Hi all,
Here is an article that I wrote and would be included in my website (with God's will). The reason I am doing so is because some times we speak of the same terms but never realize that we have different perspectives for them.
Please understand that I am in no way trying to criticize but rather make a comparison.
One of the major problems that actually exist when debates are conducted between a Christian and a Muslim is that when they both use common phrases or terms they do not realize that they both have a different understanding of those phrases or terms. This, of course, will result in troubles communicating between both parties. Therefore it is essential at this point to define each of these terms or phrases according to both faiths.
The Judeo-Christian perspective:
1) The Covenant with Noah:
According to the Judeo-Christian tradition, the first covenant was established between God and Noah. This covenant includes the following:
a) Build the ark and fill it with animals of earth and the righteous followers
b) God will destroy mankind with the flood
c) This will never happen again and the sign is the great rainbow
d) No monotheistic commitment of worship is mentioned in this covenant.
2) The Covenant with Abraham:
This covenant can be summarized in the following:
a) Abraham and his descendents are to practice circumcision, this is an over lasting covenant.
b) God will be the god of Abraham and his descendents.
c) Abraham and his descendents through Isaac will inherit the land of Canaan.
3) The Covenant with Moses:
This covenant contains refinement to the covenant between God and Abraham. This covenant contains details regarding the worship of God and other details which define laws for the 12 tribes of Israel. In this covenant the first written records of God’s message is being recorded also.
The advent of Jesus Christ:
This is where the two traditions divide. Jews did not recognize Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah. One of the major reasons is:
1) The Messiah will be both a political figure and spiritual one (priestly).
2) He will establish their kingdom on earth in Judea and rebuild the temple. (Ezekiel 37:26 - 27)
3) He will rule at a time of peace in the world (Micah 4:3)
However, modern Christians maintain that he fulfilled all the prophecies recorded in the Old Testament and that of those which were not fulfilled would be on his second coming.
The New Testament doctrine according to the mainstream Christian theology could be summarized in the following:
1) Jesus is the begotten son of God through which a new covenant has been established between God and all nations of the earth.
2) Jesus was crucified in atonement for the sins of all human beings and was resurrected after three days.
3) The Mosaic Law is replaced by the blood of Christ in which no longer do we need to abide by the law: i.e. circumcision is not a mandatory practice anymore.
4) The trinity: God is manifested in three personalities: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
5) Original sin concept(firmly established around 400 BCE) : could be better explained from the following quote from the New Testament:
"Therefore just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12).
Sin is transmitted through our parents. The first sinners were Adam and Eve in which it was transmitted to all generations. The only way to redeem yourself is to accept Jesus Christ as your savior.
6) The age of prophets ended with the arrival of Jesus and now it is the age of the Holy Spirit.
The Role of Prophets according to the Judeo-Christian doctrines:
Such a role is closely bound with the kings of Israel. An agreement has been reached in the early days of ancient Israel that it would be ok for the Jews to have a king but also there would be prophets making sure of the following:
1) The prophet would guide the king through political, religious, social, and economic matters in which the prophet would make sure that the king is abiding by the Mosaic Law. He would criticize him is he wouldn’t
2) Suggest social reforms in which if the Jews go astray from the Mosaic Covenant they would try to enlighten and bring them to the fulfillment of the covenant.
3) They would not bring any kind of revision to the Mosaic Law.
This is a guild called NAVI, the prophet. However, it is noteworthy that such a guild was never unique to the Israelites. Other similar guilds existed for earlier societies such as Egypt.
The Islamic Perspective:
An acceptable definition of Islam would be: “Submitting yourself to Allah (God)”
1) Islam began with Adam and Eve.
2) Prophets (Messengers) were sent to every nation, each prophet had a covenant with God, and each one had his unique one to him and his people. Later covenants given to prophets of the same nation had modifications and some of its aspects were abrogated. Please read: Quran (6:42), Quran (2:125), Quran (10:47), Quran (16:36), and Quran (35:24).
3) Abrogation of the message existed in each covenant; it even existed to a prophet’s own message.
4) All messages contained the same principle which is the pure monotheistic of Islam
a) Worship only and only God.
b) Avoid bad deeds and do good deeds for there will be a day of judgment in which people will either go to heaven or hell.
5) The last message was given to Muhammad in which it would be considered the last revelation revealed in the Quran and that Muhammad was the last Prophet ( or Messenger ) of God.
From the above points, it can be demonstrated through the Islamic perspective that the message of Islam started with Adam, evolved through the many covenants and the progressive revelations given to the many prophets of God until it was all ended with his last prophet (Muhammad) to mankind.
According to the Islamic perspective also, religions such as Judaism and Christianity are the product of its own people not the prophets, since every message is basically Islam, all those prophets who were sent to the Jews only asked them to return to Islam and that would include Jesus also. Many of the writings given to the prophets were codified, edited, and ritualized. One of these messages is the message of Jesus Christ. Concepts such as “the begotten son of God”, “The crucifixion of Jesus”, and the “Trinitarian concept of God” are foreign and thus pagan.
“The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His Will): Nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the Signs of Allah, Allah is swift in calling to account.” (Quran 3:19)