Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim In The Name Of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. As salaamu alaykum The Peace Of God, Be Upon You (all).


This is "An examination of Predestination and the world of Paradise" because I have thoroughly read and have faith in the Gospel of Barnabas, as spoken by Prophet Isa (Jesus, PBUH). Additionally, a thread by AlBaqir, has mentioned predestination and I find that there is much to learn concerning the topic. There is now a complaint of "post too long" so I must shorten it by removing chapters 176 to 181.

https://www.nairaland.com/3410537/black-descendants-adam-enter-hell-fire

The Gospel Of Barnabas ~ pdf


Philip answered: 'But how is that saying of the prophet Amos to be understood, that "there is not evil in the city that God
has not done?" Jesus answered: 'Now here see, Philip, how great is the danger of resting in the letter, as do the
Pharisees, who have invented for themselves the "predestination of God in the elect," in such wise that they come to say
in fact that God is unrighteous, a deceiver and a liar and a hater of judgment (which shall fall upon them). Chapter 161 G.O.B. (excerpt)


Let us come now to predestination, of which you desire to know,
and whereof I will speak to you near Jordan on the other side, tomorrow, if God will.' Chapter 162 G.O.B. (excerpt)


Jesus went into the wilderness beyond Jordan with his disciples, and when the midday prayer was done he sat down near
to a palm-tree, and under the shadow of the palm-tree his disciples sat down. Then Jesus said: 'So secret is
predestination, O brethren, that I say to you, truly, only to one man shall it be clearly known. He it is whom the nations
look for, to whom the secrets of God are so clear that, when he comes into the world, blessed shall they be that shall
listen to his words, because God shall overshadow them with his mercy even as this palm-tree overshadows us. Yes,
even as this tree protects us from the burning heat of the sun, even so the mercy of God will protect from Satan them that
believe in that man.'

The disciples answered, "O Master, who shall that man be of whom you speak, who shall come into the world?" Jesus
answered with joy of heart: 'He is Muhammad;, Messenger of God, and when he comes into the world, even as the rain
makes the earth to bear fruit when for a long time it has not rained, even so shall he be occasion of good works among
men, through the abundant mercy which he shall bring. For he is a white cloud full of the mercy of God, which mercy God
shall sprinkle upon the faithful like rain.' Chapter 163 G.O.B.


I will accordingly tell you now [what] little God has granted me to know concerning this same predestination. The
Pharisees say that everything has been so predestined that he who is elect cannot become reprobate, and he who is
reprobate cannot by any means become elect; and that, even as God has predestined well-doing as the road by which the
elect shall walk to salvation, even so has he predestined sin as the road by which the reprobate shall walk into damnation.
Cursed be the tongue that said this, with the hand that wrote it, for this is the faith of Satan. Wherefore one may know of
what manner are the Pharisees of the present day, for they are faithful servants of Satan.

What can predestination mean but an absolute will to give an end to a thing [of which] one has the means in hand? for
without the means one cannot destine an end. How, then, shall he who not only lacks stone and money to spend, but has
not even so much land as to place one foot upon, destine to build a house? Surely, none [could do so]. No more, then, I
tell you, is predestination, taking away the free will that God has given to man of his pure bounty, the Law of God. Surely it
is not predestination but abomination we shall be establishing.

That man is free the Book of Moses shows, where, when our God gave the Law upon Mount Sinai, he spoke thus: My
commandment is not in the heaven that you should excuse yourself, saying: Now, who shall go to bring us the
commandment of God? and who perhaps shall give us strength to observe it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that in like
manner you should excuse yourself. But my commandment is near to your heart, that when you will you may observe it..
Tell me, if King Herod should command an old man to become young and a sick man that he should become whole, and
when they did not [do] iti should cause them to be killed, would this be just? The disciples answered: "If Herod gave this
command, he would be most unjust and impious."
Then Jesus, sighing, said: "These are the fruits of human traditions, O brethren; for in saying that God has predestinated
the reprobate such that he cannot become elect they blaspheme God as impious and unjust. For he commands the sinner
not to sin, and when he sins to repent; while such predestination takes away from the sinner the power not to sin, and
entirely deprives him of repentance." Chapter 164 G.O.B.

But hear what says God by Joel the prophet: "As I live, [says] your God, I will not the death of a sinner, but I seek that he
should be converted to penitence." Will God then predestinate that which he [does] not will? Consider that which God
says, and that which the Pharisees of this present time say. Further, God says by the prophet Isaiah: "I have called, and
you would not hearken to me." And how much God has called, hear how he says by the same prophet: All the day have I
spread out my hands to a people that believe me not, but contradict me."
And our Pharisees, when they say that the reprobate cannot become elect, what [do] they say, then, but that God mocks
men even as he would mock a blind man who should show him something white, and as he would mock a deaf man who
should speak into his ears? And that the elect can be reprobated, consider what our God says by Ezekiel the prophet: "As
I live, says God, if the righteous shall forsake his righteousness and shall do abominations, he shall perish, and I will not
remember any more any of his righteousness; for trusting therein it shall forsake him before me and it shall not save him."
And of the calling of the reprobate, what says God by the prophet Hosea but this: I will call a people not elect, I will call
them elect." God is true, and cannot tell a lie: for God being truth speaks truth. But the Pharisees of this present time with
their doctrine contradict God altogether. Chapter 165 G.O.B.


Andrew replied: "But how is that to be understood which God said to Moses, that he will have mercy on whom he wills to
have mercy and will harden whom he wills to harden." Jesus answered: "God says this in order that man may not believe
that he is saved by his own virtue, but may perceive that life and the mercy of God have been granted him by God of his
bounty. And he says it in order that men may shun the opinion that there be other gods than he.
If, therefore, he hardened Pharaoh he did it because he had afflicted our people and essayed to bring it to nought by
destroying all the male children in Israel: whereby Moses was near to losing his life. Accordingly, I say to you truly, that
predestination has for its foundation the Law of God and human free will. Yes, and even if God could save the whole
world so that none should perish he would not will to do so lest thus he should deprive man of freedom, which he
preserves to him in order to do despite to Satan, in order that this [lump of ] clay, scorned of the spirit, even though it shall
sin as the spirit did, may have power to repent and go to dwell in that place whence the spirit was cast out. Our God wills,
I say, to pursue with his mercy man's free will, and wills not to forsake the creature with his omnipotence. And so on the
day of judgment none will be able to make any excuse for their sins, seeing that it will then be manifest to them how much
God has done for their conversion, and how often he has called them to repentance. Chapter 166 G.O.B.


Accordingly, if your mind will not rest content in this, and you be fain to say again: "Why so?" I will disclose to you a
wherefore." It is this. Tell me, wherefore cannot a [single] stone rest on the top of the water, yet the whole earth rests on
the top of the water? Tell me, why is it that, while water extinguishes fire, and earth flees from air, so that none can unite
earth, air, water, and fire in harmony, nevertheless they are united in man and are preserved harmoniously?
If, then, you know not this no, all men, as men, cannot know it how shall they understand that God created the universe
out of nothing with a single word? How shall they understand the eternity of God? Assuredly they shall by no means be
able to understand this, because, man being finite and composite with the body, which, as says the prophet Solomon,
being corruptible, presses down the soul, and the works of God being proportionate to God, how shall they be able to
comprehend them?
Isaiah, prophet of God, seeing [it to be] thus, exclaimed, saying: Truly you are a hidden God! And of the Messenger of
God, how God has created him, he says: His generation, who shall narrate? And of the working of God he says: Who has
been his counsellor? Wherefore God says to human nature: Even as the heaven is exalted above the earth, so are my
ways exalted above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. Therefore I say to you, the manner of
predestination is not manifest to men, albeit the fact is true, as I have told you. Ought man then, because he cannot find
out the mode, to deny the fact? Assuredly, I have never yet seen any one refuse health, though the manner of it be not
understood. For I know not even now how God by my touch heals the sick." Chapter 167 G.O.B.


Then said the disciples: "Truly God speaks in you, for never has man spoken as you speak." Jesus answered: "Believe
me when God chose me to send me to the House of Israel, he gave me a book like to a clear mirror; which came down
into my heart in such wise that all that I speak comes forth from that book. And when that book shall have finished coming
forth from my mouth, I shall be taken up from the world." Peter answered: "O master, is that which you now speak written
in that book?" Jesus replied: "All that I say for the knowledge of God and the service of God, for the knowledge of man
and for the salvation of mankind all this comes forth from that book, which is my gospel;." Said Peter: "Is there written
therein the glory of paradise?" Chapter 168 G.O.B


Jesus answered: ."Hearken, and I will tell you of what manner is paradise, and how the holy and the faithful shall abide
there without end, for this is one of the greatest blessings of paradise seeing that everything, however great, if it have an
end, becomes small, yes nought. 'Paradise is the home where God stores his delights, which are so great that the ground
which is trodden by the feet of the holy and blessed ones is so precious that one drachma of it is more precious than a
thousand worlds.

These delights were seen by our, father, David, prophet of God, for God showed them to him, seeing he caused him to
behold the glories of paradise: whereupon, when he returned to himself, he closed his eyes with both his hands, and
weeping said: "Look not any more upon this world, O my eyes, for all is vain, and there is no good!". Of these delights said
Isaiah ;the prophet: "The eyes of man have not seen, his ears have not heard, nor has the human heart conceived, that
which God has prepared for them that love him." Know you wherefore they have not seen, heard, conceived such
delights? It is because while they live here below they are not worthy to behold such things. Wherefore, albeit our
father David; truly saw them, I tell you that he saw them not with human eyes, for God took his soul to himself, and thus,
united with God, he saw them with light divine. As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, seeing that the delights
of paradise are infinite and man is finite, man cannot contain them; even as a little earthen jar cannot contain the sea.

Behold, then, how beautiful is the world in summer-time, when all things bear fruit! The very peasant, intoxicated with
gladness by reason of the harvest that is come, makes the valleys and mountains resound with his singing, for that he
loves his labours supremely. Now lift up even so your heart to paradise, where all things are fruitful with fruits
proportionate to him who has cultivated it. As God lives, this is sufficient for the knowledge of paradise, forasmuch as God
has created paradise for the home of his own delights. Now think you that immeasurable goodness would not have things
immeasurably good? Or that immeasurable beauty would not have things immeasurably beautiful? Beware, for you err
greatly if you think he have them not. Chapter 169 G.O.B.


God says thus to the man who shall faithfully serve him: "I know your works, that you work for me. As I live eternally, your
love shall not exceed my bounty. Because you serve me as God your creator, knowing yourself to be my work, and ask
nought of me save grace and mercy to serve me faithfully; because you set no end to my service, seeing you desire to
serve me eternally: even so will I do, for I will reward you as if you were God, my equal. For not only will I place in your
hands the abundance of paradise, but I will give you myself as a gift, so that, even as you are fain to be my servant for
ever, even so will I make your wages forever."' Chapter 170 G.O.B.


What think you," said Jesus to his disciples, "of paradise? Is there a mind that could comprehend such riches and
delights? Man must needs have a knowledge as great as God's if he would know what God wills to give to his servants.
Have you seen, when Herod; makes a present to one of his favourite barons, in what sort he presents it?" John answered:
"I have seen it twice; and assuredly the tenth part of that which he gives would be sufficient for a poor man." Jesus said:
"But if a poor man shall be presented to Herod what will he give to him" John answered: "One or two mites." Now let this
be your book wherein to study the knowledge of paradise," [said Jesus]: "because all that God has given to man in this
present world for his body is as though Herod should give a mite to a poor man;; but what God will give to the body and
soul in paradise is as though Herod should give all that he has, yes and his own life, to one of his servants." Chapter 171 G.O.B.


God says thus to him that loves him, and serves him faithfully: "Go and consider the sands of the sea, O my servant, how
many they are. Wherefore, if the sea should give you one single grain of sand, would it appear small to you? Assuredly,
yes. As I, your creator, live, all that I have given in this world to all the princes and kings of the earth is less than a grain of
sand that the sea would give you, in comparison of that which I will give you in my paradise." Chapter 172 G.O.B.


'Consider, then," said Jesus, "the abundance of paradise. For if God has given to man in this world an ounce of welling, in
paradise he will give him ten hundred thousand loads. Consider the quantity of fruits that are in this world, the quantity of
food, the quantity of flowers, and the quantity of things that minister to man. As God lives, in whose presence my soul
stands, as the sea has still sand over and above when one receives a grain thereof, even so will the quality and
quantity of figs [in paradise] excel the sort of figs we eat here. And in like manner every other thing in paradise. But
furthermore, I say to you that truly, as a mountain of gold and pearls is more precious than the shadow of an ant, even so
are the delights of paradise more precious than all the delights of the princes of the world which they have had and shall
have even to the judgment of God when the world shall have an end."

Peter answered: "Shall, then, our body which we now have go into paradise?" Jesus answered: "Beware, Peter; lest you
become a Sadducee; for the Sadducees say that the flesh shall not rise again, and that there be no angels. 'Wherefore
their body and soul are deprived of entrance into paradise, and they are deprived of all ministry of angels in this world.
Have you perhaps forgotten Job, prophet and friend of God, how he says: "I know that my God lives; and in the last day I
shall rise again in my flesh, and with my eyes I shall see God my Saviour"?

But believe me, this flesh of ours shall be so purified that it shall not possess a single property of those which now it has;
seeing that it shall be purged of every evil desire, and God shall reduce it to such a condition as was Adam's before he
sinned. Two men serve one master in one and the same work. The one alone sees the work, and gives orders to the
second, and the second performs all that the first commands. Seems it just to you, I say, that the master should reward
only him who sees and commands, and should cast out of his house him who wearied himself in the work? Surely not.

How then shall the justice of God bear this? The soul and the body with sense of man serve God: the soul only sees and
commands the service, because the soul, eating no bread, fasts not, [the soul] walks not, feels not cold and heat, falls not
sick, and is not slain, because the soul is immortal: it suffers not any of those corporal pains which the body suffers at the
instance of the elements. Is it, then, just, I say, that the soul alone should go into paradise, and not the body, which has
wearied itself so much in serving God?" Peter answered: "O master, the body, having caused the soul to sin, ought not to
be placed in paradise. Jesus answered: "Now how shall the body sin without the soul? Assuredly it is impossible.
Therefore, in taking away God's mercy from the body, you condemns the soul to hell." Chapter 173 G.O.B.


As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, our God promises his mercy to the sinner, saying: "In that hour that the
sinner shall lament his sin, by myself, I will not remember his iniquities for ever." Now what should eat the meats of
paradise, if the body go not thither? The soul? Surely not, seeing it is spirit." Peter ;answered: "So then, the blessed shall
eat in paradise;; but how shall the meat be voided without uncleanness?"
Jesus answered: "Now what blessedness shall the body have if it eat not nor drink? Assuredly it is fitting to give glory in
proportion to the thing glorified. But you err, Peter, in thinking that such meat should be voided in uncleanness, because
this body at the present time eats corruptible meats, and thus it is that putrefaction comes forth: but in paradise the body
shall be incorruptible, impassible, and immortal, and free from every misery; and the meats, which are without any defect,
shall not generate any putrefaction. Chapter 174 G.O.B.


God says this in Isaiah the prophet, pouring contempt on the reprobate: My servants shall sit at my table in my house and
shall feast joyfully, with gladness and with the sound of harps and organs, and I will not suffer them to have need of
anything. But you that are my enemies shall be cast away from me, where you shall die in misery, while every servant of
mine despises you. Chapter 175 G.O.B.



Wassalaam. DevotedOne

If you want to discuss islam use Islamic sources! Forget about gospel of Barnabas or what ever it is called!

Now first of All we have to know that Allaah is not limited to space and time, so what ever happens in the time and space he created for us, has meaning to us only, he created actions that we act but did not force us to act them, but whatever actions we take he knows where it will end infact before we took those actions, he knew we will take them! He gave us freewill but our freewill is subject to his will, this is what umar meant by "yes we escape Allaah's will by Allaah's will" when Ubaydah asked him if he is trying to escape Allaah's will by telling them to close all entry and exit to the city due to disease that caught a neighboring city.

A simple analogy is if you watching a movie for the second time together with someone watching it for the first time, the first timer knows nothing about what will happen next, but you as the second timer, you know every move that will be taken and you know where that move will lead to, can we say you forced them to take those move because you had knowledge that they will take those move? Obviously that analogy i gave does not fit with the Majesty of Allaah, but it bbrings the idea closer!

Another thing that might help is, study all the 99names of Allaah properly.

Lastly, we have been given little out of the knowledge of Qadr, so we believe in the one given to us and the one we dont have full comprehension of, thats why believe in Qadr is an article of faith, just as how we dont have full comprehension about the world of the unseen but we believe in it, Allaah said he is JUST! we believe that he will never be UNJUST to his creations.


And Allaah knows best.

Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim In The Name Of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. As salaamu alaykum The Peace Of God, Be Upon You (all).

If you want to discuss is islam use Islamic sources! Forget about gospel of Barnabas or what ever it is called!

Firstly, I see no thing wrong with studying the Gospel Of Barnabas. I don't doubt that it has been tampered with, but I prove its contents by the Holy Qur'an. Additionally, you did not explain what you find to be wrong with it. In the sense of the simple analogy you have given, studying Barnabas' gospel regarding predestination, would give you a first viewing, so to speak, of the topic at hand. Then you would peruse The Holy Qur'an for additional details, would you not? Do you see my point? From what I have gleaned from reading on the internet, some people are having problems understanding predestination. I think the Gospel of Barnabas, has given quite a bit of information that is reliable. Some sources can complicate a topic with extraneous wording. And, I am not necessarily picking on the following definitions: Predestination In Islam


"Qadar is the concept of divine destiny in Islam. It is one of the six articles of faith, along with Belief in the Oneness of Allah, the Revealed Books, the Prophets of Islam, the Day of Resurrection and Angels. This concept has also been mentioned in the Quran as Allah's "Decree"."





Wassalaam. DevotedOne

DevotedOne:
Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim In The Name Of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. As salaamu alaykum The Peace Of God, Be Upon You (all).

Was alaykumus salaam wa rahmatullaah wa barakaatuh.

Firstly, I see no thing wrong with studying the Gospel Of Barnabas. I don't doubt that it has been tampered with, but I prove its contents by the Holy Qur'an. Additionally, you did not explain what you find to be wrong with it. In the sense of the simple analogy you have given, studying Barnabas' gospel regarding predestination, would give you a first viewing, so to speak, of the topic at hand. Then you would peruse The Holy Qur'an for additional details, would you not? Do you see my point? From what I have gleaned from reading on the internet, some people are having problems understanding predestination. I think the Gospel of Barnabas, has given quite a bit of information that is reliable. Some sources can complicate a topic with extraneous wording. And, I am not necessarily picking on the following definitions: Predestination In Islam


"Qadar is the concept of divine destiny in Islam. It is one of the six articles of faith, along with Belief in the Oneness of Allah, the Revealed Books, the Prophets of Islam, the Day of Resurrection and Angels. This concept has also been mentioned in the Quran as Allah's "Decree"."





Wassalaam. DevotedOne

See the underlined? Are you saying Gospel of Barnabas explains Qadr better than the Qur'an? Such that Qur'an serves as "additional source" like you said? Don't you see anything wrong with this statement? The prophet was annoyed seeing Umar ibn khattab reading the Torah asking him if the Qur'an is not sufficient for him.

Wa alaykum salaam.

Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim In The Name Of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. As salaamu alaykum The Peace Of God, Be Upon You (all).

See the underlined? Are you saying Gospel of Barnabas explains Qadr better than the Qur'an? Such that Qur'an serves as "additional source" like you said? Don't you see anything wrong with this statement? The prophet was annoyed seeing Umar ibn khattab reading the Torah asking him if the Qur'an is not sufficient for him.

Wa alaykum salaam.

No. I used the analogy that you gave as an example. I've studied Barnabas' gospel for years. I know much of what is in it, because I've studied the Holy Qur'an, and find that they agree in many respects. I've compared the two books, and only accept what Al-Qur'an authorizes. The Gospel of Barnabas, explains much of Paradise. I found nothing wrong in its details, arguments. Nor does Al-Qur'an go against it, if I've remembered correctly.


Wassalaam. DevotedOne