The Prophet

“For Allah loves not those who do wrong, For Allah loves not any ungrateful sinner, For Allah loves not the arrogant, the vainglorious” (Sura 3:57; 2:276; 4:36)

“I will instill terror into the hearts of the unbelievers, smite them above their necks and smite all their fingertips of them, it is not you who slew them; it was Allah. (Sura 8:13-17)

“For the unbelievers are open enemies to you” (Sura 4:101)

“Seize them and slay them wherever you find them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of war” (Sura 9:5)

How different this seemed to me from God of the Bible, who is undoubtedly both righteous and holy -yet still compassionate for the sinful and full of love for the unbeliever.

Too often we tend to focus on a handful of Old Testament stories where God is justifiably affronted or rightfully demanding for an important purpose.

We forget that Jesus was often just as aggravated, stern, and commanding of men as the Old Testament accounts of Yahweh. But throughout the entire bible, God always reveals his great love for even the worst of us. Especially for the worst of us.

Though I try to be careful not to use any verse or story out of context -Muhammad was, in fact, brilliant and ruthless in war- and I have read prose in the Qur’an that is both sweet and loving, yet there are deeply troubling facts about Muhammad that even he had no qualms revealing.

Muhammad was a prophet of war. It is ingrained in the very fiber of his being. He united Arabia but he did so by so by amassing so much blood –men, women, and children- on the blade of his sword that I wonder if he had nightmares.

Muhammad may have been deeply troubled. He would abusively discipline himself with “devout” prayer that caused him to stand and cry endlessly, praying feverishly with blistered feet in punished devotion. Some are proud to call it religious devotion but there seems to be a darker history here.

Muhammad had 11 wives and wrote of his great sexual appetites. Alarmingly Muhammad displayed the characteristics of a pedophiliac. His youngest wife “Aishah” was only 9 years old when he laid on top of her in sexual subdual. Of woman he wrote:

“Isn’t the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?” The woman answered “Yes” “This is because of the deficiency of the woman’s mind”. (Hadith 3.826)

“I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you (women)”. (Hadith 2.541)

“What rights does a woman have with a man?” “He should feed her if he eats, clothe her if he dresses, avoid disfiguring her or beating her excessively or abandoning her, except at home. (Hadith 7.62.77)

Often the rebuttal to such teachings are shallow attacks on Old Testament scriptures. Yet these are far different than what we see in Leviticus and with far less historical explanation.

Again I would be dishonest if I said that the Qur’an doesn’t have its share of pleasant verses about women, about love, about patience, and forgiveness.

Yet there are two very stark sides of Mohammad that clash and contradict time and time again in the Qur’an.

There is a good side that cherishes his clan, his family, and his Muslim people. And there is a darker, bloodier side that expresses every conceivable evil I can think of. The God of the Qur’an is far worse than even the most blatant of lies regurgitated by Old Testament critics who assert Yahweh is a vengeful demanding Lord.

The God of the Qur’an does not care whether you perish or live. There are no tears shed by men that are carefully noticed by Allah. If you are not a Muslim there is no chance for any recognition whatsoever. If you are a Muslim then there is still very little hope for you as Allah could very well cast you into hell for any reason Allah wishes.

Allah wants work, Allah wants submission, and while there are glimpses of Allah’s love and mercy, you’d be lucky to enjoy it.

The truth is it makes far more sense when you delve deeper into the history of Islam, which isn’t that old, that evidence mounts which shows that Muhammad changed scripture as he saw fit, subjugated a people, and built an empire. He displayed a brilliant mind and conceived a religion that fit the needs of his conquest.

Yet there are many many fine Muslims who focus on the beauty and philosophy of the Qur’an. Being a Muslim does not mean you need to emulate Muhammad to the letter. Most are good loving people full of strength and hope.

But there is still an overwhelmingly strong argument that Muhammad was not a prophet of God and had no connection to Judeo-Christian deity.


And so it was that not that long ago I found myself in this particular position. I appreciate the beauty evident throughout the world's religions.  And of course, I respect the God-given right of every human to worship as they please. Or not worship at all....

But with an honest critique it's relatively simple to dismiss most religions as easily identified man-made creations.

And it made perfect sense that if there were at all any true word of our Lord existing among men then there would have to be “one body, and one Spirit –just as I was called to the one hope that belongs to my call- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all”. (Ephesians 4:4-5)

It is in the Bible that I see that undeniable truth.

Tested by time, scrutiny and examination from every great mind in history, the bible today is celebrated by believers and atheists admirers among the highest levels of academia. It is still intellectually studied and pondered the world over.

In the Bible I find an unprecedented level of prophecy. Words that shook the history of the world from the ancient Jewish prophecies of King Nebuchadnezzar, the conquest of magnificent Tyre, the desolation of Edom, and Daniel 11:2-4’s prophecy of Alexander the Great nearly 200 years before his birth!

Not to mention the collection of over 100 prophecies outlining the birth, life, and death of the Jewish Messiah who Daniel prophesied (Daniel 9:24-27) would live 490 years after his inspired scripture promised the rebuilding of the (then) demolished Temple. Nehemiah 2:1-8 fulfilled that Temple prophecy exactly 490 years from the date of the crucifixion. The study of biblical prophecies is a rich garden of knowledge.

In the Bible I find an explanation for every important question a man would have for God.

The reasons for His hidden presence, our suffering, good and evil, and why we exist at all. I found a superb case to make for the divine authority of Jesus Christ and the reliability of scripture’s account. Furthermore, I found an experiential claim to my Lord’s ascendency.

I testify to you with every fiber of my being that I can declare Jesus is Lord.

I’m far from perfect and I have many flaws, but I don’t need to work my way into God’s good graces.

I put aside my rebellion and embraced the truth of the cross. I don’t know entirely what happens those who rebel against God their entire lives only to die in sin and separation. But I would bet my life that God is faithful.

What about the person who would believe?

There are still many challenges to faith. Science seems to suggest a seperate truth apart from God. Many believe they are at odds. Are they right?


What if I told someone that they could indeed find God under the microscope? Would that person dare to look?

Would you?