Islamic Dilemma
by Shawn Henry Potter and Lois Carol Potter
renatuspress@gmail.com
I. Introduction:
During the 10-year-period from 2010 to 2020, the number of Muslims in the United States grew from about 2.6 million to 4.5 million, representing a 73% increase in a single decade.[1] Mosques and madrasas, as well as hijabs and burqas, have proliferated throughout the nation. Is this a problem? Not necessarily.
America’s founders reflected on God’s gift of free will to all humanity when they established the United States government on the principle of religious liberty.[2] George Washington described this founding principle as follows.
All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent, natural rights. For happily the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.[3]
George Washington explained that religious liberty is an “inherent, natural right” – that is to say, it is a right given to every human being by God.
However, let us not confuse religious liberty with relativism – a refusal to recognize objective right and wrong. For example, when God enabled Adam and Eve to choose obedience or disobedience, their choice certainly had consequences; and Moses described the clear consequences of our actions when he said: “I have set before you life and death,” and encouraged Israel to choose life. Right and wrong do exist, and our choices do have consequences.
With these thoughts in mind, we ask two questions: (1) Is Islam compatible with Judaism and Christianity?, and (2) Is the Quran authentic prophecy?
II. Compatibility:
Is Islam compatible with Judaism and Christianity? No. The Quran – Islam’s book of holy scripture – conflicts with both Jewish and Christian scriptures.
1. The Torah says God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.[4] However, the Quran says God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael.[5]
2. The Gospels say Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried, and then rose from the dead on the third day.[6] Yet, the Quran says Jesus was neither crucified nor killed.[7]
3. The Gospels say Jesus was the Son of God.[8] But, the Quran says Jesus was no more than a messenger of God – and God is not a Trinity.[9]
Since Islamic scriptures conflict with Jewish and Christian scriptures, Islam is not compatible with either Judaism or Christianity.
III. Authenticity:
The Quran presents itself as divine revelation.[10] We can test this claim according to the Torah:
“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.”[11]
Does the Quran teach Muslims to keep God’s commandments and obey his voice as the words of a true prophet should? No. The Quran teaches Muslims to “go after other gods.” Also, the Quran cannot be authentic prophecy because it contradicts itself.
1. The Quran says Allah [God] revealed the Torah, Gospels, and Quran as “a guide for the people.” It further says those who reject the Torah, Gospels, and Quran will suffer a severe torment.[12]
a. The Quran says the Torah contains Allah’s judgment – is true, and if Jews do not believe it, they are not true believers.[13]
b. The Quran says Jews must believe the whole Torah or face the “harshest punishment on the Day of Judgment.”[14]
c. The Quran says the Gospels are true, and if Christians do not believe them, “they are truly rebellious.”[15]
d. The Quran says Jews and Christians must observe the Torah and the Gospels.[16]
2. This all sounds good. But how should we understand these statements considering the conclusion in section II. Compatibility – i.e., that the Quran conflicts with both Jewish and Christian scriptures? Since the Quran says the Torah and Gospels are true and unchanged, yet the Quran contradicts the Torah and Gospels, the Quran cannot be authentic prophecy.
3. Some might try to dismiss this conclusion by saying the Torah and Gospels have been corrupted. Yet, the Quran does not allow this option. For it says none can change God’s words.[17] If none can change God’s words, then the Torah and Gospels have not been corrupted.
4. Furthermore, the Quran says Jews and Christians who read the Torah and Gospels know whether Muhammad was a true prophet.[18] Since Jews and Christians who read the Torah and Gospels know the Quran (Muhammad’s prophetic message) conflicts with Jewish and Christian scriptures, they must conclude that Muhammad was not a true prophet.
IV. Implications:
Some might ask if it matters whether Muhammad was a false prophet. After all, our Muslim friends are reasonable and nice. As reasonable and nice people ourselves, we are inclined to simply avoid the topic of discussion. Yet Paul’s letter to the Galatians reveals that we do not have this option. We must choose whom to follow. For we read:
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.[19]
Religious liberty protects every individual’s right to choose either wisely or poorly with respect to faith in God. Yet poor faith choices do necessarily lead to unhappy consequences. So, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”[20] We encourage readers to search the scriptures for God’s message of love and mercy to all mankind.
Note: See “David Wood Explains Why Islam is a False Religion,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjUiZ8JcXPQ.
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[1] Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, U.S. Religion Census, 11 Nov 2022, https://www.usreligioncensus.org/node/1641.
[2] (1) Genesis 2:16-17. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen%202&version=ESV. God created the possibility of obedience or disobedience – free will.
(2) See also Deuteronomy 30:19-20. [Moses said:] “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deut%2030&version=ESV. Moses encouraged Israel to choose life.
(3) See also Joshua 24:15. “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods of your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=joshua%2024&version=ESV. Joshua told Israel to choose whom to serve.
[3] George Washington to Hebrew Congregation, August 21, 1790, The Herald of Freedom, Boston, Massachusetts, September 7, 1790, in Shawn Henry Potter and Lois Carol Potter, Foundations of Democracy in the United States of America: Writings from 1789 to 1801 – Application (Woodbridge, VA: Renatus Press, 2020), 65-67, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DG3NZW5.
[4] Genesis 22:1-2 “After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=gen%2022&version=ESV.
[5] Surah 37 (As-Saffat):101-102. “So We gave him good news of a forbearing son. Then when the boy reached the age to work with him, Abraham said, ‘O my dear son! I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice you. So tell me what you think.’ He replied, ‘O my dear father! Do as you are commanded. Allah willing, you will find me steadfast.’” See also: Surah 37 (As-Saffat):112. “We later gave him good news of Isaac – a prophet, and one of the righteous.” https://quran.com/37.
[6] (1) Matthew 27:35 “And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots…. 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit…. 59-60 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away…. 28:5-6 But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.’” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%2027&version=ESV.
(2) See also Mark 15:24 “And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take….” 37 “And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last….” 46 “And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb….” 16:6 “And he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.’” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%2015&version=ESV.
(3) See also Luke 23:33 “And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left….” 46 “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last….” 53-55 “Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid….” 24:5-7 “And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.’” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2023&version=ESV.
(4) See also John 19:18 “There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them….” 30 “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished,’ and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit….” 41-42 “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there….” 20:17 “Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2019&version=ESV.
[7] Surah 4 (An-Nisa):155-157. “They were condemned for breaking their covenant, rejecting Allah’s signs, killing the prophets unjustly, and for saying, ‘Our hearts are unreceptive!’ – it is Allah Who has sealed their hearts for their disbelief, so they do not believe except for a few – and for their denial and outrageous accusation against Mary, and for boasting, ‘We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.’ But they neither killed nor crucified him – it was only made to appear so. Even those who argue for this crucifixion are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever – only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him.” https://quran.com/4.
[8] (1) Matthew 3:16-17. “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” 17:5 “He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%203&version=ESV.
(2) See also Mark 1:11 “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%201&version=ESV.
(3) See also Luke 3:21-22 “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luk%203&version=ESV.
(4) See also John 20:30-31 “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2020&version=ESV.
(5) See also Matthew 28:18-19. “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.’” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%2028&version=ESV.
[9] Surah 4:171. “O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes regarding your faith; say nothing about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger of Allah and the fulfilment of His Word through Mary and a spirit created by a command from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers and do not say, ‘Trinity.’ Stop! – for your own good. Allah is only One God. Glory be to Him! He is far above having a son! To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And Allah is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs.” https://quran.com/4.
[10] Surah 2 (Al-Baqarah):2-4. “This is the Book! There is no doubt about it – a guide for those mindful of Allah, who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and donate from what We have provided for them, and who believe in what has been revealed to you O Prophet and what was revealed before you, and have sure faith in the Hereafter.” https://quran.com/2.
[11] Deuteronomy 13:1-4. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deut%2013&version=ESV.
[12] Surah 3 (Ali ‘Imran):3-4. “He [Allah] has revealed to you O Prophet the Book in truth, confirming what came before it, as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel previously, as a guide for people, and also revealed the Decisive Authority. Surely those who reject Allah’s revelations will suffer a severe torment. For Allah is Almighty, capable of punishment.” https://quran.com/3.
[13] Surah 5 (Al-Ma’idah):43. [Allah says to Muhammad concerning Israel] “But why do they come to you for judgment when they already have the Torah containing Allah’s judgment, then they turn away after all? They are not true believers.” https://quran.com/5.
[14] Surah 2 (Al-Baqarah):85. [Allah speaking to Israel] “But here you are, killing each other and expelling some of your people from their homes, aiding one another in sin and aggression; and when those expelled come to you as captives, you still ransom them – though expelling them was unlawful for you. Do you believe in some of the Scripture and reject the rest? Is there any reward for those who do so among you other than disgrace in this worldly life and being subjected to the harshest punishment on the Day of Judgment? For Allah is never unaware of what you do.” https://quran.com/2.
[15] Surah 5 (Al-Ma’idah):47. [Allah says to Muhammad concerning Christians] “So let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed in it. And those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are truly the rebellious.” https://quran.com/5.
[16] Surah 5 (Al-Ma’idah):68. “Say, O Prophet, ‘O People of the Book! You have nothing to stand on unless you observe the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you from your Lord.’ And your Lord’s revelation to you O Prophet will only cause many of them to increase in wickedness and disbelief. So do not grieve for the people who disbelieve.’” https://quran.com/5.
[17] Surah 18 (Al-Kahf):27. “Recite what has been revealed to you from the Book of your Lord. None can change His Words, nor can you find any refuge besides Him.” https://quran.com/18.
[18] Surah 10 (Yunus):94-95. “If you O Prophet are in doubt about these stories that We have revealed to you, then ask those who read the Scripture before you. The truth has certainly come to you from your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt, and do not be one of those who deny Allah’s signs or you will be one of the losers.” https://quran.com/10.
[19] Galatians 1:6-9. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians%201&version=ESV.
[20] Joshua 24:15. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=joshua%2024&version=ESV.