Defending the Christian Faith in Conversation with Islam — Sehemu ya 2: Chimbuko la Uislamu na Maisha ya MuhammadDefending the Christian Faith in Conversation with Islam — Unit 2: The Origins of Islam and the Life of Muhammad

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Wapenzi, msiziamini roho zote, bali zijaribuni hizo roho kwamba zimetokana na Mungu; kwa maana manabii wa uongo wengi wametokea duniani." (1 Yohana 4:1, SUV)"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

Utakapomaliza sura hii, unapaswa kuweza:When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Kueleza Waislamu wanaamini nini kuhusu Muhammad kwa njia ambayo Mwislamu angeitambua kuwa ya haki.1. Describe what Muslims believe about Muhammad in a way a Muslim would recognize as fair.

2. Kusimulia matukio makuu ya maisha ya Muhammad kama vyanzo vya jadi vya Kiislamu vinavyoyaripoti.2. Tell the main events of Muhammad's life as the traditional Islamic sources report them.

3. Kutaja vyanzo vikuu vya maisha ya Muhammad (Kurani, Ibn Ishaq kupitia Ibn Hisham, al-Tabari na makusanyo ya hadithi) na kusema takriban kila kimoja kiliandikwa lini.3. Name the main sources for Muhammad's life (the Qur'an, Ibn Ishaq through Ibn Hisham, al-Tabari and the hadith collections) and say roughly when each was written.

4. Kueleza pengo la wakati kati ya maisha ya Muhammad na maandishi yanayosimulia habari zake, na kwa nini wanahistoria wanalijali pengo hilo.4. Explain the time gap between Muhammad's life and the written accounts of it, and why historians care about that gap.

5. Kufupisha maswali makuu ambayo wanahistoria huuliza kuhusu vyanzo hivi.5. Summarize the main questions historians raise about these sources.

6. Kuzungumza kuhusu Muhammad kwa uaminifu na kwa heshima, kwa moyo wa 1 Petro 3:15.6. Speak about Muhammad with honesty and with respect, in the spirit of 1 Peter 3:15.

Kwa Nini Tuanze na Muhammad?Why Begin with Muhammad?

Kila dini inasimama juu ya hadithi ya jinsi ilivyoanza. Kwa Wakristo, hadithi hiyo inamhusu Yesu wa Nazareti: maisha yake, kifo chake na ufufuo wake katika karne ya kwanza. Kwa Waislamu, hadithi hiyo inamhusu Muhammad, mtu wa mji wa Makka huko Arabia, aliyeishi kuanzia takriban mwaka 570 hadi 632 baada ya Kristo. Waislamu wanaamini kwamba Mungu (kwa Kiarabu, Allah) alisema kupitia yeye na kumpa Kurani, kitabu kitakatifu cha Uislamu.Every religion rests on a story about how it began. For Christians, that story centers on Jesus of Nazareth: His life, death and resurrection in the first century. For Muslims, the story centers on Muhammad, a man from the Arabian city of Mecca who lived from about 570 to 632 after Christ. Muslims believe God (in Arabic, Allah) spoke through him and gave him the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam.

Mchungaji anayetaka kujibu madai ya Kiislamu lazima aijue hadithi hii. Marafiki na majirani zako Waislamu mara nyingi watamzungumzia Muhammad kwa upendo mkubwa. Baadhi ya wahubiri Waislamu pia watasema kwamba historia ya Muhammad iko wazi kabisa na ni ya uhakika, ilhali historia ya Yesu imechanganyika na kupotoshwa. Ili kujibu kwa hekima, ni lazima tujue Waislamu wanaamini nini, vyanzo vinasema nini hasa, na vyanzo hivyo ni vya zamani kiasi gani.A pastor who wants to answer Islamic claims must know this story. Muslim friends and neighbours will often speak of Muhammad with deep love. Some Muslim preachers will also say that the history of Muhammad is perfectly clear and certain, while the history of Jesus is confused and corrupted. To respond wisely, we must know what Muslims believe, what the sources actually say, and how old those sources are.

Sura hii ina malengo mawili. Kwanza, tutasikiliza. Tutaeleza maisha ya Muhammad kama mapokeo ya Kiislamu yanavyoyaeleza. Pili, tutafikiri. Tutauliza kuhusu vyanzo hivi maswali yale yale ya kihistoria ambayo wenye mashaka huuliza kuhusu Biblia. Mtume Yohana anatuambia "zijaribuni hizo roho" (1 Yohana 4:1). Kujaribu si kutukana. Ni kuuliza tu kama dai ni la kweli.This unit has two goals. First, we will listen. We will describe Muhammad's life the way the Islamic tradition describes it. Second, we will think. We will ask the same kind of historical questions about these sources that sceptics ask about the Bible. The Apostle John tells us to "test the spirits" (1 John 4:1). Testing is not insulting. It is simply asking whether a claim is true.

Waislamu Wanaamini Nini Kuhusu MuhammadWhat Muslims Believe About Muhammad

Waislamu hawamwabudu Muhammad. Hili ni la maana. Uislamu unafundisha kwamba Muhammad alikuwa mwanadamu, si Mungu wala mwana wa Mungu. Waislamu huchukizwa wageni wanapowaita "Wamuhammadi," kwa sababu jina hilo linaonyesha kwamba wanamwabudu kama Wakristo wanavyomwabudu Kristo. Kurani inasema, "Muhammad si chochote ila ni mtume; mitume wengi wameshapita kabla yake" (Kurani 3:144).Muslims do not worship Muhammad. This is important. Islam teaches that Muhammad was a man, not God and not a son of God. Muslims are offended when outsiders call them "Muhammadans," because the name suggests that they worship him the way Christians worship Christ. The Qur'an says, "Muhammad is but a messenger, messengers (the like of whom) have passed away before him" (Qur'an 3:144, Pickthall).

Wakati huo huo, Waislamu wanampa Muhammad heshima ya juu kuliko mwanadamu mwingine yeyote. Haya ndiyo imani kuu ambazo Waislamu wengi wanazo kumhusu:At the same time, Muslims give Muhammad the highest honour of any human being. Here are the main beliefs most Muslims hold about him:

• Yeye ni nabii wa mwisho. Kurani inamwita "mtume wa Mwenyezi Mungu na Muhuri wa Manabii" (Kurani 33:40). Waislamu wengi wanaelewa kwamba "Muhuri" maana yake hakuna nabii atakayekuja baada yake.• He is the last prophet. The Qur'an calls him "the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets" (Qur'an 33:40, Pickthall). Most Muslims understand "Seal" to mean that no prophet will come after him.

• Alipokea Kurani, neno kwa neno, kutoka kwa Mungu kupitia malaika Gabrieli (kwa Kiarabu, Jibril) kwa muda wa miaka 23 hivi.• He received the Qur'an, word for word, from God through the angel Gabriel (in Arabic, Jibril) over about 23 years.

• Alileta ujumbe uleule wa msingi kama manabii wa awali kama Adamu, Nuhu, Ibrahimu, Musa na Yesu: mwabudu Mungu mmoja peke yake. Kwa hiyo Waislamu wanasema Uislamu si dini mpya bali ni imani ya asili ya manabii wote.• He brought the same basic message as earlier prophets such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus: worship the one God alone. Muslims therefore say Islam is not a new religion but the original faith of all the prophets.

• Maisha na mfano wake, vinavyoitwa Sunna ("njia" au "desturi" ya Mtume), vinawaonyesha Waislamu jinsi ya kuomba, kutawadha, kula, kuoa, kufanya biashara na kutawala. Tutaisoma Sunna katika Sura ya 3.• His life and example, called the Sunnah (the "way" or "custom" of the Prophet), show Muslims how to pray, wash, eat, marry, trade and govern. We will study the Sunnah in Unit 3.

• Waislamu wengi wanaamini kwamba Mungu alimlinda na dhambi nzito, na wanamwona kuwa kielelezo bora cha mwenendo wa kibinadamu.• Most Muslims believe he was protected by God from serious sin, and they see him as the best model of human conduct.

Waislamu wanapotamka au kuandika jina la Muhammad, kwa kawaida huongeza "amani iwe juu yake." Hili linaonyesha jinsi wanavyompenda na kumheshimu sana. Mkristo anayemzungumzia Muhammad kwa uzembe au kwa dharau atapoteza haraka imani ya msikilizaji Mwislamu. Ni lazima tuseme kweli, lakini kamwe tusiwe wakatili.When Muslims say or write Muhammad's name, they usually add "peace be upon him." This shows how deeply they love and honour him. A Christian who speaks of Muhammad carelessly or with mockery will quickly lose the trust of a Muslim listener. We must be truthful, but we must never be cruel.

Maisha ya Muhammad Katika Masimulizi ya JadiThe Life of Muhammad in the Traditional Account

Yafuatayo ni hadithi kama vyanzo vya Kiislamu vinavyoisimulia. Waislamu wengi wanaikubali kuwa sahihi. Baadaye katika sura hii tutauliza ni kiasi gani wanahistoria wanaweza kuthibitisha.What follows is the story as the Islamic sources tell it. Most Muslims accept it as accurate. Later in the unit we will ask how much of it historians can confirm.

Makka: Kuzaliwa, Ujana na NdoaMecca: Birth, Youth and Marriage

Muhammad alizaliwa Makka, magharibi mwa Arabia, takriban mwaka 570. Makka ulikuwa mji wa biashara na mahali pa hija. Katikati yake palikuwa na Kaaba, hekalu lenye umbo la mchemraba ambalo, kulingana na vyanzo, wakati huo lilikuwa na sanamu nyingi zilizoabudiwa na makabila ya Waarabu. Muhammad alikuwa wa kabila lenye nguvu la Quraysh, lililotawala Makka, na wa ukoo wa Hashim ndani yake.Muhammad was born in Mecca, in western Arabia, around the year 570. Mecca was a trading town and a place of pilgrimage. At its center stood the Kaaba, a cube-shaped shrine that, according to the sources, then held many idols worshipped by the Arab tribes. Muhammad belonged to the powerful tribe of Quraysh, which controlled Mecca, and to the clan of Hashim within it.

Maisha yake ya awali yalikuwa na upotevu. Baba yake, Abdullah, alikufa kabla hajazaliwa. Mama yake, Amina, alikufa alipokuwa na umri wa miaka sita hivi. Alilelewa kwanza na babu yake, Abd al-Muttalib, kisha na mjomba wake, Abu Talib. Akiwa kijana alifanya kazi ya biashara ya misafara na akapata sifa ya uaminifu.His early life was marked by loss. His father, Abdullah, died before he was born. His mother, Amina, died when he was about six. He was raised first by his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, and then by his uncle, Abu Talib. As a young man he worked in the caravan trade and earned a reputation for honesty.

Alipokuwa na umri wa miaka 25 hivi alimwoa Khadija, mjane tajiri ambaye alikuwa amemwajiri katika biashara yake. Vyanzo vinasema alikuwa mkubwa kuliko yeye kwa umri. Ndoa yao ilidumu miaka 25 hivi, hadi kifo chake, na wakati alipokuwa hai hakuoa mke mwingine.At about age 25 he married Khadija, a wealthy widow who had employed him in her business. The sources say she was older than he was. Their marriage lasted about 25 years, until her death, and while she lived he took no other wife.

Ufunuo wa KwanzaThe First Revelation

Muhammad mara nyingi alikwenda peke yake kwenye pango katika Mlima Hira, karibu na Makka, kuomba na kutafakari. Karibu mwaka 610, alipokuwa na umri wa miaka 40 hivi, Waislamu wanaamini kwamba malaika Gabrieli alimtokea hapo na kumwamuru asome. Maneno ya kwanza yaliyofunuliwa, kulingana na mapokeo, ni mwanzo wa Sura ya 96: "Soma kwa jina la Mola wako Aliyeumba" (Kurani 96:1). Sura ni sehemu ya Kurani, na aya ni mstari. Kwa hiyo "Kurani 96:1" maana yake ni sura ya 96, aya ya 1.Muhammad often went alone to a cave on Mount Hira, near Mecca, to pray and reflect. Around the year 610, when he was about 40, Muslims believe the angel Gabriel appeared to him there and commanded him to recite. The first words revealed, according to the tradition, are the opening of Sura 96: "Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth" (Qur'an 96:1, Pickthall). A sura is a chapter of the Qur'an, and an ayah is a verse. So "Qur'an 96:1" means chapter 96, verse 1.

Vyanzo vinaripoti kwamba tukio hili la kwanza lilimtisha Muhammad. Mkusanyo wa hadithi wa al-Bukhari unasema alirudi nyumbani akitetemeka na akamwomba Khadija amfunike. Aliogopa kwamba kuna jambo baya kwake. Khadija alimfariji na kumpeleka kwa binamu yake Waraqa ibn Nawfal, Mkristo, aliyemwambia kwamba amepokea aina ileile ya ujumbe uliomjia Musa. Waislamu wanaona hili kuwa uthibitisho wa wito wake. Wakristo wanaweza kutambua kwamba jibu la kwanza la Muhammad mwenyewe lilikuwa hofu na kutokuwa na uhakika kuhusu chanzo cha tukio hilo. Hatutajenga mengi juu ya hili, lakini ni sehemu ya kumbukumbu ambayo vyanzo vya Kiislamu vyenyewe vimeihifadhi.The sources report that this first experience frightened Muhammad. The hadith collection of al-Bukhari says he returned home trembling and asked Khadija to cover him. He was afraid that something was wrong with him. Khadija comforted him and took him to her cousin Waraqa ibn Nawfal, a Christian, who told him that he had received the same kind of message that came to Moses. Muslims see this as confirmation of his call. Christians may note that Muhammad's own first response was fear and uncertainty about the source of the experience. We will not build too much on this, but it is part of the record the Muslim sources themselves preserve.

Kuhubiri na Upinzani MakkaPreaching and Opposition in Mecca

Kwa miaka kumi na miwili hivi Muhammad alihubiri Makka. Ujumbe wake ulikuwa rahisi na wenye nguvu: yupo Mungu mmoja tu; sanamu ni za uongo; siku ya hukumu inakuja; Mungu anaamuru kuwajali maskini na yatima. Kikundi kidogo kilimwamini, akiwemo Khadija, binamu yake kijana Ali, rafiki yake Abu Bakr na mtumwa aliyeachiwa huru aitwaye Zayd.For about twelve years Muhammad preached in Mecca. His message was simple and strong: there is only one God; idols are false; a day of judgment is coming; God commands care for the poor and the orphan. A small group believed him, including Khadija, his young cousin Ali, his friend Abu Bakr and a freed slave named Zayd.

Viongozi wengi wa Quraysh walimkataa. Ujumbe wake ulitishia miungu yao na pia biashara ya mahujaji iliyoleta pesa mjini. Baadhi ya waumini walio dhaifu waliteswa, na kikundi chao kilikimbia kuvuka Bahari ya Shamu hadi ufalme wa Kikristo wa Abyssinia (Ethiopia), ambako mfalme Mkristo aliwapa ulinzi. Wachungaji wa Afrika wanaweza kuona ni jambo lenye maana kwamba mojawapo ya maeneo ya kwanza ya makimbilio ya Waislamu wa awali lilikuwa ufalme wa Kikristo barani Afrika.Most of the leaders of Quraysh rejected him. His message threatened their gods and also the pilgrim trade that brought money to the city. Some of the weaker believers were persecuted, and a group of them fled across the Red Sea to the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), where the Christian king gave them protection. African pastors may find it meaningful that one of the first places of refuge for early Muslims was a Christian kingdom in Africa.

Karibu mwaka 619 Muhammad alipatwa na hasara kubwa mbili. Khadija na mjomba wake Abu Talib wote wawili walikufa. Abu Talib alikuwa amemlinda akiwa mkuu wa ukoo. Bila ulinzi huo, hali ya Muhammad Makka ikawa hatari.Around 619 Muhammad suffered two great losses. Both Khadija and his uncle Abu Talib died. Abu Talib had protected him as head of the clan. Without that protection, Muhammad's position in Mecca became dangerous.

Hijra na MadinaThe Hijra and Medina

Mwaka 622 Muhammad na wafuasi wake walihamia mji wa Yathrib, kilomita 350 hivi kaskazini mwa Makka. Mji huo ukaja kuitwa Madina, "mji" wa Mtume. Uhamaji huu unaitwa Hijra (kuhama). Ni muhimu sana hata kalenda ya Kiislamu huanza nao.In 622 Muhammad and his followers moved to the town of Yathrib, about 350 kilometres north of Mecca. The town came to be called Medina, "the city" of the Prophet. This move is called the Hijra (migration). It is so important that the Islamic calendar begins with it.

Katika Madina, nafasi ya Muhammad ilibadilika. Makka alikuwa mhubiri mwenye wafuasi wachache na bila madaraka. Madina akawa kiongozi wa jumuiya, hakimu, mtunga sheria na kamanda wa kijeshi. Vyanzo vinaeleza mfululizo wa vita na watu wa Makka, ukiwemo Badr (624), Uhud (625) na Vita vya Handaki (627). Pia vinaeleza mgogoro na makabila ya Kiyahudi ya Madina. Makabila mawili yalifukuzwa, na baada ya Vita vya Handaki vyanzo vinaripoti kwamba wanaume wa kabila la Banu Qurayza waliuawa. Masimulizi haya yanatoka kwa wanahistoria Waislamu, si kwa maadui wa Uislamu.In Medina, Muhammad's role changed. In Mecca he had been a preacher with few followers and no power. In Medina he became the leader of a community, a judge, a lawgiver and a military commander. The sources describe a series of battles with the Meccans, including Badr (624), Uhud (625) and the Battle of the Trench (627). They also describe conflict with the Jewish tribes of Medina. Two tribes were expelled, and after the Battle of the Trench the sources report that the men of the tribe of Banu Qurayza were executed. These accounts come from Muslim historians, not from enemies of Islam.

Kurudi Makka na KifoReturn to Mecca and Death

Mwaka 628 Muhammad alifanya mkataba na Quraysh mahali paitwapo Hudaybiyya. Mwaka 630 aliingia Makka na jeshi kubwa, na mji ukajisalimisha bila mapigano mengi. Sanamu zilizokuwa katika Kaaba ziliharibiwa, na Kaaba ikawa kitovu cha ibada ya Kiislamu. Wakati wa kifo chake, makabila mengi ya Arabia yalikuwa yamejisalimisha kwa utawala wake.In 628 Muhammad made a treaty with Quraysh at a place called Hudaybiyya. In 630 he entered Mecca with a large force, and the city surrendered with little fighting. The idols in the Kaaba were destroyed, and the Kaaba became the center of Islamic worship. By the time of his death, many of the tribes of Arabia had submitted to his rule.

Muhammad alikufa Madina mwaka 632, akiwa na umri wa miaka 62 hivi. Wafuasi wake kisha wakachagua viongozi walioitwa makhalifa (warithi): Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman na Ali. Ndani ya miaka mia moja majeshi ya Waislamu Waarabu yalikuwa yameteka nchi kuanzia Hispania hadi Asia ya Kati, zikiwemo Misri na Afrika Kaskazini, ambazo zilikuwa maeneo ya Kikristo kwa karne nyingi.Muhammad died in Medina in 632, at about 62 years of age. His followers then chose leaders called caliphs (successors): Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. Within a hundred years Arab Muslim armies had conquered lands from Spain to Central Asia, including Egypt and North Africa, which had been Christian regions for centuries.

Waanzilishi Wawili, Aina Mbili za UtumeTwo Founders, Two Kinds of Mission

Tofauti kati ya Yesu na Muhammad lazima ianze na maisha yao wenyewe, si na yale waliyofanya wafuasi wa baadaye. Yesu alihubiri ufalme wa Mungu, alifundisha waziwazi, aliwaita watu watubu, aliwaponya wagonjwa, aliteswa mikononi mwa adui zake na akaruhusu asulubiwe. Alikuwa na wanafunzi, si jeshi la kuthibitisha mamlaka yake. Mmoja wa wanafunzi wake alipofuta upanga wakati wa kukamatwa kwake, Yesu alimwambia auweke mahali pake (Mathayo 26:52; Yohana 18:10-11), na mbele ya Pilato alisema kwamba ufalme wake si wa ulimwengu huu (Yohana 18:36). Hayo si mambo madogo. Yanaonyesha tabia ya utume wake. Mitume walieneza ujumbe kwa kuhubiri na kustahimili upinzani, si kwa kuamuru watu walioshindwa vitani wamkubali Kristo.The contrast between Jesus and Muhammad must begin with their own lives, not with what later followers did. Jesus preached the kingdom of God, taught openly, called people to repent, healed the sick, suffered at the hands of His enemies and allowed Himself to be crucified. He had disciples, not an army to establish His authority. When one of His disciples drew a sword at His arrest, Jesus told him to put it away (Matthew 26:52; John 18:10-11), and before Pilate He said that His kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). These are not small details. They show the character of His mission. The apostles spread the message by preaching and by enduring opposition, not by commanding conquered peoples to accept Christ.

Katika masimulizi ya jadi ya Kiislamu, Muhammad alikuwa zaidi ya mhubiri. Baada ya Hijra aliongoza jumuiya huko Madina, alifanya mikataba, alihukumu mabishano na kuongoza kampeni za kijeshi. Badr, Uhud, Handaki, Hudaybiyya na kurudi Makka yote ni sehemu ya historia hiyo. Waislamu kwa kawaida wanaelewa matendo yake katika mazingira ya Arabia ya karne ya saba. Wanataja mateso, vita, mikataba iliyovunjwa na haja ya kulinda jumuiya, na wanaheshimu mwenendo wake kama kielelezo cha maisha ya uaminifu. Wakristo wanapaswa kwanza kuelewa maelezo haya kabla ya kuhukumu kama waanzilishi wawili wanatoa mfano uleule.In the traditional Muslim accounts, Muhammad was more than a preacher. After the Hijra he governed a community in Medina, made treaties, judged disputes and led military campaigns. Badr, Uhud, the Trench, Hudaybiyya and the return to Mecca are all part of that history. Muslims usually understand his actions in their seventh-century Arabian setting. They point to persecution, war, broken treaties and the need to protect the community, and they honour his conduct as a model for faithful life. Christians should understand these explanations first, before judging whether the two founders give the same example.

Ulinganisho huu unahusu imani na historia. Si mwaliko wa kuwadharau Waislamu. Wakristo wanaamini kwamba Mungu amesema kikamilifu zaidi katika Yesu Kristo (Waebrania 1:1-3). Kwa hiyo kanisa linapima uaminifu wake lenyewe kwa mafundisho ya Kristo, si kwa kila jambo linalofanywa kwa jina la kanisa. Vivyo hivyo, tunapaswa kuhukumu madai kuhusu Muhammad kwa vyanzo vilivyosomwa kwa uangalifu, si kwa kudhani kwamba kila Mwislamu wa baadaye anamwakilisha yeye.This comparison is about faith and history. It is not an invitation to despise Muslims. Christians believe that God has spoken most fully in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3). So the church measures its own faithfulness by Christ's teaching, not by everything done in the church's name. In the same way, we should judge claims about Muhammad from sources read carefully, not by assuming that every later Muslim represents him.

Vyanzo: Tunajua Nini na TunajuajeThe Sources: What We Know and How We Know It

Sasa tunauliza swali la mwanahistoria: tunajuaje haya yote? Jibu linawashangaza watu wengi, wakiwemo Waislamu wengi. Karibu maelezo yote ya maisha ya Muhammad yanatoka katika maandishi yaliyotolewa muda mrefu baada ya kifo chake.Now we ask the historian's question: how do we know all this? The answer surprises many people, including many Muslims. Almost all the details of Muhammad's life come from writings produced long after his death.

KuraniThe Qur'an

Waislamu wanaamini kwamba Kurani ni neno la Mungu lenyewe, lililofunuliwa kwa Muhammad na kukaririwa na kuandikwa na masahaba wake. Mapokeo yanasema ilikusanywa katika andiko moja rasmi chini ya khalifa wa tatu, Uthman, karibu mwaka 650. Tutaisoma namna hii katika Sura ya 3.Muslims believe the Qur'an is the very word of God, revealed to Muhammad and memorized and written by his companions. The tradition says it was gathered into one official text under the third caliph, Uthman, around 650. We will study this process in Unit 3.

Kwa lengo letu hapa, jambo kuu ni kwamba Kurani inatuambia mambo machache sana kuhusu maisha ya Muhammad. Si wasifu. Inalitaja jina la Muhammad mara nne tu (Kurani 3:144, 33:40, 47:2 na 48:29). Mara nyingi inazungumzia matukio bila kuyaeleza, kama "vita" au "mji," bila kutoa majina, tarehe au mahali. Ili kuelewa aya inazungumzia nini, Waislamu kwa kawaida hutegemea maandishi ya baadaye yanayoeleza usuli. Hivyo hata Kurani, kwa habari za Muhammad, inatupeleka tena kwenye vyanzo vya baadaye.For our purpose here, the key point is that the Qur'an tells us very little about Muhammad's life. It is not a biography. It names Muhammad only four times (Qur'an 3:144, 33:40, 47:2 and 48:29). It often speaks of events without explaining them, such as "a battle" or "a city," without giving names, dates or places. To understand what a verse is talking about, Muslims usually depend on later writings that explain the background. So even the Qur'an, for the story of Muhammad, leads us back to the later sources.

Ibn Ishaq na Ibn HishamIbn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham

Wasifu muhimu zaidi wa mapema wa Muhammad ni Sira (maisha ya Mtume) iliyoandikwa na Muhammad ibn Ishaq, aliyekufa karibu mwaka 767. Hiyo ni zaidi ya karne moja baada ya kifo cha Muhammad. Muhimu zaidi, kitabu asili cha Ibn Ishaq hakijadumu kama kitabu kamili. Tunakijua hasa kupitia toleo lililohaririwa na msomi wa baadaye, Ibn Hisham, aliyekufa karibu mwaka 833, yapata miaka mia mbili baada ya Muhammad.The most important early biography of Muhammad is the Sira (life of the Prophet) written by Muhammad ibn Ishaq, who died around 767. That is more than a century after Muhammad's death. Even more important, Ibn Ishaq's original work has not survived as a complete book. We know it mainly through an edited version made by a later scholar, Ibn Hisham, who died around 833, about two hundred years after Muhammad.

Ibn Hisham mwenyewe anatuambia kwamba aliacha sehemu za maandishi ya Ibn Ishaq, zikiwemo baadhi ya mambo aliyoyaona kuwa yasiyofaa au yanayoweza kuwakwaza watu. Sehemu nyingine za Ibn Ishaq zimebaki tu kama nukuu katika waandishi wengine, hasa al-Tabari. Kwa hiyo wasifu kamili wa kale zaidi wa Muhammad tulio nao ni toleo lililohaririwa la kitabu kilichopotea, kilichoandikwa na watu ambao hawakumwona.Ibn Hisham himself tells us that he left out parts of Ibn Ishaq's material, including some things he thought were improper or might offend people. Other parts of Ibn Ishaq survive only as quotations in other writers, especially al-Tabari. So the oldest full biography of Muhammad that we have is an edited version of a lost book, written by men who never saw him.

Al-TabariAl-Tabari

Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, aliyekufa mwaka 923, alikuwa msomi mkuu Mwislamu huko Baghdad. Aliandika Historia ya Manabii na Wafalme kubwa na tafsiri kubwa ya Kurani. Alikusanya ripoti nyingi kuhusu Muhammad, mara nyingi akitoa matoleo kadhaa tofauti ya tukio lilelile, kila moja likiwa na mnyororo wake wa wapokeaji.Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, who died in 923, was a great Muslim scholar in Baghdad. He wrote a huge History of the Prophets and Kings and a large commentary on the Qur'an. He collected many reports about Muhammad, often giving several different versions of the same event, each with its own chain of reporters.

Al-Tabari alikuwa mwaminifu kuhusu njia yake. Alisema alipitisha ripoti kama alivyozipokea, na kwamba msomaji akikuta jambo la kukwaza, kosa liko kwa wale walioripoti, si kwake. Kwa maneno mengine, hata mkusanyaji huyu mkuu hakudai kwamba kila ripoti aliyoiandika ni ya kweli. Na aliandika karibu miaka mia tatu baada ya Muhammad.Al-Tabari was honest about his method. He said that he passed on reports as he received them, and that if a reader found something objectionable, the fault lay with those who reported it, not with him. In other words, even this great collector did not claim that every report he recorded was true. And he wrote nearly three hundred years after Muhammad.

Makusanyo ya HadithiThe Hadith Collections

Hadithi (wingi wake ahadith, ingawa Kiingereza kwa kawaida husema "hadith" kwa zote mbili) ni ripoti ya jambo Muhammad alilosema au kufanya, au alilolikubali kwa kunyamaza. Kila hadithi ina sehemu mbili: isnad, mnyororo wa watu walioipitisha ("A aliniambia kwamba B alimwambia kwamba C alimsikia Mtume akisema..."), na matn, yaani maudhui yenyewe.A hadith (plural ahadith, though English usually says "hadith" for both) is a report of something Muhammad said or did, or approved by his silence. Each hadith has two parts: the isnad, the chain of people who passed it on ("A told me that B told him that C heard the Prophet say..."), and the matn, the actual content.

Maelfu ya ripoti kama hizo zilisambaa katika ulimwengu wa awali wa Kiislamu. Wasomi Waislamu wenyewe walijua kwamba nyingi zilitungwa. Watu walitunga hadithi ili kuunga mkono kundi lao, shule yao ya sheria au maoni yao binafsi. Ili kukabiliana na tatizo hili, wasomi Waislamu walikuza sayansi makini ya kuhukumu hadithi, hasa kwa kuchunguza minyororo ya wapokeaji. Walizipa hadithi daraja kama sahih (sahihi), hasan (nzuri) au da'if (dhaifu), miongoni mwa nyingine.Thousands of such reports circulated in the early Islamic world. Muslim scholars themselves knew that many were invented. People made up hadith to support their party, their school of law or their personal views. To deal with this problem, Muslim scholars developed a careful science of judging hadith, mainly by examining the chains of reporters. They graded hadith as sahih (sound), hasan (good) or da'if (weak), among other categories.

Makusanyo mawili yanayoheshimiwa zaidi kati ya Waislamu wa Kisunni ni ya al-Bukhari (aliyekufa 870) na Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (aliyekufa 875). Mapokeo yanasema al-Bukhari alichunguza idadi kubwa sana ya ripoti na akakubali sehemu ndogo tu kuwa sahihi. Waislamu wanamheshimu kwa uangalifu huu. Lakini kazi yake pia inaonyesha ni ripoti ngapi zilikuwa zikisambaa ambazo hata wasomi Waislamu walizikataa. Makusanyo haya yalikamilika zaidi ya miaka mia mbili baada ya kifo cha Muhammad.The two most respected collections among Sunni Muslims are those of al-Bukhari (died 870) and Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (died 875). The tradition says al-Bukhari examined a very large number of reports and accepted only a small fraction of them as sound. Muslims honour him for this care. But his work also shows how many reports were in circulation that even Muslim scholars rejected. These collections were completed more than two hundred years after Muhammad's death.

Vyanzo Ni vya Kuchelewa Kiasi Gani?How Late Are the Sources?

Hii ni njia rahisi ya kuliona pengo la wakati. Muhammad alikufa mwaka 632.Here is a simple way to see the time gap. Muhammad died in 632.

• Andiko rasmi la Kurani, kulingana na mapokeo ya Kiislamu: miaka 20 hivi baadaye (karibu 650). Lakini lina wasifu mdogo sana.• The official text of the Qur'an, according to Islamic tradition: about 20 years later (around 650). But it contains very little biography.

• Wasifu wa Ibn Ishaq: uliandikwa zaidi ya karne moja baadaye (alikufa karibu 767), na sasa unajulikana hasa kupitia Ibn Hisham.• Ibn Ishaq's biography: written over a century later (he died around 767), and now known mainly through Ibn Hisham.

• Toleo la Ibn Hisham: karibu miaka 200 baadaye (alikufa karibu 833).• Ibn Hisham's edition: about 200 years later (he died around 833).

• Makusanyo ya hadithi ya al-Bukhari na Muslim: zaidi ya miaka 200 baadaye (870 na 875).• The hadith collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim: more than 200 years later (870 and 875).

• Historia ya al-Tabari: karibu miaka 300 baadaye (alikufa 923).• Al-Tabari's history: nearly 300 years later (he died in 923).

Maandishi machache yasiyo ya Kiislamu ya miaka ya 630 na 640 yanawataja washindi Waarabu na kusema juu ya nabii miongoni mwao. Haya ni ya thamani, lakini ni mafupi na yanatoa maelezo machache sana. Kwa habari za maisha ya Muhammad, tunategemea karibu kabisa vyanzo vya baadaye vya Kiislamu.A few non-Muslim writings from the 630s and 640s do mention Arab conquerors and speak of a prophet among them. These are valuable, but they are short and give very few details. For the story of Muhammad's life, we depend almost entirely on the later Muslim sources.

Maswali Wanayouliza WanahistoriaQuestions Historians Raise

Wasomi wa Uislamu wa awali hawakubaliani kuhusu ni kiasi gani cha hadithi ya jadi kinachoweza kuaminiwa. Baadhi ya wasomi wa Magharibi wana mashaka makubwa na wanaamini kwamba sehemu kubwa iliundwa na mahitaji ya baadaye. Wengine wanaamini kwamba muhtasari wa msingi (Makka, Hijra, Madina, kutekwa kwa Makka) kwa ujumla unategemeka, hata kama maelezo mengi hayana uhakika. Wasomi Waislamu kwa ujumla wanaamini ripoti sahihi. Sisi kama wachungaji Wakristo hatuhitaji kumaliza kila mjadala wa kitaaluma. Lakini tunapaswa kuelewa maswali makuu.Scholars of early Islam disagree about how much of the traditional story can be trusted. Some Western scholars are deeply sceptical and believe much of it was shaped by later needs. Others believe the basic outline (Mecca, the Hijra, Medina, the conquest of Mecca) is broadly reliable, even if many details are uncertain. Muslim scholars generally trust the sound reports. As Christian pastors, we do not need to settle every scholarly debate. But we should understand the main questions.

• Pengo la wakati. Maelezo ya kina yaliandikwa kati ya karne moja na tatu baada ya matukio. Katika muda huo, kumbukumbu zingeweza kupotea, kubadilika au kuongezwa.• The time gap. The detailed accounts were written down between one and three centuries after the events. During that time, memories could be lost, changed or added to.

• Ripoti zilizotungwa. Wasomi Waislamu wanakiri kwamba hadithi nyingi zilitungwa. Mnyororo wa wapokeaji unaweza kukaguliwa, lakini mnyororo nao unaweza kutungwa. Sayansi makini husaidia, lakini haiwezi kuondoa kila shaka.• Invented reports. Muslim scholars admit that many hadith were fabricated. The chain of reporters can be checked, but a chain can also be invented. A careful science helps, but it cannot remove every doubt.

• Hadithi zinazoeleza aya. Kwa sababu aya nyingi za Kurani hazieleweki bila usuli, wasimulizi na wafasiri wa baadaye walitoa usuli huo. Wanahistoria wanauliza kama baadhi ya hadithi ziliundwa ili kueleza aya badala ya kukumbukwa kutoka matukio halisi.• Stories that explain verses. Because many Qur'an verses are unclear without background, later storytellers and commentators supplied the background. Historians ask whether some stories were created to explain a verse rather than remembered from real events.

• Maslahi ya kisiasa na ya kidini. Vyanzo viliandikwa chini ya watawala wa Kiabbasi, wakati wa mgogoro kati ya makundi kama yale ya awali ya Wasunni na Washia. Kila kundi lilikuwa na sababu za kusimulia hadithi kwa njia inayowaunga mkono viongozi wake.• Political and religious interests. The sources were written under the Abbasid rulers, in a time of conflict between groups such as the early Sunni and Shia parties. Each group had reasons to tell the story in a way that supported its leaders.

• Matoleo yanayopingana. Al-Tabari na wengine mara nyingi wanaandika matoleo kadhaa ya tukio lilelile ambayo hayakubaliani.• Conflicting versions. Al-Tabari and others often record several versions of the same event that do not agree with one another.

Tuone jambo la maana. Maswali haya hayakubuniwa na maadui wa Uislamu. Mengi yanatoka kwa wasomi Waislamu wenyewe, waliofanya kazi kwa bidii kutenganisha ripoti za kweli na za uongo. Tunaweza kuheshimu juhudi zao huku tukitambua ugumu.We should notice something important. These questions are not invented by enemies of Islam. Many of them come from the Muslim scholars themselves, who worked hard to separate true reports from false ones. We can respect their effort while recognizing the difficulty.

Maswali Magumu Kuhusu Muhammad: Vyanzo, Si UvumiHard Questions About Muhammad: Sources, Not Rumours

Wakristo wengi wamesikia madai magumu kuhusu maisha ya Muhammad katika mahubiri, video au jumbe za simu. Mchungaji mwaminifu hapaswi kurudia uvumi, wala hapaswi kujifanya kwamba ripoti ngumu hazipo. Kanuni ni rahisi: unganisha kila dai na chanzo kilichotajwa kwa jina, na useme hasa kile chanzo hicho kinaripoti. Ripoti nyingi kati ya zile ngumu zaidi zinatoka katika Sahih al-Bukhari, mkusanyo ambao Waislamu wengi wa Kisunni wanauamini kuliko kitabu kingine chochote isipokuwa Kurani. Kwa hiyo swali si adui za Uislamu wanasema nini, bali ni vitabu vinavyoaminiwa na Uislamu wenyewe vinarekodi nini.Many Christians have heard hard claims about Muhammad's life in sermons, videos or phone messages. A faithful pastor must not repeat rumours, and he must not pretend that hard reports do not exist. The rule is simple: tie every claim to a named source, and say exactly what that source reports. Many of the hardest reports come from Sahih al-Bukhari, the collection most Sunni Muslims trust more than any other book except the Qur'an. So the question is not what enemies of Islam say, but what Islam's own trusted books record.

Mfano mmoja ni umri wa Aisha wakati wa ndoa yake. Sahih al-Bukhari 5134 (Kitabu cha Ndoa) ina ripoti, iliyopitishwa kutoka kwa Aisha, kwamba Mtume alimwoa alipokuwa na miaka sita na kwamba ndoa ilikamilishwa alipokuwa na miaka tisa. Waislamu wanajibu kwa njia tofauti. Wengi wanaikubali ripoti hiyo na kusema ni lazima ihukumiwe kwa desturi za Arabia ya karne ya saba. Baadhi ya waandishi Waislamu wa kisasa wanasema kutokana na ripoti nyingine kwamba alikuwa mkubwa zaidi. Mchungaji makini anaeleza ripoti hiyo kwa usahihi, anataja majibu haya, na haongezi chochote juu yake.One example is the age of Aisha at her marriage. Sahih al-Bukhari 5134 (Book of Marriage) contains a report, passed on from Aisha, that the Prophet married her when she was six and that the marriage was consummated when she was nine. Muslims respond in different ways. Many accept the report and say it must be judged by the customs of seventh-century Arabia. Some modern Muslim writers argue from other reports that she was older. A careful pastor states the report accurately, notes these responses, and adds nothing to it.

Mfano wa pili ni kabila la Kiyahudi la Banu Qurayza huko Madina, lililotajwa hapo juu. Hapa ni lazima tutenganishe maneno ya Kurani yenyewe na ripoti za baadaye. Kurani inasema juu ya "wale wa Watu wa Maandiko" waliomsaidia adui na kusema, "Baadhi yao mliwaua, na baadhi mliwateka" (Kurani 33:26). Haulitaji kabila hilo kwa jina; wafasiri Waislamu wanawatambua watu hawa kuwa Banu Qurayza. Maelezo yanatoka katika hadithi na wasifu. Sahih al-Bukhari 4121 (Kitabu cha Safari za Kijeshi) inaripoti kwamba Sa'd ibn Mu'adh alihukumu kwamba wanaume wao wapiganaji wauawe na familia zao zichukuliwe mateka, na kwamba Muhammad alisema Sa'd amehukumu kwa hukumu ya Mungu. Wasifu wa baadaye hutoa idadi tofauti za waliouawa, kwa hiyo hatupaswi kutaja idadi kama ya uhakika. Waislamu kwa kawaida wanaeleza tukio hilo kama adhabu ya uhaini wakati wa vita.A second example is the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza in Medina, mentioned above. Here we must keep the Qur'an's own words apart from the later reports. The Qur'an speaks of "those of the People of the Scripture" who supported the enemy and says, "Some ye slew, and ye made captive some" (Qur'an 33:26, Pickthall). It does not name the tribe; Muslim commentators identify these people as Banu Qurayza. The details come from the hadith and the biographies. Sahih al-Bukhari 4121 (Book of Military Expeditions) reports that Sa'd ibn Mu'adh judged that their fighting men should be killed and their families taken captive, and that Muhammad said Sa'd had judged with God's judgment. The later biographies give different numbers of men killed, so we should not state a number as certain. Muslims usually explain the event as the punishment of treason in time of war.

Kwa nini kusoma mambo haya kabisa? Kwa sababu Kurani inamwita Muhammad "kielelezo chema" kwa waumini (Kurani 33:21), na Waislamu wanamheshimu kama kielelezo bora cha maisha ya mwanadamu. Ni haki kulinganisha kielelezo hicho na kielelezo cha Yesu, aliyemwambia Petro auweke upanga wake (Mathayo 26:52), aliyewafundisha wafuasi wake kuwapenda adui zao (Mathayo 5:44), na aliyetoa uhai wake mwenyewe badala ya kuchukua uhai wa wengine. Ni lazima pia tuwe waaminifu kwamba Wakristo wamefanya mambo ya kutisha kwa jina la Kristo. Matendo hayo yanahukumiwa kwa mafundisho ya Yesu, hayasamehewi. Kipimo kilekile cha haki kinatumika kwa pande zote mbili.Why study these things at all? Because the Qur'an calls Muhammad "a good example" for believers (Qur'an 33:21, Pickthall), and Muslims honour him as the best model of human life. It is fair to compare that example with the example of Jesus, who told Peter to put away his sword (Matthew 26:52), taught His followers to love their enemies (Matthew 5:44), and gave His own life rather than take the lives of others. We must also be honest that Christians have done terrible things in Christ's name. Those acts are judged by Jesus' teaching, not excused. The same fair standard applies to both.

Neno kuhusu usalama wako na ushuhuda wako. Haya ni mada za kujifunza kwa mchungaji na za majibu ya utulivu na sahihi kwa maswali ya dhati. Usitumie ripoti hizi kuchokoza, kudhihaki au kuwaaibisha Waislamu, hasa hadharani au mtandaoni. Zingatia sheria za mahali na usalama binafsi, na ujadili mambo nyeti tu pale yanapotimiza kusudi halisi la kichungaji au la elimu. Katika maeneo mengi, maneno yanayosikika kama kumtukana Mtume yamesababisha ghasia, kukamatwa au kupoteza kazi, na yanafunga mioyo ambayo ingeweza kusikiliza. Rafiki akikuuliza kwa uaminifu, jibu kwa ufupi na kwa kweli, kisha mwelekeze kwa Yesu: "Chochote tutakachohitimisha kuhusu ripoti hizi, nataka uone Yule ninayemfuata."A word about your safety and your witness. These are subjects for the pastor's study and for quiet, accurate answers to sincere questions. Do not use these reports to provoke, mock or shame Muslims, especially in public or online. Consider local law and personal safety, and discuss sensitive material only where it serves a genuine pastoral or educational purpose. In many places, words heard as insulting the Prophet have led to violence, arrest or loss of work, and they close hearts that might have listened. If a friend asks you honestly, answer briefly and truthfully, and then turn to Jesus: "Whatever we conclude about these reports, I want you to see the One I follow."

Kabla ya kurudia au kujibu dai lolote gumu kuhusu Muhammad, jiulize maswali manne:Before you repeat or answer any hard claim about Muhammad, ask four questions:

• Je, dai hilo linatoka katika Kurani, katika hadithi iliyotajwa kwa jina, au katika wasifu wa baadaye?• Does the claim come from the Qur'an, a named hadith, or a later biography?

• Wasomi Waislamu wanaihukumuje ripoti hiyo?• How do Muslim scholars judge that report?

• Je, linamhusu Muhammad mwenyewe, au mtawala wa baadaye?• Is it about Muhammad himself, or about a later ruler?

• Je, tunazungumzia mtu mmoja, sheria ya Kiislamu, au yale ambayo mamilioni ya Waislamu wanaamini leo?• Are we speaking of one person, of Islamic law, or of what millions of Muslims believe today?

Kwa usomaji zaidi, kitabu cha Qureshi No God but One: Allah or Jesus? (2016) kinalinganisha Muhammad na Yesu kama waanzilishi.For further reading, Qureshi's No God but One: Allah or Jesus? (2016) compares Muhammad and Jesus as founders.

Ushindi Si Sawa na KuongokaConquest Is Not the Same Thing as Conversion

Kuenea kwa utawala wa Kiislamu baada ya kifo cha Muhammad si sawa na kazi ya kijeshi ya Muhammad mwenyewe. Makhalifa wa awali walitawala nchi zilizotekwa mbali zaidi ya Arabia, lakini nchi iliyoletwa chini ya serikali ya Kiislamu haikuwa nchi ya waumini Waislamu mara moja. Katika maeneo mengi jumuiya kubwa za Wakristo na za dini nyingine zilibaki kwa vizazi vingi. Sheria ya Kiislamu ilitengeneza kanuni za ulinzi, kodi na haki chache kwa wasio Waislamu, zikiwemo jizya, kodi inayolipwa na wasio Waislamu chini ya utawala wa Kiislamu (Kurani 9:29). Mipango hii ilitofautiana kutoka mahali hadi mahali na mara nyingi haikuwa sawa kwa wote. Kurani 2:256 inasema, "Hakuna kulazimisha katika dini." Aya hii na 9:29 zote mbili lazima zizingatiwe, pamoja na jinsi wasomi Waislamu walivyozieleza.The spread of Muslim rule after Muhammad's death is not the same thing as Muhammad's own military career. The early caliphs ruled over conquests far beyond Arabia, but a land brought under Muslim government did not become a land of Muslim believers overnight. In many regions large Christian and other communities remained for generations. Islamic law developed rules of protection, taxation and limited rights for non-Muslims, including the jizya, a tax paid by non-Muslims under Muslim rule (Qur'an 9:29). These arrangements varied from place to place and were often unequal. Qur'an 2:256 says, "There is no compulsion in religion" (Pickthall). Both this verse and 9:29 must be considered, together with how Muslim scholars have explained them.

Somo makini linatenganisha maswali manne. Muhammad alifanya nini katika uhai wake? Makhalifa wa baadaye walifanya nini? Walimu wa baadaye wa sheria ya Kiislamu walichukua kanuni gani kutoka kwa vyanzo? Waislamu fulani wanaamini na kutenda nini leo? Majibu si sawa. Wakristo nao wamekuwa na mataifa, majeshi, sheria zilizolazimisha imani, na mateso ya aibu. Makosa hayo lazima yahukumiwe kwa mafundisho ya Yesu, si kusamehewa eti kwa sababu waliyoyafanya walikuwa wamebatizwa. Ulinganisho una nguvu zaidi unapokuwa mwaminifu kuhusu mapokeo yote mawili.A careful lesson separates four questions. What did Muhammad do in his lifetime? What did later caliphs do? What rules did later teachers of Islamic law draw from the sources? What do particular Muslims believe and practise today? The answers are not the same. Christians have also had states, armies, laws that forced belief, and shameful persecutions. Those wrongs must be judged by the teaching of Jesus, not excused because the people who did them were baptized. The comparison is stronger when it is honest about both traditions.

Kulinganisha Vyanzo vya YesuComparing the Sources for Jesus

Wahubiri Waislamu wakati mwingine husema kwamba Biblia haiaminiki kwa sababu iliandikwa muda mrefu baada ya Yesu. Ni haki, na ni msaada, kulinganisha mapengo ya wakati. Tutaisoma kwa kina uaminifu wa Agano Jipya katika Sura ya 9, kwa hiyo hapa tunatoa muhtasari tu.Muslim preachers sometimes say that the Bible is unreliable because it was written long after Jesus. It is fair, and helpful, to compare the time gaps. We will study the New Testament's reliability in detail in Unit 9, so here we give only an outline.

Yesu alisulubiwa karibu mwaka 30 au 33 BK. Barua za Mtume Paulo ziliandikwa ndani ya miaka 20 hadi 30 hivi tangu wakati huo. Katika 1 Wakorintho 15:3-8, Paulo anapitisha muhtasari wa injili ambao yeye mwenyewe aliupokea, ambao wasomi wengi, wakiwemo wenye mashaka, wanauweka ndani ya miaka michache baada ya kusulubiwa. Injili nne ziliandikwa wakati wa uhai wa watu waliomwona Yesu, takriban miaka 30 hadi 65 baada ya kifo chake. Luka anatuambia kwamba alichunguza kwa uangalifu yale yaliyopokelewa kutoka kwa "hao waliokuwa mashahidi wa macho tangu mwanzo, na watumishi wa lile neno" (Luka 1:2, SUV).Jesus was crucified around AD 30 or 33. The Apostle Paul's letters were written within about 20 to 30 years of that time. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul passes on a summary of the gospel that he himself had received, which most scholars, including sceptical ones, date to within a few years of the crucifixion. The four Gospels were written within the lifetime of people who had seen Jesus, roughly 30 to 65 years after His death. Luke tells us he carefully investigated what was handed down by "those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word" (Luke 1:2, NKJV).

Kwa hiyo vyanzo vya kwanza vya Kikristo viko karibu zaidi na Yesu kuliko wasifu wa kwanza wa kina ulivyo karibu na Muhammad. Hili halithibitishi peke yake kwamba Ukristo ni wa kweli. Lakini linamaanisha kwamba Mwislamu hawezi kwa haki kuzikataa Injili kwa sababu "zimechelewa sana" huku akiamini vyanzo vya Muhammad vilivyo vya baadaye zaidi. Tunaomba kipimo kimoja cha haki tu, kitumike kwa pande zote mbili.So the earliest Christian sources stand much closer to Jesus than the earliest detailed biographies stand to Muhammad. This does not by itself prove that Christianity is true. But it does mean a Muslim cannot fairly reject the Gospels because they are "too late" while trusting sources about Muhammad that are much later. We ask only for one fair standard, applied to both.

Nabeel Qureshi, ambaye hadithi yake tuliiona katika Sura ya 1, alieleza jinsi alivyosoma ushahidi wa Yesu na pia akachunguza vyanzo vya Muhammad na Kurani. Qureshi alisema kwamba vyanzo vyote viwili vikijaribiwa kwa uaminifu kwa njia zilezile za kihistoria, hoja ya kifo, ufufuo na uungu wa Yesu inasimama imara. Vitabu vyake vinapendekezwa kwa usomaji zaidi.Nabeel Qureshi, whose story we met in Unit 1, described how he studied the evidence for Jesus and also examined the sources on Muhammad and the Qur'an. Qureshi argued that when both sets of sources are tested honestly by the same historical methods, the case for the death, resurrection and deity of Jesus stands firm. His books are recommended for further reading.

Jinsi Mchungaji Anavyopaswa Kutumia Maarifa HayaHow a Pastor Should Use This Knowledge

Maarifa yanaweza kutumika kujenga madaraja au kuyachoma. Lengo la sura hii si kukupa silaha za kumtukana Muhammad. Petro anatuambia tutoe jibu la tumaini letu "kwa upole na hofu" (1 Petro 3:15, SUV). Hii hapa baadhi ya miongozo.Knowledge can be used to build bridges or to burn them. The goal of this unit is not to give you weapons for insulting Muhammad. Peter tells us to give a defence of our hope "with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15, NKJV). Here are some guidelines.

Kwanza, sema kwa usahihi. Usirudie uvumi au hadithi usizoweza kuzithibitisha. Ukipotosha Uislamu, Mwislamu ataacha kukuamini, na kwa haki. Ni afadhali kusema kidogo na kuwa sahihi.First, speak accurately. Do not repeat rumours or stories you cannot support. If you misrepresent Islam, a Muslim will rightly stop trusting you. It is better to say less and be correct.

Pili, uliza maswali badala ya kushambulia. Badala ya kusema, "Vyanzo vyenu havina thamani," unaweza kuuliza, "Tunajuaje Muhammad alisema nini? Ripoti hizi ziliandikwa lini? Wasomi Waislamu huamuaje ni zipi za kweli?" Maswali ya uaminifu huita fikira za uaminifu.Second, ask questions rather than make attacks. Instead of saying, "Your sources are worthless," you might ask, "How do we know what Muhammad said? When were these reports written down? How do Muslim scholars decide which ones are true?" Honest questions invite honest thinking.

Tatu, mweke Yesu katikati. Kazi yetu kuu si kumbomoa Muhammad bali kuelekeza kwa Kristo. Tofauti muhimu zaidi si kati ya wasifu mbili bali kati ya watu wawili. Muhammad alikuwa mtawala na kiongozi wa kijeshi. Yesu alisema, "Ufalme wangu si wa ulimwengu huu" (Yohana 18:36, SUV), na akautoa uhai wake kwa ajili ya adui zake.Third, keep Jesus at the center. Our main task is not to tear down Muhammad but to point to Christ. The most important contrast is not between two biographies but between two persons. Muhammad became a ruler and military leader. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36, NKJV), and He laid down His life for His enemies.

Nne, jaribu kila ujumbe kwa Neno la Mungu. Paulo aliwaonya Wagalatia kwamba hata "malaika wa mbinguni" akihubiri injili nyingine isiyokuwa ile waliyoipokea, wasimkubali (Wagalatia 1:8, SUV). Kwa hiyo Wakristo hawawezi kukubali ujumbe kwa sababu tu unasemekana kutoka kwa malaika. Kipimo ni kama unapatana na injili ya Yesu Kristo iliyokwisha kufunuliwa. Tutaona katika sura zijazo kwamba Kurani inakana uungu wa Kristo na kusulubiwa kwake, mambo yaliyo kiini cha injili ya kitume.Fourth, test every message by God's Word. Paul warned the Galatians that even if "an angel from heaven" preached another gospel than the one they had received, they must not accept it (Galatians 1:8, NKJV). Christians therefore cannot accept a message simply because it is said to come from an angel. The test is whether it agrees with the gospel of Jesus Christ already revealed. We will see in later units that the Qur'an denies the deity of Christ and His crucifixion, which stand at the heart of the apostolic gospel.

Tano, fikiria usalama. Katika baadhi ya maeneo, kumkosoa Muhammad hadharani kunaweza kukuweka wewe, kanisa lako na waliobadili dini katika hatari. Hekima haimaanishi kunyamaza kuhusu kweli, lakini inamaanisha kuchagua wakati, mahali na maneno yanayofaa. Mazungumzo ya kibinafsi nyumbani mara nyingi ni ya hekima zaidi kuliko mabishano ya hadharani sokoni.Fifth, think of safety. In some places, public criticism of Muhammad can put you, your church and Muslim converts in danger. Wisdom does not mean silence about the truth, but it does mean choosing the right time, place and words. Personal conversation in a home is often wiser than public argument in the market.

MuhtasariSummary

Waislamu wanamheshimu Muhammad kama nabii wa mwisho na mkuu kuliko wote, mwanadamu na si Mungu, aliyepokea Kurani kutoka kwa Mungu kupitia malaika Gabrieli. Masimulizi ya jadi yanasema alizaliwa Makka karibu mwaka 570, alipokea ufunuo wake wa kwanza karibu 610, alihamia Madina mwaka 622, na akawa kiongozi wa kidini, wa kisiasa na wa kijeshi kabla ya kifo chake mwaka 632. Karibu maelezo yote ya hadithi hii yanatoka katika vyanzo vilivyoandikwa muda mrefu baada ya kifo chake: Sira ya Ibn Ishaq (aliyekufa karibu 767), inayojulikana hasa kupitia Ibn Hisham (aliyekufa karibu 833); makusanyo ya hadithi ya al-Bukhari na Muslim (870 na 875); na historia ya al-Tabari (aliyekufa 923). Kurani yenyewe inatoa wasifu mdogo sana. Wanahistoria, wakiwemo wasomi Waislamu, wanaibua maswali mazito kuhusu ripoti zilizotungwa, tarehe za kuchelewa, matoleo yanayopingana na maslahi ya baadaye. Kwa kulinganisha, vyanzo vya Agano Jipya kuhusu Yesu viko karibu zaidi na matukio. Ripoti ngumu kuhusu Muhammad lazima ziunganishwe na vyanzo vilivyotajwa na zielezwe kwa usahihi. Waislamu wanaheshimu kielelezo chake, kwa hiyo ni haki kukilinganisha na kielelezo cha Yesu, aliyewapenda adui zake na kutoa uhai wake. Mchungaji mwaminifu anatumia maarifa haya kwa uangalifu: kusema kwa usahihi, kuuliza maswali ya uaminifu, kumweka Kristo katikati, kujaribu kila ujumbe kwa Maandiko na kulinda usalama wa waumini.Muslims honour Muhammad as the last and greatest prophet, a man and not God, who received the Qur'an from God through the angel Gabriel. The traditional account says he was born in Mecca around 570, received his first revelation around 610, moved to Medina in 622, and became a religious, political and military leader before his death in 632. Almost all the details of this story come from sources written long after his death: the Sira of Ibn Ishaq (died around 767), known mainly through Ibn Hisham (died around 833); the hadith collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim (870 and 875); and the history of al-Tabari (died 923). The Qur'an itself gives very little biography. Historians, including Muslim scholars, raise serious questions about invented reports, late dates, conflicting versions and later interests. By comparison, the New Testament sources about Jesus are much closer to the events. Hard reports about Muhammad must be tied to named sources and stated accurately. Muslims honour his example, so it is fair to compare it with the example of Jesus, who loved His enemies and laid down His life. A faithful pastor uses this knowledge carefully: speaking accurately, asking honest questions, keeping Christ at the center, testing every message by Scripture and protecting the safety of believers.

Maswali ya KutafakariQuestions for Reflection

1. Kwa nini ni muhimu kueleza Waislamu wanaamini nini kuhusu Muhammad kwa njia ambayo wangeitambua kabla hatujajibu?1. Why is it important to describe what Muslims believe about Muhammad in a way they would recognize before we respond to it?

2. Ni nini kilichokushangaza zaidi kuhusu tarehe za vyanzo vya maisha ya Muhammad?2. What surprised you most about the dates of the sources for Muhammad's life?

3. Ungeeleza vipi, kwa upole na kwa urahisi, tofauti kati ya pengo la wakati kwa Injili na pengo la wakati kwa wasifu wa Muhammad?3. How would you explain, kindly and simply, the difference between the time gap for the Gospels and the time gap for the biographies of Muhammad?

4. Tofauti kati ya Muhammad aliyekuwa mtawala na Yesu aliyesema "Ufalme wangu si wa ulimwengu huu" inakusaidiaje kumwelekeza rafiki yako Mwislamu kwa Kristo?4. How does the contrast between Muhammad as ruler and Jesus who said "My kingdom is not of this world" help you point a Muslim friend to Christ?

5. Katika mazingira yako, kuzungumza kuhusu Muhammad "kwa upole na hofu" huku ukiendelea kusema kweli kunamaanisha nini?5. In your own setting, what does it mean to speak about Muhammad "with meekness and fear" while still being truthful?

6. Kwa nini tunapaswa kutofautisha mafundisho ya Yesu na ya Muhammad na matendo ya wafuasi wa baadaye tunapojadili vurugu za kidini?6. Why should we distinguish the teachings of Jesus and Muhammad from the actions of later followers when discussing religious violence?

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