Islamic Philosophy and Biblical Prophecy

QUESTION: Islamic Philosophy – Muhammad and Biblical Prophecy

ANSWER:

Christianity and Islam conflict not on the possibility of the miraculous, but on the content and competing claims attending such miracles. For instance, the Muslim convictions that Muhammad is a prophet and the Qur’an is divine revelation are convictions with which Christians disagree. Given Muhammad’s denial of the deity, death, and resurrection of Jesus, Christians simply cannot see Muhammad as a reliable source of information, let alone a prophet of God.

Islamic Philosophy – The Qur’an is the Only Holy Book Without Error
Muslims believe that the Qur’an is only one of several holy books (including the Torah of Moses, the Psalms of David, and the Gospel of Jesus). However, Muslims’ belief that the Qur’an is the only holy book preserved through time without error conflicts sharply with the Christian belief in God’s preservation of the Bible (a belief confirmed by impressive historical evidence). Muslim apologists join forces with critics of the Bible, asserting that biblical miracles and narratives are merely legends.

One of the best ways to illustrate the contrasts between Muslim and Christian belief relates to the Muslim belief that passages in the Bible foretell Muhammad’s coming. If these Islamic claims were true, then Christians would be obligated to become Muslims. But if these claims are not true, then an important support of the Islamic worldview is lost. Muslims appeal to Deuteronomy, Psalms, Isaiah, Habakkuk, and the Gospel of John. Most prominent among these references are Deuteronomy 18:15, 18 and John 14:16.

Notes:

Rendered with permission from the book,Understanding the Times: The Collision of Today’s Competing Worldviews(Rev. 2^nd ed), David Noebel, Summit Press, 2006. Compliments of John Stonestreet, David Noebel, and the Christian Worldview Ministry at Summit Ministries. All rights reserved in the original.