The Doctrine of Islam in Comparison with Christianity - Part 1
The doctrine of Mohammed developed gradually. There are various aspects of Mohammed's teaching which are taken from both Judaism and Christianity. The majority of his teachings are his own. He claimed biblical support for his authority by pointing to Deuteronomy 18:18-19. "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. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my word which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." Mohammed interpreted the passage this way:
The promised prophets will be from the brethren of the Israelites. The Israelites are related only to the Arabs: Israelites are the descendants of Isaac and the Arabs are the descendants of Ishmael, the brother of Isaac.
The prophet will be like Moses. No prophet after Moses was sent with new rules and dispensations. Jesus followed the dispensations of Moses and did not introduce new religious laws.
The prophet will not speak of his own, but the very words of God will be put in his mouth. Only the Koran are the very direct words of God, Mohammed was only God's mouthpiece. The Bible at best is a dialogue between God and man.
1. The Doctrine of God
"La ilaha illa 'l-Lah wa Muhammadan rasul al-Lah" (There is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God) is the Muslim's profession of faith. The Shahadah (open testimony) expresses their belief in a monotheistic god who has been revealed to the world through His messengers of whom Muhammad is the last. This profession of faith serves as the cornerstone of Islamic theology. From it, all of the other doctrines follow.
The Quran, like the Bible, assumes the existence of God and does not argue for it. It makes many references to nature and man's environment to support the existence of God.
It is God who hath ordained the night for your rest, and the day to give you light; verily God is rich in bounties to men:…It is God who hath given you the earth as a sure foundation, and over it built up the Heaven, and formed you, and made your forms beautiful, and feedeth you with good things. This is God your Lord" (Quran 40:63 and 65).
Muslims believe in one God who is supreme, eternal, infinite, omnipotent, merciful, compassionate, Creator, Provider, just, sovereign, and omniscient. He exists at all times and His great power is in action everywhere in the world. He had no partner or son, and neither gives birth nor is He born.
They surely are Infidels who say, "God is the third of three:"for there is no God but one God: and if they refrain not from what they say, a grievous chastisement shall light on such of them as are Infidels…The Messiah, Son of Mary, is but an Apostle; other Apostles have flourished before him; and his mother was a just person: They both ate food. (Quran 5)
Quran 112:1-5; The Unity
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
[112.1] Say: He, Allah, is One.
[112.2] Allah is He on Whom all depend.
[112.3] He begets not, nor is He begotten.
[112.4] And none is like Him.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
[57.1] Whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares the glory of Allah, and He is the
Mighty, the Wise.
[57.2] His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth; He gives life and causes death; and He
has power over all things.
[57.3] He is the First and the Last and the Ascendant (over all) and the Knower of hidden things,
and He is Cognizant of all things.
[57.4] He it is who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, and He is firm in power; He
knows that which goes deep down into the earth and that which comes forth out of it, and that
which comes down from the heaven and that which goes up into it, and He is with you wherever
you are; and Allah sees what you do.
[57.5] His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth; and to Allah are (all) affairs returned.
[57.6] He causes the night to enter in upon the day, and causes the day to enter in upon the
night, and He is Cognizant of what is in the hearts.
[59.24] He is Allah the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner; His are the most excellent names;
whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares His glory; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.
[3.29] Say: Whether you hide what is in your hearts or manifest it, Allah knows it, and He knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and Allah has power over all things.
Compare this to what the Bible says about God -
Genesis 1:1-3In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. . .
Isaiah 46:9 I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Exodus 34:6-7 He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."
What similarities are there between Islam's and Christianity's view of "God"?
Whereas every section calls Allah "Beneficent and merciful," how does the Quran usually picture God?
What differences are there?
Why is this a big difference?
1 John 2: Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
Psalm 49: No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him-- 8 the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough-- 9 that he should live on forever and not see decay.
Geiger: Most do not think of God as a God of love. 'His power and sovereign transcendence over all creation are so emphasized in Islam that they don't think of calling him a God of love. The holiness and righteousness of God are not emphasized as the basis of all his acts as they are in the Old Testament. God is just and therefore does not impose on any soul to do what is beyond its ability. He does not hold a person responsible for the sins of his father or fore-father because that is not under his control. Allah is known as the "Lord of the Worlds" or "Ruler of the Universe" and as the "Lord of the Day of Judgment." The power and immutability of Allah make him the author of all things, whether they seem to us good or bad and this doctrine is often expressed in the Koran. There is a list of 99 beautiful names for Allah that are known to the Moslems. It is said that the camel knows the 100th name and this is what gives him so much dignity. The common Islam rosary has 99 beads or 3 sets of 33, each one representing one of the beautiful names Allah.
Wendland: The only way a creature can relate to such a majestic Being is by submission as a slave to a master. Thus it is no accident that the religion of Muhammad is called "Islam" (=submission), and that a devotee is called a "Muslim" (=a submitting one). This God works all in all. There is no resisting him. There is no changing his inalterable purpose. One can only discover what that purpose is and submit to it.
The attributes of God are seen primarily in His dealings with man, the highest of His creatures. Though God is supreme, He is also very close to the believers. He is viewed as being nearer to man than his jugular vein. He answers believers' prayers and helps them. He gives them peace and happiness, knowledge and success, life and protection. He teaches man to be good, to do the right and to keep away from the wrong. (Quran 2:186; 50:16)
The justice and mercy of God are seen clearly in the Creation. In His justice God created an orderly world with everything in its proper place and given its proper function to perform. In His mercy, God created man in the most beautiful shape and provided him with all things for man's benefit and use. The mercy and justice of God give the Muslim hope and peace for a reconciliation of the good and bad that occur during his life.
The Islamic picture of God-omnipotent, just, merciful-is closely related to the Judeo-Christian religion and was a response to the pagan beliefs of the Arabs. Where the Arabs believed in a blind, inexorable fate over which they had no control, the Quran spoke of a powerful but merciful God. The staunchly monotheistic belief of the Muslims undoubtedly was influenced by the Jews with whom Muhammad came into contact-especially in Medina. It set them apart from the polytheistic practices of the pagan Arabs of Mecca and the Trinitarian views of the Christians.
2. The Doctrine of Jesus
The birth of Jesus is recorded in the nineteenth Sura, following this account of John's birth to Zachariah.
And make mention in the Book, of Mary, when she went apart from her family, eastward, and took a veil to shroud herself from them: and we sent our spirit to her, and he took before her the form of a perfect man.
She said: "I fly for refuge from thee to the God of Mercy! If thou fearest Him, begone from me."
He said: "I am only a messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a holy son."
She said: "How shall I have a son, when man hath never touched me: and I am not unchaste."
He said: "So shall it be. Thy Lord had said: 'Easy is this with me;' and we will make him a sign to mankind and a mercy from us. For it is a thing decreed."
And she conceived him, and retired with him to a far-off place…
Then came she with the babe to her people, bearing him. They said, "O Mary! now has thou done a strange thing!
O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of wickedness, nor unchaste thy mother."
And she made a song to them, pointing towards the babe. They said, "How shall we speak with him who is in the cradle, an infant?"
It said, "Verily, I am the servant of God! He hath given me the Book, and He hath made me a prophet;
And He hath made me blessed wherever I may be, and hath enjoined me prayer and almsgiving so long as I shall live;
And to be duteous to her that bare me: and he hath not made me proud, depraved.
And the peace of God was on me the day I was born, and will be the day I shall die, and the day I shall be raised to life."
This is Jesus, the son of Mary; this is a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt.
It beseemeth not God to beget a son. Glory be to Him! When he decreeth a thing, He only saith to it, Be, and it is. (Quran 19:16-36)
What is deceiving about this text that sounds good?
But how does it conclude?
As in the teachings regarding the nature of God, the Quran calls anyone who believes in the deity of Jesus an "infidel" and condemns them to hell.
Infidels now are they who say, "God is the Messiah, Son of Mary;" for the Messiah said, "O children of Israel! worship God, my Lord and your Lord," Whosoever shall join other gods with God, God shall forbid him the Garden, and his abode shall be the Fire; and the wicked shall have no helpers. (Quran 5:77)
Why was Jesus born? Muslims believe that:
The mission which God entrusted to Jesus was not salvation through total atonement by blood sacrifice, but salvation by virtue of right guidance and self-discipline, by quickening the stagnant minds and softening the hard souls. It was to install the true religion of God and restore His revelations which had been misinterpreted and abused. In approaching those stagnant minds and hard souls, Jesus not only preached the word of God but also brought tangible Signs and performed "miracles" in support of his mission. Logical and spiritual as well as "supernatural" and extraordinary proofs were provided by God at the hands of Jesus to show those hard-hearted people the true path of God.
In order to substantiate these teachings about the purpose of Jesus, Muslims quote the Quran:
And I (Jesus) have come to attest the law which was before me; and to allow you part of that which had been forbidden you; and to come to you with a sign from your Lord: Fear God, then and obey me; of a truth God is my Lord, and your Lord: Therefore worship Him. This is a right way."
And when Jesus perceived unbelief on their part, He said, "Who are my helpers with God?" The apostles said, "We will be God's helpers! We believe in God, and bear thou witness that we are Muslims…
These signs, and this wise warning do we rehearse to thee.
How does this differ from Christianity?
Matthew 5: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Matthew 16:21 Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Their blasphemy against Jesus goes further:
[4.157] And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Marium, the apostle of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so (like Isa) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure. [4.158] Nay! Allah took him up to Himself; and Allah is Mighty, Wise.
What do they say about Jesus' death?
Although Muslims accept the virgin birth of Jesus and the miracles which He performed, they reject the Biblical teachings of His death and resurrection. They reject His crucifixion as being unnecessary because of the forgiving mercy of God and because it would have been illogical for God to have allowed His enemies to kill His messenger. They believe that Jesus was not crucified, but that God provided a means of escape from his enemies and raised Him to heaven as a sign of honor.
Compare these verses to what God's Word says:
"Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for he shall save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
Ye men of Israel hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:…therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:22-36)
"These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John 20:31).
1 Corinthians 15:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
Who does the Bible say that Jesus is?
What does it say that Jesus did?
Muslims now believe that Jesus is in one of the inferior stages of celestial bliss; that He will come again at the last day, slay anti-Christ, kill all the swine, break the cross and remove the poll-tax infidels. He will reign as a just King for 45 years, marry, leave children, then die and be buried near Mohammed at Medina. The. place of his future grave is already marked out between the graves of two descendants of Mohammed. Jesus also is said to have prophesied the coming of Mohammed.
3. The Doctrine of Salvation
The differences regarding the nature, person, and work of Jesus Christ clearly set Islam apart from Christianity. Closely related to these is the difference regarding the means whereby man is saved. Islam bases its hope for salvation upon a merciful God Who will forgive the sinful acts of righteous men.
[2.284] Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is Allah's; and whether you manifest what is in your minds or hide it, Allah will call you to account according to it; then He will forgive whom He pleases and chastise whom He pleases, and Allah has power over all things.
[3.17] The patient, and the truthful, and the obedient, and those who spend (benevolently) and those who ask forgiveness in the morning times. [3.18] Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge, maintaining His creation with justice; there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise. [3.19] Surely the (true) religion with Allah is Islam, and those to whom the Book had been given did not show opposition but after knowledge had come to them, out of envy among themselves; and whoever disbelieves in the communications of Allah then surely Allah is quick in reckoning. [3.20] But if they dispute with you, say: I have submitted myself entirely to Allah and (so) every one who follows me; and say to those who have been given the Book and the unlearned people: Do you submit yourselves? So if they submit then indeed they follow the right way; and if they turn back, then upon you is only the delivery of the message and Allah sees the servants.
Why does the Koran say God will forgive?
Christians also trust in the forgiveness of a merciful God, but for a different reason -
Therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was; not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 4:22-5:2)
For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one: much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:15-17)
Why do Christians trust in the forgiveness of a merciful God?
How is the Muslim religion typical of every false religion?
The Muslim's view of a merciful God is incompatible with their faith in His justice. A just God could not tolerate the sins of Adam or our sins. A just and holy God would demand retribution for the sins of every person. It is illogical to assume anything else. The Christian sees the mercy and justice of God harmonized in Jesus Christ. At one and the same time, God was reconciling the world unto Himself and receiving the just payment for man's sins.
Herein lies the great peace and comfort of Christianity's teachings regarding eschatology. Muhammad's graphic descriptions of heaven and hell, death and judgment brought fear and uncertainty to the Muslim-faithful. The reality and power of the resurrection of Christ Jesus brings hope and joy, peace and comfort.
God clearly and lovingly offers salvation freely to all those who believe in the atoning sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, but He promises eternal condemnation to all who reject His gift of grace.
For God so loved the world, that he gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
4. The Doctrine of Angels and "Jinn"
[2.33] He said: O Adam! inform them of their names. Then when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I not say to you that I surely know what is ghaib in the heavens and the earth and (that) I know what you manifest and what you hide? [2.34] And when We said to the angels: Make obeisance to Adam they did obeisance, but Iblis (did it not). He refused and he was proud, and he was one of the unbelievers. [2.35] And We said: O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the garden and eat from it a plenteous (food) wherever you wish and do not approach this tree, for then you will be of the unjust. [2.36] But the Shaitan made them both fall from it, and caused them to depart from that (state) in which they were; and We said: Get forth, some of you being the enemies of others, and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time.
How does the Quran say the angels were named?
How did one fall?
How might this doctrine be intriguing to a weak Christian?
[2.97] Say: Whoever is the enemy of Jibreel for surely he revealed it to your heart by Allah's command, verifying that which is before it and guidance and good news for the believers.
[2.98] Whoever is the enemy of Allah and His angels and His apostles and Jibreel and Meekaeel, so surely Allah is the enemy of the unbelievers.
[2.99] And certainly We have revealed to you clear communications and none disbelieve in them except the transgressors.
What was the role of Jibreel (Gabriel) the angel?
How does this compare to Gabriel's role in the Bible?
There is also reference to what are called "jinn" -
[15.27] And the jinn We created before, of intensely hot fire.
[51.56] And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me.
[6.128] And on the day when He shall gather them all together: O assembly of jinn! you took away a great part of mankind.
[72.11] And that some of us are good and others of us are below that: we are sects following different ways:
[72.12] And that we know that we cannot escape Allah in the earth, nor can we escape Him by flight:
[72.13] And that when we heard the guidance, we believed in it; so whoever believes in his Lord, he should neither fear loss nor being overtaken (by disgrace):
[72.14] And that some of us are those who submit, and some of us are the deviators; so whoever submits, these aim at the right way:
[72.15] And as to the deviators, they are fuel of hell:
What does the Koran say about the "jinn"?
Israfit is the angel who will sound the trumpet on the day of Judgment and Azrafil is the angel of death. Each person has two recording angels to write down his good and evil deeds. And then there are two fearsome angels named Munkar and Xakir who are to examine everyone in the grave after death.
Compare that to the Bible's role for angels -
Psalm 91:11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
Psalm 148: Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Galatians 3:19 The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.
Matthew 13: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 18: "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven."
Luke 2: Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Hebrews 1:14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Revelation 12:9 The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
What are some similarities between the two?
What are the differences between the two?
Any questions on these doctrinal points?
Next time we'll continue to examine the doctrinal differences between Christianity and Islam.