Sayings of Jesus?

[Christian2]

What do you all think about these sayings of Jesus?

From the book:

http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php? ... 0674011151

"This work presents in English translation the largest collection ever assembled of the sayings and stories of Jesus in Arabic Islamic literature. In doing so, it traces a tradition of love and reverence for Jesus that has characterized Islamic thought for more than a thousand years. An invaluable resource for the history of religions, the collection documents how one culture, that of Islam, assimilated the towering religious figure of another, that of Christianity. As such, it is a work of great significance for the understanding of both, and of profound implications for modern-day intersectarian relations and ecumenical dialogue.

Tarif Khalidi’s introduction and commentaries place the sayings and stories in their historical context, showing how and why this “gospel” arose and the function it served within Muslim devotion. The Jesus that emerges here is a compelling figure of deep and life-giving spirituality. The sayings and stories, some 300 in number and arranged in chronological order, show us how the image of this Jesus evolved throughout a millennium of Islamic history."

The sayings ae:

- Iblis (Satan) came to Jesus then he said: 'Do you not claim that you can revive the dead?' Jesus said: 'Yes.' Iblis said: 'Then throw yourself down from the top of the wall.' Then Jesus said: 'Woe unto you! Verily the servant does not try his Lord.' And Iblis said: 'O Jesus! Can your Lord put the earth in an egg while the egg remains in its form?' Then he said: 'Verily impotence is not attributed to Allah, the Supreme, but what you said cannot be.'

- Jesus ('a) said: "O assembly of disciples! I have thrown the world prostrate before you, so do not lift it up after me, for one of the evils of this world is that Allah was disobeyed in it, and one of the evils of this world is that the next world is not attained except by abandoning this one. So pass through this world without making it your home, and know that the root of all wrong is the love of this world. Many a vain desire leaves a legacy of lasting sorrow."

- "Blessed is he who abandons the present desire for the absent promise."

- "Woe to the companion of the world! How he dies and leaves it and how he relies on it and it deceives him, and how he trusts it and it forsakes him! Woe unto those who are deceived! How that which is repugnant encompasses them and that which is beloved separates from them! And that which is promised will come to them. And woe to those whose endeavors are only for the world and error. How he will be disgraced before Allah tomorrow!"

- Jesus, Peace be upon him, is reported to have said: "How can one be of the people of knowledge if the next world is shown to him while he remains involved in this world, and what harms him is more desirable to him than what benefits him?''

- "Teach us a deed for which Allah will love us." He said: "Detest the world and Allah will love you."

- Jesus the son of Mary, may the blessings of Allah be upon him, said: 'You work for the sake of this world while it is not by work that you are provided for in it. And you do not work for the sake of the next world, while it is only by work that you will be provided for in it. Woe be unto you, evil learned ones ('ulama)! You take your wage and neglect works. Soon the worker's work will he accepted, and soon you will be driving forth from the narrowness of this world toward the darkness of the grave. How can one be knowledgeable who is on the way to the next world and yet his face is turned towards this world, and he likes the things that harm him more than the things that benefit him?'

- Jesus ('a) said: "The love of this world and the next cannot come together in the heart of a believer, like water and fire in a single vessel."

- Jesus ('a) said: "This world and the next one are rivals. When you please one of them you displease the other."

- "The Messiah, Peace be upon him, said to his Apostles: 'Verily, this world is merely a bridge, so cross over it, and do not make it your abode.' ''

- "Do not take the world as a master, for it will make you its slave. Keep your treasure with one who will not squander it. The owners of the treasures of this world fear for its ruin, but he who owns the treasure of Allah does not fear for its ruin.''

- And it was said to him Jesus "Who trained you?" He said: "No one trained me. I saw the ugliness of ignorance and I avoided it.

- "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) stood up among the Children of Israel and said: 'O Children of Israel! Do not speak with the ignorant of wisdom, for otherwise you do injustice with it, and do not keep it from its folk, for otherwise you do injustice to them, and do not help the unjust with his injustice, for otherwise your virtue becomes void. Affairs are three: the affair whose righteousness is clear to you, so follow it: the affair whose error is clear to you, so avoid it'. and the affair about which there are differences, so return it to Allah, the Almighty and Glorious."

- Jesus ('a) said to a worshipper, "What do you do?" He answered, "I worship." He ('a) said, "Then who provides for you?" He said, "My brother." He ('a) said, "Your brother is more of a worshipper than you are!

- "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) passed by a group of people who were crying. He asked why they were crying. It was said to him that they were crying for their sins. He said, they should pray about them and they will be forgiven."

- Jesus ('a) said: "O group of Apostles! How many lamps the wind has put out, and how many worshippers pride has corrupted.!"

- Jesus (a) said: "Never stare at that which is not for you. If you restrain your eyes you will never commit adultery; and if you are able to avoid looking at the garments of women who are not permitted for you, then do so."

- It is reported that he Jesus ('a) passed by a carcass with his disciples. Then the disciples said: "How putrid the smell of this dog is!" Then Jesus ('a) said: "How intense is the whiteness of his teeth!"

- "Jesus the son of Mary ('a) sent two of his companions on an errand. Then one of them returned thin and afflicted and the other fat and chubby. He said to the one who was thin: what did this to you, that I see you this way?' He said: 'The fear of Allah.' And he said to the other who was fat: 'What did this to you, that I see you this way?' He said: 'A good opinion of Allah.' "

- Jesus, Peace be upon him, used to say: 'Regarding the terror which you do not know when you will encounter (i.e. death), what prevents you from preparing for it before it comes upon you suddenly?'

- And he (Jesus ('a)) said: "How long will you be advised without taking any advice? Certainly you have become a burden to the advisors."

- "Verily, when Jesus the son of Mary ( 'a) passed along the shore of a sea, he threw a piece of his bread into the water, Then some of the disciples said: 'O Spirit of Allah and His Word! Why did you do this when that was your food.' He said: "I did this in order that some animal among the animals of the sea may eat it, and the reward of Allah for this is great.'

- Jesus the son of Mary ('a) stood up among the Children of Israel to preach. He said. 'O Children of Israel! Do not eat before you become hungry and when you become hungry eat but do not eat your fill, because when you eat your fill your necks become thick and your sides grow fat and you forget your Lord"

- "Jesus the son of Mary (a) said: ''Blessed is he whose silence is contemplation (fikr). whose glance is an admonition, whose house suffices him and who cries over his mistakes and from whose hand and tongue the people are safe.'

- And Jesus the son of Mary said: "There is no sickness of the heart more severe than callousness, and no soul is more severely affected than the one that goes without hunger, and these two are the halters of expulsion (from divine mercy) and abandonment."

- Verily, Jesus ('a) said: "Why do you come to me clothed in the garments of monks while your hearts are those of ferocious wolves? Wear the clothes of kings, but soften your hearts with fear."

- The disciples said to Jesus the son of Mary ('a): 'O teacher of the good! Teach us what is the most severe of things.' Then he said: the most severe of things is the wrath of Allah.' They said: 'Then what prevents the wrath of Allah?' He said: 'That you not be wrathful.' They said: 'What is the source of wrath?' He said: 'Pride, haughtiness and contempt for the people.'

- "The Messiah, Peace be upon him, used to say: 'He who has many worries, his body becomes sick; he who is ill-tempered, his self becomes his torment; he who often talks, often stumbles; he who often lies, loses his worth; he who quarrels with men, loses his manliness.'

- Jesus ('a) met Iblis who was driving five donkeys. Loads were upon them. Jesus ('a) asked him about the loads. Iblis said, "They are for trade, and I am looking for buyers." Jesus ('a) said, "What is the merchandise?" Iblis said, "One of them is injustice." He ('a) asked, "Who buys it?" He said, "Rulers. And the second is pride." He asked, "Who buys it?" He said, "Village chiefs. And the third is envy." He asked, "Who buys it?" He said, "The learned. And the fourth is treason." He asked, "Who buys it?" He said, "Those who work for merchants. And the fifth is trickery." He said, "Who buys it?" He said, "Women."

- Jesus, Peace be upon him, said: "My hands 'are my servant and my feet are my mount; the earth is my bed, a stone my pillow; my blanket in the winter is the east of the earth and my lamp in the night is the moon; my stew is hunger and my motto is fear; my garment is wool and my fruit and my basil what grows from the earth for wild beasts and cattle. I sleep while I have nothing and I rise while I have nothing, and yet there is no one on earth wealthier than I"

- And Jesus ('a) used to say: "O apostles, love God through hatred of the 'disobedient, and approach God by distancing (yourselves) from them, and seek pleasure by their displeasure."

- If you like, I will tell you about Jesus the son of Mary, Peace he upon him. He used a stone as his pillow, wore course clothing and ate rough food. His stew was hunger and his lamp in the night was the moon. His cover in the winter was the east of the earth and its west. His fruit and his basil is that which grows from the earth for the cattle. He had no wife to try him, and no son to grieve him. He had no wealth to distract him, nor greed to abase him. His mount was his feet and his servant was his hands."

- Jesus, Peace he upon him, served a meal to the Apostles, and when they had eaten it, he himself washed their hands. They said: "O Spirit of God! It would have been more proper for us to wash yours!" He said: "I did this only that you would do this for those whom you teach."

- Jesus, Peace he upon him, passed by a grave whose occupant was being chastised. Then he passed it the following year when he was not being chastised. He said: "O Lord! I passed through this town last year and he was being chastised, and I passed through it this year while he is not being chastised." Then God revealed to him: "O Spirit of God! Verily one of his children matured and removed obstacles from a road and sheltered an orphan. Then I forgave him for the deeds of his child."

- God said to Jesus: "O Jesus! Verily I have granted unto you the poor and made you merciful towards them. You love them and they love you. They are pleased with you as a leader and guide, and you are pleased with them as companions and followers. These are two of My qualities. Whoever meets Me with these (qualities) meets Me with the purest of deeds which are dearest to Me."

- God revealed to Jesus ('a): "Be to the people like the ground below in meekness, like the flowing water in generosity, and like the sun and the moon in mercy, which shine on the good and the sinner alike.

- Jesus (Peace be upon him!) said, "Beware of looking, for it sows desire in theheart, and it is sufficient for seduction."

- It is related that a pig passed by Jesus (Peace be upon him!), and he said,"Pass in peace." Then someone said, "O Spirit of God, do you say this to a pig?" He replied, "I dislike accustoming my tongue to evil."

- Jesus (pbuh) met IblÏs [Satan] and IblÏs said, “Is it not true that only what has been decreed will happen?”. Jesus replied, “That is true.” Then IblÏs said, “So throw yourself down from the top of this mountain, and let us see if you live or not!” Jesus answered, “The servant does not test his master; rather, it is the master who tests his servant.”

- Jesus (pbuh), the son of Mary said, “God has given me the power to give life to the dead, sight to the blind, sound to the deaf; but He did not give me the power to heal the fool of his foolishness.”

- it is related that Jesus (pbuh), the son of Mary, said, “It is of no use to know something if one does not act upon it. In truth, an abundance of knowledge only increases one in pride if one does not act accordingly.”

- Once someone asked Jesus (pbuh), “How are you able to walk on water?” Jesus replied, “With certainty.” Then someone said, “But we also have certainty!” Jesus then asked them, “Are stone, clay, and gold equal in your eyes?” They replied, “Certainly not!” Jesus responded, “They are in mine.”

- Jesus (pbuh) was known to have said, “Virtuous action does not consist in doing good to someone who has done good to you—that is merely returning a favor. Virtuous action consists in doing good to those who have wronged you.”

- Jesus (pbuh) son of Mary, said, “Do not speak much without remembering God, for by doing so, you harden your hearts. Surely a hard heart is distant from God though you are unaware. Do not, like lords, look at the faults of others. Rather, like servants, look at your own faults. In truth, humanity is comprised of only two types, the afflicted and the sound. So show mercy to the afflicted, and praise God for well-being.”

- Jesus (pbuh), the son of Mary, was known to have said, “Love of this world is the source of every wrong action, and there is much harm in wealth.” They asked, “What is its harm?”Jesus replied, “Its possessor is never safe from pride and arrogance.” They said, “What if he is free of those two? Is there still harm?”Jesus responded, “Yes, for by nurturing his wealth, he is diverted from the remembrance of God.”

- Some people once said to Jesus (pbuh), “O Spirit of God, inform us about the nature of wealth.”He answered, “The possessor of wealth always has one of three qualities: he either gains it by unlawful means, obstructs it from reaching the one who deserves it, or by accumulating it is distracted from worship of his Lord.”

- Jesus (pbuh), the son of Mary, said, “Love of this world and love of the next world can never reside in the heart of a believer simultaneously, just as fire and water cannot be contained in a single vessel at the same time.”

- Jesus (pbuh) once said, “Woe to the possessor of this world, since he must die and leave the world behind. He places his hope in it and is deceived. He trusts it and is forsaken.

- Jesus (pbuh) once said, “Woe to the deluded, for this world shows them what they detest. In the end, they must abandon what they love, and depart for that which they were promised. Woe to the one whose constant preoccupation is this world and whose grave mistakes are his very actions. What shame they will cause him soon enough!”

- Jesus (pbuh) once said, “You will never obtain what you desire except through patience with what you despise.”

- Once a woman said to Jesus (pbuh), son of Mary, as he was working, “Blessed be the womb that bore you, and blessed be the breast that suckled you.” Approaching her, Jesus said, “And blessed be someone who, having read the Book of God, acted in accordance with what was in it.”

- Jesus (pbuh) once said, “Work for God and not for your stomachs. Look at the birds: they rise up at dawn and enter into the evening having neither planted nor harvested, yet God provides for them. Now if you say to me, ‘Our stomachs are so much larger than those of birds,’ look then at the oxen, the wild beasts and the donkeys; they neither plow nor harvest the earth, yet God provides for them as well. Beware of the luxuries of this world, and fear them, for the luxuries of this world are filth in the sight of God.”

I see some similarities to some of Jesus' sayings in the New Testament, but there is a lot left out, such as Jesus saying He would die and rise from the dead.

Thanks.

[RickD]

Looks like it's a different Jesus.

[Philip]

"... it traces a tradition of love and reverence for Jesus that has characterized Islamic thought for more than a thousand years. An invaluable resource for the history of religions, the collection documents how one culture, that of Islam, assimilated the towering religious figure of another, that of Christianity."

Islam is a cult inspired by the demonic. It denies Jesus' Deity and His Resurrection - and asserts Muhammad's teachings more important than those of Jesus. So ANYTHING written by Islamic writers - who merely co-opted the Old Testament and parts of the New Testament, while changing key passages and denying the original writings meanings as a vehicle to give Islamic writings credibility - should be viewed with great skepticism and suspicion!

[Kurieuo]

Pfft, I didn't even read it. But, I just know "pfft" as I know the Muslim quarters your questions often arise from C2 -- unless this is what your "Anglincanist" church is now teaching. Am I wrong? (sorry, I mean no disrespect, except to stupid people )

[Christian2]

I do not think these sayings came from Arabic Christians, as it is claimed they do.

Too many pbuh's and son of Mary's.

So, my conclusion is that a Muslim wrote them.

[Kurieuo]

I haven't read them (sorry my eyes are getting more blurry atm which makes it more straining to read), so my opinion counts for nothing. But, I agree with your summation C2. (I'm sure given Rick's reaction such would be the case - he seems to be a good baloney detector)

[Christian2]

I haven't read them (sorry my eyes are getting more blurry atm which makes it more straining to read), so my opinion counts for nothing. But, I agree with your summation C2. (I'm sure given Rick's reaction such would be the case - he seems to be a good baloney detector)

My eyes are tired too. I read a mystery novel every week. To be honest, I am just plain tired and tired of trying to reach Muslims. Perhaps it is time for me to hang it up.

To everyone, Thanks for your input.