Muslim-Christian Dialogue
H. M. Baagil, M.D.
WAMY Studies on Islam
Contents
Dialogue
The First Contact between a Christian and a Muslim
The Holy Bible
The Doctrine of the Trinity
The Doctrine of the Divinity of Jesus Christ
The Doctrine of the Divine Son ship of Jesus Christ
Was Jesus Crucified?
The Doctrine of Atonement and Original Sin
Muhammad in the Bible
Both Ishmael and Isaac Were Blessed
Criterion of the Prophet by Jeremiah
Until Shiloh Come
Baca Is Mecca
The House of My Glory
Chariot of Asses and Chariot of Camels
The Prophet Like unto Moses
My Servant, Messenger, and Elect
King David Called Him "My Lord"
Art Thou That Prophet?
Baptizing with the Holy Ghost and with Fire.Acknowledgment
I am an American raised from childhood in the Christian belief. Until I began my soul's
quest for God, I had taken many matters of importance for granted.
After discussions, reading, and rereading the manuscript of the present Muslim-Christian
Dialogue, I have gone over the quotations from the King James Version of the Holy Bible
and the Holy Qur'an.
I finally announce my shahadah (testimony) publicly in English, then in Arabic: I bear
witness that there is no deity except Allah, Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His
servant and messenger (a shhadu an la illaha illa Allah, wahdahu la sharikah lahu wa
ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasulahu).
Through this very basic and simple testimony, I believe many people will submit to Allah
in spirit and truth.
I hope that this short and easy-to-read booklet will be read worldwide and will attract many
who are searching for a true belief where their minds may find rest and satisfaction.
Roy Earl Johnson.Note from the Author
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
This booklet has been written as the result of dialogues that I had with members of the
Christian clergy and laity. The discussions were polite, pleasant, friendly, and constructive
without the slightest intention of hurting the religious feeling of any Christian. It is
provocative and a challenge to Christianity. It is indispensable for those looking for the
truth and those studying Comparative religion.
C: Christian
M or m: Muslim
(pbuh): peace be upon him
(pbut): peace be upon them
(The latter two phrases are said by all pious Muslims after mentioning the name of a
prophet. They will be assumed throughout this booklet).
H. M. Baagil, M. D.
January 1 984.Introduction
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
I am grateful to Allah for the opportunity to read the manuscript of Muslim-Christian
Dialogue and for being asked to write an introduction to this remarkably eye-opening
booklet. Anyone interested in comparative religion will find in this booklet many surprises
that challenge what many once believed to be absolute truths.
This work by Dr. Hasan M. Baagil reflects his meticulous and painstaking effort to present
his findings clearly, concisely, and thoroughly. As a result of his study of Christianity and
the Bible over a four-year period, Dr. Baagil, a dedicated Muslim, learned that Christians
differ in their basic beliefs (i.e., the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, etc.), that Church
doctrine contradicts the Bible numerous times, and that the Bible even contradicts itself!
His conversations with Christian clergy and laity during this period of study have provided
the impetus for the Muslim-Christian Dialogue.
The reader will be surprised to learn that, in the Bible, Jesus (pbuh) never claimed to be
God; that he did not die on the cross; that the miracles performed by him were also
performed by many other prophets and even by disbelievers; and that Jesus himself
prophesied the advent of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon both of them. All of this
plus much more is detailed from clear and concise passages of the Bible. The question that
obviously must be raised after witnessing such clear contradictions is: Is the Bible God's
Word? The effort here by Dr. Baagil is not intended to deride Christian people, and
certainly not to mock Jesus and his teachings, as Allah forbids such activities. The intent is
only to point out that false charges, misrepresentations, and outright lies against Allah and
His prophets are in themselves both deriding and mocking in nature.
Muslim-Christian Dialogue also makes clear the Islamic view and shows how the Qur'an,
revealed to the Prophet Muhammad some six hundred years after Jesus, peace be upon
both of them, corrects the errors that crept (knowingly or unknowingly) into the message
that Jesus brought. This booklet should prove to be a very valuable asset to Muslims and
Christians, particularly given the interest in dialogues between the two faiths. God willing,
it will be an effective tool for Muslims in our efforts to invite Christians to Islam.
Conversely Christians should become more aware of what in fact the Bible says and what
Jesus (pbuh) actually taught as a result of studying this booklet. Indeed, as a Muslim the
hope is that non-Muslims will accept the truth and bear witness to the oneness of Allah and
that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
May Allah reward Dr. Baagil for his efforts to dispel darkness. May Allah's peace be upon
us all.
Muhammad A. Nubee.The First Contact between a Christian and a Muslim
C. Why have there been in the last decade many discussions held between Christians and
Muslims about their beliefs?
M. I think because we both have several things in common. We believe in the One Creator
Who sent many Prophets and in Jesus as the Messiah as well as the Word of God who was
denied by the Jews.
Our Holy Qur'an mentions in Surah 3:45:
[Remember] when the angels said: 'O Mary! Verily Allah gives you the glad tidings
of a Word from Him, his name will be Messiah Jesus, the son of Mary, held in
honor in this world and in the hereafter, and of those who are near to Allah....'
Dialogues have been held everywhere in Europe, Canada, the United States, and Australia.
Even the Vatican has participated: discussions were held between Vatican theologians and
Egyptian Muslim scholars in Rome in 1970 and in Cairo in 1974 and 1978. Another series
of discussions between Vatican theologians and Saudi Arabian Muslim scholars was held
in Rome in 1974. Muslims have also been invited by many churches to present Islam.
C. If Christianity is nearly two thousand years old and Islam more than fourteen hundred
years old, why were these discussions not held centuries ago?
M. For the last three to four centuries, many Asian and African countries that had been
ruled by Muslims were colonized by Britain France, Holland, Belgium, Spain, and
Portugal. Many Christian missionary and religious colonists tried to convert as many
Muslims as they could by whatever means they had: giving medical treatment clothes,
food, and jobs to the poor. However, only a few converted. A small part of the elite was
converted to Christianity because of its belief that Christianity brought civilization and
progress. They adopted this mistaken idea because they believed that western-style
progress was attained after the separation of church and state in Europe.
After the Second World War, many Muslims from Asian and African countries emigrated
to the West as workers and professionals. This brought them into much closer contact with
Christians. Also, students were active in introducing Islam.
C. Do you see other reasons why many dialogues are held nowadays even by their
respective missions?
M. I think the gap between both is becoming smaller as each is more tolerant, although
both are still competing for converts. I still remember my Christian teacher, who used to
say: "Muhammad the imposter, the dreamer, the epileptic." You now find fewer writers
depicting Islam in such a manner..history that Muhammad descended from Ishmael through his second son Kedar. The Davis
Dictionary of the Bible (1980), sponsored by the Board of Christian Education of the
Presbyterian Church in the USA, writes under the word "Kedar": "... A tribe descended
from Ishmael (Gen. 25:13) ... The people of Kedar were Pliny's Cedrai, and from their
tribe Mohammed ultimately arose." The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia quotes
the following from A. S. Fulton: "... Of the Ishmaelite tribes, Kedar must have been one of
the most important and thus in later times the name came to be applied to all the wild tribes
of the desert. It is through Kedar ("Keidar" in Arabic) that Muslim genealogists trace the
descent of Mohammed from Ishmael."
Also Smith's Bible Dictionary prints the following: "Kedar (black). Second son of Ishmael
(Gen. 25:13) ... Mohammed traces his lineage to Abraham through the celebrated Koreish
tribe, which sprang from Kedar. The Arabs in the Hejaz are called Beni Harb (men of
war), and are Ishmaelites as of old, from their beginning. Palgrave says their language is as
pure now as when the Koran was written (A.D. 610), having remained unchanged more
than 1200 years; a fine proof of the permanency of Eastern Institutions."
The biggest asset brought by Muslim immigrants to the West is not their manpower but
Islam, which is now taking root here. Many mosques and Islamic centers have been
established and many people have reverted to Islam. I prefer the word "reverted" and not
"converted," as everybody is born in submission to Allah—Islam—and so being a Muslim
is the nature of every single individual. The parents or the community convert him to
Judaism, Christianity, other faiths, or atheism.
This is also a proof that Islam is not spreading by the sword but simply by propagation on
the part of Muslim individuals or groups. We don't have special missions organized as in
Christian missions.
The world population has increased 136 percent from 1934 through 1984, Christianity with
47 percent and Islam with 235 percent. These figures can be checked in The Plain Truth,
February 1984, in its fiftieth anniversary issue, quoting from The World Almanac and
Book of Facts 1935, and The Reader's Digest Almanac and Yearbook 1983.
C. If all three religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, claim to emanate from the One
and same Creator, why do they differ?
M. All prophets from Adam to Muhammad were sent with the same message: man's total
submission to Allah. In Arabic, this submission is called "Islam," which also means peace,
peace between the Creator and His creatures. Unlike the names Judaism and Christianity,
the name Islam was given by Allah Himself, as mentioned in Surah 5:3: This day I have
perfected your religion for you and completed My favor on you, and have chosen for you
Islam as your way of life. Neither "Judaism" nor "Christianity" is found in the Bible or in a
Bible dictionary. No Israelite prophet said the word "Judaism." Jesus never claimed to
establish Christianity and never called himself a Christian. The word "Christian" is
mentioned only three times in the New Testament and first by pagans and Jews in Antioch
about 43 A.D., long after Jesus had left this earth. Read in Acts 11:26: "... And the.The first Muslim on earth was not Muhammad but Abraham, who submitted totally to
Allah. But Islam as a way of life had been revealed to other prophets prior to Abraham,
such as Adam and Noah. Then Islam follows as the way of life for all humanity.
C. How could Abraham be a Muslim? It is known that he was a Jew.
M. A Jew? Who told you that?
C. We are taught that, so it must be confirmed by the Bible.
M. Can you show me where in the Bible it says that he was a Jew? If you can't find it
quickly, let me help you. Read Genesis 11:31.
C. "And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his
daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth with them from Ur of the
Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran and dwelt there."
M. So Abraham who was born in Ur of Chaldees could not have been a Jew. First because
Ur of Chaldees was in Mesopotamia, which is now a part of Iraq. He was then more an
Arab than a Jew. Secondly the name "Jew" came after the existence of Judah, the
great-grandson of Abraham (see chart on page 4). Read further, Genesis 12:4 and 5.
C. " ... and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.... and
into the land of Canaan they came.
M. So Abraham emigrated to Canaan at the age of seventy-five and the Bible clearly
mentioned that he was there a stranger m Genesis 17:8: "And I will give unto thee, and to
thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an
everlasting possession; and I will be their God." Read now Genesis 14:13.
C. "And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew.... "
M. How can you call Abraham a Jew if the Bible itself calls him a Hebrew which means a
man from the other side of the Euphrates. It also means pertaining to Eber, a descendant of
Shem. Read now in Genesis 32:28 what happened to the name of Jacob after wrestling
with an angel.
C. "And he said: 'Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince hast
thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.'"
M. So Abraham was a Hebrew. The descendants of Jacob were Israelites consisting of the
twelve tribes. Judah was nicknamed "Jew" so that only Judah's descendants were called
Jews originally. To know who Moses really was, read Exodus 6:16-20.
C. "And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Ghershon,
and Kohath, and Merari.... And the sons of Kohath: Amram.... And Amram took him.M. Because we are using the Holy Qur'an as standard. You can explain the Bible and
correct the Jewish and Christian prejudice with the context of the Qur'an. It is the last
revealed book and has never been corrupted or adulterated. Its contents has been
guaranteed by Allah in Surah 2:2: This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt... and
also in Surah 15:9: No doubt We have sent down the Qur'an and surely We will guard it
(from corruption). This verse is a challenge to mankind. It is a clear fact that more than
fourteen hundred years have passed and not a single word of this Qur'an has been changed
although disbelievers tried their utmost to change it, but they failed miserably in their
efforts. As it is mentioned in this Holy Verse: "We will guard this Book" by Allah, He has
guarded it.
On the contrary, all the other holy books (Torah, Psalms, Gospels etc.) have been
adulterated in the form of additions, deletions or alterations from the original.
C. What does the Qur'an say about Abraham and Moses that you can deduce from the
Bible?
M. In Surah 3:65:
O people of the Scripture [Jews and Christians]! Why do you dispute about Abraham,
while the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed till after him? Have you then no sense?
And in Surah 3:67:
Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim (worshiper of none
but Allah alone) and he joined none in worship with Allah.
In Surah 2:140:
Or say you that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the twelve sons of Jacob were Jews or
Christians? Say (of Muhammad), 'Do you know better or does Allah? And who is more
unjust than he who conceals the testimony he has from Allah?' And Allah is not unaware of
what you do. Of course they were not Jews or Christians, as the name "Jews" came after
Judah and the name "Christians" came long after Jesus had left.
C. It feels strange to hear the name Allah. Why don't you say "God" if you speak English?
M. Yes, indeed, the name "Allah" seems to be strange to non-Muslims, but this name has
been used by all prophets since Adam until Muhammad. It is a contraction of the two
Arabic words Al-Ilah, i.e., The God. By dropping the letter "I," you will find the word
Allah. According to its position in an Arabic sentence, it can have the form "Allaha," which
is close to the Hebrew name of the Creator, i.e. "Eloha." But the Jews are using wrongly
the plural form "Elohim," which denotes more than one God. The word "Allaha" sounds
closer to the Aramaic word for God used by Jesus, namely, "Alaha" (see Encyclopedia
Britannica 1980 under "Allah" and "Elohim"). So while the name "Allah" is strange to
non-Muslims, it is not strange to all prophets from Adam to Muhammad, as they.face, arms, feet, and moistening of the hair) prior to worship is not done by modern
Christians, it is required of Muslims and previous prophets, as seen in the following
biblical passages: Exodus 40:31-32: "And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their
hands and their feet thereat; When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when
they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the Lord commanded Moses." Although
Paul made many changes in Jesus' teaching, he was faithful in respect to ablution, as seen
in Acts 21:26: "Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them
entered into the temple'..." Muslim women perform their prayer with their head covered, as
in I Corinthians 11:5-6, 13: "But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head
uncovered dishonourerh her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the
woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn
or shaven, let her be covered.... Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto
God uncovered" Muslims worship with bowing, kneeling, prostration, and without shoes
1 , as was done by previous prophets: Psalms 95:6: "O come, let us worship and bow
down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker"; Joshua 5: 14: "And Joshua fell on his face
to the earth, and did worship''; I Kings 18:42: "And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel;
and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees"; Numbers
20:6: "... and they [Moses and Aaron] fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord
appeared upon them"; Genesis 17:3: "And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with
him, saying ...", and Exodus 3:5 and Acts 7:33: "And he [God] said [to Moses], 'Draw
not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is
holy ground."'
A Christian will be very surprised to learn that the pilgrimage (hajj), which consists of
Muslims circumambulating around the sacred stone (i.e., the Ka'bah) in Makkah, had been
performed by many prophets, even by Israelite prophets.
C. I never read anything about the pilgrimage or the sacred stone (i.e., Ka'bah) in the
Bible.
M. This has been mentioned clearly several times but is usually overlooked by those who
read the Bible. For example:
1. Jacob, on his way to Padan-aram, saw a vision and built the next morning a pillar of
stone which he called Beth-EI, i.e. the House of the Lord (Genesis 28:18- 19).
2. Years later the same Prophet, Jacob, was ordered by Allah to go to Bethel (Genesis
35:4, 14-15). Jacob removed all of the strange gods prior to going there. Later, Prophet
Muhammad also removed all idols around the sacred stone (i.e., Ka'bah in Makkah).
3. Another pillar was built by Jacob and his father-in-law, Laban, (Genesis 31:45-49):
"And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. And Jacob said unto his brethren:
'Gather stones.' And they took stones, and made a heap; and they did eat there upon the
heap. And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed ... and Mizpah, for
he said: 'The Lord watch between me and thee ..."'.6. The children of Israel, under Samuel, swore in Mizpeh to destroy their idols if they won
against the Philistines (I Samuel 7).
7. The whole nation of Israel assembled in Mizpeh when Samuel was appointed king of
Israel (I Samuel 10).
It is obvious now that there is no Mizpah left in the world, except the oldest one in the Holy
City of Makkah built by Abraham and his son Ishmael, from whom later Prophet
Muhammad arose. Muslims are really the followers of all prophets. I can tell you other
things about Muslims, Islam and Muhammad in the Bible, but why should you know this
if you are not looking for the truth?
C. I am sure of my own belief as a Christian but I would also like to know more about both
religions. I sometimes feel ridiculed as a Christian after reading books written by Muslims.
M. Did it affect you in your religious life?
C. Yes. I am not going to Church as regularly as before. I have been secretly reading
books written by Muslims. I have asked several Muslims to explain matters that were not
clear to me, but have not yet been satisfied. I am looking for a belief that I can rely on, that
can give me peace of mind, that is scientifically acceptable, and one that I don't have to
believe in blindly.
M. I appreciate your sentiments. However, as we are not allowed to force people to
become Muslim, I want to be sure that you are really interested in learning the truth before I
continue.
C. You mean that I can believe what I want and that nobody can force me to believe in
something else?
M. Yes, for the Qur'an says that there is no compulsion in religion.
C. Then why are Muslims calling other people to accept Islam?
M. As Christians ask the Jews to accept Jesus as the Messiah, we Muslims ask the
Christians, as well as Jews and all mankind, to accept Muhammad as the seal of the
prophets. Our Prophet Muhammad said: "Convey my message, even one ayah (verse of the
Holy Qur'an)."
Also, Isaiah mentioned in chapter 21:13: "The burden upon Arabia," which means the
responsibility of the Muslim Arabs, to spread Islam. Isaiah mentioned this after he saw in a
vision a chariot of asses and a chariot of camels (21:7): "And he saw a chariot with a couple
of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with
much heed."
The chariot of asses turned out to be Jesus, who entered Jerusalem (John 12: 14; Matthew.M. Yes, if you are successful in this world, it doesn't mean that you will be successful in
the hereafter. The hereafter is much better and more lasting than this life. People are now
becoming more materialistic and secular. Let's meet some more and discuss the differences
frankly and without prejudice. Islam is based on reason, and you should not just accept it.
Even your Bible says: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (I Thessalonians
5:21).
C. You mentioned just now a "chariot of camels" from Isaiah and drew the conclusion that
it was Muhammad. Is he then prophesied in the Bible?
M. Sure.
C. In the Old or New Testament?
M. In both. But you cannot recognize him in the Bible as long as you don't believe in the
oneness of God. As long as you still believe ~n the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, the divine
son ship of Jesus, and the doctrines of Original Sin and Atonement. All of these were made
by men. Jesus prophesied that people would worship him uselessly and believe in
doctrines made by men: "But in vain they do worship me teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9).
The Holy Bible
M. Are you sure that the Bible is holy?
C. Yes, I am very sure about it, for it is God's Word.
M. Read what Luke said about his recording in 1:2-3.
C. "Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses,
and ministers of the word. It seemed good to me also, having held perfect understanding of
all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus."
M. If Luke had said that he himself was not an eyewitness and the knowledge he gathered
was from eyewitnesses and not as words inspired by God, would you still believe that the
Bible is God's word?
C. Maybe only this part is not God's word.
M. History has shown that the Bible has been changed. The Revised Standard Version
(1952 and 1971), The New American Standard Bible and The New World Translation have
expunged certain verses that are found in The King James Version. The Reader's Digest
has reduced the Old Testament by 50 percent and the New Testament by about 25 percent.
Some years ago Christian theologians wanted to "desex" the Bible. Does "holy" mean that
the Bible is free from error?.M. If a holy book contains conflicting verses, do you still consider it holy? -C.
Of course not, because a holy scripture is a revelation from God. Therefore, it should be
impossible that mistakes or conflicting verses could be found in it.
M. Then it's not holy.
C. Right. In that case, its holiness disappears.
M. If so, you can't trust it one hundred percent. What could be the causes of such
mistakes?
C. It could be a mistake in the recording or deliberate changes by scribes, such as deletion
or addition in it.
M. If there are conflicting verses in the Bible, do you still consider it holy?
C. I believe that the Bible is holy, since I see no conflicting verses
M. There are many conflicting verses in it.
C. In the Old or New Testament?
M. In both Testaments. These are some of them:
II Samuel 8:4
And David took from him a thousand chariots and seven hundred horsemen, and
twenty thousand footmen ...
I Chronicles 18:4
And David took from him a thousand chariots and seven thousand horsemen, and
twenty thousand footmen ...
Q. Seven hundred or seven thousand?
II Samuel 8:9-10
When Toi, king of Hamath, heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,
then Toi sent Joram, his son, unto King David to salute him and to bless him,
because he had fought against Hadadezer and had smitten him, for Hadadezer had
wars with Toil. And Joram took with him vessels of silver, and vessels of gold,
and vessels of brass.
I Chronicles 18:9-10
Now when Tou, king of Hamath, heard how David had smitten all the host of.I Samuel 10:18
And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew the men of seven hundred
chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach, the
captain of their host, who died there.
I Chronicles 19:18
But the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand
men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach,
the captain of their host.
Q. Seven hundred chariots or seven thousand men? Forty thousand horsemen or footmen?
Shobach or Shophach?
.
II Kings 8:26
Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign.
II Chronicles 22:2
Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign. .
Q. Twenty-two or forty-two years?
II Kings 24:8
Jehoiachim was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in
Jerusalem three months.
II Chronicles 36:9
Jehoiachim was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three
months and ten days in Jerusalem.
Q. Eighteen years or eight years? Three months or three months and ten days?
II Samuel 23:8
These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat
in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lifted up his
spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time..II Samuel 24:1
And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David
against them to say: "Go, number Israel and Judah."
I Chronicles 21:1
And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
Q. Is Satan the Lord of David? May God forbid it!
II Samuel 6:23
Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her death.
II Samuel 21:8
But the king took the two sons of Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore
unto Saul, Arrnoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal, the daughter of
Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzilai the Meholthite.
Q. Did Michal have children or not?
Note: The name Michal in II Samuel 21:8 is still present in The King James version and
The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures used by the Jehovah's Witnesses, but
has been changed to Merab in The New American Standard Bible (1973).
C. I never saw any of these before. Are there many more?
M. Do you still need to hear more? Are these examples not sufficient to deny its holiness?
See Genesis 6:3: "And the Lord said: 'My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that
he also is flesh: yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."
But how old was Noah when he died? More than a hundred and twenty years. See Genesis
9:29: "And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years when he died." Some
Christian theologians claim that this does not mean that the maximum age of man will be a
hundred and twenty years, but that the Flood would come in a hundred and twenty years.
Even this doesn't fit, because at the time of the Flood Noah would have been six hundred
and twenty (500 + 120) years old. However, the Bible states that he was six hundred
years. Study Genesis 5:32: "And Noah was five hundred years old . . ."; Genesis 7:6:
"And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth."
Christianity believes that God created man in His image: white, black or another color,
male or female? This is according to Genesis 1:26: "And God said: 'Let Us make man in
our image, after our likeness . . ." But this contradicts Isaiah 40:18, 25: "To whom then.M. Well then, let's go to the New Testament.
John 5:37
Ye have neither heard His [God's] voice at any time, nor seen His shape.
John 14:9
... he that has seen me has seen the Father ...
John 5:31
If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
John 8:14
Jesus answered and said unto them: "Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is
true."
These are only some of the contradictions in the New Testament. You will find more if we
discuss the truth of such doctrines of modern Christianity as the Trinity, the divinity of
Jesus Christ, the divine sonship of Jesus, Original Sin and Atonement, not to mention the
biblical accounts of many prophets engaging in degrading activities: worshipping false
gods and committing incest, rape, and adultery.
C. Where do you find that in the Bible?
M. Noah is reported to have been drunk to the point of becoming naked in the presence of
his grownup sons (Genesis 9:23-24): "And Shem and Japhet took a garment, and laid it
upon both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father;
and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. And Noah
awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him."
Solomon was accused not only of having a large harem but also of worshipping false gods
(I Kings 11:9-10): "And the Lord was angry with Solomon ... And had commanded him
concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the
Lord commanded. "
Aaron, a prophet who accompanied his brother Moses on his mission to Pharaoh, was
accused of having fashioned the golden calf for the Israelites to worship (Exodus 32:4):
"And he [Aaron] received them [golden earrings] at their hand, and fashioned it with a
graving tool, after he had made it a golden calf: and they said: 'These be thy gods, O Israel,
which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."'
You can read of Prophet Lot's incestuous encounter with his two daughters (Genesis
19:36): "Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father."
You can read of a prophet who was married to two sisters at the same time (Genesis
29:28): "And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he [Laban] gave him Rachel his
daughter to wife also.".is mentioned in Deuteronomy 23:2: "A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the
Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord."
Another allegation is that of incest along with rape by Ammon, the son of David, on his
half-sister Tamar (II Samuel 13: 14): "Howbeit he [Ammon] would not hearken unto her
voice, but being stronger than she [Tamer], forced her and lay with her."
Still another multiple rape, by Absalom on David's concubines, is recounted in II Samuel
16:33: "So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house, and Absalom went in
unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel."
Another incest, by Judah and Tamar (his daughter-in-law): "Judah on his way to Timnath
to shear his sheep saw Tamar. He thought her to be a harlot because she had her face
covered (Genesis 38: 18): ". . . And he [Judah] gave it [signet, bracelet and staff] to her,
and came in unto her and she conceived by him."
Although Jews and Muslims often have differing views, no Muslim would dare to write a
book and stamp any Israelite prophet like Judah, David, Jesus, and so on with rape,
adultery, incest, or prostitution. All prophets were sent by Allah for the guidance of
mankind. Do you think that God had sent the wrong people for guidance?
C. I don't think so. But don't you believe in the Bible?
M. We believe in all divine scriptures, but in their original form. God sent a prophet as a
warner to each nation, and some of them with a scripture as a guidance for that particular
nation only. The Suhuf was brought by Abraham, the Torah (part of the Old Testament) by
Moses, the Zabur (Psalms) by David, and the Injil (New Testament) by Jesus. None of the
these scriptures remains in their original form. As part of Allah's original plan, He finally
sent Muhammad as the seal of all prophets and with the Qur'an as a guidance for all
mankind, anywhere and anytime.
Jesus himself said that he was sent only to the people of Israel (Matthew 15:24): "I am not
sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Also (Matthew 1:21): "And she shall
bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their
sins." He even said that he came not to make changes but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17-18):
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but
to fulfill. For verily I say unto you: 'Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in
no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled."'
C. But in Mark 16:15 Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature."
M. This contradicts what is mentioned above in Matthew 15:24 and Matthew 1:21.
Secondly, Mark 16:9-20 has been expunged in many Bibles. The New American Standard
Bible has put this part in brackets and made the following commentary: "Some of the oldest
mss. omit from verse 9 through 20." The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.M. "All nations" must be explained as the twelve tribes of Israel, otherwise it contradicts
Matthew 15:24 and Matthew 1:21. In The New American Standard Bible and The New
World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, it is not translated as "all nations" but as "all the
nations," which means the twelve tribes of Israel. What do you think of the Bible now?
C. I am not so sure about its holiness now.
M. I am sure you will be convinced of the authenticity of Islam after we have discussed our
differences.
The Doctrine of the Trinity
M. Do you still believe in the Trinity?
C. It is said in the First Epistle of John 5:7-8: "For there are three that bear record in
heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one. And there are
three that bear witness in earth: the spirit, and the water, and the blood, and these three
agree in one."
M. That is in The King James Version, authorized in 1611, and formed the strongest
evidence for the doctrine of the Trinity. But now this part, "the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost: and these three are one," has been expunged in The Revised Standard Version
of 1952 and 1971 and in many other Bibles, as it was a gloss that had encroached on the
Greek text.
I John 5:7-8 in The New American Standard Bible says: "And it is the Spirit who bears
witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the
water, and the blood, and the three are in agreement." Also, in The New World Translation
of the Holy Scriptures, used by the Jehovah's Witnesses, you will find: "For there are
three witness bearers: the spirit, and the water, and the blood, and the three are in
agreement." I can understand if you don't know that this important part has been removed,
but I wonder why many ministers and preachers are not aware of this.
The Trinity is not biblical. The word "Trinity" is not even in the Bible or Bible dictionaries.
It was never taught or mentioned by Jesus. There is no basis or proof in the Bible for its
acceptance.
C. But in Matthew 28: 19 we still find: "... baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." This part has not been removed yet. Is this not a proof of
the Trinity?
M. No. If three persons are sitting or eating together, does it mean that they form one
person? No. The formulation of the Trinity by Athanasius, an Egyptian deacon from
Alexandria, was accepted by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD—more than three centuries.the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not
afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good."
As Christianity deviated far from the original teachings of Jesus, Allah sent His last
prophet, Muhammad, as a revivalist to undo changes made by man: the Roman Julian
calendar was introduced as the Christian era; Pork was allowed; circumcision was
abolished by Paul (Galatians 5:2~: "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised,
Christ shall profit you nothing."
The Qur'an warns in Surah 5:73: Surely they are disbelievers, those who said: 'Allah is
one of the three in a Trinity.' But there is none who has the right to be worshipped but one
God (Allah). And if they cease not from what they say, verily a painful torment will befall
the disbelievers among them. Do you still believe in the Trinity, which was never taught by
Jesus?
C. But God and Jesus are one (John 14: 11): "Believe me that I am in the Father, and the
Father in me."
M. Read John 17:21.
C. "That they [the disciples] all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that
they may also be one in us ..."
M. It is clear here that God and Jesus are one, and that the disciples are one in Jesus and
God. If Jesus is God because he is in God, why are the disciples then not God, as they are
like Jesus, who is in God? If God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost form one unit—the
Trinity—with the disciples included they should form a fifteen-unit God.
C. But Jesus is God according to John 14:9: "... he that hath seen me hath seen the
Father."
M. Look at what comes before and after: (John 14:8): "Philip saith unto him: 'Lord, show
us the Father, and it aufficeth us."' (John 14:9): "Jesus saith unto him: 'Have I been so
long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hast
seen the Father; and how sayest thou then: Shew us the Father?"'
Jesus asked Philip how to show God to the disciples, which is impossible. You should
believe in God by admiring His creation: the sun, the moon, all creation, and Jesus, who
was created by God. He said in John 4:24: "God is a Spirit" and in John 5:37: "Ye have
neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape." How can you see a spirit? What
they saw was Jesus, not God. Paul said in I Timothy 6: 16: "... whom no man hath seen,
nor can see." So what you see is not God. The Qur'an says in Surah 5:103: "Vision
comprehends Him not, but He comprehends (all) vision. He is the Subtle, the Aware."
C. It is hard to deny what has been taught to us since childhood..C. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: When as his mother Mary was
espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy
Ghost."
M. Compare this with Luke 1:26-27.
C. "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee,
named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David; and the virgin's name was Mary."
M. In Jesus' miraculous birth Matthew mentioned the Holy Ghost and Luke mentioned the
angel Gabriel. What is the Holy Ghost?
C. That being the case, the Holy Ghost is the angel Gabriel.
M. Do you still believe in the Trinity now?
C. Then God is God and the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit is the angel Gabriel, and Jesus
is ...
M. Let me help you: Jesus is a prophet, the son of Mary.
C. How can you solve what we call a divine mystery?
M. We use the Qur'an as the standard to correct man-made changes in previously revealed
scriptures. If you believe in One God, and Jesus as a prophet, why don't you go one step
further and accept Muhammad as the last messenger? Recite after me the shahadah or
witness (testimony), first in English and then in Arabic.
C. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, Who has no partner, and Muhammad
is His servant and messenger. Ashhadu an la illaha illa Allahu wahdahu la sharikah lahu wa
ashhadu anna Muhammadan abdahu wa rasuluhu.
But what about my great- grandparents? I would like to stay with them. They were all
Christians.
M. Abraham left his parents and great-grandparents when the truth— Islam—was revealed
to him. Everyone is responsible for himself. Maybe the truth hadn't come to your ancestors
as clearly as it has to you. The Qur'an says in Surah 17:15: Whoever goes right, then, he
goes right only for his own soul's benefit. And whoever goes astray, then he goes astray
only to his own loss. No laden soul can bear another's load. And We never punish until
We have sent an apostle (to give warnings). The Truth has come to you and it is up to you.
C. Can I accept both Islam and Christianity?
M. There is no force in religion. You can do what you want. But if YOU combine both.and Allah is ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. You may agree with me if we discuss
some other issues.
C. Should we recite a confession (shahadah) before we are fully committed?
M. As soon as you reach adulthood and you are mentally competent, you are then
committed whether you recite the shahadah or not. Allah created this world for a purpose.
He has supplied you with the organs to differentiate between right and wrong. He has sent
many prophets as warners. We are created to worship Him and to compete with each other
in good deeds in this world.
Surah 3:191: ... Our Lord! You have not created [all] this without purpose, Glory to You!
... "
Surah 90:8-10: Have We not made for him [mankind] a pair of eyes? And a tongue and a
pair of lips? And shown him the two ways [good and evil]?
Surah 51:56: And I created not the jinns and mankind except they should worship Me
[alone]. (Every deed for the pleasure of Allah is worship.)
Surah 18:7: Verily! We have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it [the earth]
in order that We may test them [mankind] as to which of them is better in deeds.
The Doctrine of the Divinity of Jesus Christ
M. Is Jesus God?
C. Yes. In the Gospel according to John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was Cod."
M. We have agreed that a holy scripture should not contain contradictions. If there are two
conflicting verses, then only one can be true or both are wrong, for both cannot be correct.
According to John l:1 Jesus is God. Then how many Gods are there? Two at least. This
contradicts many passages in the Bible: Deuteronomy 4:39: "... that the Lord He is God in
heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else"; Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O
Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord", (Isaiah 43:10-11): "... that ye may know and
believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither
shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no savior"; (Isaiah
44:6): "Thus saith the Lord ... I am the first, and I am the last, and beside Me there is no
God"; (Isaiah 45:18): "For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that
formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it
to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else.".M. Sure. Read Mark 12:29, where it is recorded that Jesus himself said: "And Jesus
answered him: 'The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is
one Lord."'
I Corinthians 8:4: "... we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none
other God but one"; (I Timothy 2:5): "For there is one God, and one mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Look at the expression "the man Christ Jesus." Now
you can either say that John 1:1 is right and all these other verses are wrong, or vice versa.
C. How can anybody make such a judgment?
M. Lets look at it from the Qur'anic point of view, which corresponds with what Jesus
himself said in the Bible. Jesus is mentioned several times in the Qur'an as a "Word from
Allah." In Surah 3:39: Then the angels called to him [Zechariah] while he was standing in
prayer in the chamber (saying): "Allah gives you glad tidings of John [the Baptist]
believing in a Word from Allah [Jesus, son of Mary], noble, keeping away from sexual
relations with women, a prophet, and one of the righteous."
In Surah 3:45: [Remember] when the angels said: "O Mary! Verily Allah gives you the glad
tidings of a Word from Him, his name will be Messiah Jesus, the son of Mary, held in
honor in this world and the Hereafter, and of those who are near to Allah." In both verses,
Jesus is called a "Word from Allah," by which is meant a Word coming from Allah or
belonging to Allah, in correspondence with I Corinthians 3:23: "And ye are Christ's; and
Christ is God's." John 1:1 should also have been written: "... and the Word was God's."
The mistake could have been in the translation from Aramaic to Greek, deliberately or not.
In the Greek language, Theos is God, while Theou means God's (see any Greek dictionary
or Bible, or Muhammad in the Bible by Prof. Abdul Ahad Dawud, former Bishop of
Uramiah, page 16). This difference of only one letter has major consequences.
C. Why is Jesus called the "Word of God" in both scriptures?
M. The creation of Jesus in Mary's womb was without sperm, for it was the result of the
decree of Allah: "Be" as mentioned in the Surah 3:47: She [Mary] said; "O, my Lord! How
shall I have a son when no man has touched me?" He said: "So [it will be], for Allah
creates what He will. When He has decreed something, He says to it only 'Be' and it is."
C. Jesus is God because he is filled with the Holy Spirit.
M. But there are other people who have been filled with the Holy Ghost? Are they also
divine? Look at Acts 11:24: "For he [Barnabas] was a good man, and full of the Holy
Ghost and of faith; and many people were added unto the Lord" and Acts 5:32: "And we
are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to
them that obey him." You should also read Acts 6:5; II Peter 1:21; II Timothy 1:14; I
Corinthians 2:16; Luke 1:41.
C. But Jesus was filled with the Holy Ghost while he was still in his mother's womb..M. The same was done by Elisha and Elijah. Elisha fed a hundred people with twenty
barley loaves and a few ears of corn, for II Kings 4:44 relates: "So he set it before them,
and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord." Elisha secured the
increase of a widow's oil and he said to her, in II Kings 4:7: "Go, sell the oil, and pay thy
debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest." See also I Kings 17:16: "And the barrel of
meal wasted not neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which
he speak by Elijah." Also I Kings 17:6: "And the ravens brought him [Elijah] bread and
flesh in the morning, bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook."
C. But Jesus could heal leprosy.
M. So could Elisha, who told Naaman the leper to wash in the Jordan river. As recounted
in II Kings 5:14: "Then went he [Naaman] down and dipped himself seven times in
Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God [Elisha]: and his flesh came again like
unto a flesh of a little child, and he was clean."
C. But Jesus could cause a blind man to see again.
M. So could Elisha: II Kings 6:17: "And Elisha prayed, and said: 'Lord, I pray thee, open
his eyes, that he may see.' And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man: and he saw
...", II Kings 6:20: "And it came to pass, when they were come into Samaria, that Elisha
said: 'Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.' And the Lord opened their
eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria."
Elisha was also told to cause blindness: 11 Kings 6: 18: "And when they came down to
him, Elisha prayed unto the Lord, and said: 'Smite this people, I pray thee, with
blindness.' And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha."
C. Jesus could raise the dead.
M. Compare that with Elijah: I Kings 17:22: "And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah: and
the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." Such a miracle was also
attributed to Elisha: II Kings 4:34: "And he [Elisha] went up, and lay upon the child, and
put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands,
and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm."
Even touching the bones of Elisha could restore a dead body to life: II Kings 13:21: "And it
came to Dass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and
they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and
touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet."
C. But Jesus walked upon the water.
M. Moses stretched out his arms over the sea: Exodus 14:22: "And the children of Israel
went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the waters were a wall unto them
on their right hand, and on their left.".Also the disciples could cast out devils, as Jesus said: Matthew 7:22: "Many will say to me
in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out
devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works?"
Even false prophets would do wonders, as prophesied by Jesus himself: Matthew 24:24:
"For there shall arise false Christ, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and
wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
C. But Elijah and Elisha did wonders through praying to the Lord.
M. Jesus also did the miracles with the grace of God, as he himself said: John 5:30: "I can
of mine own self do nothing ..." and Luke 11:2): "But if I with the finger of God cast out
devils, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you."
All miracles performed by Jesus have been done by previous prophets, disciples, and even
unbelievers. On the other hand, Jesus could do no mighty work where there was unbelief:
Mark 6:5-6: "And he could there do no mighty work save that he laid his hands upon a few
sick folk, and healed them. and he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went around
about the villages, teaching."
C. But Jesus was resurrected three days after he died.
M. We will talk about his crucifixion later, because there are so many controversies about
it. For now, I'll only say that this was said by Paul, who never saw Jesus alive: II Timothy
2:8: "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according
to my gospel."
The gospel of resurrection in Mark 16:9-20 has also been removed in many Bibles. If it has
not been removed, it is printed in small print or between two brackets and with
commentary. See The Revised Standard version, The New American Standard Bible, and
The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Let me ask
you one thing: D~d Jesus ever claim to be God or to say: "Here am I, your God, and
worship me?"
C. No, but he is God and man.
M. But did he ever claim that?
C. No.
M. Indeed, he prophesied that people would worship him uselessly and would believe in
doctrines made not by God but by man: Matthew 15:9: "But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
All doctrines of modern Christianity are made by men: the Trinity, the divine sonship of
Jesus, the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the doctrines Original Sin and Atonement. From.Let us now use our reason: how can a mortal woman give birth to God?
Jesus slept while God never sleeps: Psalms 121:4: "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall
neither slumber nor sleep." God should be powerful—but how could people spit on him
and crucify him as the Bible alleges? How could Jesus be God if he worshipped God as
any other mortal: Luke 5:16: "And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed."
Jesus was tempted by Satan for forty days(Luke 4:1-13), but in James 1:13 it is said: "...
for God cannot be tempted with evil ..." How can Jesus be God, then? We can rationalize
further and further.
C. Yes, I myself can't understand it, but we have to accept it blindly.
M. Doesn't that attitude contradict the Bible itself, which says that you have to prove it: I
Thessalonians 5:21: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
C. It's really confusing.
M. But I Corinthians 14:33 says: "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as
in all churches of the saints." Doctrines made by men create confusion.
The Doctrine of the
Divine Sonship of Jesus
M. Is Jesus the Son of God?
C. Yes. Read in Matthew 3:17, when Jesus was baptized by John: "And lo a voice from
heaven, saying" 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."'
M. You should not accept the word "son" literally, because the Bible also refers to many
prophets and other people as sons and children of God. Read Exodus 4:22.
C. "And thou [Moses] shalt say unto Pharaoh: 'Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even
my firstborn."'
M. Here is Jacob (Israel) His firstborn son. Read II Samuel 7:13-14 or I Chronicles 22:10.
C. "He [Solomon] shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his
kingdom for ever. I will be his father and he shall be My son."
M. It will be confusing if you read Jeremiah 31:9: "I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is
my firstborn." In Exodus 4:22 just now, Israel was called also called the firstborn. Who is
the real firstborn: Israel or Ephraim? Even common people can be children of God. Read
Deuteronomy 14:1.
C. "Ye are the children of the Lord your God.".C. He is the only begotten son of God.
M. Long before Jesus was born, God said to David (Psalms 2:7): "I will declare the decree:
the Lord hath said unto me [David]: 'Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee."' So
David is also God's begotten son. The meaning of "Son of God" is not literal but
metaphorical. It can be anyone who is beloved by God. Jesus also said that God is not only
his Father but also your Father (Matthew 5:45, 48).
C. "That ye may be the children of your Father" and "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your
Father which is in heaven is perfect.
M. You can see in many biblical passages that the phrase "Son of God" signifies love and
affection and neamess to God, and that it is not to be applied to Jesus alone. You will see
sons and daughters of God: II Connthians 6:18: "And will be a Father unto you, and ye
shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." In view of these and other
passages in the Bible, there is no reason why Jesus should be regarded as the son of God
in a literal or unique sense.
C. But he has no father. That is why he is the son of God.
M. Then you must also consider Adam as a son of God, for he had no father or mother. In
Luke 3:38, it is said "... Seth, who was the son of Adam, who was the son of God." Read
Hebrews 7:3.
C. "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days,
nor end of life; but made like unto the son of God; abideth a priest continually."
M. Who is he? The answer is in Hebrews 7:1: "Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the
most high God, who met Abraham ..." He is more unique than Jesus or Adam. Why is he
not considered a son of God or God Himself?
C. What do you call Jesus then?
M. Muslims call him Jesus, the son of Mary.
C. No one will deny this.
M. Yes, it is simple and nobody can deny it. Jesus called himself the son of man and
refused to be called son of God. Read Luke 4:41.
C. "And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying: 'Thou art Christ, the Son of
God. And he, rebuking them, suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he was
Christ."
M. It is clear here that he refused to be called the son of God. He also refused such a
designation in Luke 9:20-21, and told his disciples not to refer to him that way.."Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said: 'This is of a truth
that prophet that should come into the world."' Jesus is also called a prophet in John 7:40;
Matthew 21:11; Luke 7:16 and 24:19. In Acts 9:20, we read: "And straightway he [Paul]
preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the son of God." (You can conclude from
here also that early Christians were still using synagogues, but later when Christianity
deviated from the original teaching of Jesus, churches were established. Paul, Barnabas,
and the Gentiles were expelled from the synagogues, as they were accused of blasphemy
and pollution. See Acts 13:50, 17:18, and 21:28.). In Luke 2:11, it is said that: "For unto
you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" and in John 1:1:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Was Jesus Crucified?
M. The Qur'an states in Surah 4:157 that Jesus was not crucified: "And their [Jews']
boasting: 'We killed Messiah Jesus, Son of Mary the Apostle of Allah, but they [Jews]
killed him not, nor crucified him ..." Do you still believe that he died on the cross?
C. Yes, he died and was then resurrected.
M. We all agree that nobody saw the moment he was resurrected. They found that the
sepulchre in which Jesus had been laid was empty and concluded that he had been
resurrected, because the disciples and other witnesses saw him alive after the alleged
crucifixion. Could it not be possible, as the Qur'an claims, that he didn't die on the cross?
C. Where is the proof?
M. Let's look at the biblical passages that support this conclusion. Do you give more
weight to what Jesus said or to the hearsay of the disciples, apostles, and other witnesses?
C. Of course more to what Jesus himself said.
M. That is in accordance with what Jesus said: Matthew 10:24: "The disciple is not above
his master, nor the servant above his lord."
C. But Jesus himself said that he will rise from the dead: Luke 24:46: "And said unto them:
'Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third
day."'
M. Suffering is often exaggerated in the Bible and termed "dead," as Paul said in I
Corinthians T5:31: "I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ, I die daily" (i.e., I
suffer daily). Here are some of the proofs:
1. On the cross, Jesus beseeched God for help: Matthew 27:46: "My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me?" In Luke 22:42, it is recounted: "Saying, Father if thou be willing,.flesh, when he [Jesus] had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and
tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared."
Jesus' prayers were "heard," which means that they were answered in a positive way by
God: James 5:16: "... The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
Jesus himself said in Matthew 7:7-10: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he
that seeketh findeth, and to him who knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of
you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give
him a serpent?" If all of Jesus' prayers were accepted by God, including his prayer not to
die on the cross, how could he still die on the cross?
3. His legs were not broken by the Roman soldiers: John 19:32-33: "Then came the
soldiers, and broke the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But
when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they broke not his legs." Can
you rely on these soldiers' assertion that Jesus was dead, or did they want to save him out
of their belief that he was really innocent?
4. If Jesus died on the cross, his blood would clot and thus no blood would have gushed
out of his body when his side was pierced. But the Gospel states that blood and water came
out: John 19:34: "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came
there out blood and water."
5. When the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign of his true mission, he answered: Matthew
12:40: "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son
of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Disregard the time factor,
which was also not three days and three nights but one day (Saturday, daytime only) and
two nights (Friday night and Saturday night). Was Jonas alive in the belly of the whale?
C. Yes.
M. Was Jonas still alive when he was vomited out of the belly the whale?
C. Yes.
M. Then Jesus was still alive, as he prophesied.
6. Jesus himself stated that he didn't die on the cross. Early Sunday morning Mary
Magdalene went to the sepulchre, which was empty. She saw somebody standing who
looked like a gardener. After a conversation, she realized that he was Jesus and wanted to
touch him. Jesus said, as recounted in John 20:17: "Touch me not, for I am not yet
ascended to my Father ..." "Touch me not" perhaps because the fresh wound would hurt
him. "I am not yet ascended to my Father" means that he was still alive, because when
somebody dies he goes back to the Creator. This was the strongest proof and was admitted
by Jesus himself..C. Where does he say that?
M. In Luke 20: 34-36: "And answering said unto them: 'The children of the world marry,
and are given in marriage. But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world,
and then resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage. Neither can
they die any more for they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the
children of the resurrection."'
Then Jesus convinced them that he was the same person by letting them touch his hands
and feet. As they could not believe him yet, he asked for meat to show them that he still ate
like any living individual. Read Luke 24:36-41: "And as they [the disciples] thus spake,
Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them: 'Peace be unto you.' But
they were terrified and frightened, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said
unto them: 'Why are ye troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my
hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see, for a spins hath not flesh and
bones, as ye see that I have.' And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands
and his feet. And while they yet believed not for Joy, and wondered, he said unto them:
'Have ye here any meat?' And they gave him a piece of broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
And he took it, and did eat before them."
8. If you still believe that he died on the cross, then he was a false prophet and accursed of
God according to these passages: beuteronomy 13:5: "And that prophet, or that dreamer of
dreams, shall be put to death ..."; Deuteronomy 21:22-23: "And if a man have committed a
sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body
shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he
that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God
giveth thee for an inheritance."
To believe in his death on the cross is to discredit his prophethood. The Jews claimed that
they killed Jesus on the cross in order to portray him as a false prophet. Christians believe
in the crucifixion, for it is necessary for their doctrine of redemption of sin and,
consequently, have to accept the accursedness of Jesus, too. This Christian belief opposes
the Bible's teaching in Hosea 6:6: "For I desired mercy and not sacrifice, and the
knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings." It also opposes Jesus' own teaching in
Matthew 9:13: "But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice
..." Again Jesus said in Matthew 12:7: "But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have
mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless."
C. Why do people believe in the resurrection then?
M. It was Paul who taught the resurrection: Acts 17:18: "... And some [Jews] said: 'What
will this babbler say?' To others, He [Paul] seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods,
because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection." Paul, who never saw Jesus,
also admitted that the resurrection was his gospel (II Timothy 2:8): "Remember that Jesus
Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel." He was also
the first one to declare Jesus the Son of God: Acts 9:20: "And straightway he [Paul].M. As I told you earlier, Mark 16:9-20, has been expunged in certain Bibles: The Revised
Standard Version, The New American Standard Bible and The New World Translation of
the Holy Scriptures of the Jehovah's Witnesses Church. If you still believe that Jesus is
divine because he was raised up to heaven, why don't you accept the divinity of other
prophets who were raised up to heaven?
C. Who were they?
M. Elijah: II Kings 2:1 1-12: "... and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And
Elisha saw it, and he cried ... And he saw him no more ..." Enoch was also taken by God
to heaven: Genesis 5:24: "And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took
him." This was also repeated in Hebrews 11:5: "By faith Enoch was translated that he
should not see death, and was not found, because God translated him, for before his
translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God."
The Doctrine of Atonement and Original Sin
C. So the redemption of sin through the crucifixion of Jesus was not part of Jesus'
teaching?
M. This is the Doctrine of Atonement, which was accepted by the Church three or four
centuries after Jesus left the earth. It contradicts the Bible, as the following passages show:
Deuteronomy 24:16: "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the
children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.";
Jeremiah 31:30: "But every one shall die for his own iniquity ...", Ezekiel 18:20: "The soul
that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the
father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him,
and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." Adam and Eve were responsible for
their own sin, which was forgiven by Allah according to the Islamic version.
C. But these are in the Old Testament.
M. Read what Jesus himself said in Matthew 7: 1-2.
C. "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged:
and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."
M. Read I Corinthians 3:8.
C. "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive his own
reward according to his own labour." But we believe in Original Sin!
M. Do you still want me to prove that children are born without sin? Read Matthew 19:14..M. Let me ask you a question. Why do you believe in the resurrection if Paul himself, who
never saw Jesus alive, admitted that this was his gospel?
C. Where is it written?
M. Read II Timothy 2:8.
C. "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to
my gospel." But why do we have to believe that he was crucified and raised from the dead?
M. I don't know. Islam, the teaching of all of the prophets of God, has not been
contaminated with beliefs or concepts that come from paganism and superstition.
C. That's what I'm looking for.
M. Why don't you consider the shahadah (witness) or testimony, first in English and then
in Arabic. Let me help you pronounce it.
C. I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, Who has no partner, and I bear witness
that Muhammad is His servant and messenger. Ashhadu an la illaha illa Allah, wahdahu la
sharikah lahu, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu.. Was Prophet
Muhammad ever mentioned in the Bible?
M. Yes, but it is not necessary for a Muslim to know it from the Bible. As you have
studied the Bible, I would like to discuss it with you briefly next time.
Note: The rest of the discussion will be conducted between two Muslims: "M" and "m."
Muhammad in the Bible
Both Ishmael and Isaac Were Blessed
M. Why did Ishmael and his mother Hagar leave Sarah?
m. After Isaac was weaned, his mother Sarah saw Ishmael mocking him. After that, she
didn't want Ishmael to be heir with her son Isaac: Genesis 21:8-10: "And the child grew,
and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham
mocking. Wherefore she said unto Abraham: 'Cast out this bondwoman and her son, for
the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac."'
M. Isaac was about two years old when he was weaned. Ishmael was then sixteen years.is the profile of a baby, not of a teenager. So Ishmael and his mother Hagar left Sarah long
before Isaac was born. According to the Islamic version, Abraham took Ishmael and Hagar
and made a new settlement in Makkah, called Paran in the Bible (Genesis 21:21), because
of a divine instruction given to Abraham as a part of God's plan. Hagar ran seven times
between two hills, Safa and Marwa, looking for water. This is the origin of one of the
rituals that is performed during the pilgrimage to Makkah. The well of water mentioned in
Genesis 21:19 is still present and is known as called Zamzam. Both Abraham and Ishmael
later built the Ka'bah in Makkah. The spot where Abraham used to perform prayers near
the Ka'bah is still present and is known as the Maqam Ibrahim, i.e., the Station of
Abraham. During the pilgrimage, pilgrims in Makkah and Muslims all over the world
commemorate the offering of Abraham and Ishmael by slaughtering cattle.
m. But the Bible mentions that Isaac was to be sacrificed.
M. The Islamic version states that the covenant between God, Abraham, and his only son
Ishmael was made and sealed when Ishmael was supposed to be sacrificed. On the very
same day, Abraham, Ishmael, and all the men of Abraham's household were circumcised.
At that time, Isaac had not even born: Genesis 17:24-27: "And Abraham was ninety years
old and nine when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son
was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the
selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. And all the men of his
house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with
him."
A year later, Isaac was born and circumcised when he was eight days old: Genesis 21:4-5:
"And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded
him. And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him." So
when the covenant was made and sealed (circumcision and sacrifice) Abraham was
ninety-nine and Ishmael was thirteen. Isaac was born a year later, when Abraham was one
hundred years old.
The descendants of Ishmael, Prophet Muhammad including all Muslims, remain faithful
until today to this covenant of circumcision. In their five daily prayers, Muslims include the
praise of Abraham and his descendants with the praise of Muhammad and his descendants.
m. But in Genesis 22 it is mentioned that Isaac was to be sacrificed.
M. I know, but you will see the contradiction there. It is mentioned "shine only son Isaac."
Shouldn't it be "shine only son Ishmael," when Ishmael was thirteen years old and Isaac
had not even been born? When Isaac was born, Abraham had two sons. Because of
chauvinism, the name of Ishmael was changed to Isaac in all of Genesis 22. But God has
preserved the word "only" to show us what it should have been.
The words "I will multiply thy seed" in Genesis 22:17 was applied earlier to Ishmael in
Genesis 16:10. Was not the whole of Genesis 22 applicable to Ishmael then? "I will make
him a great nation" has been repeated twice for Ishmael in Genesis 17:20 and Genesis.Genesis 16:10: "And the angel of the Lord said unto her [Hager]: 'I will multiply thy seed
exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. "'
Genesis 17:20: "And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Behold, I have blessed him, and
will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget,
and I will make him a great nation."
Genesis 21:13: "And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is
thy seed."
Genesis 21:18: "Arise, lift up the lad [Ishmael], and hold him in shine hand, for I will
make him a great nation."
Deuteronomy 21:15-17: "If a man have two wives, one beloved and another hated, and
they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be
hers that was hated: Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he
hash, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated,
which is indeed the firstborn: But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the
firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hash: for he is the beginning of the
strength; the right of the firstborn is his." Islam does not deny God's blessings on Isaac
and his descendants, but the son of promise is Ishmael, from whom arose Muhammad as
the seal of the prophets.
m. But Christians and Jews claim that Ishmael was an illegitimate son.
M. That is what they say, but not what the Bible states. How could such a great prophet as
Abraham have an illegal wife and a son out of wedlock!
Genesis 16:3: "... and [Sarah] gave her [Hager] to her husband Abram to be his wife." If
the marriage was legal, how could their offspring be illegal? Is a marriage between two
foreigners, a Chaldean and an Egyptian, not more legal than a marriage between a man with
a daughter of his father? Whether it was a lie of Abraham or not, it is stated in Genesis
20:12: "And yet indeed she [Sarah] is my sister, she is the daughter of my father, but not
the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife."
The name Ishmael was also chosen by Allah Himself: Genesis 16:11: "And the Angel of
the Lord said unto her [Hager]: 'Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt
call his name Ishmael, because the Lord hath heard thy affliction."' Ishmael means "God
hears." Where in the Bible is it written that Ishmael was an illegitimate son?
m. Nowhere.
M. Long before both Ishmael and Isaac were born, Allah made a covenant with Abraham:
Genesis 15:18: "... saying Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt
unto the great river, the Euphrates." Doesn't the greater part of Arabia lie between the Nile
and the Euphrates, where all the descendants of Ishmael settled at a later date?.Do you see also the difference that Abraham was called "a stranger" in Canaan but not in
the land between the Nile and the Euphrates? As a Chaldean, he was more Arab than Jew.
m. But the covenant was made with Isaac, according to Genesis 17:21: "But my covenant
will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this time in the next year."
M. Does this exclude Ishmael? Where in the Bible does it say that Allah would not make
any covenant with Ishmael?
m. Nowhere.
Criterion of the Prophet by Jeremiah
Jeremiah 28:9: "The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet
shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him."
The word Islam also signifies tranquillity and peace, peace between the Creator and his
creatures. This prophecy of Jeremiah cannot be applied to Jesus, as he himself stated that
he didn't come for peace: Luke 12:51-53: "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on
earth? I tell you nay, but rather division, for from henceforth there will be five in one house
divided, three against two and two against three. The father shall be divided against the
son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter
against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law." See also Matthew 10:34-36.
Until Shiloh Come
This was a message of Jacob to his children before he died: Genesis 49:1): "And Jacob
called unto his sons, and said: 'Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which
shall befall you in the last days. "
Genesis 49:10: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a law- giver from between his
feet, until Shiloh come. And unto him shall the gathering of the people be."
Shiloh is also the name of a town, but its real meaning is peace, tranquillity, rest—Islam. It
could never refer to a town here. If it referred to a person, it could be a corruption of
Shaluah (Elohim), i.e., Messenger (of Allah) .
So the Israelite prophethood in the lineage of Isaac would stop as soon as Shiloh came.
This corresponds with Surah 2:133: "Were you witnesses when death came to Jacob?
When he said to his sons: 'What will you worship after me?' They said: 'We shall worship
your God [Allah], the God of your fathers Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, One God and to.Baca Is Makkah
The Holy Ka'bah, which was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael, is in Makkah. This
name Makkah has been mentioned once in the Qur'an in Surah 48:24. Another name for
Makkah is Bakkah, depending on the dialect of the tribe. This also has been mentioned
once, in Surah 3:96: "Verily, the first House [of worship] appointed for mankind was that
in Bakkah [Makkah], full of blessing, and guidance for all people." Amazing enough, this
word Bakkah was mentioned by Prophet David in his Psalm 84:6: "Who passing through
the valley of Baca make it a well, the rain also filleth the pools." The well here is the
well-known well of Zamzam, which is still present today and is located close to the
Ka'bah.
The House of My Glory
Isaiah chapter 60:
1. "Arise shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee."
Compare the with Surah 74:1-3: 0, you [Muhammad] wrapped up in garments! Arise and
warn! And your Lord magnify!
2. "For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people, but the
Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee." The advent of Prophet
Muhammad was at a time of darkness when the world had forgotten the oneness of God as
taught by Abraham and all of the other prophets, including Jesus.
3. "And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."
4. "Lift up shine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come
to thee: ...." Within less than twenty-three years the whole of Arabia was united.
5. "... because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the
Gentiles shall come unto thee." Within less than a century, Islam had spread beyond the
borders of Arabia.
6. "The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, all they
from Sheba shall come, they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall shew forth the
praises of the Lord."
7. "All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall
minister unto thee. They shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the
house of my glory." The tribes of Kedar (Arabia) who were divided were then united. "The
house of my glory," referred here to the House of Allah in Makkah and not the Church of
Christ as thought by Christian commentators. It is a fact that the villages of Kedar (now the
whole of Saudi Arabia at least) are located in the only country in the world that remains.Chariot of Asses and Chariot of Camels
The vision of Isaiah of the two riders in Isaiah 21:7: "And he saw a chariot with a couple of
horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels ..."
Who was the rider upon an ass? Every Sunday School student knows that this person was
Jesus: John 12:14: "And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon, as it is
written."
Who, then, is the promised rider on a camel? This powerful prophet has been overlooked
by readers of the Bible. This person is Prophet Muhammad. If this is not applied to him,
then the prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. That is why lsaiah mentioned in 21:13: "The
burden upon Arabia ...," which means the responsibility of the Arab Muslims, and of
course now of all Muslims, to spread the message of Islam.
Isaiah 21:14: "The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty,
and they prevented with their bread him that fled." Tema is probably Madinah, the city to
which Prophet Muhammad and his Companions immigrated. Each immigrant was joined to
a citizen of Madinah in ties of brotherhood by the Prophet. The immigrants were also given
food and shelter.
Isaiah 21:15: "For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword and from the bent
bow, and from the grievousness of war." This was when Prophet Muhammad and his
Companions were persecuted and left Makkah for Madinah.
Isaiah 21:16: "For thus hath the Lord said unto me: 'Within a year, according to the years
of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail."' Exactly in the second year of Hijrah
(immigration), the pagans were defeated in the battle of Badr
Finally Isaiah 21:17 concludes with "... the mighty men of the children of Kedar shall be
diminished, for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it." Kedar is the second son of Ishmael
(Genesis 25:13), from whom ultimately Prophet Muhammad arose. In the beginning, the
children of Kedar were attacking Muhammad and his Companions. But as many of them
accepted Islam, the number of children of Kedar who resisted began to diminish. In some
Bible verses, "Kedar" is synonymous with "Arab" in general, as in Ezekiel 27:21: "Arabia,
and all the Princes of Kedar ..."
The Prophet Like unto Moses
God addressed Moses: Deuteronomy 18:18: "I will raise them up a prophet from among
their brethren, like unto thee [Moses], and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall
speak unto them all that I shall command him."
1. Brethren of Israelites (descendants of Abraham through Isaac) are Ishmaelites.Following is a comparison between a few crucial characteristics of Moses, Muhammad,
and Jesus which may clarify the identity of "that prophet" who was to come after Moses:
Area of
Comparison
Moses Muhammad Jesus
Birth: Usual Usual Unusual
Family Life: Married, Children Married, Children Single, No Children
Death: Usual Usual Unusual
Career: Prophet/Stateman Prophet/Stateman Prophet
Forced Emigration
(in adulthood)
To Median To Madinah None
Encounter with
Enemies
Hot Pursuit Hot Pursuit/Battles No similar encounter
Results of encounter Moral/physical
victory
Moral/physical
victory
Moral victory
Writing down of
Revelation
In his lifetime
(Torah)
In his lifetime
(Qur'an)
After him
Nature of Teachings Spiritual/Legal Spiritual/Legal Mainly Spiritual
Acceptance of his
leadership (among
his people)
rejected then
accepted
rejected then
accepted
rejected (by most
Israelites)
3. "Put my words in his mouth." God's revelation came through Gabriel, and Prophet
Muhammad's own thinking was not involved. But this applies to all divine revelation.
Perhaps it is mentioned here specifically because it is compared with the revelation to
Moses, which is believed to have been revealed on "written tablets."
Deuteronomy 18:19: "And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my
words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."
In the Qurtan, 113 of the 114 surahs start with the phrase: "In the name of Allah, most
Gracious, most Merciful." This phrase is also a common part of a Muslim's daily speech,
for it is used when beginning a new activity. It is not in the name of God, but "in my
name"—God's personal name is Allah. It has no gender or plural forms, as the English
word "God" does. Christians start with "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit."
It should also be noted that those who will not hear or accept the message that he brings
will be punished. This corresponds with surah 3:19: Truly the religion in the sight of Allah
is Islam and surah 3:85: And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it will never be
accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.."my messenger" in verse 19. No doubt all prophets were indeed servants, messengers, and
the elect of Allah. Yet no prophet, with the exception of Muhammad, is universally called
by these specific titles. In Arabic, these are: Abduhu wa Rasuluhu Mustapha—His servant
and His elected messenger. The testimony of a person accepting Islam is: "I bear witness
that there is no deity but Allah, Who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is
His servant and messenger." This same formula is repeated five times a day in the call to
prayer before the beginning of each prayer, nine times a day in the tashahhud during the
minimum obligatory prayers, and several more times if a Muslim performs any of the
additional recommended prayers. The most common title of Prophet Muhammad is Rasul
Allah, which means "the Messenger of Allah."
2. "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street." This
describes the decency of Prophet Muhammad.
3. "... he shall bring forth judgment unto truth."
4. "He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he has set judgment in the earth; and the isles
shall wait for his law." This is to be compared with Jesus, who did not prevail over his
enemies and who was disappointed because of the rejection by the Israelites.
5. "I, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold shine hand, and will keep
thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles." The phrase
"and will keep thee" indicates that no other prophet will come after him. In a short time,
many Gentiles embraced Islam.
6. "To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in
darkness out of the prison house." "Blind eyes, life of darkness" denotes pagans and their
paganism. "Bring out the prisoners from the prison" denotes the abolishment of slavery for
the first time in the history of mankind.
7. "I am the Lord. That is my name, and my glory I will not give to another, neither my
praise to graven images." Prophet Muhammad is unique among all prophets, as he is the
"seal of the prophets" and his teachings remain undistorted until today, as compared with
Chnst~amly and Juda~sm.
8. "Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ...." A new
song, as it is not in Hebrew or Aramaic, but in Arabic. The praise of God and His
messenger Muhammad is chanted five times daily from the minarets of millions of mosques
all over the world.
9. "Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar cloth
inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the toP of the mountains."
From Mount Arafat near Makkah the pilgrims chant every year the following: "Here I come
[for Your service] O, Allah. Here I come. Here I come. There is no partner with you. Here
I come. Verily Yours is the praise, the blessings, and sovereignty. There is no partner
besides You." Isaiah 42 can never be applied to an Israelite prophet, as Kedar is the second.King David Called Him "My Lord"
Psalm 110:1: "The Lord said unto my Lord: 'Sit thou at my right hand, until I make shine
enemies thy footstool."'
There are two Lord mentioned here. If the first Lord (the speaker) is God, the second Lord
(the one spoken to) could not also be God, for David knew only one God. So it should
read: "God said unto my Lord, ..." Who was that whom David called "my Lord"? The
Church would say Jesus. But this was denied by Jesus himself in Matthew 22:45, Mark
12:37, and Luke 20:44. He excluded himself from this title, as he was a son of David.
How could David call him "my Lord" if he was his son, he argued. Jesus said, in Luke
20:42-44: "How say they that Christ is David's son? And David himself saith in the book
of Psalms: 'The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand till I make shine
enemies thy footstool.' David therefore calleth him Lord. How is he then his son?"
Jesus must have given an answer not recorded in the four canonical Gospels. However, it
is mentioned explicitly in the Gospel of Barnabas that the promise was made to Ishmael,
not to Isaac. David's "Lord" was thus Muhammad, whom he saw in spirit. No prophet
ever accomplished more than Muhammad. Even the combined work of all of the other
prophets remains small in comparison with that of Muhammad, who, during a twenty-three
year period, was able to leave a legacy—Islam—that remains unchanged until now.
Art Thou That Prophet?
The Jews sent priests and Levites to John the Baptist to ask who he really was. John
1:20-21: "And he [John the Baptist] confessed and denied not; but confessed, 'I am not the
Christ.' And they asked him: 'What then? Art thou Elias? 'And he saith: 'I am not.' 'Art
thou that prophet?' And he answered: 'No."'
The crucial question here is: Art thou that prophet? Who was the long-awaited prophet who
was to come after the advent of Jesus and John the Bapt~st? Was he not the one like unto
Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18) who is Muhammad?
Baptizing with the Holy Ghost and with Fire
Matthew 3:1 1: "I [John the Baptist] indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he
that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall
baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire."
If Jesus was alluded to here, John the Baptist would not have gone back to live in the
desert again, but would have clung to him and become one of his disciples, which he did
not do. Thus John was alluding to another Dowerful prophet here. The one coming after
John the Baptist could not be Jesus, as both were contemporaries. Here again, was it not
Prophet Muhammad who was being alluded to by John the Baptist?.Can you believe that John the Baptist is greater than Adan., NG"-., Abraham, Moses,
David, and many other prophets? How many pagans did John the Baptist convert, and how
many followers did he have? But this is not the main point here. The question is: who was
the least in the kingdom of heaven, greater than John the Baptist? For sure not Jesus, as at
that time the kingdom of heaven was not yet formed and he never claimed to be the least,
i.e., the youngest one. The kingdom of heaven consists of God as the Supreme~Being and
all of the prophets. The least or youngest one is here Prophet Muhammad.
Blessed Are the Peacemakers
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was quoted, in Matthew 5:9, as saying: "Blessed are
the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."
One of the meanings of the word "Islam" is peace: peace between the Creator and the
worshiper. Jesus could not mean that his mission was that of a peacemaker, as he stated
clearly that he had not been sent for that purpose (Matthew 10:34-36): "Think not that I am
come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a
man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the
daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own
household." See also Luke 12:49-53.
Comforter
John 14:16: "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he
may abide with you for ever."
We do not know exactly the original Aramaic word used by Jesus for "Comforter." Other
Bibles use "Consoler," '`Advocate," "Helper," and in Greek Bibles we find the word
"Paraclete." There are different explanations for it, among them "Holy Spirit" and "the
Word. "
The Qur'an states in surah 61:6 that Jesus explicitly mentioned the name Ahmad: "And
(remember) when Jesus, Son of Mary, said: 'O, children of Israel! I am the Apostle of
Allah (sent) to you confirming the Torah (which came) before me, and giving glad tidings
of an Apostle to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad (i.e., the second name of
Prophet Muhammad, and literally it means "the one who praises Allah more than others")."
Whatever the explanation is of the Comforter, we conclude that Jesus left an unfinished
work and that someone was coming to complete his mission. Let us examine, in the light of
the Bible, if this Comforter f~ts the character of Prophet Muhammad:
1. "Another Comforter": So many Comforters had come, and another one was to come..world as Muhammad did. He not only rooted out idolatry in Arabia within a twenty-three
year period, but also sent envoys to Heraclius, the sovereigns of the Persian and Roman
empires, to Najashi (the king of Ethiopia), and to Muqauqis (the governor of Egypt). He
reprimanded the Christians for dividing the unity of God into three portions, for having
raised Jesus to a Son of God and then to God Himself. It was he who condemned the Jews
and Christians for having corrputed their scriptures, demonstrated the birthright of Ishmael,
and cleared the prophets from accusations of adultery, incest, rape, and idolatry.
4. "The prince of the world is judeed" (John 16:11). This is Satan, as explained in John
12:31 and 14:30. So Prophet Muhammad came to chastise the world on account of
judgment.
5. "The Spirit of Truth" (John 16: 13). Since childhood, Prophet Muhammad was called
al-Amin, i.e., the Honest or Truthful One. This person will also come and "he will guide
you into all truth: ..." (John 16:13).
6. "For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak"
(John 16:13). The Qur'an is God's word. Not a single word from Prophet Muhammad or
his Companions was included within it. The angel Gabriel read it to him, he memorized it,
and it was written down by his scribes. His own sayings and teachings were recorded in
the hadith or (lit. tradition) literature.
Compare this with Deuteronomy 18:18: "... and will put my words in his mouth; and he
shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." This corresponds with surah 53:2-4:
"Your companion [Muhammad] is neither astray nor being misled. Nor does he speak of
[his own] desire. It is only the inspiration that is inspired."
7. "And he will show you things to come" (John 16: 13). Many prophecies of Prophet
Muhammad have already come to pass, and the rest will be fulf~lled in the future.
8. "He shall glorify me (John 16:14). Actually, the Qurtan and Prophet Muhammad have
more reverence for Jesus than do the Bible and Christians themselves. The following will
clarify this point:
a. To believe in Jesus' death on the cross discredits his prophethood, according to
Deuteronomy 13:5: "And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death ..."
It also stamps him as accursed, (May Allah forbid it!) according to Deuteronomy 21:22-23:
"... for he that is hanged is accursed of God . .."
b. Matthew 27:46: "... My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Would Jesus have
said such a thing? Even a non-prophet would smile at agony, as he would know that his
death would win him the title of martyr. Is this not an insult to Jesus and an insinuation that
he did not have faith in Allah?
c. We Muslims cannot believe that Jesus could label the Gentiles as dogs and swine and
address his mother with "woman," as the Qurtan states in surah 19:32: "And dutiful to my.Revelation to Prophet Muhammad
The first revelation (surah 96: 1-5) of Allah through the angel Gabriel to Muhammad was
the word iqra', which means "read."As he was illiterate, he replied: "I cannot read." This
first revelation was prophesied in Isaiah 29:12: "And the book is delivered to him that is not
learned, saying: 'Read this, I pray thee,' and he saith: 'I am not learned. "'
The Qurtanic verses were not revealed in the order in which they appear in the Qur'an. In
other words, the first part that was revealed is not the first page and the last part that was
revealed is not the last page. That these revelations came in installments and were inserted
in a certain order in the Qurtan as ordained by Allah was also mentioned in Isaiah 28:10-11:
"For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line;
here a little, and there a little. For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to
his people." Another tongue means here another language—not Hebrew or Aramaic, but
Arabic
Muslims all over the world use one language—Arabic—in calling their God, in their
prayers, pilgrimage, and in their greetings to each other. This unity of language was also
prophesied in Zephaniah 3:9: "For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they
may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent." Alas the truth has
come in Arabic, but some still expect Prophet Jesus, who might teach mankind to worship
Allah in one unique language in his second coming. We Muslims are sure that Prophet
Jesus, in his second coming, will join the Muslims in their mosques, as he is like any other
Muslim: he is circumcised, abstains from pork, and performs prayers with ablution, and
that he stands, bows, and prostrates during his prayers..References
1.Explanatory English Translation of Holy Qur'an, by Dr. Muhammad Taqui-Din
al-Hilali and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan.
2. The Holy Bible (King James Version), authorized 1611.
3. The Holy Bible (Revised Standard Version).
4. The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Jehovah's Witnesses
Church).
5. New American Standard Bible.
6. The Myth of the Cross, by A. D. Ajijola.
7. The Cross and the Crescent, by Maulana Muhammad Imran.
8. Davis Dictionary of the Bible, 1980.
9. The International Standard Bible Enyclopedia.
10. Smith's Bible Dictionary, 1980.
11. The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1980.
12. Muhammad in the Bible, by Prof. Abdul Ahad Dawud.
13 Muhammad in the Bible, by Ahmed Deedat.
14 Jesus: A Prophet of Islam, by Sulaiman Shahid Mufassir.
15. Biblical Studies from Muslim Perspectives, by S. Mufassir.
16. Muhammad in the Bible, by Jamal Badawi: Al-lttihad (JanuaryMarch 1982).
1 While it has become customary to take off one's shoes in a mosque, it is sunnah
to pray with one's shoes on. (See Sunan Abu Dawood.)
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