To the Reader

The Hajj, or Pilgrimage, forms one of the five pillars of Islam and constitutes the trip of a lifetime to any Muslim who can afford it! Its customs are fascinating. For instance, at Mecca all Muslims must wear special white robes called 'Ihram', before they can enter the holy place where the Ka'aba (the Black Rock) resides. A symbol of purity, many Muslims believe that by wearing these robes they become pure and are granted eternal life.

While there are always pickpockets and thieves among the crowd at the Ka'aba, for which reason guards are placed on duty, most pilgrims strongly desire to be found pure and acceptable before a holy, pure and perfect God. But no matter how hard we try to keep God's holy law, we fall short. We sin outwardly because we are sinners inwardly. No washing with water or wearing of white robes can remove this problem. We may sincerely hope that, on the day of judgment, our good deeds will outweigh our bad deeds and that God will have mercy on us and let us into Heaven rather than send us to Hell - after all, Allah is merciful! But is this a hope based on truth - or is it just wishful thinking?

Muhammad was well aware of his own sins. In the Hadith (Islam's second most holy book after the Qur'an) he said: "O Allah, set me apart from my sins, as the East and the West are set apart from each other, and clean me from sins as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. O Allah! Wash off my sins with water, snow and hail " (Hadith Vol. 1, No. 711). "By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to him in repentance more than seventy times a day" (Hadith Vol. 8, No. 319). Muhammad had no assurance of going to Heaven when he died because he was not sure whether his good deeds would outweigh his bad deeds. He remarked: "By Allah, though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me" (Hadith Vol. 5, No. 266).

If Muhammad wasn't sure of heaven, what hope is there for us? None. The Bible reveals the impossibility of attaining God's perfect standard and therefore a place in heaven when it states: "For there is no difference [between all types of people in the world] for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God " (Romans 3:23). Even our good deeds have no merit before God in our sinful condition. The Bible says: "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment " (Isaiah 64:6). Allah may be merciful - but on what basis? If by 'mercy' we mean that Allah will simply overlook, ignore and then swap our good deeds against our bad deeds, that makes Allah a compromiser - not a God to be trusted or believed in.

There is one exception to the universal plague of sin. According to the Qur'an Jesus (Isa) was perfect. Quoting the angel Gabriel (Jibra'il), the Qur'an says of Mary's son Jesus: "I am only a bringer of a message from thy Lord, that I will give thee a pure boy" (Surah 19:19). Born of a virgin, the Bible also states clearly that Jesus was without sin: "In Him is no sin" (1 John 3:5).

Thus, only through Christ can we receive the true spiritual Ihram (white robes), that will shield us from God's judgment. The Bible says: "For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10). We need God's righteousness - not our own.

Eid Al Adha

Another Hajj custom is the 'Eid Al Adha' (feast of sacrifice). In memory of Abraham offering up his son to God, pilgrims at Mecca bring a lamb for ritual sacrifice, part of which they eat, before giving away the rest as a gift to the poor. There is an important spiritual application here. The Qur'an says: "And We [God] ransomed him [Abraham's son] with a great sacrifice" (Surah 37:107). Now, in the Bible, the Jews used to sacrifice animals to God as an atonement for their sins - but these sacrifices could not actually remove sin; they were meant only to point forward to a final and complete sacrifice in the future. The Bible declares: "And every priest stands, ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this man [Jesus], after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:11-12). The sacrifices pointed forward to the sacrificial death of Christ.

Ka'aba

The Ka'aba is the focal point of the Hajj and, indeed, of all Islam. Here it all began. It is 'most holy ground'. Pilgrims press forward through the huge crowds in order to touch or kiss the Rock. By this act many believe they will be healed or have their sins taken away.

But this Rock, after all, is only a rock - not God. Our sins do indeed need to be forgiven - but rock kissing can never accomplish the purging of sins. It is Jesus the Messiah who atones for sin. Ironically Jesus is called in the Bible, "a chief corner stone...and he that believes on him shall not be put to shame" (1 Peter 2:6).

Abb-a-Zamzam

Pilgrims also visit a place where Muslim tradition says God opened a spring of water for Hagar and Ishmael. There they buy holy water that has healing properties and can purify one whoa person who drinks it. Water is only water, but this custom does signify the longing of the pilgrims to find God. Jesus Christ knows that men and women are thirsty for true satisfaction. He stated: "Everyone who drinks of this water [from the well in Samaria] shall thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give Him shall never thirst...If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive" (John 4:13-14, 7:37-38).

Only through the Lord Jesus Christ can sinners come to know God in a real and personal way. Christ offers a relationship, not a religion. To those who repent of their sins against God and put their trust alone in the Lord Jesus for salvation, God will give His Holy Spirit, as well as giving them an assurance of a place in heaven. Amazing - salvation, forgiveness, eternal life, a home in heaven - all through turning from sin and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God who loved you and gave Himself for you on the cross, rising from the dead the third day. Yet, there are many obstacles to faith.

Obstacles In The Way Of Faith

Obstacle One: Has The Bible Been Changed?

Unlike many of today's Muslims, Muhammad never accused Christians of changing the Bible. In fact Muhammad held the Bible in high esteem. God told him, "We [Allah] revealed the Torah [first 5 books of the Bible]" (Surah 5:44). Muhammad was also told: "If thou [Muhammad] art in doubt as to what We [Allah] have revealed unto thee, ask those who read the book before thee; the truth has indeed come to thee from thy Lord " (Surah 10:94). "We revealed the Torah [the first five books of the Bible] in which was guidance and light...they [the Jews] were required to guard the book of God and they were witnesses thereof ...whoever does not judge by what God revealed, these are the unbelievers...And we sent after them in their footsteps Jesus, the son of Mary, verifying what was before him in the Torah" (Surah 5:44-47). Jesus stamped His seal of approval on the Bible. He said: "Thy Word is truth" (John 17:17).

Yes, the Qur'an accuses the Jews of distorting the word with their tongues (Surah 4:46), of perverting its meaning (Surah 2:75), of inventing their own Scriptures to sell for profit (Surah 2:79) and still others of concealing the truth (Surah 2:146). But never does the Qur'an accuse the actual Bible text of being corrupt. In fact, Muhammad gives this severe warning to anybody who rejects the Bible: "Those who reject the Book and that with which We sent Our apostles...when the fetters and the chains shall be on their necks; they shall be dragged into hot water; then in the Fire shall they be burned..." (Surah 40:70-72).

Muslims who say that the Bible has been changed and that they cannot therefore accept the crucifixion, resurrection and Deity of Christ, are often not aware of the hundreds of ancient hand-written Bible manuscripts in various languages (Hebrew, Syriac, Latin etc.) that predate Muhammad by centuries. Examples of these are the Codex Vaticanus (AD 325-50), which contains virtually the entire Bible and the Codex Sinaiticus (AD 350) which contains nearly all of the New Testament (Injil) and over half of the Old Testament. Apart from this there are Injils from earlier periods such as the Bodmer Papyrus 11 (AD 150-200) and the Chester Beatty Papyri (AD 200). Since the discovery in Israel of the Dead Sea Scrolls (dated at between 200 BC and AD 68), experts have agreed that the standard of accuracy exhibited by the Jewish scribes, who transcribed the Biblical texts, is without parallel in ancient history.

But this is not all. Early Christian leaders like Justin Martyr and Chrysostom quoted extensively from the Injil. From the two hundred year period just after the deaths of the apostles of Jesus (100-300 AD), over 36,000 quotations from the Injil still exist - in the writings of the 'early church fathers'. Scholars state that, even if every Bible in the world was destroyed, the entire Injil could be reconstructed from the quotations in these writings of the early church fathers alone, with the exception of just eleven verses! So, it is a certain fact of history that the Bible is a reliable and trustworthy book. Sir. Frederic Kenyon (former principle, head librarian and world manuscript expert of the British museum) has written:

"The Christian can take the whole Bible in his hand and say without fear or hesitation that he holds in it the true Word of God, handed down without essential loss from generation to generation throughout the centuries " (Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts, p.23, New York: Harper and Brothers, 1941).

Islamic scholars, such as Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim and Ahmad Deedat, claim the existence of an original Injil that was lost for over 1,000 years, but was rediscovered during the Middle Ages. This 'Gospel of Barnabus' agrees with Muslim beliefs and they claim it is therefore the true Injil. There are multiple facts that disprove this theory. The Gospel of Barnabus was actually written after AD 1300 (700 years after Muhammad) for the following reasons:

  1. The writer mentions the year of jubilee "which now cometh every hundred years" (Barnabus 82). The jubilee to which he refers was not decreed until AD 1300, by Pope Boniface VIII.
  2. He also quotes from Dante's 'Divine Comedy', which was not written until the 14th century (Barnabus 23, 135, 178).
  3. He says 1st Century Israel used a 'feudal system', something that belonged to the Europe of the Middle Ages (Barnabus 194) and that 1st Century Jews stored wine in wooden casks - rather than in wineskins (Barnabus 152).
  4. The author reports a 1st Century three-cornered war involving 600,000 Jews. Each 'corner' had 200,000 soldiers (Barnabus 91). This is a historical impossibility. The Jews, living under Roman occupation, were hard pressed to find any weapons at all, never mind 600,000 swords! Besides this, such a force, if united, was twice the size of the entire Roman army at that time!

The conclusion of genuine scholarship is that the 'Gospel of Barnabus' was written sometime after AD 1300 by a Spanish speaking Muslim and, as such, represents a forgery.

But what of the contradictions in the Bible? By checking with other scriptures, reading the context and noting the historical period and culture, all of these so-called contradictions can easily be cleared up. For example, Numbers 25:9 states that 24,000 people died in a plague. However, in the New Testament, Paul says that 23,000 of them died in one day (1 Corinthians 10:8). Is there a contradiction? No, clearly 23,000 died in one day, the rest dying later. In John 6, Jesus miraculously feeds a crowd of 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish. In Mark 8, Jesus feeds 4,000 with seven loaves and a few small fish. Contradiction? No. Jesus himself refers to both events as being on separate occasions (Mark 8:17-20).

Obstacle Two: Did Jesus Die On The Cross?

In the Qur'an it says: "And their [the Jews] saying: We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the apostle of God; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but he was made to resemble (one crucified), and those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure" (Surah 4:157).

However, another Qur'anic verse has Jesus saying: "And peace on me on the day I was born, and on the day I die, and on the day I am raised to life" (Surah 19:33). Did Jesus die and rise again, according to the Qur'an? Islamic scholars hotly debate this point. Surah 3:54 states: "When God said, O Jesus! I will cause thee to die and exalt thee in my presence...then to Me shall be your return."

The Qur'an seems to tell us that Christ died and then was taken up to Heaven. Ibn Hamid says: "God caused Isa, Son of Mary, to die three hours and then raised Him" (Jamia al bayan 3:289-292). Muhammad Ibn Ishaq reckoned that Jesus was dead for seven hours before God raised Him to Heaven. Al Rabia Ibn Uns on the other hand, thought that Jesus died and was taken immediately to Heaven. Perhaps we ought to take Muhammad's advice in the Qur'an when confronted by such confusion and go to the Bible for answers (Surah 10:94)! In the Bible, the crucifixion and death of Jesus was continually predicted long before He was even born.

David (1,000 BC) quoting Christ prophetically says: "You [God] have brought me to the dust of death...they pierced my hands and my feet" (Psalm 22:15-16).

Isaiah (700 BC) said: "But He was wounded for our transgressions...He poured out His soul unto death" (Isaiah 53:5, 12).

The Injil itself makes it abundantly clear that Jesus did die on the cross, rise from the dead and later ascend back to heaven. It also records the fact that Jesus repeatedly predicted these very events e.g. Luke 18:31-33. As further written proof there is the testimony of 1st century eyewitnesses such as:

Matthew the Tax collector: "They...crucified Him...and Jesus yielded up his spirit." (Matthew 27:35, 50)
John the fisherman: "The soldiers...crucified Jesus...and bowing his head, he gave up his spirit."

(John 19:23, 30)
Peter, another fisherman: "Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree [cross]...For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit " (1 Peter 2:24, 3:18).

It is this death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that Christians have been celebrating for 2000 years! When Christians take the bread and the cup each Sunday throughout the world, they are proclaiming the death of Christ until He returns. When they baptise believers in water they are proclaiming Christ's death and resurrection.

In a court of law, when the enemies and friends of the accused person testify to the same thing, it is taken as true. Among Jesus' strongest opponents were the Jews. Most of them did not accept Him as Messiah and the Son of God, but all accepted the fact that He was killed by crucifixion. The Jewish Talmud says: "On the eve of Passover they hanged Yeshu (of Nazareth)...they found naught in his defence and hanged him on the eve of Passover" (Babylonia Sanhedrin 43a). 'Yeshu' is the Hebrew word for Jesus.

Josephus, a Jewish historian, wrote: "Now there was about this time [about AD 30] Jesus, a wise man...He was the Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had him condemned to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day..." (Antiquities 18:3:3).

The Roman historian, Tacitus, wrote: "Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius..." (Annals 15:44). Other ancient historians, such as Lucian of Samosata, Mara Bar-Serapion, Thallus and Phlegon, all speak of the crucifixion of Christ. The fact is, to deny the death and resurrection of Christ compares with denying that Muhammad ever went to Mecca!

Obstacle Three: Is Jesus the Son of God?

Muhammad asked "How could He [God] have a son when He has no consort?" (Surah 6:102). Furthermore, Surah 9:30 states: "...the Christians say: The Messiah is the Son of God. These are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may God curse them! " Here Muhammad compares what Christians believe with the ideas of Pagans (the unbelievers before them). However, Pagans believed in many 'sons of god' produced by a deity like Zeus, an idea mutually offensive to Christians and Muslims. Christians believe that the Bible uses the term 'Son of God' to convey equality and sameness of nature, not subordination and subservience; thus the need for a 'consort' is irrelevant.

The virgin birth is tied directly to the fact that Jesus is God's Son. The Holy Spirit (not Gabriel) came upon Mary so that, when she supernaturally conceived, the child's Father was not Joseph (Luke 1:35). That is why Christians call Jesus the Son of God, or God the Son. Interestingly, the Qur'an recounts an angelic promise made to Mary about a child called Jesus. Mary responded, "My Lord! How shall there be a son (born) to me, and a man has not touched me?" (Surah 3:46), thus confirming the virgin birth contained in the Bible hundreds of years before.

While many prophets conveyed God's message or word, none except Jesus received the title 'God's Word' (Surah 4:171). What does this mean? When in doubt about these things we need to look at the Bible, just as Muhammad said. In the Injil there is a very revealing passage: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth...No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him" (John 1:1-18).

Did Jesus ever claim to be the Son of God? According to the Injil He clearly did. In the Jews' religious court, Jesus was asked by the High Priest, "Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!" Jesus answered, "It is as you said," (Matthew 26:63-64). He had already clearly stated earlier, "I am the Son of God" (John 10:36). For this 'blasphemy' the Jews wanted to kill Jesus. They said "You, being a man, make yourself out to be God" (John 10:33). This formed the charge at Jesus' trial. Pilate, the Roman judge, was told, "He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God " (John 19:7). Not only did Jesus' disciples believe Him to be the Son of God and worship Him as such, but even Pagan Romans, like the Centurion at the crucifixion, exclaimed, "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:54).

Obstacle Four: Is There a Trinity?

The Bible reveals one God who exists in a three-dimensional way as Father, Son (or Word) and Holy Spirit - the 'Trinity'. His creation mirrors this in remarkable ways. Time is one, yet has three dimensions: past, present and future. Space is one; but exists as height, depth and width. The Universe is one, yet it exists as time, space and matter. Human beings are one, yet exist as body, soul and spirit (the mathematics of the Trinity is not 1+1+1=3, but 1x1x1=1).

Muhammad refuted what he thought the Christian Trinity meant (Surah 5:73), but in his words he actually speaks against the Pagan idea of 'triads of gods', such as the Egyptian Osiris, his wife Isis, and their son, Horus. This is totally different from the Biblical Trinity. At the time of Muhammad there were heretical Pagan groups in Arabia who mixed some Christianity with their religion. They worshipped God, Jesus, and the goddess Venus, who they turned into the Virgin Mary! "O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say to men, Take me and my mother for two gods besides God?" (Surah 5:116). The Christians were just as horrified about this as Muhammad. Although some so-called churches today pray to Mary and the saints, such a thing is forbidden in the Bible. In the same way, true Muslims should not accept the Shiite practice of praying to the 'saints'.

The first verse of the Bible declares, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). The Hebrew word for God is 'Elohim'. This is a plural word. However, the word 'created' (Hebrew - bara) is in the singular. Thus there is one God who exists in a plural form. Deuteronomy 6:4 states: "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4). The Hebrew word here for 'one' is 'echad', a singular adjectival noun. Yet it follows a plural noun 'God - Elohim'. This is grammatically incorrect, unless God is a 'plural one'. That is why God says in Genesis, "Let Us make man in Our image..." (Genesis 1:26).

The fact that God exists distinct from His creation and yet is the 'author of relationships', reveals that He experiences relationship outside of time, space and matter. This is possible because He exists as One God in a plural form. Although the word 'Trinity' is not to be found in the Injil, the truth is found there repeatedly. For example, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." (Matthew 28:18-19. See also 2 Corinthians 13:14, Titus 3:4-6, Ephesians 2:18 and 3:11-16).

Obstacle Five: Is Muhammad Predicted In The Bible?

The Qur'an claims that Muhammad was predicted in the Bible: "Those who follow the Apostle-Prophet [Muhammad], the Ummi [the unlettered one], whom they find written down with them in the Torah and the Gospel..." (Surah 7:157). What Biblical predictions are thought by Muslims to refer to Muhammad? The first is, "I will raise up for them a Prophet like you [Moses] from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him" (Deut 18:15).

Like unto Moses? Moses was a Hebrew, he came out of Egypt, he spoke to God directly and he performed phenomenal miracles. In what way is Muhammad 'like unto Moses'? Was Muhammad an Israelite? No, he was an Ishmaelite. Did Muhammad come out of Egypt? No, he came from Arabia. Did God speak directly to Muhammad? No, his 'revelations' came through the mediation of the angel Gabriel. Did Muhammad perform any mighty signs and miracles? The Qur'an explicitly says that Muhammad performed no signs (Surah 6:110). We must conclude that Deuteronomy 18:18 cannot refer to Muhammad. So who is the Prophet like Moses? Jesus was an Israelite, that is, of the line of Jacob who was called Israel (Matthew 1:1-16; Genesis 32:28); He came out of Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15); God the Father spoke directly to Him (John 12:28) and He performed mighty miracles (Luke 7:22). The Injil reports: "Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world " (John 6:14). No wonder the apostle Peter quotes Deuteronomy 18:18 and says that it has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Acts 3:18-26).

The second verse is: "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-17). It is claimed by many Muslims that the Christians changed the Greek word 'Perikultos' (meaning 'Praised One', a Greek version of the Arabic 'Ahmad', a root word for Muhammad) into 'Parakletos' (meaning 'Comforter', 'Helper' or 'The One who comes alongside'). However, any knowledgeable scholar in the field will tell you that there is no evidence at all for this 'corruption'. All of the Greek manuscripts in existence, which predate Muhammad, say 'Parakletos', not 'Perikultos'. When we closely examine Jesus' prophecy in John 14:16-17, we notice He prophesied that the Comforter would:

  1. Be with the apostles forever
  2. Be called the 'Spirit of truth'
  3. Be personally known by Jesus' apostles
  4. Be inside the apostles.

Now was Muhammad alive at the time of Jesus' apostles? No, he was born nearly 600 years later. Was Muhammad ever called the 'Spirit of Truth'? No. Did Muhammad live with the apostles forever? No. Did Muhammad live inside the apostles? No. It is therefore impossible that Muhammad has fulfilled this prophecy. To whom then does the prophecy apply? The Bible clears the matter up in the following few verses. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things" (John 14:26). "But when the Comforter is come...even the Spirit of truth...He shall testify of me" (John 15:26). It is certain then, that the Comforter is not Muhammad, but the Holy Spirit of God.

Have you have repented to God and put your faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ?

If so, you should immediately take the following steps:

  1. Thank Him for what He has done for you and ask yourself the question, "What can I now do for Him?"
  2. Start speaking daily to Him in prayer from your heart, bringing Him praise and thanksgiving, as well as asking Him for blessings.
  3. Get a Bible and start reading and studying it. It's best to begin with the Gospels (e.g. Mark or John) and read through the New Testament. Ask God to give you understanding on how to apply it practically to your life.
  4. Find a Bible believing Church and attend its meetings every week.
  5. Tell others what the Lord has done for you.

Contact

If you would like to get in touch please use the form below:


email: name:

 

>> << top