Why Don’t Christians Accept the Quran as a Revelation of God?
Everything in the Quran that agrees with the Bible is accepted by Christians. However, Christians will not accept the Quran as a divine revelation if any part of the Quran contradicts either the Bible or the Quran itself.
The Creation Story
Christians believe that Heaven and Earth were created in six days. This is stated in the Bible and some verses of the Quran. But, the Quran in Sura 41:9-12 tells us that the earth was finished in six days, and the heavens took an additional two days to create. How can this be? The Bible’s creation story is consistent from beginning to end wherein the Quran’s creation story changes from six days in Sura 7:54 to eight days in Sura 41:9-12
The Crucifixion of Jesus
The most compelling contradiction for a Christian concerns the death of Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus was crucified and died upon the cross. The Quran in Sura 19:33 agrees with the Bible. Yet, Sura 4:157,158 denies the death of Jesus. Which one is true? Jesus did not die (Sura 4:157,158), or Jesus did die (Sura 19:33)”…the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!"
Mary the Mother of Jesus
The Bible tells us that Mary was the mother of Jesus, and Miriam was the sister of Moses and Aaron. The Koran names Mary as the sister of Aaron, when Aaron lived 1570 years before Mary (Sura 19:28). If the Koran is perfect, why doesn’t it differentiate between Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, and Mary who became the mother of Jesus Christ (Sura 19:28)? Also, Mary was not from the tribe of Levi, but from the tribe of Judah.
Is Alcohol to be Enjoyed or Is It Evil?
In sura 47:15, those who keep their duty to God are promised rivers of wine. In sura 5:90, alcohol is referred to as Satan’s handiwork.
Noah’s Family was Saved from the Flood
The Bible teaches that Noah and all his children were saved from the flood in Genesis Chapters 7-8. The Quran agrees with this in Sura 21:76, but is contradicted in Sura 11:43. Which part of the Quran is true? ''Noah ... we saved him and his household from the great affliction" (Sura 21:76); or, ''Noah cried unto his son .
...he New Testament, large themes and important messages resonate similarly across the three faiths. The power, authority and oneness of God is undeniable and unquestionable. Similarly, those who disobey the direct commands of God and who do evil will undoubtedly face his punishment. Also, all three religious texts outline a specific hierarchy that is inherent to the believers; God is above Christ, Christ is above men, and men are above women. The roles and rights of women were limited, and not questioned. As with any ancient text, a reader must be aware of the difference in historical cultures, interpretations and biases. With these texts not all being written at the same time, cultural shifts undoubtedly occurred, but the Koran makes use of ancient Jewish and Christian Scriptures, as evidenced by the similarities between the Koran, the Tanakh and the New Testament.
In the book of Allah: A Christian response, writing as and for Christians, Miroslav Volf addresses what Christian perspective is regarding the God of Muslims in the Qur’an. In the majority of the book, he principally argues that called to love God and neighbors by the same God, Christians and Muslims believe in the same God, who is only one Creator.
Both Christianity and Islam mirror Judaism. From Judaism, Christianity and Islam took hold of the concepts of monotheism, prophecy, resurrection, and a belief in the existence of heaven and hell. Both religions also have a sacred text; Christians consider the Bible the inspired word of God, His words written and spoken through his followers. However Muslims hold the belief that the Koran is the literal spoken breath of God. Mohammed was merely transcribing the words of Allah, much as a court reporter does. With this knowledge they hold to be true Muslims hold the Koran and Islam at a higher level of truth and authenticity then the beliefs held by Christians and the Bible.
From the first to the sixteenth centuries, merchants and trade played a prominent and influential role in society. Christianity and Islam in their origins had divergent attitudes toward increasingly important trade, but their viewpoints developed over time until 1500. Christianity first had a negative opinion of merchants, while Muslims saw them in a more positive light. Although they were different in this way, they shared some resemblance in that they both agreed that merchants should be virtuous and equitable in their transactions. In order to better comprehend how the outlook of Christians and Muslims transformed over time, one must first examine how they perceived merchants at their origins.
Contained in the many intricate and poetic Surahs of the Qur’an are retellings of a number of famous stories of the Hebrew Bible, known to Jews as the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. However, the Qur’an’s account of the lives of certain biblical characters often differs in significant ways from the Jewish version. While a believer in the divine nature of the Qur’an may claim that differences in facts stem from distortions of G-d’s message as recorded in Jewish holy books, both Muslims and non-Muslims might agree that the differences in emphasis are intentional. A more cynical observer might claim that the Qur’an changed the known Bible stories to suit its purposes. By choosing to include certain parts of a famous story and leaving out others, the story itself takes on a very different significance. Occasionally, the Qur’an will also discuss parts of the story which are entirely left out of the Torah, in which case a Muslim may claim the Torah did not deem those facts important for its own reasons. A cynical observer would claim the Qur’an made these additions to make its own message clearer.
Jesus the Christ and Mohammed no two single men have touched more lives. They founded two related yet separate religions that today have seem to become the main stream of society around the world. In the year, “0” B.C. near the town of Bethlehem Jesus was born. Almost 600 years later in the town of Mecca the Prophet Mohammed was born. These two events changed the course of history for all humankind.
Islam and Christianity both come from a common foundation as religions of peace, both of these religious traditions share the foundational element of peace of their beliefs. In both the sacred texts of Islam and Christianity peace is a virtue and is seen more as a sense of wellbeing than just the absence of conflict and violence. Overall peace is found in unity with God, for Christians and Muslims are taught to live a life a life of peace with others, not only in their own communities but the entire of human society. The Qur’an in Islam and the New Testament in Christianity are respectively the principal sacred texts for these religious traditions. The Qur’an and the New Testament both express the importance of peace and peacemaking as evident in Jesus’ Beatitudes “Blessed are the peacemakers”. The search for inner peace is the core message of the Qur’an and the New Testament and the adherents of both traditions are taught that inner peace will come through faithfully devoting yourself to God.
Christianity and Islam have several similar aspects. Both religions praise the same God, although they each have a different given name. Muslims refer to their god as Allah, and Christians simply refer to their god as God. Both religions are monotheistic, and both even have a set of religious laws that all who are righteous abide by. Muslims follow the Five Pillars of Islam, while Christians follow the Ten Commandments. Both religions even have their own religious texts: The Bible and The Koran. Christian missionaries declare that The Bible consists of true narratives based on actual revelations, and establish that the Prophet Muhammad is an imposter. However, it is extremely possible that The Bible is nothing more than a book of plagiarized stories taken from various ancient texts. The Koran seems to correct mistakes in the Bible and make true of its falseness, gives the true version of what really happened in the stories of Joseph, Noah, and Jesus.
The three most influential books in human history, the holy books of the three main Abrahamic religions, share a common though checkered history. With a string of familiar figures and incidents, each book builds upon its predecessor, sometimes retaining the exact nature of the story and sometimes giving it a new version. Each book seems to have been influenced by its specific purpose and the circumstances of the time it was revealed, with the stories meeting the demands of the day. I believe that the Quranic treatment of Jesus was to establish a firm monotheistic belief.
Throughout history it is evident that many religions have been tried, tested, and, for some, radically changed. Many religions have gone through periods of time in which the way they were run or enforced underwent changes in practice and leadership. In many cases disagreements and differing outlooks among members of certain religions were to blame for these changes. Christianity and Islam are two examples of religions that have experienced changes over the course of their existence. While these religions seem to have little in common at first glance, both have strikingly similar pasts that consist of radical splits due to disagreements among members of the Christian and Islamic churches, resulting in new branches within each religion.
In the scripture, God formed the universe in six days. This is evident by the words that are used. For example, in the scripture, Moses uses the word “Yom” to mean day. This word is also used at other occasions in the Bible and it literally means the twenty-four-hour day. This thus gives an assurance that
Every religion has its own goal, and their own path and believe to reach their goals, however there are also many similarities in believes. Although the followers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam may see things differently, they all fundamentally hold the same values and codes. To Islam, the Prophet Mohammad’s teaching is a complete and final revelation. On the other hand, according to the bible, Christianity believes that Jesus Christ is the true lord and savior will grant you the access to heaven in the afterlife. Judaism is founded by Abraham, and it is the base from which both of the other two religions sprung. Even though the three religions differ in many areas and on many aspects, they also agree on the monotheistic, the belief in ‘One True God.’ Those religions have many similarities and a number of significant differences about God, role of women, prayer, and salvation.
The sources of understanding of the figure of Jesus Christ in the two religions are, of course, Quran and the Holy Bible — the most respectable books, which include the main concepts of each faith. The information about this important figure cannot be denied, because even historians admitted his existence. The birth of the little child was described in a similar way by the two religious believes. Both: the Bible and the Quran believe that he was born by the virgin woman, whose name was Mary. Bible says: “..."the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger" (Luke 1:6-7, Christianity and Islam).On the other hand the Quran also describe Jesus and...
Islam and Christianity have a vast amount of similarities as well as differences. Islam searches for guidance from the Qur’an and Christianity depends on faith in Jesus. Islamic faith believes in the God, Allah. Above anything else, all religious Muslims obey Allah and his commandments to obtain peace. On other hand, Christianity puts faith in Jesus who is the son of God. A major concept that separates both of the religions is the fact that the God of each faith has different qualities. This means Islam and Christianity don’t worship the same God. Islam and Christianity are two separate belief systems in which two separate Gods exist.
Jesus and Mohammed both are two huge historic religious figures. However, even though they are both very respectable in their religion they have many differences. Mohammed was born in Mecca and was an orphan. At the age of 40 he was appointed by God as a prophet. Jesus, however, was born in Bethlehem to the virgin Mary. The angel Gabriel proclaimed him as the “Son of the most High”. Jesus worked as a carpenter and at the age of 30 began his public ministry. Jesus and Mohammed both began their ministry late in life, but Jesus was appointed as a savior from the beginning and Mohammed was not. Although both men had different view of God’s nature they both believed that there was only one true God. They