Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism Essays -- Religion Fait

Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism I. Islam The Muslims’ main sacred text is the Koran, which they believe Gabriel gave to Mohammad from God. Muslims believe that the Koran is the final revelation from God, as the Bible has been â€Å"corrupted† upon translation. My passage is Isaiah 53 where it talks about a suffering servant for Israel. While Christians believe this is a prophecy of Jesus, Muslims believe that Jesus was only a prophet. They believe Jesus was never crucified, and Allah made someone look like Jesus instead. (Koran 4:157) Interestingly enough, when our Muslim consultant, Dr. Akhter, was asked about Jesus’ teachings according to the Koran and how it may relate to this passage, he said that he does not know of His teachings. Thus, the suffering servant, according to Islamic teachings, is the man who Allah made to appear identical to Jesus. Regarding Islam, the only area that caught me off guard was when Dr. Akhter stated that Jesus will come back to die and break the cross. The Jihad is another issue that surprised me, because it hardly corresponds to what Allah instructed Mohammad to do in the Koran in countless verses. Dr. Akhter said that a Muslim must fight injustice as a part of the Jihad. Dr. Akhter also surprised me with another statement when I asked him about a hierarchy of prophets in Islam. He said there is a passage in the Koran that states you should not compare a prophet to another. He also talked about the pilgrimage to Mecca and explained how it atones for sins. Once a Muslim experiences the pilgrimage, they have a â€Å"clean slate†. It is a very sensitive issue, because non-Muslims are forbidden to go to the Kaaba. The worship practices of Muslims are somewhat ... ..., anyone that decides to pursue Him as their Savior is a Christian. It is through Jesus Christ that a person is born again spiritually and made alive through Him. WORKS CITED Akhter, Dr. Waseem. Personal interview. February 17, 2005. Allah – the Moon God. The Archaeology of the Middle East. 1997. http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/moongod.htm Buraga, Pastor Dan. Personal interview. March 3, 2005. The Glorious Qur’an. 2nd ed. Elmhurst, New York. 2003. Harris, Stephen. Understanding the Bible. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. The Interactive Bible. Islam: Meteorite Worship of the Black Stone. http://www.bible.ca/bible.htm Juda, Rabbi Allen. Personal interview. February 24, 2005. NIV Study Bible. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002. Roman Catholicism. ROMAN CATHOLICSM. 2005. http://www.carm.org/catholic.htm