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KERBY ANDERSON is the President of Probe Ministries. He is the host of “Point of View” radio talk show. He is the author of fifteen books. B.S., Oregon State University (Zoology), M.F.S., Yale University (Science), M.A., Georgetown University (Government), Kennedy Institute of Bioethics (Washington, D.C)
Islam involves both doctrine (beliefs) and duties (practice). Muslims are to believe and act according to the revelation given to Muhammad and written down in the Qur’an. They are to do this as an act of submission to the will of Allah. After all, the word Islam means “submission” and the word Muslim describes someone who submits.
The basic theology of Islam, therefore, can be found primarily within the Qur’an because it is the foundational religious text of Islam. Islam teaches that the Qur’an contains the words of Allah, and the “mother of the book” is actually in heaven with Allah (13:39; 43:3-4; 85:21-23). It is composed of the revelations to Muhammad over a twenty-three-year period and was later compiled in the years 646-650 from materials written by Muhammad before his death in 632. Muslims regard it as Allah’s final revelation to mankind.
The Arabic word Qur’an is the noun form of the Arabic verb qara’a, which means “to recite.” When the angel Gabriel appeared, he commanded Muhammad three separate times to “recite.” Sura 12:2 says, “We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an, in order that ye may learn wisdom.” The Qur’an is the collection of those recitations revealed to Muhammad in Arabic. Muslims believe that only the Qur’an in Arabic is the true revelation. Thus, the only way to understand the revelation is in the original Arabic language. For that reason, an English translation of the Qur’an is seen as merely an interpretation and not considered a real Qur’an. They may be helpful for personal use but have no weight in any religious debate or discussion.
The Qur’an consists of 114 chapters (or suras) that include 6,616 verses (ayas). Of these chapters, 86 were written in Mecca and 28 were written in Medina. The Qur’an is about 1/3 the size of the Bible. Unlike the Bible, the Qur’an is not in chronological order. With the exception of the first chapter, the rest of the chapters are ordered with the longest chapters first. As it turns out, the Qur’an is almost in reverse chronological order. That has caused some to suggest that it could be read from back to front in order to understand the progression of the revelation.
Like the Bible, the Qur’an claims to be divine inspiration. Islam teaches that the Qur’an is a word-for-word copy of God’s final revelation supposedly sent down from heaven during the month of Ramadan, during the night of power (Sura 17:85). This was supposedly revealed to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Sura 25:32).
Muslims believe that the Qur’an was divinely revealed in its present state without corruption. Thus, Islam does not allow literary criticism or historical criticism. In essence, the Qur’an is to be read and memorized, but not to be questioned (Sura 5:101).
Muslims show great respect for the Qur’an because they believe it to be the perfect revelation from Allah. For example, they will kiss the book and even touch it to their forehead. And they will also store the Qur’an on the highest shelf in their house.
The transmission of the Qur’an is fairly simple. After Muhammad’s death, Caliph Abu Bakr collected the recitations into one document based on the memorization of Muhammad’s companions. Later (in 652) Caliph Uthman established the authorized version of the Qur’an and burned all the other conflicting versions.
In addition to the Qur’an, there is the Hadith which provides a narration of Muhammad’s life and is important is determining the Sunnah or Muslim way of life. The Hadith is a collection of: (1) what Muhammad said (qawl), (2) what Muhammad did (fi’l), and (3) what Muhammad approved (taqrir). These passages provide guidance in how Muslims are to live and behave. Muhammad is the example every faithful Muslim is to follow.
Qur’an and the Bible
A foundational belief in Islam is that mankind can often be led astray and that humans can be forgetful about God. So, Muhammad taught that God sent various prophets (such as Moses and Jesus) to bring fresh revelation from God.
However, Muhammad also taught that these various revelations had been lost or corrupted. While most Muslims will have respect for the Bible, they will also believe that the Bible has been corrupted in its transmission. Only the Qur’an, they believe, has been perfectly transmitted to us. It is the authentic and authoritative word of Allah.
Both the Bible and the Qur’an claim to be divine revelation. And both books claim to have been accurately preserved through the centuries. But Islam makes a very strong case for that preservation. For example, if you take a tour of an Islamic center, the guide will tell you that the current copy of the Qur’an contains the exact words given by Muhammad to his followers with absolutely no mistakes.
By contrast, Christians do not make quite the same sweeping claim regarding the Bible. While they do affirm that the original manuscripts of the Bible are without error, they do not make the same Muslim claim about the perfect transmission of the Bible. They may believe that the transmission has been extremely accurate, but will not make a claim similar to what many Muslims claim about the Qur’an.
The Bible and the Qur’an disagree with one another on major issues. The two books make contradictory claims about God, Jesus, salvation, and biblical history. Both claims cannot be true. They both could be false, but they cannot both be true because the accounts contradict each other.
Islam solves this dilemma by teaching that the Jews and Christians corrupted the Bible. This is the doctrine of tahrif, which is the Arabic word for corruption. That is their explanation for why the Qur’an and the Bible disagree. They believe that the People of the Book have corrupted the Bible.
There is a problem with this view: the Qur’an says many positive and complimentary things about the Bible. Sura 5:44 says, “It was we who revealed the Law to Moses; therein was guidance and light.” Verse 46 goes on to say, “And in their footsteps, We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that has come before him. We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light.”
The Qur’an (5:68) has this to say about Jews and Christians: “Say, O People of the Book! Ye have not ground to stand upon unless you stand fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord.”
Allah tells Muhammad to consider previous revelation (10:94) to Jews and Christians: “If thou wert in doubt as to what we have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee.” It also says in Sura 29:46, “And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better.”
It is important to note that in the early days of Islam, the Bible was held in higher regard than later in its history. Muhammad taught that his revelation was the culmination of other revelation provided by such prophets as Moses and Jesus. Therefore, he encouraged others to read and learn from these previous revelations. Only later did Muslims begin to teach that these were corrupted.
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Consider the logical problem this creates. On the one hand, the Qur’an calls the Bible, the “word of God” (Sura 6:115). But on the other hand, Muslims argue that the Old and New Testaments have been corrupted and contend that a lost gospel of Jesus has been replaced with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Here is the problem with this perspective. First, the Qur’an calls the Bible the word of God, and acknowledges that it is divine revelation. Second, it also teaches that Jesus was a prophet and that his teaching had authority. Finally, Muhammad told Muslims to go to Christians (who had been reading the Bible) to affirm Muhammad’s message (Sura 10:94).
Therefore, it appears that Muhammad believed that the Bible in existence in the seventh century was accurate. And the Bible we have in our hands today is the same Bible that existed in the seventh century. So if the Bible in the time of Muhammad was accurate, why isn’t today’s copy also accurate? This is the problem with Muslims arguing that the Bible has been corrupted.
By contrast, the Qur’an does suffer from textual omissions and even errors. From the time of the death of Muhammad to the time in which the Qur’an was compiled, some of what Muhammad spoke was lost due to the death of his companions who had memorized specific passages. And later when multiple versions of the Qur’an appeared, there was a great controversy among Muslims. The Caliph Uthman ordered Zaid bin Thabit to collect all the copies in use, create a standard version and destroy the rest.
Contradictions Between the Bible and the Qur’an
The Bible and the Qur’an do contradict each other on many issues. Here are just a few examples:
The Qur’an teaches (Sura 5:116) that Christians worship three gods: the Father, the Mother (Mary) and the Son (Jesus). But the Bible actually teaches that there is one God in three persons (the Trinity).
The Qur’an says (Sura 37:100-111) that Abraham was going to sacrifice Ishmael, while the Bible teaches that Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac.
The Qur’an teaches (Sura 4:157) that Jesus was not crucified. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross.
Many of the statements in the Qur’an are also at odds with historical facts that can be verified through historical accounts.
The Qur’an says (Sura 20:85-97) that the Samaritans tricked the Israelites at the Exodus and were the ones who built the golden calf. For the record, the word Samaritan wasn’t even used until 722 B.C. and is several hundred years after the Exodus.
The Qur’an also states (Sura 18:89-98) that Alexander the Great was a Muslim who worshiped Allah. Alexander lived from 356 B.C. to 323 B.C. hundreds of years before Muhammad proclaimed his revelation which became the religion of Islam.
Islamic Monotheism
The most foundational doctrine in Islam is monotheism. This doctrine is encapsulated in the creed: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah.” And not only is it a creed, but it is also a statement of faith that routinely heard from the lips of every faithful Muslim. It is the creed by which every Muslim is called to prayer five times a day.
Allah is the name of the God of Islam. And it is important to note that this name for God was known even before the beginning of Islam. In fact, Muhammad’s own father bore the name Abd-Allah. Before the time of Muhammad, the tribes in the Arabian Peninsula worshipped many gods. Muhammad taught that there was one true God. Allah literally means “the God.” He is one and transcendent. Muhammad proclaimed that all the other deities that were worshiped at the time were not worthy of worship as divine beings.
The Qur’an provides the identity and character of Allah. The first chapter of the Qur’an is known as the Faitha or “opening.” It summarizes the foundational belief of Muslims about Allah. According to the passage, he is most gracious and merciful, the sustainer of the world, and master of the Day of Judgment. Therefore, he is to be worshipped (Sura 1:1-7). And in one chapter near the end of the Qur’an (Sura 112), it says, “He is God, One, God the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, and has not been begotten, and equal to Him is not any one.”
This passage (along with others in the Qur’an) teaches the absolute unity and sovereignty of Allah. The oneness of God precludes any plural nature to God. And there is no equal to Allah. He is the only God in the heavens, and therefore the only deity worth worshipping and obeying.
The Qur’an teaches that evidence of Allah can be found in creation. There are over eighty passages in the Qur’an that describe the wonders of nature. These all point to the existence of a God who created the heavens and earth. In fact, the Qur’an teaches (Sura 45:3-4) that we can use logic and reason to determine that God exists because He has manifested Himself through the creation.
The Qur’an also teaches that creation can provide theological arguments for the existence of God and the falsity of other deities. Here are a few examples:
God’s is united to His creation (Sura 6:96-100).
Polytheism and atheism are contrary to reason (Sura 23:119).
Dualism is self-destructive (Sura 21:22).
Because of this strong emphasis on monotheism, Muslims reject the idea that God could be more than one person or that God could have a partner. The Qur’an teaches the unity of God (tawhid). Allah is one God and the same God for all people. Anyone who does not believe this is guilty of the sin of shirk. This is the quintessential sin in Islam (Sura 4:48). According to Islam, God cannot have a partner and cannot be joined together in the Godhead with other persons. Muslims, therefore, reject the Christian idea of the Trinity.
Muslims also differ from Christians in their understanding of the nature and character of God. The God of the Bible is knowable. Jesus came into the world that we might know God (John 17:3).
Islam teaches a very different view of God. Allah is transcendent and distant. He is separate from His creation. He is exalted and far removed from mankind. While we may know His will, we cannot know Him personally. In fact, there is very little written about the character of God. Allah is the creator and sustainer of the creation, but He is also unknowable. No person can ever personally know and have a relationship with Allah. Instead, humans are to be in total submission to the will of Allah.
Moreover, Allah does not personally enter into human history. Instead, he deals with the world through His word (the Qur’an), through His prophets (such as Muhammad), and through angels (such as Gabriel).
If you ask a Muslim to describe Allah, most likely they will recite to you a key passage that lists some of the names of God (Sura 59). The Qur’an requires that God is called by these “beautiful names.” This passage describes him as: Most Gracious, Most Merciful, The Sovereign, The Holy One, The Guardian of Faith, The Preserver of Safety, The Exalted in Might, etc.
A Muslim will also talk about “the ninety-nine names of Allah.” According to tradition, Muhammad said that to memorize and say these ninety-nine names of God will aid a Muslim in entering paradise. Many Muslims even use prayer to help them keep track of the various names of God.
The Muslim perspective on God’s love is also very different from the Christian view. Crucial to Christians is the belief that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16).
By contrast, Muslims grow up hearing about all the people Allah does not love:
“For Allah loves not transgressors” (Sura 2:190).
“Allah loves not the impious and the sinful” (Sura 2:276).
“Allah loves not the unbelievers” (Sura 3:32).
“For Allah loves not the evildoers” (Sura 3:57).
“Allah loves not the arrogant and boastful men” (Sura 4:36).
Muslim Belief about Muhammad
Christians frequently make the mistake of assuming that Muhammad has essentially the same role in Islam that Jesus has in Christianity. This is not true. Muslims see Muhammad as a messenger, while Christians see Jesus as the message, or the Word (John 1:1).
Muslims believe that Muhammad is the final prophet from Allah. He is referred to as the “seal of the prophets” (Sura 33:40). But while he is revered as a greatest of the prophets, most do not teach that he was sinless. The Qur’an does not make the claim that he was sinless, and there are passages that teach that Muhammad was a man like us (Sura 18:110) and that Allah told Muhammad that he must repent of his sins (Sura 40:55). This differs from the Christian teaching that Jesus Christ lived a perfect and sinless life (2 Cor. 5:21).
But even if Muslims do not see Muhammad as sinless, they do teach that his life should be an example of how they should act. Muhammad’s action (known as the sunna) provides a clear path for how Muslims are to behave. One Muslim scholar said, “Know that the key to happiness is to follow the sunna and to imitate the Messenger of God in all his coming and going, his movement and rest, in his way of eating, his attitude, his sleep and his talk.”[1]
Muhammad’s every action is to be imitated by Muslims. His life is a model for believers. In fact, some Muslims even avoid eating food that Muhammad avoided or never was able to eat.
Muhammad is so revered by Muslims that no attack upon him or even his likeness (e.g., through a cartoon) may be allowed. William Cantrell Smith notes that “Muslims will allow attacks on Allah: there are atheists and atheistic publications, and rationalistic societies; but to disparage Muhammad will provoke from even the most ‘liberal’ sections of the community a fanaticism of blazing vehemence.”[2]
The Qur’an and Jesus
Muslims sometimes accuse Christians of elevating Jesus to an inappropriate level of honor and worship. The Qur’an teaches that Jesus was just a prophet to the Jews. It also teaches that Jesus promoted the coming of Muhammad who is revered as the seal of the prophets.
Muhammad originally portrayed himself as the last of the prophets and showed reverence for the “people of the book.” So, Muslims believe many of the same things about Jesus as Christians do:
The Qur’an refers to Jesus as “the Messiah” or “the Christ” (Sura 4:157). It also calls him “the word of God” (Sura 3:45). He is also called a “spirit” from God (Sura 4:171) and a “sign” (Sura 23:50).
The Qur’an also teaches that Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. It also says that Jesus performed many miracles, including raising people from the dead.
The Qur’an also claims that Jesus is alive today. Many Muslims even believe that He will return to earth.
Though Muslims share some Christian beliefs about Jesus, there is two points of disagreement that means a world of difference between Islam and Christianity: Christ’s death and deity.
Muslims deny that Jesus was crucified on the cross. They base this on this passage in the Qur’an that talks about what the Jews did to Jesus:
That they said (in boast), ‘We killed Christ Jesus, the Son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’—but they killed him not, crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who different therein are full of doubts, with no certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for a surety they killed him not—nay, Allah raised him up to Himself; and Allah is exalted in Power, Wise” (Sura 4:157-158).
Muslims have come to various conclusions about what this means. Perhaps Judas was mistakenly crucified on the cross. Perhaps a disciple volunteered to die on the cross. Maybe God transposed the likeness of Jesus on some poor soul. There are various suggestions that have been made, but they all point to one conclusion: Jesus did NOT die on the cross.
Muslims believe that Jesus never died on the cross in part because they cannot believe that a great prophet of God would ever die a shameful death. Since crucifixion was a humiliating way to die, they believe that God must have intervened so that Jesus would not have to suffer in this way.
They also reject Christ’s death on the cross because they reject the Christian idea of original sin and human sinfulness. According to Islam, each person is responsible for his or her actions, and no one else should have to pay for their mistakes. There is no need for Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. There is no need for that atonement. In fact, many Muslims actually claim that the theology of the atonement was interjected into Christianity and has corrupted God’s original message of salvation.
Muslims not only deny Christ’s death, but they deny Christ’s deity. While they respect Him as one of the great prophets, they reject the Christian idea that Jesus was God. They reject the biblical doctrine of the trinity, and they reinterpret any biblical passage that might suggest that Jesus and God are the same. The Qur’an teaches that it is blasphemy to equate Jesus with God:
They do blaspheme who say: “Allah is Christ the son of Mary.” But said Christ: “O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” Whoever joins other gods with Allah, Allah will forbid him the Garden, and the Fire will be his abode. . . .Christ, the son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food. See how Allah doth make His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth! (Sura 5:72, 75)
The Qur’an also teaches that Christians who “call Christ the Son of God” shall face judgment because “Allah’s curse” will be upon them (Sura 9:30).
So, it can be said that anyone who accepts the foundational doctrine of Christianity (the Jesus is God) is guilty of the one unforgivable sin within Islam. Essentially the Qur’an teaches that God will forgive any sin except the sin of idolatry (known as shirk). Christians are guilty of the one sin that Allah will not forgive.
By contrast, Christianity teaches that we are saved by believing in Jesus as the Son of God. “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (1 John 5:11-12)”
Jesus claimed to be God, Messiah, and the way to God (Mark 14:61-62; John 10:30; 14:6-9). He also allowed others to worship Him (Matt. 14:33; 28:9; cf. also Acts 10:25-26; 14:12-15). Jesus claimed power over the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8), and he claimed the power to forgive sins (Matt. 9:6, Mark 2:5-10).
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The Prophets
The Qur’an teaches that there have been many prophets in the past leading up to Muhammad (Sura 2:38, 177, 252, 285; 4:80, 164; 17:70; 18:110; 33:40). It actually mentions twenty-five prophets by name, although Islamic tradition suggests there were over 100,000 prophets. Muhammad is the “seal” of the prophets (Sura 33:40) and the “bearer of glad tidings” (Sura 33:45-46).
Jesus is mentioned 97 times in the Qur’an. And the Qur’an emphasizes that the messages of Moses and Jesus are the same as the message of Muhammad (Sura 2:136). The Qur’an teaches that prophets are righteous men who bring the Word of God. They are free from all vices and thus used by God to deliver His message. Muslims routinely say the words “praise be upon him” after the name of every prophet, including Jesus. Within the Qur’an, Jesus is given high honor but not considered the Son of God.
Angels
According to the Qur’an, angels carry out the commands of Allah (Sura 2:285; 6:100; 34:40-41; 46:29-32; 72:1-28). The most prominent angel in the Qur’an is Gabriel because he is the one who supposedly appeared to Muhammad and provided the revelation. Michael is another angel mentioned in the Qur’an. He is the guardian of the Jews.
The Qur’an also teaches that angels are for our protection: “We are your protectors in this life and in the hereafter” (Sura 41:31; 82:10-12). The Hadith teaches that two angels are assigned to each person at birth: one records good deeds, the other bad deeds. They will give an account of each individual’s actions on the Day of Judgment.
Islam also teaches that there is jinn. They are creatures that are invisible and are able to act with free will. Like human beings, they have the capacity to be good or bad. They can take various forms and have the capacity to possess humans. Islamic tradition says that Satan was not an angel but a jinn based upon their understanding of Sura 18:50.
Perhaps the best-known example of jinn can be found in the story of Aladdin in the Western translation of The Book of One Thousand and One Nights. He was bound to an oil lamp and granted wishes to whoever freed him from the lamp by polishing it.
Muslim Belief About Sin
Islam and Christianity have very different views of sin. Although both accept the Genesis account of creation, they come to opposite conclusions.
The Muslim view is that God created Adam and Eve. They sinned, and God forgave them. Unlike Christianity, Islam does not have a doctrine of original sin. Humans do not have a sin nature, but instead are forgetful of God’s commands and therefore need prophets to direct them back to His will.
Allah commanded Muhammad to guide humanity back to the path of salvation through obedience to His laws and the performing of good works. Humans need this guidance because they are described in the Qur’an as ignorant, arrogant, and weak-willed.
Sura 2:35-37 has this account of creation: “We said, ‘Oh Adam! Dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden, and eat of the bountiful things therein as (where and when) ye will; but approach not this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression.’ Then did Satan make them slip from the (Garden), and get them out of the state (of felicity) in what they had been. We said: ‘Get ye down all (ye people), with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling place.’ . . . Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord turned towards him; for He is oft returning, Most Merciful.”
This passage (and others teach) that Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command to them, so God expelled from paradise to earth. In the process, God forgave them. There is no doctrine of the fall, and thus no real need for a savior to take upon Himself the sins of the world.
One Muslim author writes, “Islam teaches that people are born innocent and remain so until each makes him or herself guilty by a guilty deed. Islam does not believe in ‘original sin;’ and its scripture interprets Adam’s disobedience as his own personal misdeed—a misdeed for which he repented and which God forgave.”[3]
The Christian perspective of sin is very different. Romans 3:23 teach that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are in a fallen state because “through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12).
Muslim Belief About Salvation
Islam and Christianity also have very different views about salvation that are derived from their different views of sin. Muslims often see human failings as the result of forgetfulness or as merely making mistakes. They believe that we are constantly forgetful of God, but they do not believe that we have a sin nature. Therefore, Muslims believe they can be saved by their own efforts by following the regime of the five pillars of Islam: Shahada (repetition of the creed), Salat (prayers), Zakat (almsgiving), Sawm (fast of Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).
The Qur’an teaches that believers are to follow the straight path (Sura 1:6). Therefore they are responsible for their actions. They must do what Allah commands in order to please him and be admitted into paradise. Obeying the five pillars of Islam is the way to achieve this reward.
Muslims do not believe they can have any assurance of their own salvation. Allah sends people to paradise or hell as he pleases: “So Allah leads astray those whom He please and guides whom He pleases and He is Exalted in power, full of wisdom” (Sura 14:4).
One image used in the Qur’an to illustrate this is the image of a scale. On the Day of Judgment, all of their works will be weighed: “Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy—they will attain salvation: but those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls; in hell will they abide” (Sura 23:102-103).
Apparently, even Muhammad had doubts about his own salvation. He said, “though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me” (Hadith 5:266). When Muhammad was on his night journey, he discovered good works recorded in a book: “The fate of each man. We have bound about his next. On the Day of Resurrection, We shall confront him with a book spread open, saying ‘Here is your book: read it. Enough for you this day that your own soul should call you to account’” (Sura 17:13).
The question facing all Muslims is whether their good deeds will outweigh their bad deeds. Faith is certainly important, but so are good works. And since all of this is uncertain, there is no assurance of salvation.
But while salvation is unsure, damnation is certain. The Qur’an teaches that those who reject the faith (Sura 2:6, 3:32) are lost. And a Muslim believer who rejects the teachings of Islam will never be restored. That is why most Muslim parents will disown their children if they convert to Christianity. In their minds, Allah has rejected them so they must do the same.
By contrast, the biblical view of salvation is very different. The Bible teaches that Adam’s sin has affected all of humanity. Romans 5:12 reads, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” Paul later (5:18-19) adds that “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience, the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”
God is holy (Ps. 77:13), and He alone is holy (Rev. 15:4). When we try to measure our sin against God’s holiness, it is impossible to balance the scales. David laments in Psalm 103:3 that “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” Another place where the Bible uses the concept of scales is in Daniel (5:27) where God’s judgment falls upon Belshazzar: “You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting.” The Bible also uses the image of a measuring rod in Amos (7:7-9) to show that God’s people fall short of His standard of righteousness.
The Bible clearly teaches that no one is good enough to stand before His righteousness. The Old Testament says that “all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment” (Isaiah 64:6). The New Testament teaches that we are made righteous not by doing good works (Eph. 2:8-9) but by faith in the death of Christ on the cross. Jesus paid the penalty for sin that we might have everlasting life.
Heaven, Hell, and Judgment
The Qur’an frequently talks about a coming “Day of Judgment.” It is depicted as a time of wrath, retribution, and judgment (Sura 55). Islam teaches that the final hour will come suddenly. Natural disasters will occur, and graves will open up (Sura 75; 82; 84).
This day is often described as the day of wrath or the day of decision or the day of truth. On this day, every person will stand before Allah, and a scroll will come down accounting for all his or her deeds. “On the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open. It will be said to him, Read thine own record. Sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee” (Sura 17:13-14).
Also on that day, their deeds will be weighed on a great scale. If it tips toward righteousness, the person will go to paradise. If not, he or she will go to hell. Allah determines your destiny: “Yea, to Allah, belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth; so that He rewards those who do evil, according to their deeds, and He rewards those who do good, with what is best” (Sura 53;31).
Paradise is a place of beauty, with streams of clear water as well as rivers of milk and fountains of honey. It is also a place of sensual and sexual delight (Sura 3:14-15; 47:15; 55).
Hell is a place of burning. Brains are boiled, and molten lead is poured into ears. The poor souls have faces covered in fire (Sura 14:50; 76:4). Hell is the place where idolaters and infidels can be found. The Hadith seems to teach that more women are in hell than men.
One Muslim tradition teaches that Jesus will return to earth as the Messiah. Supposedly he will destroy all crosses, kill all pigs, and be buried next to Muhammad when he dies. Another tradition says that a messiah figure (known as Mahdi) will come to earth and join with Jesus to fight against the Antichrist. He will then institute a kingdom of justice.
[1] Annemarie Schimmel and Abdoldjavad Falaturi, We Believe in One God (New York: The Seabury Press, 1979), 31.
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