Church doctrines vs. the bible.
Qur'an 35:24 : "...And there never was a nation but a warner had passed among them." Qur'an 4:164 : "And prophets We have mentioned to you (O Muhammad) before, and prophets We have not mentioned to you." So Islam believes that Almighty Allah had sent messengers to all nations but not all of them were mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. They all conveyed in principle the same message: To worship Allah alone and to believe on the Day of Judgement. As soon as people deviated from His message and started to worship idols or anything other than Allah, another warner was sent. They either forgot Allah's teaching or made changes in their scriptures deliberately or unintentionally, deletion and addition. No scriptures were left of Noah and Abraham (peace be upon them). The scriptures of Moses, David, and Jesus (pbut) were not preserved in its original form as we see in the different kinds of Holy Bibles today. Jesus' language was in Aramaic, but no Aramaic New Testament is known and not a single Gospel of Jesus (pbuh) is now available even. Nobody can deny the Bible suffered a lot of adulteration. We need not to examine its previous history to prove it, just see what changes we find in our life time only: "Desexing" the Bible where Jesus (pbuh) is not he or Son of God but Child of God and the condensed Old and Testament of the Reader's Digest. But out of His mercy Allah never left mankind without His guidance. He finally sent His last and universal Messenger Muhammad (pbuh) according to His original divine plan with the Holy Qur'an who came as a revivalist about 570 years after the advent of Prophet Jesus (pbuh).
Everybody is born in submission to Allah, i.e. Islam. Born as a Muslim is the innate nature of every child. Qur'an 59:1
or 61:1 : "All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifies Allah." So the sun, the moon, the mountains,
plants and animals and all what is created by Allah are in submission to Him except mankind who can make a choice. The parents
or the community may convert them to Judaism, Christianity, other religions or atheism. They then deviate from the original path
of Islam, we would not say that they convert to Islam, rather that they revert to Islam as they are back again to the original
path of Islam.
Was Jesus a Christian?
Messiah or Christ means the anointed one. Messiah emanates from the Hebrew language and Christ from the Greek. If Jesus (pbuh) was a Christian he should have been the first one using this phrase. The word Christian was repeated only three times in the New Testament. First by pagans in Antioch about 43 AD, long after Jesus (pbuh) had left this earth, when some disciples came there to spread the Gospel (Acts 11:26): "...And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." Later by King Agrippa II to Paul in Acts 26:28 : "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." So the name Christian was first given by foes rather than friends. And finally by Peter in his letter to comfort the faithful in I Peter 4:16 : "Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed ..."
The first Muslim on earth was not Muhammad but Abraham (pbuh) who submitted totally to Allah. But Islam as a way of life had been revealed to other Prophets prior to Abraham like Adam and Noah (pbut). Then Islam follows as the way of life for all of humanity. If you ask any Prophet prior to Muhammad (pbut) what his message was, his answer would be in a long sentence: To worship and submit to the only One God (Allah) and to believe on the Day of Judgement. When Muhammad (pbuh) came, the name was contracted to one simple word Islam, which means Submission, also Peace, peace between the Creator and His creatures.
Who was the founder of Christianity?
Jesus (pbuh) was certainly no its founder as he was not a Christian. See section Was Jesus a Christian? The founder was really Paul who made changes in the original teaching of Jesus (pbuh).
- Paul said in Romans 7:4 : "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another,..."
- Paul said in Acts 13:39 : "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."
- Galatians 5:2-6 : "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace ... For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision."
- Even eating with uncircumcised gentile was originally not allowed in Acts 11:3 : "...Thou (Peter wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them." Jesus (pbuh) came only for the lost sheep of Israel.
- Paul was the first one who made Jesus (pbuh) a Son of God in Acts 9:20-23 : "And the straightway he (Paul) preached Christ in a synagogue, that he is the Son of God ... And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took council to kill him."
- Paul was the innovator of resurrection in Acts 17:18 : "...And some said, What will this babbler (i.e. Paul) say? He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection."
- Paul also admit that the resurrection was his innovation in II Timothy 2:8 : "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel."
- Paul persecuted by the Jews in Acts 21:28 : "Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man (Paul) that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
The doctrine of the sonship of Jesus
The word Christ emanates from the Greek language and Messiah from Hebrew. Christ or Messiah means nothing more than the anointed one. The expression "Jesus, Son of God" seems to be found by the tons in the New Testament but in fact only 44 times while "Son of Man" is repeated more, i.e. 71 times. The expression Son of God applied to other people has been suppressed by the Church. Exodus 4:22 : "And thou (Moses) shall say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn." Jeremiah 31:9 : "I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my firstborn." Who was really the firstborn then! Israel or Ephraim? II Samuel 7:13-14 and I Chronicles 22:10 : "He (Solomon) shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father and he will be my son." Common people are also called children of God in Deuteronomy 14:1 : "Ye are the children of the Lord you God." Long before Jesus (pbuh) was born, God said to David (pbuh), in Psalm 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 (pbuh) is also God's begotten son. The meaning of Son of God is not literal but metaphorical. It can be any one who is loved by Allah. Jesus (pbuh) also said that Got is not only his Father but also your father, in Matthew 5:45, 48 : "That ye may be the children of your Father." and "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." So you will see in many passages in the Bible "Son of God" which signifies love and affection, nearness to God, not applied to Jesus (pbuh) alone. You will see sons and daughters of God (II Corinthians 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 whatsoever why Jesus (pbuh) should be regarded as the Son of God in a literal or unique sense. Why is Adam not considered the real first Son of God in Luke 3:38 : "...Seth, which was
the son of Adam, which was the Son of God." Read Hebrews 7:3 : "(Melchisedec) 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." He is more unique than Jesus and Adam (pbut). Why is he not preferred to be Son of God or God himself?
It is never elevated in the Church that Jesus himself (pbuh) refused and rebuked to be called Son of God in Luke 4:41: "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." He refused again in Luke 9:20-21, and charged them too: "He (Jesus) said unto them (the disciples), But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. And he straightly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing." Jesus (pbuh) who was the expected Messiah, the anointed Prophet, was escalated from a teacher coming from God to Son of God, Lord, God Incarnate and finally God Himself. Observe the escalation step by step: (John 3:2): "The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God ..."; (John 6:14): "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 (pbuh) is also called Prophet in John 7:40, Matthew 21:11, Luke 7:16 and 24:19. (Acts 9:20): "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 (pbuh), Churches were established. Paul, Barnabas and the gentiles were expelled from the synagogues, as they were accused of blasphemy and pollution. See Acts 13:39 where Paul demolished the teaching of Jesus (pbuh): "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses"; (Acts 13:50): "But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of the coasts."
Jesus (pbuh) was elevated to Lord in Luke 2:11: "For unto you is born today in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Elevated to God himself in John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
The Holy Qur'an which came 600 years after Jesus (pbuh) had left this world, condemned this blasphemy of Divine Sonship in Surah 19:88-92: "And they say: God Most Gracious has begotten a son! Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! whereby the skies are ready to burst, and the earth split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin, that they should invoke a son for (God). For it is not suitable for the Majesty of (God) Most Gracious, that He should beget a son for (God). For it is not suitable for the Majesty of (God) the Most Gracious, that He should beget a son." Also Surah 112:3: "He (God Almighty) begets not, nor is He begotten." The Qur'an which came about 200 years after the establishment of this sonship, condemned this blasphemy of Divine Sonship soon after its innovation. But the Christian world needs 2000 years to remove the world "begotten" from "the only begotten Son." See where the word begotten is removed in the New International Version of the Holy Bible under Psalm 2:7; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5 and 5:55; John 1:18; 3:16 and 3:18; I John 4:9; Revelation 1:15.
So Christianity is moving closer to Islam now, closer to the truth which can never be denied as the Holy Qur'an states in Surah 17:81: "And say (O Muhammad): Truth (i.e. Islam) has come and falsehood (disbelief) has vanished. Surely! Falsehood is ever bound to vanish."
The doctrine of Atonement & Original sin.
Redemption of sin through the crucifixion is not of Jesus' teaching (pbuh). The Doctrine of Atonement was accepted by the Church three to four centuries after Jesus (pbuh) had left this earth. It contradicts the Bible itself 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 (be condemned). 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 them, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." So Adam and Eve were responsible for their own sin, which had also been forgiven by Allah according to the Islamic version. Jesus himself (pbuh) said in Matthew 7:1-2: "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (I Corinthians 3:8): "Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor." Jesus himself (pbuh) also said in Matthew 19:14 that everybody is born without sin i.e. all children belong to the kingdom of heaven: "But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: of such is the kingdom of heaven."
The doctrine of the trinity.
The strongest evidence for the Doctrine of the Trinity in the Bible is found in the First Epistle of John 5:7 and 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 agree in one." This is still present in the King James Version, authorized in 1611. But now this part, "the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one," has been expunged in the latest King James Version and other newer translated Bibles. I John 5:7-8 in the New American Standard Bible reads as follows: "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 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." The New International Version of the Holy Bible prints: "For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement."
It was a gloss that had encroached on the Greek text. The Trinity is not Biblical. The word Trinity is not found in any Bible, not even in Bible dictionaries, was never taught by Jesus and never mentioned by him or any other Prophet (pbut). There is no basis or proof in the Bible whatsoever for the acceptance of the Trinity. Matthew 28:19 still contains the following: "..., baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." If you are invited by three persons, it does not mean that they are one.
The formulation of the Trinity by Athanasius, an Egyptian deacon was in 325 AD, i.e. more than three centuries after Jesus (pbuh) had left. No doubt Roman paganism had influence in this doctrine, the triune god; Sabbath was shifted to Sunday; December 25 which was the birthday of their sun-god Mithra, was introduced as Jesus' birthday, although the Bible clearly predicted and forbade the decoration of Christmas tree in Jeremiah 10:2-5: "Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the sign 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 in the hands of the workman, with the ax. The deck it with silver and with gold, the fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree but speak not: they must be born because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good."
Unlike Islam, when the pagans embraced Islam, they could not introduce paganism into Islam but they had to change their life style to fit into it. So Islam remained as a pure teaching of Allah Almighty through His Messenger Muhammad (pbuh). But the Roman pagans mold Christianity to fit their life style. The Roman Julian calendar introduced as the Christian era, pork not prohibited, circumcision abolished by Paul (Galatians 5:2): "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing." There are Unitarian Churches which do not believe in the Trinity but they use the same Bibles supporting Trinity like the King James Version of 1611. Are they not confused? Many Christians can not get rid of the Trinity as they are always taught: "The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Ghost is God. There are no three Gods but one God." We Muslims believe that the Holy Ghost is the Angel Gabriel. This has been overlooked in the Bible for almost 2000 years. Compare:
Matthew 1:18: |
Luke 1:26-27: |
| Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with the child of the Holy Ghost. |
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. |
Is it not crystal clear here that the Holy Ghost is the angel Gabriel? The Holy Qur'an, which came about 300 years after the Doctrine of the Trinity was established, condemned it in Surah 4:171: "...Three (trinity), Cease: (it is) better for you: For Allah is (the only) One God, Glory be to him above having a son ..." But the Christian world needed almost 2000 years to remove this erroneous evidence from their Holy Bible. We salute them for coming closer to the truth. Surah 17:81 states: "And say (O Muhammad): Truth (i.e. Islam) has come and falsehood (disbelief) has vanished. Surely! Falsehood is ever bound to vanish."
Miracles performed by other Prophets.
The church elevates the miracles done by Jesus (pbuh) in such a height as if no other Prophet (pbut) could do it. We are not against Prophet Jesus (pbuh) but we should place everything in its perspective and study it objectively. Also Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) performed many miracles, the most important of it is the Holy Qur'an which can be appreciated only by those who scrutinize it. As Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the Seal of all Prophets (pbut), his miracle must be unique. Will all miracles of other Prophets were nor reproducable, Prophet Muhammad's important miracle, the Holy Qur'an is an everlasting one. All miracle done by Prophet Jesus (pbuh) had been performed by other Prophets (pbut) and not a single one left. In the contrary there were miracles done by other Prophets which were never done by Jesus (pbuh). We Muslims believe that all these miracles were done by the grace of Allah.
- Prophet Jesus fed five thousand people with only five loaves and two fish. The same was done by Elisha and Elijah. Elisha secured the increase of a widow's oil and he said to her (II Kings 4:7): "Go, sell the oil, and pay the debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest." Elisha fed a hundred people with twenty loaves and a few ears of corn (II Kings 4:44): "So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord." 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 spake 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."
- Jesus could heal leprosy. Also Elisha told Naaman who was a leper to wash in the Jordan river (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."
- Prophet Jesus could cause a blind man to see again. Also Elisha did (II Kings 6:17): "And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord open 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 open their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria." Jesus (pbuh) did not cause blindness as Elisha did (II 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."
- Prophet Jesus (pbuh) could raise the dead. Compare 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." Compare also with 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 the dead bones of Elisha could restore a dead body to life by touching only (II Kings 13:21): "And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the men 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."
- Prophet Jesus (pbuh) walked on the water. Also Prophet Moses (pbuh) did by stretching out his arms over the sea (Exodus 14:22): "And the children of Israel went the midst of the sea upon the dry ground; and the waters were a wall unto them on the right hand, and on their left.
- Prophet Jesus cast out devils. But he himself (pbuh) 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 our judges." Also the disciples could cast out devils as Jesus (pbuh) said (Matthew 7:22): "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesized in thy name: and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?"
- In accordance with Muslims' belief, Jesus (pbuh) did all his miracles with the grace of Allah (John 5:30): "I can of mine own self do nothing ..." and (Luke 11:20): "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 Prophet Jesus (pbuh) had been done by other Prophets and even disciples. On the other hand, Jesus (pbuh) 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 marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went around about the villages, teaching."
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