But take your precaution. 86,111). But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. In the second place, Jesus declared in no uncertain terms: “Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” (Matthew 19:9, emp. Jesus gave one, and only one, reason for divorce in God’s sight. Later in the same surah, “Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the religion of truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low” (Surah 9:29, emp. 4:24-25,129; 23:6; 30:21; 70:30). Allah, even He, is his protecting Friend, and Gabriel and the righteous among the believers; and furthermore the angels are his helpers. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor (Romans 13:1-7, emp. Lings, pp. All Quran quotes are from Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali/Muhsin Khan English Quran translation. They had slumped to such an immoral, depraved state, with no hope of recovery, that their existence on this Earth had to be ended—just like in Noah’s day when God waited while Noah preached for years but was unable to turn the world’s population from its wickedness (Genesis 6:3,5-7; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 3:5-9). added; cf. Responses that touch on all aspects will receive higher points! The Christian Byzantine Empire had begun to move against the growing Muslim power, and this surah contains mention of a greater war to come, and instructions with regard to it” (p. 145). These latter verses conflict with Mosaic injunction on two significant points. even though these documents are written in the six hundreds and they're gonna say that no we can't trust what the New Testament writers wrote. And when he told it her she said: Who hath told thee? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful (Surah 9:1-5, emp. Polygamy is simply one among many such ethical “difficulties.” The Bible and the Quran are in significant conflict on this subject. For example, within months of the Hijrah (the flight to Medina), Muhammad claimed to receive a revelation that clarified the issue: Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, then making fast of bonds; and afterward either grace or ransom till the war lay down its burdens. So those who...fought and were slain, verily I shall remit their evil deeds from them and verily I shall bring them into Gardens underneath which rivers flow—a reward from Allah (Surah 3:156-158,195, emp. God’s people who live posterior to the cross of Christ (i.e., Christians) are not charged by God with the responsibility of inflicting physical punishment on the evildoer. Significantly, there are no verses in the New Testament in which believers are called on to kill their enemies. 256-266). Though he may have hated warfare, it was actually good for him, and what he loved, i.e., non-warfare, was actually bad for him! The vast majority of those who claim to be “Christian” are practicing a corrupted form of the Christian Faith. This revision reflects Muhammad’s rejection of the divinity of any being except Allah: “And they said we have … But Hafsah, who was not nearly as distressed as she made out, with devilish glee, promptly informed A’ishah, bragging about how easily she had achieved the ejection of Mariyah—an accomplishment that pleased the other wives as well (see Pickthall, n.d., pp. added). Such is the reward of disbelievers. And she put faith in the words of her Lord and His Scriptures, and was of the obedient (Surah 66). No sources 3. A. True Christianity (i.e., that which is based strictly on the New Testament) dictates peace and non-retaliatory promotion of itself. That is, Christianity, generally speaking, has the model of 1] God, 2] His fully-divine earthly representation, Jesus, and 3] a sacred text about that relationship, the New Testament. What an amazing contrast! It assigns to women an inferior status—even allowing beatings from husbands: Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). First, on the one hand, it doubles the more reasonable and appropriate forty stripes (Deuteronomy 25:3)—a number that the Jews were so concerned not to exceed that they counted thirty-nine and stopped to allow for accidental miscount (2 Corinthians 11:24). The King James Version of the Bible, used by English-speaking Protestants, consists of 66 books, divided into an Old Testament and a New Testament. However, with the arrival of New Testament Christianity—an international religion intended for all persons without regard to ethnicity or nationality—God has assigned to civil government (not the church or the individual) the responsibility of regulating secular behavior. As an example of editorializing: Whereas in the New Testament Jesus is the crucified and resurrected son of God, the Jesus of the Quran is a holy prophet and messenger of Allah whom God saves from crucifixion (and thus does not need to be resurrected). Allah loveth not aggressors. Muhammad would have been the recipient of considerable information conveyed orally by his Jewish, and even Christian, contemporaries. (Then it will be said): O ye who disbelieve! Now enjoy what ye have won, as lawful and good, and keep your duty to Allah. Enjoining retaliation would be in direct conflict with the nature of God. Indeed, when Pilate quizzed Jesus regarding His intentions, He responded: “My kingdom is not of this world. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. Second, the requirement of four witnesses is an unreasonable number. They’ve also had their lives threatened speaking out about it. [Metzger, "Bible"]. Thou art Able to do all things. The Arab culture was well known for the practice of polygamy, in which men were allowed as many wives as they chose. Consequently, the First Aqabah pact, which contained no mention of war, became known as the “pledge of the women” (Lings, p. 112). Indeed, the final verse of Surah 2 calls upon Allah to give Muslims “victory over the disbelieving folk” (vs. 286), rendered by Rodwell: “give us victory therefore over the infidel nations.” That this stance by the Quran was to be expected is evident from the formulation of the Second Pledge of Aqabah, in which the men pledged their loyalty and their commitment to protecting Muhammad from all opponents. The ancient Talmudic record (Arbah Turim, Ev. All Quran quotes are from Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali/Muhsin Khan English Quran translation. Qur'an vs New Testament There are many similarities between the Quran and the New Testament. Now, while working toward a master’s degree in biblical communication, he has collaborated with a small group of other former Muslims to write “The Quran Dilemma,” an analysis of how the Quran was compiled, what it says, how different … I read recently (but old news really), about the age of the Quran manuscript in Birmingham, England. A … In other words, Muslim armies physically conquered—by military force and bloodshed—various nations, forcing the population to submit to Muslim rule, but did not require them to become Muslims! The New Testament record presents a far higher, more noble and godly ethic on the matter of violence and armed conflict. Philemon 16). The Bible, New Testament, and Quran, though looked on as emanating from the same source, are very different works. added). To appreciate the full extent of the Quran’s endorsement of polygamy, as well as to preserve context, the reader is asked to exercise the necessary patience to read two lengthy passages. Then when they have performed their prostrations let them fall to the rear and let another party come that hath not worshipped and let them worship with thee, and let them take their precaution and their arms. Even if the vast majority of Muslims in the world reject violence and refrain from terrorist activity (which would appear to be the case), it is still a fact that the Quran (as well as the example of Muhammad himself) endorses the advancement of Islam through physical force. And Allah citeth an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh when she said: My Lord! by Sami Ameri. Notice that the very responsibility that is enjoined on the government, i.e., “an avenger to execute wrath” by use of the sword in 13:4, is strictly forbidden to the individual Christian in 12:19, i.e., “do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath.” To “give place to wrath” means to allow God’s wrath to show itself in His own appointed way that, according to the next few verses, is by means of the civil government. So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. He said: The Knower, the Aware hath told me. One author 4. Additionally, since the nation of Israel was also a civil entity in its own right, the government was also charged with implementing civil retribution upon lawbreakers. A. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? If a man can divorce his wife for any reason, then the limitation that confines a man to four wives is effectively meaningless—merely restricting a man to four legal wives at a time. In fact, of the three texts, the content in the Old Testament appears to be the most violent. Muslim scholar Seyyed Nasr seems unconscious of the inherent self-contradiction apparent in his own remark: The spread of Islam occurred in waves. Lo! No wonder a substantial number of Muslims manifest a maniacal, reckless abandon in their willingness to die by sacrificing their lives in order to kill as many “infidels” (especially Israelis and Americans) as possible. Observe Paul’s explanation of this dichotomy: Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. And one who attacketh you, attack him in like manner as he attacked you. Observe that the surah is complete with threats of the fire of hell, as well as the allusion to the wives of Noah and Lot as examples of disobedient wives who went to hell. 1 Posts (Offline) 1. [NOTE: The translations of passages from the Quran in this article are taken from Muslim scholar Mohammed Pickthall’s celebrated translation.]. Tag: Qur’an vs New Testament Hunting for a Proofreader. Christians regard both the Old and New Testaments together as sacred scripture. The two or three witnesses of the Bible (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; Matthew 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19) strikes a logical medium between the precariousness of only a single witness on the one hand, and the excessive and unlikely availability of the four witnesses required by the Quran. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Hunting for the Word of God. So it is with physical violence in the Quran. Observe your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is with those who ward off (evil) (Surah 2:190-194, emp. In fact, “Allah loveth those who battle for His cause in ranks, as if they were a solid structure” (Surah 61:4, emp. The Transmission of the Qur'an vs. the New Testament: A Response to Ijaz Ahmad By Matt Hedges Back in 2015, Muslim apologist Ijaz Ahmad posted an article entitled "The Role of Scriptural Manuscripts in Islam and Christianity - A Primer", where he made some quite interesting claims that I believe lead us into issues about the transmission of two religious scriptures- The Qur'an and the New … And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. 2) New Testament Variants: Orthography, Words and Phrases, No Suppression 2. The Qur’an vs the Bible Download MP3 For the first time, Western Orientalists (primarily in Europe) are applying an external historical / critical analysis of the Qur’an, and the Islamic Traditions, and are offering a new and critical assessment of the nascent beginnings of Islam, which stands in direct contrast to the traditional story offered by most Muslim scholars today. The enemy should have been completely slaughtered, with no quarter given. And let not pity for the twain withhold you from obedience to Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day. This debate was recorded at South African Theological Seminary in January. No extra … So the validity of any religion is determined ultimately not by the imperfect, inaccurate practice of the religion by even a majority of its adherents, but by the official authority or standard upon which it is based, i.e., its Scriptures. We are presupposing that the Christian and Islamic conception of God would never reveal false historical information in his revelations. Bible is a holy book associated with Christianity and Judaism. Can there be any doubt that the Quran approves of and encourages polygamy? My rating (2/5) This is billed as the “quest for the original text of the New Testament and the Qur’an” using textual and historical criticism. And it is not for you to cause annoyance to the messenger of Allah nor that ye should ever marry his wives after him. These admonitions bear a remarkable resemblance to Mormon Joseph Smith’s own advocacy of plural marriages and the revelation allegedly received from God admonishing his own wife, Emma Smith, to be receptive to his polygamy: Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to prove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice. It is not for any Prophet to have captives until he hath made slaughter in the land. Allah hath made lawful for you (Muslims) absolution from your oaths (of such a kind), and Allah is your Protector. On the other hand, this eighty increases to one hundred for adultery. And while the concept of “Enemies” occurs more often in the Quran than in the New Testament (0.7% vs 0.5%, respectively), there is extremely little difference in how they are discussed (i.e., who and how to deal with them) with one exception: the Quran is slightly more likely than the New Testament to mention “the Devil” or “evil” as being an enemy (.2% vs 0.1%). added). And though under normal circumstances, fighting is not appropriate during sacred months, killing was warranted against those who sought to prevent Muslims from practicing their religion. Unlike the Qur'an, when we consider the New Testament manuscripts (MSS) we are astounded by the sheer numbers of extent copies which are in existence. Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful (Surah 8:39,57,59-60,65,67-69, emp. The standard Muslim attempt to justify the Quran’s endorsement of violence is that such violence was undertaken in self-defense (e.g., Surah 42:41). Of course, this viewpoint was explicitly contradicted by Jesus Christ (Matthew 22:30). added). O ye who believe! One late claim 2. Polyandry is completely prohibited in Both Christianity and Islam while as for Polygyny Bible Old Testament and Quran allow while the New Testament has some verses that seem to contradict it. The Quran says “persecution is worse than killing” (Surah 2:217)—i.e., it is better to kill your persecutors than to endure their persecutions! While Muslim apologist Seyyed Hossein Nasr insists that “the traditional norms based on peace and openness to others” characterize true Islam and the majority of Muslims, in contradistinction, he freely admits that at times Islam “has been forced to take recourse to physical action in the form of defense” (Nasr, 2002, pp. Holiday Deals Gift Cards Best Sellers Customer Service Find a Gift New Releases Whole Foods AmazonBasics Free Shipping Registry Sell Coupons Subscribe & Save #FoundItOnAmazon Shopper Toolkit Disability Customer Support Old Testament can give faith in seemingly impossible situations while the New Testament talks about how Jesus is the only way and rewards in heaven. Christianity/Islam. He is the Knower, the Wise. Sixth-century Arabia was a tribal-oriented society that relied heavily on oral communication in social interactions. For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. Lo! [Ali, Religion, pp. There are numerous events that occur in both but may be told differently just as there are the same people mentioned but looked at from a different perspective. O Prophet! All Quran quotes are from Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali/Muhsin Khan English Quran translation. It is a collection of canonical books in two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. added). Though the passage in question indicates the criterion of a man’s ability to do justice to those he marries, there is no reason to specify the number four, since men would vary a great deal in the number of women that they would have the ability to manage fairly. And they will not cease from fighting against you till they have made you renegades from your religion, if they can (Surah 2:216-217, emp. The “eye for an eye” injunctions of the Old Testament were designed to be prohibitive in their thrust, i.e., they humanely limited and restricted legal punishment to a degree in keeping with the crime. If ye twain turn unto Allah repentant, (ye have cause to do so) for your hearts desired (the ban); and if ye aid one another against him (Muhammad) then lo! Many of them were reluctant, having before been subject to a rule of strict non-violence. Bible is NOT mentioned in the Quran nor should New Testament be consider the previous scriptures mentioned in the Quran. Lo! (Matthew 5:44-46). 1. The Bible had been completed and combined to be the Old Testament and the New Testament before the Quran was given. Muslim historical sources themselves report the background details of those armed conflicts that have characterized Islam from its inception—including Muhammad’s own warring tendencies involving personal participation in and endorsement of military campaigns (cf. The New Testament says to love, bless, do good to, and pray for those who persecute you. So the Quran indicates that at the Battle of Badr, no captives should have been taken. Ye desire the lure of this world and Allah desireth (for you) the Hereafter, and Allah is Mighty, Wise. This very fate awaited the Jewish Bani Qurayzah, when some 700 men were beheaded by the Muslims with Muhammad’s approval (Lings, p. 232). Christianity/Islam. (+ or - denotes years from either Muhammad's death or Jesus' death). It is not allowed thee to take (other) women henceforth, nor that thou shouldst change them for other wives even though their beauty pleased thee save those whom thy right hand possesseth. The wording of the pronouncement comes in a surah titled “Women”: “And if ye fear that ye will not deal fairly by the orphans, marry of the women, who seem good to you, two or three or four; and if ye fear that ye cannot do justice (to so many) then one (only) or (the captives) that your right hands possess” (Surah 4:3; cf. The Bible is 100% true and the absolute word of God. The New Testament then follows after the death of Jesus. But if they desist, then lo! Hell will be their home, a hapless journey’s end. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. The Quran vs. the Bible. Trifkovic, Serge (2002), The Sword of the Prophet (Boston, MA: Regina Orthodox Press). No sources 3. I know there’s a few critical scholars of the Quran who say it was not copied reliably at all. 1. He would also cancel previous texts through so-called abrogation: Muhammad “would tell his followers that certain portions of the Quran he had relayed before were no longer to be recited as part of the Quran.” (110) Therefore, if Muhammad needed part of the text to go away, he would replace it with another and tell his followers to stop reciting the earlier text and forget it. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. New Testament (Treated as a historical document): Claim: Jesus of Nazareth was crucified and died. And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. The New Testament contains 27 books — four Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, 21 Epistles (letters), and the Book of Revelation. Lo! 1. that in Allah’s sight would be an enormity (Surah 33:50-53, emp. Cruel persecution was the lot of Muslims who had stayed in Meccan territory or who journeyed thither, and Muslims were being prevented from performing the pilgrimage. Early multiple claims 2. There simply was no viable solution to their condition except extermination. The Quran vs. the New Testament: Conflicting Ethics. It was with difficulty that they could accept the idea of fighting even in self-defence [sic].... (Pickthall, p. 33, emp. The Quran, the central religious text of Islam, contains references to more than fifty people and events also found in the Bible.While the stories told in each book are generally comparable, there are also some notable differences. We are presupposing that the Christian and Islamic conception of God would never reveal false historical information in his revelations. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful (Luke 6:27-36, emp. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Muhammad's Wives. Muslims claim that the New Testament story of Jesus dying on the cross is a corruption of the truth and that Allah made it appear that Jesus died on the cross, as per Q4:157. Early extra-Biblical sources Quran (Treated as a historical document): Claim: Jesus of Nazareth was not crucified and did not die. We have over 5300 partial or complete manuscripts of the New Testament penned prior to fourth century A.D. Likewise, members of a clan of the Bani Nadir were executed in Khaybar for concealing their treasure rather than forfeiting it to the Muslims (Lings, p. 267). This is so four verse 157 in the Quran uh and they're trying to say that they know what happened to Jesus. Allah citeth an example for those who disbelieve: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot, who were under two of our righteous slaves yet betrayed them so that they (the husbands) availed them naught against Allah and it was said (unto them): Enter the Fire along with those who enter. Essay question for my college history class! Nasr, Seyyed Hossein (2002), The Heart of Islam (New York: HarperCollins). In less than a century after the establishment of the first Islamic society in Medina by the Prophet, Arab armies had conquered a land stretching from the Indus River to France and brought with them Islam, which, contrary to popular Western conceptions, was not, however, forced on the people by the sword (2003, p. 17, emp. EDITORS’ NOTE: The following article is exerpted from Dave Miller’s newly released book The Quran Unveiled. Quran or Koran is a holy book of Islam. The surah advocates coercion against Jews and Christians in order to physically force them to pay the jizyah—a special religious tax imposed on religious minorities (see Nasr, 2002, p. 166). The Jews themselves likely were lacking in much book-learning, having been separated from the mainstream of Jewish thought and intellectual development in their migration to the Arabian peninsula. Posts about BIBLE VS QURAN written by abraham5321. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrongdoers. Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Relent not in pursuit of the enemy (Surah 4:101-104, emp. The Koran is divided into 114 chapters, or suras, which are arranged in order of decreasing length, with the exception of the brief first sura, which is part of a Muslim's daily prayer.. Muslims reject the Bible—and by extension, Christianity and Judaism—as being corrupt and superseded by the Koran. The first is a transparent sanction of Muhammad’s own polygamous practices: O Prophet! Enjoy! The Bible, New Testament, and Quran, though looked on as emanating from the same source, are very different works. Say: Warfare therein is a great (transgression), but to turn (men) from the way of Allah, and to disbelieve in Him and in the Inviolable Place of Worship, and to expel his people thence, is a greater with Allah; for persecution is worse that killing. The New Testament manuscript tradition exhibits what is called “tenacity.” That is, once a reading enters the tradition, it remains there. Lings, Martin (1983), Muhammad (Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions International). A. Had it not been for an ordinance of Allah which had gone before, an awful doom had come upon you on account of what ye took. Why not three or five wives? zebman. The forbidden month for the forbidden month, and forbidden things in retaliation. Similarly, “O ye who believe! But the Christian mind must realize that Muhammad’s Islam arose out of Arabia in the sixth and seventh centuries A.D. The second Quranic passage that acquaints the reader with the extent to which polygamy is not only permitted or tolerated, but also advocated and encouraged, is one titled “Banning.” The Hadith offer three traditions that provide the background details that help to make sense of the surah. The New Testament. Scribes were very conservative in their handling of the text, and were fearful of “losing” anything that was in the copy or copies they were working from. And when thou (O Muhammad) art among them and arrangest (their) worship for them, let only a party of them stand with thee (to worship) and let them take their arms. The Bible is much longer than the Qur'an. This article compares the basics of textual integrity. The Quran vs. the New Testament: Conflicting Ethics. You’re right in saying a belief in the Old testament which denied the Messiah as the son was definitely here before the Quran. The number four would appear to be an arbitrary number with no significance—at least, none is given.