Introduction
It is as if Satan has provided a masterful foil, a monotheistic religion claiming to be the very religion of Abraham, one that emphasizes good deeds and a merciful God. A religion that offers salvation by grace through faith in a loving God A’l-e-‘Imran 30-32 (Sher Ali) The day will come when each soul will find all the good works it had done brought forth. As for the evil works, it will wish that they were far, far removed. GOD alerts you that you shall reverence Him alone. GOD is Compassionate towards the people. Say `If you love ALLAH, follow me; then will ALLAH love you and forgive you your sins.' And ALLAH is Most Forgiving and Merciful. Say: "Obey God and His Apostle"; But if they turn back, God loveth not those who reject Faith.
There are many passages in the Qur’an that convey the idea that Allah will forgive the sins of believers, missing are passages about any provision of payment for sin. Somehow we are expected to believe that sin will be swept under the cosmic carpet, unpaid for; whereas in the bible sin is clearly paid for by Jesus.
The God of the Bible (Yaweh) and the God of the Qur’an (Allah) are very similar in many ways. However, there are some very important differences: the God of the Bible has a Son, but the God of the Qur’an does not have a Son. In the Bible Jesus makes it clear that believing in the Son is necessary to please God. John 5:22-23 Jesus said "God the Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor God the Father. Anyone who does not honor the son does not honor God the Father who sent Him." Jesus also makes it clear that His intercession is necessary for salvation Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
The Qur’an, however says the exact opposite about the Sonship of Jesus.
Marium 88-95 (Sher Ali) And it is not worthy of the Beneficent God that He should take to Himself a son. There is no one in the heavens and the earth but will come to the Beneficent God as a servant. Verily, HE comprehends them by HIS knowledge and has numbered them all fully And each of them shall come to HIM on the Day of Resurrection, all alone.
Al-An’am 51 (Sher Ali) And preach with this Qur’an to those who reverence the summoning before their Lord - they have none beside Him as a Lord and Master, nor an intercessor - that they may attain salvation.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. The Son-of-God as an intercessor is a biblical theme found throughout the scriptures, established hundreds of years before the Qur’an. The Torah (Tawrat) prophets: David - Psalms 2, Agur - Proverbs 30, Isaiah – chapter 53, and Job – chapter 19:25 all make references to either God’s Son or an intercessor between God and man and of course just about the entire New Testament (Injil) focuses on the person of the Son of God as our intercessor. It’s important that we stress these differences with Muslims. Just as importantly we must address the historical voracity of the Bible as it has predated the Qur’an by hundreds of years. Certainly mere mortals and sinners cannot corrupt God’s word.
Al-An’am: 34 (Sher Ali) And the Messengers indeed have been rejected before thee, but notwithstanding their rejection and persecution they remained patient until OUR help came to them. There is none to change the words of ALLAH. And there have already come to thee some of the tidings of the past Messengers. (For more on the issue of integrity of the Bible and the Qur’an click here …)
Would not Satan get what he wants, even in a system that encourages good works, without a savior you end up condemned, fooled as it were by the empty promise of an imposter God.
One might ask that if Satan were really the force behind Islam wouldn’t there be a prophecy in the Bible dealing with that situation? Indeed the very act has been captured in the words given to the prophet Isaiah chapter 14; this taunt includes the sarcastically applied "Morning Star" a title rightfully belonging to Jesus and usurped by Satan – also attributed to Allah in the Qur’an:
At-Tarig (Sher Ali, Pickthall)
We read a list of the attributes of God that Satan wished to usurp, Isaiah 14: 12-14
How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations.
You said in your heart,
"I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High."
What’s more Jesus foretells of the advent of Islam in John 14:30
"I will not speak much more with you, for the Lord of this world is coming and he has nothing to do with me". As the true gospel of the Son of God was making its way into the world, Satan found his stronghold, the Kaaba, threatened. In a desperate, but very successful ploy Satan disguised as the angel Gabriel mimics the God of the Bible offering salvation and forgiveness of sins, but forgiveness apart from the Sacrifice of God’s Son Jesus. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.)
All the good deeds and acts of charity you can do will not pay for sin, anymore than stopping at red lights will not get you out of a ticket the few times you may have been caught going through one. The debt of sinning against the Eternal and Holy God must be paid for with eternal amends – Jesus said "before Abraham was I Am" Jesus is the Eternal One with the Father, come down from heaven to pay for our sins knowing we cannot make the payment ourselves.
Now how do we as Christians go about helping Muslims escape the strong bondage of Satan over their lives? I will add, it’s not just Muslims who are under the power of Satan, many non-Muslims are as well. A good litmus-test: anyone who believes that Allah is the same God as Yahweh of the Bible is showing their loyalty to Satan, albeit it unaware. The purpose of this web site is to provide background information that can help us get these important truths across to these people, many of whom are unaware that they have been deceived.
I cannot stress enough the importance of the historical veracity of the biblical narrative, especially as it pertains to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Muslim’s claim, that to them, it is not logical that God would allow Jesus to die such a torturous death. However, weather or not one excepts the logic it has nothing to do with the actual documented fact. One cannot re-write history. The true and living God of the Bible has always connected His identity to actual history and geography so that we can confirm His word and recognize His authority in the Scriptures.
It’s time those of the Islamic faith who are really, sincerely seeking the truth get with the program – the program that has been set in motion over 5 thousand years ago when God promised a redeemer to come forth from Eve’s offspring. Starting with Genesis 3:15 and going through Old Testament Scriptures (written between 1450 BC and 430 BC) let’s look at the description of The Coming Messiah:
(Messianic prophecy paraphrased)
Genesis 12:3; 18:18 Messiah will be a descendant of Abraham, through whom everyone on earth will be blessed.
Genesis 49:10The Messiah will be a descendant of Judah.
Deuteronomy 18:15-19 The Messiah will be a prophet like Moses.
Psalm 2:7 The Messiah will be the Son of God.
Psalm 16:10,11 and 49:15 The Messiah will be raised from the dead (resurrected)
Psalm 22 The Messiah - crucifixion experience, The Messiah will be mocked. The Messiah will be pierced through hands and feet, Men Will Gamble for the Messiah’s clothing
Psalm 34:20 The Messiah’s bones will not be broken.
Psalm 35:11 The Messiah will be accused by false witnesses, The Messiah will be hated without a cause
Psalm 41:9 The Messiah will be betrayed by a friend.
Psalm 68:18 The Messiah will ascend to heaven (at the right hand of God)
Psalm 69:21 The Messiah will be given vinegar and gall to drink.
Psalm 72:10,11 Great kings will pay homage and tribute to the Messiah
Psalm 118:22,23 The Messiah is a "stone the builders rejected" who will become the "head cornerstone"
Psalm 132:11 The Messiah will be a descendant of David
Isaiah 7:14 The Messiah will be a born of a virgin
Isaiah 9:1-7The Messiah’s first spiritual work will be in Galilee
Isaiah 35:5-6 The Messiah will make the blind see, the deaf hear, etc.
Isaiah 50:6 The Messiah will be beaten, mocked, and spat upon.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 People will hear and not believe the "arm of the LORD" (Messiah)
Isaiah 53 The Messiah will be rejected, The Messiah will be killed as a sacrifice for our sins, The Messiah will be silent in front of his accusers, The Messiah will be buried with the rich, The Messiah will be crucified with criminals, Will be pierced for our transgressions.
Isaiah 55:3-4 and Jeremiah 31:31-34 The Messiah is part of the new and everlasting covenant Isaiah 59:16 The Messiah (arm of the LORD) will be our intercessor (intervene for us)
Isaiah 61 The Messiah has two missions
Daniel 9:25-26 The Messiah will come at a specific time.
Micah 5:2 The pre-existing Messiah will be born in Bethlehem.
Zechariah 9:9 The Messiah will enter Jerusalem riding a donkey
Zechariah 11:12,13 The Messiah will be sold for 30 pieces of silver.
Zechariah 13:7 The Messiah will forsaken by His disciples.
Malachi 3:1 The Messiah will enter the Temple with authority.
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