Is Islam the True Religion or Not?
Of course, it is a subjective question because it is about faith. Yet, there is a lot of evidence that exists showing it may not be the only true religion today. The fanatical teachings that inspire jihad against the infidel non-Muslim are making it harder to believe Islam came from God. Islamic nations twist Mohammad's hadiths or teachings on daily life to mold its society, to suppress and oppress it to meet political desires and to vet out internal corruption. They use the Quran to incite its population to action. That is clearly evident today-just look at Muslim countries and you will see different interpretations of the same Mohammad teachings or Quran passages to fit the country's government agenda. Islam is a mess today, maybe it was not like that long ago, but it is today. Iran and a Saudi Arabia are key Muslim countries, yet both hate one another, yet both are devoted to the same Mohammad and Quran, how can this be?
The Bible treats Islam as part of the overall history, but never calls it Islam. The prophet Mohammad, a man who lived in the 6th Century in the Jordan area, Muhammad, traces his lineage back to Ishmael through his first born son, Nabaioth. Ishamel, as noted in the Bible was 137 yrs. old when he died. Ishamel (Arabs) and Issac (Jews) were the sons of Abraham, who was 175 yrs. when he died.
Scholars of religion think Islam actually began in the 6th Century when Mohammad claimed to have been visited by the angel Gabriel with the divine word. Mohammad was simply the scribe for the divine source that dictated the Quran to the prophet. Centuries earlier, the Old Testament and the word of God was conveyed to John by the same angel. The Quran refers to Hebrew Torah, the Psalms of David, and the Gospels of Jesus Christ, as "previous scriptures" and states they are divine in origination. However, later, the Quran contradicts many things the three books agree upon: the cruxification of Jesus, which states it did not happen! In the Quran, God's chosen man was Ishmael, while in all other books it is Issac, who had a son Jacob and started the 12 tribes of Israel.
To confuse matters more, the followers of the Quran worship a different God than those who follow the Bible. God, in the Bible contains God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Quran denies all three and condemns the "Son of God" and Jesus' deity. The Quran states that Prophet Mohammad's dictation of the Quran supersedes all other religious books even though it states these books (Torah, Psalms, Gospels) are divine. Some Quran passages are simply non-historical. For instance, the Quran states that a golden calf was created at the base of Mt. Sinai by the Samaritans several hundred years earlier than the Bible (in Exodus) does. I suppose, you just either believe facts or not.
Between the 6th-7th Centuries, the Roman Empire in the Middle East was weakening and the rise of the Arab kingdom began. This is when Mohammad claimed to have had the divine visit by Gabriel, the angel, to dictate the Quran, the true religion. The Bible was completed, all 66 books, 2000 years ago. Many of its prophecies have come true: The destruction of Tyre and the 1948 creation of Israel. What prophecies have come true by the Quran?
Since Mohammad was NOT the author of the Quran, today, Muslims follow many of his teachings in daily life (hadiths). He wrote many of them reflecting his view of how men and women should conduct daily life. As a mere man, how could his biases and influences not be conveyed? His hadiths are often tied to the Quran, but not all them. They contradict each other, at times. He lived from 570-632 A.D. After his death, his wife, Aisha, wrote over 2000 hadiths for Muslims to follow. Was she also visited by an angel? Being a woman, I doubt it. While Muslims kill if you desecrate the Prophet Mohammad, many are ignorant that he agreed that his wife was superior to him in some ways. He bestowed much power to her, much like queen, in other societies. She became a force in Islam after his death and led armies into battle. Yet, in many of today's Muslim countries, women are treated as second class citizens and each use the Quran and Mohammad to support their customs. Each cleric picks and chooses which hadith or Quran passage to validate a fatwa (religious ruling) no matter how idiotic it is. Issuing a fatwa forbidding children in making a snowman, forbidding women from driving a car, imprisoning a man for free speech for 15 years, making slaves of non-Muslims, is purely man made and not commanded by any God.
The more you objectively look at the Bible and Quran history, look at Mohammad's life, one can conclude there is much confusion for Muslim interpretation of their holy book and who they think Mohammad was. Muslims that are ignorant of such background, tend to be fanatics and overly zealous about defending it. Moderate Muslims tend to be more objective and reasonable about their religion.
Islam is a messy religion because its claimed sources are murky. It seems to be divinely inspired and Mohammed then injected his own views and teachings for others to follow. Remember, Mohammad did not write the Quran, he was just a scribe to record it. His hadiths are not from God, but his own beliefs and opinions he supports with the Quran writings. Jesus' teachings are divine being conveyed verbatim. They are not his own.
