A closer look at Jesus, the Bible, and Christianity!

Audhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajeem – I seek refuge in God from Satan which is accursed
Bismillah-ir Rahman-ir Raheem – In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

“Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and reason with them in the better way. Lo! Thy Lord is Best Aware of him who strayeth from His way, and He is Best Aware of those who go aright.”
Quran 16:125

Before reading I highly suggest all bias concepts to be disregarded, since this topic is arguably vital to are well-being in this life and the next. The belief’s we decide to follow in this world as well as the actions that we choose to take part of will determine our experiences and our salvation.

Introduction to Islam: When the word ‘Islam’ is heard, many things may come to the mind of a non-Muslim; Things such as: the oppression of women, terrorism, barbarism, and the list goes on. Ironically enough, Islam came down as an organized religion to empower women, extinguish racism, and to unite people of all social classes. A great example is how Muslim women in the early 600’s were given the rights to own property and inherit opposed to the women of the United States who were given these rights in the late 1800’s. Islam is known to be the final Abrahamic religion revealed, and its scriptures are also known as the ‘the last testament’. Islam is a religion sent to humankind of all colour and social status.

‘Islam’ means submission to the Creator and one who submits to the Creator is theoretically a Muslim; hence, this is why Muslim’s consider all biblical/quranic figures of God from Adam, Eve, Enoch, Jonah, Elijah, David, Saul, Solomon, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Sarah, Job, Zechariah, Moses, Aaron, John, Mary, Jesus, etc. Surprising many, yes Muslim’s do believe in all of the Prophet’s and messengers and the scriptures brought such as the scrolls of Abraham, the Torah of Moses, and the gospel of Jesus prior to the Quran and Muhammad. In this regard there is a term used in the Quran when addressing Jews and Christians and that is ‘Ahl al-kitab’ which translates to ‘People of the book’ since we all worship the same God. Now one may ask what makes the religion Islam different from Judaism & Christianity, Muslim’s believe that the previous scriptures were distorted over time, now ponder on how many copies and versions there are of the Torah and the Bible. If either was the last manual of guidance to humankind wouldn’t they be preserved the exact way it was revealed to keep mankind guided? God promises in his last revelation to mankind, the Quran that he will preserve the book because it was the last sent, God says in the Quran that

“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).”
Quran 15:9.

That is one reason why Muslim’s resort to learning the language the Quran was revealed in, Arabic, this allows a Muslim to join communal prayer in any part of the world. This increases brother and sisterhood and changes the views on race differences.

Muslim’s use the Arabic term ‘Allah’ when mentioning God’s name, Allah means ‘The God, the Creator, and the Lord’. That is why it is more befitting for Muslim’s to call God by Allah and not simply by God, God can be manipulated to God’s and or Goddesses. Furthermore, the Quran was revealed to bring back humankind to the first and true religion shown to mankind which was the religion of submission the God. Submission to God is obeying Him, praising Him, seeking his help, and also worshipping him with no partners. “You shall have none other gods before me.” KJV Deuteronomy 5:7, God in the Bible tells his sincere followers to not partner him with anything, which is essential to Muslims. The religion of Islam teaches to seek a middle means, the way in between both extremes on the spectrum for example, in Judaism Jesus isn’t even a truthful figure, he is considered a false prophet; in Christianity the love for Jesus is taking so high to the point where he is worshipped as a physical manifestation of God. God-willing, I will touch on this point in the further readings. Muslim’s believe Jesus was the awaited messiah sent to the lost children of Israel to call them to the way of God, but we do not believe he was the begotten son of God or God himself because Jesus has many attributes as well as the attributes of God that would contradict. Again God-willing, I will touch on this point as well. Islam teaches that every messenger sent by God was sent to a specific nation for a specific time and that Muhammad was the last messenger sent to humankind. If this is the case it’d only be ideally admirable in the perspective of God that mankind follows the religion of Islam since it was the last testament sent. With this said, questions may be risen, questions like “wouldn’t the Bible speak of Muhammad as the last prophet?” Out of the abundance of mercy from our Creator many prophecies and refutes are still contained in the bible throughout the many centuries it has been tampered with. The following text will quote from the King James Version of the bible verses which may contradict the popular Christian doctrine. The objective isn’t to bash the religion of Christianity, but to enlighten the truth to those who desire God and good in the here-after.

Reasons why Jesus cannot be God:

Firstly, Jesus ate, slept, and most importantly prayed which shows that he was a dependent creation. Prayer is a connection from the worshipers to the worshiped which includes praise, thanks, and requests. If Jesus Christ was the Almighty God, why would he request divine assistance? This concept contradicts one of God’s attributes in being independent and in no need of anything.

Jesus was tempted by Satan, the Bible states “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” KJV Matthew 4:1. This contradicts another verse which says “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” KJV James 1:13.

God is all-knowing and Jesus wasn’t. The Bible says “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” KJV Hebrews 4:13. When Jesus was asked on the day of Judgement he replied and said “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

The distinctive differences in the Bible between Jesus and God:

“For my father is greater than I.”
KJV John 14:28

“My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”
KJV John 10:29

“But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”
KJV Matthew 12:28

“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”
KJV John 5:30

These very few references, God-willing explained how it is impossible for Jesus Christ to be God and will also allow you, the reader to reflect and ponder. The Quran states that Jesus Christ wasn’t the begotten son of God nor God not to belittle the status of Jesus, but to exalt and uphold the status that God is supposed to be. A Muslim cannot be a Muslim unless he believes in the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus Christ, his miracles, and his gospel; of course all by the will of the Lord and not by simply the will of Jesus. The Quran says “O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of God aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of God, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in God and His messengers. Say not “Trinity”: desist: it will be better for you: for God is one God: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is God as a Disposer of affairs.” This is similar to when Jesus says “The Lord Our God is One”

Muslims believe that Jesus was sent only to the children of Israel, where’s the proof one may ask? “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” KJV Matthew 10:5-6. Further ahead in the same chapter “But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” KJV Matthew 15:23-24.These references within the Bible sit in contrast with the beliefs of Muslims. Another verse that sits in contrast with the Islamic doctrine is when Jesus says “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” In other word’s Jesus followed the previous law which came before him. More in-depth, the Quran states something similar “Jesus, the son of Mary, said: “O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of God (sent) to you confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of a Messenger to come after me” Quran 61:6.

Prophecies of Prophet Muhammad in the Bible:

KJV Deuteronomy 18:18: “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” This is in the context of God speaking to Moses about a later prophet to come. Many Christians claim that this prophecy is prophesying Jesus Christ, but Jesus Christ’s only similarities with Moses is that they were both Jewish and Prophet’s. Now if you were to look at the similarities between Moses and Muhammad, the list is quite large.

Moses & Muhammad’s similarities:
Both had a natural birth with both parents.
Both married and had children.

Both were accepted as Prophet’s by their people at a large, Jesus was not. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” KJV John 1:11 (Even till this day, Jews disbelief in Jesus as the messiah)
Both brought new Laws.

Both King’s in the concept that they had power over life and death over their people.
Both migrated following conspiracies to assassinate them.