From the Muslim perspective, Muhammad did one thing that makes him greater: he was the one chosen to bring the Qur’an to the world.

Okay, for the first time since I started reading this series I am a bit confused. If this is true, that what makes Mohammad greatest is his delivery of the Quran to the world, but:

In Islamic tradition both the Torah and the Gospel were identical in substance with the Qur’an before they was corrupted by the perverse and unbelieving followers of Moses and Jesus.

Then, wouldn’t that mean that both Moses and Jesus delivered the equally perfect book from Allah to their followers and only their followers corrupted it? If so, wouldn’t that place Moses and Jesus on at least equal footing with Mohammad? Wouldn’t the fact that Moses was the FIRST man chosen by Allah to deliver his book to the people of the world argue for Moses being the “greatest” since he was the first chosen and Mohammad was only a last resort?

I think Mohammad has created the least perfect knot in all of history, unravel a single thread and the whole thing just falls apart.

“From the Muslim perspective, Muhammad did one thing that makes him greater: he was the one chosen to bring the Qur’an to the world.”

Robert Spencer on April 13, 2008 at 4:15 PM

Mo is greater than Abraham, Moses and Jesus because he was successful where they all failed?

“Islamic societies have always tended toward authoritarianism and never been hospitable to democracy.”

Is democracy, with its emphasis on freedom and individual choice, consistent in any way, shape or form, with any shade of Islam? Is it possible for an Islamic society to accept and implement Western-style democracy?

Thank you sir!

He most certainly did understand himself as a prophet. This entire sura is a defense of his prophetic role

Thank you so much. This is not what I had understood previously, that he thought of himself as a prophet. And that answers my question, this sura is a defense of what he believed was his role.

Why would an all-knowing God/Allah be asking questions of Jesus (or anyone else, for that matter)? Wouldn’t God/Allah already know exactly what Jesus had done?

Yes, he would. The fact that Allah asks Jesus a question about what Jesus did poses no difficulty for Muslims in believing in Allah’s omniscience. It’s just like Genesis 3:9 and 3:13, in which the Lord questions Adam and Eve about what they have done — and this poses no difficulty for Jews and Christians who believe in the divine omniscience. In both cases, the deity is understood as asking what he already knows in order to elicit a particular response from the one he is questioning, or to illustrate a particular point.

Did Muhammad ever claim to be a greater prophet than Jesus?

Not that I can recall, but he didn’t claim to be a lesser one either. The idea that he is greater comes from his connection to the final and perfect revelation, the Qur’an, and from his connection to the best of people, the Muslims, a la Qur’an 3:110.

Is there any reason given in the Qur’an for why God/Allah chose Jesus to triumph over Satan at the end times, as opposed to another prophet, such as Muhammad?

No. From a historical standpoint, as opposed to a pious Muslim standpoint, this is probably attributable to Muhammad’s being aware of Christian traditions about the Second Coming of Christ, which he attempted to work into his schema.

In Qur’an 5:116 Allah asks Jesus if he told his followers to worship his mother and himself as gods along with Allah.

Another question (and by the way, thank you very much for answering our questions, Mr. Spencer):

Why would an all-knowing God/Allah be asking questions of Jesus (or anyone else, for that matter)? Wouldn’t God/Allah already know exactly what Jesus had done?

He most certainly did understand himself as a prophet.

Did Muhammad ever claim to be a greater prophet than Jesus?

Is there any reason given in the Qur’an for why God/Allah chose Jesus to triumph over Satan at the end times, as opposed to another prophet, such as Muhammad?

Is Mohammed speaking of himself in this book?

The entire Qur’an is Allah speaking to Muhammad. If you look at verses 4, 24, 42 and 45 of this sura, and many other similar verses in other chapters, you’ll see Allah telling Muhammad to say various things to his detractors or to the unbelievers in general. Of course, all this comes from the testimony of Muhammad that Allah was indeed speaking to him, so in a sense, yes, it is Muhammad speaking of himself.

He did not regard himself a prophet as I understand it, but others assigned that title to him later?

He most certainly did understand himself as a prophet. This entire sura is a defense of his prophetic role, as it tells the stories of the prophets in ways that Muhammad’s hearers would understand as analogous to his own situation.

And is the rejection of a multiplicity in a god a rejection of the Trinity in Christianity? Or did they simply not understand it?

Islam rejects the Christian Trinity, and does not understand it. In Qur’an 5:116 Allah asks Jesus if he told his followers to worship his mother and himself as gods along with Allah. This strongly suggests that Muhammad thought the Trinity consisted of Allah, Jesus, and Mary.

But, a question for you, R.S. If ’shirk’ is such a great sin and not tolerated, who is this ‘We’ that is mentioned repeatedly in V. 6-9. Are there other examples in the koran of allah being plural?

Allah refers to himself as “We” all through the Qur’an, in many, many places. Never “I,” always “We.” But Muslim commentators unanimously insist that this is just a royal “We,” and does not in any sense imply a multiplicity. Allah is an absolute unity.

If Muslims believe in Christ, the virgin birth and the prophets of the OT, how can they believe Mo was greater than Christ or any of the OT prophets? What did Mo do that was so god like or even great?

From the Muslim perspective, Muhammad did one thing that makes him greater: he was the one chosen to bring the Qur’an to the world.

Am I to understand, from Verse 17, that Allah could create for himself, a son had he so chosen?

That does seem to be the implication here, although elsewhere, as we have seen, the Qur’an states emphatically that to have a son would offend Allah’s transcendent majesty. The assumption seems to be that if he had a son, it would be because he needed a helper, and that would mean he wasn’t all-powerful.

The Islamic philosopher Avicenna refused to believe that Allah created the universe ex-nihilo so if Allah were gone would we live in Spinoza’s pantheist paradise?

I don’t see why we would.

But wasn’t one of the “earlier prophets” Jesus (Isa), according to the Muslims? So are they now claiming that Jesus was just an “ordinary” man? I know they acknowledge Jesus was born to a virgin mother and that he was faultless (features that certainly don’t apply to “ordinary men”), but do Muslims acknowledge the many miracles that the Bible attributes to Jesus (e.g., that he walked on water, fed thousands with a few loaves and fishes, turned water into wine, healed lepers, restored sight to the blind, raised Lazarus from the dead, etc.). If so, that certainly seems to further contradict the notion that “the earlier prophet” Jesus was just an “ordinary” man.

Muslims generally don’t read the Bible, as they believe it to be corrupted. But they wouldn’t have any problem with Jesus working miracles. The Qur’an is clear that Jesus worked miracles, as we shall see. But this was a privilege given him by Allah, in their view, and not a sign that he was anything but an ordinary man. Likewise also the Virgin Birth and sinlessness — privileges from Allah, but no indication that he was anything more than a human being.

We’re going to see millions of muslims quit islam and/or convert to Christ

Tony737 on April 13, 2008 at 9:35 AM

Wow. I certainly have not heard about this backlash in the msm or the blogs. Rod on April 13, 2008 at 2:32 PM

I have now. Good read on Muslims Leaving Islam in Droves

“The original religion of all the prophets was Islam, and when someone claims to follow one of those prophets – Abraham, Moses, Jesus – but rejects Islam, he is rejecting the true message of those prophets in favor of a later corrupted version.”

Regular readers of this lesson have heard that assessment before; ie: cut no slack for the dupes of other religions.

But, a question for you, R.S. If ‘shirk’ is such a great sin and not tolerated, who is this ‘We’ that is mentioned repeatedly in V. 6-9. Are there other examples in the koran of allah being plural?

Thanks again for another good lesson.

We are witnessing a youth backlash against islam in muslim
countries … We’re going to see millions of muslims quit islam and/or convert to Christ

Tony737 on April 13, 2008 at 9:35 AM

Wow. I certainly have not heard about this backlash in the msm or the blogs. I pray it’s happening. Robert, do you see any signs of an uprising against the Islamic faith?

“We hurl the Truth against falsehood, and it KNOCKS OUT IT’S BRAIN, and behold, falsehood doth perish!”

Gee, what a peaceful image, eh?

In Islamic tradition both the Torah and the Gospel were identical in substance with the Qur’an before they was corrupted by the perverse and unbelieving followers of Moses and Jesus.

A very clever ploy. Never mind that it may be little man Mo who has corrupted earlier teachings.

Another great lesson Robert. Thanks.

The Islamic philosopher Avicenna refused to believe that Allah created the universe ex-nihilo so if Allah were gone would we live in Spinoza’s pantheist paradise?

The unbelievers claim that Muhammad is bringing witchcraft, and assume that to be a prophet he would have to be “more than a man like yourselves” (v. 3). But the earlier prophets were just ordinary men, as the unbelievers can discover by asking the Jews and Christians (“those who possess the Message”).

But wasn’t one of the “earlier prophets” Jesus (Isa), according to the Muslims? So are they now claiming that Jesus was just an “ordinary” man? I know they acknowledge Jesus was born to a virgin mother and that he was faultless (features that certainly don’t apply to “ordinary men”), but do Muslims acknowledge the many miracles that the Bible attributes to Jesus (e.g., that he walked on water, fed thousands with a few loaves and fishes, turned water into wine, healed lepers, restored sight to the blind, raised Lazarus from the dead, etc.). If so, that certainly seems to further contradict the notion that “the earlier prophet” Jesus was just an “ordinary” man.