CONTENTS

Chapter 18 Should Christians or Muslims change religions?

In the Bible and the Qur’an, no one is ever commanded to convert (i.e. to change from one religion to another). Let us demonstrate this first from the Qur’an.

The Qur’an

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آَمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

“Truly those who believe and the Jews and the Christians and the Sabeans – whoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day and does good deeds – they have their reward from their Lord, and they shall have no fear on them nor will they be sad.” (Al-Baqara 2:62)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئُونَ وَالنَّصَارَى مَنْ آَمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

“Truly those who believe and the Jews and the Sabeans and the Christians – whoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day and does good deeds – they shall have no fear on them nor will they be sad.” (Al-Maida 5:69)

The verses say very clearly that Christians, Jews and Sabeans have no need to change religions, but that they are totally acceptable to God if they believe and do good works.

If fact, the Qur’an tells Christians that they should judge by what God has revealed in the Injil (New Testament), and if they don’t they are unbelievers.

وَلْيَحْكُمْ أَهْلُ الإِنْجِيلِ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

So let the people of the Injil judge by what Allah has revealed in it. Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed are unbelievers. (Al-Maida 5:47)

Since the Injil (New Testament) never says that Christians need to become Muslims, then the Qur’an tells Christians not to convert to Islam.

As for the verses that use submission (الإسلام) in the Qur’an, for instance:

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلاَمُ

Religion to Allah means submission. (Aal Imran 3:19)

(and similar verses like Aal Imran 3:85, Al-Maida 5:3 and Al-Saff 61:7), these will be discussed in depth in Chapter 19. We saw there that Islam in the Qur’an means submission, and that it is submission that is true religion in God’s eyes.

The New Testament

In the New Testament also, changing religious communities is not encouraged.

Εἰ µὴ ἑκάστῳ ὡς ἐµέρισεν ὁ κύριος, ἕκαστον ὡς κέκληκεν ὁ θεός, οὕτως περιπατείτω· καὶ οὕτως ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις πάσαις διατάσσοµαι. περιτετµηµένος τις ἐκλήθη; µὴ ἐπισπάσθω. ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ κέκληταί τις; µὴ περιτεµνέσθω. ἡ περιτοµὴ οὐδέν ἐστιν, καὶ ἡ ἀκροβυστία οὐδέν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ τήρησις ἐντολῶν θεοῦ. ἕκαστος ἐν τῇ κλήσει ᾗ ἐκλήθη ἐν ταύτῃ µενέτω. δοῦλος ἐκλήθης; µή σοι µελέτω· ἀλλ’ εἰ καὶ δύνασαι ἐλεύθερος γενέσθαι, µᾶλλον χρῆσαι. ὁ γὰρ ἐν κυρίῳ κληθεὶς δοῦλος ἀπελεύθερος κυρίου ἐστίν· ὁµοίως ὁ ἐλεύθερος κληθεὶς δοῦλός ἐστιν Χριστοῦ. τιµῆς ἠγοράσθητε· µὴ γίνεσθε δοῦλοι ἀνθρώπων. ἕκαστος ἐν ᾧ ἐκλήθη, ἀδελφοί, ἐν τούτῳ µενέτω παρὰ θεῷ.

Nevertheless, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each person, so must he live. This is my rule in all the churches. Was anyone called after he had been circumcised? He should not try to undo his circumcision. Was anyone called who is uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Instead, keeping God’s commandments is what counts. Let each one remain in that situation in life in which he was called. Were you called as a slave? Do not worry about it. But if indeed you are able to be free, rather use it. For the one who was called in the Lord as a slave is the Lord’s freedman. In the same way, the one who was called as a free person is Christ’s slave. You were bought with a price. Do not become slaves of men. In whatever situation someone was called, brothers and sisters, let him remain in it with God. (1 Corinthians 7:17-24)

In other words, changing religious communities (from circumcised to uncircumcised, in addition to changing socio-economic state and marital status, which is covered in the surrounding verses) is not encouraged.

διὸ ἐγὼ κρίνω µὴ παρενοχλεῖν τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπιστρέφουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, 20 ἀλλὰ ἐπιστεῖλαι αὐτοῖς τοῦ ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν ἀλισγηµάτων τῶν εἰδώλων καὶ τῆς πορνείας καὶ τοῦ πνικτοῦ καὶ τοῦ αἵµατος·

“Therefore I conclude that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things defiled by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood. (Acts 15:19-20)

In these verses, it was decided that it was not necessary for believers in Jesus who were not Jews, and thus not circumcised, to become circumcised and thus change their religious communities.

Honoring parents

Both the Bible and the Qur’an command people to honor their parents, and changing religious communities is almost always dishonoring to parents. The Bible and the Qur’an say:

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لاَ تَعْبُدُونَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَآَتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً مِنْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ

So we made a covenant with the people of Israel: You will worship Allah alone, do good to parents, relatives, orphans and the poor. Tell people what is good, perform prayers and pay the poor-tax. Then all except a few of you turned away in aversion. (Al-Baqara 2:83)

وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْجَارِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنْبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ مَنْ كَانَ مُخْتَالاً فَخُورًا

Worship Allah and do not worship any other god beside him. Do good to your parents, your relatives, orphans, the needy, neighboring relatives, neighbors who are strangers, close friends, travelers, and your slaves. Allah does not love the proud and boastful, (Al-Nisa 4:36)

قُلْ تَعَالَوْا أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَلاَّ تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَلاَ تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلاَدَكُمْ مِنْ إِمْلاَقٍ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ وَلاَ تَقْرَبُوا الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَلاَ تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

Say, “Come and I will read what your Lord has forbidden for you: do not have other gods beside him, do good to parents, do not kill your children because of poverty – we provide for you and them, – stay away from promiscuity, whether it is obvious or hidden, and do not kill someone, which Allah has forbidden, except in truth. He commanded you that, so that you may comprehend. (Al-Anaam 6:151)

وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُوا إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلاَهُمَا فَلاَ تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلاَ تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَهُمَا قَوْلاً كَرِيمًا

Your Lord decreed that you should not worship anyone but him, and to do good to parents, whether one or both of them grow old with you. Do not grumble at them and do not rebuke them, but speak to them graciously. (Al-Isra 17:23)

وَوَصَّيْنَا الإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ إِحْسَانًا حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ كُرْهًا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًا وَحَمْلُهُ وَفِصَالُهُ ثَلاَثُونَ شَهْرًا حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً قَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِي إِنِّي تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

We commanded people to do good to their parents. Their mothers bore them in pain and gave birth to them in pain. The pregnancy until weaning lasts thirty months. When he is fully grown and turns forty years old, he said, “My Lord, remind me to give you thanks for the blessings you gave me and my parents, and to do righteous deeds that please you. Give me righteous descendants. I repent to you, and I have submitted.” (Al-Ahqaf 46:15)

כַּבֵּד אֶת-אָבִיךָ, וְאֶת-אִמֶּךָ–לְמַעַן, יַאֲרִכוּן יָמֶיךָ, עַל הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ.

Honor your father and your mother,that you may live a long time in the land the LORD your God is giving to you. (Exodus 20:12)

כַּבֵּד אֶת-אָבִיךָ וְאֶת-אִמֶּךָ, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ–לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכֻן יָמֶיךָ, וּלְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ, עַל הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ.

Honor your father and your mother just as the LORD your God has commanded you to do, so that your days may be extended and that it may go well with you in the land that he is about to give you. (Deuteronomy 5:16)

ὁ γὰρ θεὸς εἶπεν, Τίµα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν µητέρα, καί, Ὁ κακολογῶν πατέρα ἢ µητέρα θανάτῳ τελευτάτω·

For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ (Matthew 15:4)

τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας· Μὴ µοιχεύσῃς, Μὴ φονεύσῃς, Μὴ κλέψῃς, Μὴ ψευδοµαρτυρήσῃς, Τίµα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν µητέρα.

You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'” (Luke 18:20)

τίµα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν µητέρα, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐντολὴ πρώτη ἐν ἐπαγγελίᾳ, 3 ἵνα εὖ σοι γένηται καὶ ἔσῃ µακροχρόνιος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely, “that it may go well with you and that you will live a long time on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:2-3)

So both the Bible and the Qur’an affirm the value of honoring parents, which implies not changing religious communities.

The word “convert”

In the New Testament, there is a word that means to convert from one religion to another. This word is προσήλυτος prosylutos (proselyte). It is used four times in the New Testament. Let us look at these four uses:

Οὐαὶ ὑµῖν, γραµµατεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι περιάγετε τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν ξηρὰν ποιῆσαι ἕνα προσήλυτον, καὶ ὅταν γένηται ποιεῖτε αὐτὸν υἱὸν γεέννης διπλότερον ὑµῶν.

“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves! (Matthew 23:15)

Ἰουδαῖοί τε καὶ προσήλυτοι, Κρῆτες καὶ Ἄραβες, ἀκούοµεν λαλούντων αὐτῶν ταῖς ἡµετέραις γλώσσαις τὰ µεγαλεῖα τοῦ θεοῦ.

Both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs– we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great deeds God has done!” (Acts 2:11)

καὶ ἤρεσεν ὁ λόγος ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ πλήθους, καὶ ἐξελέξαντο Στέφανον, ἄνδρα πλήρης πίστεως καὶ πνεύµατος ἁγίου, καὶ Φίλιππον καὶ Πρόχορον καὶ Νικάνορα καὶ Τίµωνα καὶ Παρµενᾶν καὶ Νικόλαον προσήλυτον Ἀντιοχέα,

The proposal pleased the entire group, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch. (Acts 6:5)

λυθείσης δὲ τῆς συναγωγῆς ἠκολούθησαν πολλοὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ τῶν σεβοµένων προσηλύτων τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ τῷ Βαρναβᾷ, οἵτινες προσλαλοῦντες αὐτοῖς ἔπειθον αὐτοὺς προσµένειν τῇ χάριτι τοῦ θεοῦ.

When the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuading them to continue in the grace of God. (Acts 13:43)

As we see, in all four uses of this term, it refers to non-Jews (Gentiles) who had become Jews. It describes what they had done, but it is not encouraged in any way. Indeed, the first of the verses can be seen as a strong warning against conversion from one religious group to another.

In some English translations of the New Testament, the translation “convert” occurs as a translation of different Greek words that do not refer to changing from one religious group to another. Examples include the Greek words evpistre,fw( (epistrefo, which means to turn, turn back, or return), and ἀπαρχὴ (aparchi, which means first fruits). The use of “convert” as a translation of these words in some English translations is not accurate.

So the only word in the New Testament that refers to converting from one religious system to another does not support the idea of people converting to a different religion.

Jewish followers of Jesus remained Jews

Furthermore, Jesus never asks any of his disciples to convert from being Jews to anything else. And nothing his Jewish disciples ever did that is revealed in the New Testament indicates that they changed from being Jews to something else. On the contrary, they remained part of the Jewish community but followed Jesus, which made them different from other Jews. Let us look at these example.

Καὶ ἐν τῷ συµπληροῦσθαι τὴν ἡµέραν τῆς πεντηκοστῆς ἦσαν πάντες ὁµοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό.

Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. (Acts 2:1)

κεκρίκει γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος παραπλεῦσαι τὴν Ἔφεσον, ὅπως µὴ γένηται αὐτῷ χρονοτριβῆσαι ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ, ἔσπευδεν γὰρ εἰ δυνατὸν εἴη αὐτῷ τὴν ἡµέραν τῆς πεντηκοστῆς γενέσθαι εἰς Ἱεροσόλυµα.

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so as not to spend time in the province of Asia, for he was hurrying to arrive in Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. (Acts 20:16)

They celebrated Jewish feasts.

Πέτρος δὲ καὶ Ἰωάννης ἀνέβαινον εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ὥραν τῆς προσευχῆς τὴν ἐνάτην.

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. Acts 3:1

δυναµένου σου ἐπιγνῶναι ὅτι οὐ πλείους εἰσίν µοι ἡµέραι δώδεκα ἀφ’ ἧς ἀνέβην προσκυνήσων εἰς Ἰερουσαλήµ,

“As you can verify for yourself, not more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.” (Acts 24:11)

They prayed and worshipped in the Jewish temple.

καθ’ ἡµέραν τε προσκαρτεροῦντες ὁµοθυµαδὸν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, κλῶντές τε κατ’ οἶκον ἄρτον, µετελάµβανον τροφῆς ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει καὶ ἀφελότητι καρδίας,

Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts, (Acts 2:46)

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν αὔριον συναχθῆναι αὐτῶν τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους καὶ τοὺς γραµµατεῖς ἐν Ἰερουσαλήµ καὶ Ἅννας ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ Καϊάφας καὶ Ἰωάννης καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος καὶ ὅσοι ἦσαν ἐκ γένους ἀρχιερατικοῦ καὶ στήσαντες αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ µέσῳ ἐπυνθάνοντο, Ἐν ποίᾳ δυνάµει ἢ ἐν ποίῳ ὀνόµατι ἐποιήσατε τοῦτο ὑµεῖς;

On the next day, their rulers, elders, and experts in the law came together in Jerusalem. Ananias the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others who were members of the high priest’s family. After making Peter and John stand in their midst, they began to inquire, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” (Acts 4:5-7)

∆ιὰ δὲ τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγίνετο σηµεῖα καὶ τέρατα πολλὰ ἐν τῷ λαῷ· καὶ ἦσαν ὁµοθυµαδὸν ἅπαντες ἐν τῇ Στοᾷ Σολοµῶντος.

Now many miraculous signs and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By common consent they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico. (Acts 5:12)

ἄγγελος δὲ κυρίου διὰ νυκτὸς ἤνοιξε τὰς θύρας τῆς φυλακῆς ἐξαγαγών τε αὐτοὺς εἶπεν, Πορεύεσθε καὶ σταθέντες λαλεῖτε ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τῷ λαῷ πάντα τὰ ῥήµατα τῆς ζωῆς ταύτης.

An angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple courts and proclaim to the people all the words of this life.” (Acts 5:19-20)

πᾶσάν τε ἡµέραν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ καὶ κατ’ οἶκον οὐκ ἐπαύοντο διδάσκοντες καὶ εὐαγγελιζόµενοι τὸν Χριστόν, Ἰησοῦν.

And every day both in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus was the Christ. (Acts 5:42)

They met in a Jewish temple and could go into the temple courts. If the Jewish high court in Acts 4:5-7 had thought they were not Jews, they would not have asked calmly how they did the miracle, but would have reacted violently, as they did in Acts 21:28-31.

τότε ὑπέβαλον ἄνδρας λέγοντας ὅτι Ἀκηκόαµεν αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ῥήµατα βλάσφηµα εἰς Μωϋσῆν καὶ τὸν θεόν· συνεκίνησάν τε τὸν λαὸν καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους καὶ τοὺς γραµµατεῖς, καὶ ἐπιστάντες συνήρπασαν αὐτὸν καὶ ἤγαγον εἰς τὸ συνέδριον,

Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard this man speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” They incited the people, the elders, and the experts in the law; then they approached Stephen, seized him, and brought him before the council. (Acts 6:11-12)

This is only relevant to someone who is a Jew.

Ὁ δὲ Σαῦλος, ἔτι ἐµπνέων ἀπειλῆς καὶ φόνου εἰς τοὺς µαθητὰς τοῦ κυρίου, προσελθὼν τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ 2 ᾐτήσατο παρ’ αὐτοῦ ἐπιστολὰς εἰς ∆αµασκὸν πρὸς τὰς συναγωγάς, ὅπως ἐάν τινας εὕρῃ τῆς ὁδοῦ ὄντας, ἄνδρας τε καὶ γυναῖκας, δεδεµένους ἀγάγῃ εἰς Ἰερουσαλήµ.

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats to murder the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. (Acts 9:1-2)

καὶ εὐθέως ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς ἐκήρυσσεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ.

And immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “This man is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:20)

καὶ γενόµενοι ἐν Σαλαµῖνι κατήγγελλον τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς τῶν Ἰουδαίων· εἶχον δὲ καὶ Ἰωάννην ὑπηρέτην.

When they (Barnabas, Saul, and company) arrived in Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. (Acts 13:5)

They met in Jewish synagogues and taught there.

ὅτε δὲ ἀνέβη Πέτρος εἰς Ἰερουσαλήµ, διεκρίνοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ ἐκ περιτοµῆς λέγοντες ὅτι Εἰσῆλθες πρὸς ἄνδρας ἀκροβυστίαν ἔχοντας καὶ συνέφαγες αὐτοῖς.

So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers took issue with him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and shared a meal with them.” ( Acts 11:2-3)

Eating with uncircumcised men is only an issue for Jews.

ἐξανέστησαν δέ τινες τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν Φαρισαίων πεπιστευκότες, λέγοντες ὅτι δεῖ περιτέµνειν αὐτοὺς παραγγέλλειν τε τηρεῖν τὸν νόµον Μωϋσέως.

But some from the religious party of the Pharisees who had believed stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise the Gentiles and to order them to observe the law of Moses.” (Acts 15:5)

Γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ὅτι τὸ ἓν µέρος ἐστὶν Σαδδουκαίων τὸ δὲ ἕτερον Φαρισαίων ἔκραζεν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ, Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ Φαρισαῖός εἰµι, υἱὸς Φαρισαίων· περὶ ἐλπίδος καὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν ἐγὼ κρίνοµαι.

When when Paul noticed that part of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, he shouted out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” (Acts 23:6)

Here Jewish believers, followers of Jesus, belong to a Jewish religious party – the Pharisees.

οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐδόξαζον τὸν θεόν, εἶπάν τε αὐτῷ, Θεωρεῖς, ἀδελφέ, πόσαι µυριάδες εἰσὶν ἐν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τῶν πεπιστευκότων, καὶ πάντες ζηλωταὶ τοῦ νόµου ὑπάρχουσιν·

When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many ten thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers of the law.” (Acts 21:20)

There was a huge number of followers of Jesus who were observant Jews.

ἀκούσαντες δὲ ὅτι τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ προσεφώνει αὐτοῖς µᾶλλον παρέσχον ἡσυχίαν. καὶ φησίν –Ἐγώ εἰµι ἀνὴρ Ἰουδαῖος, γεγεννηµένος ἐν Ταρσῷ τῆς Κιλικίας, ἀνατεθραµµένος δὲ ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, παρὰ τοὺς πόδας Γαµαλιὴλ πεπαιδευµένος κατὰ ἀκρίβειαν τοῦ πατρῴου νόµου, ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τοῦ θεοῦ καθὼς πάντες ὑµεῖς ἐστε σήµερον·

(When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even quieter.) Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated with strictness under Gamaliel according to the law of our ancestors, and was zealous for God just as all of you are today. (Acts 22:2-3)

Here Paul self-dentifies as a Jew.

δὲ ἀρχιερεὺς Ἁνανίας ἐπέταξεν τοῖς παρεστῶσιν αὐτῷ τύπτειν αὐτοῦ τὸ στόµα. 3 τότε ὁ Παῦλος πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπεν, Τύπτειν σε µέλλει ὁ θεός, τοῖχε κεκονιαµένε· καὶ σὺ κάθῃ κρίνων µε κατὰ τὸν νόµον, καὶ παρανοµῶν κελεύεις µε τύπτεσθαι; 4 οἱ δὲ παρεστῶτες εἶπαν, Τὸν ἀρχιερέα τοῦ θεοῦ λοιδορεῖς; 5 ἔφη τε ὁ Παῦλος, Οὐκ ᾔδειν, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀρχιερεύς· γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι Ἄρχοντα τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ ἐρεῖς κακῶς

At that the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law you order me to be struck?” Those standing near him said, “Do you dare insult God’s high priest?” Paul replied, “I did not realize, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.'” (Acts 23:2-5)

Paul applied the verse in the Old Testament about not speaking evil of a ruler of his people applied to himself, so he obviously considered himself a Jew, as the high priest was a ruler of the Jews.

ὁ δὲ ἔφη, Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πατέρες, ἀκούσατε. Ὁ θεὸς τῆς δόξης ὤφθη τῷ πατρὶ ἡµῶν Ἀβραὰµ ὄντι ἐν τῇ Μεσοποταµίᾳ πρὶν ἢ κατοικῆσαι αὐτὸν ἐν Χαρράν,

So he (Stephen) replied, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran.” (Acts 7:2)

Ἐγένετο δὲ µετὰ ἡµέρας τρεῖς συγκαλέσασθαι αὐτὸν τοὺς ὄντας τῶν Ἰουδαίων πρώτους· συνελθόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἔλεγεν πρὸς αὐτούς, Ἐγώ, ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, οὐδὲν ἐναντίον ποιήσας τῷ λαῷ ἢ τοῖς ἔθεσι τοῖς πατρῴοις δέσµιος ἐξ Ἱεροσολύµων παρεδόθην εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τῶν Ῥωµαίων,

After three days Paul called the local Jewish leaders together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, from Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. (Acts 28:17)

Here, followers of Jesus call Jews who do not share their faith in Jesus “brothers.” The only brotherhood they had was they were both Jews.

After three days Paul called the local Jewish leaders together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, from Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. (Acts 28:17)

Here Paul calls the Jewish people “our people” and its ancestors “our ancestors.” He still identifies as a Jew 30 years after becoming a follower of Jesus.

ἀξιοῦµεν δὲ παρὰ σοῦ ἀκοῦσαι ἃ φρονεῖς, περὶ µὲν γὰρ τῆς αἱρέσεως ταύτης γνωστὸν ἡµῖν ἐστιν ὅτι πανταχοῦ ἀντιλέγεται.

We would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know that people everywhere speak against it.” (Acts 28:22)

The Jewish followers of Jesus remained Jews in their own eyes and in the eyes of others, observed Jewish religious practices, worshipped in the Jewish temple and Jewish synagogues, and even belonged to Jewish religious parties. They did not change their religious community.

But the Jewish followers of Jesus were not typical Jews.

The first difference was they believed differently. Most Jews in that day did not believe that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah).

προϊδὼν ἐλάλησεν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὅτι οὔτε ἐγκατελείφθη εἰς ᾅδην οὔτε ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ εἶδεν διαφθοράν. τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀνέστησεν ὁ θεός, οὗ πάντες ἡµεῖς ἐσµεν µάρτυρες.

David by foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did his body experience decay. This Jesus God resurrected, and we are all witnesses of it. (Acts 2:31-32)

ἀσφαλῶς οὖν γινωσκέτω πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι καὶ κύριον αὐτὸν καὶ Χριστὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὃν ὑµεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε.

Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Master and Christ.” (Acts 2:36)

ὅπως ἂν ἔλθωσιν καιροὶ ἀναψύξεως ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ἀποστείλῃ τὸν προκεχειρισµένον ὑµῖν Χριστόν, Ἰησοῦν,

so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and so that he may send the Messiah appointed for you– that is, Jesus. (Acts 3:20)

γνωστὸν ἔστω πᾶσιν ὑµῖν καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι ἐν τῷ ὀνόµατι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ὃν ὑµεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε, ὃν ὁ θεὸς ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐν τούτῳ οὗτος παρέστηκεν ἐνώπιον ὑµῶν ὑγιής.

Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy. (Acts 4:10)

καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδενὶ ἡ σωτηρία, οὐδὲ γὰρ ὄνοµά ἐστιν ἕτερον ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν τὸ δεδοµένον ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐν ᾧ δεῖ σωθῆναι ἡµᾶς.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡµῶν ἤγειρεν Ἰησοῦν, ὃν ὑµεῖς διεχειρίσασθε κρεµάσαντες ἐπὶ ξύλου· τοῦτον ὁ θεὸς ἀρχηγὸν καὶ σωτῆρα ὕψωσεν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ, δοῦναι µετάνοιαν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἄφεσιν ἁµαρτιῶν.

The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. (Acts 5:30-31)

τούτου ὁ θεὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ σπέρµατος κατ’ ἐπαγγελίαν ἤγαγεν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ σωτῆρα Ἰησοῦν,

From the descendants of this man God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised. (Acts 13:23)

κατὰ δὲ τὸ εἰωθὸς τῷ Παύλῳ εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐπὶ σάββατα τρία διελέξατο αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν γραφῶν, 3 διανοίγων καὶ παρατιθέµενος ὅτι τὸν Χριστὸν ἔδει παθεῖν καὶ ἀναστῆναι ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός, [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς, ὃν ἐγὼ καταγγέλλω ὑµῖν.

Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed them from the scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” (Acts 17:2-3)

Jewsih followers of Jesus believed Jesus was the Messiah (Christ) and savior, which typical Jews did not (and still do not). The second difference was they were able to act differently.

Ἐγίνετο δὲ πάσῃ ψυχῇ φόβος, πολλά τε τέρατα καὶ σηµεῖα διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγίνετο.

Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. (Acts 2:43)

καί τις ἀνὴρ χωλὸς ἐκ κοιλίας µητρὸς αὐτοῦ ὑπάρχων ἐβαστάζετο, ὃν ἐτίθουν καθ’ ἡµέραν πρὸς τὴν θύραν τοῦ ἱεροῦ τὴν λεγοµένην Ὡραίαν τοῦ αἰτεῖν ἐλεηµοσύνην παρὰ τῶν εἰσπορευοµένων εἰς τὸ ἱερόν· ὃς ἰδὼν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην µέλλοντας εἰσιέναι εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἠρώτα ἐλεηµοσύνην [λαβεῖν]. ἀτενίσας δὲ Πέτρος εἰς αὐτὸν σὺν τῷ Ἰωάννῃ εἶπεν, Βλέψον εἰς ἡµᾶς. ὁ δὲ ἐπεῖχεν αὐτοῖς προσδοκῶν τι παρ’ αὐτῶν λαβεῖν. εἶπεν δὲ Πέτρος, Ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει µοι, ὃ δὲ ἔχω τοῦτό σοι δίδωµι· ἐν τῷ ὀνόµατι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου περιπάτει. καὶ πιάσας αὐτὸν τῆς δεξιᾶς χειρὸς ἤγειρεν αὐτόν· παραχρῆµα δὲ ἐστερεώθησαν αἱ βάσεις αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ σφυδρά, καὶ ἐξαλλόµενος ἔστη καὶ περιεπάτει, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν σὺν αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν περιπατῶν καὶ ἁλλόµενος καὶ αἰνῶν τὸν θεόν.

And a man lame from birth was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called “the Beautiful Gate” every day so he could beg for money from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money. Peter looked directly at him (as did John) and said, “Look at us!” So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk!” Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. He jumped up, stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts with them, walking and leaping and praising God. (Acts 3:2-8)

προσεῖχον δὲ οἱ ὄχλοι τοῖς λεγοµένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλίππου ὁµοθυµαδὸν ἐν τῷ ἀκούειν αὐτοὺς καὶ βλέπειν τὰ σηµεῖα ἃ ἐποίει· πολλοὶ γὰρ τῶν ἐχόντων πνεύµατα ἀκάθαρτα βοῶντα φωνῇ µεγάλῃ ἐξήρχοντο, πολλοὶ δὲ παραλελυµένοι καὶ χωλοὶ ἐθεραπεύθησαν·

The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the miraculous signs he was performing. For unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. (Acts 8:6-7)

ἐκβαλὼν δὲ ἔξω πάντας ὁ Πέτρος καὶ θεὶς τὰ γόνατα προσηύξατο, καὶ ἐπιστρέψας πρὸς τὸ σῶµα εἶπεν, Ταβιθά, ἀνάστηθι. ἡ δὲ ἤνοιξεν τοὺς ὀφθαλµοὺς αὐτῆς, καὶ ἰδοῦσα τὸν Πέτρον ἀνεκάθισεν. δοὺς δὲ αὐτῇ χεῖρα ἀνέστησεν αὐτήν, φωνήσας δὲ τοὺς ἁγίους καὶ τὰς χήρας παρέστησεν αὐτὴν ζῶσαν. γνωστὸν δὲ ἐγένετο καθ’ ὅλης [τῆς] Ἰόππης, καὶ ἐπίστευσαν πολλοὶ ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον.

But Peter sent them all outside, knelt down, and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 He gave her his hand and helped her get up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her alive. 42 This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. (Acts 9:40-42)

Καί τις ἀνὴρ ἀδύνατος ἐν Λύστροις τοῖς ποσὶν ἐκάθητο, χωλὸς ἐκ κοιλίας µητρὸς αὐτοῦ, ὃς οὐδέποτε περιεπάτησεν. οὗτος ἤκουσεν τοῦ Παύλου λαλοῦντος· ὃς ἀτενίσας αὐτῷ καὶ ἰδὼν ὅτι ἔχει πίστιν τοῦ σωθῆναι εἶπεν µεγάλῃ φωνῇ, Ἀνάστηθι ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας σου ὀρθός. καὶ ἥλατο καὶ περιεπάτει.

In Lystra sat a man who could not use his feet, lame from birth, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he was speaking. When Paul stared intently at him and saw he had faith to be healed, he said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And the man leaped up and began walking. (Acts 14:8-10)

Ἐγένετο δὲ πορευοµένων ἡµῶν εἰς τὴν προσευχὴν παιδίσκην τινὰ ἔχουσαν πνεῦµα πύθωνα ὑπαντῆσαι ἡµῖν, ἥτις ἐργασίαν πολλὴν παρεῖχεν τοῖς κυρίοις αὐτῆς µαντευοµένη. αὕτη κατακολουθοῦσα τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ ἡµῖν ἔκραζεν λέγουσα, Οὗτοι οἱ ἄνθρωποι δοῦλοι τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου εἰσίν, οἵτινες καταγγέλλουσιν ὑµῖν ὁδὸν σωτηρίας. τοῦτο δὲ ἐποίει ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡµέρας. διαπονηθεὶς δὲ Παῦλος καὶ ἐπιστρέψας τῷ πνεύµατι εἶπεν, Παραγγέλλω σοι ἐν ὀνόµατι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐξελθεῖν ἀπ’ αὐτῆς· καὶ ἐξῆλθεν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ.

Now as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. She brought her owners a great profit by fortune-telling. She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once. (Acts 16:16-18)

∆υνάµεις τε οὐ τὰς τυχούσας ὁ θεὸς ἐποίει διὰ τῶν χειρῶν Παύλου, ὥστε καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας ἀποφέρεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ χρωτὸς αὐτοῦ σουδάρια ἢ σιµικίνθια καὶ ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι ἀπ’ αὐτῶν τὰς νόσους, τά τε πνεύµατα τὰ πονηρὰ ἐκπορεύεσθαι.

God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body were brought to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. (Acts 19:11-12)

ἐγένετο δὲ τὸν πατέρα τοῦ Ποπλίου πυρετοῖς καὶ δυσεντερίῳ συνεχόµενον κατακεῖσθαι, πρὸς ὃν ὁ Παῦλος εἰσελθὼν καὶ προσευξάµενος ἐπιθεὶς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῷ ἰάσατο αὐτόν. 9 τούτου δὲ γενοµένου καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ἔχοντες ἀσθενείας προσήρχοντο καὶ ἐθεραπεύοντο,

The father of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and after praying, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 After this had happened, many of the people on the island who were sick also came and were healed. (Acts 28:8-9)

They had the power to do miracles of many kinds. The third difference is that they were perceived differently.

and requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. (Acts 9:2)

But when some were stubborn and refused to believe, reviling the Way before the congregation, he left them and took the disciples with him, addressing them every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. (Acts 19:9)

At that time a great disturbance took place concerning the Way. (Acts 19:23)

For we have found this man to be a troublemaker, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. (Acts 24:5)

But I confess this to you, that I worship the God of our ancestors according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law and that is written in the prophets. (Acts 24:14)

Then Felix, who understood the facts concerning the Way more accurately, adjourned their hearing, saying, “When Lysias the commanding officer comes down, I will decide your case.” (Acts 24:22)

But we would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know that people everywhere speak against it.” (Acts 28:22)

They were identified as a sect or movement among Jews. So in summary, Jewish followers of Jesus never changed their religion, but were different in several ways.

The Jews were the primary people for whom Jesus came. But Jesus affirmed the principle of not leaving a religious community when he encountered non-Jewish followers of Jesus as well. With a Samaritan woman (John 4), Jesus did not bring up the subject of religion, changed the subject when the woman brought it up, never said that Judaism was better than Samaritanism, and never asked the woman to change religions.

When Jesus met a Roman and healed him (Mark 5), he never mentioned having him convert to Judaism. In fact, the healed Roman asked Jesus if he could go back to the land of Israel with him. Of course, this would have meant that he would have had to convert to Judaism. Jesus refused and sent him back, a changed man, to his own relatives and family.

When Jesus met a Roman officer who asked him to heal his slave (Luke 7), Jesus never asked him to convert to Judaism (or anything else), but commended his faith.

When Jesus was asked to heal the daughter of a Greek woman from Phoenicia (Mark 7), he healed her, but never asked her to convert to Judaism (or anything else).

When Jesus talked with Pilate (John 18-19), he never mentioned religion, but rather talked about truth.

So Jesus never asked anyone (whether Jew, Samaritan, Roman, or Greek) to convert from one religion to another.

What did Jesus talk about?

The topic that Jesus talked about most was the Kingdom of God (also called the Kingdom of heaven). He mentioned it 111 times, not as a physical kingdom, but as a spiritual kingdom, a kingdom where God is obeyed.

The following illustration uses both what the Qur’an refers to as the kingdom (all of creation) and what the Bible refers to as the kingdom (where God is obeyed).

The large rectangle refers to all of creation. This creation includes the good we see around us as well as the evil.

The large circle refers to the kingdom where God is obeyed. A synonym in the Qur’an is the Straight Path. Outside of the circle, there is fear, shame, envy, guilt, death, sin, hatred, evil, and anger. Inside the circle, there is love, joy, honor, peace, life, righteousness, and contentment.

Other synonyms for the Kingdom of God might be: true submission, piety or godliness, the place where God is truly feared and respected, or salvation. None of these have anything to do with a certain religious group, but rather the state of a person’s heart.

The two smaller circles represent Islam and Christendom – anyone who is in any way identified with those two religions. As the circles are drawn, only a small percentage of people in either religion is actually inside the kingdom where God is obeyed. Many people of both religions are nominal – Muslims and Christians in name only. Others are interested mainly in religious traditions. Both of these kinds of people would be within their religious circles but outside the Kingdom of God.

We have seen above that neither the Bible nor the Qur’an encourages changing religion (the vertical arrows between Islam and Christendom with a red X over them). Talk about conversion from one religion to another is like changing from a Christian living in fear, guilt and shame to a Muslim living in fear, guilt, and shame, or vice-versa. These arrows have an X on them to show that neither the Qur’an nor the Bible support this idea, as we saw above.

But though the Bible and the Qur’an do not support the idea of changing from one religious community to another, both books call us to something higher – the kingdom of God or the straight path. These are represented by the green arrows.

These are representative verses that refer to

ζητεῖτε δὲ πρῶτον τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑµῖν.

But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

And the Qur’an’s most quoted chapter, Al-Fatiha, has a prayer for God to guide us to the Straight Path.

اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ

Guide us to the straight path (Al-Fatiha 1:6)

So the Bible encourages us to pursue the kingdom of God, just as the Qur’an encourages us to be on the Straight Path.

Chapter 19 Is Islam the only religion of God?

A famous verse in the Qur’an declares,

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلاَمُ

Religion to Allah means submission. (Aal Imran 3:19)

Other translations of the Qur’an translate this verse “Religion with Allah is Islam.” But what does Islam mean? The word /Islam/ in Arabic means submission (of oneself and one’s will to God). Submission truly is the only religion. Some translations of the Qur’an, however, choose to merely transliterate the words Muslim and Islam from Arabic, writing the Arabic words in Latin script rather than giving its meaning. This distorts the meaning, giving the impression that using the modern definitions of Muslim and Islam is what the Qur’an affirms.

Let us look at some of the other uses of Muslim/submitted in the Qur’an.

وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ مِلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَفِي هَذَا لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَآَتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِاللَّهِ هُوَ مَوْلاَكُمْ فَنِعْمَ الْمَوْلَى وَنِعْمَ النَّصِيرُ

“Struggle in Allah with the struggle he deserves. He has chosen you and has not made anything in religion embarrassing for you. According to the spiritual path of your father Ibrahim he has called you submitted beforehand. May the messenger be a witness against you in this, and may you be witnesses against the people. So perform the prayers and pay the poor-tax. Take refuge in Allah. He is your master, the best of masters, and the best of saviors.” (Al-Hajj 78)

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ فَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِغُلاَمٍ حَلِيمٍ فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ مَعَهُ السَّعْيَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنِّي أَرَى فِي الْمَنَامِ أَنِّي أَذْبَحُكَ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا تَرَى قَالَ يَا أَبَتِ افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ سَتَجِدُنِي إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ وَنَادَيْنَاهُ أَنْ يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْبَلاَءُ الْمُبِينُ وَفَدَيْنَاهُ بِذِبْحٍ عَظِيمٍ وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِي الآخِرِينَ سَلاَمٌ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَاقَ نَبِيًّا مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ وَبَارَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى إِسْحَاقَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌ وَظَالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ مُبِينٌ

Lord, give me someone righteous,” so we gave him good news of a gentle son. When he could walk, he said, “Son, I saw in a dream that I will sacrifice you. Look; what do you see?” He said, “Father, do as you have been commanded. If Allah wills, you will find I endure.” When they had both submitted, and he had laid him face down, we called, “Ibrahim, you have fulfilled the vision.” Thus we reward those who do good. This was a clear test. And we ransomed him with a great sacrifice and left [this blessing] upon him for later ages: “Peace be upon Ibrahim.” Thus we reward those who do good. He is one of our believing servants. And we gave him good news of Ishaq’s prophethood and righteousness, and we blessed him and Ishaq. Some of their descendants were good, and some clearly wrong themselves. (Al-Safat 37:100-113)

مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِنْ كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a monotheist who submitted, and not a polytheist. (Aal-Imran 3:67)

In the Qur’an, Abraham and his son are called Muslims. Does this mean that he followed Muhammad (ص) ? Of course not, Abraham died over 2000 years before Muhammad (ص) was born.

The disciples of Jesus are also called Muslims in the Qur’an.

فَلَمَّا أَحَسَّ عِيسَى مِنْهُمُ الْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنْصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنْصَارُ اللَّهِ آَمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ

“When Isa sensed their disbelief, he said, “Who are my helpers toward Allah?” The disciples said, “We are Allah’s helpers. We have believed in Allah, so testify that we have submitted. (Aal-Imran 3:52)

Were they followers of Muhammad (ص)? No. Of course not. This conversation with Jesus took place over 500 years before Muhammad (ص) was born. They were Muslims in the sense that they submitted. This is the Qur’anic meaning of Islam. Obviously, when the Qur’an of the seventh century A.D. uses the word Muslim, it does not refer to Islam as it exists today. The religion of Islam as is commonly understood today is very different from what the Qur’an refers to, just as Christianity today is very different from what the Bible talks about.

Furthermore, if the Qur’an meant that only followers of Muhammad (ص) were part of the true religion, what do the following verses mean?

The verses say very clearly that Christians, Jews and Sabeans have no need to change religions, but that they are totally acceptable to God if they believe and do good works.

Since the Qur’an cannot contradict itself, it is the interpreters who claim that following Muhammad (ص) is the only true religion who are wrong. In these verses, Jews and Christians (and Sabeans – followers of John the Baptist – see Acts 19:1-7) are assured of eternal salvation if they believe in God and the last day and do good works.

There is a difference between the two Arabic words for religion: /deen/ دين and /diyaana/ ديانة. Diyaana means a denomination, sect or religion, whereas deen (the one used in the verse at the beginning of this chapter) refers to the heart attitude that needs to be present in a true believer.

So the Qur’an says the religion of God is “islam=submission” With this point the Bible wholeheartedly agrees. Lk 14:26 says “Whoever does not surrender all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

So surrender or submission is the true religion of God.

Chapter 20 Are Christianity and Islam religions of violence?

We must stop attacking each others’ religions. Christians often accuse Islam of being a religion of terrorism and violence, having been spread by the sword and certain Muslim groups using the sword today.

Some Muslims also accuse Christianity of being a religion of violence, and point to the Crusades in the Middle Ages, colonialism more recently, economic oppression, and modern Western invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq as proof.

However, Muslims should not judge Christianity (or rather the Bible) by the actions of those who claim to be Christians but who reject what the Bible says. The verses used by fanatic Christians to justify their actions have been taken out of context, and refer to specific issues, times and places in history, and do not apply today. The Bible strongly condemns injustice and murder, and it cannot be properly used to justify war.

Similarly, Christians should not judge Islam (or rather the Qur’an) by the actions of those who claim to be Muslims but who reject what the Qur’an says. The verses used by jihadists to justify their actions have been taken out of context, and refer to specific issues during the lifetime of Muhammad (ص), and do not apply today. The Qur’an strongly rejects injustice and murder as well. Fanaticists have hijacked Islam and are using it for their own purposes.

Both the Bible and the Qur’an contain verses that fanatics twist out of their contexts to justify their political desires. They claim that the Qur’an permits and even encourages killing unbelievers (whoever they define them to be) and punishing nations whose foreign policy is biased – as they perceive it.

There are numerous verses in the Bible and in the Qur’an that talk about fighting and war. The words for “war”, “fight”, “battle”, ”victory”,” defeat” are used in the Bible over 1200 times, and similar words are used in the Qur’an over 300 times. This amounts to roughly 4-5% of the verses in the Bible and the Qur’an.

Importance of Context

But before we go into specifcs, it is good to emphasize the importance of context. If we do not pay attention to the context of the verses, as we saw in Chapter 1 under the subtopic “corruption,” taking words out of their context corrupts the meaning. Violent people like those referenced above choose verses or parts of verses that their violence, and ignore those that do not. So they reach false conclusions. They are like those who say: “I do not pray, for the Qur’an forbids prayer, as in the Qur’an says:

“Believers, do not apprach prayer.” (Al-Nisa 43)

Those people have twisted the meaning of the Qur’an by a partial quotation. The complete thought is:

“Believers, do not apprach prayer when you are drunk.” (Al-Nisa 43)

Is not this how the meaning of the Bible and the Qur’an gets twisted? So we must consider the context to determine the intended meaning.

Violent Verses and their contexts

Here are some often-quoted verses, along with the context and background for each passage.

וְעַתָּה, הִרְגוּ כָל-זָכָר בַּטָּף; וְכָל-אִשָּׁה, יֹדַעַת אִישׁ לְמִשְׁכַּב זָכָר–הֲרֹגוּ. וְכֹל הַטַּף בַּנָּשִׁים, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָדְעוּ מִשְׁכַּב זָכָר–הַחֲיוּ, לָכֶם.

Now therefore kill every boy, and kill every woman who has had sexual intercourse with a man. But all the young women who have not had sexual intercourse with a man will be yours. (Numbers 31:17-18)

The context is the following:

In Numbers 22:4ff, the Midianites asked Balaam to curse the people of Israel.

In Numbers 25:1ff, a Midianite woman (one of many) caused trouble for the people of Israel, and God told Moses to take vengeance upon them.

In summary, this was a specific instance in history, and the reason for killing them was the prior hostility against them. The reason for killing the women also was that they had been particularly involved in undermining the people of Israel. This was an incident that took place over 3000 years ago and no longer applies today, and those who use verses like this to justify violence are wrong.

וּנְתָנָהּ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּיָדֶךָ; וְהִכִּיתָ אֶת-כָּל-זְכוּרָהּ, לְפִי-חָרֶב. רַק הַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף וְהַבְּהֵמָה וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בָעִיר, כָּל-שְׁלָלָהּ–תָּבֹז לָךְ; וְאָכַלְתָּ אֶת-שְׁלַל אֹיְבֶיךָ, אֲשֶׁר נָתַן יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָךְ. כֵּן תַּעֲשֶׂה לְכָל-הֶעָרִים, הָרְחֹקֹת מִמְּךָ מְאֹד, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-מֵעָרֵי הַגּוֹיִם-הָאֵלֶּה, הֵנָּה. רַק, מֵעָרֵי הָעַמִּים הָאֵלֶּה, אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה–לֹא תְחַיֶּה, כָּל-נְשָׁמָה. כִּי-הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִימֵם, הַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי, הַחִוִּי, וְהַיְבוּסִי–כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ.

The LORD your God will deliver it over to you and you must kill every single male by the sword. However, the women, little children, cattle, and anything else in the city– all its plunder– you may take for yourselves as spoil. You may take from your enemies the plunder that the LORD your God has given you. This is how you are to deal with all those cities located far from you, those that do not belong to these nearby nations. As for the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God is going to give you as an inheritance, you must not allow a single living thing to survive. Instead you must utterly annihilate them– the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites– just as the LORD your God has commanded you, (Deuteronomy 20:13-17)

The context is the following:

God had told Abraham, referring to the people of Israel conquering the land:

וְדוֹר רְבִיעִי, יָשׁוּבוּ הֵנָּה: כִּי לֹא-שָׁלֵם עֲוֺן הָאֱמֹרִי, עַד-הֵנָּה.

And they shall come back here in the fourth generation; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. Genesis 15:16

So God was punishing people for their sins against him.

Regarding warfare, God had told Moses:

כִּי-תִקְרַב אֶל-עִיר, לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ–וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ, לְשָׁלוֹם. וְהָיָה אִם-שָׁלוֹם תַּעַנְךָ, וּפָתְחָה לָךְ: וְהָיָה כָּל-הָעָם הַנִּמְצָא-בָהּ, יִהְיוּ לְךָ לָמַס–וַעֲבָדוּךָ. וְאִם-לֹא תַשְׁלִים עִמָּךְ, וְעָשְׂתָה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה–וְצַרְתָּ, עָלֶיהָ.

When you approach a city to wage war against it, offer it terms of peace. If it accepts your terms and submits to you, all the people found in it will become your slaves. If it does not accept terms of peace but makes war with you, then you are to lay siege to it. (Deuteronomy 20:10-12)

The people of Israel had first offered terms of peace to the city, but instead the city had fought against them. These were instructions to the people of Israel in the days of Moses. Furthermore, the passage continues:

לְמַעַן, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יְלַמְּדוּ אֶתְכֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת, כְּכֹל תּוֹעֲבֹתָם, אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם; וַחֲטָאתֶם, לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. {ס}

so that they cannot teach you all the abhorrent ways they worship their gods, causing you to sin against the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 20:18)

The purpose was that their sins were so disgusting to God that he wanted them to be annihilated.

In summary, this was a specific instance in history over 3000 years ago, and the reason for killing them was God’s judgment against them. The distant cities were first offered terms of peace and had refused. This no longer applies today, and those who use verses like this to justify violence are wrong.

וַיַּחֲרִימוּ, אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר בָּעִיר, מֵאִישׁ וְעַד-אִשָּׁה, מִנַּעַר וְעַד-זָקֵן; וְעַד שׁוֹר וָשֶׂה וַחֲמוֹר, לְפִי-חָרֶב.

They annihilated with the sword everything that breathed in the city, including men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys. (Joshua 6:21)

The context is the following:

God had told Joshua that he would defeat Jericho, that he should destroy all the unbelievers in it, and God gave him specific instructions how to do it. The sins of the people were so bad that God had judged them as needing to be annihilated. It is interesting to note that a believing woman in the city was rescued, along with her family. In any case, this was a specific instance in history more than 3000 years ago, and it is not applicable today. Those who use verses like these to justify violence today are wrong.

فَإِذَا انْسَلَخَ الأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ

“And when the holy months are finished, kill the polytheists wherever you find them.” (Al-Tawba 5)

The context is the following:

بَرَاءَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ إِلَى الَّذِينَ عَاهَدْتُمْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

“There is innocence from Allah and his messenger to those polytheists with whom you made a covenant, so travel in the land four months.” (Al-Tawba 1)

إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ عَاهَدْتُمْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَنْقُصُوكُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَمْ يُظَاهِرُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَحَدًا فَأَتِمُّوا إِلَيْهِمْ عَهْدَهُمْ إِلَى مُدَّتِهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فَإِذَا انْسَلَخَ الأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ فَإِنْ تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاَةَ وَآَتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَخَلُّوا سَبِيلَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِي

“The exception is the idolaters with whom you made a covenant, and who fulfilled all their obligations towards you and who did not assist anyone against you. Fulfill your covenant with them until it expires. Allah loves the godly. And when the holy months are finished, kill the polytheists wherever you find them.” Take them, surround them, and set all sorts of ambushes against them. If they repent and perform their prayers and pay the poor-tax, let them go. Allah is forgiving and merciful. (Al-Tawba 4-5)

It is clear that these verses are concerned with specific polytheists who made a covenant with the Muslims, and they refer to a length of time given to the polytheists during which they would not be attacked. Notice also that the Muslims are commanded to fulfill their covenant with them, and even if they overstay the period of time allowed, if they repent, they are to be freed. This was roughly in the year 9 A.H., and of course, these verses do not apply to the 15^th century A.H.

وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ

“And kill them wherever you discover them” (Al-Baqara 191)

The context is the following:

وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ وَلاَ تَعْتَدُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَخْرِجُوهُمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَخْرَجُوكُمْ وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ وَلاَ تُقَاتِلُوهُمْ عِنْدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ حَتَّى يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِيهِ فَإِنْ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ كَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الْكَافِرِينَ

Fight in the path of Allah against those who fight you, but do not be aggressors. Allah does not love aggressors. And kill them wherever you discover them, and expel them from wherever they expelled you. Sedition is worse than murder. Do not fight them at the sacred place of worship unless they fight you in it. If they fight you, kill them. That is the reward of disbelievers. (Al-Baqara 2:190-191)

The people referred to in this verse initated enmity against the Muslims. This does not refer to people in general or even unbelievers in general. This is doing to the enemies what they had done to the Muslims, fighting in self defense against those who initiated enmity and fighting. Note that this is a specific historical incident connected with the conquest of Mecca almost 1400 years ago, and is not applicable today.

وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ … وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ

“And kill them wherever you find them… “And kill them wherever you discover them” (Al-Nisa 4:89,91)

The context is the following:

وَدُّوا لَوْ تَكْفُرُونَ كَمَا كَفَرُوا فَتَكُونُونَ سَوَاءً فَلاَ تَتَّخِذُوا مِنْهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ حَتَّى يُهَاجِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَخُذُوهُمْ وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ وَلاَ تَتَّخِذُوا مِنْهُمْ وَلِيًّا وَلاَ نَصِيرًا إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ إِلَى قَوْمٍ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمْ مِيثَاقٌ أَوْ جَاءُوكُمْ حَصِرَتْ صُدُورُهُمْ أَنْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ أَوْ يُقَاتِلُوا قَوْمَهُمْ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ فَلَقَاتَلُوكُمْ فَإِنِ اعْتَزَلُوكُمْ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ وَأَلْقَوْا إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَبِيلاً سَتَجِدُونَ آَخَرِينَ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَأْمَنُوكُمْ وَيَأْمَنُوا قَوْمَهُمْ كُلَّ مَا رُدُّوا إِلَى الْفِتْنَةِ أُرْكِسُوا فِيهَا فَإِنْ لَمْ يَعْتَزِلُوكُمْ وَيُلْقُوا إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَمَ وَيَكُفُّوا أَيْدِيَهُمْ فَخُذُوهُمْ وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ ثَقِفْتُمُوهُمْ وَأُولَئِكُمْ جَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَانًا مُبِينًا

They wished you disbelieved as they do, so you would be alike. Do not take any of them as helpers until they emigrate in Allah’s path. If they turn away, take them and kill them wherever you find them. Do not take them as helpers or saviors, except for those who get to people with whom you have a covenant, or if they come to you and their hearts are besieged from their fighting you or fighting their people. If Allah had willed, he would have put them in authority over you and they would have fought you. Allah has not permitted you to fight in any way those who isolate themselves from you, do not fight you, and offer you peace. You will find others who want themselves and their people to be safe from you. Whenever they return to strife they are overthrown by it. If they do not isolate themselves from you, offer you peace, and hold their hands back, take them and kill them wherever you discover them. We have given you clear authority over them. (Al-Nisa 4:89-91)

The subject of these verses is people who were fighting against the Muslims in 4 A.H., and not people in general. The Qur’an forbade attacking people except those who continue to fight against Islam, and do not isolate themselves. This is a specific historical incident that happened in about 4 A.H. and does not apply fourteen centuries later.

Broader Context

Both the Bible and the Qur’an mention God as the Avenger for any wrongs. Here are a couple verses out of many.

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذُكِّرَ بِآَيَاتِ رَبِّهِ ثُمَّ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهَا إِنَّا مِنَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ مُنْتَقِمُونَ

Who is more wicked than one who is reminded of the signs of his Lord, and then turns aways from them? We will take revenge on wrongdoers. (Al-Sajda 32:22)

µὴ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικοῦντες, ἀγαπητοί, ἀλλὰ δότε τόπον τῇ ὀργῇ, γέγραπται γάρ, Ἐµοὶ ἐκδίκησις, ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω, λέγει κύριος.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Rom 12:19)

So since God is the Avenger, there is no need for us to take matters into our own hands and take revenge ourselves.

Summary

We see that none of these verses, which are the ones most commonly quoted to justify using violence, apply today. The books cannot be rightly used to justify violence.

Chapter 21 Are Christianity and Islam religions of immorality?

Many Christians and Muslims call each other infidels and view the other as being immoral, and attribute that to the religion to which they belong. This book does not seek to defend what the religions promote or what those who belong to the religions believe or practice, but only to examine what the Qur’an and the Bible actually teach.

Let us look at some of the accusations and what the books actually teach.

Christian accusations against Islam.

Christians often accuse Islam of being an immoral religion, one which panders to the sexual excesses of men by allowing multiple wives. But what does the Qur’an actually say?

وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلاَّ تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَلاَّ تَعُولُوا

If you fear that you will not be just toward the orphans, marry the women you think best, a pair or three or four. But if you fear you will not be just to them, then just one, or the slave girls you own. This is better to avoid oppression. (Al-Nisa 4:3)

وَلَنْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ تَعْدِلُوا بَيْنَ النِّسَاءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ فَلاَ تَمِيلُوا كُلَّ الْمَيْلِ فَتَذَرُوهَا كَالْمُعَلَّقَةِ وَإِنْ تُصْلِحُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا

You will never be able to treat [multiple] wives justly, even if you are careful, so do not turn aside from her completely, leaving her hanging. If you reconcile and are godly, Allah is forgiving and merciful. (Al-Nisa 4:129)

So what the Qur’an implies is that since a man will never be able to treat more than one wife justly, he should marry just one. This agrees with the Bible:

καὶ εἶπεν, Ἕνεκα τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν µητέρα καὶ κολληθήσεται τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα µίαν.

and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? (Matthew 19:5)

The Bible thus shows that God’s will is for two people, a husband and wife, to be married. Thus the Qur’an and the Bible agree on monogamy.

Christians accuse Islam of not giving women adequate rights.

The Qur’an requires four witnesses before a woman is punished for immorality. The Bible only requires two or three.

وَاللاَّتِي يَأْتِينَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مِنْ نِسَائِكُمْ فَاسْتَشْهِدُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةً مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ شَهِدُوا فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِي الْبُيُوتِ حَتَّى يَتَوَفَّاهُنَّ الْمَوْتُ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلًا

As for your women who commit promiscuity, bring four of you as witnesses against them. If they witness [against them], keep them in their houses until they die or Allah provides a way [out] for them. (Al-Nisa 4:15)

לֹא-יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ, לְכָל-עָו‍ֹן וּלְכָל-חַטָּאת, בְּכָל-חֵטְא, אֲשֶׁר יֶחֱטָא: עַל-פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים, אוֹ עַל-פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה-עֵדִים–יָקוּם דָּבָר.

A single witness may not testify against another person for any trespass or sin that he commits. A matter may be legally established only on the testimony of two or three witnesses. (Deuteronomy 19:15)

עַל-פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים, אוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה עֵדִים–יוּמַת הַמֵּת: לֹא יוּמַת, עַל-פִּי עֵד אֶחָד.

At the testimony of two or three witnesses they must be executed. They cannot be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. (Deuteronomy 17:6)

Τρίτον τοῦτο ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς· ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ τριῶν σταθήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα.

This is the third time I am coming to visit you. By the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter will be established. (2 Corinthians 13:1)

ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀκούσῃ, παράλαβε μετὰ σοῦ ἔτι ἕνα ἢ δύο, ἵνα ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων ἢ τριῶν σταθῇ πᾶν ῥῆμα·

But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you, so that at the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be established. (Matthew 18:16)

So the Qur’an actually requires more proof of wrongdoing than the Bible.

Christians accuse Islam of hating Jews. This question is covered in Chapter 22.
Christians accuse Islam of violence. This question is covered in Chapter 20.

So Christians should not judge Islam based on what some people do, but rather on what the Qur’an teaches, and as we have seen, the Qur’an is against the things that people criticize. The actions of people who do not follow the Qur’an do not negate what the Qur’an teaches.

Muslim accusations against Christianity.

Muslims often accuse Christianity of promoting sexual immorality, immodesty in dressing, and pornography.

But what does the Bible say about these things?

Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη, Οὐ µοιχεύσεις. ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑµῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ βλέπων γυναῖκα πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυµῆσαι αὐτὴν ἤδη ἐµοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ. εἰ δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλµός σου ὁ δεξιὸς σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔξελε αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· συµφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν µελῶν σου καὶ µὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶµά σου βληθῇ εἰς γέενναν.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. (Matthew 5:27-29)

The Bible says that looking at a woman to desire her is adultery and needs to be dealt with severely. The whole pornography industry is built on that desire, so the Bible is very much against pornography.

οὐαὶ τῷ κόσµῳ ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων· ἀνάγκη γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τὰ σκάνδαλα, πλὴν οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ

“Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! (Matthew 18:7)

This verse is a rebuke to both the pornography industry as well as to the loose-dressing that is common these days.

πορνεία δὲ καὶ ἀκαθαρσία πᾶσα ἢ πλεονεξία µηδὲ ὀνοµαζέσθω ἐν ὑµῖν, καθὼς πρέπει ἁγίοις, … τοῦτο γὰρ ἴστε γινώσκοντες ὅτι πᾶς πόρνος ἢ ἀκάθαρτος ἢ πλεονέκτης, ὅ ἐστιν εἰδωλολάτρης, οὐκ ἔχει κληρονοµίαν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θεοῦ.

But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. …For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (Ephesians 5:3,5)

Ἀγαπητοί, παρακαλῶ ὡς παροίκους καὶ παρεπιδήµους ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν σαρκικῶν ἐπιθυµιῶν, αἵτινες στρατεύονται κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς·

Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul, (1 Peter 2:11)

These verses condemn immorality, and particularly sexual immorality. So the Bible is very much against immodest clothing, immorality and pornography. Those who practice these things reject the Bible.

Muslims often accuse Christians of supporting injustice.

But what does the Bible say about this? Justice is a very common topic in the Bible. For example:

הַצּוּר תָּמִים פָּעֳלוֹ, כִּי כָל-דְּרָכָיו מִשְׁפָּט: אֵל אֱמוּנָה וְאֵין עָוֶל, צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר הוּא.

“The Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4)

עֹשֵׂה צְדָקוֹת יְהוָה; וּמִשְׁפָּטִים, לְכָל-עֲשׁוּקִים.

The LORD works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed. (Psalm 103:6)

עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט, לָעֲשׁוּקִים–נֹתֵן לֶחֶם, לָרְעֵבִים; יְהוָה, מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים.

who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free; (Psalm 146:7)

לָכֵן יְחַכֶּה יְהוָה, לַחֲנַנְכֶם, וְלָכֵן יָרוּם, לְרַחֶמְכֶם: כִּי-אֱלֹהֵי מִשְׁפָּט יְהוָה, אַשְׁרֵי כָּל-חוֹכֵי לוֹ.

Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you; therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. (Isaiah 30:18)

נִשְׂגָּב יְהוָה, כִּי שֹׁכֵן מָרוֹם; מִלֵּא צִיּוֹן, מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה.

The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness; (Isaiah 33:5)

כִּי אִם-בְּזֹאת יִתְהַלֵּל הַמִּתְהַלֵּל, הַשְׂכֵּל וְיָדֹעַ אוֹתִי–כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה, עֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בָּאָרֶץ: כִּי-בְאֵלֶּה חָפַצְתִּי, נְאֻם-יְהוָה.

but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practice steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, says the LORD.” (Jeremiah 9:24)

כֹּה-אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, רַב-לָכֶם נְשִׂיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל–חָמָס וָשֹׁד הָסִירוּ, וּמִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה עֲשׂוּ; הָרִימוּ גְרֻשֹׁתֵיכֶם מֵעַל עַמִּי, נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה.

“Thus says the Lord GOD: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness; cease your evictions of my people, says the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 45:9)

וְאַתָּה, בֵּאלֹהֶיךָ תָשׁוּב; חֶסֶד וּמִשְׁפָּט שְׁמֹר, וְקַוֵּה אֶל-אֱלֹהֶיךָ תָּמִיד.

“So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.” (Hosea 12:6)

הִגִּיד לְךָ אָדָם, מַה-טּוֹב; וּמָה-יְהוָה דּוֹרֵשׁ מִמְּךָ, כִּי אִם-עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד, וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת, עִם-אֱלֹהֶיךָ.

He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

Ἰδοὺ ὁ παῖς µου ὃν ᾑρέτισα, ὁ ἀγαπητός µου εἰς ὃν εὐδόκησεν ἡ ψυχή µου· θήσω τὸ πνεῦµά µου ἐπ’ αὐτόν, καὶ κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπαγγελεῖ.

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. (Matthew 12:18)

ἀλλὰ οὐαὶ ὑµῖν τοῖς Φαρισαίοις, ὅτι ἀποδεκατοῦτε τὸ ἡδύοσµον καὶ τὸ πήγανον καὶ πᾶν λάχανον, καὶ παρέρχεσθε τὴν κρίσιν καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ θεοῦ· ταῦτα δὲ ἔδει ποιῆσαι κἀκεῖνα µὴ παρεῖναι.

“But woe to you Pharisees! for you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God; these you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. (Luke 11:42)

So we see that people who practice or support injustice are doing something that is against the very nature of God. The Bible strongly condemns injustice.

Muslims sometimes accuse Christians of being materialistic.

What does the Bible say about this?

בִּרְבוֹת, הַטּוֹבָה, רַבּוּ, אוֹכְלֶיהָ; וּמַה-כִּשְׁרוֹן, לִבְעָלֶיהָ, כִּי, אִם-ראית (רְאוּת) עֵינָיו.

The one who loves money will never be satisfied with money, he who loves wealth will never be satisfied with his income. This also is futile. (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

Μὴ θησαυρίζετε ὑµῖν θησαυροὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅπου σὴς καὶ βρῶσις ἀφανίζει, καὶ ὅπου κλέπται διορύσσουσιν καὶ κλέπτουσιν· θησαυρίζετε δὲ ὑµῖν θησαυροὺς ἐν οὐρανῷ, ὅπου οὔτε σὴς οὔτε βρῶσις ἀφανίζει, καὶ ὅπου κλέπται οὐ διορύσσουσιν οὐδὲ κλέπτουσιν· ὅπου γάρ ἐστιν ὁ θησαυρός σου, ἐκεῖ ἔσται καὶ ἡ καρδία σου.

“Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

Οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν· ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα µισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει, ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει· οὐ δύνασθε θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ µαµωνᾷ

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matthew 6:24)

εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς, Ὁρᾶτε καὶ φυλάσσεσθε ἀπὸ πάσης πλεονεξίας, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν τινὶ ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ.

Then he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)

οἱ δὲ βουλόµενοι πλουτεῖν ἐµπίπτουσιν εἰς πειρασµὸν καὶ παγίδα καὶ ἐπιθυµίας πολλὰς ἀνοήτους καὶ βλαβεράς, αἵτινες βυθίζουσιν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἰς ὄλεθρον καὶ ἀπώλειαν· ῥίζα γὰρ πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστιν ἡ φιλαργυρία, ἧς τινες ὀρεγόµενοι ἀπεπλανήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως καὶ ἑαυτοὺς περιέπειραν ὀδύναις πολλαῖς.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs. (1 Timothy 6:9-10)

Ἀφιλάργυρος ὁ τρόπος· ἀρκούµενοι τοῖς παροῦσιν· αὐτὸς γὰρ εἴρηκεν, Οὐ µή σε ἀνῶ οὐδ’ οὐ µή σε ἐγκαταλίπω·

Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Despite how some people act, the Bible is very strongly opposed to love of money and possessions.

Muslims accuse Christianity of violence. This question is covered in Chapter 20.

So Muslims should not judge Christianity based on what some people do, but rather on what the Bible teaches, and as we have seen, the Bible is against the things that people criticize. The actions of people who do not follow the Bible do not negate what the Bible teaches.

Chapter 22 Does God hate the Jews?

It is believed by many people that God hates the Jews. It is well-known that there are numerous verses in the Qur’an that say how God gave them blessings, made a covenant with them, saved them from Pharaoh, caused them to enter the land, sent them prophets, etc. What do the Bible and the Qur’an say about whether God hates them?

First, there are 42 verses in the Qur’an that mentioned “the people of Israel” بني إسرائيل in the Qur’an (2:40,46,83,122,211,246, 3:49,93,93, 5:12,32,70,72,78,110, 7:105,134,137,138, 10:90,90,93, 17:2,4,101,104, 20:47,80,94, 26:17,22,59,197, 27:76, 32:23, 40:53, 43:59, 44:30, 45:16, 46:10, 61:6,14), and another 19 that use the term Jew الذين هادوا (2:62, 4:46,160, 5:41,44,69, 6:146, 16:118, 22:17, 62:6) or يهود (2:112,112,120, 3:67, 5:18,51,64,82, 9:30). Not one of these verses mentions anything about God hating the Jews. In fact, among these verses are some that actually mention God preferring them above all other peoples.

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

People of Israel, remember the blessings I gave you. I preferred you above all mankind. (Al-Baqara 2:47)

People of Israel, remember the blessings I gave you, how I preferred you above all mankind. (Al-Baqara 2:122)

وَلَقَدْ آَتَيْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقْنَاهُمْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

We gave the people of Israel the book, judgment, and prophecy, and we provided them with good things to eat, and we preferred them above all mankind. (Al-Jathiya 45:16)

وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَبَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا وَقَالَ اللَّهُ إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ لَئِنْ أَقَمْتُمُ الصَّلاَةَ وَآَتَيْتُمُ الزَّكَاةَ وَآَمَنْتُمْ بِرُسُلِي وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا لأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَلاَدْخِلَنَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ فَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ

Allah made a covenant with the people of Israel and we sent twelve leaders from them. Allah said, “I am with you. If you perform the prayers, pay the poor-tax, believe in my messengers, assist them, and give a good loan to Allah, I will expiate your bad deeds and make you enter heavenly gardens with flowing rivers underneath. He among you who disbelieves after that has gone astray from the straight path. (Al-Maida 5:12)

The Qur’an says three times that God preferred the people of Israel above all other peoples, and also that he was with them. It is well-known that there are also numerous verses in the Qur’an that tell how God saved them from Pharaoh, caused them to enter the land, sent them prophets, etc.

The Bible agrees abouit God’s love and chosing of the people of Israel

וְתַחַת, כִּי אָהַב אֶת-אֲבֹתֶיךָ, וַיִּבְחַר בְּזַרְעוֹ, אַחֲרָיו; וַיּוֹצִאֲךָ בְּפָנָיו בְּכֹחוֹ הַגָּדֹל, מִמִּצְרָיִם.

Deuteronomy 4:37 Moreover, because he loved your ancestors, he chose their descendants who followed them and personally brought you out of Egypt with his great power

רַק בַּאֲבֹתֶיךָ חָשַׁק יְהוָה, לְאַהֲבָה אוֹתָם; וַיִּבְחַר בְּזַרְעָם אַחֲרֵיהֶם, בָּכֶם מִכָּל-הָעַמִּים–כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה.

Deuteronomy 10:15 However, only to your ancestors did he show his loving favor, and he chose you, their descendants, from all peoples– as is apparent today.

However, both the Bible and the Qur’an confirm that not all of the people of Israel obeyed and believed in God.

וּבִשְׁלֹחַ יְהוָה אֶתְכֶם, מִקָּדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ לֵאמֹר, עֲלוּ וּרְשׁוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָכֶם; וַתַּמְרוּ, אֶת-פִּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, וְלֹא הֶאֱמַנְתֶּם לוֹ, וְלֹא שְׁמַעְתֶּם בְּקֹלוֹ. מַמְרִים הֱיִיתֶם, עִם-יְהוָה, מִיּוֹם, דַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם.

And when he sent you from Kadesh-Barnea and told you, “Go up and possess the land I have given you,” you rebelled against the LORD your God and would neither believe nor obey him. You have been rebelling against him from the very first day I knew you! (Deuteronomy 9:23-24)

Ἀδελφοί, ἡ µὲν εὐδοκία τῆς ἐµῆς καρδίας καὶ ἡ δέησις πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν εἰς σωτηρίαν. µαρτυρῶ γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὅτι ζῆλον θεοῦ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλ’ οὐ κατ’ ἐπίγνωσιν

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of my fellow Israelites is for their salvation. For I can testify that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not in line with the truth. (Romans 10:1-2)

πρὸς δὲ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ λέγει, Ὅλην τὴν ἡµέραν ἐξεπέτασα τὰς χεῖράς µου πρὸς λαὸν ἀπειθοῦντα καὶ ἀντιλέγοντα.

But about Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!” (Romans 10:21)

Κύριε, τοὺς προφήτας σου ἀπέκτειναν, τὰ θυσιαστήριά σου κατέσκαψαν, κἀγὼ ὑπελείφθην µόνος, καὶ ζητοῦσιν τὴν ψυχήν µου. 4 ἀλλὰ τί λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ χρηµατισµός; Κατέλιπον ἐµαυτῷ ἑπτακισχιλίους ἄνδρας, οἵτινες οὐκ ἔκαµψαν γόνυ τῇ Βάαλ.

“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left and they are seeking my life!” But what was the divine response to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand people who have not bent the knee to Baal.” Romans 11:3-4

لَقَدْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ رُسُلاً كُلَّمَا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لاَ تَهْوَى أَنْفُسُهُمْ فَرِيقًا كَذَّبُوا وَفَرِيقًا يَقْتُلُونَ

We have made a covenant with the people of Israel and sent them messengers. Whenever a messenger brought them something they did not like, some of them they called liars, and some of them they murder. (Al-Maida 5:70)

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَوْ آَمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ مِنْهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

You were the best nation presented to mankind, promoting virtue, preventing vice, and believing in Allah. If the people of the book had believed it would have been better for them. Some of them are believers but most are unbelievers. (Al-Maida 5:110)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا كُونُوا أَنْصَارَ اللَّهِ كَمَا قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ لِلْحَوَارِيِّينَ مَنْ أَنْصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنْصَارُ اللَّهِ فَآَمَنَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَكَفَرَتْ طَائِفَةٌ فَأَيَّدْنَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا عَلَى عَدُوِّهِمْ فَأَصْبَحُوا ظَاهِرِينَ

Believers, be Allah’s helpers, as Isa son of Mariam asked the disciples, “Who are my helpers for Allah?” The disciples said, “We are Allah’s helpers.” Some of the people of Israel believed and others disbelieved. We aided the believers against their enemy, and they were victorious. (Al-Saff 61:14)

In summary, we see that God preferred, chose, and loved the people of Israel, not hated them. And we see that a group of them is disobedient, unbelieving, and murderers, while some of them believe.

PART FIVE: ETERNAL DESTINY

Chapter 23 Is salvation by faith alone, unconnected to good works?

Many Christians today say that salvation is only through faith, and that works are not important. They quote verses in the first section below.

Some Christians today say that salvation is only through works, and faith is not important. They quote verses in the second section below.

Importance of faith in the Bible

λογιζόμεθα γὰρ δικαιοῦσθαι πίστει ἄνθρωπον χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου.

For we consider that a person is declared righteous by faith apart from the works of the law. Romans 3:28

Δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως εἰρήνην ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,

Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1

Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; ὅτι ἔθνη τὰ μὴ διώκοντα δικαιοσύνην κατέλαβεν δικαιοσύνην, δικαιοσύνην δὲ τὴν ἐκ πίστεως·

What shall we say then?– that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness obtained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith, Romans 9:30

τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑμῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον· 9 οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

However, Christians who say that someone is saved who has no works are in direct opposition to James 2. Proper understanding of the Bible must include all that the Bible has said, including the following passage.

Importance of works in the Bible

Τί τὸ ὄφελος, ἀδελφοί μου, ἐὰν πίστιν λέγῃ τις ἔχειν, ἔργα δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ; μὴ δύναται ἡ πίστις σῶσαι αὐτόν; ἐὰν ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἀδελφὴ γυμνοὶ ὑπάρχωσιν καὶ λειπόμενοι τῆς ἐφημέρου τροφῆς, εἴπῃ δέ τις αὐτοῖς ἐξ ὑμῶν, Ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, θερμαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε, μὴ δῶτε δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῦ σώματος, τί τὸ ὄφελος; οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις, ἐὰν μὴ ἔχῃ ἔργα, νεκρά ἐστιν καθ’ ἑαυτήν. Ἀλλ’ ἐρεῖ τις, Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω. δεῖξόν μοι τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων, κἀγώ σοι δείξω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν πίστιν. σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι εἷς θεός ἐστιν; καλῶς ποιεῖς· καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια πιστεύουσιν καὶ φρίσσουσιν. θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν; Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον; βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθη, καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα, Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ φίλος θεοῦ ἐκλήθη. ὁρᾶτε ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ὑποδεξαμένη τοὺς ἀγγέλους καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα; ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that– and tremble with fear. But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. James 2:14-26

James and Romans are both part of the Bible. Christians cannot ignore James because they like Romans better or vice versa. The correct interpretation must include both the passages that talk about faith and the passages that talk about works.

How about Qur’an?

The Qur’an says that those who believe in God and the Last Day and do good works are saved, whatever their religious background – Muslim, Christian, Jew, or Sabean (followers of John the Baptist).

“Truly those who believe and the Jews and the Christians and the Sabeans – whoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day and does good deeds – they have their reward from their Lord, and they shall have no fear on them nor will they be sad.” (Al-Baqara 2:62)

“Truly those who believe and the Jews and the Sabeans and the Christians – whoever believes in Allah and in the Last Day and does good deeds – they shall have no fear on them nor will they be sad.” (Al-Maida 5:69)

Muslims who say that people are saved by our works only or by faith only are in direct opposition to the Qur’an, based on the verses referenced above.

In summary, the Bible and Qur’an talk about the importance of both faith and works. Works are not complete without faith, and faith is not complete without works.

Chapter 24 Is Hell real, and is it permanent?

Does hell really exist and are some people going there?

Some people speak and live as if hell did not really exist. They say, for example, of a person who has died, “he on whom God had mercy” without thinking whether this person really received God’s mercy or whether they might actually have been the object of God’s judgment. Does God have mercy on everyone? No! Let us look at what the Qur’an and the Bible say.

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ لاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُوا وَلاَ يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِهَا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي كُلَّ كَفُورٍ

Disbelievers are headed to the fires of hell, where they will never be killed or die, nor will their torment ever be lightened. This is how we repay every disbeliever. (Al-Fatir 35:36)

فَكَانَ عَاقِبَتَهُمَا أَنَّهُمَا فِي النَّارِ خَالِدَيْنِ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّالِمِينَ

Their end was in hellfire, where they will be forever. That is how the wicked will be repaid. (Al-Hashar 59:17)

وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْكِتَابِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ آَيَاتِ اللَّهِ يُكْفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ بِهَا فَلاَ تَقْعُدُوا مَعَهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُوا فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا مِثْلُهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَامِعُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا

He has revealed to you in the book that, if you hear his signs being disbelieved and mocked, do not sit with them until they begin talking about something else. Otherwise you are like them. Allah will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together in hell. (Al-Nisa 4:140)

ذَلِكُمْ فَذُوقُوهُ وَأَنَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابَ النَّارِ

So taste it. Disbelievers will have the torment of hellfire. (Al-Anfal 8:14)

وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ وَالْكُفَّارَ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا هِيَ حَسْبُهُمْ وَلَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُقِيمٌ

Allah has promised the male and female hypocrites and the disbelievers that they will remain forever in the fires of hell. It is their just due. Allah has damned them and they will have permanent torment, (Al-Tawba 9:68)

مَثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ أُكُلُهَا دَائِمٌ وَظِلُّهَا تِلْكَ عُقْبَى الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا وَعُقْبَى الْكَافِرِينَ النَّارُ

The heavenly garden, which the godly are promised, which has flowing rivers underneath, and whose food and shade are permanent, is like… That is the reward of the godly, and the punishment of disbelievers is hellfire. (Al-Raad 13:35)

عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَنْ يَرْحَمَكُمْ وَإِنْ عُدْتُمْ عُدْنَا وَجَعَلْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ حَصِيرًا

Perhaps your Lord will have mercy on you. If you return, we will return. We have made hell a prison for disbelievers. (Al-Isra 17:8)

יָשׁוּבוּ רְשָׁעִים לִשְׁאוֹלָה: כָּל-גּוֹיִם, שְׁכֵחֵי אֱלֹהִים.

The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol; this is the destiny of all the nations that ignore God, (Psalm 9:17)

וְלֹא יִשְׁכְּבוּ אֶת-גִּבּוֹרִים, נֹפְלִים מֵעֲרֵלִים: אֲשֶׁר יָרְדוּ-שְׁאוֹל בִּכְלֵי-מִלְחַמְתָּם וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶת-חַרְבוֹתָם תַּחַת רָאשֵׁיהֶם, וַתְּהִי עֲוֺנֹתָם עַל-עַצְמוֹתָם–כִּי-חִתִּית גִּבּוֹרִים, בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים.

They do not lie with the fallen warriors of ancient times, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war, having their swords placed under their heads and their shields on their bones, when the terror of these warriors was in the land of the living. (Ezekiel 32:27)

ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἔνοχος ἔσται τῇ κρίσει· ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, Ῥακά, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ συνεδρίῳ· ὃς δ’ ἂν εἴπῃ, Μωρέ, ἔνοχος ἔσται εἰς τὴν γέενναν τοῦ πυρός.

But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults a brother will be brought before the council, and whoever says ‘Fool’ will be sent to fiery hell. (Matthew 5:22)

εἰ δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ὁ δεξιὸς σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔξελε αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· συμφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου βληθῇ εἰς γέενναν. καὶ εἰ ἡ δεξιά σου χεὶρ σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔκκοψον αὐτὴν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· συμφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶμά σου εἰς γέενναν ἀπέλθῃ.

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30)

Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί, ὅτι περιάγετε τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὴν ξηρὰν ποιῆσαι ἕνα προσήλυτον, καὶ ὅταν γένηται ποιεῖτε αὐτὸν υἱὸν γεέννης διπλότερον ὑμῶν.

“Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves! (Matthew 23:15)

ὄφεις γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, πῶς φύγητε ἀπὸ τῆς κρίσεως τῆς γεέννης;

You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? (Matthew 23:33)

Τότε ἐρεῖ καὶ τοῖς ἐξ εὐωνύμων, Πορεύεσθε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ [οἱ] κατηραμένοι εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ· ἐπείνασα γὰρ καὶ οὐκ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν, ἐδίψησα καὶ οὐκ ἐποτίσατέ με, ξένος ἤμην καὶ οὐ συνηγάγετέ με, γυμνὸς καὶ οὐ περιεβάλετέ με, ἀσθενὴς καὶ ἐν φυλακῇ καὶ οὐκ ἐπεσκέψασθέ με. τότε ἀποκριθήσονται καὶ αὐτοὶ λέγοντες, Κύριε, πότε σε εἴδομεν πεινῶντα ἢ διψῶντα ἢ ξένον ἢ γυμνὸν ἢ ἀσθενῆ ἢ ἐν φυλακῇ καὶ οὐ διηκονήσαμέν σοι; τότε ἀποκριθήσεται αὐτοῖς λέγων, Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐφ’ ὅσον οὐκ ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων, οὐδὲ ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. καὶ ἀπελεύσονται οὗτοι εἰς κόλασιν αἰώνιον, οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41-46)

καὶ εἴ τις οὐχ εὑρέθη ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ τῆς ζωῆς γεγραμμένος ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρός.

If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)

τοῖς δὲ δειλοῖς καὶ ἀπίστοις καὶ ἐβδελυγμένοις καὶ φονεῦσιν καὶ πόρνοις καὶ φαρμάκοις καὶ εἰδωλολάτραις καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ψευδέσιν τὸ μέρος αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ τῇ καιομένῃ πυρὶ καὶ θείῳ, ὅ ἐστιν ὁ θάνατος ὁ δεύτερος.

But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

Is hell temporary or eternal?

Some people believe that hell is temporary and that no one will stay in it forever. They believe that those who are going to hell will be purified from their sins after a period of time which would depend on how many sins they had done. What do the Bible and the Qur’an say?

وَقَالُوا لَنْ تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودَةً قُلْ أَتَّخَذْتُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَهْدًا فَلَنْ يُخْلِفَ اللَّهُ عَهْدَهُ أَمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ بَلَى مَنْ كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ فَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

They said, “Hellfire will not touch us except for a few days.” Have you made a covenant with Allah that he will not break? Or do you say what you do not know about Allah? Truly those who do bad deeds, and are caught in their faults, will be in hellfire eternally. (Al-Baqara 2:80-81)

Allah has promised the male and female hypocrites and the disbelievers that they will remain forever in the fires of hell. It is their just due. Allah has damned them and they will have permanent torment, (Al-Tawba 9:68)

وَتَرَاهُمْ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا خَاشِعِينَ مِنَ الذُّلِّ يَنْظُرُونَ مِنْ طَرْفٍ خَفِيٍّ وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا إِنَّ الْخَاسِرِينَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَلاَ إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ فِي عَذَابٍ مُقِيمٍ

You will see them exposed to it, fearing in humiliation. They look with a hidden glance. Believers say, “Those who lose their souls and their families on the day of resurrection are truly lost. The wicked will be in permanent torment. (Al-Shora 42:45)

فَكَانَ عَاقِبَتَهُمَا أَنَّهُمَا فِي النَّارِ خَالِدَيْنِ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّالِمِينَ

Their end was in hellfire, where they will be forever. That is how the wicked will be repaid. (Al-Hashar 59:17)

מִבֹּקֶר לָעֶרֶב יֻכַּתּוּ; מִבְּלִי מֵשִׂים, לָנֶצַח יֹאבֵדוּ.

They are destroyed between morning and evening; they perish forever without anyone regarding it. (Job 4:20)

מֵחֲמַס אָחִיךָ יַעֲקֹב, תְּכַסְּךָ בוּשָׁה; וְנִכְרַתָּ, לְעוֹלָם.

“Because you violently slaughtered your relatives, the people of Jacob, shame will cover you, and you will be destroyed forever. (Obadiah 1:10)

Εἰ δὲ ἡ χείρ σου ἢ ὁ πούς σου σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔκκοψον αὐτὸν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· καλόν σοί ἐστιν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν κυλλὸν ἢ χωλόν, ἢ δύο χεῖρας ἢ δύο πόδας ἔχοντα βληθῆναι εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον.

If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. (Matthew 18:8)

to,te evrei/ kai. toi/j evx euvwnu,mwn\ poreu,esqe avpV evmou/ Îoi`Ð kathrame,noi eivj to. pu/r to. aivw,nion to. h`toimasme,non tw/| diabo,lw| kai. toi/j avgge,loij auvtou/Å evpei,nasa ga.r kai. ouvk evdw,kate, moi fagei/n( evdi,yhsa kai. ouvk evpoti,sate, me( xe,noj h;mhn kai. ouv sunhga,gete, me( gumno.j kai. ouv perieba,lete, me( avsqenh.j kai. evn fulakh/| kai. ouvk evpeske,yasqe, meÅ to,te avpokriqh,sontai kai. auvtoi. le,gontej\ ku,rie( po,te se ei;domen peinw/nta h’ diyw/nta h’ xe,non h’ gumno.n h’ avsqenh/ h’ evn fulakh/| kai. ouv dihkonh,same,n soiÈ to,te avpokriqh,setai auvtoi/j le,gwn\ avmh.n le,gw u`mi/n( evfV o[son ouvk evpoih,sate e`ni. tou,twn tw/n evlaci,stwn( ouvde. evmoi. evpoih,sateÅ kai. avpeleu,sontai ou-toi eivj ko,lasin aivw,nion( oi` de. di,kaioi eivj zwh.n aivw,nionÅ

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41-46)

ὃς δ’ ἂν βλασφημήσῃ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον οὐκ ἔχει ἄφεσιν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἀλλὰ ἔνοχός ἐστιν αἰωνίου ἁμαρτήματος

But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:29)

οἵτινες δίκην τίσουσιν ὄλεθρον αἰώνιον ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ κυρίου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ,

They will undergo the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength (2 Thessalonians 1:9)

ἀγγέλους τε τοὺς μὴ τηρήσαντας τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχὴν ἀλλὰ ἀπολιπόντας τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον εἰς κρίσιν μεγάλης ἡμέρας δεσμοῖς ἀϊδίοις ὑπὸ ζόφον τετήρηκεν· ὡς Σόδομα καὶ Γόμορρα καὶ αἱ περὶ αὐτὰς πόλεις, τὸν ὅμοιον τρόπον τούτοις ἐκπορνεύσασαι καὶ ἀπελθοῦσαι ὀπίσω σαρκὸς ἑτέρας, πρόκεινται δεῖγμα πυρὸς αἰωνίου δίκην ὑπέχουσαι.

You also know that the angels who did not keep within their proper domain but abandoned their own place of residence, he has kept in eternal chains in utter darkness, locked up for the judgment of the great Day. So also Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns, since they indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire in a way similar to these angels, are now displayed as an example by suffering the punishment of eternal fire. (Jude 1: 6-7)

κύματα ἄγρια θαλάσσης ἐπαφρίζοντα τὰς ἑαυτῶν αἰσχύνας, ἀστέρες πλανῆται οἷς ὁ ζόφος τοῦ σκότους εἰς αἰῶνα τετήρηται.

wild sea waves, spewing out the foam of their shame; wayward stars for whom the utter depths of eternal darkness have been reserved. (Jude 1:13)

It is clear that both the Bible and the Qur’an say that hell is not temporary but eternal, and those in hell remain there forever. What categories of people go to hell?

The Qur’an and the Bible mention several categories of people who will go to hell.

Disbelievers

Disbelievers are headed to the fires of hell, where they will never be killed or die, nor will their torment ever be lightened. This is how we repay every disbeliever. (Fatir 35:36)

Allah has promised the male and female hypocrites and the disbelievers that they will remain forever in the fires of hell. It is their just due. Allah has damned them and they will have permanent torment, (Al-Tawba 9:68)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا لاَ تَقُولُوا رَاعِنَا وَقُولُوا انْظُرْنَا وَاسْمَعُوا وَلِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Believers, do not say, “Look at us,” but say, “Consider us,” and listen. Disbelievers will have painful torment. (Al-Baqara 2:104)

الَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ وَيَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبُخْلِ وَيَكْتُمُونَ مَا آَتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُهِينًا

those who are miserly, and who command others to be miserly, who hide what Allah has given them out of his grace. We have prepared shameful torment for disbelievers (Al-Nisa 4:37)

أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ حَقًّا وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُهِينًا

are truly disbelievers. We have prepared shameful torment for disbelievers. (Al-Nisa 4:151)

The heavenly garden, which the godly are promised, which has flowing rivers underneath, and whose food and shade are permanent, is like… That is the reward of the godly, and the punishment of disbelievers is hellfire. (Al-Raad 13:35)

عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَنْ يَرْحَمَكُمْ وَإِنْ عُدْتُمْ عُدْنَا وَجَعَلْنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ حَصِيرًا

Perhaps your Lord will have mercy on you. If you return, we will return. We have made hell a prison for disbelievers. (Al-Isra 17:8)

فَلَنُذِيقَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَسْوَأَ الَّذِي كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

We will make the disbelievers taste severe torment and repay them for the worst of what they did. (Fussilat 41:27)

ذَلِكُمْ فَذُوقُوهُ وَأَنَّ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابَ النَّارِ

So taste it. Disbelievers will have the torment of hellfire. (Al-Anfal 8:14)

He has revealed to you in the book that, if you hear his signs being disbelieved and mocked, do not sit with them until they begin talking about something else. Otherwise you are like them. Allah will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together in hell. (Al-Nisa 4:140)

But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

The Wicked

You will see them exposed to it, fearing in humiliation. They look with a hidden glance. Believers say, “Those who lose their souls and their families on the day of resurrection are truly lost. The wicked will be in permanent torment. (Al-Shora 42:45)

وَقَالَ الشَّيْطَانُ لَمَّا قُضِيَ الأَمْرُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَعَدَكُمْ وَعْدَ الْحَقِّ وَوَعَدْتُكُمْ فَأَخْلَفْتُكُمْ وَمَا كَانَ لِي عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ إِلاَّ أَنْ دَعَوْتُكُمْ فَاسْتَجَبْتُمْ لِي فَلاَ تَلُومُونِي وَلُومُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ مَا أَنَا بِمُصْرِخِكُمْ وَمَا أَنْتُمْ بِمُصْرِخِيَّ إِنِّي كَفَرْتُ بِمَا أَشْرَكْتُمُونِ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Satan said, “When the matter was decreed, Allah promised you truly and I promised you and broke my promise to you. I had no authority over you. I merely called you and you responded to me. Do not blame me. Blame yourselves. I cannot help you and you cannot help me. I rejected your worship of me beforehand.” The wicked will have painful torment. (Ibrahim 14:22)

فَكَانَ عَاقِبَتَهُمَا أَنَّهُمَا فِي النَّارِ خَالِدَيْنِ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ جَزَاءُ الظَّالِمِينَ

Their end was in hellfire, where they will be forever. That is how the wicked will be repaid. (Al-Hashar 59:17)

יָשׁוּבוּ רְשָׁעִים לִשְׁאוֹלָה: כָּל-גּוֹיִם, שְׁכֵחֵי אֱלֹהִים.

The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol; this is the destiny of all the nations that ignore God, (Psalm 9:17)

Hypocrites

Allah has promised the male and female hypocrites and the disbelievers that they will remain forever in the fires of hell. It is their just due. Allah has damned them and they will have permanent torment, (Al-Tawba 9:68)

He has revealed to you in the book that, if you hear his signs being disbelieved and mocked, do not sit with them until they begin talking about something else. Otherwise you are like them. Allah will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together in hell. (Al-Nisa 4:140)

Evildoers

ثُمَّ كَانَ عَاقِبَةَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا السُّوأَى أَنْ كَذَّبُوا بِآَيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا بِهَا يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

Then the end of the evildoers was evil, since they rejected and made fun of Allah’s signs (Al-Roum 10)

بَلَى مَنْ كَسَبَ سَيِّئَةً وَأَحَاطَتْ بِهِ خَطِيئَتُهُ فَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

Truly those who do evil deeds, and are caught in their faults, will be in hellfire eternally. (Al-Baqara 2:81)

Those who have faults

Truly those who do evil deeds, and are caught in their faults, will be in hellfire eternally. (Al-Baqara 2:81)

Sinners

كَدَأْبِ آَلِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآَيَاتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

As in the case of Pharaoh’s family and those before them, they have denied our signs, so Allah caught them in their sins. Allah is severe in punishment. (Aali Imran 3:11)

Others

Then the end of the evildoers was evil, since they rejected and mocked Allah’s signs (Al-Roum 10)

But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)

We have seen in these verses that those who will have this awful destiny are the disbelievers, the wicked, the hypocrites, the evildoers, those who have faults and sinners, in addition to those who rejected and mocked God’s signs, the cowardly, murderers, the sexually immoral, magicians, idolaters, and liars.

What is mankind like?

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَظْلِمُ النَّاسَ شَيْئًا وَلَكِنَّ النَّاسَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ

Allah is not wicked to people at all, but they are wicked to themselves. (Yunis 10:44)

وَمَا أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِي إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلاَّ مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّي إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

I do not justify myself. The soul is prone to evil, except when my Lord is merciful. My Lord is forgiving and merciful.” (Yusif 12:53)

وَآَتَاكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لاَ تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ

He gave you everything you asked. If you were to count Allah’s blessings, you would not be able. Mankind are wicked disbelievers. (Ibrahim 14:34)

وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِمْ مَا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ وَلَكِنْ يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلاَ يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ

If Allah were to punish people for their wickedness, he would not leave any living creature on it, but he gives them a specified lifespan. When their lifespan is up, they cannot postpone or advance it even one hour. (Al-Nahl 16:61)

وَإِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فِي الْبَحْرِ ضَلَّ مَنْ تَدْعُونَ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا نَجَّاكُمْ إِلَى الْبَرِّ أَعْرَضْتُمْ وَكَانَ الإِنْسَانُ كَفُورًا

If harm touches you on the sea, those you pray to besides him go astray. When he rescues you and gets you to land, you turn away. Man is disbelieving. (Al-Isra 17:67)

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَحْيَاكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ إِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ لَكَفُورٌ

He is the one that gives you life, then makes you die, then will revive you. Mankind is disbelieving. (Al-Hajj 22:66)

إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الإِنْسَانُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولاً

We offered a trust for safekeeping to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, and they refused to bear it, and feared it. Mankind took it, and they were wicked and foolish, (Al-Ahzab 33:72)

فَإِنْ أَعْرَضُوا فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا إِنْ عَلَيْكَ إِلاَّ الْبَلاَغُ وَإِنَّا إِذَا أَذَقْنَا الإِنْسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً فَرِحَ بِهَا وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَإِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ كَفُورٌ

If they turn away, we have not sent you as a guardian. Your only responsibility is proclamation. When we give a man a taste of mercy, he is happy because of it. If bad things happen to him because of what his hands have done, he is disbelieving. (Al-Shora 42:48)

وَجَعَلُوا لَهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ جُزْءًا إِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ لَكَفُورٌ مُبِينٌ

But they chose some of his servants [as gods] instead of him. Man is clearly disbelieving. (Al-Zukhruf 43:15)

قُتِلَ الإِنْسَانُ مَا أَكْفَرَهُ

May mankind be killed! How disbelieving he is! (Abasa 80:17)

כִּי יֶחֶטְאוּ-לָךְ, כִּי אֵין אָדָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יֶחֱטָא, וְאָנַפְתָּ בָם, וּנְתַתָּם לִפְנֵי אוֹיֵב; וְשָׁבוּם שֹׁבֵיהֶם אֶל-אֶרֶץ הָאוֹיֵב, רְחוֹקָה אוֹ קְרוֹבָה.

“The time will come when your people will sin against you (for there is no one who is sinless!) and you will be angry with them and deliver them over to their enemies, who will take them as prisoners to their own land, whether far away or close by. (1 Kings 8:46)

כִּי אָדָם, אֵין צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ–אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה-טּוֹב, וְלֹא יֶחֱטָא.

For there is not one righteous person on the earth who continually does good and never sins. (Ecclestiastes 7:20)

אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ, אֵין אֱלֹהִים; הִשְׁחִיתוּ, הִתְעִיבוּ עֲלִילָה– אֵין עֹשֵׂה-טוֹב. הַכֹּל סָר, יַחְדָּו נֶאֱלָחוּ: אֵין עֹשֵׂה-טוֹב–אֵין, גַּם-אֶחָד.

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good. … They have all gone astray, they are all alike corrupt; there is none that does good, no, not one. (Psalm 14:1,3)

אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ, אֵין אֱלֹהִים; הִשְׁחִיתוּ, וְהִתְעִיבוּ עָוֶל– אֵין עֹשֵׂה-טוֹב. כֻּלּוֹ סָג, יַחְדָּו נֶאֱלָחוּ: אֵין עֹשֵׂה-טוֹב; אֵין, גַּם-אֶחָד.

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,” They are corrupt, and have committed abominable wickedness; There is no one who does good…. They have all fallen away; they are all alike depraved; there is none that does good, no, not one. (Psalm 53:1,3)

וְאַל-תָּבוֹא בְמִשְׁפָּט, אֶת-עַבְדֶּךָ: כִּי לֹא-יִצְדַּק לְפָנֶיךָ כָל-חָי.

Do not sit in judgment on your servant, for no one alive is innocent before you. (Psalm 143:2)

καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς,

just as it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one, (Romans 3:10)

πάντες γὰρ ἥµαρτον καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ

since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

ἀλλὰ συνέκλεισεν ἡ γραφὴ τὰ πάντα ὑπὸ ἁµαρτίαν ἵνα ἡ ἐπαγγελία ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοθῇ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν.

But the scripture imprisoned everything and everyone under sin so that the promise could be given– because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ– to those who believe. (Galatians 3:22)

The Bible and the Qur’an agree that people are sinful, wicked, idolatrous, disbelieving, corrupt, foolish evildoers. And these are the same qualities that the Qur’an and the Bible say are deserving of God sending us to hell forever. So what is the solution?

Will God have mercy on those who deserve hell?

Many people admit that they are sinners and that they deserve hellfire, but they say that God will forgive their sins according to his great mercy. It is true that God is forgiving and merciful. But what the Qur’an and the Bible say is very clear: the destiny of some people is hellfire.

God is merciful

On the one hand, God is Gracious, Merciful, Forgiving and Pardoning.

قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلأَخِي وَأَدْخِلْنَا فِي رَحْمَتِكَ وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

He said, “Lord, forgive me and my brother and make us enter your mercy. You are the most merciful of all.” (Al-Aaraf 7:151)

وَالَّذِينَ عَمِلُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ ثُمَّ تَابُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهَا وَآَمَنُوا إِنَّ رَبَّكَ مِنْ بَعْدِهَا لَغَفُورٌ رَح

Your Lord is forgiving and merciful toward those who do bad deeds and later repent and believe. (Al-Aaraf 7:153)

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the most gracious and merciful. (Al-Fatiha 1: 1)

فَأُولَئِكَ عَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا

Allah may pardon them. Allah is pardoning and merciful. (Al-Nisa 4:99)

וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוָה עַל-פָּנָיו, וַיִּקְרָא, יְהוָה יְהוָה, אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן–אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, וְרַב-חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת. נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים, נֹשֵׂא עָוֺן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה; וְנַקֵּה, לֹא יְנַקֶּה–פֹּקֵד עֲוֺן אָבוֹת עַל-בָּנִים וְעַל-בְּנֵי בָנִים, עַל-שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל-רִבֵּעִים.

The LORD passed by before him and proclaimed: “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7)

וַיְמָאֲנוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ, וְלֹא-זָכְרוּ נִפְלְאֹתֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ עִמָּהֶם, וַיַּקְשׁוּ אֶת-עָרְפָּם, וַיִּתְּנוּ-רֹאשׁ לָשׁוּב לְעַבְדֻתָם בְּמִרְיָם; וְאַתָּה אֱלוֹהַּ סְלִיחוֹת חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם, אֶרֶךְ-אַפַּיִם וְרַב-וחֶסֶד–וְלֹא עֲזַבְתָּם.

They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love. You did not abandon them, (Nehemiah 9:17)

וְאַתָּה אֲדֹנָי, אֵל-רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן; אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, וְרַב-חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת.

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God. You are patient and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness. (Psalm 86:15)

רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן יְהוָה; אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב-חָסֶד.

The LORD is compassionate and merciful; he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love. (Psalm 103:8)

γίνεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους χρηστοί, εὔσπλαγχνοι, χαριζόµενοι ἑαυτοῖς καθὼς καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν Χριστῷ ἐχαρίσατο ὑµῖν.

Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

ἰδοὺ µακαρίζοµεν τοὺς ὑποµείναντας· τὴν ὑποµονὴν Ἰὼβ ἠκούσατε, καὶ τὸ τέλος κυρίου εἴδετε, ὅτι πολύσπλαγχνός ἐστιν ὁ κύριος καὶ οἰκτίρµων.

Think of how we regard as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (James 5:11)

God is Just

On the other hand, God is also Holy, Faithful, the Judge, Just, True, Avenger and Righteous.

وَإِنْ كَانَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْكُمْ آَمَنُوا بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ وَطَائِفَةٌ لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا فَاصْبِرُوا حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ بَيْنَنَا وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ

If one group of you believed in my message and another group did not believe, endure until Allah judges among us. He is the best judge. (Al-Aaraf 7:87)

شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةُ وَأُولُو الْعِلْمِ قَائِمًا بِالْقِسْطِ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

Allah, the angels, and the scholars witness that he is the only god, standing on justice. He is the only god, strong and wise. (Aal Imran 3:18)

وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلاً لاَ مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

And the word of your Lord was fulfilled in truth and justice. There is no substituting his words, and he hears all and knows all. (Al-Anaam 6:115)

وَاللَّهُ يَقْضِي بِالْحَقِّ وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ لاَ يَقْضُونَ بِشَيْءٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

Allah judges justly. Those they pray to besides him do not judge anything. Allah hears all and sees all. (Al-Ghafir 40:20)

חָלִלָה לְּךָ מֵעֲשֹׂת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה, לְהָמִית צַדִּיק עִם-רָשָׁע, וְהָיָה כַצַּדִּיק, כָּרָשָׁע; חָלִלָה לָּךְ–הֲשֹׁפֵט כָּל-הָאָרֶץ, לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט.

Far be it from you to do such a thing– to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right?” (Genesis 18:25)

נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים, נֹשֵׂא עָוֺן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה; וְנַקֵּה, לֹא יְנַקֶּה–פֹּקֵד עֲוֺן אָבוֹת עַל-בָּנִים וְעַל-בְּנֵי בָנִים, עַל-שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל-רִבֵּעִים.

keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:7)

כִּי, אֶת-כָּל-מַעֲשֶׂה, הָאֱלֹהִים יָבִא בְמִשְׁפָּט, עַל כָּל-נֶעְלָם: אִם-טוֹב, וְאִם-רָע.

For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

וְלָכֵן יְחַכֶּה יְהוָה, לַחֲנַנְכֶם, וְלָכֵן יָרוּם, לְרַחֶמְכֶם: כִּי-אֱלֹהֵי מִשְׁפָּט יְהוָה, אַשְׁרֵי כָּל-חוֹכֵי לוֹ.

For this reason the LORD is ready to show you mercy; he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. Indeed, the LORD is a just God; all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. (Isaiah 30:18)

הַגִּידוּ וְהַגִּישׁוּ, אַף יִוָּעֲצוּ יַחְדָּו: מִי הִשְׁמִיעַ זֹאת מִקֶּדֶם מֵאָז הִגִּידָהּ, הֲלוֹא אֲנִי יְהוָה וְאֵין-עוֹד אֱלֹהִים מִבַּלְעָדַי–אֵל-צַדִּיק וּמוֹשִׁיעַ, אַיִן זוּלָתִי.

Tell me! Present the evidence! Let them consult with one another! Who predicted this in the past? Who announced it beforehand? Was it not I, the LORD? I have no peer, there is no God but me, a God who vindicates and delivers; there is none but me. (Isaiah 45:21)

וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל-זֶה וְאָמַר, קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת; מְלֹא כָל-הָאָרֶץ, כְּבוֹדוֹ.

They called out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord who commands armies! His majestic splendor fills the entire earth!” (Isaiah 6:3)

כִּי-קָרוֹב יוֹם-יְהוָה, עַל-כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם: כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתָ יֵעָשֶׂה לָּךְ, גְּמֻלְךָ יָשׁוּב בְּרֹאשֶׁךָ.

“For the day of the LORD is approaching for all the nations! Just as you have done, so it will be done to you. You will get exactly what your deeds deserve. (Obadiah 1:15)

אֱלֹהִים, שׁוֹפֵט צַדִּיק; וְאֵל, זֹעֵם בְּכָל-יוֹם.

God is a just judge; he is angry throughout the day. (Psalm 7:11)

צַדִּיק יְהוָה, בְּכָל-דְּרָכָיו; וְחָסִיד, בְּכָל-מַעֲשָׂיו.

The LORD is just in all his actions, and exhibits love in all he does. (Psalm 145:17)

ὃς λοιδορούµενος οὐκ ἀντελοιδόρει, πάσχων οὐκ ἠπείλει, παρεδίδου δὲ τῷ κρίνοντι δικαίως·

Christ when reviled did not reciprocate; when he suffered he did not threaten, but trusted him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:23)

καὶ ᾄδουσιν τὴν ᾠδὴν Μωϋσέως τοῦ δούλου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν ᾠδὴν τοῦ ἀρνίου λέγοντες, Μεγάλα καὶ θαυµαστὰ τὰ ἔργα σου, κύριε ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ· δίκαιαι καὶ ἀληθιναὶ αἱ ὁδοί σου, ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν ἐθνῶν.

They sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and astounding are your deeds, Lord God, the All-Powerful! Just and true are your ways, King over the nations! (Revelation 15:3)

καὶ ἤκουσα τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου λέγοντος, Ναί, κύριε ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ἀληθιναὶ καὶ δίκαιαι αἱ κρίσεις σου.

Then I heard the altar reply, “Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful, your judgments are true and just!” (Revelation 16:7)

µὴ στενάζετε, ἀδελφοί, κατ’ ἀλλήλων, ἵνα µὴ κριθῆτε· ἰδοὺ ὁ κριτὴς πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν ἕστηκεν.

Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates! (James 5:9)

So we see that God is also just. God’s mercy does not change the destiny of those who are the owners of fire, and God’s mercy does not cancel out God’s justice or his other qualities. Far be it from God that any of his qualities or names would be cancelled out. God is called The Just One, The Judge, The Holy, and The Righteous.

Is it conceivable that a just and righteous judge would fail to punish a criminal as he deserves? No! God, who is the Perfect Judge, will reward each one according to what he deserves, and he will not act arbitrarily.

So is our destiny in hell predestined?

The Qur’an says this about hellfire:

{إن منكم إلا واردها كان على ربك حتماً مقضياً}

“Every one of you shall enter it. This is a predestined certainty.” (Mariam 71)

If we want to escape from this predestined, certain destiny (which is also eternal, according to what we have read above), how can we do so? The answer is given in another verse of the same surah:

{قال كذلك قال ربك هو عليّ هين ولنجعله آية للناس ورحمة منا وكان أمراً مقضياً}

“This is what your Lord says: ‘It is easy for me. We will make him a miracle for mankind and a mercy from us. And it was a predestined matter.’” (Mariam 21)

In the whole of the Qur’an, the word “predestined” مقضياً occurs only twice, in these two verses here. The Qur’an mentions two predestined things (things that cannot change or be escaped): hellfire and mercy. What does this mean? Certainly one cannot receive mercy and yet go to hellfire at the same time. Mercy and hellfire are opposite destinies. The clear meaning is that God has offered us a choice – either hellfire, the “predestined certainty,” or a mercy, Jesus, the “predestined matter.” If we reject the mercy God has offered, hellfire forever is for us a “predestined certainty.”

Chapter 25 Will everyone be judged on the Day of Judgment?

Some Christians and Muslims live as if they will not be judged for what they do in this world. Here are some verses from the Qur’an and the Bible about this subject.

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

Fear Allah and know that you will be gathered to him. (Al-Baqara 2:203)

وَلَئِنْ مُتُّمْ أَوْ قُتِلْتُمْ لإِلَى اللَّهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

If you die or are killed, you are gathered to Allah. (Aal Imran 3:158)

وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

Fear Allah to whom you will be gathered. (Al-Maida 5:96)

وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ

And who, I hope, will forgive me my sin on the day of Judgment. (Al-Shuara 26:82)

The speaker in this verse is Abraham, who knew he would be judged on the Day of Judgment.

أَفَمَنْ كَانَ مُؤْمِنًا كَمَنْ كَانَ فَاسِقًا لاَ يَسْتَوُونَ أَمَّا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَلَهُمْ جَنَّاتُ الْمَأْوَى نُزُلاً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فَسَقُوا فَمَأْوَاهُمُ النَّارُ كُلَّمَا أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنْهَا أُعِيدُوا فِيهَا وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ ذُوقُوا عَذَابَ النَّارِ الَّذِي كُنْتُمْ بِهِ تُكَذِّبُون

Is a believer equal to an unbeliever? They are not the same. Believers who do righteous deeds will have heavenly gardens of refuge as an abode prepared because of their deeds. But the abode of the unbelievers will be hellfire. Every time they want to get out of it, they will be put back in. They will be told, “Taste the torment of hellfire, which you denied.” (Al-Sajda 32:18-20)

ὃς ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ,

God will render to every man according to his works (Romans 2:6)

σὺ δὲ τί κρίνεις τὸν ἀδελφόν σου; ἢ καὶ σὺ τί ἐξουθενεῖς τὸν ἀδελφόν σου; πάντες γὰρ παραστησόµεθα τῷ βήµατι τοῦ θεοῦ· γέγραπται γάρ, Ζῶ ἐγώ, λέγει κύριος, ὅτι ἐµοὶ κάµψει πᾶν γόνυ, καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξοµολογήσεται τῷ θεῷ. ἄρα [οὖν] ἕκαστος ἡµῶν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λόγον δώσει τῷ θεῷ.

But you who eat vegetables only– why do you judge your brother or sister? And you who eat everything– why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.” Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10-12)

τοὺς γὰρ πάντας ἡµᾶς φανερωθῆναι δεῖ ἔµπροσθεν τοῦ βήµατος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κοµίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώµατος πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν εἴτε φαῦλον.

We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Καὶ εἰ πατέρα ἐπικαλεῖσθε τὸν ἀπροσωπολήµπτως κρίνοντα κατὰ τὸ ἑκάστου ἔργον, ἐν φόβῳ τὸν τῆς παροικίας ὑµῶν χρόνον ἀναστράφητε,

If you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of exile. (1 Peter 1:17)

οἳ ἀποδώσουσιν λόγον τῷ ἑτοίµως ἔχοντι κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς.

They will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. (1 Peter 4:5)

καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ἀποκτενῶ ἐν θανάτῳ· καὶ γνώσονται πᾶσαι αἱ ἐκκλησίαι ὅτι ἐγώ εἰµι ὁ ἐραυνῶν νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας, καὶ δώσω ὑµῖν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ὑµῶν

I will give to each of you as your works deserve. (Revelation 2:23)

καὶ εἶδον τοὺς νεκρούς, τοὺς µεγάλους καὶ τοὺς µικρούς, ἑστῶτας ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου, καὶ βιβλία ἠνοίχθησαν· καὶ ἄλλο βιβλίον ἠνοίχθη, ὅ ἐστιν τῆς ζωῆς· καὶ ἐκρίθησαν οἱ νεκροὶ ἐκ τῶν γεγραµµένων ἐν τοῖς βιβλίοις κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done. (Revelation 20:12)

So the Qur’an and the Bible agree that everyone will be judged.

The role of Jesus in the judgment

The Qur’an and the Bible also agree that Jesus has a role in the judgment. Here are some verses that describe this.

وَلَمَّا ضُرِبَ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مَثَلاً إِذَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْهُ يَصِدُّونَ وَقَالُوا أَآَلِهَتُنَا خَيْرٌ أَمْ هُوَ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلاَّ جَدَلاً بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ مَثَلاً لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلَوْ نَشَاءُ لَجَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمْ مَلاَئِكَةً فِي الأَرْضِ يَخْلُفُونَ وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِلسَّاعَةِ فَلاَ تَمْتَرُنَّ بِهَا وَاتَّبِعُونِ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ وَلاَ يَصُدَّنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ وَلَمَّا جَاءَ عِيسَى بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالَ قَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَلأُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِي تَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَذَا صِرَاطٌ مُسْتَقِيمٌ

When the son of Mariam is cited as an example, your people reject him. They said, “Are our gods better, or he?” They only want to argue. They are contentious people. He is truly a servant to whom we gave blessings. We made him a proverb for the people of Israel. If we wished, we would have made you into angels ruling on the earth. He is the sign of the hour, so do not doubt it, and follow me. This is a straight path. Do not let Satan block you. He is a clear enemy to you. When Isa brought miracles, he said, “I have come to you with wisdom, and to clarify to you your differences, so fear Allah and obey me. Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship him. This is a straight path.” (Al-Zukhruf 43:57-64)

καθότι ἔστησεν ἡµέραν ἐν ᾗ µέλλει κρίνειν τὴν οἰκουµένην ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ἐν ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὥρισεν, πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν ἀναστήσας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν.

because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31)

ἐν ᾗ ἡµέρᾳ κρίνει ὁ θεὸς τὰ κρυπτὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν µου διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. (Romans 2:16)

καὶ παρήγγειλεν ἡµῖν κηρύξαι τῷ λαῷ καὶ διαµαρτύρασθαι ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ὡρισµένος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κριτὴς ζώντων καὶ νεκρῶν.

He commanded us to preach to the people and to warn them that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. (Acts 10:42)

καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ κρίσιν ποιεῖν, ὅτι υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν.

and he has granted the Son authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. (John 5:27)

µέλλει γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεσθαι ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ µετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ, καὶ τότε ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ.

For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. (Matthew 16:27)

∆ιαµαρτύροµαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, τοῦ µέλλοντος κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, καὶ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ·

I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: (2 Timothy 4:1)

So the books agree that Jesus has an important role on the Day of Judgment.

Chapter 26 Who will go to Heaven?

Will people go to heaven because they are born Muslims or Christians?

It is very common for people to think that their religion and the religion of their fathers is the true religion. But what is the judgment of the books on those who follow the religion of their fathers merely because it is the religion of their fathers? Is that enough to receive a portion in heaven?

Some Muslims claim that all who belong to the religion of Islam have a portion in heaven. Similarly, some Christians claim that all who belong to the Christian religion have a portion in heaven. Is this claim true?

Let us look at what the books say.

{بل قالوا إنا وجدنا آباءنا على أمة وإنا على آثارهم مهتدون}

*“But they said, ‘We found our fathers of one people, and we will follow in their footsteps.’” (Al-Zuhruf 22)

{بل نتبع ما وجدنا عليه آباءنا أولو كان الشيطان يدعوهم إلى عذاب السعير}

*“But we will follow what we found our fathers doing, even if Satan was calling them to the torture of hell.” (Luqman 21)

{قالوا وجدنا آباءنا كذلك يفعلون}

*“They said, ‘We found our fathers doing thus.’”(Al-Shuara 74)

{قالوا وجدنا آباءنا لها عابدون}

*“They said, ‘We found our fathers worshipping it.’”(Al-Anbiya 21:53)

{قالوا أجئت لتلفتنا عما وجدنا عليه آباءنا وتكون لكما الكبرياء في الأرض وما نحن لكما بمؤمنين}

*“They said, ‘Have you come to turn us away from what we found our fathers doing, to make yourselves proud in the earth? We don’t believe you.’”(Yunis 10:78)

{وإذا فعلوا فاحشة قالوا وجدنا عليه آباءنا والله أمرنا بها}

*“And if they do a great sin, they say, ‘We found our fathers doing it and God has commanded us to do it too.’” (Al-Aaraf 28)

{وإذ قيل لهم تعالوا إلى ما أنزل الله وإلى رسوله قالوا حسبُنا ما وجدنا عليه آباءنا أولو كان آباءهم لا يعملون شيئاً ولا يهتدون}

*“And if they are told, ‘Come to what God has revealed and to his messenger.’ they say, ‘What we found our fathers doing is good enough for us,’ even though their fathers don’t do anything, nor have they any guidance.”(Al-Maida 5:104)

What does the Qur’an say?

{بل نتبع ما وجدنا عليه آباءنا أولو كان الشيطان يدعوهم إلى عذاب السعير}

*“But we will follow what we found our fathers doing, even if Satan was calling them to the torture of hell.” (Luqman 31:21)

*“And if they are told, ‘Come to what God has revealed and to his messenger.’ they say, ‘What we found our fathers doing is good enough for us,’ even though their fathers don’t do anything, nor have they any guidance.” (Al-Maida 5:104)

וְאִם רַע בְּעֵינֵיכֶם לַעֲבֹד אֶת-יְהוָה, בַּחֲרוּ לָכֶם הַיּוֹם אֶת-מִי תַעֲבֹדוּן–אִם אֶת-אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר-עָבְדוּ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר בעבר (מֵעֵבֶר) הַנָּהָר, וְאִם אֶת-אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם יֹשְׁבִים בְּאַרְצָם; וְאָנֹכִי וּבֵיתִי, נַעֲבֹד אֶת-יְהוָה.

If you have no desire to worship the LORD, choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the LORD!” (Joshua 24:15)

וַיִּהְיוּ הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה, יְרֵאִים אֶת-יְהוָה, וְאֶת-פְּסִילֵיהֶם, הָיוּ עֹבְדִים; גַּם-בְּנֵיהֶם וּבְנֵי בְנֵיהֶם, כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֲבֹתָם הֵם עֹשִׂים, עַד, הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה.

These nations are worshiping the LORD and at the same time serving their idols; their sons and grandsons do just as their fathers have done, to this very day. (2 Kings 17:41)

וַיֵּלְכוּ, אַחֲרֵי שְׁרִרוּת לִבָּם–וְאַחֲרֵי, הַבְּעָלִים, אֲשֶׁר לִמְּדוּם, אֲבוֹתָם.

Instead they have followed the stubborn inclinations of their own hearts. They have paid allegiance to the gods called Baal, as their fathers taught them to do. (Jeremiah 9:14)

לָכֵן אֱמֹר אֶל-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, הַבְּדֶרֶךְ אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם, אַתֶּם נִטְמְאִים; וְאַחֲרֵי שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם, אַתֶּם זֹנִים.

Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign LORD says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers and engage in prostitution with detestable idols? (Ezekiel 20:30)

καὶ προέκοπτον ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσµῷ ὑπὲρ πολλοὺς συνηλικιώτας ἐν τῷ γένει µου, περισσοτέρως ζηλωτὴς ὑπάρχων τῶν πατρικῶν µου παραδόσεων.

I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. (Galatians 1:14)

εἰδότες ὅτι οὐ φθαρτοῖς, ἀργυρίῳ ἢ χρυσίῳ ἐλυτρώθητε ἐκ τῆς µαταίας ὑµῶν ἀναστροφῆς πατροπαραδότου,

You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed– not by perishable things like silver or gold, (1 Peter 1:18)

Thus, those who belong to a certain religion only because it is the religion of their fathers get no special benefits if their religion is not the religion of truth. God will send them to hell, not heaven, because they do not follow God’s guidance, but rather their own family or social traditions. In summary, just inheriting any religion does not in itself benefit a person at all.

Who will go to heaven?

What do the books say about those who will go to heaven?

{ومن يعمل الصالحات من ذكر أو أنثى وهو مؤمن فأولئك يدخلون الجنة}

*“ And those who do good deeds, male or female, while they are believers, will enter heaven.” (Al-Nisa 124)

{وَالَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ}

*“ And those who believe and do good deeds, we do not burden more than they can bear, they will enter heaven and be there forever.” (Al-Aaraf 42)

{ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَأَخْبَتُوا إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ }

*“ And those who believe, do good deeds and humble themselves before God, they will enter heaven and be there forever.” (Hud 23)

{إلا من تاب وعمل صالحا فأولئك يدخلون الجنة ولا يظلمون شيئا}

*“Except for those who repent and do good deeds, they will enter heaven, and will not be unjustly treated.” (Mariam 60)

{وَالَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمْ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ غُرَفًا تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا نِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ}

*“Those who believe and do good deeds shall have rooms in heaven forever, under which flow rivers. This is the reward of the workers.” (Al-Ankabut 58)

{ومن عمل صالحا من ذكر أو أنثى وهو مؤمن فأولئك يدخلون الجنة يرزقون فيها بغير حساب}

*“ And those who do good deeds, male or female, while they are believers, will enter heaven, where they will be provided for without limit.” (Al-Ghafir 40:40)

Τί τὸ ὄφελος, ἀδελφοί µου, ἐὰν πίστιν λέγῃ τις ἔχειν, ἔργα δὲ µὴ ἔχῃ; µὴ δύναται ἡ πίστις σῶσαι αὐτόν; ἐὰν ἀδελφὸς ἢ ἀδελφὴ γυµνοὶ ὑπάρχωσιν καὶ λειπόµενοι τῆς ἐφηµέρου τροφῆς, εἴπῃ δέ τις αὐτοῖς ἐξ ὑµῶν, Ὑπάγετε ἐν εἰρήνῃ, θερµαίνεσθε καὶ χορτάζεσθε, µὴ δῶτε δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπιτήδεια τοῦ σώµατος, τί τὸ ὄφελος; οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις, ἐὰν µὴ ἔχῃ ἔργα, νεκρά ἐστιν καθ’ ἑαυτήν. Ἀλλ’ ἐρεῖ τις, Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω. δεῖξόν µοι τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων, κἀγώ σοι δείξω ἐκ τῶν ἔργων µου τὴν πίστιν. σὺ πιστεύεις ὅτι εἷς θεός ἐστιν; καλῶς ποιεῖς· καὶ τὰ δαιµόνια πιστεύουσιν καὶ φρίσσουσιν. θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν; Ἀβραὰµ ὁ πατὴρ ἡµῶν οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἀνενέγκας Ἰσαὰκ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον; βλέπεις ὅτι ἡ πίστις συνήργει τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἡ πίστις ἐτελειώθη, καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα, Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰµ τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην, καὶ φίλος θεοῦ ἐκλήθη. ὁρᾶτε ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως µόνον. ὁµοίως δὲ καὶ Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ὑποδεξαµένη τοὺς ἀγγέλους καὶ ἑτέρᾳ ὁδῷ ἐκβαλοῦσα; ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶµα χωρὶς πνεύµατος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν.

What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. (James 2:14-26)

τῇ γὰρ χάριτί ἐστε σεσῳσµένοι διὰ πίστεως· καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ὑµῶν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον· οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα µή τις καυχήσηται. αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐσµεν ποίηµα, κτισθέντες ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς οἷς προητοίµασεν ὁ θεὸς ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς περιπατήσωµεν.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Thus, the books agree that the inhabitants of heaven are those that do good deeds and believe. They humble themselves, repent, worship God, work, and are righteous.