Islam

Theological Issues

S. 7:157= “Those who follow the messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures), in the law (Taurat) and the Gospel;- for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honour him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him, it is they who will prosper.”

H ERE WE HAVE a classic “takeover” of the Prophetship of Jesus by Muhammad. Abdullah Yusuf Ali, translator and commentator of the Holy Quran (from Arabic into English) makes note of “in their own (Scripture)” to mean that S. 7:157 “is a pre-figuring, to Moses, of the Arabian Messenger, the last and greatest of the messengers of Allah.” Tell me, you proud Muslims, does not your Quran tell us that Jesus was sinless, perfect? Yes! Then why do you insist that your “Arabian Messenger” replaced God’s “LAST Messenger”? Why do you deny Jesus’ very own Truthful Words: “I AM the Alpha (first) and the Omega (last)” (Rev. 1:11)? Jesus also uses the phrases “Beginning and the End” as well.

All this talk about Muhammad being prophesied about in our Scriptures is sheer imagination!...those prophecies are about Jesus Christ. You rely upon Deut. 18:5 for proof, but IT WAS JESUS BEING SPOKEN ABOUT.

Ali comments that Deut. 18:15 was “the only prophet who brought a Shari’ah like that of Moses was Muhammad Al-Mustafa, and he came of the house of Isma’il the brother of Isaac- the father of Israel.” How deceitful of you people!

And please spare me a migraine headache by using John 14:16:

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter that He may remain with you forever.” Since you Muslims believe this “comforter” to be Muhammad, maybe you can ANSWER SEVERAL REASONABLE QUESTIONS:

#1- Since you believe that our Sacred Scriptures have been/are corrupted, and are therefore unreliable, HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE JN. 14:16 AND DEUT. 18:5 TO BE TRUE, LET ALONE REFERRING TO YOUR PROPHET?

#2- It would seem pointless for Jesus, who knew His mission as Savior/Messenger/Prophet/Priest etc., to pray to His Father to send another “Paraclete,” especially a HUMAN, SINFUL, HATEFUL, MURDEROUS, and DECEIVED one etc., such as Muhammad, when the Holy Spirit (“Paraclete”) was part of the Godhead.

#3- How are we to believe v. 17? “The Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him, and know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you (constantly) and will be in you.” Wow! Did the apostles know and recognize Muhammad? Silly question! Was Muhammad among them, and later on lived in their hearts?! Silly question! And, since you believe that our Bible has been/is corrupted, why believe v. 16, and not 17?...or do you believe v. 16 to be true, and v. 17 corrupted?

#4- Why do you insist that the Gk “Paraclete” (which the N.T. was written in, not Arabic!) is “Periclyte,” as Ali says: “...the Greek word Paraclete which the Christians interpret as referring to the Holy Spirit is by our Doctors taken to be Periclyte, which would be the Greek form of Ahmad.” What a delightful twist of words! (order our free booklet dealing specifically with this Islamic fantasy).

To make matters worse, they go so far as to claim that even Jesus prophesied Muhammad coming: S. 61:6= “And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: ‘O children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Taurat (which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad! But when he came to them with clear signs, they said ‘this is evident sorcery!’”

(Ali comments: “The mission of Jesus was to His own people, the Jews,” he quotes Matt. 10:5, 6; Matt. 15:24 and 15:26.)

Then Ali gets on this silly AHMAD stuff. In note 5438, he writes: “Ahmad, or Muhammad, The Praised One, is almost a translation of the Greek word ‘Periclytos’. In the present Gospel of John 14:16, 15:26, and 16:7, the word ‘comforter’ in the English version is the Greek word ‘Paracletos’, which means ‘Advocate’, ‘one called to the help of another, a kind friend’, rather than ‘comforter.’” Ali makes a big deal over this, trying desperately to make the Holy Spirit out to be the very sinful-human Muhammad.

Allow me, if you will, to set the record straight. Muslim scholars such as Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Qayyin Al-Jawziyya have made every effort to scrutinize the verses Ali mentions, claiming that the “comforter” (the “Parakletos,” Strong’s #G3875), is Muhammad, and not the Holy Spirit.

If we Christians were to believe the Islamic perversions, we would have to switch “Prophets.”

Let’s analyze what is being said about the “comforter”

First: Father

TAKE JOHN 14:16: “And I will ask the Father...” since Muslims bring up the above quote by Jesus, they make a BIG mistake! How so? Well, the terms “Father” and the “Fatherhood” of God are STRICTLY REJECTED by all Muslims. The “Father” is the first Hypostasis of the Triune Deity and it is considered blasphemy to call God/Allah the Father.

Jesus as the second Hypostasis, the Son of man/Son of God, is the One who asked the Father to send the Parakletos.

The Holy Spirit/Ghost, of course, is the third Hypostasis, the one being sent.

PARAKLETOS

DESPITE WHAT AYA says, parakletos (Gk) does mean “Comforter,” as well as “Counsellor,” and “Advocate;” in no wise does it ever, ever mean “Praised One.” How ridiculous! The Gk. word in our text underscores a significant fact: even if we’re to believe the “Praised One” thing, it will and does create a serious problem. How so? According to John Gilchrist (author of Jam al-Qur’an: The Codification of the Qur’an text; The Textual History of the Qur’an and the Bible and The Crucifixion of Christ: A Fact, not Fiction): “Muslims alleged that (Jesus) actually foretold the coming of Muhammad by mentioning his name, the sentence in that case would have said: ‘He will give you another Muhammad.’” SO MUCH OF THE “PRAISED ONE” THEORY! He points out, and should be understood even by a novice, such interpretation totally contradicts the Islamic faith by calling for the existence of two Muhammads—one proceeding the other.

First Comforter

CONTRARY TO THE COMMON Islamic interpretation of our texts in question, they are fully congruent with our belief in the Holy Spirit, for Jesus was the first comforter during His earthly ministry who filled His disciples with peace and comfort—also to help them and defend them.

After His death, resurrection, and ascension, He sent back the “Parakletos” that would abide with His people FOREVER; this was impossible for Muhammad, don’t you think?

If we were to believe their silly idea about “Ahmad”/“Muhammad,” then the Christian Church was without the “Parakletos” from the time of Christ until the rise of Islam: this would make both Jesus and Muhammad a liar.

DID THE EARLY APOSTLES AND CHURCH KNOW MUHAMMAD? (see Jn. 14:17).

On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, not Muhammad, was poured out. If Muhammad was “poured out,” we would have to say that he was likened unto “cloven tongues of fire” (Acts 2:3, see Acts 2:33-36 also).

Bear Witness?

JOHN 15:26, 27 read: “But when the Comforter comes whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He (Himself) will testify regarding Me” ~Jesus. Muhammad does not testify of Jesus as the First/Last, the Beginning/End, or the Lamb that was slain for the sins of the world etc. NO! HE REPLACES OUR CRUCIFIED AND RISEN SAVIOR, REPLACES THE HOLY SPIRIT, REPLACES CHRISTIANITY: MUHAMMAD WAS A THIEF, A LIAR, AND A FALSE PROPHET.

If we believe Jn. 15:26, 27, then we have to admit that Muhammad FAILED to be a real witness of Jesus, and all that He claimed to be, because He was/is the Logos (the Living Word from the Father) from eternity. Was Muhammad with the Father and the Logos from eternity past? (see Jn. 1:1). This, my dear friends, is why ISLAM IS HOSTILE TO CHRISTIANITY. THEY HAVE TO COVER UP ALL THEIR LIES, DISTORTIONS, MISINTERPRETATIONS ETC. in order to get a following. Muhammad’s body is back to dust, while Jesus is in Heaven, with His Father, with His glorified body; the Holy Spirit working among the earth’s peoples, bringing them to the Father and to the Eternal Son of God. It is inconceivable how Muslims want men to believe in a dead prophet, who did no miracles, was not divine, taught “kill your enemies,” as opposed to what Jesus was and is. Only a fool would chose a sinful prophet over a sinless: Divine, Eternal, All Powerful, All knowing, On-The-Present Prophet.

Ahmad/Muhammad

ONE REALLY HAS to stretch his imagination on this one! Again, AYA contends that: “...‘Parakletos’ is a corrupt reading for “Periclytos,” and that in their original sayings of Jesus, there was a prophecy of our holy prophet Ahmad by name” (note #5438).

My I ask “what original saying of Jesus?” Do the Muslims have the “original sayings”? Even we Christians don’t claim to own any “original MSS!;” but we do claim “originals” off the “originals.” In other words, copies made off the original MSS, but not the “originals” themselves. If our Bible has been corrupted, as Muslims tell us, do they have the “originals” for us to see all the THOUSANDS of errors we now adhere to in our Bible? CAN THEY PRODUCE JUST ONE ORIGINAL SAYING, LET ALONE THE ENTIRE COLLECTION OF MSS? It would be easy for us to believe their criticism of our Bible if they could point out all the 1,000's of mistakes; but, no, not one Muslim has produced ONE original text. Not ONE!!

Why?

WHY ARE WE to believe the Ahmad/Muhammad lie? I won’t even comment on the “clear signs” (S. 61:6) that their prophet was supposed to have done- miracles? Ali stretches his Arabic imagination when he states in footnote #5439 (about 61:6) that “Our Holy Prophet (holy??) was foretold in many ways; and when he came, he showed forth many (many???) clear signs, for his whole life from beginning to end was one vast miracle (miracle??).” Come now Ali, even the most respected Islamic scholars and historians refute you. But Jesus/Holy Spirit worked many, many miracles: Jesus rising from the dead, in a new glorified body, was/is the greatest or miracles; poor Muhammad, still lying in a tomb awaiting the last resurrection in which he will give an account for his fake prophet-hood.

But back to the issue of Ahmad/Muhammad. The term “Periclytos” is an adjective, dear ones, and it has NEVER been used as a proper noun as our Muslim friends Arabicized it. Get serious here. Ahmad/Muhammad, or Mahmud, are proper nouns/names. As Faris Al-Qayrawani puts it, “Periclytos” is an adjective, not a noun, but a mere adjective used with a noun such as: a famous man, a well-known person, or a man with highly praised qualities.

Even if it is really used as a proper noun, “Ahmad” cannot be “Muhammad.” If you summoned Ahmad to you, the one who would respond to your call will be Ahmad, not Muhammad, though both names are derived from the same root.

The Arabicization of “Periclytos,” instead of the original (off the original) Biblical term “Parakletos” is an INTRUSION ON THE LANGUAGE, that is aiming in particular at authenticating the prophet-hood of Muhammad, on the basis of these claims.

It is pointed out by honest scholars that “Ahmad” being the same as “Muhammad” is an act of DISTORTION which lacks any linguistic justification. They also point out that “Ahmad” does not have any root in the term “Parakletos,” which Jesus used in His various references to the Holy Spirit. Amen!

We want to ask, “How did the name ‘Ahmad’ originate in the Quran?.”

In Ibn Taymiyya’s book Hidayat Al-Hayara (section 4 of vol. 2, p. 16), Taymiyya tries to justify the Quranic name of “Ahmad” for “Muhammad.” Since it would take up much space, interested parties ought to obtain his book. But let me just quote a very short portion here to show you how these “scholars” work: “As for (the Word) Muhammad which is similar to Mukarrom (being honored) and Mu’ adhdham (being exalted), it is for the one who is exceedingly highly praised for which he is really worthy. Since he was ever-praised (Ahmad), he became the highly praised (Muhammad)...”

ONE CAN SEE HOW UTTERLY STUPID THAT ARGUMENT IS; it is based on subjective assessment, especially when one compares Muhammad’s life to other great O.T. Prophets. It is really telling in light of our Lord Jesus Christ, sinless and eternal. How could anyone in their right mind place Muhammad above the Lord Jesus Christ or even compare him to the Holy Spirit?

May I suggest Ibn Hisham’s Sirat Ibn Hisham (the Bibliography of Ibn Hisham) - you can do a careful objective comparative study with the life of Christ.

Al-Fakhr Al-Razi, Al-Jalalan, Al-Baydawi are 3 very well known and read Islamic scholars who have tired (in vain!) to explicate the origin of the name “Ahmad” instead of “Muhammad” in the Quran. Just because Islam has these scholars, does not prove the question.

Striking Proof

SINCE THERE are many thousands MSS available for people to read, isn’t it rather unusual that not ONE manuscript has the word “Periclytos,” in any form, in them.

Test yourself if you dare—apply Luke 1:35 to Muhammad:

“...The Holy Spirit (Parakletos) will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and so the holy (pure, sinless!) Thing which shall be born of you (Mary), will be called the Son of God.” DID MUHAMMAD OVERSHADOW MARY?

Try Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Jn. 1:29-34. What we have if we replace “Parakletos” with “Periclytos” is this: “…He will baptize you with Muhammad or Ahmad (the praised one) and fire…”

Try Luke 3:22 where the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at His baptism. If we use “Periclytos” we read: “And the “Periclytos” (the praised one or Ahmad) descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove...” Wow! Muhammad turning into a dove! This happened 6 centuries before Muhammad’s birth.

Go right down this list of Scriptures, apply “Periclytos” in the place of “Parakletos,” and see how DUMB it makes the text: Luke 4:1 is one I just have to point out; “And Jesus full of the Holy Spirit…,” now apply the Arabic translation and we get this: “And Jesus full with the Muhammad…”

Try Acts 1:8; 4:31; Matt. 28:19; Matt. 12:32; Lk. 12:10; Mark 13:11; Matt. 10:20; Jn. 14:25-26; Jn. 14:15-17.

One can’t help but PRAY for the Islamic community: they have been DECEIVED for centuries—missing Salvation/Heaven.

If....

IF THE PEOPLE of the Book have altered our Scriptures, why do you Muslims use certain texts to prove your Arabic points of view? (Gen. Jim)

S. 2:75= “Can ye (O ye men of Faith) entertain the hope that they will believe in you?- seeing that a party of them heard the Word of Allah, and perverted it knowingly after they understood it” (Here we have a Sura that says Christians perverted their own Scriptures).

I find it rather ironic that the Quran uses such noble titles as: “a guidance,” “the Gospel with its guidance and light,” “The Book of God,” “The Word of God,” “a Light and guidance to man,” “a decision for all matters,” “a guidance and mercy,” “the lucid Book,” “the illumination (or al-furgan),” etc.

GET SERIOUS YOU PEOPLE OF MUHAMMAD. YOU, NOT US, ARE IN ERROR. Why does your Quran tell us to look into our own Scriptures for revelation (S. 5:50) if they are corrupted?

Did you know even your prophet checked his “revelations” with our Scriptures? “If thou wert in doubt as to what we have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee: The Truth hath indeed came to thee from the Lord: so be in no wise of those in doubt.” Even AYA recognizes this Truth. In note #1475, he speaks of Waraqa (whom I believed taught the prophet about the Bible, himself kin to Muhammad, and also a Christian, I have information about him also). Ali writes, “The Book in this connection is Revelation generally, including pre Islamic revelations.” You ought to check out the following suras: 21:7; 4:163, 164 where we are to believe the Book/Bible ~Gen. Jim.

S. 4:46= “Of the Jews there are those who displace words from their (right) places, and say: ‘We hear and we disobey.’” Ali accuses the Jews of “twisting words and expressions, so as to ridicule the most solemn teachings of faith...their intention disrespectful” (note #565). IF ANYONE TWISTS WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS, AND ARE DISRESPECTFUL, IT IS THE MUSLIMS. They put to death those who blaspheme their prophet and their Quran; the former, a sinner, murderer, liar etc.; the latter a book that has taken God’s Holy Word, twisted it so as to fit the Arabic culture, and are very disrespectful of All Christians.