Questions From Christians

8/14/2019 Questions From Christians

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Questions from a confused Christian

I read in the newspaper that 15% of the Koran is about

Jesus Christ; and I also read in the English version of Koran

that Mohammad believe in Christ, Abraham, The prophets

and their writings which preceded Koran. If so, why does

the Koran accept some doctrines of the bible, like the

miracles of Christ, his sinlessness, being a prophet, etc. and

contradict many of its doctrines like the deity of Christ as

written in Isa.9:6 & John 1:1, 3:16, and the atonement both

in the old and new testaments?

If the Koran is without error, why are there sects in Islam

namely, shuhite& shiite respectively?

Why does the Koran allows polygamy, while the Bible isagainst it as written in Gen. 2:24 & Matt. 19:5 ?

My soul needs THE TRUTH.

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

Allah often mentions the Messiah Eesa ibn Maryam (Jesus

son of Mary) in His Book the Quraan for a number of

reasons, including the following:

1. He is one of His Prophets, indeed he is one of the

Messengers of strong will whom He sent to His creation

and His slaves. It is obligatory to believe in him as in all

the other Prophets, as enjoined by Allah in the verse

(interpretation of the meaning):

Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which has

been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to

Ibraaheem (Abraham), Ismaaeel (Ishmael), Ishaaq (Isaac),

Yaqoob (Jacob), and to Al-Asbaat [the offspring of the

twelve sons of Yaqoob (Jacob)], and that which has been

given to Moosa (Moses) and Eesa (Jesus), and that which

has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no

distinction between any of them, and to Him we havesubmitted (in Islam)


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[al-Baqarah 2:136]

2. The first people whom we should be concerned about

when calling others to Islam are the People of the Book,

i.e., the Jews and the Christians, because they are theclosest of later nations to whom the later Messengers

were sent. Both the Jews and the Christians knew of

the coming of Muhammad (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him) and his attributes were written in

their books, the Tawraat (Torah) and Injeel (Gospel).

So they should not deny what they find in their books

and they should hasten to believe in him, because they

already believe in the Messengers who came beforehim, unlike other nations who worshipped idols.

Because they did not believe in the Last Messenger

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as they

were enjoined to do, they had to be refuted and shown

how they had distorted the message of divine Oneness

(Tawheed). This is why they are frequently mentioned

in the verses of the Quraan.

3. Tawheed (the Oneness of God) is the basic principle

upon which everything else, both religious and worldly

affairs, is to be built; through Tawheed people will be

saved from Hell and admitted to Paradise. This means

affirming that Allah is One. We see that the Jews and

Christians differed concerning Eesa ibn Maryam. The

Jews said that he was a charlatan who told lies about

God, so he had to be killed. The Christians differedfrom them greatly; some of them said that he was God,

and some of them said that he was the son of God, but

was one with Him in the Trinity, so that outwardly he

appeared to be the son of God but he was in fact God.

And some of them said that he was the third person of

the Trinity which is a rejection of Tawheed. Others

said that he was a Messenger from God and was

human like the rest of mankind, but that Allah singledhim out to perform miracles in order to establish proof


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against people. The last group are the ones who were

right. So it was essential to explain the matter and

describe Eesa in befitting terms. As with all the other

Prophets and Messengers, it is not inappropriate to say

that he was a human being, created from clay, whom

Allah chose from among all of mankind to be created

without a father, as a manifestation of the power of

Allah to create a man outside the usual means. The

likeness of Eesa before Allah is like Adam, as Allah

says (interpretation of the meaning):

Verily, the likeness of Eesa (Jesus) before Allah is the

likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then (He) saidto him: Be! and he was

[Aal Imraan 3:59]

This is the correct belief concerning the creation of the

Prophet of Allah Eesa, which was a miracle for all the

people to see.

But the miracle of Adams creation is greater. For Eesa(peace be upon him) was created without a father, but Adam

was created without a father or a mother, and this is more

expressive of the power of Allah to create; it is more

miraculous than the creation of Eesa (peace be upon him).

For all these reasons and others, it was essential to explain

the issue of Eesa (peace be upon him) and put matters

straight.

In conclusion, the miracles which Allah gave to Eesa (peace

be upon him) were just like the miracles of all the other

Prophets, to prove that he was speaking the truth and that

he was truly a Messenger from Allah. But those who

distorted the religion confused the matter for the simple-

minded people and used his miracles as a justification to say

that he was the son of God or that he was God. All of that is

a distortion of the teachings and message of the Messiah(peace be upon him).


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If everyone who follows a Prophet were to take the miracles

which Allah bestowed upon him as a sign that he was a god,

then all the Prophets would be gods and each Prophet would

be different from the others. For the mountains glorified

Allah along with Dawood (David peace be upon him), but

they did not do so with Eesa. The sea was parted for Moosa

(Moses peace be upon him) and he spoke with his Lord

and his Lord spoke with him, so he was known as Kaleem-

Allah (the one who spoke with Allah), but this did not

happen to Eesa (peace be upon him). Allah flooded the

earth in response to the supplication of Nooh (Noah peace

be upon him) and that did not happen to Eesa (peace be

upon him). Allah singled out Muhammad (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) to speak to him and to

protect his miracle from being lost or distorted; he alone was

sent to all of mankind, and he was given miracles that were

not given to Eesa. So how could that be taken to mean that

they were all gods?

Secondly:

With regard to the view that if the Quraan were not

distorted there would not be all these many sects such as the

Shiah and other groups.

The answer to that is that the Quraan cannot force people

to choose the right path, because the Quraan is simply

guidance (and it is up to people to choose). Allah has warned

us about these sects and groups, and He has forbidden us to

imitate the nations who became divided in religious matters.

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

and be not of Al-Mushrikoon (the polytheists, idolaters,

disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah).

Of those who split up their religion (i.e. who left the true

Islamic Monotheism), and became sects, [i.e. they invented

new things in the religion (Bidah), and followed their vaindesires], each sect rejoicing in that which is with it


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[al-Room 30:31-32]

And be not as those who divided and differed among

themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they

for whom there is an awful torment[Aal Imraan 3:105]

Allah has commanded them to adhere to His Book and to

follow the Sunnah (way, path) of His Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him), as He says (interpretation of

the meanings):

And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (i.e.this Quraan), and be not divided among yourselves, and

remember Allahs Favour on you, for you were enemies one

to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by

His Grace, you became brethren (in Islamic Faith), and you

were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it.

Thus Allah makes His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses,

lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you, that you may be

guided

[Aal Imraan 3:103]

O you who believe! Make not (a decision) in advance before

Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is

All-Hearing, All-Knowing

[al-Hujuraat 49:1]

i.e., do not say or do anything that goes against the Book of

Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him).

What is meant here is that Allah forbade the people to split

into various groups, and He commanded them to be united,

but they followed their own whims and desires, and they cast

the Book of Allah behind their backs, and if they were

confused about a verse from the Book of Allah, they did not


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refer to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) in order to understand it,

rather they let their own opinion and corrupt reasoning be

the judge. All of that is not from the Quraan and not from

the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him).

Thirdly:

With regard to the question about plural marriage in Islam

and its being forbidden in the New Testament, it should be

noted that Allah gave each Messenger his own laws and

path. Allah enjoined Tawheed (belief in the Oneness ofAllah) upon every single Prophet whom He sent, but the

laws varied and some of them abrogated others. Some things

that were permissible at the time of Adam (peace be upon

him) were abrogated at the time of Nooh (peace be upon

him).

The laws that existed at the time of Moosa (Moses peace be

upon him) were partially abrogated at the time of Eesa

(Jesus peace be upon him), as Allah tells us (interpretation

of the meaning):

To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear

way

[al-Maaidah 5:48]

So once this is understood, we will realize that pluralmarriage did not exist only in the law of Muhammad (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him), rather it existed in the

laws of all the previous Prophets. For example, Yaqoob

(Jabob peace be upon him) had two wives and was

married to two sisters at the same time, according to the Old

Testament, as it says in the Book of Genesis 29:15-35.

The father of the Prophets, Ibraaheem (Abraham peace be

upon him) was also married to two women, Haajar (Hagar)


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and Saara (Sarah). The Old Testament mentions that the

Prophet of Allah Dawood (David) had seventy or ninety-nine

wives, and Sulaymaan (Solomon) had one hundred wives.

These and other examples demonstrate that each of the

Prophets implemented the laws that Allah had prescribed.

Plural marriage is not only for this ummah (nation i.e., the

Muslims). The fact that the Christians do not allow it may be

for two reasons:

1 This is one of the laws of Allah which was binding before

the time of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him)

2 They introduced their own innovation and went to

extremes in this matter, as in the case of monasticism which

they invented and which was not prescribed for them, but

they sought to earn the pleasure of Allah thereby.

We ask Allah to guide you and to help you find the true

religion, which is Islam, and the path of the Prophet of

Mercy (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) according

to the understanding of his noble Companions.

And Allah is the Guide to the Straight Path.


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A serious dialogue with a Christian

Hello , my name is XXXX and I was taking a look at your

web page . I am interested in it because I am in a Religious

Studies class and I am interested in learning more. I just

wanted to know your response to this,

if I am correct in saying this...

In Islam heaven is thought of as paradise of wine, women

and song. It is achieved by living a life in which, ironically,

one abstains from the things with which he or she will be

rewarded in paradise. In addition to this abstentiion, one

must follow the five Pillars of Islam.

It seems to me that the Islamic faith is a do-it-yourself

proposition.Follow this "way of life", they say, and you will gain favor

with God and eventually achieve salvation. There is NO

assurance. I would hate to live like that. I realize that

Muslims do not believe in "original sin", but regardless of

wether or not a man is born sinful or not, would you not

agree that every man/woman is sinful? How does one pay for

his/her sin?

I understand repentance. I agree with that...but it seems asthough one can NEVER do enough to win favor with God.

That is why He sent his Son to die for us. All of our sins past

present and future.

There is no possibility of assurance in the Islamic faith. I

think that would be an awful way to live knowing that I was

never gonna make it...not knowing of my salvation until the

"day of judgement" whether or not I have done enough

"goodworks" or prayed enough...etc.I have asked a couple of Muslims in my class whether or not

they were for sure if they were going to "paradise" or

"heaven" when they died. I have not yet had one reply in the

affirmative. Rather, they referred to the imperfection of

their lives as being a barrier to this realization. THERE IS

NO ASSURANCE IN ISLAM, BECAUSE THERE IS NO

ATONEMENT, AND SALVATION DEPENDS WHOLLY

ON THE INDIVIDUAL'S GAINING ENOUGH "MERIT"


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Aslo, if I wanted to become a Muslim, I couldn't. If Muslims

think that they are the "chosen people" then why aren't they

spreading their faith.

Do you just have to be lucky enough to be born Muslim? If a

person wants to become a Christian they can. ANYONE can

become a Christian in a matter of seconds. All they have to

do is confess that Jesus Christ is who He said He was and

repent and believe...that is all a lot easier said than done. But

basically that is it. I wasn't born Christian...or raised

Christians assert that Jesus Chrit is the only way to God

because

Scritpture says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there

is no other name under heaven given to men by which wemust be saved. (Acts 4:12) Jesus Christ said himself

"I am the way the truth and the life, NO ONE comes to the

Father except through me..."

He didn't say, I am one way or a way or one truth etc....THE

WAY!!!

I and the Father are ONE! Jn 5:18

I just don't understand how anyone could be blind to these

facts. Unless they are never told. Which was me.I would just like a little feed back

Praise be to Allah.

We appreciate your question concerning the ideas that you

have about Islam, and we hope to discuss what you have

written and correct some of your ideas, so as to arrive at a

firm conviction of the truth of the matter.

What you have mentioned about the Islamic belief about

Paradise, and the enjoyment of wine, women and song

therein, falls wide of the mark. The pleasures of Paradise are

not merely physical in nature, they also include the joy of

feeling safe and secure, and of being content with God and

being close to Him. The greatest joy of all in Paradise will be

seeing God, may He be glorified and exalted. When the

people of Paradise see the Holy Face of God, they will forget


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all other kinds of pleasures that they have enjoying. There is

in Paradise everything that will delight the heart and eye; no

dirty or evil talk is heard there, nor sinful speech. No

person know what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward

for what they used to do. [al-Sajdah 32:17 interpretation

of the meaning]. What I am trying to say is that the delights

of Paradise are not limited to the kind you refer to in your

question. They are far greater than that.

You mention the idea that entrance to Paradise will only be

granted to those who heed certain prohibitions, which things

they will enjoy in Paradise in the Hereafter as a reward for

avoiding it in this life. This generalization is not correct atall. Islam is a religion which commands action, not just

abstinence. Salvation can only be attained through fulfilling

commands, not just by avoiding things that are forbidden.

Moreover, not every luxury in Paradise will consist of

something that was forbidden in this world and is now being

given as a reward. Some of the delights of Paradise will be

things that were allowed in this world, such as marriage,

good fruits like pomegranate and figs, etc., drinks like milkand honey, and so on. All of these are permitted in this

world, and will be delights to be enjoyed in Paradise. The

bad qualities of things that are forbidden in this world will

not be present in their heavenly forms. For example, the

wine of Paradise, as Allah tells us, causes neither ghoul (any

kind of hurt, abdominal pain, headache, sin, etc.) nor

intoxication (see al-Saffaat 37:47). It does not rob a person

of his mental faculties, or cause headaches andstomachaches. It is quite different from its earthly

counterpart. The point I am making is that the delights of

Paradise do not consist only of allowing things that were

forbidden in this world. It is also worth pointing out that

there are cases where abstention from prohibited things will

not be rewarded by being given their equivalent in the

Hereafter, whether those prohibited things are food, drinks,

deeds or words. Poison, for example, will not be given as aluxury in Paradise, although it is forbidden in this world.


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The same applies to sodomy, incest and other things which

will not be allowed in the Hereafter although they are

forbidden in this world. This matter is quite clear, praise be

to Allah.

The idea of being guaranteed Paradise, and that a persons

life will be as horrible and unbearable as you describe if he

has no such guarantee, is a misconception which itself leads

to the results you mention. If you were to say that every

person has a guarantee of Paradise, this would be utterly

disastrous, because then everyone would commit all kinds of

forbidden acts, feeling safe because of this guarantee. Many

of the crimes committed by Jews and Christians have beendone on the basis of this guarantee, with documents of

forgiveness from their priests. Allah has told us about such

people (interpretation of the meaning):

And they say, None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew

or a Christian. Say, Produce your proof if you are

truthful.

[al-Baqarah 2:111]

For us Muslims, Paradise is not the matter of our own

desires or the desires of anyone else, as Allah says


It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims),

nor those of the People of the Scripture (Jews and

Christians); whoever works evil will have the recompensethereof, and he will not find any protector or helper besides

Allah. [al-Nisa 4:123]

There follows a brief summary of the Islamic view regarding

a guarantee of ones destiny.

Islam offers a guarantee to every sincere Muslim who obeys

Allah and remains in this state of devotion until he dies, that


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he will definitely enter Paradise. Allah says in the Quraan

(interpretation of the meanings):

But those who believe and do deeds of righteousness, We

shall admit them to the Gardens under which rivers flow(i.e., in Paradise), to dwell therein forever. Allahs promise is

the truth, and whose words can be truer than those of Allah?

(Of course, none). [al-Nisa 4:122]

Allah has promised those who believe and do deeds of

righteousness, that for them there is forgiveness and a great

reward (i.e., Paradise). [al-Maaidah 5:9]

(They will enter) Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting

Gardens), which the Most Beneficent (Allah) has promised

to His servants in the unseen: verily, His promise must come

to pass. [Maryam 19:61]

Say: Is that (torment) better, or the Paradise of Eternity

promised to the muttaqeen (pious and righteous persons)? It

will be theirs as a reward and final destination. [al-Furqaan

25:15]

But those who fear Allah and keep their duty to their Lord

(Allah), for them are built lofty rooms, one above another,

under which rivers flow (i.e., Paradise). (This is) the Promise

of Allah, and Allah does not fail in (His) promise. [al-

Zumar 39:20]

Islam also guarantees the disbeliever who ignores thecommands of Allah that he will definitely enter Hell. Allah

says (interpretation of the meanings):

Allah has promised the hypocrites, men and women, and

the disbelievers, the Fire of Hell, therein shall they abide. It

will suffice them. Allah has cursed them and for them is the

lasting torment. [al-Tawbah 9:68]


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But those who disbelieve, for them will be the Fire of Hell.

Neither will it have a complete killing effect on them so that

they die, nor shall its torment be lightened for them. Thus do

We requite every disbeliever! [Faatir 35:36]

Allah will say to the disbelievers on the Day of Judgement


This is Hell which you were promised! Burn therein this

Day, for that you used to disbelieve! [Yaa-Seen 36:63-64]

Allah will not go back on His promise to either the believers

or the disbelievers. He describes how both of them will be atthe end of the Day of Judgement (interpretation of the

meaning):

And the dwellers of Paradise will call out to the dwellers of

the Fire (saying): We have indeed found true what our

Lord had promised us; have you also found true, what your

Lord promised (warnings, etc.)? They shall say, Yes. Then

a crier will proclaim between them: The Curse of Allah is

on the zaalimeen (polytheists and wrongdoers, etc.). [al-Araaf 7:44]

Everyone who believes and does righteous deeds, and dies in

this state, will definitely enter Paradise. Everyone who

disbelieves and does evil deeds, and dies in this state, will

definitely enter Hell.

One of the great guiding principles of Islam is that thebeliever should tread a path between fear and hope. He

should not take it for granted that he will enter Paradise,

because this will make him complacent, and he does not

know in what state he will die. Nor should he assume that he

is going to Hell, because this is despairing of the mercy of

Allah, which is forbidden. So the believer does righteous

deeds, and hopes that Allah will reward him for them, and

he avoids evil deeds out of fear of the punishment of Allah. Ifhe commits a sin, he repents in order to gain forgiveness and


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protect himself from the punishment of Hell. Allah forgives

all sins and accepts the repentance of those who repent. If a

believer fears that the good deeds he has sent on before him

are not enough, as you suggest, then he will increase his

efforts, in fear and hope. No matter how many righteous

deeds he has sent on before him, he cannot rely on them and

take them for granted, or else he will be doomed. He keeps

striving and hoping for reward, and at the same time he

fears lest his deeds be contaminated with any element of

showing off, self-admiration, or anything that will lead to

them being rejected by Allah. Allah describes the believers


those who give that (their charity) which they give (and

also do other good deeds) with their hearts full of fear

(whether their alms and charity, etc.) have been accepted or

not), because they are sure to return to their Lord (for

reckoning). [al-Muminoon 23:60]

So the believer keeps on striving, fearing and hoping, until

he meets his Lord, believing in Tawheed (Divine Unity) anddoing righteous deeds, and earns the pleasure of his Lord

and Paradise. If you think about the matter, you will realize

that these are the right motives for action, and that

righteousness cannot be achieved in this life in any other

way.

As regards what you say about original sin, this matter

needs to be approached from several angles.

Firstly: The Islamic belief concerning human sin is: the

individual bears the responsibility for his own sin; no one

else should bear this burden for him, nor should he bear the

burden for anyone else. Allah says (interpretation of the

meaning): And no bearer of burdens shall bear anothers

burden [Faatir 35:18]. This refutes the idea of original

sin. If the father commits a sin, what fault is that of his

children and grandchildren? Why should they bear the


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burden of a sin that someone else committed? The Christian

belief that the descendents should bear the sin of their father

is the essence of injustice. How can any sane person say that

the sin should be carried down the centuries by all of

humanity, or that the children, grandchildren and

subsequent descendants should be tainted because of their

fathers sin?

Secondly, making mistakes is a part of human nature. Our

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,

Every son of Aadam is bound to commit sins (reported

by al-Tirmidhi, 2423), but Allah has not left man unable to

do anything about the mistakes that he makes. He gives manthe opportunity to repent, and so the hadeeth (words of the

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) quoted

above concludes: and the best of those who commit sins

are those who repent. The mercy of Allah is clear in the

teachings of Islam, as Allah calls His servants (interpretation

of the meaning): Say, O My servants who have

transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds

and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allahforgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[al-Zumar 39:53]

This is human nature, and this is the solution to the problem

of sin. But to make this human nature, which is bound to

make mistakes, a barrier between the servant and his Lord

which will prevent him from ever earning the pleasure of

God, and to say that the only way to reach God is throughHis sending His (so-called) son down to earth to be

humiliated and crucified while his father looks on, so that

mankind could be forgiven, is an extremely odd idea. Just

describing it sounds so unlikely that there is no longer any

need to refute it in detail. Once, when discussing this issue

with a Christian, I said, If you say that God sent down His

son to be crucified to atone for the sins of the people alive at

his time and afterwards, what about those who had comebefore and died as sinners before the time of Christ, and had


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no opportunity to know about him and believe in the

Crucifixion so that their sins might be forgiven? All he

could say was: No doubt our priests have an answer to

that! Even if they do have an answer, it is bound to be

concocted. There is no real answer.

If you really examine the Christian teaching on human sin

with an open mind, you will see that they say that God

sacrificed His only son to atone for the sins of mankind, and

that this son was a god. If it was true that he was a god who

was beaten, insulted and crucified, and died, then this

doctrine contains elements of blasphemy because it accuses

God of weakness and helplessness. Is God really incapable offorgiving the sins of all His servants with just one word? If

He is Able to do all things (and the Christians do not dispute

this fact), then why would He need to sacrifice His son in

order to achieve the same thing? (Glorified and exalted be

He far above what the wrongdoers say about Him!)

He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can

He have children when He has no wife? He created all thingsand He is the All-Knower of everything. [al-Anaam 6:101

interpretation of the meaning]

An ordinary man would not accept anyone harming his

child; he would come to his defence, and would never hand

him over to an enemy who would insult him, let alone leave

him to face the worst kind of death. If this is the attitude of a

mere created being, what then of the Creator?

Thirdly, the Christian doctrine of original sin has a negative

effect because, as you have mentioned, it does not require

any duties of man other than to believe that God sent His

son to this earth to be crucified and to die to atone for the

sins of mankind. Thus a person becomes a Christian and is

to earn the pleasure of God and be admitted to heaven.

Moreover, the Christian believes that everything that

happened to the son of God was only to atone for his sins,


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past present and future, so there is no need to wonder why

Christian societies have seen such an increase in murder,

rape, robbery, alcoholism and other problems. After all, did

not Christ die to atone for their sins, and havent their sins

been wiped out, so why should they stop doing these things?

Tell me, by your Lord, why do you sometimes execute

murderers, or put criminals in jail, or punish them in other

ways, if you believe that the criminals sins have all be

atoned for and forgiven through the blood of Christ? Is this

not a strange contradiction?

You ask why, if the Muslims are the chosen people of

mankind, they do not spread their religion. The fact of thematter is that sincere Muslims have always sought to do just

that. How else could Islam have spread from Makkah to

Indonesia, Siberia, North Africa, Bosnia, South Africa and

all parts of the world, East and West? The faults in the

behaviour of some modern Muslims cannot be blamed on

Islam; those faults are the result of going against Islamic

teachings. It is not fair to blame the religion for the faults of

some of its adherents who have gone against it or goneastray. Are Muslims not being more just than Christians

when they affirm that the sinner is threatened with the

punishment of Allah unless he repents, and that for some

sins there is a deterrent, a punishment to be carried out in

this world as an expiation for the Hereafter, as in the case of

the punishments for murder, theft, fornication/adultery,

etc.?

What you say about it be so easy to become a Christian, as

compared to becoming a Muslim, is clearly mistaken. The

key to Islam is no more than two simple phrases: Ash-hadu

an laa ilaaha ill-Allah wa anna Muhammadan Rasool-Allah

(I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and that

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah). With these few

words, a person enters Islam in a matter of seconds. There is

no need for baptism or priests, or even to go to a certainplace such as a mosque or anywhere else. Compare this with


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the ridiculous procedures of baptism which the Christians

do when they want to admit someone to the Church. Then

there is the fact that the Christians venerate the cross on

which Jesus was tortured and crucified in great pain as

they claim. They take it as a sacred object of blessing and

healing, instead of scorning it and hating it as a symbol of

oppression and the worst possible way for the son of God to

die!

Do you not see that the Muslims are closer than others to the

truth, because they believe in all the Prophets and

Messengers, respecting them all and recognizing that all of

them taught the truth of Divine Unity (Tawheed) and thateach of them was appointed by Allah and sent to his people

with laws that were appropriate to the time and place?

When the fair-minded Christian sees the followers of Islam

believing in Musa (Moses), Eesaa (Jesus), and Muhammad

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and in the

original Torah and Gospel, as well as the Quraan, and sees

his own people denying the Prophethood of Muhammad

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and rejecting theQuraan, wouldnt his open-mindedness make him think

that the Muslims are most likely to be right?

You say that the Messiah said, No one comes to the Father

except through me. We need, first of all, to be sure that

these words can truly be attributed to Jesus. Secondly, this is

clearly not true. How then could mankind have known God

at the times of Nooh (Noah), Hood, Saalih, Yoonus (Jonah),Shuayb (Jethro), Ibraaheem (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and

other Prophets? If you were to say that during the time of

Jesus (upon whom be peace) and up to the time of the Final

Prophet, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him) the Children of Israel had no other way to know the

religion of Allah except through the way of Jesus, this would

be correct.


19/36

Finally, you quote the Messiah as saying, I and the Father

are one. This is clearly not correct. If we examine the

matter objectively, without letting our own desires get in the

way, it becomes clear that the conjunction and in the

phrase I and the Father implies that two separate entities

are involved. I is one entity, and the Father is another.

If you say, So-and-so and I, it is obvious to any rational

person that they are two separate people. The equation

1+1+1=1 makes no sense to any rational person, whether he

is a mathematician or not.

Finally, I advise you (and I do not think that you will reject

this advice) to think deeply about what you have read,putting aside your background, any pre-conceived ideas,

your own desires and feelings of attachment to your religion

or culture, and to seek guidance sincerely from Allah. Allah

Most Generous and will never let any of His servants down.

Allah is the One Who guides to the Straight Path, and He is

Sufficient for us and is the best disposer of affairs..

A Christian is asking about the Muslim attitude towards

Catholicism and peaceful co-existence

I am wondering what your relationship is with the Catholic

Church. For I am from the USA and Muslim countries seem

so foreign to me. I don't know much, but is seems to me that

Muslims are very hostile to the Catholic Faith.

Are they open to dialogue? Why don't you believe in the

Lord Jesus? Is not the Eternal Love of Allah so great thatHe could descend to us to save us from our sin so that we

may live with him forever?

Also, why is there such fighting in the middle east, ? Does

Islam not see or accept the saving power of Christ, with His

command to love others (St. John 13:34) so that, if you and I

obeyed ("Islam = total submission) all would go well with

mankind?

Some answers Please! God bless you!


20/36

Praise be to Allah.

According to Islam and for the Muslims, taking a position of

enmity is not something haphazard. On the contrary, it isgoverned by principles and guidelines, and thus is like all the

other rulings of Islamic sharee'ah. These principles and

guidelines come from Allah, Who is above having any

shortcomings and to Whom belong the Most Beautiful

Names and Sublime Attributes. The sources of rulings for us

are the Qur'aan and the proven Saheeh (authentic) Sunnah

(the words and deeds of the Prophet (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him)). The Qur'aan and Sunnah brought aclear message and ideology, which is the belief in Tawheed

(Divine Unity) based on the testimony that there is no god

except Allah, and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah

be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah, the Seal of the

Prophets [i.e., the final Prophet] and the Imaam (or leader)

of the Messengers. We do not associate any other god in

worship with Allah; on the contrary, we regard Him as

Unique in His Divinity and Lordship, and in His Names andAttributes. We do not claim that He has any spouse or son.

We take as friends those whom Allah takes as friends, and

regard as enemies those whom He regards as enemies. We

hate those who slander Him and attribute to Him a wife or

son, for Allah is Unique, He is the One, the Self-Sufficient

Master, Who begets not nor was He begotten, and He has no

wife or son. Glory be to Him, how can He have a child? To

Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth. He hasno partner and He does not need children as human beings

do. He is the Creator of the father and of what the father

begets. Muslims follow the commands of Allah and have no

choice with regard to His rules and regulations, rather they

adhere to the rulings of Allah. Allah says (interpretation of

the meaning):

"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His

Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have anyoption in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and


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His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error" [al-

Ahzaab 33:36]

Among these rulings is that we should love for the sake of

Allah and hate for the sake of Allah.

But there is also plenty of room for debate with the

Muslims; indeed, in His Book Allah commanded the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his ummah

(nation) after him to engage in debate and dialogue with the

People of the Book, i.e., Jews and Christians. Allah says


"Say (O Muhammad ): 'O people of the Scripture (Jews and

Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you,that we worship none but Allah (Alone), and that we

associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall

take others as lords besides Allah.' Then, if they turn away,

say: 'Bear witness that we are Muslims.'" [Aal 'Imraan 3:64]

We believe in Jesus ('Eesa) - peace be upon him - as a

Prophet sent by Allah, but God forbid that we should

describe Jesus as a god or lord as the Christians claim, andfail to distinguish between the Messenger and the One Who

sent him, between the Creator and His creation. Allah says


"And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of

Resurrection): 'O 'Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did

you say unto men: 'Worship me and my mother as two gods

besides Allah?' He will say: 'Glory be to You! It was not for

me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such athing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in

my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours; truly,

You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden (and

unseen). Never did I say to them aught except what You

(Allah) did command me to say: "Worship Allah, my Lord

and your Lord." And I was a witness over them while I

dwelt amongst them, but when You took me up, You were

the Watcher over them; and You are a Witness to all things.'


22/36

(This is a great admonition and warning to the Christians of

the whole world)." [al-Maa'idah 5:116-117].

And Allah says - addressing you and your fellow-Christians,

and you will be blessed if you respond - (interpretation of

the meaning):

"O people of the Scripture (Christians)! Do not exceed the

limits in your religion, nor say of Allah aught but the truth.

The Messiah 'Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no

more than) a Messenger of Allah and His Word, ('Be!' - and

he was) which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit

(Rooh) created by Him; so believe in Allah and His

Messengers. Say not: 'Three (trinity)!' Cease! (it is) betterfor you. For Allah is (the only) One Ilaah (God), glory is to

Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs

all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And

Allah is All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs." [al-Nisaa'

4:171]

Islam is the religion of guidance, mercy and love, but there

are people who force the Muslims to fight when they standin the way of their conveying the guidance to mankind. The

Muslims do not fight anyone until they have told them about

the religion of Allah and given them the choice between two

things, either accepting Islam or, if they refuse Islam and

keep their own religions, paying the Jizyah (tax) to the

Muslims in return for protection. If they refuse both of these

choices, then they are to be fought.

When we Muslims fight, it is for the sake of saving people

from worshipping other people, and teaching them to

worship the Lord of the Worlds, and bringing them out of

the injustice of other religions to the justice of Islam, and

freeing them from the constrictions of this world so that they

may enjoy the bounty of this world and the Hereafter.

We believe that Jesus ('Eesa) - peace be upon him - did not


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die, but Allah took him up to Himself. Jesus will come back

to this world at the end of time and will rule according to

Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him) said:

"Jesus will descend to Damascus, by the white minaret."

(Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4/117; classed as saheeh by al-

Albaani, may Allah have mercy on him).

Islam cancels out the messages that came before it, and

Allah will not accept any other religion from anyone who

comes to know of Islam during his lifetime. If people submit

in Islam to the Lord of the Worlds, follow the Best of the

Messengers, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah beupon him), and do righteous deeds, then Allah will be

pleased with them and will bless them with a good life in this

world and the next. Allah says (interpretation of the

meaning):

"Whoever works righteousness - whether male or female -

while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islmic Monotheism)

verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with

respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shallpay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of

what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)." [al-

Nahl 16:97]

We hope that we have answered your questions. We ask

Allah to guide us all and help us all to follow the truth. Peace

be upon those who follow true guidance.


24/36

Discussion with a Christian about the Crucifixion

Why is it so difficult for the Muslims to believe that Christ

was crucified to erase our sins? Why do they reject the idea

of the Crucifixion altogether?.

Praise be to Allah.

There is nothing strange about the Muslims rejecting this

idea, because the Quraan in which they believe and accept

what it tells them definitively states that that did not happen,

as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

And because of their saying (in boast), We killed Messiah

Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of

Allah, but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but it

appeared so to them the resemblance of Eesa (Jesus) was

put over another man (and they killed that man)], and those

who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain)

knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely;

they killed him not [i.e. Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam

(Mary)]

[al-Nisa 4:157]

Rather the problem rests with the Christians for whom the

doctrine of the crucifixion and redemption has become a

central issue, so much so that the cross is the symbol of their

religion.

It is strange that they differ concerning the form of thiscross which indicates their confusion about this fabrication.

There are differences between their Gospels and their

historians regarding everything that has to do with the story

of the crucifixion.

They differ concerning the timing of the Last Supper, which

according to them was one of the events in the lead-up to the

crucifixion. They differ concerning the traitor who led (the


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Romans) to Christ did that happen at least one day before

the Last Supper, as narrated by Luke, or during it, after

Christ gave him the piece of bread, as narrated by John?

Was Christ the one who carried his cross, as John says, aswas customary with one who was going to be crucified,

according to Nottingham, or was it Simon of Cyrene, as the

other three Gospels state?

They say that two thieves were crucified alongside Christ,

one on his right and one on his left, so what was the attitude

of these two towards the Messiah who was being crucified,

as they claim?

Did the thieves scorn him for being crucified, and say that

his Lord had abandoned him and left him to his enemies?

Or did only one of them scorn him, and did the other rebuke

the one who scorned him?

At what hour did this crucifixion take place was it in the

third hour, as Mark says, or in the sixth as John says?

What happened after the so-called crucifixion?

Mark says that the veil of the Temple was torn from top to

bottom. Matthew adds that the earth shook and rocks

crumbled, and many of the saints rose from their graves and

entered the holy city, appearing to many. Luke says that the

sun turned dark, and the veil of the Temple was torn in the

middle, and when the centurion saw what had happened, heglorified God and said, Truly this man was righteous.

But John does not know anything about all that!

These are not the only weak elements and indications of

falseness in the story of the crucifixion, as narrated in the

gospels. Rather the one who studies the details of the gospel

narratives of this story will, with the least effort, notice the


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great differences in the details of this story, which are such

that it is impossible to believe it all or even any part of it!

How desperate are the failed attempts to fill this gap and

conceal the faults of this distorted book. Allah indeed spokethe truth when He said in His Book which He has preserved


Do they not then consider the Quraan carefully? Had it

been from other than Allah, they would surely, have found

therein many a contradiction

[al-Nisa 4:82]

Apart from the fact that the gospel accounts are not sound,

and their authors themselves admit that they were not

revealed to the Messiah in this form, nor were they even

written during his lifetime, none of the witnesses were

present at the events to which they testify, as Mark says:

Then everyone deserted him and fled.

Mark 14:50 New International Version (NIV)

Because these events were not witnessed by anyone who

narrated them, there is a great deal of room for imagination

and poetic licence.

We will complete our discussion of the fable of the

crucifixion of Christ (peace be upon him) by looking at what

the Gospels say about the Messiahs prediction that hewould be saved from death:

On one occasion the Pharisees and chief priests sent the

guards to arrest him and he said to them:

I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one

who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me,

and where I am, you cannot come.


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John 7:33-34 NIV

Elsewhere he says:

Once more Jesus said to them, I am going away, and youwill look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go,

you cannot come.

This made the Jews ask, Will he kill himself? Is that why he

says, Where I go, you cannot come?

But he continued, You are from below; I am from above.

You are of this world; I am not of this world.

I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not

believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in

your sins.

Who are you? they asked.

Just what I have been claiming all along, Jesus replied. I

have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me isreliable, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.

They did not understand that he was telling them about his

Father.

So Jesus said, When you have lifted up the Son of Man,

then you will know that I am the one I claim to be and that I

do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has

taught me.

The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for

I always do what pleases him.

John 8:21-29 NIV

Then at the end he tells them again:

For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say,'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'


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Matthew 23:39 NIV, also Luke 13:35

The Messiah, as these texts and others show, was certain

that God would never hand him over to his enemies, and

would never forsake him.

But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be

scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone.

Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have

peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I

have overcome the world.

John 16:32-33

Because of that the passers by, and indeed everyone who

attended the so-called crucifixion, mocked the Messiah, as

the writer of this Gospel says (although that could not have

been true):

Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking theirheads

and saying, You who are going to destroy the temple and

build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the

cross, if you are the Son of God!

In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and

the elders mocked him.

He saved others, they said, but he can't save himself! He's

the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross,

and we will believe in him.

He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him,

for he said, I am the Son of God.

In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him

also heaped insults on him.


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Matthew 27:39-44 NIV

But it seems that Jesus certainty that God was with him

began to waver, according to the distorted Gospel narrative,

(although that could not have been true):

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called

Gethsemane, and he said to them, Sit here while I go over

there and pray.

He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him,

and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

Then he said to them, My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow

to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and

prayed, My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken

from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.

He went away a second time and prayed, My Father, if it is

not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it,

may your will be done.

When he came back, he again found them sleeping,

So he left them and went away once more and prayed the

third time, saying the same thing.

Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, Are you

still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the

Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners


Luke describes the scene and says:


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And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his

sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he

found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.

Why are you sleeping? he asked them. Get up and pray so

that you will not fall into temptation.

Luke 22:44-46 NIV

Because of this mockery of the message of Christ

according to their claims and because Christ thought that

God was with him and would never forsake him, then it

follows that the writer who fabricated this dramatic scene

would end it with a vision of the despair of the Messiah and

his feelings of being abandoned by God exalted be Allah

far above what the wrongdoers say. The fabricator says:

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came

over all the land.

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, Eloi,

Eloi, lama sabachthani?--which means, "My God, my God,

why have you forsaken me?"


See also Mark 15:34

If we understand what this story means when subjected tocriticism, the same will apply to the doctrine of redemption

and sacrifice that is based on it.

With regard to the Christian doctrine of salvation, see also

question no. 6

And Allah is the Source of strength and the guide to the

Straight Path, and there is no Lord but He.


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Discussion with a Christian: The Oneness of God is the

message of Jesus and all the Prophets, peace be upon them

Why do you shun the truth and say that Jesus is only a

Messenger instead of regarding him as the son of God? Jesus

is the only son of the Lord and that is the truth!!.

Praise be to Allah.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to communicate

and discuss the truth which we all need to know and follow,

no matter what our previous differences of opinion andbeliefs. It is only by means of this, I mean by knowing the

truth and following it, that we can free ourselves of our sins,

as it says in your Bible:

Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you

free

John 8:31 New International Version (NIV)

So let us pause for a while and think about this truth, as it is

stated in your Bible despite all the distortions and changes

that have happened to it!

The message that was brought by the Messiah (peace be

upon him) was the call to worship God, the One, the Lord of

the Messiah and the Lord of the worlds:

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only

true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent

John 17:3 NIV

A certain ruler asked him: Good teacher, what must I do

to inherit eternal life?

Why do you call me good? Jesus answered. No one is good except God alone.


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Luke 18:18-19 NIV

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an

instant all the kingdoms of the world.

And he said to him, I will give you all their authority and

splendour, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to

anyone I want to.

So if you worship me, it will all be yours.

Jesus answered, It is written: Worship the Lord your God

and serve him only.

Luke 4:5-8 NIV

Believing in and worshipping Allah alone, besides Whom

there is no other god, is the greatest teaching brought by the

Messiah, and it is the greatest teaching brought by all the

Prophets.

One of the teachers of the law came and noticed themdebating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer,

he asked him, Of all the commandments, which is the most

important?

The most important one, answered Jesus, is this: Hear, O

Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all

your soul and with all your mind and with all yourstrength.

The second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself.

There is no commandment greater than these.

Well said, teacher, the man replied. You are right in

saying that God is one and there is no other but him.


33/36

To love him with all your heart, with you all your

understanding and with all your strength, and to love your

neighbour as yourself is more important that all burnt

offerings and sacrifices.

When Jesus saw that he has answered wisely, he said to him,

You are not far from the kingdom of God. And from then

on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Mark 12:28-34 NIV

But do not think that this advice was given to Israel or to his

own people only. Rather this is the basis of the teachings ofall the Prophets. The same advice appears in the Gospel of

Matthew, in similar wording, after which he says:

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two

commandments.

Matthew 22:39 NIV

This belief in the oneness of God is indeed the message of allof the Prophets. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

And We did not send any Messenger before you (O

Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): Laa ilaaha

illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah)],

so worship Me (Alone and none else)

[al-Anbiya 21:25]

This is the basic message to which the Messiah called people

and warned them against differing from that. Allah says


Surely, they have disbelieved who say: Allah is the

Messiah [Eesa (Jesus)], son of Maryam (Mary). But the

Messiah [Eesa (Jesus)] said: O Children of Israel! Worship

Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Verily, whosoever sets uppartners (in worship) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden


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Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the

Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no

helpers

[al-Maa'idah 5:72]

This is the basic principle on which we should all agree.

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

Say (O Muhammad): O people of the Scripture (Jews and

Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you,

that we worship none but Allah (Alone), and that we

associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shalltake others as lords besides Allah. Then, if they turn away,

say: Bear witness that we are Muslims

[Aal Imraan 3:64]

It is alien to true Christianity, this futile attempt to reconcile

the belief in the Oneness of God, which is the message

brought by the Prophets, and which is clearly stated in their

Bible, and affirmed in the Torah in particular, with theirbelief in the trinity.

It says in the American Encyclopedia:

The belief in the Oneness of God as a theological

movement began at a very early stage in history, and in

fact it preceded the belief in trinity by many decades.

Christianity developed from Judaism, and Judaism firmly

believes that there is one God.

The path that led from Jerusalem (the home of the first

disciples of Christ) to Nicea (where it was decided in 325 CE

that Christ was equal to God in essence and eternal nature)

can hardly be described as a straight path.

The doctrine of trinity which was affirmed in the fourth

century CE bears no resemblance to the original teachingsof Christ concerning the nature of God. Au contraire, it is


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the opposite, a deviation from that teaching. Hence it

developed in opposition to the belief in One God (27/294).

You can refer to the views of some of those Christians who

still believe in the Oneness of God in the same AmericanEncyclopedia, 27/300-301

It is difficult to comprehend, so no wonder you were never

able to comprehend it. But what is strange is that you believe

in something that it is impossible to understand, unless we

deceive ourselves and say that this understanding will come

on the Last Day:

We understand that as much as our minds are able to, and

we hope that we will understand it more clearly in the

future, when the veil is removed from all things in heaven

and on earth. But for now, the extent to which we do

understand it is enough!

Yes, the truth will become perfectly clear to you in the

future, as it is clear to us today, praise be to Allah, on the

Day on which Allah will gather the Messengers and makethem bear witness concerning their nations. Allah says


And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of

Resurrection): O Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did

you say unto men: Worship me and my mother as two gods

besides Allah? He will say: Glory be to You! It was not for

me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such athing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in

my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours; truly,

You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden (and

unseen).

117. Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allah)

did command me to say: Worship Allah, my Lord and your

Lord. And I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongstthem, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher


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over them; and You are a Witness to all things. (This is a

great admonition and warning to the Christians of the whole

world).

118. If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if Youforgive them, verily, You, only You, are the All-Mighty, the

All-Wise.

119. Allah will say: This is a Day on which the truthful will

profit from their truth: theirs are Gardens under which

rivers flow (in Paradise) they shall abide therein forever.

Allah is pleased with them and they with Him. That is the

great success (Paradise).

120. To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the

earth and all that is therein, and He is Able to do all things

[al-Maaidah 5:116-120].

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