FREE ESSAY ON WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT MUHAMMAD

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT MUHAMMAD

Chapter One : Christian Muslim Responses 
Debate on TV 
At the end of the debate - Christianity and Islam - which appeared on the SABC-TV program
Cross Questions on Sunday 5th June 1983, the Chairman, Mr. Bill Chalmers commented: I
think it can be said from this discussion that there is, at present, somewhat more
accommodation on the Islamic side for the founder of Christianity than there is on the
Christian side for the founder of Islam. What the significance of that is, we leave it to
you, the viewer, to determine, but I do think you will agree that it is a good thing that
we are talking together. 
Bill as he is popularly addressed, without any formalities, on all his programs, by all
his panelists, is extremely charming and stupendous in his humility. He is a picture of
what the Holy Quran portrays of a good Christian: 
...And nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say: 'We are
Christians': because among these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced
the world. And they are not arrogant. (The Holy Quran 5:82) 
Jesus - His Status 
Were the Muslims on the panel trying to placate the viewers out policy, deceit or
diplomacy? Nothing of the kind! They were only articulating what God Almighty had
commanded them to say in the Holy Quran. As Muslims, they had no choice. They had said in
so many words: We Muslims believe, that Jesus was one of the mightiest messengers of God
that he was the Christ, that he was born miraculously without any male intervention
(which many modern-day Christians do not believe today), that he gave life to the dead by
God's permission and that he healed those born blind and the lepers by god's permission.
In fact, no Muslim is a Muslim if he or she does not believe in Jesus! 
Pleasant Surprise 
Over 90% of the people who witnessed this debate must have been pleasantly, but
skeptically, surprised. They might have not believed their ears. They must have surmised
that the Muslims were playing to the gallery - that they were trying to curry favor with
their fellow Christian countrymen; that if the Muslims would say a few good words about
Jesus, then in reciprocation the Christians might say a few good words about Muhammed
(may the peace and the blessings of God be upon all His righteous servants, Moses, Jesus,
Muhammed...etc.); that I scratch your back and you scratch my back - which would be a
sham or hypocrisy. 
Hate Cultivated 
We cannot blame the Christians for their skepticism. They have been so learned for
centuries. They were trained to think the worst of the man Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi
wa sallam, and his religion. How aptly did Thomas Carlyle say about his Christian
brethren over a hundred and fifty years ago: The lies which well-meaning zeal has heaped
round this man (Muhammed) are disgraceful to ourselves only. We Muslims are partly
responsible for this. We have not done anything substantial to remove the cobwebs. 
Ocean of Christianity 
South Africa is an ocean of Christianity. If Libya boasts the highest percentage of
Muslims on the continent of Africa, then the Republic of South Africa would also be
entitled to boast the highest percentage of Christians. In this ocean of Christianity the
R.S.A. - the Muslims are barely 2% of the total population. We are a voteless minority -
numerically, we count for nothing; politically, we count for nothing; and economically,
one white man, as Oppenheimer, could buy out the whole lot of us, lock, stock and barrel.

So if we had feigned to appease, we might be excused. But no! We must proclaim our
Master's Will; we must declare the Truth, whether we liked it or not. In the words of
Jesus: Seek ye the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32). 
Chapter Two : Jesus in the Quran 
Christians Unaware 
The Christian does not know that the true spirit of charity which the Muslim displays,
always, towards Jesus and his mother Mary spring from the fountainhead of his faith - the
Holy Quran. He does not know that the Muslim does not take the holy name of Jesus, in his
own language, without saying Eesa, alaihi assalam (Jesus, peace be upon him) 
The Christian does not know that in the Holy Quran Jesus is mentioned twenty five times.
For example: 
We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit
(The Holy Quran 2:87) 
O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus,
the son of Mary... (3:45) 
...Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of god... (4:171) 
...And in their foot steps we sent Jesus the son of Mary... (5:46) 
And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous. (6:85) 
Jesus - His Titles 
Though Jesus is mentioned by name in twenty-five places in the Holy Quran, he is also
addressed with respect as: Ibn Maryam, meaning The son of Mary; and as the Maseeh (in
Hebrew it is the Messiah), which is translated as Christ. He is also known as Abdullah,
The servant of Allah; and as Rasul u Allah, the messenger of Allah. 
He is spoken of as The Word of God, as The Spirit of God, as a Sign of God, and numerous
other epithets of honor spread over fifteen different chapters. The Holy Quran honors
this mighty messenger of God, and the Muslims have not fallen short over the past
fourteen hundred years in doing the same. There is not a single disparaging remark in the
entire Quran to which even the most jaundiced among the Christians can take exception. 
Eesa Latinised to Jesus 
The Holy Quran refers to Jesus as Eesa, and this name is used more times than any other
title, because this was his Christian name. Actually, his proper name was Eesa (Arabic),
or Esau (Hebrew); classical Yeheshua, which the Christian nations of the West latinised
as Jesus. Neither the J nor the second s in the name Jesus is to be found in the original
tongue - they are not found in the Semitic languages. 
The word is very simply E S A U a very common Jewish name, used more than sixty times in
the very first booklet alone of the Bible, in the part called Genesis. There was at least
one Jesus sitting on the bench at the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Josephus the
Jewish historian mentions some twenty five Jesus' in his Book of Antiquities. The New
Testament speaks of Bar-Jesus a magician and a sorcerer, a false prophet (Acts 13:6); and
also Jesus-Justus a Christian missionary, a contemporary of Paul (Colossians 4:11). These
are distinct from Jesus the son of Mary. Transforming Esau to (J)esu(s) - Jesus - makes
it unique. This unique (?) name has gone out of currency among the Jews and the
Christians from the 2nd century after Christ. Among the Jews, because it came to be a
name of ill - repute, the name of one who blasphemed in Jewry; and among the Christians
because it came to be the proper name of their God. The Muslim will not hesitate to name
his son Eesa because it is an honored name, the name of a righteous servant of the Lord.

Chapter Three : Mother And Son 
Mary Honored 
The birth of Jesus Christ is described in two places of the Quran - chapter 3 and chapter
19. Reading from the beginning of his birth, we come across the story of Mary, and the
esteemed position which she occupies in the House of Islam, before the actual
annunciation of the birth of Jesus is given: 
'Behold'! the angels said: 'O Mary! God hath chosen thee and purified thee, and chosen
thee above the women of all nations (3:42) 
Chosen thee above the women of all nations. Such an honor is not to be found given to
Mary even in the Christian Bible! The verse continues: 
O Mary! Worship thy Lord devoutly: prostrate thyself, and bow down (in prayer) with those
who bow down. (3:43) 
Divine Revelation 
What is the source of this beautiful and sublime recitation which, in its original
Arabic, moves men to ecstasy and tears? verse 44 below explains: 
This is part of the tidings, of the things unseen, which We reveal unto thee (O
Muhammad!) by inspiration: Thou wast not with them when they cast lots with arrows, as to
which of them should be charged with the care of Mary: nor wast thou with them when they
disputed (the point). (3:44) 
Mary's Birth 
The story is that the maternal grandmother of Jesus, Hannah, had hitherto been barren.
She poured out her heart to God: If only God will grant her a child, she would surely
dedicate such a child for the service of God in the temple. 
God granted her prayer and Mary was born. Hannah was disappointed. She was yearning for a
son, but instead she delivered a daughter; and in no way is the female like the male, for
what she had in mind. What was she to do? She had made a vow to God. She waited for Mary
to be big enough to fend for herself. 
When the time came, Hannah took her darling daughter to the temple, to hand over for
temple services. Every priest wanted to be the god-father of this child. They cast lots
with arrows for her - like the tossing of the coin - head or tail?
eventually she fell to the lot of Zakariya, but not without a dispute. 
The Source of His Message 
This was the story. But where did Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, get this
knowledge from? He was an Ummi, Arabic for unlettered. He did not low how to read or
write. He is made by God Almighty to answer this very question in the verse above, by
saying that it was all by divine inspiration. No!, says the controversialist. This is
Muhammed's own concoction. He copied his revelations from the Jews and Christians. He
plagiarized it. He forged it. 
Knowing full-well, and believing as we do, that the whole Quran is the veritable Word of
God, we will nevertheless agree, for the sake of argument, with the enemies of Muhammed,
salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, for a moment, that he wrote it. We can now expect some
cooperation from the unbelievers. 
Ask him: Have you any qualms in agreeing that Muhammed was an Arab? Only an ignorant will
hesitate to agree. In that case there is no sense in pursuing any discussion. Cut short
the talk. Close the book! 
With the man of reason, we proceed. That this Arab, in the first instance, was addressing
other Arabs. He was not talking to Indian Muslims, Chinese Muslims, or Nigerian Muslims.
He was addressing his own people, the Arabs. Whether they agreed with him or not, he told
them in the most sublime form, words that were seared into the hearts and minds of his
listeners that Mary the mother of Jesus, a Jewess, was chosen above the women of all
nations. Not his own mother, nor his wife nor his daughter, nor any other Arab woman, but
a Jewess! Can one explain this? Because to everyone his own mother or wife, or daughters
would come before other women. 
Why would the prophet of Islam honor a woman from his opposition! and a Jewess at that!
belonging to a race which had been looking down upon his people for three thousand years?
Just as they still look down upon their Arab brethren today. 
Sarah and Hagar 
The Jews learn, from the Bible, that their father, Abraham, had two wives Sarah and
Hagar. They say that they are the children of Abraham through Sarah his legitimate wife;
that their Arab brethren have descended through Hagar, a bondwoman, and that as such, the
Arabs are an inferior breed. 
Will anyone please explain the anomaly as to why Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam,
if he is the author, chose this Jewess for such high honor? The answer is simple, he had
no choice he had no right to speak of his own desire. It is no less than an inspiration
sent down to him. (53:4) 
The Chapter of Maryam 
There is a Chapter in the Holy Quran, named Surat u Maryam Chapter Mary, named in honor
of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; again, such
an honor is not to be found given to Mary in the Christian Bible. Out of the 66 books of
the Protestants and 73 of the Roman Catholics, not one is named after Mary or her son.
You will find books named after Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul and two score more
obscure names, but not a single one is that of Mary! 
If Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, was the author of the Holy Quran, then he
would not have failed to include in it with Mary, the mother of Jesus, his own mother
Aamina, his dear wife Khadija, or his beloved daughter Fatima. But No! No! This can never
be. The Quran is not his handiwork!. 
Chapter Four : The Good News 
 'Behold!' the angels said: 'O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word from him:
his name will be Jesus, the son of Mary; held in honor in this world and the hereafter;
and (of the company of) those nearest to Allah. (3:45) 
Nearest to God, not physically nor geographically, but spiritually. Compare this with And
(Jesus) sat on the right hand of God. (Mark 16:19). The bulk of Christendom has
misunderstood this verse as well as many others in the Bible. They imagine the Father
(God) sitting on a throne, a glorified chair, and His Son, Jesus, sitting on His right
hand side. Can you conjure up the picture? If you do, you have strayed from the true
knowledge of God. He is no old Father Christmas. He is beyond the imagination of the mind
of man. He exists. He is real, but He is not like anything we can think of, or imagine. 
In eastern languages right hand meant a place of honor, which the Holy Quran more
fittingly describes as In the company of those nearest to Allah. The above verse confirms
that Jesus is the Christ. and that he is the Word which God bestowed upon Mary. Again,
the Christian reads into these words, a meaning which they do not carry. They equate the
word Christ with the idea of a god-incarnate; and the Word of God to be God. 
Christ Not a Name 
The word Christ is derived from the Hebrew word Messiah, Arabic Maseeh. Root word masaha,
meaning to rub, to massage, to anoint. Priests and kings were anointed when being
consecrated to their offices. But in its translated Grecian form, Christ seems unique:
befitting Jesus only. 
Christians like to translate names into their own language; like Cephas to Peter ,
Messiah to Christ. How do they do that? Very easily. Messiah in Hebrew means Anointed.
The Greek word for anointed is Christos. Just lop off the 'os' from Christos, and you are
left with Christ; a unique name! 
Christos means Anointed, and anointed means appointed in its religious connotation.
Jesus, peace and blessing be upon him, was appointed (anointed) at his baptism by John
the Baptist, as God's Messenger. Every prophet of God is so anointed or appointed. The
Holy Bible is replete with the anointed ones. In the original Hebrew, he was made a
Messiah. Let us keep to the English translation anointed. 
Not only were prophets and priests and kings anointed (Christos-ed), but horns, and
cherubs and lamp-posts also. 
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar ... (Genesis 31:13) 
If the priest that is anointed do sin ... (Leviticus 4:3) 
And Moses... anointed the tabernacle and all things that was therein... (Leviticus 8:100)

..the Lord shall...exalt the horn of his anointed (I Samuel 2:10) 
Thus saith the Lord to his anointed to Cyrus... (Isaiah 45:1) 
Thou art the anointed cherub... (Ezekiel 28:14) 
There are an hundred more such references in the Holy Bible. Every time you come across
the word anointed in your Bible, you can take it that that word would be christos in the
Greek translations, and if you take the same liberty with the word that the Christians
have done, you will have Christ Cherub, Christ Cyrus, Christ Priest and Christ Pillar,
...etc. 
Some Titles Exclusive 
Although, every prophet of God is an anointed one of God, a Messiah, the title Maseeh or
Messiah, or its translation Christ is exclusively reserved for Jesus, the son of Mary, in
both Islam and in Christianity. This is not unusual in religion. There are certain other
honorific titles which may be applied to more than one prophet, yet being made exclusive
to one by usage: like Rasulullah, meaning Messenger of God, which title is applied to
both Moses (19:51) and Jesus (61:6) in the Holy Quran. Yet Rasullullah has become
synonymous only with Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, among Muslims. 
Every prophet is indeed a Friend of God, but its Arabic equivalent Khalillullah is
exclusively associated with Father Abraham. This does not mean that the others are not
God's friends. Kaleemullah, meaning One who spoke with Allah is never used for anyone
other than Moses, yet we believe that God spoke with many of His messengers, including
Jesus and Muhammed, may the peace and blessings of God be upon all His servants.
Associating certain titles with certain personages only, does not make them exclusive or
unique in any way. We honor all in varying terms. 
Whilst the good news was being announced (verse 45 above) Mary was told that her unborn
child will be called Jesus, that he would be the Christ, a Word from God, and that... 
He shall speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. And he shall be (of the
company) of the righteous. (3:46) 
At length she brought the (babe) to her people carrying him. They said: 'O Mary! truly a
strange thing has thou brought!'. 'O sister of Aaron!, thy father was not a man of evil,
nor thy mother a woman unchaste!'  (The Holy Quran 19:27-28) 
Jews Amazed 
There is no Joseph the carpenter here. The circumstances being peculiar, Mary the mother
of Jesus had retired herself to some remote place in the East (19:16). After the birth of
the child she returns. 
A. Yusuf Ali, comments in his popular English translation of the Quran: 
The amazement of the people knew no bounds. In any case they were prepared to think the
worst of her, as she had disappeared from her kin for some time. But now she comes,
shamelessly parading a babe in her arms! How she had disgraced house of Aaron, the
fountain of priesthood! 
Sister of Aaron: Mary is reminded of her high lineage and the unexceptionable morals of
her father and mother. How, they said, she had fallen, and disgraced the name of her
progenitors! 
What could Mary do? How could she explain? Would they, in their censorious mood accept
her explanation? All she could do was to point to the child, who, she knew, was no
ordinary child. And the child came to her rescue. By a miracle he spoke, defended his
mother, and preached to an unbelieving audience. 
Allah azza wa jall says in the Quran: 
But she pointed to the babe. They said: 'How can we talk one who is a child in the
cradle?' He (Jesus) said: 'I am indeed a servant of Allah (God) : He hath given me
revelation and made me a prophet: 'and He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath
enjoined on me prayer and charity as long as I live. '(He hath made me) kind to my
mother, and not overbearing or unblest; 'So Peace is on me the day I was born, the day
that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life again)'! (19:29-33) 
His First Miracle(s) 
Thus Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, defended his mother from the grave calumny
and innuendoes of her enemies. This is the very first miracle attributed to Jesus in the
Holy Quran that, he spoke as an infant from his mother's arms. Contrast this with his
first miracle in the Christian Bible which occurred when he was over thirty years of age:

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was
there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they
wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, they have no wine. Jesus saith unto her,
'Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.' His mother saith unto
the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six water
pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three
firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled
them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of
the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was
made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the
governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the
beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is
worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. (John 2:110) 
Since this miracle, wine has flowed like water in Christendom. Many reason that what was
good for the Master is good enough for them. Jesus was no kill-joy they say. Didn't he
make good potent wine, that even those well drunk, those whose senses had been dulled
could make out the difference ? That the best was kept for the last.. This was no pure
grape juice. It was the same wine that, according to the Christian Bible, enabled the
daughters of Lot to seduce their father (Genesis 19:32-33).It was the same wine which the
Christian is advised to eschew in Ephesians 5:18 - And be not drunk with wine... 
It is that innocent (?) 1% potency that eventually leads millions down into the gutter.
America has 10 million drunkards in the midst of 70 million born-again Christians! The
Americans call their drunkards Problem Drinkers. In South Africa, they are called
Alcoholics; drunkard is too strong a word for people to stomach. 
But the Prime Minister of Zambia, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, does not hesitate to call a spade a
spade. He says, I am not prepared to lead nation of drunkards, referring to his own
people who drink intoxicants. 
Whether the water blushed or not seeing Jesus, we cannot blame him or his disciples for
the drinking habits of his contemporaries. For he had truly opined, have yet many things
to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now (John 16:12). Mankind had not reached the
stage of receiving the whole Truth of Islam. Did he not also say You cannot put new wine
into old bottles? (Matthew 9:17). 
Mother or Woman? 
According to St. John, in the fourth verse above, describing the marriage feast at Cana,
we are told that Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, behaved insolently towards his
mother. He calls her woman, and to rub more salt into the wound he is made to say what
have I to do with thee? What connection is there between you and me, or what have I got
to do with you? Could he have forgotten that this very woman had carried him for nine
months, and perhaps suckled him for 2 years, and had borne endless insults and injuries
on account of him? Is she not his mother? Is there no word in his language for mother? 
Strange as it may seem, that while the missionaries boast about their master's humility,
meekness and long-suffering, they call him the Prince of Peace and they sing that he was
led to the slaughter like a lamb, and like a sheep who before his shearer is dumb, he
opened not his mouth, yet they proudly record in the same breath, that he was ever ready
with invectives for the elders of his race, and was always itching for a showdown i.e. if
their records are true: 
Ye hypocrites! 
Ye wicked and adulterous generation! 
Ye whited sephulcres! 
Ye generation of vipers! 
and now to his mother: Woman... 
Jesus Defended 
Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, the Messenger of God, is made to absolve Jesus
from the false charges and calumnies of his enemies. 
And He (God Almighty) hath made me (Jesus) kind to my mother, and not overbearing or
unblest (19:31). 
On receiving the good news of the birth of a righteous son Mary responds: 
She said: 'O My Lord! how shall I have a son, when no man hath touched me? 
The angel says in reply: 
He said: 'Even so: Allah (God) createth what He willeth: when He hath decreed a matter He
but sayth o it 'Be,' and it is! And Allah (God) will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the
Torah (Law) and the Gospel, (3:47-48). 
Chapter Five : Quranic and Biblical Versions 
Meeting the Reverend 
I was visiting the Bible House in Johannesburg. Whilst browsing through the stacks of
Bibles and religious books, I picked up an Indonesian Bible and had just taken in hand a
Greek - English New Testament, a large, expensive volume. I had not realized that I was
being observed by the supervisor of the Bible House. Casually, he walked up to me.
Perhaps my beard and my Muslim headgear were an attraction and a challenge? He inquired
about my interest in that costly volume. I explained that as a student of comparative
religion, I had need for such a book. He invited me to have tea with him in his office.
It was very kind of him and I accepted. 
Over the cup of tea, I explained to him the Muslim belief in Jesus, peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him. I explained to him the high position that Jesus occupied in the
House of Islam. He seemed skeptical about what I said. I was amazed at his seeming
ignorance, because only retired Reverend gentlemen can become Supervisors of Bible Houses
in South Africa. I began reciting from verse 42 of chapters 3 of the Holy Quran: 
'Behold!' The angels said: 'O Mary, Allah hath chosen thee...' 
I wanted the Reverend to listen, not only to the meaning of the Quran, but also to the
music of its cadences when the original Arabic was recited. Rev. Dunkers (for that was
his name) sat back and listened with rapt attention to Allah's Words. 
When I reached the end of verse 49, the Reverend commented that the Quranic message was
like that of his own Bible. He said, he saw no difference between what he behaved as a
Christian, and what I had read to him. I said: that was true. If he had come across these
verses in the English language alone without their Arabic equivalent, side by side, he
would not have been able to guess in a hundred years that he was reading the Holy Quran.
If he were a Protestant, he would have thought that he was reading the Roman Catholic
Version, if he had not seen one, or the Jehovah's Witness Version or the Greek Orthodox
Version, or the hundred and one other versions that he might not have seen; but he would
never have guessed that he was reading the Quranic version. 
The Christian would be reading here, in the Quran, everything he wanted to hear about
Jesus, but in a most noble, elevated and sublime language. He could not help being moved
by it. 
In these eight terse verses from 42 to 49 we are told: 
(a) That Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virtuous woman, and honored above the women of
all nations.
(b) That all that was being said was God's own Revelation to mankind.
(c) That Jesus was the Word of God.
(d) That he was the Christ that the Jews were waiting for.
(e) That God will empower this Jesus to perform miracles even in infancy.
(f) That Jesus was born miraculously, without any male intervention.
(g) That God will vouchsafe him Revelation.
(h) That he will give life to the dead by God's permission, and that he will heal those
born blind and the lepers by God's permission, ... etc.
Chalk and Cheese 
The most fervent Christian cannot take exception to a single statement or word here. But
the difference between the Biblical and the Quranic narratives is that between chalk and
cheese. To me they are identical, what is the difference? the Reverend asked. I know that
in their essentials both the stories agree in their details, but when we scrutinize them
closely we will discover that the difference between them is staggering. 
Now compare the miraculous conception as announced in verse 47 of the Holy Quran with
what the Holy Bible says: 
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to
Joseph, before they came together, (as husband and wife) she was found with child of the
holy ghost.(Matthew 1:18) 
Master Dramatizer 
The eminent Billy Graham from the United States of America dramatized this verse in front
of 40,000 people in King Park, Durban, with his index finger sticking out and swinging
his outstretched arm from right to left, he said: And the Holy Ghost came and impregnated
Mary! On the other hand St. Luke tells us the very same thing but less crudely. He says,
that when the annunciation was made, Mary was perturbed. Her natural reaction was : 
How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? (Luke 1:34) meaning sexually. 
The Quranic narrative is: 
She said: O my Lord! how shall I have a son when no man hath touched me? (3:47) meaning
sexually. 
In essence there is no difference between these two statements seeing I know not a man
and when no man hath touched me. Both the quotations have an identical meaning. It is
simply a choice of different words meaning the same thing. But the respective replies to
Mary's plea in the two Books (the Quran and the Bible) are revealing. 
The Biblical Version 
Says the Bible: 
And the angle answered and said into her : 'The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the Highest shall overshadow thee (Luke 1:35) 
Can't you see that you are giving the atheist, the skeptic, the agnostic a stick to beat
you with? They may well ask How did the Holy Ghost come upon Mary? How did the Highest
overshadow her? We know that literally it does not mean that: that it was an immaculate
conception, but the language used here, is distasteful. Now contrast this with the
language of the Quran: 
The Quranic Version 
He said (the angel says in reply): 'Even so: Allah (God) createth what He willeth: when
He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, 'Be,' and it is!'  (3:47) 
This is the Muslim concept of the birth of Jesus. For God to create a Jesus, without a
human father, He merely has to will it. If He wants to create a million Jesus' without
fathers or mothers, He merely wills them into existence. He does not have to take seeds
and transfer them, like men or animals by contact or artificial insemination . He wills
everything into being by His word of command Be and It is. 
There is nothing new in what I am telling you, I reminded the Reverend. It is in the very
first Book of your Holy Bible, Genesis 1:3 And God said... What did He say? He said Be
and It was. He did not have to articulate the words. This is our way of understanding the
word Be, that He willed everything into being. 
Choice for His Daughter 
Between these two versions of the birth of Jesus, the Quranic version and the Biblical
version, which would you prefer to give your daughter ? I asked the supervisor of the
Bible House. He bowed his head down in humility and admitted The Quranic Version. 
How can a forgery or an imitation, as it is alleged of the Quran, be better than the
genuine, the original, as it is claimed for the Bible? It can never be, unless this
Revelation to Muhammed is what it, itself, claims to be viz. The pure and holy Word of
God! There are a hundred different tests that the unprejudiced seeker after truth can
apply to the Holy Quran and it will qualify with flying colors to being a Message from on
High. 
Like Adam 
Does the miraculous birth of Jesus make him a God or a begotten son of God? No! says the
Holy Quran: 
The similitude of Jesus before Allah (God) is that of Adam; He created him from dust then
said to him: 'Be', and he was. (3:59) 
Yusuf Ali, comments in his notes in the Quran translation: 
After a description of the high position which Jesus occupies as a prophet in the
preceding verses we have a repudiation of the dogma that he was God, or the son of God,
or any thing more than man. If it is said that he was born without a human father, Adam
was also so born. Indeed Adam was born without either a human father or mother. As far as
our physical bodies are concerned they are mere dust. 
In God's sight Jesus was as dust just as Adam was or humanity is. The greatness of Jesus
arose from the divine command 'Be': for after that he was more than dust a great
spiritual leader and teacher 
The logic of it is that, if being born without a male parent entitles Jesus to being
equated with God, then, Adam would have a greater right to such honor, and this no
Christian would readily concede. Thus, the Muslim is made to repudiate the Christian
blasphemy. 
Further, if the Christian splits hairs by arguing that Adam was created from the dust of
the ground, whereas Jesus was immaculately begotten in the womb of Mary, then let us
remind him that, even according to his own false standards, there is yet another person
greater than Jesus, in his own Bible . Who is this superman? 
Paul's Innovation 
For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God... Without father,
without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life...
(Hebrews 7:1,3) 
Here is a candidate for Divinity itself, for only God Almighty could possess these
qualities. Adam had a beginning (in the garden), Jesus had a beginning (in the stable);
Adam had an end and, claim the Christians, so had Jesus and he gave up the ghost. But
where is Melchisedec? Perhaps he is hibernating somewhere like Rip Van Winkel (a fairy
tale character who slept for many ages.) 
And what is this Hebrews? It is the name of one of the Books of the Holy Bible, authored
by the gallant St. Paul, the self appointed thirteenth apostle of Christ. Jesus had
twelve apostles, but one of them (Judas) had the Devil in him. So the vacancy had to be
filled, because of the twelve thrones in heaven which had to be occupied by his disciples
to judge the children of Israel (Luke 22:30). 
Saul was a renegade Jew, and the Christians changed his name to Paul, probably because
Saul sounds Jewish. This St. Paul made such a fine mess of the teachings of Jesus, peace
blessings be upon him, that he earned for himself the second most coveted position of The
Most Influential Men of History in the monumental work of Michael H. Hart: The 100 or The
Top Hundred or the Greatest Hundred in History. Paul outclasses even Jesus because,
according to Michael Hart, Paul was the real founder of present day Christianity. The
honor of creating Christianity had to be shared between Paul and Jesus, and Paul won
because he wrote more Books of the Bible than any other single author, whereas Jesus did
not write a single word. 
Paul needed no inspiration to write his hyperboles here and in the rest of his Epistles.
Did not Hitler's Minister of Propaganda Goebbels say: The bigger the lie the more likely
it is to be believed'? But the amazing thing about this exaggeration is that no Christian
seems to have read it. Every learned man to whom I have shown this verse to, seemed to be
seeing it for the first time. They appear dumbfounded, as described by the fitting words
of Jesus: 
...seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (Matthew
13:13) 
The Holy Quran also contains a verse which fittingly describes this well cultivated
sickness: 
Deaf, dumb and blind, will they not return (to the path). (2:18) 
The Sons of God 
The Muslim takes strong exception to the Christian dogma that Jesus is the only begotten
son, begotten not made. This is what the Christian is made to repeat from childhood in
his catechism. I have asked learned Christians, again and again as to what they are
really trying to emphasize, when they say: Begotten not made. 
They know that according to their own God given (?) records, God has sons by the tons: 
...Adam, which was the son of God.(Luke 3:38) 
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair... And when the sons of
God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them... (Genesis 6: 2,4)

...Israel is My son, even My firstborn: (Exodus 4:22) 
...for I (God) am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn. (Jeremiah 31:9) 
...the Lord hath said unto me (David): 'Thou art My son: this day have I begotten thee.
(Psalms 2:7) 
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 18:14) 
Can't you see that in the language of the Jew, every righteous person, every Tom, Dick
and Harry who followed the Will and Plan of God, was a Son of God. It was a metaphorical
descriptive term commonly used among the Jews. The Christian agrees with this reasoning,
but goes on to say: but Jesus was not like that. Adam was made by God. Every living thing
was made by God, He is the Lord, Cherisher and Sustainer of all. Metaphorically speaking
therefore God is the Father of all. But Jesus was the begotten son of God, not a created
son of God ? 
Begotten Means Sired! 
In my forty years of practical experience in talking to learned Christians, not a single
one has opened his mouth to hazard an explanation of the phrase begotten not made. It had
to be an American who dared to explain. He said : It means, sired by God. What!? I
exploded : Sired by God? No, no! he said, I am only trying to explain the meaning, I do
not believe that God really sired a son. 
The sensible Christian says that the words do not literally mean what they say. Then why
do you say it? Why are you creating unnecessary conflict between the 1,200,000,000
Christians and a thousand million Muslims of the world in making senseless statements? 
Reason for Objection 
The Muslim takes exception to the word begotten, because begetting is an animal act,
belonging to the lower animal functions of sex. How can we attribute such a lowly
capacity to God? Metaphorically we are all the children of God, the good and the bad, and
Jesus would be closer to being the son of God than any one of us, because he would be
more faithful to God then any one of us can ever be. From that point of view he is
preeminently the son of God. 
Although this pernicious word begotten has now unceremoniously been thrown out of the
Most Accurate version of the Bible, the Revised Standard Version (R.S.V.), its ghost
still lingers on in the Christian mind, both black and white. Through its insidious
brainwashing the white man is made to feel superior to his black Christian brother of the
same Church and Denomination. And in turn, the black man is given a permanent inferiority
complex through this dogma. 
Brain-washed Inferiority 
The human mind can't help reasoning that since the begotten son of an African will look
like an African, and that of a Chinaman as a Chinese, and that of an Indian like an
Indian: so the begotten son of God aught naturally to look like God. Billions of
beautiful pictures and replicas of this only begotten son of God are put in peoples
hands. He looks like a European with blonde hair, blue eyes and handsome features like e
one I saw in the King of Kings or The Day of Triumph or Jesus of Nazareth. Remember
Jeffrey Hunter? The Savior of the Christian is more like a German than a Jew with his
polly nose. So naturally, if the son is a white man, the father would also be a white man
(God?). Hence the darker skinned races of the earth subconsciously have the feeling of
inferiory ingrained in their souls as God's step children. No amount of face creams, skin
lighteners and hair straighteners will erase the inferiority. 
God is neither black nor white. He is beyond the imagination of the mind of man. Break
the mental shackles of a Caucasian (white) man-god, and you have broken the shackles of a
permanent inferiority. But intellectual bondages are harder to shatter: the slave himself
fights to retain them. 
Chapter Six : Answer to Christian Dilemmas 
Christ in Islam is really Christ in the Quran: and the Holy Quran has something definite
to say about every aberration of Christianity. The Quran absolves Jesus, peace and
blessings be upon him, from all the false charges of his enemies as well as the misplaced
infatuation of his followers. His enemies allege that he blasphemed against God by
claiming Divinity. His misguided followers claim that he did avow Divinity, but that was
not blasphemy because he was God. What does the Quran say ? 
Addressing both the Jews and the Christians, Allah says: 
O People of the Book! commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah (God) aught
but the truth. Christ Jesus son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah (God),
and His Word, which he bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in
Allah (God) and His messengers... (4:171) 
Going to Extremes 
O People of the Book is a very respectful title with which the Jews and the Christians
are addressed in the Holy Quran. In other words, Allah is saying O Learned People!, O
People with a Scripture! According to their own boast, the Jews and the Christians prided
themselves over the Arabs, who had no Scripture before the Quran. As a learned people,
Allah pulls up both the contending religionists for going to either extremes as regards
the personality of Christ. 
The Jews made certain insinuations about the legitimacy of Jesus and charged him of
blasphemy by twisting his words. The Christians read other meanings into his words;
wrench words out of their context to make him God. 
The modern day Christian, the hot - gospeller, the Bible thumper, uses harsher words and
cruder approaches to win over a convert to his blasphemies. 
He says: 
(a) Either Jesus is God or a liar
(b) Either Jesus is God or a lunatic
(c) Either Jesus is God or an impostor 
These are his words, words culled from Christian literature. Since no man of charity,
Muslim or otherwise, can condemn Christ so harshly as the Christian challenges him to do,
perforce he must keep non-committal. He thinks he must make a choice between one or the
other of these silly extremes. It does not occur to him that there is an alternative to
this Christian conundrum. 
Sensible Alternative 
Is it not possible that Jesus is simply what he claimed to be, a prophet, like so many
other prophets that passed away before him? Even that he is one of the greatest of them,
a mighty miracle worker, a great spiritual teacher and guide - the Messiah!. Why only God
or Lunatic? Is lunacy the opposite of Divinity in Christianity? What is the antonym of
God? Will some clever Christian answer? 
The Quran lays bare the true position of Christ in a single verse, followed by a note by
Yusuf Ali's: 
That he was the son of a woman, Mary, and therefore a man; 
But a messenger, a man with a mission from Allah (God), and therefore entitled to honor.

A Word bestowed on Mary, for he was created by Allah's word 'Be', and he was;(3:59). 
A spirit proceeding from Allah (God), but not Allah: his life and mission were more
limited than in the case of some other messengers, though we must pay equal honor to him
as a prophet of Allah. The doctrines of Trinity, equality with God, and sons, are
repudiated as blasphemies. Allah (God) is independent of all needs and has no need of a
son to manage His affairs. The Gospel of John (whoever wrote it) has put a great deal of
Alexandrian Gnostic mysticism round the doctrine of the Word (Greek, Logos), but it is
simply explained here. 
Jesus Questioned 
Reproduced below are verses 119 to 121 from the Chapter of Maeda (chapter 5 of the Quran)
depicting the scene of Judgment Day, when Allah will question Jesus, peace and blessings
be upon him, regarding the misdirected zeal of his supposed followers in worshipping him
and his mother: and his response, 
And behold! Allah will say: 'O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, take me
and my mother for two gods beside Allah?' He will say: 'Glory to Thee! never could I say
what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, Thou wouldst indeed have known it.
Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in
full all that is hidden. 
'Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, 'Worship
Allah, my Lord and your Lord'; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them;
when Thou didst take me up Thou wast the Watcher over them, and Thou art a witness to all
things. 
'If Thou dost punish them, they are Thy servant: If Thou dost forgive them, Thou art the
Exalted in power, the Wise.'
(5:116-118) 
Claimed No Divinity 
If this is the statement of truth from the All-Knowing, that Never said I to them aught
except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit, 'Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord',
then how do the Christians justify worshipping Jesus? 
There is not a single unequivocal statement throughout the Bible, in all its 66 volumes
of the Protestant versions, or in the 73 volumes of the Roman Catholic versions, where
Jesus claims to be God or where he says worship me. Nowhere does he say that he and God
Almighty are one and the same person. 
The last phrase above one and the same person tickles many a hot-gospeller and
Bible-thumper, not excluding the Doctor of Divinity and the Professor of Theology. Even
the new converts to Christianity have memorized these verses. They are programmed to
rattle off verses out of context, upon which they can hang their faith. The words are one
activates the mind by association of memories. Yes, say the Trinitarians, the worshippers
of three gods in one God, and one God in three gods, Jesus did claim to be God! Where? 
Reverend at the Table 
I had taken Rev. Morris D.D. and his wife, to lunch at the Golden Peacock. While at the
table, during the course of our mutual sharing of knowledge, the opportunity arose to
ask, Where? And without a murmur he quoted, I and my father are one to imply that God and
Jesus were one and the same person. That Jesus here claims to be God. The verse quoted
was well known to me, but it was being quoted out of context. It did not carry the
meaning that the Doctor was imagining, so I asked him, What is the context? 
Choked on Context 
The Reverend stopped eating and began staring at me. I said, Why? Don't you know the
context?, You see, what you have quoted is the text, I want to know the context, the text
that goes with it, before or after. Here was an Englishman (Canadian), a paid servant of
the Presbyterian Church, a Doctor of Divinity, and it appeared that I was trying to teach
him English. Of course he knew what context meant. But like the rest of his compatriots,
he had not studied the sense in which Jesus had uttered the words. 
In my forty years of experience, this text had been thrown at me hundreds of times, but
not a single learned Christian had ever attempted to hazard a guess as to its real
meaning. They always start fumbling for their Bibles. The Doctor did not have one with
him. When they do start going for their Bibles, I stop them in their stride: Surely, you
know what you are quoting?, Surely, you know your Bible? After reading this, I hope some
born-again Christians will rectify this deficiency. But I doubt that my Muslim readers
will ever come across one in their lifetime who could give them the context. 
What is the Context? 
It is unfair on the part of the Reverend, having failed to provide the context, then to
ask me, Do you know the context? Of course, I said. Then, what is it? asked my learned
friend. I said, That which you have quoted is the text of John chapter 10, verse 30. To
get at the context, we have to begin from verse 23 which reads: 
23. and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. (John 10:23). 
John, or whoever he was, who wrote this story, does not tell us the reason for Jesus
tempting the Devil by walking alone in the lion's den. For we do not expect the Jews to
miss a golden opportunity to get even with Jesus. Perhaps, he was emboldened by the
manner in which he had literally whipped the Jews single-handed in the Temple, and upset
the tables of the money changers at the beginning of his ministry (John 2:15). 
24. The Jews gathered around him, saying, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you
are the Christ, tell us plainly. (John 10:24). 
They surrounded him. Brandishing their fingers in his face, they began accusing him and
provoking him; saying that he had not put forth his claim plainly enough, clearly enough.
That he was talking ambiguously. They were trying to work themselves into a frenzy to
assault him. In fact, their real complaint was that they did not like his method of
preaching, his invectives, the manner in which he condemned them for their formalism,
their ceremonialism, their going for the letter of the law and forgetting the spirit. But
Jesus could not afford to provoke them any further there were too many and they were
itching for a fight. 
Discretion is the better part of valor. In a conciliatory spirit, befitting the occasion:

25. Jesus answered, I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my
Father's name speak for me, 
26. but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. (John 10:25-26). 
Jesus rebuts the false charge of his enemies that he was ambiguous in his claims to being
the Messiah that they were waiting for. He says that he did tell them clearly enough, yet
they would not listen to him, but: 
27. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 
28. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of
my hand. 
29. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out
of my Father's hand.. (John 10:29). 
How can anyone be so blind as not to see the exactness of the ending of the last two
verses. But spiritual blinkers are more impervious than physical defects. He is telling
the Jews and recording for posterity, the real unity or relationship between the Father
and the son. The most crucial verse: 
30. I and the Father are one. (John 10:30). 
One in what? In their Omniscience? In their Nature? In their Omnipotence? No! One in
purpose! That once a believer has accepted faith, the Messenger sees to it that he
remains in faith, and God Almighty also sees to it that he remains in faith. This is the
purpose of the Father and the son and the Holy Ghost and of every man and every woman of
faith. Let the same John explain his Gnostic mystic verbiage. 
That they all may be one as thou. Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be
one in us... 
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one...(John 17:20-22) 
If Jesus is one with God, and if that oneness makes him God, then the traitor Judas, and
the doubting Thomas, and the satanic Peter, plus the other nine who deserted him when he
was most in need are God(s), because the same oneness which he claimed with God in John
10:30, now he claims for all who forsook him and fled (Mark 14:50). All ye of little
faith (Matthew 8:26). All O faithless and perverse generation (Luke 9:41). Where and when
will the Christian blasphemy end? The expression I and my Father are one, was very
innocent, meaning nothing more than a common purpose with God. But the Jews were looking
for trouble and any excuse will not do, therefore, 
31. Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 
32. but Jesus said to them, I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For
which of these do you stone me? 
33. The Jews answered him, saying : 'For a good work we stone thee not; but for
blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself a God.' (John 10:31-33). 
In verse 24 above the Jews falsely alleged that Jesus was talking ambiguously. When that
charge was ably refuted, they then accused him of blasphemy which is like treason in the
spiritual realm. So they say that Jesus is claiming to be God I and the Father are one.
The Christians agree with the Jews in this that Jesus did make such a claim; but differ
in that it was not blasphemy because the Christians say that he was God and was entitled
to own up to his Divinity. 
The Christians and the Jews are both agreed that the utterance is serious. To one as an
excuse for good redemption, and to the other as an excuse for good riddance. Between the
two, let the poor Jesus die. But Jesus refuses to co-operate in this game, so: 
34. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your Law, `I have said you are gods'? 
35. If he called them `gods,' to whom the word of God came --and the Scripture cannot be
broken--, 
36. what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world?
Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, `I am God's Son'? (John 10:34-36).

Why Your Law? 
He is a bit sarcastic in verse 34, but in any event, why does he say: Your Law? Is it not
also his Law? Didn't he say: Think not that I am come to destroy the Law of the prophets:
I am come not to destroy, but to fulfill (the Law). For verily I say unto you, till
heaven and earth pass away, one Jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law,
till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5:1718). 
You are Gods 
You are gods: He is obviously quoting from the 82nd Psalm , verse 6, I have said, ye are
gods: and all of you are the children of the most High. 
Jesus, continues: If he (i.e. God Almighty) called them gods, unto whom the word of God
came (meaning that the prophets of God were called 'gods') and the scripture cannot be
broken... (John 10:35), in other words he is saying: you can't contradict me! Jesus knows
his Scripture; he speaks with authority; and he reasons with his enemies that: If good
men, holy men, prophets of God are being addressed as 'gods' in our Books of Authority,
with which you find no fault, then why do you take exception to me? When the only claim I
make for myself is far inferior in our language, viz. 'A son of God' as against others
being called 'gods' by God Himself. Even if I (Jesus) described myself as 'god' in our
language, according to Hebrew usage, you could find no fault with me. This is the plain
reading of Christian Scripture. I am giving no interpretations of my own or some esoteric
meaning to words! 
Chapter Seven : In The Beginning 
Where does Jesus say: 'I am God,' or 'I am equal to God,' or 'Worship me'? I asked the
Rev. Morris again. 
He took a deep breath and took another try. He quoted the most oft-repeated verse of the
Christian Bible - John 1:1. 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 
Please note, these are not the words of Jesus. They are the words of John (or whoever
wrote them). Acknowledged by every erudite Christian scholar of the Bible as being the
words of another Jew, Philo of Alexandria, who had written them even before John and
Jesus were born. And Philo claimed no divine inspiration for them. No matter what
mystical meaning that Philo had woven around these words (which our John has
plagiarized), we will accept them for what they are worth. 
Greek not Hebrew 
Since the manuscripts of the 27 Books of the New Testament are in Greek, a Christian sect
has produced its own version and has even changed the name of this selection of 27 Books
to Christian Greek Scriptures ! I asked the Reverend whether he knew Greek? Yes, he said,
He had studied Greek for 5 years before qualification. I asked him what was the Greek
word for God the first time it occurs in the quotation and the Word was With God? He kept
staring, but didn't answer. So I said, the word was Hotheos, which literally means The
God. 
Since the European (including the North American) has evolved a system of using capital
letters to start a proper noun and small letters for common nouns, we would accept his
giving a capital G for God; in other words Hotheos is rendered the god which in turn is
rendered God. 
Now tell me, what is the Greek word for God in the second occurrence in your quotation -
and the Word was God? The Reverend still kept silent. Not that he did not know Greek, or
that he had lied, but he knew more than that; the game was up. I said : the word was
Tontheos, which means a god. 
According to your own system of translating you aught to have spelt this word 'God' a
second time with a small 'g' i.e. 'god', and not 'God' with a capital 'G'; in other words
Tontheos is rendered a god. Both of these, god or a god are correct. 
I told the Reverend: But in 2 Corinthians 4:4 you have dishonestly reversed your system
by using a small 'g' when spelling 'God' (and the devil is) the god of this world. The
Greek word for the god is Hotheos the same as in John 1:1. Why have you not been
consistent in your translations ? If Paul was inspired to write hotheos the God for the
Devil, why don't you use that capital 'G'? 
And in the Old Testament, the Lord said unto Moses: See, I have made thee a god to
Pharoah (Exodus 7:1). Why do you use a small 'g' for 'God' when referring to Moses
instead of a capital 'G' as you do for a mere word 'Word' - and the Word was God.? 
Why do you do this? Why do you play fast and loose with the Word of God? I asked the
reverend. He said, I didn't do it. I said, I know, but I am talking about the vested
interests of Christianity, who are hell-bent to deify Christ, by using capital letters
here and small letters there, to deceive the unwary masses who think that every letter,
every comma and full stop and the capital and small letters were dictated by God (Capital
'G' here!). 
Chapter Eight : What is Left 
Three Topics 
It can hardly be expected in a small publication of this nature that one can deal with
all the references about Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, interspersed throughout
the fifteen different chapters of the Holy Quran. What we can do is to give a quick
glance to the index page reproduced from the Quran earlier in this letter. 
Here we find three significant topics, not dealt with yet in our discussion: 
Not crucified, (4:157). 
Message and miracles,(5:113, 19:30-33). 
Prophesied Ahmed, (61:6). 
Regarding the first topic, not crucified, I had written a booklet under the heading Was
Christ Crucified? some twenty years ago. The book is presently out of print, and further,
it needs updating, for much water has passed under the bridge since it first saw the
light of day. 
As regards the third topic mentioned above, Prophesied Ahmed, I propose to write a
booklet under the title Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, the Natural Successor to
Christ after I have completed Was Christ Crucified?, I hope to complete both these
projects soon, Insha Allah! (Arabic: By the will of Allah). 
The Way to Salvation 
We are now left with Topic No. 2, Message and miracles. The message of Jesus was as
simple and straight forward as that of all his predecessors as well as that of his
successor Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, namely Believe in God and keep His
Commandments. For the God who inspired His Messengers, is an unvarying God and He is
consistent: He is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthian14:33). 
A law abiding Jew comes to Jesus seeking eternal life or salvation. In the words of
Matthew: 
And behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I
may have eternal life? 
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is God:
but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. (Matthew 19:16-17) 
You will agree, that if you or I were that Jew, we would infer from these words that,
according to Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, salvation was guaranteed, provided
we kept the commandments without the shedding of any innocent blood. Unless, of course
Jesus was speaking with tongue in cheek; knowing full well that his own forthcoming
redemptive sacrifice, his vicarious atonement (?) for the sins of mankind, was not many
days hence. 
Why would Jesus give him the impossible solution of keeping the Law (as the Christian
alleges) when an easier way was in the offing? Or did he not know what was going to
happen, that he was to be crucified ? Was there not a contract between Father and Son,
before the worlds began, for his redeeming blood to be shed? Had he lost his memory? No!
There was no such fairy tale agreement as far as Jesus was concerned. He knew that there
is only one way to God, and that is, as Jesus said, keep the Commandments! 
Miracles, What They Prove 
Regarding his miracles: the Holy Quran does not go into any detail about blind Bartimus
or about Lazarus or any other miracle, except that he (Jesus) defended his mother as an
infant in his mother's arms. The Muslim has no hesitation about accepting the most
wondrous of his miracles - even that of reviving the dead. But that does not make Jesus a
God or the begotten Son of God as understood by the Christian. 
Miracles do not prove even prophethood, or whether a man is true or false. Jesus himself
said: 
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and
wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.(Matthew
24:24) 
If false prophets and false Christs can perform miraculous feats, then these wonders or
miracles do not prove even the geniuses or otherwise, of a prophet. 
John the Baptist, according to Jesus, was the greatest of the Israelite prophets. Greater
than Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah and all, not excluding himself: in his own words: 
Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater
than John the Baptist... (Matthew 11:11) 
Not excluding Jesus: because, was he not born of a woman - Mary? 
The Baptist, greater than all, yet he performed not a single miracle! Miracles are no
standards of judging truth and falsehood. 
But in his childishness, the might Christian insists that Jesus is God because he gave
life back to the dead. Will reviving the dead make others God too? This perplexes him,
because he has mentally blocked himself from the miracles of others who outshine Jesus in
his own Bible. For example, according to his false standard: 
Moses is greater than Jesus because he put life back into a dead stick and transmuted it
from the plant kingdom to the animal kingdom by making it into a serpent (Exodus 7:10). 
Elisha is greater than Jesus because the bones of Elisha brought a man back to life
merely by coming into contact with the corpse (2 Kings 13:21). 
Need I illustrate to you a catalogue of miracles? But the sickness persists - it was God
working miracles through His prophets but Jesus performed them of his own power. Where
did Jesus get all his power from? Ask Jesus, and he will tell us: 
Power not His Own 
...All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (Matthew 28:18) 
...I cast out devils by the Spirit of God then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
(Matthew 12:28) 
I can of mine own self do nothing  (John 5:30) 
I with the finger of God cast out devils (Luke 1 1:20) 
Borrowed Power 
The power as he says is not his, it is given unto me. Given by whom? By God, of course!
Every action, every word he attributes to God. 
Lazarus 
But since so much is made of Jesus' mightiest miracle of reviving Lazarus from the dead,
we will analyze the episode as recorded in John's Gospel. It is astonishing that none of
the other Gospel writers mention Lazarus in any context. However, the story is that
Lazarus was very sick, his sisters Mary and Martha had made frantic calls for Jesus to
come and cure his sickness but he arrived too late, actually four days after his demise.

He Groaned 
Mary wails to Jesus that had he arrived in time, perhaps her brother would not have died;
meaning that if he could heal other peoples' sicknesses, why would he not have healed her
brother, a dear friend of his. Jesus says that even now if ye have faith, ye shall see
the glory of god. The condition was that they should have faith. Didn't he say that faith
could move mountains? 
He asks to be taken to the tomb. On the way, he groaned in the spirit. He was not
mumbling; he was pouring out his heart and praying to God. But while he sobbed so
bitterly his words were not audible enough for people around him to understand. Hence the
words he groaned. On reaching the grave, Jesus groaned again; perhaps, even more
earnestly and God heard his groaning (his prayer), and Jesus received the assurance that
God will fulfill his request. Now, Jesus could rest assured and command that the stone
which was barring the tomb, be removed so that Lazarus could come back from the dead.
Without that assurance from God, Jesus would have made a fool of himself. 
Avoiding Misunderstanding 
Mary thinks of the stink because her brother had been dead for four days! But Jesus was
confident and the stone was removed. Then he looked up towards heaven and said: 
Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but
because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent
me. (John 11:41-42) 
What is all this, play - acting? Why all the drama? Because he know that these
superstitious and credulous people will misunderstand the source of the miracle. They
might take him for God. Giving life to the dead is the prerogative of God alone. To make
doubly sure, that his people do not misunderstand, he speaks out loudly that the groaning
was actually his crying to God Almighty for help. The prayer was incoherent as far as the
bystanders could discern, but the Father in heaven had accepted his prayer, viz. thou
hast heard me. 
Furthermore, he says, thou hearest me always; in other words, every miracle wrought by
him was an answer by God Almighty to his prayer. The Jews of his day understood the
position well, and they glorified God, as Matthew tells us of another occasion when the
Jews exclaimed for giving such power unto men (Matt. 9:8). 
In fact, Jesus gives his reason for speaking loudly. He says, that they may believe that
thou has sent me. One who is sent is a messenger, and if he be sent by God, then he is a
Messenger of God i.e. Rasulullah. Jesus is referred to in the Quran asRasulullah
(Messenger of Allah). 
Alas, this attempt by Jesus to prevent any misunderstanding, as to who really performed
the miracle, and that he was in fact only a messenger of God, failed. Christians will not
even accept the unambiguous disavowal of Jesus, nor the testimony of Peter, the Rock upon
which Jesus was supposed to build his Church. Peter truly testified: 
Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, A man approved of God among you by
miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye
yourselves also know.  (Acts 2:22) 
Case Not Hopeless 
This very same message is repeated by God Almighty in the Holy Quran, following the
annunciation. In verse 49 of chapter 3, Allah makes it clear that every sign or wonder
that Jesus performed was By Allah's leave, by God's permission. Jesus says so, Peter says
so and God says so; but the stubborn controversialist will not listen: prejudice,
superstition and credulity die hard. Our duty is simply to deliver the Message, loud and
clear, the rest we leave to God. The case is not altogether hopeless for Allah tells us
in His Holy Book: 
And among them are some who have faith, but most of them are perverted transgressors.
(3:110) 
Among them, meaning among the Jews and the Christians, there are two types of people; the
one group described as people of faith to whom this book is addressed, and the other as
rebellious transgressors. We must also find ways and means of getting at them. Our
literature is eminently suited to cater for all. Pass them on to your non - Muslim
friends after reading. 
Open the Holy Quran and make your Christian friends and acquaintances to read the verses
discussed in this book. Then we can truly conclude: 
Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary:
(it is) a statement of truth, about which
they (vainly) dispute. 
It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah
(God) that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him!
when He determines a matter, He only says to it,
'Be', and it is. 
Verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord:
Him therefore serve ye: this is a Way that is straight. (19:34-36) 
Chapter One : Christian Muslim Responses 
Debate on TV 
At the end of the debate - Christianity and Islam - which appeared on the SABC-TV program
Cross Questions on Sunday 5th June 1983, the Chairman, Mr. Bill Chalmers commented: I
think it can be said from this discussion that there is, at present, somewhat more
accommodation on the Islamic side for the founder of Christianity than there is on the
Christian side for the founder of Islam. What the significance of that is, we leave it to
you, the viewer, to determine, but I do think you will agree that it is a good thing that
we are talking together. 
Bill as he is popularly addressed, without any formalities, on all his programs, by all
his panelists, is extremely charming and stupendous in his humility. He is a picture of
what the Holy Quran portrays of a good Christian: 
...And nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say: 'We are
Christians': because among these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced
the world. And they are not arrogant. (The Holy Quran 5:82) 
Jesus - His Status 
Were the Muslims on the panel trying to placate the viewers out policy, deceit or
diplomacy? Nothing of the kind! They were only articulating what God Almighty had
commanded them to say in the Holy Quran. As Muslims, they had no choice. They had said in
so many words: We Muslims believe, that Jesus was one of the mightiest messengers of God
that he was the Christ, that he was born miraculously without any male intervention
(which many modern-day Christians do not believe today), that he gave life to the dead by
God's permission and that he healed those born blind and the lepers by god's permission.
In fact, no Muslim is a Muslim if he or she does not believe in Jesus! 
Pleasant Surprise 
Over 90% of the people who witnessed this debate must have been pleasantly, but
skeptically, surprised. They might have not believed their ears. They must have surmised
that the Muslims were playing to the gallery - that they were trying to curry favor with
their fellow Christian countrymen; that if the Muslims would say a few good words about
Jesus, then in reciprocation the Christians might say a few good words about Muhammed
(may the peace and the blessings of God be upon all His righteous servants, Moses, Jesus,
Muhammed...etc.); that I scratch your back and you scratch my back - which would be a
sham or hypocrisy. 
Hate Cultivated 
We cannot blame the Christians for their skepticism. They have been so learned for
centuries. They were trained to think the worst of the man Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi
wa sallam, and his religion. How aptly did Thomas Carlyle say about his Christian
brethren over a hundred and fifty years ago: The lies which well-meaning zeal has heaped
round this man (Muhammed) are disgraceful to ourselves only. We Muslims are partly
responsible for this. We have not done anything substantial to remove the cobwebs. 
Ocean of Christianity 
South Africa is an ocean of Christianity. If Libya boasts the highest percentage of
Muslims on the continent of Africa, then the Republic of South Africa would also be
entitled to boast the highest percentage of Christians. In this ocean of Christianity the
R.S.A. - the Muslims are barely 2% of the total population. We are a voteless minority -
numerically, we count for nothing; politically, we count for nothing; and economically,
one white man, as Oppenheimer, could buy out the whole lot of us, lock, stock and barrel.

So if we had feigned to appease, we might be excused. But no! We must proclaim our
Master's Will; we must declare the Truth, whether we liked it or not. In the words of
Jesus: Seek ye the truth, and the truth shall set you free (John 8:32). 
Chapter Two : Jesus in the Quran 
Christians Unaware 
The Christian does not know that the true spirit of charity which the Muslim displays,
always, towards Jesus and his mother Mary spring from the fountainhead of his faith - the
Holy Quran. He does not know that the Muslim does not take the holy name of Jesus, in his
own language, without saying Eesa, alaihi assalam (Jesus, peace be upon him) 
The Christian does not know that in the Holy Quran Jesus is mentioned twenty five times.
For example: 
We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit
(The Holy Quran 2:87) 
O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus,
the son of Mary... (3:45) 
...Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of god... (4:171) 
...And in their foot steps we sent Jesus the son of Mary... (5:46) 
And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous. (6:85) 
Jesus - His Titles 
Though Jesus is mentioned by name in twenty-five places in the Holy Quran, he is also
addressed with respect as: Ibn Maryam, meaning The son of Mary; and as the Maseeh (in
Hebrew it is the Messiah), which is translated as Christ. He is also known as Abdullah,
The servant of Allah; and as Rasul u Allah, the messenger of Allah. 
He is spoken of as The Word of God, as The Spirit of God, as a Sign of God, and numerous
other epithets of honor spread over fifteen different chapters. The Holy Quran honors
this mighty messenger of God, and the Muslims have not fallen short over the past
fourteen hundred years in doing the same. There is not a single disparaging remark in the
entire Quran to which even the most jaundiced among the Christians can take exception. 
Eesa Latinised to Jesus 
The Holy Quran refers to Jesus as Eesa, and this name is used more times than any other
title, because this was his Christian name. Actually, his proper name was Eesa (Arabic),
or Esau (Hebrew); classical Yeheshua, which the Christian nations of the West latinised
as Jesus. Neither the J nor the second s in the name Jesus is to be found in the original
tongue - they are not found in the Semitic languages. 
The word is very simply E S A U a very common Jewish name, used more than sixty times in
the very first booklet alone of the Bible, in the part called Genesis. There was at least
one Jesus sitting on the bench at the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin. Josephus the
Jewish historian mentions some twenty five Jesus' in his Book of Antiquities. The New
Testament speaks of Bar-Jesus a magician and a sorcerer, a false prophet (Acts 13:6); and
also Jesus-Justus a Christian missionary, a contemporary of Paul (Colossians 4:11). These
are distinct from Jesus the son of Mary. Transforming Esau to (J)esu(s) - Jesus - makes
it unique. This unique (?) name has gone out of currency among the Jews and the
Christians from the 2nd century after Christ. Among the Jews, because it came to be a
name of ill - repute, the name of one who blasphemed in Jewry; and among the Christians
because it came to be the proper name of their God. The Muslim will not hesitate to name
his son Eesa because it is an honored name, the name of a righteous servant of the Lord.

Chapter Three : Mother And Son 
Mary Honored 
The birth of Jesus Christ is described in two places of the Quran - chapter 3 and chapter
19. Reading from the beginning of his birth, we come across the story of Mary, and the
esteemed position which she occupies in the House of Islam, before the actual
annunciation of the birth of Jesus is given: 
'Behold'! the angels said: 'O Mary! God hath chosen thee and purified thee, and chosen
thee above the women of all nations (3:42) 
Chosen thee above the women of all nations. Such an honor is not to be found given to
Mary even in the Christian Bible! The verse continues: 
O Mary! Worship thy Lord devoutly: prostrate thyself, and bow down (in prayer) with those
who bow down. (3:43) 
Divine Revelation 
What is the source of this beautiful and sublime recitation which, in its original
Arabic, moves men to ecstasy and tears? verse 44 below explains: 
This is part of the tidings, of the things unseen, which We reveal unto thee (O
Muhammad!) by inspiration: Thou wast not with them when they cast lots with arrows, as to
which of them should be charged with the care of Mary: nor wast thou with them when they
disputed (the point). (3:44) 
Mary's Birth 
The story is that the maternal grandmother of Jesus, Hannah, had hitherto been barren.
She poured out her heart to God: If only God will grant her a child, she would surely
dedicate such a child for the service of God in the temple. 
God granted her prayer and Mary was born. Hannah was disappointed. She was yearning for a
son, but instead she delivered a daughter; and in no way is the female like the male, for
what she had in mind. What was she to do? She had made a vow to God. She waited for Mary
to be big enough to fend for herself. 
When the time came, Hannah took her darling daughter to the temple, to hand over for
temple services. Every priest wanted to be the god-father of this child. They cast lots
with arrows for her - like the tossing of the coin - head or tail?
eventually she fell to the lot of Zakariya, but not without a dispute. 
The Source of His Message 
This was the story. But where did Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, get this
knowledge from? He was an Ummi, Arabic for unlettered. He did not low how to read or
write. He is made by God Almighty to answer this very question in the verse above, by
saying that it was all by divine inspiration. No!, says the controversialist. This is
Muhammed's own concoction. He copied his revelations from the Jews and Christians. He
plagiarized it. He forged it. 
Knowing full-well, and believing as we do, that the whole Quran is the veritable Word of
God, we will nevertheless agree, for the sake of argument, with the enemies of Muhammed,
salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, for a moment, that he wrote it. We can now expect some
cooperation from the unbelievers. 
Ask him: Have you any qualms in agreeing that Muhammed was an Arab? Only an ignorant will
hesitate to agree. In that case there is no sense in pursuing any discussion. Cut short
the talk. Close the book! 
With the man of reason, we proceed. That this Arab, in the first instance, was addressing
other Arabs. He was not talking to Indian Muslims, Chinese Muslims, or Nigerian Muslims.
He was addressing his own people, the Arabs. Whether they agreed with him or not, he told
them in the most sublime form, words that were seared into the hearts and minds of his
listeners that Mary the mother of Jesus, a Jewess, was chosen above the women of all
nations. Not his own mother, nor his wife nor his daughter, nor any other Arab woman, but
a Jewess! Can one explain this? Because to everyone his own mother or wife, or daughters
would come before other women. 
Why would the prophet of Islam honor a woman from his opposition! and a Jewess at that!
belonging to a race which had been looking down upon his people for three thousand years?
Just as they still look down upon their Arab brethren today. 
Sarah and Hagar 
The Jews learn, from the Bible, that their father, Abraham, had two wives Sarah and
Hagar. They say that they are the children of Abraham through Sarah his legitimate wife;
that their Arab brethren have descended through Hagar, a bondwoman, and that as such, the
Arabs are an inferior breed. 
Will anyone please explain the anomaly as to why Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam,
if he is the author, chose this Jewess for such high honor? The answer is simple, he had
no choice he had no right to speak of his own desire. It is no less than an inspiration
sent down to him. (53:4) 
The Chapter of Maryam 
There is a Chapter in the Holy Quran, named Surat u Maryam Chapter Mary, named in honor
of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; again, such
an honor is not to be found given to Mary in the Christian Bible. Out of the 66 books of
the Protestants and 73 of the Roman Catholics, not one is named after Mary or her son.
You will find books named after Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul and two score more
obscure names, but not a single one is that of Mary! 
If Muhammed, salla Allah u alihi wa sallam, was the author of the Holy Quran, then he
would not have failed to include in it with Mary, the mother of Jesus, his own mother
Aamina, his dear wife Khadija, or his beloved daughter Fatima. But No! No! This can never
be. The Quran is not his handiwork!. 
Chapter Four : The Good News 
 'Behold!' the