What Are the Differences Between Islam and Christianity? Which One Is True?

 

Introduction

What are the differences between Islam and Christianity? Which one is true? You will be amazed at the differences! Islam and Christianity are the world's two largest religions. We will explore and show you things you probably don't know about this important topic, so let's explore it and see what we can learn.

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God Loves All People

The religion of Islam is primarily made up of Arabs. However, this discussion is not about all Arabs and is not intended to be anti-Arab. I have several Arab friends and have met many Arab people while in the Holy Land who are wonderful folks. God loves all people, and every person is equal and created in the image of God.

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The Roots of Christianity

God should have the last word on this issue, as He is the Creator and owner of everything. Let’s see what God says. To do this, let’s look at the Abrahamic Covenant God made with Abraham regarding the land of Israel as found in the Bible.

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The Abrahamic Covenant consists of three promises God established with Abraham.

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1. A Land

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2. A Nation or People

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3. A Lineage – Through the lineage of Isaac would come Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

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The Abrahamic Covenant

The Abrahamic Covenant is given numerous times in Genesis chapters 12-17 and continually reaffirmed throughout both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

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You will notice that the Bible uses the name Abram before it is later changed to Abraham, which means father of many nations.

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God promises a land and a people: Genesis 13:14-17

The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”

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God promises Abraham a son: Genesis 15:18

On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.

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After waiting a long time without Abraham and Sarah having a child, Sarah tries to fulfill this promise through her handmaid, Hagar.

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The birth of Ishmael: Genesis16:11-12

After Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, there arose bitterness between Sarah and Hagar. Then God describes the kind of person Ishmael would be.

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“Behold, you [Hagar] are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen.”

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What do we see here?

​1. The bitterness between Sarah and Hagar begins the conflict we see today. Later, this bitterness would include Ishmael and Isaac.

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​2. Ishmael will be a wild donkey of a man and will be against everyone and everyone against him. We certainly see this throughout history.

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The fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant would come through Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, not through Ishmael.

Genesis 17:15-22: And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” 22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

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What do we see here?

1. The Abrahamic Covenant, an everlasting covenant, would be through Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah.

God’s covenant would not be through Ishmael.

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2. Ishmael would be the father of a great multitude, which are the Arab people.

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3. Through the Abrahamic Covenant, fulfilled in Isaac, would come Jesus Christ, the prophesied Savior.

Galatians 3:13-14, 16: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

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16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as one would in referring to many, but rather as in referring to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.

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What do we see here?

1. The genealogies of the Bible, which oftentimes we think are boring, are so important. They prove that Jesus Christ fulfills the lineage aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant that dates back to around 4,000 years.

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2. Prophecy is what sets the Bible apart from any other writing. It contains very specific, detailed prophecies.

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So, in summary, the Abrahamic Covenant, which is the major storyline of the Bible, includes three major aspects:

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1. A Land through Abraham’s son, Isaac, and his offspring, which today is known as the Holy Land.

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2. A Nation or people through Abraham’s son, Isaac, and his offspring, which today are called the Jews or Israelis.

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3. A Lineage – Through the lineage of Isaac would come Christ, the Savior of the world.

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The Roots of Islam

The religion of Islam, which came into being in around 610 AD, completely denies the Bible’s storyline and radically changes it.

Muslims believe that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mohamad and gave him a number of revelations from around 610-632 AD. The Quran and Muslim theology believe the following:

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1. The Abrahamic Covenant was intended for Ishmael and his offspring, not Isaac and his offspring.

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2. The Holy Land is for Ishmael and his offspring, not Isaac and his offspring.

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3. The promise of a nation or people is through Ishmael and his offspring, not Isaac and his offspring.

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4. Jesus Christ is not the Savior but just a prophet, and Mohamad is greater than Jesus and is the last prophet.

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5. It denies the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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6. It believes the Bible is corrupted and that the Quran is the true revelation from God.

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Note: This Muslim belief cannot be true because the Dead Sea Scrolls, written around 100 BC, 700 years before Mohamad, verify that the Old Testament we have today is the same as what was written in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

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Also, Islam does more than just claim the Bible has been corrupted. It denies about 95% of the Bible is even true. For example, the New Testament's main theme is that salvation is through Jesus Christ and how to live and serve Him as a result. Islam denies all this. So, saying the Bible has been corrupted is not an accurate statement. The truth is that Islam rejects virtually all of the Bible and what it teaches.

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6. Mohamad is the main example of how we should live. This even includes marrying children, as Mohamad married a 6-year-old girl when he was 51 and then consummated the marriage (had sex with her) when she was 10 years old. Marrying children is extremely common among Muslims.

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What Does the Quran Teach About Jesus?

Now, because Jesus is the center of the entire storyline of the Bible, performed countless miracles, fulfilled countless prophecies, fulfilled the Abrahamic Covenant lineage, was crucified for our sins, rose from the dead, claimed to be God in the flesh, and that salvation from our sins only comes through Jesus, the Savior of the world, let’s look at what the Quran says about Jesus.

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Just so you know, the Quran consists of 114 chapters, with around 78,000 words in all. It’s about one-tenth the size of the Bible, which has 1,189 chapters with about 783,000 words.

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This is what the Quran says about Jesus:

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Jesus is not the Son of God.

Quran 19:88-92: And they [Christians] say, “The Most Merciful has begotten son?” 89. You [Christians] have come up with something monstrous. 90. At which the heavens almost rupture, and the earth splits, and the mountains fall and crumble. 91. Because they [Christians] attribute a son to the Most Merciful. 92. It is not fitting for the Most Merciful to have a son.

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Jesus did not die on the Cross for our sins.

Quran 4:157: And for their saying, “We have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the Messenger of God.” In fact, they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them as if they did. Indeed, those who differ about him are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it, except the following of assumptions. Certainly, they did not kill him.

 

Unbelievers are those who believe Jesus was the Messiah.

Quran 5:17. They disbelieve those who say, “God is the Christ, the son of Mary.”

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Those who believe Jesus is the Messiah are cursed by Allah.

Quran 9:30. The Jews said, “Ezra is the son of God [which is not true],” and the Christians said, “The Messiah is the son of God.” These are their statements, out of their mouths. They emulate the statements of those who blasphemed before. May Allah assail them! How deceived they are! 31. They have taken their rabbis and their priests as lords instead of Allah, as well as the Messiah son of Mary.

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According to Muslims, the Angel Gabriel revealed the Quran to Mohamad.

Interestingly, what the Angel Gabriel said in the Bible about Jesus is totally opposite of what Muslims believe he said to Mohamad.

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Luke 1:26-33 says: Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David [who is the descendant of Isaac]; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and was pondering what kind of greeting this was. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob [son of Isaac] forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

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Islam teaches that salvation is not through Jesus Christ.

Islam denies that salvation is attained through believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and that Jesus did all this to be a sacrifice for our sins. That salvation is a free gift given when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Islam, salvation comes through keeping the five pillars of Islam. 

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Salvation in Islam is through works. Salvation in the Bible is a free gift offered by Jesus Christ, our sacrifice for sins.

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What Does the Bible Say About Those Who deny the Bible’s Claims about Jesus Christ?

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1 John 2:22-23: Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

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2 John 1:7: For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

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Jude 1:3: Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all time handed down to the saints.

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Galatians 1:6-9: I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, 7 which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the Gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

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The Bible claims you can only truly know God and be saved by believing and embracing Jesus.

1 John 5:11-13: And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

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The Bible claims there is only one way to salvation.

Acts 4:12: And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”

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What do we see here?

1. According to the Bible, the religion of Islam is cursed because an angel revealed a different gospel to Mohamad than what was already revealed in the Bible.

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2. The Bible claims that there is no other truth and Gospel but that found in the Bible and that it was given once and for all. Islam states just the opposite and contradicts the Bible.

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3. Someone who is anti-Christ denies Jesus is the Savior, denies God is His Father, and denies Jesus came in the flesh. The religion of the Antichrist will do the same.

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4. As you can see, what the Quran says about Jesus is entirely different than what the Bible says. Therefore, it could not be the Angel Gabriel who revealed any revelation to Mohamad.

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The problem with believing Jesus was a prophet or great teacher.

Bible prophesies claim Jesus was God in the flesh. Also, Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh.

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Isaiah 9:6: For to us a child [Jesus Christ] is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

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John 8:56-59: Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am [same Hebrew word God said to Moses when Moses asked Him who he should tell the Egyptians sent him].” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

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John 10:31-33: The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

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There are three options about who Jesus said He was:

1. He was a liar.

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2. He was a lunatic.

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3. He was who He claimed to be.

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We can’t believe Jesus was just a prophet because a prophet wouldn’t be a liar or lunatic. The only logical conclusion is that Jesus Christ is indeed who He and the Bible claim Him to be.

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The Bible’s Claim About Islam

According to the Bible, Islam is completely opposite to what the Bible teaches and is an antichrist religion. This explains why they hate Christians and Jews so much. The Jews believe in the Old Testament, and Christians believe in both the Old and New Testaments.

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Will the coming Antichrist be a Muslim?

Many believe that the Antichrist will be a Muslim. This makes sense as Islam theology believes in a coming world leader called Mahdi. He will make a peace treaty for seven years, rule from the temple in Jerusalem, intend to kill all Jews and Christians and force all people to worship Allah. This Mahdi is exactly what the Bible describes as the Antichrist. Also, there is no other religion that is so against Christians and Jews like Islam.

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Additionally, Muslims believe Jesus will return to earth from heaven. But in their version of Jesus, he returns as a Muslim and will tell all the Christians that what the Bible says about him is wrong. He will destroy Christianity and demand that everyone convert to Islam and set up Islam as the one world faith.

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As you can see, Islam is anti-Bible and totally changes what the Bible teaches about the Abrahamic Covenant, which includes a land, a people, and a lineage. And most importantly, it teaches that Jesus was not who the Bible claims He is.

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Jesus warned about this when He was on earth. In Matthew 24:3-5, when Jesus was talking about the end times it says: “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

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What Islam teaches is the very thing Jesus warned believers to be on the lookout for and not to be deceived by it.

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Islamic World Conquest Through Jihad Explains the Conflicts in Israel

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The theology of Muslims is to conquer the world for Allah and institute Muslim rule over the entire world. This rule is also known as Sharia Law. After this is done, they say, then peace will finally come to the world. This is why, since the inception of Islam, Muslims have been engaged in conquering land for Allah. This can be clearly seen in its nearly 1500-year-old history. Therefore, Islam is a violent faith that conquers lands and peoples for Allah by whatever means necessary, as taught in the Quran. We can see this in the following quotes and teachings of Islam.

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​1. World conquest and Jihad is taught in the Quran and Islamic theology.

Quran 8:60: And prepare against them all the power you can muster, and all the cavalry you can mobilize, to thereby Allah’s enemies and your enemies.

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By using terrorism, governments and people yield to Muslims because of fear. They see the horrifying acts of terrorism and don’t want to make the devoted Muslims angry so they won’t be terrorized.

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Quran 8:39: Fight them until there is no more persecution, and religion becomes exclusively for Allah. But if they desist—Allah is Seeing of what they do.

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Quran 47:4: When you encounter those who disbelieve, strike at their necks. Then, when you have routed them, bind them firmly. Then, either release them by grace, or by ransom, until war lays down its burdens. Had Allah willed, He could have defeated them Himself, but He thus tests some of you by means of others. As for those who are killed in the way of Allah, He will not let their deeds go to waste.

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Quran 9:14: Fight them. Allah will punish them at your hands, and humiliate them, and help you against them, and heal the hearts of a believing people.

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Quran 9:29: Fight those who do not believe in Allah.

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The theology of Islam promotes the raping and sexual slavery of women if it’s done in connection with Jihad. That’s why the men are generally killed, and the women taken into slavery.

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2. Jihad groups, like Hamas, use as part of their warfare, placing their rockets and military operations behind women, children, schools, hospitals, mosques, and so forth. This way, when these places are targeted and destroyed, they can cry out that horrific abuses have been done to their innocent places and people.

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​3. According to the current leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Mahmoud Abbas, no Jews would be allowed to live in the land of Israel unless they converted to Muslim if a State of Palestine was created. This is completely opposite to what the state of Israel allows. Israel has many Arab citizens, has Arabs in their government leadership, and allows for complete freedom of religion.

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​4. According to a Muslim statement, Muslims should not submit to any form of government that is not Muslim, and no non-Muslim government has the right to rule Muslims. And if they do, Muslims have the duty to dislodge non-Muslim governments from power by any means possible.

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​5. Under Muslim-run countries, there is no separation of church and state. The government rules as a theocracy for Allah. This is also known as Sharia Law.

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​6. When Muslims conquer countries, they persecute and pressure non-Muslims to convert, or life will become unbearable for them, even to the point of execution.

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​7. They also destroy all religious sites like churches, synagogues, and so forth. They do this to show dominance and conquest. This is why they built the Dome of the Rock exactly over where the temple once stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

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​8. In Islamic Jihad, it is okay to lie to defeat non-Muslims. This is partly what happened with the recent Hamas invasion of Israel at the time of this filming in 2023, where they killed around 1,400 people and kidnapped around 220 people. They told Israel they wanted peace. Therefore, Israel let their guard down and were deceived.

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​9. It is also commonly promoted that Islam is a peaceful religion. This is done to deceive the ignorant. History and Muslim theology clearly state that Islam’s purpose is to conquer the world for Allah through Jihad, which is war by all means necessary.

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​10. There are also terrorism and death sentences in Islam for those who leave Islam or convert to another religion. This includes honor killings, imprisonment, and persecution within Muslim-run countries. I have personal Arabic friends living in Israel who have left Islam and are under threat from family members and other Muslims who want to kill them.

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​11. Many Arabs and Arab Muslims just want to live in peace and live their lives. However, the devoted Islamic Jihadists are the ones causing most of the trouble. That’s why when peace agreements are made between Israel and Arabs, the Jihadists increase their terrorism. This was clearly evidenced by the OSLO agreement that President Bill Clinton oversaw. The peaceful Muslims don’t do or say anything contrary to the Jihadists out of fear for their lives. So, it’s the devoted Jihadists who control most of the Arab countries. Again, the goal of the devoted Jihadists is to conquer the world for Allah.

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​12. The devoted Jihadists reject peace because, in their view, peace is losing ground and yielding power. According to them, it stops the progress of conquering the world for Allah.

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​13. The Islamic Resistance Movement, also known as Hamas, is a Palestinian Islamist militant group founded in 1987. The group’s primary objective is to establish an independent Islamic state in all the Holy Land. To accomplish their purpose, they want to eliminate Israel from the Holy Land. Hamas is known for its armed resistance against Israel and has been designated as a terrorist organization by many countries.

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​14. The group’s charter calls for the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic society in what they call “historic Palestine.” Hamas has been governing more than two million Arabs in the Gaza Strip since 2007.

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​15. In summary, the Quran, Muslim theology, Mohamad’s life, and Muslim history all call for Jihad to punish and fight for Allah in the conquest of the world.

Quran 9:14: Fight them. Allah will punish them at your hands, and humiliate them, and help you against them, and heal the hearts of a believing people.

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This is what the Bible says about Islamic Jihad.

John 16:2-3: They will ban you from the synagogue, yet an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering a service to God. 3 These things they will do because they have not known the Father nor Me.

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Faith Lesson

 

1. Islam is totally contrary to the Bible and denies about 95% of it.

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2. Islam denies the main themes of both the Old and New Testaments.

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3. Islam denies Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be and did not die on the Cross for our sins. Therefore, according to the Bible, Islam is an antichrist religion.

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4. Islam teaches salvation by works, and Christianity teaches salvation by grace through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

 

5. While oftentimes Islam is claimed to be a peaceful religion, this is really not the case. The Quran teaches violence and conquest of the world for Allah and Islam. 

 

6. The main source of the conflicts moving forward will come from Islamic-run countries. Their goal is to conquer the world for Allah by whatever means necessary. This includes every kind of terror imaginable. Therefore, they will be the main players in events moving forward.

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7. It’s very logical and probable that the Antichrist will be a Muslim. As we have seen, in Muslim theology, a prophesied future Muslim leader will rule from the Temple Mount over the entire world for seven years.

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8. God loves both the Jews and Muslims, and for that matter, all people and desires that everyone comes to salvation through Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

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