Muhammed was a False Prophet
This fact needs to be stated, and it needs to be said with a deep love for Muslim people and from a longing for them to be reconciled to the One True God who is misrepresented in the Quran.
Words are powerful. It was by the power of His spoken word that God created the world, “Let there be!… And there was.” I believe that one of the powerful forces that keeps Muslims in bondage is simply the oft repeated declaration of phrases such as, “Muhammed is the prophet of God.” Almost always, if people are continually showered with one message with no contending voices, they will conform to what they hear.
At the baptism of Jesus, God spoke from heaven and declared, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22). Moreover, He was “declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom 1:4). God having given such a powerful testimony, mankind became responsible for their response:
We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. - I John 5:9-12
But Muhammed attempts to overturn God’s own testimony, making God out to be a liar. Since words are powerful, I can’t even bear to include the following destructive quotes from the Quran without some serious editing. The parts that are cross off are the Quranic text.
The Christians call Christ the son of Allah[”He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” - I John 5:12]. That is a saying from their mouth;[”This is my beloved Son” is the statement of God’s own mouth (Matt 3:17)](in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say[The truth of the Trinity is not polytheism. Jesus, the Bible, Christianity, and Christians all deny polytheism and affirm that there is only One God. Blasphemous pagan mythologies about gods having sons and daughters are Satan’s attempt to counterfeit the truth]. Allah’s curse be on them[”Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.” - Proverbs 26:2]: how they are deluded away from the Truth![”I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.” - Jesus, in John 14:6]- Quran, Al-Tawba 9:30, Yusuf Ali Translation
Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah[”In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.” - Hebrews 1:1-4], and His Word[Yes, Jesus is the Word of God. That’s precisely why He is much more than just a messenger. Prophets speak some of God’s words, Jesus IS God’s Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” - John 1:1-3], which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not “Trinity” : desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs - Quran, Al-Nisa 4:171, Yusuf Ali Translation
The falseness of Muhammed is not the ultimate message. It is not the gospel. The gospel is that Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised according to the Scriptures. But sadly those are the very precious truths that Muhammed denies. So for a Muslim to turn and embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they must at some point come to terms with the fact that Muhammed’s message came from Satan, the father of lies.
Muslims have no hesitation about “confidently” denying the divine Sonship of Christ. Part of our engagement with Islam requires affirming the true identity of our Lord. But additionally, if Muslims continuously affirm the prophethood of Muhammed (saying the creed is one of the five pillars of Islam) and no one says anything to the contrary, will they not think to themselves, “Here we are, declaring publicly Muhammed is a prophet of God, and no one is saying a word against it. Have not the Christians and others concluded that it is true?” (Compare John 7:26)
We don’t want to insult Islam because of any sinful anger or bitterness in ourselves. We don’t want to “get even” for the truths that have been denied about Jesus. But we do need to find a way to humbly, boldly, lovingly, compassionately say, “No, Muhammed is not a prophet of God. He was deceived, and he became a deceiver.”
May the Word of God make his light shine in the hearts of our brothers and sisters who are yet to come from the Muslim world, to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” - Jesus, in John 3:16-22
March 26th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Great article buddy! I made some copies to give to some of my missionary friends here.
I used a similar argument from Mt 3:17 when talking to the Malay Bible translation guys here about the importance of retaining the phrase Son of God where it is used; that God himself called Jesus His Son. Their response was that it was “a voice” from heaven and it doesn’t say it was God.
I love the clear and simple way you put things brother! I don’t know if it would work with them though. As I tried to show them from scripture that the voice could be none other than God’s, just before they concede they jumped over to “… well the Malay word Putra could mean son.” As we then talked about the Malay language, listen to experts who say that is in no way the case, just before they conceded they changed the subject to “even if it doesn’t mean son, the miracles show he is the son.” While trying to counter that, they switch the focus to how offensive calling Jesus the Son of God is. Round and round we’d go …
I copied your article for them to read. I don’t think it will convince them :) but it was very helpful to me … a clear, encouraging voice telling me what I already know, but struggle with doubting as more and more missionaries and theologians give in to the lie. Thanks for making a clear statement!
March 27th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Ricky,
Thanks for the encouraging note. But really, consider a statement like this one in my article:
“If people are continually showered with one message with no consenting voices they will conform to what they hear.”
Where did I get that from? Straight from the mouth of RR! Glad to be able to encourage you by volleying your wisdom back at you, bro.
Words are powerful, aren’t they Rick? So let me encourage you by speaking forth some more reminders of things you already know:
There is nobody like Jesus.
God is in control. He is as soveriegn over religious and political leaders as a puppetmaster over his puppets.
God is even in control over the mess that missionaries are making in His name.
Jesus IS the Son of God, it is an honorable title, and God is well pleased to declare it and send His true messengers to declare it.
There is no Biblical justification to expect the gospel to powerfully advance in Malaysia apart from threats, intimidations, imprisionments, floggings, and multitude other such “sufferings”. But the eternal weight of glory FAR outweighs them all.