Jesus and Muhammad(pbut)

Both Christianity and Islam are major religions that seem opposed to each other, polar opposites and ideologies destined for a clash. They both stem from Judaism, revering the prophets of that venerable religion yet adding new prophets to the mix. Christianity has spread more extensively throughout the world, but there are 1.8 billion Muslims and they may soon overtake the Christians by the end of this century. Christians view Jesus as the last Prophet and Savior of all Mankind, a part of the Holy Trinity sent down to die for our sins and reconcile humanity with God. They view humanity as corrupted and fallen due to the Fall in the Garden of Eden, unable to stop sinning and live righteous lives. God must condemn humanity to death, for one sin separates humans from being reunited with God.

Traditional Christianity holds the Jews were given a system of blood sacrifice to forgive their sins, but God did not intend that as a permanent solution. He sent the Messiah to Earth in order to teach humanity and die for the sins of humanity. The only valid path to God, to righteousness is through accepting Jesus. Indeed Christians like to cite John 14:6, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So how do Christians plan on saving others? They do it through evangelism/missionary work, which is justified by Mark 16:15, “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” And certainly the Christians have done so, with admirable energy and enthusiasm.

But I feel that they have gone astray, especially on the point of salvation by faith alone and the primacy of Jesus over others. There are Christians called Unitarians that believe in the unity of God, that Jesus was a human with perfect righteousness and the Savior anointed by God, and that the Holy Spirit is the active force of the Godhead. These Christians represent a closer understanding of what I feel the true essence of Christianity was, before the Council of Nicaea enforced a Trinitarian, Christ-exclusive orthodoxy on Christendom. And this relates to faith; how can one have faith in Jesus if his movement, Christianity, has splintered into thousands of different sects and faiths. Christians often argue that this question is irrelevant; faith in Christ as Lord and Savior is what ties all true Christians together. But then why do Catholics claim that non-Catholics are at risk of damnation, for not being under the right church? Or why do Orthodox Christians claim the same thing about Catholics and Protestants, claiming the church of Constantinople/Istanbul is the true church? Protestants reject centralized church authority, preferring to interpret the Bible for themselves. This has also led to massive schisms within Protestant churches, contributing to further disunity.

Another is the primacy of Jesus over other prophets. Certainly His message may have been more intense, more far-reaching than Moses or Abraham. But even Jesus says this “And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man [Jesus Christ], it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost [God], it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”, indicating that he was not of a stature to demand respect from people. Of the day Jesus would return, he says this “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son [Jesus Christ], but the Father.”, which wouldn’t make sense had Jesus been literally God and part of a Trinity. How could Jesus not know that which the Father has known for basically forever? And in John 14:28, Jesus says “Ye have heard how I [Jesus Christ] said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.” How could Jesus say this if He was part of a Trinity with the Father, it seems rather that Jesus was an ordinary man endowed with holiness and the message of God? And if Jesus was different, he would be lying if he said that the Father is greater than I, cognizant that being clear on this point would be important for his followers later on. Hence it seems Jesus was not God in the literal sense, but God in the way the Manifestations were.

But what do Muslims think of Jesus? They affirm the virgin birth, ascribe miracles unto Jesus not found in the Gospels like speaking from his cradle(talk about power), and claim He will come again in a Second Coming. So basically Muslims, like Christians, are expecting Jesus to return and usher in an era of peace and understanding. They do not view him as a Prophet of God, as shown in this Quran verse “Say (O Muslims), “We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma’il (Ishmael), Ishaque (Isaac), Ya’qub (Jacob), and to Al-Asbat [the twelve sons of Ya’qub (Jacob)], and that which has been given to Musa (Moses) and ‘Iesa (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islam).”. They view Muhammad as the next Prophet in the cycle of divine revelation, and almost all consider him the last Prophet for all time.

But how could Christians have known about the coming of Muhammad, know that another Prophet would come from the harsh, sandy deserts of Arabia with another light, another message from God? A common passage cited by Muslims is John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever”. This advocate is considered by some to alude to Muhammad, whereas Christians view it as alluding to the Spirit. I do not view this as a good passage either; but this passage from Genesis about Ishmael is curious ““As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.”. God foretold that Ishmael would sire his own nation, which would not be blessed by God like the line of Isaac leading to the Israelites was. Another is “And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 And he said, Jehovah came from Sinai, And rose from Seir unto them; He shined forth from Mount Paran, And he came from the ten thousands of holy ones: At his right hand was a fiery law for them. “ Paran is an ancient term attested by others to be Arabia, indicating this is where Ishmael went and corresponding to belief that he sired the Arab nation. There are mountains around the city of Mecca, befitting its later rise to the holiest center of Islam. Another passage I noticed is from Revelation: “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.”

This passage refers to two new prophets coming after Jesus and St. John of Patmos(the guy who narrates this most esoteric, amazing Book). These prophets, in the Baha’i Faith, are believed to refer to Muhammad and Ali. The imagery alludes to their heavenly authority and abrogation of the laws of the Torah and additions of Jesus, as well as the rise of the Caliphate after Muhammad united the warring tribes of Arabia. The emphasis on sackcloth refers to their humble personas and submission to God; it also refers to how ordinary Muhammad and Ali appeared to their fellow Arabs. Muhammad was merely a merchant, and Ali his devoted servant and son in law. The beast refers to the Umayyad dynasty, which took over after the death of Ali and subjugation of the Prophet’s family. Not the happiest ending, but Islam still gives its light to the world.

There are other signs prophesying Muhammad in the Bible, but the connection has now been established. Let this stand as an attempt to unite Christians and Muslims with truth, with the understanding of their shared divine heritage.