What Did Muhammad Say About Jesus?

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#Muhammad
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Surprising to some persons Muhammad taught things which both Muslims and Christians agree. Unlike secular society, both Muslims and Christians believe in God, heaven, hell, angels, prayer and absolute truth. Muhammad taught that Jesus was a great prophet of God, the Messiah, the Word of God, performed miracles, and even was virgin born but like Adam.

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So far tyrants don’t rule Western governments forcing persons to hold a particular religion, both committed Muslims and committed Christians protest Western culture’s appalling moral decay. Fragmented homes, drunkenness, disrespect shown old people, gambling, pornography, immodesty of dress, sexual promiscuity, homosexuality and same sex marriage evidence such decay. Ideally, in Western governments, a separate but cooperative relationship exists between church and state for mutual benefit.

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Please understand that I believe all human beings have the right to think and seek the truth. I affirm the human right to disagree and be unharmed. I have no ill will against Islam, Muslims, Muhammad or the Qur'an. I don’t believe all Muslims are terrorists but that most are descent, respectful, law-abiding citizens who only want to make a living, raise their families and enjoy the freedoms Western nations allow. And I believe Christians should show Muslims the same respect they would want Muslims to show them. But I find some teachings of the Qur'an, Islam’s holy book, difficult to believe as follows.

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Muhammad believed the angel Gabriel told him to recite the Qur'an while alone in a cave. He first thought Gabriel was a demon, but a favorite wife convinced him he was truly God’s chosen prophet. Muhammad then preached he was seal or final authoritative prophet of the one true God--Allah.

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The first five books of the Bible were complete for eighteen centuries before Muhammad and known today to be very accurate. They differ from what Muhammad said in the Qur'an. He said Noah’s Ark rested on Mt. Judi, not Mt. Ararat (Surah 11:44). Abraham’s father was Azar, not Terra (Surah 6:74). Not Pharaoh’s daughter, but his wife adopted Moses (Surah 28:8-9). Abraham attempted to sacrifice Ishmael, not Isaac (Surah 37:100-112). Abraham was not a Jew, but a Muslim because Allah, not Yahweh, is the only true God. Dozens more deviations exist from the Jewish Torah or Christian Pentateuch. I’m using Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s English translation whose notes tries but fails to explain away these difficulties.

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Jewish scribes, however, meticulously preserved and transmitted Israel’s history, the Torah, going back to Moses’ time around 1400 B.C. The Dead Sea scrolls discovered in 1948 dated back to the  time before Christ verify biblical accuracy. Scribes had carefully counted the letters in a line, the number of lines, and discarded any scroll found with a mistake. Muhammad at first favored Jews and Christians as people of the Book. But when he didn’t correctly explain the Torah, Jews rejected him as a false prophet. Muhammad claimed the Jews were wrong and he corrected their biblical mistakes. He then had his followers bow toward Mecca rather than Jerusalem. But surely Jews knew their own teaching and could easily recognize whether Muhammad was correct, confused or misinformed. Some persons Muhammad recited the Qur'an to, died before it was compiled  twenty years after his death. Moreover, some Qur'an teachings are abrogated by other later teachings.
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Crucial conflicts between the Qur'an and the Christian New Testament also abound. Christians believe the Creator of the universe is bigger than limited human minds can conceive and who revealed Himself as ONE GOD in three persons--the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But Muhammad said three gods is unforgivable blasphemy (shirk) because Allah has no companions (Sura 4:171; 5:72). Further, it seems Muhammad believed the Trinity was the Father, Mary and Jesus (Sura 5:73, 116).  Moreover, Allah doesn't fellowship with or love sinners. Allah commands you obey his rules and he might decide you can go to paradise.  Men in paradise have abundant sexual partners.         

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Astonishingly, as a baby in his cradle, Jesus said he was the servant of Allah, and not God himself or his son (Surah 19:29-30). Jesus was born under a palm tree, not in a cave (Surah 19:22-23). It was only as Allah’s servant that Jesus performed miraculous healing, raising the dead, and unknown to scripture formed clay into a bird (Surah 3:49; 5:110). The Qur'an claims Jesus, son of Mary, promised to send Muhammad to his disciples (Surah 61:6). But how can this be since not Muhammad but the Holy Spirit came to Jesus disciples. The Christian foundation is the death and resurrection of Jesus, but the Qur'an denies Jesus’ crucifixion and that Allah took Jesus directly into heaven (Surah 4:157-8; 3:55).  See book list below & my other articles: They have come for us, Claiming America for Islam. 

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Honest, logically thinking people realize such conflicting views can’t both be correct. Further, the Mormon, Joseph Smith Jr., around 1800 A.D. claimed an angel likewise revealed the golden plates to him making him God’s final prophet. Which man are we to believe? Moreover, since no one else saw either angel, how do we know but that both men were somehow mistaken?

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It’s impossible to see how Christians could be mistaken about the Trinity with Bible manuscripts written just decades after Christ. All three names are mentioned together and called God. And many times each name is separately called God. Centuries before Muhammad, the church fathers who followed the apostles, Polycarp, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian and others discussed the Trinity in their writings. The Apostles Creed, the Council of Constantinople and then the Council of Chalcedon all before Muhammad arrived on the scene confirmed the Trinity teaching.

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Further, abundant evidence exists for Jesus’ death and resurrection. Old Testament prophets predicted the Messiah’s death for sinners and resurrection, which only Jesus could have fulfilled. Jesus himself predicted these events several times. There was no time either Judas or Simon of Siren substituted for Jesus as Muslim traditions suppose. People who knew Jesus watched him die on the cross, including his disciple John and his mother. They never could have been deceived about his identity and death. Moreover, the guards securing his burial, the tomb found empty, the separate grave clothes, the angel's announcement that he is risen, his many appearances, the transformed disciples, the established church, martyrs dying for the truth, the changed calendar, the fact that no theory has disproved His resurrection--all seem to establish Jesus arose and is the Son of God as he claimed.

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In conclusion, Muhammad acknowledged Jesus a prophet who performed miracles while he did not when asked several times. Miracles would conclusively have established Muhammad as a true prophet of God. But abundant early historical, visible, supernatural eyewitness evidence establish Jesus to be God—his claims to be God, prophecies, miracles and resurrection. With Muhammad, however, all we have is his empty claim that an angel spoke to him which he even doubted as first and which anybody can make as Joseph Smith Jr. coming after him in fact did. Considering the abundant evidence, who must be deceived?
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Peter says of Jesus, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" Acts 4:12. That means Jesus is our only way to God and Heaven. We are needy sinners before a perfect God and unfit for a perfect Heaven. Won't you trust Jesus the living Savior for forgiveness and eternal life. There is no greater love or greater hope given to everyone who trusts in Him. Jesus came to give us life eternal (John 3:36; 10:10).
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Now God can use you to share this message of eternal life with Muslim friends and others. Just link this blog with yours and tell others about it. God bless  you in telling others of the living Lord and Savior of all willing to enter a love-trust relationship with Him. Jesus said to put away the sword of endless hatred, death, and despair and accept Him who offers us love, forgiveness and life eternal. God bless your ministry of faith, hope, and love.

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