Is Islam the Continuation of Christianity?

Taken from islamonline.net
07/Dec/2003

Question: The Muslim religion came after the Christian religion. Is it a continuation of the Christian religion? If so, why does it deny the 'main points' of the Christian religion? Like Christians believe that Jesus is God or the son of God.

Answered by Nabil Haroun

Thank you for your question.

Let me first correct your statement that “Islam is a continuation of Christianity”. On the contrary, it can be proved that Islam came to correct the deviations of Christianity away from the original message, which was basically Islam. It is by which all Prophets were sent, starting with Adam to the seal of prophets, Muhammad, peace be upon them all.

This can be verified through a careful unbiased reading of the Bible itself. The Bible is a collection of human books documenting the traditions of the Israelites and early Christians. Hence, they are not the word of God. Yet, whatever attributed therein to either Moses or Jesus can be shown to directly nullify the major beliefs advocated by the Christian Churches.

God – in the Bible - is “One” according to the following examples:
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is One Lord.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.” (Deuteronomy 4:39)

“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is One Lord: (Mark 12:29)

“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve. (Matthews 4:10)

Regarding the so-called “divine sonship” of Jesus, Jesus himself referred to God as “Father”, i.e. Guardian, Provider, Cherisher … etc. for all people, including Jesus:

“And he said unto them: ‘When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.’” (Luke 11:2)

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthews 5: 9)

“That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly.” (Matthews 6:4)

“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them: ‘I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.’” (John 20:17)

Jesus even repeatedly – in the Bible - referred to himself as the “son of Man”:

“And Jesus saith unto him: ‘The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the son of Man hath not where to lay his head.’” (Matthews 8:20)

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of Man be lifted up.” (John 3:14)

Actually, the claimed “original sin and atonement” contradicts the Bible:

“The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers. Every man shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16)

“But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.” (Jeremiah 31:30)

“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” (Ezkiel 18:20)

It is a fact that children are born sinless, so the “original sin” cannot be inherited:

“But Jesus said: ‘Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’” (Matthews 19:14)

Why then should God – unjustly - sacrifice his “alleged” son to die on the cross and be raised from among the dead, for the salvation of all humanity? Here again we are faced with a contradiction to the sayings of Jesus:

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” (Matthews 7:1-2)

It was Paul, not Jesus, who advocated these claims, against the original teachings of Jesus:

“Then was Saul [Paul] certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:19-20)

“And some said: ‘What will this babbler [Paul] say?’ Other some: ‘He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.’” (Acts 17:18)

“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my [Paul’s] gospel.” (2 Timothy 2:8)

To conclude, Islam accepts and is the completed final version of the previous messages originally revealed to Moses and Jesus, as well as Abraham, Noah …etc.

In the Qur’an, Allah Almighty says what means:
*{Surely the religion in the providence of Allah is Islam. And in no way did the ones to whom the Book brought differ [among themselves] except even after the knowledge came to them, being inequitable among themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the signs of Allah, then surely Allah is Swift in the reckoning.}* (Aal `Imran 3:19)

Thus, Islam is the final message to remain preserved intact to the end-of-time. Allah also says what means:
*{Surely We, Ever We, have been sending down the Remembrance, and surely We are indeed Preservers of it.}* (Qur’an Al-Hijr 15:9)

I hope my answer is satisfactory.

Salam.

Useful reading:
(1) Unity of Divine Revelations

(2) Islam and Christianity; Common Grounds…

(3) From the Same God, Why Are They Different?

(4) Is Jesus God?