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How Can I Convince Christian Classmates?

21 September, 2016
Q As-salaam Alaikum, I am glad to know that you people are doing this kind of stuff to help the Muslims around the world. My question is that, what are the scientific discoveries in the Quran? Can you list all of them? How can I make my point to my Christian classmates that Islam is the true religion? How can I say that Jesus wasn't a god? Also, did Jesus ever say he was a god?

Answer

As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullah Dear Atif,

Thank you very much for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.

One of the things we need to understand about the Holy Quran is that it is not a book for teaching scientific facts; but it is a book for teaching moral guidance, sent down to mankind through the prophet of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him).

It is true that there are references and allusions to many scientific facts in the Quran, but this does not make the Quran science textbook, any more than the historical facts in it make it a history textbook.

The Quran appeals to the rational mind, by referring to the phenomena of nature, as well as to sound-established scientific facts. The purpose here is to make us aware of the Creator and His unalterable laws, governing the universe and to encourage us to study and observe His creation.

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Therefore, to speak about the list of scientific discoveries in the Quran itself, is only to prove that the Quran does not have any problems when confronted with science of today.

Given the number of descriptions of natural phenomena in the Quran and its established age, we would expect that if it were written by Muhammad or someone contemporary to him, that it would be full of scientific errors.

The fact that the Quran is consistent with science still today, therefore, is a powerful piece of evidence of the authenticity of the Quran as God’s word. This is particularly impressive when we consider recent scientific discoveries which are found to be already stated in some form in the Quran.

It is difficult to gather all the scientific discoveries that might be cited in this way together in this answer but perhaps I can offer you a couple of references and examples:

Dr. Zaghloul El-Naggar

Encyclodepia of Miracles in Coran and Sunnah

Here are a couple of examples. The Holy Quran says:

{Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder and we made from water every living thing? Will they not then believe?}

Surah 21 Verse 30

This one verse, however it was understood in earlier times, can now be realized as referring to the big bang and to key aspects of life recently discovered in science.

Specifically, the earliest known fossils of living creatures were in the oceans and so historically life seems to come from water in the sense of originating in the oceans. But more than that, several specific chemical processes essential for life depend critically on very special properties of water not found in other molecules.

The necessity of water for life to exist is confirmed regularly in news today when astronomers comment on the possibility for life on other planets.

The Quran also says:

{With power did We construct the Firmament: and indeed we the expander (thereof).}

Surah 51 Verse 47

For most of history, humans thought of the universe as static, this was also the prevalent belief among scientists until about 80 years ago. Einstein thought of the universe as having galaxies spread out and resting in their places in the universe.

Therefore, to explain why they were not falling together under the force of gravity, Einstein’s theory of General Relativity implied that there should be a constant pressure in the absence of any matter holding the galaxies apart balancing the attractive force of gravity.

However, Hubble discovered that the universe is actually expanding. This expansion was then traced back to show that the universe began with a big bang at a single point. The expansion was then attributed to simply the momentum given to matter during the big bang.

This allowed Einstein to renounce his cosmological constant, since in such a non-static model there was no need to suppose a force pushing galaxies apart to stop them coming together.

This was the theory until less than 5 years ago. Then, in a shock to established theory, some careful measurements showed that, not only is the universe expanding but that rather than gravity slowing the expansion down – as expected – the universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate. Scientists are today quite puzzled by this force expanding the universe pushing it apart and there are many theories about it – some try to bring Einstein’s pressure in the absence of matter.

Whatever it is, it is an unexpected force, and may have profound importance to science. But one thing is for sure – The Quran is more definitively confirmed than ever by the latest scientific discoveries.

I will now move to your second point, about how to clarify to your Christian classmates that Islam is the true religion. Well, you may point out the following aspects of Islam, which show that it is the true religion of God:

  1. From the dawn of humanity, God has been sending His messengers to give mankind His true guidance. Thus, Islam believes in all the prophets of God before Muhammad (including Abraham, Moses and Jesus); and all the Books of God before the Quran (including the Torah, the Psalms of David and the Gospel of Jesus). No other religion takes this stance of universality through history.
  2. Islam categorically states the existence of the One and Only God, Who is the Creator and Preserver of the whole universe. This fact is stated in the Torah, the Gospel and in the Quran. But the Christians of today follow the idea of trinity, introduced into Christianity by Paul of Tarsus, who was later called St Paul. The unequivocal statements, of all the prophets of the Old Testament, as well as the words of Christ about God, completely square with the idea of God presented by Islam.
  3. If you consider the prophecies about a prophet like Moses, for example, given in Deuteronomy 18: 18, Isaiah 42: 1-17, and also about the Comforter or the Spirit of Truth, and even about the Paraclete in the Gospel, according to John 14 and 16, you can see clearly that this prophet could be none other than the last prophet of God, Muhammad (peace be upon him).
  4. A study of the progressive guidance of God, through Judaism, Christianity and Islam, will clearly prove that Islam, as taught by Muhammad, is the culmination of that progression.
  5. Consider the teachings of Islam: one God, one human race and one religion; belief in all the prophets of God, which is the ground of its tolerance; belief in the accountability of man in the hereafter. Besides, one can see the emphasis it lays on justice, equity and brotherhood in social life; and on purity, sincerity and a spirit of sacrifice in individual life.
  6. Consider the intense practicality of Islamic teachings, its compatibility with science and technology and with the modern times.
  7. Also, see that it is the fastest growing religion now, in spite of all the adverse conditions and the hostile propaganda against it.

Another question you have asked is this:

How can I say that Jesus wasn’t a god? Also, did Jesus ever say he was a god?

The first point I would make, to answer your question is that you need to understand the difference between “a god” and God. One dictionary gives the following definitions:

1. God — A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and
ruler of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheistic
religions.

2. god — A being of supernatural powers or attributes, believed in and worshiped by
a people, especially a male deity thought to control some part of nature or reality.

The first definition corresponds to the Islamic, Jewish and Christian idea of God in general. The second word is used mainly by polytheistic religions to refer to one of their innumerable gods, like Indra in Hinduism, or Zeus in ancient Greek religion.

Yet, Christians who ought to believe in the One God – called Jehovah in the Old Testament – have been misled by the ideas of the “arch apostle” – St Paul – to accept the idea of a “son” to Jehovah… a son of God; called Jesus Christ. Rather, they made out of Jesus a human-divine being.

Jesus (peace be upon him) was not God, nor was he a god. Rather, he was a human being and a prophet. He never said he was God. The Bible does not say that Jesus was God. On the other hand, in the New Testament of the Bible, we read about Jesus as saying:

[I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father, which hath sent me.] (John 5: 30)

[… my Father is greater than I] (John 14: 28)

In the previous selections, Jesus very clearly says that he has no power to do anything, out of his own will. He also says that God is greater than he, or that he is smaller than God. In other words, he is not God.

Do we have any reason to distrust Jesus? Do we have any reason to distrust the evangelist who recorded these words? If not, the verse quoted simply means that Jesus was not, is not, and will not be, God.

That is because God, by definition, is Omnipotent. He does not seek the will of another God. There cannot be two Gods or more than two Gods. Neither the Old Testament nor the New Testament warrants that.

We read in Mark 11: 12-13 that when Jesus was hungry, he went to a fig tree, expecting fruit. But when he reached there, the tree had no fruit. It was not the season of fruits. Does this mean that Jesus was the all-knowing God?

Another reason we say Jesus is not God, is that he was born; he had a beginning. God has no beginning and no end. Then again, Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross. God does not die. A god who dies is no God!

The Bible is full with verses that state that God is only One and that Jesus is not God. If you study the Bible, with an open mind and then compare the verses there, with the verses in the Quran, you will find that Jesus was only a great prophet of God. He was a great prophet, who was able to work many a miracle, by the help of God, Almighty.

The problem you may encounter is that your classmates will be taking their religion not actually from the Bible. Usually they take it from various church ministers and priests that quote selectively only the verses they like.

They say many things about God and about Jesus, for which there is no real evidence anywhere, even in their own scripture! This is the most direct challenge Islam presents to Christianity, and is seen in the verses:

{And they say: “None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew – or a Christian.” Those are their (vain) desires. Say: “Produce your proof if ye are truthful.” Nay,-whoever submits His whole self to God and is a doer of good,- He will get his reward with his Lord; on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.}

Surah 2 Verses 111 – 112

Try to bring your classmates to base their beliefs on evidence and not obeying their priests and then the evidence really speaks for itself!

I hope this suffices for the present; and hence I conclude this fairly long answer.

May Allah guide us to learn the truth and convey it to others!

Salam and please keep in touch.