Allah’s anti-Christian invective as conveyed by Muhammad

Allah’s anti-Christian accusations, uttered by Muhammad at various points in his lifetime, occur throughout the Quran, in particular in Sura 3: The House of Imran, Sura 4: The Women, Sura 5: The Table Spread, Sura 9: Repentance and Sura 19: Maryam. 

  The holy book of Islam, taught to Muslims as the eternal word of Allah, is very clear about Christians and Christianity: Christians who believe that Jesus is the Son of God are idolators who have deliberately distorted the Truth of Islam sent down to Jesus in the Injeel (Gospel). Christians are blasphemers and wrongdoers who feel hatred for Islam.

   Sura 5 forbids Muslims to make friends with Christians lest they be contaminated and become wrongdoers in the sight of Allah, whilst  Sura 9 instructs Muslims to wage jihad on Christians until they are conquered, brought low, and forced to pay the jizyah (tribute) in absolute submission. 

   Several respected English translations of the Quran try to give its wording a style and resonance similar to that of the King James Bible. In fact, any literal translation of the Quran shows that, apart from the very earliest inspired revelations adopted from contemporary Judeo-Christian and hanif sources, the original 7th century Arabic text is basic in the extreme. 

   Here follow a few examples of Allah’s powerful and disturbing anti-Christian rhetoric in the Quran, as taught to 1.6 billion Muslims throughout the world. For the reader’s convenience, quick-reference summaries in bold type are provided above each extract. 

Sura 19. Christians are guilty of blasphemy. 

Sura 19 was revealed during the early Meccan period, when Muhammad was heavily influenced by the Judeo-Christian sects around him some of which did not believe in the divinity of Jesus. This sura repeats an apocryphal story of the virgin, Maryam, giving birth alone in the desert, and then reviles Christians who could possibly imagine that Allah could have Jesus Christ as a Son. 

Sura 19.88-93. Christians commit monstrous blasphemy by claiming that Jesus is Allah’s son. It is not meet for Allah to become a father. All human beings, including Jesus, are merely slaves before Allah.   

‘They say, “The Lord of Mercy has got a Son.” You have said a terrible thing (enough to cause) the heavens to be rent apart, the earth to split open and the mountains to crumble to pieces! That they should ascribe a Son to the Merciful! It is not meet for the Merciful to have a son! No one in heaven or earth comes to the Merciful but as a slave (in absolute submission).’ 

Sura 2. Jews and Christians are misguided.

Sura 2 is said to have been revealed in the first two years after the Hijra, Muhammad’s emigration to Medina in 622CE, while he was establishing his rule over the tribes. The instruction to pray towards the Kabah instead of Jerusalem was issued shortly before his attack on the Wells of  Badr in 624CE, after he had finally despaired of converting the Jews and Christians of Medina to Islam, but before he was in a powerful enough position to have them exiled or massacred.   

2.109. Many Christians and Jews are envious of Muslims and want to turn them back into unbelievers, even though the Truth of Islam has become clear to them.  Muslims must forgive this and be patient until all-powerful Allah gives the word.  

‘Many People of the Book wish to turn you back into unbelievers after you have believed, out of envy on their part, after the Truth has become clear to them. But pardon and forbear, until Allah gives His command. Indeed, Allah has power over all things.’

Sura 2.113. Christians and Jews accuse each other of being misguided although they both read the scriptures that Allah sent down to them. They know nothing. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection. 

‘The Jews say, “The Christians follow nothing (true).” And the Christians say, “The Jews follow nothing (true).” Yet they both read the Scripture. So speak those who know nothing. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning their differences.’

Sura 2.144-146. Allah tells Muhammad that the faithful are now to pray towards the Kabah in Mecca instead of Jerusalem, because the Kabah, built by Abraham and son Ishmael, is the true birthplace of the religion of Abraham. Jews and Christians know this Truth, but some deliberately conceal it. 

‘[Muhammad],We will turn you to a qibla (direction of prayer) of your liking. So turn your face towards the Holy Mosque, and wherever you may be, turn your faces towards it! The People of the Book know  this is the Truth from their Lord. Allah is not unaware of what they do. But even if you bring them every Sign, they will not follow your qibla… They know this as well as they know their own sons. But some of them knowingly conceal the Truth.’

Sura 3. Muhammad was sent to confirm the Torah and the Gospel. 

Sura 3 is said to have been revealed during the third and fourth years after the Hijra, while Muhammad was in great debate with the Christians of Najran and during which Muhammad exiled the Beni al-Nadir from Medina and attacked the Ghatafan at Dhat-al-Riqa. 

Sura 3.3. Allah sent down the Quran to Muhammad to confirm the Truth (that Allah is One) just as Allah had previously sent down the Torah to Moses and the Injeel (Gospel) to Jesus. 

‘He has sent down to you (Muhammad) the Book with the Truth, confirming that which came down before it, as He had sent down the Torah and the Injeel before as guidance for mankind.’ 

Sura 3.50-51. Jesus says that he was sent by Allah to confirm the Torah and to make lawful some things previously forbidden. He has brought a Sign from Allah, so the Jews are to fear Allah and to obey him in worshipping Allah as a Master, not as a Father.    

‘(Jesus said) “I come to confirm the Torah that came down before me and to make lawful for you some of the things that were forbidden you. I bring you a Sign from your Lord, so fear Allah and obey me. Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is the straight path.”

Sura 3.52-53. When the Jews rejected the Prophet Jesus, and he asked for helpers, the apostles came forward to bear witness as true muslims (monotheists) to the truth of Allah’s revelations in the Injeel (Gospel). 

‘And when Jesus sensed their (the Jews) lack of faith, he said, “Who will be my helpers in Allah’s cause?” The disciples said, “We will be Allah’s helpers. We have faith in Allah and bear witness that we are muslims. Lord, we believe in what you have sent down and we follow the prophet, so count us among the witnesses (to the Truth of Islam).”

Sura 3. 54-56.  Allah is the best of schemers and outwitted the unbelievers by making them think that Jesus had been crucified when he had in fact been taken directly up to heaven to free him from idolators. Allah will exalt Muslims as the the true believers until the Day of Resurrection and punish the unbelievers in this world and the next. 

‘They (the unbelievers) schemed and Allah schemed: and Allah is the best of schemers. Allah said, “Jesus, I shall take you and lift you up to Me. I shall clear you of the unbelievers and exalt your (true) followers above them till the Day of Resurrection. As for the unbelievers, I shall punish them severely in this world and the next and they shall have no helpers.”

Sura 3.58-60. The Quran says that Jesus was nothing more than a mortal man created from dust, like Adam. 

‘This (which) We recite to you is from the Signs and the wise reminder. Indeed, the case of Jesus is like that of Adam. Allah created him from dust and then said to him, “Be!” and he was. This is the Truth from your Lord, so do not be among the disbelievers.’

Sura 3.65-68. The Quran says Abraham lived long before Allah sent down the Torah and the Injeel (Gospel). So Abraham was neither Jew nor Christian, but a hanif (devout monotheist) and a muslim (monotheist who submits to Allah alone). The people closest to Abraham are Muhammad and his followers and Allah is their protector. 

‘People of the Book, why do you argue about Abraham? Neither the Torah nor the Injeel  came down until after him. Have you no sense? … Abraham was neither Jew nor Christian. Rather, he was a hanif, a muslim and not an idolator. Indeed, the nearest of all people to Abraham are those who follow him, and this Prophet (Muhammad) and the believers (the Muslims). Allah is the guardian of the faithful.’ 

Sura 3.79-80. The Quran says that no mortal man such as Jesus, given scriptures, wisdom and prophethood by Allah, would tell people to worship him instead of Allah. (See Sura 5.116 below.)    

‘No human to whom Allah has given the Book and wisdom and prophethood would say to the people, “Be my servants instead of Allah.” Rather “Be devoted servants of the Lord, because you have taught and studied the Book.” 

Sura 4. The crucifixion is an illusion by Allah.  

Sura 4 is said to have been revealed to Muhammad during the fourth year of the Hijra. It expands on the theme of Jesus being mortal, and the crucifixion being an illusion.  

Sura 4.157-159. The crucifixion is an illusion created by Allah. Christians and Jews who believe that Jesus died on the cross are ignorant and deluded. Jesus was certainly not killed. Instead, Allah took Jesus directly up to Heaven. On the Day of Judgement, Jesus will bear witness against them. 

‘They (the Jews) said,“We  killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the apostle of Allah.” They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, though it was made to appear like that to them. Those who disagree about it are full of doubt, with no knowledge, only conjecture. They certainly did not kill him! Allah in His wisdom took Jesus up to Himself!...And on the Day of Resurrection he will testify against them.’  

Sura 4.171. Allah tells Christians not to go beyond the ‘bounds of their religion.’ They are wrong to claim that Jesus was anything more than a Prophet of Islam. They should believe in Allah and His apostles, and reject the Trinity of Father, Son and Mary. Allah is but One. Allah is far above having a Son!’ 

‘Christians! Do not exceed the bounds of your religion. Jesus, son of Mary, was only an Apostle of Allah, and His Word which He cast into Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So have faith in Allah and His apostles and do not say,‘Three.’ Indeed, Allah is but One. Allah is far above having a Son!’