The Blessed Jesus in the Bible and in the Koran

- Content:

Introduction

In this paper I am going to show three things: first, that the teachings of the blessed Jesus in the Koran can all be paralleled in the four Gospels; second, that all of the philosophy of the Gospels can be found in the Koran; third, that the four Gospels attribute slanderous deeds and actions to the blessed Jesus which the Koran does not. By the time it’s all over, I expect to have shown one more way in which the Koran is like a polished, improved Bible, the Bible being a rough draft for the Koran, which has all mistakes removed.

The Blessed Jesus’s Koranic Teachings in the Bible

There are three places in the Koran in which the teachings of Jesus (peace be on him) are recorded specifically, and those are Surah 3, Surah 5 and Surah 61. Together, these give a summary of his teachings in a nicely concise manner (but you also have to keep in mind the things I’ll point out in the next section of this article). Let’s take a look at those three passages:

“I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I will create for you out of clay as the likeness of a bird; then I will breathe into it, and it will be a bird, by the leave of God. I will also heal the blind and the leper, and bring to life the dead, by the leave of God. I will inform you too of what things you eat, and what you treasure up in your houses. Surely in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.

(- 03:49 -)
Noble Quran

Likewise confirming the truth of the Torah that is before me, and to make lawful to you certain things that before were forbidden unto you. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord; so fear you God, and obey you me.

(- 03:50 -)
Noble Quran

Surely God is my Lord and your Lord; so serve Him. This is a straight path.”

(- 03:51 -)
Noble Quran

“Fear God, if you are believers.”...

(- 5:112 -)
Noble Quran

And when God said, “O Jesus son of Mary, didst thou say unto men, ‘Take me and my mother as gods, apart from God’?” he said, “To thee be glory! It is not mine to say what I have no right to. If I indeed said it, Thou knowest it, knowing what is within my soul, and I know not what is within Thy soul; Thou knowest the things unseen.

(- 5:116 -)
Noble Quran

I only said to them what Thou didst command me: ‘Serve God, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was a witness over them, while I remained among them; but when Thou didst take me to Thyself, Thou wast Thyself the watcher over them; Thou Thyself art witness of everything.

(- 5:117 -)
Noble Quran

If Thou chastisest them, they are Thy servants; if Thou forgive them, Thou are the All-mighty, the All-wise.”

(- 5:118 -)
Noble Quran

“Children of Israel, I am indeed the Messenger of God to you, confirming the Torah that is before me, and giving good tidings of a Messenger who shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.”

(- 61:06 -)
Noble Quran

Now, I discuss how Muhammad (peace be on him) is foretold in the Bible on the other Christianity page of this site, so I’ll now go over the other two passages, showing how every bit and piece of them can be found in the four Gospels. First, let’s take a look at the passage from Surah 3 and compare it to the Bible.

“I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I will create for you out of clay as the likeness of a bird; then I will breathe into it, and it will be a bird, by the leave of God.

(- **:** -)
Noble Quran

This is not found in the Bible, but it is not a teaching so much as a miracle being recorded, and part of an overall case that his miracles prove his prophethood to them. Take a look directly below.

I will also heal the blind and the leper, and bring to life the dead, by the leave of God.

(- **:** -)
Noble Quran

And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. (Matthew 11:4-5)

I will inform you too of what things you eat, and what you treasure up in your houses. Surely in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.

(- **:** -)
Noble Quran

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also...Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:19-25)

Likewise confirming the truth of the Torah that is before me,

(- **:** -)
Noble Quran

“Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18)

and to make lawful to you certain things that before were forbidden unto you.

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Noble Quran

One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, when Abi’athar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.” (Mark 2:23-28)

I have come to you with a sign from your Lord; so fear you God, and obey you me.

(- **:** -)
Noble Quran

“This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” (Luke 11:29)

What was the sign of Jonah (peace be on him), by the way? Why, it was that someone was supposed to die and didn’t! For more on this see Ahmed Deedat's presentation at http://www.ais.org/

Surely God is my Lord and your Lord;

(- **:** -)
Noble Quran

“Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” (John 20:17)

so serve Him. This is a straight path.”

(- **:** -)
Noble Quran

“It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” (Matthew 4:10)

Now let’s take a look at the teachings from Surah 5:

“Fear God, if you are believers.”...

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Noble Quran

“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)

“To thee be glory! It is not mine to say what I have no right to. If I indeed said it, Thou knowest it, knowing what is within my soul, and I know not what is within Thy soul; Thou knowest the things unseen.

(- **:** -)
Noble Quran

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” (Matthew 24:36)

I only said to them what Thou didst command me: ‘Serve God, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was a witness over them, while I remained among them; but when Thou didst take me to Thyself, Thou wast Thyself the watcher over them; Thou Thyself art witness of everything.

(- **:** -)
Noble Quran

“You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” (Luke 16:15)

If Thou chastisest them, they are Thy servants; if Thou forgive them, Thou are the All-mighty, the All-wise.”

(- **:** -)
Noble Quran

“With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

The Blessed Jesus’s Biblical Teachings in the Koran

I’ll start off with some copy and paste from my other article on the Koran and the Bible. Here we go. The greatest commandment of the Bible is contained in the Koran (and emphasized repeatedly, I should add)...

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him,“Which commandment is the first of all?”Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.’” (Mark 12:28-29)

Your God is one God.

(- 2:163 -)
Noble Quran

And it is only to be expected that God expects us to be merciful to each other, and both Books preach the principle of forgiveness...

“Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:39-44)

Not equal are the good deed and the evil deed. Repel with that which is fairer and behold, he between whom and thee thereis enmity shall be as if he were a loyal friend.

(- 41:34 -)
Noble Quran

Both Books tell us to prepare more for the next life than for this one...

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but layup for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there willyour heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Prosperous is he who has cleansed himself, and mentions the Name of his Lord, and prays. Nay, but you prefer the present life; and the world to come is better, and more enduring. (The Koran Intepreted 87:14-17; see also 28:60)

What are the other major teachings of Christianity that have not been mentioned so far? Well, let’s go through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), which is at the heart of Christian teachings. In it you are told to pray and to give charity, but to do neither just for the sake of being seen. This is echoed in Koran 2:270-274. You are told to let your light from God shine before men, which is echoed in Koran 24:35-38. You are told not to insult people out of anger, and this matches Koran 16:125. You are told not to approach indecency inwardly as well as outwardly, and this matches Koran 6:150.

Then come the only real disagreements between the Koran and the Sermon on the Mount, which are over matters of divorce and oath-taking. Oath-taking is prohibited in the Sermon, but the Koran prohibits only the swearing of false oaths on purpose, and knowing in your heart that you are swearing falsely (2:225). The divorce rights of the Koran in Surah 2 are simply a matter of common sense, with both men and women getting rights, and you don’t automatically make someone an adulteress just by divorcing her excepting on the grounds of unchastity. The Koran’s philosophy is clearly superior here, but since this is the only disagreement between the two books, I would chock it up to textual corruption in the Bible. Look at the text notes in those passages in any Bible and see the textual variants and you’ll get an idea of what I’m talking about.

The “Lord’s Prayer” is given, and it is completely compatible with Islam (for instance, see 2:286 and 114:1-6). You are told not to pray empty prayers to be heard for your many words, which is very close to the statement in Koran 4:142. You are told not to be anxious about tomorrow, and this matches 6:151. Hypocrisy is preached against (in the vein of hypocritical judgment), as it is in Koran 4:145. You are told that they way to salvation is hard and that few ever find it, which matches Koran 3:110, 6:111, 26:174 and 41:4. You are told that you can tell evil by its evil fruit and what not, and this matches Koran 47:30. Finally, that not everyone who says to the blessed Jesus “Lord, Lord” will enter heaven, but those who do the will of God. I don’t think I need to explain that.

Slanderous Words and Deeds Attributed to the Blessed Jesus by the Bible

For the most part, the Bible presents the blessed Jesus in a very accurate, very complimentary light. But there are certain actions and deeds that they record which do not make him look like a sinless prophet of God. Let’s look at some examples. First, the woman with the demon-possessed daughter:

Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me.”And he answered, “It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15:21-28)

The usual explanation for this is that the word used for “dogs” is actually a positive, affectionate term in the original language, something like “puppies”. But really, how does that change anything? The racist condescension remains. I don’t think he ever would have done something like that. Another example:

When Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head, as he sat at table. But when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for a large sum, and given to the poor.”

But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” (Matthew 26:6-13)

It was a waste. Those poor people might have needed help immediately, but the blessed Jesus, on the other hand, was sheltered and fed already, and his execution was near anyway. I don’t think he would have said something like that. Nowhere in the Koran does he do anything like he does in the above passages.

Finally, and most importantly, I mentioned the Sermon on the Mount, and showed that its laws regarding divorce and oath-taking were improved in the Koran, but otherwise the whole thing is in the Koran. But what I haven't mentioned yet was that there were also repeated slanderous attributions of anti-Gentile racism to the blessed Jesus in that Sermon:

"And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" (Matthew 5:47)

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well." (Matthew 6:31-33)

I don't know about you, but I find those sayings a little derogatory and stereotypical to the non-Jews. It fits that story from Matthew that I quoted above. I don't think that one of God's prophets would be like that. The Koran, on the other hand, says this:

Among the People of the Scripture there is he who, if thou trust him with a weight of treasure, will return it to thee. And among them there is he who, if thou trust him with a piece of gold, will not return it to thee unless thou keep standing over him. That is because they say: We have no duty to the Gentiles. They speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly. (Koran 3:75, Pickthall's translation)

Please don't think I'm trying to bash your religion or your scriptures here. All I'm trying to do is show how the Koran contains everything good in the connected parts of the Bible while leaving out everything bad.

Conclusion

First there was Judaism. Then Christianity came along to confirm Judaism and improve it, preaching everything good while leaving out the bad (misunderstandings taught by the elders). Then God perfected His religion by revealing the Koran, to which the Bible (or parts of it, anyway, and stories appearing in it) can be seen as a rough draft to the clean, polished, final product. We now have a perfect scripture and a perfect religion, doing to Christianity what Christianity did to Judaism, and I hope I have demonstrated that here.