What Do Muslims
Believe?
The Quran (also
Koran) is the primary body of scripture for Muslims. Christians seeking
to minister the Gospel to Muslims must realize that the Quran teaches
many things radically opposed to fundamental Christian doctrine. Compare
the following verses from the Quran with what the Holy Bible says.
God's relationship
with Jesus Christ:
Quran: "God
(Allah) 'And exalted be the Majesty of our Lord, He has taken neither
a wife, nor a son (or offspring or children)."Q72:3
Holy Bible:
"And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"Mt. 3:17
The Deity of
Jesus Christ:
Quran:"Verily,
the likeness of 'Iesa (Jesus) before Allâh is the likeness of
Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: "Be!"
- and he was." Q3:59
Holy Bible:
"The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man (Jesus)
is the Lord from heaven". 1 Cor. 15:47
Quran:"['Iesa
(Jesus)], son of Maryam (Mary), was no more than a Messenger; many were
the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother [Maryam (Mary)]
was a Siddiqah [i.e. she believed in the words of Allâh and His
Books (see Verse 66:12)]. They both used to eat food (as any other human
being, while Allâh does not eat). Look how We make the Ayât
(proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) clear
to them, yet look how they are deluded away (from the truth)".
Q4:175
Holy Bible: "For
by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities
or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him." Col.
1:13
"…Christ
came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God." Rom. 9:5
"…looking
for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior
Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from
every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous
for good works." Tit. 2:13-14
Trinity:
Quran:"O
people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits
in your religion, nor say of Allâh aught but the truth. The Messiah
'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a Messenger
of Allâh and His Word, ("Be!" - and he was) which He
bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rûh)[] created by Him;
so believe in Allâh and His Messengers. Say not: "Three (trinity)!"
Cease! (it is) better for you. For Allâh is (the only) One Ilâh
(God), Glory be to Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him
belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And
Allâh is AllSufficient as a Disposer of affairs". Q4;171
"Surely, disbelievers
are those who said: 'Allâh is the third of the three (in a Trinity).'
But there is no ilâh (god) (none who has the right to be worshipped)
but One Ilâh (God -Allâh). And if they cease not from what
they say, verily, a painful torment will befall the disbelievers among
them." Q4:174
Holy Bible:
"Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham
was, I AM.'" John 8:58
"I and My Father
are one.” John 10:30
"For there
are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word (Jesus),
and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 1 Jn. 5:7
Heaven:
Quran:"Say:
'Shall I inform you of things far better than those? For Al-Muttaqûn
(the pious - see V.2:2) there are Gardens (Paradise) with their Lord,
underneath which rivers flow. Therein (is their) eternal (home) and
Azwâjun Mutahharatun[] (purified mates or wives) [i.e. they will
have no menses, urine, or stool, etc.], And Allâh will be pleased
with them. And Allâh is All-Seer of the (His) slaves'". Q3:15
(Notice that believers are referred to as Allah's slaves.)
Holy Bible:
"For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage"
Matt. 22:24
Muslim tradition
holds that there are levels of heaven, with greater rewards in store
for those who are most worthy. Muhammad alone has a special place reserved
for him called Al-Maqam-al-Mahmûd "The highest place
in Paradise, which will be granted to Prophet Muhammad and none else".
Allah considers Muhammad to be superior to other Muslims. Even so, even
Muhammad will not be permitted to come into the actual presence of Allah.
The Bible says "For
there is no partiality with God" Rom. 2:11
"For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face"
1 Cor. 13:12
Christians have
the promise of being granted such intimacy with our Heavenly Father
that Jesus prayed we could be one, even as He and the Father are one
(Jn. 17:20-22). To Allah, humans are just a creation, almost a plaything
of sorts. To the God of the Bible, we are so beloved that we are considered
adopted children, and are invited to approach His throne and cry "Abba
Father" (Rom.8:15; Gal.4:6).
No Gift of Salvation
in Islam
Islam is very much
a works-based religion. Only by faithfully observing the laws of the
Quran can any Muslim hope to just be considered worthy of Paradise.
The true futility of this is magnified by the concept that forgiveness
of sin is simply a matter of Allah's whim, with no promise that sins
will be forgiven even in the face of true repentence.
There is a marked
difference between what the Bible says about sin and forgiveness and
what the Quran says. To the Muslim, there is no Atonement, no gift of
grace. Forgiveness is either given automatically for lesser sins (with
the assumption that the person, being a Muslim,didn't really mean to
sin) or only hoped for as a result of righteous acts. On the one hand,
sin is almost trivialized. Yet, by not providing any assurance of forgiveness
and salvation, a weight hangs around the neck of every Muslim, as they
must look to their own efforts at obedience as the only real source
of approval by Allah.
But, the Bible says
that there is no remission of sin without the shedding of blood.
(Heb. 9:22) God, in His incredible mercy and grace, provides that atoning
blood through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.
"Not with
the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the
Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption."
Hebrews 9:12
A Muslim doesn't
know whether his/her sins are forgiven until Judgment Day. While Jesus
has the power to forgive sins, in Islam, Allah alone has that right.
In fact, Muhammad, though having the highest level of heaven reserved
for him, is as helplessly dependent on the whim of Allah for forgiveness
as any other human. In fact, sin to the Muslim is only committed against
oneself, for Allah is too high above creation for sin to even offend
him. In a sense, sin is almost an afterthought, something Allah views
as a sort of ignorance or childishness among humans, rather than the
great offense to God that the Bible says it is. To a Christian, sin
is first and foremost against the Father, and separates us from Him.
It creates a gulf that only the atoning sacrifice of Jesus can bridge.
In Islam, the gulf between Allah and man is meant to remain in place
for all eternity, for Allah is too majestic to allow any mere creation
to come near.
For an excellent
comparison of the Holy Bible and the Quran, visit the Comparative
Index to Islam on the Answering Islam website.
