Abraham smashes the idols

Abraham was born and brought up in the magnificent city civilization of Babylon -- Iraq. This was the civilization that tried to produce the ultimate man-constructed "house", the Tower of Babel. It was supposed to reach to the very heavens, but then it collapsed and sank into the ground (Genesis 11). Abraham traveled widely throughout the Fertile Crescent and Egypt, where he had intimate dealings with the a court that viewed itself as the very last word in sophistication and saw fit to kidnap his wife for Pharaoh's pleasure (Genesis 12:14-20). The same happened when Abraham visited the Philistine kingdom of Gerar(ibid. 20:1-18). Abraham personally witnessed the awesome physical catastrophe that befell the decadent, degenerate city culture of the once lush, now barren, salty plain of Sodom just north of Israel's Yam Hamelach ("Dead" Sea) (ibid. chapters 18-19).

The technology in Abraham's time may have been primitive compared with what we have now. Yet the cultures of the time produced impressive buildings and artifacts, and people's practical know-how was often far greater than that of the majority in our automated civilization. The human social and cultural environment was no less elaborate than today's. People were surrounded by man-made objects and images just as we are today. Wise men and priests attained levels of astronomical, mathematical, botanical, pharmaceutical and other kinds of knowledge that would put many contemporary "experts" and "specialists" to shame. Their theological and philosophical systems appear to have been no less subtle and complex than any today.
Abraham rejected the entire belief system of his contemporaries, despite the fact that he himself came from the very cream of the elite. His father, Terach, was, according to tradition, favorite of the then most powerful man in the world, Nimrod. Today Nimrod would be called a tyrant or control freak or perhaps the first superman. The Bible says of Nimrod: "He began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before God, which is why it is said: Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before God" (Genesis 10:8-9) The classic Bible commentator Rashi explains: "He ensnared the minds of people with his talk and deceived them into rebelling against God" (Rashi ad loc.)

Nimrod's line was that man is entitled to do whatever he pleases. This was a philosophy that gave especially wide scope to Nimrod himself since he himself was the biggest strongman. No one would dare do anything against his whims and desires. I.e. Nimrod is god!

It appears that by nature Abraham too was always looking to where the power lies. (The Divine name associated with Abraham's spiritual quality of Chessed, Love and Kindness, is EL, which literally signifies Power.) But from his earliest childhood, Abraham had the sense to realize that ultimate power cannot possibly lie in a mere human being, no matter how strong and influential, since he is here today and dead tomorrow.

From the time of Abraham's first spiritual awakening he searched tirelessly to discover the true source of the various manifestations of power and strength found in the world. A famous Midrash shared by Judaism and other traditions depicts Abraham as a little infant abandoned in a cave by his parents. They were afraid that Nimrod would kill their little child since Nimrod's astrologers had told him a baby had been born who was destined to shine to the entire world.
Abraham cried and cried because he was so hungry. God sent the angel Gabriel, who gave him milk to drink until Abraham grew and was three years old. One night he decided to leave the cave. When he went out, the world was dark. He looked up at the skies and saw the twinkling stars. He was amazed by so many millions of little lights. He said, "These must certainly be the most powerful forces in the whole universe. These must be the gods."
But then came the dawn and the stars disappeared. "No," said Abraham, "those little lights can't be gods because they have disappeared. Something else has outshone them. I won't worship them any more."
Then the sun rose and shone in all its glory. Abraham said, "This is the most powerful force. This is God. I will worship this." But towards evening, as the sun set, Abraham understood that the sun is also not God. Out of the darkness, the moon rose and shone its light, and Abraham thought: "Yes, this time I have found God".
At that moment the Angel Gabriel came down and took Abraham to a fountain of pure water. "Immerse and purify yourself," said the Angel. Afterwards the Angel revealed to him that HaVaYaH, the One God, holds power and dominion over the Heavens above and the Earth below. God created the entire world." When Abraham heard the words of the angel, he prostrated and prayed to HaVaYaH, Creator of Heaven and Earth.(Midrash)
Abraham understood that a subordinate power has no option but to submit to a higher power. What he sought all his life was the highest Power of all -- in the knowledge that if he could discover the secret of ultimate power, he himself would be able to channel it and wield it for good.
Abraham understood that people's worship of the stars and planets and other subordinate powers was actually a guise for worshipping themselves, i.e. endeavoring to gratify their own selfish appetites for wealth, sex, food, drink, power, honor, etc. Even when people bow down to and "serve" gods of prosperity, love, war and the like, they are actually trying to abandon themselves to deep instinctual desires for personal gratification. [The veneration displayed by many today for the products of contemporary technology and the energy devoted to their acquisition may also be viewed as a form of idolatrous service of the self. Why do those same people not put similar energy into venerating and serving HaVaYaH, ultimate Source all the resources upon which human life depends?]
The world-famous story about Abraham's breaking the idols shows the wit and wisdom with which he exposed man's folly and self-deception when he worships idols and other products of his own activity.
Abraham's father, Terach was an idol-manufacturer. Once he had to travel, so he left Abraham to manage the shop. People would come in and ask to buy idols. Abraham would say, "How old are you?" The person would say, "Fifty," or "Sixty". Abraham would say, "Isn't it pathetic that a man of sixty wants to bow down to a one-day-old idol?" The man would feel ashamed and leave.
One time a woman came with a basket of bread. She said to Abraham, "Take this and offer it to the gods".
Abraham got up, took a hammer in his hand, broke all the idols to pieces, and then put the hammer in the hand of the biggest idol among them.
When his father came back and saw the broken idols, he was appalled. "Who did this?" he cried. "How can I hide anything from you?" replied Abraham calmly. "A woman came with a basket of bread and told me to offer it to them. I brought it in front of them, and each one said, "I'm going to eat first." Then the biggest one got up, took the hammer and broke all the others to pieces."

"What are you trying to pull on me?" asked Terach, "Do they have minds?"

1. Said Abraham: "Listen to what your own mouth is saying? They have no power at all! Why worship idols?"
1. (Midrash Bereishit 38:13)
2. Calling Terach an idol-manufacturer suggests that he was a major ideologist and opinion-molder in the society in which he lived. When Abraham would ask how a person of sixty could bow down to a newly-made idol, he was pointing out that if you are searching for the ultimate power, it's no use looking at ephemeral, man-made objects, no matter how impressive. Items constructed today to satisfy some whim or fancy will be abandoned or destroyed tomorrow.
3. Abraham was saying: Why do you worship modernity just because it glitters and glisters temporarily. If you really want to find the source of power, you must work backwards to the cause of the cause of the cause... To find the source of creation you have to go back in time. Far, far back: years and years. Thousands and thousands and millions and millions of years.[Rebbe Nachman often quoted a popular song that included the words "The old, old, old, old God" -- Tzaddik #413).
4. The women coming with her basket of bread for the gods was expressing a profound human need to pacify and please the higher power.
5. If Abraham refused to offer the bread, it was not because he did not believe in the principle of sacrifice. When the time came for him to worship the One God, he sacrificed his very self. He was prepared to offer up his precious, most beloved son, Isaac. But only to the true God, never to some subordinate power that is itself dependent upon a higher power.
6. Abraham's comic trick of putting the hammer in the hands of the biggest idol and telling his father how each of the idols wanted to eat first lays bare the selfish desire for personal gratification that lies at the root of most idolatry. The woman brought the offering of bread in the hope that this would placate the gods so they would provide food for her to eat. Feeling vulnerable herself, she tried to pacify the powers she felt to be above her. But Abraham showed that her gods were as self-centered and greedy as she was.
7. The essence of Abraham's later teaching was that the foundation of true religion and spirituality is to practice the reverse of selfishness and personal gratification -- i.e. kindness and charity. HaVaYaH, as the supreme Power over all other powers, can afford to show love and kindness to all. When man overcomes his own instinctive selfishness and cultivates these divine traits, he himself experiences and becomes connected with God.
8. This teaching of kindness and altruism was a direct contradiction to the philosophy and outlook of the ruling tyrant, Nimrod, who was the epitome of self-seeking. Nimrod's god was Fire, the power that consumes and destroys everything.
9. The same Midrash continues:
10. Nimrod called Abraham and commanded him to worship Fire.
11. Abraham said to him, "So let's worship water since water has the power to extinguish fire."
12. "Right," said Nimrod, "We should worship water."
13. "In that case, we should worship the clouds, since they carry water."
14. "Yes, we should worship the clouds."
15. "Then we should worship the wind, since it drives the clouds across the sky."
16. "Yes, we should worship the wind (ru'ach) -- air, spirit."
17. "But," said Abraham, "humans have the power to rule over the spirit. Should we worship human beings?"
18. "You're playing with words," cried Nimrod. "I worship only fire, and I am going to throw you into a huge furnace. Let the God you worship come along and save you from it!"
19. (Midrash Bereishit ibid.) 
20. Abraham's relentless logic brought Nimrod to the brink of having to admit that man can indeed control his own spirit and instincts. If he fails to control himself and surrenders to the fire of his lower instincts, then his "religion" is basically about self-worship. Nimrod's veneration of fire was merely an expression of his own burning passion to consume and destroy.
21. The insight was one Nimrod could not accept, and he decided to throw Abraham to his god of fire.
22. Nimrod gave orders to construct an enormous furnace into which Abraham was then catapulted. But God miraculously saved Abraham from the furnace.
23. The Midrash concludes that all the burning logs turned into blossoming trees that produced beautiful fruits. Man can consume and destroy, but God alone has the power to create life and bring about growth and regeneration.

DESTRUCTION OF NIMROD

“ Sahl bin Sa’d narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “If the world to Allah were equal to a mosquito’s wing, then He would not allow the disbeliever to have a sip of water from it.” (Hasan) [Chapters on Zuhd: Jami At-Tirmidhi]
This hadith means that whatever good things of the world Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has given to those who deny His attribute of Oneness, as well as the Prophethood of His beloved Messenger, He has given those things to them because the world, as a whole, is entirely insignificant and valueless before Him.

We should not be fooled by what the Kuffar or Munafiqeen have of the luxuries of this world, for they have no share of anything good in the Hereafter. Another hadith informs us that the world compared to the Hereafter is like a drop compared to an ocean. So what we should be concerned about is that we get the blessings and comforts and luxuries of the ocean, for that is what really counts. “

Namrood’s destruction was at hand. Allah Ta’ala had given him enough time to reform. But he imagined he had himself to thank for the respite he had been granted. He had become more and more cruel and unjust. His despotism knew no bounds. He summoned Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) and said to him, “Tell your Allah that I neither fear Him nor need Him! Go tell Him that the whole world is in awe of me. All people are obedient to my command. If He is the God of heaven, I am God of the earth. Where are His armies? If the sky fell on my troops, they could hold it up with their lances. Tell Him I challenge Him to a battle. He has no say on earth. The whole earth belongs to me; it is my kingdom!”
The answer was revealed to Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam): “Let him come to such and such a place, where I shall do battle with him!” The venerable Ibrahim Khaleelullah (Alaihis Salaam) passed the news to Namrood.
On the day appointed, the brigades and regiments assembled on the battlefield, forming themselves in ranks. The Glorified and Exalted Rabb gave His army of mosquitoes their orders, and then sent these humble creatures into action against the proud and stubborn unbeliever who claimed to be deity. The skies turned black as Namrood’s horde stood ready for battle. When the order was given, the host of mosquitoes hurled themselves in their hundreds of millions against the army of the enemy of Allah. They filled the soldiers’ mouths, eyes and ears, biting with a vengeance. When the cavalry horses met the mosquitoes’ onslaught, they started to bolt in all directions, unseating their riders as they fled. In the space of half an hour, destruction had overtaken Namrood’s army, more than a hundred thousand strong.
Namrood himself left the battlefield, taking refuge in one of his castles. He thought he had saved his life by stopping up all doors and windows. In spite of the great miracle he had witnessed, he could not bring himself to repent and accept the Oneness of Allah Ta’ala. How could he do so, without overcoming his arrogance and pride? The scoundrel was wilfully obstinate in his disbelief.
One lame mosquito, with a damaged wing, had been unable to obey the Divine Command to attack this stubborn infidel. It now addresses itself to Allah Ta’ala, saying, “Oh Allah, what a sinful and luckless creature I must be, that You should deprive me of my share in this battle. If only my leg and my wing had been sound, I would have done my bit in fighting this enemy of Yours!” Almighty Allah, Lord of the worlds, then gave it the command, “Go now! You destroy that accursed one!”
The lame mosquito made its way, limping to the castle where Namrood was hiding. Getting in through a keyhole, it went and settled on Namrood’s knee. There it rested, recovering from its exhaustion. Namrood spotted the insect and tried to kill it, but the mosquito settled on his other knee. As it rested there, it seemed to say, “You once told the venerable Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) that you had the power of life and death. You sought to prove it by killing one man and letting another go free. Come, what is stopping you from killing me now?”
Namrood could not kill the insect, no matter how hard he tried. Allah Ta’ala was demonstrating his weakness to him, as if to say, “Unless I will it, you cannot kill! When you killed men by My will, you imagined that you had granted them death. Look, you are a nonentity. You used the kingdom I gave you as a pretext for disobeying Me. You are nothing! What has become of the arrogance of yours? Where are your armies? Where is your divinity? Look, you have been conquered by that humble creature of Mine, the mosquito. You have been disgraced!”
For all his efforts Namrood still could not kill the mosquito, which now went up inside his nose.
Once upon a time, Namrood had wanted to burn Hazrat Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam) in the fire, but in that he had also failed. The fire would not burn. Fire is only the secondary cause, the Real Cause being Almighty Allah.
The mosquito started eating the membrane of Namrood’s brain. The tyrant beat his head from rock to rock. Now he had really begun to feel the pain of his defeat. He had felt no sympathy for the hundred thousand soldiers he had left on the battlefield, nor for their bereaved parents. His only thought had been to save his filthy skin and rotten soul by running to hide in his castle; but hiding could not save him from the dreaded claws of death.
How many lives he had slaughtered, how many houses he had destroyed, how many brains he had dashed out. Now he was dashing his own head against the rocks and walls; now he was suffering himself the pain he had inflicted on others. Those people who oppress others should take heed of Namrood’s condition and remember that Allah Ta’ala will give you enough time and respite, but the day His Wrath befalls you then there is no escape.
Namrood appointed salaried officials to hit him on the head with mallets. The blows gave him a brief respite, since they interrupted the insect’s work. As soon as the mosquito began eating his brain once more, he would cry, “Help! Hit me!” He would get angry with those who did not hit him hard enough, while he increased the salaries of those who were hard hitters.
The so called ‘God of the earth’ was being beaten by his own servants. One day, one of these servants wielded the mallet too hard, and Namrood’s evil soul departed. They laid his filthy corpse in the pit of hell which was his grave.
We should learn from this incident that arrogance and pride will lead us to nothing but destruction in both the worlds. The more arrogant one is the more disgraced one would end up.
This can be seen from the fact that Namrood gave himself such a high status that he considered himself as God, yet he was disgracefully defeated by one of the weakest and most humble creatures of Allah Ta’ala. This is the Qudrat of Allah Ta’ala. And the more we remind ourselves of the Power of Allah Ta’ala and His Bounties, the further away arrogance and pride will be from us because we will realize that everything that we have achieved and attained is due to the Blessings that Allah Ta’ala has bestowed upon us, not because of our own doings. That is why Fakhrul Islam Qutbe Mauritius Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ibrahim Khushtar Siddiqui Qadri Razvi (Rahmatullah Alaih) used to always say, “I am Nothing, He is Everything.” The more Allah Ta’ala raised his status, the more he crumbled himself with a quality of nothingness before the All-Powerful and Exalted Rabb.
May Allah Ta’ala save us from pride and arrogance and may He in His Infinite Mercy grant us the Taufeeq to constantly remind ourselves that “I am Nothing, He is Everything,” Ameen.
[Compiled from Irshad: Wisdom of a Sufi Master by Shaikh Muzaffer Al Jerrahi ]

All you need to know: What is Ramadan and why do Muslims fast all day?

All your questions about Ramadan — the month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts for millions of Muslims — answered.

Fasting during Ramadan is seen as a way to physically and spiritually detoxify by kicking impulses like morning coffee, smoking and midday snacking. (Source: AP)

Millions of Muslims around the world mark the start of Ramadan — a month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts. Here’s a look at some questions and answers about Islam’s holiest month:

(Also read: Simple guidelines to stay healthy and active during Ramadan)

Why do Muslims fast?

The fast is intended to bring the faithful closer to God and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate. Muslims often donate to charities during the month and feed the hungry.

Fasting is an exercise in self-restraint. It’s seen as a way to physically and spiritually detoxify by kicking impulses like morning coffee, smoking and midday snacking.

Ramadan is a time to detach from worldly pleasures and focus on one’s prayers. Many Muslims dress more conservatively during Ramadan and spend more time at the mosque than at any other time of the year.

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, along with the Muslim declaration of faith, daily prayer, charity, and performing the hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.

(See pics: 10 simple Iftar recipes you can try at home)

How do Muslims fast?

Observant Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk for the entire month of Ramadan, with a single sip of water or a puff of a cigarette considered enough to invalidate the fast.

Muslim scholars say it’s not enough to just avoid food and drinks during the day, though. Spouses must abstain from sexual intercourse during the day, and Muslims should not engage in road rage, cursing, fighting or gossiping.

Muslims are also encouraged to observe the five daily prayers on time and to use their downtime just before breaking their fast at sunset to recite Quran and intensify remembrance of God.

To prepare for the fast, Muslims eat what is commonly called “suhoor,” a pre-dawn meal of power foods to get them through the day.

How do Muslims break their fast?

Muslims traditionally break their fast like the Prophet Muhammad did some 1,400 years ago, with a sip of water and some dates at sunset. That first sip of water is by far the most anticipated moment of the day.

After a sunset prayer, a large feast known as “iftar” is shared with family and friends. Iftar is a social event as much as it is a gastronomical adventure. Across the Arab world, juices made from apricots are a staple at Ramadan iftars. In South Asia and Turkey, yogurt-based drinks are popular.

Across the Muslim world, mosques and aid organizations set up tents and tables for the public to eat free iftar meals every night of Ramadan.

Can Muslims be exempted from fasting?

Yes. There are exceptions for children, the elderly, the sick, women who are pregnant or menstruating and people traveling, which could include athletes during tournaments.

Many Muslims, particularly those who live in the U.S. and Europe, are accepting and welcoming of others around them who are not observing Ramadan. They also are not expecting shorter work hours, as is the case in the public sector across much of the Arab world during Ramadan.

However, non-Muslims or adult Muslims who eat in public during the day can be fined or even jailed in some Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, home to large Western expat populations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, minority Chinese Uighur Muslims complain of heavy restrictions by the Communist Party, such as bans on fasting by party members, civil servants, teachers and students during Ramadan, as well as generally enforced bans on children attending mosques, women wearing veils and young men growing beards.

What are some Ramadan traditions?

Typically, the start of the month is welcomed with greetings such as “Ramadan mubarak!” Another hallmark of Ramadan is nightly prayer at the mosque among Sunni Muslims called “taraweeh.”

In Egypt, a common sight during Ramadan is a lantern called the “fanoos,” which is often the centerpiece at an iftar table and can be seen hanging in window shops and balconies.

In the Arabian Gulf countries, wealthy sheikhs hold “majlises” where they open their doors for people to pass by all hours of the night for food, tea, coffee and conversation.

Increasingly common are Ramadan tents in five-star hotels that offer lavish and pricey meals from sunset to sunrise. While Ramadan is a boon for retailers in the Middle East and South Asia, critics say the holy month is increasingly becoming commercialized.

Scholars are also disturbed by the proliferation of evening television shows during Ramadan. In Pakistan, live game shows give away gifts promoting their sponsors. In the Arab world, monthlong soap operas starring Egypt’s top actors rake in millions of dollars in advertising.

How do Muslims mark the end of Ramadan?

The end of Ramadan is marked by intense worship as Muslims seek to have their prayers answered during “Laylat al-Qadr” or “the Night of Destiny.” It is on this night, which falls during the last 10 nights of Ramadan, that Muslims believe that God sent the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad and revealed the first versus of the Quran.

Some devout Muslims go into reclusion those final days, spending all of their time in the mosque.

The end of Ramadan is celebrated by a three-day holiday called Eid al-Fitr. Children often receive new clothes, gifts and cash.

Muslims attend early morning Eid prayers the day after Ramadan. Families usually spend the day at parks and eating — now during the day.

The Real History of the Roman Catholic Church

SATAN'S MASTERPIECE - THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

FAMOUS EVANGELIST LEONARD RAVENHILL ON THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH!

"America would shake from coast to coast in twenty-four hours if some preacher, anointed with the Holy Ghost, gave the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH a broadside! These PRIESTS who dope mens souls,these idolatrous "masses," these CALVARY eclipsing prayers to Mary, these miserable millions CHEATED in life and in death by the GREATEST FORGERY LUCIFER EVER MADE." (Why Revival Tarries by LEONARD RAVENHILL, Bethany House Publishers, 1988, Copyright 1959)

THE LATE KEITH GREEN, a Christian musician, songwriter and author, wrote the following about the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH: "To merely call such a system "a CULT", would be to throw it into the vast category of religions and quasi-religions that are currently making the rounds of our college campuses and city streets, snatching up many an unsuspecting youth. No, the Roman Church is not a cult. IT'S AN EMPIRE!" With its own ruler, its own laws, and its own subjects! The empire has no borders, it encompasses the globe with its eye on every person who does not vow allegiance. It calls the members of other faiths "SEPARATED BRETHREN" (The term used by Vatican II to describe the members of Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant churches.) and has as its goal the eventual bringing together of EVERONE UNDER IT'S FLAG.

I've never completely understood why God led me to write these articles. But it becomes more clear with each day of study, and each page of research. Never has something so black and wicked, gotten away with appearing so holy and mysteriously beautiful . . . for so long!" [Keith Green - The Catholic Chronicles]


the Roman Catholic church is the whore of Revelation 17.
GET OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE !! 


to all my catholic brothers and sisters, I ask you in Jesus name to 
leave the evil Roman Catholic Church.
stop worshiping Mary ( Semiramis ), Nimrod, and the Pope.
just come to Jesus Christ !! he is the only way to God the father.

The Antichrist Vatican, has made a different Jesus !
who is the Babylonian sun god nimrod.
The Popes don't worship God (The Creator) !!
they worship Nimrod the Babylonian sun God.

Revelation 17:5 "And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."

The Roman Catholic church is the whore of Revelation 17.

COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE !!

Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

To all my catholic fellow believers, I ask you in Jesus name to
leave the evil Roman Catholic Church.
Stop worshiping Mary ( Semiramis ), Nimrod, and the Pope.
just come to Jesus Christ !! he is the only way to God the father.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.


Roman Satanic Church http://ezekiel38rapture.blogspot.nl/s...

Welcome To Ex-Catholics For Christ http://www.excatholicsforchrist.com/

Gospel of GRACE http://ezekiel38rapture.blogspot.nl/s...

Philippines Shocking History

                                                       

                          

From the lips of a dying President

 Salvador H. Laurel Vice President of the Philippines 1992

I can attest to that. Weak and already on his deathbed when I visited him in Hawaii on February 3, 1989, Marcos personally asked me to convey to Cory Aquino his offer to give up 90% of his earthly possessions to the Filipino people, through a Foundation which he had set up, but Cory only would allow him to die in his own country and be buried beside his mother.

I related this incident in a book “Neither Trumpets Nor Drums,” published in 1992 right after I ended my term as Vice President of the Philippines.

Pertinent portions that book I now quote for the benefit of those who have not read it.

“One of the most unforgettable trips I took as Vice President was my visit to Honolulu on February 3 and 4 1989.

“On February 2nd, at about 5 p.m., I received an urgent call from Mrs. Imelda Romualdez Marcos in Honolulu. She was sobbing on the phone. “ Doy, pwede ka bang maka-punta rito? Masama na ang tayo ni Ferdinand. Gusto kang kausapin. Baka hindi na siya magtagal Please, please come,’ she pleaded.

“I’ll have to cancel my appointments. Maybe I can go in few days?” I asked.

“She interrupted me, ‘Baka hindi mo na siya abutin. Please come as soon as possible!”

“I thought about it. The cases filed against the Marcoses had been pending for three years, yet nothing had happened. And the nation remained fragmented. Perhaps, if I tried the Lincolnian approach – ‘With malice toward none, with charity for all’ – we might be able to settle the issue and unite the nation.

“Then I remembered Imelda’s plea: ‘Gusto kang kausapin.’ Maybe there is a chance – maybe he is ready to settle?

“She first briefed me about President Marcos’ condition – that he was very weak. The doctors who were attending to him told me he had a less than 50 percent chance of surviving, that he might not even last three months.

“Then they took me to the Intensive Care Unit.

“I could not recognize Ferdinand Marcos when I saw him. The Marcos I knew was athletic, active, and articulate. The man I saw was skin and bones. About eighty-five pounds. Imelda announced cheerfully: ‘Andy, Andy, narito na ang Batangueño, narito na si Doy.’

“His eyes opened. He recognized me. He tried to talk. But only his lips moved. There was no sound.

“He signaled the nurse to remove the tube imbedded in his throat.

“The Nurse pulled out the long tube and asked me to bend closer so I could hear. Finally I heard his voice, very faint, almost a whisper. “Salamat, brod, nakarating ka. I have something to tell you.’

“I interrupted him: ‘Before you start, Mr. President, may I ask just one question?

“He nodded.

“Why did you call me, Mr. President? Why me of all people? I vehemently oppose you. I was probably one of those responsible for your ouster Why Me?’

“He signaled me to stop.

“Say no more, brod,’ he said. ‘I never held that against you. You did what you had to do as leader of the opposition for many years. You opposed me on principle, never on personality. You were against martial law but you were noble about it, unlike some people. Besides, I cannot forget your father. I owe him my life, not once but thrice. Let me talk now. I have very little time.’

*** “Please tell Mrs. Aquino to stop sending me her relatives. They are proposing and asking so many things. All I want is to die in my country…I will run over 90 percent of all my worldly possessions to our conversation to our people. I ask only 10 percent for my family.’

“Just let me die in my own country. I want to be buried beside my mother.’

“His breathing had become more labored. The nurse stopped our conversation. ‘He has to rest not,’ she said.

“Before leaving I told him: ‘Mr. President, I do now know if Mrs. Aquino will listen to me, but I will try.’

“I hurried back to Manila to transmit Marcos’ message to President Aquino. I asked for an appointment but Cory would not see me. Here I was, her own Vice-President, asking only for three minutes of her time to convey an important message from her predecessor, and she would not see me. I was told by her Executive Secretary (Catalino Macaraig) she was busy. I learned later that she had allocated an hour to Tom Cruise, an American movie star.

“In view of her repeated refusal to see me and hear what I had to say, I wrote her a letter dated February 5, 1989: “Since my arrival yesterday, I have been trying to get an appointment with you…

*** “I hope you will find time to listen to the highly confidential message of Mr. Marcos considering its serious import and far- reaching consequences upon your administration and the nation as a whole.”

The next day, Cory replied:
“As to the highly confidential message from former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, I feel that in the light of your representation of its ‘serious import and far-reaching consequences upon your (my) administration and the nation as a whole,’ such message should be disclosed to the public rather than kept confidential. This is in accordance with my announced policy of utmost transparency in the management of the affairs of the country.”

On the same day I wrote back: “ I am still hoping that you will change your mind and receive the message in a private, non-political, direct, and unfiltered manner, beyond any personal and partisan consideration.

“As to your published suggestion that I share with the public the highly confidential information, I am afraid I am not yet at liberty to do so considering that the message was entrusted to me in confidence to be delivered to you personally. Only you and former President Marcos can declassify or disclose this message.

“Let us give national reconciliation and national stability every chance to succeed for the sake of our fragmented people..” (Neither Trumpets Nor Drums, at pp 104-111, 1986 ed, Second printing)

I never received any further reply from Cory.

Cory’s refusal to receive Marcos’ message was perhaps her biggest mistake. Had she studied it carefully, she could have settled the Marcos wealth issue eight years ago. Perhaps we could have paid off our foreign debt!

-Salvador H. Laurel Vice President of the Philippines

More history
https://m2.facebook.com/PhilippinesShockingHistory

The Story of Prophet Abraham and his Son Ismael

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, claimed that the stone was sent down by Allah Almighty to Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael, peace be upon both of them, to give the precise location of where the Kaaba was to be built by them.  We believe that Prophets Abraham and Ishmael built the Kaaba.  Western Scientists have confirmed that the black stone, which resides near the Kaaba in the Holy City of Mecca, is an outside METEORITE OBJECT!


Prophet Muhammad forbade us from worshiping any stone!


The black stone and the Kaaba are not objects of worship in Islam!


Islam prohibits the worship of the black stone, Kaaba, and/or any other object beside Allah Almighty!



The detailed story of how the Kaaba was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael peace be upon them


Narrated Ibn Abbas:  "When the Prophet saw pictures in the Ka'ba, he did not enter it till he ordered them to be erased. When he saw the pictures of Abraham and Ishmael carrying the arrows of divination, he said, "May Allah curse them (i.e. the Quraish)! By Allah, neither Abraham nor Ishmael practiced divination by arrows."  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Prophets, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 571)"


Narrated Ibn Abbas:  "The first lady to use a girdle was the mother of Ishmael. She used a girdle so that she might hide her tracks from Sarah. Abraham brought her and her son Ishmael while she was suckling him, to a place near the Ka'ba under a tree on the spot of Zam-zam, at the highest place in the mosque. During those days there was nobody in Mecca, nor was there any water So he made them sit over there and placed near them a leather bag containing some dates, and a small water-skin containing some water, and set out homeward. Ishmael's mother followed him saying, "O Abraham! Where are you going, leaving us in this valley where there is no person whose company we may enjoy, nor is there anything (to enjoy)?" She repeated that to him many times, but he did not look back at her Then she asked him, "Has Allah ordered you to do so?" He said, "Yes." She said, "Then He will not neglect us," and returned while Abraham proceeded onwards, and on reaching the Thaniya where they could not see him, he faced the Ka'ba, and raising both hands, invoked Allah saying the following prayers:
 


'O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred House (Kaba at Mecca) in order, O our Lord, that they may offer prayer perfectly. So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits, so that they may give thanks.' (14.37) Ishmael's mother went on suckling Ishmael and drinking from the water (she had).



When the water in the water-skin had all been used up, she became thirsty and her child also became thirsty. She started looking at him (i.e. Ishmael) tossing in agony; She left him, for she could not endure looking at him, and found that the mountain of Safa was the nearest mountain to her on that land. She stood on it and started looking at the valley keenly so that she might see somebody, but she could not see anybody. Then she descended from Safa and when she reached the valley, she tucked up her robe and ran in the valley like a person in distress and trouble, till she crossed the valley and reached the Marwa mountain where she stood and started looking, expecting to see somebody, but she could not see anybody. She repeated that (running between Safa and Marwa) seven times."


The Prophet said, "This is the source of the tradition of the walking of people between them (i.e. Safa and Marwa). When she reached the Marwa (for the last time) she heard a voice and she asked herself to be quiet and listened attentively. She heard the voice again and said, 'O, (whoever you may be)! You have made me hear your voice; have you got something to help me?" And behold! She saw an angel at the place of Zam-zam, digging the earth with his heel (or his wing), till water flowed from that place. She started to make something like a basin around it, using her hand in this way, and started filling her water-skin with water with her hands, and the water was flowing out after she had scooped some of it."
 


The Prophet added, "May Allah bestow Mercy on Ishmael's mother! Had she let the Zam-zam (flow without trying to control it) (or had she not scooped from that water) (to fill her water-skin), Zam-zam would have been a stream flowing on the surface of the earth." The Prophet further added, "Then she drank (water) and suckled her child. The angel said to her, 'Don't be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy and his father, and Allah never neglects His people.' The House (i.e. Kaba) at that time was on a high place resembling a hillock, and when torrents came, they flowed to its right and left. She lived in that way till some people from the tribe of Jurhum or a family from Jurhum passed by her and her child, as they (i.e. the Jurhum people) were coming through the way of Kada'. They landed in the lower part of Mecca where they saw a bird that had the habit of flying around water and not leaving it. They said, 'This bird must be flying around water, though we know that there is no water in this valley.' They sent one or two messengers who discovered the source of water, and returned to inform them of the water. So, they all came (towards the water)." The Prophet added, "Ishmael's mother was sitting near the water. They asked her, 'Do you allow us to stay with you?" She replied, 'Yes, but you will have no right to possess the water.' They agreed to that." The Prophet further said, "Ishmael's mother was pleased with the whole situation as she used to love to enjoy the company of the people. So, they settled there, and later on they sent for their families who came and settled with them so that some families became permanent residents there. The child (i.e. Ishmael) grew up and learnt Arabic from them and (his virtues) caused them to love and admire him as he grew up, and when he reached the age of puberty they made him marry a woman from amongst them.


After Ishmael's mother had died, Abraham came after Ishmael's marriage in order to see his family that he had left before, but he did not find Ishmael there. When he asked Ishmael's wife about him, she replied, 'He has gone in search of our livelihood.' Then he asked her about their way of living and their condition, and she replied, 'We are living in misery; we are living in hardship and destitution,' complaining to him. He said, 'When your husband returns, convey my salutation to him and tell him to change the threshold of the gate (of his house).' When Ishmael came, he seemed to have felt something unusual, so he asked his wife, 'Has anyone visited you?' She replied, 'Yes, an old man of so-and-so description came and asked me about you and I informed him, and he asked about our state of living, and I told him that we were living in a hardship and poverty.' On that Ishmael said, 'Did he advise you anything?' She replied, 'Yes, he told me to convey his salutation to you and to tell you to change the threshold of your gate.' Ishmael said, 'It was my father, and he has ordered me to divorce you. Go back to your family.' So, Ishmael divorced her and married another woman from amongst them (i.e. Jurhum).


Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished and called on them again but did not find Ishmael. So he came to Ishmael's wife and asked her about Ishmael. She said, 'He has gone in search of our livelihood.' Abraham asked her, 'How are you getting on?' asking her about their sustenance and living. She replied, 'We are prosperous and well-off (i.e. we have everything in abundance).' Then she thanked Allah' Abraham said, 'What kind of food do you eat?' She said. 'Meat.' He said, 'What do you drink?' She said, 'Water." He said, "O Allah! Bless their meat and water." The Prophet added, "At that time they did not have grain, and if they had grain, he would have also invoked Allah to bless it." The Prophet added, "If somebody has only these two things as his sustenance, his health and disposition will be badly affected, unless he lives in Mecca." The Prophet added," Then Abraham said Ishmael's wife, "When your husband comes, give my regards to him and tell him that he should keep firm the threshold of his gate.' When Ishmael came back, he asked his wife, 'Did anyone call on you?' She replied, 'Yes, a good-looking old man came to me,' so she praised him and added. 'He asked about you, and I informed him, and he asked about our livelihood and I told him that we were in a good condition.' Ishmael asked her, 'Did he give you any piece of advice?' She said, 'Yes, he told me to give his regards to you and ordered that you should keep firm the threshold of your gate.' On that Ishmael said, 'It was my father, and you are the threshold (of the gate). He has ordered me to keep you with me.'
 

Then Abraham stayed away from them for a period as long as Allah wished, and called on them afterwards. He saw Ishmael under a tree near Zamzam, sharpening his arrows. When he saw Abraham, he rose up to welcome him (and they greeted each other as a father does with his son or a son does with his father). Abraham said, 'O Ishmael! Allah has given me an order.' Ishmael said, 'Do what your Lord has ordered you to do.' Abraham asked, 'Will you help me?' Ishmael said, 'I will help you.' Abraham said, Allah has ordered me to build a house here,' pointing to a hillock higher than the land surrounding it." The Prophet added, "Then they raised the foundations of the House (i.e. the Ka'ba). Ishmael brought the stones and Abraham was building, and when the walls became high, Ishmael brought this stone and put it for Abraham who stood over it and carried on building, while Ishmael was handing him the stones, and both of them were saying, 'O our Lord! Accept (this service) from us, Verily, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.' The Prophet added, "Then both of them went on building and going round the Ka'ba saying: O our Lord ! Accept (this service) from us, Verily, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." (2.127)   (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Prophets, Volume 4, Book 55, Number 583)"



Verses from the Noble Quran and the Bible that compliment the story



The Prophecy of the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca in the Noble Quran:


"Behold!  We gave the site, To Abraham, of the (Sacred) House [That is the Kaaba that he built], (Saying):  'Associate not anything (In worship) with Me; And sanctify My House For those who compass it round, Or stand up, Or bow, or prostrate themselves (Therein in prayer).  And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways;  (The Noble Quran, 22:26-27)"


As we clearly see in the Noble Verses, Allah Almighty promised Abraham peace be upon him that He will cause for people from all around the world to come and proclaim the pilgrimage to the House (Kaaba) that he built.


The story began, when Abraham took Hagar and Ishmael to the city of Paran (Mecca), based on Allah Almighty's commands.   There was literally no life there; not even water.  Allah Almighty then ordered Abraham to build the House of GOD (Kaaba) and leave Hagar and his son Ishmael there.  When later Hagar and Ishmael became very thirsty after they ran out of the water they brought with them in the journey, Hagar prayed to Allah Almighty to provide water for them.  Hagar then started to desperately run to search for water seven times (I believe) back and forth between the Safa and Marwa hills.  Allah Almighty then caused Ishmael to rub his feet against the sand and a pool of water, the water of Zamzam came out.


This Prophecy of Allah Almighty sending people from all over the world to Mecca is fulfilled every single year in Saudi Arabia through the Muslims' yearly pilgrimage, where one to three million Muslims come to perform the Hajj (pilgrimage).


"When the Pilgrimage was proclaimed, people came to it from every quarter, near and far, on foot and mounted.  The 'lean camel' coming after the fatiguing journey through distant mountain roads typifies the difficulties of travel."



To help the Jewish and Christian reader understand the Islamic way of Worship better, I'd like to first present the following from the Bible:


Genesis 28:16-18
16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it."

17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."

18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it.


Judges 20:18
18 The Israelites went up to Bethel (the House of GOD in Hebrew) and inquired of God. They said, "Who of us shall go first to fight against the Benjamites?" The LORD replied, "Judah shall go first."


1 Chronicles 6:47-49

47 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.

48 Their fellow Levites were assigned to all the other duties of the tabernacle, the house of God.

49 But Aaron and his descendants were the ones who presented offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense in connection with all that was done in the Most Holy Place, making atonement for Israel, in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.



"Behold!  We gave the site, To Abraham, of the (Sacred) House (i.e., the Kaaba), (Saying):  'Associate not anything (In worship) with Me; And sanctify My House For those who compass it round, Or stand up, Or bow, or prostrate themselves (Therein in prayer).  And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways;   (The Noble Quran, 22:26-27)"