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Is Muhammad a True Prophet of Abrahamic Religion?

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Is Muhammad a True Prophet of Abrahamic Religion? 1 IS MUHAMMAD A TRUE PROPHET OF ABRAHAMIC RELIGION? A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HIS PROPHETHOOD IN THE ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS Author Elbert Pogosjan Student Number U1272795 Institution University Tilburg Faculty School of Theology Master Christianity and Society (MaCS) Course Master Thesis Supervisors Prof. dr. M.J.H.M Poorthuis Examiner Prof. dr. M.J.H.M Poorthuis, Prof. dr. Ing R.P.H. Munnik Place & Date Tilburg, June 2016 Study year 2015-2016 2 Abstract In modern times, and due to the influence of mass media, a lot of activities from religious fields are heard especially from the Islamic faith. The religion has grown into global consideration as one of the main world religions in the world next to Christianity. These activities have generated a lot of interest in Islam and as well as the identity of its prophet, Muhammad. This thesis primarily examined the prophethood of Muhammad. The aim is to examine the view that he was a prophet according to the religious traditions of the Abrahamic Religions. This is done against the background that he claimed to be the last prophet of these Abrahamic Religions. In essence, this claim was the central analytical issue that this thesis researched. An analysis of this claim revealed that there are some basic elements of the Abrahamic Religions in his teachings, such as the creation, the fall of man and the Judgement Day. However, digging deeper presented some contradictions. These contradictions are so vital that other religions such as Christianity, which is also historically and theologically considered an Abrahamic Religion, seems to be an exact opposite of what Muhammad’s religion of Islam. Therefore, the biggest dilemma in this case is that Muhammad was supposed to confirm the previous Abrahamic Religions: Judaism and Christianity, which on the basis of the analytical evidences presented in this thesis, he failed to accomplish but appeared to have introduced a totally different religion resulting from very controversial teachings. Consequently, this thesis poses the burning question, “Is Muhammad a true prophet of Abrahamic Religions?” Through a comparative analysis of Christianity and Islam, a system of abrogation came up. This so-called system allows the newer teachings to replace the old ones, regardless of observable contradictions. This leaves a lot of gaps for varied interpretations as to whether Muhammad can be considered a true prophet even if not minding the aforementioned contradictions. However, in reality, there are still some aspects of these contradictions which fall outside of the category of a “teaching.” By this therefore, difficult to resolve dilemmas and notable contradictions are established in this thesis to be existing between Christianity and Islam. Furthermore, analysis revealed that there is an objective approach that can be used in establishing the fact of Muhammad as a true prophet of Abrahamic religion. This refers to the claim of Muhammad himself that he is prophesied in the Torah and in the Gospels. By extension, the claims of Islamic scholars who through a study of biblical text often teach that Muhammad is indeed prophesised in the Bible, are rather gross misinterpretation of the text albeit through wrong formulation of words and misapplications of contexts. This thesis therefore concluded that Muhammad is not prophesied in Bible. This equally stressed that the religious propaganda of a corrupted Bible is borne out of this false premises. To argue that because the Bible has been corrupted led to the disbelief that Muhammad was indeed prophesised in the Bible is evidently false. Although an Analysis of this claim actually revealed that it does exist in Islamic sources. But it originated in the time of Muhammad and focused only on a certain Jewish group. In fact, further analysis proved the opposite: Muhammad himself believed and respected the Bible which was available in his time. In addition, evidences show that the Bible existing nowadays predated Muhammad. If indeed it was truly so that certain Bibles among some Jewish groups were corrupted, the Bible we have in our possession now must have predated Muhammad. This thesis concluded with this assertion. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 5 Chapter 1: What is Abrahamic Religion? 13 Chapter 2: A Short Life History of Muhammad 19 Chapter 3: Muhammad in the Bible 29 Chapter 4: What Muhammad said about the Bible 46 Chapter 5: Reflection 54 Chapter 6: Conclusion 59 Bibliography 63 4 Introduction Sunni Islam and Christianity are generally considered the world biggest religions. Both of these Abrahamic religions find their roots in Judaism. It is understood from Christian point of view that Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism according to Jesus’s statement in Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.” This belief is founded on the teaching that all the previous prophets, who were of Israel, were sent first to prepare the way for the Christ who then finally would come to bring the fulfilment. However on the other hand, Muhammad, the prophet of Islam who came after Jesus, said that he is the last of the prophets according to Surah 33:40 “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.”. According to Allah in Surah 16:39 “and certainly We have raised in every nation an apostle...” all nations had received their prophets except the Arabs, to whom finally Muhammad was sent “..,people whose fathers were not warned,..” Surah 36:2-6, 25:24, 42:7, 6:92 . According to the Quran, which is the source of the authoritative teachings of Allah passed on by Muhammad, the claim of Surah 5:44 is that Islam is the last of the Abrahamic religions. Also, according to Surah 5:49, the last religion revealed by Allah is called to confirm the first of the Abrahamic religions, which are Judaism and Christianity. (“To thee We sent the Scripture (Quran) in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety”). Likewise, Suras 5:44-49 makes it clear that the scriptures which came before it (the Quran) are the Tawrah which is considered as the Torah and the Injil also known as the Gospels. The Old Testament, also called the Tenach, is the book that is used by Jews, which is the main book in Judaism. The New Testament is the main book for Christians, yet Christians also accept the Old Testament as divine revelation of God. Ibn Kathir, one of the most respected and the most consulted commentator in Sunni Islam next to Ibn Abbas, Imam al- Suyuti, Al Tabari et all, confirms in his commentary on surah 5:48 that the scriptures that came before it are the Tawrah and the Injil: Allah mentioned the Tawrah that He sent down to His Prophet Musa, the one whom He spoke directly to, praising it, commanding that it should be implemented, before it was abrogated. Allah then mentioned the Injil, praised it and commanded its people to adhere to it and follow it, as we stated. He next mentioned the Glorious Qur'an that He sent down to His honorable servant and Messenger. Allah said, (And We have sent down to you the 5 Book in truth...) meaning, with the truth that, no doubt, is coming from Allah, (confirming the Scripture that came before it) meaning, the Divinely Revealed Books that praised the Qur'an and mentioned that it would be sent down from Allah to His servant and Messenger Muhammad.1 In other words, from Islamic view, the Abrahamic religions consist of Judaism, Christianity, and finally Islam. Therefore, according to Islam these should confirm each other with Islam regarded as the seal of the Abrahamic religion.2 However, when the teachings of Christianity and Islam are compared, they do not seem to match up. Rather, there are contradictions and apparent differences. For example, the teachings on marriage in Islam vary strongly when compared to that of Christianity. Jesus, the founder of Christianity, taught that a man should marry one woman and that the two will become one flesh. This is used as a metaphor for a body. In Mark 10:6-8, we read that: “God made them male and female. For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.” Similarly, Paul in 1 Timothy 3:2 adds that “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober- minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach.” In fact, according to Matthew 19:9, marrying another wife is equal to committing adultery: “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” This translates into breaking the legal requirement of the Ten Commandments as contained in Exodus 20:14: “Thou shall not commit adultery.” Muhammad on the other hand taught that it is allowed for a man to have four wives as taught in Sura 4:3: “If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.” He further teaches in Sura 23:1-6, Sura 4:24, and Sura 33:50 that other woman who are in possession of man’s right hand, are allowed.
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