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[quote]I would simply echo Dr. Khan's comments. The difference between the Israelites and all people today is the presence of a Prophet and miracles.

And by miracles, we do not mean a miraculous birth or recovery, or Virgin Mary appearing on sandwiches and other places, or Ganesha pouring forth milk or for that matter trees aligned to spell the Kalimah.

The miracles witnessed by the Israelites proved beyond doubt, the existence of God and His power. Unless ofcourse one adopts the deist approach and considers the Koranic and Biblical stories as merely allegorical.

However, if we do accept that the Red Sea was actually parted or that there were deadly plagues inflicted on Egypt which harmed only the Egyptians and not the Israelites, then we do not know what matter of people were the Israelites made up of?

It is virtually impossible for us to place ourselves in their shoes or for that matter in those of the Holy Prophet's Companions. The awe and bewilderment that they possibly must have felt cannot be described. We cannot know about their psychology with certainty. One can only delve in conjectures.

Anyways, our task is more difficult and easy at the same time. Difficult because we do not have certainty, we cannot and do not know many things for sure. However, easy because, had we approached certainty and then committed sins, we would have surely been doomed. That is what the Koran, in my opinion, tries to tell us through verses like 'If they saw the angels then they would surely be doomed' or something like that.

I suppose the rambling has gone far enough :)

Edited by: junaidj on Thursday, November 18, 2004 3:02 AM[/quote]

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