Many books of religion refer to Islam, Christianity, Juhdaism as the three great monotheistic faiths. Does this mean that they all lead there adherants to paradise? This paper will give you evidence that Islam is the only belief that leads its followers to paradise. This evidence will be presented in a question and answer format.
1. If Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a messenger of God, then his coming would be prophesized in the Bible, is he alluded to in either or both books of the bible?
A. The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is prophesized in both the Torah and the Gospels. The book of John 1:19-21 says “And this is the record of John the Baptist, when Jesus sent priest and levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who art thou? And he confessed and denied not, but confessed I am not Christ. And they asked him, what then? Art thou Elijah? I am not. Art thou the Prophet? No. Then they asked him: Why do you baptize if you are not that Christ, nor Elijah, Niether the prophet?” John 14:16 “And I will pray the father and he shall give you another ‘comforter’, that he may abide with you forever.” John 14:26 “But the ‘comforter’ [wich is the Holy Ghost] whom the father will send in my name, he shall teach you all the things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have sent you.” The Book of Acts 3:22 “For Moses truly said unto the fathers: a prophet shall the lord, your god, raise up unto your brethen, like unto me.”
The above verse does not refer to Jesus (peace be upon him) because unlike Muhammad (peace be upon him) or Moses (peace be upon him), Jesus (peace be upon him) did not have a father or take a wife, and only Jesus is the Messiah.
Allah (God) says in the Holy Quran: “And when Jesus, son of Mary said: Oh Children of Isreal, lo I am the messenger of Allah unto you, conferming that wich was revealed before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who comes after me, whose is the Praised one.”
Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: There is none amongst the Jews and Christians who hears about me and does not believe in the message with wich I have been sent,but he will be of the dwellers of the fire.
2. Did the Jews of Madina beleive in Muhammad?
A. Most of them refused to believe that he was a messenger of God. They rejected him out of pride and arrogance. The Jewish sent a group of rabbis to the Prophet and told him that if he would satisfactorily answer there four questions, they would excep Islam. They asked him: Why does a child take after his mother when he is from the seed of his father? What is the condition of your sleep? What did the prophet Jacob prohibit himself, and why? And wich angel brings revelation to you? Muhammad (peace b upon him) camly answerd every question, and at the end of each answer the Jews said, true by God. However, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that Gabriel was the angel to bring revelations to him, the Jews said: But oh Muhammad, Gabriel is our emy. Muhammad (peace be upon him) replied by reciting from the Quran:jay: whosoever is the enemy of is an enemy to Gabriel should note it well that he brings down revelation to your heart by the will of Allah, a confermation of what went before and gui nce and glad tidings for those who believe.”
How can the Jews claim to be the favored of God if this is there feeling to one of God’s angels(i.e. Gabriel)?
3. Did any other notable people know that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was God’s messenger?
A. Herculius the Persian emporer also understood that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a prophet. He asked Abu Sufyam (who at the time was one of Muhammad’s enemies): What is Muhammad’s family status amongst you? He belongs to a good (noble) family onst us. Has anyone amongst you ever claimed to be a prophet before him? No. Was any of his ancestors a king? No. Do the nobles or poor people follow him? The poor do. Are his followers increasing, or decreasing (day, by day)? They are increasing Does anyone who becomes a muslim renounce it later on? No. Has anyone accused him of being a lair before his claim of prophethood? No. Does he break his promises? No, We are at truce with him but we don’t know what he will do in it. Have you ever ought a battle against him? Yes. The outcome was what? Sometimes he was victorious, other times we won. What does he order you to do? He tells us to worship Allah, and Allah alone and not to worship anyhting along with him, and to renounce what our ncestors said. He orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste, and to keep good relations with our relatives.
Herculius then said all prophets come from noble families. I asked wether anyone else claimed to be a prophet. If the answer was yes I would have thought that he would be following the previous mans statement. If any of his ancestors was a king, I w ld have thought that this man wanted to take back his ancestral kingdom.
As for whether he was accused of telling lies, one wonders how a person who does not tell lies about others could tell a lie about Allah. In asking about who followed him, you said the poor, in fact all apostles have been followed by the poor. I asked ther his followers where increasing or decreasing, you said increasing wich is the way of true faith, until it is complete in all respects, the sign of true faith is when its delight enters in the heart and mixes with them completely. He has never betr ed is also a characteristic of a Prophet. Heraclius concluded that he (Muhammad) will very soon occupy this place underneath my feet, and I know it (from the scriptures) that he was going to appear but I didn’t know that he would be from you, and if could reach him definitely, I would go immediatly to meet him and if I were with him, I would certaintly wash his feet.
One of the Jews of Medina who accepted Islam was Abdullah Bin Salaam, he was the son of a chief rabbi of Medina. He asked Muhammad (peace be upon him): What is the first meal of paradise? What makes a child look like the father or mother? And what i the sign of the coming of the day of jugdment? After these quetsions where answerd correctly, Abdullah declaired his faith in Islam.
In another example, previous to the migration of Muslimsfrom Mecca to Medina, was a migration of some of the beleivers to Abbyssinia. They made this migration because of the increasing persecution of the Idolaters against the Muslims. The King of Abby inia was named Negus who was a pious and just leader, the Meccan Idolaters tried to forcibly bring back the Muslims to Mecca. the king heard the arguments on both sides. The tspokesman for the Muslim was named Jafar, he said to the king: Your majesty, e were ignorent people, worshiping Idols, eating carrion, oppressing neighbors, brother fighting brother, the strong dominate the weak, when admist us was raised a man whose nobility, integrity, and trustworthiness were already known. He invited us to I am, taught us to abandon Idol worship, speak the truth, refrain from bloodshed, not to steal property from orphans, give comfort to neighbors, not to defame chaste women, offer prayers, keep fasts and give alms. We believed in him and renounce our bad bits where upon our people became hostile to us and vowed to take our lives. So we fled here with our lives and our faith. If our people had permitted us to live in our homes peacefully we would have not left them. Then some versus from Sura (i.e. ch ter) Mary where read to Negus. The king then cried out: By God, these verses and the Bible are light from the same lamp. Further he said: I am sure that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the same prophet who advent was prophosized by Jesus (peace be up him) and I thank God that he is born in my lifetime, Negus eventualy became Muslim.
4. What did the Messenger of God teach?
A. All the messengers and prophets came with the same basic message that there is no god but Allah.
The book of Cydos said: “Thall shall have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image.”
In the book of Isaiah: “I am the lord, and there is none else, There is no god beside me, I girded thee thou hast not known me.”
The Quranic chapter of the cow states: “And when we made with you a covenant with the children of Isreal: Worship none save (Allah only) and be good to parents, to kindred, to orhans and the needy, and speak kindly to mankind; and establish rship and pay the poor due.”
Another verse in the Quran: “And they say that Allah has taken unto himself a son. Be glorified! Nay, but whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth is his. All are subservient unto him. The originator of the heavens and the earth: When he decrees mething, only he says Be and it is.”
The cahpter of Unity says: “Say he is Allah the one. Allah the eternally besought of all. He begets not nor war begotten. And there is no one comparable to him.”
5. Do Christians and Jews believe in all of God’s Prophets?
A. Unlike the Jews or Christians only Muslims beleive in all the Prophets and Messangers. The Quran says: “And they say : Be Jews or Christian, then you will be rightly guided (Say to the Muhammad): Nay, but we follow the religion of Abraham, the up ght, and he ws not of the Idolaters. Say (Oh Muslims): We believe in Allah and that wich is revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmeal, and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and wich Moses and Jesus recieved and that wich the prophets recieved from there lord.”
The Quran also says: "Say: Oh people of the Scripture come to agreement between us and you: That we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto him, and that none shall take others for lords beside Allah. And if they turn ay, then say bear witness that we are they who have surrenderd. Oh people of the scripture (i.e. Jews and Christians): why will you argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the gospel were revealed after his time. Have you then no sense.... Abraham was n a Jew nor yet a Christian but an upright man who had surrenderd (to Allah) and he wasn't of the idolaters."
6. How does the Christian and Islamic view of Jesus differ?
A. Some Christians say that Jesus is the son of God while other Christians say that he is God. Muslims believe that Jesus is the Messiah who was born of a virgin birth.
The Quran says: "Lo, the likeness of Jesus and Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created him of clay, and the He said: Be and He is." Another verse says: "Surely in disbelief are those who say that Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary."
Muhammad said: If anyone testifies that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah (Alone) who has no partners and that Muhammed is His slave and His messanger and Jesus is Allahs slave and His Messanger and His word, wich He bestowed on Mary and a s rit created by Him, and that Paradise is true and Hell is true, Allah would admit him in Paradise with the deeds wich he has done even if these are few."
In the chapter of the women: Lo, those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and seek to make distinction between Allah and His messengers and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others, and seek to choose a way in between."
The Quran also says: "And verily we gave Moses the scripture and we caused a trian of messengers to follow after him, and we gave unto Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah's soveriengty), and we supported him with the Holy Spirit. It is ever so th , when the time comes unto you a messenger (from Allah) that wich you yourselves desire not, you grow arrogant and some you disbelieve and some you slay?"
This also happend to the prophet Muhammad as at first most people refused to believehis message and there were several attempts on Muhammads life.
The Quran describes how Allah will ask Jesus "Did you tell mankind: take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah? He says: Be glorified!! It was not mine to say what I had no right to say. It I used to say it, then you know it. You know what is in my ind, and I don't know what is in your mind you and only you are the knower of hidden things."
The Quran also says: They surely disbelieve who say: Lo, Allah is the third of three; when there is no god but the one God."
