Muslim-Christian Dialogue-Part 9

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

In his sermon on the mount, Jesus (PBUH) was quoted as saying (Matthew 5:9): “Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.”

Islam also means ‘Peace’: peace between the creator and the worshipper, Jesus (PBUH) could not mean his mission as peacemaker as he did not come for peace. “Think not that I have come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And man’s foes shall be they of his household.” (Matthew 10:34-36); The Bible). See also Luke 12:49-53.

Comforter

John 14:16; The Bible: “And I will pray the Father, and shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” We don’t know exactly the original Aramaic word used by Jesus Christ (PBUH) for Comforter. Other Bibles used Consoler, Advocate, Helper, and in Greek Bibles the word ‘Paraclete’. There are different explanations for it: the Holy Spirit, the Word, a person, etc.

Holy Quran states in Surah 6:16 that Jesus (PBUH) explicitly mentioned the name Ahmad: “And (remember) when Jesus Son of Mary said: ‘O children of Israel! I am the Apostle of Allah [sent] to you confirming the Torah (which came) before me and giving glad tidings of an Apostle to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.” (Ahmad is the second name of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and means the one who praises Allah more than others.)

Whatever the explanation is of the Comforter, we conclude that Jesus (PBUH) left an unfinished work and that someone was coming to complete this mission. Let us examine in the light of the Bible if this Comforter fits the character of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

1) ‘Another Comforter’: So many comforters had come and another one was to come.

2) ‘That he may abide with you forever’ as there was no need for another one to come after him, and he was the Seal of all Prophets. The teaching will abide forever and will remain intact. The Holy Quran and all his teachings remain as they were 1400 years ago.

3) “He will reprove the world of sin” (John 16:8; The Bible) All other Prophets, even Abraham, Moses, David, and Solomon chastised their neighbors and their people for sin, but not the world as Muhammad (PBUH) did. He not only rooted out idolatry in Arabia within 23 years but also sent envoys to Heraclius, the Sovereigns of the empires of Persia and Rome, to Najashi, the King of Ethiopia, and Muqauqis the Governor of Egypt.

4) He reprimanded the Christians for dividing the Unity of God into trinity, for having raised Jesus (PBUH) to the Son of God, and God Himself. It was he who condemned the Jews and Christians for having corrupted their Scriptures, demonstrated the birthright of Ishmael (PBUH), and cleared the Prophets from accusations of adultery, incest, rape, and adultery.

5) “The prince of the world is judged” (John 16:11; The Bible) This is Satan as explained in John 12:31 and 14:30. So, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) came to chastise the world on account of Judgement.

6) “The spirit of truth” (John 16:13; The Bible). Since childhood, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was called Al-Ameen, i.e. the Honest or Truthful One, and “he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13, The Bible)

7) “For he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak” (John 16:13, The Bible)

The Holy Quran is God’s word. Not a single word from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) or his companions was included. The angel Gabriel read it to him, he memorized it, and it was written down by his scribes. His sayings and teachings were recorded in Hadith or Tradition (plural, Ahadith).

Compare this with Deuteronomy 18:18; The Bible: “And will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” This corresponds with Surah 53:2-4 of The Quran: “Your companion (Muhammad) is neither astray nor being misled. Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only an inspiration that is inspired.”

8) “He shall glorify me” (John 16:14; The Bible) Actually, the Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) have more reverence for Jesus (PBUH) than the Bible and Christians themselves. The following will clarify:

• To believe his death on the cross discredits his prophethood according to Deuteronomy 13:5; The Bible “And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death.” It also stamps him as accursed (May Allah forbid!) according to Deuteronomy 21:22-23; The Bible: “for he that is hanged is accursed of God.”

• Matthew 27:46: “My God, my god, why hast thou forsaken me?” Could this not come from someone in agony as he knew that his death would win him the title of martyr? Was this not an insult to Jesus for not having faith in Allah?

• We Muslims cannot believe that Jesus could label the Gentiles as dogs and swine and address his mother as ‘Woman’, as stated in Surah 19:32; The Quran “And dutiful to my mother (i.e. Mary) and Allah made me not unblessed and arrogant.” This is in sharp contrast with: “Give not that which is holy unto dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine” (Matthew 7:6; The Bible) as well as: “Jesus saith unto her (Mary), Woman, what have I to do with thee?” (John 2:4; The Bible)

Revelation to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

The first revelation to Allah through the angel Gabriel to Muhammad (PBUH) was the word “Iqra” which means “Read” in Surah 96:1-5; The Quran. As he was illiterate, he replied: “I cannot read.” This first revelation was prophesied in Isaiah 29:12: “And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, read this, I pray thee and he saith, I am not learned.”

The order of the revelation is not as the order it is seen in the Quran. In other words, the first part revealed is not on the first page and the last part revealed is not on the last page. That these revelations came in installments and inserted in a certain order in the Quran as ordained by Allah, was also mentioned in Isaiah 28:10-11: “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will speak to his people.” Another tongue here means another language, not Hebrew or Aramaic but Arabic.

Muslims all over the world use one language, which is Arabic, in calling God Almighty, in their prayers, pilgrimage, and in their greetings to each other. Also, this unity of language had been prophesied in Zephania 3:9; The Bible: “For then will I turn to people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.”

Alas, the Truth has come in Arabic, but some still expect Prophet Jesus (PBUH) to teach mankind to worship God Almighty (Allah SWT) in one unique language in his second coming. We Muslims are sure that Prophet Jesus (PBUH) in his second coming will join the Muslims in their mosques as he is like any other Muslim, circumcised, not eating pork, and performing prayers with ablution, standing, bowing, and prostration.