Question from a Sunni Muslim to Christians

[bishonnomahmud]

At the beginning let me tell you that I do not have much knowledge about Christianity, nor do I intend to acquire more either, for I am satisfied with what I believe. But I have a question that I wanted to ask you guys

Christians say that believe in Christ is necessary for the salvation in the hereafter. If I concede that all people who have denied Christ will be damned, then what about the millions of people who came to this world before Jesus Christ appeared and promulgated the message of Christianity? Does it mean that all the people who came before Jesus will be thrown to hell? Or will be forgiven simply because they were fortunate to born before Jesus?

In Islam however, there are no such discrepancies. We believe that starting from Adam till the last prophet Mohammad (May Allah’s peace be upon all the prophets) preached one simple religion and that was Islam. Islam has existed since the beginning of human life in this earth. Hence for us, who ever had rejected or will reject the message of Islam will remain in the hell forever. Whoever accepted or will accept Islam will also be severely tormented in the hereafter depending on the sins they commit during their stay in this world but torment will expiate their sin and eventually they will be admitted to heaven!

 

[Wesley7]

At the beginning let me tell you that I do not have much knowledge about Christianity, nor do I intend to acquire more either, for I am satisfied with what I believe. But I have a question that I wanted to ask you guys

Hello, no problem, however let me address the paragraph below~

Christians say that believe in Christ is necessary for the salvation in the hereafter. If I concede that all people who have denied Christ will be damned, then what about the millions of people who came to this world before Jesus Christ appeared and promulgated the message of Christianity? Does it mean that all the people who came before Jesus will be thrown to hell? Or will be forgiven simply because they were fortunate to born before Jesus?

About the salvation of such “people” God knows. However let me show you a specific Bible passage dealing with most of the issues in the above post:

You will have read entire and lengthy bible passage.Its Matthew 25 - 26 The main point of the NT passage is that the Lord Jesus Christ will separate the sheep from the goats for judgment.

In Islam however, there are no such discrepancies. We believe that starting from Adam till the last prophet Mohammad (May Allah’s peace be upon all the prophets) preached one simple religion and that was Islam. Islam has existed since the beginning of human life in this earth. Hence for us, who ever had rejected or will reject the message of Islam will remain in the hell forever. Whoever accepted or will accept Islam will also be severely tormented in the hereafter depending on the sins they commit during their stay in this world but torment will expiate their sin and eventually they will be admitted to heaven!

I understand.

 

[benedictus2]

At the beginning let me tell you that I do not have much knowledge about Christianity, nor do I intend to acquire more either, for I am satisfied with what I believe. But I have a question that I wanted to ask you guys

Christians say that believe in Christ is necessary for the salvation in the hereafter. If I concede that all people who have denied Christ will be damned, then what about the millions of people who came to this world before Jesus Christ appeared and promulgated the message of Christianity? Does it mean that all the people who came before Jesus will be thrown to hell? Or will be forgiven simply because they were fortunate to born before Jesus?

Everyone who is saved is saved by the salvific life death and ressurection of Christ. Even those born before Christ. That is why Christ descended to the dead to preach the good news to those who have gone before Him. Not all people who do not know Christ will be damned. Those who deny Christ after knowing Him will likely be so although God alone knows the state of each person’s soul.

In Islam however, there are no such discrepancies. We believe that starting from Adam till the last prophet Mohammad (May Allah’s peace be upon all the prophets) preached one simple religion and that was Islam. Islam has existed since the beginning of human life in this earth.

Actually that is not quite true. Islam started only with Mohammed around 500 years after Christ. It is actually the last of the monotheistic religions: First Judaism, then Christianity, then Islam.

Hence for us, who ever had rejected or will reject the message of Islam will remain in the hell forever. Whoever accepted or will accept Islam will also be severely tormented in the hereafter depending on the sins they commit during their stay in this world but torment will expiate their sin and eventually they will be admitted to heaven!

How do you account for the fact that some people will never come to know of Islam. Is God damning them for no reason?

 

[bishonnomahmud]

How do you account for the fact that some people will never come to know of Islam. Is God damning them for no reason?

t is narrated in a Hadeeth that such people will be tested and tried on The Last Day. Ahmad narrated that the Prophet said: "Four people will ‘protest’ on the Day of Judgement, a deaf who does not hear anything, an idiot, a decrepit and one who dies and in a period where no Prophet was sent (Fatra).
As for the deaf he says: “O my Lord! Islam came while I could not hear”; an idiot says: “O my Lord! Islam came while children were throwing me with dung. The decrepit says: “O my Lord! Islam came while I could not understand anything”. The one who died in a period where no Prophet was sent says: “O my Lord! No Prophet came to me”. Then Allah takes a covenant from them that they would obey Him and then He sends one to tell them to enter Hell. By Him in whose hand is my soul! If they enter Hell it will be cool, and a means of safety for them”.

 

[SingleMomMonica]

At the beginning let me tell you that I do not have much knowledge about Christianity, nor do I intend to acquire more either, for I am satisfied with what I believe. But I have a question that I wanted to ask you guys

Christians say that believe in Christ is necessary for the salvation in the hereafter. If I concede that all people who have denied Christ will be damned, then what about the millions of people who came to this world before Jesus Christ appeared and promulgated the message of Christianity? Does it mean that all the people who came before Jesus will be thrown to hell? Or will be forgiven simply because they were fortunate to born before Jesus?

In Islam however, there are no such discrepancies. We believe that starting from Adam till the last prophet Mohammad (May Allah’s peace be upon all the prophets) preached one simple religion and that was Islam. Islam has existed since the beginning of human life in this earth. Hence for us, who ever had rejected or will reject the message of Islam will remain in the hell forever. Whoever accepted or will accept Islam will also be severely tormented in the hereafter depending on the sins they commit during their stay in this world but torment will expiate their sin and eventually they will be admitted to heaven!

Christian Tradition tells us two things about your question:

1. After Jesus’ death He decended to hell and revealed Himself to all those who’d died before Him giving them a chance to accept Him.
2. God is by nature within Himself LOVE. And He Loves every single person created. We can Trust in His love because He has revealed Himself to be Merciful. Merciful to those who know and those who don’t know Him - we’re all sinners yet He gives His Love and Mercy to all.

Christians are told Not to judge others and Not to speculate on whether someone has been or will be damned. We are asked to pray for one another for His mercy. We can Trust in God’d Love.

 

[camerong]

In Islam however, there are no such discrepancies. We believe that starting from Adam till the last prophet Mohammad (May Allah’s peace be upon all the prophets) preached one simple religion and that was Islam. Islam has existed since the beginning of human life in this earth.

Actually that is not quite true. Islam started only with Mohammed around 500 years after Christ. It is actually the last of the monotheistic religions: First Judaism, then Christianity, then Islam.

Actually, Muslims believe in two types of Islam. One is Islam as the “true religion” that Christ and all previous prophets practiced. The other is Islam which has been an official religion as handed down by Mohammed. So yes, under our beliefs, Islam came last, but under their beliefs, everyone was practicing a kind of Islam all along. This is why the OP does not see a sequence problem in his or her religion–Islam was not a new thing, to apply only to those afterwards. Of course, as amply answered above, Christ was also not a new thing, He merely appeared at a certain time because He accepted our limitations of time when He entered our world as a human. She poses the problem as a limitation on Christ or Christianity, when in fact it is a limitation on our sense of time, one easily overcome by Christ’s true nature.

 

[Byzantine_Wolf]

Christians say that believe in Christ is necessary for the salvation in the hereafter. If I concede that all people who have denied Christ will be damned, then what about the millions of people who came to this world before Jesus Christ appeared and promulgated the message of Christianity? Does it mean that all the people who came before Jesus will be thrown to hell? Or will be forgiven simply because they were fortunate to born before Jesus?

A common question by most Muslims, and easily answered.

First, we need to explain the natures of Christ, because otherwise we’ll be lost. Christ was the Incarnate Word - God came and took on flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He took on a full humanity - but He never ceased being deity. This is known as the hypostatic union: Christ was both fully man and fully God. This was because after the fall of man we had become corrupted and allowed our flesh to control us, and through this the Son in the Trinity, willingly humbling himself (Phil 2:8), took on our corrupt flesh and purified it. He did this by living a perfect life and offering Himself as a sacrifice on the cross to allow for the Resurrection and glorification of our flesh back to God.

Now we get to the question at hand. When Christ passed away on the Cross, He descended into Sheol, the underworld where all people (good or bad) went (the Psalmist talks often on Sheol, calling it “the Pit”). When He approached the gates, they could not comprehend His divinity, and so they burst asunder. Christ then preached to all those who were inside, and those who chose to follow Him went with Him to Paradise, and all those who refused to follow Him stayed.

Some further relevant scripture:

Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.” Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that he also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things. [Ephesians 4:8-10]

An old Saturday homily tells, through Church poetry, on the story:

…There is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear. He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying, “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

 

[bishonnomahmud]

There has always been a single Islam, from Adam till Mohammad (May Allah’s peace be upon all the prophets). Full stop.

 

[Byzantine_Wolf]

There has always been a single Islam, from Adam till Mohammad (May Allah’s peace be upon all the prophets). Full stop.

Unfortunately, that belief is not consistent with the development of God’s revelation. Under serious evaluation, Mohammad’s presentation was simply a circular argument that only works if you ignore what came before. When you begin serious study of what came before, you realize how faulty Mohammad’s position was. The question ultimately boils down to: why did God change His method of revelation?

This is perhaps why, for example, many of the companions of the prophet advised their people not to study the previous scriptures (and why, unfortunately, many Muslims even today are instructed not to read previous scriptures).

Narrated 'Ikrima:
Ibn 'Abbas said, “How can you ask the people of the Scriptures about their Books while you have Allah’s Book (the Qur’an) which is the most recent of the Books revealed by Allah, and you read it in its pure undistorted form?” [Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 93, Number 613]

EDIT: Incidentally, I say all this because I am a former Muslim convert, and these are the thoughts that led me to return to Christ.

 

[PJM]

=bishonnomahmud;6098234]At the beginning let me tell you that I do not have much knowledge about Christianity, nor do I intend to acquire more either, for I am satisfied with what I believe. But I have a question that I wanted to ask you guys

Christians say that believe in Christ is necessary for the salvation in the hereafter. If I concede that all people who have denied Christ will be damned, then what about the millions of people who came to this world before Jesus Christ appeared and promulgated the message of Christianity? Does it mean that all the people who came before Jesus will be thrown to hell? Or will be forgiven simply because they were fortunate to born before Jesus?

In Islam however, there are no such discrepancies. We believe that starting from Adam till the last prophet Mohammad (May Allah’s peace be upon all the prophets) preached one simple religion and that was Islam. Islam has existed since the beginning of human life in this earth. Hence for us, who ever had rejected or will reject the message of Islam will remain in the hell forever. Whoever accepted or will accept Islam will also be severely tormented in the hereafter depending on the sins they commit during their stay in this world but torment will expiate their sin and eventually they will be admitted to heaven!

***Very clever question

Prior to Christ Incarnation [who too is God, the very God of Abraham] there was still a Covenant based on Obedience to God and specifically to God’s Ten Commandments. Yahweh God expected one to know, follow and obey what He taught them through the Prophets, and other leaders He God provided; such as Abram, Moses, David and others.

So there has always been an OBJECTIVE set of conditions that had to be met in order to attain ones “personal salvation.”

God who can be described as “all [and only all] good things perfected” is and has to be both Just and Fair in order to be God. Thus a criteria based on how God made Himself known to the peoples, had to be kept.***

Thanks for asking,
Pat

 

[twinc]

how are we supposed to accept that Muhammed was the last prophet when there have been others after him.The great mistake seems to be to regard some religions as similiar.In fact Christianity is totally different to all other religions and is the only way.Heaven[Paradise]it seems is not as if by right or demand not can we gain it as a reward for any effort on our part.It is our Christmas gift from God “fear not little flock,for it is your God’s good fortune to give you the kingdom”.We must be perfect and the only way this is possible is by accepting the merit gained by Jesus Christ.When we stand by the pearly gates let us remember that the password "open sesame"being used by most others is not the password. The password is in fact “open sesajesus” - twinc .

 

[bishonnomahmud]

how are we supposed to accept that Muhammed was the last prophet when there have been others after him.The great mistake seems to be to regard some religions as similiar.In fact Christianity is totally different to all other religions and is the only way.Heaven[Paradise]it seems is not as if by right or demand not can we gain it as a reward for any effort on our part.It is our Christmas gift from God “fear not little flock,for it is your God’s good fortune to give you the kingdom”.We must be perfect and the only way this is possible is by accepting the merit gained by Jesus Christ.When we stand by the pearly gates let us remember that the password "open sesame"being used by most others is not the password. The password is in fact “open sesajesus” - twinc .

Who are the prophets after Mohammed (Peace be upon him)?

The proof that Mohammad (peace be upon him) is the prophet of Allah is the Quran. Just imagine people can memorize the whole Quran. Can anyone produce of book of Quran’s size (whatever language) and make a demonstration by memorizing it word to word?

 

[bishonnomahmud]

And I have never seen any book that makes people emotional like Quran. Watch the following short video:

youtube.com/watch?v=Nvv2642gTkE

 

[captainmike]

The proof that Mohammad (peace be upon him) is the prophet of Allah is the Quran.

the proof that he’s not a prophet is that he and other muslims deny the divinity of Jesus Christ. end of story.

 

[bishonnomahmud]

the proof that he’s not a prophet is that he and other muslims deny the divinity of Jesus Christ. end of story.

How God can become man? Isn’t that a funny logic?

 

[Byzantine_Wolf]

The proof that Mohammad (peace be upon him) is the prophet of Allah is the Quran. Just imagine people can memorize the whole Quran. Can anyone produce of book of Quran’s size (whatever language) and make a demonstration by memorizing it word to word?

In that case, then the Mormons have a valid case for saying that the Book of Mormon is the miracle of Joseph Smith (which the LDS Church has). The self-revealed work by a self-claimed prophet - a work which only he can confirm and which presents circular argumentation to justify itself - cannot be considered a miracle to confirm his prophethood. Otherwise, every heretic who presented his own text is valid.

The fact is the prophets of old confirmed who they were by confirmed prophecies, miracles and signs which they gave. Christ proved who He was and the apostles proved who they were through confirmed prophecies, miracles and signs. Then suddenly we have this man Mohammad who claims to be a prophet, and the only thing to confirm this is a book that he himself reveals. That is no evidence of prophethood.

 

[captainmike]

How God can become man? Isn’t that a funny logic?

you can’t explain any miracle by using logic. you can’t explain how God could be omniscient and omnipresent by using logic. but we believe it to be true.

 

[bishonnomahmud]

Continuing this ‘convincing others’ debate is pointless. Bye

 

[Byzantine_Wolf]

Continuing this ‘convincing others’ debate is pointless. Bye

I’m sorry to see you leave, since I was willing to continue this. You simply must understand that you are not going to make every Christian on this forum swoon with a single long post, and that there will be those ready to defend their faith and you must be ready to answer their objection, especially if you believe your faith is true.

 

[jakasaki]

Continuing this ‘convincing others’ debate is pointless. Bye

You seem to be another one of those muslims who come into a Christian forum, drop a few threads, laught at it all and then split by saying “bye”…!!!

You are just another troll poster who cannot be taken seriously.

allah is false
mohamad is false
koran is false

Jesus Christ is LORD!

Have a great day!