DR. RASHAD KHALIFA, THE MAN:

DR. RASHAD KHALIFA was born in a religious family on November 19, 1935 in a small town in Egypt, Kafr El-Zayat. His father was a religious leader for a large Sufi group, made of thousands of followers. His father named the Sufi group after his son ,Rashad, when Rashad was still a child, Tariqat Ar-Rashad Al-Shathlya. It is interesting to know that it was the same Sufi group with their idolization of the Muslim Saints (Wali ), the prophet and his family, and their upholding of other books with the Quran that might have started Dr. Khalifa on the road to evaluate the TRUE WORSHIP of GOD ALONE.

Dr. Khalifa finished his university education in Egypt, graduating with honor degree from Ain Shams University, College of Agriculture, before coming to the United states in 1959, where he continued his higher education. He received his Master Degree in Biochemistry from Arizona State University and his Ph.D. from University of California, Riverside. He held several jobs in the United States and in the Middle East. All his jobs were in his field of Biochemistry including his work as a senior advisor in Agriculture and Biochemistry for the United Nations.

Early on, during his life in the USA he was active in the Muslim communities where he lived. He published few Islamic newsletters and publications. He was still attached to the teachings of Islam (Submission) as he learned it from his father as well as the Sufi teachings he was brought up with. He went back to Egypt to work for few years after finishing his PhD before settling in the USA with his wife and two children. He always maintained his Islamic religious activities and appreciated by many who got to know him closely and even adopted his name, e.g. Ahmad Rashad, the former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver/sportscaster.

After many years in the USA and after reading different English translations of the Quran, he was not happy with any single one, specially that his mother tongue was Arabic, the original language of the Quran..All these translations had some violation of some of the basic teachings of the Quran. None of those who translated the Quran spoke Arabic as his mother tongue. Dr. Khalifa was also met with a challenge from his children, while studying Quran with them. They asked him about the meaning of the letters at the beginning of Sura 2 in the Quran, i.e., A,L, M. He did not have an immediate answer for them and did not find a good answer with all the Muslim scholars he asked. He started searching the Islamic text books and references, but he never was satisfied with any of the explanations. The closest explanation he could accept was that these letters represent the miracle of the Quran .

Since his job at that time required contact with the computer he was inspired into using the computer to study the Quran and its mysterious letters (initials) at the beginning of the chapters of the Quran. He decided to put all the Arabic Quran in the Computer and specifically study these initials.

He also decided to begin his own translation of the Quran.With his mother tongue being Arabic, he began to translate the Arabic Quran into, the best available to date, English translation of the Quran. None of his predecessors, for whom he read translations, actually spoke the language of the Quran, i.e., Arabic.

Dr. Khalifa's study of the Quran with the computer, the first of its kind then, resulted in the discovery of one of the greatest miracles of the Quran, as God described it in 74:35. This miracle is based on number 19, mentioned in sura 74. MATHEMATICAL MIRACLE OF THE QURAN.

He published the results in several books, magazines and newspapers, and gave many lectures in many countries of the Muslim world. The Muslim scholars and governments cheered him and treated him like a hero and supported the new discoveries in the Quran.

The momentous discovery that "19" is the common denominator of the Mathematical Miracle of the Quran became a reality in January, 1974. This was coinciding with Zul-Hijjah 1393 A.H. The Quran was revealed in 13 B.H. (Before Hijrah). This makes the number of years from the revelation of the Quran to the discovery of its miracle (in 1974), 1393+13=1406 years. It was more than interesting to notice that 1406 = 19 X 74. The only time number 19 was mentioned in the Quran is in sura 74. The correlation between 19X74 lunar years and 1974 solar years could not escape notice, especially with number 19 mentioned only in sura 74.

Dr. Khalifa continued his service to the Muslim community and continued his Islamic studies. The Mathematical Miracle of the Quran provided a physical proof beyond doubt that the Quran is the word of God. MATHEMATICAL MIRACLE OF THE QURAN.

Through his work, research and study, Dr. Khalifa re-confirmed what God has been saying about Quran:

1. is complete, perfect and fully detailed, (see 6:19,38,114,115; 50:45)
2. is he ONLY acceptable Hadith, (see 7:185, 10:36, 31:6, 39:23, 45:6, 52:34, 68:44, 77:50, 39:29..., etc.).
3. Quran called on the Prophet Muhammed to deliver, preach, live and rule by the Quran ALONE, (see 5:48-50).

With his clear understanding of the Quran and the fact that the hadith books are vastly corrupted, Dr. Khalifa delivered his brave and Quran-supported understanding to the Muslim community. He proclaimed that Quran is the ONLY acceptable law in this great religion. He also emphasized the fact that all the known hadiths books are corrupted beyond recognition and can only be used for its historical value and not for religious guidance or laws.

Dr. Khalifa called on the Muslims to follow the Quran alone and to disregard all the fabrications and lies that filled the Hadith and Sunna books. Dr. Khalifa did not consider the angry reaction of the traditional Muslim scholars and their followers. Dr. Khalifa felt that the truth is more important than the fear of the people's reaction or its result. The Muslim scholars, shocked by his stand after they supported him and his Mathematical discoveries in the Quran, considered him a great risk for their traditional teachings. The risk was specially greater after he received a world wide recognition and support for his discoveries of the Mathematical Miracle of the Quran.

When Dr. Khalifa's view about Quran alone was published, QURAN, HADITH AND ISLAM, a campaign of intimidation, insults, fabrications, and accusations of misconduct against him started. Many of the Muslim Scholars who cheered him for the Mathematical Miracle of the Quran tried to play down its significance even at the expense of the truth. Despite the fierce attacks by the traditionalists on his views that was totally and only Quranic, Dr. Khalifa refused to change his position. He was even offered a large sum of money by one of the Royal Governments in the Middle East to change his position but he refused. He believed that the truth cannot be bought by any sum of money and that the truth belongs only to God ALONE.

During his life in serving the Muslim community, he published one of the best English translations of the Quran available to us today. He never forgot to acknowledge the help and contribution to his translation of some of his close friends and associates. Some of them are still active in preaching the same message of worshipping God alone and following the Quran alone. Even those who criticize his translation for some of its errors still admit to its clarity, simplicity and pure guidance.

Dr. Khalifa called his translation of the Quran "Authorized English version." In doing so, he was clearly declaring his defiance to any man-made authority in giving the permission to translate the Quran, such as those called Islamic councils, committees, government agents or centers. Many of these places consider themselves as having a monopoly on giving the authorization to translate the Quran. Dr. Khalifa flatly rejected such man-made authorization and strongly believed that such authorization belongs only to the author of the Quran Himself, God.

With this belief in his mind, he went ahead with his translation, seeking only the approval and acceptance of God ALONE and called it, "Authorized English Version"

Few years before his death, Dr. Khalifa declared that he is the messenger of the covenant , Messenger of the Covenant, prophesied in the Quran in 3:81. He presented a lengthy document with proofs of his messengership from the Quran. He defended the fact that the Prophet Muhammed was the LAST Prophet according to the Quran but not the LAST messenger, (The Difference between Prophet and Messenger ) also according to the Quran, see 33:40. He emphasized the fact that God is teaching us that, the Prophet Muhammed was one of the prophets who took the covenant mentioned in 3:81. The Prophet Muhammed took it along with the other prophets as per 33:7. Dr. Khalifa put the proofs of his messengership in the appendix of his translation of the Quran for those who would seek such proofs.

He challenged the Muslim scholars in their definition of the word prophet and messenger. Their definition has been totally opposite to what God teaches in the Quran. See 3:81; 3:79; 6:89; 29:27; 45:16; 57:26; 19:51; 19:54..., etc. He declared that a messenger of God would advocate the worship of God alone and not ask for wage. See 10:72; 11:29; 11:51; 26:109; 26:127; 26:145.....etc. He asked everybody to verify his Quranic proof. See 17:36.

In their refusal to listen to the word of God in the Quran, many of the Muslim scholars and their followers increased the campaign of attacks on Dr. Khalifa and on his message. The message that calls on the believers to go back to the Quran and to reject the fabrications and lies that filled the Hadiths and Sunna books. They failed to tackle the issues or defend their wrongdoings that contradict the Quranic commandments. They tried to assail Dr. Khalifa's character and falsely accused him of insulting Prophet Muhammed. They falsely accused him of declaring himself a prophet. This was done despite him clearly admitting to the Quranic fact that Muhammed was the LAST prophet. They attributed many lies to him, to divert the people away from his call on the Muslims to go back to the Quran, the GREAT book they deserted, see 25:30.

Like Prophet Muhammad before him, who has been attacked on the Internet with all kinds of false accusations, Dr. Khalifa was also accused, by what seems to be a pre-arranged scheme, of sexual misconduct with allegations that he adamantly denied. These allegations stemmed from the nature of a U. N. project he was conducting as a biochemist to study human body aura. His accusations, his denial and their insistence on repeating it, were just more examples of how traditional Muslims fail to follow Quran alone, as seen in their failure to follow the commandments of God in Quran in such circumstances. This incident, however, did expose the hypocrites and their allies, who still sing the false accusations in their fading hope of diverting the people away from his message of Quran ALONE, GOD ALONE. These accusations are no different from the accusations on the Internet of prophet Muhammed of sexual misconduct and abuse that can be seen on many anti-Islamic sites. Such sites are all lies and meant to insult Islam (Submission) and the belief in ONE GOD and His book, Quran.

After they failed in assailing his character and in diverting the people away from his call to go back to Quran, they worked hard to call for his murder and to consider him apostate. In February 19, 1989 a group of 38 scholars (38=19X2) met in Saudi Arabia to discuss the issue and position of of Salman Rushdi. They issued a fatwa (a religious decree) that made the headline news in Muslim countries, as well as the Free world Media. The fatwa was very interesting: "both Rashad Khalifa and Salman Rushdi are apostate." The world then knew Salman Rushdi but few knew who was Rashad? Consequently, the issued fatwas meant a calling for Rashad Khalifa's assassination. This assassinated took place in January, 1990. For this task, a group of Black Muslims named Fuqara were used by international terrorist forces operating from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The FBI discovered later that the group Fuqara was related to the group that bombed the World Trade Center on September, 11, 2001, they are related to Al-Qaeda and Usama Bin Laden Click here. By assasinating him. they were hoping to put an end to that strong Quranic message of God ALONE and Quran ALONE, something that never happened and on the contrary shed more light on Dr. Khalifa and his message.

His death was a reminder of the Quranic fact that is well presented in 2:87;

His assassins and those behind them never realized that, NEITHER Dr. Khalifa's discovery of the Mathematical Miracle of the Quran NOR his message, belonged to him, but rather to the AUTHOR of the QURAN HIMSELF. While humans, including prophets and messengers, come and go, God and His message are eternal.

Dr. Khalifa's message is alive today as much as during his life, and is getting stronger everyday. It has been touching the hearts of the true believers of all the religions in the world who usually find the truth by reading the Quran. This is the same message since the day Adam was put on this Earth, and the day the truth came out of the prophet Muhammed's mouth. Those who tried and those who have been trying to put out God's light will never succeed. 9:32 and 61:8.