ISLAMIC OBSESSION TOWARD MOHAMMAD'S FECES, URINE, BLOOD AND SPIT EVEN TO THIS DAY

 

 

From a very young age muslims are always taught that their beloved prophet Muhammad was the most divine and sacred character in the Islamic history. Everything from Muhammad’s blood, urine, spit, and feces had significant divine healing properties. 

In this article I am going to focus primarily on the rather astonishing and downright sickening obsession which Muhammad’s companions showed their “prophet,” one that Muhammad himself never rebuked but actually condoned and encouraged. This will clearly establish that Muhammad and his followers took a mere fallible, imperfect, sinful human being and turned him into another divine figure alongside the Muslim moon deity “allah”. 

The worship which Muslims gave / give to Muhammad can be seen from instances where his followers would drink his blood and urine, and would also smear his spittle on themselves, thinking that they would receive a blessing or a cure as a result of it! 

One of the so called Islamic scholars concerned with reports about the Prophet and his qualities related that when he wanted to defecate, the earth split open and swallowed up his feces and urine, and it gave off a fragrant smell.

Muhammad ibn Sa’d, al-Waqidi’s scribe, related that ‘A’isha said to the Prophet, "When you come from relieving yourself, we do not see anything noxious from you." He said, "‘A’isha, don’t you know that the earth swallows up what comes out of the prophets so that none of it is seen?"   Although this tradition is not famous, the people of knowledge still mention the purity of his feces and urine… 

Now let’s look at what Islam says about Muhammad’s shit, piss, spit, phlegm, blood etc.  Pretty gross I would say but... it’s all there in the hadiths (i.e. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim etc) and sunans (i.e. Sunan Abu Dawood; Sunan al-Tirmidhi; Sunan al-Nasa'i and Sunan ibn Majah).  Beside the names of the hadiths snd sunans mentioned, there are about 18 or more hadiths and over 37 sunans - way too many to list here.  Don’t believe me... check it out.

 

MUHAMMAD’S URINE

Muhammad said his Urine was a cure for stomach ailments!

The hafiz, Abu Ya’la stated that Muhammad b. Abu Bakr al-Muqaddami related to him, quoting Salim b. Qutayba, from aI-Husayn b. Hurayth, from Ya’la b. ‘Ata’, from aI-Walid b.  ‘Abd aI-Rahman, from Umm Ayman, who said, “The Messenger of God had a pottery bowl into which he would urinate. When morning came, he would call out, ‘Umm Ayman, pour out the contents of the pot.’ One night I got up feeling thirsty and [drank what it contained]. And when the Messenger of God called out, ‘Umm Ayman, pour out the contents of the pot’, I replied, ‘Messenger of God, I got up feeling thirsty and drank what was in it!’ He commented, ‘you’ll never suffer from your stomach!'”

- Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya by Ibn Katheer, Vol 4, tr. as ‘The Life of the Prophet Muhammad’ by Prof. Trevor Le Gassick, page 462

Muhammad’s Urine made water sweet and cool!

Imam Abu Nu’aym narrates the practice of Anas RA, with his chain, who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah used to pray salah at his house and made it long. Once, He [urinated in the well], which was situated inside the house. Anas said: ‘there was no well in Madinah which [tasted more cool and sweet] than it’. He said: ‘when the sahabah come to my house I [serve them with the sweet water] of that well. In the era of jahiliyyah it was known as al-Barud, ‘the cool well’’’.

- Dala’il al-Nubuwwah by al- Bayhaqi, vol 2, Makkah: Dar al-Baz Publishers, page 381

 

MUHAMMAD’S FECES

Muhammad’s feces wasn’t bad smelling!

Abu Bakr bin Sabiq Al-Maliki narrated both statement assumed by people of profound knowledge as for that, in his book ‘Al-Badi’ (the marvelous) in the branches of Al-Malikiya (the Maliki school of jurisprudence), and scrutinized that in relation to their Shafi’i school of jurisprudence. He concluded and explained: he (pbuh) never excreted anything bad or unpleasant.

- Ash-shifa by Qadi ‘Iyad, tr. by Gehan Abdel-Raouf Hibah (2009), page 79

Muhammad’s faeces was automatically swallowed by the earth!

Muhammad bin Sa’d Al-Waqidi transmitted a narration relating to that on the authority of ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said to the Prophet (pbuh): After you relieve yourself in the privy, we do not watch any trace (of defecation or urination). Therein he (pbuh) replied, “O ‘A’ishah, did not you know that the earth swallow up all that relieved by the Prophets and therein no trace of that is left behind.” 

- ibid Muhammad’s feces was deliberately concealed by the earth!

Ismá`il (Al-Fadl Ibn Isma’il in Beirut edition) Ibn Abán al-Warráq informed us: `Anbasah Ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Qurashi informed us on the authority of Muhammad Ibn Zadhan, he on the authority of Umm Sa’d, she on the authority of `Ayishah; she said: I said: O Apostle of Allah ! you go to the privy, but no excrements are seen there. He said: Do you not know ? the excrement is concealed by the earth, and so nothing is seen?

- Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabeer by Ibn Saad, Vol 1,Parts 1.42.4, page 193

 

MUHAMMAD’S PHLEGM

Muhammad’s phlegm was used as face and body lotion!

Sahih al-Bukhari 2731, 2732

[…] `Urwa then started looking at the Companions of the Prophet. By Allah, whenever Allah’s Messenger spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e. the Prophet’s companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them they would carry his orders immediately; if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take the remaining water;

Muhammad’s phlegm was used as face and body lotion!

‘Urwah began looking at the companions of the Prophet. “By God,” he said, “if the Prophet coughs up a bit of phlegm and it falls onto the hand of one of them, he rubs his face and skin with it.

- The History of Al-Tabari, tr. & ann. by Michael Fishbein (1997), Vol 08; page 77

 

MUHAMMAD’S SPIT

Muhammad’s saliva provided nutrition and solace to babies!

The grandsons of Muhammad, Al Hasan and Al Hussain, were young and crying on account of thirst. Muhammad gave them his tongue to suck and thereafter they stopped crying.

- Ash-shifa by Qadi ‘Iyad, tr. by Aisha Abdarrahman Bewley (1991), page 194

Muhammad’s saliva was his way of showering love and blessings on his grandchildren!

One day Abu Hurraira accompanies Muhammad to the mosque. Once there, Muhammad said, ‘Where is the little one? Call the little one to me.’ Hasan came running and jumped into his lapage Then he put his hand in his beard. Then Muhammad opened his mouth and put his tongue in his mouth. Then he said, O Allah, I love him, so love him and the one who loves him!'”

- Al-Adab Al-Mufrad Al-Bukhari 1:1183 (Hasan); al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr 2588 (Hasan)

Muhammad’s saliva was his way of showering love and blessings on babies!

Al Zamakhshari mentioned that the prophet took charge of naming him ‘Ali’ and feeding him many days from his blessed saliva by having Ali suck on his tongue.

- Al-Sira al-Halabiya by Ali bin Burhan al-Din Halabi, Al-Azhar printing press, 1400, 1:431

Muhammad’s saliva was miraculous and helped in instantaneous surgery and healing!

It was during the Battle of Badr that Abu Jahl severed the hand of Mu’awwidh, Afra’s son. Mu’awwidh went to the Prophet carrying his severed hand, whereupon the Prophet blew some of his spittle on it, replaced it, and it was immediately and miraculously rejoined to his arm.

- Ash-shifa by Qadi ‘Iyad, tr. by Aisha Abdarrahman Bewley (1991), page188-189

 

MUHAMMAD’S SWEAT

Muhammad’s sweat was the most fragrant perfume!

Sahih Muslim 2331 a

Anas b. Malik reported that Allah’s Apostle used to come to our house and there was perspiration upon his body. My mother brought a bottle and began to pour the sweat in that. When Allah’s Apostle got up he said:

Umm Sulaim, what is this that you are doing? Thereupon she said: That is your sweat which we mix in our perfume and it becomes the most fragrant perfume.

- Also in Ash-shifa by Qadi ‘Iyad, tr. by Gehan Abdel-Raouf Hibah (2009), page 78;

Muhammad’s sweat was collected by his followers and used a perfume!

Sahih Muslim 2331 b; 2331 c

Once Muhammad came to the house of Umm Sulaim and slept in her bed while she was away from her house. On the other day too he slept in her bed. She came and it was said to her:

It is Allah’s Apostle who is having siesta in your house, lying in your bed. She came and found him sweating and his s'"weat falling on the leather cloth spread on her bed. She opened her scent-bag and began to fill the bottles with it. Muhammad was startled and woke up and said: Umm Sulaim, what are you doing? She said: Allah’s Messenger, we seek blessings for our children through it. Thereupon he said: You have done something right.

Muhammad’s mole smelled like Musk!

Al-Muzny and Al-Harby narrated on the authority of Jabir: The Prophet made me stand behind him, and thereupon I touched the mole protuberance of Prophethood [a fleshy protuberance on the Prophet’s back which is a divine sign of his Prophetic office] by my mouth, and then it overwhelmed me with the fragrance of musk.

– Ash-shifa by Qadi ‘Iyad, tr. by Gehan Abdel-Raouf Hibah (2009), page 79

I often wonder as to what level of consciousness people used to live in those times, where everything excreted by him was considered sacred and recorded in their sacred scriptures as a part of the Islamic History. Gradually with time as I was studying the tenets of Islam, Islamic history, the Quran and Hadiths, I have realized that these scriptures were nothing more than a memoir written and recorded by a mentally challenged being as sacred historic scriptures. I often wonder how could his feces, urine, blood and spit was considered of medicinal and spiritual significance.

I really feel pity for the so called  "religion" and its believers!

HISTORY OF THE PORTUGUESE INFLUENCE IN BANGLADESH

 

Ancient Portuguese Map showing Portuguese settlements (1724-1726) of the southern part of East Bengal (now known as Bangladesh).  Chittagong was Xetigram, Dhaka was Decca, Diang was Dianga etc.

Very few of us can trace our ancestry back far enough to identify a forebear who crossed the oceans from an ancient Portuguese province of Lusitania and settled in the Indian Sub-Continent and so, I decided to record the history of the Gonsalves (my grandfather) and the Rozario (my grandmother) family beginning with the history of the early Portuguese settlers to illustrate to my siblings and all my cousins and their children, their Portuguese roots.

I have to make this very clear that I am not a historian but my burning desire to know my maternal origin I had to take a deep dive into history which ultimately created this unquenchable thirst toward history and historical facts.

Prior to embarking on my genealogically journey to record the Gonsalves / Rozario ancestry, I had to go back in time to where they originated from and how my ancestors ended up in East Bengal and in order to do that I went back in time to a province in Portugal that was known as Lusitania. In this endeavour, I will also attempt to briefly describe how the Portuguese colonized Goa and then moved further East and landed in Chittagong moving north to Dhaka and Noakhali.

Lusitania (Portuguese: Lusitânia, Spanish: Lusitania) or Hispania Lusitana was an ancient Iberian Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river and part of modern Spain (the present autonomous community of Extremadura and a small part of the province of Salamanca). It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people (an Indo-European people). Its capital was Emerita Augusta (currently Mérida, Spain), and it was initially part of the Roman Republic province of Hispania Ulterior, before becoming a province of its own in the Roman Empire. Romans first came to the territory around the mid 2nd century BC. A war with Lusitanian tribes followed, from 155 to 139 BC. In 27 BC, the province was created.

As with the Roman names of many European countries, Lusitania was and is often used as an alternative name for Portugal, especially in formal and literary or poetic contexts. The 16th century colony that would develop into Brazil was named Nova Lusitânia ("New Lusitania") [after being named Vera Cruz] In common use are such terms as Lusophone, meaning Portuguese-speaking, and Lusitanic, referring to the Community of Portuguese Language Countries—once Portugal's colonies and presently independent countries still sharing some common heritage.

To get a somewhat clear understanding of my maternal genealogy, I had to look even deeper into my maternal ancestry and my research took me on a journey to the ancient Lusitanian World  where I found that the Lusitani, who were Indo-European and may have come from the Alps, established themselves in the region in the 6th century BC, but historians and archeologists are still undecided about their origins. Some modern authors consider them to be an indigenous people who were initially dominated by the Celts, before gaining full independence from them. This hypothesis is also backed by Avienus, who wrote Ora Maritima, inspired by documents from 6th century BC, and describes the coastal Iberians. The investigator Lambrino defended the position that the Lusitanians were a tribal group of Celtic origin related to the Lusones (a tribe that inhabited the east of Iberia). Possibly, both tribes came from the Swiss mountains. But some prefer to see the Lusitanians as a native Iberian tribe, resulting from intermarriage between different tribes. The first area colonized by the Lusitani was probably the Douro valley and the region of Beira Alta; in Beira they stayed until they defeated the Celts and other tribes, then they expanded to cover a territory that reached Estremadura before the arrival of the Romans.

The connection between Lusitania (or Portugal) and the India began with the first Portuguese encounter with the subcontinent on 20 May 1498 when Vasco da Gama reached Calicut on Malabar Coast. Anchored off the coast of Calicut, the Portuguese invited native fishermen on board and immediately brought some Indian items. Gama's expedition was successful beyond all reasonable expectation, bringing in cargo that was worth sixty times the cost of the expedition.

Another Portuguese named Pedro Álvares Cabral sailed to India, marking the arrival of Europeans to Brazil on the way, to trade for pepper and other spices, negotiating and establishing a factory at Calicut, where he arrived on 13 September 1500. However, the locals and Arab merchants were not too happy with the presence of foreigners and matters worsened when the Portuguese factory at Calicut was attacked by surprise by the locals, resulting in the death of more than fifty Portuguese. Cabral was outraged by the attack on the factory and seized ten Arab merchant ships anchored in the harbour, killing about six hundred of their crew and confiscating their cargo before burning the ships. Cabral also ordered his ships to bombard Calicut for an entire day in retaliation for the violation of the agreement. In Cochin and Cannanore Cabral succeeded in making advantageous treaties with the local rulers. Cabral started the return voyage on 16 January 1501 and arrived in Portugal with only 4 of 13 ships on 23 June 1501.  In 1502, the Portuguese built the Pulicat fort with the help of  a local ruler.

Vasco da Gama once again sailed to India for a second time with 15 ships and 800 men, arriving at Calicut on 30 October 1502, where the local ruler was willing to sign a treaty. Gama this time made a call to expel all Muslims (Arabs) from Calicut which was vehemently turned down. He bombarded the city and captured several rice vessels. He returned to Portugal in September 1503.

In 1509, Alfonso de Albuquerque, who was serving the Portuguese government in India as a naval commander, was appointed viceroy (governor) of the Portuguese possessions in India.  A year later in 1510, he defeated the Sultan of Bijapur with the help of the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire, leading to the establishment of a permanent settlement in Velha Goa (or Old Goa). The Southern Province, also known simply as Goa, was the headquarters of Portuguese India, and seat of the Portuguese viceroy who governed the Portuguese possessions in Asia.  Alfonso de Albuquerque strengthened Hindu-Portuguese relations by permitting the Portuguese to take Indian wives – hence, the origin of today’s Goan Christians. However, his attitude towards the Muslims was one of bitter hostility. He died five years later in 1515.

 

Now to make a connection with the Portuguese colonization of the Southern Indian Province of Goa and East Bengal, I will move to Chittagong (Xatigan in Portuguese), which today is the second largest city and main port of Bangladesh, was home to a thriving trading post of the Portuguese Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries.

During the twilight years of the sultanate, the first Portuguese expedition in Bengal landed in Chittagong on 9 May 1518. Providing access to the rest of Bengal through the Meghna-Padma-Jamuna river links and to the rest of the world via the Bay of Bengal, the Chittagong port became the most important for the Portuguese. They called it "Porto Grande" (Large Harbour). In 1536-37 the Portuguese established trading stations or "feitorias" in both Chittagong and Satgaon (referred to as "Porto Pequeno", Small Harbour) after receiving permission from Sultan Ghiyasuddin Mahmud Shah who also gave them custom house in both these towns.  Hence, Chittagong was the first European colonial enclave in the historic region of Bengal.

In the last two decades of the sixteenth century, during the Mughal push into the heart of the delta, the Portuguese established the major port of Hooghly (downstream from Satgaon), built up their community in Chittagong, and established mercantile colonies in and around Dhaka. The Portuguese settled at Dacca about 1580. The remains of the Portuguese trading factory, close to the church of Our Lady of Rosary, were still evident in 1919 .  Although the Portuguese never replaced Asian merchants in Bengal’s maritime trade, as is often supposed, the appearance of European merchants in the sixteenth century certainly stimulated demand for Bengali manufactures, which served to accelerate local production of those goods. 

The settlement of Chittagong (or Chotogam in the local dialect) grew into a great trading center. The Jesuits erected two churches and a residence. About 1590 the Portuguese also captured the fort of Chittagong and made the island of Sandwip a tributary. In 1598 there were 2,500 Portuguese and Eurasians in Chittagong and Arakan. In 1602 Sandwip was conquered by Domingo Carvalho and Manuel de Mattos. This island was, however, lost a short time later (1605 ?).

Towards the end of the 16^th  century, the Portuguese also settled in Dianga (today’s Bunder or Feringhi Bunder), opposite to Chittagong across the southern bank of the Karnaphuli River. In 1607 the King of Arakan massacred about 600 Portuguese inhabitants of Dianga. The Portuguese settled again in Dianga after 1615. Despite the Dianga massacre a small number of Portuguese managed to escape and settled on an island at the mouth of the Ganges.

Portuguese pirates, named Sebastião Gonçalves Tibau and Carvalho, leading 400 Portuguese, attacked and conquered the island of Sandwip and ruled the island for several years having under his command a force of 1,000 Portuguese. Each year about 300 salt loaded ships sailed for Liverpool from Sandwip. Sandwip was very famous for its ship-building and salt industries at that time. In 1616, after the arrival of Delwar Khan, a high-ranking Mughal naval officer, the Portuguese pirates were driven away from Sandwip and Delwar Khan ruled the island independently for about 50 years. 

After Tibau’s defeat the Portuguese in Eastern Bengal (out of the control of Goa) devoted themselves to piracy. They allied with the King of Arakan and settled in Dianga and Chittagong. They allied with the King of Arakan and settled in Dianga and Chittagong. When the Mughals took Chittagong in 1665, they moved to Ferenghi Bazar** (South of today’s Dacca), where Portuguese descendents still reside to the present day.

The harbor of Chittagong became the most important port to the Portuguese because of its location, navigational facilities and safe anchorage. The port is very close to the mouth of the Meghna which was the principal route to the Royal capital of Gouda.

Evidently the Portuguese found Chittagong a congenial place to live. By the end of the sixteenth century. The Chittagong port had emerged as a thriving port, which attracted both unofficial Portuguese trade and settlement. According to a 1567 note of Caesar Federeci, every year thirty or thirty five ships, great and small, anchored in Chittagong port. In 1598 there lived about 2,500 Portuguese and Eurasians in Chittagong and Arakan.

The increased commercial presence included bureaucrats, merchants, missionaries, soldiers, adventurers, sailors and pirates. The enclave had a highly laissez-faire administration led by traders. Slave trade and piracy flourished. Major traded products included fine silk, cotton muslin textiles, bullion, spices, rice, timber, salt and gunpowder

**  There are two Ferenghi Bazars – one in Dacca and one in Chittagong

 

A painting indicating the battle between the Portuguese and the Mughals in Karnaphuli River in 1666.

 

Painting of ships moored off Chittagong in the late 1820s.

 

Christianity spread across Bengal by the Portuguese traders along with the Christian missionaries. Although Christianity had already reached Bengal with St. Thomas the Apostle in 52 CE, the Portuguese set up the first Christian churches in Chittagong. The Portuguese merchants, most of whom were Christian, called Chittagong as Porto Grande de Bengala. In 1498, Christian explorer Vasco de Gama traveled Bengal.

The Roman Catholic Church was established in Bengal during Portuguese rule in Chittagong. The port city was the seat of the first Vicar Apostolic of Bengal. The Portuguese also encouraged intermarriage with the local population. 

 

The ancient name of NOAKHALI, or NOACOLLY, is actually Bhulua. In the 1660s (it was renamed to Noakhali in 1868), the agricultural activities of the north-eastern region of Bhulua were seriously affected by floodwater of the Dakatia River following from the Tripura hills. To salvage the situation, a canal was dug in 1660 that ran from the Dakatia through Ramganj, Sonaimuri and Chaumuhani to divert water flow to the junction of the river Meghna and Feni. After excavating this long canal, Bhulua began to be known as "Noakhali". The name "Noakhali" was originated from the term Noa (New) and Khal (Canal).  The Christian population in Noakhali are mostly direct descendants of Portuguese colonials and they still carry Portuguese family names. Under a truce with East India Company, Portuguese colonials were forced to leave Noakhali and Barisal coast and resettled in Goa, Domon and Dew of India. But they left behind the non-combatant Portuguese civilians. Most of the Portuguese Forts and Churches in the district were destroyed when Noakhali city submerged in the Meghna River.

Father Francesco Fernandes and Father Domingo da Sousa -- two Portuguese Jesuit missionaries from Hooghly -- with the permission of Raja Pratapadittya (1561-1611), built the first church of Bangladesh at Chandecan (also called Chandika, Iswaripur or Old Jessore) in the Sunderbans forest area of the present district of Satkhira. They dedicated their church on January 1, 1600. Later, Father Francesco Fernandes and Father Andre Boves built a small chapel in Chittagong. This is the second church in East Bengal. The first Mass was offered there on June 24, 1601. Later Portuguese Jesuits had to discontinue their work in East Bengal, but they were replaced by Portuguese Augustinian priests.

Christianity also spread to Bhulua (old name of Noakhali District), Bacola (or Bakla or Chandradwip or Bakerganj), Chandipur (Chandpur), Padrishibpur of Barisal District, Tejgaon of present Dhaka city, Dhaka, Nagori (of Gazipur District), Sripur (of Munshiganj District, but eroded into the Padma River), Loricul (or Norikul of Dhaka District), Katrabo (or Katarab of Dhaka District), and Hosenpur (of Netrakona District), and so on.

According to the Analecta Augustiniana (Augustinian Analects or selected reports) of 1682, the whole of Bengal had 27,000 Catholics. Among them, the West Bengal had 12,880 Catholics and East Bengal (known today as Bangladesh) had 14,120 Catholics: Dhaka - 2,000, Chandipur (Chandpur) - 2,000, Loricul (Noricul) - 2,000, Tejgaon - 700, Iswaripur or Old Jessore - 400, Bhusana (in present Gopalganj District) - 20, and Dianga (Diang) and Chittagong - 7,000.

The Portuguese, who married local Bengali women, naturally converted them to Christianity. In some other cases, no doubt, there were forced conversions, but, in most cases, missionaries converted low-caste Hindus, who were victims of discrimination and ill treatment from fellow high-caste Hindus. In order to improve their status, they accepted Christianity. It is to be noted that conversions to Christianity from Muslim community were very few.

Muslims and Hindus in the Indian subcontinent (present-day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) used to call the Portuguese and other Europeans, who were whites, Firingi (or Feringhi), and local converted Christians, who were dark in colour, Kala Firingi -- kala means 'dark.' The Arabic/Persian word of Farang means 'foreigner.' From farang evolved the word Firingi (or Feringhi). 

 

From Chittagong, the Portuguese proceeded to establish settlements in other Bengali ports and cities, notably Satgaon, Bandel and Dhaka. Satgaon became known as Porto Pequeno (Little Haven). Portogola in Old Dhaka hosted the city's Portuguese community. 

 

Like Portuguese-converted Catholics elsewhere in the world, Roman Catholic Christians in the greater Dhaka District, and the districts of Chittagong, Noakhali and Barisal still to this day carry Portuguese names, especially surnames (last names) instead of their paternal names they had at the time of their conversions. When the Portuguese first converted them, they gave them the first names after Catholic saints and changed their Bengali surnames to Portuguese ones.

This change of names had dual purpose: First, the Portuguese wanted that local converts take the changed names so that they could be identified instantly as Christians. Second, they wanted to uproot the new Christians from the influence of their former Hindu society. They knew that if names were changed, these people could not revert to their former religion, nor could they be accepted easily by their Hindu relatives.

Some of the first names that the Portuguese gave to the new Christians were thus: Antonio (Anthony), Augustinho (Augustine), Domingo (Dominic), Pedro (Peter), Rosa (Rose), Maria (Mary) and so on. These first names continued for a long time, but, later, with the arrival of non-Portuguese missionaries, the first names began to be given in English.

The Portuguese surnames, though, are still continuing today in Bangladesh. Some of these are: Ascensao (Ascension of Jesus), Costa (coast), Corraya or Correia (belt; strap), Cruz (the cross of Christ), da Costa or D'Costa (of or from the coast), da Cruz or D'Cruz (of or from the cross), da Rosario (da Rozario) or D'Rosario or D'Rozario (of or from the rosary -- of the Virgin Mary), da Sa or D'Sa (of or from the manor house; this particular Portuguese surname is wrongly written as Dessai in Bangladesh -- actually, Dessai or Desai is an Indian Gujrati word meaning 'landlord'), da Silva or D'Silva (of or from the forest), da Sousa (da Souza) or D'Sousa (D'Souza) (of or from the salt-marsh), Dias (days), Dores (sorrows), Gomes (a man; a male), Gonsalves (battle; one who fought without weapons), Mendes (son or descendant of Mendel or Mendo), Palma (palm tree), Pereira (pear tree), Pinheiro or Penheiro (pine tree), Peres (or Pires or Piris) (rock), Purificasao (purification), Rego (ditch; furrow), Ribeiro or Rebeiro (river), Rodrigues (famous power), Rosario or Rozario (the rosary of the Virgin Mary), Serrao (of or from the mountain), Silva (of or from the forest), Sousa or Souza (salt-marsh), and Toscano (a man from Tuscany -- of Italy).

This legacy of these Portuguese names is still alive. Now with increasing migration of Bangladeshi Catholic Christians, these names are also visible among them in different part of the world.  

However, besides the conversion, there were Portuguese who enjoyed the lavish lifestyle in the Indian sub-Continent.  Many of them had families back in Portugal and so these men went back and returned to the Indian sub-Continent with their families and settled there.

Hence now you had two classes of people of Portuguese descent .. one local with Portuguese ancestry and the other Portuguese who left their homeland to settle in the Indian sub-Continent.

 

The descendants of the Portuguese traders in Chittagong are known as Firingis. They live in the areas of Patherghata and Firingi Bazaar in Old Chittagong. There are numerous Portuguese loanwords in the Bengali language, including many common household terms, particularly in Chittagonian Bengali.

Can you imagine Bengali cuisine without roshmolai or chillies?  Or the Bengali language without pao-ruti or janala?

These words were not originally in the Bengali vocabulary. They are the centuries-old remnants of a complicated history with the Portuguese, which seeped into the Bengali language and food, and whose flavour still lingers on the tips of our tongues.

According to some accounts, it was the Portuguese who introduced the process of making ricotta cheese (chhana), which lead to a variety of mouth-watering Bengali sweets such as roshmolai and shondesh. Moreover, the Portuguese were already renowned confectioners and bakers. It is through them we have our pao-ruti (the Portuguese word for bread is pão) and steamed egg tarts. The Portuguese brought many exotic fruits, flowers and plants, especially from their South American Brazilian colony. They introduced chillies, delonix regia (or Krishnachura in Bangla)), potatoes, tomatoes, cashews, guavas, pineapples, papayas and Alfonso mangoes to Bengal.

Household words such as janala, almari, verandah are also of Portuguese origin. Peculiarly, the Portuguese meddled with the most intimate of Bangali attire: the sari. Chittagonian women still refer to them as saya and kamis, Portuguese words meaning skirt and shirt respectively. They also introduced non-Portuguese words from their other colonies, for example kerani (clerk) from Malay, and ananás (pineapple) from Guarani, an indigenous Brazilian language.

 

A Portuguese missionary in British Calcutta published the first book on Bengali grammar. The oldest churches in Bangladesh and West Bengal trace their origins to Portuguese missionary missions which arrived in Chittagong in the 16th century. Most Bangladeshi Christians have Portuguese surnames.

After the independence of Bangladesh, Portugal recognized it on 20 December 1974 following the Carnation Revolution, when it established relations with many decolonized nations. The Portuguese have had a great influence on trade, culture, character and language of the people of Chittagong.

Very few physical vestiges of the Portuguese presence are found at present in Chittagong and Bengal, generally. Darul Adalat, the first court building of Chittagong is located in the Government Hazi Mohammad Mohsin College campus, is a structure built by the Portuguese. The structure is locally known as Portuguese Fort. According to college documents, the Mohsin College authorities bought the building along with the hill from government in 1879 at the price of 30 thousand taka. From then on, they used it for various purposes and abandoned it in 2002, terming it 'risky'. Later, they planned to demolish the building in 2009 to replace it with a new one.  But the government halted the plan considering its historic importance. Initiative has been taken by the Department of Archaeology of Bangladesh to preserve the vestige. 

Darul Adalat building is located inside the Mohsin College compound, on top of the Madrasa hill. It is commonly known as the Portuguese building or fort to the locals.

There are few churches and ruins. Some geographical place names remain, like Dom Manik Islands, Point Palmyras on the Orissa coast, Firingi Bazaar in Dhaka and Chittagong.

By the early eighteenth century, the Potuguese settlements on the southeastern coast were located at Dianga, Feringhee Bazar in Chittagong district and in the municipal ward of Jamal Khan in Chittagong.

In closing, I would have to say that while conducting my genealogical research on my maternal family I learned that the Portuguese had a tremendous influence in Bangladesh.  What I also learned is that my grandmother’s ancestors - the Rozario family were very influential in East Bengal especially in Noakhali.   DNA results of my cousins from my mom's side have also confirmed that the Gomes family (which is also one of our ancestors)  had the biggest Portuguese trading fleet that used to travel on the Hooghly.  The Gomes family owned land in Bandel and in Calcutta.  There are two roads in Calcutta i.e. Dixon & Gomes Lanes, one is still remaining. Unfortunately, the vast lands that was once owned by the family, the deeds were held by the Monsignor at the Bandel Church and was destroyed after his death.  The Bishop who took over after the first Bishop's death made a deal with the Bengal Government whereby the Government took possession of the Calcutta properties and the Bandel Church was given ownership of the Bandel properties that the family owned.  The family lost most of its wealth almost overnight. 

The Land of Israel was always called the Promised Land

 

Let’s get back to the basics. The religion of Islam is around 1,500 years old. That is 500 years younger than Christianity. That is around 2,500 years younger than Judaism.

So, when did the claim to the Land of Palestine begin by Arabs? Is this a new or old claim? Haven’t Arabs been in the Middle East for thousands of years? Well, yes – Arabs have lived in the Middle East, known as the fertile crescent for many thousands of years. The main population centers for Arabs were what is today called Iraq, part of Syria, and Egypt. But there were indeed tribes of Arabs who traveled across areas such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, today’s Israel, and as far south as Sudan and West Africa.

So, what was the status of the Land of Israel for the thousands of years since the Jewish people were forcefully kicked out during the Roman conquest 2,000 years ago? It’s actually not so complicated. Despite the ongoing small presence of Jewish people in the Land of Israel, the Land was basically an empty Land with a few pockets of hundreds of families. Jerusalem, Tiberias, and a few other places had no more than a total of tens of thousands of people, mainly Jewish – for nearly 1,900 years!

The Land was just called the Promised Land, but it did not bring forth much blessing at all – until the end of the 19th century, when the great return of the Jewish people began to pick up steam. Then, and only then, did thousands of Arabs start to move towards the Land of Israel – for some better prospects of income.

Any attempt to ascribe nationalist motivations to Arabs who moved from Syria or Saudi Arabia or Egypt into the Land of Israel is all part of the Great Lie. They were as connected to the Land of Israel as they are connected to Arabs who have moved recently to Germany or Sweden. This short video below is part of the unmasking of the Great Lie.

PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC SCHOLAR SHOCKED THE MUSLIM WORLD WITH THIS SPEECH IN AL-AQSA MOSQUE

In an address at the Al-Aqsa Mosque posted on the Aqsa Call YouTube channel on April 14, 2023, Palestinian Islamic scholar Issam Amira said that Palestinians are no more Canaanite than Egyptians are Pharaonic. Rather, he said that the Palestinians are Muslims, and had had no rights whatsoever prior to the advent of Islam. He added that when late PLO leader Yasser Arafat referred to the Palestinian people as a (Canaanite) “nation of giants,” he was cursing and humiliating his own people.

Click on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjVie2Quo6Y

 

WHY ISLAM IS NOT A RELIGION OF PEACE

Islam is definitely not the same as Christianity or Judaism as Muslims will try their best to make you believe, and wishful thinking won't make it so.

 THE WORD ISLAM MEANS SUBMISSION

We are told time and time and again that Islam is a religion of peace; anyone telling you that is just engaged in uninformed, wishful thinking or is deliberately trying to deceive you.

First of all, we should know that Islam means “submission,” not peace. This does not imply mere voluntary submission but includes a forced submission where subjects will not comply. Historically Islam is not known for its peace movements, but for a uniquely Arab word we all know as “jihad,” which means an offensive war intended to lead to the conversion of the infidel to Islam or his annihilation.

Dave Hunt notes: “Islam is fighting a holy war for control of the world! That war was begun by Mohammed himself in the seventh century and is still carried on today by his faithful followers through terrorism. The terrorists are not radicals or extremists, as the media continually labels them. Instead, these are Islamic fundamentalists who are true to their religion and the teachings of the Quran and who follow faithfully in the footsteps of their great Prophet, Mohammed.”

As one former Muslim and Islamic scholar has said: “We must never imagine that such Muslims are being unnecessarily wicked. They are simply being faithful to their religion. The fact is never hidden as to the attitude a good Muslim should have towards Christians and Jews. In fact, much of the incitement to violence and war in the whole of the Quran is directed against the Jews and Christian who rejected what they felt to be the strange god Mohammed was try to preach.” (Emphasis added:  Dave Hunt, A Cup of Trembling: Jerusalem and Bible Prophecy (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 1995, pp. 196-97..)

It appears that the fundamentalists versions of Islam are closer to historic Islam than those who are followers of so-called modern “mainstream” Islamic expressions. Non fundamentalist Muslims are the ones who have changed historically and moved away from the historic Islam.

Anyone with even a casual acquaintance with Islam knows that the Quran is the authoritative scripture for the Muslim. Yet observe the many direct quotes from the Quran advocating militancy toward the non-Muslim. There are probably more that could be cited, but these are some that this novice was able to glean from Islam’s so called “holy” book.

The Quran dictates repeatedly that its followers must convert you to Islam or kill you if you refuse to convert.

Much of the Quran speaks not about religion but only about how one must submit; it commands how one must live, dress, treat women and slaves, and practice jihad.

Islam is absolutely NOT a religion of peace at all; the perpetrators of terrorism are following the edicts clearly given in the Surahs (verses) that constitute the Quran, their holy book.

The Quran (translated by N.J. Dawood) says the following:

"We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve, for that they have associated with Allah for which He has sent down no authority, and their abode in the Fire; and how bad is the abode of the unjust!" (Surah Al-Imran 3:151)

"And kill them (non-Muslims) wherever you find them … kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers (non-Muslims)." (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:191)

"When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them" (Surah At-Tawbah 9:5).

"When you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield, strike off their heads" (Surah Muhammad 47:4).

"Prophet, make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal rigorously with them. Hell shall be their home: an evil fate" (Surah At-Tawbah 9:73).

"The true believers fight for the cause of God, but the infidels fight for the devil. Fight then against the friends of Satan" (Surah An-Nisa 4:76).

 "Muhammad is God's Apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another" (Surah Al-Fath 48:29).

So, who are these idolaters and unbelievers and infidels? Those who are not strict Muslims.

The non-Islamic must wake up and realize that we are at war.   A war that cannot be won by being politically correct, appeasing, ignoring or coddling the enemy.  Those who strongly believe in the evil ideologies of the Quran, the Hadiths and Islamic terrorists are not going to just go away and leave us alone.

According to their Quran, they must persist until we are either all converted to Islam or killed.

We must never forget Winston Churchill’s warning because he understood this problem well when he wrote, "How dreadful are the curses which Muhammadism lays on its votaries! … Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in this world."

Muhammad founded Islam with the sword. His followers maintained Islamic rule with the sword. Subsequent generations have always spread Islam’s oppressive rule beyond the Arabian Peninsula with the sword. One cannot be a true follower of Islam without holding to the tenants of the Quran, which also advocates forced submission to its rule. How can anyone who knows much about Islam deny this?

So, why are so many in Canada, the United States and the West inclined to want to believe that Islam is a peaceful religion and not the militant movement that desires to conquer the world through Jihad? In general, it is most likely because of liberal enlightenment beliefs that dominate their mindset. Just as liberals change Christianity from something that includes the literal Word of God in the Bible that has occurred literally in history to the words of man that contain human ideas and universal human ethics. Western Muslims are often “liberal,” by Middle Eastern standards, in their interpretations of Islam. Just as liberal “Christians” deny direct biblical statements and reinterpret Christianity as something that they want it to be, so also do Muslims, primarily in the West. It is only in this way can anyone could attempt to represent Islam as a peaceful religion.

Biblical Christianity does not advocate the use of the sword to spread its message of forgiveness from sin by faith alone in Christ alone. The Bible advocates propagation of its message through the preaching of the gospel and verbal persuasion. Of course, Christians have the secret weapons of prayer and the Holy Spirit that works behind the scene in conjunction with the preaching of the gospel.

Is Christianity a religion of peace? Christianity is a religion of peace to those who come to know the grace of God through belief in the gospel message. Christianity is a peaceful religion in that Scripture does not advocate the spread of its message in any way through the sword, but with words only. However, the Bible clearly does teach that God, not mankind, will judge those who reject the gospel message of Jesus, His Son. Paul says the following in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10: “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.”

 

THE TRUTH ABOUT SHARIA

 

The result of Sharia Law 

I’m not trying to be an alarmist........ I am a realist. 

Now you would ask me “What is a realist?” A realist is someone who looks at things as they are in life and deal with them in a practical manner.

When you are a realist, you see the world “as it is,” and you have the natural inclination to view all sides of an issue from an objective stance. Realists are not as swayed by unconscious bias or idealistic aims that easily move most people. Rather, they see the truth and prefer it to be unvarnished.

Some positive characteristics of realists are that they are clear-headed, grounded, non-judgmental, objective, and can sort out fact from fiction. They have a great sense of perception. Events in life seem transparent to these people because they are able to predict the outcome of various situations. Since they tell things exactly as they are, their vision is not distorted by a need to interpret things otherwise. They regard the world as a continually interesting series of events with unending variety and they approve of it. For realists, their mode of seeing is primarily through action as it occurs. Meanings or moods within an action are not as important as the bare event itself.

As a realist, I see the world the way it is and I’m not afraid to speak the truth even though many may not agree with me.  I am absolutely positive that many of you reading this article and what I am about to say, will not agree with me....but.......... it is the truth.  All you have to do is look around you and be prepared to face reality.

Now to get into my topic THE TRUTH ABOUT SHARIA, I have to by saying that Islam is not a peaceful religion. In fact, Islam is not a religion but rather an ideology. The Quran proves that time and time and again. The truth -- there are 4 stages of Islam: 

      1. Infiltration

      2.Consolidation of power

      3. Open war with leadership and culture

      4.Totalitarian Islamic Theocracy

After immersing myself in the Quran and Hadiths and as someone from the outside looking in with an unbiased and open mind, Islam, in my opinion, is an enemy to all -- but especially to women. It is always very upsetting when I hear of torture and death of women at the whims of men -- fathers and husbands who obey the Quran. I won’t get into specifics because it is upsetting but, one has to ask the question "What kind of demonstration of peace is that?"

There is argument about Muslims being peaceful. Those who are so-called 'peaceful' are not the true followers of Islam. They do not walk out or live out the dictates of the Quran. It is those who obey the Quran explicitly who are a threat to Judea-Christian / non Muslim society.  Below is a list of evil and oppressive laws according to the Quran and Hadiths (Hadiths are supposedly Muhammad’s words).

 According to Sharia law:

           1.    Muslims are to subjugate the world under Islam (Quran Surah At-Tawbah 9:29).

2.    Criticizing Muhammad or denying that he is a prophet is punishable by death.

3.    Criticizing or denying Allah is punishable by death.

4.    Criminals of genocide, mass-rape, looting etc (Hiraba) will not be punished if they repent.

5.    Muslims should engage in Taqiyya and lie to non-Muslims to advance Islam (Quran Surah An-Nahl 16:106).  According to the authoritative Arabic text, Al-Taqiyya Fi Al-Islam: "Taqiyya [deception] is of fundamental importance in Islam. Practically every Islamic sect agrees to it and practices it. We can go so far as to say that the practice of taqiyya is mainstream in Islam, and that those few sects not practicing it diverge from the mainstream...Taqiyya is very prevalent in Islamic politics, especially in the modern era."

6.    Theft is punishable by amputation of the hands (Quran Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:38)

7.    No retaliation for parents and grandparents for killing their offspring.

8.    Amputation punishments for successive thefts: 1st left hand, 2nd right hand, 3rd left foot, 4th right foot, 5th head.

9.    You can enslave for sex or work (Quran Surah An-Nisa 4:3 & 4:24; Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:89;  Surah Al-Ahzab 33:50; Surah Al-Mujadila 58:3 and  Surah Al-Ma'arij 70:30)

10.  One can have sexual intercourse with a captive woman after she is clear of her period and/or delivery. If she has a husband, then her marriage is abrogated when she becomes a captive.

11.  You will kill non-Muslims to receive 72 virgins in Heaven (Quran Surah At-Tawbah 9:111)

12.  Muslim men have sexual rights to any woman/girl not wearing the Hijab. Taharrush Gamea is the coordinated seхual assault of a girl or a woman in public by a mass of Muslim men. Taharrush Gamea is not a “game” as some Muslims claim. In Arabic, Taharrush means “harassment,” Jinsi means “seхual,” and Gamea (pronounced and spelled, Jamai by non-Egyptian Muslims) means “mass” or “group.”

13.  You can beat sex slaves (Quran Surah An-Nisa 4:34)

14.  Kill Jews and Christians if they do not convert or pay a Jizya tax (Quran Surah At-Tawbah 9:29)

15.  A man-made government, such as democracy, is an abomination and must be eliminated.

16.  A percentage of Zakat (alms) must go towards jihad.

17.  Jihad defined as "to war against non-Muslims to establish the religion." According to sharia law it is the duty of every Muslim and 'Not performing jihad or fleeing from combat with unbelievers" is considered an enormity crime, and duty of every Muslim head of state (Caliph). Muslim Caliphs who refuse jihad are in violation of Sharia and unfit to rule.

18.  You will terrorize non-Muslims (Quran Surah Al-Anfal 8:12 &  8:60)

19.  A Muslim shall not be put to death for murdering an unbeliever.

20.  Fight everyone in the way of Allah and kill those who disbelieve Mohammad (Ibn Ishaq 992)

21.  A Muslim who becomes a non-Muslim is punishable by death.

22.  A non-Muslim who leads a Muslim away from Islam is punishable by death.

23.  A non-Muslim man who marries a Muslim woman is punishable by death.

24.  A woman or girl who has been raped cannot testify in court against her rapist(s).

25.  Testimonies of 4 male witnesses are required to prove rape of a female (Quran Surah An-Nur 24:13).

26.  A woman or girl who alleges rape without producing 4 male witnesses is guilty of adultery.

27.  A woman or girl found guilty of adultery is punishable by death.

28.  A male convicted of rape can have his conviction dismissed by marrying his victim.

29.  A woman can have 1 husband, a man can have up to 4 wives, but Muhammad can have 9.

30.  A man can marry an infant girl and consummate the marriage when she is 9 years old.

31.  Girls’ clitoris should be cut (Muhammad’s words, Book 41, Kitab Al-Adab, Hadith 5251).

32.  A man can beat his wife for insubordination (see Quran Surah An-Nisa 4:34).

33.  A man can unilaterally divorce his wife; a wife needs her husband’s consent to divorce.

34.  A divorced wife loses custody of all children over 6 years of age or when they exceed it.

35.  A woman’s testimony in court, allowed in property cases, carries ½ the weight of a man’s.

36.  A female heir inherits half of what a male heir inherits.

37.  A woman cannot speak alone to a man who is not her husband or relative.

38.  Meat to eat must come from animals that have been sacrificed to Allah – i.e., be “Halal.”

39.  Husbands are obliged to provide only food, clothes and accommodation to wives. Anything else including doctor’s fees, medicines etc is a charity to her. A rebellious wife does not get anything.

All of the above is an exposition on doctrine and its various manifestations, not an assertion on the actual practices of the average Muslim. The deciding question is how literally any given Muslim follows sharia and its worldview.

So-called "moderate" Muslims – or, more specifically, secularised Muslims – do not closely adhere to sharia, and therefore have little to dissemble about. On the other hand, "radical" Muslims who closely observe sharia law, which splits the world into two perpetually warring halves, will always have a "divinely sanctioned" right to deceive, until "all chaos ceases, and all religion belongs to Allah" (Quran Surah Al-Anfal 8:39).