The True Furqan

The True Furqan
Author Al Saffee, Al Mahdee
Original title al-Furqān al-ḥaqq
Translator Anis Shorrosh
Country United States
Language English, Arabic
Genre Religion
Publisher Wine Press Publishing, Enumclaw, WA
Publication date
 June 1999
Media type Print (Hardback), Online edition
Pages 366
ISBN 9781579211752
OCLC 52725049

The True Furqan, al-Furqan al-Haqq is a book written in Arabic mirroring the Qur'an but incorporating elements of traditional Christian teaching.

According to Baptist News, Al-Mahdy, a member of the executive committee of "Project Omega 2001" released The True Furqan in April 1999 saying that Muslims "have not received the true message of the gospel".[1] The book is attributed to authors who go by the pseudonyms of "Al Saffee" and "Al Mahdee", and was translated into English by Anis Shorrosh, who calls it "a tool to liberate Muslims",[2] and who believes that Muhammad is "the antichrist".[3] It contains 77 numbered chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue.[4] According to Shorrosh, The True Furqan is an attempt to respond to the challenge in the Quran that none can create a work like it,[5] and incorporates a Christian rather than Islamic message.[6] "This book apparently reproduced the Quranic style so effectively that some who recited it aloud in public areas were thanked by Arab Muslims for having recited the Quran itself."[7]

Christian missionary Dr. Ray Register characterized the book as an effective tool for "pre-evangelism" to help "critique the Quran and popular Muslim attitudes toward Jesus and ethical living." [8] American Thinker editor and publisher Thomas Lifson wrote that the book "presents Christian theology in a way that it can be understood and digested by Muslims."[9] but says that some Muslims are offended by the book because they feel that the work mocks Islam and tries to deceive Muslims into accepting The True Furqan.

It has been described as "Christian propaganda" since its second verse "starts talking about the Holy Trinity, a thoroughly un-Islamic concept."[10] and The American Muslim called the book a "hoax", saying it represented "a desperate measure to find some way to convert the infidel Muslims since a few hundred years of concerted effort have brought so little success".[11] Other critics called it "poor in quality and ridiculous in content" and "a pathetic attempt to distort the Quranic teaching by reproducing what looks like Quranic verses."[12]

Some Islamic believers feel The True Furqan was created by the American or Israeli governments as part of a conspiracy. The Egyptian newspaper Al-Usbūc claimed in its December 6, 2004 edition that "The True Koran [sic] was drafted with direct Israeli participation and with direct instructions from U.S. President George Bush."[13] The US State Department strongly rejects allegations of any US government participation in the creation of The True Furqan.[13] According to the translator Anis Shorrosh, "there was no Israeli involvement in the preparation of the book."[13]

The importation of the book into India is prohibited.[14]

References

  1. ↑ C.S. Arthur, "New book answers challenge issued by Islam's holy book", Baptist News, 28 May 1999
  2. ↑ Anis Shorrosh's home page
  3. ↑ Yohanna Katanacho, "Palestinian Protestant Theological Responses to a World Marked by Violence", p. 5 (also in Missiology 36, no. 3 (2008))
  4. ↑ Table of Contents
  5. ↑ Surah 17:88 (none can create a work like the Quran), Surah 11:13 (none can produce ten Surahs like the Quran), Surah 2:23 (none can create a single Surah like the Quran)
  6. ↑ Yohanna Katanacho, "Palestinian Protestant Theological Responses to a World Marked by Violence", p. 6 (also in Missiology 36, no. 3 (2008)).
  7. ↑ Qureshi, Nabeel (2014). Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. p. 229. ISBN 9780310515029.
  8. ↑ Ray Register, "Discipling Middle Eastern Believers", St Francis Magazine Nr. 2 Vol. V (April 2009), p. 41
  9. ↑ Lifson, Thomas, "The most controversial book you never heard of", American Thinker, 27 Dec 2005
  10. ↑ Whitaker, Brian "The Nashville Qur'an" Guardian 8 February 2007
  11. ↑ Sheila Musaji, "The ‘True Furqan’ Qur'an Hoax", The American Muslim
  12. ↑ The Middle East, abstracts and index, Library Information and Research Services, vol. 4, 2005, p.456
  13. 1 2 3 State Department Press Release, "A New American Koran?", 21 April 2005
  14. ↑ Notification No. 78 /2005-Customs (N.T.) (Archived from the original on 24 April 2015.)
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