St Francis Magazine Vol 7, No 3 | August 2011!which He bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Ruh) created byHim; so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not: "(<strong>God</strong> is) a trinity!"Cease! (it is) better for you. For Allah is (<strong>the</strong> only) One Ilah(<strong>God</strong>), glory be to Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. 26Muhammad Asad, a well-known Qur'anic commentator, saysabout <strong>the</strong> above passage: "In <strong>the</strong> verse under discussion, whichstresses <strong>the</strong> purely human nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jesus</strong> and refutes <strong>the</strong> belief in hisdivinity, <strong>the</strong> Qur'an points out that <strong>Jesus</strong>, like all o<strong>the</strong>r human beings,was 'a soul created by Him'." 27 [emphasis added]In 5:72, <strong>the</strong> Qur'an says:Surely, <strong>the</strong>y have disbelieved who say: "Allah is <strong>the</strong> Messiah ['Isa (<strong>Jesus</strong>)],son <strong>of</strong> Maryam (Mary)." But <strong>the</strong> Messiah ['Isa (<strong>Jesus</strong>)] said: "OChildren <strong>of</strong> Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." 28 Verily, whosoever sets up partners (inworship) with Allah, <strong>the</strong>n Allah has forbidden Paradise to him, and <strong>the</strong>Fire will be his abode. And for <strong>the</strong> Zalimun (such poly<strong>the</strong>ists andwrong-doers) <strong>the</strong>re are no helpers.Qur'an 9:30–31 says:Christians say: Messiah is <strong>the</strong> son <strong>of</strong> Allah. That is <strong>the</strong>ir saying with<strong>the</strong>ir mouths, resembling <strong>the</strong> saying <strong>of</strong> those who disbelieved aforetime(Jews). Allah's Curse be on <strong>the</strong>m, how <strong>the</strong>y are deluded away from <strong>the</strong>truth! They (Jews and Christians) took <strong>the</strong>ir rabbis and <strong>the</strong>ir monks tobe <strong>the</strong>ir lords besides Allah (by obeying <strong>the</strong>m in things which <strong>the</strong>ymade lawful or unlawful according to <strong>the</strong>ir own desires without beingordered by Allah), and (<strong>the</strong>y also took as <strong>the</strong>ir Lord) Messiah, son <strong>of</strong>!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!created). This wrong understanding is particularly significant in light <strong>of</strong> suggestionsmade by certain Bible translators that <strong>the</strong> term "<strong>the</strong> <strong>Son</strong>" be replaced by "<strong>the</strong>Word" in translations for Islamic peoples.26 Of course, passages from <strong>the</strong> Qur'an such as this one are in direct contradictionto <strong>the</strong> <strong>Biblical</strong> truth that proclaims <strong>Jesus</strong> as <strong>the</strong> <strong>God</strong> who has always existed, who isCreator, not created (John 1:1–3). Especially important are passages such as Colossians1:13–20 which clearly state that <strong>God</strong>'s <strong>Son</strong> is <strong>the</strong> one who created all thingsand that He is in fact <strong>God</strong>.27 Asad, Muhammad, The Message <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Qur'an: Translated and Explained by MuhammadAsad, p. 137, note 181.28 References within wedges are from Asad, The Message <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Qur'an, p. 159, note88.St Francis Magazine is published by Interserve and Arab Vision!*"!
St Francis Magazine Vol 7, No 3 | August 2011!Maryam (Mary), while <strong>the</strong>y (Jews and Christians) were commanded[in <strong>the</strong> Taurat (Torah) and <strong>the</strong> Injeel (Gospel)] to worship none butOne Ilah (<strong>God</strong> - Allah) La ilaha illa Huwa (none has <strong>the</strong> right to beworshipped but He). Praise and glory be to Him (far above is He) fromhaving <strong>the</strong> partners <strong>the</strong>y associate (with Him).In <strong>the</strong> two preceding passages from <strong>the</strong> Qur'an, <strong>the</strong> word "partners"is a reference to "shirk", <strong>the</strong> unforgivable sin <strong>of</strong> making anyoneequal with <strong>God</strong>. According to Muhammad Asad:...some <strong>of</strong> those who claimed to be followers <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jesus</strong> lifted this expression["my Fa<strong>the</strong>r"] from <strong>the</strong> realm <strong>of</strong> metaphor and transferred it to<strong>the</strong> realm <strong>of</strong> positive reality with reference to <strong>Jesus</strong> alone: and thus<strong>the</strong>y gave currency to <strong>the</strong> idea that <strong>Jesus</strong> was literally '<strong>the</strong> son <strong>of</strong> <strong>God</strong>',that is, <strong>God</strong> incarnate. 29 [emphasis added]In <strong>the</strong> above quotes from <strong>the</strong> Qur'an and its commentators, it isclear that what primarily <strong>of</strong>fends <strong>Muslim</strong>s about calling <strong>Jesus</strong> <strong>God</strong>'s<strong>Son</strong> is that <strong>the</strong>y know it means that He shares <strong>God</strong>'s attributes anddivine nature, which is exactly <strong>the</strong> correct <strong>meaning</strong> according to <strong>the</strong>Bible. 30 In o<strong>the</strong>r words, <strong>Muslim</strong>s understand well what it means for<strong>Jesus</strong> to be declared <strong>the</strong> <strong>Son</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>God</strong>: He is <strong>God</strong> incarnate. 31It is significant that this important fact <strong>of</strong> shirk is not clearly recognizedin <strong>the</strong> writings <strong>of</strong> those who are leading <strong>the</strong> movement toremove and/or change Fa<strong>the</strong>r-<strong>Son</strong> terminology in <strong>the</strong> Bible text for<strong>Muslim</strong>s. Instead <strong>of</strong> acknowledging that <strong>Muslim</strong>s' primary under-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!29 Asad, The Message <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Qur'an, p. 79, note 60. This Qur'anic commentator makes nomention <strong>of</strong> marital relations between <strong>God</strong> and Mary at passages like this, ra<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> issue forhim (and o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>Muslim</strong>s) is <strong>the</strong> Christians' claim that <strong>Jesus</strong> is <strong>God</strong> incarnate.30 As one native Arabic speaker states, "Arabs respond to '<strong>Son</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>God</strong>' in <strong>the</strong> sameway that Jews did, which indicates its accuracy...'<strong>Son</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>God</strong>' carries <strong>the</strong> connotation<strong>of</strong> equality with <strong>God</strong> in Hebrew, Arabic, and Aramaic (sister languages with acommon ancestor)... For <strong>Muslim</strong>s, <strong>the</strong> stumbling block is Christ’s deity, crucifixion,and resurrection. The sexual connotations are just a polemic against Christianity."[Pierre Houssney, February 11, 2011 comment on Trevan Wax, "Islam and Contextualization:A conversation with Colin Hansen and J.D. Greear," Kingdom Peopleblog, http://trevin wax.com/2011/02/10/islam-and-contextualization-aconversation-with-collin-hansen-j-d-greear].31 However, many <strong>Muslim</strong>s are afraid to accept such a truth about <strong>Jesus</strong> since, as<strong>the</strong> above quotes show, <strong>the</strong> Qur'an teaches <strong>the</strong>m that <strong>the</strong>y are committing an unforgivablesin and are destined for <strong>the</strong> eternal fires <strong>of</strong> hell if <strong>the</strong>y do believe it.St Francis Magazine is published by Interserve and Arab Vision!*#!
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