BIBLE VS. QUR'AN

Below is the beginning of my book comparing the Bible to the Koran, and showing where certain Islamic claims about the Bible are actually contradicted in the Qur'an and other holy books. Let me know what you think.

THE QUR’AN

The Qur’an is the result of 23 years of divine revelations to Muhammad. Because Muhammad was illiterate, he orally delivered the revelations, at various times, to his trusted associates/scholars and they wrote them down in Arabic.

The Qur’an references the Bible numerous times, as it was given to Muhammad 500 years after the canon of biblical scripture was complete. It acknowledges Jesus as a prophet, but denies other biblical aspects of his nature and purpose. Sometimes it directly attacks the veracity of the Bible.

CHRIST’S DEATH AND RESURRECTION

The Muslim writers Guild of America published an article by Sohaib Awan stating the following:

“The majority of Muslims believe that Jesus was raised bodily to heaven and someone made into the likeness of Jesus was crucified in his place. Saved from an accursed death on the cross, Jesus had been waiting over 2000 years to descend back to Earth to defeat the anti-Christ and establish an Islamic dominion. The teachings of the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (saw), however, stand in opposition to this belief. This concept entered into the understanding of mainstream Muslims only after the rapid spread of Islam amongst the Christians of Arabia and the Byzantine empire that brought this erroneous belief with them.”

Remember that the Qur’an comments on the death and resurrection of Christ 500 years after the event, and offers no eye witness accounts or evidence for its assertions, nor do Islamic traditions and stories that have affected how scholars understand certain passages provide legitimate evidence; they are anecdotal.

Though we may derive understanding of a sort through extra-Qur’anical books, like the “Six Books of Sunni Islam” by Persian scholar al-Bukari, ultimately we are impelled to determine truth from the Qur’an itself, as it claims to come from the mouth of God and his Prophet. All other sources, are regarded as secondary to the Qur’an, as they are “accounts transmitted through chains of narrators” that primarily provide “religious and moral guidance.”

The Qur’an, 4:157-158 reads,

“They say: “We have killed the Messiah, Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam, the Rasool of Allah.” Whereas in fact, neither did they kill him nor did they crucify him but they thought they did because the matter was made dubious for them. Those who differ therein are in doubt. They have no real knowledge, they follow nothing but merely a conjecture, certainly, they did not kill him (Jesus). (157) Nay! The fact is that Allah took him up to Himself. Allah is Mighty, Wise. (158)”

Yet, Surah al-e-Imran, Ch. 3: V. 56 translated with respect to the historic and contextual understanding of the Arabic word “mutawaffika,” should read as follows according to Ayyaz Mamood Khan:

“And when Allah said, ‘O Jesus, I will cause thee to die a natural death and will exalt thee to Myself, and will clear from thee charges of those who disbelieve, and will place those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differ.”

Ayyaz Mahmood Khan wrote, “This is another crystal-clear verse of the Holy Quran which evidently proves the death of Jesus. From the outset, even a quick reading of this verse would prove this fact without a shadow of doubt.

In this verse, Allah the Almighty has mentioned the word, mutawaffika (I) will cause thee to die a natural death) first, and the word rafiuka” (I) shall exalt thee) has been mentioned afterwards.Allah has alluded to a natural phenomenon of life and death which is not specific to Jesus alone; rather every individual experiences this natural system as set in place by Allah. Since the Arabic word mutawaffika (I) will cause thee to die a natural death) has been mentioned first, we must accept that Jesus died a natural death, before he was lifted into the heavens.

We have no right to change or alter the order of events as stipulated by Allah Himself in this verse. It is not within our jurisdiction to assert the Jesus would ascend into the heavens first and die later (after his second advent).”

Sohaib Awan, writer for muslimwriters.org, explains “mutawaffika,” as follows:

“The word mutawaffika comes from the same three-letter root and verb form as tawaffaitani, and mumituka litteraly means, ‘cause thee to die.’

Using the definition of mutawaffika as ‘cause thee to die’ provided by Ibn Abbas (one of Muhammad’s uncles), the only instance Allah uses the word mutawaffika in the Quran would state, “When Allah said, ‘O Jesus, indeed I will cause thee to die and will raise thee to Myself…” (3:56)

Thus, the Arabic reading according to Ayyaz Mahmood Khan and Sohaib Awan confirms the physical death of Jesus; yet, most translators, including Dr. Malik and Professor Khanam, whose translations into English I will often reference in this work, translate the verse in question differently. That is to say, God takes Jesus up to him, all-the-while overlooking the text of the Qur’an that demands a physical death first (mutawaffika), then a taking up to God (rafiuka).

Some argue that mutawaffika does not include death, but refers to a “physical ascension, the taking up of something in its entirety.” Yet translationally and contextually this makes no sense; for, if that were the case it would be unnecessary and perhaps illogical to use the words “rafi’uka ilaiyya (raise you to Myself) after it,” since God had already raised him up. A logical order of things appears to be required: first Christ’s death, then his raising up to Allah.

Ayyaz Mahmood Khan refers to those of the Islamic faith who oppose the plain reading of the texts regarding the death of Jesus as “non-Ahmadi.” Still, non-Ahmadi Muslims are considered non-Muslim because, contrary to mainstream Muslim beliefs, they do not believe Muhammad is the last prophet. Consequently, they are banned from entering Mecca and Medina and often suffer persecution and sometimes imprisonment.

Yet, Sahih a-Bukhari’s work, written from 846-870 A.D., a collection of traditions and sayings, are regarded by Muslims as authentic and faithfully recorded. After the Qur’an, it is considered by the Sunni one of Islam’s most valued works. Imam Bukari confirms that “he, Ibn Abbas, and Prophet Muhammad all understood 5:118 and 3:56 to mean that Jesus has passed away.”

THE BIBLE

The Bible was written over thousands of years. It is God’s divine revelation to prophets, who wrote them first in Hebrew (Old Testament) and later in Greek (New Testament). These writings comprise 66 books written by 40 different men under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. They provide a detailed account of the nature of God, the creation of all things, the fall of man, human weaknesses, the historic progress of man, proper godly conduct, prophecies of a Redeemer and his redemptive provision from sin, the life, death and resurrection of the Redeemer, the restoration of creation, the consequences of sin and the eternal reward of faith in Messiah, the Redeemer.

At no time does the Bible reference either Muhammad or the Qur’an, as the Bible’s canon was complete 500 years before the Qur’an was fully given to Muhammad.

THE DEATH OF CHRIST

The New Testament reads, 1 Corinthians 15:17 “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vaine, ye are yet in your sinnes,” & 1 Thessalonians 4:14 “For if we beleeue Iesus died, and rose againe: euen so them also which sleepe in Iesus, will God bring with him.” Thus, without the literal death and bodily resurrection of Christ, the Christian faith is pointless and millions of believers over thousands of years believed in vain and died in their sins. But what is the evidence the for physical death and resurrection of Christ.

THE TORA

“He send down to you the Book with the Truth, confirming what came before it; and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel.” Qur’an chapter 3, verse 3.

The above verse confirms that Allah send down the Torah (the books of Moses) and the Gospel (the New Testament) and they preceded the Qur’an and are true.

The Torah was meticulously preserved, contrary to what many Muslims believe. We know the Torah was preserved except perhaps for minor issues like spelling. Copies held by dispersed Jews the world over for 1,000 years with no communication between them when compared in the 20th century are the same. Also, the Dead Sea Scrolls, preserved 1,000  years before Muhammad was born agree with the Torah we have today. Thus we can be certain that, as God promised, he preserved his Word, and the truth that the Qur’an claims Allah gave (the Torah and the Gospel) have not been corrupted. It is illogical that Allah would give the truth of the Torah and Gospels, but not preserve them, when, as Muslims claim, he gave the truth of the Qur’an, but preserved them.

We might quibble over minor changes that do not affect theology or doctrine, when the thrust of our enquiry is the legitimacy of the death of Jesus Christ. Did he physically die, as the Bible declares, or was he part of a scam, as Muslims believe, whereby an imposter took his place on the cross?

Our first evidence of the necessity of Christ’s physical death is found in Genesis, the first book of the Torah, where Abel sacrifices a sheep from his herd. This is the first type of Christ, as the sacrificial lamb, further developed through the course of the Torah and the rest of the Bible. We can surmise that Abel brought the very best and most perfect animal to give to God; for, the scripture says, “…and the Lord had respect vnto Abel, and to his offering.” This was the beginning of scripture typifying the perfect, innocent, sinless sacrifice for sins, which would be fulfilled in Messiah, who is Jesus Christ.

Perhaps the most profound type of Christ, the sacrifice to the sins of the world, is found in the account of Abraham taking Isaac to mount Moriah. God promised Abraham that through the lineage of his son Isaac, the nations of the world would be blessed; this refers to Jesus, the Messiah who is called “the blessed hope.” Genesis 22:2 portrays Isaac as a type of Christ who would die as the final offering for the sins of the world. Still, God did not permit Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, as he was only a type or symbol of Messiah, Jesus Christ who would, of his own free will, give his life for the sins of all mankind at God’s appointed time.

In the book of Exodus (the second book of the Torah) God codifies and explains the sacrifice of an innocent lamb, again a type of Christ, Jesus being called “the Lamb of God.” Moses was commanded to sprinkle the blood of the lamb on the people, as a symbol of being washed in the pure undefiled blood of Messiah, Jesus Christ, who would come and shed his blood for the people. Exodus 24:6-8 reads as follows:

“And Moses tooke halfe of the blood, and put it in basons, and halfe of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 And he tooke the booke of the couenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they saide, All that the Lord hath said, will we doe, and be obedient. 8 And Moses tooke the blood and sprinkled it on the people , and said, Behold the blood of the Couenant which the Lord hath made with you, concerning all these words.”

Thus, the sins of the people were forgiven according to faith in the blood of the Lamb who, at that time in Exodus, was represented by the slain lamb and the sprinkling of the blood over the people. The lamb had to die physically.