ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Islam In The Bible Negative Considerations An examination of the Christian scriptures from an Islamic point of view has, as a side issue, thrown grave doubts on the Biblical roots of such Christian doctrines as the Trinity, the deity of Jesus, and his death on the cross as an atoning, vicarious sacrifice for sin. At this point I shall try to do the same for Islam. Are there portions of the Bible which conflict with the teachings and practices of Islam?

It is clear by now that the basic teachings of Islam can be justified on the basis of the Bible as easily as the doctrines of Christian­ity, perhaps more easily and convincingly. But there may be Biblical texts which conflict with the texts we have exam­ined and thus with Islam as well. Furthermore, there may be Biblical practices which are unknown to Islam. Finally, there may be Islamic practices we have not mentioned which conflict with the Bible. Let us take up these three subjects in order.

The foremost body of texts causing problems for the Muslim reader are those referring to the crucifixion of Jesus. Islam denies the death of Jesus because it cannot accept any human sacrifice for sin. The Islamic understand­ing of forgiveness is that it is made on the basis of divine grace and repentance. No sacrifice can add to divine grace nor replace the necessity of repentance.

The Muslim sees the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to detract both from infinite divine grace and human responsibility in repen­tance. Rather than dealing with the issue directly, there has been a tendency in Islam to deny the death of Jesus out­ right, and thus avoid the issue altogether. There can hardly be a sacrifice on the cross if Jesus never died. There are two explanations in Islam.

The majority explanation, taken from the Gospel of Barnabas, is that there was a substitute on the cross, who miraculously seemed to take on the appearance of Jesus. The minority explanation is the so-called swoon theory, by which Jesus was on the cross, but did not die. He merely swooned and revived in the tomb. In general Muslims do not deny the ascension or the second coming of Jesus at the end of the world.

They differ from Chris­tians, however, in making his activities at that future time somewhat subordinate to the awaited Islamic figure of the Mahdi. Many Muslims believe that the main reason for Jesus' second coming is so that he will have a chance to die as all men must.