Common Questions

Do Muslims accept Jesus Christ?

They do accept and revere him as a Prophet of extremely high rank, and as one of the most important figures in human history. They do not regard him as the only begotten Son of God.

No person who rejects Jesus Christ can be properly called a Muslim. Practitioners of the Religion are obliged to accept, and show deference and respect to the mission of Jesus Christ—just as they are obliged to accept, and show deference and respect to the missions of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Lot, and other familiar Prophets of the Bible. The lives and experiences of these remarkable men (and, interestingly, of the Virgin Mary) are set out in great detail in the Qur’an.

Do Muslims accept the Bible?

Muslims believe, and have held as a matter of faith for many centuries, that the text of the Christians Bible, including the four ‘official’ Gospels, was corrupted over the centuries by short-sighted human beings who had their eyes set on temporal gains (such as political or social influence).

This is also the view of the best modern scholars of the Biblical texts. In the various texts of the Gospels alone—texts that are, by the way, written in Greek, and not in the Aramaic that was actually spoken by Jesus—there are over three thousand textual disagreements, and clear evidence of extensive alteration by many hands over a period of many years.

Muslims regard the Qur’an as the unaltered Word of the Living God. They do not place the Bible in this category.

Does the Qur’an condone or encourage violence against innocent people?

No. It expressly forbids such actions. It also expressly forbids suicide. Disobeying its instructions on either of these points is a grave sin that exposes one’s soul to the prospect of eternal hellfire.

Did the Prophet Muhammad teach hatred or intolerance?

No. He taught precisely the contrary. A famous saying of his is: ‘There shall be no harm for harm, no revenge for revenge.’ He may be the only political figure in history who, on assuming the role of emperor, proceeded to grant general amnesty to factions that he knew full well had plotted his assassination. He also vigorously protected the religious rights of non-Muslim groups under his protection.

Why don’t Muslims excommunicate people who seem to violate (or seem to advocate the violation of) these teachings?

There is nothing to excommunicate them from. There is no hierarchy or mediator within the Religion; believers are individually accountable for their own decisions to obey, or to disregard, God’s instructions.

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