Prophethood

Who is Muhammad?
Muhammad in the Bible
What Does The Bible Say About Muhammad - by
     Sheikh Ahmed Deedat

You Must Know This Man
Christ In Islam
Who Was Jesus?


 

Who Is Muhammad?

You may be an atheist or an agnostic or you may belong to any of the religious denominations that exist in the world today. You may have been a Communist or a believer in democracy and freedom. NO matter what you are, and no matter what your religious and political beliefs, personal and social habits happen to be -- YOU STILL MUST KNOW THIS MAN!

He was by far the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a state, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numberless social and political reforms, established a dynamic and powerful society to practice and represent his teachings, and he revolutionized the worlds of human thought and human action for all time.

His name was MUHAMMAD
(peace and blessings of Almighty Creator be upon him) -- and he accomplished all these wonders in the unbelievably short span of twenty-three years.

Muhammad (pbuh) was born in arabia on the 20th of August, 570 CE, and when he died at the age of 63, the whole of the Arabian Peninsula had changes from paganism and idol-worship to the worship of One God; from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity and cohesion; from drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety; from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living; from utter moral bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence. Human history has never known such a complete transformation of a people or a place before or since.

The Encyclopedia Britannica calls him "the most successful of all religious personalities of the world." Bernard Shaw said, "If Muhammad were alive today, he would succeed in solving all those problems which threaten to destroy human civilization in our times." Thomas Carlysle was amazed as to how one man, single-handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less sthan two decades. Napoleon and Gandhi never tired of dreaming of a society along the lines esstablished by this man in Arabia fourteen centuries ago.

Indeed no other human being ever accomplished so much, in such diverse fields of human thought and behavior, in so limited a space of time, as did Muhammad . He was a religious teacher, a social reformer, a moral guide, a political thinker, a military genius, an administrative colossus, a faithful friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband, a loving father -- all in one. No other man in history ever excelled or equaled him in any of these difficult departments of life.

The world has had its share of great personalities. But these were one-sided figures who distinguished themselves in but one or two fields, such as religious thought or military leadership. None of the other great leaders of the world ever combined within himself so many different qualities to such an amazing level of perfection as did Muhammad .

The lives and teachings of other great personalities of the world are shrouded in the mist of time. There is so much speculation about the time and the place of their birth, the mode and style of their life, the nature and detail of their teachings and the degree and measure of their success or failure that it is impossible for humanity today to reconstruct accurately and precisely the lives and teachings of those men.

Not so this man Muhammad . Not only was he born in the fullests blaze of recorded history, but every detail of his private and public life, of his actions and utterances, has been accurately documented and faithfully preserved to our day. The authenticity of the information so preserved is vouched for not only by faithful followers but also by unbiased critics and open-minded scholars.

At the level of ideas there is no system of thought and belief--secular or religious, social or political -- which could surpass or equal ISLAM -- the system which Muhammad (pbuh) propounded. In a fast-changing world, while other systems have undergone profound transformations, Islam alone has remained above all change and mutation, and retained its original form for the past 1400 years. What is more, the positive changes that are taking place in the world of human thought and behavior truly and consistently reflect the healthy influence of Islam in these areas.

It is not given to the best of thinkers to put their ideas completely into practice, and to see the seeds of their labors grow and bear fruit in their own lifetime. Except of course, Muhammad , who not only preached the most wonderful ideas but also successfully translated each one of them into practice. At the time of his death his teachings were not mere precepts and ideas straining for fulfillment. They had become the very core of the life of tens of thousands of perfectly trained individuals. At what other time or place and in relation to what other political, social, religious system, philosophy or ideology -- did the world ever witness such a perfectly amazing phenomenon? Except of course, ISLAM, which was established as a complete way of life by Muhammad himself. History bears testimony to this fact and the greatest skeptics have no option but to concede this point.

In spite of the phenomenal success which crowned his efforts, he did not for a moment claim to be God or God's incarnation or Son -- but only a human being who was chosen and ordained by the Creator to be a teacher of truth to mankind and a complete model and pattern for their actions.

He was a man with a noble and exalted mission -- and his unique mission was to unite humanity in the worship of the One and only God and to teach them the way to honest and upright living in accordance with the laws and commands of God. He always described himself as a Messenger and servant of God, as indeed every single action and movement of his proclaimed him to be.

A world which has not hesitated to raise to Divinity individuals whose very lives and missions have been lost in legend and who, historically speaking, did not accomplish half as much -- or even one tenth -- as was accomplished by Muhammad , should stop to take serious note of this remarkable man's claim to be God's messenger to mankind.

Today, after the lapse of some 1400 years, the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad , have survived without the slilghtest loss, alteration or interpolation. Today they offer the same undying hope for treating mankind's many ills which they did when Prophet Muhammad was alive. This is our honest claim and this the the inescapable conclusion forced upon us by a critical and unbiased study of history.

The least YOU should do as a thinking, sensitive, concerned human being is to stop for one brief moment and ask yourself: Could it be that these statements, extraordinary and revolutionary as they sound, are really true? Supposing they   really are true, and you did not know this man Muhammad or hear about his teachings? Or did not know him well and intimately enough to be able to benefit from his guidance and example? Is it not time you responded to this tremendous challenge and made some effort to know him? It will not cost you anything but it may well prove to be the beginning of a completely new era in your life.

Come, let us make a new discovery, the life of this wonderful man Muhammad , the like of whom never walked on this earth, and whose example and teachings can change YOUR life and OUR world for the better. May God shower His choicest blessings upon him!

Written by S. H. Pasha

If you have any questions or need more information regarding Islam, call toll free 1-800-662-ISLAM, or contact an Islamic Mosque in your neighborhood.

 


Muhammad (pbuh-) In The Bible

Abraham is widely regarded as the Patriarch of monotheism and the common father of the Jews, Christians and Muslims. Through his second son, Isaac, came all Israelite prophets including such towering figures as Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus. May peace and blessings be upon them all. The advent of these great prophets was in partial fulfillment of God's promises to bless the nations of earth through the descendents of Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). Such fulfillment is wholeheartedly accepted by Muslims whose faith considers the belief in and respect of all prophets an article of faith.

BLESSINGS OF ISHMAEL AND ISAAC

Was the first born son of Abraham (Ishmael) and his descendants included in God's covenant and promise? A few verses from the Bible may help shed some light on this question:
          1.) Genesis 12:2-3 speaks of God's promise to Abraham and his descendants before any child was born to him.

          2.)  Genesis 17:4 reiterates God's promise after the birth of Ishmael and       before the birth of Isaac.

          3.)  In Genesis, ch. 21, Isaac is specifically blessed but Ishmael was also specifically blessed and promised by God to become "a great nation" especially in Genesis 21:13,18.

         4.) According to Deuteronomy 21:15-17, the traditional rights and privileges of the first born son are not to be affected by the social status of his mother (being a "free" woman such as Sarah, Isaac's mother, or a "Bondwoman" such as Hagar, Ishamel's mother). This is only consistent with the moral and humanitarian principals of all revealed faiths.

          5.) The full legitimacy of Ishmael as Abraham's son and "seed" and the full legitimacy of his mother, Hagar, as Abraham's wife are clearly stated in Genesis 21:13 and 16:3.

After Jesus, the last Israelite messenger and prophet, it was time that God's promise to bless Ishmael and his descendants be fulfilled. Less than 600 years after Jesus, came the last messenger of God, Muhammad, from the progeny of Abraham through  Ishmael. God's blessing of both of the main branches of Abraham's family tree was now fulfilled. But are there additional corroborating evidence that the Bible did in fact foretell the advent of Prophet Muhammad?

MUHAMMAD: The Prophet Like Unto Moses

Long time after Abraham, God's promise to send the long-awaited Messenger was repeated this time in Moses' words.

In Deuteronomy 18:18, Moses spoke of the prophet to be sent by God who is:

          1.) From among the Israelite's "brethren", a reference to their Ishmaelite cousins as Ishmael was the other son of Abraham who was explicitly promised to become a "great nation."

          2.) A prophet like unto Moses. There were hardly any two prophets who were so much alike as Moses and Muhammad. Both were given comprehensive law code of life, both encountered their enemies and were victors in miraculous ways, both were accepted as prophets/statesmen and both mgirated following conspiracies to assassinte them. Analogies between Moses and Jesus overlooks not only the above similarities but other crucial ones as well (e.g. the natural birth, family life and death of Moses and Muhammad but not of Jesus, who ws regarded by His followers as the Son of God and not exclusively a messenger of God, as Moses and Muhammad were and as Muslim belief Jesus was).

THE AWAITED PROPHET WAS TO COME FROM ARABIA

Deuteronomy 33:1-2 combines references to Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. It speaks of God (i.e. God's revelation) coming from Sinai, rising from Seir (probably the village of Sa'ir near Jerusalem) and shining forth from Paran. According to Genesis 21:21, the wilderness of Paran was the place where Ishmael settled (i.e. Arabia, specifically Mecca).

Indeed the King James version of the Bible mentions the pilgrims passing through the valley of Ba'ca (another name of Mecca) in Psalms 84:4-6.

Isaiah 42:1-13 speaks of the beloved of God. His elect and messenger who will bring down a law to be awaited in the isles and who "shall not fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgment on earth." Verse 11, connects that awaited one with the dec=scendants of Ke'dar. Who is Ke'dar? According to Genesis 25:13, Ke'dar was the second son of Ishmael, the ancestor of Prophet Muhammad.

MUHAMMAD'S MIGRATION FROM MECCA TO MEDINA: PROPHESIED IN THE BIBLE?

Habakkuk 3:3 speaks of God (God's help) coming from Te'man (an Oasis North of Medina according to J. Hastings's Dictionary of the Bible), and the holy one (coming) from Paran. That holy one who under persecution migrated from Paran (Mecca) to be received enthusiastically in Medina was none but Prophet Muhammad.

Indeed the incident of the migration of the Prophet and his persecuted followers is vividly described in Isaiah 21:13-17. That section foretold as well about the battle of Badr in which the few ill-armed faithful miraculously defeated the "mighty" men of Ke'dar, who sought to destroy Islam and intimidate their own folks who turned to Islam.

THE QU'RAN FORETOLD IN THE BIBLE?

For twenty-three years, God's words (the Qur'an) were truly put into Muhammad's mouth. He was not the "author" of the Qur'an. The Qur'an was dictated to him by Angel Gabriel who asked Muhammad to simply repeat the words of the Qur'an as he heard them. These words were then committed to memory and to writing by those who heard  them during Muhammad's life time and under his supervision.

Was it a coincidence that the Prophet "like unto Moses" from the "brethren" of the Israelites (i.e. from the Ishmaelite) was also described as one in whose mouth God will put his words and that he will speak in the name of God. (Deuteronomy 18:18-20). Was it also a coincidence the "Paraclete" that Jesus foretold to come after Him was described as one who "shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak..." (John 16:13).

Was it another coincidence that Isaiah ties between the messenger connected with Ke'dar and a new song (a scripture in a new language) to be sang unto the Lord (Isaiah 42:10-11). More explicitly, prophesies Isaiah, "For with stammering lips, and another tongue, will he speak to this people" (Isaiah 28:11). This latter verse correctly describes the "stammering lips" of Prophet Muhammad reflecting the state of tension and concentration he went through at the time of revelation. Another related point is that the Qur'an was revealed in piece-meals over a span of twenty-three years. It is interesting to compare this with Isaiah 28:10 which speaks of the same thing.

THAT PROPHET --  PARACLETE  --  MUHAMMAD

Up to the time of JEsus (peace be upon him), the Israelites were still awaiting for that prophet like unto Moses prophecied in Deuteronomy 18:18. When John the Baptist came, they asked him if he was Christ and he said "no". They asked him if he was Elias and he said "no. Then, in apparent reference to Deuteronomy 18:18, they asked him, "Art thou that Prophet" and he answered, "no". (John 1:19-21).

In the Gospel according to John (chapters 14, 15, 16) JEsus spoke of the "Paraclete" or comforter who will come after him, who will be sent by Father as another Paraclete, who will teach new things which the contemporaries of Jesus could not bear. While the Paraclete is described as the spirit of truth, (whose meaning resemble Muhammad's famous title Al-Amin, the trustworthy), he is identified in one verse as the Holy Ghost (John 14:26). Such a designation is however inconsistent with the profile of that Paraclete. In the words of the Dictionary of the Bible, (Ed. J. Mackenzie) "These items, it must be admitted do not give an entirely coherent picture."

Indeed history tells that many early Christians understood the Paraclete to be a man and not a spirit. This might explain the followings who responded to some who claimed, without meeting the criteria stipulated by Jesus, to be the awaited "Paraclete".

It was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who was the Paraclete, Comforter, helper, admonisher sent by God after Jesus. He testified of Jesus, taught new things which could not be borne at Jesus' time, he spoke what he heard (revelation), he dwells with the believers (through his well-preserved teachings). Such teachings will remain forever because he was the last messenger of God, the only Universal MEssenger to unite the whole of humanity under God and on the path of PRESERVED truth. He told of many things to come which "came to pass" in the minutest detail meeting, the criterion given by Moses to distinguish between the true prophet and the false prophets (Deuteronomy 18:22). He did reprove the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgement (John 16:8-11).

WAS THE SHIFT OF RELIGIOUS  LEADERSHIP PROPHECIED?

Following the rejection of the last Israelite prophet, Jesus, it was about time that God's promise to make Ishmael a great nation be fullfilled (Genesis 21:13,18).

In Matthew 21:19-21, JEsus spoke of the fruitless fig tree (a Biblical symbol of prophetic heritage) to be cleared after being given a last chance of three years (the duration of Jesus' ministry) to give fruit. In a later verse in the same chapter, JEsus said: "Therefore, say I unto you, The Kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof" (Matthew 21:43). That nation of Ishmael's descendants (the rejected stone in Matthew 21:42) which was victorious against all super-powers of its time as prophecied by Jesus: "And whosoever shall  fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." (Matthew 21:44).

OUT OF CONTEXT COINCIDENCE?

Is it possible that the numerous prophecies cited here are all individually and combined out of context mininterpretations? Is the opposite true, that such infrequently studied verses fit together consistently and clear point to the advent of the man who changed the course of human history, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Is it reasonable to conclude that all these prophecies, appearing in different books of the Bible and spoken by various prophets at different times were all coincidence? If this is so here is another strange "coincidence"!

One of the signs of the prophet to come from Paran (Mecca) is that he will come with "ten thousands of saints" (Deuteronomy 33:2 KJV). That was the number of faithful who accompanied Prophet Muhammad to Paran (Mecca) in his victorious, bloodless return to his birthplace to destroy the remaining symbols of idolatry in the Ka'bah.

Says God as quoted by Moses:

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. (Deuteronomy 18:19).

Dear Readers:

          May the light of truth shine in your heart and mind. May it lead you to peace and certitude in this life and eternal bliss in hereafter.  Ameen.

Taken from J.D. C. Series On Islam No.5 "Muhammad (pbuh) In T
                                              Jeddah Dawah Center
                                                  P.O. Box 6897
                                                  Jeddah 21452
                                                  Kingdom of Saudi Arabia


 


WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT MUHAMMAD (PEACE BE UPON HIM) THE PROPHET OF ISLAM

A lecture by Ahmed Deedat


 
 

SAY: "DO YOU SEE ? WHETHER THIS MESSAGE BE FROM ALLAH (God Almighty), AND YET YOU REJECT IT, AND A WITNESS FROM AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BORE WITNESS OF ONE LIKE HIM......." (Holy Qur'an 46:10). (see note 1)
 

Mr.Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The subject of this evening's talk - "What the BIBLE says about MUHAMMED" - will no doubt come as a surprise to many of you because the speaker is a Muslim. How does it come about that a Muslim happens to be expounding prophecies from the Jewish and Christian Scriptures ?

As a young man, about 30 years ago, I attended a series of religious lectures by a Chriatian theologian, a certain Rev. Hiten, at the "Theatre Royal", Durban in South Africa.

Pope or Kissinger?
This Reverend gentleman was expounding Biblical prophecies. He went on to prove that the Christian Bible foretold the rise of Soviet Russia, and the Last Days. At one stage he went to the extent of proving that his Holy Book did not leave even the Pope out of its predictions. He expatiated vigo rously in order to convince his audience that the "Beast 666" mentioned in the Book of Revelation the last book of the New Testament was the POPE, who was the Vicar of Christ on earth. It is not befitting for us Muslims to enter into this controversy between the Roman Catholics and the Protestants. By the way, the latest Christia exposition of the "Beast 666" of the Christian Bible is Dr.Henry Kissinger(2). Christian scholars are ingenious and indefatigable in their efforts to prove their case.

Rev. Hiten's lectures led me to ask that if the Bible foretold so many things - not even excluding the "Pope" and "Israel" - then surely it must have something to say about the greatest benefactor of mankind(3) , the Holy Prophet Muhammed (may the peace of Allah be upon him).

As a youngster I set out to search for an answer. I met priest after priest, attended lectures, and read everything that I could lay my hands relating to the fields of Bible prophecies. Tonight I am going to narrate to you one of these interviews with a dominee(4) of the Dutch Reformed Church.

Lucky Thirteen
I was invited to the Transvaal(5) to deliver a talk on the occasion of Birthday celebration of the Holy Prophet Muhammed. Knowing that in that province of the Republic, the Afrikaans language is widely spoken, even by my own people, I felt that I ought to acquire a smattering of this language so a s to feel a little "at home" with the people. I opened the telephone directory and began phoning the Afrikaans-speaking Churches. I indicated my purpose to the priests that I was interested in having a dialogue with them, but they all refused my request with "Plausible" excuses. No.13 was my lucky number. The thirteenth call brought me pleasure and relief. A dominee Van Heerden agreed to meet me at his home on the Saturday afternoon that I was to leave for Transvaal.

He received me on his verandah with a friendly welcome. He said if I did not mind, he would like his father-in-law from the Free State (a 70 year old man) to join us in the discussion. I did not mind. The three of us settled down in the dominee's library.

Why nothing?
I posed the question: "What does the Bible say about Muhummed?" Without hesitation he answered, "Nothing!" I asked: "Why nothing? According to your interpretation the Bible have so many things to say about the rise of Soviet Russia and about the Last Days and even about the Pope of the Roman Catholics?" He said, "Yes, but there was nothing about Muhummed!" I asked again, "Why nothing? Surely this man Muhummed who had been responsible for the bringing into being a world-wide community of millions of Believers who, on his authority, believe in:
(1) the miraculous birth of Jesus,
(2) that Jesus is the Messiah,(note 6)
(3) that he gave life to the dead by God's permission, and that he healed those born blind and the lepers by God's permission.

Surely this book (the Bible) must have something to say about this great Leader of men who spoke so well of Jesus and his mother Mary?"

The old man from the Free State replied. "My son, I have been reading the Bible for the past 50 years, and if there was any mention of him, I would have known it."

Not One by name!
I enquired: "According to you, are there not hundreds of prophecies regarding the coming of Jesus in the Old Testament." The dominee interjected: "Not hundreds, but thousands!" I said, "I am not going to dispute the 'thousand and one' prophecies in the Old Testament regarding the coming of Jesu s Christ, because the whole Muslim-world has already accepted him without the testimony of any Biblical prophecy. We Muslims have accepted the de facto Jesus on the authority of Muhummed alone, and there are in the world today no less than 900,000,000 followers of Muhummed who love, respect and rev ere Jesus Christ as a great Messenger of God without having the Christians to convince them by means of their Biblical dialectics. Out of the 'thousands' of prophecies referred to, can you please give me just one single prophecy where Jesus is mentioned by name? The term 'Messiah', translated as 'Christ', is not a name but a title. Is there a single Prophecy where it says that the name of the Messiah will be JESUS, and that his mother's name will be MARY, that his supposed father will be JOSEPH THE CARPENTER; that he will be born in the reign of HEROD THE KING, etc. etc.? No! There are no such details! Then how can you conclude that those 'thousand' Prophecies refer to Jesus (Peace be upon him)?"

What is Prophecy?
The dominee replies: "You see, prophecies are word-pictures of something that is going to happen in the future. When that thing actually comes to pass, we see vividly in these prophecies the fulfillment of what had been predicted in the past." I said: "What you actually do is that you deduce, you reason, you put two and two together." He said: "Yes." I said: "If this is what you have to do with a 'thousand' prophecies to justify your claim with regards to the genuineness of Jesus, why should we not adopt the very same system for Muhummed?" The dominee agreed that it was a fair proposition , a reasonable way of dealing with the problem.

I asked him to open up Deuteronomy, chapter 18, verse 18, which he did. I read from memory the verse in Afrikaans, because this was my purpose in having a little practice with the language of the ruling race in South Africa. (8)

'N PROFEET SAL EK VIR HULLE VERWEK UIT DIE MIDDE VAN HULLE BROERS, SOOS JY IS, EN EK SAL MY WOORDE IN SY MOND LE, EN HY SY SAL AAN HULLE SE ALLE WAT EK HOM BEVEEL. Deut.18: 18.

The English translation reads as follows:-

"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren,
like unto thee,
and I will put my words in his mouth;
and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." Deut.18:18.

Prophet Like Moses
Having recited the verse in Afrikaans, I apologised for my uncertain pronunciation, The dominee assured me that I was doing fine. I enquired: "To whom does this prophecy refer?" Without the slightest hesitation he answered: "JESUS!" I asked: "Why Jesus?... his name is not mentioned here." The domin ee replied: "Since prophecies are word-pictures of something that is going to happen in the future, we find that the wordings of this verse adequately describe him. You see the most important words of this prophecy are 'SOOS JY IS' (like unto thee), - LIKE YOU - like Moses, and Jesus is like Moses. " I questioned: "In which way is Jesus like Moses?" The answer was: "In the first place Moses was a JEW and Jesus was also a JEW; secondly, Moses was a PROPHET and Jesus was also a PROPHET - therefore Jesus is like Moses and that is exactly what God had foretold Moses - "SOOS JY IS". "Can you think of any other similarities between Moses and Jesus?" I asked. The dominee said that he could not think of any. I replied: "If these are the only two criteria for discovering a candidate for this prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:18, then in that case the criteria could fit any one of the following Biblica l personages after Moses:- Solomon, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Malachi, John the Baptist etc., because they were also ALL Jews as well as Prophets. Why should we not apply this prophency to any one of these prophets, and why only to Jesus? Why should we make fish of one and fowl of anoth er?" The dominee had no reply. I continued: "You see, my conclusions are that Jesus is most unlike Moses, and if I am wrong I would like you to correct me."

Three Unlikes
So staying, I reasoned with him: "In the FIRST place Jesus is not like Moses, because, according to you - 'JESUS IS A GOD', but Moses is not God. Is this true?" He said: "Yes." I said: "Therefore, Jesus is not like Moses! SECONDLY, according to you - 'JESUS DIED FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD', but Mose s did not have to die for the sins of the world. Is this true?" He again said: "Yes." I said: "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses! THIRDLY, according to you - 'JESUS WENT TO HELL FOR THREE DAYS', but Moses did not have to go there. Is this true?" He answered meekly: "Y-e-s." I concluded: "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses!" "But dominee," I continued: "these are not hard facts, solid facts, they are mere matters of belief over which the little ones can stumble and fall. Let us discuss something very simple, very easy that if your little ones are called in to hear the discussion, would have no difficulty in following it, shall we?" The dominee was quiet happy at the suggestion.

Father and Mother
(1) "Moses had a father and a mother. Muhummed also had a father and a mother. But Jesus had only a mother, and no human father. Is this true?" He said: "Yes." I said: "DAAROM IS JESUS NIE SOOS MOSES NIE, MAAR MUHUMMED IS SOOS MOSES!" Meaning: "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses, but Muhummed is lik e Moses!" (By now the reader will realise that I was using the Afrikaans language only for practice purposes. I shall discontinue its use in this narration).

Miraculous Birth
(2) "Moses and Muhummed were born in the normal, natural course, i.e. the physical association of man and woman; but Jesus was created by a special miracle. You will recall that we are told in the Gospel of St.Matthew 1:18".....BEFORE THEY CAME TOGETHER,(Joseph the Carpenter and Mary) SHE WAS FOUND WITH CHILD BY THE HOLY GHOST.' And St.Luke tells us that when the good news of the birth of a holy son was announded to her, Mary reasoned:'.......HOW SHALL THIS BE, SEEING I KNOW NOT A MAN? AND THE ANGEL ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HER, THE HOLY GHOST SHALL COME UPON THEE, AND THE POWER OF THE HIGHEST SHALL OVERSHADOW THEE:......'(Luke 1:35). The Holy Qur'an confirms the miraculous birth of Jesus, in nobler and sublimer terms. In answer to her logical question:

" O MY LORD! HOW SHALL I HAVE A SON WHEN NO MAN HATH TOUCHED ME? "
The angel says in reply:
"EVEN SO:
ALLAH CREATETH WHAT HE WILLETH:
WHEN HE HATH DECREED A PLAN,
HE BUT SAITH TO IT "BE,"
AND IT IS " (9)     (HOLY QUR'AN, 3:47).

It is not necessary for God to plant a seed in man or animal. He merely wills it and it comes into being. This is the Muslim conception of the of birth of Jesus.
(When I compared the Qur'an and the Biblical versions of the birth of Jesus to the head of the Bible Society in our largest City, and when I enquired: "Which version would you prefer to give your daughter, the QUR'ANIC version or the BIBLICAL version?" The man bowed his head and answered: "The Qur'anic.") In short, I said to the dominee: "Is it true that Jesus was born miraculously as against the natural birth of Moses and Muhummed?"He replied proudly:"Yes!" I said:"Therefore Jesus is not like Moses, but Muhummed is like Moses. And God says to Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy 18:18 "LIKE UNTO THEE" (Like You, Like Moses) and Muhummed is like Moses."

Marriage Ties
(3) "Moses and Muhummed married and begat children, but Jesus remained a bachelor all his life. Is this true?" The dominee said: "Yes." I said: "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses, but Muhummed is like Moses."

Jesus Rejected by his People
(3) "Moses and Muhummed were accepted as prophets by their people in their very lifetime. No doubt the Jews gave endless trouble to Moses and they murmured in the wilderness, but as a nation, they acknowledged that Moses was a Messenger of God sent to them. The Arabs too made Muhummed's life imposs ible. He suffered very badly at their hands. After 13 years of preaching in Mecca, he had to emigrate from the city of his birth. But before his demise, the Arab nation as a whole accepted him as the Messenger of Allah. But according to the Bible: 'He (Jesus) CAME UNTO HIS OWN, BUT HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT.' (John 1:11). And even today, ofter two thousand years, his people- the Jews, as a whole, have rejeted him. Is this true?" The dominee said: "Yes." I said: "THEREFORE JESUS IS NOT LIKE MOSES, BUT MUHUMMED IS LIKE MOSES."

"Other-Wordly" Kingdom
(5) "Moses and Muhummed were prophets as well as kings. A prophet means a man who receives Divine Revelation for the Guidance of Man and this Guidance he conveys to God's creatures as received without any addition or deletion. A king is a person who has the power of life and death over his people. It is immaterial whether the person wears a crown or not, or whether he was ever addressed as king or monarch: if the man has the prerogative of inflicting capital punishment - HE IS A KING. Moses possessed such a power. Do you remember the Israelite who was found picking up firewood on Sabbath Day , and Moses had him stoned to death? (Numbers- 15:13). There are other crimes also mentioned in the Bible for which capital punishment was inflicted on the Jews at the behest of Moses. Muhummed too, had the power of life and death over his people. There are instances in the Bible of persons who wer e given gift of prophecy only, but they were not in a position to implement their directives. Some of these holy men of God who were helpless in the face of stubborn rejection of their mesage, were the prophets lot, Jonah, Daniel, Ezra, and John the Baptist. They could only deliver the message, but could not enforce the Law. The Holy Prophet Jesus (Peace b.u.h) also belonged to this category. The Christian Gospel clearly confirms this: when Jesus was dragged before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, Charged for sedition, Jesus made a convincing point in his defence to refute the false charg e: JESUS ANSWERED, "MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD': IF MY KINGDOM WERE OF THIS WORLD, THEN WOULD MY SERVANTS FIGHT, THAT I SHOULD NOT BE DELIVERED TO THE JEWS; BUT NOW IS MY KINGDOM NOT FROM HENCE"(John 18:36) This convinced Pilate (A Pagan) that though Jesus might not be in full possessio n of his mental faculty, he did not strike him as being a danger to his rule. Jesus claimed a spiritual Kingdom only; in other words he only claimed to be a Prophet. Is this true?" The dominee answered:"Yes." I said:"Therefore Jesus is not like Moses but Muhummed is like Moses."

No New Laws
(6) "Moses and Muhummed brought new laws and new regulations for their people. Moses not only gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites, but a very comprehensive ceremonial law for the guidance of his people. Muhummed comes to a people steeped in barbarism and ignorance. They married their step-m others; they buried their daughters alive; drunkenness, adultery, idolatry, and gambling were the order of the day. Gibbon describe the Arabs before Islam in his "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", THE HUMAN BRUTE, ALMOST WITHOUT SENSE, IS POORLY DISTINGUISHED FROM THE REST OF THE ANIMAL CREATI ON.' There was hardly anything to distinguish between the "man" and the "animal" of the time; they were animals in human form.

"From this abject barbarism, Muhummed elevated them, in the words of Thomas Carlysle, 'into torch-bearers of light and learning.' 'TO THE ARAB NATION IT WAS AS A BIRTH FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT. ARABIA FIRST BECAME ALIVE BY MEANS OF IT. A POOR SHEPHERD PEOPLE, ROAMING UNNOTICED IN ITS DESERTS SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. SEE, THE UNNOTICED BECOMES WORLD NOTABLE, THE SMALL HAS GROWN WORLD-GREAT. WITHIN ONE CENTURY AFTERWARDS ARABIA WAS AT GRANADA ON ONE HAND AND AT DELHI ON THE OTHER. GLANCING IN VALOUR AND SPLENDOUR, AND THE LIGHT OF GENIUS, ARABIA SHINES OVER A GREA SECTION OF THE WORLD. ...' The fact is that Muhummed gave his people a Law and Order they never had before.

"As regards Jesus, when the Jews felt suspicious of him that he might be an imposter with designs to pervert their teachings, Jesus took pains to assure them that he had not come with a new religion - no new laws and no new regulations. I quote his own words: 'THINK NOT THAT IAM COME TO DESTROY THE LAW, OR THE PROPHETS: IAM NOT COME TO DESTROY, BUT TO FULFIL. FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS, ONE JOT OR ONE TITLE SHALL IN NO WISE PASS FROM THE LAW, TILL ALL BE FULFILLED.'(Mathew 5:17-18). In other words he had not come with any new laws or regulation he came only to fulfil the old law. This what he gave the Jews tounderstand- unless he was speaking with the tongue in his cheek trying to bluff the Jews into accepting him as a man of God and by subterfuge trying to ram a new religion down their throats. No! This Messenger of God would never resort to such foul means to subvert the Religion of God. He himself fulfilled the laws. He observed the commandments of Moses, and he respected the Sabbath. At no time did a single Jew point a finger at him to say, 'why don't you fast' or 'why don't you wash yourhands before you break bread',which charges they al wasy levied against his disciples, but never against Jesus. This is because as a good Jew he honoured the laws of the prophets who preceded him. In short, he had created no new religion and had brought no new law like Moses and Muhummed. Is this true?" I asked the dominee, and he answered: "Yes." I said:"Therefore, Jesus is not like Moses but Muhummed is like Moses."

How they Departed
(7) "Both Moses and Muhummed died natural deaths, but according to Christianity, Jesus was violently killed on the cross.(10) Is this true?" The dominee said: "Yes." I averred: "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses but Muhummed is like Moses."

Heavenly Abode
(8) "Moses and Muhummed both lie buried in earth, but according to you, Jesus in heaven. Is this true?" The dominee agreed. I said: "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses but Muhummed is like Moses."

Ishmael The First Born
Since the dominee was helplessly agreeing with every point, I said, "Dominee, so far what I have done is to prove only one point out of the whole prophecy- that is proving the phrase 'LIKE UNTO THEE' - 'Like You' 'Like Moses'. The Prophecy is much more than this single phrase which reads as follows : "I WILL RAISE THEM UP A PROPHET FROM AMONG THEIR BRETHREN LIKE UNTO THEE......." The emphasis is on the words- "From among their brethren." Moses and his people, the Jews, are here addressed as a racial entity, and as such their 'brethren' would undoubtedly be the arabs. You see, the Holy Bible s peaks of Abraham as the "Friend of God". Abraham had two wives - Sarah and Hagar. Hagar bore Abraham a son - HIS FIRST-BORN- '......And Abraham(11) called HIS SON'S name, which Hagar bare Ishmael.' (Genesis 16:15). 'And Abraham took Ishmael HIS SON......" (Genesis 17:23). 'And Ishmael HIS SON was thirteen years old, when he wascircumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.'(Genesis 17:25). Up to the age of THIRTEEN Ishmael was the ONLY son and sed of Abraham, when the covenant was ratified between God and Abraham. God grants Abraham another son through Sarah, named Isaac, wh o was very much the junior to his brother Ishmael.

Arabs and Jews
If Ishmael and Isaac are the sons of the same father Abraham, then they are brothers. And so the children of the one are the BRETHREN of the children of the other. The children of Isaac are the Jews and the Children of Ishmael are the Arabs - so they are BRETHREN to one another. The Bible affirms, 'AND HE (ISHMAEL) SHALL DWELL IN THE PRESENCE OF ALL HIS BRETHREN.' (Genesis 16:12). 'AND HE (ISHMAEL) DIED IN THE PRESENCE OF ALL HIS BRETHREN.(Genesis 25:18). The children of Isaac are the brethren of the Ishmaelites. In like manner Muhummed is from among the brethren of the Israeli tes beause he was a descendant of Ishamel the son of Abraham. This exactly as the prophecy has it- 'FROM AMONG THEIR BRETHREN'.(Deut.18:18). There the prophecy distinctly mentions that the coming prophet who would be like Moses, must arise NOT from the 'children of Israel' or from 'among the mselves', but from among their brethren. MUHUMMED THEREFORE WAS FROM AMONG THEIR BRETHREN!

Words in the Mouth
"The prophecy proceeds further:'.......AND I WILL PUT MY WORDS INTO HIS MOUTH.......' What does it mean when it is said 'I will put my words in your mouth'? You see, when I asked you (the dominee) to open Deuteronomy chapter 18, verse 18, at the beginning, and if I had asked you to read, and if you had read: would I be putting my words into your mouth?" The dominee answered: "No." "But," I continued: "If I were to teach you a language like Arabic about which you have no knowledge, and if I asked you to read or repeat after me what I utter i.e.:

"SAY: HE IS ALLAH THE ONE AND ONLY;
ALLAH, THE ETERNAL ABSOLUTE;
HE BEGETTETH NOT, NOR IS HE BEGOTTEN:
AND THERE IS NONE LIKE UNTO HIM.
(Holy Qur'an 112:1-4)( I read them in Arabic )

Would I not be putting these unheard words of a foreign tongue which you utter, into your mouth?" The dominee agreed that it
was indeed so. In an identical manner, I said, the words of the Holy Qur'an, the Revelation vouchsafed by the Almighty God to
Muhummed, were revealed.

History tells us that Muhummed was forty years of age. He was in a cave some three miles north of the City of Mecca. It was
the 27th night of the Muslim month of Ramadaan. In the cave the Archangel Gabriel commands him in his mother tongue:'IQRA'
which means READ! or PROCLAIM! or RECITE! Muhummed w as terrified and in his bewilderment replied that he was not
NOT LEARNED! The angel commands him a second time with the same result. For the third time the angel continues.

Now Muhummed, grasps, that what was required of him was to repeat! to rehearse! And he repeats the words as they were
put into his mouth:

"READ! IN THE NAME OF THE LORD AND CHERISHER, WHO CREATED-
CREATED MAN, FROM A (MERE) CLOT OF CONGEALED BLOOD:

READ! AND THY LORD IS MOST BOUNTIFUL,-
HE WHO TAUGHT (THE USE OF) THE PEN,

TAUGHT MAN THAT WHICH HE KNEW NOT".
(Holy Qur'an 96:1-5)

These are the first five verses which were revealed to Muhummed which now occupy the beginning of the 96th chapter of the
Holy Qur'an.

The Faithful Witness
Immediately the angel had departed, Muhummed rushed to his home. Terrified and sweating all over he asked his beloved wife
Khadija to 'cover him up!' He lay down, and she watched by him. When he had regained his composure, he explained to her
what he had seen and heard. She assured him of her faith in him and that Allah would not allow any terrible thing to happen to
him. Are these the confessions of an imposter? Would imposters confess that when an angel of the Lord confronts them with a
Message from on High, they get fear-stricken, terrified, and sweating all over, run home to their wives? Any critic can see that
his reactions and confessions are that of an honest, sincere man, the man of Truth- 'AL-AMIN' - THE Honest, the Upright, the
Truthful. During the next twenty-three years of his prophetic life, words were 'Put into his mouth', and he uttered them. They
made an indeliable imp ression on his heart and mind: and as the volume of the Sacred Scripture (Holy Qur'an) grew, they were
recorded on palm-leaf libre, on skins and on the shoulder-blades of animals; and in the hearts of his devoted disciples. Before
his demise these words were arranged according to his instructions i n the order in which we find them to-day in the Holy
Qurann.

The words (revelation) were actually put into his mouth, exactly as foretold in the prophecy under discusiion: 'AND I WILL
PUT MY WORDS IN HIS MOUTH.'(Deut. 18:18).

Un-lettered Prophet
Muhummed's experience in the cave of Hira, later to be known as Jabal-un Noor - The Mountain of Light, and his response to
that first Revelation is the exact fulfilment of another Biblical Prophecy. In the Book of Isaish. Chapter 29, verse 12, we read:
"AND THE BOOK" (al-Kitaab,al-Quran the 'Readin g', the 'Recitation') "IS DELIVERED TO HIM THAT IS NOT
LEARNED," (Isaiah 29:12) "THE UNLETTERED PROPHET " (Holy Qur'an 7:158) and the biblical verse continues :
"SAYING, READ THIS, I PRAY THEE:" (the words "I pray thee", are not in the Hebrew manuscripts; compare with the
Roman Catholics' "Douay Version and also with the "Revised Standard Versions") "AND HE SAITH, I AM NOT
LEARNED." ("I am not learned." is the exact translation of the Arabic words which Muhummed uttered twice to the Holy
Ghost - the Archangel Gabriel, when he was commanded : "READ!").

Let me quote the verse in full without a break as found in the "King James Version," or the "Authorized version" as it is more
popularly know "AND THE BOOK IS DELIVERED TO HIM THAT IS NOT LEARNED, SAYING, READ THIS I PRAY
THEE: AND HE SAITH, I AM NOT LEARNED." (Isaiah 29:12).

Important note :
It may be noted that there were no Arabic Bibles(12) in existence in the 6th Century of the Christian Era when Muhummed
lived and preached. Besides, he was absolutely unlettered and unlearned. No human had ever taught him a word. His teacher
was his Creator:

"HE DOES NOT SPEAK (AUGHT), OF (HIS OWN) DESIRE:
IT IS NO LESS THAN INSPIRATION SENT DOWN TO HIM:
HE WAS TAUGHT BY ONE MIGHTY IN POWER,"
(Holy Qur'an 53:3-5).

Without any human learning, 'he put to shame the wisdom of the learned'.

Grave Warning
"See!" I told the dominee, "how the prophecies fit Muhummed like a glove. We do not have to stretch prophecies to justify their
fulfillment in Muhummed."

The dominee replied, "All your expositions sound very well, but they are of no real consequence, because we Christians have
Jesus Christ the "incarnate" God, who has redeemed us from the Bondage of Sin!"

I asked, "Not important?" God didn't think so! He went to a great deal of trouble to have His warnings recorded. God knew
that there would be people like you who will flippantly, light-heartedly discount his words, so he followed up Deuteronomy
18:18 with a dire warning: "AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, " (it is going to happen) "THAT WHOSOEVER WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO MY WORDS WHICH HE SHALL SPEAK IN MY NAME, I WILL REQUIRE IT OF HIM. (in the Catholic Bible the ending words are - "I will be the revenger", I will take vengeance from him - I will take revenge!) "Does not this terrify you? God Almighty is threatening revenge! We shake in our pants if some hoodlum threatens us, yet you have no fear of God's warning?"

"Miracle of Miracles! in the verse 19 of Deuteronomy chapter 18, we have a further fulfillment of the prophecy in Muhummed!
Note the words-'.....MY WORDS WHICH HE SHALL SPEAK IN MY NAME," In whose name is Muhummed speaking?"
I opened Yusuf Ali's translation of the Holy Qur'an, at chapter 114- 'Sura Nas', or Mankind - the last chapter, and showed him the formula at the head of the chapter: and the meaning: "IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST
MERCIFUL." And the heading of chapter 113: and the meaning: "IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST
MERCIFUL". And every chapter downwards 112 , 111, 110.......was the same formula and the same meaning on every page, because the end SURAS (chapters) are short and take about a page each.

"And what did the prophecy demand?' ......WHICH HE SHALL SPEAK IN MY NAME and in whose name does
Muhummed speak? 'IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS MOST MERCIFUL.' The Prophecy is being fulfilled in
Muhummed to the letter "Every chapter of the Holy Qur'an except the 9th begin with the formula: IN THE NAME OF GOD,
MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL.' The Muslim begins his every lawful act with the Holy formula. But the Christian
begins: "In the name of the Father, son and holy ghost.'"(13)

Concerning Deuteronomy chapter eighteen, I have given you more than 15 reasons as to how this prophecy refers to
Muhammad and NOT to Jesus.

Baptist Contradicts Jesus
In New Testament times, we find that the Jews were still expecting the fulfillment of the prophecy of 'ONE LIKE MOSES',
refer John 1:19-25. When Jesus claimed to be the Messiah of the Jews, the Jews began to enquire as to where was Elias? The
Jews had a parallel prophecy that before the coming of the Messiah, Elias must come first in his second coming. Jesus confirms
this Jewish belief:

".......ELIAS TRULY SHALL FIRST COME, AND RESTORE ALL THINGS. BUT I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT ELIAS
IS COME ALREADY, AND THEY KNEW HIM NOT,...THEN THE DISCIPLES UNDERSTOOD THAT HE SPAKE UNTO THEM OF JOHN THE BAPTIST."(Matthew 17:11-13). According to the New Testament the Jews were not the ones to s wallow the words of any would-be Messiah. In their investigations they underwent intense difficulties in order to find their true Messiah. And this the Gospel of John confirms: "AND THIS IS THE RECORD OF JOHN,"(the Baptist) "WHEN
THE JEWS SENT PRIESTS AND LEVITES FROM JERUSALEM TO ASK HIM, WHO ART THOU? AND HE
CONFESSED AND DENIED NOT; BUT CONFESSED, I AM NOT THE CHRIST." (This was only natural because there
can't be two Messiahs (14) at the same time. If Jesus was the Christ then John couldn't be the Christ!) "AND THEY ASKED
HIM, WHAT THEN? ART THOU ELIAS? AND HE SAITH, I AM NOT." (Here Joh n the Baptist contradicts Jesus! Jesus
says that John is "Elias" and John denies that he is what Jesus ascribes him to be. One of the TWO (Jesus or John), God
forbid!, is difinitely not speaking the TRUTH! On the testimony of Jesus himself, John the Baptist was the greatest of the
Israelite prophet s:"VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, AMOUNG THEM THAT ARE BORN OF WOMEN THERE HAS
NOT RISENA GREATER THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST:... (Matthew 11:11).

We Muslims know John the Baptist as Hazrut YAHYAA Alai-his-salaam (peace be upon him). We revere him as a true
prophet of Allah. The Holy Prophet Jesus known to us as Hazrut ISAA Alai-his-salaam (peace be upon him), is also esteemed
as one of the mightiest messenger of the Almighty. How can we Musl ims impute lies to either of them? We leave this problem
between Jesus and John for the Christians to solve, for their "sacred scriptures abound in discrepancies which they have been
glossing over as the "dark sayings of Jesus"(15). We Muslims are really interested in the last questions posed to Jo hn the
Baptist by the Jewish elite- "ART THOU THAT PROPHET? AND HE ANSWERED, NO."(John 1:21)

Three Questions!
Please note that three different and distinct questions were posed to John the Baptist and to which he gave three emphatic
"NO'S" as answers. To recapitulate:-
1) ART THOU THE CHRIST?
2) ART THOU ELIAS?
3) ART THOU THAT PROPHET?

But the learned men of Christendom somehow only see two questions implied here. To make doubly clear that the Jews
definitely had T-H-R-E-E separate prophecies in their minds when they were interogating John the Baptist, let us read the remonstrance of the Jews in the verses following:

"AND THEY ASKED HIM, AND SAID UNTO HIM, WHEY BAPTIZEST THOU THEN, IF THOU BE
a) NOT THAT CHRIST,
b) NOR ELIAS,
c) NEITHER THAT PROPHET?"
(John 1:25)

The Jews were waiting for the fulfillment of THREE distinct prophecies: One, the coming of CHRIST. Two the coming of
ELIAS, and Three, the coming of THAT PROPHET.

"That Prophet"
If we look up any Bible which has a concordance or cross-references, the we will find in the marginal note where the words
"the Prophet", or "that Prophet" occur in John 1:25, that these words refer to the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18. And that 'that prophet' - 'the prophet like Moses' - "L IKE UNTO THEE", we have proved through overwhelming evidence that he was MUHAMMAD and not Jesus!

We Muslims are not denying that Jesus was the "Messiah", which word is translated as "Christ".(16) We are not contesting the "thousand and one prophecies" which the Christians claim abound in the Old Testament foretelling the coming of the Messiah.
What we say is that Deuteronomy 18:18 does NOT refer to Jesus Christ but it is an explicit prophecy about the Holy Prophet
MUHAMMAD!"

The dominee, very politely parted with me by saying that it was a very interesting discussion and he would like me very much to come one day and address his congregation on the subject. A decade and half has passed since then but I am still awaiting that privilege.

I believe the dominee was sincere when he made the offer, but prejudices die hard and who would like to loose his sheep?

The Acid Test
To the lambs of Christ I say, why not apply that acid test which the Master himself wanted you to apply to any would be
claimant to prophethood? He had said: "BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. DO MEN GATHER GRAPES
FROM THE THORNS, OR FIGS FROM THE THISTLES? EVERY GOOD TREE WILL BEAR GOOD FRUIT AN D
EVERY EVIL TREE WILL BEAR EVIL FRUIT....BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. (Matthew 7:16-20).

Why are you afraid to apply this test to the teachings of Muhammad? You will find in the Last Testament of God - the Holy
Qur'an - the true fulfillment of the teachings of Moses and Jesus which will bring to the world the much-needed peace and
happiness. "IF A MAN LIKE MOHAMED WERE TO ASSUME THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE MODERN WORLD, HE WOULD SUCCEED IN SOLVING ITS PROBLEMS THAT WOULD BRING IT THE MUCH NEEDED PEACE
AND HAPPINESS." (George Bernard Shaw)

The Greatest!
The Weekly Newsmagazine "TIME" dated July 15, 1974, carried a selection of opinions by various historians, writers, military
men, businessmen and others on the subject: "Who Were History's Great Leaders?" Some said that it was Hitler; others
said-Gandhi, Buddha, Lincoln and the like. But Jules Masserman, a United States psychoanalyst put the standards straight by
giving the correct criteria wherewith to judge. He said: "LEADERS MUST FULFILL THREE FUNCTIONS:-
(1) Provide for the well-being of the led,
(2) Provide a social organization in which people feel relatively secure
and
(3) Provide them with one set of beliefs."

With the above three criteria he searches history and analyses - Hitler, Pasteur, Gaesar, Moses, Confucius and the lot, and
ultimately concludes:

"PEOPLE LIKE PASTEUR AND SALK ARE LEADERS IN THE FIRST SENSE. PEOPLE LIKE GANDHI AND
CONFUCIUS, ON ONE HAND, AND ALEXANDER, CAESAR AND HITLER ON THE OTHER, ARE LEADERS IN
THE SECOND AND PERHAPS THE THIRD SENSE. JESUS AND BUDDHA BELONG IN THE THIRD CATEGORY
ALONE. PERHAPS THE GREATEST LEADER OF ALL TIMES WAS MOHAMMED, WHO COMBINED ALL
THREE FUNCTIONS. To a lesser degree, MOSES DID THE SAME."

According to the objective standards set by the Professor of the Chicago University, whome I believe to be Jewish, - JESUS
and BUDDHA are now - here in the picture of the "Great Leaders of Mankind", but by a queer coincidence groups Moses and
Muhummed together thus adding further weight to the argu ment that JESUS is not like MOSES, but MUHUMMED is like
MOSES: Deut.18:18 "LIKE UNTO THEE" - Like MOSES!

In conclusion, I end with a quotation of a Christian Reverend the commentator of the Bible, followed by that of his Master:

"THE ULTIMATE CRITERION OF A TRUE PROPHET IS THE MORAL CHARACTER OF HIS
TEACHING."(Prof.Dummelow.)

"BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM." (Jesus Christ)
 

A concluding suggestion : Come let us reason together !

SAY:"O PEOPLE OF THE BOOK!
COME TO COMMON TERMS AS BETWEEN US AND YOU:
THAT WE WORSHIP NONE BUT GOD;
THAT WE ASSOCIATE NO PARTNERS WITH HIM;
THAT WE ERECT NOT, FROM AMONG OURSELVES,
LORDS AND PATRONS OTHER THAN GOD."
IF THEN THEY TURN BACK,
SAY:"BEAR WITNESS THAT WE (AT LEAST)
ARE MUSLIMS (BOWING TO GOD'S WILL)."
(Holy Qur'an 3:64)

"PEOPLE OF THE BOOK" is the respectful title given to the Jews and the Christians in the Holy Qur'an. The Muslims is here
commanded to invite - "O People of the Book!" - O Learned People! O People who claim to be the recipients of Divine
Revelation, of a Holy Scripture; let us gather together onto a common platform - "that we worship none but God", because
none but God is worthy of worship, not because "THE LORD THY GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD VISITING THE INIQUITY
OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN UNTO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THEM THAT
HATE ME."(Exodus 20:25). But because He is our Lord and Cherisher, our Sustainer and Evolver, worthy of all praise,
prayer and devotion.

In the abstract the Jews and the Christians would agree to all the three propositions contained in this Qur'anic verse. In practice
they fail. Apart from doctrinal lapses from the unity of the One True God, (ALLAH_ Subha-nahu wa ta-ala) there is the
question of a consecrated Priesthood (among the J ews it was hereditary also), as if a mere human being - Cohe or Pope, or
Priest, or Brahuman, - could claim superiority apart from his learning and the purity of his life, or could stand between man and
God in some special sense. ISLAM DOES NOT RECOGNISE PRIESTHOOD!

The Creed of Islam is given to us here in a nutshell from Holy Qur'an:

Say ye: "We believe in Allah,
And the revelation given to us,
And to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac,
Jacob, and the Tribes,
And that given to Moses and Jesus
And that given to (all)
Prophets from their Lord:
We make no difference
Between one and another of them:
And we bow to Allah (in Islam)."
(Holy Qur'an 2:136).

The Muslim position is clear. The Muslim does not claim to have a religion peculiar to himself. Islam is not a sect or an ethnic
religion. In its view all Religion is one, for the Truth is one. IT WAS THE SAME RELIGION PREACHED BY ALL THE
EARLIER PROPHETS. (Holy Qur'an 42:13). It was the truth taug ht by all the inspired Books. In essence it amounts to a
consciousness of the Will and Plan of God and a joyful submission to that Will and Plan. IF ANYONE WANTS A
RELIGION OTHER THAN THAT, HE IS FALSE TO HIS OWN NATURE, AS HE IS FALSE TO GOD'S WILL AND
PLAN. Such a one cannot expect guidance, for he has deliberately renounced guidance.
 

NOTES
(1) This refers to Moses. See Yusuf Ali's commentaries Nos. 4783/4 to this verse.

(2) Christian exegesists give progressive numerical values by sixes, to the English alphabet and add up to get the total 666.
i.e.A=6,B=12,C=18, D=24 and so on. Progression by 6's because the number of the Beast in the Bible is "666". Try it for
Dr.Kissinger.

(3) The writer has just delivered another talk in the City Hall, Durban on the 10th December, 1975 on the subject "Muhummed
the Greatest".

(4) "Dominee" is the Afrikaans equivalent of priest, parson and predikant.

(5) One of the Provinces of the Republic of South Africa.

(6) The word "Messiah" comes from the Arabic and Hebrew word masaha which means to rub, to massage, to annoint. The
religious significance is "the one who is anointed' - priests and kings were anointed in consecration to their offices. Messiah
translated Christ does not mean God. Even the heathen C yrus is called "Christ" in the Bible, (Isaiah 45:1)

(7) Muhummed is mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon 5:16. The Hebrew word used there is Muhammuddim. The end
letters IM is plural of respect majesty and grandeur. Minus "im" the name would be Muhamudd translated as "altogether lovely"
in the Authorized Version of the Bible or 'The Praised One' 'the one worthy of Praise' i.e. MUHUMMED!

(8) If this lecture is translated into any language, please change the Afrikaans words into the local dialect; and do not try a free
hand translation of the Biblical quotation. Obtain a Bible in the language in which translation is being made and transcribe exactly
as the words occur in that Bible.

(9) Please open the Holy Qur'an 3:42 and 19:16 where the birth of Jesus is spoken about; read it with the commentary, note the
high position which Jesus and his mother occupy in Islam.

(10) Write for "Was Christ Crucified?" by the writer, free on request.

(11) According to the Bible Abraham's name was Abram before it was changed by God to Abraham.

(12) There are today Arabic Bibles in Fourteen different scripts and dialects for the Arabs alone. See "The Gospels in many
tongues", obtainable from the Bible Society.

(13) The Christian theologians are ignorant of even the "name of God. Because "God" is not a name, and "Father" is also not a
name. What's his name? See "Muhummed-the Natural Successor to Christ", by the author, available free.

(14) The Jews were expecting a single Messiah not two.

(15) See the "TIMES" Magazine December 30th, 1974, article "How true is the Bible?" And write for your free copy of
"50,000 Errors in the Bible? a reproduction from the Christian Magazine "AWAKE!" September 8, 1957.

(15) How the word Messiah was transmuted to Christ? Write for booklet above, reference 13.

                                        END OF LECTURE
 
 


 

You Must Know that Man

You may be an atheist or an agnostic or you may belong to any of the religious denominations that exist in the world today. You may have been a Communist or a believer in democracy and freedom. No matter what you are, and no matter what your religious and political beliefs, personal and social habits happen to be— YOU STILL MUST KNOW THIS MAN!

He was by far the most remarkable man that ever set foot on this earth. He preached a religion, founded a state, built a nation, laid down a moral code, initiated numberless social and political reforms, established a dynamic and powerful society to practice and represent his teachings, and he revolutionized the worlds of human thought and human action for all time.

His name was Muhammad (peace and blessings of Almighty Creator be upon him)—and he accomplished all these wonders in the unbelievably short span of twenty-three years.

Muhammad (pbuh) was born in Arabia on the '0th of August, 570 CE, and when he died at the age of 63, the whole of the Arabian Peninsula had changes from paganism and idol worship to the worship of One God; from tribal quarrels and wars to national solidarity and cohesion; from drunkenness and debauchery to sobriety and piety; from lawlessness and anarchy to disciplined living; from utter moral bankruptcy to the highest standards of moral excellence. Human history has never known such a complete transformation of a people or a place before or since.

The Encyclopedia Britannica calls him "the most successful of all religious personalities of the world." Bernard Shaw said, "if Muhammad (pbuh) were alive today, he would succeed in solving all those problems which threaten to destroy human civilization in our times." Thomas Carlysle was amazed as to how one man, single-handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering Bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades. Napoleon and Gandhi never tired of dreaming of a society along the lines established by this man in Arabia fourteen centuries ago.

Indeed no other human being ever accomplished so much, in such diverse fields of human thought and behavior, in so limited a space of time, as did Muhammad (pbuh). He was a religious teacher, a social reformer, a moral guide, a political thinker, a military genius, an administrative colossus, a faithful friend, a wonderful companion, a devoted husband, a loving father—all in one. No other man in history ever excelled or equaled him in any of these difficult departments of life.

The world has had its share of great personalities. But these were one-sided figures who distinguished themselves in but one or two fields, such as religious thought or military leadership. None of the other great leaders of the world ever combined within himself so many different qualities to such an amazing level of perfection as did Muhammad (pbuh).

The lives and teachings of other great personalities of the world are shrouded in the mist of time. There is so much speculation about the time and the place of their birth, the mode and style of their life, the nature and detail of their teachings and the degree and measure of their success or failure that it is impossible for humanity today to reconstruct accurately and precisely the lives and teachings of those men.

Not so this man Muhammad (pbuh). Not only was he born in the fullest blaze of recorded history, but every detail of his private and public life, of his actions and utterances, has been accurately documented and faithfully preserved to our day. The authenticity of the information so preserved is vouched for not only by faithful followers but also by unbiased critics and open-minded scholars.

At the level of ideas there is no system of thought and belief—secular or religious, social or political —which could surpass or equal ISLAM—the system which Muhammad (pbuh) propounded. In a fast-changing world, while other systems have undergone profound transformations, Islam alone has remained above all change and mutation, and retained its original form for the past 1400 years. What is more, the positive changes that are taking place in the world of human thought and behavior truly and consistently reflect the healthy influence of Islam in these areas.

It is not given to the best of thinkers to put their ideas completely into practice, and to see the seeds of their labors grow and bear fruit in their own lifetime. Except of course, Muhammad (pbuh), who not only preached the most wonderful ideas but also successfully translated each one of them into practice. At the time of his death his teachings were not mere precepts and ideas straining for fulfillment. They had become the very core of the life of tens of thousands of perfectly trained individuals. At what other time or place and in relation to what other political, social, religious system, philosophy or ideology—did the world ever witness such a perfectly amazing phenomenon? Except of course, ISLAM, which was established as a complete way of life by Muhammad (pbuh)himself. History bears testimony to this fact and the greatest skeptics have no option but to concede this point.

In spite of the phenomenal success which crowned his efforts, he did not for a moment claim to be God or God's incarnation or Son —but only a human being who was chosen and ordained by the Creator to be a teacher of truth to mankind and a complete model and pattern for their actions.

He was a man with a noble and exalted mission —and his unique mission was to unite humanity in the worship of the One and only God and to teach them the way to honest and upright living in accordance with the laws and commands of God. He always described himself as a Messenger and servant of God, as indeed every single action and movement of his proclaimed him to be.

A world which has not hesitated to raise to Divinity individuals whose very lives and missions have been lost in legend and who, historically speaking, did not accomplish half as much—or even one tenth—as was accomplished by Muhammad (pbuh), should stop to take serious note of this remarkable man's claim to be God's messenger to mankind.

Today, after the lapse of some 1400 years, the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), have survived without the slightest loss, alteration or interpolation. Today they offer the same undying hope for treating mankind's many ills which they did when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was alive. This is our honest claim and this is the inescapable conclusion forced upon us by a critical and unbiased study of history.

The least YOU should do as a thinking, sensitive, concerned human being is to stop for one brief moment and ask yourself: Could it be that these statements, extraordinary and revolutionary as they sound, are really true? Supposing they really are true, and you did not know this man Muhammad (pbuh) or hear about his teachings? Or did not know him well and intimately enough to be able to benefit from his guidance and example? Is it not time you responded to this tremendous challenge and made some effort to know him? It will not cost you anything but it may well prove to be the beginning of a completely new era in your life.

Come, let us make a new discovery, the life of this wonderful man Muhammad (pbuh), the like of whom never walked on this earth, and whose example and teachings can change YOUR life and OUR world for the better. May God shower His choicest blessings upon him!

Written by SH. Pasha



 

 

     CHRIST IN ISLAM

                                                           BY AHMED DEEDAT
 
 
 

CHAPTER 1 : CHRISTIAN MUSLIM RESPONSES
 
 

DEBATE ON TV

At the end of the debate - "Christianity and Islam" - which appeared on

the SABC-TV programme "CROSS (+) QUESTIONS" on Sunday 5th June 1983, the

Chairman, Mr.Bill Chalmers commented:

"I think it can be said from this descussion that there is ,at present,

somewhat more accommodation on the Islamic side for the founder of Chris

tianity than there is on the Christian side for the founder of Islam.

What the significance of that is, we leave it to you, the viewer, to

determine, but I do think you will agree that it is a good thing that we

are talking together." "BILL" as he is popularly addressed, without any

formalities, on all his programmes, by all his panelists, is extremely

charming and stupendous in his humility. He is a picture of what the

Holy Quran portrays of a good Christian:
 
 

"...AND NEAREST AMONG THEM IN LOVE

TO THE BELIEVERS WILT THOU FIND

THOSE WHO SAY, "WE ARE CHRISTIANS"1:

BECAUSE AMONG THESE ARE MEN DEVOTED TO LEARNING

AND MEN WHO HAVE RENOUNDED THE WORLD.

AND THEY ARE NOT ARROGANT."

HOLY QURAN 5:58
 
 

JESUS - HIS STATUS

Were the Muslims on the panel, trying to placate the viewers out of

policy, deceit or diplomacy ? Nothing of the kind! They were only arti-

culating what God Almighty had commanded them to say in the Holy Quran.

As Muslim they had no choice. They had said in so many words - "WE MUS-

LIMS BELIEVE, THAT JESUS WAS ONE OF THE MIGHTIEST MESSENGERS OF GOD,

THAT HE WAS THE CHRIST, THAT HE WAS BORN MIRACULOUSLY - WITHOUT ANY MALE

INTERVENTION (which many modern-day Christians do not believe today),

THAT HE GAVE LIFE TO THE DEAD BY GOD'S PERMISSION, AND THAT HE HEALED

THOSE BORN BLIND AND THE LEPERS BY GOD'S PERMISSION. IN FACT NO MUSLIM

IS A MUSLIM IF HE DOES NOT BELIEVE IN JESUS!"
 
 

PLEASANT SURPRISE

Over 90% of the people who witnessed this debate must have been pleasant

ly, but sceptically, surprised. They might have not believed their ears.

They must have surmised that the Muslims were playing to the gallery-tha

they were trying to curry favour with their fellow Christian countrymen;

that if the Muslims would say a few good words about Jesus, then in reci

rocation the Christians might say a few good words about Muhummed (May

the Peace and the Blessings of God be upon all His righteous servents-

like Moses, Jesus, Muhummed ); that I scratch your back and you scratch

my back - which would be a sham or hypocrisy.
 
 

HATE CULTIVATED

We cannot blame the Christians for their scepticism. They have been so

programmed for centuries. They were trained to think the worst of the ma

Muhummed (pbuh) and his religion. How aptly did Thomas Carlyle say about

his Christian brethren over a hundred and fifty years ago - "THE LIES

WHICH WELLMEANING ZEAL HAS HEAPED ROUND THIS MAN (Muhummed) ARE DISGRACE

FUL TO OURSELVES ONLY." We Muslims are partly responsible for this stagg

ring ignorance of the 1,200,000,000 Christians of the world. We have not

done anything substantial to remove the cobwebs.
 
 

OCEAN OF CHRISTIANITY

South Africa is an ocean of Christianity. If Libya boasts the highest

percentage of Muslims on the continent of Africa, then the Republic of

South Africa would also be entitled to boast the highest percentage of

Christians. In this ocean of Christianity - the R.S.A. - the Muslim is

barely 2% of the total population. We are a voteless minority-numericall

we count for nothing; politically, we count for nothing, and economica-

lly, one white man, as Oppenheimer, could buy out the whole lot of us,

lock, stock and barrel.
 
 

So, if we had feigned to appease, we might be excused. But no! We must

proclaim our Master's Will; we must declare the Truth, whether we liked

it or not. In the words of Jesus (pbuh): "Seek ye the truth, and the

truth shall set you free" - (John 9:32).
 

CHAPTER 2: JESUS IN THE QURAN
 
 

CHRISTIANS UNAWARE

The Christian does not know that the true spirit of charity which the

Muslim displays, always, towards Jesus and his mother Mary spring from

the fountainhead of his faith- the Holy Quran. He does not know that the

Muslim does not take the holy name of Jesus, in his own language, withou

saying Hazrat Eesa (meaning revered Jesus) or Eesa alai-hiss-salaam i.e.

( Jesus peace be upon him).
 
 

Every time the Muslim mentions the name Jesus (pbuh) without these words

of respect, he would be considered disrespectful, uncouth or barbaric.

The Christian does not know that in the Holy Quran Jesus (pbuh) is men-

tioned by name five times (5x) more than the number of times the prophet

of Islam is mentioned in the Book of God. To be exact - twenty five time

as against five. For example:
 
 

"..WE GAVE JESUS  THE SON OF MARY CLEAR SIGNS AND

STRENGTHENED HIM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT"

HOLY QURAN 2:87
 
 

"..O MARY! GOD GIVETH THEE GLAD TIDINGS OF A WORD FROM HIM:

HIS NAME WILL BE CHRIST JESUS, THE SON OF MARY.."

HOLY QURAN 3:45
 
 

"..CHRIST JESUS THE SON OF MARY WAS (NO MORE THAN)

AN APOSTLE OF GOD.."   HOLY QURAN 4:171
 

 

"..AND IN THEIR (the previous Prophets') FOOTSTEPS WE SENT

JESUS THE SON OF MARY.."         HOLY QURAN 5:49
 
 

"AND ZAKARIYA AND JOHN, AND JESUS AND ELIAS:

ALL IN THE RANKS OF THE RIGHTEOUS:" HOLY QURAN 6:85
 

 

JESUS - HIS TITLES

Though Jesus is mentioned by name in twenty-five places in the Holy Qura

he is also addressed with respect as:"Ibne Maryam" - son of Mary;as Masi

(Heb) Messiah - translated as Christ; "Abd-ullah" servant of Allah;"Rasu

-Ullah" - Messenger of Allah.
 
 

He is spoken of as "the word of God", as "the spirit of God", as a "Sign

of God", and numerous other epithets of honour spread over fifteen diffe

rent chapters. The Holy Quran honours this mighty Messenger of God, and

the Muslims have not fallen short over the past fourteen hundred years i

doing the same. There is not a single disparaging remark in the entire

Quran to which even the most jaundiced among the Christians can take

exception.
 
 

"EESA" LATINISED TO JESUS

The Holy Quran refers to Jesus as "Eesa", and this name is used more

times than any other title, because this was his "Christian"1 name. Actu

ally, his proper name was "Eesa" (Arabic), or "Esau". (Hebrew); classica

"Yeheshua", which the Christian nations of the West Latinised as Jesus.

Neither the "J" nor the second "s" in the name Jesus is to be found in

the original tongue - they are not found in the Semitic languages.
 
 

The word is very simply - "E S A U" - a very common Jewish name, used

more than sixty times in the very first booklet aloneof the Bible, in th

part called "Genesis". There was at least one "Jesus" sitting on the"ben

ch" at the trialof Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Josephus the Jewish histo

rian mentions some twenty five Jesus' in his "Book of Antiquities". The

New Testament speaks of "Bar-Jesus"- a magician and a sorcerer, a false

prophet (Act 13:6); and also "Jesus-Justus" - a Christian missionary,

a contemporary of Paul (Colossians 4:11). These are distinct from Jesus

the son of Mary. Transforming "Esau" to (J)esu(s) - Jesus - makes it

unique. This unique (?) name has gone out of currency among the Jews and

the Christians from the 2nd century after Christ. Among the Jews, becaus

it came to be the proper name of their God(?) - their God incarnate. The

Muslim will not hesitate to name his son - "Eesa" - because it is an

honoured name, the name of a righteous servant of the Lord.
 
 

MANY REFERENCES

At the end of the most popular translation of the Holy Quran in English,

i.e. by A.Yusuf Ali2, there is a very comprehensive index. While browsin

through3, we will discover, on page 1837, i.e. Jesus, a rightenous prophet, vi.85;

birth, iii. 45:47; xix. 22-33; apostle to Israel, iii. 49-51; disciples, iii. 52-53; v.114-118

taken up, iii. 55-58; iv.157-159; like Adam, iii.59; not crucified, iv.157;

no more than apostle, iv.171; v.78; xliii 59, 63-64; not God, v.19,75;

sent with Gospel, v.49; not son of God, ix.30; Message and miracles, v.113; xix.30-33;

prays for Table of viands, v.117; taught no false worship, v.119-121;

disciples declare themselves Muslims, v.114; mission limited, n.1861 to xiii.38;

followers have compassion and mercy, lvii.27: disciples as God's helpers, lxi.14;

as a Sign, xxiii. 50; xliii.61; prophesied Ahmad, lxi.6.

CHAPTER 3 : MOTHER AND SON
 
 

MARY HONOURED

The second above mentioned topic - "his birth" - are described in two

places - Sura 3 and Sura 19. Reading from the beginning of his birth, on

page 134 of the translation under reference, we come across the story of

Mary, and the esteemed position which she occupies in the house of Islam

before the actual annunciation of the birth of Jesus is given:
 
 

BEHOLD! THE ANGELS SAID: "O MARY! GOD HATH CHOSEN THEE

AND PURIFIED THEE- CHOSEN THEE ABOVE THE WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS2."
 HOLY QURAN 3:42

 
 

"Chosen thee above the women of all nations." Such an honour is not be b

found given to Mary even in the Christian Bible! The verse continue:
 
 

"O MARY! WORSHIP THY LORD DEVOUTLY: PROSTRATE THYSELF,

AND BOW DOWN (IN PRAYER) WITH THOSE WHO BOW DOWN."

HOLY QURAN 3:43

DIVINE REVELATION

What is the source of this beautiful and sublime recitation which,in its

original Arabic, moves men to ecstacy and tears? Verse 44 below explains
 
 

THIS IS PART OF THE TIDINGS OF THE THINGS UNSEEN,

WHICH WE REVEAL UNTO THEE (O APOSTLE!) BY INSPIRATION:

THOU WAST NOT WITH THEM WHEN THEY CAST LOTS WITH ARROWS,

AS TO WHICH OF THEM SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH THE CARE OF MARY:

NOR WAST THOU WITH THEM WHEN THEY DISPUTED (THE POINT).

HOLY QURAN 3:44
 

 

MARY'S BIRTH

The story is that the maternal grandmother of Jesus, Hannan,had hitherto

been barren. She poured out her heart to God:If only God will grant her

child, she would surely dedicate such a child for the service of God in

the temple.
 
 

ANTI-CLIMAX

God granted her prayer and Mary was born. She was disappointed. She was

yearning for a son, but instead she delivered a daughter; and in no way

is the female like the male, for what she had in mind. What was she to

do? She had made a vow to God. She waited for Mary to be big enough to

fend for herself.
 
 

When the time came, Hannah took her darling daughter to the temple, to

hand over for temple services. Every priest was clamouring to be the god

father of this lovely child. They cast lots with arrows for her - like

the tossing of the coin - head or tail ? Eventually she fell to the lot

of Zakariya, but not without a dispute.
 
 

THE SOURCE OF HIS MESSAGE

This was the story. But where did Muhummed (pbuh) get this knowledge

from? He was an Ummi (unlettered). He did not know how to read or write.

He is made by God Almighty to answer this very question in the verse

above, by saying that it was all "by divine inspiration". "No!", says th

controversialist. "This is Muhummed'sown concoction. He copied his reve-

lations from the Jews and Christians. He plagiarised it. He forged it."
 
 

Knowing full-well, and believing as we do, that the whole Quran is the

veritable Word of God, we will nevertheless agree, for the sake of argu-

ment, with the enemies of Muhummed (pbuh) for a moment, that he wrote it

We can now expect some cooperation from the unbeliever.
 
 

Ask him, "Have you any qualms in agreeing that Muhummed (pbuh) was an

Arab?" Only an opinionated fool will hesitate to agree. In that case

there is no sense in pursuing any discussion. Cut short the talk. Close

the book!
 
 

With the man of reason, we proceed. "That this Arab, in the first ins-

tance, was addressing other Arabs. He was not talking to Indian Muslims,

Chinese Muslims, or Nigerian Muslims. He was addressing his own people -

the Arabs. Whether they agreed with him or not, he told them in the most

sublime form - words that were seared into the hearts and minds of his

listeners that Mary the mother of Jesus - A JEWESS - was chosen above th

women of all nations. Not his own mother, nor his wife nor his daughter,

nor any other Arab woman, but a Jewess! Can one explain this? Because to

everyone his own mother or wife, or daughter would come before any other

women.

Why would the Prophet of Islam honour a woman from his opposition! and a

Jewess at that! belonging to a race which had been looking down upon his

people for three thousand years? Just as they still look down upon their

Arab brethren today.
 
 

SARAH AND HAGAR

The Jews get their cock-eyed racism from their Holy Bible, where they ar

told that their father, Abraham, had two wives - Sarah and Hagar. They

say that they are the children of Abraham through Sarah his legitimate

wife; that their Arab brethren have descended through Hagar, a "bond-

woman", and that as such, the Arabs are an inferior breed. (In fact,

Hager was not a bond-woman but an Egyptian princess )
 
 

Will anyone please explain the anomaly as to why Muhummed (pbuh) (if he

is the author) chose this Jewess for such high honour? The answer is sim

ple - HE HAD NO CHOICE - he had no right to speak of his own desire. "IT

IS NO LESS THAN AN INSPIRATION SENT DOWN TO HIM." (H.Q.53:4)
 
 

SURA MARYAM

There is a Chapter in the Holy Quran, named Sura Maryam "Chapter Mary"

(XIX) named in honour of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ (pbuh); again,

such an honour is not to be found given to Mary in the Christian Bible.

Out of the 66 books of the Protestants and 73 of the Roman Catholics,

not one is named after Mary or her son. You will find books named after

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul and two score more obscure names,

but not a single one is that of Jesus or Mary!
 
 

If Muhummed (pbuh) was the author of the Holy Quran, then he would not

have failed to include in it with MARYAM, the mother of Jesus, his own

mother - AMINA, his dear wife - KHADIJA, OR HIS BELOVED daughter-FATIMA.

But No!No! this can never be. The Quran is not his handiwork!
 
 

CHAPTER 4 : THE GOOD NEWS
 
 

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 HONOUR

IN THIS WORLD AND THE HEREAFTER AND (OF THE COMPANY OF)

THOSE NEAREST TO GOD;

HOLY QURAN 3:45
 

 

"Nearest to God," not physically nor geographically, but spiritually.

Compare this with - "And (Jesus) sat on the right hand of God."(Mark -

16:19). The bulk of Christendom has misunderstood this verse as well as

many others in the Bible. They imagine the Father (God) sitting on a

throne - a glorified chair - and His "son", Jesus, sitting on His right

hand side. Can you conjure up the picture? If you do, you have strayed

from the true knowledge of God. He is no old Father Christmas. He is a

spiritual Being, beyond the imagination of the mind of man. He exists.

He is real, but He is not like anything we can think of, or imagine. In

eastern languages "right hand" meant a place of honour, which the Holy

Quran more fittingly describes as - "IN THE COMPANY OF THOSE NEAREST TO

GOD."
 
 

The above verse confirms that Jesus is the CHRIST, and that he is the

WORD which God bestowed upon Mary. Again, the Christian reads into these

words, a meaning which they do not carry. They equate the word "Christ"

with the idea of a godincarnate; and the word from God to be God!.
 
 

CHRIST NOT A NAME

The word CHRIST is derived from the Hebrew word Messiah, Arabic-Masih.

Root word m-a-s-a-h-a, meaning to rub, to massage, to anoint. Priests an

kings were anointed when being consecrated to their offices. But in its

translated, Grecian form "CHRIST", it seems unique:befitting Jesus only.
 
 

The Christian has a knack of transmuting baser metals into shining gold.

What he is wont to do is to translate names into his own language like

"cephas" to Peter, "messiah" to Christ. How does he do that? Very easily

MESSIAH in Hebrew means anointed. The Greek word for anointed is "chris-

tos". Just lop off the 'os' from christos and you are left with christ.

Now change the little 'c' to a capital 'C', and "hey, presto!" he has

created a unique (?) name! Christos means ANOINTED, and anointed means

APPOINTED in its religious connotation. Jesus (pbuh) was appointed (anoi

ted) at his baptism by John the Baptist, as God's Messenger.Every Prophe

of God is so anointed or appointed. The Holy Bible is replete with the

"anointed" ones. In the original Hebrew - made a "messiah". Let us keep

to the English translation - "anointed." Not only were prophets and pri-

ests and kings anointed (christos-ed), but borns, and cherubs and lamp-

posts also.
 
 

I am the God of Beth-el, where you ANOINTED a pillar.....

Genesis 31:13
 
 

If the priest that is ANOINTED do sin....

Leviticus 4:3
 
 

And Moses....ANOINTED the tabernacle and all things that was therein...

Leviticus 8:10
 
 

...THE LORD SHALL....EXALT THE HORN OF HIS ANOINTED

1 Samuel 2:10
 
 

Thus saith the Lord to his ANOINTED to Cyrus....

Isaiah 45:1
 
 

Thou art the ANOINTED cherub....

Ezekiel 28:14
 
 

There are a hundred more such references in the Holy Bible. Everytime yo

come across the word ANOINTED in your English Bible, you can take it tha

that word would be christos in the Greek translations, and if you take

the same liberty with the word that the Christians have done, you will

have - Christ Cherub, Christ Cyrus, Christ Priest and Christ Pillar, etc
 
 

SOME TITLES EXCLUSIVE

Although, every prophet of God is an ANOINTED one of God - a Messiah,

the title "Masih" or "Messiah" or its translation "CHRIST" is exclusivel

reserved for Jesus, the son of Mary, in both Islam and in Christianity.

This is not unusual in religion. There are certain other honorific title

which may be applied to more than one prophet, yet being made exclusive

to one by usage: like "Rasul-lullah", meaning Messenger of God, which ti

tle is applied to both Moses (19:51) and Jesus (61:6) in the Holy Quran.

Yet "Rasul-lullah" has become synonymous only with the Prophet of Islam

among Muslims.
 
 

Every prophet is indeed a FRIEND OF GOD, but its Arabic equivalent "Kha-

lil-lullah" is exclusively associated with Father Abraham. This does not

mean that the others are not God's friends. "Kalimul-lah" (One who spoke

with God) is never used for anyone other than Moses, yet we believe that

God spoke with all His Messengers, including Jesus and Muhummed (May the

Peace and Blessings of God be upon all His servants). Associating certai

titles with certain personages only, does not make them exclusive or uni

que in any way. We honour all in varying terms.
 
 

Whilst the good news was being announded (verse 45 above) Mary was told

that her unborn child will be called Jesus, that he would be the Christ,

a "Word" from God, and that.....
 
 

"HE SHALL SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE IN CHILDHOOD*

AND IN MATURITY. AND HE SHALL BE (OF THE COMPANY) OF

THE RIGHTEOUS."

Holy Quran 3:46
 
 

* This prophecy found fulfilment within a very short time. We find this

in Sura Maryam below:
 
 

AT LENGTH SHE BROUGHT HIM (THE BABE) TO HER PEOPLE,

CARRYING HIM (IN HER ARMS). THEY SAID:"O MARY!

TRULY AN-AMAZING THING HAST THOU BROUGHT! O SISTER OF AARON

THY FATHER WAS NOT A MAN OF EVIL NOR THY MOTHER A WOMAN UNCHASTE!"

Holy Quran 19:27-28
 

 

JEWS AMAZED

There is no Joseph the carpenter here. The circumstances being peculiar,

Mary the mother of Jesus had retired herself to some remote place in the

East (H.Q.19:16). After the birth of the child she returns.
 
 

"The amazement of the people knew no bounds. In any case they were prepa

red to think the worst of her, as she had disappeared from her kin for

some time. But now she comes, shamelessly parading a babe in her arms!

How she had disgraced the house of Aaron, the fountain of priesthood!
 
 

"SISTER OF AARON: Mary is reminded of her high lineage and the unexcep-

tionable morals of her father and mother. How, they said, she had fallen

and disgraced the name of her progenitors!
 
 

"What could Mary do? How could she explain? Would they, in their censori

ous mood accept her explanation? All she could do was to point to the

child, who, she knew, was no ordinary child. And the child came to her

rescue. By a miracle he spoke, defended his mother, and preached -to an

unbelieving audience."

A.Yusuf Ali, comments in his notes 2480-2482 on page 773

of his translation.
 
 

BUT SHE POINTED TO THE BABE. THEY SAID: "HOW CAN WE TALK

TO ONE WHO IS A CHILD IN THE CRADLE?"

HOLY QURAN 19:23

And by a miracle he spoke:
 

HE SAID: "I AM INDEED A SERVANT OF GOD:

HE HATH GIVEN ME REVELATION AND MADE ME A PROPHET;

"AND HE HATH MADE ME BLESSED WHERESOEVER I BE,

AND HE HATH ENJOINED ON ME PRAYER AND CHARITY AS LONG AS I LIVE

"(HE) HATH MADE ME KIND TO MY MOTHER,

AND NOT OVERBEARING OR MISERABLE; "SO PEACE IS ON ME

THE DAY I WAS BORN, THE DAY THAT I DIE, AND THE DAY

THAT I SHALL BE RAISED UP TO LIFE (AGAIN)!"

Holy Quran 19:24-33
 
 

HIS FIRST MIRACLE(S)

Thus Jesus (pbuh) defended his mother from the grave calumny and innuen-

does of her enemies. This is the very first miracle attributed to Jesus

in the Holy Quran - that, he spoke as an infant from his mother's arms.

Contrast this with his first miracle in the Christian Bible which occure

when he was over thirty years of age:
 
 

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother

of Jesus was there:

And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, they

have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour

is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the

purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled

them up to the brim.

And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the

feast. And they bare it.

When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and

knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;)

the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning both set forth good wine;

and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse:but thou hast kep

the good wine until now.

John 2:1-10
 
 

Since this miracle, wine has flowed like water in Christendom. Many a

fool reasons that what was good for his Master is good enough for him.

Jesus was no "Kill-joy" they say. Didn't he make good potent wine, that

even those "well drunk", those whose senses had been dulled could make

out the difference? - "THAT THE BEST WAS KEPT FOR THE LAST." This was no

pure grape juice. It was the same W-I-N-E that, according to the Christi

an Bible, enabled the daughters of Lot to seduce their father (Genesis-

19:32-33). It was the same W-I-N-E which the Christian is advised to

eschew in Ephesians 5:18 - "And be not drunk with WINE...."
 
 

It is that innocent (?) 1% potency that eventually leads millions down

into the gutter. America has 10 million drunkards in the midst of 70 mil

lion "born-again" Christians! The Americans call their drunkards -

"PROBLEM DRINKERS". In South Africa, they are called "ALCOHOLICS" -

drunkard is too strong a word for people to stomach.
 
 

But the Prime Minister of Zambia, Dr.Kenneth Kaunda, does not hesitate

to call a spade a spade. He says, "I am not prepared to lead nation of

drunkards" - referring to his own people who drink intoxicants.
 
 

Whether the water "blushed" or not "seeing" Jesus, we cannot blame him

or his disciples for the drinking habits of his contemporaties. For he

had truly opined, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot

bear them now" (John 16:12). Mankind had nof reached the stage of recei-

ving the whole Truth of Islam. Did he not also say - "You cannot put new

wine into old bottles"? (Matthew 9:17)
 
 

"MOTHER" OR "WOMAN"?

"According" to St.John, in the fourth verse above, describing the marri-

age feast at Cana, we are told that Jesus (pbuh) behaved insolently to-

wards his mother. He calls her "WOMAN," and to rub more salt into the

wound he is made to say - "what have I to do with thee?" What connection

is there between you and me, or what have I got to do with you? Could he

have forgotten that this very "woman" had carried him for nine months,an

perhaps suckled him for 2 years, and had borne endles insults and inju-

ries on account of him? Is she not his mother ? Is there no word in his

language for "mother"?
 
 

Strange as it may seem, that while the missionaries boast about their

master's humility, meekness and long-suffering - they call him the"Princ

of Peace" and they sing hat - "he was led to the slaughter like a lamb,

and like a sheep who before his shearer is dumb, he opened not his mouth

yet they proudly record in the smae breath, that he was every ready with

invectives for the elders of his race, and was always itching for a show

down i.e. if their records are true:-
 
 

"Ye hypocrites!"

"Ye wicked and adulterous generation!"

"Ye whited sephulcres!"

"Ye generation of vipers!" and now to his mother -

"Woman....."
 
 

JESUS DEFENDED

Muhummed (pbuh) the Messenger of God, is made to absolve Jesus (pbuh)

from the false charges and calumnies of his enemies.
 
 

"AND HE (God Almighty) HATH MADE ME (Jesus) KIND

TO MY MOTHER, AND NOT OVERBEARING OR MISERABLE"

Holy Quran 19:32
 
 

On receiving the good news of the birth of a righteous son (end of H.Q.

3:46 ), Mary responds:
 
 

SHE SAID:

"O MY LORD! HOW SHALL I HAVE A SON WHEN NO MAN

HATH TOUCHED ME?"
 
 

The angel says in reply:
 
 

HE SAID"

"EVEN SO: GOD CREATETH WHAT HE WILLETH: WHEN HE HATH

DECREED A PLAN, HE BUT SAITH TO IT, 'BE,' AND IT IS!

"AND GOD WILL TEACH HIM THE BOOK AND WISDOM,

THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL,

HOLY QURAN 3:47-48
 
 

CHAPTER 5 : QURANIC AND BIBLICAL VERSIONS
 
 

MEETING THE REVEREND

One day, I was visiting the "Bible House" in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Whilst browsing through the stacks of Bibles and religious books, I

picked up an Indonesian Bible and had just taken in hand a Greek/English

New Testament - a large, expensive volume. I had not realised that I

was being observed by the supervisor of the Bible House. Casually, he

walked up to me. Perhaps my bread and my Muslim headgear were an attrac-

tion and a challenge? He enquired about my interest in that costly volu-

me. I explained that as a student of comparative religion, I had need fo

such a book. He invited me to have tea with him in his office. It was

very kind of him and I accepted.
 
 

Over the cup of tea, I explained to him the Muslim belief in Jesus. I ex

plained to him the very high position that Jesus (pbuh) occupied in the

House of Islam. He seemed sceptical about what I said. I was amazed at

his seeming ignorance, because only retired Reverend gentlemen can be-

come Supervisors of BIBLE HOUSES in South Africa. I began reciting from

verse 42 of Sura 3 -first in Arabic then in English
 
 

BEHOLD! THE ANGELS SAID: "O MARY!

ALLAH HATH CHOSEN THEE...
 

 

I wanted the Reverend to listen, not only to the meaning of the Quran,

but also to the music of its cadences when the original Arabic was reci-

ted. Rev.Dunkers (for that was his name) sat back and listened with rapt

attention to Allah's Kalaam (God's Word). When I reached the end of vers

49, the Reverend commented that the Quranic message was like that of his

own Bible. He said, he saw no difference between what he believed as a

Christian, and what I had read to him. I said: "that was true". If he ha

come across these verses in the English language alone without their Ara

bic equivalent, side by side, he would not have been able to guess in a

hundred years that he was reading the Holy Quran. If he were a Protestan

he would have thought that he was reading the Roman Catholic Version, if

he had not seen one, or the Jehovah's Witness Version or the Greek Ortho

dox Version, or the hundred and one other versions that he might not hav

seen; but he would never have quessed that he was reading the Holy Quran

The Christian would be reading here, in the Quran, everything hewanted

to hear about Jesus, but in a most noble, elevated and sublime language.

He could not help being moved by it.
 
 

In these eight terse verses from 42 to 49 we are told:
 
 

(a) That Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virtuous woman, and honoured

above the women of all nations.

(b) That all that was being said was God's own Revelation to Muhummed

(c) That Jesus was a "Word" from God.

(d) That he was the Christ that the Jews were waiting for.

(e) That God will empower this Jesus to perform miracles even in infancy

(f) That Jesus was born miraculously, without any male intervention.

(g) That God will vouchsafe him Revelation.

(h) That he will give life to the dead by God's permission, and that he

will heal those born blind and the lepers by God's permission, etc.etc.
 
 

CHALK AND CHEESE

The most fervent Christian cannot take exception to a single statement

or word here. But the difference between the Biblical and the Quranic

narratives is that between "chalk and cheese"!
 
 

"To me they are identical, what is the difference?" the Reverend asked.
 
 

I know that in their essentials both the stories agree in their details,

but when we scrutinise them closely we will discover that the difference

between them is staggering.
 
 

Now compare the miraculous conception as announced in verse 47 of the

Holy Quran with what the Holy Bible says:
 
 

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this wise: When as his mother Mary

was espoused to Joseph, BEFORE THEY CAME TOGETHER, (as husband and wife)

she was found with child OF THE HOLY GHOST."

Mathew 1:18
 
 

MASTER DRAMATISER

The eminent Billy Graham from the United States of America dramatised

this verse in front of 40 000 people in King Park, Durban - with his in-

dex finger sticking out and swinging his outstretched arm from right to

left, he said, "And the Holy Ghost came and impregnated Mary!" On the

other hand St.Luke tells us the very same thing but less crudely.He says

that when the annunciation was made, Mary was perturbed. Her natural rea

tion was -
 
 

"...How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" -

meaning sexually.
 
 

The Quranic narrative is:
 
 

SHE SAID: "O MY LORD! HOW SHALL I HAVE A SON

WHEN NO MAN HATH TOUCHED ME?" -meaning sexually.

Holy Quran 3:47
 
 
 
 

In essence there is no difference between these two statements "seeing I

know not a man" and "when no man hath touched me". Both the quotations

have an identical meaning. It is simply a choice of different words mea-

ning the same thing. But the respective replies to Mary's plea in the tw

Books (the Quran and the Bible) are revealing.
 
 

THE BIBLICAL VERSION
 
 

Says the Bible:

And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall COME

UPON THEE, and the power of the Highest shall OVERSHADOW THEE"

Luke 1:35
 
 

Can't you see that you are going the atheist, the sceptic, the agnostic

stick to beat you with? They may well ask- "How did the Holy Ghost come

upon Mary?" "How did the Highest over shadow her? We know that literally

it does not mean that: that it was an immaculate conception, but the lan

guage used here, is distasteful-gutter language-you agree!? Now contrast

this with the language of the Quran: THE QURANIC VERSION
 
 

HE SAID:(the angel says in reply) "EVEN SO: ALLAH CREATETH

WHAT HE WILLETH: WHEN HE HATH DECREED A PLAN,

HE BUT SAITH TO IT, 'BE', AND IT IS!"

Holy Quran 3:47
 

 

This is the Muslim concept of the birth of Jesus. For God to create a

Jesus, without a human father, He merely has to will it. If He wants to

create a million Jesus' without fathers or mothers, He merely has to wil

them into existence. He does not have to take seeds and transfer them,

like men or animals - by contact or artificial insemination. He wills

everything into being by His word of command "BE" and "IT IS".
 
 

There is nothing new in what I am telling you, I reminded the Reverend.I

is in the very first Book of your Holy Bible - Genesis 1:3 "And God said

..." What did He SAY? He SAID - "BE" and "IT WAS!" He did not have to

articulate the words. This is our way of understanding the word 'BE'-tha

He willed everything into being.
 
 

CHOICE FOR HIS DAUGHTER

"Between these two versions of the birth of Jesus (pbuh) - the Quranic

version and the Biblical version - which would you prefer to give your

daughter?" I asked the supervisor of the Bible House. He bowed his head

down in humility and admitted - "THE QURANIC VERSION."
 
 

How can "a forgery" or "an imitation" (as it is alleged of the Quran) be

better than the genuine, the original (as it is claimed for the Bible)?

It can never be, unless this Revelation to Muhummed (pbuh) is what it,

itself, claims to be viz. the pure and holy Word of God! There are a hun

dred different tests that the unprejudiced seeker after truth can apply

to the Holy Quran and it will qualify with flying colours to being a

Massage from on High.
 
 

LIKE ADAM

Does the miraculous birth of Jesus make him a God or a "begotten" son of

God? No! Says the Holy Quran:
 
 

THE SIMILITUDE OF JESUS BEFORE GOD IS THAT OF ADAM;

HE CREATED HIM FROM DUST, THEN SAID TO HIM:

'BE':AND HE WAS.

HOLY QURAN 3:59
 
 

"After a description of the high position which Jesus occupies as a Pro-

phet, In the preceding verses) we have a repudiation of the dogma that h

was God, or the son of God, or anything more than man. If it is said tha

he was born without a human father, Adam was also so born. Indeed Adam

was born without either a human father or mother. As far as our physical

bodies are concerned they are mere dust.

In God's sight Jesus was as dust just as Adam was or humanity is. The

greatness of Jesus arose from the divine command "Be". for after that he

was - more than dust - a great spititual leader and teacher."

A.Yusuf Ali's note 398 to verse 59 above.
 
 

The logic of it is that, if being born without a male parent entitles

Jesus to being equated with God, then, Adam would have a greater right

to such honour, and this no Christian would readily concede. Thus, the

Muslim is made to repudiate the Christian blasphemy.
 
 

Further, if the Christian splits hairs by arguing that Adam was "created

from the dust of the ground, whereas Jesus was immaculately "begotten"in

the womb of Mary, then let us remind him that, even according to his own

false standards. there is yet another person greater than Jesus, in his

own Bible. Who is this superman?
 
 

PAUL'S INNOVATION

"FOR THIS MELCHISEDEC, KING OF SALEM, PRIEST OF THE MOST HIGH GOD...."

"Without father, without mother, without descent, having NEITHER BEGINN-

ING of days, NOR END of life..."

HEBREWS 7:1&3
 
 

Here is a candidate for Divinity itself, for only God Almighty could

possess these qualities. Adam had a beginning (in the garden), Jesus had

a beginning (in the stable); Adam had an end and, claim the Christians,

so had Jesus "and he gave up the ghost". But where is Melchisedec? Per-

haps he is hibernating somewhere like Rip Van Winkel.
 
 

And what is this "Hebrews"? It is the name of one of the Books of the

Holy Bible, authored by the gallent St.Paul,the self appointed thirteent

apostle of Christ. Jesus had twelve apostles, but one of them (Judas) ha

the Devil in him. So the vacancy had to be filled, because of the"twelve

thrones in heaven which had to be occupied by his disciples to judge the

children of Israel (Luke 22:30).
 
 

Saul was a renegade Jew, and the Christians changed his name to "Paul",

probably because "Saul" sounds Jewish. This Paul made such a fine mess

of the teachings of Jesus (pbuh) that he earned for himself the second-

most -coveted position of "The Most Influential Men of History" in the

monumental work of Michael H.Hart. "The 100" or "The Top Hundred" or the

"Greatest Hundred in History". Paul outclasses even Jesus because, accor

ding to Michael Hart, Paul was the real founder of present-day Christia-

nity. The honour of creating Christianity had to be shared between Paul

and Jesus, and Paul won because he wrote more Books of the Bible than

any other single author, whereas Jesus did not wirte a single word.
 
 

Paul needed no inspiration to write his hyperboles here and in the rest

of his Epistles. Did not Hitler's Minister of Propaganda - Goebbels -

say "The bigger the lie the more likely it is to be believed"? But the

amazing thing about this exaggeration is that no Christian seems to have

read it. Every learned man to whom I have shown this verse to, seemed to

be seeing it for the first time. They appear dumbfounded, as described

by the fitting words of Jesus:-
 
 

"...seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they

understand."Mathew 13:13
 
 

The Holy Quran also contains a verse which fittingly describes this well

cultivated sickness -
 
 

DEAF,

DUMB AND BLIND,

THEY WILL NOT RETURN (TO THE PATH).

Holy Quran 2:18
 
 

THE SONS OF GOD

The Muslim takes strong exception to the Christian dogma that "Jesus is

the only begotten son, begotten not made". This is what the Christian is

made to repeat from childhood in his catechism. I have asked learned -

Christians, again and again as to what they are really trying to empha-

sise, when they say "BEGOTTEN NOT MADE".
 
 

They know that according to their own God-given (?!) records, God has

sons by the tons:
 
 

"....Adam, which was the SON OF GOD."

Luke 3:38

"That the SONS OF GOD saw the daughters of men that they were fair...
 
 

"And when the SONS OF GOD came in unto the daughters of men, and they

bare children to them...."

Genesis 6:2&4

"...Israel is MY SON, even my firstborn:"

Exodus 4:22

"...for I (God) and a FATHER to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn."

Jeremiah 31:9
 
 

"...the Lord hath said unto me, (David) Thou art MY SON: this day have

I BEGOTTEN thee."

Psalms 2:7
 
 

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the SONS OF GOD."

Romans 8:14
 
 

Can't you see that in the language of the Jew, every righteous person,

every Ton, Dick and Harry who followed the Will and Plan of God, was a

SON OF GOD. It was a metaphorical descriptive term, commonly used among

the Jews. The Christian agrees with this reasoning, but goes on to say -

"but Jesus was not like that". Adam was made by God. Every living thing

was made by God; He is the Lord, Cherisher and Sustainer of all. Metapho

rically speaking therefore God is the Father of all. But Jesus was the

"BEGOTTEN" son of God, not a CREATED son of God?
 
 

BEGOTTEN MEANS "SIRED"

In my forty years of practical experience in talking to learned Christi-

ans, not a single one has opened his mouth to hazard an explanation of

the phrase - "begotten not made". It had to be an American who dared to

explain. He said, "It means, sired by God." "What?" I exploded. "SIRED-

by God?" - "NO, no,"he said, "I am only trying to explain the meaning,

I do not believe that God really sired a son."
 
 

The sensible Christian says that the words do not literally mean what

they say. Then why do you say it? Why are you creating unnecessary con-

flict between the 1,200,000,000 Christians and a thousand million Muslim

of the world in making senseless statements?
 
 

REASON FOR OBJECTION

The Muslim takes exception to the word "begotten", because begetting is

an animal act, belonging to the lower animal functions of sex. How can w

attribute such a lowly capacity to God? Metaphorically we are all the

children of God - the good and the bad - and Jesus (pbuh) would be clo-

ser to being the son of God than any one of us, because he would be more

faithful to God than any one of us, because he would be more faithful to

God than any one of us can ever be. From that point of view he is preemi

nently the son of God.
 
 

Although this pernicious word "begotten" has now unceremoniously been

thrown out of the "MOST ACCURATE" version of the Bible - the R.S.V. its

ghost still lingers on in the Christian mind, both black and white. Thro

ugh its insidious brainwashing the white man is made to feel superior to

his black Christian brother of the same Church and Denomination. And in

turn, the Black man is given a permanent inferiority complex through thi

dogma.
 
 

BRAIN-WASHED INFERIORITY

The human mind can't help reasoning that since the "begotten son" of an

African will look like an African, and that of a Chinaman as a Chinese,

and that of an Indian like an Indian: so the begotten son of God aught

naturally to look like God. Billions of beautiful pictures and replicas

of this "ONLY BEGOTTEN SON"(?) of God are put in peoples hands. He looks

like a European with blonde hair, blue eyes and handsome features - like

the one I saw in the "King of Kings" or "The Day of Triumph" or "Jesus o

Nazareth" Remember jeffrey Hunter? The "SAVIOUR" of the Christian is mor

like a German than a jew with his polly nose. So naturally, if the son i

a White man, the father would also be a White man (God?). Hence the dar-

ker skinned races of the earth subconsciously have the feeling of infe-

riority ingrained in their souls as God's STEP-CHILDREN. No amount to

face-creams, skin-lighteners and hair-straighteners will erase the infe-

riority.
 
 

GOD IS SPIRIT

God is neither Black nor White. He is a spiritual Being, beyond the ima-

gination of the mind of man. Break the mental shackles of a Caucasian -

(white) man-god, and you have broken the shackles of a permanent inferio

rity. But intellectual bondages are harder to shatter: the slave himself

fights to retain them.
 
 

CHAPTER 6 : ANSWER TO CHRISTIAN DILEMMAS
 
 

"Christ in Islam" is really Christ in the Quran: and the Holy Quran has

something definite to say about every abberation of Christianity. The

Quran absolves Jesus (pbuh) from all the false charges of his emenies as

well as the misplaced infatuation of his followers. His enemies allege

that he blasphemed against God by claiming Divinity. His misguided follo

wers claim that he did avow Divinity, but that was not blasphemy (kufr)

because he was God. What does the Quran say?
 
 

Addressing both the Jews and the Christians, Allah says:-
 
 

O 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 SPOSTLE OF GOD, AND HIS WORD, WHICH HE

BESTOWED ON MARY, AND A SPIRIT PROCEEDING FROM HIM:

SO BELIEVE IN GOD AND HIS MESSENGERS...

Holy Quran 4:171
 
 

GOING TO EXTREMES
 
 

"O People of the Book:" is a very respectful title with which the Jews

and the Christians are addressed in the Holy Quran. In other words, Alla

is saying - "O Learned People!" "O People with a Scripture!" According

to their own boast, the Jews and the Christians prided themselves over

the Arabs, who had no Scripture before the Quran. As a learned people,

Allah pulls up both the contending religionists for going to either ex-

tremes as regards the personality of Christ.
 
 

The Jews made certain insinuations about the legitimacy of Jesus(pbuh)

and charged him of blasphemy by twisting his words. The Christians read

other meanings into his words; wrench words out of their context to make

him God.
 
 

The modern-day Christian - the hot-gospeller - the Bible thumper - uses

harsher words and cruder approaches to win over a convert to his blasphe

mies.

He says:

(a) "EITHER JESUS IS GOD OR A LIAR"

(b) "EITHER JESUS IS GOD OR A LUNATIC"

(c) "EITHER JESUS IS GOD OR AN IMPOSTER"
 
 

These are his words - words culled from Christian literature. Since no

man of charity, Muslim or otherwise, can condemn Christ so harshly as

the Christian challenges him to do, perforce he must keep non-committal.

He thinks he must make a choice between one or the other of these silly

extremes. It does not occur to him that there is an alternative to this

Christian conundrum.
 
 

SENSIBLE ALTERNATIVE

Is it not possible that Jesus is simply what he claimed to be- a prophet

like so many other prophets that passed away before him? Even that he is

one of the greatest of them - a mighty miracle worker, a great spiritual

teacher and guide - the Messiah! Why only God or Lunatic? Is "lunacy" th

opposite of "Divinity" in Christianity? What is the antonym of God? Will

some clever Christian answer?
 
 

The Quran lays bare the true position of Christ in a single verse,it say

(1) That he was the son of a woman, Mary, and therefore a man;

(2) But an apostle, a man with a mission from God, and therefore

he is entitled to honour;

(3) A Word bestowed on Mary, for he was created by God's word "Be"(kun),

and he was; see Holy Quran 3:59.

(4) A spirit proceeding from God, but not God: his life and mission were

more limited than in the case of some other apostles, though we must pay

equal honour to him as a man of God. The doctrines of Trinity, equality

with God, and sonship, are repudiated as blasphemies. God is independent

of all needs and has no need of a son to manage His affairs. The Gospel

of John (whoever wrote it) has put a great deal of Alexandrain Gnostic

mysticism round the doctrine of the Word (Greek, Logos), but it is

simply explained here, and our Sufis work on this explanation."

A.Yusuf Ali's comment on verse 171 above.
 
 

JESUS QUESTIONED

Reproduced below are verses 119 to 121 from Sura Maida (Ch.5) depicting

the scene of Judgement Day, when Allah will question Jesus (pbuh) regar-

ding the misdirected zeal of his supposed followers in worshipping him

and his mother: and his response-
 
 

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). HAD I SAID

SUCH A THING, THOU WOULDST INDEED HAVE KNOWN IT.

THOU KNOWEST WHAT IS IN MY HEART, THOUGH I

KNOW NOT WHAT IS IN TIME. FOR THOU KNOWEST IN FULL

ALL THAT IS HIDDEN.
 
 

"NEVER SAID I TO THEM AUGHT EXCEPT WHAT THOU

DIDST COMMAND ME TO SAY, TO WIT, 'WORSHIP

GOD, MY LORD AND YOUR LORD'; AND I WAS A WITNESS

OVER THEM WHILST I DWELT AMONGST THEM; WHEN THOU

DIDST TAKE ME UP THOU WAST THE WATCHER

OVER THEM, AND THOU ART A WITNESS TO ALL THINGS.
 
 

"IF THOU DOST PUNISH THEM, THEY ARE THY SERVANTS:

IF THOU DOST FORGIVE THEM, THOU ART THE EXALTED IN POWER,

THE WISE."

Holy Quran 5:119-121
 
 

CLAIMED NO DIVINITY

If this is the statement of Truth from the All-Knowing, that"Never did I

say to them anything other than what I was commanded to say,that is WOR-

SHIP GOD, WHO IS MY LORD AND YOUR LORD", then how do the Christians jus-

tify worshipping Jesus?
 
 

There is not a single unequivocal statement throughout the Bible, in all

its 66 volumes of the Protestant versions, or in the 73 volumes of the

Roman Catholic versions, where Jesus claims to be God or where he says -

'worship me.' Nowhere does he say that he and God Almighty are one and

the same person.
 
 

The last phrase above - "one and the same person" tickles many a "hot-

gospeller" and "Bible-thumper," not exluding the Doctor of Divinity and

the Professor of Theology. Even the new converts to Christianity have

memorised these verses. They are programmed like zombies to rattle off

verses, out of context, upon which they can hang their faith. The words

"ARE ONE" activates the mind by association of memories. "Yes", say the

Trinitarians - the worshippers of three gods in one God, and one God in

three gods - "Jesus did claim to be God!" Where?
 
 

REVEREND AT THE TABLE

I had taken Rev. Morris D.D. and his wife, to lunch at the "Golden Pea-

cock". While at the table, during the course of our mutual sharing of

knowledge, the opportunity arose to ask, "Where?" And without a murmur

he quoted, "I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE" - to imply that God and Jesus were

one and the same Person. That Jesus here claims to be God. The verse quo

ted was well known to me, but it was being quoted out of context. It did

not carry the meaning that the Doctor was imaging, so I asked him, "What

is the context?"
 
 

CHOCKED ON "CONTEXT"

The Reverend stopped eating and began staring at me. I said, "Why? Don't

you know the context?" - "You see, what you have quoted is the text, I

want to know the context, the text that goes with it, before or after."

Here was an Englishman (Canadian), a paid-servant of the Presbyterian

Church, a Doctor of Divinity, and it appeared that I was trying to teach

him English. Of course he knew what "contest" meant. But like the rest o

his compatriots, he had not studied the sense in which Jesus(pbuh) had

uttered the words.
 
 

In my forty years of experience, this test had been thrown at me hundred

of times, but not a single learned Christian had ever attempted to hazar

a guess as to its real meaning. They alwasy start fumbling for their Bib

les. The Doctor did not have one with him. When they do start going for

their Bibles, I stop them in their stride. "Surely, you know what you ar

quoting?" "Surely, you know your Bible?" After reading this, I hope some

"born-again" Christians will rectify this deficiency. But I doubt that m

Muslim readers will ever come across one in their lifetime who could giv

them the context.
 
 

WHAT IS THE CONTEXT?

It is unfair on the part of the Reverend, having failed to provide the

context, then to ask me, "Do you know the context?" "Of course," I said.

"Then, what is it?" asked my learned friend. I said, "That which you hav

quoted is the text of John chapter 10, verse 30. To get at the context,

we have to begin from verse 23 which reads:
 
 

23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
 
 

John, or whoever he was, who wrote his story, does not tell us the reaso

for Jesus tempting the Devil by walking alone in the lion's den. For we

do not expect the Jews to miss a golden opportunity to get even with Je-

sus. Perhaps, he was emboldened by the manner in which he had literally

whipped the Jews single-handed in the Temple, and upset the tables of

the money-changers at the beginning of his ministry (John 2:15).
 
 

24 Then came the Jews round about him. And said unto him, How long dost

thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
 
 

They surrounded him. Brandishing their fingers in his face, they began

accusing him and provoking him; saying that he had not put forth his cl-

aim plainly enough, clearly enough. That he was talking ambiguously. The

were trying to work themselves into a frenzy to assault him. In fact,the

ir real complaint was that they did not like his method of preaching-his

invectives, the manner in which he condemned them for their formalism,

their ceremonialism, their going for the letter of the law and forgettin

the spirit. But Jesus could not afford to provoke them any further-there

were too many and they were itching for a fight.
 
 

Discretion is the better part of valour. In a conciliatory spirit,

befitting the occassion -
 
 

25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and you believed not:the works that

I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
 
 

that is to say , the miracles bear witness of my prophethood and of me

being the Messiah .
 
 

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto

you.
 
 

Jesus rebuts the false charge of his enemies that he was ambiguous in

his claims to being the Messiah that they were waiting for. He says that

he did tell them clearly enough, yet they would not listen to him, but
 
 

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
 
 

28 And I give unto them enternal life; and they shall never perish, nei-

ther shall any man PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY FATHER"S HAND.
 
 

29 My father which gave them me, is greater than all, and no man is abl

to PLUCK THEM OUT OF MY FATHER'S HAND.
 
 

How can anyone be so blind as not to see the exactness of the ending of

the last two verses. But spiritual blinkers are more impervious than phy

sical defects. He is telling the Jews and recording for posterity, the

real unity or relationship between the Father and the son. The most cru-

cial verse -
 
 

30 I and my Father are one.
 
 

One in what? In their Omniscience? In their Nature? In their Omnipotence

No! One in purpose! That once a believer has accepted faith, the Messen-

ger sees to it that he remains in faith, and God Almighty also sees to

it that he remains in faith. This is the purpose of the "Father" AND the

"son" AND the "Holy Ghost" AND of every man AND every woman of faith. Le

the same John explain his Gnostic mystic verbiage.
 
 

That they all may be ONE: as thou. Father, art in

me, and in thee, thet they also may be ONE in us...
 
 

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made

perfect in ONE....

John 17:20-22
 
 

If Jesus is "ONE" with God, and if that "ONENESS" makes him God, then th

traitor Judas, and the doubting Thomas, and the satanic Peter, plus the

other nine who deserted him when he was most in need are God(s),because

the same ONENESS which he claimed with God in John 10:30, now he claims

for ALL "Who forsook him and fled"(Mark 14:50) - ALL "ye of little fai-

th" (Mathew 8:26) - ALL "O faithless and perverse generation"(Luke 9:41)

Where and when will the Christian blasphemy end? The expression "I and

my Father are one," was very innocent, meaning nothing more than a com-

mon purpose with God. But the Jews were looking for trouble and any ex-

cuse will not do, therefore, -
 
 

31 The Jews took up stones again to stone him.
 
 

32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father

for which of those works do you stone me?
 
 

33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work

we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because

that thou, being a man, makest thyself a God.
 
 

In verse 24 above the Jews falsely alleged that Jesus was talking ambigu

ously. When that charge was ably refuted, they then accused him of blas-

phemy (kufr) which is like treason in the spiritual realm. So they say

that Jesus is claiming to be God - "I and my Father are one". The Chris-

tians agree with the Jews in this that jesus (pbuh) did make such a cla-

im; but, differ, in that it was not blasphemy because the Christians say

that he was God and was entitled to own up to his Divinity.
 
 

The Christians and the Jews are both agreed that the utterance is seri-

ous. To one as an excuse for good "redemption", and to the other as an

excuse for good "reddance". Between the two, let the poor Jesus die. But

Jesus refuses to co-operate in this dirty game, so -
 
 

34 Jesus answered them, is it not written in your law, I said,

Ye are gods?
 
 

35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the

scripture cannot be broken;
 
 

36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the

world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the son of God?
 
 

WHY "YOUR LAW"?

He is bit sarcastic in verse 34, but in any event, why does he say:

"Your Law"? Is it not also his law? Did't he say: THINK NOT THAT I AM

COME TO DESTROY THE LAW OR THE PROPHETS: I AM COME NOT TO DESTROY, BUT

TO FULFIL (the Law). FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH

PASS AWAY, ONE LOT OR ONE TITLE SHALL IN NO WISE PASS FROM THE LAW, TILL

ALL BE FULFILLED. (Mathew 5:17-18)
 
 

"YE ARE GODS"

"Ye are gods:" He is obviously quoting from the 82nd. Psalm (verse 6)

"I have said, YE ARE GODS: and all of you are, the children of the most

High."
 
 

Jesus, continues, "If he (i.e. God Almighty) called them gods, unto whom

the word of God came (meaning that the prophets of God were called'GODS'

and the scripture cannot be broken (in other words- YOU CAN'T CONTRADICT

ME!)." - Jesus knows his Scripture; he speaks with authority; and he rea

sons with his enemies that "if good men, holy men, prophets of God are

being addressed as "GODS" in our Books of Authority, with which you find

no fault - then why do you take exception to me? - When the only claim

I make for myself is far inferior in our language, viz. "a son of God"

as against others being called "GODS" by God himself. Even if (Jesus)

described myself as "god" in our language, according to Hebrew usage,

you could find no fault with me." This is the plain reading of Christian

Scripture. I am giving no interpretations of my own or some esoteric mea

ning to words!
 
 
 
 

CHAPTER 7 : "IN THE BEGINNING"
 
 

"Where does Jesus say - "Iam God," or "Iam equal to God," or Worship me"

I asked the D.D.from Canada, again.
 
 

Reverend Morris took a deep breath and took another try. He quoted the

most oft-repeated verse of the Christian Bible. - John 1:1.
 
 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word

was God."

Please note, these are not the words of Jesus. They are the words of

John (or whoever wrote them). Acknowledged by every erudite Christian

scholar of the Bible as being the words of another Jew, Philo of Alexan-

dria, who had written them even before John and Jesus were born And Phil

claimed no divine inspiration for them. No matter what mystical meaning

that Philo had woven around these words (which our John has plagiarised)

we will accept them for what they are worth.
 
 

GREEK NOT HEBREW

Since the manuscripts of the 27 Books of the New Testament are in Greek,

a Christian sect has produced its own version and has even changed the

name of this selection of 27 Books to "CHRISTIAN GREEK SCRIPTURES"! I

asked the Reverend whether he knew Greek? "Yes," he said, He had studied

Greek for 5 years before qualification . I asked him what was the Greek

Word for "GOD" the first time it occurs in the quotation - "and the

Word was with God"? He kept staring, but didn't answer. So I said, the

word was HOTHEOS, which literally means "THE GOD". Since the Europen (in

cluding the North American) has evolved a system of using capital letter

to start a proper noun and small letters for common nouns, we would ac-

cept his giving a capital "G" for God; in other words HOTHEOS is rendere

"the god" which in turn is rendered - God.
 
 

"Now tell me, what is the Greek word for God in the second occurrence

in your quotation - "and thw Word was God"? The Reverend still kept si-

lent. Not that he did not know Greek, or that he had lied - But, he knew

more than that, the game was up. I said the word was TONTHEOS, which

means "a god".

According to your own system of translating you aught to have spelt this

word God a second time with a small "g" i.e. god, and not God with a ca-

pital "G"; in other words TONTHEOS is rendered "a god". Both of these,

"god" or "a god" are correct.
 
 

I told the Reverend "But in 2 Corinthians 4:4 you have dishonestly rever

sed your system by using a small "g" when spelling GOD - "(and the devil

is) the god of this world." The Greek word for "the god" is HOTHEOS the

same as in John 1:1. "Why have you not been consistent in your transla-

tion?" "If Paul was inspired (?) to write hotheos - the God for the

Devil, why begrudge him that capital 'G'?"
 
 

And in the Old Testament, the Lord said unto Moses,"See,I have made thee

a god to Pharoach"(Exodus 7:1). "Why do you use a small "g" for "GOD"

when referring to Moses instead of a capital "G" as you do for a mere

word - 'WORD' - "and the Word was God."?
 
 

"Why do you do this? Why do you play fast and loose with the Word of -

God ?" I asked the reverend. He said, "I didn't do it." I said, "I know,

but I am talking about the vested interests of Christianity,who are hell

bent to deify Christ, by using capital letters here and small letters

there, to deceive the unwary masses who think that every letter, every

comma and full stop and the capital and small letters were dictated by

God."
 
 
 
 

CHAPTER 8 : WHAT IS LEFT
 
 

THREE TOPICS

It can hardly be expected in a small publication of this nature that one

can deal with all the references about Jesus(pbuh) interspersed through-

out the fifteen different chapters of the Holy Quran. What we can do is

to give a quick glance to the index page reproduced from the Quran on

page 7 of this book.
 
 

Here we find three significant topics, not dealt with yet in our

discussion:
 
 

(1) not crucified, iv. 157

(2) Message and miracles, v. 113;xix. 30-33;

(3) Prophesied Ahmed 1xi.6
 
 

Regarding the first topic, "not crucified", I wrote a full booklet titled

"CRUCIFIXION OR CRUCIFICTION ?" that deals exclusively with that subject
 
 

As regards the third topic mentioned above, prophesied Ahmed", you can

refer to my booklet titled " WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT MUHUMMED"
 
 

We are now left with Topic No.2 - "Message and miracles".

The message of Jesus (pbuh) was as simple and straight forward as that

of all his predecessors as well as that of his successor Muhummed(pbuh)

namely "BELIEVE IN GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS". For the God who ins-

pired His Messengers, is an unvarying God and He is consistent: He is

not the "author of confusion" (1 Corinthian 14:33).
 
 

A law abiding Jew comes to Jesus seeking eternal life or salvation.

In the words of Mathew:
 
 

And behold, one came and said unto him, Good

Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
 

And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good?

there is none good but one, that is God: but if

thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Mathew 19:16-17

You will agree, that if you or I were that Jew, we would infer from

these words that, according to Jesus (pbuh), salvation was guaranteed

provided we kept the commandments without the shedding of any innocent

blood. Unless, of course Jesus (pbuh) was speaking with tongue in cheek;

knowing full well that his own "forthcoming redemptive sacrifice", his

"vicarious atonement"(?!) for the sins of mankind, was not many days

hence.
 
 

Why would Jesus give him the "impossible" solution of keeping the law

(as the Christian alleges) when an easier way was in the offing? or did

he not know what was going to happen - that he was to be crucified? Was

there not a contract between Father and "son", before the worlds began,

for his redeeming blood to be shed(?!) Had he lost his memory? No! There

was no such fairytale agreement as far as Jesus was concerned. He knew

that there is only one way to God, and that is, as Jesus (pbuh) said, -

KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS!
 
 

MIRACLES - WHAT THEY PROVE

Regarding his miracles:the Holy Quran does not go into any detail about

blind Bartimus or about Lazarus or any other miracle, except that he

(Jesus) defended his mother as an infant in his mother's arms (Ch. 4).

The Muslim has no hesitation about accepting the most wondrous of his

miracles - even that of reviving the dead. But that does not make Jesus

a "God" or the begotten "son of God" as understood by the Christian.
 
 

Miracles do not prove even prophethood, or whether a man is true or fal-

se. Jesus himself said:
 
 

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall

shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible,

they shall deceive the very elect.

Mathew 24:4
 
 

If false prophets and false Christ can peform miraculous feats, then

these wonders or miracles do not prove even the genuineness or other-

wise, of a prophet.
 
 

John the Baptist, according to Jesus, was the greatest of the Israelite

prophets. Greater than Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah and all, not exclu-

ding himself: in his own words:-
 
 

Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath

not risen a greater than John the Bapist..... Matthew 11:11
 
 

(1) Not excluding Jesus (pbuh):because, was he not born of a woman-

Mary? (2) The Baptist, greater than ALL, yet he performed not a single

miracle! Miracles are no standards of judging truth and falsehood.
 
 

But in his childishness, the Christian insists that Jesus is God because

he gave life back to the dead. Will reviving the dead make others God

too? This perplexes him, because he has mentally blocked himself from

the miracles of others who outshine Jesus in his own Bible. For example,

according to his false standard:-
 
 

(a) Moses is greater than Jesus because he put life back into a dead

stick and transmuted it from the plant kingdom to the animal king-

dom by making it into a serpent (Exodus 7:10)
 
 

(b) Elisha is greater than Jesus because the rotten bones of Elisha

brought a man back to life merely by coming into contact with the

corpse (2 Kings 13:21).
 
 

Need I illustrate to you a catalogue of miracles? But the sickness per-

sists - "it was God working miracles through His prophets but Jesus per-

formed them of his own power." Where did Jesus (pbuh) get all his power

from? Ask Jesus, and he will tell us:-
 
 

POWER NOT HIS OWN

....All power is GIVEN unto me in heaven and in earth. Matthew 28:18
 
 

....I cast our devils BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, then the kingdom of God is

come unto you. Matthew 12:28
 
 

I can of mine OWN SELF do nothing.... John 5:30
 
 

...I with the FINGER OF GOD cast our devils.... Luke 11:20
 
 

BORROWED POWER

The "Power" as he says is not his. "it is given unto me". Given by whom?

By God, of course! Every action, every word he attributes to God.
 
 

LAZARUS

But since so much is made of Jesus nightiest miracle of reviving Lazarus

from the dead, we will analyse the episode as recorded in John's Gospel.

It is astonishing that none of the other Gospel writers mention Lazarus

in any context. However, the story is that Lazarus was very sick, his

sisters Mary and Martha had made frantic calls for Jesus to come and

cure his sickness but he arrived too late, actually four days after his

demise.
 
 

HE GROANED

Mary wails to Jesus that had he arrived in time, perhaps her brother

would not have died; meaning that if he could heal other peoples' sick-

ness, why would he not have healed her brother, a dear friend of his.

Jesus says that "even now if ye have faith, ye shall see the glory of

God." The condition was that they should have faith. Didn't he say that

faith could move mountains? He asks to be taken to the tomb. On the way,

"he groaned in the spirit". He was not mumbling; he was pouring out his

heart and praying to God. But while he sobbed so bitterly his words were

not audible enough for people around him to understand. Hence the words

"he groaned". On reaching the grave, Jesus "groaned" again; perhaps,

even more earnestly and God heard his groaning (his prayer), and Jesus

received the assurance that God will fulfil his request. Now,Jesus could

rest assured and command that the stone which was barring the tomb, be

removed so that Lazarus could come back from the dead. Without that assu

rance from God, Jesus (pbuh) would have made a fool of himself.
 
 

AVOIDING MISUNDERSTANDING

Mary thinks of the stink because her brother had been dead for four days

But Jesus was confident and the stone was removed. Then he looked up to-

wards heaven and said:
 
 

"Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

"And I knew that thou hearest me alwasy: but

because of the people which stand by I said it, that

they may believe that thou hast sent me."

John 11:41-42
 
 

What is all this, play-acting? Why all the drama? Because he know that

these superstitious and credulous people will misunderstand the source

of the miracle. They might take him for "God". Giving life to the dead

is the prerogative of God alone. To make doubly sure, that his people do

not misunderstand, he speaks out loudly that the "groaning" was actually

his crying to God Almighty for help. The prayer was incoherent as far as

the bystanders could discern, but the Father in heaven had accepted his

prayer, viz. "thou hast heard me".
 
 

Furthermore, he says, - "thou hearest me always"; in other words every

miracle wrought by him was an answer by God Almighty to his prayer. The

Jews of his day understood the position well, and they "glorified God",

as Matthew tells us of another occasion when the Jews exclaimed "for

giving such power unto men" (Matt. 9:8).
 
 

In fact, Jesus gives his reason for speaking loudly. He says, "that they

may believe that thou has sent me." One who is sent is a messenger, and

if he be sent by God, then he is a Messenger of God i.e. Rasul-ullah -

see Chapter 6 of this booklet where Jesus is referred to as "Rasul-ullah"

(Messenger of Allah).
 
 

Alas, this attempt by Jesus to prevent any misunderstanding, as to who

really performed the miracle, and that he was in fact only a messenger

of God, failed. Christians will not even accept the unambiguous disavo-

wal of Jesus, nor the testimony of Peter, the "Rock" upon which Jesus

was supposed to build his Church. Peter truly testified:
 
 

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.

Acts 2:22
 
 

CASE NOT HOPELESS

This very same message is repeated by God Almighty in the Holy Quran,

following the annunciation. In verse 49 of chapter 3, Allah makes it

clear that every sign or wonder that Jesus performed was.
 
 

"BY ALLAH'S LEAVE," by God's permission. Jesus says so, Peter says so

and God says so; but the stubborn controversialist will not listen:

prejudice, superstition and credulity die hard. Our duty is simply to

deliver the Message, loud and clear, the rest we leave to God. The case

is not altogether hopeless for Allah tells us in His Holy Book:
 
 

AND AMONG THEM * ARE SOME WHO HAVE FAITH,

BUT MOST OF THEM ARE PERVERTED TRANSGRESSORS.

Holy Quran 3:10
 
 

*Among them: meaning the Jews and the Christians there are two types of

people; the one group described as people of faith to whom this book is

addressed, and the other as rebellious transgressors. We must also find

ways and means of getting at them. Our literature is eminently suited to

cater for all. Read them and pass them around so it may be of use to

some who have faith .
 
 

As a conclusion I suggest to :

Open the Holy Quran ( I recommend having one if you still don't have it)

and read the verses discussed in this book. Then we can truly conclude:
 
 

SUCH (WAS) JESUS THE SON OF MARY : (IT IS) A STATEMENT

OF TRUTH, ABOUT WHICH THEY (VAINLY) DISPUTE.
 
 

IT IS NOT BEFITTING TO (THE MAJESTY OF) GOD

THAT HE SHOULD BEGET A SON. GLORY BE TO HIM !

WHEN HE DETERMINES A MATTER, HE ONLY SAYS

TO IT, "BE", AND IT IS.
 
 

VERILY GOD IS MY LORD AND YOUR LORD : HIM

THEREFORE SERVE YE : THIS IS A WAY THAT IS STRAIGHT.
 

Holy Quran 19:34-36


   


 

 

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate Source of all Mercy

Who Was Jesus?

 

Who was Jesus?

There are many questions which come to mind when the name Jesus is mentioned. Some people say he was a prophet, others call him a god, while others say he was a very wise man. But whatever your idea is, one thing remains certain: he was not your ordinary man. So if there is something special about him, why all the confusion? Just who was Jesus anyway?

 

His Origins

Jesus lived about 2000 years ago in ancient Palestine during the height of the Roman Empire. He was not conceived in the usual way, but was implanted in the womb of a young woman named Mary. God simply commanded "Be" and he was. In this sense, he was "a word" of God and a special sign for humanity. In fact, he was the last in a long line of religious guides sent to the Jewish people.

 

 

Mary, the Blessed

Mary was a righteous woman. Her mother dedicated her to God's service even before she was born. As a child, she lived a life marked by health and goodness which others pointed to in admiration. She was raised by the wise Zacharias who instilled in her a beautiful sense of faith in God. When she had become a young woman, Mary sought to purify herself further before her Lord. Knowing that the hustle of life in the towns was distracting, she withdrew from her people to a sanctuary in the East. There she could meditate in seclusion and peace. Suddenly, on a day that seemed no different from the rest, an angel of God visited her, disguised in the likeness of a human. Afraid of so strange a sight, Mary prayed for protection, but the strange being reassured her and declared that he was a messenger from the Lord to announce the glad-tidings of a faultless son. Mary, astounded, asked how this was possible seeing that no man ever touched her. But the angel replied, "Your Lord says, It is easy for Me …"

But when she felt the little child within her, she fled her sanctuary out of fear of what her family would do or say when they heard the news. Mary, however, was not to face hardship. When in her despair she cried out to God for oblivion, a voice soothed her and she found shade and a cool spring. Under a date-palm in the warmth of late summer, she made her dwelling and there bore the child unlike any other in human history.

Shortly thereafter, Mary returned to her community carrying the child who was to be called Messiah, Jesus, and son of Mary. When her people saw her with the baby in her arms they couldn't believe their eyes, let alone accept her word. They refused to believe when she told of an angel who came and told her she was chosen above all other women to carry this burden. They accused her of infidelity and implied that she ruined the family name. Mary, being overwhelmed, simply motioned towards the child meekly.

 

 

The Miracles

Now the child was the product of a miracle and consequently, miraculous things began to happen. In defense of his mother and of the truth, the infant Jesus spoke saying, "I am a servant of God. He has given me Scripture and has made me a Prophet. He has blessed me wherever I may be and has made prayer and charity my duty as long as I live. " This put the detractors to rest.

 

Throughout his youth, Jesus remained dutiful to his mother and developed quickly in intelligence, wisdom, and piety He dumfounded the learned and was greatly admired by those around him who appreciated his talents. He claimed to be a sign of God and a Messenger to the Israelites.

His people had strayed from the spirit of truth and placed their trust in legalism, thereby burying their sense of mercy beneath dusty scrolls and rituals. Finally, when he came of age, Jesus began to travel and preach throughout the land of Palestine about a return to the truth of the old revelations and a rejection of all that man had added. In his task he was supported by the spirit of truth, the angel Gabriel.

 

 

The Gospel, His Message

He taught that love and mercy overcome hate and anger and that only a true and sincere faith in the Creator and obedience to His will can bring a person salvation in this life as well as in the next. To reinforce his message which was called "Injeel" (Good News) God granted him the performance of miracles. He healed the sick, enheartened the distressed and revived the dead. All these things he did with the permission of God, never taking credit for them himself.

He led a simple and pious life. Soon he attracted an inner-circle of devoted followers who listened to his teachings with fervor and humility. These disciples, among them Peter, Barnabas, and John helped him carry the message of Divine Love to the people. They helped him in his mission.

 

 

A Test of Wills

But no righteous man of God is without trial and tribulation. As the message of Jesus began to gain wider acceptance, a small clique of hypocrites and evil men began to plot against him. They were the priests and leaders of the Jews whose position and wealth depended upon their place as the sole interpreters of religion to the masses. They pursued him and his followers and eventually captured him. Though they abused him, he never renounced his faith in the one God. So in their anger they plotted to crucify him on a Roman cross. But Jesus slipped from their grip at the last moment, and all the while they thought they had succeeded. They were sure they killed him but God answered Jesus' prayer and saved him from their schemes. Confusion overtook the mob and they might have killed the man who betrayed Jesus instead. In any case, Jesus escaped from their grasp. Then God removed Jesus from this world into another dimension, to a place with Him, not to return until a later time.

With their teacher gone, the devoted followers of Jesus tried to maintain the purity and simplicity of his teachings. But they were, soon besieged and overtaken by a flood of Roman and Greek influences which eventually so buried and distorted the message of Jesus that only a little of its truth now remains. Strange doctrines of Jesus being a man-god, of God dying, of saint worship and of God being made up of different parts came into vogue and were accepted by many of those who took the name "Christians" centuries after Jesus.

 

 

Conclusion

The only records that have come down to us concerning Jesus are some sketchy biographical material, poorly researched and compiled, which can in no way be representative of the full and accurate Message of Jesus, the Son of Mary. The time of the final and incorruptible Message was not yet at hand. It would be left to the last prophet of God, Muhammad, to clarify the truth from man's additions and deletions.

Jesus taught the same eternal message taught by all the Messengers of God. From Adam, on through Noah, Abraham, Moses and ending with the mission of God's last Guidepost to humanity, Muhammad, whose coming was foretold by Jesus himself.

Every nation and every people, from the Aztecs to the Greeks, have received a Prophet or a Messenger from God. Jesus was the last of a series of Messengers sent to the Israelites, but they consistently strayed from the path of surrender to God. Each of the many Messengers spoke a different language and followed varied customs. Yet the core faith taught by each was the same: surrender your imperfect and fickle will to the perfect will of the Power that is greater than you. You will then find the peace and freedom that only the Creator of humanity can provide. Then you must do what is right and good to your fellow creatures. This way of life is called Islam (surrender to God and find peace).

By: Yahiya Emerick

 

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