Rebuttal to Sam Shamoun's article Jesus As The Way, The Truth, And The Life.

Rebuttal to Sam Shamoun's article

Jesus As The Way, The Truth, And The Life:

An Examination of John 14:6 In Light Of Muslim Claims

He Wrote

It is not uncommon to find Muslims explaining John 14:6 in light of Islamic theology. The reason being is that to allow John 14:6 to speak for itself would refute the Muslim claims that there are no explicit references made by Jesus in the New Testament where he claims to be God. The passage itself reads:

"Jesus said to him, `I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'"

Muslims assert that there is nothing explicit in Jesus' statement. For instance, Muslims claim that all prophets were the way, the truth and the life since they conveyed the only true religion from God to men. Hence, they were the only way to God since any other message that contradicted theirs would be false. Typical of such a view is Dr. Jamal Badawi. In one of his programs, Badawi claims:

In fact this was an answer given by Jesus to Thomas when he asked him the way. This statement has nothing to do with the divinity of Jesus, if we refer to John 14:7, if you had known me you would have known my father also. In the context of this statement, we can understand what Jesus meant when he said that he was the way, the truth, and the light. Whoever knows, obeys, and follows me knows and obeys God because it is He who sent me. This statement attributed to Jesus applies to every Prophet and messenger because the Prophet is not following his own whim or ideas, he is following the revelation of God. (Source <../Responses/Badawi/Radio/RA200K13.htm>)

In light of Badawi's claims we will examine John 14:6 and ask the following questions. Is it true that Jesus' statement simply meant that he conveyed God's truth to man like the other true prophets of God? Does any other prophet apply these specific titles to describe himself the way Jesus did? Did Muhammad believe or claim to be an infallible guide like Jesus, and hence it can be said that he also was the way, the truth and the life?

My Response

Yes it is true that Jesus simply conveyed God's message. As for Muhammad, he is a human like everyone else, so it would'nt be something ub-normal if he did a mistake. Muhammad is indeed the way, if you do not believe in Muhammad then you will not be granted paradise. You are commanded to believe in Muhammad because God tells you to, just like God tells you to believe in all the other prophets, his books, and his angels and the un-seen. If you reject God's prophets, then God will reject you, because to reject a prophet is to reject God because the prophet just conveys the message of God. Muhammad is the truth, he is not a liar who invented the Quran, God gave him the Quran. To believe in Muhammad as a prophet will indeed grant you life, which is life in paradise and not death, and death is to be doomed to hell.

He Wrote

First, it must be stated that Jesus' words do not simply mean that he pointed the way to heaven and conveyed God's true religion to man. Jesus was making claims that only God could make and which no other prophet would dare claim. For instance, Jesus claimed to be the Life, a quality which is predicated to God alone throughout the Holy Bible:

"That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." Deuteronomy 30:20 KJV

"And Joshua said, "Hereby you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Per'izzites, the Gir'gashites, the Amorites, and the Jeb'usites." Joshua 3:10

"For with thee is the fountain of life; in thy light do we see light." Psalm 36:9

"The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may avoid the snares of death." Proverbs 14:27

"But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation. Jeremiah 10:10

My Response

A prophet is from God, so if you believe in this prophet then indeed you will be granted life which is to make it to heaven. So for a prophet to say he is the life, it is not in a literal sense, he is saying if you believe in him you will be granted life by God. Now let me quote one verse which Shamoun quoted which basically refutes his whole belief system:

Note the passage says that God is a living God. This God is definatly not the same God in which Shamoun believes in, according to Christians their God died on the cross, so hence that technically means Jesus is not a living God because he died. A living God never dies, thats the point in saying a living God, God calls himself a living God not to show you he is alive, but to show you he does not die. Jesus died, therefore he is not a living God and therefore he is not God. So Shamoun basically used the wrong verse in trying to support his corrupt belief.

He Wrote

According to the scriptures, Yahweh is the only source of life and is the only true God. Yet, both Jesus and his followers claimed that Christ is the source of life and that he is the true God:

"In him was life, and the life was the light of men." John 1:4

"Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself...... Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment." John 5:25-26, 28-29

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:23-26

But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses." Acts 3:14-15

"When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:4

"The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners; but I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience for an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:15-17

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life- the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us- that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." 1 John 1:1-3

"And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, to know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." 1 John 5:20

Hence, Jesus does not simply point one to life, but he is the very eternal life itself that came from heaven to become man for our salvation. It is only through him that one inherits this life.

My Response

I have already responded to a couple of those verses Shamoun has posted in previous rebuttals of mine. However so, I will be more than happy to refute Shamoun again and shatter his arguments. Let us quote each passage he quoted and I will respond to each one:

"In him was life, and the life was the light of men." John 1:4

What is special about this verse? In him was life? Well maybe Shamoun did'nt know this, but there is life in everyone! There is life in me to, there is life in Sam Shamoun to. So nuthing ground breaking about that, or did Shamoun believe that there is no life in anyone meaning were all dead?

So the fact is there if life in me, in Shamoun, and every other walking talking human being on the planet.

Now Shamoun I know will be screaming at the screen shouting: READ ON! READ ON! IT SAYS HIS LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN!

Yes and? Jesus' life was the light of men, hmmm, does that make him God? Indeed Jesus' life was the light of men. Jesus is the light at the end of the tunnel, he was a prophet, he came to save the people, he came to bring them back to God. The life of Moses was a light for men, the life of Abraham was a light for men. The reason their lives where lights for men is simply because these were great men of God and came to save us, if these men werent sent by God then we would all be wandering blindly and worshiping some pagan deities. You must understand in what sense this means, Shamoun takes everything in the sense that Jesus is God. If one verse calls Jesus a great man Shamoun will jump and say: THERE IS PROOF THAT HE IS GOD! HE WAS CALLED A GREAT MAN!

So the fact that Jesus' life was a light for men means that Jesus was a hope for man, and indeed he was a hope for man and we should thank God who sent this man.

Shamoun then posts:

Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself...... Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment." John 5:25-26, 28-29

This is the verse which I have already refuted. It will be my pleasure to respond to it once again.

Indeed those who shall hear the voice of Jesus will live. If you hear the voice of Jesus and believe in him as a prophet of God, then indeed you will live, by live you will make it to paradise. As for the people in the tombs who will hear his voice and come forth, this may be the people who Jesus was specifically sent to, and not everybody. So by far these passages dont prove Jesus is God. Get some concrete evidence Sam!

The next verses he posts:

Yes I agree, he who believes in Jesus will live, by live it means you go to heaven, if you dont believe in Jesus you will die, by die it means going to hell. This applies to every prophet.

He then posts:

But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses." Acts 3:14-15

Now note the contradiction in this passage. Its very funny how the author contradicts himself withing a few words. Note the author claims that: and killed the Author of life

Notice how he contradicts himself. He claims they KILLED the AUTHOR OF LIFE. Now tell me, how can you kill the author of life? The author of life is the one who created life, the author of life does not die, very funny to see the author of life being killed. The author contradicts himself more when he also claims: whom God raised from the dead

So now the author also claims that the author of life was raised from the dead! So notice how he contradicts himself twice, the author of life never dies, thats why he is killed the author of life, if he made life then that means he has no begining, and if he had no begining then he will not die. To have a begining means to have an end, an author of life has no begining, therefore the author of life cannot die. Yet this author twice claims the author of life has been killed, and is dead! It even gets from bad to worse, the author even goes as far as to lie! Yes the author has LIED to everyone, look what at what he says:

But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses." Acts 3:14-15

The author claims that God raised Jesus from the dead, and that the author and his companions are WITNESSES TO IT. That is a lie! There was not one single biblical author who was at the scene when Jesus was supposedly raised from the dead, NOT ONE. So how could this author claim to witness something to which he never saw! The author was not there right at THE moment of the raising of Jesus, so hence he lied when he claimed he is witness to this because he never even saw it with his own eyes. So how can we trust the whole book of acts now? The fact is we cant, so the whole book of acts is thrown out the window, GOOD-BYE!

He next posts:

When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:4

As for colossians, I dont really pay much attention to what Paul says. Either way Paul shows himself to be an idiot in that verse, how can Jesus be his life when Jesus dies? As for Timothy, Timothy is a bigger idiot if he wrote that, note what he says:

To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:15-17

Notice he says immoratal, my question to all Christians is this, WAS JESUS MORTAL OR IMMORTAL? The answer is simple, Jesus died therefore he is MORTAL so therefore this Timothy lied, and did not know what he was talking about so therefore the book of Timothy is thrown out the window. GOOD-BYE!

He then posts:

The life was made manifest? Is this life supposed to be Jesus? If so then why did the life die, the life cannot be THE God because THE life of God never dies. If Jesus is the eternal life which was with the father before he came to earth, that is a false statement to, because Jesus died, therefore he did not have eternal life, just a very LONG life and then died. Eternal life is FOREVER, not for a very long time and then die.

Finally:

This is the true God and eternal life is not refering to Jesus, anyone who knows how to read english will see that. Let us assume it is Jesus, Jesus never had eternal life that is until he died and came back to life, which is a different issue, because we all will die and have eternal life. Jesus never had eternal life like THE God has, because God has been alive forever!!!!!! Jesus died, so therefore he never had THE eternal life.

Well I hope those werent the best verses Shamoun could provide us for in which he thinks they prove Jesus is God. As you saw for yourself, not one of them proved what he tried to prove, infact they made his Bible look worse, let us summarize:

1- He showed the author of acts is a liar, and very inconsistent as he contradicts himself twice in a space of a couple of words.

2- He showed that both Paul and Timothy are idiots because they had no idea to what they were talking about.

3- He showed John does not know what hes talking about if John was refering to Jesus and eternal life. Jesus died, therefore he never had eternal life.

Nice job Sam!

He Wrote

Furthermore, not only is God the source of life but he himself is the truth according to the Bible:

"Then they said to Jeremiah, `May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the LORD your God sends you to us." Jeremiah 42:5

"...... they cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?" Revelation 6:10

Interestingly, this is precisely how Jesus describes himself in the revelation the Apostle John received from Christ:

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one shall shut, who shuts and no one opens. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name’" Revelation 3:7-8

"And to the angel of the church in La-odice'a write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation." Revelation 3:14

My Response

It always amazes me to how silly Christians can get sometimes. Just because God is called true, that means that if anyone else is called a true person then that makes them God. So if a man says the truth, and people call him a true man, does that make them God? According to Shamoun yes, hillarious!

Secondly why isnt Jesus true? Jesus is indeed a truthful person, he is a true one, does that make him God? Shamoun makes no sense, Abraham was a true one, Moses was a true one, does that make them Gods? Shamoun does not believe neither of them are God, so therefore they cant be true ones because to be a true one means your God, and they cant be God so therefore they are not true and they are liars and fakes. Good job Sam!

Lets quote a passage from the Bible showing TRUE men:

Gen 42:11 We [are] all one man's sons; we [are] true [men], thy servants are no spies.

So are these men God? If you agree with Shamoun the answer is yes.

He Wrote

We are told that early in Islamic history, one Sufi named Al-Hallaj (858-922 A.D.) made similar claims by saying, "I am the Truth." In 922 A.D. Muslims crucified and branded him a heretic for this claim. The reason that motivated the killing was based on the fact that one of Allah's 99 names is Al-Haqq (The Truth), with another being Al-Hayy (The Living):

And the faces shall be humbled before the Living, the Self-subsistent God, and he who bears iniquity is indeed a failure...... Supremely exalted is therefore Allah, the King, the Truth, and do not make haste with the Quran before its revelation is made complete to you and say: O my Lord! increase me in knowledge. S. 20:110, 114 Shakir

Muslims realized that Al-Hallaj's claim of being the Truth was the same as claiming to be God. Hence, for Jesus to claim to be both the Truth and the Life is equivalent to saying that he is God.

My Response

Shamoun tried to pull a fast one there indeed. To start off Allah is THE truth, not just the truth, he is THE truth. There is a huge difference in the way you apply the terms to yourself. In the case of Al-Hallaj, he claimed to be THE truth in the sense he is God, in the case of Jesus, he did not claim to be THE truth, he just claimed he is the truth and indeed he is. He is the truth like all prophets are the truth, that they are not liars and that they speak the truth and convey the message of God. There is a huge difference in the way you apply terms to yourself. Jesus did not claim he is THE truth in the sense he is God. Shamoun has not proved Jesus applied the term to show he God, Jesus applied the term in a different way, he meant he is a truthful person, and not a liar etc etc etc.

He Wrote

Furthermore, in the hadith we discover that Muhammad consistently applied these titles to God alone. One never finds these titles applied to Muhammad:

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

The Prophet used to invoke Allah at night, saying, "O Allah: All the Praises are for You: You are the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth. All the Praises are for You; You are the Maintainer of the Heaven and the Earth and whatever is in them. All the Praises are for You; You are the Light of the Heavens and the Earth. Your Word is the Truth, and Your Promise is the Truth, and the Meeting with You is the Truth, and Paradise is the Truth, and the (Hell) Fire is the Truth, and the Hour is the Truth. O Allah! I surrender myself to You, and I believe in You and I depend upon You, and I repent to You and with You (Your evidences) I stand against my opponents, and to you I leave the judgment (for those who refuse my message). O Allah! Forgive me my sins that I did in the past or will do in the future, and also the sins I did in secret or in public. You are my only God (Whom I worship) and there is no other God for me (i.e. I worship none but You)." (Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 482)

Narrated Sufyan:

(regarding the above narration) that the Prophet added, "You are the Truth, and Your Word is the Truth." (Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 483)

My Response

Once again, there is a difference in the way you apply the terms. Even notice what Muhammad said:

and the Meeting with You is the Truth, and Paradise is the Truth, and the (Hell) Fire is the Truth, and the Hour is the Truth

Muhammad said the hell is the truth, the heaven is the truth, does that make the heaven and hell God? Certainly not, it depends in what sense you apply the term. Also note Muhammad said Allah's word is the truth, this means everything Allah says is the truth, Allah claims Jesus is a prophet, so therefore Jesus is the truth! Just like Allah talks about heaven and hell, therefore heaven and hell are the truth because they are Allah's words and Allah's words are the truth! So it depends in what sense you say it, Jesus is the truth, but not in the sense he is God.

He Wrote

Muhammad claims that God and his Word are the truth. Furthermore, Muhammad affirms that God is both the Sustainer of the universe and the One who can forgive sins, especially Muhammad's sins. In stark contrast to Muhammad, Jesus never asked for forgiveness but claimed that he is the One that forgives sinners as well as the One who holds the entire universe together. That Jesus was clearly aware that he was sinless becomes apparent from the following passages:

"He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood." John 7:18

"And he who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him...Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?" John 8:29, 46

My Response

Indeed there is no falsehood in Jesus, nor is there falsehood in Muhamamd or other prophets. They may commit sins and errors, but that is not a falsehood. Now Shamoun claims Jesus forgave sins, Sam tried to pull another fast one there. What Shamoun forgets to mention is that God gave Jesus the right to forgive sins, in other words, Jesus did not own that right, therefore this argument doesnt prove that Jesus is God.

He Wrote

Since Jesus is the only one without sin, he alone is qualified to be the Savior from sin:

"... she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

And when he returned to Caper'na-um after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question thus in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your pallet and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins"- he said to the paralytic- "I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home." And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" Mark 2:1-12

The scribes rightly surmised that only God could forgive sins. If Jesus was not God, he was obligated to clarify his meaning and correct them for misunderstanding his point. Instead, he reinforces their claim by healing the paralytic, something that clearly affirmed his authority to forgive sins.

My Response

I have already adressed Mark 2:1-12, therefore I shall be quoting from one of my previous rebuttals:

To start off, in Matthew 9:4, it wouldnt take a genius to figure out that there were people who had evil thoughts in their heart. Why don’t we quote a bit more from Matthew to see what was going on.

Matthew 9:1-8: 1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. 2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. 7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

So now we have a better understanding of the context. And when you look at the context it is clear that there is nothing special meant in Jesus saying ‘why do you have evil thoughts’. Let us go over the verses starting from the beginning.

Jesus basically went to a sick man. Having seen the sick man had good faith; Jesus forgave the man of his sins (a great miracle given to Jesus by God). Now there were others who were beside them 'certain scribes'. Now these scribes of course did not believe in Jesus at all. They did not believe he is a prophet or any man sent from God. So naturally when they see Jesus saying your sins are forgiven they are bound to become upset and tell themselves that Jesus is sinning. Now Jesus of course is a smart man. He is a man sent from God, taught by God, so he is very smart. So it is nothing special that Jesus realizes from the face of the scribes that they are harboring bad ideas. It is no coincidence he says this to the scribes right after he says your sins are forgiven.

Jesus knows the unbelievers from the believers. Jesus is smart enough to tell when some one is offended by his sayings. So right after Jesus says your sins are forgiven, the scribes start saying he is a liar. Obviously when you get a bit angry, it shows on your face, especially if you think a man is blaspheming against God. The look on your face would show your feelings. So Jesus then turns to them, they are already saying it within themselves that Jesus is a liar and so on. So Jesus looks them in the face and is smart enough to realize they are not very fond of what he just said. So Jesus being smart enough to realize this tells them ' Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.'

It is also more interesting to note what those men and the people thought of Jesus, the men and the people did not think Jesus was claiming to be God, the ending of the verse is the most important part which states:

7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

So as we see, a lot of people saw it and were amazed, and what did they do? They glorified God, not Jesus. They glorified God and were amazed at God for giving such power unto men (Jesus). So the fact is the people didn’t see him as God when he did that, nor did the men accusing him of blasphemy. So from the context and situation, it is obvious Jesus did not have any special power to read their minds, and it is obvious that no one believed he is God, including the author, because notice how he ends the verse:

7 And he arose, and departed to his house. 8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

It is obvious from the way the ending is written, that the author himself believed the power was given unto the man Jesus, and not just the view of the people. As Jesus coming down with angels, I turned the argument on Shamoun here

(End Rebuttal)

As for the other verses he posted:

"... she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

That is what I have been saying all along, Jesus is a prophet who was sent to save people from their sins and bring them to God.

He Wrote

They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world." John 4:42

"If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world." John 12:47

"And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world." 1 John 4:14

"And Jesus came and said to them, `All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me...... and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.'" Matthew 28:18, 20

My Response

Yes and? those verses prove Jesus is a prophet, let us summarize the verses togethor:

1- Jesus is a saviour, one who came to save people from sins, just like all other prophets

2- Jesus was GIVEN authority, he did not own it, therefore he is not God. God owns his power, he is not given it.

He Wrote

The fact that all authority in heaven and earth belongs to Christ implies that Jesus sovereignly controls the entire universe:

"... for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities-all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16-17

"He reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of his nature, upholding the universe by his word of power. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high......" Hebrews 1:3

My Response

The fact that all authority was GIVEN to Jesus shows he is not God. Why didnt Sam say:

The fact that all authority in heaven and earth WAS GIVEN to Christ implies that Jesus sovereignly controls the entire universe:

Why did he try and trick the reader by making it seem that Jesus owned this power from his own?

He Wrote

Muhammad also denied being the way since he himself prayed to God to constantly guide him on the true path:

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful:

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, The Beneficent, the Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment, Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help. Show us the straight path (Ihdinas Siraatal Mustaqiim), The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray. Pickthall

Muhammad, as do all Muslims, always began his prayer with this chapter, Surat ul-Faitha. The phrase, "Show us the straight path" has been translated differently by various Islamicists:

"Show us the straight way......" Yusuf Ali

"Guide us to the straight path ..." N.J. Dawood

"Guide us the straight way ..." Muhammad Asad

"Guide us to the Straight Way." Hillali-Khan

"Guide Thou us on the straight path ..." J.M. Rodwell

"Guide us along the Straight Road ..." T.B. Irving

"Keep us on the right path." Shakir

My Response

Muhammad was not arrogant to go around and showing off, he was a human, this infact shows what a great believer he is. Even though he has been blessed by God to be a prophet, he still asks guide for mercy, and for God to guide him, this shows how Muhammad never thought to big of himself and shows what a good man he was, rather than going around acting like some God. Muhammad himself told people not to over-praise him like Christians did to Jesus, so I would like to thank Shamoun for bringing this up, if anything Shamoun showed that Muhammad is indeed a prophet and a very God-fearing man. Muhammad is indeed still the way, we should be like him in to always ask God to guide us.

He Wrote

No matter which of the above translations one accepts, the thing that stands out is that Muhammad could not be the way if he himself needed to be guided on the path. If one accepts the translation of Ali, Dawood, Hillali-Khan and Pickthall, then this implies that Muhammad was uncertain of the path and needed God to constantly guide him on the way. If we accept the translations of Asad, Irving, Rodwell, and Shakir then Muhammad was uncertain of his salvation and feared the possibility that he would fall from the favor of God. This fact is brought out in both the Quran and the hadith:

And surely they had purposed to turn you away from that which We have revealed to you, that you should forge against Us other than that, and then they would certainly have taken you for a friend. And had it not been that We had already established you, you would certainly have been near to incline to them a little; In that case We would certainly have made you to taste a double (punishment) in this life and a double (punishment) after death, then you would not have found any helper against Us. 17:73-75 Shakir

These are very harsh words and seem to assert that Muhammad was uncertain about his role at times.

My Response

Shamoun is just blabbering now, he is trying to make an argument out of nuthing. The fact is us as Muslims are not arrogant to go around saying: yes were going to heavenn, yes im not going to hell. Us muslims dont do that, who are we to say we are going to heaven or hell? God is the one to judge, non of us know if we will ever make it to heaven or hell, we dont know the future. One day we may be a very righteous believer and the next day an atheist who doesnt believe in God, so no one has the right to talk about the future in a way in which he exactly knows the outcome. No one knows the future, not even Jesus. These verses do not bother us Muslims at all, I as a Muslim know that only God knows my future, and for Christians to say they know is just plain arrogance because they have judged themselves.

He Wrote

That Muhammad was uncertain about his destiny, having doubts about his own calling, is further highlighted by the following verses:

(It is) a Scripture that is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) - SO LET THERE BE NO HEAVINESS IN THY HEART THEREFROM - that thou mayst warn thereby, and (it is) a Reminder unto believers. S. 7:2 Pickthall

And if thou (Muhammad) ART IN DOUBT concerning that which We reveal unto thee, then question those who read the Scripture (that was) before thee. Verily the Truth from thy Lord hath come unto thee. So be not thou of the waverers. And be not thou of those who deny the revelations of Allah, FOR THEN WERT THOU OF THE LOSERS. S. 10:94-95 Pickthall

Say: "I am no bringer of new-fangled doctrine among the messengers, NOR DO I KNOW WHAT WILL BE DONE WITH ME OR WITH YOU. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a Warner open and clear." S. 46:9

Muhammmad couldn't guarantee his own salvation, let alone the salvation of others, a point reiterated in the following hadiths:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise." (i.e., None can enter Paradise through his good deeds.) They (the Prophet's companions) said, 'Not even you, O Allah's Apostle?' He said, "Not even myself, unless Allah bestows His favor and mercy on me." So be moderate in your religious deeds and do the deeds that are within your ability: and none of you should wish for death, for if he is a good doer, he may increase his good deeds, and if he is an evil doer, he may repent to Allah." (Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 70, Number 577)

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "The deeds of anyone of you will not save you (from the (Hell) Fire)." They said, "Even you (will not be saved by your deeds), O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "No, even I (will not be saved) unless and until Allah bestows His Mercy on me. Therefore, do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and worship Allah in the forenoon and in the afternoon and during a part of the night, and always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course whereby you will reach your target (Paradise)." (Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 470)

Narrated 'Um al-'Ala:

An Ansari woman who gave the pledge of allegiance to the Prophet that the Ansar drew lots concerning the dwelling of the Emigrants. 'Uthman bin Maz'un was decided to dwell with them (i.e. Um al-'Ala's family), 'Uthman fell ill and I nursed him till he died, and we covered him with his clothes. Then the Prophet came to us and I (addressing the dead body) said, "O Abu As-Sa'ib, may Allah's Mercy be on you! I bear witness that Allah has honored you." On that the Prophet said, "How do you know that Allah has honored him?" I replied, "I do not know. May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, O Allah's Apostle! But who else is worthy of it (if not 'Uthman)?" He said, "As to him, by Allah, death has overtaken him, and I hope the best for him. By Allah, though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me," By Allah, I will never assert the piety of anyone after him. That made me sad, and when I slept I saw in a dream a flowing stream for 'Uthman bin Maz'un. I went to Allah's Apostle and told him of it. He remarked, "That symbolizes his (good) deeds." (Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 266)

And Muhammad is no more than an apostle; the apostles have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least and Allah will reward the grateful. S. 3:144 Shakir

Say: If I err, I err only against my own soul, and if I follow a right direction, it's because of what my Lord reveals to me; surely He is Hearing, Nigh. S. 34:50 Shakir

My Response

Shamoun has not provided one single Qurnic verse or hadith that poses any problem. He is just blabbering, I have already explained the Muslim's position. So bascically Sam has just admited that he thinks he is God, because it seems he has already judged himself, and it seems he believes he is going to heaven without being judged yet, therefore Sam has just in-directly admited he believes he is God. Good job Sam! It amazes me to how silly he can get at times.

He Wrote

Interestingly, the Quran provides examples of Muhammad erring and having to repent as a result of it:

Lo! We reveal unto thee the Scripture with the truth, that thou mayst judge between mankind by that which Allah showeth thee. And be not thou a pleader for the treacherous; And seek forgiveness of Allah. Lo! Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. And plead not on behalf of (people) who deceive themselves. Lo! Allah loveth not one who is treacherous and sinful. S. 4:105-107 Pickthall

Allah forgive thee (O Muhammad)! Wherefor didst thou grant them leave ere those who told the truth were manifest to thee and thou didst know the liars? S. 9:43 Pickthall

Then have patience (O Muhammad). Lo! the promise of Allah is true. And ask forgiveness of thy sin, and hymn the praise of thy Lord at fall of night and in the early hours. S. 40:55 Pickthall

So know (O Muhammad) that there is no Allah save Allah, and ask forgiveness FOR THY SIN and for believing men and believing women. Allah knoweth (both) your place of turmoil and your place of rest. S. 47:19 Pickthall

Lo! We have given thee (O Muhammad) a signal victory, That Allah may forgive thee of thy sin that which is past and that which is to come, and may perfect His favour unto thee, and may guide thee on a right path, S. 48:1-2 Pickthall

It is little wonder that Muhammad specifically stated that he could save no one from God's punishment:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

When Allah revealed the Verse: "Warn your nearest kinsmen," Allah's Apostle got up and said, "O people of Quraish (or said similar words)! Buy (i.e. save) yourselves (from the Hellfire) as I cannot save you from Allah's Punishment; O Bani Abd Manaf! I cannot save you from Allah's Punishment, O Safiya, the Aunt of Allah's Apostle! I cannot save you from Allah's Punishment; O Fatima bint Muhammad! Ask me anything from my wealth, but I cannot save you from Allah's Punishment." (Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 51, Number 16)

Muhammad was simply an ordinary sinful mortal like the rest of us:

Say: I do not control any benefit or harm for my own soul except as Allah please; and had I known the unseen I would have had much of good and no evil would have touched me; I am nothing but a warner and the giver of good news to a people who believe. 7:188 Shakir

Muhammad cannot benefit himself nor does he have knowledge of the unseen. In fact, Muhammad constantly prayed for his own salvation, and the Quran commands Muslims to pray for his salvation and well-being:

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

Allah's Prophet used to say, "O Allah! I seek refuge with You from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and geriatric old age, and seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge with You from the afflictions of life and death." (Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 378)

Narrated 'Aisha:

The Prophet used to say, "O Allah! I seek refuge with You from laziness from geriatric old age, from being in debt, and from committing sins. O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the punishment of the Fire, the afflictions of the grave, the punishment in the grave, and the evil of the affliction of poverty and from the evil of the affliction caused by Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal. O Allah! Wash away my sins with the water of snow and hail, and cleanse my heart from the sins as a white garment is cleansed of filth, and let there be a far away distance between me and my sins as You have set far away the East and the West from each other." (Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 386)

"Lo! Allah and his angels pray (Arabic- yasalluuna) for the Prophet. O ye that believe! Pray for him (salluu alayhi) and salute him with all respect (sallimuu tasliimaa)." S. 33:56

My Response

Again Sam poses not one single valid argument, everything he says actually proves Muhammad is a prophet of God. Let me say it again, no one knows their future, for if they did, they would be God. Sam obviously believes he is God, so he has exposed himself in that, in trying to bring up an argument against Muhammad, Shamoun has ended up exposing himself. Good job Sam!

As for Allah praying, Allah's salah basically means to send mercy and to praise his servant. It isnt really praying, there is a difference between a humans salah and Allah's salah. When a human performs salah he is worshiping some one, Allah's salah is not worshiping anyone, Allah's salah isnt him praying, it is just sending mercy and praising his servant. So in basic terms, Allah praying means sending mercy and praising his servant, which is basically is not even praying! So Allah's salah is not like our salah, it is not him praying.

He Wrote

We must ask how can Muhammad possibly benefit believers in the way Jesus does seeing that he constantly needs the prayers of his followers? Christians do not pray for Jesus, but pray to Jesus:

"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:13-14

The Quran goes on to say:

And they say: We will by no means believe in you until you cause a fountain to gush forth from the earth for us. Or you should have a garden of palms and grapes in the midst of which you should cause rivers to flow forth, gushing out. Or you should cause the heaven to come down upon us in pieces as you think, or bring Allah and the angels face to face (with us). Or you should have a house of gold, or you should ascend into heaven, and we will not believe in your ascending until you bring down to us a book which we may read. Say: Glory be to my Lord; am I aught but a mortal apostle? 17:90-93 Shakir

Say: I am only a mortal like you; it is revealed to me that your god is one God, therefore whoever hopes to meet his Lord, he should do good deeds, and not join any one in the service of his Lord. 18:110 Shakir

And they say: Why are not signs sent down upon him from his Lord? Say: The signs are only with Allah, and I am only a plain warner. Is it not enough for them that We have revealed to you the Book which is recited to them? Most surely there is mercy in this and a reminder for a people who believe. 29:50-51 Shakir

Since he was simply human, he eventually had to die like all men. In fact, Muhammad's death caused much shock and trauma to those who loved him:

Narrated 'Aisha:

(the wife of the Prophet) Allah's Apostle died while Abu Bakr was at a place called As-Sunah (Al-'Aliya) 'Umar stood up and said, "By Allah! Allah's Apostle is not dead!" 'Umar (later on) said, "By Allah! Nothing occurred to my mind except that." He said, "Verily! Allah will resurrect him and he will cut the hands and legs of some men." Then Abu Bakr came and uncovered the face of Allah's Apostle, kissed him and said, "Let my mother and father be sacrificed for you, (O Allah's Apostle), you are good in life and in death. By Allah in Whose Hands my life is, Allah will never make you taste death twice." Then he went out and said, "O oath-taker! Don't be hasty." When Abu Bakr spoke, 'Umar sat down. Abu Bakr praised and glorified Allah and said, No doubt! Whoever worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead, but whoever worshipped Allah, then Allah is Alive and shall never die." Then he recited Allah's Statement.:-- "(O Muhammad) Verily you will die, and they also will die." (39.30) He also recited:-- "Muhammad is no more than an Apostle; and indeed many Apostles have passed away, before him, If he dies Or is killed, will you then Turn back on your heels? And he who turns back On his heels, not the least Harm will he do to Allah And Allah will give reward to those Who are grateful." (3.144)... Then Abu Bakr led the people to True Guidance and acquainted them with the right path they were to follow so that they went out reciting:- "Muhammad is no more than an Apostle and indeed many Apostles have passed away before him." (3.144) (Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 57, Number 19)

My Response

Again Shamoun just keeps on rambling on and on and on. He has not one solid argument, he quotes hadiths and the Quran and doesnt bring up one valid argument!

He Wrote

Again, we see a major difference between Jesus and Muhammad. Since Muhammad is dead, he cannot benefit anyone. Yet, as Abu Bakr rightly concluded, only the Living One is worthy of worship. According to the NT, Jesus is the Living One:

"When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand upon me, saying, `Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the Living One; I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.'" Revelation 1:17-18

My Response

Shamoun has proven himself to be a joke with what he just said. He attacks Muhammad for being dead, which cannot benefit anyone, as if to show that Muhammad being dead is something bad. What Shamoun fails to realize is Muhammad is a man, and just like everyone else dies, JUST LIKE SHAMOUNS OWN GOD DID! Shamoun says the one worthy of worship is the living one, that my freind is ALLAH, Allah is the living one, Jesus is not the living one, Allah never died, Jesus died. So indeed we should worship the living one who is Allah and the one who never dies, the true God! Only a fake weak God will die, how can a God who dies benefit you? That is the real question.

He Wrote

Since Muhammad clearly denied that he could benefit anyone and also denied being the door for believers to enter through, he cannot be the way and the truth and the life. This honor belongs to Christ alone:

"So Jesus again said to them, `Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.'" John 10:7-10

My Response

Indeed, every prophet is the door, just because Muhammad prayed for forgiveness and asked to be guided does not mean he is not the way. Muhammad is indeed the door, just like all other prophets.

He Wrote

Jesus is both the door to salvation and the source of abundant life. In relation to the OT prophets none of them claimed to be the source of life or the door of salvation. In fact, the OT prophets all died in the expectation that the One who was to bring salvation to all flesh would shortly come into the world for all to see. This was the One in whom they awaited and were trusting in for their salvation:

"But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." Matthew 13:16-17

"You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." John 5:39-40

"Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; it is Moses who accuses you, on whom you set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me." John 5:45-46

"Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad." John 8:56

"The prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired about this salvation; they inquired what person or time was indicated by the Spirit of Christ within them when predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things which have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look." 1 Peter 1:10-12

My Response

Yes and non of that proves Jesus is God, yet Jesus the God died proving he is not God. So Sam can keep quoting as much Bible verses he wants to, the fact is he will NEVER be able to prove that Jesus is God. The ALL-MIGHTY God never dies, the ALL-MIGHTY God is never given power and authority. The ALL-MIGHTY God knows everything. Jesus failed in each of those tests. Jesus is not God, so Sam you can bring 1 million verses if you like, facts are facts, the fact is that Jesus is not God.

Let us summarize the tests and see if Jesus passes them:

Test 1: God never dies. Jesus FAILED

Test 2: God owns everything, he is not given power and authority. Jesus FAILED

Test 3: God knows everything. Jesus FAILED

Test 4: God is not LIKE a man. Jesus FAILED

Test 5: God claims he is God. Jesus FAILED

Test 6: God does not have a God. Jesus FAILED

Test 7: God does not pray. Jesus FAILED

Test 8: God has no mother. Jesus FAILED

Test 9: God has eternal life forever. Jesus FAILED

Test 10: God is not a prophet nor a servant. Jesus FAILED

So as you can see, 10 tests to see if Jesus if God, Jesus fails each one of them!

He Wrote

A Muslim might claim that Muhammad's requests to be guided on the right path or to be spared from wrath does not prove that he was uncertain of salvation. Rather, it simply points to his humbleness. The problem with this claim is that other prophets who were more humble than him never prayed to be guided on the right path since they knew that they were already on it. Furthermore, the fact that he would request to be guided aright implies that he did not trust God enough to know that the latter had called him to be his prophet and therefore assured his salvation. This is not humbleness, but blasphemy!

My Response

The real blasphemy is Sam beleiving he is going to heaven, he has already judged himself. Muhammad never said he was in the wrong path, he just asked to be guided, that does not mean is on the wrong path. Whats more funny is when Sam says:

other prophets who were more humble than him never prayed to be guided on the right path

That is one of the most stupid statements I have ever read. Shamoun has once again showed himself to be a clown by making such a statement. Prophets never prayed to be guided! Hillarious indeed! Shamoun seems to cause more damage to his cause than good.

He Wrote

In summary, we discovered that Jesus' statement that he is the way and the truth and the life does not simply mean that he points men to God's truth like the other prophets before him. We also discovered that no prophet ever applied the titles that Christ applied to himself, since had they done so this would have implied that they were claiming to be God. Finally, we saw that Muhammad's own words affirm that he could not have been the way, the truth and the life but was in need of the One who is the Life of all flesh. He, like the rest of us, needed the Savior whose name is Jesus Christ the Lord.

My Response

In summary, we discovered that Shamoun failed to prove us wrong in that Jesus' statement that he is the way and the truth and the life did simply mean that he points men to God just like all other prophets. We also discovered that the author of acts is a liar, therefore the entire book is thrown out the window, and that Timothy and Paul were idiots. Finally we saw that Shamoun prove that Muhammad is indeed a prophet of God, because he always prayed to God and asked to be guided, he never became arrogant and made himself Godly. Muhammad indeed showed he is the way, we must all act like him and always ask God to guide us, and always ask God to forgive us, and indeed we Muslims always pray to Allah to forgive us and guide us. who is indeed the true lord.