Islam and the Bible
by Grady L. Davis, M.Div., Ph.D.
Former Chairman of Directed Individualized Studies
Golden State School of Theology, Oakland, CA ©1983,2003

Islam denies that Jesus is the son of G-d, although it describes the virgin birth in a passage similar to Luke 1:26-38. The Qur’an calls Jesus a prophet, equal to Abraham, Jonah, and others, but places him far below Mohammad. All other things attributed to Jesus, as being G-d, are denied by Islam.

The Qur’an says that Christ never really died on the cross. “They slew him not nor crucified, but it appeared so unto them.” (Surah 4:157). How could this be? Well, according to Islam, Allah took Jesus to heaven just before the crucifixion. But who died on the cross? It was Judas—made up so cleverly to resemble Jesus that even Mary and the disciples were fooled.

The Qur’an says that man must take care of his own sins. The Muslim must earn salvation from sin by following the “Five Pillars of the Faith.” If he doesn't make it, it’s his own fault, for the Qur’an says, “Whoever goes astray, he himself bears the whole responsibility of wandering.” (Sura 10:109)

Islam teaches the unity of [Allah’s] essence and personality, explicitly excluding the Trinity as taught in the Bible. [Allah] has divorced himself from his creation. His transcendence is so great that he acts impersonally. Because of their doctrine of predestination, both good and evil come from Allah, which makes their god very capricious. Whatever Allah chooses becomes right. It is blasphemous to call Allah “father.” Allah is very deficient in such attributes as love, holiness, and grace.

The Bible is one of the many holy books recognized by Islam. It is superseded by the Qur’an.

The Muslim does not hold that Christ was the Son of G-d or that He rose from the dead. They do not even believe He was crucified. They do think that Jesus was a sinless prophet, although not as great as Muhammad.

The Muslim must earn his salvation. He holds to the “Articles of Faith” and follows the “Pillars of Faith.” Sin is the lack of obedience to Allah.

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Last updated on Friday, 24 October 2008