Table of Truth: Islam vs. the Bible JESUS CHRIST Islam: Jesus is not God. Jesus is not the Son of God. God has no son; Jesus was only a prophet. ‘God is only one god; he is far above having a son…’ Sura 4:171 ‘Those who say, “God is the Messiah, the son of Mary,” are defying the truth.’ Sura 5:17 The Bible: ‘In the beginning was the Word (Jesus, often referred to as the Word of God), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ John 1:1 ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16 ‘Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.’ Luke 3:22 (at the baptism of the Lord Jesus). ‘And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.’ John 20:28 ‘…let all the angels of God worship him (Jesus).’ Hebrews 1:6 ‘And they worshipped him (Jesus)…’ Luke 24:52 Only God is ever to be worshipped, according to the First Commandment. Jesus is definitely God, and the divine man, the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity. THE CROSS Islam: Jesus was not crucified and did not die. ‘They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him…’ Sura 4:157 The Bible: Jesus WAS crucified. ‘And they crucified him…’ Matthew 27:35 ‘And when they had crucified him…’ Mark 15:24 ‘And when they came to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him…’ Luke 23:33 ‘(Golgotha) Where they crucified him…’ John 19:18 Jesus DID die. ‘And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.’ Mark 15:37 ‘Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.’ Matthew 27:50 ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.’ Luke 23:46 ‘But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs.’ John 19:33 All four gospels testify to the death on the cross of the Lord Jesus as a substitute for us, paying the penalty for the sins of all who trust in Him. BURIAL AND RESURRECTION Islam: Jesus did not die, therefore He never rose from the dead, but was taken up. The Bible: ‘…I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said.’ (words of the angel who rolled back the stone so that Jesus’ friends could see into the empty tomb.) Matthew 28:5-6 ‘Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth which was crucified: he is risen: he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.’ (words of the angel) Mark 16:6 ‘…Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen…’ Luke 24:5-6 ‘Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.’ John 20:29 ‘…Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures…and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures, and that he was seen of Cephas (Peter), then of the twelve (apostles). After that, he was seen of above 500 brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.’ 1 Corinthians 15:3-6. These scriptures are the heart of the gospel. THE VIRGIN BIRTH Islam: ‘In god’s eyes Jesus is just like Adam: He created him from dust, said to him, “Be”, and he was.’ Sura 3:59 The Bible: ‘Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.’ Gospel of Matthew 1:23 GETTING TO HEAVEN Islam: Even Mohammed was not sure he would get to Heaven. He taught that the righteous would get to Heaven if their good deeds outweighed their bad deeds. At the end of his life Mohammed said: ‘By Allah, though I am the apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me.’ (Vol 5:266 Hadith). If anyone even raised his voice above Mohammed’s, ‘your (good) deeds may be cancelled out without you knowing.’ Sura 49:2 The Bible: NO ONE is good enough and no amount of good deeds will get you into Heaven. Christ died for SINNERS and only faith in His atoning sacrifice will get us to Heaven. ‘Christ died for our sins…’ 1 Corinthians 15:3 ‘…being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.’ Romans 5:9 ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you.’ John 14:1 ‘I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’ John 14:6 SALVATION Islam: ‘Every soul is held in pledge for its deeds.’ Sura 74:38 The Bible: ‘If you believe in Me you HAVE eternal life.’ John 6:47 FORGIVENESS OF SIN Islam: No assurance unless you die fighting. ‘Let those of you who are willing to trade the life of this world for the life to come, fight in god’s way. To anyone who fights in god’s way, whether killed or victorious, we shall give a great reward.’ (Sura 4:74) Suicide bombers believe that because of their murderous act, their sins will be forgiven and that they will go straight to Paradise. The Bible: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ 1 John 1:9 ‘Jesus Christ the righteous: he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.’ 1 John 2:1’2 ‘…while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ Romans 5:8 OTHER FAITHS Islam: ‘We will strike panic into the disbelievers’ hearts because they attribute partners to God…’ (Sura 3:151) ‘Fight those of the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) who do not truly believe in god and the last day, who do not forbid what god and his messenger (Mohammed) have forbidden…until they pay the tax and agree to submit.’ Sura 9:29 ‘Whoever changes his religion, kill him.’ (Hadith 9:57) The Bible: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God.’ Words of the Lord Jesus, Matthew 5:9 ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.’ Words of the Lord Jesus, Matthew 5:44 FIGHTING Islam: ‘If you do not go out and fight, god will punish you severely…’ Sura 9:39 ‘You who believe, fight the disbelievers near you…’ Sura 9:123 ‘Fight in god’s cause against those who fight you, but do not overstep the limits…Kill them wherever you encounter them and drive them out from where they drove you out, for persecution is more serious than killing…Fight them until there is no more persecution and worship is devoted to god (Allah).’ Sura 2:190-193 Those who will not fight: ‘…we expect god to inflict punishment on you, either from himself or at our hands…’ Sura 9:52 and ‘they are cowardly’ Sura 9:56 ‘He who fights so that Allah’s word (Islam) should be superior, then he fights in Allah’s cause.’ Hadith Vol 1, Book 3, Number 125 The Bible: ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’ John 19:36 ‘If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.’ Luke 6:29 ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.’ Words of the Lord Jesus, Matthew 5:44 MARRIAGE IN HEAVEN? Islam: Muslim men who make it to Heaven will get many wives. The Bible: There is no marriage in Heaven. ‘For in the resurrection they neither marry, or are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.’ Matthew 22:30 ‘For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels which are in heaven.’ Mark 12:25 WHAT IS HEAVEN LIKE? Islam: It is like a garden with many streams and many wives. ‘There will be maidens restraining their glances, untouched beforehand by man or jinn (demon spirits).’ Sura 55:56 ‘There are good-natured, beautiful maidens.’ Sura 55:70 ‘They will all sit on green cushions and fine carpets.’ Sura 55:76 The Bible: ‘And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.’ Book of Revelation, Chapter 21 – the entire chapter describes the matchless, almost unimaginable glory to come. TREATMENT OF WOMEN Islam: ‘If you fear high-handedness from your wives … when you go to bed, then hit them.’ Sura 4:34 The Bible: ‘So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.’ Ephesians 5:28 ‘…let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself…’ Ephesians 5:33 ‘Husbands, love your wives…’ Colossians 3:19 ‘Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence.’ 1 Corinthians 7:3 ‘..the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.’ 1 Corinthians 7:4 HOW MANY WIVES? Islam: ‘…you may marry whichever women seem good to you, two, three, or four.’ Sura 4:3 The Bible: ‘A bishop must be…the husband of one wife…’ 1 Timothy 3:2 ‘Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife…’ 1 Timothy 3:12 PUNISHMENT OF THIEVES Islam: ‘Cut off the hands of thieves, whether they are man or woman (but forgive if they repent). Sura 5:38. In Morocco on holiday we actually saw a distraught young woman who ran up to us crying and holding out the stumps of her wrists. Both her hands had been chopped off. The Bible: ‘He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful WITH HIS OWN HANDS… Ephesians 4:28 NEW REVELATION Islam: Mohammed was the last prophet. The Bible: ‘…many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.’ Jesus speaking in Matthew 24:11 The test of a false prophet is that their teaching about Jesus Christ is wrong. 1 John 4:2-3 You will know false prophets by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20. Is the fruit of Islam good? ANGELS Islam: The angel Gabriel is said to have given Mohammed the information recorded in the Koran. ‘The Koran is nothing less than a revelation that is sent to him (Mohammed). It was taught to him by (an angel) with mighty powers and great strength…’ Sura 53:4-5 The Bible: Paul wrote: ‘Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (eternally condemned).’Galatians, 1:8 ‘Test the spirits.’ 1 John 4:1 ‘Satan himself is transformed (masquerades) into an angel of light.’ 2 Corinthians 11:14 CREATION OF MANKIND Islam: ‘He Himself created the two sexes, male and female, from an ejected drop of sperm…’ Sura 53:45 (This is blasphemous theology which the ancient Egyptian pagan religion also taught.) The Bible: ‘And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ Genesis 2:7 SWEARING Islam: ‘I swear by the position of the stars…’ Sura 56:75 The Bible: ‘But I say unto you, swear not at all, neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne, nor by the earth, for it is his footstool…’ gospel of Matthew 5:34,35 PENALTY FOR NOT BELIEVING Islam: ‘We shall brand him on the snout!’ Sura 68:16 The Bible: No penalty in this world, but ‘…he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God.’ Gospel of John 3:18 PRAYER Islam: The Prophet said, "Then Allah enjoined fifty prayers on my followers…’ (This was later reduced to five daily prayers.) Volume 1, Book 8, Number 345 Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's apostle said, "If one says one-hundred times in one day: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the alone who has no partners, to him belongs dominion and to him belong all the praises, and he has power over all things (i.e. omnipotent)", one will get the reward of manumitting ten slaves, and one hundred good deeds will be written in his account, and one hundred bad deeds will be wiped off or erased from his account, and on that day he will be protected from the morning till evening from Satan, and nobody will be superior to him except one who has done more than that which he has done." Hadith, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 514 The Bible: ‘But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.’ The Lord Jesus speaking in the gospel of Matthew 6:7 *********** Here are some miscellaneous teachings of Mohammed - on flies curing disease, snakes causing miscarriage, dogs banned as pets, Jews turning into rats, Satan spending the night in your nose, why you should spit if you have a bad dream and the proper way of spitting in a mosque etc. These are found in the Haddith, the 'sayings of Mohammed' remembered by people after his death. ‘The prophet (Mohammed) said "If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease."’ Hadith Vol 4, Book 54, Number 537 ‘Allah's apostle (Mohammed) said, "If somebody keeps a dog, he loses one Qirat (of the reward) of his good deeds everyday, except if he keeps it for the purpose of agriculture or for the protection of livestock."’ Hadith Vol 4, Book 54, Number 541 ‘Ibn 'Umar used to kill snakes but when Abu Lubaba informed him that the prophet (Mohammed) had forbidden the killing of snakes living in houses, he gave up killing them.’ Hadith Vol 4, Book 54, Number 530 ‘The prophet (Mohammed) ordered that a short-tailed or mutilated-tailed snake (i.e. Abtar) should be killed, for it blinds the on-looker and causes abortion.’ Hadith, Vol 4, Book 54, Number 528 ‘The prophet (Mohammed) said, "Kill the snake with two white lines on its back, for it blinds the on-looker and causes abortion."’ Hadith Vol 4 Book 54, Number 527 ‘Narrated Um Sharik: That the prophet (Mohammed) ordered her to kill Salamanders’. Hadith Vol 4, Book 54, Number 526 Narrated Ibn Umar: That he heard the prophet (Mohammed) delivering a sermon on the pulpit saying, "Kill snakes and kill Dhu-at-Tufyatain (i.e. a snake with two white lines on its back) and ALBATROSS (i.e. a snake with short or mutilated tail) for they destroy the sight of one's eyes and bring about abortion." ('Abdullah bin 'Umar further added): Once while I was chasing a snake in order, to kill it, Abu Lubaba called me saying: "Don't kill it," I said. "Allah's Apostle ordered us to kill snakes." He said, "But later on he prohibited the killing of snakes living in the houses." (Az-Zubri said. "Such snakes are called Al-Awamir.")’ Hadith, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 518 ‘The prophet (Mohammed) said, "Cover your utensils and tie your water skins, and close your doors and keep your children close to you at night, as the Jinns (evil spirits) spread out at such time and snatch things away. When you go to bed, put out your lights, for the mischief-doer (i.e. the rat) may drag away the wick of the candle and burn the dwellers of the house."’ Hadith Vol 4 Book 54, Number 533 ‘Narrated Abu Huraira: The prophet (Mohammed) said, "A group of Israelites were lost. Nobody knows what they did. But I do not see them except that they were cursed and changed into rats, for if you put the milk of a she-camel in front of a rat, it will not drink it, but if the milk of a sheep is put in front of it, it will drink it."’ Hadith, Vol 4, Book 54, Number 524 ‘Narrated Abu Huraira: The prophet (Mohammed) said, "If anyone of you rouses from sleep and performs the ablution, he should wash his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out thrice, because Satan has stayed in the upper part of his nose all the night."’ Hadith Volume 4, Book 54, Number 516 ‘Narrated Abu Qatada: The prophet (Mohammed) said, "A good dream is from Allah, and a bad or evil dream is from Satan; so if anyone of you has a bad dream of which he gets afraid, he should spit on his left side and should seek refuge with Allah from its evil, for then it will not harm him."’ Volume 4, Book 54, Number 513 On spitting in the mosque: ‘Narrated Anas bin Malik: The prophet saw some sputum in the direction of the Qibla (on the wall of the mosque) and he disliked that and the sign of disgust was apparent from his face. So he got up and scraped it off with his hand and said, "Whenever anyone of you stands for the prayer, he is speaking in private to his Lord or his Lord is between him and his Qibla. So, none of you should spit in the direction of the Qibla but one can spit to the left or under his foot." The prophet (Mohammed) then took the corner of his sheet and spat in it and folded it and said, "Or you can do like this. "’ Hadith, Volume 1, Book 8, Number 399. You can research more of this yourself by using the Islam search engine of the University of Southern California at: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/reference/searchhadith.html ISLAM - the books The books of Islam are the Koran, which has 114 chapters or suras, and the Haddith, which is in several volumes. Mohammed was illiterate and could write nothing. He began having visions of a being which claimed to be the angel Gabriel. Mohammed told other people, who wrote down what he said. Those writings are the 114 chapters of the Koran. After Mohammed died many people related things they had heard him say in his lifetime, and these were all written down. These sayings of Mohammed make up the various volumes of the Haddith. The entire religion of Islam rests on the word of one illiterate Arab man who lived in the 7th century. CHRISTIANITY- the book The Holy Bible is a library of 66 books written by 40 authors over about 1500 years. It is true history. It tells us both the past and the future. It begins with the creation of the universe and tells us what lies ahead. It is a true account of God’s dealings with man from the creation of the world. It tells the story of how God selected one man, Abraham, to be the father of a chosen people, a unique nation of people we now call the Jews. It reveals that from that nation came the Messiah, the Holy One of Israel, the Saviour, the Redeemer of mankind – the God-man Jesus Christ, who died as the one and only sacrifice for the sins of all who put their faith in Him. It clearly teaches that He is to return at a certain time in history and it distinctly tells us to be ready when He comes again and gives us many signs of when that will occur. Those signs are all around us now. The Bible is full of true accounts of hundreds of ordinary people, families, kings, and the rise and fall of kingdoms. It is factually accurate and has been verified in many ways, particularly by archaeology. It tells us that the men who wrote the scriptures were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and that even if the heavens and the earth pass away, not one word of the scriptures will be lost. The Bible is the most important thing in this world. It not only tells us the past and the future, but it clearly tells us how we can attain eternal life – through faith in Jesus Christ. In addition to all this, it is the greatest masterpiece of literature in all of history. It truly is ‘the most valuable thing this world affords.’* *… ‘the most valuable thing this world affords.’ This is the phrase used by Surrey County Council's Education Committee on the flyleaf of a Bible given out to teenagers in state schools in England in 1960. Alan's teaching on the difference between God and Allah - Allah, true or false god? is on a tape available through our web-shop.