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7 - The Facts on Islam
SECTION II
The Theology of Islam: It Is Compatible with
Christian Belief?
7. What does Islam teach about Jesus
Christ?
Muslims claim that they
believe in the true Jesus Christ. They praise Jesus as a prophet of God, as
sinless, as "the Messiah," as "illustrious in this world and the next," as "the
Word of Allah" and as "the Spirit of God." Muslims cite the Koran in
confirmation of their belief in Jesus, e.g.: "And we gave Jesus, Son of Mary,
the clear signs, and confirmed Him with the Holy Spirit."
Unfortunately, however, Islam does not believe in the
biblical Jesus. The Bible teaches that Jesus is God's one and only Son.
Jesus Himself taught this, e.g., "For God so loved the world that he gave his
one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life . . . Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does
not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of
God's one and only Son" (John 3:16, 18; cross-reference Matthew 11:27;
26:64). God Himself declared of Jesus at His baptism, "And a voice from heaven
said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased' " (Matthew 3:17;
cross-reference 17:5). Finally, the apostles Paul and John also declared that
Jesus is God's Son (Romans 1:3; 1st John 5:9-12). In fact, virtually every book
in the New Testament either declares or assumes that Jesus is God's unique Son.
On the other hand, Islam asserts that Jesus was merely one of
God's many prophets or messengers, and not God's only Son. Muslims strongly
reject the idea that Jesus is the Son of God because the Koran repeatedly
emphasizes that Jesus Christ is not the literal Son of God:
It is not for God to take a son unto Him.
They say, "God has taken to Him a son." . . .
Say: "Those who forge against God falsehood shall not prosper."
Praise belongs to God, who has not taken to
Him a son . . .
. . . Warn those who say, "God has taken to
Himself a son"; . . . a monstrous word it is, issuing out of their mouths;
they say nothing but a lie.
But who does greater evil than he who forges
against God a lie?
They are unbelievers who say, "God is the
Messiah, Mary's Son."
The Koran emphatically denies
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God - again, a teaching Jesus Himself just as
emphatically affirmed (John 3:16, 18; 10:36-38).
In conclusion, the Christian view of Jesus Christ as God's
literal Son is considered blasphemous to the Muslim. Ali's translation of Sura
5:73, 78 reads, "They do blaspheme who says: 'God is Christ the son of Mary.' .
. . Christ the son of Mary was no more than an apostle."
Obviously, then, Muslims deny that Jesus Christ was God
incarnate. Any Muslim who believes that Jesus Christ is God has committed "the
one unforgivable sin" called shirk - a sin that will send him to hell
forever. The Koran clearly teaches that Jesus was only a man: "The Messiah,
Jesus Son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God . . . " Sura 43:50 asserts:
"Jesus was no more than a mortal whom [Allah] favored and made an example to the
Israelites."
But even though Jesus Himself claimed He was God on
many different occasions, the Koran rejects this and has Jesus denying His own
deity. Thus, when Allah asks Jesus if He is God, Jesus replied, "It is not mine
to say what I have no right to." In fact, even as a baby, Jesus allegedly
claimed He was only a servant of Allah. According to Sura 19:20, 34, Jesus
praised his birth and then said, "I am the servant of Allah."
Further, Muslims do not believe that Jesus was crucified and
died on the cross. They believed Allah would never permit this to happen to one
of his special prophets.
When Muslims deny that Christ was crucified on the cross -
and teach instead that God substituted someone else in His place - they reject
the clearest teaching of the New Testament. Even Jesus prophesied - repeatedly -
that He had to go to the cross and that this was God's direct will for Him:
From that time on Jesus began to explain to
his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the
hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law and that he must
be killed and on the third day be risen to life (Matthew 16:21).
Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them,
"We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the
prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to
the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill
him. On the third day he will rise again" (Luke 18:31-33).
Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I
say? "Father, save me from this hour"? No, it was for this very reason I
came to this hour (John 12:27).
Innumerable eyewitnesses, both
Jesus' friends and enemies, saw Him die on the cross. Further, many of His
apostles and friends were also eyewitnesses to His resurrection from the dead,
confirming His claim to be the Son of God (John 19:23-27, 31-35; Romans 1:4).
Finally, Islam teaches that Muhammad was a superior prophet
to Jesus because he brought God's final and best revelation to man. Badru D.
Kateregga, a former lecturer and head of the Islamic studies and comparative
religion at Kenyatta University College, University of Nairobi, Kenya,
exemplifies the Muslim view of Jesus as an inferior prophet to Muhammad:
The truth that all the previous prophets have
proclaimed to humanity was perfected by Prophet Muhammad . . . The Qur'an,
which is Allah's final guidance to mankind, was revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad . . . the seal of all prophets, 600 years after the Prophet
Isa (Jesus) . . . Muhammad . . . is the one prophet who fulfilled
Allah's mission during his lifetime.
Muslims believe in and respect all the
prophets of God who preceded Muhammad . . . They all brought a
uniform message - Islam - from Allah. Muhammad is the last in seal of
prophethood. Through him, Islam was completed and perfected. As he brought
the last and latest guidance for all mankind, it is he alone to whom
Muslims turn for guidance.
Thus, "Muhammad . . . is the
last prophet and messenger of Allah. His mission was for the whole world and for
all times" (4:45). In other words, Muslims must not turn to Jesus for spiritual
guidance, only to Muhammad.
Again, unfortunately, Muslims are wrong. Jesus Christ is far
more than one of God's messengers or prophets. As we saw, Jesus Christ is God's
one and only Son (John 3:16-18). Further, He is the Second Person of the
Trinity, God incarnate - God Himself (John 1:1, 14; 5:18). Jesus claimed to be
both "the Lord" and "God": "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so,
for that is what I am" (John 13:13). And "anyone who has seen me has seen the
Father [God]" (John 14:9). "I and the Father [God] are one" (John 10:30).
In conclusion, both the Koran and the Muslim religion are in
error concerning their teachings on the most important man of History, Jesus
Christ. Islam claims that it honors and reverences Jesus, but it rejects what
the Bible teaches about Him and what He taught about Himself.
John Ankerberg & John Weldon
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