Allah vs God
Starting around the spring of 2003, when the Iraq war started, the subject of
the Qur'an and Islam in general came to the forefront of the world's attention.
To most people in western countries, the only things that come to mind when
these subjects are presented are oil and sand. If pressed to state what they
think the Qur'an is, most would probably say something along the lines of
"The Muslim Bible".
Many Christians, even Seventh-day Adventists, are currently under the
impression that the Qur'an is a very good book, perhaps even inspired, and that
Allah is just another name for God. Are these assumptions correct?
Islam was started in Arabia by Mohammed around 600AD. He claims to be a
prophet who received the Qur'an from two angels sent from Allah. He claims
Allah is the only true God. He dictated the book to scribes, and the result is
a collection of 114 suras (chapters), that is slightly smaller than the New
Testament.
Is the Qur'an a good book? There are many things that sound like they came
straight out of the Bible. Many of the old, familiar characters such as Adam,
Noah, Abraham, Moses, and even Jesus etc. appear often in its pages. If even
Jesus is mentioned, and in a good light, it must be a good book right? The
concept of only one true God is driven forcefully home. These are some of the
reasons often given showing why the Qur'an is obviously a good book. But to
come from God, it ALL has to agree with the Scriptures which came before it.
Here is where the Qur'an fails - miserably.
Sura 2:34 says Satan fell because he refused to worship Adam. 2:109 says that
those who believe the scriptures (Christians or Jews) try to make Muslims
become disbelievers, but that Muslims are to forgive them until Allah gives
command. Then in 2:116 is the first of many, many places in this book where
Allah emphatically denies that he has a son:
"And they say: Allah hath
taken unto Himself a son. Be He glorified! Nay, but whatsoever is in the
heavens and the earth is His."
This is the most serious charge against
this book, one that has rightly earned Islam the name "anti-christian
power". This book teaches over and over that Allah has no son.
Some other "no son" quotes from the Qur'an -- 4:171:
"O People
of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning
Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of
Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So
believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three" - Cease! (it
is) better for you! - Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His
Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son...."
5:75
"The
Messiah, son of Mary, was no other than a messenger, messengers (the like of
whom) had passed away before him...."
Sura 22:91
"Allah hath not
chosen any son, nor is there any god along with Him;..."
Even if the above quotes were the only ones in this book that contradicted
Biblical teaching, it would be safe to say that the Qur'an cannot possibly be
from the same source as that which wrote the Bible.
To compare them with the Bible, we see in 1John 3:23:
"And this is his
commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and
love one another, as he gave us commandment."
And in Matthew 3:17:
"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased."
Are God's commandments mistaken? Was the voice from
heaven at Jesus' baptism just the wind?
Allah has no son, but God has a son. Which one is the true God? Is it
possible they are both the true God, or is the difference so clear that the
true God is readily apparent?
Philippians 2:9-10:
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and
given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the
earth;"
Was Jesus Christ "no other than a messenger", or is his
name "above every name"? Would God inspire the writers of the Bible
to call Jesus "exalted above every name", and then 600 years later
tell Mohammed that Jesus was "only a messenger"?
Some other clear examples where the Qur'an differs from God's Word is: Allah
says we have to go make a pilgrimage to Mecca (2:125,196; 3:97), you earn
heaven (2:134), you can give money to atone for your ill-deeds (2:271), marry
up to 4 women (4:3), kill apostates and don't be friends with Christians
(4:89), fast as a penance (4:92), worship at fixed times (4:103), you should
be harsh (9:123), one of Noah's sons drowned in the flood (11:42), good deeds
cancel out bad deeds (11:114) Mary gave birth to Jesus under a palm tree
(19:23), only Arabs can really get it (26:198), the Muslim god and Christian
God are one and the same (29:46), special privileges with wives for Mohammed
(33:50), Allah promises booty in war (48:20), beings called "jinn"
that Allah created of fire (55:15), a playboy-type heaven (55:70-76) etc. etc.
A few of the more really disgusting quotes in the Qur'an are found in 4:56
"Lo! Those who disbelieve Our revelations, We shall expose them to the
Fire. As often as their skins are consumed We shall exchange them for fresh
skins that they may taste the torment."
4:157:
"And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of
Mary, Allah's messenger - they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared
so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof;
they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not
for certain."
8:39:
"And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all
for Allah. But if they cease, then lo! Allah is Seer of what they do."
20:74:
"Lo! whoso cometh guilty unto his Lord, verily for him is hell.
There he will neither die nor live."
Popular Christian errors such as immortality of the soul (see 1Tim.6:16) and
never-ending hell (see Rev. 20:14) are vigorously promoted in the Qur'an. Many
other errors of not telling stories correctly and embellishing are made, but
the most glaring errors are those of telling to fight for Allah, and that Allah
has no son. If for no other reason, we can see from these two main themes in
this book, that Allah and God are NOT POSSIBLY the same being.
Ellen White wrote this about the Muslims in The Home Missionary: 1892-09-01
"Ye Are My Witnesses" pr: 4
The Saviour has said, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" He says again, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." Mohammedanism has its converts in many lands, and its advocates deny the divinity of Christ. Shall this faith be propagated, and the advocates of truth fail to manifest intense zeal to overthrow the error, and teach men of the pre-existence of the only Saviour of the world? O how we need men who will search and believe the word of God, who will present Jesus to the world in his divine and human nature, declaring with power and in demonstration of the Spirit, that "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." O how we need believers who will now present Christ in life and character, who will hold him up before the world as the brightness of the Father's glory, proclaiming that God is love!
May we all be filled with intense zeal to overthrow the errors of Islam, and teach others of the divinity of our only Lord and Saviour - Jesus Christ.
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