New Podcast Let Us Reason - A Christian/Muslim Dialogue

According to the standard Islamic narrative ; 70-300 prophets are buried in Mecca, from Adam,  Seth, Noah, Daniel, also Eve, and the Queen of Shiba just to name a few.  There is no archeological evidence of that. In the second episode of this show Al and Dr Jay ask the question, where is Mecca on any of the ancient maps? Dr Jay talks about the research of Dr Patricia Crone  on the subject of Mecca in ancient maps. They conclude that there is no mention of Mecca until the 8th century; a 100 years after the death of Mohammad.  Mecca was not the place the S.I.N. wants us to believe.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al Fadi and Dr Jay continue their discussion about Mecca. This time they discuss Dan Gibson's archeological studies and the two books he wrote; The Nabateans, and The Geography of the Quran.    Next they ask the question ; What language was used in Mecca? They conclude that the Quran was written in Nabatean Aramaic and not in the Sabiac language of Mecca and Medina .  The question is why wasn't it written in the language of the area ( the Hijaz)?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al Fadi and Dr. Jay talk about why Mecca in the S.I.N. To Muslims Mecca is the birth place of Mohammad, where Islam started, where the pilgrimage takes place , and where they face towards when they pray.  Muslims claim three things: 1. It was where Adam and Eve lived. 2. Where Abraham built the Kaaba with his son Ishmael. 3. That Mecca was a center of trade. Al Fadi and Dr. Jay also say that the only place that mecca was mentioned by name was on Sura 48: 24.  Tradition also says that it was a place of vegetation and that it was located in a valley with a stream going through it.  Does history support these claims? they will talk about it in coming episodes.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Jay and Al Fadi continue their critique of the Standard Islamic Narrative(S.I.N.).  Today they are talking about the lack of reference evidence and of eyewitness. They point out that the S.I.N says that everything happened in Mecca and Medina.  It turned out that  the earliest resources were 200-300 years later during the Abbasid caliphate which came to power in 750 AD, in the city of Baghdad, written by people who lived hundred of miles north of Mecca and Medina. For example Ibn Hisham born in Basra, Iraq and lived in Cairo, Egypt;  Bukhari was born in Bukhara (Uzbekistan).  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al Fadi and Dr Jay compare the time between Mohammad's death and the time the sources of Islam (the Sira, Hadith etc.) were written is over two hundred years and 200-300 miles north from the place that was thought.  While the time it took the Christian to write their sources is about 60 years and it was written in the same place where Christ lived and died while eyewitnesses lived.  They say if we compare it to the history of the United states, the biography of George Washington and the constitution would of not been written until the 21 century.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al Fadi and Dr. Jay continue to discuss the problem with the sources(Sira, hadith,...). They are questioning the Standard Islamic Narrative(S.I.N.).  They ask the question how do we know that it is true? Going back to the time when the people who wrote the sources lived and died ; they find a gap in the timeline. For example, there is a 200 year gap between the death of Mohammad and the death of Ibn Hisham; who wrote the Sira(Biography) of Mohammad; therefore he was not an eyewitness.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al Fadi and Dr. Jay Smith continue  their discussion by talking about the man (Mohammad), the book ( the Quran) and the place(Mecca), because these are the foundations of Islam if you take one out the rest will fall. 1. Mecca; did it exist in the 7th century?  2. Mohammad; was there a man who was born in Mecca in 570 AD and lived there until 622AD, who then moved to Medina?  3. The Quran; do we have a complete copy from the 7th century that matches today's copy.  These are questions Dr. Jay and Al Fadi are trying to answer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al Fadi and Dr Jay Smith discuss what is The Standard Islamic Narrative or S.I.N.  Muslims believe that they have the final revelation; the Quran which was revealed to Mohammad, who was born in Mecca in Saudi Arabia and that Mecca was the direction of the Kiblah.  There are four points of the S.I.N./ the traditions: 1. The Cira (The biography of Mohammad) . 2. The Hadith (the sayings of Mohammad)  3. Al Tafsir (the commentaries) to unpack the Quran, 4. The Tarikh(the history).  Muslims can not question the traditions even if does not make sense.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sister Ray grew up in South Africa to an Iranian Sunni family. Her mother was a Catholic that converted to Islam.  She went to an all girls Catholic school, and was also raised in the traditional Islamic belief.  She did start questioning her Islamic belief when she went to university and started reading Islamic books in English.  She was upset about the way women are treated in Islam, unlike what she has been taught that Islam raised the value of women.  She met a born again Christian in college and he invited her to go to church.  The sermon was about Moses.  She was asked by her Muslim people not to watch the Disney movie "The Prince of Egypt". Ray's journey continues next time.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lloyd explains that Islam is a deen, which does not mean a religion but a totalitarian political system, which provides perspective on existence, life, society and sociopolitical system. There is 4 meanings of deen: 1. Subjugation and dominance.  2. Obedience and bondage. 3. Rules and regulations. 4. Rewards and repayment.  There are two sources of the law(Sharia). A. The Quran . B. The Sunna.  Lloyd goes into details to explain all of the above.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.