Contents ...

Islamic Monotheism
  Monotheiem in Divinity
  Monotheism in Worship
  Monotheism in Attributes
Christian Trinitarianism
  Nicene Creed
  Athanasian Creed
Islamic viewpoint on doctrine of Trinity
Biblical perspective
Addendum: A summary of what Muslims believe of Jesus

  Monotheism is the call of all Prophets and Messengers of God. It is the first command to any believer, the Qur’an says
"We sent Noah to his people. He said: O my people worship God ye have no other god but Him. I fear for you the punishment of a dreadful day." (Holy Qur'an 7:59)

"To the Aad people, (we sent) Hud, one of their (own) brethren: he said: O my people worship God ye have no other god but Him will ye not fear (God)?" (Holy Qur'an 7:65)

“To the Thamud people (we sent) Salih, one of their own brethren: he said: O my people worship God; ye have no other god but Him” (Holy Qur’an 7:73)

"For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger, (with the Command), "Serve God, and eschew Evil" (Holy Qur'an 16:36)

"Not a messenger did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me." (Holy Qur'an 21:25)

(P.S. starters should note that reference to God with ‘We’ and ‘Us’ is for purpose of grandeur, not plurality.)

  There are three kinds of Monotheism: Monotheism in Divinity, in Worship and in Attributes.

Monotheism in Divinity …
  It is to believe in One Supreme God Who has created everything and controls all affairs with no partners.
“And your God is One God: there is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.” (Holy Qur’an 2:163)

  Muslim theologians usually use argument of impossibility to prove that God is One. If there were two gods who wanted to move an object; one wanted to move it right and the other wanted to move it left, we would have three possible results:

• Both gods would enforce their wills and move the same object in the same time according to their wills. This is impossible because it demands simultaneous occurrence of two opposite acts.
• One would enforce his will against the other’s and move the object to right or left. This means that the one who enforced his will is the true God and the other isn’t since the latter was unable to enforce his will.
• The object would stand still without movement to right or left. This is impossible because it means that both are unable, hence, cannot be gods.

“No son did God beget, nor is there any god along with Him: (if there were many gods) behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have lorded it over others! Glory to God! (He is free) from the (sort of) things they attribute to Him!” (Holy Qur'an 23:91)

“God has said: take not (for worship) two gods: for He is just One God: then fear Me (and Me alone). (Holy Qur'an 16:51)

Monotheism in Worship …
  It is to worship and serve One God. Many people pay lip service they are Monotheists, but they actually offer prayers and worship to other than God. Ancient Pagan Arabs used to believe in One Supreme God Who has created heavens and earth (Qur’an 31:25 and 23:84-85), but they used to pray to and worship idols as intercessors and mediators.
“Is it not to God that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors others than God (say): We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to God.” (Holy Qur’an 39:3)

“They serve, beside God, things that hurt them not nor profit them, and they say: these are our intercessors with God.” (Holy Qur’an 10:18)

  There is stress in the Qur’an on the point that if you believe in One God, then none is worthy of worship but Him.
“Say: truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for God, the Cherisher of the worlds: No partner hath He: this am I commanded, and I am the first of those who bow to his will.” (Holy Qur’an 6:162-163)

“O my people worship God ye have no other god but Him.” (Holy Qur’an 7:59, 65, 73 and 85)

  I’d like to point that what is meant by ‘god’ is not necessarily an idol or a saint to whom official prayers and worship are directed. Anything that is served in association with God is meant here. Consider this verse
“Then seest thou such a one as takes as his god his own vain desire?” (Holy Qur’an 45:23)

  It is true that many people follow and serve their own desire. This draws our attention to those who associate partners to God without knowing they do. I have briefly discussed above the position of those who associate partners with God in worship as a part of their official creed, although they ‘believe’ in One Supreme God. There are also people who ignorantly associate with God others in worship.
“By God, our Lord, we did not mean to be of those who joined gods with God.” (Holy Qur’an 6:23-24)

  Examples of these gods are multiple; power, fame, wealth, et cetera. The one who serves any of these gods is certainly associating partners with God. It should be noted that Islam does not prohibit success; it just makes distinction between serving success as a destination and using it as a tool to serve the One True God. For example, Islam makes distinction between a surgeon who wants to save lives and another surgeon who wants to make money, although both may perform the very same operations. It also makes distinction between a soldier who joins the battlefield to be called a hero and another soldier whose aim is establishment of justice. That’s why many people can simply be unaware of this kind of Shirk (i.e. association of partners with God).

  But the worst kind of Shirk (i.e. association of partners with God) is showing off.
Mahmoud Ibn Lubaid reported, "God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: "The thing I fear for you the most is minor Shirk." The companions asked "Oh! Messenger of God, what is minor Shirk?" He replied " showing off, for verily God will say on the Day of Resurrection when people are receiving their rewards, 'Go to those for whom you were showing off in the material world and see if you can find any reward from them.'" (Reported by Ahmad, Tabarani and Baihaqi in Book of Zuhd. See Tayseer Al-'Azeez Al-Hameed, p.118.)

Mahmoud Ibn Lubaid also said, "The Prophet (peace be upon him) came out and announced, 'O people, beware of secret Shirk!' The people asked, 'O Messenger of God, what is secret Shirk?' He replied, 'When a man gets up to pray and strives to beautify his prayer because people are looking at him; that is secret Shirk.'" (Collected by Ibn Khuzaimah.)

  It is the worst kind because one thinks that he pleases God with his prayers and charity while God dislikes his acts. Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips says: “In fact, the likelihood that knowledgeable true believers would commit ash-Shirk al-Akbar (i.e. Major Shirk) is small, since its pitfalls are so obvious. But, for the true believer like everyone else, the chance of committing Riyaa (i.e. Showing off) is great because it is so hidden. It only involves the simple act of changing one's intention. The motivating forces behind it are also very strong, since it comes from man's inner nature.” (The Fundamentals of Tawheed by Dr. Bilal Philips - my commnets are in italic.)

Monotheism in Attributes …
  It is to maintain God's Attributes without explaining them away. For example, we know that God is Intimate, but not as our intimacy. We know He is Mighty, but not as our might. It is also not to give God attributes of His creation or give creatures Attributes of God. God never eats, drinks, excretes, sleeps, et cetera.
“Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.” (Holy Qur’an 112:1-4)

  Unlike uncompromising Islamic Monotheism, Christians believe in Trinity. It is described by early Church Fathers in what is known as Creeds.

The Text of the Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
     the Father, the Almighty,
     maker of heaven and earth,
     of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
     the only Son of God,
     eternally begotten of the Father,
     God from God, Light from Light,
     true God from true God,
     begotten, not made,
     of one Being with the Father.
     Through Him all things were made.
     For us and for our salvation
          He came down from heaven:
     by the power of the Holy Spirit
          He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
          and was made man.
     For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
     He suffered death and was buried.
     On the third day He rose again
          in accordance with the Scriptures;
     He ascended into heaven
          and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
     He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
          and His kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
     who proceeds from the Father.*
     With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified.
     He has spoken through the Prophets.
     We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
     We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
     We look for the resurrection of the dead,
          and the life of the world to come. AMEN.

*Roman Catholics and Protestants add ‘and the Son’ at this point.

The Text of the Athanasian Creed
Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except everyone do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance.

For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. But the godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.

Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.

The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet they are not three eternals, but one Eternal.

As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one Uncreated, and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three almighties, but one Almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three gods, but one God.

So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord. And yet not three lords, but one Lord.

For as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge each Person by Himself to be both God and Lord, so we are also forbidden by the catholic religion to say that there are three gods or three lords.

The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

So there is one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.

And in the Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another, but all three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.

He therefore that will be saved is must think thus of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man; God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of the substance of his mother, born in the world; perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father, as touching His godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching His manhood; who, although He is God and man, yet he is not two, but one Christ; one, not by conversion of the godhead into flesh but by taking of the manhood into God; one altogether; not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ; who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, He sits at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He will come to judge the quick and the dead. At His coming all men will rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.

This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.

  Since the early beginning, Islam leads an uncompromising course concerning the cause of Monotheism. It has utterly rejected the Trinity as a sort of blasphemy
“They do blaspheme who say: God is one of three in a trinity: for there is no god except One God. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.” (Holy Qur’an 5:73)

  Muslims believe in One God Who is known in the Trinity as the Father, Jesus (peace be upon him) is recognized in Islam as Messenger of God to Israelites, and the Holy Spirit, who is also known as Archangel Gabriel, is recognized as one of God’s angels. This is why they are recognized as three different beings; God, His Messenger and His Angel.

  Christians, in return, accuse Muslims of not even knowing what the Trinity is, and claim that Muslims think that the Trinity is of the Father, the Mother (i.e. Mary) and the Son. They usually quote this Qur’anic verse in support of their argument
“And behold! God will say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! didst thou say unto men, "Worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of God?" He will say: "Glory to Thee! Never could I say what I had no right (to say).” (Holy Qur’an 5:116)

  Though, this verse merely refers to Jesus and Mary as being ‘gods’. I have discussed above the concept of Shirk (i.e. association of partners with God) when one directs his prayers and worship to other persons in association with God Almighty. Following this line, the above verse can be perfectly applied on Roman Catholics (who outnumber all other Christian sects) who, until today, pray to Mary as ‘Mother of God’. They use the next official rosary of Catholic Church

"Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!"

  The components of Trinity are mentioned in another passage of the Qur’an
“Say not "Trinity": desist: it will be better for you: for God is one God: glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is God as a Disposer of affairs. Christ disdaineth not to serve and worship God, nor do the angels, those nearest (to God).” (Holy Qur’an 4:171-172)

  From logical point of view, Trinitarianism inevitably contradicts Monotheism. Once Christians admit they worship three separate deities, no discord will remain. Muslims refuse Christians to identify themselves as Monotheists since they do not fulfill proper standards of Pure Monotheism either in Divinity, Worship or Attributes.

  In the Bible, there are plenty of passages that reject divinity of Jesus and, consequently, the Trinity (with absence of any passage that proves any). For example, the following clear-cut saying of Jesus (peace be upon him)
“And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.” (Matthew 19:16-17. See also Mark 10:17-19 and Luke 18:18-20)

  There is another passage in which Jesus (peace be upon him) declares his lack of knowledge about the Hour
“But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” (Mark 13:32. See also Matthew 24:36)

  This does not sound like the Omniscient God! Confer also Mark 11:13 that exposes Jesus’ lack of knowledge about seasons!

  I have discussed before the argument of impossibility used to prove impossibility of presence of two Gods due to opposition of their wills. This argument is well applied in the Bible to refute Jesus’ divinity, consider the following saying of Jesus
“Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42. See also Mark 14:36 and Matthew 26:39)

  If the Father’s Will is done against Jesus’, then the Father is the Omnipotent God and Jesus is just His helpless servant. This is confirmed by many other passages in the Bible
“I can of mine own self do nothing” (John 5:30)

“… but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.” (Matthew 20:23)

“And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.” (Luke 22:43)

  If the angel came to strengthen God, I would worship the angel instead!

  So, did Jesus claim to be God? Well, when one hears the boastful statement of Christian apologists and polemicists that “Jesus claimed to be God”, what kind of statement will one expect to read in the Gospels? One would assume to read something like “I am God.” or “Worship Me!”, but there are none. Every Christian apologist secretly wishes such statements would exist. I quote Mishaal Ibn Abdullah

"Did Jesus (pbuh) ever explicitly or implicitly say 'I am a god' or 'I am 'God' or 'worship me' any other words to that effect?. Further, did anyone at all, anywhere in the Bible, from cover to cover, ever say that God is triune, a trinity, three, or three-in-one?"

To this day, every time anyone ever asks me to discuss this matter the discussion starts with "Yes! Of course! Jesus said all of this clearly!" The claim then moves on to "No, he did not say it in so many words, however, he implied it in many places." Then finally we arrive at "Well, he does not need to say any of it. It is clear to anyone who has faith. You just do not have any faith."

If my father's name is Frank, and Joe comes to me and says "your father, Frank, wants you to give me all your money and the deed to your house," would it then be unreasonable for me to ask for proof? In a matter of such profound importance, if I asked him to produce a signed document, a cassette tape, or a video tape proving this statement and verifying that it indeed came from my father, would this be such an unreasonable request?

If I ask Joe for such proof directly from Frank himself, would it be acceptable for him to reply "Yes, well, Jim says so" or "Henry says so" or "Roger says so"? Am I to understand from Joe that my father considered the handing over of my house and all of my money such a trivial matter that there would be no need for him to hand over to Joe any kind of verification of this command? Is it acceptable for Joe to tell me: "well, your father may not have said it in so many words, but he 'hinted' at it, and I 'gathered' that I should now come and take over your house and bank account"? If in addition to all of the above, if I then find that the words of Jim, Henry and Roger were further such "hints" which were all taken out of context, should this increase my faith in this claim?

This man is asking that I hand my whole life savings and my very home over to him and claims that my father wants me to do this yet he wants me to understand that it is not necessary for him to produce any proof directly from my father himself, rather it is only necessary for him to make the claim and then claim that my father "hinted" that I should do this, or that he "gathered" that my father wanted me to do this. Would anyone in their right mind accept such a statement? Why then when we now are dealing with our ultimate salvation, a commodity which is more valuable than any conceivable wealth or property, is it no longer necessary for Jesus (peace be upon him) himself to teach any of the fundamental doctrines, rather it is entirely appropriate to claim that he spent his life "hinting" at these doctrines not willing to openly commit himself to them in clear words and statements and that the only time he was clear and direct was when he was endorsing what the Qur'an told us he said?

Why is it that when God tells us in the Qur'an that Jesus (pbuh) never made a given claim, like endorsing the 'trinity' or claiming to be a god (or God, or part of God, or one of three forms or faces of God), why only now do we suddenly need to understand that he only 'hints' at it in the Bible and then leaves it up to us to "gather" that he wanted us to adopt such beliefs? Why do so many highly respected Christian scholars and Biblical references confirm the words of God in the Qur'an by admitting that the "trinity" doctrine can not be found anywhere in the Bible?

1) Jesus (peace be upon him) is a servant of God and His Messenger. God sent him to the Children of Israel to lead them to the right religion after they were corrupted.

2) God granted Jesus many miracles as proof to his Message and his truthfulness. Some of these miracles were: raising up the dead, bringing sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf curing the paralyzed, those who have incurable diseases and curing the lepers. He also told people of what they stored in their houses, what they will eat the next day and he made little food sufficient for many people. God made Jesus a blessed one, wherever he went.

3) Jesus called to the worship of God (in Arabic Allah), alone, and taking no partners with Him. He was a good example in worshipping God and fearing Him. He never committed sins. He spent his life, after he was sent, in calling to God and spreading His Word. No wife, son, residence or trading delayed him from performing this task. All what he sought was that humans purify their religion for the One who created the heavens and earth. He called upon them to work good deeds for the Last Day, to hold fast to righteousness and to have fear of God in their hearts, not only in their appearance.

4) Jesus was the result of a vow that the wife of Prophet 'Imran made. She vowed to save her unborn child for the sake of serving in the house of God and worshipping Him. Later, she found that she gave birth to a female. Still, she kept her promise. She called her daughter Mary. God raised Mary in the house of the Prophet Zachary, who was a leader of the Jews, as was the habit of their Prophets. Their Prophets were their leaders, teachers, guides and rulers. Whenever Zachary entered the corner where Mary used to worship God (Al-Mihrab), he would find unseasoned fruits. Whenever he asked her about it, she would say: "It is from God. He grants unlimited sustenance to whom He wishes." When Mary reached adulthood, God sent the Holy Ghost, the Angle Gabriel, to her. He appeared to her in the shape of a man. She sought refuge in God from him. He told her that he is the Angle of God, who came to tell her that God decreed that she will give birth to a blessed Prophet for the Israelites. This Prophet will call the Jews to God and will guide them to hold fast to the truth. God will teach him the Torah, send down to him Al-Injil (i.e. the Gospel) and grant him miracles to perform. She could not believe that she would give birth to a boy, when no man had touched her. The Angel of God told her that God does what He wills and that He is All-Capable of creating whatever He wishes. If He willed something, He would merely say to it: "Be," and it will be. The Angle blew into her, and she became pregnant. When she was due to deliver, she sought refuge in a distant place, away from peoples' eyes. She delivered her son, Jesus. She was afraid because of the shame, humiliation, and of being alone. She wished that she had died before that day, and that she was forgotten. She said: "Would that I had died before this, and had been forgotten and out of sight!" (confer Holy Qur'an 19:23).
  Then, God made the babe speak, when he was still lying beside her. He said: "O my mother, do not be afraid or sad. This is a stream of water, drink from it. This is a date-tree, just shake its trunk, and dates will fall from it. If you see anyone, do not speak and let me speak." This was Jesus' first miracle. When Mary carried her babe and went back to her people, they were astonished, seeing her carrying a babe in her hands. They started to blame her. They said: "0 Mary, you have done an evil thing indeed. You have committed a great mistake, O you who was an honorable worshipper. None of your family committed such a shameful act. Your father was not an evil doer, nor was your mother a whore, nor was any of your brothers evil." She pointed to the babe, as if saying: "Ask him." They were astonished that she pointed to an infant to speak and defend her. They said: "How Can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?". (Holy Qur'an 19:29).
  Then, Jesus stood up for the occasion, to explain his true nature and to defend his mother's honor. He said: "I am a servant of God. I will live to implement the Torah and to be a Prophet and Messenger of God. He will send down to me a Book, called Al-Injil. I will be a good example in behavior, honor, knowledge and fear of God. I will be blessed wherever I go. I will be one who prays and worships God, who sent me to call people to His worship. He said: "Verily! I am a servant of God, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me prayer, and Zakat (obligatory charity), as long as I live And dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest And peace be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive". (Holy Qur'an 19:30-33).

5) When Jesus reached adulthood, God gave him the knowledge of the Torah and sent down to him Al-Injil (the Gospel). God sent him to the Israelites as a Prophet and teacher, calling to Him. God gave him many miracles. The Israelites defied him, as they did with previous Prophets and Messengers. They refuted and refused him, all but a few of them. Jews then started plotting against him. They sought to discredit his Message and end it. They went to the Roman ruler to have Jesus killed. God said: 'And they (disbelievers) plotted (to kill Jesus), and God planned too. And God is the Best of the planners." (Holy Qur'an 3:54).
  When time for their crime to be done came, they sought to arrest Jesus to crucify and kill him. God made his appearance like one of them. God ascended Jesus to Him, in heaven. God said: "And they (disbelievers) plotted (to kill Jesus), and God planned too. And God is the Best of the planners. And (remember) when God said:"O Jesus! I will take you and raise you to Myself and clear you (of the forged statement that Jesus is God's son) of those who disbelieve" (Holy Qur'an 3:54-55).
  Roman authorities and Jews arrested the man who was made to look like Jesus. They then led him to crucifixion and death. Many thought that Jesus was crucified. Many of his Disciples knew the truth.

6) Muslims believe that Jesus is still alive and is in heaven. Before the Day of Judgment, he will descend to the Eastern part of Damascus. He will pray among the Muslims, followers of Muhammad. He will lead Muslims during a time of great turmoil and calamities. Of these calamities is the False Messiah (Al-A'war Ad-Dajjal), who will claim to be God. God will let this false Messiah perform many miracles. He will command the rain. The earth will expose its treasures and minerals and he will raise some of the dead. All these miracles do not change the fact that he is a cursed disbeliever. He will falsely claim to be God and the Lord. He will be blind in his right eye. Sinners, evil-doer and disbelievers will follow him. All those who have faith and fear of God will escape him. Jesus, the true Messiah, will follow the trail of this false Messiah, to kill him and purify the earth from his filth and disbelief When Jesus descends, he will order the breaking of the cross and the killing of those who worshipped them, who are idol worshippers. He will order the killing of all pigs, which Christians made permissible and ate. He will order people to pray and will rule them with the Quran.

7) Jesus is the most beloved Prophet to Muslims, after Muhammad. He was the last Prophet before Muhammad, our Prophet. He was the last great Messenger to give the good tidings of Muhammad's coming. He will be the one who leads Muslims near the end of the world. Prophet Muhammad said of him: "I, among people, is the one who claims the most, the loyalty of Jesus, the Son of Mary, in this life and in the Day After. There was no Prophet between me and him ." (narrated by Ahmad).

8) Muslims believe that those, among Christians, who believed that Jesus was a servant, a Messenger of God and His word, as the Bible clearly says, are in fact Muslims and believers. Whoever died on this belief (that Jesus was only a Prophet) before Muhammad was sent, will be among the people of Paradise. Whoever witnessed the Message of Muhammad and believed in him, God will double his reward, for believing in both Jesus and Muhammad. Whoever, among Christians, believes that Jesus is God, begotten Son of God, one in three (the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost), a perfect God and a perfect man altogether, is a disbeliever. Muslims believe that such people, who believe in the above, are disbelievers in God, and will enter Hell for eternity because they are rebels against the Messages of all Prophets. Such people are not followers of Jesus, Moses or any other Prophet. These Prophets did not claim that Jesus is God.

9) Muslims believe that those who believe that Jesus was crucified or that God let the Jews kill and crucify him, after spitting in his face, are disbelievers. They have false beliefs concerning Jesus, who was not killed nor crucified. God raised Jesus and saved him from the disbelievers. He gave the likeness of Jesus to one of them. It was that double whom the Jews killed, not Jesus.

10) Muslims treat as lies and false, what the Christians claim, that Jesus is God, the Son of God, part human and part God or that he came to save people from Adam's sin and gave his blood for this. Whoever has such beliefs is a disbeliever who will enter Hell for eternity.

11) Muslims think that Christians are the ones who are the closest to Islam and the ones who ought to believe in Muhammad. If the Christians implemented the Gospel and ruled by what truth it still possesses, they would believe in the Message of Muhammad, the last of all Messengers. God said: "... and you will find the nearest in love to the believers (Muslims) those who say: "We are Christians." That is because amongst them are priests and monks, and they are not proud (in arrogance)" (Holy Qur'an 5:82).