Answer
Salam Dear Sarah,
Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.
You have raised a number of important queries in your question, which are:
- How can we help Christians to realize the falseness – according to Islam – of some of their basic beliefs, e.g. that Jesus was sent for salvation of all mankind from the original sin committed by Adam?
- How to prove that the Quran is the true authentic book of God?
- What can the youth do to support the global Muslim community out of its setbacks?
Jesus Was Sent as a Messenger
The answer to your first question can be found in the text of the Bible itself.
The concept of “original sin” and atonement has never been mentioned or referred to, by Jesus.
It was the Church, after Paul—who never met Jesus alive—that imposed this as a central concept to the Christian beliefs.
By “this”, I mean the ideas of:
- Jesus being the son of God.
- Although divine and part of the Holy Trinity, Jesus being sent in a human shape in order to be;
- Crucified and then to rise from death, so that;
- By sacrificing His beloved son, those who accept this story would be saved from punishment for the sin inherited by all humanity from one person, i.e. Adam.
Yet, none of these claims can be attributed to Jesus anywhere in the Bible.
On the contrary, both the Old Testament and New Testament contain statements opposing and refuting such beliefs.
A few examples can be cited here regarding the concept of inherited sin and atonement:
The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin. (Deuteronomy 24:16)
But every one shall die for his own iniquity. (Jeremiah 31:30)
The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the inequity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (Ezekiel 18:20)
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure mete, it shall be measured to you again. (Matthew 7:1, 2)
Now he that plants and he that waters are one; and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. (1 Corinthians 3:8)
To sum up, Allah is Just and All-Forgiving, so how could one believe that the sin of one person is inherited by all his human creatures!
The Quran is From God
As for your second point, material miracles are proofs limited only to those peoples or generations who witnessed them.
All prophets before Muhammad (peace be upon him) were sent to specific nations, in terms of place or time.
Islam is the last message of Allah to ALL humanity and to the END of time.
Hence, the proofs of Islam are permanent and suitable to convince the intellect of all generations everywhere.
The Quran is that standing intellectual miracle, not only for its inimitable language–which in itself is an indisputable proof–but also in terms of its content of scientific facts and prophecies fulfilled.
These were far beyond human knowledge at the time of revelation and for several centuries to come.
Much of these proofs were only verified quite recently, and probably other proofs will be realized later.
These are related to nature, shape and motion of the planet Earth, the nature and mechanisms of clouds and rain formation, the nature and sources of rivers, groundwater and seas.
The Quran also speaks on the origin, nature, and development of the cosmos at large with its stars, planets and versatile forms of life therein.
We also read in the Quran about proofs related to human embryology in terms of origination, stages, heredity.
We learn about animal life and its classes, the role of water, that we were created in pairs, and precise specific features of bees, ants and cattle.
Islam teaches us about proper medical and health practice in foods, drinks, hygiene and avoiding damaging acts and behavior.
In addition, there are also a series of prophecies mentioned in the Quran and revealed through the prophet’s hadiths that materialized and are still materializing nowadays.
It is not possible to elaborate any further in this brief answer, but you can refer to:
What Can We Do To Save the Muslim Community?
Now, to your third point, this is quite a broad issue, as there is no single prescription that fits every Muslim.
Every Muslim has a role for which he can be guided, provided he meets the following conditions:
- Be faithful and sincere to Allah that you want to devote everything in your life to the cause of Islam.
- Remember that we are all entrusted – each within his/her own capacity – to spread the guidance of Islam and apply its righteous model everywhere.
- Know that Muslims should be one coherent cooperating nation.
- Then, you have to prepare yourself with a clear and integrated knowledge of Islam as a comprehensive message and way of life; sources, faith, worship, conduct and legislation, etc.
- Let what you learned guide your behavior and action in all aspects of life; personal worship and daily life, social charity and services, as well as family bondage. This is along with the broader solidarity and help of Muslims everywhere.
- Try to convey what you have learned to others and influence them to cooperate in applying proper Islam at home, in public life, and in fostering the unity of the Muslim world at large.
Thank you again for your questions and please, do keep in touch.
Salam.
(From AboutIslam’s archives)
Read more…
https://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/understanding-islam/6-facts-about-jesus-non-muslims-might-not-know/