Chapter Six : Answer to Christian Dilemmas

“Christ in Islam” is really Christ in the Quran: and the HolyQuran has something definite to say about every aberration ofChristianity.The Quran absolves Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, from all thefalse charges of his enemies as well as the misplaced infatuation ofhisfollowers. His enemies allege that he blasphemed against God byclaimingDivinity. His misguided followers claim that he did avow Divinity, butthat was not blasphemy because he was God. What does the Quran say ?

Addressing both the Jews and the Christians, Allah says:

“O People of the Book! commit no excesses in your religion: norsay of Allah (God) aught but the truth. Christ Jesus son of Mary was(nomore than) a messenger of Allah (God), and His Word, which he bestowedon Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah (God)andHis messengers…” (4:171)

Going to Extremes

“O People of the Book” is a very respectful title with whichthe Jews and the Christians are addressed in the Holy Quran. In otherwords,Allah is saying “O Learned People!”, “O People with a Scripture!”According to their own boast, the Jews and the Christians pridedthemselvesover the Arabs, who had no Scripture before the Quran. As a learnedpeople,Allah pulls up both the contending religionists for going to eitherextremesas regards the personality of Christ.

The Jews made certain insinuations about the legitimacy of Jesus andcharged him of blasphemy by twisting his words. The Christians readothermeanings into his words; wrench words out of their context to make himGod.

The modern day Christian, the hot – gospeller, the Bible thumper,usesharsher words and cruder approaches to win over a convert to hisblasphemies.

He says:(a) “Either Jesus is God or a liar” (b) “Either Jesus is God or a lunatic” (c) “Either Jesus is God or an impostor”

These are his words, words culled from Christian literature. Sincenoman of charity, Muslim or otherwise, can condemn Christ so harshly astheChristian challenges him to do, perforce he must keep non-committal. Hethinks he must make a choice between one or the other of these sillyextremes.It does not occur to him that there is an alternative to this Christianconundrum.

Sensible Alternative

Is it not possible that Jesus is simply what he claimed to be, aprophet,like so many other prophets that passed away before him? Even that heisone of the greatest of them, a mighty miracle worker, a great spiritualteacher and guide – the Messiah!. Why only God or Lunatic? Is”lunacy”the opposite of “Divinity” in Christianity? What is the antonymof God? Will some clever Christian answer?

The Quran lays bare the true position of Christ in a single verse,followedby a note by Yusuf Ali’s:

1. “That he was the son of a woman, Mary, and therefore a man;”
2. “But a messenger, a man with a mission from Allah (God), andthereforeentitled to honor.”
3. “A Word bestowed on Mary, for he was created by Allah’s word’Be’,and he was;”(3:59).
4. A spirit proceeding from Allah (God), but not Allah: his life andmissionwere more limited than in the case of some other messengers, though wemust pay equal honor to him as a prophet of Allah. The doctrines ofTrinity,equality with God, and sons, are repudiated as blasphemies. Allah (God)is independent of all needs and has no need of a son to manage Hisaffairs.The Gospel of John (whoever wrote it) has put a great deal ofAlexandrianGnostic mysticism round the doctrine of the Word (Greek, Logos), but itis simply explained here.”

Jesus Questioned

Reproduced below are verses 119 to 121 from the Chapter of Maeda(chapter5 of the Quran) depicting the scene of Judgment Day, when Allah willquestionJesus, peace and blessings be upon him, regarding the misdirected zealof his supposed followers in worshipping him and his mother: and hisresponse,

“And behold! Allah will say: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary! Didstthou say unto men, take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah?’ Hewill say: ‘Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (tosay).Had I said such a thing, Thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thouknowestwhat is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowestin full all that is hidden.

‘Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me tosay, to wit, ‘Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord’; and I was awitnessover them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when Thou didst take me up Thouwast the Watcher over them, and Thou art a witness to all things.

‘If Thou dost punish them, they are Thy servant: If Thou dostforgivethem, Thou art the Exalted in power, the Wise.'” (5:116-118)

Claimed No Divinity

If this is the statement of truth from the All-Knowing, that “Neversaid I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say, to wit,’Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord'”, then how do the Christiansjustify worshipping Jesus?

There is not a single unequivocal statement throughout the Bible, inall its 66 volumes of the Protestant versions, or in the 73 volumes ofthe Roman Catholic versions, where Jesus claims to be God or where hesays”worship me”. Nowhere does he say that he and God Almighty “areone” and “the same person.”

The last phrase above “one and the same person” tickles manya “hot-gospeller” and “Bible-thumper,” not excludingthe Doctor of Divinity and the Professor of Theology. Even the newconvertsto Christianity have memorized these verses. They are programmed torattleoff verses out of context, upon which they can hang their faith. Thewords”are one” activates the mind by association of memories. “Yes”,say the Trinitarians, the worshippers of three gods in one God, and oneGod in three gods, “Jesus did claim to be God!” Where?

Reverend at the Table

I had taken Rev. Morris D.D. and his wife, to lunch at the “GoldenPeacock.” While at the table, during the course of our mutual sharingof knowledge, the opportunity arose to ask, “Where?” And withouta murmur he quoted, “I and my father are one” to implythat God and Jesus were one and the same person. That Jesus here claimsto be God. The verse quoted was well known to me, but it was beingquotedout of context. It did not carry the meaning that the Doctor wasimagining, so I asked him, “What is the context?”

Choked on “Context”

The Reverend stopped eating and began staring at me. I said, “Why?Don’t you know the context?”, “You see, what you have quotedis the text, I want to know the context, the text that goes with it,beforeor after.” Here was an Englishman (Canadian), a paid servant of thePresbyterian Church, a Doctor of Divinity, and it appeared that I wastryingto teach him English. Of course he knew what “context” meant.But like the rest of his compatriots, he had not studied the sense inwhichJesus had uttered the words.

In my forty years of experience, this text had been thrown at mehundredsof times, but not a single learned Christian had ever attempted tohazarda guess as to its real meaning. They always start fumbling for theirBibles.The Doctor did not have one with him. When they do start going fortheirBibles, I stop them in their stride: “Surely, you know what you arequoting?”, “Surely, you know your Bible?” After readingthis, I hope some “born-again” Christians will rectify this deficiency.But I doubt that my Muslim readers will ever come across one in theirlifetimewho could give them the context.

What is the Context?

It is unfair on the part of the Reverend, having failed to providethecontext, then to ask me, “Do you know the context?” “Ofcourse,” I said. “Then, what is it?” asked my learned friend.I said, “That which you have quoted is the text of John chapter 10,verse 30. To get at the context, we have to begin from verse 23 whichreads:

23. “and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’sColonnade.” (John 10:23).

John, or whoever he was, who wrote this story, does not tell us thereason for Jesus tempting the Devil by walking alone in the lion’s den.For we do not expect the Jews to miss a golden opportunity to get evenwith Jesus. Perhaps, he was emboldened by the manner in which he hadliterallywhipped the Jews single-handed in the Temple, and upset the tables ofthemoney changers at the beginning of his ministry (John 2:15).

24. “The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How longwill you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”(John 10:24).

They surrounded him. Brandishing their fingers in his face, theybeganaccusing him and provoking him; saying that he had not put forth hisclaimplainly enough, clearly enough. That he was talking ambiguously. Theyweretrying to work themselves into a frenzy to assault him. In fact, theirreal complaint was that they did not like his method of preaching, hisinvectives, the manner in which he condemned them for their formalism,their ceremonialism, their going for the letter of the law andforgettingthe spirit. But Jesus could not afford to provoke them any furthertherewere too many and they were itching for a fight.

Discretion is the better part of valor. In a conciliatory spirit,befittingthe occasion:

25. “Jesus answered, I did tell you, but you do notbelieve.The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me,” 26. “but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.”(John 10:25-26).

Jesus rebuts the false charge of his enemies that he was ambiguousinhis claims to being the Messiah that they were waiting for. He saysthathe did tell them clearly enough, yet they would not listen to him, but:

27. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and theyfollow me.” 28. “I give them eternal life, and they shall neverperish;no one can snatch them out of my hand.” 29. “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater thanall; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand..” (John10:29).

How can anyone be so blind as not to see the exactness of the endingof the last two verses. But spiritual blinkers are more impervious thanphysical defects. He is telling the Jews and recording for posterity,thereal unity or relationship between the Father and the son. The mostcrucialverse:

30. “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30).

One in what? In their Omniscience? In their Nature? In theirOmnipotence?No! One in purpose! That once a believer has accepted faith, theMessengersees to it that he remains in faith, and God Almighty also sees to itthathe remains in faith. This is the purpose of the “Father” andthe “son” and the “Holy Ghost” and ofevery man and every woman of faith. Let the same John explainhisGnostic mystic verbiage.

“That they all may be one as thou. Father, art in me, andI in thee, that they also may be one in us…”

“I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one…”(John17:20-22)

If Jesus is “one” with God, and if that “oneness”makes him God, then the traitor Judas, and the doubting Thomas, and thesatanic Peter, plus the other nine who deserted him when he was most inneed are God(s), because the same “oneness” which he claimedwith God in John 10:30, now he claims for all “who forsookhim and fled” (Mark 14:50). All “ye of little faith”(Matthew 8:26). All “O faithless and perverse generation”(Luke 9:41). Where and when will the Christian blasphemy end? Theexpression”I and my Father are one,” was very innocent, meaning nothingmore than a common purpose with God. But the Jews were looking fortroubleand any excuse will not do, therefore,

31. “Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him,”32. “but Jesus said to them, I have shown you many greatmiracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” 33. “The Jews answered him, saying : ‘For a good work westone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man,makest thyself a God.'” (John 10:31-33).

In verse 24 above the Jews falsely alleged that Jesus was talkingambiguously.When that charge was ably refuted, they then accused him of blasphemywhichis like treason in the spiritual realm. So they say that Jesus isclaimingto be God “I and the Father are one”. The Christians agree withthe Jews in this that Jesus did make such a claim; but differ in thatitwas not blasphemy because the Christians say that he was God and wasentitledto own up to his Divinity.

The Christians and the Jews are both agreed that the utterance isserious.To one as an excuse for good “redemption”, and to the other asan excuse for good “riddance”. Between the two, let the poorJesus die. But Jesus refuses to co-operate in this game, so:

34. “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your Law,`I have said you are gods’?” 35. “If he called them `gods,’ to whom the word of Godcame –and the Scripture cannot be broken–,” 36. “what about the one whom the Father set apart as hisvery own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me ofblasphemybecause I said, `I am God’s Son’?” (John 10:34-36).

Why “Your Law”?

He is a bit sarcastic in verse 34, but in any event, why does hesay:”Your Law”? Is it not also his Law? Didn’t he say: “Thinknot that I am come to destroy the Law of the prophets: I amcomenot to destroy, but to fulfill (the Law). For verily I say unto you,tillheaven and earth pass away, one Jot or one tittle shall in no wise passfrom the Law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:1718).

“You are Gods”

“You are gods:” He is obviously quoting from the 82nd Psalm, verse 6, “I have said, ye are gods: and all of you are thechildren of the most High.”

Jesus, continues: “If he (i.e. God Almighty) called them gods,unto whom the word of God came (meaning that the prophets of God werecalled’gods’) and the scripture cannot be broken…” (John 10:35), in otherwords he is saying: “you can’t contradict me!” Jesus knows hisScripture; he speaks with authority; and he reasons with his enemiesthat:”If good men, holy men, prophets of God are being addressed as ‘gods’in our Books of Authority, with which you find no fault, then why doyoutake exception to me? When the only claim I make for myself is farinferiorin our language, viz. ‘A son of God’ as against others being called’gods’by God Himself. Even if I (Jesus) described myself as ‘god’ in ourlanguage,according to Hebrew usage, you could find no fault with me.” Thisis the plain reading of Christian Scripture. I am giving nointerpretationsof my own or some esoteric meaning to words!