Page 140 - World Religions I - Islam
P. 140

connection between the two titles was clearly understood at the time of Jesus because they
                         were often used together. "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his
                         disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' ... Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the
                         Son of the living God.'" - Matthew 16:13-16
                              "Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, 'Are you not going to answer? What is
                                this testimony that these men are bringing against you?' But Jesus remained silent. The
                                high priest said to him, 'I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the
                                Messiah, the Son of Jesus is the true fulfilment of the Son of God. He is the true son of
                                David, the true Israel. He is the true son who received the inheritance from his Father
                                God: the inheritance of the kingdom of God itself. God.' 'It is as you say,' Jesus replied." -
                                Matthew 26:62-64a
                     o  The Qur'an implies that in order for God to have a son, he would have to have had physical
                         relations, which is a misunderstanding concerning the title "Son of God".
                     o  The Qur'an denies that Jesus is the Son of God, yet mistakenly admits to calling him the Messiah.
                              "Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah, and His Word,
                                which He bestowed on Mary..." - An-Nisa (The Women) 4:171a
                              "And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son
                                of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who
                                disbelieved of old. Allah (Himself) fighteth against them. How perverse are they!" - At-
                                Tawba (Repentance) 9:30
                              "They say: 'Allah hath begotten a son!' Glory be to Him! He is self-sufficient!" - Yunus
                                (Jonah) 10:68
                              "Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son." - An-Nisa (The
                                Women) 4:171b

           Is Muhammad Foretold in the Bible?
           There are a handful of common Biblical verses that Muslim scholars claim refer to Muhammad. These verses are
           addressed in detail in Appendix B: Is Muhammad Foretold in the Bible? in order to show that all attempts by
           Muslim scholars are completely unconvincing. In the Qur'an Jesus is given the title of Messiah and yet denied the
           title Son of God. The Bible teaches that both of these titles go together.
              •  Because Muslim scholars have found it hard to find any reference to Muhammad in the Bible, some
                  Muslims have actually written their own Gospel to show that it now foretells the coming of Muhammad.
                     o  The Gospel According to Islam (Ahmad Shafaat, 1979) rewrote the Biblical Gospel by
                         transforming it according to the Qur'an.
                              According to Shafaat, "The book before you is a Gospel. It is written in the light of the
                                revelation of God made to the prophet Muhammad. ... This outline is supplemented in
                                this book by some background material (derived mostly from the New Testament and
                                sometimes transformed accordingly to the Qur'anic revelation) to form a Gospel of
                                approximately the size of Mark. ... As we said earlier, this book is offered as a new
                                Gospel, a Muslim equivalent of, and alternative to, the existing Gospels." (The Gospel
                                According to Islam, pp. 1-2).
                              The Gospel According to Islam claims that Jesus prophesied as an infant of Muhammad's
                                coming: "But she (Mary) pointed to the babe. They said, ‘How can we talk to an infant in
                                the cradle. But the child spoke up and said, I am indeed a servant of God. He hath
                                appointed me as a sign for men and a mercy from Him. This was a matter decreed ...
                                That I may bring to the world the good news of a messenger who will come after me as
                                light and mercy to all the nations; his name shall be called Admirable’"
                     o  The Gospel of Barnabas is an apocryphal "gospel" promoted by Muslims as an original Gospel

                                                             139
   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145