Islam – Theological Problems

Dr. Robert Patton

Basic contentions by Muslims

The Muslim believes the following:

Christians have changed the Bible; therefore it is not the same as the Qur’an

The death and substitutionary sacrifice of Christ never occurred

The trinity means three Gods

The deity of Christ – Christians think that God had sexual intercourse with Mary

Basic misunderstanding

The absolute holiness of God, and His abhorrence of sin -

If you can go to heaven if your good deeds outweigh your bad ones, then God tolerates sin

Sin can be present in heaven by implication

Remember – Allah can (and does) lie and deceive, and fill hell with persons

Basic misunderstanding

The need of redemption via a substitute

Man cannot change his nature by himself. He is born a sinner –

This is denied by the Muslim,

who believes that man is good, but weak and forgetful

Man’s basic problem is his forgetfulness and not his sinfulness

Initial contacts of Muslims with Jews & Christians in the 7th century

With Jews, who also killed Jesus because He claimed to be God (shirk)

The Jews also found Christ crucified a stumbling block

They also contacted aberrant Christians who did not teach good doctrine – off on the trinity & deity of Christ

Our lives must speak

We must win their hearts with our lives of love to open them to hearing the gospel

Mere facts are not enough – they have been programmed to reject them

Theological differences

Truth = Qur’an for the Muslim

Truth = total Biblical witness, culminating in Jesus for the Christian

Our lives must verify our beliefs

Theological differences

God’s mercy = revelation of perfect law for the Muslim; we can obey if we want to – often through fear

God’s mercy = the suffering, redemptive love in Jesus Christ for the Christian – not receiving what we deserve as sinners

What is missing in the Qur’an??

For the Christian:

God’s holiness

Man’s sin nature which he cannot overcome

God must intervene and save mankind

For the Muslim, these are nonsense, and you end up with a works religion. You can save yourself if you work hard enough, but this is never certain as Allah is unpredictable and can do what He wants

What is ultimate truth

Qur’an is uncreated and eternal book preserved in heaven – Muslim

Bible is God’s authentic authoritative Word revealed supremely in Christ.

Do not insult

Muhammad – recognize the good he did, such as reforming from idolatry and protecting certain groups. But he is not our prophet

Talk then about Jesus

Miraculous birth – unlike any other

Miraculous life without sin – unlike any other

Miraculous ascension to heaven – unlike any other, though Elijah & Enoch went directly without dying

The Qur’an

We appreciate the wonderful things that it says about Jesus

His virgin birth

His miracles

His ascension

His sinless life

Prophecies of Muhammad vs. Jesus

Some could be thought to refer to Muhammad –Gen 12:1-3; Deut. 18:19, John re comforter

But more than 300 talk about this special prophet, the messiah, who is Jesus

Deity of Christ – one approach

Starting with common ground

Christ had a supernatural birth with no father. (Adam did too, but his was supernatural too)

Christ did many supernatural acts – healing, raising the dead – so his life was supernatural. Others did some miracles as well

Christ’s supernatural resurrection

Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and also arose from the dead and conquered death. They may object – but keep going

Then the prophet Jesus went to heaven and there is no grave and no bones to worship

So His death was supernatural

So His birth, life and end of life

Were all supernatural

What other prophet can say that?

He was the most supernatural person who ever lived

The Muslim agrees with the virgin birth, the miracles, and the ascension of Christ

Christ as the Son of God

Show that we TOTALLY reject the idea that God had sex with Mary = blasphemy

The Muslim says that the term son must be biological relationship

Son of the road – 5 times in the Qur’an. Does this mean that the road married and made little roads?

Similar fashion – the Bible uses it metaphorically, referring to covenant relationship

God the Father

To the Muslim, God is far away, and our relationship with him is primarily obedience. He conceives of sonship as biologic

For the Christian, God is close to the individual. The issue is obedience, but also that God has chosen to reveal himself. The son is also eternal, so it is not about procreation but relationship

Jesus reveals God

Jesus reveals God like a son can reveal the father because he resembles him.

We cannot tell God what to do or how He may choose to reveal Himself.

Jesus is like the veil being opened or removed.

The trinity

Muslims hold

The sovereign will of God

The eternal uncreated words of God – Qur’an

The argument: Then you have 2 uncreated things, thus 2 gods. When they object, point out that we have 3 uncreated things, the persons of the trinity.

This contradicts the contention of Tawhid – or the absolute unity of God. One Muslim scholar was beheaded for claiming that the Qur’an was eternal

The trinity is accepted by faith

The word trinity is never found in the Bible

The fact is that three persons listed in the trinity show the characteristics of God in essence

Eternal existence

Omnipotence

Omnipresence

The trinity is accepted by faith

There is a difference between being or essence, and that of personality

The Godhead has one essence or being, but expresses itself in three persons

It is this trinity that makes relationship possible throughout eternity

The trinity is accepted by faith

Trinity is ONE GOD – but existing in three persons

It is taught in the Bible

It is accessed by faith – and has been a challenge for Christians in the past

Not 1 + 1 + 1 =3, but 1x1x1 = 1

Allah versus Yahweh

Allah can lie; Yahweh cannot lie because it is against His character

Allah is not holy – Yahweh is holy

Allah is ONE but Yahweh is three persons in One God

Allah is pure transcendence – Yahweh is also immanent, and interacts with his creatures

Allah versus Yahweh

Allah hates transgressors; Yahweh loves sinners, and died for them

Allah’s relationship with believers is as master to slave

but Yahweh’s relationship is as a father to a son

The problem of holiness

The Muslim needs to see that even a little bit of sin is an affront to a holy God

One way is to offer a contaminated drink (showing them the contamination) to illustrate that a little poison makes the whole thing unacceptable.

Adam sinned once, but was punished by God

Works do not provide holiness

Only Christ can remove sin

Heaven is holy and we cannot enter with sin in our lives.

Animism cannot give power over sin, but Christ can do so

Four areas of vacuum in the Qur‘an

A loving God

A personal God

The assurance of forgiveness of sins

The assurance of eternal life

Impersonal God

Muslims do not pray to God for personal things

They feel that he is transcendent, and may pray to saints, etc for personal things

We can pray for them

Main things: LOVE AND PRAYER

Is the Bible corrupted?

The problem –

Christians: The Bible is God-breathed and inspired by God and cannot be changed: 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Rev. 22:18-19

Muslims: The Qur’an is the mother of books on the throne of God

But in many places there are differences!

The answer from the Muslim

The Qur’an is the FINAL revelation which is to all people

The Muslim accepts the law of abrogation, where a more recent writing negates earlier ones to explain the inconsistencies of the Qur’an

Thus they would state that the Bible has been changed by Christians or Jews

The Qur’an and the Bible

The Qur’an gives encouragement that the Bible is the Word of God: 5:68; 21:7

The Qur’an states that God’s Word cannot be changed: 6:115; 10:64

The big question

Then when was the Bible changed – before or after Muhammad?

If before – then Muhammad was a false prophet

If afterwards – we have many manuscripts that show no change. Furthermore, there was no change dating way back to the second century!

Then ask…

Who changed the Bible?

When was it changed?

How can they change God’s Word?

Is God so weak that He cannot preserve His word?

Who dares to change it?

Jews would not dare change the Bible – warned in Deuteronomy x2

Jews made every sort of effort – counting letters, speaking each word before writing it, etc.

Christians have severe warnings not to do so –Revelation 22:18-19

Jesus said that his words would never pass away

Consistent over the years…

Dead sea scrolls about 100 BC are virtually identical with translations in 10th century

Itala & Syrian translations in 2nd century are the same as KJV

What about translations?

The translations are somewhat different, but also there are a number of translations of the Qur’an. They do not invalidate the Qur’an

I have looked at three different English translations, and there are minor differences between the three

What about translations?

There are 40 authors of the Bible vs. one for the Qur’an

The Bible, when studied properly, is internally consistent – not allowing abrogation

5000 copies available to cross-check

There are a few copies of the Qur’an, but cross-checking destroyed by Uthman when he burned other translations

Muhammad vs. Jesus?

Jesus was born of a virgin; Muhammad had a human mother and father

Jesus was sinless; Muhammad was told to ask forgiveness of sins, and had no assurance of going to heaven

Jesus treated women with respect, but had no wives; Muhammad had at least 10 wives and sexual relationships with slaves as concubines

Muhammad vs. Jesus?

Jesus did many miracles, including raising the dead; Muhammad did not – claimed that the Qur’an was his miracle

Jesus went to heaven bodily; Muhammad’s bones are still in the grave

Muhammad vs. Jesus?

Muhammad claimed that he was prophecied in the Bible but Bible was changed – Deut. 18, Jn. 16, and a few other locations. But Deut. 18 was about a Jewish king; John 16 is about the Holy Spirit, and cannot be Muhammad

Many very specific prophecies (total of 300) were fulfilled by Jesus – O.T. spoke a lot about him.

Important prophecies of Christ

His family – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David

His birthplace – Micah – in Bethlehem of Judah

Virgin birth – Isaiah 7:14

His birth as God’s son, etc – Isaiah 9:5-6

His crucifixion – Psalm 22

His death for us, burial & resurrection – Isaiah 53

His resurrection – Psalm 16

Jesus vs. Isa

Both were born of a virgin, did miracles (although Isa was reported to speak from the cradle, and to make a clay bird and give life)

Both were sinless and went to heaven

But – Isa never died, but went direct to heaven. Isa will return as a Muslim, deny he ever claimed to be God, fight against Christians and Jews, and make everyone become a Muslim; he will marry & have children, die after 40 years

Jesus vs. Isa

Jesus claimed to be God several times

Many references in John

But also in Mark – The prophecy of Isaiah 40

Jesus pointed to Daniel 7 when challenged by the High Priest

The Jews killed Him for that – shirk

Jesus accepted worship on several occasions

Crucifixion and resurrection

Best-documented fact in ancient history

Four accounts cross-verify each other and show no collusion – they do fit together

The lives of the disciples were transformed – they were bold and all persecuted – 10 died as martyrs; John they tried to kill without success

Crucifixion and resurrection

Predicted in detail in Psalm 22 – 800 years before the first crucifixions were carried out

Death location and reason, resurrection outlined in Isaiah 53 – so accurate Jews call it the forbidden chapter

No rotting in the grave – Psalm 16

Jesus predicted this on several occasions although the disciples did not understand

Resurrection

Predicted in detail in Psalm 22 – 800 years before the first crucifixions were carried out

Death location and reason, resurrection outlined in Isaiah 53 – so accurate Jews call it the forbidden chapter

No rotting in the grave – Psalm 16

Jesus predicted this on several occasions although the disciples did not understand

Resurrection

If the crucifixion and resurrection are true, then Christianity is true, and Islam is a false religion

If the crucifixion and resurrection are false, then Islam may be true, but certainly Christianity is false, because the resurrection is key to Christianity

Evidence of the resurrection is more solid than any other fact of history using historical criteria

Helpful hints

Do not ridicule or condemn Muhammad, but raise up Jesus as Lord

Avoid calling Islam a religion of words or the mechanics of Muslim prayers

Remember that Muslims do believe in God’s laws and have a fear of God

Helpful hints

Muslims are aware of sin and ask for mercy, though they have no assurance of forgiveness

Appeal to their conscience and need of a Savior

Tell the about our beliefs in Jesus Christ

Our behavior must back up our belief

Helpful hints

Our message will be evaluated on the basis of the character of the messenger.

Show true love in the face of bitterness. You may be tested

Start with truths that the Muslim knows – that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, that He is known as the Word of God (Kalimat Allah)

Rely on the Holy Spirit

Helpful hints

Discuss with the same sex only.

Men – not into a home where no man is present.

Women, dress modestly & avoid all men groups

Don’t argue; praise the Lord Jesus

Do not insult Muhammad, Islam or the Qur’an

Helpful hints

The Muslim handles the Qur’an with great respect – the highest place in the house, only holy hands may hold it

We need to be careful about the Bible – not placing it on the floor or flinging it to the back car seat. Be careful about taking notes in the Bible itself – may be considered disrespectful