Walaikumus salam brother,
At first let me say some small things.
After making some study on comparative religion, scriptures as well as stanism, I believe that God has His ways (I mean there is a pattern in His words, which can be seen in the bible and Quran). and also there is a pattern in satan's way.
This is just another example.
We all know how shirk originated. By 'exalting righteous people above the limit'. This is the father of almost all kind of shirks.
This is the same with Christianity. If you study the NT carefully, you will realize that Jesus is never claimed to be God. But he is claimed to be 'Son of God'. The true NT is precisely what Jehovah's Witnesses believe, that's what I think. The bible says that Jesus is not God, but in the same time it also says 'Everything was created through him', 'He was in the beginning with God' etc, read John 1. The author never worshipped Jesus, but indeed he exalted Christ above the limit which later gave birth to Christ worship.
So why did I talked about 'The pattern of Satan's work' then?
Because look at the Muslims around you. Most of them share this belief... "Muhammad (pbuh) was created from Allah's Light 60,000 years before everything, And then everything was created through him." Nauzubillah and Nauzubillah.
But to the same Muslims who believe this, if you say- "Muhammad is God", they will scream ... Nauzubillah.. you are a mushrik, repent or be doomed!!!!!
So they do believe that God is only one, but they have also exalted the Prophet (pbuh) over the limit and placed him in God's throne, NAUZUBILLAH!
Now, read the verses carefully again.
(John 17:1) After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You, 2 since You have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom You have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified You on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me in Your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
Read the colored parts only. What have you just realized?
It clearly says that Father is the true authority. Even it says that Father is the only true God!
Yet it says Jesus was with Him before the world was created. Nauzubillah. Isn't this the same as modern Muslim belief?
So next time Christians show this verse to prove that Jesus is god, tell him to read what the verse before it says- Father the only true God! Two days ago a christian, Michael Sykes in FB, showed the verse and I told him to bother to read verse 3, and he didn't further say anything regarding that!
But for Muslims, I wrote the things above to show how shirk has a pattern and what the bible really says.
But yes, there is a slight possibility that Jesus really said this. Because in the Quran Allah says that He breathed 'some of His spirit' into Adam. Jesus is also said to be the 'Spirit of Allah'. So if this spirit was created before the world, the verse may make sense.
Yet I don't believe in this verse because it calls Jesus 'Son of God', and I believe that to be blasphemy, whether that be literal or metaphorical.
And for the things I said in the beginning, I will quote a Hadith.
“Don’t transgress in praising me as Christians have transgressed regarding Jesus the son of Mary. I am but a slave of ALLAH. So call me the slave of ALLAH and His messenger.” (Sahih Bukhari)
Prophet (SAW) warned us about his 1400 years ago, yet Muslims believe the world was created through him just like Christians believe the world was created through Jesus. (Satan applied this technique several times and it really worked!) May Allah bring both groups in the right track. Amin.
Peace be upon the ummah....
Tahmeed
