The Concept of God in Islam, Christianity & Judaism

THE CONCEPT OF GOD

Across

The Abrahamic Religions

A Scriptural Comparative Study Based On

The Islamic & Judeo-Christian Scriptures

Khaled Askar

(Abu Al-Qayyem)

Preface

We are but a reflection of our upbringings, a production of our societies, governed by the elements of our sociocultural backgrounds, influenced by religions, controlled by traditions, shaped by our experiences and encounters, and manipulated by our sociopolitical surroundings. With such complex sociocultural context, faith is destined to be radically influenced. Any attempt to question one’s faith or validate its authenticity is usually met with vicious resistance unless we are willing to break loose from the chains of our own mental confinement, and set ourselves free from the imaginative imprisonment of society’s cultural influences. Only then, we could commence our journey of discovery and start to question, think, and reason beyond the boundaries of what is perceived as postulates, and become active and liberal thinkers. I dedicate this book to all the free thinkers who refuse to restrict their minds from exploring, or restrain their thoughts from wandering into the deep infinite space of seeking knowledge and spiritual enlightenment. This book is not intended to offend anyone or take away anyone’s God given right to choose the faith they wish to follow. It only aims to build bridges, break down the walls of isolation constructed by hate in the name of religion, restore faith in God, and call upon humanity to practice tolerance towards discussing issues of belief.

Being brought up in a religion that urges me to seek knowledge, question, think, reason, and make sense of issues of belief, has given me an intellectual advantage over others who were brought up in a faith that condemns knowledge and knowledge seekers, convict free thinkers, and persecute anyone who thought beyond the boundaries of a faith that is deeply entrenched by any given religious institution that attempts to enforce its dogma upon the society and preclude or criminalize independent thought. As a free thinker, I refuse to be deprived of my God given right to comprehend before believing, or to be forced to adopt a given faith blindly without investigating its origins. I abstain from adopting any theology that goes against my inherent instinct and inner voice of logic, especially if this theology is based on philosophical and theoretical suppositions rather than firm elucidations that derive from divine scripture and prophetic teaching. After all, any theology that aims to educate people about God should never be embraced unless proven to derive from a reliable source of divine guidance. Our knowledge of God should only come from God, for only He is most knowledgeable of Himself, His divine nature, and divine attributes. Thus, any attempt on behalf of any religion to unravel the mystery of God’s nature will be met with skepticism and rejection if its ideology does not derive from the teachings of a divine scripture of God or the teachings of a prophet of God. In addition to this, the religion that can be attributed to God should not be poisoned with pagan beliefs, adulterated with mythical ideologies, or convoluted with philosophical dogmas that challenge the oneness of God, defy his exclusive divinity, or call upon humanity to worship false gods beside or alongside the one true God. The religion of God must not go against one’s natural instinct that there is only one true Creator who has created all things and one divine being who is solely worthy of worship and praise. Moreover, one cannot conceive of a religion that attributes to God human attributes, nor compare the Creator to His creation in any way. Rather, it must exalt God Almighty and his divine attributes and qualities above all creation, and this is exactly why I chose to embrace Islam. While Judaism attributes to God Almighty human characteristics and defiles His divine Qualities and attributes, Islam attributes to God the most perfect qualities and sublime attributes. While Christianity continues to slander against God by attributing to Him a son who is claimed to be coeternal, coequal, and consubstantial with Him, and blasphemes against God by worshipping Jesus instead of God, or alongside God, Islam glorifies God Almighty, refutes Christianity’s blasphemous and false allegations, and attributes to God absolute and exclusive divinity.

The main focus of this book is to explore how Judaism and Christianity perceive God in comparison to Islam. We will investigate the concept of God according to the three Abrahamic Religions and refute prevalent myths and misconceptions propagated by Judaism and Christianity regarding the divine nature and attributes of God. We will first examine the Old Testament’s profoundly anthropomorphic theology, which attributes to God flawed human characteristics and defective attributes. Then, we will contrast this adulterated theology with the Islamic theology, which attributes to God absolute uniqueness and perfection, to demonstrate that the Jewish theology was the outcome of scriptural misinterpretations of distorted biblical texts that derive from mythical folktales and not divine revelation, as is the case with the Holy Quran, the Final Testament from God.

Subsequently, we will investigate the Christian theology, which utterly deconstructs the concept of one divine being and restructures it into a trinitarian formula that introduces the concept of a triune Godhead, a deity existing in three divine beings who are coeternal, coequal, and consubstantial with one another. Concurrently, we will examine the historical background which resulted in the emergence of the doctrines of the Eternal Sonship, the Incarnation, the Trinity, and later on, Christology. Our investigation of the origins of these novel dogmas will show that they are nothing but elucidations of intrusive beliefs that have been adopted by the early church from ancient mythical and heathen beliefs that were deeply influenced by Greek mythologies and Hellenistic paganism. After theologically examining the doctrines of the Eternal Sonship, the Incarnation, and the Trinity, which shaped Christology, we will trace the development of early Christologies from the fourth to the eighth centuries and investigate the theological disputes and schisms that shaped them. Crucially, we will analyze the stages of development of how Jesus, a mere man and a prophet of God, was deified by fourth-century Christians. Finally, we will demonstrate how the early church thereby corrupted the original and purely monotheistic faith of Jesus, transforming him from a mere human into a deity who is worshiped instead of or alongside God Almighty.

Before we delve into the scriptural comparative analysis, we will shed light on the historical events and the sociopolitical factors that contributed to the formulation of Christianity’s pagan doctrines which led to the rise of Christianity in its novel polytheistic garment. We will examine carefully the early theological disputes and controversies that shaped the beliefs of the early church regarding the nature of God, and how Christians strayed from the monotheistic teachings of the Law of Moses, which Jesus came to fulfill and uphold. After all, Christianity was only regarded as a Judaic sect in its early days until its split from Judaism in the 2^nd century (Denova, 2021). However, after the formulation of its pagan doctrines in the fourth century, Christianity presented itself as a separate full-fledged religion with a profoundly different theology that is polytheistic in nature. We will come to find that these doctrines, which paved the way for the alleged divinity of Jesus, were never part of Jesus’ teachings or part of the teachings of the Old Testament. Surprisingly, it is also not part of the teaching of the New Testament, once inspected under the scope of valid and accurate interpretations across the four gospels.

Given that holy scriptures are the only reliable sources of divine guidance, our comparative analysis will rely on the Old Testament Bible as the source of Judaic beliefs, the whole Bible (Old Testament and New Testament) as the source of Christian beliefs, and the Holy Quran and the Sunnah (teachings) of prophet Mohammad ﷺ as the source of Islamic beliefs. Although some philosophical arguments will be presented as an attempt to refute some of these unorthodox beliefs falsified by the Jews and the Christians regarding the nature of God, this book adopts a purely theological approach, linking issues of belief to scriptural evidence and prophetic teachings rather than philosophical suppositions.

To help the reader acquire an accurate perspective regarding the man-made religions of Judaism and Christianity, we will present the reader with irrefutable scriptural evidence, from both the Holy Quran and the Bible, that affirms the alteration and the corruption of the Jews and the Christians to God’s scriptures and divine teachings. Scriptural evidence will show that the Jews and the Christians never kept God’s covenant, never fulfilled or upheld God’s teachings, and that they strayed from the path of divine guidance which they have received through the teachings of their prophets, Moses and Jesus. Evidence will show that the corruption was initiated during the lifetime of these prophets, then evolved and extended for centuries to reach generations of followers who were deceived and misguided by these corrupt and convoluted teachings until they became indispensable religious and cultural postulates that are difficult to question.

Introduction

The Emergence and Impact of Paganism

Since the descension of Adam, the father of Humanity, to earth, God Almighty sent to every nation a messenger from among themselves to guide them to the true path of knowing God. No nation was left without divine guidance. Every prophet and messenger that God sent preached the same fundamental doctrine. They all came to proclaim that there is only one true Creator and one true God worthy of worship, and they enjoined the believers to worship this one and only true God alone, renounce all false gods, and denounce all forms of paganism, idolatry, and polytheism.

“And Verily, We have sent in every nation a messenger, proclaiming, ‘worship God Alone and renounce false gods.” (Holy Quran 16:36)

“Never has there been a nation without a warner (a messenger).”

(Holy Quran 35:24)

“Verily, We have not sent any messenger before you (O Muhammad) without revealing to him: “There is no god (worthy of worship) except Me, so worship Me (alone).”

(Holy Quran 21:25)

“And worship God alone and do not associate with Him any partners.”

(Holy Quran 4:36)

However, not all people accepted the divine message of God and adhered to the teachings of His prophets and messengers. Many chose to remain misguided and even declared war against God’s prophets and divine teachings, and the examples of mankind’s disobedience and transgression are abundant throughout history. The Holy Quran has narrated the stories of 25 prophets and messengers of God and their struggle to deliver His divine teachings to their people. Many of these prophets faced vicious rejections, despite the signs and the miracles that God has bestowed upon them to show their people that they were sent from God. Nevertheless, from among every nation, there were also those who accepted the divine teachings of God and upheld the faith for generations to come. However, in the absence of

divine guidance during long intervals between the death of a prophet and the advent of another, mankind gradually lost knowledge of God. Any attempt from later generations to spiritually reconnect with God or develop a perspective of the God that mankind is expected to worship was based on distorted religious accounts and folktales that were influenced by mythical ideas and beliefs that are mostly pagan or polytheistic in nature. This intrusion on the monotheistic faith and the emergence of paganism happened during the time of prophet Noah as inferred from several Quranic verses (2:213, 10:19, 17:17, 71:21-25). Ibn Abbas, a prominent early scholar of Islam and one of the companions of prophet Mohammad ﷺ, said that “Between Noah and Adam were ten generations, all of them adhered to the teachings of the truth (monotheism), then they differed (influenced and divided by polytheism), so God sent them prophets as bringers of good news and as warners” (al-Albani, 1995, vol. 7, p. 854). Since the time of Noah, the battle between monotheism and polytheism has been ongoing until modern days. Paganism has persisted in manifesting itself repeatedly through some of the most mythical, theoretical, and nonsensical philosophies created by man as an attempt to define the nature of God. Ever since ancient times, a vast array of false gods have been created and worshipped by man across every civilization, culture, and society from every region around the world. While some nations remained monotheists by intuition, many believed that one God is not enough and were influenced by polytheistic beliefs of pagan civilizations and cultures. Some of these cultures had tens of gods, some had hundreds of gods, and others had thousands of gods. For example, the Greeks and the Romans had twelve major gods and hundreds of demigods, the Arabs had 360 gods; one for each day of the year, and the Ancient Egyptians had close to two thousand gods. As for the Hindus, the sky is the limit. Some suggest 33 core gods while others claim close to 33 (even 330) million gods, which is beyond absurd. Some of these gods are heavenly gods, some take on human forms, others take on animal forms, while others dwell in idols and statues, as believed by pagans from different cultures. Not to forget to mention that many cultures worshipped celestial bodies like the sun, the moon, and the stars and regarded them as gods, as did the people during the time of prophet Abraham ﷺ. Many of these nations mingled and adopted the beliefs of one another, and this is why we find many similarities among these polytheistic and mythical beliefs. The overwhelming number of false gods created by man throughout history reveals the magnitude of the spread of pagan beliefs and ideas, and how they infiltrated our societies for thousands of years.

For centuries, and since the emergence of paganism during the time of prophet Noah, these heathen beliefs passed on from one generation to another until they developed into the polytheistic religions that exist today. It is fascinating how each polytheist we converse with has a different perspective of God, involving a different set of theories and philosophies depending on which mythical beliefs they adopt. Yet, what is more shocking is that all these pagan ideas and mythical beliefs do not derive from the teachings of a holy scripture of God or come from preserved and authentic teachings of a prophet of God. These pagan and polytheistic religions provide an overwhelming literature of evolving mythical concepts that aim to confuse the mass population and mislead millions of followers who are influenced by their pagan beliefs, and many nations have fallen victim to their widespread.

Surprisingly, the influence of these polytheistic and mythical ideas did not only affect those nations who were heathen by nature or those who had no encounters with God’s prophets or God’s divine revelations, they also affected the People of the Book. The term “People of the Book” that is used by the Holy Quran refers to those who received divine revelations from God before the advent of the Final Messenger of God Mohammad ﷺ. It refers to the Jews and the Christians who were enjoined by God to uphold the monotheistic teachings of their prophets, Jesus and Moses, which derive from the original monotheistic teachings of Abraham, the Father of all the prophets who descended from his bloodline. Nevertheless, while Muslims adhered firmly to monotheism, and renounced and denounced all forms of paganism, idolatry, and polytheism, the Jews and the Christians deviated from the monotheistic path and were influenced by the heathen practices of the nations with which they mingled.

The Holy Quran and the Bible have narrated the story of the apostasy of early Israelites ever since they fled with Moses to escape the tyranny of the Pharaoh of Egypt. After the Early Israelites were victorious in escaping oppression in Egypt, they were led by Moses into the Sinai Peninsula where they were meant to be tempted and their faith be tested before they march towards the Holy Land, where they were meant to reside and prosper. However, it did not take long for them to stray from the path of monotheism, break God’s covenant, and engage in idolatry. During the first absence of Moses, who was commanded to ascend to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God, they grew restless and decided to construct a golden calf and worship it. This was their first recorded act of apostacy, which resulted in God’s wrath and severe punishment. The complete story was told in chapter 32 of the Book of Exodus of the Old Testament Bible, and in chapter 2 of the Holy Quran (2:49-56). In the upcoming section, we will provide scriptural evidence that shows that the Israelites never abandoned idolatry. They have always been a rebellious and an idolatrous nation who never kept God’s covenant. They are a nation prone to apostasy and the worship of false gods, even during the lifetime of Moses himself who showed them miracles and wonders from God.

Christianity, on the other hand, took idolatry to a whole new level with its philosophically convoluted polytheistic and pagan beliefs. It evolved from being a Judaic sect that was expected to abide by the purely monotheistic teachings of the Law of Moses into a full-fledged polytheistic religion that calls upon its adherents to believe in the existence of three gods. Ironically, Christianity continues to claim to be a monotheistic religion, despite the purely polytheistic nature of its central doctrine, the Trinity, which calls upon Christians to believe in three independent, coeternal, and coequal deities that are consubstantial with one another, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In addition to its polytheistic doctrine, Christianity also came up with a variety of pagan and mythical dogmas that completely contradict the original teachings of Jesus, Moses, and Abraham. For this reason, Christianity can no longer claim to be an Abrahamic religion. In the next section, The Three Abrahamic Religions, under the sub-title Christianity, we will provide a brief historical analysis of how and when Christianity transformed from a monotheistic religion into a polytheistic one.

The Three Abrahamic Religions

Technically, the Abrahamic Religions refer to Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. The term was first used in the second half of the 20^th century (Stroumsa, 2011, p. 21). These three religions have been referred to as the Abrahamic Religions because all three religions revere prophet Abraham as a prominent religious figure and regard him as the founding father of their faith. However, while the three Abrahamic Religions derive from the same monotheistic faith that the prophet Abraham has laid the foundations for, there are immense doctrinal differences between the three religions when it comes to theology, beliefs, and rituals. This is simply due to the corruption of the Jews and the Christians to the original faith of Abraham, as we will examine in this book. All three religions perceive God and His Divine qualities and attributes differently, yet given that Islam and Judaism are strictly monotheistic, they have more in common than Christianity, which adopts a purely polytheistic theology that is based on mythical and pagan doctrines. As mentioned earlier, the only reason Christianity is referred to as an Abrahamic religion is because it was regarded as a Judaic sect in its early days, adopting the same monotheistic beliefs as Judaism. Nevertheless, such is no longer the case, for Christianity has entirely abandoned the monotheistic teachings of Jesus, Moses, and Abraham. Therefore, it can no longer be referred to as an Abrahamic religion. There are also grievous differences between the Judaic and Islamic theologies, and this is due to the anthropomorphic nature of the Jewish theology, which attributes to God flawed human characteristics. This theology is rejected by Islam, especially when Islam attributes to God only Perfect attributes and sublime qualities.

Judaism

It is imperative to note that the teachings of Hellenistic Judaism do not represent the original teachings of Moses and Abraham. Hellenistic Judaism is a man-made religion that was originated 1500 years after the death of Moses and 2000 years after the death of Abraham. According to the biblical chronologies of Jerome and James Ussher, Moses lived between the 16^th century BC and the 15^th century BC, yet Hellenistic Judaism emerged between the 4^th century BC and the 2^nd century BC. (Jerome, ca. 380, as cited by Ussher, 1650/2003). This only proves that Moses knew nothing about a man-made religion called Judaism. Moses came to preach the same religion that Abraham preached, a religion that the Jews have corrupted and adulterated during Moses’ ministry, as confirmed by Moses himself (Deuteronomy 31:27), and after his death, as prophesied by Moses as well (Deuteronomy 31:29). It is of no secret that the Jews have always been rebellious against the Lord, His prophets, and His teachings, and this has been expressed repeatedly throughout the Bible and the Holy Quran. God has declared their infidelity, wickedness, and their constant breaking of His covenant. Even Jesus confirmed that the religious practices of the Jews of his time did not represent t the original teachings of Abraham (John 8:39). Let’s look at scriptural evidence.

The Jews’ Infidelity, Rebellion, and Breaking of God’s Covenant

The Jews have always broken God’s covenant and forsaken His divine teachings. Their tenacious infidelity, persisting idolatry, and ongoing rebellion against God and His prophets are attested throughout the Bible and the Holy Quran. Consequentially, they were never deserving of God’s providence, mercy, or blessings.

Biblical Evidence

God Confirms the Infidelity and Disobedience of the Jews

“And the Lord said to Moses: ‘You are going to rest with your ancestors, and these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them.’” (Deuteronomy 31:16)

“They will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant.” (Deuteronomy 31:20)

“The people of Israel and the people of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 5:11)

“This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction.” (Jeremiah 7:28)

“Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors.”

(Jeremiah 11:10)

“They failed to keep God’s covenant and refused to live by His law.” (Psalm 78:10)

Throughout their history, the majority of the Israelites were idolaters. They blasphemed and worshipped false gods and idols, and they offered sacrifice to these false gods.

“The Lord said, ‘It is because they have forsaken my Law, which I set before them; they have not obeyed me or followed my Law. Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts and they have worshiped the Baals, as their ancestors taught them.’”

(Jeremiah 9:13-14)

“The Lord said to me, ‘The people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem have decided to turn against me. They have turned back to the iniquities of their ancestors who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.”

(Jeremiah 11:9-10)

“The people of Judah have as many gods as they have cities, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have set up as many altars for sacrifices to that disgusting god Baal as there are streets in the city. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant that I made with their ancestors.” (Jeremiah 11:13)

“Because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant, even all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded, they neither listen nor do it.”

(2 Kings 18:12)

God refers to the descendants of Jacob (Israel) as a wicked, foolish and senseless nation with stubborn and rebellious hearts who can’t see, hear, or follow the truth.

“Announce this to the descendants of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah: Hear this, you foolish and senseless people who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.”

(Jeremiah 5:20-21)

“But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned away and gone astray.” (Jeremiah 5:23)

Moses Confirms the Corruption and the Rebellion of the Jews

Moses confirmed that the Jews have always been rebellious against the Lord during his presence, and prophesied that they will corrupt his teachings and go astray after his death.

“Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die. … For I know that after my death you are

sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you.”

(Deuteronomy 31:26-29)

Jesus Confirms the Corruption of the Jews to God’s Teachings

Jesus affirmed that the Jews never kept God’s commands. They nullified God’s words by altering His teachings and replacing them with their own corrupt traditions.

“Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.’ You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observeyour own traditions…Thus, you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” (Mark 7:7-13)

Jesus also affirmed that the Jews have strayed from the teachings of Abraham. When the Jews said to Jesus, “Abraham is our father,” Jesus replied, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do (follow) the works (teachings) of Abraham” (John 8:39). Jesus refuted their claims of being the children of Abraham, and exposed their wickedness and corruption when he called them the children of the devil.

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires.”

(John 8:44)

Not only did they transgress against God and rebel against His prophets, they also killed many of God’s prophets, as confirmed by both the Bible and the Holy Quran.

Elijah replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” (1 Kings 19:14)

“But they plotted against him (Zechariah), and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple.” (2 Chronicles 24:21)

“But they became disobedient and rebelled against You, and cast Your law behind their backs, and killed Your prophets who had admonished them so that they might return to You, and they committed great blasphemies.” (Nehemiah 9:26)

“They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.”

(Jeremiah 26:23)

Jesus himself called them the killers of prophets.

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you.”

(Mathew 23:37; Luke 13:34)

“Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your ancestors who killed them. So you testify that you approve of what your ancestors did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and messengers, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’ Thus, this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.” (Luke 11:47-51; Mathew 23:29-36)

Paul, who was a Jew himself, also confessed their rebellion and wickedness. He referred to them as a stubborn people who are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. He also called them killers of prophets.

“You stubborn people! You are heathenat heart and deaf to the truth. Must you resist the Holy Spirit forever? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One (the Messiah) whom you betrayed and murdered. You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, despite receiving it from the hands of angels.” (Acts 7:51-53)

“Those Jews killed both the lord Jesus and the prophets.”

(1 Thessalonians 2:15)

“Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah and how he appealed to God against Israel, ‘Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me.’” (Romans 11:2-3)

Quranic Evidence

God Confirms the Infidelity, Rebellion, and Transgression of the Jews

Similar to the Bible, the Holy Quran also confirms that the Jews broke God’s covenant, rebelled against Him, transgressed against His prophets and killed them, and practiced idolatry and worshiped other gods.

“And for breaking their covenant, We have cursed them and caused their hearts to harden. They distort the words (of God), taking it out of context, and they have forgotten many of what they have been reminded of.” (Holy Quran 5:13)

“(They were condemned) for breaking their covenant, disbelieving in God’s signs (the abundant miracles which they have witnessed), unjustly killing the prophets, and for saying, “Our hearts are hardened!” Nay, it is God Who has sealed their hearts for their disbelief, so they do not believe except for little.” (Holy Quran 4:155)

“Cursed were those who disbelieved from among the Children of Israel by the tongue of David and Jesus, son of Mary. That is because they rebelled and used to transgress.”

(Holy Quran 5:78)

“And they were struck (inflicted) with disgrace and humiliation (poverty), and they have incurred God’s wrath because they persistently disbelieved in God’s signs (miracles & divine revelation) and wrongly killed the prophets. That is because they disobeyed and transgressed.”

(Holy Quran 2:61; 3:112)

“Indeed, We gave Moses the Book and sent after him successive messengers. And We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the holy spirit. Why is it that every time a messenger comes to you (Israelites) with something you do not like, you become arrogant, rejecting some (prophets) and killing others?” (Holy Quran 2:87)

After such explicit evidence confirming the Jews’ infidelity, corruption, and breaking of God’s covenant, how could anyone still claim that they are the chosen people of God or that they upheld God’s teachings. Even God’s scripture was not spared their alteration and corruption.

The Corruption of God’s Scriptures by the Jews

Throughout history, mankind has proven his ability to alter and corrupt the religion of God and stray from the teachings of His divine scriptures and guidance of His prophets. In this section, we will provide scriptural evidence that the Jews have done exactly that.

Quranic Evidence

God Confirms That the Jews Have Corrupted His Divine Scripture

“Do you really expect them to believe in you (and what you preach), knowing that some of them have already heard the words of God, then having understood it, they knowingly altered it.”

(Holy Quran 2:75)

“So woe to those who have written the Scripture with their own hands then say, “This is from God” to sell it for a trivial price (gain)! So, woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they have earned.” (Holy Quran 2:79)

“And from among the Jews, those who alter the words (of God) and take it out of context (or misinterpret it).” (Holy Quran 4:46)

“O People of the Scripture (Jews & Christians)! Why do you mix the truth with falsehood and hide the truth knowingly?” (Holy Quran 3:71)

“People of the Book (Jews & Christians)! Our Messenger has come to you, revealing much of what you have concealed of the Scriptures and has pardoned you for much more. There certainly has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book.” (Holy Quran 5:15)

Biblical Evidence

God Confirms That the Jews Have Corrupted His Divine Scripture

In the Old Testament, God confirmed the corruption of the Jews to their scriptures.

“How can you say, “we are wise, for we have the Law of the Lord,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?” (Jeremiah 8:8 - NIV)

“How can you say: “we are wise, and the Law of the Lord is with us?” but, behold, the false pen of the scribes has turned it into a lie.” (Jeremiah 8:8 - RSV).

“For you have distorted the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God.”

(Jeremiah 23:36 - NIV)

“For you have perverted the words of the living God, the Lord of hosts, our God.”

(Jeremiah 23:36 - KJV)

“You have changed the words of our God, the living God, the Lord Almighty.”

(Jeremiah 23:36 - NCV)

God Affirms That There Were Many False Prophets Among the Jews

God Affirmed that there were many imposters and false prophets among the Children of Israel. They pretended to be prophets and spoke in God’s name to deceive people, when in reality, God never appointed them.

“Then the Lord said to me, ‘The (false) prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatriesand the delusions of their own minds.’” (Jeremiah 14:14)

“The (false) prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way.” (Jeremiah 5:30-31)

Jesus Warned His Followers from the Corruption of the Jewish Scribes & Teachers

Jesus also warned his disciples from the teachers of the Law and from the Jewish scribes when he called them hypocrites, for they do not practice what they preach.

“Beware of these teachers of the Law of Moses!” (Mark 12:38)

“Beware of the Scribes.” (Luke 20:46)

“The scribes and the Pharisees who sit in Moses’ seat. Pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”

(Mathew 23:2-3)

Jesus discredited the Jewish scribes and teachers of the Law various times and called them hypocrites, blind fools, blind guides, poisonous snakes, and offspring of vipers for their hypocrisy, wickedness, and lack of righteousness.

“You blind guides! You blind fools!” (Mathew 23:16-17)

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” (Mathew 23:13)

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” (Mathew 23:23)

“You snakes! You offspring of vipers!” (Mathew 23:33)

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!... In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Mathew 23:27-28)

Did the Original Torah of Moses Survive?

The Loss of the Original Torah of Moses

The universal scholarly consensus is that the original Torah of Moses never survived antiquity. It was physically and morally lost long time ago due to centuries of neglect, abandonment, apostasy, idolatry, and catastrophic wars which caused the destruction of the temple of God (twice), the loss of the Ark of the Covenant of God, which carried the Tablets of the Ten Commandments, and the Torah along with it. Unlike the Holy Quran, whose preservation was assured by divine decree (Quran 15:9), the preservation of the Torah was entrusted to the Jews, as attested by the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 31:9, 26), the New Testament (Romans 3:2), and the Holy Quran (5:44). When Moses was alive, he assigned the task of preserving the Ark of the Covenant of God and the Torah to the Levites (Deuteronomy 31:24-26), yet they failed in their sacred duty of safeguarding them. The General consensus among scholars is that the Ark was destroyed during the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the first temple during the Babylonian conquest in 586 BC. The Torah, on the other hand, is believed to have been lost at a much earlier date. All the biblical and historical evidence suggests that it was lost during the period of Judges (1350 BC–1050 BC), an era characterized by the absence of centralized religious authority (Judges 21:25) and the spread of apostasy and idolatry. As reported by the Bible, after Joshua and his generation passed away, the very first generation that followed strayed from the path of God, broke His covenant, and went back to idolatry (Judges 2:7-13). Since then, from the fourteenth century until the sixth century, idolatry prevailed among the nation of Israel until the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of the first temple (586 BC), which led to the exile of the Jews to Babylon. This is when the Ark was believed to have been looted or destroyed, although there is substantial biblical evidence that implies that it could have been lost at a much earlier date as well. Scholars argue that the last biblical mention of the physical Ark was around 950 BC (1 Kings 8), and then it simply vanished. Even when the Temple was purged of idols during the reign of Josiah (c. 640–609 BC), there was no biblical mention of them encountering, restoring, or venerating that Ark, which proves that it was already lost. The same biblical silence occurred when the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar destroyed and looted the Temple in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:13-17); they provided detailed inventory of looted items, yet the Ark was not among these looted items. Therefore, while the Bible does not accurately record the moment of the Ark’s disappearance, its absence from the text suggests that it was lost long before the Babylonians arrived, possibly during the idolatrous reign of Manasseh (c. 697–642 BC).

For nearly eight-hundred years, the Israelites did not live by the Law of Moses (Torah) or govern according to it due to their neglect and abandonment of its teachings, which eventually led to its loss. The physical loss of the original Torah and the absence of its governing authority were explicitly confirmed in the book of 2 Kings. During the reign of king Josiah (622 BC), a scroll containing ancient religious laws, referred to as the “Book of the Law,” was discovered in the Temple of Jerusalem by the priest Hilkiah (2 Kings 22:8). Modern scholars identified the scroll as the core legal code that was later expanded into biblical book of Deuteronomy (Friedman, 1997, p. 99). The scroll was taken to the king, and a portion of it was read to him. Upon hearing the Laws it contained regarding the severe punishment that awaits those who break God’s covenant and engage into idolatry, the king

tore his clothes in horror. He acknowledged that God’s wrath was upon them, and that punishment was inevitable, and it was all the fault of their ancestors who had forsaken God’s covenant and worshipped other gods for so long, an inherited curse that has now defiled his idolatrous generation as well (2 Kings 22:11-13). This profound shock, which manifested his utter unfamiliarity with God’s laws, prove that the sacred Mosaic Law had been utterly unknown and forgotten to his entire generation and to the many generations before him, providing definitive scriptural testimony to its loss for centuries.

The loss of the original Torah was also confirmed by many biblical scholars, text critics, and historians. It has been unanimously agreed that the tablets that hold the original Ten Commandments of God and the original Torah of Moses never survived antiquity. Scholars agree that the current religious text, manifested in the first five books of the Old Testament, is not the original Torah of Moses. In other words, the current Pentateuch, a Greek name for the “five-part book,” was not written by Moses or any prophet of God. What is promulgated as the Torah of Moses today is in fact a composite production that was authored by various writers from the post-exilic and Hellenistic periods (538 BC–32 BC). Belgian theologian Jean Louis Ska reveals that "One of the first conclusions of the historical-critical method was to show that the Pentateuch was not written by Moses, as a very old and respected tradition affirmed" (Ska, 2006, p. 149). He expounds that "Moses is the 'author' of the Pentateuch only in a figurative sense. He is the main character of the last four books, and all the laws are placed under his authority. But he is not the writer in the modern sense of the term" (p. 216). Former Oxford professor John Barton emphasizes, "The theory of Mosaic authorship, however, was abandoned by mainstream scholars well over a century ago” (Barton, 2019, p. 24). David M. Carr, a leading scholar of the Hebrew Bible, validates this modern view, "We now know, of course, that Moses did not write the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). The Pentateuch is a composite work, the product of centuries of development” (Carr, 2011, p. 30). Carr further clarifies that “its attribution to Moses is a traditional ascription, not a historical fact" (p. 163). Konrad Schmid, a professor of the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism, elaborates, “The Pentateuch is not the precipitate of the Mosaic epoch but rather constitutes the foundational literary fiction of later Judaism” (Schmid, 2012, p. 9). He adds, “The figure of Moses functions as the fictional point of origin for the legislation that was developed during this process" (p. 230). Finally, John Van Seters, a foundational critic of the

Documentary Hypothesis, provides a specific historical context, noting that "The Pentateuch is not the product of a long process of development from the time of Moses... but is essentially the work of a single author or school in the exilic or post-exilic period" (Seters, 1999, p.16).

The Origin of the Current Pentateuch

Textual, historical, and archeological evidence suggests that the construction, compilation, and composition of the current Pentateuch was initiated during the post-exilic period and extended throughout the Hellenistic era (538 BC–32. BC). The Dutch scholar of Ancient Religions Van der Toorn affirms that "The Pentateuch as we know it, that is, as a collection of five books, is the product of the early Hellenistic period. It was created by the scribes of the Jerusalem temple in the third century BCE" (p. 285). He adds that the "second part of the Hebrew Bible, the Prophets (Nevi'im), was closed under the Hasmoneans in the second century BCE” (van der Toorn, 2007, p. 286). Jean Louis Ska shares the same exact view, "The Pentateuch is the result of a long and complex literary process that was essentially carried out in the post-exilic period" (Ska, 2006, p. 217). Old Testament scholar Brevard Springs Childs points out that "The present shape of the Pentateuch bears witness to a long history of development in which earlier traditions were collected, edited, and reinterpreted to form a cohesive whole for a later generation" (Childs, 1979, p. 130).

Ezra, the priestly scribe from the post-exilic (Babylonian) period, is widely credited by many scholars for the restoration of the textual tradition and the initial production of the religious texts, which underwent endless revisions, modifications, and textual reconstructions across multiple centuries until the final work was completed and falsely attributed to Moses during the Hasmonaean period (167 BC–37 BC) of the Hellenistic era (323 BC–31 BC). Ezra is described by the biblical book that carries his own name as a teacher who is well versed in the Law of Moses (Ezra 7:6), one who has devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to the teaching of its decrees and laws to Israel (Ezra 7:10). The same book informs us that after King Artaxerxes of Persia granted the Israelites permission to return to Jerusalem, he gave Ezra authority to govern the Jewish community according to the Law of God as the official law of the land, by imperial decree. He commissioned Ezra to teach the Law of God to the people, and to even enforce severe punishments upon those who did not abide by this law. (Ezra 7:25). The book of Ezra (7:14) and the Book of Nehemiah (8:1-8) imply that Ezra had returned from Babylon with the book of the Law of Moses (Nehemiah 8:1). A prevalent scholarly view holds that this book was neither the Torah of Moses nor the finalized Pentateuch as known today, but rather a developing version and a proto-Pentateuch that was yet to be finalized in the upcoming centuries (Grabbe, 1998, p. 134). Like many other scholars, historian Geo Widengren credits Ezra for the development and promulgation of the Pentateuch, "It was Ezra who gave the Torah (current Pentateuch) its final form and promulgated it as the law of the Jewish community in Palestine" (Widengren, 1977, p. 516). However, scholars have different opinions regarding the role of Ezra in the development of the new Pentateuch. Some regard him as a restorer and editor of something that had already existed, which were compiled and composed from oral tradition and early written texts, while others regard Ezra as the producer of a completely new text with a new law, which was edited, revised, and refined by those who came after him. Scholars such as Geo Widengren (1977, p. 516), H. G. M. Williamson (1985, p. 100), and David Noel Freedman (1991, p. 731), and Joshua Berman (2017, p. 215) seem to favor the first view.

The Law which Ezra brought with him from Babylonia was not something entirely new. It represented the culmination of a long process of development. (Widengren, 1977, p. 516)

There is no need to regard the law-book of Ezra as a fresh composition. The evidence points rather to his having promulgated a version of the Pentateuch which had been substantially completed in the exile by priestly circles. (Williamson, 1985, p. 100)

The consensus of this volume is that the Pentateuch reached essentially its final form before the time of Ezra. Ezra’s role was therefore not that of author, but of restorer and publicizer of an ancient text that had fallen into disuse during the Exile. (Freedman, 1991, p. 731)

Ezra’s mission was to restore and re-promulgate the Torah of Moses, which had been neglected... The text he brought represented the culmination of centuries of legal and narrative tradition, which he edited into its authoritative form. (Berman, 2017, p. 215)

On the other hand, the majority of medieval and modern scholars, critics, and historians favor the second view and regard Ezra as an inventor and producer of a completely new text. Ibn Hazm, a prominent medieval scholar, regards the entire Hebrew Bible as a forgery perpetrated by Ezra and those who came after him. He posits that the new Pentateuch was not a restoration of the original Torah of Moses yet a completely new invention (Donnelly, 2023, p. 230) Karel van der Toorn confirms that Ezra’s “mission was not to restore a lost Torah but to introduce a new law—the law of the God of Heaven—as the law of the land, with the authority of the Persian king behind it" (p. 267). He also elaborates that "The Torah that Ezra brought from Babylon was essentially the work of the priests and scribes of the (Babylonian) exile. It was a product of the scribal mind, not a text recovered from antiquity" (p. 268). (van der Toorn, 2007, p. 286) Morton Smith holds the same view, "The 'law of thy God' which Ezra was to enforce was presumably a single, comprehensive code. Such a code had never existed before in Judah. It must therefore have been a new creation, composed for the occasion. This new creation was probably a compilation of materials from the earlier traditions of the Jerusalem priesthood and from the Deuteronomic school" (Smith, 1971, p. 134). Blenkinsopp expounds on the role of Ezra, "Ezra is presented as a second Moses... The purpose of this Mosaic typology is to authorize Ezra’s interpretation and promulgation of the law as having the same divine authority as the original revelation at Sinai" (Blenkinsopp, 1988, p. 64).

Prior to the Hellenistic period (323 BC–31 BC), the Jews never concerned themselves with authorial attribution, assigning authors to the books of their Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). It was only during the Hasmonaean period (167 BC–37 BC) when the Jews started attributing the first five books of the Bible to Moses (Schniedewind, 2005, p. 136). Ascribing the first five books of the Hebrew Bible to Moses as the author was a crucial step on the path of acquiring credibility and granting prophetic authority to the text (Carr, 2014, p.44). For centuries, the notion circulated, and many scholars were compelled to claim that these five books were written by Moses himself. During the late 16^th century, however, the view shifted and scholars acknowledged that Moses did not write these five books of the Bible. Then came the Age of Enlightenment, between the 17^th and the 18^th centuries, and the systematic study of the books of the Bible led the majority of scholars to conclude that the biblical books were authored by various unknown authors from different periods centuries apart (McDermott, 2002, p. 21). In his authoritative commentary on the Pentateuch, biblical scholar Joseph Blenkinsopp notes that “The age-old belief that the Pentateuch is essentially the work of Moses, the lawgiver and liberator, is no longer tenable. Critical scholarship, which began in a systematic way in the 17th century, has shown these books to be a composite work, the product of a long and complex process of formation which came to an end only in the post-exilic period" (Blenkinsopp, 1990, p. 25). The World Book Encyclopedia agrees, “Tradition says Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible... But many scholars believe that several authors wrote these books over hundreds of years” (Pentateuch, 1994, p. 273).

The Origin of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)

Similar to the Pentateuch, the original manuscripts of all the biblical books of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) that we possess today are nowhere to be found. We do not have any concrete evidence regarding the origins of these biblical books, their authors, or the exact dates they were composed and compiled. No archaeological discovery, not even the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest fragmentary manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), has been able to resolve the mysterious puzzle of how these biblical books came to exist, or provide certain answers regarding who wrote these books and when. We only possess copies of copies of copies of composite religious texts of uncertain origins from different periods centuries apart. For this exact reason, scholars came up with different hypothesis, such as the Documentary Hypothesis, Fragmentary Hypotheses, Oral Hypothesis, and others, to attempt to identify the origins of these biblical book that are perceived by millions of people to be sacred.

An overwhelming body of scholarly testimony confirms the absence of the original manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible. Fredrick G. Kenyon, former president of the British School of Archeology in Jerusalem, stated that “the original manuscripts of the Hebrew books perished long ago… We have no Hebrew manuscript which is older than the tenth century (AD) after Christ” (Kenyon, 1895, p. 23). James L. kugel agrees, "We do not possess a single scrap of any biblical book that dates from the time of its composition… The Bible as we know it is the end product of a long and often untraceable process of copying, recopying, and editing over many centuries… The original text—what scholars sometimes call the Urtext or autograph—of any biblical book is simply not available to us" (2007, p.30, 31). Collier’s Encyclopedia confirms, "The original manuscripts of the Old Testament books have all perished. We have only copies in Hebrew, and translations into Greek, Latin and other languages. The Hebrew text has suffered considerably in the course of its transmission through the hands of many generations of copyists" (Bible, 1921, vol. 4, p. 127). Emanuel Tov explains that even the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest fragmental texts that were ever found, are only copies of copies, "We do not possess the original manuscripts of any of the biblical books, nor even the first copies of these originals. The Qumran scrolls (the Dead Sea Scrolls), the earliest known biblical manuscripts, are themselves removed by at least several centuries from their archetypes (the presumed original texts), which had long since ceased to exist" (Tov, 2012, p. 1). Let’s examine additional scholarly testimonies.

The original manuscript of a biblical book is forever lost. What we have are copies of copies, the products of a centuries-long process of transmission. ... The notion of an original text in the modern sense of the word does not apply to the Hebrew Bible. (Van der Toorn, 2007, p.15).

We must reckon with the likelihood that we have no direct access to 'original' texts of most ancient literature. What we have are copies of copies, shaped by centuries of memorization, performance, and revision. (Carr, 2005, p. 5)

Not only do we not possess the original manuscripts of any of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), we do not even know who the authors of these books are. Jean Louis Ska affirms that "The authors of the biblical texts are generally unknown to us... The texts were written, rewritten, corrected, and edited by different hands over the course of centuries" (Ska, 2006, p. 215). He argues that "The books of the Bible are not the work of a single author but rather the end product of a collective and anonymous labor that spanned several generations." (Ska, 2009, p. 4). Ska adds that "The formation of the Hebrew Bible, understood as a collection of authoritative books, reached its culminating point in the Hasmonean period (second–first centuries B.C.E.). It was during this time of political independence that Judaism defined its identity in opposition to Hellenism, and the sacred texts played a central role in this process" (Ska, 2009, p.192). He also confirms that "The closure of the collection of the Prophets, and perhaps the definitive fixation of the text of the Torah itself, can be situated in the second century B.C.E., under the Hasmoneans" (Ska, 2006, p. 221).

Christianity

The Emergence of Christianity as a Full-Fledged Religion

It is of no surprise that Christianity as a full-fledged religion emerged centuries after the death of Jesus. All of Christianity’s doctrines and dogmas were established between the 4^th and the 8^th centuries. Jesus knew nothing about a religion called Christianity, nor did he ever refer to himself as a Christian. The word Christianity itself does not appear anywhere in the Bible. The term “Christian” was only used in the first century as a derisive term by those who despised the followers of Jesus. It was first used in Antioch by those who mocked the followers of Jesus, as reported by the book of Acts, “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:26). Early follower of Jesus, who were all Jewish, were called Nazarenes until Gentiles from Antioch started referring to them as “Christians” in a derogatory way. Later on, the term was adopted by later Christians. The earliest recorded use of the term “Christianity” was by Ignatius of Antioch in 100 AD, that is 100 years after the death of Jesus (Comfort & Elwell, 2001). After its separation from Judaism between the 2^nd and 4^th century, it took Christianity between 400 – 800 years to establish its foundational doctrines and dogmas. All these pagan doctrines, such as the Eternal Sonship, Incarnation, Trinity, Original Sin, Crucifixion and Sacrifice, and Atonement were the product of the early Roman Church. Jesus never preached any of these pagan and polytheistic doctrines.

The Original Religion of Jesus

As we pointed out earlier, the original teachings of Jesus were but an extension to the teachings of Moses. Jesus was sent to affirm and uphold the monotheistic teachings of the Law of Moses and previous prophets, as he himself declared, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them” (Mathew 5:17). The Holy Quran affirms the same thing, “And He (God) will teach him (Jesus) the Book and wisdom, and the Torah and the Injeel (Gospel). And He will make him (Jesus) a Messenger to the Children of Israel… And I (Jesus) will confirm that which was before me from the (teachings of the) Torah, and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So fear God and obey me. Truly, God is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him (Alone). This is the Straight Path.’” (Holy Quran 3:48-51). Throughout his ministry, Jesus urged his followers to abide by the Law of Moses and follow the Ten Commandments (Mark 12:29), and he warned them that the teachings of the scripture (Torah) must not be broken (John 10:35). On various occasions, Jesus preached the Torah of Moses to his followers. He also debated the Jews, refuted their misconceptions, and expose their corruption using the Law of Moses (Mark 10:7-8, 12:29-30; Mathew 9:13, 15:7-9; John 8:17, Luke 7:27). This only proves that he only came to follow the footsteps of Moses and fulfill his monotheistic teachings. In chapter one of this book, we will present all the biblical evidence that shows that Jesus only preached monotheism. Jesus declared repeatedly that God the Father is the only true God worthy of worship, and he instructed his followers to worship God Almighty alone. Jesus also condemned those who strayed from the path of monotheism, and he assured his disciples and followers that he will renounce and denounce them on the day of Judgment for not serving God’s will and abandoning his teachings (Mathew 7:21-23).

Early Christians Were Monotheists

During the lifetime of Jesus, his disciples were all sincere monotheists, especially when all of them were practicing Jews who adhered strictly to the monotheistic teachings of the Law of Moses. However, It is imperative to note that only few Jews followed Jesus during his lifetime. The book of Acts suggested that the number of early Jewish followers shortly after the alleged crucifixion of Jesus did not exceed 120 followers (Acts 1:15). After his death, the situation remained the same, very few Jews embraced the teachings of Jesus. David C. Sim argued that the number of Jews in the early movement at the end of the first century probably never exceeded 1000 followers at any given time, that is 0.0166% of the Jewish population at that time. He suggested that, in percentage terms, the number of early Jewish followers were close to 5.3%, compared to the 94.7 % of early followers who were pagan Gentiles (Sim, 2005). This means that close to 95% of all early converts to Christianity were of pagan origins, and this is precisely why the early Roman church, under the influence of the pagan Roman Emperor Constantine, was compelled to replace its monotheistic garment with a polytheistic one to attract these pagan followers.

After the death of Jesus, and after all of his disciples were persecuted and prosecuted by the Jews and the Romans, the original teachings of Jesus were corrupted. Paul, the self-acclaimed apostle and the one whom Christianity owes its spread among pagan Gentiles, was the first to alter and corrupt the original teachings of Jesus. At first, Paul started preaching to the Jews, but when they rejected his teachings for contradicting the Law of Moses, Paul shifted his focus on pagan Gentiles (Acts 13:44-47). Paul appointed himself an apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 1:5, 11:13, 15:16), and he claimed that he was chosen by God to invite them to Christianity (Galatians 1:15-16; Acts 9:15), and this is how he contributed to the spread of Christianity among pagan Gentiles. These pagan followers brought with them their heathen and polytheistic beliefs, and none of them were forced to abandon these beliefs before embracing the new religion, especially when Paul himself had nullified the importance of the Law of Moses and its observance when he declared that believers are not justified by the observance of the Law, yet by faith in Jesus Christ alone in his letter to the Galatians (2:16). In my book Jesus The Prophet of God (Part Two), we examined the impact of Paul and his teachings on the spread of Christianity, despite being a highly controversial and suspected figure. The Jews regard Paul as a false prophet, and many Christians regard him as an imposter who had a perfect plan to corrupt the teachings of Jesus. Even the disciples of Jesus himself did not believe in Paul and his drastic conversion from being a vicious enemy of Jesus and his followers to becoming one of Jesus’ devout followers and supporters, as expressed in Acts 9:26, “And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.” Many early Christians questioned Paul’s apostleship and doubted him, as he himself expressed in his letter to the Corinthians (1Corinthians 9:1-3). After all, he was known for his persecution of the followers of Jesus, as he himself admitted in various verses, “I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison” (Acts 22:4; Galatians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 15:9; 1 Timothy 1:13). He was also present during the execution of Stephen, one of the disciples of Jesus, and was one of those who approved the execution (Acts 7:58, 8:1). For more details on how Paul altered and corrupted the original teachings of Jesus, refer to my book.

Surprisingly, Jesus warned people from false prophets like Paul who will come after him and speak in his name and in God’s name for the purpose of misleading people.

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Mathew 7:15)

“See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will lead many astray.” (Mathew 24:4-5)

“And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” (Mathew 24:11)

“For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.” (Mark 13:22)

In all these New Testament biblical verses, Jesus was not referring to false prophets who spoke against him, he was explicitly referring to false prophets who spoke in his name, prophesied in his name, and did many works in his name, the same way Christians are doing today. Shockingly, Jesus will renounce and denounce all these false prophets, advocates, and followers on the day of Judgement because they were not true adherers of his faith. They never kept his commands or upheld his teachings, yet they altered and corrupted his faith and strayed from the right path. This applies to the Christian Church and all those who followed its pagan and polytheistic teachings and abandoned the purely monotheistic teachings of Jesus. This was clearly expressed by Jesus in the Gospel of Mathew.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Mathew 7:21-23)

The Holy Quran confirms the same thing. On the Day of Judgement, when God Almighty brings Jesus forward to testify as a witness against his people, he will denounce their blasphemy and renounce their pagan and polytheistic beliefs, for they have over glorified Jesus and worshiped him as a god alongside God the Father.

“And on Judgment Day, God will say, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you ever ask the people to worship you and your mother as gods besides Allah (God)?’ He will answer, ‘Glory be to You! How could I ever say what I had no right to say? If I had said such a thing, you would have certainly known it. You know what is (concealed) within my soul, but I do not know what is within Yours. Indeed, You alone are the Knower of all unseen. I never told them anything except what You have ordered me to say: “Worship God, my Lord and your Lord!” And I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them. But when You raised me, You were the Witness over them, and You are a Witness over all things.’” (Holy Quran 5:116 -117)

The Christians’ Infidelity, Corruption, and Breaking of God’s Covenant

The early Roman Church followed the footsteps of Paul and focused on pagan Gentiles who constituted the majority of the population under the rule of the Roman Empire. For this precise reason, Christianity had to wear a pagan garment to attract these pagan followers. Under the governance of the pagan Emperor Constantine, the church altered the purely monotheistic teachings of Jesus and replaced it with polytheistic doctrines and dogmas that were influenced by the mythical beliefs of the Greeks, simply to attract more heathen followers. In my book Jesus The Prophet of God (Part One & Part Two), we investigated the sociopolitical factors that lead to the formulation of these pagan and polytheistic doctrines by the church in the fourth century. We also examined in details the disputes and controversies of early Christians which lead to the emergence of early christologies that changed how Christians perceived Jesus. During his lifetime, and up until the 4^th century, Jesus was only regarded as a mere man and a prophet of God. After the 4^th century however, and after the formulation of the Doctrines of the Incarnation, the Eternal Sonship, and the Trinity at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD, Christians transformed Jesus into a divine being and started worshipping him alongside God Almighty. They abandoned the worship of the one true God and embraced the polytheistic concept of a triune God, three distinct, coequal, coeternal, and consubstantial divine beings forming a Trinity. By doing so, they violated the central doctrine of the Law of Moses, which Jesus instructed them to uphold, and broke the covenant with God, as confirmed by the Holy Quran.

“And from among those who say, ‘we are Christians,’ We took their covenant, but they neglected a portion of what they have been commanded to uphold. So, We let hostility and enmity arise between them until the Day of Judgment, and soon Allah (God) will inform them of all they have done.” (Holy Quran 5:14)

Any Christian dogma that contradicts the monotheistic creed of the Law of Moses should be regarded as heresy. Any invitation on behalf of the church to enjoin Christians to abandon the worship of the one and only true God, whom Jesus himself worshipped and enjoined his followers to worship (Mark 12:29; John 17:3), is an act of blasphemy. God Almighty affirmed the infidelity of Trinitarian Christians in the Holy Quran, and He labeled them polytheists. He condemned those who alleged that God is a Trinity and that God has begotten a son.

“Indeed, they have disbelieved (blasphemed) those who say, ‘God is the Messiah, the son of Mary’. The Messiah (himself) said, ‘O Children of Israel, worship God, my Lord and your Lord (alone).’ For whosoever associates others with God (in worship), God will deny him Paradise, and the hellfire will be his dwelling. And the oppressors (wrongdoers) will have no helpers (saviours).”

(Holy Quran 5:72)

“Indeed, they have disbelieved (blasphemed) those who say, ‘God is one of three in a Trinity’. Indeed, there is no God but one God, and if they do not desist from what they say, a painful punishment will befall those who have disbelieved (blasphemed) from among them (Christians).” (Holy Quran 5:73)

“Believe in God (Alone) and His messengers, and do not say: ‘Three or Trinity!’ Desist, it is be better for you. God is only One God. Far be it from His glory to have a son! To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And God is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs.”

(Holy Quran 4:171)

“And the Jews said, “Ezra is the son of God,” and the Christians said, “The Messiah is the son of God”. Such is what they say with their own mouth. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before them. May God curse them! They have lied and strayed from the truth.” (Holy Quran 9:30)

“And (God) warns those who said, ‘God has begotten a son.’ They have no knowledge of it, nor had their forefathers. A grievous word it is that comes out of their mouths. They speak nothing but a lie.” (Holy Quran 18:4-5)

The Corruption of God’s Scriptures by Christians

Christianity followed the footsteps of Judaism in corrupting the words of God. Not only did Christians adopt the same corrupt Old Testament Bible, which has been fabricated by the Jews, Christians wrote the entire New Testament Bible with their own hands and claimed that it was from God. This is why the same curse of God applies to them for doing the same thing that the Jews Did.

Similar to the Jews, Christians attempted to conceal the truth. First, they altered the original teachings of Jesus, then they denied the prophethood of Mohammad ﷺ and rejected the divine message and the divine scripture that he received from God.

“O People of the Scripture (Jews & Christians)! Why do you mix the truth with falsehood and hide the truth knowingly?” (Holy Quran 3:71)

“Do you really expect them to believe in you (and what you preach), knowing that some of them have already heard the word of God, then having understood it, they knowingly altered it.”

(Holy Quran 2:75)

Did the Original Gospel of Jesus Survive?

The original Gospel (Injil) that Jesus received from God, which he instructed his followers to preach to the world (Mark 16:15), is nowhere to be found. There is absolutely no biblical, Quranic, or historical evidence that the Gospel was committed to writing. According to tradition, Jesus never wrote anything down nor instructed anyone to write anything down, "The original materials of the New Testament, like those of the Old, were largely oral... Jesus himself left no literary remains. His teachings were carried in the memory of his followers" (Bible, 1921, p. 465). The four gospels that we have today (Mark, Mathew, Luke & John) do not represent the original gospel of Jesus. They were authored by four anonymous (unknown) authors 70–120 years after the death of Jesus, as confirmed by the majority of Christian scholars, historians, and Bible commentators. None of these four anonymous writers were disciples of Jesus nor eyewitnesses who lived during the time of his ministry, as various scholars noted. (Ehrman, 2014; Reddish, 2011; Goodacre, 2001).

The Gospels, our primary sources for the life of Jesus, were written thirty-five to sixty-five years after his death... None of them was written by an eyewitness. (Ehrman, 2014, p. 45)

The Gospels are anonymous. The names now associated with them—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—come from early Christian tradition, not from the Gospels themselves. (Reddish, 2011, p. 72)

The Gospels are not historical reports in the modern sense, but theological narratives written by authors who were not eyewitnesses to the events they describe. (Schnelle, 2009/2003, p. 178)

The Gospels are anonymous works. Their traditional authorship is a matter of later church tradition rather than original attribution. (Goodacre, 2001, p. 9)

Scholars agree that the earliest written gospel of these four was the Gospel of Mark, written around 70 AD. The Gospels of Mathew and Luke were written between 80–90 AD, and the Gospel of John, the most controversial of all the gospels and the most contradicting to all the other three Synoptic Gospels, was written between 90–100 AD (Brown, 1997; Boring, 2006). Although these suggested dates are mainstream consensus, other scholars suggest later dates for the gospels of Mathew, Luke, and John, placing their completion within the first or second decade of the second century (Koester, 1990; von Wahlde, 2010).

Most scholars would accept the following approximations: Mark, c. 68–73; Matthew, c. 80–90; Luke, c. 80–90; John, c. 90–100. (Brown, 1997, p.164)

The following dates represent a consensus of modern scholarship: Mark, c. 70; Matthew, c. 80–90; Luke, c. 80–90; John, c. 90–100. (Boring, 2006, p. 302)

The final redaction of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke may have occurred in the first decades of the second century. The Gospel of John probably reached its present form even later. (Koester, 1990, p. 43)

The final edition of the Gospel of John is to be dated to the period 100-110 CE. This places its completion at the very end of the first century or the beginning of the second. (von Wahlde, 2010, p. 16)

Nonetheless, none of these gospels, nor any of the epistles in the New Testament, were written in Jesus’ native Aramaic language. They originated in koine Greek, the language of educated Hellenistic writers who were experts in Greek. This linguistic reality reinforces the conclusion that none of these gospels were written by the disciples of Jesus, especially when the disciples of Jesus were unlearned (uneducated), as confirmed by the Book of Acts (4:13). In his book Forged, Bart Ehrman states that “In fact, almost all of the apostles were illiterate and could not have written a letter if their life depended on it" (p. 14). The 12 disciples of Jesus had humble origins, and most of them were fishermen by trade (Matthew 4:18-22; John 21:2-3). Finally, there is no biblical or historical evidence that suggests that Jesus or his disciples knew Greek either. The wide consensus among scholars is that Aramaic was the primary language spoken by the Jews of the first century in Palestine (Charlesworth, 2010). Abraham Geiger, a German rabbi, asserted that Jewish rabbis from the first century spoke Aramaic and not Hebrew. Geiger argued that the Hebrew from the first century only functioned as a written language, not as a living, spoken language (1857). Therefore, if the original gospel of Jesus existed it would have been written in Aramaic. After all, how can anyone attribute these four gospels to God, or dare claim that these gospels act as a reliable source of divine guidance if none of them were written by Jesus, or even a disciple of Jesus who was an eyewitness?

In addition to the anonymous authorship of the four gospels and the rest of the New Testament books, we do not possess any original manuscripts for any of these books. We only possess thousands of copies with hundreds of thousands of textual variations. Scholars have estimated a staggering number of 400,000–500,000 textual variations and errors between the 5,700 copies of the New Testament books (Ehrman, 2016; Wallace, 2011).

No autograph manuscript of any book of the New Testament is known to exist. All extant manuscripts are copies, and most are copies of copies. (Greetham, 1992, p. 186)

The original copies of the New Testament books left the hands of their authors in the first century, but unfortunately not one of them survives today. (Metzger & Ehrman, 2005, p. 50)

We do not possess the original manuscripts of any of the biblical books, nor even the first copies of these originals. (Tov, 2012, p. 1)

When it comes to the New Testament, the original twenty-seven books disappeared long ago, probably within decades of their composition. (Bauer, 2019, p. 47)

Modern scholars have identified somewhere in the range of 200,000 to 400,000 'variants' among our surviving manuscripts (Ehrman, 2016, p. 11)

It is probably safe to put the matter in comparative terms: there are more differences among our manuscripts than there are words in the New Testament. (Ehrman, 2005, p. 10)

The number of textual variants in the Greek New Testament has been estimated at between three hundred thousand and five hundred thousand. The real number may be closer to four hundred thousand or even more when one factors in the versional and patristic evidence. (Wallace, 2011, p. 28)

The number of variants is about two and a half times the number of words in the New Testament. There are about 138,000 words in the New Testament, but close to 400,000 variants. (Wallace, 2011, p. 29)

After such scholarly textual analysis, proving that the Bible did not come from God is no longer a matter of speculation, but rather an undeniable factual reality. Every single book, gospel, or epistle in the Bible was written by anonymous human hands and has undergone endless revisions, modifications, and editions across various centuries, as eloquently confirmed by Dr. Graham Scroggie, “Yes, the Bible is human, though some, out of zeal which is not according to knowledge, have denied this. Those books have passed through the minds of men, are written in the language of men, were penned by the hands of men, and bear in their style the characteristics of men” (Scroggie, 1922, p. 17). Today, no credible scholar, theologian, Bible commentator, textual critic, or historian can dare deny that the Bible that we read today, comprising the Old and the New Testaments, is not the infallible word of God. This position is confirmed by the general scholarly consensus, “The immediate result of the new studies was to suggest that the bible is not the unchanged words of God but rather a historically conditioned record of man’s search for God” (Bible, 1921, p. 118). To continue to believe that the Bible is the word of God is therefore a myth, as expressed by Dr. Charles E. Hill, professor of New Testament, "Christians who regard the Bible as in any real and transcendent sense the word of God might want to comfort themselves with the thought that this is a myth of Christian origins that has spread only on the popular level, through novels and films, and, yes, the occasional college classroom. Serious scholars and other informed people know it isn’t true" (Hill, 2010). For centuries, millions of Jewish and Christian adherents have been fooled into thinking that the Bible came from God. Today, the general consensus among Jewish and Christian scholars is that the Bible, whether we are referring to the Catholic Bible which contains 73 books (46 Old Testament + 27 New Testament), or the Protestant Bible which contains 66 books (39 Old Testament + 27 New Testament), or the Hebrew Bible which contains 24 books, is the literary work of humans and not God. Therefore, it should never be regarded as a credible source of divine guidance.

Islam

Islam is the Only True Manifestation of the Abrahamic Religion

Islam on the other hand, has kept firmly to the Abrahamic Faith without alteration. Ever since its advent, Islam has declared itself a continuation of the Abrahamic faith, and Muslims have been adhering to the original teachings of Abraham and have been honoring the original rituals that Abraham has laid the foundations for. Muslims were enjoined by God Almighty to follow the faith of Abraham, the father of all the prophets who descended from his bloodline. The monotheistic faith of Abraham acts as the model for all believers from every succeeding generation to follow and uphold. It is the cornerstone upon which the religion of God to mankind is founded since the emergence of civilizations. Nevertheless, while Abraham laid the foundation for the teachings of Islam in its early primitive form, the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ, the final messenger of God, came to fortify its beliefs, enrich and complete its rituals, and perfect its religious practices so that it would suit every nation from every era until the end of time. After the Jews and the Christians altered and corrupted the Abrahamic Faith during the ministries of Moses and Jesus, God sent his final messenger, Mohammad ﷺ to rectify the corruption, refute the misconceptions, amend the distorted beliefs, and invite mankind to the final and refined version of the teachings of Islam, which derive from the original teachings of Abraham. This is why God instructed the prophet Mohammad ﷺ to enjoin the believers to follow the Abrahamic Faith.

“Say to them (O Mohammad). ‘God has spoken the truth. So follow the religion of Abraham, the Hanif (the upright and sincere monotheist). He was never one of the polytheists (or idolaters).’” (Holy Quran 3:95)

“Say to them (O Mohammad), ‘Surely, my Lord has guided me to the straight path, to an upright religion, the religion of Abraham, the upright monotheist, and he was not a polytheist.’” (Holy Quran 6:161)

Islam Is the Only True Religions of God

God Almighty made it absolutely clear that no other faith or religion will be accepted by God except Islam, the religion of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, and all the prophets of God peace be upon them all.

“Verily, the only true religion in the sight of God is Islam.” (Holy Quran 3:19)

“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter, he shall be from among the losers.” (Holy Quran 3:85)

“And who would turn away from the religion of Abraham except someone who is foolish? Surely, We have chosen him (Abraham) in this world, and in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous.” (Holy Quran 2:130)

“And who has a better faith than he who surrenders his will to the will of God while being pious, and follows the religion of Abraham, who was a Hanif (upright monotheist), whom God Has taken as His friend (Khaleel).” (Holy Quran 4:125)

The Linguistic and Theological Definition of Islam

From these Quranic verses (above), we can conclude that Islam is the only true representation of the Abrahamic Faith, and the only religion ordained by God for humanity to follow. These Quranic verses also provide a definition of what it means to be a Muslim. To be a Muslim is to be an upright monotheist, and to surrender your will to the will of God, worship Him alone, and abandon the worship of false gods. This clear definition that was provided by these Quranic verses is identically coherent with the linguistic meaning of the word “Muslim.” The literal meaning of the word “Muslim” is one who surrenders or submits. Likewise, the literal meaning of the word “Islam” is surrender or submission. The two words derive from the Arabic root word “SLM” which has various derivatives with multiple correlated meanings. The verb “Aslama” means to surrender, the verb “sallama” means to accept, the verb “Salima” means to be safe and unharmed, and the noun “Salam” means peace. So if we combine all these meanings together, it will give us the perfect understanding of what it means to be a Muslim. To be a Muslim is to surrender one’s will to the will of God and accept His teachings willingly and peacefully, meaning with ease at heart and without compulsion. Thereby, be in a state of wellbeing in this life for adhering to the will of God, and be safe on the day of judgement from eternal damnation for following the true path. It also means that one must submit to the absolute truth that there is only one true God worthy of worship; therefore, one must worship God Almighty alone and sincerely, and abandon the worship of false gods. The verb “Salima” does not only mean to be free from harm, but it also means to be free from defects, flaws, imperfections, and impurities. Hence, to be a Muslim is to be a true believer who is free from “shirk,” infidelity, and this is only possible when we rid and purify our hearts and minds from every polytheistic or pagan idea, thought, or belief that pollute our monotheistic faith.

Abraham, the Father of Prophets, Revered in Islam

Abraham was praised by God throughout the Holy Quran for being an upright monotheist, a true believer, and a devoted Muslim who completely surrendered his will to the will of God and worshipped Him alone. Abraham had no flaws or impurities in his faith, and this is why he was referred to as ‘Hanif,” one who is inherently inclined towards monotheism. His absolute devotion and submission to God was commended in the Holy Quran, “When His Lord said to him ‘Surrender,’ he said, ‘I have surrendered to the Lord of the worlds’” (Holy Quran 2:131). His total obedience and absolute adherence to the divine commands of God without hesitation was applauded by God Almighty. Imagine waiting for 100 years to have a son, and when God finally blesses him with a son, He commands him to sacrifice his firstborn and only son at the time, Ishmael, and without hesitation, Abraham obeys God’s commands (Holy Quran, 37:101-113). This is why Abraham is portrayed as the role model of righteousness, devotion, and sacrifice for all believers to follow, “You (Believers) have a good example in Abraham…” (Holy Quran 60:4), and this is why God made Abraham an Imam, a leader to all people, “I am appointing you a leader for all people…” (Holy Quran 2:124). Abraham was referred to as a nation on his own, meaning a true leader for all nations, “Abraham was a nation” (Holy Quran 16:120). He was also referred to as God’s friend for his close relationship with God (Holy Quran, 4:125). The Holy Quran tells the story of prophet Abraham in various chapters, and sheds light on how Abraham renounced all forms of paganism and denounced all the false gods that his people used to worship. Like all other prophets, Abraham invited his people to worship God Almighty alone, renounce paganism, and abandon the worship of all false gods (Holy Quran 19:41-48; 6:79-81; 43:26-28; 14:35-41). He also enjoined his sons and grandsons to embrace Islam and be upright monotheists, “And Abraham commanded his sons, and so did Jacob (after him), ‘Sons, your God has chosen for you the (true) religion, so do not die unless you are Muslims.’” (Holy Quran 2:132).

Abraham Was Nether Jewish or Christian, But a Muslim

For centuries now, the Jews have continued to claim that Abraham was their forefather and the founder of their faith (John 8:39). Throughout history, the Jews initiated the claim by attributing themselves to the bloodline of Abraham, alleging to be the descendants of Abraham through the Twelve Tribes of Israel who sprung from the twelve sons of Israel (Jacob), the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. By doing so, they also claimed the right to Abraham’s inheritance and God’s promise to Abraham’s descendants to prosper throughout the promised land, despite the fact that they and their ancestors never kept God’s covenant and were deemed unworthy, as examined earlier. In their attempt to establish legitimacy to their corrupt religion, the Jews also claimed that Abraham was a Jew himself, given that he was referred to as “Ivri” in the book of Genesis of the Old Testament Bible (14:13), which was translated into the English word “Hebrew.” These two words have been used synonymously by the Jews for a little over a century now. Such deliberate misinterpretation has been refuted by the majority of biblical scholars, commentators, and historians, and has been proven to be completely false. The word “Ivri,” which is translated into English as “Hebrew,” means one who traversed or crossed from one side of the river to another. Abraham was referred to as “Ivri” because he came from the other side of the Euphrates River, migrating from Ur (Mesopotamia) to Canaan. Historians have declared repeatedly that there was never a tribe called the “Hebrew Tribe,” and that the term “Hebrew” is not an ethnonym, referring to a specific ethnic group of people. In spite of that, the word “Hebrew,” and later on the word “Jew,” was used by American Jews in the 19^th century as synonymous words to the term “Ivri.” By doing so, they established two things: first, they gave themselves a new name (Hebrew), as an attempt to embellish the image of the Jewish race and ease the negative connotations associated with the word “Jew;” secondly, they were able to link themselves to Abraham by claiming that he was the first Hebrew, meaning the first Jew, implying that he was the founder of their faith.

By affiliation, Christians also claimed that Abraham was their spiritual father (Romans 4:12), given that Christianity was a Judaic sect in its early days, and given that Christians are obligated to adopt the teachings of the Old Testament Bible like the Jews before them. For centuries, Christians continued to affiliate themselves with the Abrahamic Faith, despite the obvious fact that Christians have never adhered to the monotheistic teachings of Abraham, nor the monotheistic teachings of the Law of Moses, which they were instructed to fulfill and uphold by Jesus himself (Mathew 5:17). Therefore, it is profoundly inaccurate to refer to Christianity as an Abrahamic religion because its purely polytheistic faith completely contradicts the purely monotheistic faith of Abraham.

To refute their allegations, God Almighty asserted in various verses in the Holy Quran that Abraham was neither Jewish nor Christian, yet he was a sincere and an upright Muslim. In chapter 2 of the Holy Quran (2:124-141), God repeatedly affirmed that the religion of Abraham was Islam. It is the religion of his sons Ishmael and Isaac, his grandson Jacob, and his great-grandsons, the twelve sons of Jacob (Israel) who became the ancestors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. God refuted any claims that allege that Abraham and his descendants were Jewish or Christian. Abraham was not the founder of any of these two man-made religions (Judaism & Christianity), yet he was sent by God to preach Islam, which evolved throughout the ages under the ministry of every prophet and messenger of God until it manifested itself in its final refined version through the ministry of the final messenger of God, Mohammad ﷺ.

“Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, yet an upright Muslim, and he was not a polytheist.” (Holy Quran 3:67)

“And Abraham commanded his sons, and so did Jacob (after him), ‘Sons, your God has chosen for you the (true) religion, so do not die unless you are Muslims.’”

(Holy Quran 2:132).

“Were you witnesses when Jacob was on his deathbed, when he asked his sons, “What will you worship after I die?” They said, “We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac. (He is) one God and we are all Muslims (submitters) to Him.” (Holy Quran, 2:133)

“They said, ‘Become Jews or Christians, and you will be guided. Say, ‘Nay, we only follow the faith of Abraham, who was an upright monotheist, and he was not one of the polytheists (or idolaters).’” (Holy Quran, The Cow, 2:135)

After refuting their claims, God Almighty enjoined humanity to follow Islam, the religion of Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), the Twelve Tribes of Israel, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammad ﷺ. According to Islam, one is not considered a true believer unless they believe in all the prophets and messengers of God and all the holy scriptures that they received, for they all came with the same divine message and preached the same divine religion, Islam.

“Say, ‘We believe in God and what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the (Twelve) Tribes, and what was revealed to Moses and Jesus, and what was revealed to all the prophets from their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them, and to Him (God) we are Muslims (true submitters).’” (Holy Quran, 2:136)

“If they (Jews & Christians) believe as you believe, they are guided, but if they turn away, they shall fall into dissention. God will protect you from them, and He hears all and knows all. (This is) the religion of God, and which religion can be better than God’s? And we are His worshippers.”

(Holy Quran, 2:136-138)

“Say, ‘Do you dispute with us about God when He is our Lord and your Lord? We have our works (religion, beliefs, deeds), and you have yours, and to Him (God) we are devoted. Or do you (continue to) say that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the (Twelve) Tribes were Jews or Christians?” Say: "Do you know better than God?" And who is more wicked than he who conceals a testimony (of truth) that he received from God? God is never unaware of what you do.”

(Holy Quran 2:139 - 140)

“The messenger (Mohammad) believes in what was revealed to him from his Lord and (so do) the believers. They all believe in God, His angels, His scriptures, and His messengers. We make no distinction between any of His messengers, and they say ‘We hear, and we obey. (Grant us) forgiveness, our Lord. To You we return.” (Holy Quran 2:285)

The Preservation of the Divine Scriptures of God by Muslims

The Holy Quran Is the Final Testament to Mankind

When we speak of holy scriptures, we only refer to the original divine scriptures that were revealed to the prophets of God in their preserved original form, like the Holy Quran, the original Gospel of Jesus, and the original Torah of Moses, not the current Bible which the Jews and the Christians have written with their own hands and claimed it to be from God. Compared to the holy Scriptures preceding it, the Holy Quran is the only divine scripture that has been preserved in its original form since the moment it descended upon the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ from God until today. No other earlier scriptures have been preserved, as we provided evidence for earlier in the section. Not only has it been preserved through inscription, memorization, and legislation, yet also through divine ordainment. God Himself has vowed to preserve it and keep it safe from alteration and corruption so that it would act as His final revelation and testament to mankind until God inherits the earth.

“Indeed, it is We (God) who have sent down the revelation (Qur'an) and it is We (God) who will preserve it.” (Holy Quran 15:9)

The Beginning of the Revelation of the Holy Quran Upon Prophet Mohammad

In brief, the Holy Quran was revealed from God to the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ within a duration of 23 years. The first encounter that the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ had with the Arc Angel Gabriel, who is responsible for the delivery of God’s divine revelations to His prophets, was at the age of forty in the cave of Hira, in Mecca, where the prophet was accustomed to spend many days in seclusion to meditate, contemplate, and worship the one and only true God while the majority of his people were pagans and idolaters. During one of those seclusions, the Arc Angel Gabriel appeared to the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ for the first time to deliver the first set of verses from the Holy Quran. Let’s examine the encounter as narrated by Aisha, the wife of Prophet Mohammad ﷺ.

Aisha (may God be pleased with her) reported, “The beginning of the revelation to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright daylight, then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship Allah continuously for many days until he misses his family. He would take with him food for the stay and then come back to his wife Khadija to restock again, until suddenly the truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The Angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet ﷺ replied, ‘I do not know how to read.’ The Prophet ﷺ added, ‘The angel caught me and pressed me so hard until I couldn’t bear it anymore. Then He released me and again asked me to read, and I replied, ‘I do not know how to read’. Thereupon, he caught me again and pressed me a second time until I could not bear it anymore. Then He released me and again asked me to read but I replied, ‘I do not know how to read.’ Thereupon, he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, ‘Read in the name of your Lord, who has created everything, who has created man from a clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous…’” (Sahih A-Bukhari, Hadith 4953)

After the encounter with the angel who came in human form out of nowhere then disappeared suddenly, the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ was overpowered with fear and fled the cave. Not knowing who it was who appeared to him, and having no explanation of what had just happened except for similar prior visions of the encounter that he has seen in his dreams, the Prophet ﷺ rushed home to his beloved wife (Khadijah) trembling, requesting that she covers him with a blanket, saying, “I fear for myself.” Upon hearing what had happened, Khadijah comforted the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ and told him not to fear, saying, “By God, He (God) would never forsake you, for you always keep good relations with your kin, you always speak the truth, you help the poor and the needy, you are generous and hospitable to your guests, and you assist those who are afflicted with calamities.” After his fear had subsided, Khadijah took the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ to her cousin Waraqah Ibn Nowfal, who was a learned religious man and a devout monotheistic Christian, to consult him regarding the incident. Upon hearing the story, Waraqah Ibn Nowfal comforted the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ and gave him the good news that he was the awaited prophet that Jesus spoke of, and that the one who appeared to him in the cave was the Arc Angel Gabriel, the same angel who was sent to Moses (Sahih A-Bukhari 4953). Ever since the first encounter, the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ continued to receive revelation from his Lord for a duration of 23 years, and every time the Arc Angel Gabriel descended with verses or chapters from the Holy Quran, the scribes of the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ, who are believed to be over forty scribes, wrote the revelation down exactly as they were revealed. After they wrote everything down, they memorized it, studied it, and taught it to others, until the entire Muslim community learned the divine revelation, memorized it, constantly recited it in their daily prayers, and governed by the divine laws that the revelation came to legislate.

How Was the Holy Quran Preserved?

During the lifetime of Prophet Mohammad ﷺ the inscription of the Holy Quran and the arrangement of its revealed verses under the right chapter was supervised by the prophet Mohammad ﷺ himself. Every time the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ received revelation from his Lord, he instructed his scribes to write the verses down and place them exactly where they belong. After his death, Abu Bakr, the first Caliph and successor of Prophet Mohammad ﷺ instructed the compilation of the Holy Quran in one book. He assigned the duty of the compilation of the Holy Quran, which was written on various parchments and other materials, to Zayd Ibn Thabit, a prominent Hafiz (memorizer of the Quran) and scribe of the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ Zayd did not only depend on the inscribed materials or his sole memorization of the Quran, yet he revised and verified everything that was written with the memorizers (Hoffaz) of the Holy Quran from among the companions, who were by the thousands, especially when it is believed that there were around 114,000 companions of Prophet Mohammad ﷺ, most of them had memorized the entire Quran by heart. Once all the inscribed materials were carefully collected, revised, and verified according to a rigorous process that involved the revision and verification of the entire Quran, verse for verse and chapter for chapter, from across various replicated manuscripts, Zayd compiled it all in one book and gave it to Abu Bakr to keep and preserve. After the death of Abu Bakr, the compiled book was entrusted to the second Caliph, Umar Ibn Khattab, then to his daughter Hafsah after his death, until Othman Ibn Affan, the third Caliph, instructed Zayd Ibn Thabit to make copies of the Quran and distribute them across various Islamic provinces. Ever since then, the Holy Quran has been taught, memorized, studied, and recited by millions of Muslims around the world and across many generations; thus becoming impossible to alter or change. If we are to examine a copy of the Holy Quran from the first generation when it was first compiled and compare it to a copy of the Holy Quran from our generation (1450 years later), we will come to conclude that they are identical. This is how the Quran was preserved word for word, verse for verse, and chapter for chapter, and this is how God’s promise to preserve it was fulfilled.

CHAPTER ONE: IS God One OR TRIUNE?

Islam

Before we delve into the topic at hand, it is imperative to point out that the Islamic creed involving God and His divine attributes and qualities adheres to one fundamental rule and that is: No One Knows God Better Than God Himself. Therefore, our understanding of God should only derive from God Almighty, and such knowledge can only be acquired through the teachings of His Holy Scripture and the teachings of His prophets who have received such divine knowledge through revelation. Our knowledge of God is only limited to what God has revealed to us about Himself, and it has been ordained that our knowledge could never encompass God and His Divine Majestic Nature (Holy Quran, 20:110). God Almighty has only revealed to us what our limited minds could handle, and the capacity of our human minds can only go so far in attempting to understand the true nature of God through reasoning. For this reason, our understanding of God should never be based on philosophical inferences or mythical suppositions, yet on theological deductive reasoning that is based on valid scriptural interpretations. This is why we only attribute to God what He has attributed to Himself, and we only describe God with what He has described Himself. We merely acknowledge the set of divine qualities, attributes, characteristics, and descriptions that God Almighty has ascribed to Himself, without attempting to negate them by misinterpreting them or altering their linguistically intended meaning. In addition to this, we attest to the absolute uniqueness of God’s attributes, qualities, and characteristics, and refrain from comparing God or equating Him to anyone or anything from among His creation, for He has the utmost sublime and exalted qualities and attributes.

God Is One

In contrast to Christianity and its mythical and polytheistic teachings that stray from the monotheistic teachings of the Bible, Islam adheres firmly to the fundamentally monotheistic teachings of the Holy Quran and the divinely inspired Sunnah (teachings) of Prophet Mohammad ﷺ for they are the source of divine guidance, theology, and jurisprudence. According to the firm beliefs of the monotheistic religion of Islam, there is only God and Lord of the universe. Islam refutes the polytheistic doctrine of the Trinity and any other dogma or belief system that alleges the existence of multiple gods. The Oneness of God is the most fundamental theological doctrine of Islam. Such central doctrine has been greatly emphasized throughout the 114 chapters of the Holy Quran like no other doctrine.

“And your God is (only) one God, no God but He, the Most Compassionate the Most Merciful.”

(Holy Quran 2:163)

“And that they may know that there is only one God.” (Holy Quran 14:52)

“And God said, ‘Do not take two gods, for there is only one God, so fear Me.”

(Holy Quran 16:51)

“(O Mohammad) Say (to the people), ‘It was revealed to me that your God is only one God. So are you ready to become Muslims (submit yourselves to Him)?" (Holy Quran 21:108)

“And indeed, your God is one.” (Holy Quran 37:4)

“Say, ‘I am but a warner, and there is no God except Allah, the One, the All-Conquering.’”

(Holy Quran 38:65)

“Say (to them), ‘He is Allah the One and Only.’” (Holy Quran 112:1)

God’s Absolute & Exclusive Divinity

This one and only true God enjoys absolute and exclusive divinity. Only He is divine, and only He is worthy of worship and praise.

“Allah, there is no God but Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting Sustainer.”

(Holy Quran, 2:255)

“Allah, there is no God but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer.” (Holy Quran 3:2)

“And worship God (alone), and do not associate in worship anything with him.”

(Holy Quran 4:36)

“Worship none but God. I fear for you the torment of a painful Day.”

(Holy Quran 11:26)

“And your Lord has ordained that you shall worship none but Him.”

(Holy Quran 17:23)

“Say (to people), ‘Verily, my prayers, my rituals my life, and my death are all for the sake of God (alone).” (Holy Quran 6:162)

“So know (O Muhammad) that there is no God but Allah.” (Holy Quran 47:19)

To Him alone bows down and prostrates in submission, humility and admiration, every living creature in the heavens and on earth.

“And to Allah (God), prostrate (worship) all the living creatures in the heavens and on earth, and so do the angels, without showing arrogance.” (Holy Quran 16:49)

“Do you not see that to Allah prostrates everyone who is in the heavens and everyone on Earth, and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the beasts, and many human beings, while many are deserving of punishment. And whoever Allah disgraces, none can honour. Surely Allah does what He wills.” (Holy Quran 22:18)

“The seven heavens, the earth, and all those in them glorify Him. There is not a single thing (in the universe) that does not glorify Him and praise Him, but you cannot comprehend their glorification. He is indeed Most Forbearing, All-Forgiving.” (Holy Quran 17:44)

God’s Absolute & Exclusive Lordship

God Almighty is the sole Creator, Sustainer, and Lord of the universe. He enjoys absolute and exclusive Lordship, sovereignty and supremacy. He reigns alone over His throne without a partner, or kinship, or a son to inherit His throne or share His authority and glory. Only He is the true Sovereign Lord of the universe. For such, it is deservingly befitting that only He is to be glorified, worshiped and praised.

“Allah, there is no God but He. The Lord of the Mighty throne.” (Holy Quran 27:26)

“And Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship him (alone), this is the straight path.”

(Holy Quran 3:51)

“And they said that God has begotten a son. Glorified is He. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and the earth, and they all worship Him.” (Holy Quran 2:116)

“Say, "He is Allah, the One and Only. Allah is the Samad (Everlasting, Self-Sufficient, Supreme Sovereign, and Absolute Sustainer). He begets not, nor is He begotten. And there is none who is comparable to Him." (Holy Quran 112:1-4)

“Had there been in the heavens and the Earth any deities other than God, they would both be ruined. Exalted is God, the Lord of the Throne, above what they describe.”

(Holy Quran 21:22)

“Say (O Muhammad to these polytheists), ‘If there had been other Gods along with Him as they claim, then they would certainly have sought out a way to the Lord of the Throne (seeking His throne)” (Holy Quran 17:42)

“And say, “All praise be to God, who has neither taken a son, nor has He a partner (sharing) His kingdom, nor does He need any to protect Him out of weakness, and glorify Him profoundly (in a way befitting to His Greatness).” (Holy Quran 17:111)

“God has not taken a son, nor is there any God besides Him, (and if other Gods existed) then each God would have claimed what he has created, and they would have tried to overpower one another! Glorified is God above all that they (falsely) describe!”

(Holy Quran 23:91)

“O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not cross the boundaries in your religion, nor say about God but the truth. The Messiah Jesus, son of Maryam (Mary), was but a Messenger of God and His Word (decree "Be") which He bestowed upon Maryam and a spirit created by Him, so believe in God and His Messengers. Say not ‘Trinity.’ Desist! (it is) better for you. For God is only One God, exalted is He from having a son. To Him belong all that is in the heavens and the earth. And God is All Sufficient as a Guardian.”

(Holy Quran 4:171)

He Almighty is the sole Creator of mankind, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the Creator of everything that exists. He is the sole Guardian over His creation.

“God is the Creator of all things, and He is the Guardian over all things.”

(Holy Quran 39:62)

It is He Who has created you from a single soul, then made from it its spouse.”

(Holy Quran 7:189)

“He is the One Who shapes you in the wombs (of your mothers) as He wills. There is no God but Him, the Almighty, All-Wise.” (Holy Quran 3:6)

“It is He Who has created for you all that is on the earth. Then He turned towards the heaven and fashioned it into seven heavens, and He is All-Knowing of all things.”

(Holy Quran 2:29)

“It is He Who has created the heavens and the earth in 6 days and then rose over the throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty).” (Holy Quran 57:4)

“This is Allah, your Lord, there is no God but Him, the Creator of all things, so worship Him (alone). He is the Guardian over all things.” (Holy Quran 6:102)

Only He is the Giver of life and the Sustainer of everything that exists.

“He said: Our Lord is the one Who gave everything its creation (life, form, gender, nature) then guided everything (to its purpose in life and how to manage its affaires).”

(Holy Quran 20:50)

“Allah, there is no God but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer (of everything that exists).”

(Holy Quran 3:2)

“And it is He Who Gives life and takes it away.” (Holy Quran 40:68)

It is He who provides sustenance for His creation, and oversees their affaires.

“Ask (them, O Prophet), “Who provides for you from heaven and earth? Who owns (and controls) the hearing and the sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? And who governs all affairs?” They will say, “Allah.” Say, “Will you not then fear Him?”

(Holy Quran 10:31)

“Allah (God) is the one Who has created you, then has provided for you, then will cause you to die, and then will bring you back to life. Can any of your partners (false gods) do any of this? Glorified and Exalted is He above what they associate with Him (in worship).”

(Holy Quran 30:40)

“He is the One Who has made the earth a place of settlement for you and the sky a canopy, and has sent down the rain from the sky, thereby produced fruits as provision for you. So do not regard or take anyone as equals or as rivals to Allah (God), when you know (that none is equal to him).”

(Holy Quran 2:22)

“To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He gives provisions with abundance to whoever he wills or limit them. Indeed, He is All-knowledgeable of all things.

(Holy Quran 42:12)

God’s Absolute Uniqueness

Unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam teaches that God is unique and one of a kind. None is like Him, equal to Him, or comparable to Him. He has the most sublime attributes and most exalted qualities. The gloriously transcendent God does not possess any of the defective characteristics or the imperfect attributes of human qualities. His exalted attributes are magnificently perfect in every way.

“And there is none who is comparable to Him." (Holy Quran, 112:4)

“There is nothing like Him. He is the All Hearing, the All Seeing.”

(Holy Quran, 42:11)

“He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between. So worship Him alone, and be steadfast in His worship. Do you know of anyone equal or similar to Him?” (Holy Quran 19:65)

Blasphemy Is an Unforgivable Sin

To worship anyone or anything besides God Almighty, or to even think that another deity exists beside God Almighty is sheer blasphemy and an unforgivable sin. God has condemned those who alleged that God is a trinity and that God has begotten a son, and He has warned them of the eternal damnation that awaits them in hell for their blasphemy.

“Verily, God does not forgive associating others with Him (in worship), and He forgives everything else other than that to whom He wills. And whosoever associates other partners with God (worship others besides God) has committed a grave sin.” (Holy Quran 4:48)

“Indeed, they have disbelieved (blasphemed) those who say, ‘God is the Messiah, the son of Mary’. The Messiah (himself) said, ‘O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord (alone).’ For whosoever associates others with God (in worship), God will deny him Paradise, and the hellfire will be his dwelling. And the oppressors (wrongdoers) will have no helpers (saviours).”

(Holy Quran 5:72)

“Worship none but God. I fear for you the torment of a painful Day (if you do not).”

(Holy Quran 11:26)

“And they said, ‘The Most Gracious (God) has begotten a son.’ Indeed, you have brought forth such an outrageous claim. The heavens almost rupture and the earth splits open and the mountains collapse in devastation, because they attribute to the Most-Gracious a son. It does not befit (the Majesty) of the Most-Gracious to have a son.” (Holy Quran 19:88-92)

Judaism

God Is One

The Judaic faith, manifested in the teachings of the Old Testament of the Bible, concurs with the teachings of Islam. Judaism adheres to the purely monotheistic teachings of the Old Testament and the Law of Moses. The Judaic faith confirms that there is only one divine being worthy of worship and rejects Christianity’s polytheistic dogma of the Trinity.

The Old Testament is strictly and intensely monotheistic. Jehovah is a single personal being. The conception of a Trinity is not only absent from its pages, but is absolutely incompatible with the monotheistic spirit of Hebrew religion. The doctrine of the Trinity is a theological assumption that has long held sway in Christian theology, but it is without foundation in the Old Testament scriptures. (Paine, 1900, p. 4)

Let’s examine some biblical verses from the Old Testament:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

"You were shown these things that you may know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him." (Deuteronomy 4:35)

“On this day, acknowledge with all your heart that the Lord is the only true God in the

heavens above and on earth, and there is no other.” (Deuteronomy 4:39)

"See now that I alone is He, and there is no God beside me" (Deuteronomy 32:39)

“O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you.” (2 Samuel 7:22)

“May all the peoples of the earth know that the Lord is the only true God. There is no other.”

(1 Kings 8:60)

“O Lord, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You.” (1 Chronicles 17:20)

"You are the LORD, You alone" (Nehemiah 9:6)

"You alone are God" (Psalm 86:10)

“I alone am the Lord, and there is no savior except me.” (Isaiah 43:7)

“I am the true God. There was no God before me, and there will be no God after me.”

(Isaiah 43:10)

"I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior" (Isaiah 43:11)

"'I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me." (Isaiah 44:6)

"I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God" (Isaiah 45:5)

"I am the Lord, and there is no other" (Isaiah 45:6 & 18)

"There is no other God besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. For I am God, and there is no other." (Isaiah 45:21-22)

"For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me." (Isaiah 46:9)

"You know no God but me, and besides me there is no Savior" (Hosea 13:4)

“Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us?” (Malachi 2:10)

Christianity

God Is Triune

As for Christianity, it’s quite complicated! Christianity evolved from a purely monotheistic Judaic sect into a full-fledged polytheistic religion with a complete set of pagan beliefs that contradict the original monotheistic teachings of the Law of Moses, which Christians were instructed by Jesus to fulfill and uphold (Mathew 5:17). During Jesus’ lifetime and for nearly four-hundred years after his death, early followers were monotheists. They adhered strictly to the monotheistic beliefs of the Law of Moses and worshipped the one and only true God, the Father. It wasn’t until the fourth century when the early Roman Church introduced the Trinity Doctrine that Christians strayed from the path of monotheism and adopted the polytheistic dogma of a triune God.

Christianity sprang from Judaism, and Judaism was strictly Unitarian. The road which led from Jerusalem to Nicaea was scarcely a straight one. Trinitarianism of the closing decades of the fourth century was not a direct continuation of the earliest Christian teaching; it represented, on the contrary, a deviation from that teaching. (Trinity, 1956, Vol. 27, p. 294)

The earliest Christian communities were Jewish through and through. Their heritage was the heritage of Israel. Their scriptures were the scriptures of Israel. Their God was the God of Israel, the one God, the only God. They would never have thought of themselves as other than monotheists. (Dunn, 2010, p. 142)

Christianity began as a sect within Judaism. The first followers of Jesus were all Jews, who continued to go to synagogue, to observe the food laws, and to be monotheists. They thought that they had found the messiah of Jewish expectation. (Sanders, 1991/2015, p. 123)

The Trinity

The History of the Development of the Trinity

The Trinity Doctrine was formulated 400 years after the death of Jesus. It was first introduced at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD by the Roman Church under the governance of the pagan Emperor Constantine. Constantine, who presided over the council, influenced the members of the Council of Nicaea to adopt and approve the theological term “Homoousion” that was attributed to Jesus by Athanasius of Alexandria prior to the council. The Greek term Homoousion (homo = "same") + (ousia = "essence") is translated as consubstantial. The council declared Jesus to be consubstantial with God the Father, alleging that he was of the same essence as God, rendering him coequal and coeternal with God the Father, therefore, proclaiming as equally divine as God Almighty. This is how the early church transformed Jesus, a mere man, to a divine being and advocated him to be the second person of the alleged Triune Godhead. Emperor Constantine enforced the newly formulated Nicene Creed through imperial decree, threatening all those who opposed the unbiblical theological term of “Homoousion” with excommunication and exile (Norwich, 1988, p. 65). Those who rejected the new blasphemous dogma were faced with accusations of heresy, a crime punishable by death, as expressed by Yale University professor and historian Ramsay MacMullen, "By the end of the fourth century, the death penalty was prescribed for a wide range of heretical beliefs... The state had become the enforcer of religious orthodoxy" (MacMullen, 1997, p. 57).

Despite Constantine’s political influence on the council, a significant contingent of early church fathers and presbyters rejected the novel theological construct and the “consubstantiality” attribution. The most famous among these dissidents was Arius of Alexandria, whose refusal to regard Jesus as coequal or consubstantial with God Almighty ignited the controversy that precipitated the Council of Nicaea. Arius defended his position and argued that “there was a time when Jesus did not exist,” therefore, he was a created being inferior to God, not coequal, coeternal, or consubstantial with Him. His disapproval of the new theological term resulted in his exile by imperial decree, along with his supporters. The remaining members of the council were forced to adopt the new theology, formally declaring Jesus “Homoousion.”

Fifty-six years later, at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD, the same ontological attribution was extended to the Holy Spirit. They declared the Holy Spirit “Homoousion,” consubstantial with the Father and the Son, rendering it coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Son, thereby proclaiming the Holy Spirit the third person of the alleged Triune Godhead. However, it wasn’t until 451 AD, at the Council of Chalcedon, that the Trinity was declared authoritative, and it was no longer tolerated to question or debate the Trinity. Anyone who spoke against the Trinity was faced with accusations of heresy, and was excommunicated, exiled, or killed. From this day forward, Christianity parted ways with the monotheistic teachings of the Law of Moses, which Jesus came to fulfill and uphold. Ever since the Chalcedonian Creed was established, schism erupted among Christian churches and denominations, and those who rejected the novel creed or even attempted to theologically or philosophically interpret it were labeled as heretics. Today, the Trinity Doctrine remains an incomprehensible mystery that defies any sense of logic. For more in-depth information regarding the history of the development of the Trinity and the rise of Christology, refer to my book Jesus The Prophet OF God (Part One & Two).

Refuting the Doctrine of the Trinity

The Trinity Is Incomprehensible

The idea of bringing three Gods to existence has been faced with furious rejections, not only by Jews and Muslims, yet by many Christian denominations. Early and modern-day monotheistic Christians who upheld the monotheistic teachings of Jesus and the Law of Moses have always rejected this polytheistic and pagan doctrine. Not only does it contradict the teachings of the Bible, it is purely illogical and beyond the grasp of human comprehension. Ever since the formulation of the Trinity Doctrine in the 4^th Century, Christians have been trying to explain the incomprehensible Trinitarian Formula which they themselves have created. Trinitarian churches and denominations, along with Trinitarian church fathers and theologians, have issued numerous definitions to try to unveil the mystery of the Trinity and make it more logical and comprehensible to the mass population of followers, yet failed miserably. At the end, the Christian church had no other solution but to declare the Trinity Doctrine as an incomprehensible mystery that is meant to be accepted and adopted blindly without comprehension, or else be faced with accusations of heresy. Today, the situation remains the same, the Trinity remains a mystery, and Christians are forced to believe in it without understanding it.

The Catholic Church – Official Catechism:

The Trinity is a mystery of faith in the strict sense, one of the "mysteries that are hidden in God, which can never be known unless they are revealed by God. (The Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 237)

St. Jerome – Early Church Father and Author of the Latin Vulgate Bible:

The true profession of the mystery of the Trinity is to own that we do not comprehend it. (Dundas, 1995, p. 176)

A.W. Tozer – Evangelical Pastor and Author:

The Trinity is an incomprehensible mystery… Any attempt to understand it must remain forever futile… The church has not hesitated to teach this doctrine… without pretending to understand. (A.W. Tozer, 1961, pp. 17-18)

Lyman Abbott – The Dictionary of Religious Knowledge:

Precisely what that doctrine is, or rather precisely how it is to be explained, Trinitarians are not agreed among themselves (Abbott, 1885, p. 944)

Dorthy L. Sayers – Novelist and Theologian:

The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the whole thing incomprehensible. (Sayers, 1949/1938, p. 27)

The Trinity Is Unbiblical

The Trinity Doctrine is regarded as the central foundational doctrine of Christianity. It is the backbone of the Christian faith. According to many Christian theologians, believing in the Trinity is an essential element for salvation. This doctrine simply attributes divinity to three entities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It brings to existence three Gods to be worshipped in what is referred to as a Triune Godhead. Although fundamental to the Christian creed, the doctrine is considered one of the most controversial among Christian doctrines. The most shocking of all is that the doctrine is unbiblical. The word “Trinity” does not appear anywhere in the bible, and there isn’t a single biblical verse that proclaims that God is Triune, existing in three divine persons, as claimed by the church. It has been confessed by many Christian scholars, theologians, text critics, and Bible commentators that the doctrine does not have any scriptural evidence to support it.

The New Bible Dictionary – Standard Evangelical Reference Work:

The term Trinity is not itself found in the Bible. It was first used by Tertullian at the close of the 2nd century, but received wide currency and formal elucidation only in the 4th and 5th centuries. (Manser, 1996, p. 1209)

Encyclopedia Britannica – Premier General Reference:

Neither the word Trinity nor the explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament . . . The doctrine developed gradually over several centuries and through many controversies. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2005, p. 928)

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1988):

The term 'trinity' is not found in the Bible. It is a second-century term used to describe a doctrine formulated in the fourth century. (Bromiley, 1988, p. 914)

Paul Achtemeier – The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (1996):

The formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the NT (New Testament). (Achtemeier, 1996, p. 1196)

Martin Luther – As Cited by John Lenker:

It is indeed true that the name 'Trinity' is nowhere to be found in the Holy Scriptures, but has been conceived and invented by man. (Luther, 1988/1522, p. 406)

Shirley Guthrie, Jr. – Professor of Theology, Columbia Theological Seminary:

The Bible does not teach the doctrine of the Trinity. Neither the word 'trinity' itself nor such language as 'one-in-three,' 'three-in-one,' one 'essence' (or 'substance'), and three 'persons,' is biblical language. The language of the doctrine is the language of the ancient church taken from classical Greek philosophy. (Guthrie, 1994, pp. 76-77)

Harper Collins Encyclopedia of Catholicism (1995) – Standard Catholic Reference:

Today, however, scholars generally agree that there is no doctrine of the Trinity as such in either the OT (Old Testament) or the NT (New Testament). … It would go far beyond the intention and thought-forms of the OT to suppose that a late-fourth-century or thirteenth-century Christian doctrine can be found there. … Likewise, the NT does not contain an explicit doctrine of the Trinity. (McBrien, 1995, pp. 564-565)

The Oxford Companion to the Bible (1993) – Standard Academic Reference:

Because the Trinity is such an important part of later Christian doctrine, it is striking that the term does not appear in the New Testament. Likewise, the developed concept of three coequal partners in the Godhead found in later creedal formulations cannot be

clearly detected within the confines of the canon. (Metzger & Coogan, 1993, p. 782)

Charles Ryrie – Professor of Systematic Theology, Dallas Theological Seminary:

Many doctrines are accepted by evangelicals as being clearly taught in the Scripture for which there are no proof texts. The doctrine of the Trinity furnishes the best example of this. It is fair to say that the Bible does not clearly teach the doctrine of the Trinity… In fact, there is not even one proof text, if by proof text we mean a verse or passage that 'clearly' states that there is one God who exists in three persons. (Ryrie, 1999, p. 89)

Millard Erickson – Distinguished Professor of Theology:

The doctrine of the Trinity is not present in biblical thought… The doctrine developed when biblical thought was pressed into a foreign mold—that of Greek philosophy. The Trinity is not clearly or explicitly taught in Scripture… yet it is widely regarded as a central doctrine, indispensable to the Christian faith. (Erickson, 1995, pp. 20-21) (Erickson, 1995, p. 20)

The Bible Is Strictly Monotheistic

The best way to attest to all these testimonies is to examine the Bible itself. Once we examine the Bible, we will come to conclude that the Bible is strictly monotheistic. The whole polytheistic concept of a Triune God does not exist in the Bible. The entire Bible (Old Testament & New Testament) explicitly proclaims that there is only one divine being and one true God worthy of worship, who is the Father, thus refuting any blasphemous claims that God is a Trinity, consisting of three divine persons, or that God the Father shares his divinity with someone else (the Son & the Holy Spirit). The Bible has refuted the alleged divinity of the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit, and attributed divinity to God the Father alone. We have already examined evidence from of the Old Testament that explicitly affirmed that God is one. Let us examine evidence from the New Testament Bible.

The New Testament

“For God is one and He will justify the circumcised on the basis of faith and the uncircumcised through faith” (Romans 3:30).

“There is no other God but one.” (1 Corinthians 8:4)

“But to us there is but one God, the Father.” (1 Corinthians 8:6)

“Whereas God is only one.” (Galatians 3:20)

“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all and in all.”

(Ephesians 4:6)

"To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17)

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

(1 Timothy 2:5)

"The blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has

immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or can see."

(1 Timothy 6:15-16)

“You believe that God is one; you do well.”

(James 2:19)

"Lord God Almighty… Who shall not fear You Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are Holy." (Revelation 15:4)

The Johannine Comma Controversy

Since the formulation of the Doctrine of the Trinity in the fourth century, the church has been facing criticism due to the fact that the doctrine is not biblically supported. After centuries of contemptuous criticism and embarrassment for preaching a doctrine that is nowhere to be found in the Bible, the church, with the help of trinitarian scriptural copyists, managed to alter two verses from the First Epistle of John (1John 5:7-8) to fool the mass population of Christians into thinking that the Trinity was biblical. The altered verses from the First Epistle of John are referred to as the “Johannine Comma” or the “Comma Johanneum” in Latin. Let’s examine the original text of 1John 5:7-8 compared to the corrupted text that has been altered to promulgate the polytheistic doctrine of the Trinity.

The original text reads:

1John 5/7: “For there are three that testify,”

1John 5/8: “the spirit, the water and the blood and the three are in agreement.”

The altered text reads:

1John 5/7: “For there are three that testify in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

1John 5/8: “And there are three that testify in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.”

As we can see from the text in bold, an entire phrase has been inserted at the end of verse 7 and in the beginning of verse 8 to make it seem as if the Bible gave reference to the alleged Trinity. It has been unanimously agreed by all credible theologians, scholars, textual critics, and Bible commentators that the Johannine Comma is not part of the original text of the first epistle of John (1John 5:7-8). Dr. David C. Parker, a professor of theology, asserted that “The most famous example of a theologically motivated alteration is the so-called Johannine Comma (1 John 5:7-8). … The text is a later addition, which found its way into the Textus Receptus and thus into the King James Version” (Parker, 2008, p. 70). This interpolation, which some might refer to as a variant, crept into the late manuscripts of the Latin Bible in the 9^th century from a gloss, a marginal note, that intended to insinuate a theological supposition. It was then integrated into some late manuscripts of the Greek Bible in the 16^th century, and finally incorporated into several English Bibles in the 17^th century. However, the Johannine Comma is not found in any of the Vetus Latina (Old Latin) manuscripts (4^th century), Jerome’s Original Vulgate (4^th century), or in two of the oldest existing Vulgate manuscripts: Codex Fuldensis (6^th century) and Codex Amiatinus (8^th century). It is not found in any of the oldest existing Greek manuscripts, including Codex Sinaiticus (4^th century), Codex Vaticanus (4^th century), and Codex Alexandrinus (5^th century). It is also not found in the ancient Coptic, Ethiopic, Aramaic, Syriac (Peshitta & Philoxenian), Slavic, Armenian, Georgian, and Arabic translations of the Greek New Testament Bible. From approximately 5800 Greek manuscripts (handwritten copies), only 500 manuscripts contain 1John 5, and out of these 500 manuscripts, only 5 late manuscripts dating between the 14^th century and the 18^th century contain the Johannine Comma as part of the text, after it was incorporated into the text from a marginal gloss through the processes of copying and translating. However, not all 5 manuscripts have the same exact form or version of the JC. The five Greek manuscripts that incorporated the Johannine Comma as part of the text are Minuscule 629 or Codex Ottobonianus (14^th century), Minuscule 61 or Codex Montfortianus (16^th century), Minuscule 918 (16^th century), Minuscule 2473 (17^th century), and Minuscule 2318 (18^th century). Nonetheless, some critics like Frederick H. A. Scrivener (1813-1891), among others, excluded Minuscule 629 (Codex Ottobonianus – 14^th century), the oldest Greek manuscript to include the Johannine Comma within the text, because it is a Latin-Greek diglot that is based on a retro-translation from the Latin Vulgate. While some textual critics cite these manuscripts as evidence for the Johannine Comma, other distinguished scholars and textual critics like Bruce M. Metzger nullify their evidential value due to the fact that all of them are dependent on the corrupted text of the Latin Vulgate Bible. After listing four minuscules (61, 629, 918, 2318) that contain the Johannine Comma as part of the text and four others (88, 221, 429, 636) that include it as a marginal note, Metzger confirmed that all eight manuscripts were translated from Latin, and this is how the Johannine Comma crept into these late Greek manuscripts which date between the 16^th century to the 18^th century (Metzger, 1994, pp. 647-649).

It is imperative to note that none of these Greek minuscules that were written on parchments, whether containing a complete copy of the New Testament Bible or only a portion of it, were available to the public. The first actual Greek Bible that was forced to include the Johannine Comma was the third edition of the Textus Receptus of 1522 AD, translated and edited by the Dutch theologian Desiderius Erasmus. When Erasmus published the first (1516 AD) and second edition (1519 AD) of his famous Textus Receptus “Novum Instrumentum Omne,” the Johannine Comma was not included, and when he was asked why he did not include the Johannine Comma in his work, he argued that it was not found in any of the Greek manuscripts that he examined. Only after he received criticism and accusations of promoting Arianism, and after fear of being condemned as a heretic, Erasmus was forced to include the Johannine Comma in the third (1522 AD), fourth (1527 AD), and fifth (1535 AD) editions of the Textus Receptus, and this is how the Johannine Comma found its way into various English Bibles later on. It was first included in the Tyndale New Testament Bible which was translated by William Tyndale in 1526 AD and was based on the 1522 AD edition of Erasmus’ Textus Receptus, then it was copied by the Coverdale Bible which was translated by Myles Coverdale in 1535 AD, then the Geneva Bible which was compiled by William Whittingham in 1557 AD, and it was finally included in the famous King James Bible which was completed in 1611 AD and was based on subsequent editions of the Textus Receptus by Robert Stephanus (1550 &1551) and Theodore Beza (1598) which included the Johannine Comma. Ever since then, the Johannine Comma remained in many English Bible versions for at least two centuries, and many English speaking trinitarian preachers, ministers, pastors, and missionaries used it as reference to support the polytheistic Trinity Doctrine until it was removed in 1881 from the Revised Version (RV) of the King James Bible because of lack of manuscript support. The Revised Version (RV) of the King James Bible was the first (and remains the only) officially authorised and recognised revision of the King James Version in Great Britain. It was produced by more than 50 scholars from various denominations in Great Britain. After its omission from the RV, the Johannine Comma was removed from many other English Bible versions onwards, such as the American Standard Version (ASV 1901), the Revised Standard Version (RSV 1952 & 1971), the New American Standard Version (NASB 1971), the New International Version (NIV 1978), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV 1989), the New Living Translation (NLT 1996), the English Standard Version (ESV 2001), and many more. Today, the Johannine Comma is not found in the majority of English Bibles because it has been acknowledged that it is NOT part of the original text of the First Epistle of John (1John 5).

Another legitimate argument that many scholars and critics, including Bruce Metzger, have used to contend against the authenticity of the Johannine Comma was the fact that the Johannine Comma was never referenced or cited by the early Greek Church Fathers during the early controversies of the fourth century which shaped the Christian beliefs. If the passage had existed, these early (yet to become Trinitarian) Church Fathers, such as Athanasius and all those who followed his school of theological thought, would have used the passage (Johannine Comma) to debate their opponents during the Arian controversy and during the First Ecumenical Council (Council of Nicaea 325) and the Second Ecumenical Council (First Council of Constantinople 381). On page 648 of the second edition of his book A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Metzger expressed that “The passage is quoted by none of the Greek Fathers, who, had they known it, would most certainly have employed it in the Trinitarian controversies (Sabellian and Arian)” (Metzger, 1994). The same thing was confirmed by many other critics, such as Timothy Decker, a pastor at the Trinity Reformed Baptist Church. In one of his articles about the Johannine Comma, Decker said, “Even more alarming is that in all of the Arian debates before and after the Council of Nicaea, it is nowhere quoted or even cited. Theologians such as Athanasius and the Cappadocian Fathers argued against the Arians for the consubstantiality (Homoousious) of the Father and Son. Yet there was no reference to the three heavenly witnesses of 1 John 5:7. It was never even mentioned. I attribute this to the fact that the Greek speaking church was unfamiliar with the text of the Comma, or even the mystical interpretation that the Spirit, water, and blood of v. 8 is a reference to the Trinity. … This is further evidence that the Comma was not likely part of the original Greek of 1 John” (Decker, 2025). Rodrigo Galiza and John Reeve also concurred, “The fact that this is the earliest Greek evidence for the (Johannine) Comma is a reminder that this version of the text is absent in the writings of the Greek Fathers, even in these early Trinitarian debates where this text could have been used as a powerful argument for or against orthodox belief. This point is emphasized by almost all those who write about the comma” (Galiza & Reeve, 2018, p. 76).

The Johannine Comma has been the source of controversy throughout Christendom for centuries. However, the overwhelming majority of Christian scholars, theologians, and Bible commentators have unanimously concluded that it is not part of the original text of 1John 5. Here are some of their testimonies regarding the authenticity of the Johannine Comma.

C. I. Scofield – Editor, Scofield Reference Bible (1909):

It is generally agreed that v. 7 has no real authority, and has been inserted. (Scofield, 1909, p. 1325)

D.A. Carson – Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School:

Some defenders of the King James now admit that the Comma Johanneum (the Trinitarian formula in 1 John 5:7) forms no part of the original text. (Carson, 1979, p. 59)

(The Johannine Comma) does not appear in Jerome’s Vulgate… the Jerome’s Vulgate underwent a whole series of revisions and the Comma Johanneum did not appear in the Vulgate until the beginning of the ninth century… In the eastern church, where Greek was still used, not one Greek manuscript included the Comma Johanneum… (It is) certainly not an integral part of the Byzantine textual tradition. (Carson, 1979, p. 61)

Bernard Orchard – Editor, A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (1951):

It is now generally held that this passage, called the Comma Johanneum, is a gloss that crept into the text of the Old Latin and Vulgate at an early date, but found its way into the Greek text only in the 15th and 16th centuries. (Orchard, 1951, P. 1186)

Neil Lightfoot – New Testament Professor:

The textual evidence is against 1 John 5:7. Of all the Greek manuscripts, only two contain it. These two manuscripts are of very late dates, one from the fourteenth or fifteenth century and the other from the sixteenth century. Two other manuscripts have this verse written in the margin. All four manuscripts show that this verse was apparently translated from a late form of the Latin Vulgate. (Lightfoot, 2003, pp. 100-101)

Norman Geisler and Dr. Thomas Howe

This verse has virtually no support among the early Greek manuscripts … Its appearance in late Greek manuscripts is based on the fact that Erasmus was placed under ecclesiastical pressure to include it in his Greek NT of 1522, having omitted it in his two earlier editions of 1516 and 1519 because he could not find any Greek manuscripts which contained it. (Geisler & Howe, 2008, pp. 540-541)

Bart D. Ehrman – Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies:

This represents the most obvious instance of a theologically motivated corruption in the entire manuscript tradition of the New Testament. (Ehrman, 1993, p. 45)

Bruce M. Metzger & Bart D. Ehrman – Leading Textual Critics of the New Testament

The passage is absent from the manuscripts of all ancient versions (Syriac, Coptic,

Armenian, Ethiopic, Arabic, Slavonic), except the Latin; and it is not found in the best manuscripts of the Vulgate itself. (Metzger & Ehrman, 2005, p. 647)

Kurt Aland & Barbara Aland – Directors, Institute for New Testament Textual Research:

The Comma Johanneum 1 John 5:7-8, which is not part of the original text, is a gloss that first made its way into the text of the Latin Vulgate and from there into the Greek manuscripts of the sixteenth century. (Aland & Aland, 1989, p. 247)

Gordon D. Fee – Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies

These words are not original to the Epistle… The passage is found in no Greek manuscript until the 15th century and appears to have originated as a marginal gloss in a Latin manuscript. (Fee, 2011, p. 210)

Jesus Never Taught the Trinity

It is beyond contestation that Jesus never taught the Trinity, nor has any of his disciples. How could they teach the Trinity when they were all upright monotheists? Besides. the doctrine itself was formulated 400 years later by the Roman church.

Revised English Version Bible Commentary (2014):

Jesus never taught the Trinity, even when he had good opportunities to do so. In fact, Jesus taught quite the opposite, he taught that the Father alone was God. (Revised English Version, 2014, Appendix 6, Section 16)

Arthur Weigall – Historian and Former Inspector-General of Antiquities, Egypt (1928):

It must not be forgotten that Jesus Christ never mentioned such a phenomenon (Trinity), and nowhere in the New Testament does the word 'Trinity' appear. The idea was only adopted by the Church three hundred years after the death of our Lord; and the origin of the conception is entirely pagan. (Weigall, 1928, p. 197-198)

H.G. Wells – Historian and Author (1920):

There is no evidence that the apostles of Jesus ever heard of the trinity at any rate from him. (Wells, 1920, Vol. 2, p. 499)

Scholars also agree that Jesus never proclaimed himself a member of a Triune Godhead, nor did he ever claim to be a God himself. Jesus never spoke of himself as a divine being.

Michael Ramsey – 100^th Archbishop of Canterbury, Head of the Worldwide Anglican Communion (1980):

Jesus did not claim deity for himself. He proclaimed the sovereignty of God, a sovereignty realized in and through his own mission. (Ramsey, 1980, p. 39)

Larry W. Hurtado – Professor of New Testament Language, Literature, and Theology (2016):

I contend that Jesus did not claim a ‘divine’ status for himself. (Hurtado, 2016, p. 42)

John Relly Beard – Unitarian Minister and Theologian (1846):

We revert to the undeniable facts that Jesus does not teach the trinity; does not give an outline of the trinity, never demonstrably alludes to the trinity; does not claim to be accounted God, does not describe himself as the second person, nor speak of the Father as the first person of the trinity, does not call the Holy Ghost God, nor ever intimates that the title God belongs to any but to the being whom he styles his Father. (Beard, 1846, p. 8)

Anthony F. Buzzard – Theologian and biblical Scholar (1984):

Throughout his recorded discourses he referred the word ‘God’ to the Father only. Not once did he ever say that he was God, a notion which would have sounded both absurd and blasphemous. Jesus’ unitary monotheistic phrases in John 5:44 and 17:3 are echoes of the Old Testament view of God as one unique Person. (Buzzard, 1984, p. 25)

Jesus Declared the Oneness of God

Throughout his teachings, Jesus himself made it absolutely clear that there is only one God, not two, and not three. Jesus came to uphold the purely monotheistic teachings of the Law of Moses (Torah) and the purely monotheistic teachings of previous prophets, as he himself confirmed, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them” (Mathew 5:17). The central doctrine of the Law of Moses is, “People of Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4), and this is exactly what Jesus came to preach and uphold, as explicitly expressed throughout his teachings. Let’s examine some of his statements in the four gospels.

One day when Jesus was preaching, one of the teachers of the Law asked him, “Of all the Commandments, which is the most important?” (Mark 12:28)

Jesus answered, “The first and most important commandment is, “People of Israel, the Lord our God is One Lord.” (Mark 12:29)

After Jesus finished saying this, the scribe said to Jesus, “Well said, teacher! You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but Him.” Upon hearing this, Jesus praised him for saying this and said, “You are close to the kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:34)

Such profoundly explicit and direct statements from Jesus should have ended the dispute which has lasted for 2000 years, and should have debunked the entire Trinity Doctrine. However, Christians are still defending their pagan and polytheistic doctrine blindly when they know for a fact that it contradicts the faith of Jesus, whom they claim to respect, love, and follow. Instead of following his monotheistic teachings, they chose to over-glorify him, exalt him to a divine status, and worship him instead of (or alongside) God Almighty.

Jesus Declared God’s Exclusive Divinity – There Is Only One True God

During his last sermon to his disciples, and before he was arrested, Jesus presented his disciples with the most important statement of faith and the key to eternal life. He professed that God the Father is the only true God, and that he (Jesus) is but a messenger sent by God to deliver His divine teachings and ordain his will on earth.

“This is eternal life, that they may know you, the Only True God, and know Jesus Christ, whom you have sent (as a messenger).” (John 17:3)

This is what Muslims refer to as the testimony of truth. In order for anyone to become a believer, they must bear witness and profess that there is no God but Allah (God), and that Mohammad ﷺ is His final prophet and messenger. The same testimony of truth had to be professed by believers from earlier generations and prophetic eras. Those true believers who followed Jesus had to profess that there is only one true God, and that Jesus is the prophet of God. Likewise, those true believers who followed Moses also had to profess that there is only one true God and that Moses is the prophet of God, and the same applies to every nation that received revelation from God. Every single prophet that God Almighty has sent since the descension of Adam to earth until the advent of the final messenger of God, proclaimed that there is only one true God worthy of worship, and that those who seek salvation must worship this one true God alone and abandon the worship of false gods.

During Jesus’ debate with the Jews who refused to follow him and continued to reject his prophethood and his teachings, Jesus expressed again that God the Father, whom they refuse to obey and seek glory from, is the only true God.

“How can you believe, when you seek to receive the glory and approval from one another,

yet you do not seek the glory and approval which comes from the one Who Alone is God?”

(John 5:44)

(Other Bible versions used the phrase “the one and only God,” or “Him Who alone is God,” or “the one Who alone is God,” or “the one true God”.)

Jesus reasserted God’s absolute and exclusive Divinity and Lordship all throughout his teachings and sermons. He made it absolutely clear that the Almighty God is his God and Lord when he constantly referred to God as “My God”.

“Before Jesus was about to be captured and crucified, He cried with a loud voice, ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Matthew 27:46)

“At three o’clock Jesus cried in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani.’ This means, ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’” (Mark 15:34)

Jesus said to Mary Magdalene, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your

Father, to my God and your God.” (John 20:17)

Jesus Declared That Only God Is Worthy of Praise & Glorification

Throughout his teachings, Jesus made a clear distinction between himself, a mere man and a messenger of God, and God the Father, the only true God worthy of praise and Glorification.

“While Jesus was on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good

teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good except God alone. (Mark 10:17-18)

No other statement could be more explicit than this! Jesus rejected being labelled “good” and he explained that “only God is Good,” refuting any claims that allege him to be a God.

Jesus Declared That Only God Is Worthy of Worship

During his 40-day journey into the wilderness, Satan tried to tempt Jesus by asking him to bow down and worship him, and in return, he would give him the kingdom of the world and its splendors. Upon hearing this, Jesus said that no one should ever bow down, worship, or serve anyone except God Almighty, the only true God worthy of worship.

“The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world, and he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

(Luke 4-5-8)

The same story was narrated by the Gospel of Mathew. Jesus said to Satan:

“Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

(Mathew 4:10)

This entire incident has caused embarrassment to trinitarians and advocates of Jesus’ divinity. If we are to hypothetically entertain the premise that Jesus was of divine essence, a living God as Christians allege, it would be inconceivable for Satan to demand worship from the very God who is claimed to have created him. This whole 40-day journey into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan is absurdly illogical and baffling to anyone with the slightest shred of intellectuality. Why would Jesus, who is claimed by trinitarians to be the second divine person in the alleged triune Godhead, and by Modalists (Sabellians, & Patripassians) to be the Almighty God himself, be taken into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan? This only proves that Jesus was but a prophet of God who was meant to be tempted and tested like all the prophets who came before him so that his faith would be strengthened and wisdom be enriched before he is to be entrusted with the heavy task of prophethood.

Jesus Worshiped God Almighty Like a Devout Servant

Jesus himself worshiped God Almighty and served Him sincerely, as illustrated throughout the four gospels and the New Testament books and epistles.

“He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father’ (Matthew 26:39)

“He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and prayed.” (Mark 14:35)

“Our Father, who is in Heaven.” (Mathew 6:9)

“He continued all night in prayer to God.” (Luke 6:12, 5:16, 9:18)

"Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46)

"Father forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34)

“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me.” (Luke 22:42)

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One (True God) who could save him from death.” (Hebrews 5:7)

“After Jesus finished speaking, he looked up toward heaven and prayed”

(John 17:1)

Jesus Taught His Followers to Worship God the Father Alone

Jesus gave clear instructions to his followers to only pray to God the Father and in His name. He also professed that the true worshippers are those who only pray to God the Father, no one else. These are the true worshippers that God would be pleased with, and these are the true believers who would be admitted to the kingdom of heaven.

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” (Matthew 6:6)

“When you pray, say Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your Name.”

(Luke 11:2)

“But the time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father spiritually and truly. In fact, that time is now here. And these are the kind of people the Father wants to be his worshipers.” (John 4:23)

All these biblical verses align with the teachings of the Holy Quran which affirm that Jesus was a devout servant and a prophet of God who enjoined believers to worship God Alone.

“When Jesus came with clear proofs, he declared, ‘I have come to you with wisdom, and to clarify to you some of what you differ about. So fear Allah (God), and obey me. Surely Allah alone is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him alone. This is the Straight Path.’”

(Holy Quran, The Embellishment, 43:63-64)

“Jesus also declared, ‘Surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him alone. This is the Straight Path.’” (Holy Quran, Maryam; 19:36)

Paul Never Taught the Trinity

Paul, the controversial self-acclaimed apostle who is perceived by many Christians to be the

real founder of Christianity, also declared that there is only one true God, and that Jesus was only a mediator (a prophet) between God and mankind, which is the job of every single prophet that God has sent throughout the ages.

“For there is Only One God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Jesus Christ.” (1Timothy 2:5)

“There is One God and Father of all, who is above all…” (Ephesians 4:6)

“After all, there is Only One God. Many in heaven and on earth are called gods and lords, but none of them are real gods or lords. We only have One true God, and He is the Father.”

(1 Corinthians 8:4-6)

Paul attributed to God absolute divinity, and he referred to Him as the God of Jesus Christ, professing that God is the only true God and Jesus is but his submissive servant.

“So that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:6)

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” (2 Corinthians 1:3)

“The God and Father of our Lord Jesus who is to be praised forever.” (2 Corinthians 11:31)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Ephesians 1:3)

The Disciples of Jesus Never Taught the Trinity

James Declared That There Is Only One True God

James as well, Jesus’ brother, declared that there is only one true God who is the creator of all things, and the only Judge, whom all people must submit to.

“You believe that there is only one God. Good! Even demons believe that and tremble.”

(James 2:19)

“Every good and perfect gift comes from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights.”

(James 1:17)

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this.” (James 1:27)

“Therefore, Submit yourselves to God (alone).” (James 4:7)

“There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy.”

(James 4:12)

Peter Declared That There Is Only One True God

Peter, the most prominent among the disciples of Jesus, made it clear that there is only one true God, and He is the God who appointed Jesus as a prophet to the people and performed miracles, wonders and signs through him so that people would believe in God.

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” (Acts 2:22)

“Through him you have come to believe in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and your hope are fixed on God.” (1 Peter 1:21)

“As servants of God, behave as free people, but do not use your freedom as a means to cover up wrongdoing.” (1 Peter 2:16)

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead, whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as leader and savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:29-32)

“The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus.”

(Acts 3:13)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!” (Peter 1:3)

After all, if the Trinity is not biblical, if Jesus and his disciples never taught such polytheistic doctrine, if Jesus never claimed to be a God, or a demigod, or claimed to be the second person in the alleged Triune Godhead, if Jesus himself proclaimed that the Father is the one and only true God worthy of worship and praise, and if Jesus himself worshipped God Almighty and instructed his followers to worship Him alone, then one is forced to ask: why in the world would Christians continue to contradict the monotheistic teachings of Jesus and choose to adopt the pagan and polytheistic teachings of the early pagan Roman Church? Didn’t Jesus instruct his followers to uphold his teachings and commandments when he said, “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me, and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them” (John 14:21)? Didn’t Jesus warn those who stray from the path and corrupt his teachings after him when he said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Mathew 7:21-23)? Didn’t Jesus himself declare to his followers that he only came to fulfill the will of God on earth when he said, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me” (John 6:38), and that his teaching are not his own yet God’s who has sent him as a prophet when he said, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who has sent me” (John 7:16; John 3:34)? Wasn’t Jesus the one who said that he can do nothing on his own, and that he only does what God instructs him to do when he said, “I can do nothing on my own or by my own authority. I only judge as I was told, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but to please Him who has sent me” (John 5:30)? In my book Jesus The Prophet Of God (Part Two), pages 81-87, we examined all the biblical evidence that affirm that Jesus was nothing more than a prophet of God. Jesus only regarded himself as a messenger of God, and his disciples regarded him as a teacher and a prophet of God who came to teach them their faith. None of his disciples or early followers deified him or exalted him to a divine status the same way Christians did.

To summarize chapter one, Islam and Judaism share the same view that there is only one true God and one true divine being worthy of worship, and to believe in the existence of more than one God is blasphemous. According to Christianity, however, God is a Trinity, consisting of three distinct, consubstantial, coequal, and coeternal divine beings who form a Triune Godhead. While Islam and Judaism adhered to the monotheistic teachings of all the prophets of God, including Mohammad, Jesus, and Moses, as an extension to the monotheistic teachings of Abraham, peace be upon them all, Christianity strayed from the path of monotheism and became a polytheistic religion after it was influenced by the heathen beliefs of the pagan Roman Empire.

CHAPTER TWO: DOES GOD HAVE A SON?

Christianity

God Is Claimed to Have A Son

For two millenniums, Christians have been referring to Jesus as the Son of God, and they mean so in a literal sense. They perceive Jesus to be the “literal begotten” Son of God, and they embrace every sense of the denotative meaning of the attribution. Such notion is not only the outcome of the ridiculously absurd misinterpretation of the sonship of Jesus in the New Testament Bible, which was only meant to be understood metaphorically, yet it was influenced by the misleading theological propaganda of the early Roman Church. After the formulation of the Trinity Doctrine at the end of the fourth century, which was based on the notion that Jesus was the eternal Son of God, the church started promulgating the term “begotten not made” to promote the Nicene Creed, also known as the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, which alleges that Jesus was not created by God yet begotten.

Theological Background: The Eternal Sonship Doctrine

The Doctrine of Eternal Sonship is one of the central doctrines of Christianity. It acts as the foundational doctrine for the Trinity. According to trinitarians, the controversial doctrine suggests that the Son, the second person of the alleged triune godhead, was not created by God yet came to exist through the act of begetting (whatever than means). Christian denominations have failed miserably for the past two thousand years to provide a logical and befitting explanation to how God begot Jesus. Some denominations interpreted the concept the same way they would perceive the human act of begetting or birthing a child, other denominations convoluted the concept by turning it into an unexplainable philosophical predicament, while other denominations left its interpretation entirely to the imagination of their Christian followers. The doctrine also claims that Jesus has always eternally existed, “Begotten by the Father before all ages,” and this means that the Son did not only come to exist during the time of conception of the Virgin Mary, yet he existed eternally before incarnating himself into the human body of Jesus through the miraculous birth. This in itself is a contradiction to the notion that he was “begotten,” for how could he be begotten at some point in time yet is still described as being eternal? Upon these two theological suppositions, the church established the notion that Jesus was coeternal, coequal, and consubstantial with God the Father, meaning of the same divine essence. Such a contentious view has been a matter of dispute among Christian churches, denominations, and early church fathers for centuries ever since it was suggested by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and reaffirmed by the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. However, the pagan Church has succeeded in promoting such blasphemous view by ordaining it to be the only acceptable creed at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD. Ever since then, the sonship status that was attributed to Jesus was perceived literally rather than metaphorically, and all the New Testament biblical verses that refer to Jesus as the “Son of God” were understood literally and not allegorically. The actual declaration of faith of the Nicene Creed reads:

And we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God; begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made. (Schaff, 1877, Vol. 2, p. 58).

Historical Background: Arian Controversy

During the Arian Controversy, which led to the assembly of the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD by the Emperor Constantine, Arius, a Catholic presbyter at the church of Alexandria, who later on became known as the Founder of Arianism, argued that if Jesus was begotten by the Father then there was a time when the Son did not exist, therefore, the Son cannot be coeternal with the Father. Arius stated: "If the Father begat the Son, then he who was begotten had a beginning in existence, and from this it follows that there was a time when the Son was not." Arius simply regarded Jesus as a merely created being. On the other hand, Alexander, the Bishop of the Church of Alexandria, and his defending theologian student, Athanasius, disagreed and held that the Son existed eternally. They perceived Jesus, whom they regard as the incarnate of the Son, as equal to God the Father, despite such view’s clear contradiction to the teachings of Jesus himself when he said, “The Father is greater than I” (John 14;28) and ‘The Father is greater than all” (John 10:29). As blasphemous and absurd as it sounds, such mythical and pagan doctrine found favor among early pagan converts to Christianity who constituted the majority of early converts, and this is how the mythical doctrines of the Eternal Sonship and the Incarnation were able to become deeply rooted into the teachings of Christianity, especially after the pagan Emperor Constantine favored such view and forced it on the rest of the church fathers and bishops who attended the Council of Nicaea from various denominations and churches across Christendom. This was a political move from the pagan Emperor Constantine to end the disputes between the Eastern and Western churches, unite the Roman Empire under one religion, and attract more converts to Christianity by integrating the pagan beliefs of the Roman Empire into Christianity. This was the turning point which led the early church into adopting more mythical beliefs and incorporating them into Christianity, which led to the corruption of the original teachings of Jesus forever.

The Begotten Son – A Greek Mythology

The pre-existing eternal status that was attributed to Jesus, the incarnate of the Son, by the Council of Nicaea, which was based on the supposition that he was the literal “Begotten Son of God” was the influence of Greek mythology. The polytheistic and mythical Greek belief system, which was adopted by the Romans as well, is based on the mythology that many heavenly gods had sexual encounters with women of earth, who then gave birth to earthly sons and daughters who were regarded as demigods. These demigods were worshiped throughout history by the Greeks and the Romans. The idea of “half man half god” has always been a fascination to the Greeks and Romans, despite their acknowledgment of its mythical origin. Myths and fairy tales about gods and their human offspring who had unique powers have been taught and passed on from one generation to another until they became deeply rooted into the Greek culture and an inseparable part of the mythical belief. Among the mythical children of these mythical gods was the legendary Hercules, the illegitimate son of Zeus. The stories of these children of gods are abundant. It is even said that the famous conqueror Alexander the Great himself did not escape this mythical influence. His mother claimed that Zeus had fathered her son, and it was alleged that Alexander believed this himself. He marched the armies and conquered nations with a firm belief that he was the son of a god, thus making him undefeatable. Christianity adopted the same mythical belief and incorporated it into its teachings. However, instead of regarding Jesus as a demigod that is inferior to God the Father, which was part of the initial belief of Arius and other early church fathers who rejected the term “Homoousion; of same essence or substance” and suggested the term “Homoiousion; of similar essence or substance” instead, the church attributed to him consubstantiality and equality. The novel term that was adopted by the church made Jesus equal to God, despite contradicting the explicit statement of Jesus himself when he said: “my Father is Greater than I” (John 14:28).

The newly developed belief that Jesus was the “begotten” Son of God led to the notion that he must be coeternal, coequal, and consubstantial with God the Father; therefore, he was proclaimed as equally divine as God the Father. This is how Jesus, a mere man and a prophet of God became a “God” in the fourth century. Although such mythical and blasphemous concept had no scriptural evidence, the early church enforced the term "begotten not made" to promulgate the newly developed Nicene Creed that was formulated during the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and confirmed at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD. As we mentioned earlier, the term “begotten not made” is intended to imply that the Son was not created like other beings, yet rather born of the same essence as God the Father. However, the church does not provide a befitting or logical explanation to how he came to exist from the Father without being created.

To give authenticity to the unbiblical Nicene Creed, the word “Begotten Son of God” was incorporated into the King James Version of the English Bible in 1611 AD after it was carried over from Jerome’s Vulgate Latin Bible by Erasmus, the author of the Textus Receptus which was used by the KJV translators. Jerome’s Vulgate was based on the Old Latin Codex Vercellensis, supposedly written in 365 AD. Jerome had replaced the Old Latin word “Unicus, meaning unique” with “Unigenitus, meaning begotten” in John 1:14, 1:18, 3:16, 3:18, Hebrews 11:17, and 1 John 4:9 to support the early church’s “Begotten not Made” view. The Original Greek word that was used in Greek manuscripts was “Monoqenes; mono (single) and genos (kind)” which means “unique” not “Gennao” which means “begotten”.

MONOGENĒS. The etymology of this word is from genos ('race, stock, family') and not from gennan (‘to beget’); therefore, it means 'only, unique,' rather than 'only-begotten.' The Latin versions translated monogenes as unicus; only later was the reading unigenitus introduced under the influence of theology. (Brown, 1966, pp. 505-506)

One of Christianity’s most quoted biblical verses after they had altered the words of God was John 3:16. Below is the accurate translation of the text in comparison to the altered text after they had manipulated the translation.

The original accurate translation of John 3:16 reads:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His unique son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The corrupted mistranslation of John 3:16 reads:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

After the Vulgate became the official Latin Bible of the Roman Catholic Church, the word “begotten” found its way into many English versions of the Bible. However, in 1946, the word “Begotten” was expunged from the Revised Standard Version of the King James Bible and most decent Bible versions from then onwards because it does not represent the accurate translation of the Original Greek manuscripts. The majority of English Bible versions today such as the RSV, NIV, CSB, CEB, CJB, CEV, ERV, ESV, GNT, ICB, ISV, TLB, MSG, NASB, NCB, NCV, NET, NLV, Web, and many more do not use the word “begotten” (Moody, 1959, pp. 215-216).

The Title “Son of God” – Literal Meaning vs Metaphorical Meaning

Ever since the Nicene Creed was dogmatized and politically codified as an enforced state-Orthodoxy at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD and the novel Christology was imposed and promulgated, the title "Son of God" has been interpreted literally instead of metaphorically, despite the clear biblical evidence that confirms that the title is but an honorary metaphorical title that the Bible ascribes to Jesus for his close relationship with God. Such an understanding was clear during the life time of Jesus, and for many centuries after his death. It wasn’t until the 4^th century when the church introduced the term “Begotten not Made” and started advocating the literal meaning of the term to support the Nicene Creed that Christians lost sense of the true meaning of the title “Son of God” that was attributed to Jesus. It is of no surprise to Bible-literate Christians that Jesus was not the only person referred to as the son of God in the Bible. The Bible has commonly ascribed the titles “son of God” and “sons of God” to many others beside Jesus. The Bible attributes the term to angels (Job 1:6, 2:1), prophets (Exodus 4:22; 2 Samuel 7:14; 1 Chronicles 17:13; Psalm 2:7; Jeremiah 31:9; Luke 3:34), descendants of Adam (Genesis 6:2), righteous believers (Luke 6:35; 1 John 2:29; Galatians 3:26), Children of Israel (Hosea 1:10), peace-makers (Mathew 5:9), and many more. As for the term “Begotten Son,” it was also ascribed to David in the Bible, “I will declare the decree: the LORD said to me, ‘you are my Son; today I have begotten you’” (Psalm 2:7). Abraham, on the other hand, was ascribed as the “Firstborn Son” of God, “Ephraim is my Firstborn Son” (Jeremiah 31:9). Anyone would agree that the “Firstborn Son” of God has a higher connotation significance than just the “Begotten Son” of God, yet no one has ever claimed that David was the literal begotten son of God, or that Abraham was the firstborn son of God in a literal sense, or that all these people who were ascribed as the sons of God in the Bible are the actual physical children of God, as the church claims regarding Jesus.

As we can see, the term “Son of God” and the usage of the word “Begotten” were not exclusive to Jesus. Metaphorically, we are all the sons and daughters of God (Deuteronomy 14:1, 32:19; Isaiah 1:2; Hosea 1:10; Romans 8:14; 2 Corinthians 6:18; 1 John 3:1). However, the church has continued to claim a distinction between the sonship of Jesus and the sonship of others, which is a clear contradiction to the teachings of Jesus himself. In John 20:17, Jesus made no difference between God’s fatherhood to him and God’s fatherhood to his disciples and followers. Jesus said, “Go instead to my brothers and tell them: I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” For an in-depth analysis of the topic, refer to my book Jesus the Prophet OF God (Part One & Two).

Judaism

God Has No Son

The mythical Christian concept of a “begotten not made” divine son who is coeternal, coequal, and consubstantial with God the Father is resolutely rejected by Jewish Tradition. In fact, Jewish tradition does not only condemn the suppositions associated with the sonship status that was attributed to Jesus in a literal sense, it also renounces the metaphorical implication of the figurative attribution associated with the messianic title “Son of God”. Given that the Jews rejected the messianichood and prophethood of Jesus, they refused to attribute the title “Son of God’ to him because it was reserved for the awaited Messiah whom they thought is yet to come. This is precisely why they accused Jesus of blasphemy and persecuted him for referring to himself as the son of God in an allegorical sense.

“The Jews insisted: we have a law and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God” (John 19:7)

“For this reason the Jews tried harder to kill him, not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God”

(John 5:18)

“Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him. But Jesus said to them I have shown you many miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any of these” replied the Jews. “but for blasphemy, because you a mere man claim to be God”

(John 10:31-33).

Examining these verses from the Gospel of John, there is a notable shift in tone and gradual intensification of the accusation. First, they condemn him for referring to God as “Father,” which is clear from John 19:7 & 5:18, then they accuse him of making himself equal to God, which he never did, as expressed in John 5:18, and finally, they amplify the accusation and allege that he claims to be God, which is something that he never did as well. A shallow reading of the controversial narrative of John, would give the impression that the Jews took the title “Son of God” literally, and this is why they accused him of blasphemy. However, such superficial understanding contradicts the Jewish tradition that affirms that the Jews were familiar with the figurative term “Son of God,” which they have been using for centuries before the advent of Jesus. Why then do they accuse him of blasphemy when they were accustomed to the term and were fully aware that it was only a descriptive metaphorical title given to God’s prophets for their close relationship with God? In John 10, Jesus himself refuted their allegation by arguing that such an allegorical term is commonly used in the Law of Moses, and its figurative meaning should be clearly understood by the Jews.

Jesus argued “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods?’ if He (God) called them gods to whom the word of God came (prophets) and the scripture cannot be broken, what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said: I am God’s son?” (John 10:34-36)

So, again, why did they accuse him of blasphemy then if they were aware of the allegorical title? The answer is simple: they never acknowledged Jesus’ prophethood and messianichood; therefore, Jesus had no business referring to himself as the “Son of God” or referring to God as his “Father.” They regarded him as a false prophet who is pretending to be the Messiah. Thus, they disregarded the traditional interpretation of the title “Son of God,” and they pretended that Jesus was claiming to be the “literal” Son of God just so they could condemn and prosecute him. However, the truth of the matter is that Jesus never claimed to be the literal Son of God, nor did he ever claim to be equal to God, nor claim to be God either, as they alleged. Jesus explicitly refuted such hideous allegation in John 10:34-36.

In my book, Jesus The Prophet of God, Part Two (pp. 122-129), I provided an in depth scriptural analysis to why the Jews rejected the title “Son of God” and why they accused Jesus of blasphemy. The Jews were fully familiar with the metaphorical title “Son of God” and their accusations of blasphemy against Jesus was not because they thought he was claiming to be the literal Son of God, yet it was due to the fact that, according to Jewish eschatology, the title ‘Son of God” was reserved for the awaited Messiah, and given that the Jews rejected the prophethood and messianichood of Jesus, he had no right to be referred to as the “Son of God”. The Jews claimed that Jesus did not fit the description or fulfill the Messianic prophesies, and this is why they regarded him as a false messiah, them and the generations to follow (Moses Ben Maimon, 1138 – 1204), so he had no business calling himself the “Son of God”. This is why they sought to condemn and crucify him. To them, the title “Son of God” is reserved for the awaited Messiah, the prophetic King from the bloodline of David who will come to restore David’s kingdom through political power and authoritative reign. If they were to refer to him as the “Son of God” then they would be forced to accept him as the awaited Messiah and the prophet King, and such was problematic for them especially after he had exposed their hypocrisy, wickedness, and corrupt teachings. Besides, Jesus did not approve of their political agenda and their misunderstanding of the role of the Messiah. This is why he refused the associated title “King of the Jews” and refused to be part of their political ideology, “After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, ‘Surely this is the prophet who is to come into the world.’ Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself” (John 6:14-15).

To provide a brief summary of the tradition and the messianic title, the Messiah (Jesus) inherited the metaphorical title “Son of God” from David. The title “Son of God” goes hand in hand with the title “Messiah” and the title “King of the Jews” in the Bible. The awaited Messiah and the prophet king who is to inherit David’s kingdom was destined to inherit the same title “Son of God” that was ascribed to David by God. David was described as the “Begotten Son of God” for his close relationship with God.

‘You are My Son; today, I have begotten You.” (Psalm 2:7)

The same exact honorary title was promised to the Messiah who is to come from David’s bloodline and inherit his kingdom (2 Samuel 7:14).

“The Lord declares to you… when your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the

throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.”

(2 Samuel 7:12-14)

This explains why Jesus refers to God as “My Father” and why he is referred to as the “Son of God”. It is a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy. Jesus inherited the honorary title “Son of God” from David, as promised by God for being the awaited Messiah. The same thing was confirmed throughout the four gospels of the New Testament. The testimony of Nathaniel, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, is a perfect example of how the title “Son of God” and the title “King of the Jews” are used synonymously to refer to the awaited Messiah. After Nathaniel acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah, he referred to him as the “Son of God” and the King of the Jews”.

“Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

(John 1:49)

Such correlation between the title “King of the Jews” and the title “Son of God,” which were reserved for the awaited Messiah, and how they were used synonymously and understood by the Jews to have the same meaning, is explicitly conveyed from the accusations of the Jews and their questioning during the religious and civil trials of Jesus, as elaborated earlier. In Mathew 26:63, during his religious trial, the high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” In the gospel of Mark as well, during his religious trial, the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mark 14:61). This refutes any claims that the title ‘Son of God” is an indication to the alleged divinity of Jesus, for it is nothing more than an honorary metaphorical title that has been ascribed to Jesus and to David before him for their close relationship with God. The Jews understood the metaphor and were fully aware that such a title is reserved for the awaited Messiah, but since they rejected the prophethood and the messianichood of Jesus and regarded him as an imposter, they refused to attribute this title to him. This is why they accused Jesus of blasphemy for referring to God as “My Father”. According to their belief, only the awaited Messiah is referred to as the “Son of God,” as evident from their argument during the final trials. The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a Law, and according to that Law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God” (John 19:7). By rejecting Jesus’s prophethood and messianichood, and by refusing to ascribe the title “Son of God” to Jesus, the Jews were the first to spark the controversy surrounding the figurative title, thus paving the way for the title to be misunderstood by Christians.

Islam

God Has No Son

In comparison to the pagan Christological view of attributing a coeternal, coequal, and consubstantial offspring to God, and the fanatic Jewish view that rejects the prophethood and messianichood of Jesus, Islam rejects both the Christian and the Jewish ideologies. while Islam affirms the prophethood and messianichood of Jesus, it categorically condemns the claim that God Almighty has begotten a son. According to the teachings of Islam, it does not befit God to beget a son. Attributing a son to God is a profound insult to Him, especially when begetting is a biological act that involves some sort of sexual union between two species of the same kind, and such is an act that only befits humans and animals. To claim that God has a son is to imply that God took a wife by engaging in similar creaturely and animalistic act, and such is utterly unbefitting of the Divine. God Almighty has emphatically condemned such blasphemous allegations in the Holy Quran.

“And they said that God has begotten a son. Exalted is He. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and the earth, and they are all obedient to Him.” (Holy Quran 2:116)

“He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have children when He has no wife? He created all things and He is the All-Knower of everything.” (Holy Quran 6:101)

The prophet Mohammad ﷺ said, "God the Most High said, ‘The son of Adam insults Me, and he should not insult Me, and he disbelieves in Me, and he ought not to do so. As for his insult to Me, it is that he says that I have a son; and his disbelief in Me is his statement that I shall not recreate him as I have created (him) before." (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1350)

According to Islam, Jesus is nothing more than a prophet and a servant of God. God Almighty has warned Christians not to fabricate lies regarding the nature of Jesus.

“O People of the Book! Do not go to extremes regarding your faith; say nothing about God except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger of

God and His Word (be) that was conveyed to Mary, and a spirit created by Him. So believe in God and His messengers and do not say, “Trinity.” Stop for your own good! God is only One God. Exalted is He above having a son! To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. And God is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs.”

(Holy Quran 4:171)

“The Messiah (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother (Mary) was a Siddiqah (Believer). They both used to eat food (as any other human being, while Allâh does not eat). Look how We make the signs (proofs, evidences) clear to them, yet look how they stray away (from the truth).”

(Holy Quran 5:74)

To refute the mythical Christian doctrines of Eternal Sonship and Incarnation, and to provide a sufficiently logical argument to negate any allegations from Christians that Jesus’ miraculous birth holds any evidence for his alleged divinity, the Holy Quran has compared Jesus’ birth to the creation of Adam. The Holy Quran affirms that Jesus is one of God’s mere creations, created the same way Adam was created, through divine ordainment.

“Verily, the likeness of Jesus in the sight of God is like that of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him, “Be!” and he was!” (Holy Quran 3:59)

The Holy Quran asserts that Jesus’ miraculous birth was equivalently similar to the miraculous creation of Adam, the father of humanity. When God Almighty ordained it to be, He simply decreed it, “Be,” and it was. This is why Jesus is referred to as the Word of God, for he was created by the command of God “Be”.

“It does not befit God to have a son. Exalted is He! when He decrees a matter, He only says to it "Be" and it is.” (Holy Quran 19:35)

CHAPTER THREE: DOES GOD RESEMBLE HIS CREATION?

Is God Divine or Human: Does He Possess Anthropomorphic Attributes?

Would you worship a God with perfect Divine Characteristics or a God with flawed Human Characteristics? The nature of God differs completely across the three Abrahamic Religions. While the Judeo-Christian faith attributes to God grievously flawed and defective human-like characteristics that contradict His omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent nature, Islam attributes to God only perfect and sublime characteristics that befit his perfectly divine and majestic nature. It is of no surprise to those who are specialized in comparative religious studies that there is a profound difference between the biblical God who possesses defective anthropomorphic qualities and the Omnibenevolent Quranic God who only possesses perfect and flawless attributes and qualities. According to the Bible, God, exalted is He, is claimed to take human form, to eat and drink, to become fatigued, to need resting, to grieve, to make unwise decisions then regrets making them, to make mistakes that require repenting, to judge unfairly, to govern unjustly, to punish without cause and without mercy, to act violently even against the innocent, and to behave more humanly than divinely, as we will see in details in this chapter.

According to the Holy Quran, on the other hand, all these defective human qualities have been refuted. God Almighty is free from such flawed and imperfect human characteristics and attributes, for He is Unique and none of his creation is comparable to Him. Although Judaism and Christianity differ in Christology and eschatology, they agree when it comes to theology, the nature of God the Father. They share the same Old Testament Bible and they adopt the same defective anthropomorphic characteristics that are attributed to God the Father. For this reason, we will address these two religions jointly when we are analyzing the nature of God the Father from a biblical perspective in comparison to the Holy Quran. We will also address the “Half God Half Man” Christology that is adopted by Christianity separately to get an understanding of how Christianity strayed from the monotheistic teachings of the Law of Moses and the original monotheistic teachings of Jesus. After all, Jesus never taught such Christological doctrines. They are merely the production of the early church, and they took centuries to develop after the death of Jesus.

Does God Assume Human Form?

Judaism & Christianity

The Biblical God Assumes Human Form and Appears to Humans

According to the Judeo-Christian faith, God the Father assumed human form and appeared to some of His prophets, including people on various occasions. The Old Testament Bible has reported various appearances of God in human form. Some of these alleged biblical encounters were explicitly stated, while others were elicited from the text by means of misinterpretation or mistranslation. In some of these appearances, the Bible clearly stated that the ‘Lord appeared,” yet in many of these encounters the Bible reported that the “angel of God appeared”. In both scenarios, however, Jews and Christians wrongly assumed that God was the one who actually appeared in person in human form to deliver His own message to His prophets and messengers, which is absurdly preposterous. Let’s examine some of these encounters where God took human form and appeared to people.

The Lord Appeared to Abraham

In the book of Genesis, the Bible reported three appearances of God in human form to Abraham. Here are some the three encounters. Some argue that God appeared to Abraham several more times, however, these are the only times where the biblical text actually says that God “appeared.”

“The Lord appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspringI will give this land.’ So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.” (Genesis 12:7)

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.’ Then Abram fell on his face.”

(Genesis 17:1-3)

“The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.²Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.” (Genesis 18:1-2)

Islamic Narrative

The same story from Genesis 18 was narrated in the Holy Quran, chapter 11, verses 69-83. However, the Holy Quran affirmed that it was not God who appeared in person to Abraham; it was God’s angels, “And indeed Our messengers came to Abraham with good tidings...” Abraham was visited by three angels of God, Gabriel, Michael and Israfil (Raphael). The angels came to give Abraham and Sarah the good news that they are going to have a child. Islam refutes any absurd claims that God Almighty assumed human form and appeared to Abraham or anyone else.

The Lord Appeared to Isaac:

Abraham was not the only person whom God appeared to in the Bible. In Genesis 26, the Bible also reported two appearances of God in human form to Isaac.

“The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live.” (Genesis 26:2)

“That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” (Genesis 26:24)

The Lord Appeared to Jacob

God also appeared to Jacob. In Genesis 32:24-30, the Bible claims that the Lord appeared to Jacob in human form at Peniel and wrestled with him, can you imagine that!!!

“²⁴So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak… ²⁸Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have wrestled with God and with humans and have prevailed… ³⁰So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life was spared.” (Genesis 32:24-30)

“After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him.”

(Genesis 35:9)

The Lord Appeared to Moses

In Exodus 3:2-6, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. This type of appearance is referred to as theophany, a visible manifestation of God to humans. This visible manifestation could be in human form or other observable form that is visible to humans.

“²And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. Moses

saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. ³So Moses thought, ‘I will go over and see this strange sight, why the bush does not burn up.’ ⁴So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!’

Moses said, ‘Here I am.’… ⁵‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’ Then He said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.” (Exodus 3:2-6)

God said, “Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob appeared to me.” (Exodus 3:16)

As clearly stated in the beginning of the chapter, it was the “angel of the Lord” who appeared to Moses in the burning bush. However, as the details of the encounter unveil throughout the chapter, the “angel of the Lord” is replaced with “the Lord saw,” “God said,” “I am God,” and “the Lord God appeared to me,” and this is clear evidence that every time the Bible says “the Lord appeared,” it actually means “the angel of the Lord appeared,” and this is more logical and befitting because God Almighty does not appear in person to speak to his prophets and messengers. God Almighty delegates such duty to His angels, which has been confirmed in various biblical verses (Luke 1:19, 26-28, Acts 7:53, 8:26, Revelations 1:2, 22:6 & Galatians 3:19). The same story was told in Acts 7:30, this time however, it was the angel of Lord who appeared to Moses in the burning bush.“After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai,” confirming once again that God spoke to Moses through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush. In addition to this, Exodus 33:20 confirms that Moses was never able to see God. When Moses requested to see God, God said, “You cannot see my face, for no human can see me and live.”

Islamic Narrative

The same divine theophany that was mentioned in Exodus 33 was reported by the Holy Quran yet in a much more powerful and majestic way.

“When Moses came at the appointed time, and his Lord spoke to him, he (Moses) said, “My Lord, show me (Yourself) so that I may look at You.” (God) said, “You can never see Me.

However, look at the mountain, if it remains firm in its place, then you will see Me.” As soon as his Lord revealed Himself to the mountain, He caused it to crumble to dust, and Moses fell down unconscious. After he recovered, he said, “Exalted are You! I repent, and I will be the first of the believers!” (Holy Quran, The Heights, 7:143)

As clearly understood from the Quranic verse, Moses was unable to see God Almighty. Even the mountain could not handle the glorious divine theophany. In a Hadith that was narrated by Anas, a companion of Prophet Mohammad ﷺ when the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ recited this part of the Quranic verse “As soon as his Lord revealed Himself to the mountain, He caused it to crumble to dust,” he gestured with his hand that only a tiny portion was revealed to the mountain, as tiny as the tip of the little finger. (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 12260). God Almighty wanted to show Moses that it is not possible for him to see God in this life because humans are not equipped with strong enough bodies to be able to see God without being harmed. The Prophet Mohammad ﷺ said that “God’s Veil is Light (meaning; He is veiled with light), and if He were to remove His Veil, the Light (brightness and magnificence) of his Face would burn everything of His creation, as far as His gaze reaches” (Sahih Muslim 179 & Ibn Maja 196). It was also reported that the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ was asked if he had seen God during his journey to the seventh sky (Miraj), and he responded, “I saw Light,” meaning I only saw the Light that God almighty is veiled with (Sahih Muslim 178). It was also narrated that the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ asked the Archangel Gabriel, “Have you seen your Lord?” Gabriel replied, “Between me and Him there are seventy veils of light, and if I approach one of them I would be burned” (Mishkat Al-Masabeeh, Hadiths 5729 & 5730). All the evidence confirm that God Almighty cannot be seen by humans in this life. However, The Holy Quran confirms that the believers will see God Almighty in the hereafter once they are admitted to heaven (Holy Quran 75:22-23). The Prophet Mohammad ﷺ also confirmed that God will reveal Himself to the believers in Heaven and that they will be able to see Him without any difficulty the same way we see the sun and the moon in the sky (Sunan Al-Tirmizi 2554). Yet on the other hand, the disbelievers will be denied the pleasure of seeing God (Quran 83:15).

The Lord Appeared to Humans

In various verses, the Bible claims that the Lord appeared in person to a crowd of people. In these verses, however, the words that were used were “the Glory of the Lord appeared”.

“Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.”

(Leviticus 9:23)

“But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the

Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites.” (Numbers 14:10)

“When Korah had gathered all his followers in opposition to them at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the glory of the Lord appeared to the entire assembly.”

(Numbers 16:19)

“But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared.” (Numbers 16:42)

Divine Appearances – A Profound Biblical Contradiction

Many other appearances of God in human form have been reported by the Bible. Some of these verses clearly state that God Himself appeared or was seen (Deuteronomy 31:15, Exodus 24:9-10, 1 Kings 9:2, 2 Chronicles 3:1, 2 Chronicles 7:12, Numbers 23:4, Amos 9:1), while others accurately report that it was the Angel of the Lord who appeared (Genesis 16:7-14, Genesis 21:17, Judges 6:11-24, Judges 13:3, 1 Kings 19:7). Surprisingly, all these alleged appearances of God in human form to His prophets or to the people are a clear contradiction to the teachings of the Bible itself. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament have confirmed that no one has ever seen God.

“You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20)

“He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him.” (1 Timothy 6:16)

“No one has ever seen God” (1 John 4:12)

To avoid the dilemma, many Bible versions replaced the words “the Lord appeared” with the words “the angel of the Lord appeared,” or the word “God” with the word “God’s angel,” resulting in a textual contradiction between Bible versions. By doing so, they acknowledged that the angel of God was the one who appeared to His prophets and messengers, not God Himself in human form. Such textual variant (contradiction) and shift in biblical interpretation can be observed in several biblical stories as listed earlier. The absurdly mythical story of Jacob wrestling with God which was narrated by the book of Genesis 32:24-30, and reconfirmed by the book of Hosea 12:3-4, is a perfect example of such biblical contradiction. To evade the embarrassment of the biblical story which claims that God was defeated by Jacob in a wrestling match, many Bible versions altered (or perhaps corrected) the biblical text to make it seem that it was the angel of God who was defeated, not God. In Genesis 32:24-30, the narrative confirms that Jacob saw God face to face in human form, wrestled with Him, and defeated him. Hosea 12:3, confirms the same thing, “As an adult, he wrestled with God”. In the following verse however, Hosea 12:4 says that Jacob defeated the angel, not God, “Jacob wrestled with God’s angel and prevailed.” This is a clear biblical contradiction between Genesis 32 and Hosea 12 regarding the same exact story.

The Notion that God Assumes Human Form Was Adopted by Christianity

The Son Assumes Human Form – The Word Became Flesh: Hypostatic Union

The new Judaic sect, Christianity, inherited the notion that God assume human form and expanded on it. Their premise is that just as the Father assumed human form on various occasions to interact with humanity, the allegedly divine Son assumed human form as well when He incarnated Himself into the body of Jesus. The fourth century pagan Roman Church has propagated the Christological term the “Word Became Flesh” to promulgate the Incarnation Doctrine. The paradoxical Doctrine of Incarnation is one of the central doctrines of Christianity and it acts as the foundational Doctrine for the Doctrine of the Trinity. Linguistically, the word incarnation means “to become flesh”. Theologically, it refers to the notion that the pre-incarnate coeternal divine Son of God, referred to as the Logos (word), was made flesh by being conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, thus assuming human form through the body of baby Jesus. Through such process, referred to as the “Hypostatic Union,’ Jesus became the incarnate of the divine Son of God and the vessel of two natures, one divine nature which he acquired from his Father and one human nature which he acquired from his mother Mary, thus he is believed to be both fully divine and fully human simultaneously. The Profession of Faith according to the Roman Catholic Church reads, "For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary and became man" (Nicene Creed, 381/2011). The Doctrine is a carbon copy of the Greek mythology of “Half God Half Human,” yet with a philosophical twist. The mythical Doctrine of Incarnation was never preached by Jesus himself, or implied by him by far or near. It came to exist 500 years after the death of Jesus. Although the concept of the incarnation was suggested without definition during the first three Ecumenical Councils (the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, the First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD, and the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD), it wasn’t until the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD that the church attempted to give a definition of how the divine nature and the human nature came to coexist in the human body of Jesus after the incarnation, a process referred to as the “Hypostatic Union”.

The Rise of Christology: The Different Schools of Christology

After the Church formulated the Chalcedonian Creed, it became the first unified Christology that was intended for all Christian denominations and churches to adopt and follow. However, such Christology was never unanimously accepted by all Christian denominations and churches. Schism erupted and Christians remained divided amongst themselves for centuries to come. Many Christological schools emerged since the 5^th century as an attempt to define the two natures of Jesus. The two major Christological schools are Monophysitism and Dyophisitism. Monophysites believe that Jesus had only one nature, yet Dyophysites believe that Jesus had two distinct natures. One Monophysite faction holds that Jesus had only one nature that is fully divine, while another faction holds that Jesus had only one nature that is fully human. A third middle path view emerged from these two Monophysite Christological schools and claimed that Jesus had one unified nature that is both divine and human at the same time. This school of Christological thought is called Miaphysitism. A group of Miaphysites believe that this one unified nature is a fusion and a blend between the divine and the human natures, while another group maintains that this one unified nature is an amalgamation of both of the divine and the human natures without fusion or merger. As an outcome of such confusion and division, various Christological interpretations evolved pertaining to how these two profoundly contradicting natures united or integrated in one human body, and which of these two natures overpowered the other and was in control of Jesus’s will. This led to the emergence of two additional opposing Christologies in the 7^th century, Monothelitism; one will, and Dyothelitism; two wills. Dyophisitism also had its share of confusion and division. Its early form was first condemned as heresy through the teachings of Nestorius in the 4^th century at the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD, then it was accepted and adopted as the only orthodoxic Christology by the Roman Church at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD.

Schism and Hersey in Christendom

However, and as discussed earlier, not all Christian churches and denominations accepted the Christology that came to be known as the Chalcedonian Creed, which resulted in contradicting interpretations of the Doctrine of Incarnation. Most Trinitarians who proclaim God to be a single divine essence existing in three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, believe that Jesus is the incarnation of the second person of the Triune Godhead, the Son. However, all the Modalists who adopt the heretical beliefs of Modalism, Modalistic-Monarchianism, Sabellianism, and Patripassianism, believe that Jesus manifests the incarnation of God the Father Himself. As explained in depth in part one of my book Jesus The Prophet of God, Modalists believe that there is only one divine being who has manifested Himself into three different modes, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They believe that this one God manifests himself as the Father sometimes, as the Son at times, and as the Holy Spirit at other times, yet He is never all three of them at the same time. This means that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the same exact entity. According to their absurd and heretical belief, it was God the Father who incarnated himself into the human body of Jesus. This means that it was God the Father (first mode) who was conceived by the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit (third mode) then became flesh and was born as Jesus (second mode), yet it was only one divine being taking on the roles and performing all the actions of these three modes of the same person. Hence, if we attempt to interpret the act of conception that was reported by Luke (1:35) according to such an abhorrently blasphemous view, it would mean that God the Father assumed the Holy Spirit mode to come upon Marry and overshadowed her (we all know what that means) so that she would conceive and give birth to Himself as the Son mode so that He would become flesh and live among us as a human being in the body of Jesus.

The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

(Luke 1:35)

It would also imply that God the Father remained in Jesus’s body while He transitioned from childhood to adulthood, and from the state of frailty and immaturity to the state of strength and maturity (Luke 2:40). He also grew in knowledge and wisdom (Luke 2:52), He learned discipline by arranging for Himself to be tempted by the devil (Mathew 4:1), He suffered persecution so that He would learn obedience and humility (Hebrew 5:8), and He was finally tortured and killed on the cross (Mathew 27:50) so that He would sacrifice His life for the sake of mankind just so that He would be able to forgive them (1 John 2:2), but before he gave up he spirit, he had to experience abandonment, where He called upon Himself to save Him but was forsaken (Mathew 27:46). As absurdly illogical and insulting this sounds, many Christians adopt such blasphemous views that do not befit God’s Holiness and Majesty. The whole concept of the incarnation is absolutely hideous. It defies God’s transcendent nature and sublime attributes. How could the Most High, with all of His Divine Majestic Glory and Supreme Might, incarnate Himself into a defective frail body of a human being when the heavens and the earth could not contain Him (1 Kings 8:27 & 2 Chronicles 2:6)? Besides, are we to believe that the Most Forgiving God needs to do all this just to convince Himself to forgive mankind for a sin that none of them has committed from the first place, the original sin of Adam?

Islam

God Does Not Assume Human Form

According to Islam, God does not assume human form. It does not befit the divine and exalted nature of God to assume human form. God is transcendent, and He is above and apart from any human form or physical matter perceivable by the human mind. He is transcendent from His entire creation. How could the creator of the heavens and the earth be contained in a physical form of His own creation, much less within a defective and imperfect human form?

“They made not a just estimate of Allah (God) such as is due to Him. And on the Day of resurrection the entire earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified is He, and High is He above all that they associate as partners with Him!”

(Holy Quran 39:67)

Even the Bible preaches that God can’t be contained.

“But who is able to build a temple for Him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him?” (2 Chronicles 2:6)

“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. Then how can You live in this temple that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27)

The Islamic faith concerning the nature of God is based on one fundamental doctrine: He Almighty is unique in every way and beyond comparison with anyone or anything.

“There is nothing like unto Him.” (Holy Quran 42:11)

“And no one is comparable to Him.” (Holy Quran 112:4)

Throughout history and across various ancient civilizations and cultures, man has attempted repeatedly to anthropomorphize God; humanize God and portray Him into human or physical form. The Ancient Greeks have always depicted their mythical gods in human forms. The Ancient Egyptians embodied their gods in both human and animal forms. The Hindus personified their gods in images and avatars, and other cultures created idols as symbols to their gods and worshiped them. It seems that for some humans, it is difficult to worship an unseen God without a physical manifestation, and this is exactly what Jews and Christians did. They claimed that God assumed human form and revealed Himself to people, and this seemed more satisfying for shallow believers who always needed something visible and physical to worship. Before the advent of Islam, pagan Arabs worshiped 365 human-figure idols, one for each day of the year. They gave these idols names and worshiped them, and they claimed that they only took them as symbols and manifestations of God. They also alleged that the true God dwelled within these idols, and this is why they regarded these idols as mediators between them and God. When the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ called upon them to abandon these idols and worship the one and only true God alone, they said, “Nay! We shall follow the ways of our forefathers. Even though their forefathers did not understand anything nor were they on the right path” (Holy Quran 2:170). The same excuse is adopted today by millions of Jews and Christians. It is much easier for them to follow their ancestors’ faith blindly instead of practising open mindedness towards the possibility that their ancestors might have been misguided, and that the faith that they have adopted all their lives could be wrong. Religion has become a cultural inheritance instead of being a personal journey of spiritual discovery to finding God. If only humans would come to an understanding that faith can only be acquired through knowledge and wisdom that are based on divine guidance, and such knowledge and wisdom could never contradict logic.

God Does Not Reveal Himself to Humans in This Life: No One Has Seen God

According to Islam, God Almighty does not assume human form or any other physical form perceivable by humans, and He does not reveal himself to any humans, as confirmed by the Holy Quran and the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ.

“It is not fitting for a human that God should speak to him except through revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal, by God’s permission, what God wills, for He is the Most High, the Most Wise.” (Holy Quran 42:51)

“No visions can grasp Him (God), but His grasp is over all visions: He is above all comprehension, and He the Most Kind and All Aware.” (Holy Quran 6:103)

The Prophet Mohammad ﷺ said, “None of you will see God until you die.” (Bukhari 3057). The privilege of seeing God is reserved for the believers and dwellers of heaven in the afterlife, as reported by the Holy Quran (75:22-23) and as reported by the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ in multiple Hadiths. Seeing God in heaven is the absolute reward and ultimate pleasure for believers. It is a privilege that disbelievers will be denied (Holy Quran Defrauders 83:15). None of the prophets and messengers saw God face to face in this life either (Holy Quran 42:51). God speaks to His prophets and messengers through the Arc Angel Jibril (Gabriel). Jibril is the Archangel assigned the task of delivering God’s message, words, and revelations to His prophets and messengers (Holy Quran 26:193-194). However, God has favoured three prophets with the honor of speaking to Him directly without angelic mediation on special occasions. God spoke to Adam directly in heaven before his descent to earth, as asserted by various verses in the Quran and affirmed by the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ when he said, “Adam was a prophet, who was spoken to directly by God” (Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadith 6190). God also spoke to Moses directly in the valley Tuwan, as confirmed by the Holy Quran, “And God spoke to Moses directly” (4:164), and “O Moses, I have favored you above mankind (to receive) My messages and by speaking (to you), so take what I have given you, and be among the thankful" (7:144). However, we have already proven from the Quran and the Bible that Moses never saw God either, yet he was only privileged to encounter a divine theophany when God Almighty revealed Himself to the nearby mountain by lifting a portion of His Holy Light Veil, and this is when the mountain crumbled and turned to dust, and Moses feel unconscious after witnessing such majestic divine encounter, which he couldn’t handle (Holy Quran 7:143). Lastly, God also spoke directly to His final messenger and seal of prophets, Mohammad ﷺ during his ascension to the seventh heaven to receive the commission of the five daily prayers (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 3674; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 162). Yet, all three prophets spoke to God from behind a veil, and none of them saw God. When the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ was asked if he had seen God during his ascension to the seventh heaven, the prophet replied, “He is veiled by Light, how could I see Him” (Sahih Muslim 178), and in another narrative, the prophet said, “God’s veil is light, and if He were to remove the veil, the radiant splendor of His face would burn all of His creation, as far as His gaze would reach” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 179; Ibn Maja, Hadith 196). Even the Archangel Gabriel is believed to not have seen God without His veil of Light, as confirmed by the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ. When the Prophet ﷺ asked Gabriel, “Have you seen your Lord?” Gabriel replied, “Between me and Him there are seventy veils of light, and if I approach one of them I would be burned” (Mishkat Al-Masabeeh, Hadith 5729 & 5730).

Does God Eat and Drink?

Judaism & Christianity

According to Genesis 18:5-8, the Lord appeared to Abraham in human form, so Abraham prepared a good meal to be eaten by the Lord and the other two angels that accompanied Him, and they ate. As mentioned earlier, the story of the three angels who visited Abraham to give him and his wife Sarah glad tidings of giving birth to a child was mentioned in the Quran in Chapter 11, verses 69-83. In the story that was narrated by the Holy Quran, even the angels did not touch the food that Abraham presented to them, for angels are heavenly creatures made out of light and they do not eat (11:69-70).

In the book of Judges 9:13, there was also a reference that drinking wine makes God cheerful and happy. The verse has been an embarrassment to Jews and Christians for centuries, and this is why many bible versions had to alter the original verse by changing the word “God - with a capital letter” with the word “god - with a small letter” to make it seem that the verse does not speak about God Almighty, yet about the gods of Canaanites. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, had to rephrase the entire verse to alter the meaning and evade the embarrassment.

The original verse reads: (Judges 9:13)

“But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?’

The following translations use the capital “G” in Judges 9:13 as referring to the God of Israel: ASV, AMP, AKJV, BRG, CSB, CSBA, CJB, DRA, EHV, ESV, GNV, ISV, KJV, KJV21, LSB, TLB, MEV, NASB, NCB, NKJV, NLV, NLT, TLV, WEB, and WYC.

The altered verse reads: (Judges 9:13)

“But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and men, to hold sway over the trees?’”

The following translations use the lower-case “g” in Judges 9:13 as referring to the god of the Canaanites: CEB, CEV, EASY, EXB, GW, GNT, LEB, MSG, NABRE, NCV, NET, NIRV, NIV, NRSV, RSV, and VOICE.

The Septuagint Bible reads: (Judges 9:13)

“And the vine said to them, ‘Am I to neglect my wine, the good cheer of men which comes from God, and go to rule the trees?’” (NETS).

Islam

According to Islam, God Almighty is not in need of sustenance like human beings, He does not eat or drink.

“Say (to the people) Shall I take a Guardian other than God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? And it is He Who feeds but is not fed.” (Holy Quran 6:14)

To refute the alleged divinity of Jesus that was attributed to him by Christians, the Holy Quran argued that if Jesus was a true God, as they claim, he wouldn’t need sustenance. The same goes for his mother Mary, who was also deified by some Christian denominations for being referred to as the mother of God or the God bearer “Theotokos”.

“The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a messenger, (like) the messengers who have come and gone before him. His mother (Mary) was a Siddiqah (a sincere and truthful believer). They both used to eat food (as any other human beings). Look how We make the signs clear to them, yet look how they deviate from the truth.” (Holy Quran 5:75)

Does God Get Tired?

Judaism & Christianity

According to the Bible, God gets tired and needs to rest to be refreshed.

“And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because in it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.” (Genesis 2:3)

“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” (Exodus 31:17)

This is why Saturday, the seventh day of the week, is a resting day for the Jews. It is called the Jewish Sabbath (from the Hebrew word shavat; to rest). It is observed throughout the year to commemorate the original seventh day on which God rested after completing the creation. Early Christians kept their Sabbath on Saturday as well until the Roman Emperor Constantine issued a civil decree making Sunday a day of rest from labor on March 7, 321 A.D, which was clearly chosen according to the Roman pagan theology because Sunday is the day of the sun god. The church embraced the changing of the Sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday despite the clear biblical command of remembering it and keeping it holy, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

Islam

According to Islam, it is blasphemous to think that God, with all His absolute Might, gets tired. The Holy Quran refuted the false claims of the Jews and Christians in explicit verses.

“And indeed We created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them in six days and nothing of fatigue has touched Us.” (Holy Quran 50:38)

“Do they not see that God, who has created the heavens and earth and was never tired by their creation is able to bring the dead back to life? Yes indeed, He is capable of all things.”

(Holy Quran 46:33)

“It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then rose over the Throne.”

(Holy Quran 57:4)

The Holy Quran has asserted that God Almighty is absolutely Omnipotent (All-Powerful).

“Verily, God holds the heavens and the earth so that they do not cease to exist, and if they ceased to exist, no one could hold them after Him. He is the Most Forbearing and Most Forgiving.”

(Holy Quran 35:41)

(Holy Quran 39:67)

Does God Sleep?

Judaism & Christianity

Given that Genesis 2:3 and Exodus 31:17 imply that the biblical God needs resting, then one can easily argue that a deity who needs to rest also needs to sleep. This notion has been inferred from several biblical verses such as Jeremiah 31:26, Psalms 7:6, 31:26, and 44:23. Although some Bible commentators suggest that Jeremiah 31:26 refers to the prophet Jeremiah, others like Rosenmller, Umbreit, and Neumann hold that it refers to God. However, they all agree that verses like Psalms 7:6, 31:26, & 44:23 are attributed to God.

Thereupon, I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.

(Jeremiah 31:26)

Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep? (Psalms 44:23)

Awake, my God, decree justice. (Psalms 7:6)

Wake up and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!

(Psalms 35:23)

In Psalm 78:65, the notion is even more explicit, leaving no room for doubt that according to the Bible, God actually sleeps.

“Then the LORD awoke as one out of sleep, as a man wakes from the stupor of wine.”

(Psalm 78:65)

While the notion insinuated from these verses contradicts another biblical verse that clearly states that God does not sleep, urging apologists to claim these biblical verses are merely metaphorical, the anthropomorphization of God in the Bible leaves no room for doubt. A God who assumes human form, eats and drinks, gets tired, inevitably sleeps.

“Indeed, He who watches over Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep”

(Psalms 121:4)

Islam

According to Islam, God does not sleep. Can you imagine a God who sleeps? Who would watch over the creation while God is asleep? How could He sleep when everything that exists depend on Him.

“Allah! No God but He, the Ever Living, the One who sustains and protects all that exists, neither slumber, nor sleep overtakes Him.” (Holy Quran 2:255)

The Prophet Mohammad ﷺ said, “God does not sleep and it does not befit Him to sleep.”

(Sahih Muslim, 179)

Does God Share Common Characteristics with Animals?

Judaism & Christianity

The Bible does not halt at attributing human characteristics to God, it goes further and attributes animal characteristics to Him also. The Creator of the heavens and the earth is described as a roaring lion, howling Jackal, a moaning owl, and a wailing dragon with fire coming out of His nostrils. He is described as a vicious beast when He is angry, devouring His enemies like angry bears, hungry lions, and wild animals. He is also described as a moth and a rotten fungus.

The Biblical God Roars Like a Lion

"They will follow the Lord; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west." (Hosea 11:10)

"The Lord will roar from on high; He will thunder from His holy dwelling and roar mightily against His land." (Jeremiah 25:30)

Is this how the Creator of the universe describes Himself? Some may claim this description as a symbol of power, but the Bible itself frowns upon such description when it describes the greedy oppressive officials as roaring hungry lions and evening wolves who devour everything (Zephaniah 3:1–3). There is no doubt that such description is an insult to God.

The Biblical God Howls Like a Jackal

"I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl." (Micah 1:8)

Both jackals and owls are known for their creepy howl and moans. Are these the sounds of the Almighty? Are we to infer that God makes creepy sounds?

The Biblical God Moans Like an Owl?

Again, God is depicted as a wailing dragon and a moaning night bird (owl).

"I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl." (Micah 1:8)

"I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls."

(Micah 1:8, KJV)

The Biblical God Acts Like an Angry Bear, a Raging Lion, and a Wild Animal?

"I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: like a wild animal shall I tear them apart." (Hosea 13:7–8)

The Bible shamelessly describes God as a ferocious angry bear, a raging lion, and a wild vicious animal who devours His enemies violently and without mercy. Is this the same Merciful God that we are enjoined to believe in by the divine scripture?

The Biblical God is Like a Dragon with Smoke Coming Out of His Nostrils

The Bible also describes God as a wailing dragon with smoke coming out of his nostrils and fire coming out of his mouth.

"I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls." (Micah 1:8, KJV)

"The earth trembled and quaked, because He was angry. Smoke rose from His nostrils; consuming fire came from His mouth; burning coals blazed out of it."

(2 Samuel 22:8–9)

The Biblical God Is Like a Moth and a Rotten Fungus?

"Therefore, I will be unto Ephraim as a moth, and like rot to the people of Judah."

(Hosea 5:12)

The Bible describes God as a moth that leashes to clothes and eats away the fabric, and like rot, a fungus, that brings decay to everything while it consumes it. Are we to believe that God described Himself as such?

I think we would all agree that these absurd descriptions do not do God any justice. To ascribe such characteristics to God is to degrade and insult Him, not glorify Him. These descriptions do not befit God’s majestic and sublime attributes. A God who resembles the characteristics of animals and is described as a dragon with smoke coming out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth is a mythical god and a fantasy character that is imagined in fiction books. Even if we assume that all these descriptions are metaphorical, which is what many apologists claim, they still depict God in a manner that is beneath His majesty. A metaphor is meant to illuminate, not degrade. To compare the Creator of the heavens and the earth to a lion, a bear, a jackal, a moth, or a rotting fungus is not to reveal His glory. If a human being were described in such terms, it would be taken as an insult. How then can it be acceptable when applied to God?

Islam

Islam glorifies God beyond all comparison. The Holy Quran attributes to God only the utmost sublime qualities and beautiful descriptions. It also affirms that He does not resemble His creation in any way. He does not possess any human or animal characteristics, and nothing from among His creation is comparable to Him.

"There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing." (Holy Quran 42:11)

"And there is none co-equal or comparable to Him." (Holy Quran 112:4)

"And to Allah belongs the highest and sublime descriptions."

(Holy Quran 16:60)

"His is the highest and most exalted description in the heavens and the earth; and He is the Mighty, the Wise." (Holy Quran 30:27)

"They did not estimate God with an estimation that befits Him." (Holy Quran 6:91)

"Glorified is Allah above all that they attribute to Him!" (Holy Quran 23:91)

"Glorified is Allah, the Lord of the Throne, high is He above what they attribute to Him!"

(Holy Quran 21:22)

"Far is He from what they ascribe to Him." (Holy Quran 6:100)

"Glorified is Allah! He is free from what they attribute to Him!" (Holy Quran 37:159)

"Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, so worship Him and be constant and patient in His worship. Do you know of any who is similar to Him?"

(Holy Quran 19:65)

"And to Allah belongs all the most beautiful names (resembling sublime attributes), so call upon Him by them." (Holy Quran 7:180)

As evident from these Quranic verses, Islam ascribes to God only the utmost sublime attributes and descriptions. The Quran safeguards the truth about the holy essence of God and His divine qualities and attributes, and rejects any false teachings that misrepresent Him.

CHAPTER FOUR: IS GOD OMNISCIENT OR NESCIENT?

Judaism & Christianity

The Biblical God Is Unwise and Regretful

The Bible portrays God as an unwise and regretful deity who makes unwise decisions then regrets making them. In Genesis 6, the Bible claims that after God created humans, they became wicked, so when the Lord saw how great their wickedness on earth, God became grieved and regretted creating humans, and decided to wipe out the entire human race.

“The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race that I have created, and with them the animals, the birds, and the creatures that move along the ground for I regret that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:67)

Such false and shameful depiction of God is repeated throughout the Bible. In 1 Samuel 15, the biblical God regrets making Saul king over Israel after Saul disobeyed God’s commands during battle.

“I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” (1 Samuel 15:11 & 35)

Note: God’s instructions were, “Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them, do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys” (1 Samuel 15:3). But Saul did not obey God’s instructions, he did not destroy everything, he spared Agag the king of the Amalekites and spared the best of sheep and cattle, so God regretted making Saul king.

In 1 Chronicles 21, the biblical God made another unwise decision which He regretted afterwards. After David instructed Joab to take a census of Israel (after being incited by Satan), God got mad for some reason and decided to send a plague to Israel which killed seventy thousand (70,000) men, and then He instructed one of His angels to destroy Jerusalem. After seeing the devastation, the biblical God felt grieved and instructed the angel to stop, and He regretted His decision.

However, when the angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord regretted the terrible calamity that He had approved...”

(1 Chronicles 21:14-15; 2 Samuel 24:16)

In 2 Samuel 24:16, the same story was told, but it gets more confusing because it says that God was the one who incited David to take the census and not Satan as mentioned in 1 Chronicles, which makes no sense, because if God was the one who incited David to take the census, then why would He get mad from David? The contradiction between 1 Chronicles and 2 Samuel has always been an embarrassment to Jews and Christians. This is but one example of the thousands of contradictions in the Bible that proves that the Bible is not from God, for God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).

This pattern of presenting God as a regretful, remorseful, and repentant deity, after having a change of mind, is consistent in the Bible. In addition to such humiliation, God’s decisions and actions are not only described as unwise and uncalculated, yet as being “Evil” as well, which we will refute in another section.

“So the Lord repented of the evil which He said He would do to His people.”

(Exodus 32:14)

“For their sake he remembered his covenant, and because of his great love He relented.”

(Psalms 106:45)

“The Lord repented concerning this. “It shall not be,” said the Lord.”

(Amos 7:3)

“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.” (Jonah 3:10)

Surprisingly, the Bible contradicts itself by claiming that God changes His mind, for the Bible itself professed that He does not change His mind, “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

The Biblical God Is Not Omniscient

To portray God as an unwise, regretful, and remorseful deity who takes unwise and uncalculated decisions or actions then regrets them later on is to contradict the omniscient nature of God. It simply strips God from being All-Knowing, All-Wise & All-Seeing, and this is exactly what the Bible did. This notion has been inferred from various narratives throughout the Bible.

The Biblical God Cannot Foresee the Future: He Has No Prior Knowledge of Mankind’s Actions

As established in the previous sub-section, in Genesis 6:5-7, when God saw the wickedness of human beings on Earth, He regretted creating humans. This clearly suggests that God did not have foreknowledge of the evil and the wickedness that humans would commit on Earth. The same notion was inferred from various biblical narratives. For example, in 1 Samuel 15:11 & 35, the biblical God regretted making Saul king over Israel. It suggests that God had no prior knowledge that Saul will disobey his commands, and that He made an unwise decision for choosing him to be king.

The Biblical God Does Not Know the Whereabouts of People

In Genesis 3:8-9, when Adam and Eve hid from God in the Garden of Eden, after they ate from the forbidden tree, God looked for them but did not know where they were, so He called upon them saying “where are you?” This is when they revealed themselves to God and explained themselves. Can you believe that? The All-knowing God does not know the whereabouts of Adam and Eve?!

In Job 1:7 and 2:2, the biblical God did not know where Satan had been, so He inquired, “Where have you come from.?”

The Biblical God Cannot Recognize and Identity His Own People

In Exodus 12:1-13, the Bible narrates the story of the Passover and how the Lord commanded the people of Israel who lived in Egypt to take some blood from the slaughtered lamb and splash it on their house doors so that when God passes over through the land to strike down every firstborn child from Egypt, He could see the blood as a sign that the house belongs to Israelites, then He wouldn’t strike it. That is why the festival is called the Passover, because the Lord will pass over the houses that belong to the Israelites without striking it because they left a sign at the door for the Lord to recognize them. So the question is: does God need a sign to differentiate between the Egyptians and the Israelites?

In Numbers 22:9, the same lack of knowledge was attributed to God. The biblical God did not know the identity of the people who were with Balaam.

The Biblical God Cannot See from Afar: His Knowledge and Sight Do Not Encompass His Creation

In Genesis 11:5, when humans decided to build a city for themselves and a tower that reaches the heaven, the Lord had to come down to see the city and the tower of Babel that the people were building. In other words, the biblical God was unable to see the city and the tower from above the seventh heaven, and this is why He had to go down to see for Himself the city and the tower, which He seemed to be displeased with because he did not want mankind to build cities and prosper. The story will be examined in another section.

Again, in Genesis 18:20-21, when the biblical God reached him the grievous wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah, He had to go down and see for Himself if their wickedness and their sins was as grievous as He was informed by His angels. The Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” Did God have to go down to see what had happened and decide if the outcry that has reached Him was correct? Can’t He see from above the seventh heaven? Are we to believe that God’s knowledge and sight cannot encompass His creation?

The Biblical God Can Be Fooled by Human Deceit

One particular biblical story, which has been the source of embarrassment for centuries, is found in Genesis 27. The story suggests that the biblical God, who is supposed to be Omniscient, was fooled into blessing Jacob, the second born son of Isaac, instead of blessing Esau, the first-born son of Isaac, through an act of human deceit. The deceit was perpetrated by Jacob’s mother and acted by Jacob, who is supposed to be an honorable and trustworthy prophet of God. In Genesis 27, the old and blind patriarch Isaac requested from his first-born son Esau to go hunting and then cook for him a meal so that he would grant him the blessing of the firstborn son before he dies, which seems to be a one-time irreversible and irrevocable blessing that a prophet of God (Isaac) bestows upon his firstborn son, as means of favouritism. Upon hearing this, Rebekah, the mother of Jacob, incited Jacob to pretend to be Esau and offer his father a meal of his liking, which she cooked herself, so that Jacob would receive his father’s blessing instead of Esau. Jacob disguised himself in hairy goat skins to mimic his hairy brother Esau, and he wore some of his brother’s clothes so that his brother’s smell would be familiar to his father. Relying solely on the fallible human senses of his touch and smell, Isaac was fooled by his son into believing that it was Esau who offered him the meal, thus bestowing his irreversible and irrevocable blessing upon him. This is how Jacob, through an act of deceit, stole the “birthright” or the “firstborn-right” blessing, referred to in Hebrew as “Bekorah,” from his brother Esau. What is more baffling is not the fact that a blind man, Isaac, was deceived by his son, it was the notion that God was deceived as well, for how could a the Bekorah blessing be bestowed upon Jacob instead of Esau when the blessing is granted from God? This strongly suggests that the biblical God was fooled by the deceitful act as well, and this undoubtedly shows that the biblical God’s knowledge and wisdom are not absolute, or that He is unjust for allowing his blessing to be bestowed upon an imposter instead of directing it to Esau, the one the blessing was intended for. A truly omniscient God who is All-Knowing and All-Wise would recognize such deception, and an All-Just God would never approve such a blessing to be bestowed upon Jacob, for it was founded on fraud.

After examining these forever skeptical narratives of the Bible, it seems that nescience is one of the fundamental qualities of the biblical God. The bible insists on attributing human-like limitation to God’s knowledge and wisdom. The irrefutable conclusion is that the Bible did not come from God, and that the corrupt authors of this flawed book cannot seem to draw the line between what divine qualities and human qualities. They have done a good job insulting God by attributing to Him flawed human-like attributes and qualities

The Bible Attributes Foolishness (Ignorance) to God

Not only does the Bible depict God as a nescient and unwise deity, it shamelessly attributes foolishness to Him. The word foolishness in this verse is synonymous with the word ignorance when examined in context.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom. (1 Corinthians 1:25)

Islam

God Is Omniscient (All-Knowing & All-Wise)

According to Islam, God is Omniscient. He is All Knowing, All Wise, All Seeing, All Hearing, and All-Aware.

“Surely, God is All Knowing and All Wise” (Holy Quran 4:111)

“And He reigns supremely and dominantly over His Creation. He is All Wise and All Aware.”

(Holy Quran 6:18)

“There is nothing like Him, for He is All Hearing, All Seeing.” (Holy Quran 42:11)

“Indeed, Allah is Your only God, no God but He, His knowledge encompasses all things.”

(Holy Quran 20:98)

God’s knowledge and wisdom are absolute and infinite, and this means that He is completely knowledgeable and aware of everything that happens in the universe, no matter how tiny or seemingly hidden. To claim that there is something in the heavens or the earth that He is unaware of, does not have full knowledge of, or unable to see or hear, as reported by several biblical accounts is absurd and a clear underestimation of God’s Omniscience (absolute and infinite knowledge and wisdom).

“He knows all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth.” (Holy Quran 3:29)

“And with Him are the keys of the unknown, none knows them but He. And He knows

whatever there is on land or at sea, and not a leaf falls without Him knowing of it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything that is wet or dry (green or withered), that is not written in the Book (of decrees).” (Holy Quran 6:59)

“He knows what goes into the earth and what comes out of it, what descends from the heaven and what ascends to it. And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wherever you may be. And God is the All-Seeing of what you do.” (Holy Quran 57:4)

“Do you not know that God knows all that is in heaven and on earth? Verily, it is (all recorded) in the Book (of decrees). Verily, this is easy for God.”

(Holy Quran 22:70)

“Truly, nothing is hidden from God in the earth or in the heavens.” (Holy Quran 3:5)

“Do they not know that Allah (God) knows what they conceal and what they reveal?”

(Holy Quran 2:77)

“And He is (the only) God (who is worshipped) in the heavens and on earth, He knows what you conceal and what you reveal, and He knows what you do (good or bad).”

(Holy Quran 6:3)

“And know that God knows what is on your minds” (Holy Quran 2:235)

“God knows the deception of the eyes, and all that the hearts conceal.” (Holy Quran 40:19)

“They may hide from men, but they cannot hide from God, for He is with them (with His Knowledge) whenever they plot by night, saying thigs that He does not approve of. And God is All-Aware of what they do” (Holy Quran 4:108)

Abdullah Ibn Masoud, one of the companions of the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ said, “Between the earth and the first sky there is a distance of 500 years of travel, and between each sky there is a distance of 500 years of travel (there are seven skies above us), and between the seventh sky and the Chair (God’s footstool) the same distance, and between the Chair and the water the same distance, and the Holy Thrown is on top of the water and God is on His Thrown, and He is aware of all of our actions” (al-Tabary, authenticate by Ibn al-Qayyim and al-Zahaby).

After such absolute and infinite knowledge and wisdom, it would be blasphemous to claim that God Almighty makes unwise decisions then regrets them afterwards. Every decision or action that God Almighty takes is based on His perfect knowledge and flawless wisdom. Therefore, there is no room for mistakes or regrets. To claim that God made unwise decrees that He had to annul out of regret because He did not consider the consequences, or that He was not fully aware of what will happen in the future, is to deny God’s omniscience.

To provide an example of the difference between God’s wisdom in the Bible and God’s wisdom in the Quran, let’s examine the story of the creation of mankind according to both narratives. According to the Bible, the creation of mankind was nothing but a big mistake and an unwise decision that God made, and that is why He felt grieved and regretted creating mankind after He had witnessed the wickedness and evil that humans have committed on earth. This only shows that the biblical God had no prior knowledge of the wickedness and the evil that human beings were about to commit on earth, therefore proves that the biblical God is not omniscient.

“The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:67)

According to Islam however, when God created mankind, He knew that humans are imperfect, vulnerable, and easily tempted, and that they will commit evil and do wicked things on earth, for such are the defective qualities of human beings. God had absolute foreknowledge of their wickedness and transgression before their creation. Let’s see what the Quran says about the creation of mankind.

“And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am going to place a successor (mankind) on earth.’ They said, ‘Will You place therein someone who will corrupt and shed blood, while we glorify You with praises and sanctify You.’ He (God) said. ‘I know what you do not know.’”

(Holy Quran 2:30)

This verse clearly shows that even the angels knew that mankind will do wicked things on earth, yet God told them “I Know what you do not know”. In other words; there is wisdom behind the creation of mankind that you cannot encompass. In a Hadith that was narrated by Abu Huraira (one of the prophet’s companions), the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ said, “There was an argument between Adam and Moses. Moses said to Adam, ‘You are our father. You did us harm and caused us to be kicked out of Paradise.’ Adam replied, ‘You are Moses. God chose you and wrote the Torah for you with His own Hands, yet despite this, you blame me for something which God had ordained for me forty years before He created me.’ Then Prophet Mohammad ﷺ said, ‘This is how Adam defeated Moses in the debate (the prophet repeated the last phrase twice)” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2652a & Bukhari, Hadith 7515). So according to Islam, the creation of mankind and their actions are preordained (known to God), and everything was part of the grand masterplan, yet according to Judaism and Christianity, it is not.

According to Islam, God’s entire creation was preordained. Everything was created according to precise and perfect measures, and for a preordained purpose. Nothing was created in vain or without a purpose.

Prophet Mohammad ﷺ also said, “God has ordained the measures of the creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, as His Throne was upon water.”

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2653b)

“Verily, We have created all things according to Qadar (divine preordainment)”

(Holy Quran 54:49)

“And (He) has created all things and ordained it perfectly (according to His Wisdom).”

(Holy Quran 25:2)

God Almighty informed us in the Holy Quran that He has flawlessly perfected his creation and that he will provide us with the scientific proofs and signs that would act as clear evidence that God is the Perfect Creator, and that the Holy Quran is His divine revelation, and that Mohammad ﷺ is his true prophet, and that Islam is His true religion.

“We will show them our proofs in the horizons, and within themselves, until they realize that this is the truth. Is your Lord not sufficient as a witness of all things?”

(Holy Quran 41:53)

“And We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them except with Al-Haq (truth, knowledge, wisdom, perfection, and purpose)”

(Holy Quran 15:85)

“And We did not create the heaven and the earth and all that is between them in vain.”

(Holy Quran 38:27)

God’s wisdom is remarkably manifested throughout His immaculate creation. The miraculously designed, orderly governed, and perfectly sustained universe is evidence of God’s Supreme Intelligence, Knowledge, and Wisdom.

“It is He who created seven layers of heaven. You will never see any imperfection in the creation of the Most Merciful. Keep looking; do you see any flaws?”

(Holy Quran 67:3)

“It is He who made the sun a radiance and the moon a light, and ordained its phases so that you may know the number of years and the reckoning (calculation of time). God did not create all this except with the Truth. He (reveals and) expound the signs for the people of knowledge (so that they may witness the greatness of God through His miraculous and magnificent creation). Surely, in the alternation of night and day, and what God created in the heavens and the earth, there are proofs for people who are God-fearing.”

(Holy Quran 10:5-6)

“And the earth We stretched, and We placed on it stabilizers (mountains), and We grew (produced) on it everything in a well-balanced matter. We made therein sustenance for you,

and for other creatures you do not provide for. And there is nothing that we do not own the reserves (infinite amounts) to, but we send it down in precise proportions. And we send the winds as pollinators, and cause water to come down from the sky for you to drink, and it is not you who hold its reserves. It is we who control life and death, and we are the ultimate inheritors.”

(Holy Quran 15:19-23)

“God is the One who raised the heavens without visible pillars, then risen on His throne. He has subjected the sun and the moon, each orbiting (its course) for an appointed term. He governs the whole affair; He makes the signs clear so that you may be certain that (one day) you will meet your Lord (after you die).” (Holy Quran 13:2)

“God knows what every female bears, and by how much the wombs fall short or exceed. And with Him, everything is precisely (ordained and) measured. (He is) the Knower of the

unseen and seen, the Most Great and the Most High. It is all the same (to Him) whether any of you conceals his thought or speaks it openly, and whether he hides himself in the

darkness of the night or makes himself visible in broad day light (it is all known to God).”

(Holy Quran, Thunder, 13:8-10)

The absurd premise that the Omniscient God could be fooled is abhorrently rejected and categorically refuted by Islam. Not only is it illogical and contradicting to God’s Omniscient nature, it is blasphemous. As established in the previous section, God is All Knowing, All Seeing, All Hearing, and All Aware; hence, it is an impossibility for God to be fooled or deceived, and this is what the Holy Quran has confirmed as well in several verses.

“And He has perfect knowledge of all things.” (Holy Quran 2:29)

“Truly, nothing is hidden from God in the earth or in the heavens.” (Holy Quran 3:5)

“He knows what you conceal and what you reveal, and He knows what you do (good or bad).”

(Holy Quran 6:3)

“They (think they could) deceive God and those who believe, while they only deceive themselves, and perceive (it) not!” (Holy Quran 2:9)

“And God is All-Knowing of what is in the hearts.” (Holy Quran 64:4)

“And know that God knows what is on your minds.” (Holy Quran 2:235)

“God knows the deception of the eyes, and all that the hearts conceal.” (Holy Quran 40:19)

“And God is All-Aware of what they do” (Holy Quran 4:108)

CHAPTER FIVE: IS GOD OMNIPOTENT OR IMPOTENT?

Judaism & Christianity

The Biblical God Is Not Omnipotent

The Bible portrays God as an anthropomorphic God with defective human qualities. It continues to ascribe weakness and inability to God Almighty, the same way such flawed qualities are attributed to imperfect human beings. In Genesis 32:24-30, the Bible claims that the Lord appeared to Jacob in human form and wrestled with him and was defeated by Jacob, can you imagine that!!! Who in his right mind would believe that God descended from above the seventh heaven in human form to wrestle with Jacob and be defeated by him? Are we to believe that the All-Powerful and All-Mighty God was defeated by one of His creation? Are we to believe that the biblical God is not Omnipotent.

In Judges 1:19, the Bible narrates a story of how God fought alongside the men of Judah yet He was unable to defeat Judah’s enemies and was unable to take possession of the hill country or drive the people from the plains because they had iron chariots.

“The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots.”

(Judges 1:19)

Would you worship an impotent God who is characterized with weakness and inability and is associated with flawed and defective human qualities?

The Biblical God Is Characterized with Weakness

According to the Bible, God is characterised with weakness. The bible explicitly and shamelessly attributes weakness to God Almighty.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (1 Corinthians 1:25)

The Biblical God Experiences Sorrow, Grief, and Despair

According to the Bible, God experiences profound sorrow and grief, suffering the same feeble symptoms of despair as if He were a vulnerable human being.

“The Lord regretted making human beings on the earth, and he was deeply grieved in His heart. (Other Bible versions use the word: heartbroken)” (Genesis 6:6)

“How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!”

(Psalms 78:40)

“Forty years long was I grieved with that generation.” (Psalms 95:10)

“But they rebelled, and made God’s holy spirit terribly sad” (Isaiah 63:10)

The Bible does not only attribute Grief and sorrow to God, it also portrays God as a weak, helpless, and despairing God who can’t handle his grief or rise above his sorrow.

“My sorrow has overwhelmed me, I am sick at heart.” (Jeremiah 8:18)

“Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous; but truly this is my suffering, and I must bear it. My tabernacle (tent) is destroyed, and all my cords are broken, My children are gone forth of me, and they are not. There is none to stretch forth my tent anymore and set up my curtains”

(Jeremiah 10:19-20)

“Because my people are crushed, I am crushed; darkness and despair overwhelm me.”

(Jeremiah 8:21 – CEB)

“My people are hurt, so I am hurt. I am too sad to speak.” (Jeremiah 8:21 – ERV)

“My heart has been crushed because my people are crushed; I mourn; I am completely dismayed.” (Jeremiah 8:21 – GNT)

“I am hurt because my people are hurt. I am filled with sorrow, and fear has taken hold of me.” (Jeremiah 8:21 – NLV)

“How I have been broken over their whoring hearts that left me, and over their eyes that went whoring after their idols!” (Ezekiel 6:9)

The Biblical God Cries and Weeps

The Bible even attributes crying and weeping to God.

I am very upset because my dear people have so much pain. I weep and I cry, as if a friend had died.” (Jeremiah 8:21 – EASY)

I will cry and weep for the mountains.” (Jeremiah 9:10)

I will weep secretly over your arrogance. I will cry bitterly, and my eyes will flow with tears.” (Jeremiah 13:17)

“I have been silent for so long, and I have restrained myself, but now I will cry out, gasp, and pant like a woman in childbirth.” (Isaiah 42:14)

It is of no surprise that the same Bible that attributed frailty and imperfection has ridiculed God for being mocked by fools and for not being able to defend himself from their mockery. Is the mighty powerful God characterized with such pathetic weakness? Is this a proper and respectful way to speak or pray to God?

“Rise up, O God and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long”

(Psalm 74:22)

Islam

God Is Omnipotent (All-Powerful)

According to Islam, God is Omnipotent. He is All Powerful, All Mighty, and All Capable. There is nothing that He is incapable of. To attribute any form of weakness or inability to God is to deprive God Almighty of His omnipotent nature.

“God is capable of All things.” (Holy Quran 2:20)

“God has power over all things.” (Holy Quran 3:189)

“They have not revered God in a way befitting to His Majesty. God is indeed All Strong, Mighty Powerful” (Holy Quran 22:74)

“And there is nothing in the heavens and the earth that could weaken (or overpower or inhibit) God (from being All-Capable), He is the Omniscient and the Omnipotent.”

(Holy Quran 35:44)

“Indeed, God is the Provider, the One who has Absolute Strength the All Mighty.”

(Holy Quran 51:58)

“For He is the All-Knowing, the Most Capable.” (Holy Quran 30:54)

As elaborated earlier, it is not befitting to attribute grief or sadness to God. Grief is a state of weakness that overpowers human beings in times of sorrow, and God Almighty is free from such infliction upon frail humans. Grief contradicts God’s Omnipotence and perfectly capable and powerful divine nature.

“And there is nothing in the heavens and the earth that could weaken (or overpower or inhibit) God (from being All-Capable), He is the Omniscient and the Omnipotent.”

(Holy Quran 35:44)

It is important to understand that weakness in all its forms, including sorrow and anguish, is created by God. It is He who inflicts such weakness upon human beings, and it is He who has created humans prone to a variety of weak and defective qualities, and God is free from any weakness that He has created and inflicted upon humans.

“It is God who created you in a state of weakness, then developed (your) weakness into strength, then developed (your) strength into weakness and old age. He creates whatever He wills. For He is the All-Knowing, the Most Capable.” (Holy Quran 30:54)

“And verily it is He who causes (humans) to laugh or weep.” (Holy Quran 53:43)

To portray the Supreme and Mighty God as a weak, helpless, and weeping God who cannot handle His grief, rise above His sorrow, or resist falling into despair, is a grievous insult to Him, and a clear contradiction to His omnipotent and perfect nature.

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