An Article by Najib about if Jesus God

Well Jesus said i’m a man plainly :  But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this. (John 8:40)So where Jesus said I’m God ? cool,I’ll tell you jesus never said I’m God ,whereas he said I’m a man and a messenger of God .And we know from the Bible that God is not a man nor a son of man  “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor the son of  man, that He should repent” (Numbers 23:19)  , so Jesus as a man can not be God  .However, Christians still say that Jesus and the Father are one ,and that Jesus is God incarnate  ,even that this is just human invention because it doesn’t exist  in the Bible ,even though as a Muslim ,I’ll say it’s ok but how could Christian explain the following verse   “If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified. But there is another ¹² who testifies on my behalf, and I know that the testimony he gives on my behalf is true. (Jn-5-31,32), well, according to any human being, whom God prefered  him with a simple brain, this verse means that Jesus is not God ,and that God is another person   ,who is different  than Jesus . Another point which proves to us that the doctrine  of incarnation is just a Christian myth is that the question of where is the Father ?  Christian would say that father and Jesus are one .I say no God is another person again because Jesus is in earth but the Father is in heaven as we read in these following verses “This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. (Matthew 6:9,10) , When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.” [ Mk:11:26 ] , “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, ¹⁰ but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. [ Mt:7:21 ]. This  makes me dazzy how could Jesus be  the same as the Father  ,whereas the father is not on earth  ,so he is another person ,then he is not Jesus and Jesus is not God  . Know about Islam :  www.sultan.org  

THE CONDITIONS OF La ilaha illa-llah..........PART I [The Prerequisites of the Declaration of Faith]  Br. Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo wrote:      Every Muslim knows that the key to Paradise is the statment, "There is none worthy of worship except Allah."  Yet too many Muslims simply rely upon this statment and believe that as long as they have made this statment, nothing will harm them. They think will be granted Paradise because of this mere verbal statment of the Shahadah.     There is no question that the mere saying of," I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger," is not sufficient for salvation. In fact, the hypocrites used to make this statment quite often yet Allah describes them as liars and says that they shall abide in the lowest abyss of the Hell-fire.      As many scholars state, though, this statment or testimony is the key Paradise. The famous Follower Wahb ibn Munabbih was once asked, " Isn't the statment of la ilaha illa-llah the key to Paradise?"  He answered, "Yes, but every key has ridges. If you come with the key that has the right ridges, the door will open for you. Yet if you do not have the right ridges the door will not open for you."  That is, it is saying must meet certain conditions. These conditions are what will differentiate the person who will benefit from his making of that statment from the one who will not benefit from that statment, no matter how many times a day he may have made that statments.      Before discussing the conditions of the Shahadah, there is one more point that I feel compelled to make. That is, some people have a tendency to take one hadith or one verse and then based on that one text, they will make some conclusion that, for example, whoever simply says," There is no God except Allah," will enter Paradise. But, actually, we should all realize that all of the Quran and Hadith complement each other and explain one another. To find the correct position on any one question, one must bring together all of the related verses and hadith and see what the true Islamic postion is of that question. The same is true for the conditions of the shahadah.      If we study the verses of the Quran and the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him), we will find that the conditions of the shahadah are seven, eight or nine in number depending on how we look at them. It is important that all of us make sure that we are meeting these conditions in our own lives and in our own testimony of faith. We must do our best to satisfy these conditions before it is too late and our testimony will be no avail whatsoever. It is not simply  for the sake of teaching these conditions. Indeed, there is no benefit to that. But it is, instead, for all of us to look to ourselves and to make sure that we are actually meeting these conditions so that, by Allah's mercy, the doors to Paradise will be open for us by our key of la ilaha illa-llah.  _______________________________________________________________________  THE CONDITIONS OF La ilaha illa-llah..........PART II [The Prerequisites of the Declaration of Faith]  Br. Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo wrote:      The FIRST of these condition is KNOWLEDGE. That is , one must have the basic and general knowledge of what is meant by the shahadah. One must understand what tha shahadah is affirming and what the shahadah is denying. Allah says in the Quran, "So know that there is no God save Allah, and ask forgiveness for your sin" (Muhammad 19). Similarly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever dies knowing that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah shall enter Paradise." (Recorded by Muslim.)     In fact, the shahadah itself is a testimony. When one testifies to something, one must know what it is that he is testifying concerning. Obviously, a testimony about something that one does not have any knowledge about is absolutely unacceptable. Allah says in the Quran," Save him who bears witness unto the truth knowingly" (al-Zukhruf 86).     Now this condition probably sounds obvious. If someone said to you, "There is no God except Allah," and then said that what he meant by Allah was Jesus, you would immediately tell him that this shahadah is nonsense. Yet can you imagine that there is a Muslim country in the world that until recently used to have a yearly week-long celebration to "the Gods of the Sea"! All along they call themselves Muslims and they make shahadah numerous times a day. This clearly shows that they have no idea what the meaning of their shahadah is. Do you think that this kind of shahadah will open the doors to Paradise for them?     Today, there are many Muslims who wonder why we should not accept secularism. They think that there is nothing wrong with secularism! Many of these Muslims pray five times a day and utter the shahadah repeatedly. Yet they see nothing wrong with accepting a Lawgiver other than Allah? What kind of shahadah are these people making.      all of us do our best to laern at least the basics of Islamic beliefs. The basics of what shahadah means. In this way, Allah willing, we will be making the correct shahadah. We will be witnessing to the truth as we are supposed to be witnesses to it.      The SECOND condition of the shahadah is CERTAINTY (or al-yaqeen). This is the opposite of doubt and uncertainty. In Islam, in fact, any kind of doubt is equivalent to Kufr or disbelief. We must, in our hearts, be absolutely certain of the truth of the shahadah. Our hearts must not be wavering in any way when we testify to the truth of, "There is none worthy of worship except Allah."     Allah describes the believers in the Quran as those who have belief in Allah and then their heart waver not. Allah says, "the (true) believers are those only who believe in Allah and His messenger and afterward doubt not, but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of Allah. Such are the sincere" (al-Hujurat 15). Similarly, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "No one meets Allah with the testimony that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and I am the Messenger of Allah, and he has no doubt about hat statement, except that he will enter Paradise." (Recorded by Muslim.)     Indeed, Allah describes the hypocrites as those people whose hearts are wavering. For example, Allah says, "They alone seek leave of thee (not to participate in jihad) who believe not in Allah and the Last Day and whose hearts feel doubt, so in their doubt they waver" (al-Tauba 45).     Many scholars have stated that the diseases of the heart, or the doubt and suspicions that one allows into one's heart, are more dangerous for a person' faith than lusts and desires. This is because lusts and desires may be satisfied at some time yet the person still knows them to be wrong and he may control himself and repent and give up that evil deed. On the other hand, the doubts and suspicions may linger in the heart, with no cure, until the person finally leaves Islam entirely or continues to practice Islam while, in fact, in his heart he does not have the true faith.     The greatest cure for these doubts is seeking knowledge. It is theough sound knowledge of the Quran and the sunnah that most of these doubts will be removed. By study and understanding, one will attain certainty. And as one studies and learns more, his certainty will be made firmer and firmer.     I will give you just one example on this point. This is related to all of the doubts, suspicions and misconceptions that are cirulating about the authenticity of the hadith literature. For example, some Muslims even claim that hadith were not recorded until at least 200 years after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Indeed, there are Muslims who seem to have a great deal of doubt about hadith and very quick to reject hadith on that basis. But, in fact, if one actually takes the time to study the history and presevation of hadith, one will immediately recognize that all those claims and charges against the hadith are not based on anything scientific whatsoever. They are nothing but false claim that come from Satan and which Muslims with poor understanding and knowledge have allowed to creep into their hearts.     Let me make one last point about this condition of certainty. As I alluded to earlier, doubts and misconceptions are very dangerous for a person's faith. Doubt and wavering are tantamount to apostasy in Islam, as I mentioned earlier. Hence, every Muslim should do best to safeguard himself from such doubts and remain away from the sources of doubts- especially if they are not well grounded in the Islamic sciences and do not have the the knowledge to refute such doubts and misconceptions. Hence if a person has an associte or friend, even if he be a Muslim friend, who is always making him doubt Allah or the religion, then he should remain away from that person in order to safeguard his own religion. Many Muslims nowadays study courses on Islam tought by Orientalists and because of their weak backgroungs in Islamic studies, they are influenced by the nonsense that some of these Orientalists are teaching in the name of "science". Similarly, many brothers and sisters nowadays are spending hoursat a time with the computer news groups and bulletin boards. A lot of nonsense and falsehood are posted on those news groups and bulletin boards. Again, the one who is not very knowldgeable of his religion may easily be influenced and affected by the misconceptions and false arguments that he reads in those bulletin boards. He should remain away from those things and get a deeper knowledge of Islam through the authentic sources of the religion.     Again, the greatest counterforce that can defeat doubts and misconceptions, after the bounty and guidance of Allah, is sound knowledge and understanding of the religion. When a person has that, he will not be affected by the weak arguments put out by the enemies of Islam and he will be, Allah willing, from among those described in the Quran, " It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah" (Fatir 28)  _______________________________________________________________________  THE CONDITIONS OF La ilaha illa-llah..........PART III [The Prerequisites of the Declaration of Faith]  Br. Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo wrote:       The THIRD condition of the shahadah is ACCEPTANCE (or al-qabool). I a person has the knowledge of and certainty in the shahdah, this must followed by acceptance, with the tounge and heart, of whatever that shahadah implies. Whoever refuses to accept the shahadah and its implications, even if he knows that it is true and certain about its truth, than he is a disbeliever. This refusal to accept is somtimes due to pride, envy or other reasons. In any case, the shahadah is not a true shahadah without its unconditional acceptance.      The scholars all talk about this condition as ageneral condition in the way that I have just stated. However, there is also a more detailed aspect that we must all be aware of. The believer accepts whatever the implications of the shahadah are. This also means that he believes in whatever is stated in the Quran or stated by the Prophet (peace be upon him), without any right to choose what he wants to believe and what he wants to reject.  Allah says in the Quran, "Do you believe in part of the book and reject part of it? And what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the lifeof the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous doom" (al-Baqara 85).      This is one aspect that the Muslims must be aware of. Although it is not the same as the complete refusal to accept the truth, by rejecting part of the truth that has come from Allah, one also negates his testimony of faith.      Unfortunately, many Muslims are doing this nowadays in various ways. Although not all of these form may necessarily be considered apostasy, they are still very dangerous. For example, if they do not like what is stated in a verse in the Quran, they simply reinterpret the verse according to their liking. If they do not like what is stated  in a hadith, they simply state that the hadith must not be authentic although they are not scholars in that area. This kind of behavior is the antithesis of the behavior of the true Muslims. Whatever comes from Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), the true Muslim believe in as the truth. This goes hand in hand with their testimony of faith.       The FOURTH conditionof shahadah is SUBMISSION and COMPLIANCE (or al-inqiyad). This implies the actual physical enactment with our deeds of our shahadah. In fact, this is one of the main meaning of the word Islam itself, "the submission to the will and commands of Allah." This is what Allah commands in the Quran, "Turn unto Him repentant, and surrender unot Him" (al-Zumar 54).      Allah has praised those who submit to His command by their actions. Allah says, "Who is better in religion than he who surrenders his purpose to Allah while doing good" (al-Nisa 125).      Actually, Allah has clearly made it a condition of faith that one submits to the command of Allah and His messenger. Allah says, "But nay, by your Lord, they will not truly believe until they make you [the Messenger of Allah] judge of what is in dispute between them and find within themselves no dislike of which you decide, and submit with full submission" (al-Nisa 65)      Unfortunately, there are many claim that there is no relationship between faith and deeds. You can even hear one Muslim saying about another, "That is the best Muslim I have ever met." yet the other person performs scarcely any of the deeds of Islam whatsoever. This incorrect understanding of faith has spread throughout the Muslim world.      Indeed, our shahadah or testimony of faith must be implemented or realized in our hearts, tounges and actions. In our hearts, we must have love for Allah, fear Allah and hope in Him. With our tongues we must testify to the shahadah. And with our actions, we must implement waht the testimony of faith requires from us. Anyone who claim to be a Muslim and yet does no deeds, either does not understand Islam whatsoever or is bearing testimony against himself that his testimony of faith is not a true and correct testimony of faith.      This does not mean that the true believer never commits a sin. Indeed, true believers do commit sins. But as long as they recognize that what they did is not correct and it is inconsistent with their obligation of submitting to Allah, then they have not violated the soudness of their testimony or shahadah .But, do not forget, they are still sinners.      And what is the minimum of submission that is required from a person beyond which there can be no claim to faith?  For those scholars who say that the abandonment of prayers is infidelity, it is the five daily prayers. Whoever does not perform, at least, the five daily prayers has gone beyond the limit that is acceptable for lack of deeds. Allah knows best.       The FIFTH condition is TRUTHFULNESS, as opposed to hypocrisy and dishonesty. This means that when we say the shahadah, we are saying it honestly. We actually mean it. We are not lying when it comes to our testimony of faith.      The Prophet (peace be upon his) said, "No one bears testimony to there being no one worth of worship save Allah, sincerely from his heart, except that Allah makes the Hell-fire forbidden for him." (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)      We are all familiar with those who say the testimony of faith yet they are not saying it honestly. They do not believe in it but they are simply saying it in order to protect themselves or to get some gain from doing so. These are the hypocrites. Allah has described them in the opening of the Quran with the following words, "And of mankind are some who say, 'We believe in Allah and the Last Day,' when they believe not. They think to beguile Allah and those who believ, and they beguile none save themselves, but they perceive not. In their hearts is a disease, and Allah increases their disease. A painful doom is their because they lie" (al-baqara 8-10).      Obviously, the shahadah of thse who become Muslims simply to benefit from being Musim and not because they believe in Islam will be rejected by Allah in the Hereafter. They will face a painful punishment due to their lying.       The SIXTH condition is SINCERITY (or ikhlas). That is, when we make the sahahadah, we must do so solely for the sak of Allah. We must not do it for any other reason. And we nust not do it for anyone else's sake. In this manner, the meaning of sincerity is opposite of Skirk or ascribing partners with Allah. We became and remainMuslims solely for Allah's sake. Allah says in the Quran, "Worship Allah, making religion pure for him" (al-Zumar 2). And Allah also says, "And they are ordained not else than to serve Allah, keeping religion pure for Him, as men by nature upright and to establish worship and to pay the poor-due. That is true religion" (al-Bayyinah 5).  And the Prophet (peace be upon him) added, "Allah has forbidden for the Hell-fire anyone who says, 'There is no one worthy of worship except Allah,' and say so desiring the face [and pleasure] of Allah." (Recorded by Muslim).      This is something that we should think about. But especially those of us who grew up in Muslim families and were born Muslim. We should make it very claer to ourselves that we are Muslims only for the sake of Allah. We are not Muslims for the sake of our parents, friends, family or community. It must be claer in our minds that we are Muslims for the sake of Allah first, last and only.      One of the signs that we are Muslims for the sake of Allah is that we do whatever Allah asks of us, regardless of what anybody else desires or wants from us. That is, in the same way that we are Muslims solely for the sake of Allah, all of our acctions are done for the sake of Allah.      However, sometimes one begins to wonder whether this condition is met by some people. Some people from the Muslim world practice Islam to the extent that it is pleasing to their families. If there is anything in Islam that their families do not like- although their families are Muslim and therefore they actually should like all of Islam- then they do not practice that aspect of Islam. One common example of that nature is mixing between men and women. Sometimes a brother, here in the U.S., will not mix with women and his wife will remain separate from the men. Yet, when they return to their homes, because this is not pleasing to their families who want to mix between men and women, they easily, simply and happily compromise their religion for the sake of their parents. These people must sincerely ask themselves why they are Muslims. Are they Muslims for the sake of their parents and therefore whatever thei parents like they will do and whatever their parents do not like they won't do? Or are they Muslims for the sake of Allah and therefore whatever Allah dislike they will not do and whatever Allah is pleased with they do?  _______________________________________________________________________  THE CONDITIONS OF La ilaha illa-llah..........PART IV [The Prerequisites of the Declaration of Faith]  Br. Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo wrote:       The SEVENTH condition is LOVE. That is, the believer loves this shahadah, he loves in accordance with the shahadah, he loves tha implications and requirements of the shahadah and he loves those who act and strive for the sake of this shahadah. This is a necessary condition of the shahadah. If a person makes the shahadah but does not love the shahadah and what it stands for, then, in fact, his faith is not complete. It is not the faith of a true believer. And if he loves something more that this shahadah or if he loves something more than Allah, then he has negated his shahadah. The true believer, the one meeting the conditions of the shahadah puts no one whatsoever as an equal to Allah in his love.      Allah says in the Quran, "Yet of mankind are some who take unto themselves (objects of worship which they set as) rivals to Allah, loving them with a love like (that which is due to) Allah only. However, those who believe are stauncher in their love of Allah" (al-Baqara 165).  And elsewhere Allah says' "Say: If your fathers, or your sons, or your brethren, or your wives, or your tribe, or the wealth you have acquired, or merchandise for which you fear that there will be no sale, or dwellings you desire are dearer to you than Allah and His messenger and striving in His way: then wait till Allah brings His command to pass. Allah guides not wrongdoing folk" (al-Tauba 24). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever has three characteristics has tasted the sweetness of faith. [The first of these] is that he loves Allah and His Messenger more than he loves anyone else..." (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.).      This is one of the most important aspects of Islam yet, for some reason, it is missing from the lives of many Muslims. They act in Islam as if Islam were a chore instead of doing things out of the love of Allah. When Allah orders us to do something, like bear witness to the faith, we should realize that that thing is plaesing to Allah and, therefore, out of our love for Allah, we should be very pleased to do the acts that are pleasing to Allah. But, as I said, this feeling is missing from many, many Muslims today.       The EIGHT condition of the shahadah is that the person who makes the shahadah must DENY EVERY OTHER OBJECT OF WORSHIP. Although that is claer in the words of the testimony of faith, it does not seem clear to everyone who makes that testimony. Therefore, I am mentioning it explicity here.      In Surah al-Baqara, Allah clearly reminds us of this important aspect of the shahadah, the shahadah is not merely an affirmation but it is both and affirmation and a negation. Allah states,  "And he who rejects false deities and believes in Allah has grasped a firm handhold which will never break" (al-Baqara 256).  Perhaps the Prophet (peace be upon him) made this point even clearer when he said,  "Whoever says there is no one worthy of worship except Allah and denies whatever is worshipped besides Allah, then his wealth and blood are protected and his accounting will be with Allah." (Recrded by Muslim.)      Although this condition sholud be obious to everyone who says the words of shahadah, you can still find Muslims who say the shahadah and then make acts of worship for beings or things other than Allah. You will find them going to the graveyards and worshipping those in the graves. They will perform acts of worship, not for the sake of Allah, but for the sake of the dead "saints" in the grave. What kind of shahadah have these people made? Do you realy think that their shahadah will mean anything on the Day of Judgment as long as they believe that acts of worship may be done for other than Allah?       The NINTH condition of the shahadah is that the Muslim ADHERS to the shahadah until he dies. This is must if the shahadah is to mean anything for you in the Hereafter. You ca not rest on your laurels of what you amy have done in the past. No, indeed, the shahadah must be your banner until your death. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, " A man spends a long time doing the deeds of the people of Paradise and then he ends his deeds with the deeds of the people of the Hell-fire. And a man spends a long time doing the deeds of the people of the Hell-fire and then he ends his deeds with the deeds of the people of Paradise." (Recorded by Muslims) In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,  "By the One whom there is no other God, one of you does the actions of Paradise until there is just a handspan between him and Paradise and then the book [preordainment] overtakes him and he does tha actions of the people of Hell and he enters into it" (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)      And Allah says in the Quran, "O believers, observe your duty to Allah with right observance, and die not save as Muslims [surrendering yourselves to Allah]" (ali-Imran 102).       Dear brothers and sisters, these are the conditions of the shahadah. These are the aspects of the shahadah that each and every one of us should look to in ourselves and ask ourselves, "Is my shahadah meeting those requirements?  Am I saying it sincerely, honestly and out of love for Allah? Am I saying it based on what it really means?  Am I denying all other false objects of worship?..."       These questions we should ask ourselve now before we meet Allah. Allah willing, we shall ask ourselves these questions now and we shall find that we have all the right answers for them. Or, if we find we have some deficiency, we shall work to remove that deficiency. Such that, by Allah's mercy, in the Hereafter, our shahadah will be the key to Paradise for us and the gates of Paradise will swing wide open for us and we will be able to live forever in the bounties of Paradise, with Allah being pleased with us.       Again, it is not simply a matter of knowing these conditions. Indeed,one can meet many Muslims who have these conditions memorized, yet when one looks to their deeds and behavior, one can see that these conditions have no effect on them. This means, in fact, no matter how well he konws and can rattle off these conditions, he, in fact, is not fulfilling tham. In the Hereafter, his knowledge of these conditions will be of no avail to him. Indeed, his knowledge will be a proof against hin as he clearly knows what the conditions are that he mut satisfy yet he has shown that he is not willing to satisfy them in his life. 

THE RELIGION OF ISLAM

The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam is what the word “Islam” itself means. The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of Christianity which was named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of “Allah” and as such, its name represents the central principle of Allah’s “God’s” religion; the total submission to the will of Allah “God”. The Arabic word “Islam” means the submission or surrender of one’s will to the only true god worthy of worship “Allah” and anyone who does so is termed a “Muslim”, The word also implies “peace” which is the natural consequence of total submission to the will of Allah. Hence, it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) I in Arabia in the seventh century, but only the true religion of Allah re-expressed in its final form.

Islam is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the first prophet of Allah, and it was the religion of all the prophets sent by Allah to mankind. The name of God’s religion lslam was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by Allah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man. In the final book of divine revelation, the Qur’aan, Allah states the following:

“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”. (Soorah Al-Maa’idah 5:3)

“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah (God) never will It be accepted of Him” (Soorah Aal’imraan 3:85)

“Abraham was not a Jew nor Christian; but an upright Muslim.” (Soorah Aal’imraan 3:67)

Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allah saying to Prophet Moses’ people or their descendants that their religion is Judaism, nor to the followers of Christ that their religion is Christianity. In fact, Christ was not even his name, nor was it Jesus! The name “Christ” comes from the Greek word Christos which means the annointed. That is, Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew title “Messiah”. The name “Jesus” on the other hand, is a latinized version of the Hebrew name Esau.

For simplicity’s sake, I will however continue to refer to Prophet Esau (PBUH) as Jesus. As for his religion, it was what he called his followers to. Like the prophets before him, he called the people to surrender their will to the will of Allah; (which is Islam) and he warned them to stay away from the false gods of human imagination.

According to the New Testament, he taught his followers to pray as follows: “Yours will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”.

THE MESSAGE OF ISLAM

Since the total submission of one’s will to Allah represents the essence of worship, the basic message of Allah’s divine religion, Islam is the worship of Allah alone and the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than Allah.Since everything other than Allah, the Creator of all things, is Allah’s creation; it may be said that Islam, in essence calls man away from the worship of creation and invites him to worship only its Creator. He is the only one deserving man’s worship as it is only by His will that prayers are answered. If man prays to a tree and his prayers are answered, it was not the tree which answered his prayers but Allah who allowed the circumstances prayed for to take place. One might say, “That is obvious,” however, to tree-worshippers it might not be. Similarly, prayers to Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna, to Saint Christopher, or Saint Jude or even to Muhammad, are not answered by them but are answered by Allah. Jesus did nottell his followers to worship him but to worship Allah. As the Qur’aan states:

“And behold Allah will say: “O Jesus the son of Mary Did you say to men, Worship me and my mother as gods besides Allah He will say-”Glory to you I could never say what I had no right (to say’)” (Soorah Al-Maa’idah- 5:116)

Nor did he worship himself when he worshipped but rather he worshipped Allah. This basic principle is enshrined in the opening chapter of the Qur’aan, known as Soorah Al-Faatihah, verse 4:

“You alone do we worship and from you alone do we seek help”.

Elsewhere, in the final book of revelation, the Qur’aan, Allah also said:

“And your Lord says:”Call on Me and I will answer your(prayer).”(Soorsh Mu’min 40:60)

it is worth noting that the basic message of Islam is that Allah and His creation are distinctly different entities. Neither is Allah His creation or a part of it, nor is His creation Him or a part of Him.

This might seem obvious, but, man’s worship of creation instead of the Creator is to a large degree based on ignorance of this concept. It is the belief that the essence of Allah is everywhere in His creation or that His divine being is or was present in some aspects of His creation, which has provided justification for the worship of creation though such worship maybecalled the worship of Allah through his creation. How ever, the message of Islam as brought by the prophets of Allah is to worship only Allah and to avoid the worship of his creation either directly or indirectly. In the Our’aan Allah clearlystates:

“For We assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet,(with the command) worship meand avoid false gods ” (Soorsh Al-Nahl 16:36)

When the idol worshipper is questioned as to why he or she bows down to idols created by men, the invariable reply is that they are not actually worshipping the stone image, but Allah who is present within it. They claim that the stone idol is only a focal point for Allah’s essence and is not in itself Allah! One who has accepted the concept of the presence of God’s being within His creation in any way will be obliged to accept this argument of idolatry. Whereas, one who understands the basic message of Islam and its implications would never concede to idolatry no matter how it is rationalized. Those who have claimed divinity for themselves down through the ages have often based their claims on the mistaken belief that Allah is present in man. They merely had to assert that although Allah according to their false beliefs, is in all of us, He is more present in them than in the rest of us. Hence, they claim, we should submit our will to them and worship them as they are either God in person or God concentrated within the person.

Similarly, those who have asserted the godhood of others after their passing have found fertile ground among those who accept the false belief of God’s presence in man. One who has grasped the basic message of Islam and its implications could never agree to worship another human being under any circumstances. God’s religion in essence is a clear call to the worship of the Creator and the rejection of creation-worship in any form. This is the meaning of the motto of Islam:

“Laa Elaaha lllallaah” (There is no god but Allah)

Its repetition automatically brings one within the fold of Islam and sincere belief in it guarantees one Paradise.

Thus, the final Prophet of Islam is reported to have said, “Any one who says: There is no god but Allah and dies holding that (belief) will enter paradise”.(Reported by Abu Dharr and collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).

It consists in the submission to Allah as one God, yielding to Him by obeying His commandments, and the denial of polytheism and polytheists.

THE MESSAGE OF FALSE RELIGION

There are so many sects, cults, religions, philosophies, and movements in the world, all of which claim to be the right way or the only true path to Allah. How can one determine which one is correct or if, in fact, all are correct? The method by which the answer can be found is to clear away the superficial differences in the teachings of the various claimants to the ultimate truth, and identify the central object of worship to which they call, directly or indirectly. False religions all have in common one basic concept with regards to Allah. They either claim that all men are gods or that specific men were Allah or that nature is Allah or that Allah is a figment of man’s imagination.

Thus, it may be stated that the basic message of false religion is that Allah may be worshipped in the form of His creation. False religion invites man to the worship of creation by calling the creation or some aspect of it God. For example, prophet Jesus invited his followers to worship Allah but those who claim to be his followers today call people to worship Jesus, claiming that he was Allah!

Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic principles to the religion of India. He did not claim to be God nor did he suggest to his followers that he be an object of worship. Yet, today most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have taken him to be God and prostrate to idols made in their perception of his likeness.

By using the principle of identifying the object of worship, false religion becomes very obvious and the contrived nature of their origin clear. As God said in the Our’aan:

That which you worship besides Him are only names you and your forefathers have invented for which Allah has sent down no authority: The command belongs only to Allah:

He has commanded that you only worship Him; that is the right religion, but most men do not understand “. (Soorah Yoosuf 12:40)

It may be argued that all religions teach good things so why should it matter which one we follow. The reply is that all false religions teach the greatest evil, the worship of creation. Creation-worship is the greatest sin that man can commit because it contradicts the very purpose of his creation. Man was created to worship Allah alone as Allah has explicitly stated in the Our’aan:

“I have only created Jlnns and men, that they may worship me”(Soorah Zaareeyaat 51:56)

Consequently, the worship of creation, which is the essence of idolatry, is the only unforgivable sin. One who dies in this state of idolatry has sealed his fate in the next life. This is not an opinion, but a revealed fact stated by Allah in his final revelation to man:

“Verily Allah will not forgive the joining of partners with Him, but He may forgive (sins) less than that for whom so ever He wishes”(Soorah An- Nisaa 4:48 and 116)

THE UNIVERSALITY OF ISLAM

Since the consequences of false religion are so grave, the true religion of Allah must be universally understandable and attainable, not confined to any people, place or time. There can not be conditions like baptism, belief in a man, as a saviour etc., for a believer to enter paradise. Within the central principle of Islam and in its definition, (the surrender of one’s will to God) lies the roots of lslam’s universality. Whenever man comes to the realization that Allah is one and distinct from His creation, and submits himself to Allah, he becomes a Muslim in body and spirit and is eligible for paradise. Thus, anyone at anytime in the most remote region of the world can become a Muslim, a follower of God’s religion, Islam, by merely rejecting the worship of creation and by turning to Allah (God) alone-It should be noted however, that the recognition of and submission to Allah requires that one chooses between right and wrong and such a choice implies accountability. Man will be held responsible for his choices, and, as such, he should try his utmost to do good and avoid evil. The ultimate good being the worship of Allah alone and the ultimate evil being the worship of His creation along with or instead of Allah. This fact is expressed in the final revelation as follows:

“Verily those who believe, those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures), the Christians and the Sabians any who believe In Allah and the last day, and work righteousness *hall have their reward with their Lord;They will not be overcome by fear nor grief (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:62).

If only they had stood by the law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side. There Is from among them a party on the right course; but many of them follow a course that Is evil.”. (Soorah Al-.Maa’idah 5:66)

RECOGNITION OF ALLAH

The question which arises here is, “How can all people be expected to believe in Allah given their varying- backgrounds, societies and cultures? For people to be responsible for worshipping Allah they all have to have access to knowledge of Allah. The final revelation teaches that all mankind have the recognition of Allah imprinted on their souls, a part of their very nature with which they are created.

In Soorah Al-A’raaf, Verses 172-173; Allah explained that when He created Adam, He caused all of Adam’s descendants to come into existence and took a pledge from them saying, Am I not your Lord? To which they all replied, ” Yes, we testify to It:’

Allah then explained why He had all of mankind bear witness that He is their creator and only true God worthy of worship. He said, “That was In case you (mankind) should say on the day of Resurrection, “Verily we were unaware of all this.” That is to say, we had no idea that You Allah, were our God. No one told us that we were only supposed to worship You alone. Allah went on to explain That it was also In case you should say, “Certainly It was our ancestors who made partners (With Allah) and we are only their descendants; will You then destroy us for what those liars did?” Thus, every child is born with a natural belief in Allah and an inborn inclination to worship Him alone called in Arabic the “Fitrah”.

If the child were left alone, he would worship Allah in his own way, but all children are affected by those things around them, seen or unseen.

The Prophet (PBUH) reported that Allah said, “I created my servants in the right religion but devils made them go astray”. The Prophet (PBUH) also said, “Each child is born in a state of “Fitrah”, then his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian, the way an animal gives birth to a normal offspring. Have you noticed any that were born mutilated?” (Collected by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim).

So, just as the child submits to the physical laws which Allah has put in nature, his soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allah is his Lord and Creator. But, his parents try to make him follow their own way and the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents. The religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom and upbringing and Allah does not hold him to account or punish him for this religion.Throughout people’s lives from childhood until the time they die, signs are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God (Allah). If the people are honest with themselves, reject their false gods and seek Allah, the way will be made easy for them but if they continually reject Allah’s signs and continue to worship creation, the more difficult it will be for them to escape. For example, in the South Eastern region of the Amazon jungle in Brazil, South America, a primitive tribe erected a new hut to house their main idol Skwatch, representing the supreme God of all creation. The homage to the God, and while he was in prostration to what he had been taught was his Creator and Sustainer, a mangy old flea-ridden dog walked into the hut, The young man looked up in time to see the dog lift its hind leg and pass urine on the idol. Outraged, the youth chased the dog out of the temple, but when his rage died down he realized that the idol could not be the Lordof the universe. Allah must be elsewhere. he now had a choice to act on his knowledge and seek Allah, or to dishonestly go along with the false beliefs of his tribe. As strange as it may seem, that was a sign from Allah for that young man. It contained within it divine guidance that what he was worshipping was false.

Prophets were sent, as was earlier mentioned, to every nation and tribe to support man’s natural belief in Allah and man’s inborn inclination to worship Him as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily signs revealed by Allah. Although, in most cases, much of the prophets’ teachings became distorted, portions remained which point out right and wrong. For example, the ten commandments of the Torah, their confirmation in the Gospels and the existence of laws against murder, stealing and adultery in most societies. Consequently, every soul will be held to account for its belief in Allah and its acceptance of the religion of Islam; the total submission to the will of Allah.

We pray to Allah, the exalted, to keep us on the right path to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us a blessing from Him, He is indeed the Most Merciful. Praise and gratitude be to Allah,the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be on prophet Muhammed, his Family, his companions, and those who rightly follow them.

The early Disciples’ (John, Peter, Barnabas, etc…) writings all declare that Jesus NEVER GOT CRUCIFIED!

Most of the following was gathered from the foot notes of the Holy Quran that I have.  It is translated and documented by Minister Abdullah Yusuf Ali.

What does the Holy Quran say about Jesus (peace be upon him):

Note:  Please don’t forget to visit: Did Isaiah 53 really prophecies Jesus’ crucifixion?  Isaiah 53 perfectly agrees with Islam’s claims regarding Jesus peace be upon him never died on the cross and he was lifted to Allah Almighty.  I also exposed the intentional mistranslation of Isaiah 53:9 to hopelessly try to prove the dogma of trinity.

Also, please visit: Hebrews 5:7-8 confirm Islam’s claim about Jesus never got crucified and contradicts the Bible!

Muslims believe  that Jesus peace be upon him according to the Holy Quran is a wonderful, humble, generous messenger of God who came down and revealed God’s words to his people, the people of Israel.  Muslims do not believe that Jesus is God, nor they believe that God ever chose to come down to earth in a form of a man to die for our sins to purify us and forgive us.  

According to Islam, Jesus never died on the cross, nor ever wanted to die on the cross, nor ever was born to die on the cross.  Muslims believe that Jesus was sentenced to death, and people thought that he got executed on the cross.  The Holy Quran rejects this idea, and claims that it is a false one.  Jesus never died on the cross, nor he ever died for anyone’s sins.  Let us look at what the Holy Quran (The Muslims Holy Scripture) says about this issue:

Let’s look at verse 4:156-159 “That they rejected Faith; That they uttered against Mary A grave false charge;  That they said (in boast):  ‘We killed Christ Jesus The son of Mary, The Messenger of Allah.’  But they killed him not, Nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not.  Nay, Allah raised him up Unto Himself; and Allah Is Exalted in Power, Wise.  And there is none of the people of the book (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him  (Jesus) Before his death; And on the Day of Judgment He (Jesus) will be a witness Against them.“  The false charge against Mary was that she was unchaste.  Such a charge is bad enough to make against any woman, but to make it against Mary, the mother of Jesus, was to bring into redicule Allah’s power itself.  Islam is specially strong in guarding the reputation of women.  Slanderers of women are bound to bring four witnesses in support of their accusation, and if they fail to produce four witnesses, they are be flogged with eighty stripes and debarred forever from being competent witnesses.

Let us look at verse 24:4 “And those who launch A charge against chaste women, And produce not four witnesses (To support their allegations) Flog them with eighty stripes; And reject their evidence Ever after:  for such men Are wicked transgressors.  Unless they repent thereafter And mend (their conduct); For Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.”  Here we see in this Holy Verse how much Allah Almighty cares about not criticizing women unless we are absolutely sure about it and we can provide at least 4 witnesses to support our allegation.

Now in 4:156-159 above “……Nor crucified him,…..”

The end of the life of Jesus on earth is as much involved in mystery as his birth, and indeed the greater part of his private life, except the three main years of his ministry.  It is not profitable to discuss the many doubts and conjectures among the early Christians sects and among Muslims theologians.  The Orthodox-Christian Churches make it a cardinal point of their doctrine that his life was taken on the Cross, that he died and was buried, that on the third day he rose in the body with his wounds intact, and walked about and conversed, and ate with his disciples, and was afterwards taken up bodily to heaven.  This is necessary for the theological doctrine of blood sacrifice and vicarious atonement for sins, which is rejected by Islam.  But some of the early Christian sects did not believe that Christ was killed on the cross.  The Basilidans believed that someone else was substituted for him.  The Docetate held that Christ never had a real physical or natural body, but only an apparent or phantom body, and that his crucifixion was only apparent, not real.  The Marcionite Gospel (about A.C. 138) denied that Jesus was born, and merely said that he appeared in human form.  The Gospel of St. Barnabas supported the theory of substitution on the Cross.  The Quranic teaching is that Christ was not crucified nor killed by the Jews, not with standing certain apparent circumstances which produced that illusion in the minds of some of his enemies; that disputations, doubts, and conjectures on such matters are vain; and that he was taken up to Allah Almighty.

Let us look at verse 3:55 “Behold! Allah said:  O Jesus!  I will take thee And raise thee to Myself And clear thee (of the falsehoods) Of those who blaspheme; I will make those Who follow thee superior To those who reject faith, To the Day of Resurrection:  Then shall ye all return unto me, And I will judge Between you of the matters wherein ye dispute.”  Here we see that Allah Almighty promised Jesus peace be upon him to raise him to heaven.  Jesus was charged by the Jews with blasphemy as claiming to be God or the son of God.  The Christians (except a few early sects which were annihilated by persecution, and the modern sect of Unitarians), adopted the substance of the claim, and made it the cornerstone of their faith.  Allah Almighty clears Jesus of such a charge or claim.  Those who follow Jesus are the Muslims and the Christians who don’t believe he is God.  All of the controversies about dogma and faith will disappear when we appear before Allah.  He will judge not by what we profess but what we are.

In 4:156-159 “……Nay Allah raised him up Unto Himself…..”

 There is a difference of opinion as to the exact interpretation of this verse.  The words are:  The Jews did not kill Jesus, but Allah raised him up (rafa’ahu…in Arabic) to Himself.  Some people hold that Jesus did not die the usual human death, but still lives in the body in heaven, which is the generally accepted Muslim view.   Another hold that he did die but not when he was supposed to be crucified, and that is being “raised up” unto Allah means that instead of being disgraced as a malefactor, as the Jews intended, he was on the contrary honoured by Allah Almighty as His Messenger.  The same word (rafa’a) is used in association with honour in connection with Al Mustafa (Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him).

Let us look at verse 94:4 “And raised high the esteem (In which) thou (are held)?”.  The prophet’s (any prophet) virtues, the magnanimity of his character, and his love for mankind were fully recognized even in his lifetime, and his name stands highest among the heroic leaders of mankind.  

Let us also look at verse 37:119 “And We (Allah) left (this blessing) for them among generations (To come) in later times:  Peace and salutation To Moses and Aaron!  Thus indeed do We reward Those who do right.“  Here we see how Allah Almighty rewards Moses and Aaron peace be upon them.  They are considered his messengers.

In 4:156-159 “…..But must believe in him (Jesus) Before his death….”

Those who hold that Jesus did not die say that Jesus is still living in the body and that he will appear just before the Final Day, when the world will be purified of sin and unbelief.  There will be a final death before the final Resurrection, but all will have believed before that final death.  

In 4:156-159 “…..He (Jesus) will be a witness Against them.” 

Jesus will be the witness of his people and his contemporaries for those who accept Allah, and against those who reject Him.  

Let us look at verse 4:41-42 “How then if We brought From each People a witness, And We (Allah) brought thee As a witness against These People.  On that day those who reject faith and disobey the Messenger will wish that the earth Were made one with them:  But never will they hide A single fact from Allah !”  Here in this Holy Verse we see that Allah Almighty will judge people based on what their messengers had told them.  Allah Almighty sent to nations and tribes prophets and messengers to direct those people from the darkness of Satan, to the light of Allah Almighty.

Let’s look at verse 3:59 “The similitude of Jesus Before Allah is as that of Adam; He (Allah) created him (Jesus) from dust, Then said to him:  Be.  And he was.”  After a description of the high position which Jesus occupies as a prophet, we have a reputation of the dogma that he was Allah, or the son of Allah, or anything more than a man.  If it is said that he was born without a human father, Adam was also so born.  Indeed Adam was born without either a human father or mother.  As far as our physical bodies are concerned, they are mere dust.  In Allah’s sight Jesus was a dust just as Adam was or humanity is.  The greatness of Jesus arose from the Divine command “Be”, for after that he was.  He also was a great spiritual leader.

Let’s look at verse 4:171-172 “O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion:  nor say Of Allah ought but the truth.  Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) A Messenger of Allah, And His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and the Spirit proceeding From Him: so believe In Allah and His Messengers.  Say not “Trinity”:  desist: It will be better for you:  For Allah is One God:  Glory to Him:  (Far Exalted is He) above Having a son.  To Him (Allah) Belong all things in the heavens And on earth.  And enough Is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.

Christ disdaineth no To serve and worship Allah, Nor do the angels, those Nearest (to Allah):  Those who disdain His worship and are arrogant, He will gather them all Together unto Himself (Jesus) to (answer).”

In 4:171-172 “…..Commit no excesses in your religion…..”

Just as a foolish servant may go wrong by excess of zeal for his master, so in religion people’s excesses may lead them to blasphemy or a spirit the very opposite of religion.  The Jewish excesses in the direction of formalism, radicalism, exclusiveness, and rejection of Christ Jesus have been denounced in many places.  Here the Christian attitude is condemned, which raises Jesus to an equality with Allah; in some cases venerates Mary almost to idolatry; attributes a physical son to Allah; and invents the doctrine of the Trinity, opposed to all reason, which according to the Athanasian Creed, unless a man believes, he is doomed to hell forever.  

Let us look at verse 11:110 “We (Allah) certainly gave the Book To Moses, but differences Arose therein:  had it not been That a Word had gone forth Before from thy Lord, the matter Would have been decided Between them:  but they Are in suspicious doubt Concerning it.”  Previous revelations are not to be denied or dishonoured because those who nominally go by them have corrupted and deprived them of spiritual value by their vain controversies and disputes.  It was possible to settle such disputes under the flag, as it were, or the old Revelations, but Allah’s Plan was to revive and rejuvenate His Message through Islam, amongst a newer and younger people, unhampered by the burden of age-old prejudices.

Let us look at verse 10:19 “Mankind was but one nation, but differed (later).  Had it not Been for a Word That went forth before From they Lord, their differences Would have been settled Between them.”  All mankind was created one, and Allah’s Message to mankind is in essence one, the Message of Unity and Truth.  But as selfishness and egotism got hold of man, certain differences sprang up between individuals, races, and nations, and in His infinite Mercy He sent them messengers and messages to suit their varying mentality, to test them by His gifts, and stir them up to emulation in virtue and piety.

When men began to diverge from one another, Allah made their very differences subserve the higher ends by increasing their emulation in virtue and piety, and thus pointing back to the ultimate Unity and Reality.

In 4:171-172 “…..Say not “Trinity”:  desist…..”

Christ’s attributes are mentioned:

1-  That he was the son of a woman, Mary, and therefore a man.

2-  But a messenger, a man with a mission from Allah, and therefore entitled to honour.

3-  A word bestowed on Mary, for he was created by Allah’s word “Be” (kun….in Arabic), and he was.

4-  A spirit proceeding from Allah, but not Allah.  His life and his mission were more limited than in the case of some other Messengers, through we must pay equal honour to him as a prophet from Allah.

The doctrine of Trinity, equality with Allah, and sonship, are repudiated as blasphemies.  Allah is independent of all needs and has no need of a son to manage His affairs.  The Gospel of John in the Bible has put in a great deal of Alexandrine and Gnostic mysticism round the doctrine of the Word (Greek, Logos), but it is simply explained in the Holy Quran.

In 4:156-159 “…..To serve and worship Allah…..”

Christ often watched and prayed, as a humble worshipper of Allah; and his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane was full of human dignity, suffering, and self-humiliation.  

In 4:156-159 “…..He  (Jesus) will gather them all together unto Himself To (answer).”

The disdainful and the arrogant are the crew of Satan, who will be gathered together before the Supreme Throne for punishment.

Does the Noble Quran in Verse 19:33 confirm Jesus’ crucifixion?

Here is what Noble Verse 19:33 states: “So peace is upon me [Jesus] the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life.”  Trinitarian Christians believe that Jesus was GOD Himself, or part of GOD, came to earth, was crucified on the cross to purify our sins and then raised from death back to life and went up to heaven until he will come back again to this earth.  The Noble Quran does not in anyway support this theory!.   We Muslims believe that Jesus was born from a Noble Virgin; Mary the Virgin, preached the word of GOD to the people of Israel, raised to Allah Almighty alive (even though he might have been put on the cross, but never actually died), will come back to earth again to fight the army of Satan and then die a natural death and then be raised again back to life from death as we all do in the Day of Judgement.  Some Muslim scholars say that Jesus not being crucified in Noble Verse 4:157 means that he was put on the cross but didn’t die, and others say that it means that he was not put on the cross itself and never died either.  There are some Christian sects such as the Basilidans, the Docetate and the Marcionite do not believe that Jesus was put on the cross.

Either way, it doesn’t really matter whether he was put on the cross or not.  The more important point is that Jesus never died according to Islam.   There is a similar Verse to 19:33 in the Noble Quran that was mentioned to another Messenger of GOD: “So peace on him [Yahya, or John the Baptist] the day he was born, the day that he dies, and the day that he will be raised up to life!  (The Noble Quran, 19:15)“  This Noble Verse (19:15) is similar to 19:33, where it does not at all state that any Messenger of GOD was crucified or will die twice!.  The reason why no Messenger of GOD will ever die twice is because Allah Almighty said clearly in His Noble Book that every soul He creates (this includes all of His Messengers and Prophets even Jesus) shall taste death once;  “Nor will they [all humans who end up in heaven] there taste death, except the first death; and He will preserve them from the penalty of the blazing fire.   (The Noble Quran, 44:56)“.

JESUS IN ISLAM

It is sad that many Christians do not know that Jesus, peace be upon him, holds a very high position within Islam. Unlike Orthodox Judaism, Islam considers Jesus to be the promised Messiah, a word from God, born of the Virgin Mary to bring a new covenant to the people of Israel.

Nevertheless, the Qur’an, the main book in Islam, leaves no room to accept concepts developed by Church theologians after the departure of Jesus, such as the sonship of Jesus (accepted at the Council of Nicaea on May 20, 325) or the idea of adding the Holy Spirit as the “third head” for God (developed as the concept of the Trinity in the Constantinopolitan Creed of 381). In fact both concepts (the sonship of Jesus and the Trinity) tend to negate many clear verses in the Old and New Testament. For example:

“Hear, 0 Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

…that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I Am He: before Me there was no God, neither shall there be after Me. I, am the Lord; and besides Me, there is no savior.(Isaiah 43: 1 0-1 I)

And Jesus answered him: The first of all the commandments Hear, 0 Israel:’ My Lord our God is one Lord. (Mark 12:29)

… We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

 (I Corinthians 8:4)

Given these verses, one should be careful not to take the verse in John 1: I literally because it could easily have been mistranslated from Aramaic into Greek and should read “and the word was God’s.” It should be noted here that in the Greek language theos is God while theou means God’s (see any Greek dictionary or see the book Muhammad in the Bible by Professor Abdul Ahad Dawud, former bishop of Uramiah, p. 16). On more logical grounds, insisting that Jesus is God or son of God as the main article of faith reduces the ‘natural’ human instinct to believe in a Creator (it is ‘natural’ because every human being feels that anything that is organized must have an organizer) from believing in an absolute Creator of the universe who is felt naturally into having to believe in a given historical event that is limited in both time and space.

The Birth of Jesus

According to the Qur’an, Jesus was the blessed Prophet of God who was sent to return the people of Israel to the true worship of God. He was a Prophet (Messenger) of God. His servitude and Prophethood is to be held in honor in this world and in the hereafter. He was miraculously born of the Virgin Mary (May Allah be pleased with her).

The Qur’an accounts how God chose Mary, purified her, and raised her above all other women of the world (3:42,43). The angels brought her the glad tidings of the birth of Jesus. This is best described by the beautiful verses of the Qur’an (and translated as follows):

 (And remember) when the angels said: 0 Mary! Allah gives you glad tidings of a word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto Allah). He will speak unto mankind in his cradle and in his manhood, and he is of the righteous. She said: My Lord! How can I have a child when no mortal has touched me? He said: So (it will be). Allah creates what He will. If He decrees a thing, He says unto it only, Be! and it is. And He will teach him the Scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel. And will make him a messenger unto the children of Israel, (saying): Lo! I come unto you with a sign from your Lord. Lo! I fashion for you out of clay the likeness of a bird, and I breathe into it and it is a bird, by Allah’s leave. I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I raise the dead, by Allah’s leave. And I announce unto you what you can eat and what you store up in your houses. Lo! herein surely is a portent for you, if you are believers. And (I come) confirming that which was before me of the Torah, and to make lawful some of that which was forbidden unto you. I come unto you with a sign from your Lord, so keep your duty to Allah and obey me. Lo! Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path.(3:45-51)

Concerning the birth itself, the Qur’an (19:16-34) says- that Mary retired from her family and went into a state of privacy (for prayer and devotion). The Holy Spirit (i.e., Gabriel) appeared to her as a man bringing the news of a son. She conceived the child miraculously and retired to a distant place. After the child was born she brought him to her people. They accused her of being unchaste. In reply, she made a sign to the infant, whereupon they ‘d that they could not converse with an infant in the cradle! But the infant answered them as follows:

He spoke: Lo! I am the slave of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and has appointed me a Prophet. And has made me blessed wheresover I may be, and has enjoined upon me prayer and almsgiving so long as I remain alive. And (has made me) dutiful toward my mother, and has not made me arrogant, unblessed. Peace on me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive! Such was Jesus, son of Mary: (this is) a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt. (19:30-34)

The Mission of Jesus (peace be upon him)

The Qur’an says that Allah sent Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with evident signs and miracles to set mankind on the right path. Jesus (peace be upon him) was similarly one of the Messengers or Prophets of God. This is mentioned at least four places in the Qur’an. One of them declares:

And we caused Jesus, son of Mary to follow in their footsteps, confirming that which was (revealed) before him, and We bestowed on him the Gospel wherein is guidance and a light, confirming that which was (revealed) before it in the Torah a guidance and an admonition unto those who ward off (evil). Let the People of the Gospel judge by that which Allah has revealed therein. Who judges not by that which Allah has revealed; such are evildoers. (5:4647)

Another of Jesus’ missions was to tell people about the coming of a final Prophet after him. This is mentioned clearly in the Qur’an:

And when Jesus, son of Mary, said: 0 Children of Israel! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who comes after me, whose name is the Praised one. Yet when he has come unto them with clear proofs, they say: This is mere magic. (61:6)

The New Testament also speaks of the coming of a ‘Comforter’ after the ministry of Jesus. The Church interprets the promised ‘Comforter’ as the Holy Spirit; but this view cannot be successfully maintained when the word is considered in its original context along with the meaning given by the different sects of Christianity. The Muslims believe that this term, ‘Comforter,’ of necessity refers to Muhammad (peace be upon him) not only because the message of the Prophet Muhammad is calling upon the worship of the One Almighty God, but also because there are clear indications in the Bible that there will be someone coming after Jesus with the attributes that clearly fit the Prophet Muhammad. In John 16:13-14 Jesus tells us:

How be it when he, the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth; for he shall not speak of himself-, but whatsoever he shall hear (from God) that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me …

Analyzing this verse we find the following: “He will not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear that he shall speak.” The Prophet Muhammad always maintained that the Qur’an was not his words but the words of God revealed to him. In fact, there is a verse in the Qur’an that plainly declares:

He does not speak (aught) of his own desire. It is but an inspiration sent down to him. (53:34)

“He will guide you unto all truth.” Regarding this sign we notice that the Qur’an provides specific rulings on all sorts of matters such as inheritance, alcohol, race, borrowing, motherhood, and the moral code of conduct one should follow. Accordingly, we can say that the “all truth” that Jesus, peace be upon him, spoke of is referring to the illuminating insights provided in the Qur’an that provide guidance to mankind.

“He shall glorify me.” In regard to this sign, we notice that throughout the Qur’an Jesus is glorified as a righteous prophet who is free of falsehood, the promised Messiah and the deliverer of the Gospels (for more details see F. Siddiqui’s book The Bible’s Last Prophet, 1995, pp. 55-64).

The Miracles of Jesus

As mentioned earlier, were performed by God’s will. He could heal the blind, cure the leper, and bring back the dead to life. He performed miracles, even with simple things like food and causing provisions for his disciples to come miraculously from heaven (see Qur’an 5:112-115). Miraculous also, was his virgin birth and his speech while an infant in the cradle.

Jesus Was Not the Son of God The Church maintains that Jesus was the ‘Only begotten Son’ of God, and also God Himself, since the doctrine of the Trinity considers God as the Son, as the Father, and as the Holy Ghost all at the same time! Catholics also emphasize the divinity of Mary by designating her the “Mother of God”. However, Islam completely rejects these concepts. First of all, Muslims maintain that the virgin birth of Jesus without a father was not any more supernatural than the creation of Adam without a father or mother. The Qur’an says.

Lo! the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then He said unto Him : Be! and he is. (3:59)

Refuting the idea that Jesus was the ‘Son of God’ the Qur’an declares:

And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old. Allah curse is against them. How perverse are they! (9:30)

The Qur’an repeatedly emphasizes the fact that Jesus was a human being. The Qur’an maintains:

The Messiah, son of Mary, was no other than a messenger, messengers (the like of whom) had passed away before him. And his mother was a saintly woman. And they both used to eat (earthly) food. See how we make the revelations clear for them. (5:75)

The Qur’an condemns the Trinity dogma at several places (e.g., 4:171), and says that Jesus never claimed divinity, and that he would assert on the Day of Judgment that he always taught the worship of One, Almighty God. This is described in the following verses from the Qur’an:

And when Allah says: Jesus son of Mary! Did you say unto mankind: Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah? He says: Be glorified! It was not mine to utter that to which I had no right. If I used to say it, then You knew it. You know what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Your mind. Lo! You, only You are the Knower of Things Hidden. I spoke unto them only that which You commanded me, (saying): Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord, I was a witness of them while I dwelt among them, and when You took me You were the Watcher over them. You are Witness over all things. (5:116-117)

Contradictory Statements in the Gospels Concerning Jesus’ Divinity According to the verses quoted above, Muslims believe that Jesus not only will disavow any claim to divinity, but he will also assert that he never preached such a doctrine to his disciples when he was with them. The following selected verses from the New Testament clearly show that Jesus does not claim divinity or identity with God (Jesus says):

“I can do nothing of myself.” (John 8:280

“My Father is greater than I.” (John 14:2)

“The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Mark 17:29)

“My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46)

“Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the

Angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” (Mark 13:32) It is also

written of Jesus:

Behold my servant, whom I have chosen. (Matt. 12:18)

God … glorified His servant, Jesus. (Acts 3:13)

Thy holy servant, Jesus, whom Thou didst anoint as Messiah. (Acts 4:27)

(It might be noted that the N.T. Greek word here for ’servant’ is pais or paida, which corresponds to the Arabic ghulam ‘boy, son, servant, attendant’. Further, the term ‘Father,’ as used by Jesus, corresponds more closely to the Arabic ten-n Rabb, i.e., ‘one who nourishes and sustains,’ so that in Jesus’ doctrine God is ‘Father’ [Nourisher and Sustainer of all men.)

These expressions, among others, confirm to a great extent the Islamic notion of Jesus (peace be upon him), namely, that he was a true servant and a Messenger of God.

Christians and the Divinity of Jesus

Since the 4th century, Christian doctrine has been that Jesus is God, the second member of a ‘Trinity’; in addition, Catholics also believe in the divinity of Mary. However, from time to time there have arisen ‘heretics’ in the Christian Church who refuted the doctrine of Jesus’ divinity. For instance, sale mentions that long before the Prophet Muhammad was born, certain Christian sects-the Corinthians, ‘ the Basilidians, and the Carpocratians believed that Jesus was not crucified, but that one of his followers, looking very much like him, was put on the cross in his place. In addition, the Corinthians and Basilidians asserted that Jesus was a man and a prophet. The Church hierarchy harshly suppressed the early Christians who did not accept Jesus as God. Chadwick sites several instances of individuals who were burned alive for not accepting this doctrine. The last incident of this kind took place as recently as 1612 in England. At the Present time, Christian sects such as the Unitarians, Christdelphians, and Jehovah’s Witnesses reject the doctrines of Jesus’ divinity and the Trinity.

Conclusion

To reiterate, the Qur’an asserts in clearest terms that Jesus was a true servant and Messenger (Apostle) of God. Muslims hold Jesus in the highest reverence. He is the result of a virgin birth; he was endowed with the power to perform many miracles; and he was sent to preach the true worship of God.

Source: http://www.islamic-ef.org/english/jesus/jes001.html

During my Christian days there were many verses in the Bible that made me question the religion I was following (Christianity). There was one particular verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 which says; “pray without ceasing,” that lingered heavily in my mind. I often wondered how a person (Christian) was supposed to pray (be in a state of worship) without ceasing? Without any biblical or divine guidance, the only way I thought this to be possible was to always do good deeds and keep the remembrance of God on my tongue and in my heart. However, I found this to be impossible to do as a human being. But when I was introduced to Islam in 1987, and began to read and learn more about this way of life, I found that Islam provided divine guidance both from God (Allah) and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) by which a person could pray (be in a state of worship) without ceasing, if it was the Will of God.  Whether waking up, eating, sleeping, putting on clothes, being in the presence of a woman, looking at a woman, going shopping, going to the bathroom, looking in the mirror, traveling, visiting the sick, sitting in a non-religious meeting, taking a bath, having sexual intercourse with one’s wife, yawning, cutting you nails, sneezing, greeting people, talking, hosting guests at home, walking, exercising, fighting, entering one’s house, praying and many other acts, Islam and the guidance therein of the Quran, and the acts and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), provided ways in which I could observe 1 Thessalonians 5:17. In addition, it allowed me to be at peace with myself and in submission to the one True God – Allah (SWT).   This divine guidance of Islam taught me greatly about my duties, responsibilities and birthright to my Creator (Allah), and more about the religion of Christianity as a Muslim, I [By the Will of Allah (SWT)] felt it necessary to share with you how the Bible led me to Islam. ChristianityGiven the fact that there has never been in the history of the Torah (Old Testament) the religion of God to be named after a Prophet (i.e. Adaminity, Abrahamity, Mosanity, etc.), I hope to explain that Jesus did not preach the religion of Christianity, but a religion that gives all Praise and Worship to The One God. One of the questions I asked myself as I took an objective (second) look at Christianity was; where did the word Christianity come from and was the word ever mentioned to Jesus? Well, I did not find the word Christianity in the Bible, not even in a Bible dictionary. Specifically, I did not find in the Bible where Jesus called himself a Christian.  The word Christian was first mentioned by a pagan to describe those who followed Jesus. It is mentioned one of three times in the New Testament by a pagan and Jew in Antioch about 43 AD, (Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16) long after Jesus left this earth. To accept the words of pagans as having any value or association with divinity, Jesus or God is contrary to the teachings of all Prophets.   Jesus prophesied that people would worship him uselessly and believe in doctrines made by men (Matthew 15:9).  “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” This verse, Matthew 15:9, is further supported by these words of the Quran:  “And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): “O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say unto men: “Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?” He will say: “Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours, truly, You, only You, are the All-Knower o fall that is hidden and unseen.  Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allah) did command me to say: ‘Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were a Witness to all things. (This is a great admonition and warning to the Christians of the whole world).” (Al-Ma’idah 5:116-117)  I found that Biblical verses like John 5:30, John 12:49, John 14:28, Isaiah 42:8 and Acts 2:22 support the above mentioned verses of the Quran.  Before leaving the subject of Christianity, I should mention one small point of observation. If Christians are Christ-like, why are they not greeting each other with the words; Peace be with you (Salamu Alaikum), as Jesus did in Luke 24:36. As you may be aware, the greeting from one Muslim to another Muslim is Assalamu Alaikum; a Christ-like saying.

Various Holy Bibles

It is worth mentioning that the Bible references cited might not be exactly as the Bible you are using. There are MANY Bibles on the market that are used by different Christian sects and all of these sects say that their book, though different, is the word of God. Such Bibles are: The Revised Standard Version 1952 & 1971, New American Standard Bible, The Holy Bible; New International Version, the Living Bible, New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures used by Jehovah Witnesses, Roman Catholic Version and the King James Version. A special note: I have not found in any of these Bibles where the “New Testament” calls itself the “New Testament,” and nowhere does the “Old Testament” call itself the “Old? Testament.” Also, the word “Bible” is unknown within the pages of the Bible. In addition to the many different Christian sects and Bibles, I have learned that there are also different men, not Prophets, who founded these sects and are using various interpretations of the Bible and/or man-made doctrines as their creed.  I would like to share with you some thoughts that you may not have read or known about the Bible being the word of God. Briefly, let me mention that on September 8, 1957, the Jehovah’s witnesses in their “Awake” magazine carried this startling headline – 50,000 Errors in the Bible. If you ask a Jehovah’s witness about this headline, it may be said that today most of those errors have been eliminated. How many have been eliminated, 5,000? Even if 50 remain, would one attribute those errors to God?  Let me pose another question: if a “Holy” book contained conflicting verses would you still consider it to be Holy? Most likely you will say of course not. Let me share with you some conflicting verses both in the Old and New Testaments:

II Samuel 8:4 (vs)	II Samuel 8:9-10	II Kings 8:26
II Samuel 6:23	Genesis 6:3	John 5:37
John 5:31	I Chronicles 18:4	I Chronicles 18:9-10
II Chronicles 22:2	II Samuel 21:8	Genesis 9:29
John 14:9	John 8:14

Only two contradictions of the New Testament have been mentioned, but others will be referenced when the Trinity, Divinity of Jesus Christ, Divine Sonship of Jesus, Original Sin and Atonement are reviewed.  How could the “inspired words” of God get the genealogy of Jesus incorrect (See Matthew 1:6-16 where it states 26 forefathers up to Prophet David, and Luke 3:23-31 says 41 in number). Or for that matter, give a genealogy to Jesus who had NO father? See II Kings 19:1-37, now read Isaiah 37:1-38. Why is it that the words of these verse are identical? Yet they have been attributed to two different authors, one unknown and the other is Isaiah, who are centuries apart; and yet, the Christians have claimed these books to be inspired by God.   I looked up the word Easter in the Nelson Bible dictionary and learned that the word “Easter” (as mentioned in Acts 12:4) is a mistranslation of “pascha,” the ordinary Greek word for “Passover.” As, you know Passover is a Jewish celebration not a Christian holiday. I think human hands, all to human, had played havoc with the Bible.  From the brief points mentioned above, and the fact that Biblical scholars themselves have recognized the human nature and human composition of the Bible (Curt Kuhl, The Old Testament: Its Origin and Composition, PP 47, 51, 52), there should exist in the Christian’s mind some acceptance to the fact that maybe every word of the Bible is not God’s word.  As a side note to this subject, let me mention that some Christians believe that the Bible was dictated to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) by a Christian monk, and that is why some of the biblical accounts are in the Quran. After some research, I found that this could not have happened because there were no Arabic Bible in existence in the 6th century of the Christian era when Muhammad (SAW) lived and preached. Therefore, no Arab, not even Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who was absolutely unlettered and unlearned, would have had the opportunity to examine the written text of the Bible in his own language.The GospelsIf you read Luke 1:2-3, you will learn, as I did, that Luke (who was not one of the 12 disciples and never met Jesus) said that he himself was not an eyewitness, and the knowledge he gathered was from eyewitnesses, and not as words inspired by God. Incidentally, why does every “Gospel” begin with the introduction According to. Why “according to?” the reason for this is because not a single one of the gospels carries its original author’s autograph! Even the internal evidence of Matthew 9:9 proves that Matthew was not the author of the first Gospel which bears his name: “And as Jesus passed forth thence, He (Jesus) saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He (Jesus) saith unto Him (Matthew), follow me (Jesus). And he (Matthew) arose, and followed Him (Jesus).” Without any stretch of the imagination, one can see that the He’s and the Him’s of the above narration do not refer to Jesus or Matthew as its author, but a third person writing what he saw or heard – a hearsay account and not words inspired by God.  It is worth noting, and well known throughout the religious world, that the choice of the present four “gospels” of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were imposed in the Council of Nicea 325 CE for political purposes under the auspices of the pagan Emperor Constantine, and not by Jesus. Constantine’s mind had not been enlightened either by study or by inspiration. He was a pagan, a tyrant and criminal who murdered his son, his wife and thousands of innocent individuals because of his lust for political power. Constantine ratified other decisions in the Nicene Creed such as the decision to call Christ “the Son of God, only begotten of the father.”  Literally, hundreds of gospels and religious writings were hidden from the people. Some of those writings were written by Jesus’ disciples, and many of them were eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ actions. The Nicea Council decided to destroy all gospels written in Hebrew, which resulted in the burning of nearly three hundred accounts. If these writings were not more authentic than the four present gospels, they were of equal authenticity. Some of them are still available such as the Gospel of Barnabas and the Shepherd of Hermas which agree with the Quran. The Gospel of Barnabas, until now, is the only eyewitness account of the life and mission of Jesus. Even today, the whole of the Protestant word, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and other sects and denominations condemn the Roman Catholic version of the Bible because it contains seven “extra” books. The Protestant have bravely expunged seven whole books from their word of God. A few of the outcasts are the Books of Judith, Tobnias, Baruch and Esther.  Concerning Jesus’ teachings of the Gospel (Injeel), the Gospel writers frequently mentioned Jesus preaching the Gospel: Matthew 9:35, Mark 8:35, and Luke 20:1. The word “gospel” is recurrently used in the Bible. However, in the New Testament Greek edition the word Evangeline is used in place of the word gospel, which is translated to mean good news. My question was: what Gospel did Jesus preach? Of the 27 books of the New Testament, only a small fraction can be accepted as the words of Jesus, and only of the 27 books are known to be attributed as the Gospel of Jesus. The remaining 23 were supposedly written by Paul. Muslims do believe that Jesus was given God’s “Good News.” However, they do not recognized the present four Gospels as the utterances of Jesus.  The earliest Gospel is that of Mark’s which was written about 60-75 AD. Mark was the son of Barnabas’s sister. Matthew was a tax collector, a minor official who did not travel around with Jesus. Luke’s Gospel was written much later, and in fact, drawn from the same sources as Mark’s and Matthew’s. Luke was Paul’s physician, and like Paul, never met Jesus. By the way, did you know that the names Marks and Luke were not included in the 12 appointed disciples of Jesus as mentioned in Matthew 10:2-4?  Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; the first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.  John’s Gospel is from a different source, and was written in about 100 AD. He (John) should not be confused with John, the disciple, who was beheaded by Agrippa I in the year 44 CE long before this gospel was written. It should be accepted as a reliable account of the life of Jesus, and whether it should be included in the scriptures.  Christians, as I once did, boast about the Gospels according to Matthew, according to Mark, according to Luke and according to John. However, if we think about it, there is not a single Gospel according to Jesus himself. According to the preface of the KJV (King James Version) new open Bible study edition, the word “Gospel” was added (see below) to the original titles, “According to John, according to Matthew, according to Luke and according to Mark.”  The permission to call “According to” writings the Gospel was not given by Jesus nor by any other divine guidance. These writings; Matthew, Luke, Mark and John, were never originally to be the Gospel. Therefore, Mark 1:1 can not be a true statement that his writing is the gospel of Jesus.   It should be mentioned that Muslims must believe in all Divine scriptures in their original form, their Prophets and making no distinction between them: The Suhuf (Abraham); Torah (Moses); Psalms (David); Gospel – or the Injeel (Jesus); and the Quran (Muhammad). It is clearly stated in the Quran 3:3 that Allah sent down the Torah and the Gospel. However, none of these scriptures remains in its original form now, except the Quran, which was sent for all mankind everywhere and for all times.  In addition to other reasons why the Quran was sent to mankind, as mentioned in 18:4-5 it was sent to warn the Christians of a terrible punishment from God if they cease not in saying: “Allah has begotten a son.” Muslims sincerely believe that everything Jesus (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) preached was from God; the Gospel (Injeel): The “good news” and the guidance of God for the Children of Israel. There is no place mentioned in the present four Gospels that Jesus wrote a single word of his Gospel, nor is it mentioned that Jesus instructed anyone to do so. What passes off, as the “Gospels” today are the works of third party human hands. The Quran 2:79 says:
“And woe to those who write the book with their own hands and they say: “This is from Allah (God).” To traffic with it for a miserable price! So woe to them for what their hands do write, and woe to them for what they earn thereby!”  

Jesus As the Son of God

Is Jesus the Son of God?  Matthew 3:17 could be used by some Christians to support the divine Sonship of Jesus.  If Matthew 3:17, “And Lo a voice for heaven, saying, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased,” is used to support divine Sonship, then there should be no other verse that contradicts or gives equal divine Sonship to another person or persons in the Old or New Testament. However, many references were found in the Old and New Testaments that mentioned someone other than Jesus as having a divine Sonship to God. See Exodus 4:22: “Israel is my son, even my firstborn.” II Samuel 7:14 and I Chronicles 22:10: “…and he shall be my son (Solomon).” Jeremiah 31:9: “…and Ephraim is my firstborn.” Also, Psalm 2:7.  The word “Son” must not be accepted literally because God addresses many of his chosen servants as son and sons. The Jews have also claimed Ezra to be the Son of God. The New Testament Greek words used for “son” (pias and paida, which mean servant or son in the sense of servant) are translated as son in reference to Jesus and as servant in reference to others in some translations of the Bible.  Further, the term “Father” as used by Jesus corresponds more closely to the term Rabb, i.e. One who nourishes and sustains, so that in Jesus’ doctrine, God is “Father” – Nourisher and Sustainer – of all men. The New Testament also interprets “son of God” to be mystical: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14). This mystical suggestion is further supported with Jesus being called the only begotten Son of God.  In Psalm 2:7, the Lord said to David:   “…Thou art my son: this day have I begotten thee.”  Does this mean that God had two sons? Jesus also said that God is not only his Father but also your Father (Matthew 5:45, 48). Luke 3:38 says:  “…Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the Son of God.”  Who is mentioned in Hebrews 7:3 as like unto the Son of God? It is Melchisedec, King of Salem, as mentioned in Hebrews 7:1. He (Melchisedec) is more unique than Jesus or Adam. Why is he not preferred to be the Son of God? Moreover, Adam did not have a mother or father, but was the first human being created by God and in the likeness of God to exist in the Garden of Eden and on earth. Wouldn’t this give more rights to Adam to be called the Son of God in its truest meaning?  I would like to share with you an obvious contradiction between John 3:16, Luke 10:25-28 and Matthew 19:16-17. John 3:16 reads:   “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten, Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Now let’s read Luke 10:25-28:  And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, what is written in the law? How readest Thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and Thou shalt live.  These verses tell us that the inheritance of eternal life is for anyone who believes and worships no other God, but the One True God. Luke 10:25-28 agrees with Matthew 19:16-17 which says;  “And behold, one came and said to him (Jesus), Good teacher, what good things shall I do that I may have eternal life? So he (Jesus) said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? – No one is good but One that is, God. But if you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments.”  There is no commandment that says to worship Jesus, but there that tells us to worship God alone.  In Luke 4:41, Jesus refused to be called the Son of God by demons. Do you think that Jesus would rebuke the demons, or anyone else for that matter, for telling the truth? Unquestionably, no! Jesus rebuked the demons because they were saying something false by calling him the Son of God. Also, if the demons knew that Jesus was the Christ, for Jesus to shut them up because they called him the Christ is a contradiction to Jesus’ mission.  In Luke 9:20 & 21, Jesus said unto his disciples:  “But who say ye that I am? Peter answered saying, “The Christ of God, and Jesus straightly charged them and commanded them to tell no man that thing.”  Furthermore, verses like John 3:2, John 6:14, John 7:40, Matthew 21:11, Luke 7:16 and 24:19 confirm that Jesus accepted the title of teacher, Prophet and called himself the son of man in Matthew 8:20, 12:40, 17:9 & 12, 26:24, Luke 9:26, 22:48, 22:69, and 24:7. The most conclusive verse that says Jesus is the son (servant) of man is Mark 14:26 where Jesus is mentioning the Day of Reckoning. Jesus specifically said we would see the son of man, not the Son of God, sitting in the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.  The act of begetting is a physical act and such act is against God’s nature. The Qur’an 19:35 says:
  “It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter He only says to it “Be,” and it is.” (Maryam  19:35) The teachings of Jesus as the Son of God were not preached by Jesus nor accepted by Jesus, but were taught by Paul as supported in Acts 9:20:  “And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.”  Did Jesus ever claim to be God or say, “Here am I, your God, worship me”? The answer is no. For there is no single, unequivocal statement in the Bible whereby Jesus himself declares, “I am God, therefore worship me.” Virtually all of the more than two thousand verses of the epistles of Paul are his own fabrications to include Romans 9:5 that says, depending upon which Bible you read:  “…Christ came, who is overall, the eternally blessed God.”  Christians should know that Paul himself mentions his own gospel, not Jesus, in his epistle to the Romans when he says in Romans 2:16:  “In the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”  In face, the Pauline epistle to the Romans serves as the foundation of today’s Christianity. Thus, it is the Christians whose efforts will be wasted in this life as they think they were acquiring good by their works when they attribute partners to God, as stated in Chapter 18:103-106 of the Qur’an:
  “Say: Shall we tell you of those who lost most in respect of their deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by their works?” they are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works, nor shall We, on the Day of judgment, give them any weight. That is their reward, Hell; because they rejected Faith, and took My Signs and My Messengers by way of jest.
(Al-Kahf 18:103-106) Indeed, it is so strange and ironic, knowing that none of Paul’s epistle to the Romans, more than 430 verses, were ever formulated by Jesus. Paul should have made direct reference to the pristine teachings of Jesus, if only the former claim for apostleship by divine inspiration was indeed true. Instead, large parts of his epistles’ Biblical quotations (notably those in the Epistle to the Romans) were taken from the Old Testament – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Hosea. His epistles were, indeed a product of tedious efforts, but that does not make Paul far better than any of the other men who authored the Bible, nor does it make him a Prophet.   Other practices that were adopted under Paul included the following: the Roman sun-day as the Christian Sabbath; the traditional birthday of the Sun-god as the birthday of Jesus; the emblem of the sun-god (the cross of light) to be the emblem of Christians; and, the incorporation of all the ceremonies which were performed at the Sun-god’s birthday celebrations.  As I come to a close concerning the position of Christ, I would like to ask my Christian reader bow down and pray earnestly to God and ask Him to invoke His curse on you, your wife, your sons, and your daughters if what you believe about Christ (Christ is God, Son of God or part of a trinity of God) are false. Likewise, I have learned that if you asked a Muslim to earnestly pray to God to invoke His curse on him, his wife, his sons, and his daughters if what he is saying about Christ (Prophet, Messenger of God, A Word from God) are false, the Muslims are firm in their faith knowing that Christ is not God, nor the Son of God and nor part of a trinity of God. This exercise of asking God to invoke His curse on you and your family may sound a bit cruel, but it would prove two points: (1) you would know that you are on the wrong path; and, (2) it would put you on the right path.

The Crucifixion and Atonement

A very significant event in the Christian doctrine is the Crucifixion of Jesus. Before talking about the many controversies surrounding the Crucifixion, it should be mentioned that it was a gospel of Paul’s which professed the Crucifixion/Resurrection of Jesus (II Timothy 2:8): “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.”  In addition, the gospel of the resurrection in Mark 16:9-20 was already removed from the text by gospel writers in the 1952 edition of the Revised Standard Version and then, for some reasons, restored in the 1971 edition. In many Bibles, if not removed, it is printed in small print or between two brackets and with commentary (See the Revised Standard Version, New American Bible and New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures).  The traditional biblical account of Jesus’ Crucifixion is that he was arrested and crucified by the orders and plans of the chief priest and Jewish elders. This account was denied in the 1960’s by the highest Catholic Christian authority, the Pope. He issued a statement in which he said the Jews had nothing to do with Jesus’ Crucifixion.  Did any one of the disciples or the writers of the Gospel see the Crucifixion or the Resurrection? No! In Mark 14:50, it says the disciples forsook Jesus and fled. Even Peter forsook Jesus after the cock crowed three times as Jesus foretold:  (Matthew 26:75) And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.  The most likely persons whom may have witnessed this moment in Jesus’ life were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, the mother of Zebedee’s children and other women (Matthew 27:55-56). However, there is no statement or account in the Gospels from those women as to what they saw or heard.  The disciple(s) found the sepulchre where Jesus was laid down, empty, and made the conclusion that he was resurrected because the disciples and other witnesses saw him alive after the alleged Crucifixion. Nobody saw the moment he was resurrected. Jesus himself stated that he did not die on the cross in Luke 24:36-41, as explained in the following paragraphs.  Early Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene went to the sepulchre, which was empty. She saw somebody standing who looked like a gardener. She recognized him after a conversation to be Jesus and wanted to touch him. Jesus said (John 20:17):  “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father…”  Now read Luke 24:36-41:  “And as they (disciples) thus spoke, 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 you troubled? And why so thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me end see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me 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 boiled fish and of a honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.”  Does a spiritual or dead body have a need to eat food? Jesus eating of food was to prove to the disciples that he was not a spirit, but rather, he was still alive and not dead.  Jesus being alive and not dead is further supported in his own prophecy (Matthew 12:40):  “For as Jonah 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.”  Did Jesus fulfill this miracle? Christians would say “yes,” because Jesus died and rose three days later according to Luke 24:36 and Matthew 20:19, to name a few verses. However, in line with the miracle of Jonah and according to the Bible, Jesus only spent one day and two nights in the sepulchre, and not three days and three nights as he prophesied.  Jesus was put in the sepulchre just before sunset on Friday (Good Friday) and was found missing before sunrise on Sunday (Easter). If we were to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the time frame a bit, one may say that Jesus spent three days in the earth, but there is no way and I repeat, no way, that Jesus spent three nights in the earth. We must not forget that the Gospels are explicit in telling us that it was “before sunrise” on Sunday morning that Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus and found it empty.  Consequently, there are some inconsistencies as to whether Jesus fulfilled his own prophecy. Whether he was actually crucified, or if the day (Good Friday) of his alleged Crucifixion is wrong. Another significant point to mention is that Jonah was alive in the belly of the whale. The Christians says, Jesus was dead in the belly of the earth/tomb, and this contradicts Jesus’ own prophecy. Jesus said (Luke 11:30):  “As Jonah was…so shall the Son of man be.”  If Jonah was alive, so was Jesus.  One critical event that took place before the alleged Crucifixion was the prayer of Jesus to God for help. Luke 22:42:  “Saying Father if thou be willing, remove this cup (of death) from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.”   Jesus’ prayer not to die on the cross was accepted by God according to Luke 22:43 and Hebrews 5:7. Therefore, if all of Jesus’ prayer were accepted by God, including not to die on the cross, how could he have died on the cross?  In Matthew 27:46, it states that while Jesus was on the cross, he said:  “Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani (My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?).  If Jesus said these words, it represents a blatant declaration of disbelief according to all theological authorities. This is a great insult as such words could only come from an unbeliever in God. Further, it is incredible that such words should come from a Prophet of God, because God never breaks His promise and His Prophets never complained against His promise, especially when the Prophet’s mission is understood. It could be said that whoever relates that this statement was said by a Prophet (Jesus), is a disbeliever.  Muslims believe, as the Qur’an states, Jesus was not crucified. It was the intention of his enemies to put him to death on the cross, but Allah saved him from their plot. Qur’an 4:157:“That they (Jews) said boasting, “We killed Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah, but they (Jews) killed him not, nor crucified him…”

(An Nisa 4:157)

One of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity is that Jesus had died and allowed for the shedding of his blood for the sake of granting forgiveness to people. In other words Jesus had died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Let us investigate this topic from the Bible, and find out whether Jesus was sent to be crucified or that he was crucified:

1. Willingness of Jesus Christ to Die for Our Sins:

Peter and the two sons of Zebedee were with Jesus Christ before the elders of the people and the chief priests came to take him to crucify him. Jesus at this point talked to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee as in Matthew 26:38 ” Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me”. Then Jesus went a little further way from them and prayed to God as in Matthew 26:39 ” And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt”.

It is very clear from the above verse in Matthew 26:39 that Jesus had no intention of dying. In this verse it is shown that Jesus was praying strongly (Matthew mentions that Jesus repeated these prayer three time) to have this death removed from him. Had Jesus Christ been sent to be crucified he would not have hesitated to be killed at all. When I relate this to my Christian brothers, they tell me that this hesitation comes from the flesh side of him (in other words he was tempted), and that his soul which is godly does not have this hesitation at all. When we look at Matthew 26:38 we see that Jesus is contradicting this idea by saying, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death” (Matthew 26:38). He himself says that it really his soul that is hesitating and not his body. These are Jesus’ own words.

2. God Answered the prayers of Jesus Christ:

After Jesus made the above mentioned prayer he was answered by God according to Hebrews 5:7 ” Who in the days of his flesh, when he 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”. These words clearly show that when Jesus was praying strongly to God, God would grant him his request. The word ” heard in that he feared” (Hebrews 5:7) mean that God granted him what he requested. So the above verse shows that when Jesus asked of God to ” let this cup pass from” (Matthew 26:39) him, God respond to his prayer and saved him from death or crucifixion.

3. The Post Crucifixion Prophesied Events never happened:

When the people were asking Jesus Christ if he was going to show them a sign, He replied by saying that the only sign that they should expect is the sign of Jonas. Jesus also made sure to specify what exactly this sign was. The details are shown in the following verses:

- Matthew 12:38 ” Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee”.

- Matthew 12:39 ” But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas”.

- 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”.

Jesus here emphasized what will happen to him by specifically saying that he will be like Jonas in terms of the number of days and nights he will be in the heart of the earth, ” 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” (Matthew 12:40). Now let us see if this prophecy came to pass.

Jesus was crucified on Friday, this is certainly known among all Christians, and that is the reason for calling that Friday by “Good Friday”. Jesus was buried on Friday night. Now let us start counting:

1. Friday night Jesus was buried. This is night number 1.
2. Saturday day Jesus was still in the grave. This is day number 1.
3. Saturday night Jesus was still in the grave. This is night number 2.

Mary Magdalene, very early in the morning before sun rise and after the Sabbath (Saturday), went to the see Jesus, and he was not there. The following verses relate this event:

* Mark 16:1 ” And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him”.

* Mark 16:2 ” And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun”.

* Mark 16:3 ” And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?”

* Mark 16:4 ” And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great”.

* Mark 16:5 ” And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted”.

* Mark 16:6 ” And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him”.

The number of days and nights that Jesus had spent in the heart of the earth is 1 day and 2 nights. This clearly challenges what Jesus had prophesied. When I tell this to my Christian brothers, some of them responded by saying that what Jesus wanted to really say was that he will be gone for a while, and not that he will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. This is clearly not the case. Had Jesus meant that, he would have said it, but it is clear that he wanted the people to know that this was a sign (miracle) and that it will be like Joans’ sign, and that he will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. These were his own words.

Why Would Jesus Have to Die on the Cross?

According to the Christian doctrine, Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. The idea here is that every human is born with sins, or that all humans will sin, and therefore it was necessary that someone as pure as Jesus would be the crucified to nullify these sins. The question is; why does anyone have to die for our sins when God, the All-Merciful, could as easily give us forgiveness if we ask for it? Isn’t God the one who makes the rules? Why does He have to make someone suffer for our sins or for someone else’s sins? Isn’t that unjust of Him? According to the Bible the way to redemption could be obtained without the need for sacrifice. The Bible says:
* 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”.

* Ezekiel 18:21 ” But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die”.

Clearly the soul that sins shall die. Clearly that no one shall bear the iniquity (sins) of others. So Jesus cannot bear the sins of others either. If one is righteous then it shall be upon him, and if one commits a sin then it shall be upon him, and not on Jesus. Finally, the way to repentance and forgiveness is by turning from all sins, doing what is right, and keeping the commandments.

Also we see the same message given by Solomon. He says in the book of Ecclesiastes 12:13 ” Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man”. This is the whole message, and this is the conclusion of messages. It is that one should fear God, and keep the commandments, and nothing else.

Again in 2 Chronicles 7:14 ” If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”. This clearly states that to seek forgiveness from God we have to humble ourselves, pray and seek God, and turn away from wickedness.

Finally the Bible says in Samuel 15:22 ” And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams”. This clearly states that obeying God is better that sacrifice whether this sacrifice is of objects, animals, or humans, or any other type. What God likes is for us to heed and obey Him, and if that is what God likes then it is not of Him to come later and change his mind, and change his ways. God says in the Holy Quran,“ Verily God is All-Knowing, All-Wise” (Ch 9: Vr 28).

Now that we have seen this, Christians say that Jesus has changed some of these laws. Let’s look at what Jesus says. In Matthew 5:17 ” Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil”. Jesus clearly states that he was not sent to abolish the law, the law of which had already existed. So what is mentioned above cannot be discounted. Then Jesus continues to say, in Matthew 5:18 and 19 ” 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. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven”. Jesus here states that not even as much as a dot (tittle) shall not pass from the law. Every thing is kept the way it was. That is why the previous laws cannot be removed or discarded, and those who willfully change these laws ” he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven”.

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One of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity is that Jesus had died and allowed for the shedding of his blood for the sake of granting forgiveness to people. In other words Jesus had died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Let us investigate this topic from the Bible, and find out whether Jesus was sent to be crucified or that he was crucified:

1. Willingness of Jesus Christ to Die for Our Sins:

Peter and the two sons of Zebedee were with Jesus Christ before the elders of the people and the chief priests came to take him to crucify him. Jesus at this point talked to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee as in Matthew 26:38 ” Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me”. Then Jesus went a little further way from them and prayed to God as in Matthew 26:39 ” And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt”.

It is very clear from the above verse in Matthew 26:39 that Jesus had no intention of dying. In this verse it is shown that Jesus was praying strongly (Matthew mentions that Jesus repeated these prayer three time) to have this death removed from him. Had Jesus Christ been sent to be crucified he would not have hesitated to be killed at all. When I relate this to my Christian brothers, they tell me that this hesitation comes from the flesh side of him (in other words he was tempted), and that his soul which is godly does not have this hesitation at all. When we look at Matthew 26:38 we see that Jesus is contradicting this idea by saying, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death” (Matthew 26:38). He himself says that it really his soul that is hesitating and not his body. These are Jesus’ own words.

2. God Answered the prayers of Jesus Christ:

After Jesus made the above mentioned prayer he was answered by God according to Hebrews 5:7 ” Who in the days of his flesh, when he 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”. These words clearly show that when Jesus was praying strongly to God, God would grant him his request. The word ” heard in that he feared” (Hebrews 5:7) mean that God granted him what he requested. So the above verse shows that when Jesus asked of God to ” let this cup pass from” (Matthew 26:39) him, God respond to his prayer and saved him from death or crucifixion.

3. The Post Crucifixion Prophesied Events never happened:

When the people were asking Jesus Christ if he was going to show them a sign, He replied by saying that the only sign that they should expect is the sign of Jonas. Jesus also made sure to specify what exactly this sign was. The details are shown in the following verses:

- Matthew 12:38 ” Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee”.

- Matthew 12:39 ” But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas”.

- 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”.

Jesus here emphasized what will happen to him by specifically saying that he will be like Jonas in terms of the number of days and nights he will be in the heart of the earth, ” 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” (Matthew 12:40). Now let us see if this prophecy came to pass.

Jesus was crucified on Friday, this is certainly known among all Christians, and that is the reason for calling that Friday by “Good Friday”. Jesus was buried on Friday night. Now let us start counting:

1. Friday night Jesus was buried. This is night number 1.
2. Saturday day Jesus was still in the grave. This is day number 1.
3. Saturday night Jesus was still in the grave. This is night number 2.

Mary Magdalene, very early in the morning before sun rise and after the Sabbath (Saturday), went to the see Jesus, and he was not there. The following verses relate this event:

* Mark 16:1 ” And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him”.

* Mark 16:2 ” And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun”.

* Mark 16:3 ” And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?”

* Mark 16:4 ” And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great”.

* Mark 16:5 ” And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted”.

* Mark 16:6 ” And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him”.

The number of days and nights that Jesus had spent in the heart of the earth is 1 day and 2 nights. This clearly challenges what Jesus had prophesied. When I tell this to my Christian brothers, some of them responded by saying that what Jesus wanted to really say was that he will be gone for a while, and not that he will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. This is clearly not the case. Had Jesus meant that, he would have said it, but it is clear that he wanted the people to know that this was a sign (miracle) and that it will be like Joans’ sign, and that he will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. These were his own words.

Why Would Jesus Have to Die on the Cross?

According to the Christian doctrine, Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. The idea here is that every human is born with sins, or that all humans will sin, and therefore it was necessary that someone as pure as Jesus would be the crucified to nullify these sins. The question is; why does anyone have to die for our sins when God, the All-Merciful, could as easily give us forgiveness if we ask for it? Isn’t God the one who makes the rules? Why does He have to make someone suffer for our sins or for someone else’s sins? Isn’t that unjust of Him? According to the Bible the way to redemption could be obtained without the need for sacrifice. The Bible says:
* 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”.

* Ezekiel 18:21 ” But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die”.

Clearly the soul that sins shall die. Clearly that no one shall bear the iniquity (sins) of others. So Jesus cannot bear the sins of others either. If one is righteous then it shall be upon him, and if one commits a sin then it shall be upon him, and not on Jesus. Finally, the way to repentance and forgiveness is by turning from all sins, doing what is right, and keeping the commandments.

Also we see the same message given by Solomon. He says in the book of Ecclesiastes 12:13 ” Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man”. This is the whole message, and this is the conclusion of messages. It is that one should fear God, and keep the commandments, and nothing else.

Again in 2 Chronicles 7:14 ” If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”. This clearly states that to seek forgiveness from God we have to humble ourselves, pray and seek God, and turn away from wickedness.

Finally the Bible says in Samuel 15:22 ” And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams”. This clearly states that obeying God is better that sacrifice whether this sacrifice is of objects, animals, or humans, or any other type. What God likes is for us to heed and obey Him, and if that is what God likes then it is not of Him to come later and change his mind, and change his ways. God says in the Holy Quran,“ Verily God is All-Knowing, All-Wise” (Ch 9: Vr 28).

Now that we have seen this, Christians say that Jesus has changed some of these laws. Let’s look at what Jesus says. In Matthew 5:17 ” Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil”. Jesus clearly states that he was not sent to abolish the law, the law of which had already existed. So what is mentioned above cannot be discounted. Then Jesus continues to say, in Matthew 5:18 and 19 ” 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. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven”. Jesus here states that not even as much as a dot (tittle) shall not pass from the law. Every thing is kept the way it was. That is why the previous laws cannot be removed or discarded, and those who willfully change these laws ” he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven”.

The three monotheistic religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – all purport to share one fundamental concept: belief in God as the Supreme Being, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. Known as tawhid in Islam, this concept of the Oneness of God was stressed by Moses in a Biblical passage known as the “Shema” or the Jewish creed of faith: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

It was repeated word-for-word approximately 1500 years later by Jesus when he said: “…The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord.” (Mark 12:29)

Muhammad came along approximately 600 years later, bringing the same message again: “And your God is One God: There is no God but He, …” (The Qur’an 2:163)

Christianity has digressed from the concept of the Oneness of God, however, into a vague and mysterious doctrine that was formulated during the fourth century. This doctrine, which continues to be a source of controversy both within and without the Christian religion, is known as the Doctrine of the Trinity. Simply put, the Christian doctrine of the Trinity states that God is the union of three divine persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – in one divine being.

If that concept, put in basic terms, sounds confusing, the flowery language in the actual text of the doctrine lends even more mystery to the matter:

Let’s put this together in a different form: one person, God the Father + one person, God the Son + one person, God the Holy Ghost = one person, God the What? Is this English or is this gibberish?

It is said that Athanasius, the bishop who formulated this doctrine, confessed that the more he wrote on the matter, the less capable he was of clearly expressing his thoughts regarding it.

How did such a confusing doctrine get its start?

Trinity in the Bible

References in the Bible to a Trinity of divine beings are vague, at best.

In Matthew 28:19, we find Jesus telling his disciples to go out and preach to all nations. While the “Great Commission” does make mention of the three persons who later become components of the Trinity, the phrase “…baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” is quite clearly an addition to Biblical text – that is, not the actual words of Jesus – as can be seen by two factors:

1. Baptism in the early Church, as discussed by Paul in his letters, was done only in the name of Jesus; and
2. The “Great Commission” found in the first gospel written, that of Mark, bears no mention of Father, Son and/or Holy Ghost – see Mark 16:15.

The only other reference in the Bible to a Trinity can be found in the Epistle of I John 5:7, Biblical scholars of today, however, have admitted that the phrase “…there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” is definitely a “later addition” to Biblical test, and it is not found in any of today’s versions of the Bible.

It can, therefore, be seen that the concept of a Trinity of divine beings was not an idea put forth by Jesus or any other prophet of God. This doctrine, now subscribed to by Christians all over the world, is entirely man-made in origin.

The Doctrine Takes Shape

While Paul of Tarsus, the man who could rightfully be considered the true founder of Christianity, did formulate many of its doctrines, that of the Trinity was not among them. He did, however, lay the groundwork for such when he put forth the idea of Jesus being a “divine Son.” After all, a Son does need a Father, and what about a vehicle for God’s revelations to man? In essence, Paul named the principal players, but it was the later Church people who put the matter together.

Tertullian, a lawyer and presbyter of the third century Church in Carthage, was the first to use the word “Trinity” when he put forth the theory that the Son and the Spirit participate in the being of God, but all are of one being of substance with the Father.

A Formal Doctrine is Drawn Up

When controversy over the matter of the Trinity blew up in 318 between two church men from Alexandria – Arius, the deacon, and Alexander, his bishop – Emperor Constantine stepped into the fray.

Although Christian dogma was a complete mystery to him, he did realize that a unified church was necessary for a strong kingdom. When negotiation failed to settle the dispute, Constantine called for the first ecumenical council in Church history in order to settle the matter once and for all.

Six weeks after the 300 bishops first gathered at Nicea in 325, the doctrine of the Trinity was hammered out. The God of the Christians was now seen as having three essences, or natures, in the form of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Church Puts Its Foot Down

The matter was far from settled, however, despite high hopes for such on the part of Constantine. Arius and the new bishop of Alexandria, a man named Athanasius, began arguing over the matter even as the Nicene Creed was being signed; “Arianism” became a catch-word from that time onward for anyone who did not hold to the doctrine of the Trinity.

It wasn’t until 451, at the Council of Chalcedon that, with the approval of the Pope, the Nicene/Constantinople Creed was set as authoritative. Debate on the matter was no longer tolerated; to speak out against the Trinity was now considered blasphemy, and such earned stiff sentences that ranged from mutilation to death. Christians now turned on Christians, maiming and slaughtering thousands because of a difference of opinion.

Debate Continues

Brutal punishments and even death did not stop the controversy over the doctrine of the Trinity, however, and the said controversy continues even today.

The majority of Christians, when asked to explain this fundamental doctrine of their faith, can offer nothing more than “I believe it because I was told to do so.” It is explained away as “mystery” – yet the Bible says in I Corinthians 14:33 that “… God is not the author of confusion…”

The Unitarian denomination of Christianity has kept alive the teachings of Arius in saying that God is one; they do not believe in the Trinity. As a result, mainstream Christians abhor them, and the National Council of Churches has refused their admittance. In Unitarianism, the hope is kept alive that Christians will someday return to the preachings of Jesus: “…Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” (Luke 4:8)

Islam and the Matter of the Trinity

While Christianity may have a problem defining the essence of God, such is not the case in Islam.

“They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity, for there is no god except One God.” (Qur’an 5:73) It is worth noting that the Arabic language Bible uses the name “Allah” as the name of God.

Suzanne Haneef, in her book WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ISLAM AND MUSLIMS (Library of Islam, 1985), puts the matter quite succinctly when she says, “But God is not like a pie or an apple which can be divided into three thirds which form one whole; if God is three persons or possesses three parts, He is assuredly not the Single, Unique, Indivisible Being which God is and which Christianity professes to believe in.” (pp. 183-184)

Looking at it from another angle, the Trinity designates God as being three separate entities – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. If God is the Father and also the Son, He would then be the Father of Himself because He is His own Son. This is not exactly logical.

Christianity claims to be a monotheistic religion. Monotheism, however, has as its fundamental belief that God is One; the Christian doctrine of the Trinity – God being Three-in-One – is seen by Islam as a form of polytheism. Christians don’t revere just One God, they revere three.

This is a charge not taken lightly by Christians, however. They, in turn, accuse the Muslims of not even knowing what the Trinity is, pointing out that the Qur’an sets it up as Allah the Father, Jesus the Son, and Mary his mother. While veneration of Mary has been a figment of the Catholic Church since 431 when she was given the title “Mother of God” by the Council of Ephesus, a closer examination of the verse in the Qur’an (5:116) most often cited by Christians in support of their accusation, shows that the designation of Mary by the Qur’an as a “member” of the Trinity, is simply not true.

While the Qur’an does condemn both trinitarianism (the Qur’an 4:17) and the worship of Jesus and his mother Mary (the Qur’an 5:116), nowhere does it identify the actual three components of the Christian Trinity. The position of the Qur’an is that WHO or WHAT comprises this doctrine is not important; what is important is that the very notion of a Trinity is an affront against the concept of One God.

In conclusion, we see that the doctrine of the Trinity is a concept conceived entirely by man; there is no sanction whatsoever from God to be found regarding the matter simply because the whole idea of a Trinity of divine beings has no place in monotheism. In the Qur’an, God’s Final Revelations to mankind, we find His stand quite clearly stated in a number of eloquent passages:

…Because, as God tells us over and over again in a Message that is echoed throughout All His Revealed Scriptures: