لطفا منتظر باشید ...
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 ..."'
4. Jephthah and Ammon had a war against each other. Jephthah
swore to the Lord in Mizpah of Gilead to sacrifice his only daughter if he won.
He did win, and burnt his daughter there alive as an offering to the Lord
(Judges 11:29-39).
5. Four hundred thousand swordsmen from the eleven tribes of
Israel swore before the Lord in Mizpeh to exterminate the tribes of Benjamin
(Judges 20 and 21).
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 21: 5). Who then was the chariot of camels? It
could not be other than Muhammad, who came about six hundred years after the
advent of Jesus. If this is not accepted, then this prophecy has not yet been
fulfilled.
C. Your explanation stimulates me to review the Bible more
carefully. I would like to have more discussions with you.
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 in 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 thatthe 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?
C. Yes, that is so. But what kind of error do you mean?
M. Suppose one verse states that a certain person died at the
age of fifty years and another verse states that the same person died at the age
of sixty years? Can both statements be right?
C. No, for only one can be right or both are wrong.
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 Hadarezer, king of Zobah, he sent Hadoram, his son, to
King David to enquire of his welfare and to congratulate him, because he had
fought against Hadarezer and had smitten him (for Hadarezer had made war
withTou); and with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and
brass.Q. Toi or Tou, Joram or Hadoram,
Hadadezer or Hadarezer? 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.I Chronicles 11:11
And this is the number of the mighty men who David
had: Jashobeam, an Hachmonite, the chief of the captains; he lifted up his
spear against three hundred slain by him at one time.Q. Tachmonite or Hachmonite? Eight hundred or three
hundred?
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 will ye liken God? Or what likeness
will ye compare unto him? . . . 'To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be
equal?' saith the Holy One." See also Psalm 89:6: "For who in the heaven can be
compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the
Lord?" and Jeremiah 10:6,7: "For as much as there is none like unto Thee, O Lord
. . . there is none like unto Thee."
C. But all these are in the Old Testament.
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."
And another prophet accused of adultery (II Samuel 11:4-5):
"And David sent messengers, and took her [the wife of Uriah], and she came in
unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness; and
she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David,
and said: 'I am with child."'
My question is: How could David be accepted in the genealogy of
Jesus when it started with a person who committed adultery? May Allah forbid it!
Does this not contradict what 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 used by the Jehovah's Witnesses admits
that certain ancient manuscripts add a long conclusion or a short conclusion
after Mark 16:8 but that some omit those verses. And The Revised Standard
version prints the following footnote: "Some of the most ancient authorities
bring the book to a close at the end of verse 8 ..." This means that the
resurrection is not true, as it is described in Mark 16:9.
C. But Jesus said in Matthew 28:19: "Go ye therefore and teach
all nations ..."
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 youstill 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 after Jesus had left. No doubt Roman
paganism had an influence on this doctrine of a triune god. The Sabbath was
shifted to Sunday and December 25, the birthday of their sun god Mithra, was
introduced as Jesus' birthday, although the Bible clearly predicted and forbade
the decoration of Christmas trees in Jeremiah 10:2-5: "Thus saith the Lord:
'Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven;
for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain:
for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman
with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold, they fasten it with nails
and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as 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.
M. Maybe the following questions will give you a better
understanding of the Trinity: What is the Holy Spirit?
C. The Holy Spirit is the Holy Ghost and is also God. We are
taught that the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Ghost is God. We are not
allowed to say Three Gods, but One God.
M. Read Matthew 1:18.
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 faiths, it means you haven't surrendered to Allah. You are
still a disbeliever, as He states in Surah 4:150-152: Verily those who
disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and wish to make distinction between
Allah and His messengers [by believing in Allah and disbelieving in His
messengers] saying: 'We believe in some and reject others,' and wish to take a
way in between [this and] that: They are disbelievers in truth. And We have
prepared for disbelievers a humiliating torment. To those who believe in Allah
and His messengers and make no distinction between any of them [messengers], We
shall give them their rewards, and Allah is 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."
From Isaiah 45:18 we can conclude that God alone was the
Creator and that no one else, not even Jesus, participated in the
creation.
You should also read Deuteronomy 4:35; Exodus 8:10; II Samuel
7:22; I Kings 8:23; I Chronicles 17:20; Psalms 86:8, 89:6 and 113:5; Hosea 13:4;
and Zechariah 14:9.
C. But these are all in the Old Testament. Do you find these
same statements in the New Testament?
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 true with John the Baptist, for we read in Luke
1: 13, IS: "But the angel said unto him: 'Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is
heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his
name John. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and he shall be
filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. "'
C. But Jesus could do miracles. He fed five thousand people
with only five loaves and two fishes.
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."
C. But Jesus could cast out devils.
M. Jesus himself admitted that other people could do it:
Matthew 12:27 and Luke 11:19: "And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do
your children cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges. "
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.
