Muslims and Christians - Gabriel (Jibril)

[But_for_Grace]

This has been bugging me for some time, but it appears that there is some discrepancy about the role of Gabriel (Jibril). Gabriel is descibed in the bible as the angel of the annunciation proclaiming to Mary that she was to bear the Son of God and is also descibed as dictating the Koran to Mohammed (and hence dening the divinity of Christ)

Is there anyway that this can be reconciled, or is this a trick of the evil one on one side or the other.

 

[exoflare]

I’m not sure what needs to be reconciled here. Muslims really do believe that Gabriel dictated the Quran to Mohammed. How does that confuse you?

 

[hlgomez]

The devil can masquerade as an angel of light, and certainly Muhammed became a victim of the evil one’s conspiracy theory.

Pio

 

[RyanL]

A better question to ask, in my humble opinion, is whether or not the Qur’an contradicts itself. If it does not (which is false), it can be claimed to be divinely dictated. If it does (which is true), the evil one must have tampered with the message.

If the evil one tampered with it…how do we know what was tampered?

 

[But_for_Grace]

exoflare - the basic question is how does a holy angel of God contradict himself (Christ is God/Christ is not God). Both of the points taken as facts from their relative points of view, but how does one angel play both sides so to speak?

 

[Shenango]

But for Grace:

This has been bugging me for some time, but it appears that there is some discrepancy about the role of Gabriel (Jibril). Gabriel is descibed in the bible as the angel of the annunciation proclaiming to Mary that she was to bear the Son of God and is also descibed as dictating the Koran to Mohammed (and hence dening the divinity of Christ)

Is there anyway that this can be reconciled, or is this a trick of the evil one on one side or the other.

Hey But For Grace,

You cannot think as you’re thinking. The fact is that the Gospels and the Qur’an will often disagree on both minor and major details of Jesus’ life. What the Gospels are is someone’s account (in this case, really Matthew’s and Luke’s) of Gabriel etc. Likewise, I’m sure you’d consider the Qur’an someone else’s account. But the point is, both are merely interpretations (or representations) of an objective event, and not the event itself. Do you see what I’m getting at?

Perhaps the Bible’s representation of the event is the correct one. Perhaps the Qur’an’s is.

By the way, the annunciation of the birth of Jesus (PBUH) to Mary by Gabriel is to be found in the Qur’an as well, though as you might expecting understanding the above, it is a somewhat different take.

 

[But_for_Grace]

Shenango - the very diffrence of the point of view is the issue. Both Muslims and Christians view their point of view as authoritive and hence correct. It is human nature to do so, for who will hold to an opinion which they think is wrong?

Hence it becomes obvious from a human perspective that Gabriel seems to change sides (not to say that this is the case in an absolute sence, but only in a perceptive one). However, it is this very diffrence in perspective that hinders a true understanding between muslims and christians (I do not say peace because I believe that peace is based in the value of the individual, personal humility, and paticient endurance).

When each side assumes that it has a monopoly on the truth then understanding is hard to achieve because no true dialoge can be achieved, but understanding that we each see things from a diffrent perspective (the true nature of that perspective being obscured due to the time elapsed since its conception), and that these things are the same things (in an absolute sense), suggests that all of the children of God must eventual strive for unity in the truth which God himself illuminates for us.

That being stated, I wish to understand the diffrence in the point of view.

Know the truth and the truth will set you free.

 

[Munawar]

hlgomez:

The devil can masquerade as an angel of light, and certainly Muhammed became a victim of the evil one’s conspiracy theory.

Hi HLGomez,

That can also apply to Paul on the road to Damascus, No?

Munawar

 

[exoflare]

But for Grace:

exoflare - the basic question is how does a holy angel of God contradict himself (Christ is God/Christ is not God). Both of the points taken as facts from their relative points of view, but how does one angel play both sides so to speak?

Well, I said that’s what Muslims believed, not that they were correct. In the Quran, I really don’t think Gabriel makes any claims that Mary is to give birth to the son of God. Only to a “great prophet.” As to why Muslims believe God just thought “hey, let’s have this prophet be born of a virgin!” I have no idea.

 

[Shenango]

But for Grace:

That being stated, I wish to understand the diffrence in the point of view.

Do you have any questions about the Muslim point of view I can help you with?

 

[Shenango]

exoflare:

As to why Muslims believe God just thought “hey, let’s have this prophet be born of a virgin!” I have no idea.

The virgin birth was one of many miracles God gave Jesus (PBUH), just like curing the blind and the sick, in order to overcome the great disbelief of the Jews. The whole point was for people to ponder how a human being could have no father and see the wonder of God in this sign.