The Quran Does Not Differ From Other Scriptures!

It is an article of faith for every Muslim to believe in all the prophets and messengers of Allah and all unadulterated revelations of God. Some of these scriptures are still extant today but not in their pristine form as a result of human alteration. The Quran is the only divine scripture which has stood the test of time because Allah has taken upon Himself the responsibility of preserving it “We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption).” (Quran 15:9)

Other revealed scriptures before the advent of Prophet Muhammad, such as the Old Testament and the Gospel, were recorded long after the demise of the prophets to whom they had been revealed. In contrast, the entire Quran was written down in its complete form during the lifetime of Muhammad on pieces of palm bark, leather parchment and bone, and arranged in the order designated by the Prophet. In addition, tens of thousands of the Prophet’s companions committed it to memory as it was being revealed. The Quran is still memorized and read in its original Arabic text, and it continues to be taught and learned by millions of people the world over. In fact, with every succeeding generation of Muslims, the number of those who commit the whole Quran to memory has incredibly increased. There is no other book, religious or otherwise, which has been given this unparalleled care in recorded history.

The Quran presents all the prophets of Allah as belonging to one single brotherhood; all had a similar prophetic mission and conveyed the same basic message, namely, the invitation to the worship of Allah alone. The source of their message was one: Allah, or Almighty God. Even if the other Scriptures agree with the Quran in the fundamental aspects of the religion, they address a specific people. Due to this, its rulings and regulations are particular to them. It is attributed to Jesus in the Bible that he himself said: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house (children) of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24)

On the other hand, the Quran was revealed to humanity at large and not to any specific nation “We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men, giving them glad tidings, and warning them (against sin), but most men understand not.” (Quran 34:28)

A Muslim cannot be a Muslim if he or she does not believe in Jesus. Muslims believe in Jesus and in all of Allah’s prophets. It is a basic element of their faith to believe in all of His prophets and messengers. Muslims respect and revere Jesus and await his second coming. According to the Quran, he was not crucified but was raised into Heaven. Muslims consider Jesus among the prominent messengers of Allah – but not God or the son of God. Jesus’ mother, Mary is considered a virtuous and noble woman, and the Quran tells us that Jesus was born miraculously without a father “The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: “Be”. And he was.” (Quran 3:59)

Many non-Muslims are surprised to find out that Islam considers, Jesus, the son of Mary, to be one of the greatest messengers of Allah. Muslims are taught to love Jesus, and a person cannot be a Muslim without believing in the virgin birth and in the miracles of Jesus Christ. Muslims believe these things about Jesus not because of the Bible, but because the Quran says these things about him. However, Muslims always emphasize that the miracles of Jesus, and of all other prophets, were only possible by “Allah’s permission” and His will.

Muslims reject the idea that Allah has a son. The Quran stresses emphatically that God does not have a “son”. Islam teaches that titles such as “Lord” and “Savior” are for Allah alone.

It should be clarified that when Muslims criticize some of the teachings of Christianity, they are not attacking Jesus Christ. Christian doctrines such as the “Trinity” and “Atonement” are criticized by Muslims simply because they did not originate from Jesus. And when they evaluate the Bible they are not referring to “God’s word”, but to writings that are claimed to be God’s word. Muslims believe that the book known today as “The Bible” only contains remnants of God’s original messages, and that it has been tainted by human input and altered through numerous translations. Muslims believe the original Gospel was the words and teachings of Jesus, not those of the ‘disciples’, Paul or other church fathers who strongly influenced Christianity throughout history. Islam actually endorses Jesus when it insists on the pure monotheism that Jesus himself preached and followed.