Every worldview deserves to be examined. Truth should never fear questions.
For Christians, the ultimate authority is the Bible. Therefore, when a later religious movement makes claims about Jesus, salvation, revelation, or God, it is reasonable to compare those claims with the Scriptures that came before.
The First Revelation
According to the earliest Islamic traditions recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, Muhammad's first encounter with the being identified as Gabriel took place in the cave of Hira. The encounter was frightening. Muhammad believed something terrible had happened to him and returned home in fear.
It was his wife, Khadijah, who comforted him and suggested that God would not disgrace him. She then took him to her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, who concluded that the visitor was the same heavenly messenger who appeared to Moses.
Christians often observe that throughout the Bible, Gabriel's appearances consistently begin with reassurance:
"Do not be afraid."
Daniel 8–9
Luke 1:11–20
Luke 1:26–38
This raises an important question:
Why was Muhammad's first encounter so different from the biblical pattern?
The Christian Scribe
One of the most discussed narrations appears in Sahih al-Bukhari 3617:
"There was a Christian who embraced Islam and read Surat al-Baqara and Al-'Imran, and he used to write for the Prophet. Later on he returned to Christianity again and he used to say: 'Muhammad knows nothing but what I have written for him.'"
The narration records what the former scribe claimed after returning to Christianity. It does not state that Muhammad agreed with the accusation, nor does it record a direct reply from him.
For historians, however, the account raises questions about the role of scribes, oral transmission, and the preservation of revelation during Islam's earliest years.
A Different View of Jesus
The New Testament presents Jesus as:
The eternal Word of God (John 1:1–14)
The Son of God
Worshipped by His followers (Matthew 14:33; John 20:28)
Crucified under Pontius Pilate
Raised from the dead on the third day
The Savior whose death brings forgiveness of sins
The Qur'an, written approximately six centuries later, presents a very different picture:
Jesus is not divine.
The crucifixion is denied (Qur'an 4:157–158).
Jesus is not the Son of God.
The Trinity is rejected.
These are not minor differences. They are foundational disagreements about the identity and mission of Jesus Christ.
The Ten Commandments
The Qur'an acknowledges that God gave Moses revelation containing guidance and commandments (for example, Qur'an 6:154). Christians often note that while the Ten Commandments form the moral foundation of biblical faith, they are not presented in the Qur'an in the same covenantal role that they occupy within Judaism and Christianity.
This invites another question:
Why does the later revelation reshape rather than reaffirm key elements of the earlier covenant?
Testing Every Revelation
The Bible repeatedly instructs believers not to accept spiritual claims blindly.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits." (1 John 4:1)
"Test everything; hold fast what is good." (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
Even the Apostle Paul declared that if an angel preached a different gospel, it should not be accepted (Galatians 1:8).
For Christians, every claimed revelation—whether from a prophet, teacher, or angel—is measured against the revelation already given in Jesus Christ.
A Matter of Evidence
History records that Christianity was already widespread centuries before the rise of Islam. The New Testament had been copied, translated, preached, and defended across the Roman Empire long before the Qur'an was compiled.
This naturally leads Christians to ask:
If Jesus truly died and rose again, why deny the crucifixion?
If Jesus accepted worship, why later claim He was merely a prophet?
If the apostles consistently proclaimed His divinity, why replace their testimony six centuries later?
These questions deserve thoughtful consideration rather than dismissal.
Seek Truth
Every person must decide which testimony they will trust.
Will it be the eyewitness accounts preserved by the apostles and early Church, or a later revelation that revises many of those central claims?
Whatever conclusion one reaches, truth should never be feared.
Read the Scriptures.
Examine the historical sources.
Test every claim.
As Jesus said:
"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." — John 8:32
What is the evidence of Holy Trinity? - https://holyspirtguide.blogspot.com/2023/09/what-is-evidence-of-holy-trinity.html
Is Jesus God, did he receive worship? - https://holyspirtguide.blogspot.com/2023/09/is-jesus-god-did-he-receive-worship.html
What did the crucification of Jesus signify? - https://holyspirtguide.blogspot.com/2023/10/what-did-crucification-of-jesus-signify.html
Isn't Sharia law the result of his path: https://holyspirtguide.blogspot.com/2026/06/why-sharia-law-is-incompatible-with.html
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