Shining God’s Light on the Koran

Today, Sam once again returns to his on-going series which contrasts the Judeo-Christian Bible with the Islamic Koran on a variety of topics. He aims the beam of the Biblical laser on the Koran to expose, to reveal what it really says. See his previous articles here.

Jesus Of Nazareth: Is He Begotten or Not Begotten by God?

Both the Koran and the Holy Bible claim Mary to be the mother of Jesus, and that He was conceived. However, beyond that fact there is not much agreement between the two texts.

THE KORANIC ACCOUNT

Those who say: ‘The Lord of Mercy has begotten a son,’ preach a monstrous falsehood, at which the very heavens might crack, the earth split asunder, and the mountains crumble to dust. That they should ascribe a son to the Merciful, when it does not become the Lord of Mercy to beget one! (1)

And you shall recount in the Book the story of Mary: how she left her people and betook herself to a solitary place to the east.

We sent to her Our spirit in the semblance of a full-grown man. And when she saw him she said: ‘May the Merciful defend me from you! If you fear the Lord, (leave me and go your way).’

‘I am but your Lord’s emissary,’ he replied. ‘and have come to give you a holy son.’

‘How shall I bear a child.’ She answered, ‘when I have neither been touched by any man nor ever been unchaste?’

‘Thus did your Lord speak,’ he replied. ‘’’That is easy enough for Me. He shall be a sign to mankind and a blessing from Ourself. Our decree shall come to pass.’’’

Thereupon she conceived him, and retired to a far-off place. And when she felt the throes of childbirth she lay down by the trunk of the palm-tree crying: ‘Oh, would that I had died before this and passed into oblivion!’

But a voice from below cried out to her: ‘Do not despair. Your Lord has provided a brook that runs at your feet, and if you shake the trunk of the palm-tree it will drop fresh ripe dates in your lap. Therefore eat and drink and rejoice; and should you meet any mortal say to him: ‘’I have vowed a fast to the Merciful and will not speak with any man today.’’’

Carrying the child, she came to her people, who said to her: ‘Mary, this is indeed a strange thing! Sister of Aaron,’ your father was never a whore-monger, nor was your mother a harlot.’

She made a sign to them , pointing to the child. But they replied: ‘How can we speak with a babe in the cradle?’

Whereupon he spoke and said: ‘I am the servant of God. He has given me the Book and ordained me a prophet. His blessing is upon me wherever I go, and He has exhorted me to be steadfast in prayer and to give alms as long as I shall live. He has exhorted me to honor my mother and has purged me of vanity and wickedness. Blessed was I on the day I was born, and blessed I shall be of the day of my death and on the day I shall be raised to life.’

Such was Jesus son of Mary. That is the whole truth, which they still doubt. God forbid that He Himself should beget a son! When He decrees a thing He need only say: ‘Be,’ and it is. (2)

This revelation, and this wise admonition, We recite to you. Jesus is like Adam in the sight of God. He created him from dust and then said to him : ‘Be’ and he was. (3)

The angels said to Mary; ‘God bids you rejoice in a Word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary. He shall be noble in this world and in the world to come, and shall be one of those who are favoured. He shall preach to men in his cradle and in the prime of manhood, and shall lead a righteous life.’ (4)

‘Lord,’ she said, ‘how can I bear a child when no man has touched me?’(5)

He replied: ‘Even thus. God creates whom he will. When He decrees a thing He need only say: “Be,” and it is. He will instruct him in the Scriptures and in wisdom, in the Torah and in the Gospel, and send him forth as an apostle to the Israelites. (6)

Say: ‘Whoever is an enemy of Gabriel’ (who has by God’s grace revealed to you (Muhammad) the Koran as a guide and joyful tidings for the faithful, confirming previous scriptures) ‘whoever is an enemy of God, His angels, Or His apostles, or of Gabriel or Michael, will surely find that God is the enemy of the unbelievers.

We have sent down to you clear revelations: none will deny them except the evil-doers. What! Whenever they make a covenant, must some of them cast it aside? Most of them are unbelievers. (7)

And when We said to the angels: ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam,’ they all prostrated themselves except Satan, who in his pride refused and became an unbeliever. (8)

COMMENTARY ON THE KORANIC ACCOUNT

The Koran makes the claim that God did not beget a son. This is reiterated several times in the Koran. According to the Koran, the idea of God begetting a son is so grave, so dire that it would literally send shockwaves throughout the universe, the heavens would split asunder. The world would have an earth quake, and the mountains would crumble into dust.

Ironically, these things that would occur if God were to ever beget a son, are, in fact, happening all the time. For example, in the vast expanse of space there are stars that explode and send out enormous amounts of light. Galaxies collide. Asteroids hit planets. The sun blows off huge flairs. Catastrophic events are happening in the heavens all the time. Earthquakes take place in the world on a continuing basis, volcanoes erupt, and mountains blow their tops. Have you ever noticed that at the base of the mountains there is green vegetation growing in soil? That soil is the dust that the mountain has crumbled into. Some of that dust has been carried down stream and deposited into deltas. With such carnage going on perhaps the reality that God did beget a son is not so outlandish, after all.

Who is this “We” that sent to Mary their spirit in the form of a man? The “We” of whom the Koran refers would be the trio of god of Islam, Gabriel, and Michael at the least. Notice that there are three persons one of whom is the god of Islam with the other two being angels. Yet there is one spirit. The text says “We sent to her Our spirit…” Observe that the “Our” is capitalized giving the angels the status of gods. The “We” is also capitalized throughout the Koran. An example is, “To John We said . . . “ John is in reference to John the Baptist. This raises the angels, whoever they are, to the status of god. Gabriel and Michael are mentioned in the Koran, but their may be other angels mentioned as well. Interestingly enough, the two angels named in the Koran are also the only two angels named in the Holy Bible. One has to wonder if Gabriel told Muhammad what to write, or did he simply plagiarize and distort the Holy Bible? The “We” indicates more than one person, yet the text does not say “Our spirits” but it says “Our spirit.” There is one spirit yet multiple persons, one of which is god. The other persons are angels.

The man, who visited and interacted with Mary, was a theophany. No record is given of him having a sexual relationship with Mary so we must conclude that a sexual relationship did not take place. He only needed to speak and Mary conceived. Conception is the union of sperm and egg. Either an egg from Mary was fertilized or the man provided both the sperm and the egg. If the egg from Marry was used then Mary was indeed the Mother of Jesus. If the man provided the egg and the sperm then Mary was the surrogate mother of Jesus and not the actual mother. The Koranic account claims that God did not beget Jesus. Thus, the sperm was not god’s sperm. The angels are not credited with begetting a child so the sperm is not angelic. The sperm was compatible with humans made from dust. The Koran says that Jesus came from dust. Thus, Jesus had no father.

The Koran states that the god of Islam is self sufficient and not in need of another person of equal stature. Thus, he did not beget a son.

Mary went into solitude east of where she was living. While seeking solitude she met the man from god/angels and became pregnant by the word of the man. She gave birth to Jesus by a date palm tree with running water. No record is made of her being helped in child birth by others. Her kinfolk claim she did not follow the chastity of her parents. They further claimed she was a sister of Aaron, a figure of speech, and thus better conduct was expected. Mary referred them to Jesus in a cradle and to their surprise he spoke to them. The god of Islam considered Jesus to be like Adam, created from dust, but with one exception, the god of Islam did not have the angels prostrate themselves before Jesus, as he had them do before Adam.

THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was he light of men. (John 1:1-4) That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory, as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:9-14) And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:16-18)

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. … And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:1,16)

… The angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgins name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is with you: Blessed are you among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for you have found favor with God. And, behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be , seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, your cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38)

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; And entered into the house of Zechariah, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in by womb for joy. (Luke 1:39-44)

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with a child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7)

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, you son of David, fear not to take unto yourself Mary your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born son: and he called his name JESUS. (Matthew 1:18-25)

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. (Luke 2:8-20)

And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord; And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. (Luke 2: 21-24)

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to your word. For mine eyes have seen your salvation, Which you have prepared before the face of all people; And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Luke 2:25-34)

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about four score and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. (Luke 36-39)

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him , In Bethlehem of Judah: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great Joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. (Matthew 2:1-12)

And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and you be there until I bring you word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. (Matthew 2:13-15)

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. (Matthew 2:19-23)

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, wherefore you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (I John 4:1-3)

For unto which of the angels said he at any time, You are my Son, this day have I begotten you? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a son? And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world he saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him. (Hebrews 1:5,6)

COMMENTARY ON THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNT

Joseph of all people had a case for honor killing when he discover that his betrothed was pregnant with someone else’s child. Being a just man, however, he was not going to have her killed but would simply divorce her quietly. Therefore, Joseph spared Mary’s life and that of the child. One could easily infer that anyone who commits honor killings are not just and has no honor to defend.

The Bible relates that Mary went south into the hill country of Judea to be with her cousin Elisabeth. They both rejoiced with their pregnancies. The power of God is credited with causing the conception of both women. Zachariah, the husband of Elisabeth, was the father of Elisabeth’s child and God Himself was the Father of Mary’s child.

Conception is the union of sperm and egg. It would have been God’s sperm that did the fertilization of Mary’s egg. This makes Jesus the son of King David and the son of Abraham for Mary was a decedent of King David. Humans have forty-six chromosomes which are twenty-three pairs. Twenty-three single chromosomes are provided by the sperm and twenty-three single chromosomes are provided by the egg. The sperm goes into the egg and the chromosomes pair up. Fertilization takes place the moment the sperm enters the egg. Then the chromosomes pair up. At this point new life has begun. Humans were made in the image of God and therefore genetically God and humans would be compatible. Since God is sinless and Mary sinful the sinless trait must have been dominate over the sinful trait for Jesus was sinless (John 14:30; Hebrews 4:15). Perhaps sinfulness in humans is genetic but not necessarily for the whole universe is sinful and that’s not genetic. God will one day destroy this universe by fire and create a new one where righteousness dwells because sin has corrupted this entire universe (II Peter 3:10, 13).

God placed His only begotten son in a family with a stepfather and a mother who would obey God and raise Jesus correctly. Jesus was accepted as a normal family member by the community in which they lived (Matthew 13:53-58).

God Himself proclaimed who Jesus was through angels to Mary and Joseph and the shepherds. Mary and Joseph kept the information to themselves. I am sure that fleeing for the safety of the baby helped silence them. The shepherds told others what they had seen and what the angels had told them but others only wondered about what the shepherds reported. God sent the wise men to Herod who informed the clergy of that day and all Jerusalem. None of them wanted to see God in the flesh or worship Him. Herod wanted to kill him. They knew the scriptures where the Christ was to be born. The majority of Jews still reject their King. The wise men came from what is now Iraq or Iran. Daniel was the chief wise man of his time and no doubt left clues for the other wise men after him to confirm. The Babylonians, who studied the stars, knew Judea was a special place for once it caused the universe or at least the earth to back up and this would have gotten their attention (II Kings 20:7-12). Notice that the wise man had no doubt about the birth of the King of the Jews who is God in the flesh. They worshiped him. Simeon and Anna told the baby’s parents ,and those standing by, that he was the promised One. Elisabeth called the baby in the womb her Lord. This shows that from conception onward a new and unique person resides inside the womb.

The Greeks had a concept that there was a person within whom was the embodiment of the law. This person was called the Logos, transliterated from the Greek, and translated Word in the English. The Apostle John identifies Him as God who is with God, hence the trinity, and creator of all things. God, of course, is not created but always self-existent. This person, the Word, who is God “was made flesh”. John and the disciples observed His glory as of the “only begotten of the Father”. We see here Jesus’ existence as God prior to His physical conception. He had to have embodied the sperm that fertilized the egg of Mary. His title is Messiah in the Hebrew or Christ in the Greek and denotes deity. The Son to be born was to be called Jesus. He had the chromosomes of God from God the Father and the chromosomes of man from Mary. In this way He is both fully human and fully divine at the same time. No other person is like this.

The Apostle John writes, test the spirits to see whether they be of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. This is the test: First, prior to conception existence as God for Christ /Messiah denotes deity, hence eternal existence. Second, conception by the Holy Spirit and begotten by God the Father since half the chromosomes must be divine. Third, human, this requires Mary’s egg for half the chromosomes to be human. All of scripture fulfills this criteria with no contradictions.

COMPARING & CONTRASTING THE KORAN WITH SCRIPTURE

In the Koran both Adam and Jesus are alike to the god of Islam, but the angels are told to worship Adam yet are not told to worship Jesus. In Scripture the reverse is true. Angels are told to worship Jesus. We are told \ not to worship created things.

“Our spirit” when referred to in the Koran is both the god of Islam’s spirit and angelic spirit combined. In Scripture God’s Spirit is separate from angelic spirits.

The spirit of god/angels approached Mary in human form and Mary told him to stay away. In Scripture the angel Gabriel, who was sent to Mary by God, informed her that she would conceive a son by the Holy Spirit. Mary replied, “Be it done unto me according to your word”.

In the Koran Mary is seeking solitude in the east before she becomes pregnant. In Scripture Mary becomes pregnant visits her cousin in the hills of Judea south of Nazareth.

In the Koran Mary gives birth to Jesus under a date palm tree with no other person to help her. In Scripture God, through an angel, speaks to Mary’s betrothed husband, Joseph, who then takes Mary as his wife and raises Jesus as if he were his own son. She gives birth to a son in a stable which is a cave in Bethlehem with her husband by her side.

In the Koran Mary is accused of harlotry by her relatives. In Scripture she is called blessed by her cousin Elisabeth.

In the Koran Jesus speaks to the kinfolk from His cradle. In scripture Jesus does not speak from his cradle but many speak about Him. Among these are the heavenly host, the shepherds, Anna, Simeon, and the wise men.

In testing the spirits to see if the Koran teaches whether or not Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, let us consider the evidence. In the Koran Jesus is conceived without a father, without prior existence, and is not divine. Therefore, according to the Koran Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh. Thus, according to the Bible, because the Koran and Islam reject Jesus' diety, preexistance and the fact that He is the literal Son of God, they demonstrate being of a spirit of the antichrist.

There is still hope for you, because of what Jesus did on your behalf. He took your sins in His own body and received the wrath of God against Himself for you. He died and rose from the dead for all mankind. However, you must repent of your sins and invite Jesus into your heart. As the Scripture says , “as many as receive Him He gives the right to become children of God. A sample payer, which you can pray is, “Lord Jesus Christ, forgive me of my sin and come into my heart.”

REFFERENCES

1. The Koran page 219 Paragraph 19:88
2. The Koran page 215,216 Paragraph 19:14-35
3. The Koran page 47 Paragraph 3:59
4. The Koran page 46,47 Paragraph 3:46
5. The Koran page 47 Paragraph 3:47
6. The Koran page 47 Paragraph 3:48
7. The Koran page 19 Paragraph 2:98,100
8. The Koran page 13 Paragraph 2:34