“And when you make mention in the Quran of your Lord alone, they turn their back in aversion. We know best what they listen for, when they listen to you…” Q17: 46-47.

Mr. Oskar in his article on the above title tried to establish distinction for biblical Jesus and condemns IsaAS of the Quran as he claimed that Jesus Christ is unique on the following titles and qualities which I tackle hereunder:

Jesus Christ is Unique?

Even in the Bible, Jesus is not unique in anyway by his:

Name- There are other Jesus (Acts 13: 6; Colossian 4: 11; Deuteronomy 32: 15). By birth- He is of no match to Melchizedek who was not born at all (Hebrew 7: 1-3). In sin- Lord’s prayer implicate him and Bible recorded many acts of sinfulness against him, vis: he insulted his mother (Matthew 12: 48); beat hell out of elderly people (John2: 13-15); cursed innocent tree because of hunger (Matthew 21: 19); rained woes on his people (Matthew 23: 13-29) and for these and others he is to be summoned for interrogation (Q5: 116-120). As Messiah, which means anointed- David was anointed and holy spirit came upon him immediately (1 Samuel 16: 12-13 and many more kings and Prophets were anointed (1Chronicle 16: 22). As a spirit of God- He shares equal title with one Elihu Job’s friend (Job 33: 4). In ascending to heaven- Elijah and Enoch were superior t o Jesus who died three days before his ascension whereas the former did not taste death at all. (2 king 2: 11 and Genesis 5: 24, Q19: 56-57). His second coming- Jesus himself said that Elijah came back to the world and gone back again (Matthew 17: 10-13). In fact Jesus has only one privilege over Elijah, do Elijah one privilege over Jesus and that balance off any uniqueness!

All these are summarily confirmed in the verses of the Quran: “Say: ‘we believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to us , and that which was revealed to Ibrahim and Ismail and Ishaq and Yaqub and the Tribes, and that which was given to Musa and Isa and other Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit” Q2: 136; Q3: 84.

IsaAS (true Christ) is never unique in the Quran as ‘Kalimatullah, Ruhullah or Al-Masihu’ as Mr. Oskar claims, because Allah made it clear that the spirit He breathed into the clay that turned life AdamAS-Q15: 29, the same He breathed into Mary’s womb which was clay that conceived and developed into IsaAS Q21: 91, the same was breathed into every Muslim that gives life in us Q32: 8-9, and the spirit is used to strengthen His faith in us Q58: 22. Yet all these materialize in each individual through His word of decree: “He it is Who gives life and causes death. And when He decrees a thing, He says to it ‘Be’, and it is!” Q40: 68.

In addition, Allah says: “The case of Isa with Allah is like the case of Adam. He created him out of dust, then He said to him ‘Be’ and he was. That is the truth from your Lord, so be not of those who doubt”Q3: 59-60.

True Christ second coming is to lead and exhibit his Islamic faith fully as a true Muslim and to deny and destroy all fake religions on earth by then and absolves his personality from unknown titles put on him by his so called followers- (Matthew 7: 22-23).

Mr. Oskar freely agrees of not finding anything to make Jesus unique in the Quran saying: ‘I have read the whole Quran and could not find any answer to this question- why is Jesus Christ so unique!’ But earlier, he pointed to the above titles and qualities as evidence but later backed down possibly sensing this kind of argument. With such confession, there is certainly a case against Christians who do not believe IsaAS of the Quran.

About the title Al-Masihu- the Anointed, one which was even symbolically carried out on Jesus by a woman (Matthew 26: 7-13), does not make him unique as quoted above. In Islam every Prophet is given a title. IbrahimAS was called Khalilullah (Allah’s Intimate) but that does not mean Jesus and other Prophets are enemies to God. MusaAS was named Kalamullah (Allah’s Word) and this does not mean others are Satan’s words or received satanic instruction. MuhammadSAW was known as Rosulullah(Allah’s Messenger) that does not mean others are Satan’s agents. And IsaAS was tagged Ruhullah(Allah’s Spirit) which does not mean that other Prophets lack the spirit.

Therefore by Islam, no Prophet is 100% unique, because what is not found in one is present in the other. The title which one does not carry is borne by the other and the logic of conveying message used by one may not suit the other. Yet, they all have common elements only their people recognized them with such titles.

In the Bible, while Jesus cannot bear pain of hunger and nailing, he cursed the tree and wailed profusely respectively. He displayed all such impatient, but Job was not like that and God rated him above Jesus in that case saying: “Have you set your heart upon my servant Job, that there is no one like him in the earth. A man blameless and upright, fearing God and turning aside from bad. Even yet he is holding fast his integrity …In all this (painful conditions) Job did not sin with his lips” Job2: 3-10. You need to reflect seriously on this quality of Job and you as a Christian will found your excess on Jesus. If not because of a forehand warning of Prophet MuhammadSAW: “Do not glorify me in the same manner as Christians glorify Jesus son of Mary. For verily I am a servant of Allah, call me then a servant of Allah and His messenger” (Razin). Muslims have scores of Quranic verses and reasons to raise the Prophet to lord status as Christians do for Jesus but we have been checked against every excesses and we have submitted.

While Mr. Oskar could not find unique Jesus in the Quran, he says: “…However , I found one in the Bible. There Jesus Christ is unique because he provides the ultimate and guaranteed solution to our problems of how to get forgiveness of sins, how to remove shame, how to live a meaningful life and how to be certain of going to heaven.”

As a Muslim I would like to know better what these solutions are that are found in Jesus teachings which do not have better one in the Quran and sunnah of the Prophet especially on how to get forgiveness of sins and be certain of going to heaven, because the prayer recommended by Jesus (Matthew 6: 1-13), and way of everlasting life prescribed by him (Mark 10: 17-22) have all been abandoned. I would also want to know what are the teachings of Jesus on polygamy observed by the father of faith-Abraham, on rearing children, marital life, inheritance, education, true mode of worship, and festivals in Christianity, tithe/alms giving, dressing, legal earnings, and many others that affect life. Please I want Jesus clear cut injunctions on these not Paul or any other supposition. I want to see where the precepts of Jesus on these are in the Bible!

Mr.Oskar relates his question: “Why is the sacrifice which Muslims, Jews, and Christians believe to have been a ram called ‘momentous’ especially when compared with Abraham?” to Jesus, saying ‘…a person in this case Abraham’s son is set free in exchange for someone or something else . When compared with Abraham’s son, the ram by itself is not very special in that sense it is not great. Therefore the real importance of it has to lie somewhere else. It symbolically points to an ultimate sacrifice in the future; presented again by God himself…it was to be Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins…”

This is the mind of many Christians with their unfounded sacrifice. Islam knows no sacrifice for remission of sins whether such is of animal or human. Every animal slaughtered in Islam is to be eaten and distributed to the poor neighbours and travelers for consumption, none for Allah (Q22: 36). Even the attempted sacrifice of IbrahimAS is only an element of the Eid-Adha we celebrate not the essence per see, for if it were to be pure commemoration of Abraham sacrifice, it legacy would have made it incumbent on us to kill only ram, but Allah commands us to kill all animals fit for food all to celebrate the end of Hajj rites (Q22: 34-36). Just as other Prophets were tested with various trials, the faith of IbrahimAS was tested and confirmed by attempt to sacrifice his son Ishmael and right there and then it all ended (Q37: 100-108; Q2: 124). See (‘Christian –Muslim Dialogue’- by H.M. Baag

Allah says NO to sacrifice! The episode of Abraham sacrifice put end to all future and present sacrifice for any reason. More so Abraham’s aim of sacrificing his child is grossly in contrary to Christian minds. It is in no way connected to sin but to fulfill his promise. No need of lumping up the incompatibles as being attempted by Mr. Oskar and many Christian leaders and writers, they have all missed it!

IbrahimAS passed the test but his pure faith and true ways of worshiping Allah the indivisible one true God remain as the path of salvation for all his off-springs and that is Islam. Allah says: “Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian but he was a true Muslim, and he was not of those who associate gods with Allah” Q3: 67. “… the faith of your father Ibrahim, he named you Muslims before and in this book, so that the messenger may be a witness over you…” Q22: 78. “Allah has prescribed for you the religion He enjoined on Nuhu, and which we revealed to thee Muhammad and which We enjoined on Ibrahim and Musa and Isa, saying remain steadfast in obedience to Allah and be not divided therein…”Q42: 13.

In the Bible God says: “I God will bless those who bless you (Abraham) and him that disregards you shall be cursed.” Genesis 12:3 Christians of today disregard all what Abraham did as faith and worship, they abhor his family setting and social life and the consequence of this is very clear as above. Because Islam is the faith of IbrahimAS and all his children (Q2: 131-137), Muslims adopt many of his practices and send greeting of blessings on him and Allah sends His peace on him as well (Q37: 109-111).

Salvation of mankind or forgiveness of their sins before Allah of Islam lies not in bloody sacrifice. Thus Allah says: “Their flesh reaches not Allah, nor does their blood, but it is your piety that reaches Him” Q22: 37. This piety is to fear Allah, have hope in His Mercy and power of Forgiveness. Because: “Allah has taken upon Himself to show mercy” Q6: 12; “The Forgiver of sins, The Acceptor of repentance, The Severe in punishment, the Bestower of favours, there is no God but He” Q40: 3. That is Allah, our God who now says: “If there is a good deed in you , Allah will multiply it and gives from Himself a great reward” Q4: 40. He also says: “Tell my servants that I Allah am Most Forgiving, the Merciful” Q15: 49.

To prove all these, the best of all favours and mercy is conferred on a repentant sinner the like which is found nowhere. The sins for which God father is said to commit suicide inform of Jesus or sent his only son on the same is cheaply removed by Allah in a better and honourable way that really confirm the true power of Supreme Being. Allah says: “Those who repent and believe and do good deeds, for these Allah will change their evil deeds into good and Allah is Most Forgiving Merciful” Q25: 70. Yet there are other grace towards salvation in Islam as the Prophet said: “Who ever says La ilaha illa-Allah, it will be his salvation someday, no matter what befalls him before that.” reported by Baihaqi.

Mr. Oskar also talked about relying on Bible for what he described as ‘Real-Accurate-Fitting’ of the Bible. He then laments: “The Quran was written about 600 years after the Gospels. Why should we believe a witness that is so far away from when the actual events happened?” He quarried.

The fact is that Quran is not just an ordinary witness but a divine antiviral package sent to purge and disinfect Bible and other books of their viral contents that prevent them from letting people knowing true God and His true way of worship as well as status and qualities of Allah’s Prophets (Q2: 79). That is the reason why Mr. Oskar finds pleasure in the qualities of the true follower of Isa of the Quran (Q57: 27) the like which he can never see in his Bible. A Christian who will claim and exhibit such qualities reported for followers of IsaAS will not dispute any other quality of him in the Quran, and will accept the same as such. That is the order to celebrate. Some Christians have done it earlier (Q3: 113-114).

Now his question on ‘lateness’ of the Quran. Allah has prepared an answer for him: “O people of the book , there has come to you Our messenger after a break in the series of messengers , who makes things clear to you, lest you say ‘there has come to us no bearer of glad tidings and a Warner. So a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner has indeed come to you. And Allah has power to do all things” Q5: 19.- Christians should just compare and contrast this with what Jesus was trying to say in John 16: 12-13 and Paul’s submission in 1Corinthians 13: 9-10, then you will find no true case against the Jesus Christ of the Quran but truth and facts you need to accept for the sake of your salvation.

“Will they (disbelievers) not then turn to Allah and beg His forgiveness. And Allah is Most forgiving Merciful” Q5: 74.

May Allah make acceptance of the truth easy for you