Thursday, June 17, 2010

Between the doctrines of Islam and Christianity By Faraz Omar


Islam and Christianity, the two great religions of the world, share the same divine roots. With more than two billion Muslims and Christians in a world of six billion people, let us have a look at what they share in common and where they differ.

What Islam affirms


Jesus was born miraculously to Mary.
Mary was a chaste and extremely pious virgin. She was chosen above all women to give birth to God’s messenger.
God revealed the Injeel (Gospel) to Jesus, just as He revealed Torah to Moses and Zaboor (Psalms) to David and the Qur’an to Muhammad (peace be upon them all).
Jesus will return and rule the earth with justice establishing God’s laws.
When Jesus returns, he will kill Dajjal (Antichrist, the False Messiah). God has given only Jesus the power to do that.
Jesus, with the will and permission of God, cured the lepers, healed the blind, brought the dead back to life, and spoke when he was a child in cradle. However, these are miracles that God gave to Jesus, just as He gave to all His prophets some miracles.

Points of difference


Islam says Jesus was a Messenger of God, just like the many other messengers whom God sent to deliever His message. Messengers called people to worship only the One True God Almighty. The Qur’an mentions what Jesus said to his people:

“Truly, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone). This is a Straight Path.” (Qur’an, 3:51)

According to the Bible, this was the first commandment given to Moses, and Jesus too testified to this.
Christians believe in all prophets and messengers before Jesus, but when it comes to Jesus, they believe this time God sent His son. Allah says in the Qur’an:

“It befits not (the Majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glorified (and Exalted) is He (above all that they associate with Him). When He decrees a thing, He only says to it: “Be!” – and it is.” (Qur’an, 19:35)

“The Messiah (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother [Maryam (Mary)] was a Siddiqah (i.e. she believed in the Words of Allah and His Books). They both used to eat food (as any other human being, while Allah does not eat). Look how We make the Ayat (proofs, lessons) clear to them; yet look how they are deluded away (from the truth).” (Qur’an, 5:75)

The fact that Jesus was born miraculously does not make him the divine ‘son of God.’ God says that creating someone without a father is easy for Him. He just says ‘Be’ and it comes in to existence. Allah says:

“Verily, the likeness of (Jesus) before Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) said to him: “Be!” – and he was. (This is) the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt.” (Qur’an, 3:59-60)

Jesus is the Word from God, which means, the command, “Be” that Allah said to create him. Islam also does not approve of the concept of trinity. According to this concept, the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, with their distinctive and unique identities as separate beings are not three, but one God, or are “three persons in one single Godhead.”

Encyclopedia Britannica states:
“Neither the word Trinity nor the explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament, nor did Jesus and his followers intend to contradict the Shema in the Hebrew Scriptures: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4) [...] The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies.”


For more please read here.




I'm not dead ....

Alhamdulillah!

I know it's been soooooooo long since I've blogged here last. I'm really sorry, was busy with the ups and downs of life.

So, where do I begin? Hmmm ....

Yeah, some sisters had asked me to post about my last years' Hajj experience. Alhamdulillah it was nice, I think the best till date.

And nothing else that I can talk about here happened. So, Insha Allah I hope to get back to blogging in the blogger world with blog pals ;). I know there are heaps of posts I haven't read, Insha Allah I'll do that slowly.

Missed U all a lot- Blog pals and Followers.