In this brief yet inspirational
book “Finality of the truth”, Divine Momoh David; a renowned non-linear editor,
counselor and a graduate of Word of Faith Bible Institute, presents a concise study of the two most celebrated
and revered religious icons in the world today “Muhammad and Jesus”.
The book starts with a scene in a
prison yard. The preacher is again on his routine visits to prison yards and
juvenile homes where he admonishes inmates .On one of those occasions he
encounters an unexpected audience who perhaps a day before then had argued
endlessly over religion. Knowing that taking side while responding to questions
may stimulate an uprise in the room, the visitor adopts a subtle approach. This
time he offers them an opportunity to find out the truth together by examining
extractions from both holy books. By so doing he saves himself from every
possible after-effect such a sensitive topic can cause.
Chapter two looks at the births
of Jesus and Mohammed. While Muhammad was conceived directly by Abdullah and
his wife Amina, the birth of Jesus was inspired by the Holy Spirit who breathed
into Mary the then mother of Jesus. This is confirmed by both Quran and the
holy Bible.
A verse in the Quran asserts
thus:
"Truly, the Messiah, Isa, Son of Mariam,
the ambassador of Allah, is his word, which he bestowed upon Mariam, and he is
the spirit of him" (Women 4:171)…..pg 9
The birth of Jesus was not
natural. This is confirmed by the holy books in contrast to Muhammad who was
born of a father and a mother like all humans.
In chapter three the preacher
examines the divine promises concerning both founders. Verses are extracted
from the Quran which validates the assertion in the Bible that holds that the
birth of Jesus was revealed at first before he was born.
"...O Mariam, Allah gives you good tidings
of a word from him whose name shall be the messiah, Isa, The Son of Mariam,
highly honored in this world and the next; and he shall be one of those brought
close to Allah" "The House of Imran 3:42…pg 15
Now there is no place in the
Quran it is said the birth of Muhammad was prophesied. The preacher must have
said to his audience. He believes Muhammad only heard the word of God from an
Angel
“We cannot read in the Quran that Muhammad was
incarnate Word of God. He only heard the word of God from an angel and recited
it to his listeners. God did not announce the birth of Muhammad to his mother;
neither was the spirit of God breathed into her….” Pg16
Muhammad attained purification as
a child. To back up this claim the preacher shares verses from both books.
While Muhammad assumed himself pure, the angel of God said to Mary that she
will bring forth a pure child who will live a pure life without sin. The Quran
provides verses that show Muhammad praying fervently for forgiveness of his
sins. He accepted his shortcoming and like a human prayed to God for cleansing.
He also encouraged his followers to do the same.
“The Most High himself evangelized Mary and
informed personally about the birth of Jesus Christ…” pg 16
Muhammad’s claims to have
received his inspiration from the Angel Gabriel, the faithful spirit. The Quran
confirms this as did some Muslim scholars. Jesus did not receive inspiration
himself. There is no place in the Bible or Quran where such claim is made. He
himself was the true incarnate. Jesus spoke the words of God when he was still
an infant. He was never visited by an angel.
The preacher goes on to compare
the signs of the prophets. He presents the claims by Muslim scholars that the
miracle Allah granted to Muhammad was the verses of the Quran in Suras. His
wonders were his words. From Quran he picked verses that hold that Jesus was a
unique being. He highlighted verses where his works and wonders were clearly
stated. For example the Quran says that Jesus healed the blind without surgical
operations. He also provided verses in Quran where it clearly says that Jesus
raised the dead. He raised a young girl, a young man and an adult from the
dead.
In chapter six, the two religions
come to an agreement. This is in their acceptance that the world was created
through spoken words. To be a Christian or a Muslim you must be willing to
accept the word as the ultimate. Muslims believe Allah alone is All-knowing and
All-powerful who does anything that pleases him without consulting anyone.
Christians share this same belief of God. The difference lies in their
interpretation of the significance of the word. While the Muslims accept and meditate
on some verses in the bible, they only pick areas that support their own
doctrine rather than the person described in the verse.
Muhammad opens up to his
followers. He assures them that he is not supernatural. But Jesus boldly
declares himself the Son of God and one with his father.
“Muhammad described the capacity of Christ as
the All-knowing, in order to reproach and to warn some of his egotistic
followers……so he warned his them that Christ would come back soon as a Judge,
to rule on the day of judgment”….pg .61
He confessed that Christ knows
the hidden truth and can read the secrets in the hearts of men. It’s clear that
Muhammad drew his inspiration from the life and works of Jesus and might have
spent some time with the followers of Jesus who perhaps shared the gospel of
Jesus with him. this inspiration he shared with his new converts.
The Quran quotes Christ as having
said “fear God and obey me”. Through this verse Muslims are expected to
reverence God and to obey the teaching of Christ. Jesus Christ is to be obeyed
as the word of God. Christ expects his followers to follow and apply his
teachings. Quran portrays the followers of Jesus as believers and Muslims as
his followers and martyrs. It also laid emphasis on the renewal of the heart as
is stated in the holy bible.
On the deaths of Muhammad and
Jesus, the preacher in chapter ten asserts that the former died from a high
fever.
As for Jesus…
“The
death of Jesus was prophesied in the Quran and Jesus foretold the number of
days the death will span”….pg 75
Christ did not die accidentally then, but
according to the word of God. Confessions of the Quran and irrefutable
evidences confirms that Christ was born, died, and rose from the grave.
“Muhammad was buried in medina and his grave is
still there. Muslims believe his soul is in an intermediate place for the dead
awaiting the Day of Judgment”…pg 81
Quran has it that God raised
Christ from the dead. Then it goes on to praise Mary the mother of Jesus and
marks Jesus out as a highly honored being. The grave of Jesus is empty today.
In chapter twelve the preacher
shares a common prayer of all Muslims. This prayer proves that like all dead,
his soul still awaits judgment.
“Their prayer indicates that the peace of Allah
has not yet come to Muhammad, even though his followers have prayed for him all
these centuries! Muhammad is the prophet who constantly needs the intercession
of his people instead of the other way round”...pg 87
So globally Muslims pray for his
soul. Like Jesus, Muhammad was persecuted, but then later on in his life he
became “politically and socially” strong and launched severe attacks and bloody
wars against his enemies.
Over the years now there have
been countless interpretations of both holy scrolls. Some fell into wrong hands
were they were revised completely out of context in support of unholy campaigns.
With these false doctrines quickly spreading around the world, the world has known
nothing but chaos and war. The author in this book did a nice work to reveal
the very common ground on which the followers of both religions can co-exist.
Jesus stayed humble until death.
His intention was to let his followers gradually embrace the truth by
discovering by themselves who he is. That way their faith in him will be
strengthened. Muhammad after twelve years of persecution moved to Medina where
he became politically inclined and socially strong. His source of inspiration
is clearly stated in the Quran. He counted on spiritual intervention and
revelations.
Muhammad ensured his followers
adhered to the law of the Quran. This means their lives are governed by this
law. By obeying they earn divine mercy.
“The life of a Muslim is governed by this law
which is the final manifestation of the mercy of God to Muslims”…..pg 102
Christians are warned not let
their life be run by human laws. The reason being they may not be able to keep
all of its instructions.
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