy Bible or the Islamic sources should correspond to the events recorded in the earthly days.

For example:

If the 24 hour Day One of the Holy Bible, the cosmic clock, corresponds to 8 billions of earthly days, then whatever the Holy Bible says happened in the Day One must have happened in the 8 billion years.

If the 24 hour second day of the Holy Bible, the comic clock, corresponds to 4 billion years of earthly days, then whatever the Holy Bible says happened in the second day must have happened in the 4 billion years.

Similarly, it should go up to the sixth day.

Dr. Gerald L Schroeder checked on these and found a remarkable correspondence between the Holy Bible and the science.

PPT Slide 6

Day 1: Let there be Light:

Corresponding period: Light literally breaks as free electrons. Stars, Sun, etc are formed after this.

Day 2: The firmament forms.

Corresponding period:  Disk of Milky Way forms.

The Holy Bible uses three different words while describing the creation narration. 

Bara means to create out of nothing.

Dasha- bring forth- almost as though through natural process.

Asah means to fashion, to appoint, etc. Or in other words, to fashion something out of an existing material or to appoint some existing thing for a purpose etc.

Day 1- Bara- created out of nothing.

Day 4- Genesis 1: 16- made two great lights- asah.

What does the science say: In the beginning, there was a huge release of light? 8 billion years of science; first day of the Holy Bible.

But when did the sun and moon appear from the earth- fourth day of the Holy Bible.

Day 3: Oceans and dry land appear

Corresponding scientific period: Earth has cooled; large water bodies appear.

Note the word the Holy Bible uses – bring forth- dasha, which implies a natural process.

When Dr. Gerald Schroder published the book a decade ago, there was no evidence for multi-cellular plants appearing in land at that time.

In April 13, 2011, the scientific journal Nature published a peer reviewed article stating that there is now evidence that multi-cellular small plants had appeared on the earth when God of the Holy Bible said let the earth bring forth vegetation.

Nature is the world’s most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal, – a secular publication with peer reviewed articles.

Not like Saudi Royal Physician Maurice Bucaille, Dawwah’s most favourite “scientist.”

Now, there requires a little more evidence for science to match up with the Holy Bible. 

Stay tuned, science is slowly catching up with the Holy Bible.

Day 4: Sun and the Moon aash- appeared

Job 38: 4-9 God says when He made the earth, made a cloud its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band.

Corresponding scientific period: agrees with this.

Robert Jastrow, Founding Director, of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies: “For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”

Let us review the questions quickly:

          PPT: Slide 7

(1)         Genesis 1: God created the universe in six days- evening and morning- referring to 24 hour six literal days. Today, science tells us that universe could not have been created in six literal days but billions of years. Can something be both six literal days and billions of years?

Answer:

Lack of Scientific Knowledge:

Yes, if only you science better. It was the lack of scientific knowledge that made Janab Dr. Zakir Naik to accuse the Holy Bible of being unscientific.

Now my brothers and sisters, it was the Torah, book of Genesis which used the word Yowm at least 2000 years before Quran.

Quran took the word from the Holy Bible.

Quran took the concept also from the Holy Bible.

But Hazarath Muhammad got the sequencing wrong. If you are taking something from a source, please copy everything correctly and completely.

(2)         Genesis 1: 3-5 Light was created on the first day. Genesis 1: 14-19 – stars and sun was created on the fourth day. How can the cause of light be created on the fourth day later than the cause of light which was created on the fourth day?

PPT Slide 8

Answer:

The Hebrew word used is aash.

I am not sure which science book he is reading. What does the science say?

In the beginning, there was a huge release of light exactly at that the Holy Bible records God said “let there be light.”

The galaxies and sun and other planets started forming as a result of this afterwards.

(3)         Genesis 1: 9-13 Earth was created on the third day. How can you have day and night without earth?

PPT Slide 9

Answer:

When the Holy Bible uses evening and morning, it can also refer to the beginning and end or end and beginning of a period.

Speaking about life, Prophet Moses says:

Psalms 90: 6 “in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.”

We use this in our everyday language as well.

At the dawn of history- we mean at the beginning of history.

At the dusk of his life – at the end of his life.

Dawwah preachers like Janab Dr. Zakir Naik can believe that Saturday, Sunday, Monday are long periods- epochs.

But the Holy Bible should not use morning and evening to refer beginning and end of periods.

(4) Genesis 1: 9-13 earth was created on the third day. Genesis 1: 141-9 sun and the moon were created on fourth day. How can it be since earth is a part of sun and moon?

PPT Slide 10

Answer:

Third day, earth became liveable, which science also agrees in its equivalent scientific days. 

The fourth day = Sun and moon – aash – made to appear.

Science agrees with this.

 (5) Genesis 1: 11-13 vegetation came into existence on the third day. Genesis 1: 14-19 Sun came into existence on the fourth day. How can the vegetation come into existence on without the sunlight and how can they survive without sunlight?

PPT Slide 11

Answer: Note the word the Holy Bible uses – bring forth- dasha, which implies a natural process.

Life began to appear.

In April 13, 2011, the scientific journal Nature published a peer reviewed article stating that there is now evidence that multi-cellular small plants had appeared on the earth when God of the Holy Bible said let the earth bring forth vegetation.

Also, we read it in the Job.

Job 38: 4-9 God says when He made the earth, made a cloud its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band.

Question 6: Genesis 1: 16 God created two lights. How can moon be called a light since it does not its own light and the Hebrew translation would mean lamp having its own light.

PPT Slide 12

Answer:

The Hebrew word for light that is used is ma’owr, which means a luminary. In that literal sense, there is nothing unscientific here. Moon is a luminary.

The question is about whether the moon has its own light or not. These verses neither establish nor rules out the question whether the moon has its own light or not.

However, our prophets have beyond doubt established the fact that moon light is a reflected light.

Ezekiel 32: 7-8 “I will cover the sun with a cloud and the moon will not give its light.

(7) According to Hebrews 1:10-11 and Psalms 102:25-26, earth will perish. However, according Ecclesiastics 1:4 and Psalms 78: 69‘The earth will abide forever.’

PPT Slide 13

Answer:

The verse that is quoted in the book of Hebrews is a quotation from Psalms. The question is about the apparent contradiction between two sets of verses.

If it is about the apparent contradiction, all that we need do is to check the law of non-contradiction and see whether the law of contradiction applies here.

Law of non-contradiction says two opposite statements cannot be true in the same sense at the same time. Same sense; same time.

How do we know about the sense of the Biblical usage of the word perish.

Look at the usage of same word in the Holy Bible:

In Psalms 102:25-26, the word perish (avad) can mean ruined.

Exodus 10: 7 “Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?”(avad)

Numbers 21:29-30 “Heshbon is perished” or ruined. Avad.

Now look at the same verse:

Psalms 102: 26 – They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.

This is the consistent teaching of the Holy Bible in:

2 Peter 3: 10-13

Psalms 104: 30

Romans 8: 18-25

Revelation 21: 1 – the present earth would be ruined and burnt and it will be renewed and new heaven and earth would be there.

Question 8: The Bible says in Job 26:11 that pillars of heaven will tremble.

PPT Slide 14

Pillar here is used in a figurative sense- meaning strength. Like how we say he/she is the pillar of our Church”.

Next when a Muslim comes and says these are the five pillars of Islam, we must ask them about its height, breadth and what material it is made up of, whether it is sand, or some mud, or cement, etc.

In the book of Job, it can only mean strength.  

Job 26: 7 “He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; He suspends the earth over nothing.”

In the context, Job 26: 11 can only mean strength.

Question 9: Earth has got pillars. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 2:8, Job 9:6 and Psalms 75: 3 that earth has got pillars.

PPT Slide 15

Answer: When the Holy Bible uses the word earth, it can refer to planet earth, land, a country or people.

Sir Isaac Newton, one of all time greatest scientists, said in his commentary to the Book of Daniel in the Holy Bible, chapter 2, that one has to learn the prophetical language of the scriptures before they interpret it.

Earth, he said, can refer to the people.

The problem with Janab Dr. Zakir is that he neither understands science fully nor the Holy Bible.

In these verses, not only the word pillar refers to strength, sometimes even the word earth figuratively refers to people.

1 Samuel 2: 8– speaks about God raising poor people to thrones of glory where the words earth and pillar are figuratively used.

Now coming to the next verse:
Job 9: 6 – pillar refers to the strength.

Job 9: 6  He shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble.

Remember the same author said:

Job 26: 7 He suspends the earth over nothing.”

Now coming to the third verse:

Psalms 75: 3– pillars refer to the strength. It is a warning to the wicked and boastful.

I wish Janab Dr. Zakir would heed to the advice of distinguished scientists like Sir Isaac Newton before venturing to question the Holy Bible.

Video: 5 Part 2 Diet and Nutrition

Part 2: Diet and Nutrition and Test for Believers (1:54:30-1:59:17)

In the field of ‘Diet and Nutrition’ let’s analyze, what does the Bible say. The Bible says in the book of Genesis, Ch. No.1, Verse No.29, that… ‘God has given you all the herbs bearing seeds, the trees bearing fruits – those that bear seed, as meat for you.’ New International Version says… ‘The seed bearing plants and the trees bearing fruits bearing seeds are food for you, all of them.’ Today, even a layman knows that there are several poisonous plants like wild berries, stritchi, datura, plants containing alkaloid, polyander, bacaipoid – that which if you ingest, if you eat there are high possibilities you may die. How come the Creator of the universe and the human beings, does not know, that if you have these plants, you will die. I hope Dr. William Campbell does not give these vegetarian diet to his patients.

The Bible has a scientific test how to identify a true believer. It is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark, Ch. No.16, Verse No.17 and 18 – It says that… ‘There will be signs for true believers and among the signs – In my name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak foreign tongues, new tongues, they shall take up serpents – And if they drink deadly poison, they shall not be harmed – And when they place their hand over the sick, they shall be cured.’ This is a scientific test – In scientific terminology, it is known as the ‘confirmatory test’ for a true Christian believer. In the past 10 years of my life, I have personally interacted with thousands of Christians, including missionaries – I have not come across a single Christian, who has passed this confirmatory test of the Bible. I have not come across a single Christian who took poison – I have not come across any who took poison, and who has not died. And in scientific terminology, this is also called as the ‘falsification test’ That means if a false person tries and does this test… takes poison, he will die. And a false person will not dare attempt this test – If you are not a true Christian believer, you will not dare attempt this test. Because you try and attempt the falsification test, you will fail. So a person who is not a true Christian believer, will never attempt this test.

I have read the book ‘The Qur’an and the Bible in the light of history and science’ written by Dr. William Campbell. And I assume – that he is a true Christian believer, and at least I would like him to confirm to me about the falsification test. Please be rest assured… Please be rest assured, I will not ask Dr. William Campbell to have deadly poison – Because I don’t want to jeopardize the debate. What I’ll do – I will only ask him to speak in foreign tongues… In new languages. And as many of you may be aware that India is a land, which has more than 1000 languages and dialects. Only thing I request him is, to say these 3 words… ‘One hundred rupees’, in the 17 official languages. There are only 17 official languages in India and to make it easier for Dr. William Campbell, I have got a ‘One hundred-rupee note.’ And this has all the 17 languages mentioned here. Besides English and Hindi, I will help him. I give him a beginning –‘Ek sav rupaiya, In Hindi. The remaining 15 languages are here – I request him to read. I know the test says… ‘They will speak foreign languages on their own, without the help of reading’ – but I want to make the test easier, I want to see someone passing the test – I’ve not seen any one. So if he cannot say it on his own, or from his memory, at least read it. I don’t mind I’ll accept it. And I would request the chairperson to give it to Dr. William Campbell. He has his rebuttal – 15 languages, ‘Ek sav rupaiya’… 3 words only.

 

Question 10: In Genesis 1: 29, God gave every herb that yields seed for mankind to eat. However, there are a few poisonous plants which if a person eats may surely die.

PPT Slide 16

Answer:

Janab Dr. Zakir is quoting from Genesis 1: 29.

Where was Adam and Eve when God granted them the permission to eat from all plants and trees? They were in the Garden of Eden. Were there any poisonous plants and herbs in the Garden of Eden? Definitely not.  

Is it difficult to understand that from the Holy Bible? Not at all.

Janab Dr. Zakir might say no Genesis 1:29 is for all times.

For argument’s sake, let us agree with him. So, what?

Genesis 1:27 God created Adam and Eve in His own image.

God would expect human beings to have wisdom and knowledge and apply some mind.

Now, let us read the Quran:

In Surah 5:96 Allah of the Quran says: “Lawful to you is game from the sea and its food as provision for you and the travellers.”

However, in Surah 5: 3 – All the dead animals except that is slaughtered before its death are prohibited.

Quran does not make any difference between land and sea animals.

Now, most of the fishes would be dead even if before they are brought to the land. Is it halal or haram?

Otherwise, you should go under the sea, catch the fish, recite bismallah and slaughter them in the water itself.

Of course, I know that our Muslim friends would now quote hadiths.

In Sunan Abu Dawud Vol 1, Book 1: Hadith 83 – sea water is pure and what dies in it is lawful.

But then there is a problem. There are several poisonous fishes in the sea. If you eat them, that will be your last meal.

PPT Slide 17

Did not Allah know that there are many dangerous fishes and other poisonous beings in the sea like this?

You cannot even say that use common sense.

As Janab Dr. Zakir says Islam is a way of life.

For example:

Sahih Bukhari Vol 1: Book 4: Hadith 169– how to wear shoes, comb hair, wash one oneself.

If Islam needs to tell you how to wear shoes, comb your hair and wash yourself, then there is no excuse, no reason, no justification for missing such crucial and critical piece of information.

Question 11: Janab Dr. Zakir Naik quoted Mark 16: 17-18 and challenged many Christians to speak in tongues and drink poison.

First, it is not a commandment from the LORD that every believer should drink poison and prove himself/herself to be a believer. It is neither a test. 

When it was told to Janab Dr. Zakir later that the Holy Bible does not permit to test the Lord God, Janab Dr. Zakir came up with the logic that you are not testing the Lord but men.

If God gave you the gifts and promises as the Holy Bible states, and if you are testing whether those gifts and promises work, whom are you testing,- God or men?

For example:

Surah 17: 82 “And We send down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.”

Sahih Al Bukhari Vol 3: 36: 476 – a person had been bitten by a snake, and one of the companions of Hazarath Muhammad recited Surah Fathia, Surah 1 and the person was immediately healed. Hazarath Muhammad said you have done the right thing and took a share of the fee as well.

Sahih Al Bukhari Vol 6: 61: 529

Sahih Bukhari Vol 7: 71: 632

Sahih Bukhari Vol 7: 71: 633

Surah Bukhari Vol 7: 71: 645

Is it reciting power of the Hafiz or Allah’s power that helps in this?

Of course, next time we can ask Dawwah preachers to prove Quran by drinking poison and reciting Surah 1.

Dawwah preachers often try these kinds of cheap tricks and theatrics to impress people with itching ears.

These theatrics were popularized by late Ahmed Deedat, who had more of dramas and theatrics than sound arguments while debating.

Dawwah preachers such Janab Dr. Zakir takes this from Deedat.

Listen to this video.

Video: 6 Zakir on Ahmed Deedat

It is ok to take from uncle’s platter. But please examine what happened to uncle and whether he has been answered on all these points. Do not recycle already answered questions.

Dawwah preachers would recycle these tricks.

This  year when we had a debate on the Holy Bible, another uncle from Chennai came with this trick. This is how we answered him.

Video: 7 Poision

Let us not lower religious debates into a show of theatrics.

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However, if Dawwah preachers continue to use such methods, we can not only answer their questions but return the favour with more such verification and falsification tests.

Video 8 Part 3 Hydrology

Part 3: Hydrology and Medicine (1:59:18-2:03:53)

(Dr. Naik) What does the Bible say regarding ‘Hydrology’? Bible says in Genesis, Ch. No.9, Verse No.13 to 17, that… ‘After God, at the time of Noah submerged the world by flood, and after the flood’ subsided, He said… ‘I put up a rainbow in the sky as a promise to the humankind never to submerge the world again, by water. To the unscientific person it may be quite good… ‘Oh rainbow is a sign of Almighty God, never to submerge the world by flood again.’

But today we know very well, that rainbow is due to the refraction of sunlight, with rain or mist. Surely there must have been thousands of rainbows before the time of Noah, (peace be upon him). To say it was not there before Noah’s time you have to assume that the law of refraction did not exist – which is unscientific.’

In the field of medicine, the Bible says in the book of Leviticus, Ch. No.14, Verse No.49 to 53 – it gives a novel way for disinfecting a house from plague of leprosy… disinfecting a house from plague of leprosy. It says that… ‘Take two birds, kill one bird, take wood, scale it – and the other living bird, dip it in water… and under running water – later on sprinkle the house 7 times with it. Sprinkle the house with blood to disinfect against plague of leprosy? You know blood is a good media of germs, bacteria, as well as toxin – I hope Dr. William Campbell does not use this method of disinfecting the OT, the operation theatre.

(Dr. Naik) It is mentioned in the book of Leviticus , Ch. No.12, Verse No.1 to 5, and we know medically, that after a mother gives birth to a child, the post-partal period, it is unhygienic. To say it is ‘unclean’, Religiously – I have got no objection. But Leviticus , Ch. No.12 Verse No.1 to 5, says that… ‘After a woman gives birth to a male child, she will be unclean for 7 days, and the period of uncleanliness will continue for 33 days more. It she gives birth to a female child, she will be unclean for two weeks, and the period of uncleanliness will continue for 66 days. In short, if a woman gives birth to a male child… ‘a son’, she is unclean for 40 days. If she gives birth to a female child… ‘a daughter’, she is unclean for 80 days. I would like Dr. William Campbell to explain to me scientifically, how come a woman remains unclean for double the period, if she gives birth to a female child, as compared to a male child.

(Dr. Naik) The Bible also has a very good test for adultery – How to come to know a woman has committed adultery, in the book of Numbers, Ch. no.5 Verse No..11 to 31. I’ll just say in brief. It says that… ‘The priest should take holy water in a vessel, take dust from the floor, and put it into the vessel – And that is the bitter water ‘And after cursing it, give it to the woman And if the woman has committed adultery, after she drinks it, the curse will enter her body, the stomach will swell, the thigh will rot, and she shall be cursed by the people. If the woman has not committed adultery, she will remain clean and she will bear the seed. A novel method of identifying whether a woman has committed adultery or not. You know today in the world, there are thousands of cases pending in different parts of the world, in different courts of law – only on the assumption that someone has alleged that a woman has committed adultery. I had read in the newspapers, and I came to know from the media, that the President of this great country Mr. Bill Clinton, he was involved in a sex scandal about 2 years back. I wonder, that why did not the American court use this ‘bitter water test’ for adultery? He would have gone scot-free immediately. Why did not the Christian missionaries of this great country, specially those who are in the medical field like my respected Dr. William Campbell, use this bitter water test to bail out their President, immediately?

Answer to Part 3: Hydrology

Question 12: In Genesis 9: 13-17 God set the rainbow as a sign of covenant between God and Noah. Janab Dr. Zakir has two sub questions on this- (a) Is the rainbow formed by law of refraction or did God set it? (b) did the law of refraction exist before the time of Noah?

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Answer:

When a Christian or a Muslim say that God created or sends or sets something, it does not rule out the natural scientific explanation but means that God is the creator behind the natural.

In fact, as Muslim, Janab Dr. Zakir should have never raised this question. For example:

In Surah 50: 9 And we have sent down blessed rain from the sky and made grow thereby gardens and grain from the harvest.”

As per the logic of Janab Dr. Zakir, we must assume that Quran rules out water cycle.

So, Janab Dr. Zakir’s first question was baseless.

In fact, the Holy Bible speaks correctly about the connection between rainbow and refraction of sunlight with rainbow or mist.

In Ezekiel 1: 28 “Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day.”

Further,

Did the law of refraction exist before Noah?

Genesis 9: 13 “”I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.”

Strong’s H5414 – this word has a variety of meaning, set apart, dedicate, give, etc.

Genesis 15: 18 “On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.”

Genesis 21: 27 “So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.

The Hebrew word for set, Nathan, does not necessarily mean create but dedicate or set apart for a purpose.

Similarly:

In Genesis 9:13 – God gave rainbow as a sign for the covenant with Noah.

Rainbow always exited but it did not any special meaning.

But now rainbow has a special meaning -it has been given as a sign for the covenant with Noah.
 

Part 4: Medicine

Video: 9 Part 4 Medicine

Question 13: Janab Dr. Zakir quoted Leviticus 14:49-53 and said that the Holy Bible teaches to use blood to disinfect.

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Answer: Most of the time to refute Janab Dr. Zakir, you will have to only read the verse above and verse below.

So, let us read the verse above.

Leviticus 14: 48 – says the priest must ensure that the plague is healed and pronounce it as clean.

Leviticus 14: 48 “But if the priest comes in and examines [it], and indeed the plague has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.

So, applying of the blood is done only after the priest ensures that plague is healed and pronounces it as clean in a medical sense.

So, why is Leviticus 14: 49 – asking to use the blood when it is already pronounced as clean?

You read the below verses.

Leviticus 14:52-53 “”And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and the running water and the living bird, with the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet. Then he shall let the living bird loose outside the city in the open field, and make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.”

First time the house is pronounced as clean in the medical sense because the plague is healed. It is already without infection.

Second time the blood is used and house is pronounced as clean in what sense- to make atonement, in the religious sense.

This is crystal clear in the Holy Bible.

If he had read, Exodus 12, Exodus 24, Leviticus 16, Leviticus 17: 11, he would have understood that through blood there is deliverance, through blood covenant is established, through blood there is atonement for sins. We see the fulfilment of all these in Injil, New Testament.

Romans 5:9, Ephesians 1:7, 1 John 1: 7, Matthew 26:28, we read that it is through the blood of Jesus Christ that the covenant is established, we are justified and redeemed.

In fact, to help Muslims understand the importance of sacrifice and blood, our brothers have published a book ‘Truth Revealed’.

It is available outside this auditorium; you can collect one copy free of cost.  

Question 14: Leviticus 12- number of unclean days for the mother of a male child and female child are different. Janab Dr. Zakir Naik wants us to give a scientific reason for that.

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There is nothing unscientific in having different number of religiously unclean days for a male and female child. However, science need not be the reason for the difference in days. It could be moral, social or cultural reasons.

 Let us look at Leviticus 12 to see if there are any reasons for differences.

Leviticus 12 speaks about three things related to child birth.

Leviticus 2: 2, 4-5 about the number of unclean days.

Leviticus 2: 3 – about the circumcision.

Leviticus 2: 6-8 about the sacrifices.

What is same? The sacrifices are same:

Leviticus 12: 6 When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
– It speaks about number of unclean days for both male and female child.

What is different?

No of unclean days is different and circumcision is only for the male child.

 

 

 

Religious Reasons:

(a)         Encourage  Male Circumcision

Genesis 17: 12 “He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.”

Leviticus 12: 3 “’And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.”

(b)         Discourage Female Circumcision

Let us now look at the cultural reasons. In ancient Egypt or even in many countries now female circumcision is practiced but never in the Holy Bible.

For example, let us take the case of Islam since we are dealing with Islam. The Quran never commands either male or female circumcision.

Sahih Muslim, Book 003, Number 0684

Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 1: 216

Sunan Abu Dawud: Book 36: 5251

Imam Malik’s Muwatta Book 2: 73

Imam Malik Book 2: 74

The Holy Bible through its rituals discourages deplorable practices and encourages healthy and moral practices.

By changing the number of days of uncleanness for a male and female child, the Holy Bible reinforces that a female child should never be circumcised.

(c) Preferential treatment to women

Now, let us look at it socially. Practically ceremonial uncleanness is nothing but abstaining from religious, social and family activities. In other words, it is a kind of rest. If it is a male child, the mother gets 40 days off. If it is a female child, mother gets 80 days off. This is known as preferential treatment for women.

 In fact, this preferential treatment of women goes along with rest of the Holy Bible as I will explain in the next question shortly.

Surah 2: 182 And get two witnesses of your own men, and if there are not two men then a man and two women such as you choose for witnesses – so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her.

Note, here the ayat tells us that it can be either two men and if there are not two men, then one man and two women.

Two women equal one man. Women alone cannot be the witness as well.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1:9:490, 493, 498    A passing woman, a dog, and a monkey annul a prayer.

Question 15: According to Numbers 5: 11 -31, a woman suspected of adultery should be brought before the priest. He performs certain religious rituals and gives her bitter water to drink. Janab Dr. Zakir Naik wants to know why this test is still not carried out in courts.

PPT Slide 23

Answer:

First and foremost, this is a supernatural judgement under the Old Testament. Anyone who reads the passage properly would understand that this is in fact a supernatural judgement. The Holy Bible clearly presents it as a supernatural judgement under the Old Testament.

Let us read the same chapter.

Numbers 5: 18 “’Then the priest shall stand the woman before the LORD”

Numbers 5: 21 “the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh rot and your belly swell.”

The accused women shall stand before Yahweh, if she has sinned, Yahweh makes her thigh rot and belly swell. Very clearly this is a supernatural punishment.

When you compare this with rituals of other religions around the time, you would see that the Holy Bible again gives preferential treatment for women.

In Babylon, there was a custom to throw women suspected of infidelity to river Euphrates. If she does not get drowned, she was considered as innocent.

In some other cultures, women suspected of infidelity were asked to go through fire, if they survive, they were innocent. If not, they were guilty.

Compare this with the Qur’an:

Surah 4:34 “Men are in charge of women, if you fear rebellion from women, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them.”

Sahih Bukhari Vol 7: Book 72: Hadith 715- a woman came and complained to Hazarath Muhammad that she was beaten by her husband.

It is mentioned her skin colour became as green as her veil due to this. Her husband also came and explained his so-called reasons. Did Hazarath Muhammad ever scold for ill-treating his wife? No, nothing, the fault became woman’s.

Sunan Abu Dawud: Book 5: Hadith 2142: Narrated by Ibn-al-Khattab: The Prophet said: A man will not be asked as to why he beat his wife.”

In the Torah, the husband who suspects wife’s infidelity, cannot take matters in his own hand, cannot punish his wife. He has to wait on God’s judgment. This is true protection against injustice inflicted by fallible human beings so often guided by false suspicions.

Now, let us look at the Quran:

Surah 2:72-3 – Allah commands people to kill a heifer, and brining the dead dead man back to life to solve his own murder mystery and testify against his own murderer?

Janab Dr. Zakir Naik can start a detective agency by using methodology.

Video 10 Part 5 Mathematics

Part 4: Mathematics and Conclusion (2:03:54-2:12:00)

(Dr. Naik) ‘Mathematics’ is a branch, which is closely associated with science, with which you can solve problems, etc. There are thousands of contradictions in the Bible – hundreds deal with mathematics, and I’ll first touch on few of them. It is mentioned in Ezra, Ch. No.2, Verse No.1, and Nehemiah, Ch. No.7, Verse No.6, the context that… ‘When the people returned from exile, from Babylon , when king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, when he released the men from Israel , they came back from captivity’ – and the list of the people are given. The list is given in Ezra, Ch. No.2, Verse No.2 to 63, and Nehemiah Ch. No.7, Verse No.7 up to 65; the list is given with the names as well as number of people released. In these 60 Verses there are no less than 18 times – the name is exactly the same but the number is different. There are no less than 18 contradictions in less than 60 Verses, of these two Chapters. This is the list – I don’t have time to run through the list – There are no less than 18 different contradictions in less than 60 Verses.

Further it is mentioned in Ezra, Ch. No.2 Verse No.64 that… ‘The total congregation, if you add up… if you add up, it comes to 42,360.’ And if you read in Nehemiah , Ch. No.7, Verse No.66, there also the total is the same 42,360. But if you add up all these verses – which I had to do my homework – this is the list of Ezra… this is the list of Nehemiah. Ezra Ch. No 2, Nehemiah Ch. No 7 – If you add up – I had to do my homework…if you add up, Ezra Ch. No. 2 – It does not come to 42,360 – it comes to 29,818. And if you add up Nehemiah , Ch. No. 7, even then it does not come to 42,360 – It comes to 31,089. The author of the Bible, presumed to be ‘Almighty God’, does not know simple addition. If you give this problem, even to a person who has passed elementary school, he will be able to get the right answer. If you add up all the 60 Verses, it is so easy. Almighty God did not know adding – Nauzubillah… if we presume, that this is the word of God.

Further if we read, in Ezra Ch. No. 2, Verse No. 65, it says…There were 200 singing men and women – Nehemiah Ch. No. 7, Verse No. 67…‘There were 245 singing men and women.’ Were they 200 – or were they 245 singing men and women? Context is the same – A mathematical contradiction.

It is mentioned in the 2nd Kings , Ch. No 24, Verse No 8, that…‘Jehoiachin was 18 years old, when he began to reign Jerusalem , and he reigned for 3 months and 10 days. 2nd Chronicles , Ch. No 36, Verse No 9, says that…‘Jehoiachin was 8 years old when he began to reign and he reigned for 3 months, 10 days. Was Jehoiachin 18 years when he began to reign, or was he 8 years old? Did he reign for 3 months, or did he reign for 3 months 10 days?

Further it is mentioned in the 1st Kings , Ch. No 7, Verse No 26, that…‘In Solomon’s temple, in his molten sea, he had 2000 baths. In 2nd Chronicles , Ch. No 4, Verse No 5, he had 3000 baths. Did he have 2000 baths or did he have 3000 baths? – That, I leave it upon Dr. William Campbell to decide which is correct. There is a clear-cut mathematical contradiction. Furthermore it is mentioned in the 1st Kings, Ch. No. 15, Verse No. 33, that… ‘Basha, he died in the 26th year of reign of Asa.’ And 2nd Chronicles Ch. No 16, Verse No 1, says that…‘Basha invaded Judah in the 36th years of the reign of Asa.’ How can Basha invade 10 years after his death? – It is unscientific.

(Dr. Naik) To make it easier for Dr. William Campbell, to answer to the points I have raised, I will just mention it in brief -The points that I mentioned.

The first point was that -‘The creation of the Earth and the Heaven – the universe was in six, 24-hour days. Light was then before the source of light –

Point No. 2. Three – Day came into existence before creation of Earth.

Point No. 4 – Earth came into existence before Sun.

Point No. 5 – Vegetation came into existence, before sunlight

 Point No. 6 – Light of the Moon is its own light.

Point No. 7 – The earth – Will it perish or will it abide forever?

Point No. 8 – The earth has got pillars.

Point No. 9 – The heavens have got pillars.

 Point No. 10 – God said… ‘You can have all plants and all vegetation, including the poisonous plants?’

Point No. 11 – The scientific test the falsification test, of Mark , Ch. No. 16, Verse No. 17 and 18.

Point No. 12 – A woman remains unclean for double the period, if she gives birth to a daughter, as compared to a son.

Point No. 13 – Using blood to disinfect the house, against plague of leprosy.

Point No. 14 – How do you find out the bitter water test for adultery?

Point No. 15 – Eighteen different contradictions in less than 60 Verses of Ezra, Ch. 2, and Nehemiah , Ch. 7. I did not count them as 18 different – I counted them only as one.

 Point No. 16 – The total is different is both the chapters.

Point No. 17 – Are there 200 singing men and women, or are there 245 singing men and women?

Point No. 18 – Was Jehoiachin 18 years old, or was he 8 years old when he began to reign?

Point No. 19 – Did he reign for 3 months, or 3 months 10 days.

Point No. 20 – Did Solomon have 3000 baths, or 2000 baths?

Point No. 21 – Is that Basha, how could he invade Judah , 10 years after his death?

Point No. 22 is – Almighty God – He said, I put up a rainbow in the sky, as a promise to the human kind, never to submerge the world again by water. I have listed only 22, out of the hundreds available unscientific points in the Bible… scientific errors – And I request Dr. William Campbell to answer them. And irrespective whether he uses the ‘concordance approach’ or the ‘conflict approach’… as long as he is logical, he will never be able to prove scientifically, all these 22 aspects I have told him.

 We agree in Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) – to him was revealed the Injeel. This is not the Injeel – It may contain part of God – But the other unscientific portion is not the word of God. I would like to end my talk by giving the quotation of the Glorious Qur’an, from Surah Baqarah, Ch. No. 2, Verse 79 …. (Arabic)…. ‘Woe to those who write the book with their own hands, and then say this is from Allah, to traffic with it for a miserable price. Woe to those for what they write. Woe to those for what they earn.’ Wa Aakim Dawana Anil Hamdulillahi Rabbil Aalameen.

 

Answers to Part 4: Mathematics and Conclusion

Question 16. Between Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7, there are at least 18 contradictions.

(a)         Why isn’t the total in the list adding up to total given Ezra 2:64 and Nehemiah 7:66?

(b)Why are the numbers in the list in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 different?

(c)          Why is the total number of singers different in both list?

PPT Slide 24

Since Janab Dr. Zakir Naik has accused the Almighty God of the Bible of not knowing elementary mathematics of adding, we will start with the totals.

Let us read the verses:

Ezra 2: 2 “The number of the men of the people of Israel”- number of men of the people.

Number of men and not the number of whole people which would include women and children. 

Ezra 2: 64-65  “the whole assembly together was forty two thousand three hundred and sixty besides their male and female servants…”

The whole assembly- which includes men, women and children.

Should the total number of men be different or equal to the total number of the whole assembly?

It should be different. So, what is Dr. Zakir Naik’s question?

The same is mentioned in:

Nehemiah 7: 7 – men

Nehemiah 7: 66 – the whole assembly.

So, it is not that the God of the Holy Bible does not know elementary mathematics, it is just that Janab Dr. Zakir Naik does not know elementary reading.

We cannot completely blame him – that is also a problem with our educational system- good in memorizing, chapter number verse number, chapter number verse number but lack in understanding and comprehension.

Now, the second question:

Differences in the name and numbers between the list of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Why do Ezra and Nehemiah require the list of men?

The answer is given in the same chapter of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 7: 1-5 – when the enemies threatened the children of Israel, Nehemiah appointed people to guard the city; but the city was large and spacious, so he was burdened to have the list.

If the men’s list is required for this purpose, how will the list be prepared? By using the same principle that LORD commanded Prophet Moses. 

Numbers 1: 2-3 every male individually from twenty years old and above- all who are able to go to war in Israel.

(a)          20 and above

(b)          Able to go to war

There is a difference of 12-13 years between Ezra and Nehemiah. Those who were children earlier have become men now and those who were able earlier have become old now.  During those years, will the men’s list be different?

It will be the list of men who returned from captivity first. But there will be some differences.

The total number of the congregation- it will remain the same. But the list of men would be different.

Had Janab Dr. Zakir Naik read the Holy Bible carefully, he would not have asked this question.

Same is the case with the number of singers as well. 45 children must have grown up within this 12-13 years and were added to the list.

List is still the list of people who returned (total remains the same). Where is the question again?

Question 19: In 2 Kings 24: 8 – the Holy Bible says Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he began to rule. In 2 Chronicles 36:9 – the Holy Bible says Jehoiachin was 8 years old. Was he 18 years old or 8 years old.

Question 20: In 2 Kings 24: 8 – the Holy Bible says Jehoiachin reigned for three years. In 2 Chronicles 36:9 – the Holy Bible says Jehoiachin ruled for 3 months and 10 days.

PPT Slide 25

 Answer:

When Janab Dr. Zakir raises these questions, he pretend as if he has found these so-called contradictions in the Holy Bible; it is not so.  

Church Father Origen, in the third century, had carefully studied every word to word of the Holy Bible making six columns and studying any such differences in the Holy Bible. That is at least 300 years before Hazarath Muhammad.

Similarly, Jewish Talmud, again before Hazarath Muhammad, had discussed many of such so-called variations.

In other words, Jews and Christians, two communities which have produced the largest and best of the scientists and mathematicians in the world, does not require anyone from outside to cite these variations.

So, why are the answers?

Let us for argument’s sake accept these as scribal errors. Does that disqualify the Holy Bible from being the word of God? Not at all. None of the fundamental doctrines of Christian faith is affected by some scribal mistakes. In fact, it is to the credit of the Christians, that though they have noticed these variations, they have not made any attempts to make any changes in the Holy Scripture.

Compare this with what Caliph Uthaman, the third righteous Caliph as per Sunni Muslims, did when he found that there are variations in the Quranic manuscript.

In Sahih Al Bukhari Volume 6, Book 61, 510– we read that Uthaman, when he heard that there were variations in the Quran, he made one copy, “the perfect copy” and burned and ordered to burn every other copies.

It is another matter that despite these burning efforts, there were several variations in Quranic manuscripts.

In contrast, it is the shining example of the honesty and integrity of Christians that they would never resort to such practices to make a “perfect copy.”

Now, let us look at this question again? Is it a scribal error? I personally believe it is not.

There are some key passages in the Holy Bible which explains this.

In Matthew 1: 12 we read “Josiah begot Jeconiah.”

Why did the Holy Scripture say Josiah begot Jeconiah, when Jeconiah is actually the grandson of Josiah?

2 Chronicles 36: 10 Zedekiah is called as the brother Jeconiah, when Zedekiah is actually his father’s brother.

This can be possible, only if Josiah had adopted Jeconiah as his son just like Patriarch Jacob adopted Ephraim and Manasseh his grandsons as his own sons.

Before Josiah died, seeing that his son is wicked, Josiah had adopted his grandson as his son and anointed him as the King.

Jeconiah, when was 8 years old was adopted by his grandfather Josiah before his death, as his own son and anointed him as the king. But he had to wait till his father died to become the king.

But some ask didn’t his father rule for 11 years and Jeconiah should have become 19 years when he became the king. This question arises out of ignorance of how the Jews may consider as even a small portion, just one day of the year as one full year. For example, if someone had become a king in December 31, 2011 and died in January 2, 2012, he would have been considered as ruled for two years but the actual number of days would be only three days.

When we take this into account, it would be exactly 10 years.

At the age of 8, King Josiah adopted his grandson Jeconiah as his son and anointed him as king but he started ruling at the age of 18.

Answer: Anyone who knows mathematics  will that it is a simple round off.

Question 21: The molten sea in Solomon’s temple, did it contain 2000 or 3000 baths of water?

PPT Slide 26

 

1 Kings 7: 26 – the Hebrew word used is Kuwl (Kul).

Strong’s H3557 – gives one of the meaning as contained, sustained, etc.

It contained 2000 baths of water.

2 Chronicles 4:5 – the Holy Bible very clearly adds the word khä·zak’ to the word Kul.

Strong’s H2388 – gives the meaning strong, to make strong, etc.

In other words, it was strong enough to contain 3000 baths.

2 Chronicles 4: 5 – gives the actual strength, capacity of the molten sea, which is 3000 baths and 1 Kings 7:26 gives the regular supply it had, which is 2000 baths.

Question 22: Did Basha die in the 26th year of Asa or did he attack Asa in the 36th year.

PPT Slide 27

2 Chronicles 16: 1– in the 36th year of the reign of King Asa.

1 Kings 16: 8 – Basha died in the 26th year of Asa.

2 Chronicles 16, the Hebrew word used for reign used is Mal-Kut is often used for kingdom.

In the same book, 2 Chronicles.

2 Chronicles 1:1– Now, Solomon, the son of David, was strengthened in his kingdom. The word of kingdom is the same word used.

2 Chronicles 11:17– So, they strengthened the kingdom of Judah.

2 Chronicles 20:30– And the fear of God was on all kingdoms of those countries.

So, if it is the 36th year of Asa’s kingdom, we should count it from the time the kingdom was formed- the time when Southern Kingdom was distinguished from Northern Kingdom.

1 Chronicles 12: 13– Rehobam ruled 17 years in the Southern Kingdom.

1 Chronicles 13:2 – Abijah ruled 3 years in the Southern Kingdom.

It would be 20 years before Asa became king. 36th year of Asa’s Kingdom, the southern kingdom would be 16th year of Asa’s rule. Then there is absolutely no contradiction.

Questions from Rebuttal

There are several more questions that Janab Dr. Zakir asked during the rebuttal and question & session of the debate. Due to the time constrain, we will not show the video clips, but will summarize the questions and answer it.

Question: Genesis 4: 12- Cain would be a wanderer? Cain built up a city?

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Answer: This is punishment by God has been fulfilled.

Genesis 4: 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.

Genesis 4: 2 “Can was a tiller of the ground”

Until then Cain was tiling the ground and producing the yield. However, now the land will no longer yield its fruits but Cain will have to wander.

Building a city does not rule out the wandering part; he will have to still wander for the things that he had- food.

In the literal sense, it has been fulfilled.

However, there is a deeper meaning.

Strong’s H5128 – nuwa`

Strong’s H5110- nud, 

Can mean disturbed and crying.

Immediately, immediately, as soon as the Lord uttered the punishment, as the word proceeded out of the mouth of Yahweh, it was fulfilled. We see Cain as disturbed and weeping.

Question: Jeremiah 36: 30 – the Holy Bible says Jehoiakim will have no one to sit on the throne. 2 Kings 24: 6- Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim sat as king on the throne.

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Answer:

I have already answered this question in my previous question.

As per Matthew 1: 12 “Josiah begot Jeconiah.” In other words, Josiah had adopted Jeconiah.

2 Chronicles 36: 10 Zedekiah is called as the brother Jeconiah, when Zedekiah is actually his father’s brother.

Jehoiachin inherited King David’s throne as the son of Josiah through adoption. Therefore, it is not violation.

You see how the books of the Holy Bible written by different prophets and apostles across several centuries actually explains each other rather than contradicting at all.

Question: Ezekiel 26: Nebukannezer would destroy tyre. It was Alexander who destroyed Tyre.

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Answer:

In the prophecy against Tyre, there are two sets of people.

Ezekiel 26: 3 “Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up.”

Ezekiel 26: 7 – speaks of Nebukannezer attacking Tyre.

First the Holy God spoke about many nations and then He specifies one King.

Then it goes on to speak about the calmatives that would fall up on Tyre.

Atheists, and copying atheists Janab Dr. Zakir has a problem with this prophecy.  For them, as everything was not fulfilled by King Nebukannezer, they want to call it as unfulfilled prophecy.

Question: Isaiah 7: 14 – Immanuel (Hebrew word Amlah- not a virgin but a young lady), He will be called Immanuel.

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Answer:

Janab. Dr. Zakir’s argument that the word Almah does not mean virgin is wrong. It can mean virgin and it can mean young lady. It does not necessarily have to mean virgin. There are two possible meanings to that.

If there are two possible meanings, then the context would determine meaning. In the context, it can only mean virgin; otherwise why it would be a sign to the house of David?

Further, the Holy Bible has never used the word Amlah to explicitly refer to a non virgin. So, the general usage of the word also refers to virgin.

Now, coming to the name Immanuel.

Sahih Al Bukhari Vol 4:56: 732 Hazarath Muhammad claimed that he has five names.

Who gave him those names? Based on what? Based on what he thought that he would do to mankind. Did anyone call him by all his five names? We do not have any evidence for that.

If Hazarath Muhammad can have several names, which no one used to call him, why can’t the creator and sustainer of the universe, the redeemer and saviour of humanity, Lord Jesus Christ have many names?

Lord Jesus Christ being God, has many names to reveal His nature and character, one of them is called as Immanuel meaning God is with us.

John 1: 1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John 1: 14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

In fact, Lord Jesus Christ has hundreds of names.

Revelation 1: 8 “The Alpha and the Omega”

Revelation 1: 17 The First and the Last

Revelation 19: 13 The Word of God

1 John 1:1 The Word of Life

1 Corinthians 1: 24 “The Wisdom of God”

1 Corinthians 15: 45 The Last Adam

John 14: 6 “The Truth”

Luke 6: 5 Lord of the Sabbath

2 Timothy 3: 16 “Lord of Peace”

Question: Leviticus 12: 1-2 Women got seed (Semen)

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Leviticus 12: 2 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, if a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.”

Answer:

One has to only check a lexicon or a concordance to refute Janab Dr. Zakir.

The Hebrew word that is used here is Zarah.

Strong’s H2232– gives one of the meaning as “offspring.”

Now, if Janab Dr. Zakir wants to argue that this must be used technically and scientifically, even then it is not unscientific

If women do not produce any seed, then what is the egg? If his objection is that the Holy Bible does not use modern scientific language, then that is an argument without any substance or merit. The scientific language was invented by the scientist.

Sahih Al Bukhari: Volume 8: Book 73: 113– Hazarath Muhammad believed in it.

Question: Job 10: 9-10 – Did You not pour me out like milk, And curdle me like cheese. Janab Dr.Zakir said it is scientifically wrong and can be said to be plagiarized by the book of Job from Greek poets.

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Answer: By asking this question, Janab Dr. Zakir demonstrated his utter lack of scientific and historical knowledge?

Did the Holy Bible say it is a description of embryological stage? No, not at all.

First, we can take this as the care and love God took to create human beings. We do not need to make science out of every poetical expression.

However, if you want to take this in scientific sense, it is a precise description of physiology- lacteal vessels and its functioning.

Janab Dr. Zakir also accused the Holy Bible plagiarizing from Greek poets. He did not give any reference to that.

He would not give any reference because the moment he gives any reference his entire false methodology will be exposed.

For example, in Aristotle’s book Generation of Animals, there is a similar expression.  When was Aristotle’s book written? At least 1000 years after the Book of Job was written. How can the Book of Job copy from Aristotle then?

Further, as the translation of the Holy Bible was available to Greeks then, it is a possibility in many matters Greek philosophers and poets owe their inspiration to the Holy Bible. 

Question 23: Leviticus 11: 6 Hare is grouped under animal who chew the cud; but hare does not chew the cud; neither does it have a compartmentalized stomach.

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Answer: From an anatomical point of view, which is observable, hare does not chew the cud.

However, from a functional point of view, hare through re-ingenstion has the same advantage of chewing. It is only a matter of classification from the anatomical verse functional perspective.

Question 24: Proverbs 6:6-7- Ant has no ruler. But the ant has queen.

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Answer: When King Solomon writes that ant has no ruler or overseer; it is absolutely correct.

The queen ant is mostly just an egg factory. The Queen ant does not instruct, send embassies to other ant hills, or oversee and punish lazy ants and reward industrious ants or even make decisions and laws.

Ants work by their instinct and not as a result of instructions and force, which is what King Solomon teaches us.

Queen ant giving instructions, making laws, punishing and rewarding other ants, etc are only in cartoons.

Hope Janab Dr. Zakir has not confused such cartoons to be documentaries about ants.

Surah 27:18-19- talking ants. One of the ants said: “O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it.”

Show us some scientific evidence that ants can identify human beings by their names. This is not said as a miracle but a regular event.

Question 25: Genesis 3: 14 , Isaiah 65: 45 – Serpent eat dust

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Answer: The Holy Bible uses the figurative term eating dust to mean humiliation.

We can see those usages in:

Psalms 72:9,

Isaiah 49:23,

Micah 7:17

Genesis 3: 14 – uses the word in this sense; of humiliation.

Isaiah 65:45 – is about the future during the rule of Christ on earth, where every animal become herbivorous.

However, if Janab Dr. Zakir wants to argue it scientifically only, even then it would be correct.

Serpent has an organ that is located in the front of its mouth that functions as chemical receptor. Jacobson’s organ helps the snake smell. Occasionally, it licks the ground or picks up dust particles and inserts into Jacobson’s organ. In this way, it eats the dust.

Sahih Muslim Book 26: Hadith 5527– one newly married young man died due to snake bite and people came and requested Hazarth Muhammad to raise the dead man. However, Hazarth Muhammad said there are believing and non believing snakes.

Question 26: Leviticus 11: 20 – Fowls with four feet- insects having four feet. Which insect has got four feet.

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Leviticus 11: 20 – ‘All flying insects that creep on [all] fours [shall be] an abomination to you. ‘Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on [all] fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.

We are told about two types of legs:

(a)          Fours, which are called as feet; and (b) jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.

In our terminology, it would be six legs or six feet. But the Holy Bible uses a more fine tuned differentiation as per their function. In the end, it looks like a question of terminology rather than science.

Surah 24:45 “And Allah has created from water EVERY living creature: so of them is that which walks upon its belly, and of them is that which walks upon two feet, and of them is that which walks upon four; Allah creates what He pleases; surely Allah has power over all things.”

Note, Quran starts with saying every living creature and then its gives the break-up. But there are many more creatures than this who walks in six, 10. Why were they forgotten?

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Why was the poor spider forgotten?

What about the caterpillar and the crab?

What crime did Octopus commit to be forgotten like this?

Question 27: Isaiah 34:7 – Unicorns as though it exist. You can check in the dictionary.

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Answer:

Again, this is an issue with the terminology rather than any scientific issue.

The Hebrew word reʾem can be translated as wild bull or rhinoceros.

Noah Webster in its first edition in 1828 defines unicorn as:

Unicorn – An animal with one horn; the monoceros. this name is often applied to the rhinoceros.

Two types of rhinoceros have one horn.

In fact, there is an extinct is an extinct species of a giant one-horned rhinoceros called Elasmotherium sibiricum, also known as the Big Horn Rhinoceros. Scientists today often refer to this creature as “The Giant Unicorn.”

Description of Unicorn

Job 39: 9 “Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?  Wilt thou trust him, because his strength [is] great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?”

Mythical Unicorn

Mythical animal can be caught if a virgin maid is thrown before it.

How about the Quran?

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Surah 34: 12 – Solomon’s flying carpet. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir Volume 8, Page 70)

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 616: interprets Surah 33: 69- there is a stone which took Prophet Moses clothes and ran away to disprove Israelites who were alleged to have accused Moses of having some skin defects.

Question 28: Genesis 7: 19-20 Full world was submerged under water. 21 and 22 century BC. Quran does not give the date.  Genesis 6: 15-16 – build an ark – 300 cubits in length – is it possible to accommodate all the species?

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Universal or Local Flood?

Janab Dr. Zakir says Quran teaches a local flood.

Surah 71: 26-27 “ And Noah said: `O my Lord! Leave not of the Unbelievers, a single one on earth! ”

Surah 23: 27 ” take thou on board pairs of every species, male and female.”

Surah 11:40 – fountains of the earth gushed forth.

Surah 11:44 – O earth! Swallow up thy water, and O sky! withhold (thy rain)!

The History of al-Tabari, vol. 1, General Introduction and From the Creation to the Flood- page 360-363.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Abridged Volume 3, Parts 6, 7 & 8, Surat An-Nisa, Verse 148 to the end of Surat Al-An’am, p. 399

Date of Noah’s Flood:

The Holy Bible has not totalled it; we should not total it.

Can the Ark Accommodate Every Species?

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The dimensions of the ark were ideally designed for both stability and capacity. It has been shown hydrodynamically that the ark would have been practically impossible to capsize and would have been reasonably comfortable, even during violent waves and winds.

Assuming the ancient cubit to have been only 17.5 inches (the smallest suggested by an authority), the ark could have carried as many as 125,000 sheep-sized animals. Since there are not more than about 25,000 species of land animals known (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians), either living or extinct, and since the average size of such animals is certainly much less than that of a sheep, it is obvious that all the animals could easily have been stored in less than half the capacity of Noah’s ark, each pair in appropriate “rooms” (literally “nests”).

Question 29:  Trinity – scientifically – human beings require to eat. God is spirit. Luke 24: 36-39 – Spirit has got no flesh and bones. The word trinity does not exist anywhere in the Holy Bible. It is there in – Surah 4: 71- Surah 5: 75 – Allah is three in one. Concept of Trinity does not exist in the Holy Bible- 1 John 5:7. There is not a single unequivocal statement in the Holy Bible.

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Answer:

Isaiah 48: 12 ” “Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I [am] He, I [am] the First, I [am] also the Last.”

Isaiah 48: 16 Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I [was] there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit Have sent Me.”

Regarding the doctrine of Trinity, I have already answered this my previous debates (Divinity of Jesus and Messengerhood of Muhammad) as well as refutations (such as Similarities between Islam and Christianity). You can refer to those if you wish to know about this doctrine.

Surah 5:116-117 “And [beware the Day] when Allah will say, “O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah ?'”

Author of the Quran got two out of three wrong. Allah and Mary are not part of the Quran.

We do not think that Allah is the God of the Bible and neither any Christian believes that Mary is part of the trinity.

Question 30: Shape of the Earth- in the Holy Bible- Matthew 4:8- exceedingly high mountain; Luke 4: Daniel 4: 10-11,

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Answer:

In Matthew 4: 8 “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.”

Luke 4: 5 “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

Here we are speaking about two supernatural beings: the Holy incarnation of God, Lord Jesus Christ, and the devil.

The Gospel writers have obviously climbed the mountains and they knew that higher you go up in a mountain, the smaller the things that you see. So, it is not possible to show the world in their glory through natural means.

Second, it was showed in a moment of time, or in an instance.  All the Kingdoms may have been shown as though in a projected form, a display as we show it computers now.

Daniel 4: 11 “The tree grew and became strong; its height reached to the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.

This is a prophetic language. I leave this job of answering this question to one of the all time great scientist in the world-  Sir Isaac Newton.

Sir Isaac Newton in his commentary to the Book of Daniel:

Sir Isaac Newton continues:

“If the world politic, considered in prophecy, consists of many kingdoms, they are represented by as many parts of the world natural; as the noblest by the celestial frame, and then the Moon and Clouds are put for the common people; the less noble, by the earth, sea, and rivers, and by the animals or vegetables, or buildings therein; and then the greater and more powerful animals and taller trees, are put for Kings, Princes, and Nobles.”

In Daniel 4: 19-26 – Prophet Daniel himself interprets the vision, where tree is King Nebukannezer.

Question 31: Earth is immovable. Psalms 93: 1 , I Chronicles 16:30

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Answer: Most of the times, when critics of the Holy Bible bring charges such earth has pillars, earth is immovable, etc, the Holy Bible may not be even speaking about the planet earth.

It must be referring to the land as against the sea, or a country, or even to the people.

If you read, Psalms 93, it speaks about the Lord ruling the world.

It has been understood as future messianic kingdom.

Even I Chronicles 16:30-31 speaks about Lord’s rule.

As Sir Isaac Newton rightly noted in his commentary to the book of Daniel:

“For the heavens, and the things therein, signify thrones and dignities, and those who enjoy them; and the earth, with the things thereon, the inferior people; and the lowest parts of the earth, called Hades or Hell, the lowest or most miserable part of them.”

Earth is not moved means there will be permanence and peace when Messiah rules the world.

If at all any person in the history can complain about the figurative use of these terms, it was Galileo; because he faced opposition from certain sections of the Church who followed the Aristotelian philosophy rather than the Holy Bible.

But this is what Galileo writes in his letter to the Church, 1632:

“With regard to this argument, I think in the first place that it is very pious to say and prudent to affirm that the Holy Bible can never speak untruth—whenever its true meaning is understood.”

Question: Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of fish- Mathematical error.

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As God’s servant Dr. William Campell rightly cited Matthew 27:63 and answered Janab Dr. Zakir that the Jews use these words interchangeably.

Did Jonah die in the belly of the fish? Yes, he died. But he came back to life.

Jonah 2: 1-3 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly and he said:

I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction and he answered me”- remember Jonah is still in the belly of the fish but he says God answered him.

What did God answer him?

Next verse says:

“Out of the belly of the sheol, I cried, and you heard my voice”

Where is sheol? Sheol is the place where dead people go.

Question 32 & 33: 2 Kings 8:26 Azhaiah was 22 years when he began to reign. In 2 Chronicles 22:2 – he was 42 years old when he began to reign.  Ahazaiah – father died at the age of 40. Even in the Hollywood you cannot produce it.

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Answer:

Without doubt Azhaiah was 22 years old when he began to reign.

Now, how about the 2 Chronicles 22: 2?

2 Chronicles 22: 2 “a Son of 42 years”

1 Samuel 13: 1 “a Son of 1 year”- regarding King Saul. (If you read in some of the margins of the Holy Bible, for example, you will notice this explanation).

But in King Saul’s case, is it difficult for us to understand it? No, it could be understood as Son of a 1 year old Kingdom.

It can be understood as an idiom.

Similarly, it can be understood here in 2 Chronicles 22:2 “a Son of 42 year old Kingdom.”

There can be an objection, if Azhaiah was the King of Judah; the Southern Kingdom was not 42 years when he began to reign.

However, here is the reason:

Matthew 1: 8– Apostle Matthew by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit excluded Azhaiah from the list of the Genealogy, which comes from Abraham to King David to Lord Jesus Christ. 

If Azhaiah is excluded from the Kings of the Southern Kingdom, where should he be included? He should be included in Dynasty of Omri which was 42 years by then.

So, when Azahaiah was 22, he started ruling as the son of 42 year old Omri’s dynasty.

So, what was considered as an error, turned out to be a magnificent way of teaching spiritual truths.

Question 34 & 35: 2 Samuel 24: 9- People who took part 8 hundred thousand, 1 Chronicles 21:5- 11 lakh men from Israel. The numbers that Janab Dr. Zakir gives for Judah is wrong.

2 Samuel 24:9 “And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah [were] five hundred thousand men.”

1 Chronicles 21: 5 “Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel [had] one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword; and Judah [had] four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword.”

Answer:

2 Samuel 24:9

Israel: 8 Lakh Valiant Men

Judah: 5 Lakh Men

1 Chronicles 21:5

Israel: 11 Lakh men who drew the sword

Judah: 4 Lakh 70 thousand men who drew the sword

Regarding Israel:

Total men capable of war: 11 Lakh of which 8 lakh were valiant men.  (3 lakh men were then in reserves like any other army in the world.

Regarding Judah:

Note that division Judah and Israel is from a perspective after the Kingdom was divided.

When 1 Chronicles 21: 5 says 4 lakh 70 thousand men, there is also a note given.

1 Chronicles 21: 6 “But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.”

Of the Southern Kingdom, 4 Lakh 70 thousand men were without the tribes of Benjamin and Levi.

Question 36: 2 Samuel 6: 23, 2 Samuel 21: 8 – Michal

2 Samuel 6:23: Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

2 Samuel 21:8- So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.

Answer:

The Hebrew word used here is Yalad.

Strong’s H3205 – yalad- can mean bear or bring forth or brought up.

 

No matter how many times you answer a Muslim, he will come back with the same question again to another Christian who may not know the answer. The bring these questions as they cannot stand on a theological debate with Christians. It is in this context, we thought of publishing the entire transcript of Bro. Jerry Thomas on refuting Dr. Zakir Naik on the questions related to the Holy Bible as it is.

 

Refutation: The Holy Bible in the Light of Science

Let the name of Yahweh, the only true name of God upon which all the true prophets have called, who in flesh was known by the name Lord Jesus Christ, be glorified forever and ever, Amen.

A very good evening to all of you.

At the outset I must reiterate what our respected moderator for the day had mentioned.

We are conducting this rebuttal series because Janab Dr. Zakir Naik refuses to debate with us.

In the past, Janab Dr. Zakir had debated with honest Christians, preachers and writers but never with a Christian debater.

For example, Bro. Sam Shamoun of Answering Islam, Bro. David Wood of Answering Muslims, scholars who have written probably the maximum number of papers defending Christian faith against Dawwah preachers and refuting claims on Islam, have also invited Janab Dr. Zakir for a debate. Janab Dr. Zakir still did not accept their invitations.

I have heard that one of the excuses that Janab Dr. Zakir makes always is that you will have to bring 10000 people.

However, if you notice the profile of debaters with whom Janab Dr. Zakir, some could bring 10000 people and some could not bring 10000 people. The only common factor that all of them had was none of them had an experience in inter-religious debates.

Debating with itinerant  preachers, and avoiding debates with well-known debaters is like playing chess with Sachin Tendulkar and claiming that you have played with one of India’s greatest players and when Vishwanathan Anand comes and invites you to play, you tell him that he does not have enough fan followers.

By the grace of God, after effectively debating and refuting with similar Dawwah preachers in other places, on July 22, 2010, Sakshi Apologetics Network invited Janab Dr. Zakir for a public debate at the expense of Sakshi, at a stadium or a public ground.

When we invite someone to a public stadium or an open ground for debate, we are assuring that we will bring 1000s of people to the ground.

But even then Janab Dr. Zakir refused to accept our invitation. If Janab Dr. Zakir does not want to debate, let him not debate, we have no issues.

But then let him not speak anything against the holy Christian faith. If he speaks against the holy Christian faith, he must be ready to debate.

Since he will neither stop speaking against the holy Christian faith nor accept our debate invitation, we have no option except to conduct rebuttals such as these.

Interestingly, when we mentioned this to an immensely popular Muslim leader in India, Janab PJ Moulvai, that Janab Dr. Zakir did not accept our debate invitation, Janab P J Moulvai told to us that he had also invited Janab Dr. Zakir for a debate because of his false Islamic doctrines. 

Janab P J Moulvai is the head of a large sect of Islam, Tamil Nadu Towheed Jammat, a with over 10 lakh people in Tamil Nadu.

This is what PJ Moulvai said to Sakshi team when Sakshi visited his office before we debated with him:

“Zakir Naik is in some false doctrine, even we are calling him (but) he is not coming. We have been calling him (because) he does some false (propagation).  Even he is not coming to us, are you then saying that he is not coming if you call?  We also have been calling him for debate but he is not even coming to us. Therefore he is not a big matter, debate and all will not work out for him, he will speak on some general topics.”

I do not want to speak without evidence; so even though the clip is in Tamil, we will still show you.

Video: 1 PJ on Zakir

If Janab Dr. Zakir does not want to debate with the head of a sect with over 10 lakh people in Tamil Nadu alone, let him never again make the claim that he would debate with anyone who would bring 10000 people.  These are lame excuses.

As Janab Dr. Zakir continues make excuses to evade debate, and continues to attack the holy Christian faith, we are left with no option except to conduct rebuttals such as these.

I will be doing a comparative religious approach in answering Janab Dr. Zakir’s allegations against the Holy Bible. There are over 40 questions that he had raised in this debate. As per IRF, 37- related to science and a few more questions related to other subjects. We will answer all.

In this refutation, we will be first displaying a set of questions from Janab Dr. Zakir and then I will be answering it; again, we will show the next set of questions and I will answer it. Let us start with the first set of questions against the Holy Bible.

Video: 2 Part 1 Astronomy

1: Astronomy (Dr. Zakir Naik) 1:48:00- 1:54:25

First we deal with Astronomy. The Bible speaks about the creation of the universe. In the beginning, 1st Book, Book of Genesis, 1st Ch. , it is mentioned – It says… ‘Almighty God created the Heavens and the Earth, in six days and talks about a evening and a morning, referring to a 24 – hour day. Today scientists tell us, that the universe cannot be created in a 24 hour period of six days. Qur’an too speaks about six ‘ayyams’. The Arabic word singular is ‘yaum’ plural is ‘ayyam’. It can either mean a day of 24 hours, or it is a very long period, a ‘yaum’, an epoch. Scientists say we have no objection in agreeing that the universe – it could have been created in 6 very long periods. 1:49:03

Point No.2 – Bible says in Genesis Ch. No. 1 Verses No. 3 and 5,…‘Light was created on the first day.’ Genesis , Ch. , 1 Verses, 14 to 19… ‘The cause of light – stars and the sun, etc. was created on the fourth day’. How can the cause of light be created on the 4th day – later than the light which came into existence on the first day? – It is unscientific.

1:49:30

Further, the, Bible says Genesis, Ch. 1, Verses 9 to 13… ‘Earth was created on the 3rd day. How can you have a night and day without the earth? The day depends upon the rotation of the Earth Without the earth created, how can you have a night and day?

 Point No..4, Genesis , Ch. No. 1 Verses 9 to 13 says… ‘Earth was created on the third day.’ Genesis Ch. No. 1 Verses 14 to 19 says…‘The Sun and the Moon were created on the fourth day.’ Today science tells us… ‘Earth is part of the parent body… the sun.’ It cannot come into existence before the sun – It is unscientific.

Point No. 5, the Bible says in Genesis, Ch. No.1, Verse No. 11 to 13…‘The vegetation, the herbs the shrubs, the trees – they were created on the 3rd day And the Sun, Genesis, Ch. No. 1, Verses. 14 to 19, was created on the 4th day. How can the vegetation come into existence without sunlight, and how can they survive without sunlight?

Point No.6, that the Bible says in Genesis, Ch. 1, Verses No.16, that…‘God created two lights the greater light, the Sun to rule the day, and the lesser light the Moon, to rule the night. The actual translation, if you go to the Hebrew text, it is ‘lamps’…‘Lamps having lights of its own.’ And that you will come to know better, if you read both the Verses – Genesis , Ch. No.1, Verse. 16, as well as 17. Verse No.17 says…‘And Almighty God placed them in the firmament, to give light to the earth… To give light to the earth.’ Indicating, that Sun and the Moon has its own light – which is in contradiction with established scientific knowledge that we have. (Dr. Naik) There are certain people who try and reconciliate, and say that the six days mentioned in the Bible, it actually refers to epocs – like the Qur’an long periods – not six, 24 hour day. It is illogical – you read in the Bible, evening, morning – It clearly states 24 hours, it indicates. But even if I use the concordance approach – no problem. I agree with your illogical argument – Yet they will only be able to solve the 1st scientific error of 6 days creation, and second, of first day ‘light’ and 3rd day ‘earth.’ The remaining four, yet they cannot solve. Some further say that… ‘If it is a 24-hour period, why cannot the vegetables survive for one 24 hour day without sunlight?’ I say ‘Fine – If you say that the vegetables were created before the sun, and can survive for one 24-hour day, I have got no objection. But you cannot say the days mentioned are 24 hours as well as epochs – You cannot have the cake and eat it, both. If you say it is long period, you solve Point No.1 and 3, the remaining 4 are yet there. If you say the days are 24 hours day, you solve only Point No.5 – the remaining 5 are yet there – It becomes unscientific. I leave it to Dr. William Campbell, whether he wants to say… ‘It is long period’, and say that there are only 4 scientific errors – or say… ‘It is a 24 hour day’, and say there is only 5 scientific errors in the creation of the universe.

Regarding the concept of Earth, there are various Scientists who have described… ‘How will the world end.’ Hypothesis – Some may be right, some may be wrong. But either the world will perish or the world will live forever. Both cannot take place simultaneously – It is unscientific. But this is exactly what the Bible says. It is mentioned in the Bible, in the book of Hebrews, Ch. No.1 Verses No.10 and 11, and the book of Psalms, Ch. No.102, Verse No.25 and 26, that…‘Almighty God created the Heavens and the Earth, and they will perish.’ Exactly opposite is mentioned in the book of Ecclesiastics, Ch. No.1, Verse No.4, and the book of Psalms, Ch. No.78, Verse No.69, that… ‘The earth will abide forever.’ I leave it to Dr. William Campbell to choose which of the two Verses are unscientific – the first pair or the second pair. One has to be unscientific – Both cannot take place. The world cannot abide forever as well as perish – It is unscientific.

Regarding ‘the Heavens’, the Bible says in Job, Ch. 26, Verse 11, that…‘The pillars of the Heaven will tremble.’ Qur’an says in Surah Luqman, Ch. 31, Verse No.10, that…‘The Heavens are without any pillars – Don`t you see? Don’t you see the Heavens are without any pillars? – Bible says heaven have got pillars. Not only do the Heavens have got pillars – Bible says in the first book of Samuel, Ch. No.2 Verses No.8, as well as the book of Job Ch. No.9, Verse No.6, and the book of Psalms Ch. No.75, Verse No.3, that… ‘Even the earth have got pillars.’

 

Let us start with the first question;

PPT: Slide 2

(1) Genesis 1: God created the universe in six days- evening and morning- referring to 24 hour six literal days. Today, science tells us that universe could not have been created in six literal days but billions of years. Quran too says 6 days but the Arabic word “ayyam’ (singular yawm), which can mean six days or six long epochs, periods.

Answer:

According to Janab Dr. Zakir since Quran uses the word youm, which can mean literal days or long periods, he took it as long period. If there are two meanings for a word, you should assume the correct meaning until proven otherwise.

Can we really know what Quran meant? Quran says yes.

Allah of the Quran says it is Hazarath Muhammad who clarifies the meaning of Quran.

In Quran, Surah 16: 44 says it is Hazarath Muhammad who establishes the meaning of the Quran.

Further, Quran says:

In Surah 53: 3-4– everything that Hazarth Muhammad speaks is inspired by Allah.

Therefore, Islam has at least two authoritative sources.

Quran, which Muslim claims to be direct speech of Allah, and:

Sunnah of Hazarath Muhammad or in other words, the inspired revelation of Allah.

Janab Dr. Zakir agrees with this:

Video: 3 Quran and Hadiths.

Janab Dr. Zakir says Quran and Sahih Hadiths. Quran does not just say Hadiths; it says Sunnah. Sahih Hadiths are a source of Sunnah but not the Sunnah itself.

But ok. We will be very gracious with Janab Dr. Zakir; Islam has two authoritative sources – Quran and the Sahih Hadiths, both which will never contradict each other.

So, to establish the meaning of the Quran, let us look at the infallible interpretation of the Quran- the Sahih Hadiths.

Sahih Muslim Book 39, Number 6707:

Saturday- He created clay

Sunday- He created the mountains

Monday- He created the trees

Tuesday- He created the things entailing labour

Wednesday – created light

Thursday – He caused animals to spread

Friday – He created Adam (pbuh) after ‘Asr on Friday; the last creation at the last hour of the hours of Friday, i.e. Between afternoon and night.”

In the History of al-Tabari, Volume 1- General Introduction and from the Creation to the Flood pp. 187-193,  Al Tabari, probably the greatest Muslim historian of Islam, also cites a hadith with isnad, saying that these days are Saturday, Sunday, Monday, etc.

PPT Slide 3:

So, the long periods of Janab Dr. Zakir happens to be: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc.

Quran and the hadith will never contradict each other. But what should we do, if a scholar contradicts the hadith?

Video: 4 Scholar contradicting Hadiths

If a scholar contradicts Sahih Hadith, you do not have to follow him.

PPT: Slide 5

What Does the Holy Bible Says?

The Holy Bible says the world was created in six literal 24-hour days.

Exodus 20: 11 “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them.”

These are 24-hour literal days.

But, the Holy Bible also indicates that these were not from the perspective of earth:

In Genesis 1:14-19, sun and moon were made and appointed for days and seasons only from the fourth day.

If sun and moon were made the point of reference from only the fourth day, it could not have been the solar days from the perspective of earth.

The point of reference is outside the earth? Does it make a difference?

Yes, according to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.

There are billions of points in the universe, where a 24 hour day in earth can be billions of years over there or a 24 hour day over there, can be billions of years in the earth.

Now, as we are used to taking time as constant, it might be difficult for us to understand. But that is what the science says.

In layman’s language time can be compressed and expanded.

If there are billions of points in the universe, where our one day is equal to billions of years or vice-versa; what would be the correct point of reference when the Holy Bible speaks about the creation of universe.

It would be the point of big bang or let us call it as edge of the universe in layman’s language.

Is there a way for us to know what would be the equivalent of one day at the edge of the universe to that of the earth?

Dr. Gerald L Schroeder, a PhD in Physics from MIT, a distinguished scientist and a Jewish theologian, in his book, The Science of God: the Convergence of Scientific and Biblical Wisdom, uses the scientific data and calculates what would six days with 24 literal hours at the edge of the universe mean for earth?

He gets this figure.

PPT: Slide 5

Can something be both 24 hour six literal day and billions of years? Yes, as per science. There is no contradiction there.

Interestingly, now, there are certain Muslims such as the website miraclesofthequran.com, who take this approach.

They have abandoned Janab Dr. Zakir’s approach as they seem to have realized that it contradicts the authoritative sources of Islam- the Sahih Hadiths.

The events recorded in the days of the Holy Bible or the Islamic sources should correspond to the events recorded in the earthly days.

For example:

If the 24 hour Day One of the Holy Bible, the cosmic clock, corresponds to 8 billions of earthly days, then whatever the Holy Bible says happened in the Day One must have happened in the 8 billion years.

If the 24 hour second day of the Holy Bible, the comic clock, corresponds to 4 billion years of earthly days, then whatever the Holy Bible says happened in the second day must have happened in the 4 billion years.

Similarly, it should go up to the sixth day.

Dr. Gerald L Schroeder checked on these and found a remarkable correspondence between the Holy Bible and the science.

PPT Slide 6

Day 1: Let there be Light:

Corresponding period: Light literally breaks as free electrons. Stars, Sun, etc are formed after this.

Day 2: The firmament forms.

Corresponding period:  Disk of Milky Way forms.

The Holy Bible uses three different words while describing the creation narration. 

Bara means to create out of nothing.

Dasha- bring forth- almost as though through natural process.

Asah means to fashion, to appoint, etc. Or in other words, to fashion something out of an existing material or to appoint some existing thing for a purpose etc.

Day 1- Bara- created out of nothing.

Day 4- Genesis 1: 16- made two great lights- asah.

What does the science say: In the beginning, there was a huge release of light? 8 billion years of science; first day of the Holy Bible.

But when did the sun and moon appear from the earth- fourth day of the Holy Bible.

Day 3: Oceans and dry land appear

Corresponding scientific period: Earth has cooled; large water bodies appear.

Note the word the Holy Bible uses – bring forth- dasha, which implies a natural process.

When Dr. Gerald Schroder published the book a decade ago, there was no evidence for multi-cellular plants appearing in land at that time.

In April 13, 2011, the scientific journal Nature published a peer reviewed article stating that there is now evidence that multi-cellular small plants had appeared on the earth when God of the Holy Bible said let the earth bring forth vegetation.

Nature is the world’s most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal, – a secular publication with peer reviewed articles.

Not like Saudi Royal Physician Maurice Bucaille, Dawwah’s most favourite “scientist.”

Now, there requires a little more evidence for science to match up with the Holy Bible. 

Stay tuned, science is slowly catching up with the Holy Bible.

Day 4: Sun and the Moon aash- appeared

Job 38: 4-9 God says when He made the earth, made a cloud its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band.

Corresponding scientific period: agrees with this.

Robert Jastrow, Founding Director, of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies: “For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.”

Let us review the questions quickly:

          PPT: Slide 7

(1)         Genesis 1: God created the universe in six days- evening and morning- referring to 24 hour six literal days. Today, science tells us that universe could not have been created in six literal days but billions of years. Can something be both six literal days and billions of years?

Answer:

Lack of Scientific Knowledge:

Yes, if only you science better. It was the lack of scientific knowledge that made Janab Dr. Zakir Naik to accuse the Holy Bible of being unscientific.

Now my brothers and sisters, it was the Torah, book of Genesis which used the word Yowm at least 2000 years before Quran.

Quran took the word from the Holy Bible.

Quran took the concept also from the Holy Bible.

But Hazarath Muhammad got the sequencing wrong. If you are taking something from a source, please copy everything correctly and completely.

(2)         Genesis 1: 3-5 Light was created on the first day. Genesis 1: 14-19 – stars and sun was created on the fourth day. How can the cause of light be created on the fourth day later than the cause of light which was created on the fourth day?

PPT Slide 8

Answer:

The Hebrew word used is aash.

I am not sure which science book he is reading. What does the science say?

In the beginning, there was a huge release of light exactly at that the Holy Bible records God said “let there be light.”

The galaxies and sun and other planets started forming as a result of this afterwards.

(3)         Genesis 1: 9-13 Earth was created on the third day. How can you have day and night without earth?

PPT Slide 9

Answer:

When the Holy Bible uses evening and morning, it can also refer to the beginning and end or end and beginning of a period.

Speaking about life, Prophet Moses says:

Psalms 90: 6 “in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.”

We use this in our everyday language as well.

At the dawn of history- we mean at the beginning of history.

At the dusk of his life – at the end of his life.

Dawwah preachers like Janab Dr. Zakir Naik can believe that Saturday, Sunday, Monday are long periods- epochs.

But the Holy Bible should not use morning and evening to refer beginning and end of periods.

(4) Genesis 1: 9-13 earth was created on the third day. Genesis 1: 141-9 sun and the moon were created on fourth day. How can it be since earth is a part of sun and moon?

PPT Slide 10

Answer:

Third day, earth became liveable, which science also agrees in its equivalent scientific days. 

The fourth day = Sun and moon – aash – made to appear.

Science agrees with this.

 (5) Genesis 1: 11-13 vegetation came into existence on the third day. Genesis 1: 14-19 Sun came into existence on the fourth day. How can the vegetation come into existence on without the sunlight and how can they survive without sunlight?

PPT Slide 11

Answer: Note the word the Holy Bible uses – bring forth- dasha, which implies a natural process.

Life began to appear.

In April 13, 2011, the scientific journal Nature published a peer reviewed article stating that there is now evidence that multi-cellular small plants had appeared on the earth when God of the Holy Bible said let the earth bring forth vegetation.

Also, we read it in the Job.

Job 38: 4-9 God says when He made the earth, made a cloud its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band.

Question 6: Genesis 1: 16 God created two lights. How can moon be called a light since it does not its own light and the Hebrew translation would mean lamp having its own light.

PPT Slide 12

Answer:

The Hebrew word for light that is used is ma’owr, which means a luminary. In that literal sense, there is nothing unscientific here. Moon is a luminary.

The question is about whether the moon has its own light or not. These verses neither establish nor rules out the question whether the moon has its own light or not.

However, our prophets have beyond doubt established the fact that moon light is a reflected light.

Ezekiel 32: 7-8 “I will cover the sun with a cloud and the moon will not give its light.

(7) According to Hebrews 1:10-11 and Psalms 102:25-26, earth will perish. However, according Ecclesiastics 1:4 and Psalms 78: 69‘The earth will abide forever.’

PPT Slide 13

Answer:

The verse that is quoted in the book of Hebrews is a quotation from Psalms. The question is about the apparent contradiction between two sets of verses.

If it is about the apparent contradiction, all that we need do is to check the law of non-contradiction and see whether the law of contradiction applies here.

Law of non-contradiction says two opposite statements cannot be true in the same sense at the same time. Same sense; same time.

How do we know about the sense of the Biblical usage of the word perish.

Look at the usage of same word in the Holy Bible:

In Psalms 102:25-26, the word perish (avad) can mean ruined.

Exodus 10: 7 “Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?”(avad)

Numbers 21:29-30 “Heshbon is perished” or ruined. Avad.

Now look at the same verse:

Psalms 102: 26 – They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.

This is the consistent teaching of the Holy Bible in:

2 Peter 3: 10-13

Psalms 104: 30

Romans 8: 18-25

Revelation 21: 1 – the present earth would be ruined and burnt and it will be renewed and new heaven and earth would be there.

Question 8: The Bible says in Job 26:11 that pillars of heaven will tremble.

PPT Slide 14

Pillar here is used in a figurative sense- meaning strength. Like how we say he/she is the pillar of our Church”.

Next when a Muslim comes and says these are the five pillars of Islam, we must ask them about its height, breadth and what material it is made up of, whether it is sand, or some mud, or cement, etc.

In the book of Job, it can only mean strength.  

Job 26: 7 “He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; He suspends the earth over nothing.”

In the context, Job 26: 11 can only mean strength.

Question 9: Earth has got pillars. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 2:8, Job 9:6 and Psalms 75: 3 that earth has got pillars.

PPT Slide 15

Answer: When the Holy Bible uses the word earth, it can refer to planet earth, land, a country or people.

Sir Isaac Newton, one of all time greatest scientists, said in his commentary to the Book of Daniel in the Holy Bible, chapter 2, that one has to learn the prophetical language of the scriptures before they interpret it.

Earth, he said, can refer to the people.

The problem with Janab Dr. Zakir is that he neither understands science fully nor the Holy Bible.

In these verses, not only the word pillar refers to strength, sometimes even the word earth figuratively refers to people.

1 Samuel 2: 8– speaks about God raising poor people to thrones of glory where the words earth and pillar are figuratively used.

Now coming to the next verse:
Job 9: 6 – pillar refers to the strength.

Job 9: 6  He shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble.

Remember the same author said:

Job 26: 7 He suspends the earth over nothing.”

Now coming to the third verse:

Psalms 75: 3– pillars refer to the strength. It is a warning to the wicked and boastful.

I wish Janab Dr. Zakir would heed to the advice of distinguished scientists like Sir Isaac Newton before venturing to question the Holy Bible.

Video: 5 Part 2 Diet and Nutrition

Part 2: Diet and Nutrition and Test for Believers (1:54:30-1:59:17)

In the field of ‘Diet and Nutrition’ let’s analyze, what does the Bible say. The Bible says in the book of Genesis, Ch. No.1, Verse No.29, that… ‘God has given you all the herbs bearing seeds, the trees bearing fruits – those that bear seed, as meat for you.’ New International Version says… ‘The seed bearing plants and the trees bearing fruits bearing seeds are food for you, all of them.’ Today, even a layman knows that there are several poisonous plants like wild berries, stritchi, datura, plants containing alkaloid, polyander, bacaipoid – that which if you ingest, if you eat there are high possibilities you may die. How come the Creator of the universe and the human beings, does not know, that if you have these plants, you will die. I hope Dr. William Campbell does not give these vegetarian diet to his patients.

The Bible has a scientific test how to identify a true believer. It is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark, Ch. No.16, Verse No.17 and 18 – It says that… ‘There will be signs for true believers and among the signs – In my name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak foreign tongues, new tongues, they shall take up serpents – And if they drink deadly poison, they shall not be harmed – And when they place their hand over the sick, they shall be cured.’ This is a scientific test – In scientific terminology, it is known as the ‘confirmatory test’ for a true Christian believer. In the past 10 years of my life, I have personally interacted with thousands of Christians, including missionaries – I have not come across a single Christian, who has passed this confirmatory test of the Bible. I have not come across a single Christian who took poison – I have not come across any who took poison, and who has not died. And in scientific terminology, this is also called as the ‘falsification test’ That means if a false person tries and does this test… takes poison, he will die. And a false person will not dare attempt this test – If you are not a true Christian believer, you will not dare attempt this test. Because you try and attempt the falsification test, you will fail. So a person who is not a true Christian believer, will never attempt this test.

I have read the book ‘The Qur’an and the Bible in the light of history and science’ written by Dr. William Campbell. And I assume – that he is a true Christian believer, and at least I would like him to confirm to me about the falsification test. Please be rest assured… Please be rest assured, I will not ask Dr. William Campbell to have deadly poison – Because I don’t want to jeopardize the debate. What I’ll do – I will only ask him to speak in foreign tongues… In new languages. And as many of you may be aware that India is a land, which has more than 1000 languages and dialects. Only thing I request him is, to say these 3 words… ‘One hundred rupees’, in the 17 official languages. There are only 17 official languages in India and to make it easier for Dr. William Campbell, I have got a ‘One hundred-rupee note.’ And this has all the 17 languages mentioned here. Besides English and Hindi, I will help him. I give him a beginning –‘Ek sav rupaiya, In Hindi. The remaining 15 languages are here – I request him to read. I know the test says… ‘They will speak foreign languages on their own, without the help of reading’ – but I want to make the test easier, I want to see someone passing the test – I’ve not seen any one. So if he cannot say it on his own, or from his memory, at least read it. I don’t mind I’ll accept it. And I would request the chairperson to give it to Dr. William Campbell. He has his rebuttal – 15 languages, ‘Ek sav rupaiya’… 3 words only.

 

Question 10: In Genesis 1: 29, God gave every herb that yields seed for mankind to eat. However, there are a few poisonous plants which if a person eats may surely die.

PPT Slide 16

Answer:

Janab Dr. Zakir is quoting from Genesis 1: 29.

Where was Adam and Eve when God granted them the permission to eat from all plants and trees? They were in the Garden of Eden. Were there any poisonous plants and herbs in the Garden of Eden? Definitely not.  

Is it difficult to understand that from the Holy Bible? Not at all.

Janab Dr. Zakir might say no Genesis 1:29 is for all times.

For argument’s sake, let us agree with him. So, what?

Genesis 1:27 God created Adam and Eve in His own image.

God would expect human beings to have wisdom and knowledge and apply some mind.

Now, let us read the Quran:

In Surah 5:96 Allah of the Quran says: “Lawful to you is game from the sea and its food as provision for you and the travellers.”

However, in Surah 5: 3 – All the dead animals except that is slaughtered before its death are prohibited.

Quran does not make any difference between land and sea animals.

Now, most of the fishes would be dead even if before they are brought to the land. Is it halal or haram?

Otherwise, you should go under the sea, catch the fish, recite bismallah and slaughter them in the water itself.

Of course, I know that our Muslim friends would now quote hadiths.

In Sunan Abu Dawud Vol 1, Book 1: Hadith 83 – sea water is pure and what dies in it is lawful.

But then there is a problem. There are several poisonous fishes in the sea. If you eat them, that will be your last meal.

PPT Slide 17

Did not Allah know that there are many dangerous fishes and other poisonous beings in the sea like this?

You cannot even say that use common sense.

As Janab Dr. Zakir says Islam is a way of life.

For example:

Sahih Bukhari Vol 1: Book 4: Hadith 169– how to wear shoes, comb hair, wash one oneself.

If Islam needs to tell you how to wear shoes, comb your hair and wash yourself, then there is no excuse, no reason, no justification for missing such crucial and critical piece of information.

Question 11: Janab Dr. Zakir Naik quoted Mark 16: 17-18 and challenged many Christians to speak in tongues and drink poison.

First, it is not a commandment from the LORD that every believer should drink poison and prove himself/herself to be a believer. It is neither a test. 

When it was told to Janab Dr. Zakir later that the Holy Bible does not permit to test the Lord God, Janab Dr. Zakir came up with the logic that you are not testing the Lord but men.

If God gave you the gifts and promises as the Holy Bible states, and if you are testing whether those gifts and promises work, whom are you testing,- God or men?

For example:

Surah 17: 82 “And We send down of the Qur’an that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.”

Sahih Al Bukhari Vol 3: 36: 476 – a person had been bitten by a snake, and one of the companions of Hazarath Muhammad recited Surah Fathia, Surah 1 and the person was immediately healed. Hazarath Muhammad said you have done the right thing and took a share of the fee as well.

Sahih Al Bukhari Vol 6: 61: 529

Sahih Bukhari Vol 7: 71: 632

Sahih Bukhari Vol 7: 71: 633

Surah Bukhari Vol 7: 71: 645

Is it reciting power of the Hafiz or Allah’s power that helps in this?

Of course, next time we can ask Dawwah preachers to prove Quran by drinking poison and reciting Surah 1.

Dawwah preachers often try these kinds of cheap tricks and theatrics to impress people with itching ears.

These theatrics were popularized by late Ahmed Deedat, who had more of dramas and theatrics than sound arguments while debating.

Dawwah preachers such Janab Dr. Zakir takes this from Deedat.

Listen to this video.

Video: 6 Zakir on Ahmed Deedat

It is ok to take from uncle’s platter. But please examine what happened to uncle and whether he has been answered on all these points. Do not recycle already answered questions.

Dawwah preachers would recycle these tricks.

This  year when we had a debate on the Holy Bible, another uncle from Chennai came with this trick. This is how we answered him.

Video: 7 Poision

Let us not lower religious debates into a show of theatrics.

PPT Slide 19

However, if Dawwah preachers continue to use such methods, we can not only answer their questions but return the favour with more such verification and falsification tests.

Video 8 Part 3 Hydrology

Part 3: Hydrology and Medicine (1:59:18-2:03:53)

(Dr. Naik) What does the Bible say regarding ‘Hydrology’? Bible says in Genesis, Ch. No.9, Verse No.13 to 17, that… ‘After God, at the time of Noah submerged the world by flood, and after the flood’ subsided, He said… ‘I put up a rainbow in the sky as a promise to the humankind never to submerge the world again, by water. To the unscientific person it may be quite good… ‘Oh rainbow is a sign of Almighty God, never to submerge the world by flood again.’

But today we know very well, that rainbow is due to the refraction of sunlight, with rain or mist. Surely there must have been thousands of rainbows before the time of Noah, (peace be upon him). To say it was not there before Noah’s time you have to assume that the law of refraction did not exist – which is unscientific.’

In the field of medicine, the Bible says in the book of Leviticus, Ch. No.14, Verse No.49 to 53 – it gives a novel way for disinfecting a house from plague of leprosy… disinfecting a house from plague of leprosy. It says that… ‘Take two birds, kill one bird, take wood, scale it – and the other living bird, dip it in water… and under running water – later on sprinkle the house 7 times with it. Sprinkle the house with blood to disinfect against plague of leprosy? You know blood is a good media of germs, bacteria, as well as toxin – I hope Dr. William Campbell does not use this method of disinfecting the OT, the operation theatre.

(Dr. Naik) It is mentioned in the book of Leviticus , Ch. No.12, Verse No.1 to 5, and we know medically, that after a mother gives birth to a child, the post-partal period, it is unhygienic. To say it is ‘unclean’, Religiously – I have got no objection. But Leviticus , Ch. No.12 Verse No.1 to 5, says that… ‘After a woman gives birth to a male child, she will be unclean for 7 days, and the period of uncleanliness will continue for 33 days more. It she gives birth to a female child, she will be unclean for two weeks, and the period of uncleanliness will continue for 66 days. In short, if a woman gives birth to a male child… ‘a son’, she is unclean for 40 days. If she gives birth to a female child… ‘a daughter’, she is unclean for 80 days. I would like Dr. William Campbell to explain to me scientifically, how come a woman remains unclean for double the period, if she gives birth to a female child, as compared to a male child.

(Dr. Naik) The Bible also has a very good test for adultery – How to come to know a woman has committed adultery, in the book of Numbers, Ch. no.5 Verse No..11 to 31. I’ll just say in brief. It says that… ‘The priest should take holy water in a vessel, take dust from the floor, and put it into the vessel – And that is the bitter water ‘And after cursing it, give it to the woman And if the woman has committed adultery, after she drinks it, the curse will enter her body, the stomach will swell, the thigh will rot, and she shall be cursed by the people. If the woman has not committed adultery, she will remain clean and she will bear the seed. A novel method of identifying whether a woman has committed adultery or not. You know today in the world, there are thousands of cases pending in different parts of the world, in different courts of law – only on the assumption that someone has alleged that a woman has committed adultery. I had read in the newspapers, and I came to know from the media, that the President of this great country Mr. Bill Clinton, he was involved in a sex scandal about 2 years back. I wonder, that why did not the American court use this ‘bitter water test’ for adultery? He would have gone scot-free immediately. Why did not the Christian missionaries of this great country, specially those who are in the medical field like my respected Dr. William Campbell, use this bitter water test to bail out their President, immediately?

Answer to Part 3: Hydrology

Question 12: In Genesis 9: 13-17 God set the rainbow as a sign of covenant between God and Noah. Janab Dr. Zakir has two sub questions on this- (a) Is the rainbow formed by law of refraction or did God set it? (b) did the law of refraction exist before the time of Noah?

PPT Slide 20

Answer:

When a Christian or a Muslim say that God created or sends or sets something, it does not rule out the natural scientific explanation but means that God is the creator behind the natural.

In fact, as Muslim, Janab Dr. Zakir should have never raised this question. For example:

In Surah 50: 9 And we have sent down blessed rain from the sky and made grow thereby gardens and grain from the harvest.”

As per the logic of Janab Dr. Zakir, we must assume that Quran rules out water cycle.

So, Janab Dr. Zakir’s first question was baseless.

In fact, the Holy Bible speaks correctly about the connection between rainbow and refraction of sunlight with rainbow or mist.

In Ezekiel 1: 28 “Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day.”

Further,

Did the law of refraction exist before Noah?

Genesis 9: 13 “”I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.”

Strong’s H5414 – this word has a variety of meaning, set apart, dedicate, give, etc.

Genesis 15: 18 “On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates.”

Genesis 21: 27 “So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.

The Hebrew word for set, Nathan, does not necessarily mean create but dedicate or set apart for a purpose.

Similarly:

In Genesis 9:13 – God gave rainbow as a sign for the covenant with Noah.

Rainbow always exited but it did not any special meaning.

But now rainbow has a special meaning -it has been given as a sign for the covenant with Noah.
 

Part 4: Medicine

Video: 9 Part 4 Medicine

Question 13: Janab Dr. Zakir quoted Leviticus 14:49-53 and said that the Holy Bible teaches to use blood to disinfect.

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Answer: Most of the time to refute Janab Dr. Zakir, you will have to only read the verse above and verse below.

So, let us read the verse above.

Leviticus 14: 48 – says the priest must ensure that the plague is healed and pronounce it as clean.

Leviticus 14: 48 “But if the priest comes in and examines [it], and indeed the plague has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.

So, applying of the blood is done only after the priest ensures that plague is healed and pronounces it as clean in a medical sense.

So, why is Leviticus 14: 49 – asking to use the blood when it is already pronounced as clean?

You read the below verses.

Leviticus 14:52-53 “”And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and the running water and the living bird, with the cedar wood, the hyssop, and the scarlet. Then he shall let the living bird loose outside the city in the open field, and make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.”

First time the house is pronounced as clean in the medical sense because the plague is healed. It is already without infection.

Second time the blood is used and house is pronounced as clean in what sense- to make atonement, in the religious sense.

This is crystal clear in the Holy Bible.

If he had read, Exodus 12, Exodus 24, Leviticus 16, Leviticus 17: 11, he would have understood that through blood there is deliverance, through blood covenant is established, through blood there is atonement for sins. We see the fulfilment of all these in Injil, New Testament.

Romans 5:9, Ephesians 1:7, 1 John 1: 7, Matthew 26:28, we read that it is through the blood of Jesus Christ that the covenant is established, we are justified and redeemed.

In fact, to help Muslims understand the importance of sacrifice and blood, our brothers have published a book ‘Truth Revealed’.

It is available outside this auditorium; you can collect one copy free of cost.  

Question 14: Leviticus 12- number of unclean days for the mother of a male child and female child are different. Janab Dr. Zakir Naik wants us to give a scientific reason for that.

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There is nothing unscientific in having different number of religiously unclean days for a male and female child. However, science need not be the reason for the difference in days. It could be moral, social or cultural reasons.

 Let us look at Leviticus 12 to see if there are any reasons for differences.

Leviticus 12 speaks about three things related to child birth.

Leviticus 2: 2, 4-5 about the number of unclean days.

Leviticus 2: 3 – about the circumcision.

Leviticus 2: 6-8 about the sacrifices.

What is same? The sacrifices are same:

Leviticus 12: 6 When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
– It speaks about number of unclean days for both male and female child.

What is different?

No of unclean days is different and circumcision is only for the male child.

 

 

 

Religious Reasons:

(a)         Encourage  Male Circumcision

Genesis 17: 12 “He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.”

Leviticus 12: 3 “’And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.”

(b)         Discourage Female Circumcision

Let us now look at the cultural reasons. In ancient Egypt or even in many countries now female circumcision is practiced but never in the Holy Bible.

For example, let us take the case of Islam since we are dealing with Islam. The Quran never commands either male or female circumcision.

Sahih Muslim, Book 003, Number 0684

Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 1: 216

Sunan Abu Dawud: Book 36: 5251

Imam Malik’s Muwatta Book 2: 73

Imam Malik Book 2: 74

The Holy Bible through its rituals discourages deplorable practices and encourages healthy and moral practices.

By changing the number of days of uncleanness for a male and female child, the Holy Bible reinforces that a female child should never be circumcised.

(c) Preferential treatment to women

Now, let us look at it socially. Practically ceremonial uncleanness is nothing but abstaining from religious, social and family activities. In other words, it is a kind of rest. If it is a male child, the mother gets 40 days off. If it is a female child, mother gets 80 days off. This is known as preferential treatment for women.

 In fact, this preferential treatment of women goes along with rest of the Holy Bible as I will explain in the next question shortly.

Surah 2: 182 And get two witnesses of your own men, and if there are not two men then a man and two women such as you choose for witnesses – so that if one of them errs, the other can remind her.

Note, here the ayat tells us that it can be either two men and if there are not two men, then one man and two women.

Two women equal one man. Women alone cannot be the witness as well.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1:9:490, 493, 498    A passing woman, a dog, and a monkey annul a prayer.

Question 15: According to Numbers 5: 11 -31, a woman suspected of adultery should be brought before the priest. He performs certain religious rituals and gives her bitter water to drink. Janab Dr. Zakir Naik wants to know why this test is still not carried out in courts.

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Answer:

First and foremost, this is a supernatural judgement under the Old Testament. Anyone who reads the passage properly would understand that this is in fact a supernatural judgement. The Holy Bible clearly presents it as a supernatural judgement under the Old Testament.

Let us read the same chapter.

Numbers 5: 18 “’Then the priest shall stand the woman before the LORD”

Numbers 5: 21 “the LORD make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the LORD makes your thigh rot and your belly swell.”

The accused women shall stand before Yahweh, if she has sinned, Yahweh makes her thigh rot and belly swell. Very clearly this is a supernatural punishment.

When you compare this with rituals of other religions around the time, you would see that the Holy Bible again gives preferential treatment for women.

In Babylon, there was a custom to throw women suspected of infidelity to river Euphrates. If she does not get drowned, she was considered as innocent.

In some other cultures, women suspected of infidelity were asked to go through fire, if they survive, they were innocent. If not, they were guilty.

Compare this with the Qur’an:

Surah 4:34 “Men are in charge of women, if you fear rebellion from women, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them.”

Sahih Bukhari Vol 7: Book 72: Hadith 715- a woman came and complained to Hazarath Muhammad that she was beaten by her husband.

It is mentioned her skin colour became as green as her veil due to this. Her husband also came and explained his so-called reasons. Did Hazarath Muhammad ever scold for ill-treating his wife? No, nothing, the fault became woman’s.

Sunan Abu Dawud: Book 5: Hadith 2142: Narrated by Ibn-al-Khattab: The Prophet said: A man will not be asked as to why he beat his wife.”

In the Torah, the husband who suspects wife’s infidelity, cannot take matters in his own hand, cannot punish his wife. He has to wait on God’s judgment. This is true protection against injustice inflicted by fallible human beings so often guided by false suspicions.

Now, let us look at the Quran:

Surah 2:72-3 – Allah commands people to kill a heifer, and brining the dead dead man back to life to solve his own murder mystery and testify against his own murderer?

Janab Dr. Zakir Naik can start a detective agency by using methodology.

Video 10 Part 5 Mathematics

Part 4: Mathematics and Conclusion (2:03:54-2:12:00)

(Dr. Naik) ‘Mathematics’ is a branch, which is closely associated with science, with which you can solve problems, etc. There are thousands of contradictions in the Bible – hundreds deal with mathematics, and I’ll first touch on few of them. It is mentioned in Ezra, Ch. No.2, Verse No.1, and Nehemiah, Ch. No.7, Verse No.6, the context that… ‘When the people returned from exile, from Babylon , when king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, when he released the men from Israel , they came back from captivity’ – and the list of the people are given. The list is given in Ezra, Ch. No.2, Verse No.2 to 63, and Nehemiah Ch. No.7, Verse No.7 up to 65; the list is given with the names as well as number of people released. In these 60 Verses there are no less than 18 times – the name is exactly the same but the number is different. There are no less than 18 contradictions in less than 60 Verses, of these two Chapters. This is the list – I don’t have time to run through the list – There are no less than 18 different contradictions in less than 60 Verses.

Further it is mentioned in Ezra, Ch. No.2 Verse No.64 that… ‘The total congregation, if you add up… if you add up, it comes to 42,360.’ And if you read in Nehemiah , Ch. No.7, Verse No.66, there also the total is the same 42,360. But if you add up all these verses – which I had to do my homework – this is the list of Ezra… this is the list of Nehemiah. Ezra Ch. No 2, Nehemiah Ch. No 7 – If you add up – I had to do my homework…if you add up, Ezra Ch. No. 2 – It does not come to 42,360 – it comes to 29,818. And if you add up Nehemiah , Ch. No. 7, even then it does not come to 42,360 – It comes to 31,089. The author of the Bible, presumed to be ‘Almighty God’, does not know simple addition. If you give this problem, even to a person who has passed elementary school, he will be able to get the right answer. If you add up all the 60 Verses, it is so easy. Almighty God did not know adding – Nauzubillah… if we presume, that this is the word of God.

Further if we read, in Ezra Ch. No. 2, Verse No. 65, it says…There were 200 singing men and women – Nehemiah Ch. No. 7, Verse No. 67…‘There were 245 singing men and women.’ Were they 200 – or were they 245 singing men and women? Context is the same – A mathematical contradiction.

It is mentioned in the 2nd Kings , Ch. No 24, Verse No 8, that…‘Jehoiachin was 18 years old, when he began to reign Jerusalem , and he reigned for 3 months and 10 days. 2nd Chronicles , Ch. No 36, Verse No 9, says that…‘Jehoiachin was 8 years old when he began to reign and he reigned for 3 months, 10 days. Was Jehoiachin 18 years when he began to reign, or was he 8 years old? Did he reign for 3 months, or did he reign for 3 months 10 days?

Further it is mentioned in the 1st Kings , Ch. No 7, Verse No 26, that…‘In Solomon’s temple, in his molten sea, he had 2000 baths. In 2nd Chronicles , Ch. No 4, Verse No 5, he had 3000 baths. Did he have 2000 baths or did he have 3000 baths? – That, I leave it upon Dr. William Campbell to decide which is correct. There is a clear-cut mathematical contradiction. Furthermore it is mentioned in the 1st Kings, Ch. No. 15, Verse No. 33, that… ‘Basha, he died in the 26th year of reign of Asa.’ And 2nd Chronicles Ch. No 16, Verse No 1, says that…‘Basha invaded Judah in the 36th years of the reign of Asa.’ How can Basha invade 10 years after his death? – It is unscientific.

(Dr. Naik) To make it easier for Dr. William Campbell, to answer to the points I have raised, I will just mention it in brief -The points that I mentioned.

The first point was that -‘The creation of the Earth and the Heaven – the universe was in six, 24-hour days. Light was then before the source of light –

Point No. 2. Three – Day came into existence before creation of Earth.

Point No. 4 – Earth came into existence before Sun.

Point No. 5 – Vegetation came into existence, before sunlight

 Point No. 6 – Light of the Moon is its own light.

Point No. 7 – The earth – Will it perish or will it abide forever?

Point No. 8 – The earth has got pillars.

Point No. 9 – The heavens have got pillars.

 Point No. 10 – God said… ‘You can have all plants and all vegetation, including the poisonous plants?’

Point No. 11 – The scientific test the falsification test, of Mark , Ch. No. 16, Verse No. 17 and 18.

Point No. 12 – A woman remains unclean for double the period, if she gives birth to a daughter, as compared to a son.

Point No. 13 – Using blood to disinfect the house, against plague of leprosy.

Point No. 14 – How do you find out the bitter water test for adultery?

Point No. 15 – Eighteen different contradictions in less than 60 Verses of Ezra, Ch. 2, and Nehemiah , Ch. 7. I did not count them as 18 different – I counted them only as one.

 Point No. 16 – The total is different is both the chapters.

Point No. 17 – Are there 200 singing men and women, or are there 245 singing men and women?

Point No. 18 – Was Jehoiachin 18 years old, or was he 8 years old when he began to reign?

Point No. 19 – Did he reign for 3 months, or 3 months 10 days.

Point No. 20 – Did Solomon have 3000 baths, or 2000 baths?

Point No. 21 – Is that Basha, how could he invade Judah , 10 years after his death?

Point No. 22 is – Almighty God – He said, I put up a rainbow in the sky, as a promise to the human kind, never to submerge the world again by water. I have listed only 22, out of the hundreds available unscientific points in the Bible… scientific errors – And I request Dr. William Campbell to answer them. And irrespective whether he uses the ‘concordance approach’ or the ‘conflict approach’… as long as he is logical, he will never be able to prove scientifically, all these 22 aspects I have told him.

 We agree in Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) – to him was revealed the Injeel. This is not the Injeel – It may contain part of God – But the other unscientific portion is not the word of God. I would like to end my talk by giving the quotation of the Glorious Qur’an, from Surah Baqarah, Ch. No. 2, Verse 79 …. (Arabic)…. ‘Woe to those who write the book with their own hands, and then say this is from Allah, to traffic with it for a miserable price. Woe to those for what they write. Woe to those for what they earn.’ Wa Aakim Dawana Anil Hamdulillahi Rabbil Aalameen.

 

Answers to Part 4: Mathematics and Conclusion

Question 16. Between Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7, there are at least 18 contradictions.

(a)         Why isn’t the total in the list adding up to total given Ezra 2:64 and Nehemiah 7:66?

(b)Why are the numbers in the list in Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 different?

(c)          Why is the total number of singers different in both list?

PPT Slide 24

Since Janab Dr. Zakir Naik has accused the Almighty God of the Bible of not knowing elementary mathematics of adding, we will start with the totals.

Let us read the verses:

Ezra 2: 2 “The number of the men of the people of Israel”- number of men of the people.

Number of men and not the number of whole people which would include women and children. 

Ezra 2: 64-65  “the whole assembly together was forty two thousand three hundred and sixty besides their male and female servants…”

The whole assembly- which includes men, women and children.

Should the total number of men be different or equal to the total number of the whole assembly?

It should be different. So, what is Dr. Zakir Naik’s question?

The same is mentioned in:

Nehemiah 7: 7 – men

Nehemiah 7: 66 – the whole assembly.

So, it is not that the God of the Holy Bible does not know elementary mathematics, it is just that Janab Dr. Zakir Naik does not know elementary reading.

We cannot completely blame him – that is also a problem with our educational system- good in memorizing, chapter number verse number, chapter number verse number but lack in understanding and comprehension.

Now, the second question:

Differences in the name and numbers between the list of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Why do Ezra and Nehemiah require the list of men?

The answer is given in the same chapter of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 7: 1-5 – when the enemies threatened the children of Israel, Nehemiah appointed people to guard the city; but the city was large and spacious, so he was burdened to have the list.

If the men’s list is required for this purpose, how will the list be prepared? By using the same principle that LORD commanded Prophet Moses. 

Numbers 1: 2-3 every male individually from twenty years old and above- all who are able to go to war in Israel.

(a)          20 and above

(b)          Able to go to war

There is a difference of 12-13 years between Ezra and Nehemiah. Those who were children earlier have become men now and those who were able earlier have become old now.  During those years, will the men’s list be different?

It will be the list of men who returned from captivity first. But there will be some differences.

The total number of the congregation- it will remain the same. But the list of men would be different.

Had Janab Dr. Zakir Naik read the Holy Bible carefully, he would not have asked this question.

Same is the case with the number of singers as well. 45 children must have grown up within this 12-13 years and were added to the list.

List is still the list of people who returned (total remains the same). Where is the question again?

Question 19: In 2 Kings 24: 8 – the Holy Bible says Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he began to rule. In 2 Chronicles 36:9 – the Holy Bible says Jehoiachin was 8 years old. Was he 18 years old or 8 years old.

Question 20: In 2 Kings 24: 8 – the Holy Bible says Jehoiachin reigned for three years. In 2 Chronicles 36:9 – the Holy Bible says Jehoiachin ruled for 3 months and 10 days.

PPT Slide 25

 Answer:

When Janab Dr. Zakir raises these questions, he pretend as if he has found these so-called contradictions in the Holy Bible; it is not so.  

Church Father Origen, in the third century, had carefully studied every word to word of the Holy Bible making six columns and studying any such differences in the Holy Bible. That is at least 300 years before Hazarath Muhammad.

Similarly, Jewish Talmud, again before Hazarath Muhammad, had discussed many of such so-called variations.

In other words, Jews and Christians, two communities which have produced the largest and best of the scientists and mathematicians in the world, does not require anyone from outside to cite these variations.

So, why are the answers?

Let us for argument’s sake accept these as scribal errors. Does that disqualify the Holy Bible from being the word of God? Not at all. None of the fundamental doctrines of Christian faith is affected by some scribal mistakes. In fact, it is to the credit of the Christians, that though they have noticed these variations, they have not made any attempts to make any changes in the Holy Scripture.

Compare this with what Caliph Uthaman, the third righteous Caliph as per Sunni Muslims, did when he found that there are variations in the Quranic manuscript.

In Sahih Al Bukhari Volume 6, Book 61, 510– we read that Uthaman, when he heard that there were variations in the Quran, he made one copy, “the perfect copy” and burned and ordered to burn every other copies.

It is another matter that despite these burning efforts, there were several variations in Quranic manuscripts.

In contrast, it is the shining example of the honesty and integrity of Christians that they would never resort to such practices to make a “perfect copy.”

Now, let us look at this question again? Is it a scribal error? I personally believe it is not.

There are some key passages in the Holy Bible which explains this.

In Matthew 1: 12 we read “Josiah begot Jeconiah.”

Why did the Holy Scripture say Josiah begot Jeconiah, when Jeconiah is actually the grandson of Josiah?

2 Chronicles 36: 10 Zedekiah is called as the brother Jeconiah, when Zedekiah is actually his father’s brother.

This can be possible, only if Josiah had adopted Jeconiah as his son just like Patriarch Jacob adopted Ephraim and Manasseh his grandsons as his own sons.

Before Josiah died, seeing that his son is wicked, Josiah had adopted his grandson as his son and anointed him as the King.

Jeconiah, when was 8 years old was adopted by his grandfather Josiah before his death, as his own son and anointed him as the king. But he had to wait till his father died to become the king.

But some ask didn’t his father rule for 11 years and Jeconiah should have become 19 years when he became the king. This question arises out of ignorance of how the Jews may consider as even a small portion, just one day of the year as one full year. For example, if someone had become a king in December 31, 2011 and died in January 2, 2012, he would have been considered as ruled for two years but the actual number of days would be only three days.

When we take this into account, it would be exactly 10 years.

At the age of 8, King Josiah adopted his grandson Jeconiah as his son and anointed him as king but he started ruling at the age of 18.

Answer: Anyone who knows mathematics  will that it is a simple round off.

Question 21: The molten sea in Solomon’s temple, did it contain 2000 or 3000 baths of water?

PPT Slide 26

 

1 Kings 7: 26 – the Hebrew word used is Kuwl (Kul).

Strong’s H3557 – gives one of the meaning as contained, sustained, etc.

It contained 2000 baths of water.

2 Chronicles 4:5 – the Holy Bible very clearly adds the word khä·zak’ to the word Kul.

Strong’s H2388 – gives the meaning strong, to make strong, etc.

In other words, it was strong enough to contain 3000 baths.

2 Chronicles 4: 5 – gives the actual strength, capacity of the molten sea, which is 3000 baths and 1 Kings 7:26 gives the regular supply it had, which is 2000 baths.

Question 22: Did Basha die in the 26th year of Asa or did he attack Asa in the 36th year.

PPT Slide 27

2 Chronicles 16: 1– in the 36th year of the reign of King Asa.

1 Kings 16: 8 – Basha died in the 26th year of Asa.

2 Chronicles 16, the Hebrew word used for reign used is Mal-Kut is often used for kingdom.

In the same book, 2 Chronicles.

2 Chronicles 1:1– Now, Solomon, the son of David, was strengthened in his kingdom. The word of kingdom is the same word used.

2 Chronicles 11:17– So, they strengthened the kingdom of Judah.

2 Chronicles 20:30– And the fear of God was on all kingdoms of those countries.

So, if it is the 36th year of Asa’s kingdom, we should count it from the time the kingdom was formed- the time when Southern Kingdom was distinguished from Northern Kingdom.

1 Chronicles 12: 13– Rehobam ruled 17 years in the Southern Kingdom.

1 Chronicles 13:2 – Abijah ruled 3 years in the Southern Kingdom.

It would be 20 years before Asa became king. 36th year of Asa’s Kingdom, the southern kingdom would be 16th year of Asa’s rule. Then there is absolutely no contradiction.

Questions from Rebuttal

There are several more questions that Janab Dr. Zakir asked during the rebuttal and question & session of the debate. Due to the time constrain, we will not show the video clips, but will summarize the questions and answer it.

Question: Genesis 4: 12- Cain would be a wanderer? Cain built up a city?

PPT Slide 28

Answer: This is punishment by God has been fulfilled.

Genesis 4: 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.

Genesis 4: 2 “Can was a tiller of the ground”

Until then Cain was tiling the ground and producing the yield. However, now the land will no longer yield its fruits but Cain will have to wander.

Building a city does not rule out the wandering part; he will have to still wander for the things that he had- food.

In the literal sense, it has been fulfilled.

However, there is a deeper meaning.

Strong’s H5128 – nuwa`

Strong’s H5110- nud, 

Can mean disturbed and crying.

Immediately, immediately, as soon as the Lord uttered the punishment, as the word proceeded out of the mouth of Yahweh, it was fulfilled. We see Cain as disturbed and weeping.

Question: Jeremiah 36: 30 – the Holy Bible says Jehoiakim will have no one to sit on the throne. 2 Kings 24: 6- Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim sat as king on the throne.

PPT Slide 29

Answer:

I have already answered this question in my previous question.

As per Matthew 1: 12 “Josiah begot Jeconiah.” In other words, Josiah had adopted Jeconiah.

2 Chronicles 36: 10 Zedekiah is called as the brother Jeconiah, when Zedekiah is actually his father’s brother.

Jehoiachin inherited King David’s throne as the son of Josiah through adoption. Therefore, it is not violation.

You see how the books of the Holy Bible written by different prophets and apostles across several centuries actually explains each other rather than contradicting at all.

Question: Ezekiel 26: Nebukannezer would destroy tyre. It was Alexander who destroyed Tyre.

PPT Slide 30

Answer:

In the prophecy against Tyre, there are two sets of people.

Ezekiel 26: 3 “Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against you, as the sea causes its waves to come up.”

Ezekiel 26: 7 – speaks of Nebukannezer attacking Tyre.

First the Holy God spoke about many nations and then He specifies one King.

Then it goes on to speak about the calmatives that would fall up on Tyre.

Atheists, and copying atheists Janab Dr. Zakir has a problem with this prophecy.  For them, as everything was not fulfilled by King Nebukannezer, they want to call it as unfulfilled prophecy.

Question: Isaiah 7: 14 – Immanuel (Hebrew word Amlah- not a virgin but a young lady), He will be called Immanuel.

PPT Slide 31

Answer:

Janab. Dr. Zakir’s argument that the word Almah does not mean virgin is wrong. It can mean virgin and it can mean young lady. It does not necessarily have to mean virgin. There are two possible meanings to that.

If there are two possible meanings, then the context would determine meaning. In the context, it can only mean virgin; otherwise why it would be a sign to the house of David?

Further, the Holy Bible has never used the word Amlah to explicitly refer to a non virgin. So, the general usage of the word also refers to virgin.

Now, coming to the name Immanuel.

Sahih Al Bukhari Vol 4:56: 732 Hazarath Muhammad claimed that he has five names.

Who gave him those names? Based on what? Based on what he thought that he would do to mankind. Did anyone call him by all his five names? We do not have any evidence for that.

If Hazarath Muhammad can have several names, which no one used to call him, why can’t the creator and sustainer of the universe, the redeemer and saviour of humanity, Lord Jesus Christ have many names?

Lord Jesus Christ being God, has many names to reveal His nature and character, one of them is called as Immanuel meaning God is with us.

John 1: 1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John 1: 14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

In fact, Lord Jesus Christ has hundreds of names.

Revelation 1: 8 “The Alpha and the Omega”

Revelation 1: 17 The First and the Last

Revelation 19: 13 The Word of God

1 John 1:1 The Word of Life

1 Corinthians 1: 24 “The Wisdom of God”

1 Corinthians 15: 45 The Last Adam

John 14: 6 “The Truth”

Luke 6: 5 Lord of the Sabbath

2 Timothy 3: 16 “Lord of Peace”

Question: Leviticus 12: 1-2 Women got seed (Semen)

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Leviticus 12: 2 “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, if a woman have conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.”

Answer:

One has to only check a lexicon or a concordance to refute Janab Dr. Zakir.

The Hebrew word that is used here is Zarah.

Strong’s H2232– gives one of the meaning as “offspring.”

Now, if Janab Dr. Zakir wants to argue that this must be used technically and scientifically, even then it is not unscientific

If women do not produce any seed, then what is the egg? If his objection is that the Holy Bible does not use modern scientific language, then that is an argument without any substance or merit. The scientific language was invented by the scientist.

Sahih Al Bukhari: Volume 8: Book 73: 113– Hazarath Muhammad believed in it.

Question: Job 10: 9-10 – Did You not pour me out like milk, And curdle me like cheese. Janab Dr.Zakir said it is scientifically wrong and can be said to be plagiarized by the book of Job from Greek poets.

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Answer: By asking this question, Janab Dr. Zakir demonstrated his utter lack of scientific and historical knowledge?

Did the Holy Bible say it is a description of embryological stage? No, not at all.

First, we can take this as the care and love God took to create human beings. We do not need to make science out of every poetical expression.

However, if you want to take this in scientific sense, it is a precise description of physiology- lacteal vessels and its functioning.

Janab Dr. Zakir also accused the Holy Bible plagiarizing from Greek poets. He did not give any reference to that.

He would not give any reference because the moment he gives any reference his entire false methodology will be exposed.

For example, in Aristotle’s book Generation of Animals, there is a similar expression.  When was Aristotle’s book written? At least 1000 years after the Book of Job was written. How can the Book of Job copy from Aristotle then?

Further, as the translation of the Holy Bible was available to Greeks then, it is a possibility in many matters Greek philosophers and poets owe their inspiration to the Holy Bible. 

Question 23: Leviticus 11: 6 Hare is grouped under animal who chew the cud; but hare does not chew the cud; neither does it have a compartmentalized stomach.

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Answer: From an anatomical point of view, which is observable, hare does not chew the cud.

However, from a functional point of view, hare through re-ingenstion has the same advantage of chewing. It is only a matter of classification from the anatomical verse functional perspective.

Question 24: Proverbs 6:6-7- Ant has no ruler. But the ant has queen.

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Answer: When King Solomon writes that ant has no ruler or overseer; it is absolutely correct.

The queen ant is mostly just an egg factory. The Queen ant does not instruct, send embassies to other ant hills, or oversee and punish lazy ants and reward industrious ants or even make decisions and laws.

Ants work by their instinct and not as a result of instructions and force, which is what King Solomon teaches us.

Queen ant giving instructions, making laws, punishing and rewarding other ants, etc are only in cartoons.

Hope Janab Dr. Zakir has not confused such cartoons to be documentaries about ants.

Surah 27:18-19- talking ants. One of the ants said: “O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it.”

Show us some scientific evidence that ants can identify human beings by their names. This is not said as a miracle but a regular event.

Question 25: Genesis 3: 14 , Isaiah 65: 45 – Serpent eat dust

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Answer: The Holy Bible uses the figurative term eating dust to mean humiliation.

We can see those usages in:

Psalms 72:9,

Isaiah 49:23,

Micah 7:17

Genesis 3: 14 – uses the word in this sense; of humiliation.

Isaiah 65:45 – is about the future during the rule of Christ on earth, where every animal become herbivorous.

However, if Janab Dr. Zakir wants to argue it scientifically only, even then it would be correct.

Serpent has an organ that is located in the front of its mouth that functions as chemical receptor. Jacobson’s organ helps the snake smell. Occasionally, it licks the ground or picks up dust particles and inserts into Jacobson’s organ. In this way, it eats the dust.

Sahih Muslim Book 26: Hadith 5527– one newly married young man died due to snake bite and people came and requested Hazarth Muhammad to raise the dead man. However, Hazarth Muhammad said there are believing and non believing snakes.

Question 26: Leviticus 11: 20 – Fowls with four feet- insects having four feet. Which insect has got four feet.

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Leviticus 11: 20 – ‘All flying insects that creep on [all] fours [shall be] an abomination to you. ‘Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on [all] fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.

We are told about two types of legs:

(a)          Fours, which are called as feet; and (b) jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth.

In our terminology, it would be six legs or six feet. But the Holy Bible uses a more fine tuned differentiation as per their function. In the end, it looks like a question of terminology rather than science.

Surah 24:45 “And Allah has created from water EVERY living creature: so of them is that which walks upon its belly, and of them is that which walks upon two feet, and of them is that which walks upon four; Allah creates what He pleases; surely Allah has power over all things.”

Note, Quran starts with saying every living creature and then its gives the break-up. But there are many more creatures than this who walks in six, 10. Why were they forgotten?

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Why was the poor spider forgotten?

What about the caterpillar and the crab?

What crime did Octopus commit to be forgotten like this?

Question 27: Isaiah 34:7 – Unicorns as though it exist. You can check in the dictionary.

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Answer:

Again, this is an issue with the terminology rather than any scientific issue.

The Hebrew word reʾem can be translated as wild bull or rhinoceros.

Noah Webster in its first edition in 1828 defines unicorn as:

Unicorn – An animal with one horn; the monoceros. this name is often applied to the rhinoceros.

Two types of rhinoceros have one horn.

In fact, there is an extinct is an extinct species of a giant one-horned rhinoceros called Elasmotherium sibiricum, also known as the Big Horn Rhinoceros. Scientists today often refer to this creature as “The Giant Unicorn.”

Description of Unicorn

Job 39: 9 “Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?  Wilt thou trust him, because his strength [is] great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?”

Mythical Unicorn

Mythical animal can be caught if a virgin maid is thrown before it.

How about the Quran?

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Surah 34: 12 – Solomon’s flying carpet. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir Volume 8, Page 70)

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 616: interprets Surah 33: 69- there is a stone which took Prophet Moses clothes and ran away to disprove Israelites who were alleged to have accused Moses of having some skin defects.

Question 28: Genesis 7: 19-20 Full world was submerged under water. 21 and 22 century BC. Quran does not give the date.  Genesis 6: 15-16 – build an ark – 300 cubits in length – is it possible to accommodate all the species?

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Universal or Local Flood?

Janab Dr. Zakir says Quran teaches a local flood.

Surah 71: 26-27 “ And Noah said: `O my Lord! Leave not of the Unbelievers, a single one on earth! ”

Surah 23: 27 ” take thou on board pairs of every species, male and female.”

Surah 11:40 – fountains of the earth gushed forth.

Surah 11:44 – O earth! Swallow up thy water, and O sky! withhold (thy rain)!

The History of al-Tabari, vol. 1, General Introduction and From the Creation to the Flood- page 360-363.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Abridged Volume 3, Parts 6, 7 & 8, Surat An-Nisa, Verse 148 to the end of Surat Al-An’am, p. 399

Date of Noah’s Flood:

The Holy Bible has not totalled it; we should not total it.

Can the Ark Accommodate Every Species?

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The dimensions of the ark were ideally designed for both stability and capacity. It has been shown hydrodynamically that the ark would have been practically impossible to capsize and would have been reasonably comfortable, even during violent waves and winds.

Assuming the ancient cubit to have been only 17.5 inches (the smallest suggested by an authority), the ark could have carried as many as 125,000 sheep-sized animals. Since there are not more than about 25,000 species of land animals known (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians), either living or extinct, and since the average size of such animals is certainly much less than that of a sheep, it is obvious that all the animals could easily have been stored in less than half the capacity of Noah’s ark, each pair in appropriate “rooms” (literally “nests”).

Question 29:  Trinity – scientifically – human beings require to eat. God is spirit. Luke 24: 36-39 – Spirit has got no flesh and bones. The word trinity does not exist anywhere in the Holy Bible. It is there in – Surah 4: 71- Surah 5: 75 – Allah is three in one. Concept of Trinity does not exist in the Holy Bible- 1 John 5:7. There is not a single unequivocal statement in the Holy Bible.

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Answer:

Isaiah 48: 12 ” “Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I [am] He, I [am] the First, I [am] also the Last.”

Isaiah 48: 16 Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I [was] there. And now the Lord GOD and His Spirit Have sent Me.”

Regarding the doctrine of Trinity, I have already answered this my previous debates (Divinity of Jesus and Messengerhood of Muhammad) as well as refutations (such as Similarities between Islam and Christianity). You can refer to those if you wish to know about this doctrine.

Surah 5:116-117 “And [beware the Day] when Allah will say, “O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah ?'”

Author of the Quran got two out of three wrong. Allah and Mary are not part of the Quran.

We do not think that Allah is the God of the Bible and neither any Christian believes that Mary is part of the trinity.

Question 30: Shape of the Earth- in the Holy Bible- Matthew 4:8- exceedingly high mountain; Luke 4: Daniel 4: 10-11,

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Answer:

In Matthew 4: 8 “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.”

Luke 4: 5 “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

Here we are speaking about two supernatural beings: the Holy incarnation of God, Lord Jesus Christ, and the devil.

The Gospel writers have obviously climbed the mountains and they knew that higher you go up in a mountain, the smaller the things that you see. So, it is not possible to show the world in their glory through natural means.

Second, it was showed in a moment of time, or in an instance.  All the Kingdoms may have been shown as though in a projected form, a display as we show it computers now.

Daniel 4: 11 “The tree grew and became strong; its height reached to the heavens, and it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.

This is a prophetic language. I leave this job of answering this question to one of the all time great scientist in the world-  Sir Isaac Newton.

Sir Isaac Newton in his commentary to the Book of Daniel:

Sir Isaac Newton continues:

“If the world politic, considered in prophecy, consists of many kingdoms, they are represented by as many parts of the world natural; as the noblest by the celestial frame, and then the Moon and Clouds are put for the common people; the less noble, by the earth, sea, and rivers, and by the animals or vegetables, or buildings therein; and then the greater and more powerful animals and taller trees, are put for Kings, Princes, and Nobles.”

In Daniel 4: 19-26 – Prophet Daniel himself interprets the vision, where tree is King Nebukannezer.

Question 31: Earth is immovable. Psalms 93: 1 , I Chronicles 16:30

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Answer: Most of the times, when critics of the Holy Bible bring charges such earth has pillars, earth is immovable, etc, the Holy Bible may not be even speaking about the planet earth.

It must be referring to the land as against the sea, or a country, or even to the people.

If you read, Psalms 93, it speaks about the Lord ruling the world.

It has been understood as future messianic kingdom.

Even I Chronicles 16:30-31 speaks about Lord’s rule.

As Sir Isaac Newton rightly noted in his commentary to the book of Daniel:

“For the heavens, and the things therein, signify thrones and dignities, and those who enjoy them; and the earth, with the things thereon, the inferior people; and the lowest parts of the earth, called Hades or Hell, the lowest or most miserable part of them.”

Earth is not moved means there will be permanence and peace when Messiah rules the world.

If at all any person in the history can complain about the figurative use of these terms, it was Galileo; because he faced opposition from certain sections of the Church who followed the Aristotelian philosophy rather than the Holy Bible.

But this is what Galileo writes in his letter to the Church, 1632:

“With regard to this argument, I think in the first place that it is very pious to say and prudent to affirm that the Holy Bible can never speak untruth—whenever its true meaning is understood.”

Question: Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of fish- Mathematical error.

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As God’s servant Dr. William Campell rightly cited Matthew 27:63 and answered Janab Dr. Zakir that the Jews use these words interchangeably.

Did Jonah die in the belly of the fish? Yes, he died. But he came back to life.

Jonah 2: 1-3 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly and he said:

I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction and he answered me”- remember Jonah is still in the belly of the fish but he says God answered him.

What did God answer him?

Next verse says:

“Out of the belly of the sheol, I cried, and you heard my voice”

Where is sheol? Sheol is the place where dead people go.

Question 32 & 33: 2 Kings 8:26 Azhaiah was 22 years when he began to reign. In 2 Chronicles 22:2 – he was 42 years old when he began to reign.  Ahazaiah – father died at the age of 40. Even in the Hollywood you cannot produce it.

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Answer:

Without doubt Azhaiah was 22 years old when he began to reign.

Now, how about the 2 Chronicles 22: 2?

2 Chronicles 22: 2 “a Son of 42 years”

1 Samuel 13: 1 “a Son of 1 year”- regarding King Saul. (If you read in some of the margins of the Holy Bible, for example, you will notice this explanation).

But in King Saul’s case, is it difficult for us to understand it? No, it could be understood as Son of a 1 year old Kingdom.

It can be understood as an idiom.

Similarly, it can be understood here in 2 Chronicles 22:2 “a Son of 42 year old Kingdom.”

There can be an objection, if Azhaiah was the King of Judah; the Southern Kingdom was not 42 years when he began to reign.

However, here is the reason:

Matthew 1: 8– Apostle Matthew by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit excluded Azhaiah from the list of the Genealogy, which comes from Abraham to King David to Lord Jesus Christ. 

If Azhaiah is excluded from the Kings of the Southern Kingdom, where should he be included? He should be included in Dynasty of Omri which was 42 years by then.

So, when Azahaiah was 22, he started ruling as the son of 42 year old Omri’s dynasty.

So, what was considered as an error, turned out to be a magnificent way of teaching spiritual truths.

Question 34 & 35: 2 Samuel 24: 9- People who took part 8 hundred thousand, 1 Chronicles 21:5- 11 lakh men from Israel. The numbers that Janab Dr. Zakir gives for Judah is wrong.

2 Samuel 24:9 “And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah [were] five hundred thousand men.”

1 Chronicles 21: 5 “Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel [had] one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword; and Judah [had] four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword.”

Answer:

2 Samuel 24:9

Israel: 8 Lakh Valiant Men

Judah: 5 Lakh Men

1 Chronicles 21:5

Israel: 11 Lakh men who drew the sword

Judah: 4 Lakh 70 thousand men who drew the sword

Regarding Israel:

Total men capable of war: 11 Lakh of which 8 lakh were valiant men.  (3 lakh men were then in reserves like any other army in the world.

Regarding Judah:

Note that division Judah and Israel is from a perspective after the Kingdom was divided.

When 1 Chronicles 21: 5 says 4 lakh 70 thousand men, there is also a note given.

1 Chronicles 21: 6 “But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.”

Of the Southern Kingdom, 4 Lakh 70 thousand men were without the tribes of Benjamin and Levi.

Question 36: 2 Samuel 6: 23, 2 Samuel 21: 8 – Michal

2 Samuel 6:23: Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

2 Samuel 21:8- So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.

Answer:

The Hebrew word used here is Yalad.

Strong’s H3205 – yalad- can mean bear or bring forth or brought up.