In verses 67-68, Muhammads message is again described, as in v. 44, as something which augments and supplements the Torah and the Injil. The phrase "You have nothing till you act according to the Torah, the Injil, and what has been sent down to you from your Lord," was regarded by Abu Sufyan, after he had embraced Islam, as a very difficult verse (according to the material at bewley.virtualave.net/bukhari44.html ). Possibly this is because many Muslims, including Muhammad himself, had not received literary training, and yet it usually requires some measure of training to read and understand the Torah and the Injil. Plus, to obey this command, it helps if one has access to these books, which most Muslims in Muhammads day probably did not have.
The last part of v. 68 repeats part of v. 64.
Side by side with verse 68 which explicitly states that the Christians have nothing until they act according to the Torah, the Injil, and what has been sent down to Muhammad (i.e., the recitations which form the Quran) verse 69 repeats the promise of 2:62: those who believe, and Jews and Sabeans and Christians, if they believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, "on them shall be no fear, neither shall they grieve."
It is understandable if readers experience a huh-moment here: Verse 68 says that the People of the Book have nothing as long as they do not accept the Quran. Yet v. 69 says that Jews and Christians, provided that they believe in Allah, believe in the Day of Judgment, and do righteous deeds, are blessed.
The chronic unbelief of the Jews, and their failure to listen to prophets, are again mentioned in verses 70-71. Then the text begins to offer an Islamic view of Christ. According to verse 72, it is disbelief to say "Allah is the Messiah." The text points out that the Messiah (note that once again Jesus is affirmed to be the Messiah!) told the Jews to worship Allah, "My Lord and your Lord." This looks like an allusion to Mark 12:29-30 and John 20:17. The text insists that it is wrong to set up partners with Allah. This is considered "shirk," the worst sin.
The Bible affirms that God has no partners (in Isaiah 45:5-6, for example). But Christians do not say that God has partners (though it is possible that some of the pseudo-Christians in Arabia were saying otherwise). Christians affirm that God the Father has a Word, co-eternal with Him, and a Spirit, co-eternal with Him. The Quran also refers to Allahs Word. And the Quran refers to Allahs "Sakinah." (The "Sakinah," I think, might be the closest parallel that the Quran has to the Holy Spirit, since the Quran uses "holy spirit" to refer to Gabriel, whom everyone agrees is a created being.)
To Christians, saying that that there was a time when God the Father did not have the Word and the Spirit is like saying that there was a time when an eternally-shining light did not have light emanating from it; a light that does not shine is not a light. The Word and the Spirit were never created, but eternally emanate from the Father. The Father, Word, and Spirit are not partners; they are one eternal Godhead.
From another angle: there was never a time when God (or Allah) was not wise and powerful. Yet that does not mean that wisdom and power are co-gods along with God. These qualities of God are as eternal as He is, since He has always been complete and has never been more divine one day than He was the previous day. The Word is these eternal, uncreated qualities of God, collectively expressed.
Verse 73 says, "Disbelievers are those who said, Allah is the third of the three." Although some Muslims have used this verse to object to the doctrine of the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the "Three" being referred to here are the Father, Mother, and Son, as intimated in 5:116. All Christians agree that such a thing is distasteful and untrue. Christians also agree with the next part of the verse: there is only one God. The question is not "Does God have partner-gods?" -- true Christians believe that there is only one God, not three gods. Two real questions are, "Does God express Himself through the Word and the Spirit?" and "Do the Word and the Spirit eternally emanate from the Father, or were they created?"
Christ continues to be the focus in verse 75. Strangely, Rodwell put the word "flourished" where others have "passed away." If "passed away" is the correct rendering, then this verse seems to assume that Jesus, like other messengers of God, died. The text points out that Mary was a righteous person, and that Jesus and Mary both ate food. Notice that this is exactly what one would say to respond to the view that Mary and Jesus were co-gods with God. This is another indication that the "Trinity" of Father, Mother, and Son is what is being objected to here.
I dont think the objection that Jesus ate food has much weight. God does what He wants; if it is His will to express Himself in human form - in a genuinely human body, which genuinely ate and digested food, He can do it. Let's consult the Torah about this: in Genesis 18, the LORD appeared to Abraham: three men appeared to him, and Abraham and Sarah prepared a meal for them. In verse 8, "He took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate." Plainly the Torah teaches that the Lord can appear in physical form, and that in that form, He can eat.
In verse 76-77, people are asked why they worship what is not God. This seems directed at idol-worshipers, perhaps particularly those who bowed down to images of Jesus and Mary. The People of the Book are warned against "exceeding the limits" in their religion. This phrase probably means allowing what the Scriptures do not allow, and prohibiting what the Scriptures do not prohibit.
This really is something which Christians should consider when contemplating what Muslims should do when they encounter the true gospel of God: when a Muslim becomes a Christian, he can still pray five times a day; he can still fast; he can still give alms; he can still avoid eating various foods; he can do many things which appear "Islamic" but which are not in opposition to the teachings of the New Testament. Christians should not be in a hurry to invent new rules against these things, or aspire to convert people to a man-made culture instead of to Christ.
Verses 78-81 describe Jewish unbelievers. One of their characteristics, according to v. 80, was that they took disbelievers as Auliya (friends). This presents a minor difficulty: if the Jews themselves are classified as unbelievers, then of course they would take other unbelievers as their friends. And if the Jews are not classified as unbelievers, then there is a clash with 5:51, which says that the Jews and Christians are only friends with one another.
Verse 82 comes down pretty hard on the Jews. It says that "the strongest among men in enmity to the believers" are the Jews. On the other hand, "The nearest in love to the believers are those who say We are Christians." This appears to reflect the experience of Muhammad, whose friends and family were protected by Abyssinian Christians early in his career.
Verses 83-85 allude to a specific group the ruler of Abyssinia, the Negus (or Al-Najashi) Ashamah, and his court. He welcomed and protected a group of Muslims who had gone to Abyssinia as refugees from Mecca. The refugees were led by Jafar, a son of Muhammads non-Muslim uncle Abu Talib. You can read a (tinged) account of Jafars presentation of Islam to the Negus at anwary-islam.com/companion/s_jafar-ibn-abi-talib.htm . It is quite understandable that the Negus would approve of Islam if his knowledge of it was limited to what Jafar told him. A Christian could applaud several of the early Meccan surahs, approve of the abandonment of idolatry and the pursuit of equity, and nod in agreement (mostly) when listening to verses 16-34 of Surah 19. (I do not think the Negus ever heard verse 35, though!)
Again I say, it is easy to see why the Negus wept as Jafar spoke. The Negus had only encountered some of the early surahs. If Surah 90 ("The City") was among the material recited to the Negus, almost certainly he would have interpreted the phrase "By the begetter and the begotten" (in 90:3) as a reference to the Father and the Son. (Some Muslims, it seems, are not sure what to do with this phrase. Some say it refers to Adam and his offspring; others say it refers to Abraham and his son.)
Verses 85-86 state that Allah rewarded the believing Christians (alluding to the Abyssinians who embraced Islam, or rather, who thought that they had embraced Islam) with Paradise. And, the text says that Allah has reserved hell for disbelievers (this is a coherent generalization, but probably the disbelievers in Mecca, who had sent men to Abyssinia to retrieve Jafar and his family, are especially in view here). Some hadith indicate that when news reached Muhammad that Ashamah had died, Muhammad offered prayers on his behalf.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
The last part of v. 68 repeats part of v. 64.
Side by side with verse 68 which explicitly states that the Christians have nothing until they act according to the Torah, the Injil, and what has been sent down to Muhammad (i.e., the recitations which form the Quran) verse 69 repeats the promise of 2:62: those who believe, and Jews and Sabeans and Christians, if they believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, "on them shall be no fear, neither shall they grieve."
It is understandable if readers experience a huh-moment here: Verse 68 says that the People of the Book have nothing as long as they do not accept the Quran. Yet v. 69 says that Jews and Christians, provided that they believe in Allah, believe in the Day of Judgment, and do righteous deeds, are blessed.
The chronic unbelief of the Jews, and their failure to listen to prophets, are again mentioned in verses 70-71. Then the text begins to offer an Islamic view of Christ. According to verse 72, it is disbelief to say "Allah is the Messiah." The text points out that the Messiah (note that once again Jesus is affirmed to be the Messiah!) told the Jews to worship Allah, "My Lord and your Lord." This looks like an allusion to Mark 12:29-30 and John 20:17. The text insists that it is wrong to set up partners with Allah. This is considered "shirk," the worst sin.
The Bible affirms that God has no partners (in Isaiah 45:5-6, for example). But Christians do not say that God has partners (though it is possible that some of the pseudo-Christians in Arabia were saying otherwise). Christians affirm that God the Father has a Word, co-eternal with Him, and a Spirit, co-eternal with Him. The Quran also refers to Allahs Word. And the Quran refers to Allahs "Sakinah." (The "Sakinah," I think, might be the closest parallel that the Quran has to the Holy Spirit, since the Quran uses "holy spirit" to refer to Gabriel, whom everyone agrees is a created being.)
To Christians, saying that that there was a time when God the Father did not have the Word and the Spirit is like saying that there was a time when an eternally-shining light did not have light emanating from it; a light that does not shine is not a light. The Word and the Spirit were never created, but eternally emanate from the Father. The Father, Word, and Spirit are not partners; they are one eternal Godhead.
From another angle: there was never a time when God (or Allah) was not wise and powerful. Yet that does not mean that wisdom and power are co-gods along with God. These qualities of God are as eternal as He is, since He has always been complete and has never been more divine one day than He was the previous day. The Word is these eternal, uncreated qualities of God, collectively expressed.
Verse 73 says, "Disbelievers are those who said, Allah is the third of the three." Although some Muslims have used this verse to object to the doctrine of the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the "Three" being referred to here are the Father, Mother, and Son, as intimated in 5:116. All Christians agree that such a thing is distasteful and untrue. Christians also agree with the next part of the verse: there is only one God. The question is not "Does God have partner-gods?" -- true Christians believe that there is only one God, not three gods. Two real questions are, "Does God express Himself through the Word and the Spirit?" and "Do the Word and the Spirit eternally emanate from the Father, or were they created?"
Christ continues to be the focus in verse 75. Strangely, Rodwell put the word "flourished" where others have "passed away." If "passed away" is the correct rendering, then this verse seems to assume that Jesus, like other messengers of God, died. The text points out that Mary was a righteous person, and that Jesus and Mary both ate food. Notice that this is exactly what one would say to respond to the view that Mary and Jesus were co-gods with God. This is another indication that the "Trinity" of Father, Mother, and Son is what is being objected to here.
I dont think the objection that Jesus ate food has much weight. God does what He wants; if it is His will to express Himself in human form - in a genuinely human body, which genuinely ate and digested food, He can do it. Let's consult the Torah about this: in Genesis 18, the LORD appeared to Abraham: three men appeared to him, and Abraham and Sarah prepared a meal for them. In verse 8, "He took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate." Plainly the Torah teaches that the Lord can appear in physical form, and that in that form, He can eat.
In verse 76-77, people are asked why they worship what is not God. This seems directed at idol-worshipers, perhaps particularly those who bowed down to images of Jesus and Mary. The People of the Book are warned against "exceeding the limits" in their religion. This phrase probably means allowing what the Scriptures do not allow, and prohibiting what the Scriptures do not prohibit.
This really is something which Christians should consider when contemplating what Muslims should do when they encounter the true gospel of God: when a Muslim becomes a Christian, he can still pray five times a day; he can still fast; he can still give alms; he can still avoid eating various foods; he can do many things which appear "Islamic" but which are not in opposition to the teachings of the New Testament. Christians should not be in a hurry to invent new rules against these things, or aspire to convert people to a man-made culture instead of to Christ.
Verses 78-81 describe Jewish unbelievers. One of their characteristics, according to v. 80, was that they took disbelievers as Auliya (friends). This presents a minor difficulty: if the Jews themselves are classified as unbelievers, then of course they would take other unbelievers as their friends. And if the Jews are not classified as unbelievers, then there is a clash with 5:51, which says that the Jews and Christians are only friends with one another.
Verse 82 comes down pretty hard on the Jews. It says that "the strongest among men in enmity to the believers" are the Jews. On the other hand, "The nearest in love to the believers are those who say We are Christians." This appears to reflect the experience of Muhammad, whose friends and family were protected by Abyssinian Christians early in his career.
Verses 83-85 allude to a specific group the ruler of Abyssinia, the Negus (or Al-Najashi) Ashamah, and his court. He welcomed and protected a group of Muslims who had gone to Abyssinia as refugees from Mecca. The refugees were led by Jafar, a son of Muhammads non-Muslim uncle Abu Talib. You can read a (tinged) account of Jafars presentation of Islam to the Negus at anwary-islam.com/companion/s_jafar-ibn-abi-talib.htm . It is quite understandable that the Negus would approve of Islam if his knowledge of it was limited to what Jafar told him. A Christian could applaud several of the early Meccan surahs, approve of the abandonment of idolatry and the pursuit of equity, and nod in agreement (mostly) when listening to verses 16-34 of Surah 19. (I do not think the Negus ever heard verse 35, though!)
Again I say, it is easy to see why the Negus wept as Jafar spoke. The Negus had only encountered some of the early surahs. If Surah 90 ("The City") was among the material recited to the Negus, almost certainly he would have interpreted the phrase "By the begetter and the begotten" (in 90:3) as a reference to the Father and the Son. (Some Muslims, it seems, are not sure what to do with this phrase. Some say it refers to Adam and his offspring; others say it refers to Abraham and his son.)
Verses 85-86 state that Allah rewarded the believing Christians (alluding to the Abyssinians who embraced Islam, or rather, who thought that they had embraced Islam) with Paradise. And, the text says that Allah has reserved hell for disbelievers (this is a coherent generalization, but probably the disbelievers in Mecca, who had sent men to Abyssinia to retrieve Jafar and his family, are especially in view here). Some hadith indicate that when news reached Muhammad that Ashamah had died, Muhammad offered prayers on his behalf.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
