Why do Muslims have their own religion?

[dandingo]

Please excuse my ignorance but I know virtually nothing about Islam. From what I understand, Islam believes in the same God as Judaism and Christianity, they don’t believe that Jesus is the Messiah and Mohammed is a Prophet, not the Messiah. There are many prophets in the Old Testament but none of them formed a new religion. I must be missing something because from my point of view, believing that Mohammed is a Prophet would just confirm the Old Testament and the Torah, yet Muslims seems to not agree with the Jews. Can someone well versed in Islam help me with this? Thanks in advance!

By the way, I mean this in no way disrespectful to Muslims. I am just genuinely curious.

 

[ASimon]

I tend to think that Islam was conceived as a reaction to the monotheistic faiths of Judaism and Christianity - the restoration to an uncorrupted vision of God’s will.

 

[meltzerboy]

Please excuse my ignorance but I know virtually nothing about Islam. From what I understand, Islam believes in the same God as Judaism and Christianity, they don’t believe that Jesus is the Messiah and Mohammed is a Prophet, not the Messiah. There are many prophets in the Old Testament but none of them formed a new religion. I must be missing something because from my point of view, believing that Mohammed is a Prophet would just confirm the Old Testament and the Torah, yet Muslims seems to not agree with the Jews. Can someone well versed in Islam help me with this? Thanks in advance!

By the way, I mean this in no way disrespectful to Muslims. I am just genuinely curious.

I’m not an expert in Islam but have some knowledge about it. First, Islam does claim that Jesus was the Messiah, but it does not believe Him to be G-d, or the Son of G-d. Second, you’re correct in stating that Islam regards Muhammad as a Prophet, in fact the last and greatest of the Prophets. This cannot be in accord with Judaism since the latter believes that the Era of the Major Prophets ended before Jesus and will return only at the start of the Messianic Age. Moreover, Judaism believes that Moses was the greatest of the Prophets and does not accept Muhammad as a Prophet at all. Therefore, Islam is not a logical extension of Judaism or Christianity. While Islam does acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah and the Prophets of the Hebrew Bible, at the same time it dismisses much of the writing of both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament as distorted human versions of the truth. Only the Qur’an is thought to be the divinely inspired Word of G-d (Allah), and so Islam stands on the teachings of the Qur’an, not the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament.

 

[thistle]

Please excuse my ignorance but I know virtually nothing about Islam. From what I understand, Islam believes in the same God as Judaism and Christianity, they don’t believe that Jesus is the Messiah and Mohammed is a Prophet, not the Messiah. There are many prophets in the Old Testament but none of them formed a new religion. I must be missing something because from my point of view, believing that Mohammed is a Prophet would just confirm the Old Testament and the Torah, yet Muslims seems to not agree with the Jews. Can someone well versed in Islam help me with this? Thanks in advance!

By the way, I mean this in no way disrespectful to Muslims. I am just genuinely curious.

Because Mohammed was deceived by Satan and became one of his best students!
Look how many people he has kept away from the truth.

 

[Rolltide]

While Islam does acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah and the Prophets of the Hebrew Bible, at the same time it dismisses much of the writing of both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament as distorted human versions of the truth. Only the Qur’an is thought to be the divinely inspired Word of G-d (Allah), and so Islam stands on the teachings of the Qur’an, not the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament.

Just to clarify, Islam does not believe the Qur’an to be the divinely inspired Word of God, but the literally dictated Word of God to Mohammad through the Archangel Gabriel. It would be the difference in Christianity between the Bible and the Ten Commandments.

 

[Hokomai]

Because Mohammed was deceived by Satan and became one of his best students!
Look how many people he has kept away from the truth.

I assume an equivalent comment about Jesus would not be acceptable to you, and not only on the grounds of truth, but because of the element of gratuitous offensiveness. Why then do you, Thistle, feel that such a statement is acceptable about Muslims?

 

[dandingo]

I’m not an expert in Islam but have some knowledge about it. First, Islam does claim that Jesus was the Messiah, but it does not believe Him to be G-d, or the Son of G-d. Second, you’re correct in stating that Islam regards Muhammad as a Prophet, in fact the last and greatest of the Prophets. This cannot be in accord with Judaism since the latter believes that the Era of the Major Prophets ended before Jesus and will return only at the start of the Messianic Age. Moreover, Judaism believes that Moses was the greatest of the Prophets and does not accept Muhammad as a Prophet at all. Therefore, Islam is not a logical extension of Judaism or Christianity. While Islam does acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah and the Prophets of the Hebrew Bible, at the same time it dismisses much of the writing of both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament as distorted human versions of the truth. Only the Qur’an is thought to be the divinely inspired Word of G-d (Allah), and so Islam stands on the teachings of the Qur’an, not the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament.

So if Muslims do, in fact, believe that Jesus is the Messiah, why wouldn’t they believe the New Testament to be more important than the Qur’an? Does that mean that Muslims believe that a Prophet is more important than the Messiah?

 

[Rolltide]

So if Muslims do, in fact, believe that Jesus is the Messiah, why wouldn’t they believe the New Testament to be more important than the Qur’an? Does that mean that Muslims believe that a Prophet is more important than the Messiah?

Muslims believe that the stories recorded in the Old and New Testaments were corrupted by man, so that is why the Archangel Gabriel was sent to dictate the truth of Allah directly. According to Islam, the message that Christians are receiving is heretical and false because the information contained within the Bible has been altered to the point of leading people astray.

 

[Ignatius]

Please excuse my ignorance but I know virtually nothing about Islam. From what I understand, Islam believes in the same God as Judaism and Christianity, they don’t believe that Jesus is the Messiah and Mohammed is a Prophet, not the Messiah. There are many prophets in the Old Testament but none of them formed a new religion. I must be missing something because from my point of view, believing that Mohammed is a Prophet would just confirm the Old Testament and the Torah, yet Muslims seems to not agree with the Jews. Can someone well versed in Islam help me with this? Thanks in advance!

By the way, I mean this in no way disrespectful to Muslims. I am just genuinely curious.

I don’t know the answer to this, makes no sense to me either. This is a little off-topic, But I just wanted to say congrats on the Iron Bowl victory today!

 

[meltzerboy]

Muslims believe that the stories recorded in the Old and New Testaments were corrupted by man, so that is why the Archangel Gabriel was sent to dictate the truth of Allah directly. According to Islam, the message that Christians are receiving is heretical and false because the information contained within the Bible has been altered to the point of leading people astray.

Thanks for your clarification in this and your previous comment.

 

[meltzerboy]

So if Muslims do, in fact, believe that Jesus is the Messiah, why wouldn’t they believe the New Testament to be more important than the Qur’an? Does that mean that Muslims believe that a Prophet is more important than the Messiah?

Rolltide answered your first question. I think Muhammad is still considered the greatest of the Prophets, including the Messiah. Perhaps upon the Messiah’s return, which Islam also believes in, that will change. But I’m not exactly sure, so I refer you to Rolltide again.

 

[Ignatius]

Muslims believe that the stories recorded in the Old and New Testaments were corrupted by man, so that is why the Archangel Gabriel was sent to dictate the truth of Allah directly. According to Islam, the message that Christians are receiving is heretical and false because the information contained within the Bible has been altered to the point of leading people astray.

I don’t know the answer to this, makes no sense to me either. This is a little off-topic, But I just wanted to say congrats on the Iron Bowl victory today!

 

[Rolltide]

Rolltide answered your first question. I think Muhammad is still considered the greatest of the Prophets, including the Messiah. Perhaps upon the Messiah’s return, which Islam also believes in, that will change. But I’m not exactly sure, so I refer you to Rolltide again.

I do not definitively know the answer to this question, although I suspect that the answer to “who is greater, Jesus or Mohammad” is a bit like asking a Christian “who is greater, Abraham or Moses”. They’re both important, but no human is elevated above another.

 

[Rolltide]

I don’t know the answer to this, makes no sense to me either. This is a little off-topic, But I just wanted to say congrats on the Iron Bowl victory today!

Thank you! Now we just need to hope people want to see a rematch.

 

[dandingo]

I do not definitively know the answer to this question, although I suspect that the answer to “who is greater, Jesus or Mohammad” is a bit like asking a Christian “who is greater, Abraham or Moses”. They’re both important, but no human is elevated above another.

So are we, as Christians, to believe that either Abraham or Moses is a Messiah? If not, then it wouldn’t be a correct comparison. If I’m understanding correctly, In Islam, although Jesus is the Messiah, there is no distinction between Messiah and Prophet?

Also, if they believe that Jesus is the Messiah, then wouldn’t the writings about Him have to be true and inspired by God?

 

[ASimon]

I do not definitively know the answer to this question, although I suspect that the answer to “who is greater, Jesus or Mohammad” is a bit like asking a Christian “who is greater, Abraham or Moses”. They’re both important, but no human is elevated above another.

If you ask a Muslim whether they regard Jesus or Muhammad as greater, he or she is going to say Muhammad. The Qu’ran is regarded as the final divine revelation from God, with Muhammad as his Messenger. To not elevate Muhammad is blasphemy, in the eyes of Islam.

 

[rightofcenter77]

I assume an equivalent comment about Jesus would not be acceptable to you, and not only on the grounds of truth, but because of the element of gratuitous offensiveness. Why then do you, Thistle, feel that such a statement is acceptable about Muslims?

I believe Thistle is only pointing out that there is ONE truth, not multiple truths. As Christians, we know that the revelation by Christ brings us to the truth. Everything else stands in between us and the truth.

 

[Rolltide]

Also, if they believe that Jesus is the Messiah, then wouldn’t the writings about Him have to be true and inspired by God?

They would probably say that because the Old and New Testament were corrupted, we have a completely faulty understanding of what the “Messiah” actually is. For Muslims, this is the whole reason that God had to select another prophet in the first place - to correct the errors in the Biblical texts. (In a somewhat similar manner, Jews have a completely different understanding of what the “Messiah” is compared to Christians, although they would say we simply misinterpret scripture, not that it’s completely wrong.)

It is also critical to note that although Mohammad has a revered place in Islam, he is STILL just an ordinary human, and NOT to be worshiped.

 

[dandingo]

They would probably say that because the Old and New Testament were corrupted, we have a completely faulty understanding of what the “Messiah” actually is. For Muslims, this is the whole reason that God had to select another prophet in the first place - to correct the errors in the Biblical texts. (In a somewhat similar manner, Jews have a completely different understanding of what the “Messiah” is compared to Christians, although they would say we simply misinterpret scripture, not that it’s completely wrong.)

It is also critical to note that although Mohammad has a revered place in Islam, he is STILL just an ordinary human, and NOT to be worshiped.

I know this is probably the wrong forum to be asking these questions since We’re mainly Christian and Catholic but I don’t belong to any Muslim forums.

If this is truly what they believe, I still don’t understand why they would refer to Him as the “Messiah” at all, then. Whose Messiah is Jesus and what is the true understanding of the Messiah? If their understanding of what the Messiah is is different, have they defined what the Messiah should be? I’m genuinely curious to know.

I’m sorry if it seems like my questions keep going on and on. My questions are somewhat rhetorical in the sense that I’m just trying to get as much information as possible to comprehend the Muslim belief in the Messiah. I have seen an ex-Muslim on the forums and would love his (name removed by moderator)ut if at all possible.

 

[Hokomai]

I believe Thistle is only pointing out that there is ONE truth, not multiple truths. As Christians, we know that the revelation by Christ brings us to the truth. Everything else stands in between us and the truth.

It is charitable of you to attribute only the best intentions, and meaning, to what Thistle said. One of the things I admire about the Church is its encouragement to put the best possible interpretation on the acts of others. But Thistle, even within the framework of Catholicism, has no basis whatsoever to attribute the Prophet’s actions to Satan. Even if the Prophet is in error, there are other possible, and more charitable, explanations such as genuine misinterpretation of experiences. I am not a believer, and I know what the Bible, and the Koran, has to say about people like me. But I also support freedom of religion and peace. I think we secure the first, an get the second, by encouraging religious people to follow what the Church says in their discussions with people from other religions. I try to do this myself, with varying degrees of success, and failure.