| Christianity is a Semitic religion, which claims to have nearly 1.2 billion adherents all over the world. Christianity owes its name to Jesus Christ (peace be on him). The Holy Bible is the sacred scripture of the Christians: a) The Bible is divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the Holy Scripture of the Jews and contains records of all the prophets of the Jews that came before Jesus (pbuh). The New Testament contains records of the life of Jesus (pbuh). b) The complete Bible, i.e. the Old Testament and the New Testament put together, contains 73 books. However, the Protestant Bible i.e. the King James Version, contains only 66 books as they consider 7 |  |
| books of the Old Testament to be apocrypha, i.e. of doubtful authority. Therefore the Old Testament of the Catholics, contains 46 books and that of the Protestants, 39 books. However the New Testament of both these sects contains 27 books. | |
CONCEPT OF GOD IN CHRISTIANITY
by Dr. Zakir Naik
I) Position of Jesus (pbuh) in Islam:(i)Islam is the only non-Christian faith, which makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus (pbuh). No Muslim is a Muslim if he does not believe in Jesus (pbuh).(ii) We believe that he was one of the mightiest Messengers of Allah (swt). (iii) We believe that he was born miraculously, without any male intervention, which many modern day Christians do not believe. (iv) We believe he was the Messiah translated Christ (pbuh). (v) We believe that he gave life to the dead with God’s permission. (iv) We believe that he healed those born blind, and the lepers with God’s permission. |  |
II) Concept of God in Christianity:1. Jesus Christ (pbuh) never claimed DivinityOne may ask, if both Muslims and Christians love and respect Jesus (pbuh), where exactly is the parting of ways? The major difference between Islam and Christianity is the Christians’ insistence on the supposed divinity of Christ (pbuh). A study of the Christian scriptures reveals that Jesus (pbuh) never claimed divinity. In fact there is not a single unequivocal statement in the entire Bible where Jesus (pbuh) himself says, "I am God" or where he says, "worship me". In fact the Bible contains statements attributed to Jesus (pbuh) in which he preached quite the contrary. The following statements in the Bible are attributed to Jesus Christ (pbuh): (i) "My Father is greater than I."[The Bible, John 14:28] (ii) "My Father is greater than all." [The Bible, John 10:29] (iii) "…I cast out devils by the Spirit of God…." [The Bible, Mathew 12:28] (iv) "…I with the finger of God cast out devils…." [The Bible, Luke 11:20] (v) "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgement is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." [The Bible, John 5:30] 2. The Mission of Jesus Christ (pbuh) – to Fulfill the Law Jesus (pbuh) never claimed divinity for himself. He clearly announced the nature of his mission. Jesus (pbuh) was sent by God to confirm the previous Judaic law. This is clearly evident in the following statements attributed to Jesus (pbuh) in the Gospel of Mathew: 3. God Sent Jesus' (pbuh)"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." [The Bible, Mathew 5:17-20] The Bible mentions the prophetic nature of Jesus (pbuh) mission in the following verses: (i)"… and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me." [The Bible, John 14:24] (ii)"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent." [The Bible, John 17:3] 4. Jesus Refuted even the Remotest Suggestion of his Divinity Consider the following incident mentioned in the Bible: "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.’ " [The Bible, Mathew 19:16-17] Jesus (pbuh) did not say that to have the eternal life of paradise, man should believe in him as Almighty God or worship him as God, or believe that Jesus (pbuh) would die for his sins. On the contrary he said that the path to salvation was through keeping the commandments. It is indeed striking to note the difference between the words of Jesus Christ (pbuh) and the Christian dogma of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus (pbuh). 5. Jesus (pbuh) of Nazareth – a Man Approved of God The following statement from the Bible supports the Islamic belief that Jesus (pbuh) was a prophet of God. "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." [The Bible, Acts 2:22]6. The First Commandment is that God is One The Bible does not support the Christian belief in trinity at all. One of the scribes once asked Jesus (pbuh) as to which was the first commandment of all, to which Jesus (pbuh) merely repeated what Moses (pbuh) had said earlier: "Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adonai Ikhad."This is a Hebrew quotation, which means: "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord." [The Bible, Mark 12:29] It is striking that the basic teachings of the Church such as Trinity and vicarious atonement find no mention in the Bible. In fact, various verses of the Bible point to Jesus’ (pbuh) actual mission, which was to fulfill the law revealed to Prophet Moses (pbuh). Indeed Jesus (pbuh) rejected any suggestions that attributed divinity to him, and explained his miracles as the power of the One True God. Jesus (pbuh) thus reiterated the message of monotheism that was given by all earlier prophets of Almighty God.NOTE: All quotations of the Bible are taken from the King James Version. III) Concept of God in Testament:1. God is OneThe following verse from the book of Deuteronomy contains an exhortation from Moses (pbuh): "Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adna Ikhad". It is a Hebrew quotation which means: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord" [The Bible, Deuteronomy 6:4] 2. Unity of God in the Book of Isaiah The following verses are from the Book of Isaiah: (i) "I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour." [The Bible, Isaiah 43:11] (ii) "I am Lord, and there is none else, there is no God besides me." [The Bible, Isaiah 45:5] (iii) "I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me." [The Bible, Isaiah 46:9] 3. Old Testament condemns idol worship (i) Old Testament condemns idol worship in the following verses: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:" "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God." [The Bible, Exodus 20:3-5] (ii) A similar message is repeated in the book of Deuteronomy: "Thou shalt have none other gods before me." "Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that in the earth beneath, or that is in the water beneath the earth." "Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God." [The Bible, Deuteronomy 5:7-9] | |
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY
by Dr. Zakir Naik
| Al-Qur'an 3:64 Al-Qur'an 20:25-28 Greet you in the same manner as Jesus (pbuh) greeted in Hebrew Luke 24:36 ‘Sholam alay kum’ or Islamic greeting in Arabic Assalaamu alai kum both meaning ‘Peace be on you’. INTRODUCTIONSimilarities / Similar Teachings in the Qur’an and the Bible which Muslims follow but Christians don't |  |
I) ISLAM | |
The Qur’an mentions in Surah Al-Araf chapter 7 verse 157:
"Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures) in the law and the Gospel".
1. MUHAMMAD (PBUH) PROPHESISED IN THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY:
Almighty God speaks to Moses in Book of Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 18:
"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him."
The Christians say that this prophecy refers to Jesus (pbuh) because Jesus (pbuh) was like Moses (pbuh). Moses (pbuh) was a Jew, as well as Jesus (pbuh) was a Jew. Moses (pbuh) was a Prophet and Jesus (pbuh) was also a Prophet.
If these two are the only criteria for this prophecy to be fulfilled, then all the Prophets of the Bible who came after
Moses (pbuh) such as Solomon, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Malachi, John the Baptist, etc. (pbut) will
fulfill this prophecy since all were Jews as well as prophets.
However, it is Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who is like Moses (pbuh):
i) Both had a father and a mother, while Jesus (pbuh) was born miraculously without any male intervention.
[Mathew 1:18 and Luke 1:35 and also Al-Qur'an 3:42-47]
ii) Both were married and had children. Jesus (pbuh) according to the Bible did not marry nor had children.
iii) Both died natural deaths. Jesus (pbuh) has been raised up alive. (4:157-158)
Muhammad (pbuh) is from among the brethren of Moses (pbuh). Arabs are brethren of Jews. Abraham (pbuh) had two sons: Ishmail and Isaac (pbut). The Arabs are the descendants of Ishmail (pbuh) and the Jews are the descendants of Isaac (pbuh).
Words in the mouth:
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was unlettered and whatever revelations he received from Almighty God he repeated them verbatim.
"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him."
[Deuteronomy 18:18]
iv) Both besides being Prophets were also kings i.e. they could inflict capital punishment. Jesus (pbuh) said, "My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36).
v) Both were accepted as Prophets by their people in their lifetime but Jesus (pbuh) was rejected by his
people. John chapter 1 verse 11 states, "He came unto his own, but his own received him not."
iv) Both brought new laws and new regulations for their people. Jesus (pbuh) according to the Bible did not bring any new laws. (Mathew 5:17-18).
2. It is Mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 18:19
"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not harken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."
3. Muhammad (pbuh) is prophesised in the book of Isaiah:
It is mentioned in the book of Isaiah chapter 29 verse 12:
"And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned."
When Archangel Gabrail commanded Muhammad (pbuh) by saying Iqra - "Read", he replied, "I am not learned".
4. prophet Muhammad (pbuh) mentioned by name in the old testament:
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16:
"Hikko Mamittakim we kullo Muhammadim Zehdoodeh wa Zehraee Bayna Jerusalem."
"His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters
of Jerusalem."
In the Hebrew language im is added for respect. Similarely im is added after the name of Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) to make it Muhammadim. In English translation they have even translated the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as "altogether lovely", but in the Old Testament in Hebrew, the name of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is yet present.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the New Testament:
Al-Qur'an Chapter 61 Verse 6:
"And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said, 'O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me and giving glad tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed.' But when he came to them with clear signs, they said, 'This is evident sorcery!' "
All the prophecies mentioned in the Old Testament regarding Muhammad (pbuh) besides applying to the Jews also hold good for the Christians.
1. John chapter 14 verse 16:
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever."
2. Gospel of John chapter 15 verse 26:
"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which
proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me."
3. Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 7:
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not
come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you".
"Ahmed" or "Muhammad" meaning "the one who praises" or "the praised one" is almost the translation of the
Greek word Periclytos. In the Gospel of John 14:16, 15:26, and 16:7. The word 'Comforter' is used in the English translation for the Greek word Paracletos which means advocate or a kind friend rather than a comforter.
Paracletos is the warped reading for Periclytos. Jesus (pbuh) actually prophesised Ahmed by name. Even the
Greek word Paraclete refers to the Prophet (pbuh) who is a mercy for all creatures.
Some Christians say that the Comforter mentioned in these prophecies refers to the Holy Sprit. They fail to realise
that the prophecy clearly says that only if Jesus (pbuh) departs will the Comforter come. The Bible states that the
Holy Spirit was already present on earth before and during the time of Jesus (pbuh), in the womb of Elizabeth, and again when Jesus (pbuh) was being baptised, etc. Hence this prophecy refers to none other than Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh).
4. Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 12-14:
"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is
come, he will guide you unto all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me".
The Sprit of Truth, spoken about in this prophecy referes to none other than Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
NOTE: All quotations of the Bible are taken from the King James Version.
Material to be used for Da'wah to Christians
| SR.NO: 1 NAME OF THE PACKAGE: Nelson's Electronic Bible Reference Library - Basic Edition FORMAT: Two CD-Rom LANGUAGE: English DESCRIPTION: It includes 21 unlocked titles and over 55 additional unlockable Bible Study tools, comprehensive selection of resources for home, school or church use, easy to add additional titles, most powerful Bible Study |  |
| software available, over 75 titles on 2 CD-Rom, It also includes different types of Bible like the American Standard Version, The Darby Bible, The KJV, The Living Bible, The New Century Version, The revised Standard Version etc. and also contains Commentary / Study Bibles, Maps and Chart, Spirit-Filled Life Library, the Josh McDowell 'Answers' collection, theology / Church history etc. PRODUCER: Nelson Electronic PublishingSR.NO: 2 NAME OF THE PACKAGE: The Bible Library VERSION: 3.0 FORMAT: CD-Rom LANGUAGE: English DESCRIPTION: It contains over 60 works in one CD-Rom, 12 Bibles plus over 50 commentaries, dictionaries, references, word studies, Hymn stories, Sermon outlines and illustrations, maps and many more. PRODUCER: Ellis Enterprises Inc. 4205 McAuley Blvd. #385, Oklahoma City, OK 73120 Tel: (405) 7490273 www.BibleLibrary.com SR.NO: 3 NAME OF THE PACKAGE: The Sage Digital Library FORMAT: CD-Rom LANGUAGE: English DESCRIPTION : Features: 1997 recipient of the Christian Computing Magazine Reader's Choice Award, a library of over 75 Bibles, commentaries, word studies, theologies, dictionaries, histories, biographies, quotations, maps and so much more, including Mathew Henry's Concise Whole Bible commentary, search capabilities including multi-volume searching and "Touch and Go Librarian", copy, paste and prints text for your own learning needs, contains works from famous church pioneers including John Bunyan, John Calvin, Martin Luther, John Wesley, C.H. Spurgeon, D.L. Moody and many more. SR.NO: 4 NAME OF THE PACKAGE: Thompson Bible Study Library FORMAT: CD-Rom LANGUAGE: English DESCRIPTION: It provides all the basic tools needed for complete interactive study of the Bible and personal exploration of classic Christian reference works, word search facility, choose what and how you want to study, it gives you the tools and data to study topics, places or characters; to do word studies, parallel text studies, scriptural and historical analysis. SR.NO: 5PRODUCER: Kirkbride Bible & Technology P. O. Box 606, Indianapolis, IN 46209-9876, USA NavPress Software 1934 Rutland Drive, Suite 500, Austin, Texas 78758, USA Sales:800-888-9898/512-8356900 Fax: 512-8341888 www.WORDsearchBible.com NAME OF THE PACKAGE: Christian Library - Heritage Edition FORMAT: CD-Rom LANGUAGE: English DESCRIPTION: It includes over 80 Resources - on One CD-Rom, Bibles, commentaries, theologies, word studies, dictionaries, histories, maps, biographies, quotations and more. SR.NO: 6PRODUCER: Ages Software P. O. Box 1926, Albany, OR 97321, USA Tel:800-2974307 Fax: 541-9170839 www.ageslibrary.com NAME OF THE PACKAGE: Bible Study Companion FORMAT: CD-Rom LANGUAGE: English DESCRIPTION: It contains different versions of the Bible like King James, American Standard Version, Young's Literal Translation, Darby, Latin Vulgate, Spanish R.V.T., French L.S., German E.B. and Dutch L.V., choose one or all ten versions to study, display 2 versions on the same screen for comparison, synchronize the text of both or conduct independent searches, it is a powerful research tools, easy to use. PRODUCER: Expertsofware Douglas Entrance, Coral Gables, F;Proda 33134, United States of America. Fax: (305)5961350SR.NO: 7 NAME OF THE PACKAGE: Multi Bible VERSION: 3.1 FORMAT: CD-Rom LANGUAGE: English DESCRIPTION: It contains the new revised standard Bible, The King James (authorised) Version, the New King James Version with powerful searching capability, every word in every version is indexed, displays all Bibles simultaneously for comparison. SR.NO: 8PRODUCER: Innotech Multimedia Corporation 2005 Sheppard Ave East, Suite 200, North York, Ontario, Canada M2J 5B4, Tel: (416) 4923838 NAME OF THE PACKAGE: Bethany Bible FORMAT: CD-Rom LANGUAGE: English DESCRIPTION: Bible search programmes, many many versions of the Bible including the King James, the Derby Bible and the Webster Bible, Bible reference Books, 26 Bible games & educational programs, Bible study utilities, church organizers. PRODUCER: Walnut Creek CD-ROM Walnut Creek, California 64596, United States of America.SR.NO: 9 NAME OF THE PACKAGE: PC Study Bible (Discovery Edition) King James Version VERSION: 2.1 FORMAT: CD-Rom LANGUAGE: English DESCRIPTION: It includes: One Bible version, an exhaustive concordance and an essential set on lined Bible reference works, attachable study notes, a Bible study / reading plan, color Bible Maps & much more. The only Bible study software with fully cross-linked reference works! Instantly find all the information in any reference work that applies to any Bible verse. PRODUCER: Bible Soft 22014 7th Ave., SO., Seattle, WA 98198, United States of America. Tel: (206) 8240547SR.NO: 10 NAME OF THE PACKAGE: Quick Verse - with King James Translation VERSION: 4.0 FORMAT: CD-ROM LANGUAGE: English DESCRIPTION: Put everything you need for personal Bible study, lesson preparation and casual reading at your fingertips! Quickly search the entire Bible for any section, word or phrase, go directly to any verse, instantly add Bible text to any document, read, study and enjoy the scriptures with the world's most popular Bible concordance software. PRODUCER: Parsons Technology One Parsons Drive, Hiawatha, Lowa 52233, United States of America. Tel: (319) 3959626 www.QuickVerse.comSR.NO: 11 NAME OF THE PACKAGE: N.I.V. Bible FORMAT: CD-ROM LANGUAGE: English DESCRIPTION: It includes a full-feature editor for taking notes while studying the Bible, study God's Word utilizing the world's best selling translation of the Bible, fast and powerful search tools for finding important verses, a comprehensive on-line help system, multiple Bible applications including NIV, KJV, NASB and NIV study Bible notes. SR.NO: 12NAME OF THE PACKAGE: The CD-Rom Bible FORMAT: CD-ROM LANGUAGE: English / HEBREW DESCRIPTION: The CD-Rom Bible contains the complete Hebrew and English text of the Bible, all 24 books, from Genesis through Chronicles, are available at the touch of a button, this programme has a host of features that simply cannot be found in other products. PRODUCER Davka Corporation 7074 N. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60645, USA Tel (773) 4654070Fax: 2629298 SR.NO: 13 NAME OF THE PACKAGE: New Scofield Study Bible VERSION: 2.0 FORMAT: 1.44 Diskettes X 4 LANGUAGE: English DESCRIPTION: The New Scofield Study Bible works with quick verse to give you instant access to all of scofield's notes, references and commentary and ultimately a better understanding of the Bible as a whole. PRODUCER: Parsons Technology One Parsons Drive, Hiawatha, Lowa 52233, United States of America. Tel: (319) 3959626top THE BIBLESR.NO: 1NAME OF THE BIBLE: Holy Bible VERSION: Authorised King James Version EDITION & YEAR: 1611 SR.NO: 2 NAME OF THE BIBLE: Master Study Bible (Encyclopedia; Concordance; Words of Christ in Red) VERSION: Authorised King James Version EDITION & YEAR: 1983 SR.NO: 3 NAME OF THE BIBLE: Holy Bible VERSION: Revised Standard Version EDITION & YEAR: 1952 SR.NO: 4 NAME OF THE BIBLE: The Bible VERSION: Revised Standard Version EDITION & YEAR: 1971 SR.NO: 5 NAME OF THE BIBLE: Holy Bible VERSION: New Revised Standard Version with Apocrypha EDITION & YEAR: 1989 SR.NO: 6 NAME OF THE BIBLE: Holy Bible VERSION: New International Version EDITION & YEAR: VIth Edition 1987 SR.NO: 7 NAME OF THE BIBLE: The Holy Bible VERSION: The Douay Version of the Old Testament and The Confraternity Edition of the New Testament EDITION & YEAR: 1950 SR.NO: 8 NAME OF THE BIBLE: Good News Bible (with the Apocryphal / Dueterocanonical books) VERSION: Today's English Version EDITION & YEAR: 1979 SR.NO: 9 NAME OF THE BIBLE: New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures VERSION: Jehovah witnesses Version EDITION & YEAR: 1984 N.B.: IRF HAS MORE THAN FIFTY DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE top STUDY BIBLESR.NO: 1NAME OF THE BIBLE: Thompson Chain-Reference Bible VERSION: King James Version EDITION & YEAR: Fifth Improved Edition 1988 SR.NO: 2 NAME OF THE BIBLE: Harper Study Bible VERSION: Revised Standard Version Reference Edition with Concordance and Maps EDITION & YEAR: 1978 SR.NO: 3 NAME OF THE BIBLE: Holman Study Bible VERSION: Revised Standard Version EDITION & YEAR: 1952 SR.NO: 4 NAME OF THE BIBLE: Life Application Study Bible VERSION: New Living Translation EDITION & YEAR: 1996 SR.NO: 5 NAME OF THE BIBLE: The Rainbow Study Bible VERSION: King James Version EDITION & YEAR: 1989 SR.NO: 6 NAME OF THE BIBLE: The New Testament from 26 Translations VERSION: (Twenty six different versions / translations) EDITION & YEAR: 1984 SR.NO: 7 NAME OF THE BIBLE: Eight Translation New Testament VERSION: Eight different versions: King James Version, The Living Bible, Philips Modern English, Revised Standard Version, Today's English Version, New International Version, Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible. EDITION & YEAR: 1974SR.NO: 8 NAME OF THE BIBLE: The Five Gospels (The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus) VERSION: New Translation and Commentary by Robert W. Funk, Roy W. Hoover and the Jesus Seminar EDITION & YEAR: 1993 | |
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