Jesus Through a Muslim Lens


Jesus of Nazareth is the most widely revered religious figure in the world. Not only is he central to Christianity, the largest religion in the world, he is also venerated throughout Islam, the world's second largest faith.

Christians may be surprised to learn that Muslims believe in the Virgin Birth and Jesus' miracles. But this shared interest in his message goes much further.

In our scientific age, the miraculous side of Jesus' story has greatly obscured his role in the prophetic tradition. In this sense, there may be more important questions for Muslims and Christians than whether he walked on water or raised the dead.

In the Muslim view, Jesus' essential work was not to replicate magic bread or to test our credulity, but to complement the legalism of the Torah with a leavening compassion rarely expressed in the older testament. His actions and words introduce something new to monotheism: They develop the merciful spirit of God's nature. Jesus confirmed the Torah, stressing the continuity of his lineage, but he also developed the importance of compassion and self-purification as crucial links between learning the words of God's message and possessing the wisdom to carry it out.

Oddly enough, some of the recent work by New Testament scholars seems to have reached a view of Christ not all that different from Muslims'. For us and for these scholars, Jesus appears not as a literal son of God in human form, but as an inspired human being, a teacher of wisdom with a talent for love drawn from an unbroken relationship to God. Both versions present him as a man who spoke to common people in universal terms.

Two events in the life of the prophet Muhammad may help explain why Muslims revere the Christian Jesus.

The first event involves an elder resident of Mecca named Waraqa bin Nawfal. This man was an early Arab Christian and an uncle of Muhammad's wife, Khadija. We know he could read Hebrew, that he was mystical by nature, and that he attended Khadija and Muhammad's wedding in about 595 C.E. Fifteen years later, a worried Khadija sought Waraqa out and brought her husband to him.

At the time, Muhammad was a 40-year-old respected family man. He attended this "family therapy" session in a rare state of agitation. He was frightened. He had been meditating one evening in a cave on the outskirts of town. There, while half asleep, he had experienced something so disturbing that he feared he was possessed. A voice had spoken to him.

Waraqa listened to his story, which Muslims will recognize as a description of Muhammad's first encounter with the angel Gabriel. When it was finished, Waraqa assured him he was not possessed.

"What you have heard is the voice of the same spiritual messenger God sent to Moses. I wish I could be a young man when you become a prophet! I would like to be alive when your own people expel you."

"Will they expel me?" Muhammad asked.

"Yes," the old man said. "No one has ever brought his people the news you bring without meeting hostility. If I live to see the day, I will support you."

Christians will recognize in Waraqa's remarks an aphorism associated with Jesus: "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country." But that a Christian should first have verified Muhammad's role as a prophet may come as a surprise.

The second important event concerning Islam and Christianity dates from 616, a few years after Muhammad began to preach publicly. This first attempt to reinstate the Abrahamic tradition in Mecca met (as Waraqa had warned) with violent opposition.

Perhaps the Meccans resented Muhammad's special claim. Perhaps his message of a single, invisible, ever-present God threatened the economy of their city. A month's ride south from the centers of power in Syria and Persia, poor remote Mecca depended on long-distance trade and on seasonal pilgrims who came there each year to honor hundreds of pagan idols, paying a tax to do so.

At any rate, Muhammad's disruptive suggestion that "God was One" and could be found anywhere did not sit well with the businessmen of Mecca.

Many new Muslims were being tortured. Their livelihoods were threatened, their families persecuted. As matters grew worse, in 616 Muhammad sent a small band of followers across the Red Sea to seek shelter in the Christian kingdom of Axum. There, he told them, they would find a just ruler, the Negus, who could protect them. The Muslims found the Negus in his palace, somewhere in the borderland between modern Ethiopia and Eritrea.

And protect them he did, after one Muslim recited to him some lines on the Virgin Mary from the Qur'an. The Negus wept at what he heard. Between Christians and Muslims, he said, he could not make out more difference than the thickness of a twig.

These two stories underscore the support Christians gave Muhammad in times of trial. The Qur'an distils the meaning from the drama:

Those who feel the most affection
For us (who put our faith in the Qur'an),
Are those that say, "We are Christians,"
For priests and monks live among them
Who are not arrogant. When they listen
To what We have shown Muhammad,
Their eyes brim over with tears
At the truth they find there....

Even today, when a Muslim mentions Jesus' name, you will hear it followed by the phrase "peace and blessings be upon him," because Muslims still revere him as a prophet.

We believe in God
And in what has been sent down to us,
What has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael
And Isaac and Jacob and their offspring,
And what was given to Moses and to Jesus
And all the other prophets of the Lord.
We make no distinction among them.

As these lines from the Qur'an make clear, Muslims regard Jesus as one of the world's great teachers. He and his mentor John the Baptist stand in a lineage stretching back to the founder of ethical monotheism. Moreover, among Muslims, Jesus is a special type of prophet, a messenger empowered to communicate divinity not only in words but by miracles as well.

Muslims, it must be said, part company with some Christians over the portrait of Jesus developed in the fourth and fifth centuries. Certain fictions, Muslims think, were added then. Three of these come in for special mention: First, Muslims consider monastic asceticism a latter-day innovation, not an original part of Jesus' way. Second, the New Testament suffers from deletions and embellishments added after Jesus' death by men who did not know him. Third, the description of Jesus as God's son is considered by Muslims a later, blasphemous suggestion.

Muslims venerate Jesus as a divinely inspired human but never, ever as "the son of God." In the same vein, we treat the concept of the Trinity as a late footnote to Jesus' teachings, an unnecessary "mystery" introduced by the North African theologian Tertullian two centuries after Jesus' death. Nor do Muslims view his death as an act of atonement for mankind's sins. Rather, along with the early Christian theologian Pelagius, Islam rejects the doctrine of original sin, a notion argued into church doctrine by St. Augustine around the year 400.

It might almost be said that Islam holds a view of Jesus similar to some of the early apostolic versions condemned by the fourth-century Byzantine Church. Once Constantine installed Christianity as the Roman Empire's state religion, a rage for orthodoxy followed. The Councils of Nicaea (325), Tyre (335), Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), and Chalcedon (451) were official, often brutal attempts to stamp out heterodox views of Jesus held by "heretical" theologians.

Rulings by these councils led to the persecution and deaths of tens of thousands of early Christians at the hands of more "orthodox" Christians who condemned them. Most disputes centered on divergent interpretations of the Trinity. For this reason, historians of religion sometimes see in these bloody divisions one of the root causes for early Islam's firmly unitarian outlook.

Then and now, no more dangerous religious mistake exists for a Muslim than dividing the Oneness of God by twos or threes.

Despite these important differences, however, the Qur'an repeatedly counsels Muslims not to dispute with other monotheists over matters of doctrine. People, it says, believe differently for good reasons. In fact, that is a part of Allah's will.

Michael Wolfe is the author of books of poetry, fiction, travel, and history. His books include "The Hajj" (1993), a first-person travel account, and "One Thousand Roads to Mecca" (1997), an anthology of 10 centuries of travelers writing about the Muslim pilgrimage. He has also produced an extensive documentary on the life of Prophet Muhammad for PBS called "Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet".

( Source: Beliefnet )


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Older Comments:
BABANDI A.GUMEL FROM U.K said:
Both the Bible and the Quran spoke of the drowning of Pharaoh
engulfed in the sea as narrated by the Bible but does not give
any details as to what subsequently became of the body
discovered in 1898.The Quran noted that the body of Pharaoh who
was damned would be saved from the waters (that is the Qudurah
power of Allah confirming the Veracity of the Message of Quran)
in Surah Yunus (10;92)
"So this day We shall save your (dead) body that you may be a
Sign for those who come after you!And verily,many among mankind
are heedless of (Our) Signs.Subhanallah what else do we need to
confirm the veracity of this message as mentioned by the
Quran.Good try Michael but the Quranic message is the truth and
nothing but the truth not mere conjecture collection of literary
works produced in the course of roughly nine centuries which has
undergone many alterations.The part played by man in the actual
composition of the text of the Bible is quite
considerable.Unlike the Quran which from the moment it was first
communicated to man,it was learnt by heart and written down
during the Prophet's time posing no problem of authenticity.
2014-12-15

ANONYMOUS FROM GERMANY said:
It mentions in the article "Nor do Muslims view his death as an act of
atonement for mankind's sins." - However, we Muslims don't believe
Jesus pbuh died as God raised him both in body and in spirit.
2014-04-19

MUZAFFAR BUTT FROM INDIA said:
The Qur'an clearly mentions that,"they neither killed him ( Isa alai-
salam) nor crucified him." How does your article on "Jesus through a
muslim lens" repeatedly mentions "after his (Jesus') death.... etc
etc. The author needs to clarify his understanding of Jesus'
crucifixion as Isa, alai-salam is alive and is going to return soon to
earth to tell the christians that he is neither son of God nor was he
crucified, rather his whole message was distorted and changed by them
after he ascended to the sky as per Allah's command.
2012-12-20

MAYA V FROM AK said:
Christianity as it exists now is a big confusion.
1. So many branches that differ in the core beliefs
2. Salvation ONLY though one person ( what will happen to those who lived before )
3. None of the previous Prophets telling a human like god to be worshipped
4. God letting die his son for other's sin and calling it love and justice
5. All the disciples betraying the leaders on a critical time, but the leaders message getting passed through the same set of people
6. Hard to distinguish features between Santa Claus and Jesus and some mythical figures
7. Calling Mary mother of god. If jesus is son of god, shouldn't Mary be his wife, he father , a father-in-law ? What can be a bigger blasphemy?!
7. Modern day churches that is diammetrically opposite in 'values' (is being gay ok?)

I'm sure experts can put in more. If Jesus (may peace be upon him) was not told to me by my Prophet( peace be upon him ), I would not have considered even such person had ever existed. From the bottom of my heart, only view presented by Islam on Isa ( Alaihi Salam)makes any sense ( eventhough occassinally I wonder about the miracles by Jesus in Quran such as a bird of clay taking life a flying). Christianity has survived through the good work, in charity, education, organized conversions etc the missionaries do. Not by the faith. May Almighty save all.
2012-12-20

XMEN FROM UNITED STATES. said:
Assalam Alaikum



The doctrine of the Trinity was actually added at the end of the 4th century CE.

In the Bible(Matthew 5: 17-20), Jesus(pbuh) tells all:"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdomof Heaven."

Later in the Bible Paul(apostle to the gentiles) tells all that belief in the death of Jesus(pbuh) is all that is needed to obtain salvation and that the Law no longer applied.

Paul never met Jesus(pbuh) and only had a brief vision of him on the way to Damascus.

Christians follow the doctrine of Paul, not the teachings of Jesus(pbuh). Therefore they are sometimes referred to as "Pauline Christians."

The absolute best way to deal with Christians who slander Islam without knowing anything about it, is to learn their religious doctrine better than they know it themselves.

Only then can you effectively counter there arguments of what the Bible tells them against what the Quran tells us as Muslims.

May peace find it's way to all of you reading this.

Wassalam
2012-12-20

HILAL SHAH FROM USA said:
Dear Mr. Wolfe:

We Muslims know more about Prophet Eisa and revered him more than Christian ever cam ny themselves. We know that there was never a prophet name Jesus ever appointed by Allah Almighty. Christian have the sicknes to change name of Prophets, and Revelations. So, plase do not tell Muslims who Jesus is, because there was no such person ever lived.
2012-12-19

SAMIR FROM UNITED STATES OF AMERICA said:
Nice article, and very informative. Just one thing I have to correct: Jesus (peace be upn him) did not die at all, and the Qur'an, in fact, rejects the belief that Jesus (peace be upon him) died at all ! God Almighty says that someone else was put there in the place of Jesus (peace be upon him), and that person was killed, NOT Jesus (peace be upon him), and that Jesus (peace be upon him) was raised alive unto God. Just a small correction that I wanted to make. Other than that, great article! :)
2012-12-19

YOHAN YISHAI FROM BHUTAN said:
Yahya Bergum has just compared the statements to show similarity of the wisdom between our blessed Messiah and the other. Yohan on the other hand, like the Muslim General gives command to destroy all materials that look similar but are subtle contests of the enemy, the outsider in the Kingdom of God so that no human is dragged to confusion by the two that look similar. This presents dire threats to the unlearned, strengthening further confusion.

Leave just ONE to survive in our soul so that we have unhindered guidance without interruption. Why is there 'mission struggle' to impose a "prophet" in the place of the MEDIATOR of the covenant? When the Bible clearly says there is no other name (besides Y'Shua the Messiah) under heaven given among men by whom we may be saved, any claimant that comes thereafter is seen as "permitted to test the souls" whether they love the truth. Every soul swerving away from the Messiah the Son of God testifies of self damnation.

As such, there is no need to apply the interpretation of the "Lens" when the thing in consideration is open to the view of naked vision.


Oddly enough, some of the recent work by New Testament scholars seems to have reached a view of Christ not all that different from Muslims'. For us and for these scholars, Jesus appears not as a literal son of God in human form, but as an inspired human being....???
2011-12-29

YOHAN YISHAI FROM BHUTAN said:
Oddly enough, some of the recent work by New Testament scholars seems to have reached a view of Christ not all that different from Muslims'. For us and for these scholars, Jesus appears not as a literal son of God in human form, but as an inspired human being....

What is the necessity to invent new theorems/study materials about the established facts? For whom is it useful? Can Scholars dare to pervert the Scriptures of truth to suit some contenders' versions of later time? Well, who inspired Jesus with such extra ordinary wisdom and power to perform miracles? Who is seeking to take the credit for inspiring Jesus at this point of time? Is it not attack on the person of the Son of God for two millenniums by them that obey not the truth? I cannot be convinced to reward any work with acceptance if it does not confirm to the recorded truth lest I be partaker with the perverts.

Great is the punishment for them that seek to be owners and masters of truth to the intent that they may be able to disseminate lie to the general mass!
2011-12-27

YOHAN YISHAI FROM BHUTAN said:
Yahya Bergum has just compared the statements to show similarity of the wisdom between our blessed Messiah and the other. Yohan on the other hand, like the Muslim General gives command to destroy all materials that look similar but are subtle contests of the enemy, the outsider in the Kingdom of God so that no human is dragged to confusion by the two that look similar. This presents dire threats to the unlearned, strengthening further confusion.

Leave just ONE to survive in our soul so that we have unhindered guidance without interruption. Why is there 'mission struggle' to impose a "prophet" in the place of the MEDIATOR of the covenant? When the Bible clearly says there is no other name (besides Y'Shua the Messiah) under heaven given among men by whom we may be saved, any claimant that comes thereafter is seen as "permitted to test the souls" whether they love the truth. Every soul swerving away from the Messiah the Son of God testify of self damnation.

As such, there is no need to apply the interpretation of the "Lens" when the thing in consideration is open to the view of naked vision.
2011-12-27

KRIS MACPHERSON FROM MALAYSIA said:
Dear SJR,

I am happy to get feedbacks from " Protestant Christians " who do not believe in Jesus ( Jesus - peace be upon him ) as son of GOD.

SJR, please note that if one be a Muslim, it's easier to love Jesus, in fact even more in Jesus ( J-pbuh ) as a human being or rather as a messenger of GOD. You won't have any contradiction of conscience SJR, you can trust me on that one. And remember too, Tony Blair had once said in the House of Commons that there are more reverence to Mary the virgin in Quran than the bible itself. Christian scholars also knows this. In fact in the Quran, there is one Chapter devoted entirely to Mary ( see the Chapter of Mary in the Quran ).

May you continue to search for the truth and find one. Take care.
2008-01-05

SJR FROM USA said:
I am a Christian, however please know that not all Christians 'Protestants' see Jesus as God for many reasons. We see Christ as Messiah but not God and we also don't belive in a trinity for there is only one God.

There are alot of simularities that cement Protestant Christianity and Islam then there are that seperate us.

We also see that, while many jews in Israel try to destroy our Christian holy sites, the Muslims protect these for us as well.

Be it Christian or Muslim, more education is needed to teach that together we have a much more common ground then thought before in the past.

I have always known that Muslims highly reaurd Jesus so this isn't new to me, however many others need to learn this. In time and many prayers, and more good articals such as this I believe will help educate the people of Christianity and Islam to unite under common ground.

God bless
2008-01-04

MOE DAGHESTANI FROM U.S.A said:
Excellent article, great job!
2006-12-02

SUSAN JAFAR FROM USA said:
Jesus is the son of God ,If you want the TRUTH read the Bible ,it is a love story of how much God loves you that He gave His son JESUS to die for your sins,pray and ask God ,pray in the the name of Jesus to open your eyes and reveal Himself ,He will, God bless you
2005-01-25

HAJI SAIF FROM USA said:
The bible offers two views on the Messiah. 1, the man-god like Dionysus of the pagan greeks 2, the monotheistic Aramaic-speaking Eesa who taught & lived by the law of Moses. What Muslims fail to detail is the imitation of the pagan greek religion pretending to be the faith of the Messiah. When we read in the bible that God comes to earth as men, that the third person of the trinity comes down to earth in bodily form of a bird, how can we say that these ideas are not of pagan origin. The bible itself condemns such pagan beliefs and we must point out to our christian friends that the Messiah and the disiples were Muslims. After all why would God become a bird - to save the crows and the parakeets? Read Romans, chapter 1 verses 21 - 25.
2004-12-30

YAHYA BERGUM FROM USA said:
Matthew 5

21. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.'

22. "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool! ' will be liable to the hell of fire.

23. "So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,

24. "Leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

25. "Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.

26. "Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny."
2004-10-17

SONJA FROM USA said:
Mohammed's experience with an angel is similar to a modern day prophet of the 1800's. His name is Joseph Smith. As a 14 year old boy he was visited by God and Jesus Christ and later by angels. He was expelled and murdered by an angry mob. He translated the Book of Mormon and started The Church of Latter Day Saints. The Mormon church is perfectly organized worldwide. There is no doctrinal debate. The path is clear, the rules are strict, the family is the center.

He did not rally an army and attack any of the towns that rejected his teachings and make them either join or pay him taxes like Mohammed did. He was a man of tolerence,peace, and submission to God's will. He was a martyr.

Could it make sense to seek a more modern-day prophet? 12 million followers today think so. We do not worship Joseph Smith. We are thankful to him and acknowledge that he was, in deed, a prophet. We praise God in the name of Jesus Christ. Through repentence, moral living, and a mighty change of heart (from selfishness to selflessness) we hope to live with them for eternity.
2004-09-27

QAMAR FROM USA said:
bismallah ar Rahman nir Rahim. This article is perfect to forward to all my Christian friends, awesome!It really helps explain how both doctrines are similar and how both prophets' message was "Love your enemies and your neighbor regardless of their following". That is the best idea to learn and act on from Jesus, allayhi sallam, and Muhammad, sallalahu allayhi wa sallam. Allah is Great, Subhan Allah!!!
2004-09-05

SEKOU FROM USA said:
3.059
The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be". And he was.
2004-08-17

SIRIUS FROM FINLAND said:
Rahim Akbar: of course god has power to do things you referred to. But... this quite widely spread opinion among muslims that Jesus was at some point exchanged with somebody lookalike is a bit problematic. It looks like opening a pandoras box for difficult questions.
-first: we totally loose any possibility to verify these things historically. This would irreversibly put this question into the realm of beliefs. And, as I said I believe the lookalike looked like Jesus because it was him.
-second: this kind of wiev opens road to "counterattacs". Some might use this same method against muslims. There are many points where one might say "it was made to look like that".
That's two out of many.
Peace
2004-08-17

RAHIM AKBAR FROM JAPAN said:
Sirius, Its good to believe that Jesus was killed on the cross and you made your point that the Romans knew who they killid or put on the cross.
I don't ague with that. You should know that God said he is the all planner. would you also believe that God almighty can make it look like it is Jesus they've arested and putting on the cross?
Allah said you can plan all you want and I can come into your planning to make it look like you are doing the planning. Remember, he is the all wise the all knowing.
2004-08-17

PETER FROM USA said:
My friends,

Thanks for your responses. I do appreciate it. Akbar, I did get your answers concerning Gog etc. Very interesting! Ahmed, thanks for your response, and yes, I agree that Christianity and Islam are brothers, but forgive me, I didn't know how closely related we were concerning Jesus. Mr.
Hudd, thank you for your answers. I am sorry you were force fed Methodist Christianity at the orphanage; believe it or not, as a Catholic I grew up as a religious minority (I was surrounded by Protestants, who were taught to hate Jews and Catholics)and am sympatheic to anyone who has undergone such treatment.
2004-08-16

IFTIKAR ALI SIAD FROM USA said:
The Trinity was in the gospels: Matthew 28:19: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good-except God alone." This is a retorical question. The answer is that Christ was God manifest in the flesh.
If you have experienced the Holy Spirit, you know He is alive and with us now.
2004-08-15

GINGER FROM USA said:
Muslims believe that Jesus was not the one who died on the cross for my sins. ..?
2004-08-14

SIRIUS FROM FINLAND said:
I accord Tim B: I'm also a christian who don't believe that Jesus was a deity. He was very much an earthling with earthly concerns. I never point my prayers to Jesus, but to god.
About this problematic consept of "son of god":if, as I guess we all believe, Jesus didn't have a father in flesh, then who's son he was? A son of god obviously. So, this whole thing is a metaphor to me. Being "a son of god" don't result in being a deity of any kind.
And I believe that Jesus did die on a cross. Romans knew who they executed. I've heard many more or less fictional, dizzy theories about the faith of Jesus. They resemble more detective stories than reality.
And, to the end: Jesus resurrected on the third day as we believe. So, did he "die" after all?
2004-08-14

LAWAL AHMED FROM NIGERIA said:
The article is very wonderful and we simply need more of that.We are keen. Thank you.
2004-08-13

ABDULLAH FROM USA said:
Thanks for the response Tanvir. My understanding of
the New Testment timeline is as follows: Rapture of the
Church (Believers taken out of this world both those
alive and those dead (resurrected) so they do not have
to endure the evil to come). The antichrist will then rise,
tribulation on earth leading to the Battle of Armageddon
when Christ returns to Earth to throw the antichrist and
the beast into Hell. Jesus will then bind the devil in a
bottomless pit for 1000 years during which Jesus will
reign on Earth. After 1000 years the devil will be
loosed, a small amount of havoc will occur and then the
devil will be shut up in Hell forever. After this a new
Earth is made and the unbelievers are judged. I think
the believers are judged at the time of Rapture. The
short of it is that since we believe Jesus already died,
after he returns he will not die again. We consider the
beast, the antichrist, and the devil sort of as a satanic
trinity.
2004-08-13

TANVIR FROM USA said:
To Abdullah,

You are correct to assume that Muslims do not believe Jesus (peace be upon him) on the cross, as a matter of fact we do not believe Jesus (pbuh) died at all. Verse 9:33 (or any other verse in the Qu'ran) does not contradict this belief rather it reaffirms what we believe about him. We believe Jesus (pbuh) was raised up to heaven, and he will come back to fight Ad-dajjal (anti-christ), after he defeats Ad-dajjal he will lead a normal life of a prophet and die just like all other prophets before him. Then on the day of resurrection he will be raised up just like we all will.

I know that Christians also believe that Jesus (pbuh) will return. I am curios to know what your belief is concerning how his life in this earth is going to end the 2nd time around.

Also you are correct to assume that "they" possibly refers to among other people Christians. Talking to my Christian friends I do not get the impression that they believe verse 19:30 where Jesus (pbuh) proclaims "I am indeed a servant of Allah."

May Allah guide us all.

Tanvir
2004-08-13

PETER FROM USA said:
Assalaamu'alaiykum to you all. Thank you so much for your responses. Ahmed, you did indeed tell me that Muslims and Christians are like brothers, I agree but forgive my ignorance, I did not know how much alike we are (concerning Jesus, especially). I have always felt kinship between us, and always knew that we worshipped to same God, I just did not know that the Muslims believed in so much concerning Jesus short of his being God (a contention I am sympathetic to).
Akbar, I did read your response and wrote down the books, I will order and read them as soon as I am able. It is fascinating material. Any suggestions for readership are greatly welcomed.
Hudd, thank you for your answers, thoughts and elucidations.
My friends, this is great. You've given me so much to think about and meditate upon. Also, I have repeated much of what you tell me or I read here to my friends and family. I am fighting against anti-Islamic sentiment tooth and nail (its extent is frightening, you wouldn't believe what I'm up against). May God bless you all, I pray that our dark times will pass into the light of understanding.

2004-08-12

ADAM IBRAHIM MUHAMMAD FROM NIGERIA said:
Abdullah, in addition to what Akbar may surmise let me add thus,

The "they' refered to all(you inclusive, i guess) who will not understand the true nature of Jesus(AS), as one of the mightiest Prophet of Allah, a human being born of the virgin Mary(AS), the prophet that came for the sole purpose of confirming the teachings of the Torah of Prophet Moses(AS) and the prophet that gives the glad tidings of a prophet to come after him whose name shall be Ahmad or Muhammad(SAW).

Also Abdullah, why don't you go back up small to Quran:19:12-15 and see some narrations about Yahya(AS)[a.k.a John the Baptist by the christians]; let me quote the meaning of the translation in English;

12-"O Yahya! take hold of the book with might" and we gave him wisdom even as a youth
13-And piety(for all creatures) as from us, and purity; He was devout
14-And kind to his parents, and he was not overbearing or rebellious
15-SO PEACE ON HIM THE DAY HE WAS BORN, THE DAY HE DIES AND THE DAY THAT HE WILL BE RAISED UP TO LIFE(again)!

Note and compare verse 15 with 33, can you see what 'm seeing, Abdullah? Its just like you(ie is if you believe in the day of judgement) saying that 'I thank God for the I was born and the day I shall die and for that day(judgement day) I shall be raise again. See that? Only in the case of Yahya it was said on his behalf. Hope you get the point, so don't get confused or try to muddle issues to prove some baseless hypothesis; even if it means doing it indirectly. Sorry if read you wrongly, but I just thought I may clear your doubts with the small knowledge I have of the true position of things.
2004-08-12

AKBAR KHAN FROM CANADA said:
So basically, Abdullah that ayat indicates that Jesus has not died YET....if you read the saying of Prophet Muhammad (saaw) as well, he describes Jesus (as), as living a normal life for many years, having a family and what not which he never had when Allah raised him up, so these priviledges are granted to Jesus (as) to have when he returns back to the Earth. Then he will die a normal life and will be brought back to life like everyone else on the day of resurrection. I am sorry if I may have confused you, so I thought I'd sum things up with another post, to follow up on the entire Surah Maryam, from beginning, up to after verse 33 even. This way we can see the similitude between Yahya and Jesus, as living, and that they will both die natural deaths. Jesus has not yet died since Allah mentioned in the ayat I posted before that Allah raised him up to himself. Therefore he still is living in heaven, until the appointed time when he returns to Earth, kills the anti-Christ, and has a family, etc. etc...You can see this understanding by reading the saying of prophet Muhammad (saaw), who Muslims describe as being a walking Qur'an, because his understanding of it is the best of all human beings. I talk a lot, so adieu.

Wassalaam.
2004-08-11

AKBAR KHAN FROM CANADA said:
Salaam Abdullah,

That's easy. The opening verses of Surah Maryam (19), if you read from the very first verse, to verse number 15, you will see where Prophet Yahya (as), or John the Baptist, is described as:

"So Peace on him the day he was born, the day that he dies, and the day that he will be raised up to life (again)!" (19:15)

Then if you carry on, the description of Jesus (as), is given to mankind in similitude to Prophet Yahya (as)/John the Baptist. Yahya is described as dying a natural life, and then being raised on the day of resurrection once again to stand before Allah on the day of Judgement. So similarly, and that is why the birth of Jesus is described right after Yahya, that Jesus is described in 19:33 as:

"So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"!

This description like I said, is similarly described for Yahya, that Jesus (as), will die a natural death when he comes back from heaven, and will rise again on the day of resurrection, just as every other human being to stand before Allah on the day of Judgement. This is concluded by the fact that by taking the other verses of the Qur'an which state that "they crucified him not" and other such verses in the Qur'an describing that Jesus (as) did not die on the cross, and is still alive in heaven with Allah, is how the Qur'an must be read. We cannot simply pick out a single ayat and say it means so and so based on what we might believe. This is the beauty of the Qur'an.

So Abdullah I understand your interpretation of that single ayat, but it is incorrect, since from the beginning of Surah Maryan (19), you will see that Yahya's birth and death is given as an example to us, to teach us that the same is to be applied to Jesus (as), since both their descriptions are given such a similarity one after the other.

2004-08-11

MASTER FROM UK said:
have you any free islamic sites that someone would listen to.i want to listen to some of the suras please.
2004-08-11

TIM B. FROM USA said:
I do not doubt that the article pretty well summerizes the Muslim view of Jesus. However, the Muslim and Christian understanding of Jesus are totally different.

Muslims need to understand that where most Christians believe in the Trinity, many like myself do not.

I have come to understand that the biggest difference in the beliefs concerning Jesus goes back to the beginning in the Book of Genesis. Jews and Christians believe that the Fall of Adam led to the fall of mankind. Man in a fallen state can not go directly before God to petition Him so a Priest must act as a mediator. This mediator is Jesus in Christianity. The promise that mankind could be restored from his fallen state was the reason that Jesus died on the cross. This is obviously a simplification for my part.

Islam teaches that Adam as well as mankind didn't fall in Eden so a priest-mediator isn't necessary. This is why the views of Jesus from Muslim and Christian views are so different. To a Christian, Jesus was far more than a prophet and a Muslim can't understand why it would be necessary for Jesus to die on a cross from a Christian point of view.

Most interesting how the same person can be viewed so differently.
2004-08-11

MIAA FROM USA said:
This is a very informative column.
May Allah bless you.
2004-08-11

ABDULLAH FROM USA said:
I appreciate you response Akbar. The verse I was
referring to is 19:33. I copied it from this site with a few
verses before and after for context:

He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah. He hath given
me revelation and made me a prophet;

31. "And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be,
and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as
I live;

32. "(He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not
overbearing or miserable;

33. "So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that
I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life
(again)"!

34. Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement
of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.

I suspect the "they" refers possibly to Christians or
maybe those earlier who ask how could Jesus talk.
Wether Jesus talked as a child or not is not my concern
but that the Quran indicates it is a statement of truth that
Jesus was born, died, and was raised again from
death. What I am curious about is the Muslim
interpretation of what Jesus means by the fact that he
lives, will die, and will be raised to life again. Christians
completely believe this to be true so I doubt the "they"
refers to us. Do Muslims believe Jesus did die and was
raised again as the Quran seems to indicate (I realize if
you do believe he died it was not on the cross as the
Christians believe). It had always been explained to
me that Muslims believe he did not die which is why he
can come again on Judgement Day. Any thoughts
would be nice. Thanks
Abdullah.
2004-08-11

UMAR FROM USA said:
To Peter,
For the episodes on Adam and Eve, I can direct you to two places in the Qur'an as a starting point: Ch 2 verses 30-
http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/QURAN/2.htm
and Ch 7 verses 10-
The Qur'an has many many verses that speak about the prophets of Christianity and Judaism, clarifies misconceptions, and says things about the prophets that were, at the time, unknown to mankind. Maryam, mother of Jesus, along with the foster mother of Moses, ("Aasiya" according to Muslim tradition), are mentioned as excellent women..
It is central to Islam to believe in ALL the prophets of God and not to place ANY distinction between them (ref: Ch 2)..
Anyway, I am glad that you have decided to read the Qur'an with an open mind, and recognize the Prophet Muhammad as a true prophet.. May Allah guide you toward the right way..
2004-08-11

NABARBA said:
Thank you for this valuable information . I think that since the whole Christian religion is based on what they now believe,(Jesus being the son of God and dying on the cross)It is hard for some people to think outside of the box . Changing your mind to another way of life & thinking ,going against the way of life that you have come to depend on ,is hard; however when I was introduced to Islam and I read the literture it made sense . There could only be one God"ALLAH" .ALLAH is so Mighty and Powerful that He does not need any partners . We could say that He needs helpers . Helpers that would spread the word about Him . I believe that Jesus (peace be upon him) came with the same message that all the others brought . That there is only one God and He alone is The Ruler and Sustainer of all the worlds and all that is therin . '
2004-08-11

AKBAR KHAN FROM CANADA said:
Assalaamu'alaiykum,

Peter just wanted to let you know that I responded to your question in the article "Human Moral Standards are Universal" about Zul-Qarn'ain, and mentioned some books you might be interested to read concerning this subject.

Muslims do believe Adam and Eve sinned which set the nature of humanity. But, we do not believe in the concept of original sin, and rather believe that every child is born pure and innocent, and only the conditions of this world leads us astray, to deviate from "the way" or "the straight path" as we discussed one time before. The following verses give the best description:
Surah Al-A'raf
10. It is We Who have placed you with authority on earth, and provided you therein with means for the fulfilment of your life: small are the thanks that ye give!
11. It is We Who created you and gave you shape; then We made the angels bow down to Adam, and they bowed down; not so Iblis; He refused to be of those who bow down.
12. ((Allah)) said: "What prevented thee from bowing down when I commanded thee?" He said: "I am better than he: Thou didst create me from fire, and him from clay."
13. ((Allah)) said: "Get thee down from this: it is not for thee to be arrogant here: get out, for thou art of the meanest (of creatures)."
14. He said: "Give me respite till the day they are raised up."
15. ((Allah)) said: "Be thou among those who have respite."
16. He said: "Because thou hast thrown me out of the way, lo! I will lie in wait for them on thy straight way:
17. "Then will I assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left: Nor wilt thou find, in most of them, gratitude (for thy mercies)."
18. ((Allah)) said: "Get out from this, disgraced and expelled. If any of them follow thee,- Hell will I fill with you all.
19. "O Adam! dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and enjoy (its good things) as ye wish: but approach not this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression."
2004-08-11

AHMED ASGHER FROM BAHRAIN said:
Brother Peter

I think, I have said this before to you. I repeat: Christians like you are brothers unto us both in faith and in humanity.

A Muslim is a person who testifies that A) There is only ONE God and B) that Mohammad is HIS last prophet. This is called the "Shahada" or testimony - Obviously there is more to this in the form of conduct, responsibility for one's actions, etc. as well as the belief in the Hereafter and Resurrection. I am sure this site has all that covered.

In essence anyone who has such beliefs is a "Submitter" to the will of God - in Arabic he is called a Muslim i.e. 'One who submits to the will of God". It is a shame that politically the word has been given fearful interpretations. But that is ok with me because that comfort is in my heart and the fear is outside of my heart. That is one reason Christ said "love thy enemy" because hatred happens in the chest of the beholder. Hatred is a toxic feeling. Whoever holds it in his/her heart eventually will become sick. i.e. it will show up in the body as a disease. Dis-Ease.

However, as for Adam and Eve, the first Chapter in the Quran covers that beautifully - read Surat Al-Baqarah (verses 30-39)and see the beauty of God's words - pitty the English translation does not do justice to the rythmic Arabic words of the Quran besides Arabic is such a rich language even for those who understands it well.

We do share a heritage and a common bond, in Christ, The Spirit of Allah and the Blessed Messiah, peace be upon him.
2004-08-11

HUDD FROM CANADA said:
Dear br Peter, your question, "do Muslims not believe in the Fall of Adam and Eve, or the concept of Original Sin? Or both? Could someone let me know, please?" .... I happen to know exactly where you're coming from(with the question), I experienced first hand forced Christian education from the age of 11 to 16 in a state orphanage run by Methodists in South Africa when I was left without any living relative after the death of my grandparents.
Muslims believe differently in the creation of mankind. The Quran says about Adam and Eve or Man and Woman:"Male and female has He(God) created them, equal members of one another." Thus, my friend, the biblical concept that Adam was bored and God created a living toy for him from one of his own ribs, falls as purposeless. The mentioned tree was not the Tree of Knowledge, isn't knowledge the greatest gift God bestows on His creation? Wasn't the pursuit of knowledged encouraged in either the Quran and the Hadiths? To mention some, "Seek knowledge from cradle to the grave" and "For the sake of knowledge, go beyond the China Wall." There was a tree, all right, but that tree was the tree of sin which god forbade Adam and Eve to go close to. By the way, are we not all of us today men(Adam) and women(Eve) forbidden to approach the tree of sin? The hudud Allah(the bounderies of God) do not change with times, but our perception of the world through the knowledge God dispenses to us as He pleases. The fall of Adam and Eve? Rather the fall of Iblis(The Devil) who was a proud jin that did not bow to the will of God when he was asked to submit to mankind. Thus Iblis swore that he ill turn mankind away from the true worship of God. And God allowed him a respite after which he will be judged. And God said,"Trully Iblis will turn away the sons of Adam as many as I allow." Of course, they were both deceived by Iblis.
2004-08-10

PETER FROM USA said:
An excellent article. I also appreciate everyone's elaborations, which were very informative. I must say that, while I knew the Muslims held Jesus in high regard as a prophet, I did not know the extent to which this regard went. While I am a Christian, I can certainly understand objections to Christ's deification and to the Trinity. For my own part, Jesus' divinity was the most difficult part of my religion to accept. What is more, I think that iti is a shame the Muslims are so tolerant of Christianity and the Christians can hardly be said to do the same. This must change. I am willing to accept Muhammed as a prophet; and I think that the more we educate the West about what Islam really is, the more accepting they will be as well.
I must say that the wisdom of the Quran and Islam is quite profound, and I plan to get a copy a soon as possible (I've even gotten my father interested in it).
By the way, do Muslims not believe in the Fall of Adam and Eve, or the concept of Original Sin? Or both? Could someone let me know, please?
2004-08-10

Y. Z. HAMADA FROM USA said:
Great article. The brothers and sisters added great comments. I may add that no where in any bible in the world in any version of the 101 versions of the bible in any language, that Jesus (PBUH) said (I am God) or (Worshipe Me). I have been asking people for the last ten years if they can get me such saying from the lips of Jesus (PBUH). Please read The Quran and may God bless all readers.
2004-08-10

UMAR FROM USA said:
salaam alaikum..
for Kolby.. In the Qur'an, Allah (God) has stated in one of the early revelations that "He begets not, nor is He begotten" (112:3), and He has called Jesus in many places by the name Eisa ibnu Maryam (Eisa son of Maryam), in Surah Saff (v6), for example (do check these).. If you believe in the prophet Muhammad, and you believe in Jesus as being a prophet only, with powers of healing etc. that were due only to God's mercy on him (and that are described in the Qur'an as well), then you and us Muslims have no difference in basic faith.
The concept of Jesus being the son of God is not even founded in your religion, but established as a belief long after Jesus's death (there are nice Islamic debates about this if you do a little search).. Look at the Lord's prayer in the NT from Matthew is it, "Our Father, who art in Heaven.." Why not "My Father..?" I think the conclusion is pretty obvious..
If you attribute Jesus' divinity to the fact that he was born without a father, then Adam should be even more divine having been born without a mother as well!
Islam invites wisdom and contemplation.. There is a great amount of logic and reason behind what allah says.. Well Allah has revealed the following for you..
"[4.171] O followers of the Book! do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies) against Allah, but (speak) the truth; the Messiah, Isa son of Marium is only an apostle of Allah and His Word which He communicated to Marium and a spirit from Him; believe therefore in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three. Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only one God; far be It from His glory that He should have a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for a Protector."
Also see [10.68]..
And God always says the truth..
2004-08-10

ADAM IBRAHIM MUHAMMAD FROM NIGERIA. said:
But for the last paragrah, 'm for it all. Not all doctrines, but for doctrines that differ with that of Tawheed(true Aqeedah, the uniqueness and oneness of ALLAH) we have to explain to the People of the book.

Allah Has certainly spoken the truth when He said and I try to give the meaning of the translation;

"Those who believe(in the Quran) and those who follow the Jewish(scripture) and the Christians and the Sabians, any amognst them who believe in Allah and the last day and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord(Allah); on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve". Quran 2:62

I hope and pray that Michael Wolfe is one of those. As for Abdullah I hope Hudd and Akbar had satisfy you thirst. I may add a suggestion however that you read the Quran as someone truely seeking for the truth and nothing else.
2004-08-10

SAFIULLA FROM INDIA said:
Kilby,
believing in Jesus as the son of God and God also? If you read the article carefully, it will help you understand what Jesus was better and clarify your doubt. God is omnipotent, all knowing and the most supreme. He needs no son, father or mother. Everything comes from him and goes back to him. In simple words HE is the ONE and ONLY - the Merciful. We muslims believe Jesus was human but a choosen one by the Creator to deliver an astray mankind. He is not more than a Prophet/a Messanger. He is a pure soul and amoung the ones close to Allah. We can not bring together or unite "ANYONE - whoever it is" with Allah/God. Its very simple if you want to understand, the truth is there you just have to ponder over it, use your reasoning and analysis. May Allah give you the right knowledge, belief and help you understand the truth.
2004-08-10

GETU HAMMID FROM USA said:
I think you distorted a hisorical fact.The negus was ruling in axum,ethiopia (abyssinia) way far from Eritrea. I also want to mention the migration to ethiopia is referred by some scholars as a "first Hijra".

aselam alikum


2004-08-10

BROTHER ISLAM FROM EAST OAKLAND GHETTO (U.S.OF A.) said:
European Slave trade stripped Africans of Islam
and replaced it with the "3 gods in 1" farce making "Jesus" apart of the "trinity".

Before REVERTING BACK TO AL-ISLAM I too was a
"christian" believing that "Jesus" was a "god"
and eating pork and drinking filthy rot-gut booze
that is daily consumed in "western christianity" also allowing sodomistic and gomorism activities practiced daily by millions of "christians" was
all good.

When the introduction of the "trinity" attached itself to the once monotheistic teachings of
Issa ibn Maryum(Jesus son of Mary)through pagan
greco/roman hands many people who remained loyal to the original monotheistic teachings of "Jesus"
were hunted down and killed or forced to accept the "trinity" which led to the many different sects of "christianity" up until this very day!!!

ALLAH has given the Blackman in amerikkka another blessed chance to practice Al-islam once again
we better be eternally thankful for proper guidance and reclaim that which was taken from us!!!

"Jesus" was a MAN inspired by ALLAH who was given
power by the will of ALLAH,nothing more nothing less.

2004-08-10

AKBAR KHAN FROM CANADA said:
Salaam,
Abdullah, what you hear, is very different from what is TRUE. Let me share the what the Qur'an says for you. Your quotation of some unknown verse from the Qur'an shows that you need to read the ayats yourself. Insha'Allah I will help you out with your dilemma.

The Qur'an states, without fail:
3:45 Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah.
3:46 "He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the company) of the righteous."

4:157 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:-
4:158 Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise;-
4:159 And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them;-


As you can clearly see Abdullah, Jesus Christ (Alaiyis-Salaam), son of Mary, who is the Messenger and Prophet of Allah, for Muslims, never died, nor crucified; he was raised to Heaven to be with God, until the the end times, close before the coming of the day of Resurrection. Therefore those people you supposedly told you that Islam embraces the death of Jesus, holds no weight, in light of the words of Allah in the Qur'an. Jesus was never crucified nor killed - but remember, Allah even says that Jesus will be a witness against those who follow him on the day... as Muhammad (saaw) will also be a witness against mankind on the day of Judgement. Read the Qur'an, the verses close to these ones I have provided too. Wassalaam.
2004-08-10

HUDD FROM CANADA said:
Definitely Abdullah, Jesus,pbuh, fulfills a messianic purpose with God. He was taken to God, what that means is concealed from us, but Islamic tradition says that the Anti-Christ, the Dajjal will try to deceit and rule the world. He will start from somewhere in Iraq, remember the river Tigris is in fact in Semitic Dijlah that has the same root meaning with Dajjal. This Anti-Christ will be pursuited by Jesus,pbuh, at that time in future and Jesus,pbuh, will terminate Dajjal at the gate of Hudd in Jerusalem, somewhere near Lydd or present Lud by Tel Aviv. Now this gate is not an actual gate, but a symbolic gate, Hudd meaning prevention or arrest or limit. The Jews expected a Messiah as a military man. God in His wisdom did not sent Jesus,pbuh, in that status at that time because He wanted mankind to learn about love and especially mercy and sacrifice. However God preserves Jesus,pbuh, for the latter days when He will descent him unto the world as the expected warrior with a defined task, to do away with hypocracy(Dajjal). At that point in time the Jews will recognize him as the messiah, because of his combatant spirit. Then he will live to die like any human and he will wait for his resurrection like any of the dead. That's right, he has a special meanining and a special purpose, still, he is not God, period, he is a man, special or super, still he is human. I hope I answered your question.
Salam!
2004-08-09

SHAWN FROM USA said:
Masha'Allah, an excellent article. JazakAllahu khayran, ma'salam.
2004-08-09

ABDULLAH FROM USA said:
The concept of the trinity was not a late edition as often said by Muslims. This concept was firmly rooted by the end of the first century, not two to four centuries after Christ's death as mentioned in the article. All of Paul's writings can be unquestionably dated to the end of the first Century. While this will likely not change anyones' view I do think accuracy is important.

Also, a question that intriques me concerning the Muslim belief in Jesus is a quote in the Quran where the baby Jesus is said to have said he was born, will live, and then die (something to this effect, but certainly that he will die). I have been told by some Muslim friends that it is their tradition that Jesus never died but rose to heaven and will come again. I was wondering if you believe there is an alternate interpretation to this passage in the Quran?
2004-08-09

HUDD FROM CANADA said:
Dear Kolby,I sense that you honestly would like to know whether you were a heretic or a good person. Let me state first that the two are not exclusive of one another. I give you an example from the life of prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. No one, among the non-Muslim chieftains of Mecca helped the prophet as his uncle, Abi Talib. One day the leaders of Mecca came to Abi Talib and told him, 'if your nephew does not change the tune of his preaching to match our ancient polytheist religion, we are going to see him eliminated, but if he complies, we will give him the keys of the temple Kaaba.' Abi Talib went in to the prophet to reason with him, telling him how much he loved him as nephew and although he himself did not believe in Islam he was supporting him as his nephew. When he returned to the awaiting chieftains, this is what he had to say to them from Muhammad,pbuh, "my nephew said: tell to the leaders of Mecca(the Quraish) that if they layed the sun in to my right hand and the moon in to the left, I will not give up the message God has chosen me to deliver." Now, Kolby, this shows strength of character and most of all, faith! Thus, Muhammad,pbuh, is worth his title, "Prophet or Messenger of God". My question to you is, how do you picture God to yourself? Is he a man? A cow? A bull? A goat? A fish? Does not the first commandment in the Bible say,"You shall have no any other gods before me." Which is the equivalent with the Quranic, "There are no any other deities except God". The second commandment says, "You shall not grave or carve any image of known being on earth in the air in the water and bow down and worship it" Once a Rabbi in Israel told me that this was understood physically and mentally in the same time. This again matches passages from Quran that say, "There is no resemblence to God in his creation." Anything we know and experience is not God or part of Him, but rather His work which is His creation. We humans cannot know the essence of God.
2004-08-09

LULU-UK FROM UK said:
Muslims have a great link both spiritually and hisotirically with christians that I hope we can work together on our common positive relationship.

Today everyone is awaiting for prophet Jesus to come back. For the christians Jesus(SAW) will settle any difference people have.

For a site that I got hold of the other day and made me emotional is below. It shows if we don't dig for history and we become complacent life will pass us by. I come from a part of Africa that has historical links with this little community and to see history that connects us for the last 15 century through this little community is itself a miracle. As a muslim person I find it very comforting to find a little community that existed side by side as muslims and christians for the last 15 centuries.

We should pray from our hearts to God to bring us closer to each other. It is important that we should not destroy our civilizations since our history will be wiped out through ingorance and lack of knowledge and respect for our history and religion.

The Monastery of Saint Moses the Abyssinian:
http://www.deirmarmusa.org/
http://www.geocities.com/slmuslimwomen/alkhalilcommunity-page.htm
2004-08-09

ZIA UL MUSTAFA FROM INDIA said:
Asalam o alaikum wrb.
The article is nice and it was partially of my knowledge, i am thankful to the provider but want to suggest that plz postfix 'salallahu-alahi-wasalam' or (s.a)
eg :- Mohammed 'salallahu-alahi-wasalam'
Mohammed (s.a)

thanking you,
with regards
zia
2004-08-09

OMAR ANAS FROM USA said:
Salam alay kum dudes.. Awesome article.. Excellent for dawah and youths like me..
2004-08-09

KHAN FROM USA said:
Please be polite, tolerant, patient whenever we talk about religion.
If Jesus is son of GOD,
Who are Adam & Eve?
Who are their parent/parents?

Allah showed HE can create a man/woman from a couple or single parent or without a couple(mother or father).Therefore Adam is created without father & mother, Eve is created without mother, & similarly Jesus was created without father)Also refer Chapter3-Verse59:the similitude of Jesus before ALLAH is as that of Adam; HE created him from dust,then said to him : "BE" and he was.

This is very similar to CLONING that was discovered now in this modern science.Please read the cloning details on the Internet. (Websearch-keyword > cloning)

Please read details
1)JESUS:Refer index of QURAN(-JESUS -)
2)ADAM: Refer Index of QURAN(-ADAM-)
'May ALLAH increase our knowledge'
2004-08-09

KHADIJAH AMATULLAH FROM USA said:
This is accurate in Islamic belief.I was taught that it was Paul that introduced the doctrine of the trinity though. About 100 years after the death of Isa(Jesus)(SAW) and in a different language Paul wrote to the Roman empire with what has become part of the new testament.
One more comment I would like to make is that there are many Christian churches that do not acknowledge some of the books that were taken out of Bible. The book of Barnabas is one that is a must read. It was taken out so that Islam would not have validity, but man can not stop what Allah (SWT) has put forth. We can corrupt it all we want, but the truth is there.
2004-08-09

KOLBY FROM USA said:
I am a Christian and believe that Muhammed was in fact a prophet,I believe as Jesus as God, but Muhammed as prophet does this make me a heretic, or a good person. Believing what i believe would i go to heaven in the veiw of the qur'an?
2004-08-08

NASREEN FROM ENGLAND said:
A well written article which builds bridges,
and provides a cool breeze over our hot and troubled times.




2004-08-08

PHILIP T. EARLY FROM USA said:

As salaam alaikum,

Being a so-called well educated, American Muslim convert, I can atest to the closeness of Christianity and Islam. This was especially true among true African-American Christians. I grow up in a Christian community in Keysvelle, Virginia that believed in one true God; and practiced, I repeat to my Muslim bothers and sisters, practiced botherhood in their everyday lives.

They gave "out of need" (all were what we call today poor farmers), they never eat without offered someone in need to join them, if someone fell on hard times, they would send their children with necessities before those in need would have to ask. Note: The wisdom of sending the children was not known to me until I was grown; that is, the giving and acceptance from the children was a show of respect for thier honor and pride (praise be to Allah) .

I believe if they were alive today and really understood true Islam, they would have no problem with the faith and would (return) convert.

wa laikum salaam,

Bro. P. Truman Early
2004-08-08

SR DEBBIE FROM USA said:
One has to be very careful to affirm that the hatred against Muslims is deliberate in US. It might serve a purpose for some politicians but it sure is the ignorance of the populace what fuels it.
Assalam alaikum
2004-08-08

DAVE CRAWFORD FROM USA said:
As a Christian who has/is considering converting to Islam, it was a very informative essay, which actually matchs fairly closely to my own beliefs about Jesus. It's a good article. It also points out some of the problems I have with the Trinity and Original Sin.
2004-08-08

LAURIE BURGESS FROM AUSTRALIA said:
Good research Michael however you miss your own point. Why bother writing articles about something that does not exist. If God is all and around, over, between and in everyone and evrything why bind ourselves into dogma, arrogant, male dominated authoritarian based Religions. Your time may better be employed writing about forgiveness and compassion and self realisation within ourselves and by service to all mankind. No doubt you are a good man and I do not wish to infer otherwise, good luck with your work and your life.
2004-08-07

ABDUL-RAHIM FROM USA said:
As Salaamu 'Alaykum,
Actually, I have a question for the Author, Michael Wolfe.

I was enjoying your article, then you abruptly ended it. You stated in your last paragraph:
Despite these important differences, however, the Qur'an repeatedly counsels Muslims not to dispute with other monotheists over matters of doctrine. People, it says, believe differently for good reasons. In fact, that is a part of Allah's will.

What verses of the Qur'an are you referring to that counsel Muslims not to dispute with other monotheists over matters of doctrine?
Lastly, what would be a good reason for people to believe differently? And when you said, "that is a part of Allah's will, what do you mean?

Fee amanillah
2004-08-07

AXEL MOHAMMED JOSEF CREMER FROM AUSTRALIA said:
Sometimes it is just that, only the thickness of a twig that can make all the difference.
One small sentence but yet a difference with the greatest impact is:
"ASH-HADU-AL-LA ILAHA IL-LAL-LAHU".
Kind Regards and Wassalam,
Axel MJ Cremer
2004-08-07

SOFIA SHUMS FROM USA said:
My suggestion to Muslims is to start a conversation with a Christian church minister/priest, and ask him two questions: (1) Have they ever referred to or read the Qur'an, and when was the last time they had referred to the Qur'an in an English translation?
(2) What segment/idea/statement of any of their Sunday morning sermon had been influenced by something they had read in the Qur'an?
Muslims will be surprised to learn how many Christian talk show hosts, ministers in churches, etc. have been using the Qur'anic ayat to represent Christianity to their congregations in recent times. The reason? There are many statements used by Christians that turned some away from Christianity as unbelievable, not making sense, etc. And the Qur'anic ayat are providing them with the remedy.
So, it is the Christians themselves who are now helping bridge the gap between Christianity and Islam, bringing the Christians closer to Islam. Ironic, isn't it?
2004-08-07