How Many Angels Visited Mary?

Mr. Jochen Katz, in one of his articles titled: " How many angels were
talking to Mary? " has stated that the two narratives in the Qur'an
regarding the incident when the angels of Allah visited Mary to give
her the news of the birth of Jesus -- the Christ --are in
contradiction with one another. In the first instance, the Qur'an says
that "angels" (i.e. the word in its plural form, implying, in Arabic
language, that there were at least three) visited Mary. While in the
second instance, it says that there was only one.
Writes Mr. Katz:
There are (at least) two passages in the Qur'an relating the
annunciation of Jesus' birth to Mary.
Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah has chosen thee ...
Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah gives thee glad tidings ...
-- Sura 3:42 & 45
Then we sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before he as a man in
all respects. She said: "I seek refuge from thee to (Allah) Most
Gracious: (Come not near) If thou dost fear Allah."
-- Sura 19:17-18
How many angels came to Mary? One or three or more? [Correct me if the
word for "angel" is in the dual, but if it is plural then there have
to be at least three.]
The object of this article is to give answers to the objections raised
by Mr. Katz in this respect.
Let us first of all consider the related verses of the Qur'an. In
Surah Aal Imraan , the Qur'an says:
And bring to mind when the angels said: "Mary, God has chosen you; He
has purified you and has exalted you above all otherwomen of the
world"."Mary, be obedient to your Lord, bow down and submit [to Him]
with those that submit". This is an account of a hidden event. We
reveal it to you. You were not present when they cast lots to see
which of them shall have charge of Mary; nor were you present when
they argued about her.
Bring to mind when the angels said: "Mary, God gives you glad tidings
of a" word " from Him; his name shall be the Messiah, Jesus son of
Mary; he shall be noble in this world as well as in the hereafter; and
he shall be amongst those who are close [to God]; he shall preach to
people, while in his cradle and while in the prime of manhood; and he
shall be a righteous man." She said:"Lord, how can I bear a child,
when no man has [even] touched me?" He replied: "Even so it shall
happen as told. God createswhat He wills; when He decides a thing, He
needs only say 'Be' , and it is." (3: 43 - 47)
In Surah Maryam , the Qur'an says:
And recount in the book, the story of Mary. [The time] when she left
her people and took for herselfa place to the eastern side and hid
herself from them. We sent to her Our spirit,which appeared to her as
aperfect man. She said: "I give myself to the protection of the All
Mercy (i.e. Al-Rahmaan ) from you,if you fear Him." He replied:"I am
but a messenger of your Lord and have come to gift you a boy, pure
[from sin]". She asked:"How can I bear a child, when a man has never
even touched me and neither have I ever been unchaste?" He said: "Thus
shall it happen; your Lord says: It is easy for me." (19:16 - 21)
Before explaining my pointof view regarding these verses, I would
first like to clarify that we can call two phenomena " contradictory "
when there is no possibleexplanation that can, in any way resolve or
removethe apparent contradiction.If, on the other hand, an explanation
can be given for the apparently contradicting phenomenon, then these
phenomena cannot be called "contradictory". I do submit that everyone
has aright to criticize the explanation given. In such a case, if the
explanation cannot face the criticism, it may then be rejected, and
subsequently, due to lack of satisfactory explanation, the apparently
contradictory phenomena may then be termed as a proven
"contradiction". But, on the other hand, if the explanation
adequatelyexplains the phenomena, then unless the explanation is
logically andconvincingly rejected, the phenomena cannot be termed as
"contradictory".
By close examination of the stated verses of the Qur'an, I think there
can be two very acceptable explanations for the objections raised by
Mr. Katz. Either of these two explanations, if acceptable, remove the
objection raised by Mr. Katz in this respect. In case Mr. Katz or
anyone of my readers believes that neither of theexplanations is
acceptable, he should then present his criticism on these
explanations. Without rejecting both the explanations given, I really
do not think that the referred verses of the Qur'an can in any way be
called "contradictory".

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Muslims, Christians and Jews believe in the same Allah

The three revealed faiths sent down as a blessing byour Lord through
true prophets and true scriptures, Islam and the uncorrupted, genuine
forms of Christianity and Judaism, share many common beliefs. Although
the Torah and the Injil were gradually corrupted over the course of
time, the essence and moral values of the true faith arestill to a
large extent preserved in these books sent down from the Presence of
Allah. These uncorrupted parts can clearly be seen when looked at
using the Qur'anand the hadith as a guide. These three revealed faiths
all believe in the absolute existence of Allah, that He is eternal,
that He created the universe from nothing andthat He rules all matter
with His almighty power. Muslims, Christians and Jews also oppose the
same intellectual errors. They share the same intellectual struggle
against atheism, irreligion,racism, fascism and moral degeneration.
All three faiths strive to preach the existence of Allah in the same
way. Members of all three faiths aim for a world full of justice in
which everyone will knowAllah, sincerely believe in and submit to Him,
and live in peace and compassion. Members of all three faiths act out
of a fear and love of Allah, follow in the path of His messengers and
abide by His revelation.
In essence, the members of these three faiths believe in and worship
thesame, one Allah. Our Almighty Lord has revealed His power and
might, His creative artistry,His sublimity, that He is the Lord of the
worlds, that He is All-Powerful andthe sole Creator of all things in
all three faiths. He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth andall
things belong to Him, He knows all, is Almighty and is the Possessor
of all. His might, sublime power and majesty pervade all things and
all places. He is unfettered by any flaw or deficiency, though He is
needed by all beings.
Our Almighty Lord revealed His faith with thereligion of the Prophet
Abraham (peace be upon him):
We revealed to you: "Follow the religion of Abraham, a man of pure
natural belief. He was not one of the idolaters."(Surat an-Nahl, 123)
The word "haneef" means "someone who believes inand serves only
Allah." This is the attribute of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) that is
emphasized in the Qur'an as being "haneef," for he believed in and
submitted to Allah as the one and only. This devout servant of Allah
distanced himself from his tribe's superstitious beliefs and turned
solely to Him. He also called on his tribe to abandon their pagan
beliefs and idolatry, and tobelieve in Allah.
The true religion revealed by Allah to the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was
kept alive by other prophets from his line and by true believers. This
is revealed in the Qur'an as follows:
Who would deliberately renounce the religion of Abraham except someone
who reveals himself to be a fool? We chose him in the world and in the
Hereafter he will be one of the righteous. When his Lordsaid to him,
"Become a Muslim!" he said, "I am aMuslim who has submitted to the
Lord of all the worlds." Abrahamdirected his sons to this, as did
Jacob: "My sons! Allah has chosen this religion for you, so do not die
except as Muslims." Or were you present when death came to Jacob and
he said to his sons, "What will you worship when I have gone?" They
said, " We will worship your God, the God of your forefathers,
Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac – one God. We are Muslims submitted to Him.
" (Surat al-Baqara, 130-133)
The Prophet Abraham's (pbuh) "haneef" religion is common to Muslims,
Jews and Christians. He was a sincere prophet who believed in one God
alone,Allah, who praised Him, and who served Him genuinely and with
all his heart. Our Lord praises those who follow the purefaith of the
Prophet Abraham (pbuh) in the Qur'an:
Who could have a betterreligion than someone who submits himself
completely to Allah and is a good-doer, and follows the religion of
Abraham, a man of pure natural belief? Allah tookAbraham as an
intimate friend. (Surat an-Nisa', 125)
The pure faith of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), whom Allah praised and
sent as a guide for mankind, and the belief in the one Allah that
forms the basis of that faith are common values shared by true faiths
that were sent down later—Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Therefore,
the members ofall three faiths have a responsibility to worship Allah,
the one Lord of all, He Whose All-Powerful might pervades all things
and all places, the Creator of all things.
This common value requires the members of all three revealed faiths to
come together in a single monotheistic belief and to act together for
a commonpurpose.

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The Top 10 Fruit Juices

Pomegranate would have to be the healthiest juice you can drink, due
to it containing almost every type of antioxidant, along with the
highest levels of each. It is also linked to protecting against
certain types of cancer and can help to keep your heart healthy.
Concord Grape Juice
Concord Grapes are another great source of very powerful
antioxidantsand are a great source of fiber. There is also
researchthat suggests they can helpkeep your heart healthy and
contribute in reducing blood pressure so this is well worthy of a
place on this top 10 fruit juices list.
Blueberry Juice
Blueberries are another type of fruit that contain a lot of
antioxidants. They also hold lots of fiber and are a great source of
Vitamin C. The antioxidantsfound in blueberries can help to lower
inflammation, which indicates that they may have a positive effect on
age-related declines in cognitive abilities.
Black Cherry Juice
Black cherries contain...yep,you guessed it, antioxidants! Once again,
ahigh amount are found in black cherry juice. Along with this benefit
however, there has also been research that has suggested that they can
help to reduce muscle injuries caused by exercising, which would of
course be of great benefit to those of us who exerciseregularly.
Acai Berry Juice
Acai berries are yet anothersource of powerful antioxidants. There are
some reports that say this berry could be the greatest but more
research will need to be done on this relatively newly discovered"
superfood ". Other research also links Acai berries to increased
cancer protection.
Cranberry Juice
Cranberries are, like the rest of these fruit juices, very high in
antioxidants. They are also another goodsource of Vitamin C. A
slightly more unique benefit of cranberries however, is that they've
been shown to help slow the build-up of bacteria in the bladder, which
can help to protect against urinary tract infections.
Orange Juice
Orange Juice is the most widely consumed fruit juice, and for good
reason. It's another juice with high levels of antioxidants and as
everybody knows, is packed full of Vitamin C, which is good for your
ligaments, tendons, skin, blood vessels and bones. Good old OJ also
contains 500mg of potassium in every glass, which helps to maintain
your body's water and acid balance.
Apple Juice
The benefits of Apple Juice are only now beginning to be fully
understood. Recentstudies show a glass a day can help heart health due
to a high concentration of phytonutrients, which slowthe break down of
"bad" LDL cholesterol. Apple Juiceis also high in fiber and Vitamin C.
When buying Apple Juice it's best to go for the cloudiest you can
find.
Tomato Juice
Tomato Juice contains phytonutrients including lycopene,
beta-carotene, Vitamin E and more. In addition to reducing
inflammation, regular consumption of Tomato Juice has been linked to
helping to lower blood pressure, and it may even bolster immune
function.
Carrot Juice
Carrot Juice has one of the highest concentrations of vitamin A of any
food, which can help strengthen defective eyesight. It's a good source
of B vitamins and contains minerals including calcium, chlorine,
copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur.

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Boycott junk food in schools - California mandates set a healthy eating example

(NaturalNews) Legislation in California has set limits on what foods
can be sold as competitive foods in their public schools. Competitive
food sales include snack bars and kiosks, a la carte cafeteria
purchases, and vending machines.
The restrictions deal with lowering added sugars andfat contents and
even excluding artificial sweeteners. The calorie amounts are limited
while nutritional values are required to meet federal guidelines. For
example, fruit juices are required to contain 50% natural nectarwhile
restricting added sugar contents.
A recent study shows California teens are consuming 158 less calories
per day than teens in 14 other states since thevending machine mandate
was put into effect in California a few years ago.
One-hundred California teens were compared to 560 kids in other states
in early 2010. The study was published in the Archives ofPediatrics
and Adolescent Medicine , May 2012. Healthconditions were not
considered with any of the subjects studied, only calorie content that
could influence obesity. Less obesity is good, as obesity alone can
promote a plethora of negative healthconditions. But there was no hint
of teens switching to healthier diets as a result of placing
relatively decent snack food options in the California schools.
MSG and GMOs are probably in some of those calorie-restricted snack
items since all of them are either processed or derivedfrom Big Ag and
Big Dairy farming methods. Those shiny apples are heavily sprayed with
chemicals, unless they're organic. Throw in even a small amount of
HFCS, colorings, flavorings and preservatives, and the toxicloads are
dramatically increased. In other words, calorie restrictions alone
don't guarantee good health.
Daniel Taber, University of Illinois-Chicago professor and the
California study's lead author stated, "They should definitely be
applauded for their actions.All states could focus on providing more
healthy foods in schools, in addition to banning high-fat, high-sugar,
high-calorie foods and beverages. But I think the lesson is that even
their laws were only a starting point."
Although the nutritional standards applied help somewhat, they are
federalgovernment standards set by dieticians from the old-school. You
know, the type who prepares hospitalmenus. So there is much more to do
before completely healthy foods can be provided by school cafeterias
and competitive food vendors.
Private, underfunded and under-reported groups are promoting
farm-fresh foods for school cafeterias Meanwhile, NGOs (non-government
organizations) are hard at work trying to get organic fresh foods from
area farms into school lunch programs. Vermont and Oregon have taken
the lead in the United States. California has also made inroads in the
effort to feed kids better schools and encourage small organic farming
with increased profits to family run organic farms.
There has been a massive UN study and additional regional studies that
have concluded the best way to feed the world would be from small
scale regional organic farming.
Each region would becomeself-sufficient with less large scale
distributors, such as Cargill, brokering foods to chain retailers
everywhere, and less commodity brokers gambling futures and affecting
food prices because the food growingand distribution would be greatly
decentralized.
Farm to school efforts could be a first step towardthis planetary
downsized sustainable end. Rome, Italy provides a successful example.
Seventy percent of the foods in their schools are organic.

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