World Blog by the humble servant.The Psalms.

The Psalms

Proclaim, "Believe in it, or do not believe in it." Those who possess knowledge from the previous scriptures, when it is recited to them, they fall down to their chins, prostrating. [17:107]

We have revealed to you this scripture, and those whom we blessed with the previous scripture will believe in it. Also, some of your people will believe in it. Indeed, those who disregard our revelations are the real disbelievers. [29:47]

… Did they not make a covenant to uphold the scripture, and not to say about GOD except the truth? Did they not study the scripture?… (7:169)

We are told in many places in the Quran that we should study the previous scripture. We cannot have knowledge of something unless we read it and study it. We know absolutely that the Quran is the final scripture, that it is complete and fully detailed, and that it supercedes all previous scripture. What we revealed to you in this scripture is the truth, consummating all previous scriptures. God is fully Cognizant of His servants, Seer. (35:31) Therefore, if any discrepancies occur between the Bible and the Quran we know that the Quran is the truth. But we also know that the Bible is based on the truth, that it contains God’s word, and that it is full of beautiful passages. None more beautiful that the Psalms.

God truly blessed David when he gave him the Psalms, and He tells us that in the Quran.

Your Lord is the best knower of everyone in the heavens and the earth. In accordance with this knowledge, we preferred some prophets over others. For example, we gave David the Psalms. (17:55) (also 4:163)

Most of the Psalms are short, 5-20 verses, but a few are quite long. All are beautiful in their praise of God. Some are very well known, such as the 23rd Psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. *

The traditional number of Psalms is placed at 150, but it is recognized that over the centuries some Psalms were broken into two or more separate ones while two or more originally independent songs were made into a single Psalm. Therefore, it’s easy to imagine that the original number of Psalms, given by God to David, was perhaps a total divisible by 19.

Since we know that the Psalms come from God it’s not surprising that much contained therein is similar to the Quran. Even the titles of the Psalms remind us of the basic tenets of the one true religion: True Happiness (1), Joyful Confidence in God (4), Prayer for Guidance and Help (25), Security under God’s Protection (91), The Greatness and Goodness of the True God (115), and several which mention Trust in God (3, 27, 56, 146, et. al.).

I’d like to offer a few interesting comparisons:

Psalm 7, verse 2: O Lord, my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me.

Quran 113:1-5: Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak. From the evils among His creations. From the evils of darkness as it falls. From the evils of the troublemakers. From the evils of the envious when they envy.” (also sura 114, 7:200, 11:47, 23:97-8 and many others)

Psalm 33, verses 8-12: Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all who dwell in the world revere him. For he spoke, and it was made; he commanded, and it stood forth. The Lord brings to naught the plans of nations; he foils the designs of peoples. But the plan of the Lord stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations.

Quran 8:30: The disbelievers plot and scheme to neutralize you, or kill you, or banish you. However, they plot and scheme, but so does God. And God is the best schemer.

Quran 2:117: The Initiator of the heavens and the earth: to have anything done, He simply says to it, “Be,” and it is.

Psalm 49, entitled The Vanity of Worldly Riches, verses 7-10: They trust in their wealth; the abundance of their riches is their boast. Yet in no way can a man redeem himself, or pay his own ransom to God; Too high is the price to redeem one’s life; he would never have enough to remain alive always and not see destruction.

Quran 5:36: Certainly, those who disbelieved, if they possessed everything on earth, even twice as much, and offered it as ransom to spare them the retribution on the Day of Resurrection, it would not be accepted from them, they have incurred a painful retribution. (also 3:91, 6:70, 57:15, 70:10-14)

Quran 3:77: As for those who trade away God’s covenant, and their obligations for a cheap price, they receive no share in the Hereafter. God will not speak to them, nor look at them, on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. They have incurred a painful retribution.

Quran 57:20: Know that this worldly life is no more than play and games, and boasting among you, and hoarding of money and children….This worldly life is no more than a temporary illusion. (also 2:212, 11:15, 29:64 and many others)

Psalm 115, verses 4-7: Their idols are silver and gold, the handiwork of men. They have mouths but speak not; they have eyes but see not; they have ears but hear not; they have noses but smell not; they have hands but feel not; they have feet but walk not; they utter no sound from their throat.

Quran 37:91-96: He then turned on their idols, saying, “Would you like to eat? Why do you not speak?” He then destroyed them. They went to him in a great rage. He said, “How can you worship what you carve? When God has created you, and everything you make!” (the same story in 21:52-67, including the people admitting “You know full well that these cannot speak.”)

Quran 21:105 We have decreed in the Psalms, as well as in other scriptures, that the earth shall be inherited by My righteous worshipers. Indeed, it does say this in the Psalms, such as 37:29 The just shall possess the land and dwell in it forever.

In Psalm 136 every other line is: for his mercy endures forever. Verses 4-9:

Who alone does great wonders,

for his mercy endures forever;

Who made the heavens in wisdom,

for his mercy endures forever;

Who spread out the earth upon the waters,

For his mercy endures forever;

Who made the great lights,

For his mercy endures forever;

The sun to rule over the day,

For his mercy endures forever;

The moon and the stars to rule over the night,

For his mercy endures forever.

We have a similar narration in sura 55 where almost every other line is: Which of your Lord’s marvels can you deny? Verses 17-21:

Lord of the two easts and the two wests.

Which of your Lord’s marvels can you deny?

He separates the two seas where they meet.

hich of your Lord’s marvels can you deny?

A barrier is placed between them, to prevent them from transgressing.

Which of your Lord’s marvels can you deny?

There is also one interesting Psalm that seems to be coded. Psalm 119 has 22 sections of eight verses each. Each section is headed by a letter of the Hebrew alphabet and each verse within that section begins with that letter.

I wish there were room to quote more Psalms. They are quite beautiful. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to study God’s revelations. Here are the first and the last of the Psalms.

Psalm 1: True Happiness

Happy the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked

Nor walks in the way of sinners, nor sits in the company of the insolent,

But delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on his law day and night.

He is like a tree planted near running water,

That yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves never fade.

[Whatever he does, prospers.]

Not so the wicked, not so; they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore in judgment the wicked shall not stand, nor shall sinners, in the assembly of the just.

For the Lord watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked vanishes.

Psalm 150: Final Doxology with Full Orchestra

Alleluia.

Praise the Lord in his sanctuary,

Praise him in the firmament of his strength.

Praise him for his mighty deeds,

Praise him for his sovereign majesty.

Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,

Praise him with lyre and harp,

Praise him with timbrel and dance,

Praise him with strings and pipe.

Praise him with sounding cymbals,

Praise him with clanging cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Alleluia.

* [Psalm 23 was quoted from the King James Version, all other Psalms were taken from The New American Bible                                                                                                                                                   In the name of GOD,

Most Gracious, Most Merciful

A “Christian” Hymn

The following was written and made into a hymn for Christian church services . It truly reflects the concept of an Omnipotent, Omnipresent God who created everything around us, and it reminds us of our need to be appreciative of those gifts. It also reminds us that “submission” can be found in all religions.

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful:

The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,

Each little bird that sings;

He made their glowing colors,

He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountain,

The river running by,

The sunset and the morning

That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter,

The pleasant summer sun,

The ripe fruits in the garden;

He made them every one.

He gave us eyes to see them,

And lips that we might tell

How great is God Almighty,

Who has made all things well.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       The following is a story that is mentioned in the Bible. Historically  this has to be one of the most unconventional ways to try to defend a country under siege. Whoever heard of an army being led by a group of singers and musicians? But sing and play they did. Here is the account from the Bible’s book of 2 Chronicles, chapter 20.

Word was rushed to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, announcing the swift approach of a vast army from Ammon, Moab, and Seir, three kingdoms that had formed an alliance against Judah. Jehoshaphat, knowing that his own army was no match for the invaders, turned to God for help.

He proclaimed a time of prayer and fasting, and people from throughout the land poured into the capital to take part. Then, in the midst of all the people, Jehoshaphat prayed. “O Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in Heaven? You rule over kingdoms and nations, and power and might are in Your hand. None can withstand You.” As the king continued, people’s spirits were strengthened. “We know that in the time of calamity, whatever peril it may be, if we stand in Your presence and cry out to You in our distress, You will hear and save us. We have no power against this great army that comes against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

Then a young priest named Jahaziel prophesied with a loud voice, “Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s!” The story narrates that God had heard their prayers and would save them. “You will not need to fight in this battle,” God’s message through Jahaziel continued. “Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you.” King Jehoshaphat bowed to the ground in worship. The crowd followed the king’s lead, while the priests raised their voices to praise the Lord.

The next morning as the troops made preparations for battle, King Jehoshaphat encouraged them. “Believe in the Lord your God, and so shall you be established. Have faith in His prophets, and so shall you have good success.” The king consulted with the people, and it was decided that singers should lead the troops into battle. That daring step of faith showed that they believed God would protect them.

“Praise the Lord for the beauty of His holiness,” Jehoshaphat instructed the singers as they took their position. “Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” They were thanking God in advance for the victory He had promised the day before.

No sooner had they begun to sing and praise, then God “set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.” The Bible doesn’t specify what those “ambushes” were, but it does explain that the men of those three invading kingdoms began to fight among themselves. First the men of Ammon and Moab rose up against those of Seir, and when they had destroyed them, the two armies destroyed each other. When the army of Judah came to a promontory overlooking the battlefield, they saw only dead bodies on the ground. No one had escaped. Jehoshaphat and his men gathered so many valuables from the bodies that it took them three days to collect them all. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, which means “the Valley of Praise,” and there they glorified God. Then they returned home with joy, for the Lord had triumphed over their enemies. The fear of God came on all the neighboring kingdoms when they heard how He had interceded for Judah, and “the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet, for his God gave him rest all around.”

What an amazing story of the power of faith, prayer and praise—and that same power is available to us today. Whenever we face a problem that is too big for us, if we pray with our whole hearts and believe the promises God has given us, we can then face whatever it is that threatens to undo us, praising God and thanking Him by faith He will support us.

Praise is the voice of faith. If you really believe God has heard your prayers, you will start praising Him for the answer, even before you see it. When you’re tempted to get down and discouraged, remember the power of praise and look to God.                                                                                                                   

Here is a song of praise in Psalm 145: Praising God’s Greatness

I exalt You, my God the King, and praise Your name forever and ever.

I will praise You every day; I will honor Your name forever and ever.

Yahweh is great and is highly praised; His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation will declare Your works to the next and will proclaim Your mighty acts. I will speak of Your splendor and glorious majesty and Your wonderful works.

They will proclaim the power of Your awe-inspiring acts, and I will declare Your greatness.

They will give a testimony of Your great goodness and will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in faithful love.

The Lord is good to everyone; His compassion rests on all He has made.

All You have made will thank You, Lord; the godly will praise You.

They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom and will declare Your might,

informing all people of Your mighty acts and of the glorious splendor of Your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; Your rule is for all generations. The Lord is faithful in all His words and gracious in all His actions.

The Lord helps all who fall; He raises up all who are oppressed.

All eyes look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time.

You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all His ways and gracious in all His acts.

The Lord is near all who call out to Him, all who call out to Him with integrity.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry for help and saves them.

The Lord guards all those who love Him, but He destroys all the wicked.

My mouth will declare Yahweh’s praise; let every living thing praise His holy name forever and ever.