When someone subscribes to a particular faith, it’s safe to assume that the individual believes his faith is true, and that he also believes all other faiths are false. This is logical. It would be wrong for him to suggest that other faiths can be equally valid when other faiths teach conflicting doctrine. As an example, a Muslim should teach that is faith is true, and subsequently teach that all other faiths are false. The challenge will be in his ability to provide evidence to support his claim. When a person teaches that one faith is true, this shouldn’t be done in a mean-spirited way, but in a way that says, “Here’s what I believe, and here’s the evidence that defends this belief.” This essay comes from a Christian perspective with the aim to highlight some doctrinal differences between the Bible and the Quran. As such, pointing out disparities in the teachings of Islam is not meant to stir up contention, but to expose truth from untruth, which will hopefully guide us in our beliefs.
Terms to Know…
Allah – The deity/god of Islam
Islam – The correct name for the religion that the Muslim prophet Muhammad claimed Allah revealed to him through the angel Gabriel. Islam means “submission” (i.e., to Allah’s will)
Muslim – The correct term for a follower of Islam.
Quran – Also known as Koran or Qur’an; the book that Muslims believe is the authoritative word of their god, Allah.
Hadith – the recorded sayings and actions of Muhammad, documented by his companions. The Hadith is revered and accepted as a source of moral ethics and is second in authority to the Quran.
Sunnah – the body of traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that serve as a model for Muslims.
Sunni, Shi’ite, and Sufi – Different traditions/schools of Islam and correspondingly quite different interpretations of the Koran. Of these different schools of Islam, the two most popular are Sunni (about 90%), and Shi’ite (about 10%), while the Sufi group makes up a comparably smaller amount, due to their beliefs in mysticism. (Source: Religious Information, World Almanac 2002, pg. 681).
Mosque – The public gathering place of worship for Muslims.
Imam – A religious teacher, one who would lead Muslim prayer/worship
Caliphate – Muslim empire or rule, under a caliph: ruler
Torah – The first five books of the Bible, and the principle text of the Jewish faith
Bible – The Christian holy book, which includes the Torah, as well as 61 other books, comprised of both the Old and New Testaments. For Christianity, there is no other book outside the Bible that is considered the Word of God.
Monotheism – A belief that there is only one God, who is the ruler and Creator of the universe. The three major world monotheistic faiths are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
Polytheism – A belief that there are many gods. Some examples are religions like Hinduism, Shintoism, Animism.
Brief Summary of Islam
Islam is a religion founded by an Arabian man named Muhammed, who lived 570-632 AD. The god of Islam is known as Allah. Sometime in the year 610 AD, the angel Gabriel supposedly gave Allah’s divine revelation to Muhammad. Because Muhammed was illiterate, these revelations were first memorized and then later written down by future followers. Islam claims that Muhammed continued to receive these revelations at intervals until his death. Soon after receiving the revelation in 610 AD, Muhammad started preaching in his own city, Mecca, Saudi Arabia. After 12 years, and only converting his immediate family and friends, he turned his attention to the Jews, and traveled to Medina, the Jewish business hub of Arabia. To reach the Jews, Muhammad borrowed teachings from the Bible’s Old Testament. By working Biblical teachings into his message, Muhammad made Islam more acceptable to the Jews. This is why there are many similarities between Judaism and Islam; similarities in ascetic practices, diet, routine prayer, fasting holidays, etc. It is not an uncommon practice that many world faiths, in their inception, borrow from the Bible in order to make their religion appear to be from God; Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness, Islam, Rastafarianism, etc., all of which claim Abrahamic faith and descent. This is why in the beginning of the Quran you see many positive things said about “people of the Book,” i.e. those who follow the Torah or Bible. Muslims believe that Allah revealed the Torah to Moses, the Zabour (Psalms) to David, and the Injeel (Gospel) to Jesus.
Eventually, in Medina, as too few Jews accepted Muhammad’s message, Muhammad turned against them, killing and expelling Jews from the area. This is the beginning of when Islam turned from a spiritual movement to a political movement disguised as religion. This time in Medina, in the year 622, became known as the year of the Hijrah, which means a severing of ties of kinship/association. After the year of Hijrah, Muhammad became a military warrior, turning against Jews and Christians alike, considering them to be Dhimmi, which denotes that they are second class citizens for rejecting Islam. Dhimmi literally means “protected people.” In what way are they “protected”? Dhimmi people were “protected” if they paid the jizya: a protection tax for any non-Muslim who wished to remain in Muslim controlled areas. Dhimmi people had a choice; convert to Islam, be killed, or pay jizya and live under Muslim rule. Those that paid the jizya had their faith suppressed; unable to pray in public and unable to build their own houses of worship, etc. The jizya was paid in a monthly ceremony where the Dhimmi would kneel and hand his jizya to the mullah (Muslim clergy, meaning “master”). Those paying the jizya were given a necklace to publicly show that they were Dhimmi and under protection.
Muslims believe Allah has sent 124,000 prophets to mankind, although only about 25 are mentioned in the Koran. Muhammad was told that he is the last of the prophets. At the end of his life, Muhammed failed to name a successor. This failure resulted in the major division of Islam into the majority Sunni and the minority Shi’ite branches, each claiming to be the true Islam. At any rate, as Islam grew, more people became Dhimmi and were given identifiable clothing. The Jews were given the yellow star. This came about during the Abbasid Caliphate, which was the third caliphate to succeed Muhammad. At this time, the Muslim caliph was al-Mutawakkil, who issued the decree ordering Jews to wear the star, and Christians to wear the zunnar: a distinctive belt. Islam continued to grow and they moved into and conquered Jerusalem in the years 636-637. Later, during the years 687–691 the Dome of the Rock was built by Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine at the center of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. You’ve likely seen pictures of its bright golden dome. Islam expanded into Central Europe, China, India, and other nations. By the sword of Islam, more people died or paid the jizya protection tax. Centuries later, the “Crusades” were launched in a campaign to liberate Jerusalem, which only liberated Jerusalem for less than 100 years before Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, commonly known as Saladin, took Jerusalem back in the year 1187. Jerusalem remained under Islamic control until 1967.
Muslims believe everything that happens, both good and evil, is predestined by Allah’s will, his immutable decree. Muslims believe that on the Day of Judgement, the good and evil of every man’s deeds will be placed on a “scale”. Those with enough merit, righteousness, or favor with Allah will go to eternal heaven, and those without sufficient favor will go to eternal hell. However, a Muslim can guarantee a place in heaven if one is willing to die in the act of jihad: a meritorious struggle or effort toward the holy cause of Islam. Those particular Muslims dying in the act of jihad will be rewarded with 72 virgins for their sexual gratification. Every Muslim must practice the five fundamental religious duties of Islam, known as the Five Pillars; Shahada (Declaration of Faith), Salah (Prayer), Zakat (Almsgiving), Sawm/Ramadan (Fasting), Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca).
Some Similarities and Distinctions Between Christianity and Islam
| Islam – The Quran | Christianity – The Bible |
| Monotheistic | Monotheistic |
| Their god of the Quran is called Allah. | The God of the Bible is called by many names, most notably, Jesus, but not limited to any one name. |
| Allah is a single person deity. Islam rejects the concept of a divine Son, or a divine Holy Spirit. | God is one being made up of three distinct persons; a godhead, what Christians refer to as the trinity. The Bible refers to these as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are all equally God, all singular in purpose and unity, and all co-exalting and co-worshipping the others. The Son is not the Father or Spirit, the Father is not the Son or Spirit, the Spirit is not the Son or the Father. The triune-God is an abstract thought that we can’t quite understand, in the same way that we can’t fully grasp the reality of God never having a beginning. |
| The Quran recognizes some of the Biblical patriarchs/prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Joseph, and John the Baptist, but claims 124,000 prophets of Allah. Muhammad is said to be the final prophet. | The Bible provides historical narrative regarding the lives of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Joseph, among many others. Details of the prophets of God are given in the Old Testament, and John the Baptist of the New Testament is said to be the final prophet. |
| Jesus is a created man, who was only a prophet. | Jesus is the eternal God, never having a beginning. He is the second person of the trinity that would later become a man that was given the name Jesus. |
| Denies the concept that Jesus died on a cross. | A central tenant of the Christianity is that Jesus died on a cross, was buried, and rose again. |
| Heaven and Hell are real eternal destinations. | Heaven and Hell are real eternal destinations. |
| One can get to heaven by earning Allah’s favor. Allah weighs out one’s good and bad works. Or, a second way to heaven is to die in the act of jihad; Islam’s holy war. | Heaven is not earned; no work or favor is considered. Christianity is the only world religion where one is saved by faith alone. |
| No assurance of salvation. | Assurance of salvation. |
Allah Allegedly Being the Author of the Torah, Bible, and Quran
The Quran claims that the Islamic god, “Allah” is the divine author of the writings of Moses, known as the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Additionally, the Quran boasts that the words of Jesus and His teachings in the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are also to be trusted as the divine words of Allah. Here are some examples from the Quran that make this clear.
Quran 2:136 says, “Say, O believers, “We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us; and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and his descendants; and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and other prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them. And to Allah, we all submit.”
Quran 3:2-4 says, “Allah! There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him—the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. He has revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ the Book in truth, confirming what came before it, as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel previously, as a guide for people, and ˹also˺ revealed the Standard ˹to distinguish between right and wrong˺. Surely those who reject Allah’s revelations will suffer a severe torment. For Allah is Almighty, capable of punishment.”
Quran 5:4, “Indeed, We revealed the Torah, containing guidance and light, by which the prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah, made judgments for Jews. So too did the rabbis and scholars judge according to Allah’s Book, with which they were entrusted and of which they were made keepers…”
Quran 5:46 claims, “Then in the footsteps of the prophets, We sent Jesus, son of Mary, confirming the Torah revealed before him. And We gave him the Gospel containing guidance and light and confirming what was revealed in the Torah—a guide and a lesson to the God-fearing.”
Here’s the problem! The Quran insists that the Biblical books of the Torah and gospels of Jesus are to be trusted, yet, the Torah and the gospels radically contradict the teachings of the Quran. So, if the Bible is to be trusted, then Islam is false. How do Muslims reconcile this? They do so by claiming that the Bible has been corrupted. This creates another critical problem for Islam! Claiming that the Bible is corrupted also destroys the teachings of the Quran, since Allah boasts that his words and teachings cannot be corrupted or changed by man. For example, Quran 6:115, “The Word of your Lord has been perfected in truth and justice. None can change His Words. And He is the All-Hearing, All- Knowing.” And, Quran 18:27, “Recite what has been revealed to you from the Book of your Lord. None can change His Words, nor can you find any refuge besides Him.”
So, if the Bible has been corrupted and cannot be trusted, then it proves Islam is false, showing that Allah has indeed allowed his word to be changed by man. Or, if the Bible is not corrupted, then Islam is also false since the Bible’s teachings radically conflict with the teachings of Islam. Either way, Islam is proven false by its own teachings.
Just to highlight a few of the many teachings that conflict between the Bible and the Quran, the Quran denies that Jesus is God, denies the divine Holy Spirit, denies that Jesus died on a cross, and proclaims a new way of salvation by works and favor. These claims are certainly in contrast to the teachings of Moses and Jesus in the Bible. Allah cannot be the author of the messages of Moses and Jesus, as the Quran claims.
Popular “Gotcha” Question
A common “gotcha” question that Muslims will try to use to trip up Christians is to ask, “Where in the Bible did Jesus specifically say, ‘I am God, worship Me.’” What Muslims don’t want to confront themselves with, is that the Bible is full of examples of Jesus claiming to be God and receiving worship, even though He might not utter the exact phrase, “I am God, worship Me.” Below are samples of Bible passages which state that Jesus is God and that He was worshipped.
Jesus affirms with His disciples that He is the Savior, the Messiah, the fulfillment of the Scriptures. Luke 24:27, Jesus is talking with His disciples, “Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” Continuing on in verse 44, “Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
Jesus declares His divine authority. Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Again, in Mark 14:61-62, “The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”
John 4:25-26, “The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
Before Jesus is born, He is proclaimed to be God. Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (which means, God with us)”. And, Isaiah 9:6, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” The angel Gabriel to Mary – Luke 1:33, “and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” This eternal kingdom is a proclamation of divinity.
Many believed Jesus was God. Matthew 14:33, “And those who were in the boat worshiped Him (Jesus), saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
Luke 24:52, “And they, after worshiping Him (Jesus), returned to Jerusalem with great joy”
John 5:18, “For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”
John 8:58, “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”
Jesus claims equality with God in power/ability as He further verifies the security that His sheep have with Him – John
10:27-29, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
John 10:30-33, “I and the Father are one.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”
John 13:13, “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.” Jesus says this to His disciples.
Jesus further claims equality with the Heavenly Father – John 14:9, “Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?”
Jesus, soon to ascend back to heaven, prays to the Heavenly Father, speaking of their shared divinity – John 17:5, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”
Romans 9:5, “…and from whom (the Israelites) is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever.”
Hebrews 1:8, “But of the Son (Jesus) He (the Father) says, “YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER”
I John 5:20, “…and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.”
In Revelation, which is a revelation of Jesus Christ to the apostle John (1:1), verse 1:8 records Jesus saying, “I am the Alpha and Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Another great response when a Muslim tries to trip up a Christian with this silly gotcha question is to reply, “Your reason for denying Jesus as God is a flawed reason, based on your own standard.” Of course they’ll ask for an explanation, to which the Christian can reply, “Do you believe Jesus is the Christ, the virgin born son of Mary, the Word of God sent down to Mary?” The Muslim has to say yes to these claims because the Quran makes these claims in Quran chapter 4:71. However, by the Muslim’s own flawed logic, he must also deny these very claims since Jesus never once said these things in the Quran. The Christian would say, “Show me in the Quran where Jesus says, ‘I am the Christ’, or ‘I am the virgin born son of Mary’, or where Jesus says, ‘I am the Word of God sent down to Mary.’ Jesus never says these things in the Quran, so therefore, using your own logic, you can’t believe these claims about Jesus.” Of course, no true Muslim would ever except that argument, and they would insist that Jesus wouldn’t have to personally say those things, since the Quran declares them to be so. Busted! That’s the same reason Christians believe Jesus is the eternal God, not because He said, “I am God, worship Me,” but because the whole of the Bible declares these things.
so by the same flawed logic that their gotcha question presents to the Christian, they are trapped by the same foolish reasoning.
Applying Logic and Reason
Let’s use simple logic here. If Jesus is speaking the truth, then Muhammad cannot be speaking the truth. Muslims must profess that Jesus spoke the truth, since Jesus is a prophet of Allah. However, if Jesus spoke the truth, then anyone who contradicts Him is not speaking the truth. Two contradictory ideas cannot be equally true.
The Quran needs the Bible, but the Bible doesn’t need the Quran. The Bible rejects all other sacred texts, like the Quran. Yet, the Quran borrows from the Christian Bible to get much of its content. For example, the Quran borrows from the Bible when it teaches (Surah Al-Maidah chapter 5 verse 27) that Adam (the first man) had two sons who each brought a sacrifice to the Lord, but the names of the sons aren’t given, nor who brought what sacrifice, nor which son killed the other. The Quran also never mentions the name of Adam’s wife. Muslims have to borrow from the Bible to fill in the gaps to make the teachings of the Quran understandable. Muslims will tell you Adam’s wife was named Eve, and that Cain killed Abel. Yet, these names and facts are only sourced from the Christian Bible. Of course, filling in the gaps of the Quran, or the Hadith, with Biblical evidence certainly doesn’t make the Quran’s teachings valid, I’m simply demonstrating how the Quran is dependent on the Bible in order to make the Quran appear to be the word of god.
“Today’s Bible is Corrupt.”
Anyone who claims he is a prophet of God, but who teaches a different message than God, cannot be a prophet from God. This is an obvious truth. As Muhammad’s message (the Quran) conflicts with the message of the Bible, Muslims are forced to defend this by saying, “The Bible, which was originally Allah’s word, has been corrupted and is no longer trustworthy.” For a Muslim to affirm todays Bible, he would, by default, be opposing the Quran’s teaching. One big problem though, about claiming that the modern Bible has been altered, is that the Bible can be verified. Meaning, we have hundreds of thousands of ancient manuscripts of the various books of the Bible, manuscripts that pre-date the Quran. Manuscript scrutiny validates that the Bible we are reading today aligns with the oldest known manuscripts available. For more manuscript evidence, see my essay, “Why Trust the Bible.”
“False Prophets Will Come”
After the Bible was compiled, other “prophets” came along, like Joseph Smith of the Mormon faith who allegedly received the Book of Mormon from God. Likewise, Muhammad of the Islamic faith who allegedly received the Quran from God. However, these “prophets” cannot be from the God of the Bible, as they claim, since their messages contradict the Bible. Yet, Mormons claim they need the Bible to accompany the Book of Mormon, just as Muslims claim they need the Bible as a companion to the Quran.
In Matthew 24:23-25 Jesus warns His followers that false prophets will come, “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance.” If someone comes along and claims that Jesus is not the Son of God, and that there is no divine Heavenly Father and Son, then the Bible is fulfilled when it teaches in 1 John 2:22-23, “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.” In the Quran, Surah At-Tawbah 9:30 it teaches, “The Jews say, “Ezra is the son of Allah,” while the Christians say, “The Messiah is the son of Allah.” Such are their baseless assertions, only parroting the words of earlier disbelievers. May Allah condemn them! How can they be deluded ˹from the truth?” So, here the Quran is teaching that Jesus is not the Son of God, and that Allah will condemn any who hold this claim. So, an obvious misleading contradiction from the very Bible which the Quran says is to be believed. In the Bible, Galatians 1:8-9 continues to warn about those who will come after Jesus, teaching people to reject Jesus as Lord, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” Islam claims that Muhammad received god’s message from the angel Gabriel, when in fact, all religions that lead people away from truth are contrived by Satan, a fallen angel, who’s only goal is to mislead people away from Jesus and eternal life. Satan and other fallen angels can appear and claim to be Gabriel, or any other messenger sent by God, in order to deceive. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 says that Satan will disguise himself as an angel of light/truth, to mislead people, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”
Is Allah Worthy?
Imagine entering a contest where the challenge is to create the ultimate superhero. This superhero could do anything at all, whatever you believed would make him superior! Carefully, you detail out all the qualities that your superhero would have. Finally, the time comes to present your ideas for a superhero to the judges. They ask, “Can he fly?” Sadly, you say, “No, I didn’t think of that.” They ask, “Can he breathe underwater?” Again, you reply, “Hmm, I guess not, I didn’t think of that either.” It wouldn’t take long to realize that the superhero you created falls short of being supreme. Now, this time, try to imagine the greatest possible being ever; the perfect God. What would your God be like? Would your God resemble the God of the Bible, or of Islam?
The Muslim concept of god, Allah, is not the greatest conceivable being. The idea of Allah, a single-person deity, comes up short. If this type of god were real, there would be no attribute of love in his nature due to being alone in eternity past. This eternal solitude, before he creates beings like angels or men, would mean he would have nobody to give love to, or receive love from. This is an incredibly important point. The opposite is true with the God of the Bible, who’s very nature is love; having been able to give and receive love from within the eternal existence of the godhead. Love is at the center of the nature of the God of the Bible. If one were to conceive in his mind the greatest possible being, it would only make sense that this being would be all-loving; having un-conditional love which is impartial and universal. This is the nature of the God of the Bible. Jesus demonstrated this kind of love as an exact representation of the Heavenly Father. In contrast, the god of the Quran, Allah, is partial, having conditional love that one must earn. As well, Allah’s love is not universal in that Allah will not love sinners. The Quran qualifies Allah’s love for people. While Allah loves those, who do good deeds (2:195), those who are pure (2:222), those who are righteous (9:7), and those who fight in his cause (61:4), the Quran is equally clear that Allah has no love for transgressors (2:190), ungrateful sinners (2:276), the unjust (3:57), or the proud (4:36). Even more significantly, the Quran states that Allah does not love non-Muslims; Quran 3:31-32—”Say [O Muhammad]: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your faults, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Say: Obey Allah and the Apostle; but if they turn back, then surely Allah does not love the unbelievers. And, Qur’an 30:43-45—Then turn thy face straight to the right religion before there come from Allah the day which cannot be averted; on that day they shall become separated. Whoever disbelieves, he shall be responsible for his disbelief, and whoever does good, they prepare (good) for their own souls, that He may reward those who believe and do good out of His grace; surely He does not love the unbelievers.”
Notice that 3:31-32 makes Allah’s love contingent on whether a person believes in Muhammad. This is similar to what we find in 19:46, which declares: “Lo! those who believe and do good works, the Beneficent will appoint for them love.” In calling Allah loving, the Quran only means that Allah will love people once they believe in him and obey his prophet. The god of Islam has no love for sinners and unbelievers. Islam presents a morally inadequate god. Imagine the human equivalent to Allah. Imagine if all human parents rejected every one of their biological children, refusing to love their kids until such a time as their children come to submit to them with complete love and reverence. Kids would only get a parent’s love if the kid earns it first. This is the concept of the relationship that one has with the god of Islam. Jesus on the other hand, shows unconditional love for those who hate Him. In fact, Jesus came and died for His enemies, while they were yet sinners (Romans 5:8), in order to demonstrate His unconditional love for them; so that in seeing His love, people would turn to Jesus for forgiveness. The god of the Quran, Allah, would never become a man, nor enter into human suffering in order to relate to his creation, love his creation, or suffer for them.
What Are Christians To Do?
A Christian is to love everyone, live in service of all, share his faith when appropriate, speak the truth in love, and be able to provide evidence that the Bible is truth. A Christian believes that people who have subscribed to other faiths have been deceived, and believing this should create empathy toward those that don’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. There should be no reason to view non-believers with a sense of hostility, nor with a sense of looking down upon them. A Christian should live with humility, understanding that he’s done nothing to warrant God’s love, grace, or forgiveness.