Judaism and Muhammad

[Reuben_J]

G-d made mankind in His image means that G-d gave to mankind some of the positive attributes that G-d has to an infinitely higher degree, such as goodness, kindness, compassion, intellect, reason, and so on. But mankind is but an “image” of G-d, not His essence. However, the verse does show that mankind was created with the potential for goodness rather than in a state of sin.

I would say when God made man in his image, it means just that - in his image and likeness. The fall cause us to lose the likeness of God but we still has His image.

Adam was made in the image of God that he has the likeness of God - full of integrity, dominion (over other creatures) and communion (with God). He lost that likeness because of the fall. ref (Genesis).

Christians believe that when we receive salvation (from Jesus) we claim back what we have lost (the likeness of God). We believe the saints have achieved that to some extent when they are alive and to the fullness of the likeness of God when they are in heaven. OTOH, Jesus has the full likeness of God.

 

[AveChriste11]

I’m still wondering about the Jewish understanding of these verses:

" A prophet from among you, from your brothers, like me, the Lord, your God will set up for you you shall hearken to him. According to all that you asked of the Lord, your God, in Horeb, on the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not continue to hear the voice of the Lord, my God, and let me no longer see this great fire, so that I will not die.” And the Lord said to me, “They have done well in what they have spoken. I will set up a prophet for them from among their brothers like you, and I will put My words into his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him.”

Why is it not understood to be about Muhammad being from the “brethren” of the Jews, namely the Arab people?

Here is the Christian translation (New International Version)

"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”

The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him." Deuteronomy (Devarim) 18:15-18

 

[dronald]

I’m still wondering about the Jewish understanding of these verses:

" A prophet from among you, from your brothers, like me, the Lord, your God will set up for you you shall hearken to him. According to all that you asked of the Lord, your God, in Horeb, on the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not continue to hear the voice of the Lord, my God, and let me no longer see this great fire, so that I will not die.” And the Lord said to me, “They have done well in what they have spoken. I will set up a prophet for them from among their brothers like you, and I will put My words into his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him.”

Why is it not understood to be about Muhammad being from the “brethren” of the Jews, namely the Arab people?

Here is the Christian translation (New International Version)

"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”

The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him." Deuteronomy (Devarim) 18:15-18

Just go back a chapter to find the meaning:

14 "When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, 'I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me, ’

15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.

If I’m not mistaken, that king was Saul. And Saul was as Jewish as Jesus. And it still baffles me that the Qur’an doesn’t quote these passages the way the Bible does;

Acts 3:22 Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.

24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days.

25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. ’

26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness. "

 

[oldcatholicguy]

God said let US make man in OUR image after OUR Likeness though. How do you explain the us and our and likeness then?

For God to speak as Us is that not Plural? Thanks melzerboy you are always so kind and patient with me.

But you are right and I can agree with you image can mean what you said, but what about likeness that was after image.

The “royal we” perhaps? You can find a lot of Church documents in which past Popes have referenced themselves as “us” or “we” or “our.”

 

[meltzerboy]

God said let US make man in OUR image after OUR Likeness though. How do you explain the us and our and likeness then?

For God to speak as Us is that not Plural? Thanks melzerboy you are always so kind and patient with me.

But you are right and I can agree with you image can mean what you said, but what about likeness that was after image.

Not only the “royal we” that G-d may have been using, but also He may have been addressing the angels and, in His modesty, incorporating them in the process of creation.

 

[dronald]

Not only the “royal we” that G-d may have been using, but also He may have been addressing the angels and, in His modesty, incorporating them in the process of creation.

I think the “Royal we” is a more plausible explanation.

Isaiah 44:24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,