CHRIST AND ISLAM – Understanding the Faith of the Muslims St. Andrews Road Church of Christ Instructor: Stewart Schnur Lesson Five of Six Jesus and Islam The ultimate measure of Islam, from a Christian perspective, is to see what this religion has to say about Jesus of Nazareth.  The previous chapters on Muhammad and the Quran hinted at key issues about Jesus.  It is now time to make this an explicit focus of our study. Initial Observations Before we get into details, several preliminary points are important.  We must remind ourselves again that Islam and other religions represent different universes of understanding.  We often assume that people in other faiths look at the world the way we do.  Of course, we share some things in common.  But, the differences usually make all the difference in the world. This is especially important about Jesus.  Because Jesus is so central to Christians, we tend to think that he is a central figure in other religions as well.  That is simply not true.  We can be confused on this for several reasons.  We are told frequently that all religions are basically the same.  From this we could erroneously assume that Jesus is pre-eminent in other faiths, just as he is in Christian faith.  Further, we can be unduly influenced by the truth that people in other religions speak highly of Jesus.  Again, while Jesus is praised in almost all faiths, this does not mean that he is granted central focus and supreme worship as part of the Godhead. When one takes a class to visit leaders of other religions, it is often a real shock for students to realize that Jesus is not given significant attention in Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam.  Students are perplexed and hurt by this absence.  And, more than anything they are deeply saddened.  What becomes clear to them is that Jesus hardly appears on the radar screen of other religions. Just as Muhammad gets virtually no time in the reflections of North American Christians, most Muslims give little attention to the claims of Jesus Christ.  Most Jews spend little time pondering the Gospels just as Christians devote few moments to contemplate Talmudic law of the Jews.  Most Buddhists, especially those in the Far East, think seldom about Jesus or even the existence of God.  Orthodox Buddhism teaches that there is no God. Christians must also face the fact that even when other religions express a positive outlook about Jesus, the understanding of Jesus is often different than the one offered in the New Testament.  Even in the world of the occult and the so called New Age movement you will find those who believe something about Jesus.   What this reflects is something negative and positive.   Sadly, Jesus is often betrayed with a kiss, sometimes consciously (as in the case of Judas) but usually unintentionally (as in the case of many religious people today).  I don’t believe they understand that the full teachings of Jesus are inconsistent with the teaching of those who do not follow the Jesus of the New Testament.  On the positive side, the affirmation of Jesus can lead to an opportunity for us to share our faith.  The professed admiration for Jesus can be used as a launching pad for inviting deeper consideration of the claims of Jesus. Here is an example of making an opportunity to study and teach more about Jesus.  A Muslim man was cleaning the carpets in the home of a Christian one day.  It was time for him to pray and he was outside in our driveway figuring out which way to face Mecca.  I asked him if he wanted to pray inside for privacy.   He declined but my openness to him led to a deeper conversation.  When I mentioned the name of Jesus, he spoke with respect.  This was a chance to share my understanding of the Gospel.  Even though it was difficult to get beyond the barriers between our faiths, the name of Jesus was raised in common if not equal interest.  That is called “seed sowing.”  We need to look for and make opportunities to share our Jesus with all that we can as without Jesus there is no hope for the forgiveness of our sins or heaven. Jesus In The Quran When a Christian first hears from liberal Christian scholars that the Quran can be a further word of God to the church, this would lead almost any believer to expect that Jesus commands a dominant presence in the Quran, just as he does in the New Testament.  Sadly, this is far from the case, and it is one signal that the liberal Christian assessment of the Quran is far too optimistic and is therefore to be questioned. If you were to check out several indexes of the Quran and several Muslim web sites you would quickly conclude from the evidence of what is said about Jesus that he is given a muted and distorted presence in the Quran. There are over 6,000 verses in the Quran.  Consider a word search in one of the famous translations of the Quran.  Jesus is named in just 28 of the verses in the entire Islamic Scripture.  In stark contrast, the name of Jesus is on virtually every page of the New Testament.  This is a strong signal that something is tragically amiss, and that there can be no harmony, in an ultimate sense, between the Gospel presentation of Jesus and the perspective given in the Quran. When these 28 verses are examined, the situation becomes even more bleak.  If this body of material reflected a view of Jesus consistent with the New Testament, then the scarcity of references would be understandable.  However, what emerges from reading the Quranic material is the fact that Muhammad was never really introduced to the biblical portrait of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Muhammad’s self-assumed prophetic mantle and the weight of alleged Quranic revelation has led millions of Muslims into an impoverished vision of Jesus. Of course, this needs some examination.  Since this material on Jesus is absolutely crucial to understand the Islamic faith, all 28 of the verses are given in a separate hand-out.  This is a way for you to see for yourself the Quranic teaching.  Here we can ask about the overall meaning of these passages. What is most striking about these twenty-eight verses is what little they offer about the ministry and identity of Jesus.  Only six passages give substantial data!  If Muslims look only to the Quran for a picture of Jesus, there is little hope that they will learn the truth about the Savior.  Overall, there are ten significant teachings about Jesus in the whole material. 1. Allah has sent Jesus as an Apostle and Prophet AND GIVEN HIM STRENGTH THROUGH THE Holy Spirit.   Jesus is the Word from God and is to be honored as a righteous man and as the bearer of a covenant with God.  See Surahs (chapters) 2:87; 2:253; 3:45; 19:34 and 33:7.  Surah 3:45 reads: "Behold! The angels said: 'O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to God.'"   2. Jesus received and taught the same message that was given to Muhammad. This message was given earlier to Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, and other prophets.  This is taught in Surahs 2:136; 3:3; 3:84; 4:163 and 42:13.  Surah 3:84 reads: "Say: We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma'il [Ishmael], Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to God do we bow our will (in Islam).'" 3. The disciples of Jesus were called Muslims in New Testament times.  Surah 3:52 states: "When Jesus found Unbelief on their part He said: 'Who will be My helpers to (the work of) God?'  Said the disciples: 'We are God's helpers: We believe in God, and do thou bear witness that we are Muslims.'"  This belief solidifies the Islamic view that theirs is the true religion.  "After all," the Muslim can say, "the followers of the gospel were Muslims just like us! 4. Jesus is a model of virtue and wisdom.  This is taught in Surahs 43:57 and 43:63.  The latter states: "When Jesus came with Clear Signs, he said: 'Now have I come to you with Wisdom, and in order to make clear to you some of the (points) on which ye dispute: therefore fear God and obey me.'" 5. Jesus did NOT die on the cross at Calvary.  This most famous of Islamic teachings is mentioned in just one verse of the Quran, but this sole passage is backed up by the weight of Islamic tradition.  Surah 4: 157 settles the matter for the Muslim world.  After talking about those who boasted: "We killed Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, the Apostle of God," it says "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." Muslims (and most Jews) believe that God would never let Jesus die the death of a common criminal.   This view is based on the argument that a true prophet's work is marked by ultimate success, as in the case of Muhammad.  So Islamic tradition teaches that God allowed someone else to die in place of Jesus.  This is often held to be Judas or Simon (who carried the cross).  There are a few Muslim scholars who affirm that Jesus died on the cross because of the weight of historical testimony to that fact.   However, even they do not believe that Jesus died for the sins of the world. 6. Jesus was raised to heaven with Allah to vindicate the message of Jesus against his enemies.  This is stated in Surah 3:55 "Behold! God said: "O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection: Then shall ye all return unto me, and I will judge between you off the matters wherein ye dispute.'"  This is NOT a reference to the resurrection of Jesus.  Muslims deny that Christian doctrine of the resurrection.  This verse is, rather, the basis for Islamic belief that Jesus was preserved from death and taken directly to heaven like Enoch, or Elijah.   7. According to the Quran, Jesus is not the Son of God and the concept of ONE God being three in one (Trinity) doctrine is untrue.  Surah 4:171 is explicit on this: "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) an apostle of God, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in God and His apostles.  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." The Islamic denial of the deity of Christ and the Trinity is also taught in Surah 5:116 a passage which also illustrates Muslim misunderstanding of what Christians believe by the Trinity.  The verse reads: "And behold! God will say: 'O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God?'  He will say: 'Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say).'" 8. The Quran teaches that Jesus performed many miracles.  The most explicit statement about the miraculous work of Jesus is given in Surah 5:110 "Then will God say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favor to thee and to they mother....  Behold! Thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathest into it and it becometh a bird by My leave, and thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave.  And behold! thou bringest forth the dead by My leave.  And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) thee when thou didst show them the clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: "This is nothing but evident magic."'" 9. The Quran affirms the Virgin Birth of Jesus.  This is clear from the dialogue between Mary and an angel recorded in Surah 19:20-21, a conversation that parallels the Gospel accounts.  Problems arise from the fact that the Quran records that the birth of Jesus took place under a palm tree (Surah 19:23-25).  As well, when Mary brought the infant to their relatives, they said: "How can we talk to one who is in the cradle?"   The reply came from Jesus himself: "Lo! I am the slave of Allah.  He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a prophet" (Surah 19:29, 30). 10. The Quran teaches that Jesus predicted the ministry of Muhammad.  This is a famous Islamic view.   The relevant Quranic passage reads. "And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O Children of Israel! I am the apostle of God (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of an Apostle to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad'" (61:6).  Muslims contend that the Paraclete mentioned by Jesus in the Gospel of John is not the Holy Spirit; it is the prediction of the coming of Muhammad. What is one to make of this?  First, it is inconsistent for Muslims to pick out a few verses of the Bible to support their views when the whole weight of Scripture is against them.  If they trust the Bible about the coming of Muhammad, how can they avoid its undeniable message that Jesus is the Son of God, God in the flesh, and that he died on the cross?  As well, the Bible is clear that Jesus is the Savior and Lord. Second, on the specific teaching in John, the message is obvious to everyone except Muslims.  Jesus is talking about the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  The three chapters in John that focus on the Spirit (14-16) are abundantly clear.  Muslims engage in exegetical slight of hand to try to deny the obvious.  The Comforter to come is the Spirit, not Muhammad.  The passages in Acts that talk about the promise and arrival of the Spirit further confirm traditional Christian convictions. Concluding Analysis Christians MUST STRONGLY deny five of the ten key Quranic teachings on Jesus.  These are noted in bold print below.  Does this mean we agree with the other five?  Not at all.  We could affirm a “Christian” understanding of some of the remaining ideas but cannot accept them from an Islamic perspective.  On the items marked with an asterisk (*), there is a serious disagreement between the Christian and Muslim meaning of the words. For example, both religions affirm Jesus as prophet (Acts 3:22) and apostle (Heb. 3:1), but in Christianity he is greater than both realities.  Likewise, both groups teach that Jesus ascended to heaven.  In the Bible Jesus ascends to heaven after his post resurrection appearances to the disciples.  In Islam, there is no Calvary and no Resurrection.  Jesus ascends to heaven sometime after he avoided the crucifixion.   Jesus will go to heaven something as did Enoch or Elijah. 1. * Allah has sent Jesus as an Apostle and Prophet. 2. Jesus received and taught the same message that was given to Muhammad. 3. The disciples of Jesus were called Muslims in New Testament times. 4. Jesus is a model of virtue and wisdom. 5. Jesus did not die on the cross at Calvary. 6. * Jesus was raised to heaven with Allah to vindicate the message of Jesus. 7. Jesus is not the Son of God and the concept of the “Godhead” (Trinity) doctrine is    untrue. 8. Jesus performed many miracles. 9. The Quran affirms the Virgin Birth of Jesus. 10. Jesus predicted the ministry of Muhammad. Our discussion shows that the Quran teaching on Jesus is very inadequate.  It offers a much distorted picture of the Savior in what it affirms.  Further, the Quran’s utter failure about Jesus is shown by what it neglects.  There is virtually no teaching from Jesus in the Quran.  THE GOSPELS ARE FOREIGN DOCUMENTS TO THE MUSLIM WORLD.  Likewise, the Quran knows nothing of the teaching of the rest of the New Testament, including the absolutely crucial data from the apostle Paul.  Muslims like many so called Christian liberals have serious problems with Paul. Since Muslims believe the Bible has been corrupted by Jews and Christians, they do not turn to it as a source of authority.  Consequently, the Gospel accounts are not checked in order to verify the accuracy of the Quran about Jesus.  In the end, a presupposition rules the day.  The Quran is the proper guide to Jesus and everything else, according to Islam.  Therefore, the evidence of the New Testament does not matter.  This leads to Muslim ignorance and denial of the true identity and work of Jesus Christ.  Nothing could represent a greater loss for a world religion that claims one in six of every people on our planet. ________________________________________________________________________