Is the Christian´s God same as the Muslim´s God Allah? While most people might argue that the Quran and Bible teach almost the same things, it is very important to know that this is not true. The first and most important thing that marks the difference between the two is Jesus Christ Himself. While Christians believe that He is the only begotten son of God, Muslims don’t, as dozens of verses are written in the Quran like
- Maryam 19:35- it is not conceivable that God should have taken unto Himself a son: limitless is He in His glory! When He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it “Be” -and it is!
Secondly, Christians believe that Jesus was crucified on the cross. Without the crucifixion the resurrection becomes irrelevant, and without the resurrection Christianity itself is rendered meaningless, as it is written in:
- 1 Corinthians 15:14- and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.”
While the Quran says that Jesus was never crucified. They do believe that He is still alive and will return but according to the Islamic theology, Jesus was never crucified. It was merely a deception by Allah who made it appear that he was. So how then can we say that the two religions and their beliefs are almost equals?
While the Bible is full of verses which teach us to forgive those who curse us and pray for our enemies, the Quran teaches Muslims to rather wage war against all non-believers. The Quran contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule. Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding.
- Surah Al Baqarah Verse 2:191– And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And Al-Fitnah [disbelief or unrest] is worse than killing.
- Surah Al Baqarah Verse 2:193– And fight them until there is no more Fitnah [disbelief and worshiping of others along with Allah] and worship is for Allah alone. But if they cease, let there be no transgression except against Az-Zalimun (the polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc.)”
Does this mean that ISIS and other Islamic Jihadists groups are actually on the right track? Groups such as Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda, Taliban or ISIS which represent Islam itself are not the only ones which are killing people in the name of Islam; almost every country in this world has an Islamic militants group, whose main purpose is Jihad (killing non-believers of Islam). They use brutal methods of killing people who do not “submit” to their religion or will. Islam itself in Arabic means “to submit.”
- Surah Muhammad 47:4- So, when you meet those who disbelieve smite at their necks till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, i.e. take them as captives). Thereafter (is the time) either for generosity (i.e. free them without ransom), or ransom (according to what benefits Islam), until the war lays down its burden.
- Surah Al Anfal 8:39– “And fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah.
Over the years different Popes who represent a huge population of Catholic Christians have also made statements against the “abominable” religion. Pope Eugene IV, Council of Basel, once said,
- “… there is hope that very many from the abominable sect of Mahomet will be converted to the Catholic faith.
Pope Callixtus III:
- I vow to… exalt the true Faith, and to extirpate the diabolical sect of the reprobate and faithless Mahomet (Islam) in the East.
Pope Leo X:
- “… the Turks and other infidels… They treat the way of true light and salvation with complete contempt and totally unyielding blindness…”
There were many others including St. Thomas Aquinas and especially Pope Benedict XVI who questioned the concept of holy war, quoting a 14th-Century Christian emperor who said Muhammad had brought the world only “evil and inhuman” things.
Anyone who hasn’t read the Bible or Quran should never say that these two are almost the same and teach the same principles because they certainly don’t! In order to find the truth all what Muslims need to do is reading their own Quran with the translation and that would be enough to help them understand the true meaning and ideology of Islam, which is certainly does not promote the message of peace but war and dictatorship.
By: Nicolas Matthew
Mumbai – India