If evidences were put forward for Islam, the list would be exhaustive. The Qur’an itself is the biggest evidence that it is the word of God.
Reading and understanding the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), without bias, is also evidence that Islam is the true religion of God Almighty.
Outside material is not required to prove Islam. However, many have criticized the material contained in the Qur’an such as mentioning of the fact that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Islam have been prophesied in other books. Several prophecies have been identified and this article will deal with some of the other prophecies in old books.
Bible is corrupt
Many Christians criticize the Qur’an saying that it calls the Bible to be a corrupt or altered book. Neutral evidence and Christian scholars themselves accept the fact that the Bible is badly corrupt. This fact is confirmed by Jeremiah 8:8 and also the recently discovered Book of Jubilees.
And I will send witnesses unto them, that I may witness against them, but they will not hear, and will slay the witnesses also, and they will persecute those who seek the law, and they will abrogate and change everything so as to work evil before My eyes.
[Book of Jubilees p.37 verse 12]
Therefore woe be unto those who write the Book with their hands and then say, “This is from Allah,” that they may purchase a small gain therewith. Woe unto them for that their hands have written, and woe unto them for that they earn thereby.
[Qur’an 2:79]
[Qur’an 2:41] And believe in what I have revealed _ (the Qur’an). It confirms the scriptures you already have. Do not be the first to reject it. Do not sell my verses for a paltry price. And be (forever) conscious of Me!
[Qur’an 2:42] And, do not cloak (and confuse) the truth with falsehood. Do not suppress the truth knowingly.
[Qur’an 2:79] And misery is for (their scholars,) those who write a book with their own hands and then say, “This is from Allah!” In return for that, they acquire a petty price. Woe to them for what they write with their hands! Woe to them for what they earn with it!
[Qur’an 2:174] There are those who conceal (from mankind) what Allah has revealed in the book. In return, they accept a paltry price _ (a pittance, the worldly gain). In fact, they stuff their bodies with nothing less than the fire. (On the Day of Judgment) Allah will not speak to them, and He will not cleanse them (of their sins). There is a painful punishment for them.
And many more…
Christians criticize the Muslims for the claim that the Bible is corrupt. No outside material is required to know the fact that the Bible is corrupt, the Bible speaks for itself:
Recently discovered books have also made the same claim that the Bible is corrupt. This proves that the Islamic claim is divine and a genuine one.
Islam and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Islam and the last Prophet have been mentioned in recently discovered books.
And I shall disclose to them abounding peace (read “Islam”) with righteousness, and I shall remove them the plant of uprightness, with all My heart and with all My soul, and they will be for a blessing and not for a curse, and they will be the head and not the tail.
[Book of Jubilees p.38 verse 16]
And after this they will turn to Me in all uprightness and with all (their) heart and with all (their) soul, and I shall circumcise the foreskin of their heart and the foreskin of the heart of their seed, and I shall create in them a holy spirit, and I shall cleanse them so that they shall not turn away from Me from that day unto eternity.
[Book of Jubilees p.39 verse 23]
Note: The Holy Spirit already existed. It was there before man and once again Christian translators have changed or confused this Holy Prophet with Holy Spirit. If this is not the case, then there is a serious error but it is unlikely because the writer is a knowledgeable person and such a mistake from his part would be very foolish. This book is believed to be written in 2nd century BC but the terminology is far from that of the Old Testament. It sounds more like the New Testament where God is referred to as father of all mankind. Perhaps, translators have used such terminology deliberately.
As we all know, son of man is a title bestowed upon Jesus (peace be upon him) in the New Testament. However, the son of man awaited by the Jews and mentioned in the Old Testament is some other man as Jesus (peace be upon him) himself rejected being that son of man.
“… “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Servant of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you …” [Matthew 16:13-17]
Here Jesus does not call himself that son of man whom the people were talking about, who was to come mentioned in the Old Testament. The son of man of the Old Testament is someone else
The Book of Enoch has a style of writing that is very metaphorical. For example, it says that when the evil will be defeated, all weapons will be destroyed forever. This is not a literal prophecy but means that there will be peace.
“The Book of Enoch” also has a very interesting prophecy about Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in chapter 46.
And there I saw One who had a head of days, And His head was white like wool, And with Him was another being whose countenance had the appearance of a man, And his face was full of graciousness, like one of the holy angels. And I asked the angel who went with me and showed me all the hidden things, concerning that Son of Man, who he was, and whence he was, (and) why he went with the Head of Days? And he answered and said unto me:
This is the son of Man who hath righteousness, With whom dwelleth righteousness, And who revealed all the treasures of that which is hidden, Because the Lord of Spirits hath chosen him, And whose lot hath the pre-eminence before the Lord of Spirits in uprightness for ever.
And this Son of Man whom thou hast seen shall raise up the kings and the mighty from their seats, [And the strong from their thrones] and shall loosen the reins of the strong, And break the teeth of the sinners. [And he shall put down the kings from their thrones and kingdoms] Because they do not extol and praise Him,
nor humbly acknowledge whence the kingdom was bestowed upon them.
And he shall put down the countenance of the strong, and shall fill them with shame. And darkness shall be their dwelling, and worms shall be their bed, and they shall have no hope of rising from their beds, because they do not extol the name of the Lord of Spirits.
And these are they who judge the stars of heaven, [And raise their hands against the Most High], and tread upon the earth and dwell upon it. And all their deeds manifest unrighteousness, And their power rests upon their riches,
And their faith is in the gods which they have made with their hands, And they deny the name of the Lord of Spirits, And they persecute the houses of His congregations, And the faithful who hang upon the name of the Lord of Spirits.
[Book of Enoch, chapter 46]
From the chapter above, we see that the son of man is a warrior, a man who will shake the kings and empires and will be among people who are idol worshippers, who literally worship idols of stones. Idol worship here is not a metaphor or does not refer to worshipping idols of flesh but worshipping idols of stones made by their own hands. This clearly refers to the idolaters around the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him).
This book also proves the Gospel of Barnabas. This book mentions this fact in chapter48. This topic is covered in another article dedicated entirely to the Gospel ofBarnabas.
48:9 of the Book of Enoch reads as follows:
And I will give them over into the hands of Mine elect:
Mine elect in Arabic is Mustafa which is another name of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and is also mentioned in Isaiah 42.
The same verse goes on to read as follows:
And no trace of them shall any more be found.
No trace of the enemies of son of man is being mentioned. This is a great prophecy and clearly mentions that the pagan Arabs would no longer be seen anymore. If we observe around us, we do not find this religion or people of this belief anymore. They have literally vanished from the face of the earth.
Book of Enoch 49:2 mentions that the glory of the son of man will be forever and for all generations. This is another fact that matches exactly with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Qur’an states that he has been sent for all mankind and for all times. The recently discovered book has confirmed this fact.
Chapter 50 mentions that the Prophet would defeat a group of sinners and other sinners would be witnessing this incident after which they would come and accept the Prophet. This is exactly how Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) went by. He conquered Makkah and other Arab tribes rushed to the Prophet and embraced Islam in huge numbers.
Adam and Lady Eve (peace be upon them)
The story in Qur’an and the Bible is quite different. The Qur’an explains it in a way that is unbiased whereas the Bible blames the woman for the first sin. The Qur’an does not believe in original sin whereas the Bible blames Adam for the sins of all mankind. This was also the belief of the Christian Arabs as this concept of original sin is the background of Trinity and crucifixion. Any other belief was completely not known or accepted by the Christians in Arabia at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
“The Life of Adam and Eve” has the story of Satan’s expulsion which is similar to the Qur’an.
13.1 The Devil answered: “Adam what are you saying to me? On account of you I was cast out from heaven.
13.2 When you were formed, I was cast out from the face of God and was sent forth from the company of the angels. When God blew into you the breath of life and your countenance and likeness were made in the image of God, Michael led you and made you worship in the sight of God. The Lord God then said: ‘Behold, Adam, I have made you in our image and likeness.’
14.1 Having gone forth Michael called all the angels saying: ‘Worship the image of the Lord God, just as the Lord God has commanded.’
14.2 Michael himself worshipped first then he called me and said: ‘Worship the image of God Jehovah.‘
14.3 I answered: ‘I do not have it within me to worship Adam.’ When Michael compelled me to worship, I said to him: ‘Why do you compel me? I will not worship him who is lower and posterior to me. I am prior to that creature. Before he was made, I had already been made. He ought to worship me.’15.1 Hearing this, other angels who were under me were unwilling to worship him.
15.2 Michael said: ‘Worship the image of God. If you do not worship, the Lord God will grow angry with you.’
15.3 said: ‘If he grows angry with me, I will place my seat above the stars of heaven and I will be like the Most High.’
16.1 Then the Lord God grew angry with me and sent me forth with my angels from our glory. On account of you we were expelled from our dwelling into this world and cast out upon the earth.
Important to Note: Satan speaks of some Angels under him. It is knows that Angels are under the command of God and these Angels under Satan are some other beings as Satan is their in-charge. These so-called angels are actually Jinn as mentioned in the Qur’an.
Adam created in God’s image:
Muslim (2612) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When any one of fights his brother, let him avoid the face, for Allah created Adam in His image.”
[Qur’an 2:34] And when We told the angels to prostrate before Adam, they all fell prostrate except Iblees _ (the Shaitan). He refused and displayed arrogance. He was the disbeliever!
We certainly created you, and then gave you (a human) form. Then, We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam (in homage).” They all bowed down (to the ground) except Iblees _ (the Shaitan). He was not among those who fell prostrate.
(We) asked, “What kept you away? Why did you not fall prostrate when I commanded you?” (He) said, “I am better than he. You created me from fire while You have created him out of clay!”
(We) said, “Come off it! You have no right (or reason) to (fancy and) flaunt your (imagined) eminence. Get out! You are among the disgraced (and banished).”
(Shaitan) said, “Grant me time till the day they are raised (back to life)!”
(Allah) said, “You are granted the time!”
(Shaitan) said, “(Lord), since You lured and led me astray, I would now lurk in ambush for them on Your straight path, (to drive them astray).”
“Then, (to deceive them) I will approach them head on, as well as from their rear, and from their right and the left sides. You will not find most of them grateful.”
(Allah) said, “Get out of here! You are despised and banished. I will definitely pack the hell with you all _ you, as well as those among them who follow you.”
“Oh Adam! You and your wife may live in paradise and eat anything here that you like. But do not come close to this one tree, or else the two of you would become the wrongdoers.”
But Shaitan whispered doubts to both of them. He wanted to expose their nakedness to them, which was kept hidden from them. He said (to them), “Your Lord forbade you (the fruit of) this tree, so you would not turn into angels or become immortal.”
He swore to the two, saying, “I am really your well-wisher.”
With deceit and deception, he brought about their fall. When they tasted the (fruit of that) tree, their nakedness became visible to them. They began to cover their nakedness with the leaves of paradise. Their Lord called out, “Didn’t I forbid you that tree? Didn’t I warn you both that Shaitan is your professed enemy?”
Both of them cried out, “Our Lord, we committed a sin against ourselves! Now, if You did not forgive us, and have mercy on us, we would surely be the losers.”
(The Lord) said, “Get out of here! Both of you _ (humans and Shaitans) _ are each other’s enemy. For a (specified) time, your abode and your provisions shall be on earth.”
“There shall you live, and there shall you die; and from there you shall be raised back to life (on the Day of Judgment).”
[Quran 7:11 – 7:24]
[Qur’an 3:175] The fact is, it is Shaitan who instills (into you) the dread of his (disciples and) allies. But don’t be afraid of them! Rather, if you are the believers, fear Me!
[Qur’an 18:50] When We ordered the Angels to prostrate themselves before Adam; they all did _ except Iblees (Shaitan). He is a jinn and he defied the command of your Lord. Yet, instead of Me (Allah) you accept him (Shaitan) and his descendants, as friends _ even though they are the enemies. Evil is the final end of the evildoers.
Recently discovered books have different dates of being written. Something written two centuries before Christ does not make it false and worthy of being thrown away. We must remember that the people at the time had many Bibles like today. Ancient times saw more Bibles than what we see today but they do not exist today due to the destruction of Jerusalem and other chaotic situations. Several sects existed each having its own books which later got lost. These recently discovered books are not called as the books of God but books by men and it is true that they have also become corrupt. Something mentioned in it could be true and it could be false but the fact that Qur’an confirms some of these stories makes them and the Qur’an true. These stories were not known to anyone at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and their being in the Qur’an is a strong proof that the Qur’an is the word of God.
Children of Adam and Eve:
The only book to give a solution to this problem is the Book of Jubilees. Let us see what the book says.
And Cain took ’Âwân his sister to be his wife and she bare him Enoch at the close of the fourth jubilee. And in the first year of the first week of the fifth jubilee, houses were built on the earth, and Cain built a city, and called its name after the name of his son Enoch. And Adam knew Eve his wife and she bare yet nine sons. And in the fifth week of the fifth jubilee Seth took ’Azûrâ his sister to be his wife, and in the fourth (year of the sixth week) she bare him Enos.
[Book of Jubilees p.52 verse 9-11]
The list of marriages and children goes on.
This is a different story of the family of Adam and Eve (peace be upon them). It attributes more children to them and gives a solution to the unanswered question about the wives and children of the children of Adam and Eve (peace be upon them).
The Islamic stance on this matter is similar. A passage from the Tafsir of Ibne Kathir on “Stories of Prophets- Prophet Adam” is posted below:
The pinnacle of earthly bliss was reached when Adam and Eve witnessed the birth of their 1st children, a set of twins. Adam was a devoted father and Eve a contented mother. The twins were Cain (Qabil) and his sister. Later Eve gave birth to a second set of twins, Abel (Habil) and his sister. The family enjoyed the bounties and fruits of the earth provided by their Lord. The children grew up to be strong and healthy young adults. Cain tilled the land while Abel raised cattle. The time arrived when the two young men desired life partners. This was part of Allah’s plan for mankind, to multiply and form nations with different cultures and colors. Allah revealed to Adam that he should marry each son to the twin sister of the other. Adam instructed his children according to Allah’s command, but Cain was displeased with the partner chosen for him, for Abel’s twin sister was not as beautiful as his own.
Both the explanations match each other and this is the only correct answer to this question. This was not known to anyone at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and whatever was known at that time can be found in present day Bibles.
One may question this explanation to be unethical and against the law of the Bible. The concern is genuine but if we analyze it, we see that the act is reasonable. The time back then was different and this was the only possible solution. Secondly, it promotes a culture of acceptance towards illegitimate children whom the Bible abuses and degrades for no fault of their own. When one abuses illegitimate people, he/she is supposed to think of his/her own lineage. The child is not responsible for the sins of the parent. Lastly, this practice of the past is not against the law of the Bible as the Bible did not exist then. Times change and laws change as well. The law of God is flexible and meant for the people. Such an act today is condemnable and one must not compare two totally different eras, cultures, needs etc.
Although this paragraph is not a part of the discussion but some foolish people have even started to claim that Arabs are not the descendants of Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him). The reason for this claim appears to be the fact that deep inside their hearts, these people know that the last Prophet of the Bible is a descendant of Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him). Therefore, in order to reject Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), they have started to reject the base behind it. This attack on the base is not a new one: the previous one being an attack on the legitimacy of Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him) which is refuted by Genesis 16:3. This claim against the Arabs is a false claim as can be seen from the verses below. These verses not just present the truth but also state the belief of the people in 2nd century BC and before.
And Ishmael and his sons, and the sons of Keturah and their sons, went together and dwelt from Paran (Makkah) to the entering in of Babylon in all the land which is towards the East facing the desert. And these mingled with each other, and their name was called Arabs, and Ishmaelite.
[Book of Jubilees p.118 verse 12-13]
Fallen Angels and the Giants:
“Fallen Angels” is a term or name given in the Bible to the beings that have a free will. Many of them are good and many have disobeyed God. “The Book of Enoch” sheds some light on these beings and their acts. The term Angel is not a good one to use for these beings. The better word is “Jinn” which is used by the Qur’an. These Jinns are created from smokeless fire, similar to Satan, and are not the same as Angels.
“The Book of Enoch” states that these Jinn married human women and gave birth to giants. The height of these giants may be exaggerated but the fact is that they were taller than humans. This section of the article compares these giants with the Gog and Maggog (Yajuj and Majuj) in the Qur’an. The Gog and Magog in the Bible are a human race but the Qur’an describes them differently.
And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms [Book of Enoch 7:1]
And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants [verse 3]
And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. [Verses 4,5]
From this, we see that these Giants were evil beings.
Let us now see what the Qur’an says:
“Surely We gave him (Prophet Dhu’I-Qarnayn) power and granted him a course (a reason) as access to every thing. So he followed a course.” (Qur’an Surat al-Kahf, 84-85)
“They said: O Dhu’I-Qarnayn! Surely Gog and Magog make mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute on condition that you should raise a barrier between us and them.” (Qur’an Surat al-Kahf, 94)
“Bring me blocks of iron; until when he had filled up the space between the two mountain sides, he said: Blow, until when he had made it (as) fire, he said: Bring memolten brass which I may pour over it.” (Qur’an Surat al-Kahf, 96)
The verse tells us that Dhu’I-Qarnayn, during the construction of the barrier between the two mountains, used iron and melted copper (some interpreters call it tar). Dhu’I-Qarnayn might have used today’s bridge construction technology when he used the iron blocks to erect the barrier. The iron pieces were put edge-to-edge and then welded to each other. This way he formed a large barrier. He might have also built a reinforced concrete bridge between the two mountains. He put additions between the iron pieces that formed this bridge and then welded them together. First the iron pieces were placed and then the melted copper (or tar) was used like a glue to hold the iron pieces together. He also formed a groove for this pasting process and the melted copper was poured from this groove. (God knows what is best) [By Harun Yahya]
This technology is similar to the one mentioned in the Book of Enoch:
And Azâzêl taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them[Book of Enoch 8:1]
“So they were not able to scale it nor could they make a hole in it.
He said: This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass He will make it level with the ground, and the promise of my Lord is ever true.” (Qur’an Surat al-Kahf, 97-98)
Dhu’I-Qarnayn literally means the two-horned one, or one belonging to the two generations or two centuries. Perhaps, Dhu’I-Qarnayn is a Prophet from among the children Jinns and humans and his name refers to his two different backgrounds. Since, it were the Jews who asked the Prophet of Islam about the description of this Prophet, therefore, their books and beliefs are somewhat relevant in determining who this Prophet really is.
There are scattered references in which Ali ibn Abi Talib gives the epithet Dhul-Qarnayn. Since Dhul-Qarnayn was a righteous ruler, this may simply be a way of praising by Ali. Al-Maqrizi also quotes Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd as saying that Ali always referred to Dhul-Qarnayn as “an angel without wings“.
The 8th century scholar Al-Jahiz also writes of Dhul-Qarnayn being born to a human mother and angelic father.
This explanation above matches exactly with the Book of Enoch.
From this it appears that Dhu’I-Qarnayn had a human mother and a fallen-angel father. He is the one who locked up all these other evil half-humans. Many Muslims believe that Gog and Magog are human races but for such a belief, the above-posted verses from the Qur’an would have to be interpreted differently and not taken literally. Literal understanding only concludes what this section of the article has presented.
Although, this is a debatable topic, this explanation does make sense.
And when their sons have slain one another, and they have seen the destruction of their beloved ones, bind them fast for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth, till the day of their judgment and of their consummation, till the judgment that is forever and ever is consummated. [Book of Enoch 10: 12,13]
The verses above from the Book of Enoch are very much similar to what the Qur’an says:
“They said: O Dhu’I-Qarnayn! Surely Gog and Magog make mischief in the land. Shall we then pay you a tribute on condition that you should raise a barrier between us and them.” (Qur’an Surat al-Kahf, 94)
“Bring me blocks of iron; until when he had filled up the space between the two mountain sides, he said: Blow, until when he had made it (as) fire, he said: Bring me molten brass which I may pour over it.” (Qur’an Surat al-Kahf, 96)
“So they were not able to scale it nor could they make a hole in it.
He said: This is a mercy from my Lord, but when the promise of my Lord comes to pass He will make it level with the ground, and the promise of my Lord is ever true.” (Qur’an Surat al-Kahf, 97-98)
If the verses of the Qur’an are to interpreted literally, then it means that the Gog and Maggog have been trapped in some valleys underground which is what the Book of Enoch also says.
And whosoever shall be condemned and destroyed will from thenceforth be bound together with them to the end of all generations. [Book of Enoch 10:14]
This verse means that they will be tied till the end and released just before the end of the world. This is similar to the Islamic beliefs.
Until the Gog and Magog (people) are let through (their barrier), and they swiftly swarm from every hill. [Qur’an 21:96]
Other sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the verses posted earlier also state that the Gog and Magog will be let loose before the end of the world.
Lady Mary and Prophet Jesus (peace be upon them)
Lady Mary’s birth:
The Qur’an mentions that Lady Mary was born to Imran and a woman whose name has not been mentioned in the Qur’an. Imran’s wife had pledged that she would give her child in the service of God and when she gave birth, she found out that it was a girl. According to the promise made, she gave the child in the service of God and to be protected from Satan.
[Qur’an 3:36] So when she brought forth, she said: My Lord! Surely I have brought it forth a female– and Allah knew best what she brought forth– and the male is not like the female, and I have named it Mary, and I commend her and her offspring into Thy protection from the accursed Satan.
Lady Mary was taken care of by Zechariah. A similar story is mentioned in “The infancy Gospel of James” and some have suggested that the Qur’an copied from it. However, this claim is based upon guesses and a careful study of the two books suggests that it is not true. The claim that Arab Christians were aware of this story is also baseless. All such claims will be answered here.
[Qur’an 3:44] This is of the announcements relating to the unseen which We reveal to you; and you were not with them when they cast their pens (to decide) which of them should have Marium in his charge, and you were not with them when they contended one with another.
First of all, the verse above from the Qur’an is very clear. These stories were something that were not known to anyone and were strange to the Arab Christians as well. If they had known these, they would have objected to this verse and would have claimed that it has been copied from them. This Gospel claims that the mother of Mary was a widow but it is also reported she had a husband named Joachim. How can both be true?
This Gospel also states that it was the mother of Mary who was barren and who prayed to God for a child. The Qur’an states that it was the mother of John the Baptist who was barren and made this prayer and that the father of John the Baptist took care of Mother Mary.
The similarity is that the mother of Mary had promised God that she would give her child in the service of God. The miraculous birth from a barren woman was actually of John the Baptist. The errors in the Gospel of James and the differences from the Qur’an prove that Qur’an is from God and that these stories were unknown which God made them known. Corruption had entered the previous books which the Qur’an has corrected.
The following verse can be found in this Gospel:
And Joachim brought the child to the priests and they blessed her, saying, “God of our ancestors, bless this child and give her name eternal fame among all generations.” [Infancy Gospel of James 6:7]
This prayer of the father of Mary has been answered by God in the Qur’an where she is referred to as the best woman and a sign for all mankind. This further proves the truthfulness of the Qur’an.
And (remember) her who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of Our spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for all peoples. [Qur’an 21:91]
Suddenly, an angel stood before her saying, “Do not be afraid Mary. You have found grace before the Lord of all. You will conceive from his word.” Upon hearing this, however, Mary was distraught, saying to herself, “If I conceive from the Lord God who lives, will I also conceive as all women conceive?” And the Angel of the Lord said, “Not like that, Mary. For the power of God will come over you. Thus, the holy one who is born will be called son of the most high. And you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” [Infancy Gospel of James 11: 5-8]
[Qur’an 3:47] She said: My Lord! When shall there be a son (born) to I me, and man has not touched me? He said: Even so, Allah creates what He pleases; when He has decreed a matter, He only says to it, Be, and it is.
[Qur’an 19:17-22] So she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our spirit, and there appeared to her a well-made man. She said: Surely I fly for refuge from you to the Beneficent God, if you are one guarding (against evil). He said: I am only a messenger of your Lord: That I will give you a pure boy. She said: When shall I have a boy and no mortal has yet touched me, nor have I been unchaste? He said: Even so; your Lord says: It is easy to Me: and that We may make him a sign to men and a mercy from Us, and it is a matter which has been decreed. So she conceived him; then withdrew herself with him to a remote place.
19:8 of the Gospel of James is a striking verse.
And I said to her, “She is Mary, the one who was raised in the temple. I won her by lot to be my wife.
This is not exactly accurate but still a wonderful verse and the Qur’an mentions a similar thing.
[Qur’an 3:44] This is part of the tidings of the things unseen, which We reveal unto thee (O Apostle!) by inspiration: You were not with them when they cast lotswith arrows, as to which of them should be charged with the care of Mary: Nor were you with them when they disputed (the point).
This verse of the Qur’an starts with explaining that these things are secret and not known to anyone at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The verse then explains that Mary was taken care of by a man decided by casting lots. The verse in the Gospel of James says the same thing but the man who took care is different.
Since, it has been proven above that this Gospel is corrupt, the story in the Qur’an is the only true one. A secret of this sort which had a corrupted and a hidden past cannot be known accurately to anyone and the fact that the Qur’an mentions it is a proof that the Qur’anic view is authentic and reliable.
A very important point to note in this book is that the writer refers to people wanting to worship Jesus (peace be upon him) as wise men (21:11). Jesus and Lady Mary (peace be upon them) never said that he was God but the writer makes the story in such a way that it appears to be a part of what really happened. These parts on worship of Jesus (peace be upon him) in fact refer to bowing down which was a custom of Israelites. The writer of this book also appears to be one with a pagan mindset. His story is filled with lies and half-truths.
Chapters 21 and 22 see a strange shift. Herod was angry at Jesus (peace be upon him) but ordered for John the Baptist to be killed. This relationship between Jesus and John (peace be upon them) has not been mentioned in this book and the way it is described makes no sense at all. This senseless narration leaves gaps that are answered by the Qur’an. John (peace be upon him)’s father took care of Lady Mary and this relationship is not to be found in this book. This book puts Joseph in the place of Zechariah and errors prove that the Islamic story is the correct one. The Gospel mentions that mountain split up to protect and hide John the Baptist (22:8).
The writer has left many unanswered questions and large gaps. What happened to John the Baptist? Why was his father killed and not he? Why were the authorities after him?
These answers can be found in Islamic traditions.
Ibne Kathir writes in his Tafsir regarding the life of John the Baptist:
A conflict took place between John and the authorities at that time. A tyrant king, Herod Antipas, the ruler of Palestine, was in love with Salome, his brother’s daughter. He was planning to marry his beautiful niece. The marriage was encouraged by her mother and by some of the learned men of Zion, either out of fear or to gain favor with the ruler.On hearing the ruler’s plan, John pronounced that such a marriage would be incestuous. He would not approve it under any circumstance, as it was against the Law of the Torah.John’s pronouncement spread like wildfire. Salome was angry, for it was her ambition to rule the kingdom with her uncle. She plotted to achieve her aim. Dressing attractively, she sang and danced before her uncle. Her arousing Herod’s lust. Embracing her, he offered to fulfill whatever she desired. At once she told him: “I would love to have the head of John, because he has defiled your honor and mine throughout the land. If you grant me this wish, I shall be very happy and will offer myself to you.” Bewitched by her charm, he submitted to her monstrous request.John was executed and his head was brought to Salome. The cruel woman gloated with delight. But the death of Allah’s beloved prophet was avenged. Not only she, but also all the children of Israel were severely punished by invading armies that destroyed their kingdom.
The questions and the gaps have been answered by this tradition posted above.
Childhood of Jesus (peace be upon him):
Childhood stories of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) can only be found in “The infancy Gospel of Thomas” and the Qur’an.
It is argued that “The infancy Gospel of Thomas” is not a very good book to learn about the childhood of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him). It is claimed that this book must have been written by someone who did not like the Jews, as the language is quite anti-Jewish. The stories existed but were not known to anyone at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and therefore whatever matches can be accepted as the truth. The state of the writer cannot be known but he shows Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) as a spoiled brat with no respect for authority. However, the entire book cannot be dismissed without valid reason. The entire problem here seems to be the writer rather than Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), as he seems to be putting in his own pagan beliefs about Jesus (peace be upon him) and exaggerating.
The writer states the story in a way that is against the existing Jewish beliefs. For example, in 17:4, the people think that Jesus is God without any valid reason whereas from the New Testament, we know that the Jews considered such a claim as blasphemy and worthy of being punished with death by stoning. The writer keeps on saying that whenever people were amazed with the miracles of Jesus (peace be upon him), they worshipped him.
This can be seen to be false as Jesus (peace be upon) did the same to his parents in19:11. The worship here is referring to prostrating and it was ancient Israeli custom that did not equal to worship but was practiced for respect. This clearly shows that the beliefs of the writer are pagan and he narrates the story with half-truths. Personally, I have no problems with the attitude shown of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) due to the fact that the people at that time were very hypocritical and mass slaughter of Prophets was common.
Even if Jesus (peace be upon him) did whatever is mentioned and used such a language, it is completely acceptable as God did all miracles through him and God knows best.
A miracle of Jesus (peace be upon him) has been mentioned in this book as follows:
And after he made clay, he molded twelve sparrows from it. [2:3]
Jesus, however, clapped his hands and shouted to the sparrows, “Depart, fly, and remember me now that you are alive.” And the sparrows departed shrieking. [2:6]
This miracle is not found in any other book than the Qur’an:
Then will Allah say: “O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favor to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the Holy Spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold! You made out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathed into it and it became a bird by My leave, and thou healed those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave. And behold! you brought forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) you when you did show them the clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: ‘This is nothing but evident magic.’ [Qur’an 5:110]
In this chapter, Joseph is referred to as the father of Jesus (peace be upon him) but we know from 5:6 that Jesus (peace be upon him) is not the literal son of Joseph.Do you not know that I am not yours? Do not trouble me.Jesus (peace be upon him) must have referred to him as father as Joseph took care of him and his mother and provided for them, not necessarily marrying Lady Mary (peace be upon her).
This same Gospel also records another miracle of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), which can be found in no other book than the Qur’an:
And (make him) an apostle to the children of Israel: That I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I determine for you out of dust like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird with Allah’s permissionand I heal the blind and the leprous, and bring the dead to life with Allah’s permission and I inform you of what you should eat and what you should store in your houses; most surely there is a sign in this for you, if you are believers. [Qur’an 3:49]
Then, the Jews who were present and heard Jesus were amazed and said, “What a strange and remarkable event. The child is only five years old and already he says such things. For we never heard anyone who speaks words like this child does.” [6:9]
10:4 refers to Jesus (peace be upon him) as having spirit of God. The Qur’an also refers to him as a spirit proceeding from God in 4:171.
And after three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the middle of the teachers and listening to the law and questioning them. Everyone paid attention to him and was amazed at how this child was questioning the elders and teachers of the people so closely, interpreting the chief points of the law and parables of the prophets. [19:4-5]
This story can also be found in the Gospel of Barnabas.
The third day they found the child in the temple, in the midst of the doctors, disputing with them concerning the law. And every one was amazed at his questions and answers, saying: “How can there be such doctrine in him, seeing he is so small and hath not learned to read?’
Crucifixion:
Other books for which Christian scholars have no refutations for and ones which they do not even deny at all, confirm the Qur’an. Christian missionaries have written much about the alleged death of Jesus (peace be upon him) in the Qur’an but have said nothing about him being saved in other scholarly-accepted books.
Extracts from the apocalypse of Peter:
When he said those things, I saw him seemingly being seized by them. And I said “What do I see, O Lord, that it is you yourself whom they take, and that you are grasping me? Or who is this one, glad and laughing on the tree? And is it another one whose feet and hands they are striking?”The Savior said to me, “He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, this is the living Jesus. But this one into whose hands and feet they drive the nails is his fleshly part, which is the substitute being put to shame, the one who came into being in his likeness. But look at him and me.”"These things, then, which you saw you shall present to those ofanother race who are not of this age.
This is similar to the Qur’an:
That they rejected Faith; That they uttered against Mary A grave false charge; That they said (in boast): ‘We killed Christ Jesus The son of Mary, The Messenger of Allah.’ But they killed him not, Nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. Nay, Allah raised him up Unto Himself; and Allah Is Exalted in Power, Wise. And there is none of the people of the book (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (Jesus) Before his death; And on the Day of Judgment He (Jesus) will be a witness Against them.
[Quran, 4:156-159]
Another race not of this age:
[Qur’an 61:6] And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: “O Children of Israel! I am the apostle of God (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of an Apostle to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.” But when he came to them with Clear Signs, they said, “this is evident sorcery!”
When one reads the Qur’an with an open mind, the truth will be seen. If the mind is set to satanic paganism, then definitely one will see contradictions where there are none.
Gary Miller writes in “The amazing Qur’an”:
Recently, the leading intellectual in the Catholic Church – a man by the name of Hans – studied the Qur’an and gave his opinion of what he had read. This man has been around for some time, and he is highly respected in the Catholic Church, and after careful scrutiny, he reported his findings, concluding, “God has spoken to man through the man, Muhammad.” Again this is a conclusion arrived at by a non-Muslim source – the very leading intellectual of the Catholic Church himself!
Everything points towards Islam as the true religion of God Almighty.