Nations" from Ishmael, Abraham's first son and the forefather of the Muslims:
The LORD had said to Abram, ―Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.‖ (Genesis 12:1-3) The quote ―go to the land I will show you‖ is referring to the city of Paran (Makkah). The quote ―I will make you into a great nation‖ is quite interesting; it describes perfectly the followers of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), namely Muslims. As you probably know, Muslims worship Allah Almighty by prostrating to Him. Every time they pray and prostrate, they end their prayer by sitting on their knees and say the following exact quote (translated): ―...and bless Prophet Muhammad and the family of Prophet Muhammad, as You have blessed Prophet Abraham and the family of Prophet Abraham...‖
As can be clearly seen, Muslims bless Prophet Abraham every single day of their lives when praying to Allah Almighty. They also say "peace be upon him" or "peace and blessings be upon him" when they refer to his name or any other prophet's name.
Yes, the Muslims are the "great nation" that Allah Almighty talked about; they are blessed by Him because they worship none but Him, and they bless Abraham everyday (not less than nine times) in their prayers.
24. According to the Gospel of John, the Jews were waiting for the fulfilment of three distinct prophecies.
The first was the coming of Christ. The second was the coming of Elijah. The third was the coming of the prophet. This is obvious from the three questions that were posed to John the Baptist: Now this was John's testimony, when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, ―I am not the Christ.‖ They asked him, ―Then who are you? Are you Elijah?‖ He said, ―I am not.‖ ―Are you the Prophet?‖ He answered, ―No.‖ (John 1:19-21)
If one looks in a Bible with cross-references,86 he will find in the marginal notes where the words ―the Prophet‖
86. Nowadays we can do this easily online. (Editor)
occur in John 1:21 that these words refer to the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18:18. It can be concluded from this that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the prophet mentioned there, because he is the only prophet who came after Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), and because he is the one who is ‗like unto him‘. Furthermore, it is obvious that the Jews and John knew that the ‗Prophet‘ and the Christ were two different persons, as each was referred to by a separate question. 25. In John 16:7
In John 16:7 Jesus is reported to have said, ―Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.‖
The term ‗Counsellor‘ could not be referring to the Holy Spirit here, because – according to the Gospels – the Holy Spirit was already present in the world prior to Jesus' birth as well as during his ministry. Luke 3:22 mentions that the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the shape of a dove. However, this verse (John 16:7) implies that the ―Counsellor‖ is yet to come.
7. The Unique Proof
One of the proofs that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was a prophet is that the message he came with has reached across to the East and the West, and his community now extends all over the world; something which did not occur with any previous community. Had Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, not been a prophet, the prophets who came before him, especially Moses and Jesus, would have warned their peoples vehemently about him, and we would have seen this in their scriptures because all of the prophets warned of false prophets and cautioned their peoples about following them and being guided by them. The previous prophets mentioned the Antichrist by name, for example, and even Noah, who was the first Messenger, warned his people about him. However, none of the prophets warned about Muhammad. In fact, quite the contrary: Jesus gave good tidings of Muhammad, praised him and ordered people to follow him, and forbade them to oppose or disobey him.
Conclusion
It should now be clear that the Biblical prophecies speak of none other than Muhammad (peace be upon him). As the well-known scholar shaykh Sa‗di wrote:
If Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not a true prophet, then his message would have contradicted the common message of Jesus and other prophets before him. Instead, it revived it and re-instated it.
Many thanks to Allah who made the path clear for us. It is interesting to note that in year 571 CE, Jesus‘ prophecy was fulfilled. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born into a community of Ishmaelite Arabs who had become polytheists and idolaters, and when he reached maturity and was given revelation, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) started preaching his message of the worship of Allah alone.
In the year 632 CE; he left this world, but his bright message remains with people till the end of this world.
Being a true follower of Jesus (peace be upon him) must be more than a mere claim, wherein one says that he or she follows Jesus or loves Jesus and that is it, in order to attain paradise and be saved from hellfire. True followers of Christ should accept his prophecy of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and follow his teachings of ‗Islam‘, or complete and devoted submission to the One and Only God—Allah.

XVI. The Facts about the „Original Sin‟87
20 arguments regarding the doctrine of the „original sin‟
Background
According to the explanation of this doctrine, Adam (peace be upon him) sinned when he disobeyed Allah and ate from the forbidden tree. According to the Christian theology, the following eight doctrines branch off the ‗original sin‘ principle:
1. All Adam‘s descendants inherit his sin, which means that all human beings are born with this original sin.
2. For God‘s justice to be achieved, a price must be paid as a penalty for every sin that has been committed, in order for that sin to be wiped out and the individual to be forgiven.
3. The only way to wipe out sin is shedding of blood, and according to Paul, ―without the shedding of blood there is no remission‖ (Hebrews 9:22).
87. Compiled from ‗My Great Love for Jesus Led Me to Islam‘, by S. Caraballo

4. But this blood must be perfect, sinless, and incorruptible.
5. Christians believe that Jesus alone could pay the infinite price of sin, because they believe that his blood is perfect, sinless, and incorruptible, and he is the alleged son of God, the infinite God.
6. Christian theology says that Jesus shed his holy sinless blood, suffered indescribable agony, and died to pay for the sins of people. This concept is known in Christian theology as 'Atonement‘.
7. Christians believe that nobody can be saved (attain salvation) unless he or she accepts Jesus Christ as his or her redeemer. In other words, salvation is restricted to those who believe that Jesus was willingly crucified and killed on the cross, and shed his blood as a price of that sin. Acceptance of this doctrine is the only way to attain ‗salvation‘.
8. Otherwise, everyone is condemned to suffer eternally in hell because of his/her sinful nature and originally inherited sin from the father of humankind, Prophet Adam.
The doctrine of original sin can be divided into six distinct parts:
1) The factuality of the existence of original sin.
2) Humanity‘s inheritance of the original sin.
3) The belief that God‘s justice requires a penalty of blood which must be paid against that sin.
4) The belief that Jesus has paid the price for the sins of all humankind by sacrifice of his blood, through his ‗death on the cross‘.
5) The rationality of ‗God‘s sacrifice‘ dogma.
6) The salvation from sin (original and newly attained) is only possible for those who believe in his vicarious sacrifice.
Analysis
The arguments against these six parts of the dogma of ‗Original Sin‘:
Argument against the first part, the factuality of the original sin:
1. There is no conflict between what the Qur‘an says and the Christian theology that Adam committed a sin when he ate from the forbidden tree. However, Allah says in the Qur‘an that Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) repented after that and submitted himself completely to his Lord, and consequently he was forgiven by Allah for the sin he committed. This is a tenet of Islamic belief and is mentioned in three different verses in the Qur‘an (2: 37, 7: 24 & 20: 122). Based on Adam‘s repentance and Allah‘s acceptance of his repentance, the sin of Adam was not inherited by the children of Adam, nor did it require the suffering and death of Jesus Christ (or of anyone else) to be forgiven.
Argument against the second part, ‗all human beings inherited Adam's sin‘:
2. The doctrine of the inherited sin has no support in the words of Jesus.
3. Indeed, Jesus himself regarded children as innocent and pure, and not born in sin. This is clear from his reported saying: ―Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for such is the Kingdom of God. Verily, I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.‖ (Mark 10:14-15)
4. The doctrine of the inherited sin implies that all people after Adam and before Jesus were born with original sin and died with original sin, and all of them will be cast into Hellfire, because they did not even know of this dogma, and thus could not profess it!
5. The doctrine of the inherited sin has no support in the words of the prophets who had come either before him or after him. If it was required by God, then they would have told their people about it and taught them to believe in it, because all prophets were sent to guide people to the way of paradise and warn them from sins and hellfire.
6. All prophets taught that every human being is accountable for his/her own sins, and hence children will not be punished for the sins of their fathers. Allah says in the Qur‘an,
The bearer of burdens will not bear the burden of another.(Qur‘an 53: 38). He also says,
Every soul will be a pledge for its own deeds. (Qur‘an 74: 38)
7. Sin, as it says, is not inherited, but it is something which a person acquires for himself/herself by doing what He or She should not do or not doing what He or She should do. Rationally considered, it would be the height of injustice to condemn the entire human race for a sin committed thousands of years ago by the first parents. Sin is a wilful transgression of the Law of Allah. The responsibility or blame for it must lie only
on the person committing it, and not on his or her descendants. It is the height of misanthropy to consider it. How unreasonable and hard-hearted a person can become by believing that every baby is sinful at birth!
8. Saying that the original sin committed by our father Adam was inherited through humanity goes against the attribute of mercy which Allah attributes to Himself. With this, the creed of the inheritance of original sin has no room whatsoever in Islamic teachings.
Argument against the third part: ‗blood penalty‘
The third part of the original sin doctrine says that God‘s justice requires that a price must be paid for the sins of humankind (original and otherwise) and that if God were to pardon (forgive) a sinner without punishment, it would be a denial of His justice.
The response to that has two points:
9. This view reflects complete ignorance of two of Allah‘s attributes, namely mercy and forgiveness. To elaborate, if Allah finds some real good in you and sees that you are sincerely repentant, having a real urge to conquer the evil within you, then Almighty
Allah will forgive your failings and sins, out of His loving mercy and forgiveness.
10. The God we worship (Allah) is the Most Strong and Most Rich, and no one can harm Him. Consequently, if He prescribes a law and demands obedience, then it is not for His own benefit to abide by it, but for the benefit of humankind. If we disobey Him then we are the losers, not Allah. If He punishes a person before death for his/her faults and sins, it is not for His own satisfaction or compensation, but in order to check evil and purify/reform the sinner, which is out of His mercy. Bearing these facts in mind, claiming that Allah‘s justice requires a price to be paid for the sins of others is not valid.
Argument against the fourth part of ‗original sin‘: Jesus was sacrificed for humanity
The fourth part of the original sin doctrine says that Jesus paid the penalty for all sins (the original sins and any others) by sacrificing his blood on the cross of Calvary. The response to this proposition has ten points:
11. The Christian concept of salvation has no support in the words of Jesus (peace be upon him). It is not historically correct to say that Jesus had come to die
willingly and deliberately for the sins of all humanity. Actually, the present form of the Bible testifies that he did not wish to die on the cross. (See Mark 14:36)
12. Indeed, the Bible points to the fact that God (Allah), not Jesus, is the ultimate saviour, ―You may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after Me. I, I am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Saviour. (Isaiah 43:10-11)
13. To punish a man who is not guilty for the sins of others is the height of injustice, harshness and lack of mercy, which cannot be attributed to the Almighty.
14. Rationally, we cannot accept that the suffering and death of one man can wipe out the sins of others. It is similar to a father, for example, removing one of his good teeth to relieve the pain of his child‘s bad tooth. Hence, the idea of crucifixion is false and illogical.
15. Jesus (like all prophets) was sent to convey a message and to be an example for his followers during his time on earth, and not by deliberately dying for them on the cross or offering his blood for their sins.
16. Allah mentioned in the Qur‘an that He is the Most Merciful and Most Compassionate; he forgives the sinner from any sin no matter how bad once the sinner repents. He may even forgive the sinner who did not repent, according to His will, mercy and favour.
17. The concept of atonement is false because it indirectly encourages people to sin, since their sins will be wiped out through someone else once they believe in him! Further, if someone died for another person‘s sins, what is the point of adhering to good and forbidding evil?
Argument against the fifth part, the ‗sacrifice‘ of Jesus
18. Christian doctrine states that Jesus was crucified by the administration of the Roman governor of Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate, with the cooperation of certain Jewish leaders.88 However, the Qur‘an explains that Jesus (peace be upon him) did not die, but Allah raised him up when they attempted to kill him. Allah replaced him with another person who looked like him, and in fact, it was this person that was killed. To this day, however, Christians believe that Jesus was killed on the cross. Allah says in the Qur‘an:
88. ‗Who Killed Jesus?‘ by Daniel Harrington, in Scriptures from Scratch, St. Anthony Messenger Press, accessed online at http:// www. americancatholic. org/Newsletters/ SFS/ an 0399.asp And they said: We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, Messenger of Allah, but they did not kill him or crucify him, but that is how it appeared to them. Verily, those who disagree with this matter are in doubt; they have no knowledge of it and they follow speculation. They certainly did not kill him. Certainly, Allah raised him up; Allah is Almighty and All-Wise.(Qur‘an 4: 157-158)
19. Another proof that Jesus was not killed and is still alive is that in Islamic teachings there is clear evidence indicating the second coming of Jesus (peace be upon him) before the Final Hour. He will come back to correct the misconception which people have developed about his personality and his mission. According to a statement by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), he will stay for forty years, which will be the happiest years of life on this earth. At that time, those who had misconceptions about him will correct their misconception and believe in him as a messenger, not as the ‗son of God‘ or as God incarnate. It is narrated by Abu Hurayrah, (One of Prophet Muhammad‘s Companions, may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
(By the one in whose hand is my soul, it will not be long before the son of Mary descends amongst you, a just judge and ruler. He will break the cross and kill the swine and abolish the tribute paid by Jews and Christians. Money will be so plentiful that no one will accept it. At that time a single prostration will be better than this world and everything in it.>>89 Abu Hurayrah then said, ―Read if you wish (the following verse of the Qur‘an): And verily there is no one from among the people of the scripture90 except that he will believe in him before his death and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness over them. (Qur‘an 4: 159)‖91
This ends the answer on the fifth part of the doctrine.
Argument against the sixth part: salvation only possible via belief in Christ‘s vicarious ‗sacrifice‘
20. The Bible itself contradicts the notion of ―Original Sin‖. In this regard, the Bible says about the dispute concerning the original sin: ―The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour.‖ (I Corinthians 3:8)
89. This is because with the advent of Jesus (peace and blessings be upon him), people will know with certainty that the Final Hour is very near.
90. i.e. Jews and Christians.
91. Narrated by Al-Bukhari (3448).

Original Sin and Atonement from an Islamic Perspective
Islam declares that:
People cannot transfer their responsibilities to saviours or saints. Each person‘s redemption and salvation depends on his or her own deeds.
Forgiveness of sins (salvation) can only be attained through repentance to Allah and sincere and persistent efforts to fight off evil and do good. Allah forgives the faults and sins of those in whom He sees real goodness and those who have turned away from their sins and reformed themselves—without punishing them or any other person on their behalf.
In numerous verses in the Qur‘an and statements of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it is mentioned that those who repent are granted forgiveness from sins; furthermore, their sins are to be replaced with an equivalent reward, and there shall be no fear upon them, neither shall they grieve.
In many verses of the Noble Qur'an Allah Almighty calls on people to repent sincerely.
Declare [O Muhammad] to My slaves that, truly, I am the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful, and that My Torment is indeed the most painful torment. (Qur‘an 15: 49-50) Here Allah invites the sinners to repent; regardless of the magnitude of their sins, He will forgive them. At the same time, He warns those who do not repent that no punishment can be compared to His punishment. He also says,
Say: O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves [by committing evil deeds and sins], do not despair of the Mercy of Allah; verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And turn in repentance and obey Him before the torment comes upon you, when you will not be helped. (Qur‘an 39: 53-54) See how beautifully, soundly and logically the Book of Allah, the Qur‘an, addresses the issue of sinning and atonement. It must be noted that Islam teaches that this Islamic approach to the subject was revealed in all divine messages, including the message of Jesus Christ. May peace and blessings be upon him and all the prophets.
Conclusion
By maintaining the concept of original sin, the entire notion of justice in Christian theology becomes flawed. Having analysed the six tenets of this doctrine and the arguments against them, the structure of the whole principle of ‗original sin and atonement‘ is shown to be false, because it has no support either in revealed sources or in logic, but rather only in the ideology of the Christian Church.

XVII. Islam‟s Revival of the Basic Teachings of Jesus92
Introduction:
All prophets were sent with the same faith: Monotheism in the worship of Allah, testifying to the supremacy of Allah‘s attributes and His unity of essence. However, their messages may differ in legislation (shariah) like the manner of performing prayers, fasting, types of charity and so on, depending on each nation‘s characteristics, according to Allah‘s wisdom, for He knows His creatures better than they know themselves.
Every prophet revived the basic beliefs that had been distorted after the departure of the preceding prophet. Islam, being the final message, revived the basic beliefs and practices of all the preceding messages, including the message of Jesus, elaborating on them in some detail so that people would find them clear and straightforward to follow.
The following focuses on some basic teachings which were established by Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) and revived in the message of Islam:
92. Compiled from The True Message of Jesus Christ and ‗My Great Love for Jesus led Me to Islam‘.
1. Revival of the creed of Allah‟s Unity (of essence)
This fundamental teaching was taught by Jesus (peace be upon him), as quoted below, but abandoned by most Christians, then revived by the message of Islam. All praise and thanks are for Allah for His guidance.
Sixteen proofs from the Bible and rational thought on Allah‘s Unity in His essence
Negating the doctrine of the Trinity
1. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. (Deuteronomy 6:4)
2. Has not the One God made and sustained for us the spirit of life? (Malachi 2:15)
3. You may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after Me. I, I am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Saviour. (Isaiah 43:10-11)
4. I am the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no god. Who is like Me? (Isaiah 44:6)
5. And there is no other god besides Me, a righteous God and a Saviour; there is none besides Me. Turn to Me and be saved…To Me every knee shall bow. (Isaiah 45: 21-23)
6. Now this is life eternal, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.93 (John 17:3)
7. Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only. (Matthew 4:10)
8. Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is One Lord. (Mark 12:29)
9. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.94 (1 Timothy 2:5)
10. ―I am the Lord, and there is no other god. I have not spoken in secret or kept My purpose hidden… I am the Lord, and I speak the truth; I make known what is right." (Isaiah 45:19).
11. An additional important proof from the Bible that God (Allah) is one and distinct in His essence, Jesus is one and distinct in his essence, and the Holy Spirit is one and distinct in his essence, is that it is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible (in either the Old or New Testaments) that Allah, Jesus or the Holy Spirit
93. This verse indicates very clearly the distinction between Allah and Jesus as a prophet.
94. This verse indicates clearly that God is to be worshipped alone without any mediator, and that Jesus is a man, not ‗God‘.
comprise one entity called God, or one of the three. It is just a mere product of manmade illogical philosophical thinking which people blindly inherit from parents and grandparents through ages and generations, without any rational assessment or validation.
12. Not only that, but the following biblical verses contradict the creed of the Trinity in an indirect way:
You have never heard his voice nor seen his face. (John 5:37)
No one has ever seen him. And no one can see him. (1Timothy 6:16)
No one can see me and stay alive. (Exodus 33:20)
13. According to these biblical verses, no one can see or hear God. Yet God is supposed to be Jesus according to Christian belief. These verses then would make no sense, because Jesus‘ family and followers, the Jews, and many other contemporaries saw Jesus and heard him during his time. Which means that Jesus cannot be what these verses are talking about; they must be referring to someone else: to God (Allah), the Highest, Whom no one can see or hear.
It is curious, too, that Jesus himself never mentioned the Trinity. He did not say anything regarding divine entities forming a trinity. If there were a trinity, he would have said it clearly to his people, because prophets came to convey the truth, not to hide it.
14. The concept that Jesus (peace be upon him) held about Allah was in no way different from the concept that all the other previous prophets had. Absolutely all of them preached the Unity of Allah, not the ‗Trinity‘. Jesus (peace be upon him) simply repeated the same monotheistic, unitarian message that had been revealed to the prophets that came before him.
15. The doctrine of the Trinity is irrational because nothing that comes out of Him or is created by Him can become His equal and partner in Godhead.
16. The Qur‘an rejects the concept of the Trinity as strongly as it rejects the idea that Allah has a son. This is because Allah tells us He is One. This is a fundamental tenet of all the revelations. Three, by reason and by simple arithmetic, are not one. The Qur‘an addresses Christians on this subject:
O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter anything concerning Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His Word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from
Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers, and do not say, ‗Three!‘—Cease! [it is] better for you! Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His Transcendent Majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as Defender.95 (Qur‘an 4: 171)
Islam revived the concept of Allah’s Unity in essence, and absolutely negates the doctrine of ‗sonship‘ and the doctrine which states that Allah is Jesus. Allah says:
Surely, they have disbelieved who say: Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary. (Qur‘an 5: 72)
Allah says in the Holy Qur‘an:
Say: He is Allah the One [in His essence]. Allah is the eternal absolute. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him. (Qur‘an 112: 1-4)
95. The Glorious Qur‘an by M. Pickthall
2. Revival of Allah‟s Supremacy
In His attributes and qualities
Allah has the supreme attributes. He is the Most Gracious and Most Merciful. His attributes are many, and He was praised in all revealed books and on the tongues of His prophets. According to the Bible, Jesus taught that Allah is supreme in His attributes. In Matthew 19:16-17, when the man called Prophet Jesus ‗good‘, saying, ―Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?‖ Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) replied, ―Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is God.‖ He denied the attribution of ‗infinite goodness‘ or ‗perfect goodness‘ to himself, and affirmed that this attribute belongs to Allah alone.
In Isaiah (44:6), it is reported that God (Allah) says, ―I am the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no god. Who is like Me?‖ Islam effectively revived this basic concept. Numerous verses in the Qur‘an and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) affirm that Allah:
Has no partners nor equals.
Is ‗invisible‘ because He is over His throne, over the heavens, and no one can see Him in this life.
Is not physically manifested or incarnated in other forms.
Is eternal; He does not die.
Begets not, nor is He begotten; He is not in need of anyone like a mother, a wife, or a son.
Has no partners in His Godhead.
Is self-sufficient; all depend on Him and are in need of Him, but He does not depend on anyone, nor is He in need of anything such as food, drink, or help. For example, Allah says in the Qur‘an:
There is nothing like unto Him. (Qur‘an 42: 11)
Do not invent similitudes for Allah, Indeed Allah knows and you do not know. (Qur‘an 16: 74)
Allah has the best attributes; He is the Dominant, possessing complete wisdom. (Qur‘an 16: 60)
Actually, this basic part of belief (belief that Allah deserves the best names and attributes) is emphasized repeatedly in the Noble Qur‘an. This is evident to the reader of the Qur‘an, who finds that numerous Qur‘anic verses end with a reference to a divine attribute, such as the All-Hearing, All-Seeing, the Most Forgiving, the All-Compassionate, and the Most High, the Most Great.

3. Revival of the doctrine of Monotheism (The Worship of Allah alone)
As mentioned earlier, the call to the worship of Allah alone (Monotheism) without any intermediary is the message of all prophets. Because of the persisting deviation in this doctrine, it has had to be reaffirmed by all of the prophets of Allah down through the ages. The monotheistic message of Islam simply tells people that they should worship only Allah, and should not worship anyone or anything other than Allah, in any way, shape or form.
However, Christians now call upon (supplicate to) Jesus (and others) besides Allah. Moreover, they direct all types of worship to Jesus. Associating others with Allah is nothing but polytheism. Surprisingly, although the text of the Bible has been altered so much, there is still evidence in it that Jesus called others to monotheism:
In Luke 3:8, the Devil asks Jesus to worship him, promising him the authority and glory of all of the kingdoms of this world, ―And Jesus answered him, ‗It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.‘‖
―And there is no other god besides Me, a righteous God and a Saviour; there is none besides Me. Turn Me and be saved…To Me every knee shall bow.‖ (Isaiah 45: 21-23)
―Turn to me now and be saved, people all over the world! I am the only God there is.‖ (Isaiah 45:22)
―Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.‖ (Matthew 4:10)
In the Bible, the true God emphatically testifies, ―I am the Lord, and there is no other god. I have not spoken in secret or kept my purpose hidden…I am the Lord, and I speak the truth; I make known what is right.‖ (Isaiah 45:19)
Thus, the essence of the message of Jesus was that only Allah deserves to be worshiped, and that the worship of anyone or anything besides Allah or along with Allah is false. It is important to note that worshipping others besides God is a major alteration of Jesus‘ message. The call to Monotheism became distorted after his departure by later followers, beginning with Paul, who turned that pure and simple message into a complicated Trinitarian philosophy which justified the worship of Jesus, and then the worship of Jesus' mother, Mary, the angels and the saints. Catholics have a long list of saints to whom they turn in times of need.
Worshiping others besides Allah is irrational and in vain, because neither the living nor the dead can answer the prayers (supplication) of humankind. The worship of Allah should not be shared with His creation because they are people just like us; they are not creators, they are weak creatures like us; they need food, drink, shelter, and help, and after their death (or ascension in the case of Jesus) they cannot even hear the ones who call them!
Islam effectively revived the doctrine of Monotheism. For example, Allah says in the Qur‘an:
The Messiah said: O Children of Israel, Worship Allah, My Lord and your Lord. Verily, whoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allah, then Allah has forbidden paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode, and for the wrongdoers (polytheists); there are no helpers. (Qur‘an 5: 72)
Surely, those whom you supplicate besides Allah are slaves like yourselves. (Qur‘an 7: 194)
Can there be another god besides Allah? High is Allah above what they associate with Him. (Qur‘an 27: 63)
Can there be another god besides Allah? Say: Bring forth your proof, if ye are telling the truth! (Qur‘an 27: 64)
I have not created the jinn and humankind except to worship Me. (Qur‘an 51: 56)
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says: <<Supplication is an essential act of worship.>>96 Consequently, if a person prays to a prophet, saint, statue, or anything else, s/he has stepped out of the bounds of Islam.
Thus, according to these affirmations, all other supposed gods and deities whom people worship and call upon, like Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Brahma, Shiva, Krishna, or Buddha are neither gods, nor are they manifestations of the one true God (Allah). Even if someone were to worship Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) then the same punishment mentioned above would apply to him.
96. Narrated by at-Tirmidhi (2969) and Abu Dâwood (1479)
4. Revival of the creed of Jesus‟ humanness and
Prophethood, negating divinity and „Sonship‟
11 proofs from the Bible of Jesus‘ Humanness and Prophethood
There are many verses in the New Testament which affirm Jesus‘ prophethood and contradict the attributed divinity to him.
1. ―Now this is life eternal, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.97‖ (John 17:3)
2. In Matthew 21:11, the people of his time are recorded as referring to Jesus as prophet: ―And the crowds said: this is the prophet Jesus of Nazareth of Galilee.‖
3. In Mark, 6:4, it is stated that Jesus referred to himself as a Prophet, ―And Jesus said to them, ‗A prophet is not without honour, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.‘‖
4. In the previous verses, Jesus is referred to as having been sent as a messenger. In Matthew 10:40, Jesus
97. This verse indicates very clearly the distinction between God the Deity and Jesus the Prophet. See also John 4:34, 5:30, 7:16 & 28, 11:42, 13:16, 14:24.
was purported to have said: ―He that receiveth you receiveth me, and He that receiveth him that sent me.‖
5. In John 5:30, it is narrated that Jesus also said, ―I can do nothing on my own authority, as I hear I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of Him who sent me.‖
6. for there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)98
7. Jesus was also reported in the Gospel according to Matthew 19:16-17 to have been referred to as ‗the teacher‘, which is the role of all prophets: ―Now behold, one came and said to him, ‗Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?‘‖
8. In Matthew 19:17, Jesus responded to one who addressed him as ―good teacher‖, saying, ―Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is God.‖ Jesus (peace be upon him) here rejects being called ‗good‘, and states that only God is truly good; he clearly implies that he is not God. Also,
98. This verse indicates clearly that God shall be worshipped alone without any mediator, and that Jesus is a man, and is not God.Jesus here rejects being called ‗perfectly good‘, because perfection belongs only to God (Allah).
9. Even in some of the writings of Paul, which the Church has taken to be sacred, Jesus is referred to as a man, distinct and different from God (Allah). In 1 Timothy, 2:5, Paul writes: ―For there is one God and one mediator99 between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.‖
10. In Mathew 5:17-18, Jesus stated: ―Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the (way of) the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them, for I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.‖
11. Also in Matthew 5:19, Jesus Christ was reported to have insisted on strict obedience to the commandments of Allah, which is the role of any prophet, ―Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.‖
99. All prophets are mediators between God and people in the sense that they are His messengers who deliver His message.
No Evidence for the Divinity of Jesus in the Bible.
It should be noted that nowhere in the Gospels does Jesus actually call himself ‗God‘ or the ‗Son of God‘ or one of three. If this was the case then it would have been mentioned very clearly in the Bible at least once, because Jesus was sent to enlighten the lives of people and unveil doubts, not to lead them into confusion.
Today, there are many modern scholars in Christianity who hold that Jesus Christ was not ‗God‘.
In 1977, a group of seven biblical scholars, including leading Anglican theologians and other New Testament scholars, published a book called ‗The Myth of God Incarnate‘, which caused a great uproar in the General Synod of the Church of England. In the preface, the editor, John Hick, wrote the following: The writers of this book are convinced that another major theological development is called for in this last part of the twentieth century. The need arises from growing knowledge of Christian origins, and involves a recognition that Jesus was (as he is presented in Act 2.21) ‗a man approved by God‘ for a special role within the divine purpose, and that the later conception of him as God incarnate, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity living a human life, is a mythological or poetic way of expressing his significance for us.100
It should be noted that the concept of Jesus‘ humanness is not only held by Muslims, but also by the Jews and other early sects of Christianity such as the Ebionites (Nazarenes), the Cerinthians, the Basilidians, and the Goths. They too maintained that Jesus (peace be upon him) was a beloved Prophet of God, and they have not elevated him from his rightful status. Even today there are churches in Asia and Africa, the Unitarian church, and Jehovah‘s Witnesses who do not worship Jesus as God. It is important to stress here that this is not enough to free them on the Day of Judgment, but they must accept Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, and the last revelation from Allah.