JESUS AND MUHAMMAD

I. INTRODUCTION

Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, is viewed as the ideal of Islam, whose life is to be emulated. Is Muhammad’s pattern of conduct really beautiful, perfect and exemplary? Is it worth imitating (an-Nisa’4: 80; al-Ahzab 33: 21; al-Qalam 68: 4)? We shall examine main highlights of his conduct, teachings and life herein, comparing it with Jesus’.

The life and works of Jesus Christ are very different from Muhammad’s. They are summarized in this article.

We will examine herein some of the major fundamental differences between Jesus and Muhammad pertaining to the important topics of prophecies, call, the extent of mission, messages, deaths, moral life and example, compassion for suffering humanity, self-sacrifice and exploitation, miracles, illness, state power, protection, demonic influences, etc.

II. ALLEGED PROPHECIES ABOUT MUHAMMAD

The Qur’an states that the Holy Bible prophesied the coming of Muhammad (ash-Shu’ara’ 26: 196; as-Saff 61: 6; al-A’raf 7: 157). Due to the fact that the Holy Bible does not contain any prophecies on Muhammad whatsoever, some Islamists claim that Jews and Christians changed the Bible. The authenticity of the biblical text is proven beyond doubt in this page.
Other Muslim scholars misinterpret the Bible, and claim erroneously that there are prophecies in the Holy Bible about Muhammad. Let us examine their most important claims:

1. God spoke to the prophet Moses about what he intended to do for the Jews saying: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him” (Deuteronomy 18: 18, 15). This prophecy was fulfilled in the history of the children of Israel. God gave them many prophets after Moses culminating in Christ. The prophet that Moses foretold was Jesus the Christ who stated that Moses wrote about him (John 5: 46). His apostles and disciples recognized him as the prophesized prophet (Acts 3: 22-23; 7: 37). Many Jews recognized that also (John 1: 45; 6: 14; 7: 40-41). God confirmed that Jesus was indeed the Prophet when he declared saying: “…‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!’” (Matthew 17: 5).

This prophecy does not point to Muhammad because of the following reasons:

a. The prophet was to be an Israelite from their brethren. The Torah defines the word “brethren” as the Hebrews of the twelve tribes that were fathered by Isaac (Deuteronomy 15: 12; 17: 14-16; 18: 1-2; Judges 20: 13; Genesis 21: 12), the son of the promise (Genesis 18: 10-14), with whom God made his covenant (Genesis 17: 15-22). It is noteworthy that when referring to God, Jesus always has spoken of “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” without ever mentioning Ishmael (Matthew 8: 11; 22: 32). Muhammad was not a Jew. He was not born in a Jewish tribe. Jesus was an Israelite. He was born in the Jewish tribe of Judah (Luke 3: 23-38).

b. The prophet was to be like Moses. God spoke to Moses and Jesus directly (Exodus 33: 11; 34: 29; John 7: 16-17; 8: 28; 12: 28; Matthew 3: 17; 17: 5; an-Nisa’ 4: 164). Moses received the law written by God on tablets of stone (Exodus 24: 12). Muhammad said in al-Baqarah 2: 97 and an-Nahl 16: 102 that the Qur’an was given to him by the angel Gabriel and a spirit. His god did not speak to him directly. In fact, Muhammad uttered the words of Satan in the Satanic verses, not the words of his god. Jesus descended from heaven (John 3: 13). He knew God the Father face to face (John 1: 18; 17: 5; Matthew 17: 5). He was one with him since eternity’s past. He is God’s eternal Word.

c. Moses worked miracles. Jesus worked powerful miracles. Muhammad did not.

d. Moses was the mediator of God’s Old Covenant of the law with humanity. Muhammad was not the mediator of any covenant. The Islamic god did not make any covenant with Muhammad and his followers. On the other hand, Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant of grace with God (John 1: 17; Hebrews 8: 6). Moses sealed the establishment of the Old Covenant with the blood of sacrificed oxen (Exodus 24: 3-8). Jesus sealed the establishment of the New Covenant with his own blood shed on the cross (Matthew 26: 28; Hebrews 9: 18-22). Moses provided redemption for the believing Jews by the blood of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12: 1-13). Jesus provided redemption for the believing Christians with his own blood: “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2: 5-6; Matthew 20: 28; Mark 10: 45).

e. Moses left a high position in ancient Egypt, the most powerful nation on earth in his day, as the adopted son of the pharaoh’s daughter, to suffer with his people and rescue them from the oppression of the pharaoh. Similarly, Jesus left the highest position in heaven to suffer and provide ransom for fallen humanity (Philippians 2: 5-8; 2 Corinthians 8: 9) in order to deliver his people from slavery to sin and death. Muhammad did not do that.

f. After speaking with the Lord God on mount Sinai, Moses face shone (Exodus 34: 29-35). Similarly, Jesus face shone like the sun at his transfiguration on a mountain (Matthew 17: 1-9). This never happened to Muhammad.

g. In their infancy, both Moses and Jesus were nursed by their own mothers in Egypt, and came out of Egypt to serve God. Muhammad was not. The pharaoh of Egypt tried to kill the infant Moses (Exodus 1: 22). King Herod tried to kill the infant Jesus (Matthew 2: 16). Both were rescued by divine intervention (Exodus 2: 2-10; Matthew 2: 13). Both left Egypt to enter their ministries (Hosea 11: 1; Matthew 2: 15). Both fasted forty days in the wilderness (Exodus 34: 28; Matthew 4: 2). Muhammad did not experience these things.

2. “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes” (Psalm 118: 22-23). This prophecy pointed to Jesus whom the majority of the Jews rejected (Matthew 21: 42-43).

3. “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord…” (Isaiah 61: 1-2). Jesus, who lived on earth about six hundred years before Muhammad, fulfilled this prophecy as he declared saying: “…Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4: 21).

The Servant’s songs of the prophet Isaiah are prophecies referring to Christ, “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him. He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break. And smoking flax He will not quench. He will bring forth justice for truth. He will not fail nor be discouraged, till He has established justice in the earth. And the coastlands shall wait for His law.” (Isaiah 42: 1-4). This prophecy is fulfilled in Christ (Matthew 12: 15-21). In fact, this prophecy brings out the sharp contrast between the peaceful mission of Christ and the bloody violence of Muhammad. The other Servant songs in the book of the prophet Isaiah point to Christ’s mission, including the fourth song which describes the Servant’s suffering to redeem humanity (Isaiah 52: 13-53: 12).

4. “And I (Jesus) will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14: 16-17, 26). This prophecy and others similar to it in the Holy Bible (John 15: 26; 16: 7-15; Acts 2: 16-21) are about imparting the Holy Spirit of the living God to Christians to guide, console and strengthen them: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14: 26; Acts 1: 4-5). That has been fulfilled in the day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-4), ten days after the ascension of Jesus to heaven, when the disciples heard the sound of violent wind, saw tongues of fire descending on them, and were filled with the Holy Spirit. This was a turning point in the life of the disciples. They began to preach the Gospel boldly to the gathered crowds. This helper is the Holy Spirit of the living God. These prophecies definitely do not point to Muhammad because of the following reasons:

a. The disciples received the Holy Spirit ten days after the ascension of Christ to heaven as he had promised them (Acts 1: 8; 2: 1-4). Muhammad came more than six centuries later. He did not see any of the disciples of Christ.

b. This counselor and comforter will indwell only those who believe in, and love, Christ and obey his commandments. Neither Muhammad nor his followers did that.

c. This counselor is the spirit of truth who will be with the Christian believers forever. This helper is an invisible spirit. Muhammad was visible. He was not a spirit. Nor did he live forever. He died and was buried, never to rise again in this age.

d. Christ taught that “when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me” (John 15: 26). It is obvious that this does not point to Muhammad because Christ did not send Muhammad, and because the Spirit of truth proceeds from God the Father, which means that he is divine in essence. Muhammad is a mortal human. He is not divine.

e. The non-believing world does not see or know the spirit of truth. Only the followers of Christ know him because he resides within them. Muhammad was flesh and bone. He could not live within any living human soul.

f. Christ taught that the spirit of truth will testify about him (John 15: 26). Muhammad did not. He recognized him as a mere prophet, but refused to acknowledge him as the incarnate Son of God, who has brought salvation to the humankind.

g. Christ taught that this counselor (the Holy Spirit of the living God) will guide Christians into all truth, and will glorify Christ (John 16: 12-15). Muhammad did not do that. He did not bring any glory to Christ.

5. Jacob, the son of Isaac, blessed his son Judah, saying: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes. And to Him shall be the obedience of the people” (Genesis 49: 10). Definitely, this prophecy could never refer to Muhammad because he was not a descendent of Judah the son of Jacob the son of Isaac. The first part of this prophecy is fulfilled by the kings who ruled the united kingdom, and then the kingdom of Judah in southern Palestine, beginning with king David, a descendent of Judah, then his son king Solomon, etc. The scepter points to the scepter of kingship. Most of those kings followed the law of Moses, which God gave Moses on mount Sinai after the death of Jacob by more than four hundred years. They ruled and set up their laws based on the law of Moses. The reign of the kings of Judah ended before the coming of Christ (Shiloh) as Jacob prophesied. Christ was born in the tribe of Judah. He did not come to establish an earthly empire, but an eternal heavenly kingdom that has no end. Christ reigns over the Christian believers spiritually.

6. “God came from Teman. The Holy One from Mount Paran …” (Habakkuk 3: 3; Deuteronomy 33: 2). Mount Paran is not in Arabia. It is in the desert of Sinai about 1000 Km. away from Mecca (Numbers 10: 12; 12: 16; 13: 3, 26; Genesis 21: 21; 1 Kings 11: 15-18). It is also noted that Mecca is a city, not a mountain. It is located in a valley. Al-Idrisi and ibn-Khaldun in his Muqaddimah of 1377 AD confirm that Teman was a town/district in the territory of Edom south of the Dead Sea. Muhammad was not born in the desert of Sinai or Edom, and never went there to receive revelations.

7. The prophecy says: “Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, with Your glory and Your majesty. And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness. And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things. Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies. The peoples fall under You” (Psalm 45: 3-5). Some Islamists attempt to apply this prophecy to Muhammad, because he is known as “the prophet of the sword.” The Holy Bible informs us in Hebrews 1: 8 that this is a Messianic prophecy that points to the second coming of Christ in glory and power to judge the living and the dead, and establish his reign. In fact, verse Ps 45: 6 that continue this passage states that the king this prophecy speaks about is God himself: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.” Christ is the incarnate Son of God. He is the “King of kings and the Lord of lords” (Revelation 19: 11-16). In addition, the king mentioned is to “ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness.” Muhammad lacked these qualities.

8. The prophecy says: “And he saw a chariot with a pair of horsemen, A chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels. And he listened earnestly with great care.” (Isaiah 21: 7). Some Islamists claim that this prophecy refers to the coming of Jesus in a chariot of asses, and Muhammad in a chariot of camels. This claim is erroneous because it takes the verse out of its context. This is not a prophecy concerning the coming of any prophet. It is about a chariot with horsemen announcing the fall of Babylon and the destruction of its idols (Isaiah 21: 9). The camels and the asses represented the armies that destroyed Babylon. Some of its soldiers rode camels,