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CONGRUITIES AND INCONGRUITIES BETWEEN THE BIBLE AND THE QUR'AN |
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Jesus was sent to carry out two main missions according to the New Testament. While the Gospel according to John and Paul the Apostle elevated Jesus Christ to the rank of God, the synoptic gospels give in detail the mission of Jesus the Prophet. The Qur'an opts for the second alternative.
According to Apostles St. Paul and St. John
Paul, in his letters, preached a doctrine which is nowhere to be found in the other gospels. According to him, Jesus had come as a savior to deliver mankind from the original sin. His blood was the price for atonement. This belief has been one of the mainstays of Christianity. Adam, the first man and prophet had eaten of the forbidden fruit and disobeyed God's commandment; this insubordination, this hereditary sin or defect held in Christian theology and transmitted from one generation to the next was inherited by each person as a consequence of the original sinful choice made by the first man of the human race. « Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. » (Romans 5-12)
Because he loved humanity, God conceived a way to enable men to expiate their sin. He was to send his Son to the world who would sacrifice himself; and his immolation would be the price for the delivery of humanity from their original sin. « For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.» (Romans 8-3) Only those who would follow the path of Christ would henceforth be freed from their sins and deserve the everlasting life. « But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.» (Romans 6-22)
In the Gospel according to St.John, the raison d'ętre of Jesus is described as humanity's endowment with everlasting life. … I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10/10) The believers in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, will thus be crowned with everlasting life. …. I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live and everyone who lives and believes in me “shall never die… (John 25/26).
The letters of Paul and the Gospel according to St.John declare that God sent his own Son to deliver men from sin and death.
According to the synoptic gospels
According to the synoptic gospels, Christ came to confirm the Old Testament, to abolish the laws legislated by humans, to rescue society from irreligiosity and iniquities in which it had fallen and to re-institute God's law in its intact form. He would be the last prophet to be sent to the Israelites.
He had come to fulfill the law and not to abolish it. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matthew 5/17)
Do not let your tradition cover up God's Commandment. Persons belonging to religious orders had interspersed the Old Testament with their customs and traditions they had inherited from their ancestors suiting their own ends. God Almighty had entrusted Jesus with the task to cleanse this corruption. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. (Mark 7/8, 9, 13).
Commandments preserved. Jesus Christ had passed the first commandment in the Old Testament on to the Gospel. And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (Mark 12/28, 29, 30)
We encounter the same commandment in the Old Testament: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6/4, 5)
Commandments upheld. The Ten Commandments in the Old Testament have largely been re-enacted without modification in the New Testament. And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (Matthew 19/16-19)
The Ten Commandments in the Old Testament are as follows: And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery.Thou shalt not steal. 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's. (Exodus 20/1-17)
Attenuated Commandments. Lex Talionis, the law of retaliation, in the Old Testament is made milder in the New Testament. But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. (Luke 6/27-31); Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. (Matthew 5/38-40)
The lex talionis in the Old Testament was as follows: And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. (Exodus 21/23-25).
The law of retaliation suited the conditions prevalent at the time. This draconian law was attenuated in the Qur'an as follows: We ordained therein for them: "Life for life, eye for eye, nose or nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal." But if any one remits the retaliation by way of charity, it is an act of atonement for himself. And if any fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (No better than) wrong-doers. (Surah 5/45) The mission of Jesus Christ according to the Qur'an draws a parallel to the definitions expressed in the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark and Luke. Jesus Christ had come to confirm the Old Testament and to bring in it certain changes, having in the meantime worked certain miracles. "'(I have come to you), to attest the Law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was (Before) forbidden to you; I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord. So fear Allah, and obey me. "'It is Allah Who is my Lord and your Lord; then worship Him. This is a Way that is straight.'" ( Surah 3/50-51) God sent the Gospel to Jesus. …We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah. (Maida 5/46).
THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST