The Bible is the basis for the teachings of Christianity, and the Quran is the main source of Islamic Religion and Law, this book compares Islam and Christianity according to a comparative study of the Bible and the Quran.
Preface
A religion should not be judged by the opinions and attitudes of its biased enemies. Neither should it be judged by the behavior of some of its nominal followers because there are bad people among every religious group, and making a judgment based on those people is misleading as they may be violating their religion. A religion should rather be judged by its teachings as well as the effects of these teachings on its real followers.
Since the Bible is the basis for the teachings of Christianity, and the Quran is the main source of Islamic Religion and Law, this book compares Islam and Christianity according to a comparative study of the Bible and the Qur'an. This approach ensures that the comparison is based on facts and not on prejudice or misunderstanding.
It should be emphasized that when this book talks about Islam, it does not give exaggerated or insincere information to persuade the reader, but rather presents the real teachings of Islam. Everything mentioned in this book, about Islam, is supported by Verses from the Qur'an which was revealed about fourteen hundred years ago. Likewise, everything mentioned about Christianity is supported by verses from the Bible.
Naser AI-Moghamis
April 2002 (Safar 1423)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
almoghamis@yahoo.com
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Authenticity of the Bible
Authenticity of the Qur'an
What the Bible and the Qur'an Say about God:
- Does God Relax?
- God's Power
- Can God be Seen?
- God's Description
- Is God Unjust?
- Does God Sleep?
- Is God Unhelpful?
- Does God have a Family?
What the Bible and the Qur'an Say about the Prophets:
-
Prophet Moses and Prophet Aaron (pbut)
- Prophet Lot (pbuh)
- Prophet Solomon (pbuh)
- Prophet Jacob (pbuh)
- Prophet David (pbuh)
- Prophet Job (pbuh)
What the Bible and the Qur'an Say about Prophet Jesus:
- The Genealogy of Prophet Jesus (pbuh)
- Was Jesus (pbuh) Crucified and Cursed?
- Prophet Jesus' Behavior Towards His Mother
- Prophet Jesus' Behavior Towards People
- The Mission of Prophet Jesus (pbuh)
- The Divinity of Prophet Jesus (pbuh)
What the Bible and the Qur'an Say about the Day of Judgment
- According to the Old Testament
- According to the New Testament
What the Bible and the Qur'an Say about Women:
- Women's Nature
- Women's Original Sin
- Women's Veil
- Women's Role
- Women's Testimony
- Women's Righteousness
- Women's Inheritance
- Women's Cleanness
Other Teachings and Beliefs
- The Source of Religion
- Faith and Deeds
- The Original Sin
- Crucifixion
- Forgiveness
- Marriage
- Polygamy
- Incest
- The Biblical and the Qur'anic Styles
- Wisdom and Knowledge
- Racism
- Killing the Enemy's Women and Children
- Languages
- Worship
- Forbidding Evil
- Hypocrisy
- Wine
- Bribery
Appendix 1
Examples of the Contradictions in the Bible
Appendix 2
What the Bible Says about the Coming of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Appendix 3
What They Say about the Qur'an
References
Introduction
For the benefit of Christian readers, this introduction provides some essential information about Islam in addition to the Islamic attitude towards Christianity and the Bible:
Who is Allah?
Say (O Muhammad): "He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, to Whom the creatures turn for their needs; He begets not, nor was He begotten; and there is none like Him." (Qur'dn, 112:1-4)
'Allah' is the name of the God of Muslims, Christians and Jews. He is the God of Prophet Moses'peace be upon him' (pbuh), Prophet Jesus (pbuh), Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and all the other Prophets. The name 'Allah' is not a new name, but rather the true name of God. It is used by Muslims as well as Arabic-speaking Christians.
... and say: "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you (Jews and Christians); our God and your God is One, and to Him we have submitted (as Muslims)." (Qur'dn, 29:46)
What is the Qur'an?
The Qur'an is the literal Word of Allah revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), through the angel Gabriel, about fourteen hundred years ago. The Qur'an is the eternal miracle of Islam. Allah has challenged mankind to produce anything to match it or even match one short chapter of it, yet no human has ever been able to meet the challenge.
And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a chapter of the like thereof, and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Alldh if you are truthful. (Qur'dn, 2:23)
Since the Qur'an is the literal Word of Allah, it exists only in its original Arabic in which it was revealed, and cannot be translated into another language. However, for the benefit of those who do not speak Arabic, the meanings of the Qur'an can be translated. Therefore, the quotations in this book are not the Qur'an but only translations of its meanings.
What Does the Word 'Islam' Mean?
The word 'Islam' means the conscious and peaceful obedience and submission to the Will of the only true God, 'Allah'. All religions were named either after their founders or after nations or tribes e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity, while the name 'Islam' is not associated with any person, tribe or nation but was given by Allah in the Qur'an:
This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (Qur'an, 5:3)
The word 'Muslim' is a description; anyone who submits himself to Allah's Will and obeys Him is a Muslim.
All the Prophets were Muslims because they obeyed Allah and submitted themselves to His Will. Furthermore, the true followers and companions of those Prophets were Muslims:
Then when Jesus came to know of their disbelief, he said: "Who will be my helpers in Alldh's cause?" The disciples said: " We are the helpers of Allah (i.e. we will strive in His cause); we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allah). Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down and we follow the Messenger (Jesus) SO write us down among those who bear witness." (Qur'dn, 3:52,53)
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all people to Jesus - the son of Mary. The Prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one (Islamic Monotheism)." (Bukhari)
Early Muslims
Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and all the other Prophets from Adam to Muhammad (peace be upon them) were sent with the same Message, to command human beings to worship Allah alone, and
not to join in worship partners with him. Prophet Jesus (pbuh) never claimed divinity. He taught the Oneness of Allah and confirmed that he was just a Messenger:
Jesus said, "... I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my. God and your God." (John 20:17)
By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. (John 5:30)
The disciples followed the teachings of Prophet Jesus (pbuh). They worshiped Allah alone and kept religion pure for Him. They believed and supported Prophet Jesus (pbuh) to such an extent that Allah held them up as an excellent example to Muslims in the Qur'an:
O you who believe! Be you helpers (in the cause) of Allah as said Jesus - son of Mary, to the disciples: "Who will be my helpers in Allah's cause?" The disciples said: "We are the helpers of Allah (i.e. we will strive in His cause)! Then a group of the Children of Israel believed and a group disbelieved. So, We gave power to those who believed against their enemies, and they became the victorious. (Qur'an, 61:14)
Jesus the merciful Prophet (pbuh) commanded his disciples to be kind and merciful and to forgive others. Let the Qur'an now describe the followers of Prophet Jesus (pbuh):
Then, We sent after them Our Messengers, and We sent Jesus - son of Mary, and gave him the Injeel (Gospel), and placed compassion and mercy in the hearts ofthose who followed him. (Qur'an, 57:27)
Verily, you will find the strongest among mankind in enmity to the believers (Muslims) the Jews and those who are idolaters, and you will find the nearest in love to the believers those who say: "We are Christians." That is because amongst them are priests and monks, and they are not arrogant. (Qur'an, 5:82)
After the Ascension of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) to heaven, most of the Christians remained Unitarian. They used to believe in the Oneness of Allah following the teachings of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and all the other Prophets. They did not believe in the doctrines of Trinity, Original Sin, Blood Atonement or Divine Sonship of Prophet Jesus (pbuh). After centuries of persecution against the Unitarian Christians, the Pauline Church prevailed and the teachings of Paul replaced the teachings of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and Paul became the real founderof today's Christianity.
Paul, the self-appointed thirteenth apostle who never saw Jesus (pbuh), wrote more Books of the Bible than any other author, while Prophet Jesus (pbuh) did not write a single word, as the original Gospel revealed by Allah to Jesus (pbuh) was lost. However, Paul replaced the Gospel of Jesus (pbuh) with a gospel written by him and invented the doctrines of Original Sin, Blood Atonement and Divine Sonship of Prophet Jesus (pbuh). With the exception of few verses, all the verses in Paul's letters are his own words and not the words of Prophet Jesus (pbuh):
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to my (Paul) gospel. (2 Timothy 2:8) (KJV) After the loss of the original Gospel of Prophet Jesus (pbuh), many gospels were written. These gospels include some of the genuine teachings of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) mixed with people's own texts and interpretations which were influenced by the beliefs of that period. Therefore, it became difficult and sometimes impossible to know which parts came from Allah and which from people. As a result, Christians deviated from the teachings of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and followed the teachings of hundreds of monks and priests which resulted in hundreds of religious groups having different beliefs.
The Effects of the Contradictions in the Bible
The errors and contradictions in the Bible make some Christians reject Christianity and view the Bible as merely a historical book. Those people continue their disbelief to the extent that they deny the existence of God and consequently, they do not believe in all the Prophets including Prophet Jesus (pbuh).
Those people shock the Muslim more than anyone else, because no Muslim is a Muslim if he or she does not believe in Jesus Christ (pbuh). The Muslim, in compliance with the Qur'an, believes that Jesus (pbuh) was a great Messenger of Allah, that he brought the dead to life by Allah's leave, that he healed those born blind and the lepers by Allah's leave, that he was born without any male intervention and that he was the Christ.
It is true that the errors and contradictions in the Bible mean that the Word of Allah has been mixed with people's texts and interpretations. However, they do not mean that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was a liar nor that Allah does not exist! They do not mean that Muhammad (pbuh) was a false prophet nor that Islam is not the true religion!
The Purpose of this Book
The purpose of this book is to achieve the following objectives using the Qur'an and what survived in the Bible from the teachings of the Prophets (peace be upon them), with the help of our common sense, reason and intellect:
- To confirm that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was a great Messenger of Allah, that he was the Christ, that he was given the Gospel, that he was born miraculously without a father and that he gave life to the dead by Allah's leave and healed him who was born blind and the leper by Allah's leave.
- To confirm that the original Gospel revealed to Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was lost and that the existing gospels include few parts of that original Gospel mixed with people's texts and interpretations, which contain a lot of errors and contradictions.
- To disprove misrepresentations and lies in the Bible against Allah.
- To disprove false charges in the Bible against the Prophets, Lot, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, and Job (peace be upon them).
- To disprove false charges in the Bible against Prophet Jesus (pbuh).
- To point out the wrong beliefs which were added (intentionally or unintentionally) into the message of Prophet Jesus (pbuh). To disprove the doctrines of Trinity, Original Sin, Blood Atonement and Divine Sonship of Prophet Jesus (pbuh).
- To prove that the Qur'an is the Word of Allah and the last revealed Book which has never been changed or adulterated. To prove that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the awaited Prophet prophesied in the Bible.
- To present the real Islam through the Qur'an and remove lies and misrepresentations wrapped around Islam by its enemies.
Other Sources:
| Hajj information (Pilgrimage to Saudi-Arabia) | ||
| HAJJ Pilgrimage -Rituals of Hajj |
