Critical Analysis

"Islam According to Itself: The Story Begins"

This text presents Islam’s self-understanding, but when analyzed critically, several significant logical and historical issues become apparent:

---

1. Islam’s Self-Understanding: A Continuation, Not a Beginning

Claim:

• Islam presents itself as the original religion revealed by God, not a new faith.

• All true prophets were essentially "Muslims" (submitters to Allah).

• Muhammad is the final prophet, the culmination of all previous revelations.

Logical Problems:

• Circular Reasoning: Islam claims to be the original faith by redefining the term "Muslim" to mean anyone who submits to God. But this is a redefinition, not a historical fact.

• Retrospective Labeling: Figures like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus are described as "Muslims" despite belonging to religious traditions that predate Islam by centuries. This is a form of historical revisionism.

• Contradiction with Historical Records:

  • Abraham: Historically associated with Judaism, not Islam.

  • Moses: The Torah (Jewish scripture) directly contradicts Islamic teachings.

  • Jesus: The New Testament presents Jesus as the Son of God, which directly contradicts the Quran’s view (Quran 4:171).

---

2. The Concept of Universal Prophethood

Claim:

• God sent approximately 124,000 prophets to all nations throughout history, each preaching the same message of monotheism.

• These include biblical figures like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus.

Problems:

• Lack of Evidence: The Quran provides no historical evidence for the claim of 124,000 prophets, and this number is not supported by any historical or archaeological record.

• Contradiction with Biblical Accounts:

  • The Torah does not recognize Muhammad or any prophet resembling him.

  • The New Testament identifies Jesus as the final messenger of the covenant (Hebrews 1:1-2), which contradicts the Islamic view of Muhammad as the final prophet.

• Contradiction with Quranic Preservation: If all prophets taught the same message of Islam, why were their teachings supposedly corrupted, while the Quran is preserved? This suggests a failure in divine protection.

---

3. The Role of Scriptures

Claim:

• God revealed scriptures to specific prophets:

  • Suhuf (Scrolls) to Abraham.

  • Tawrah (Torah) to Moses.

  • Zabur (Psalms) to David.

  • Injil (Gospel) to Jesus.

  • Quran to Muhammad, which is final and uncorrupted.

Problems:

• No Evidence for Suhuf: There is no historical or archaeological evidence for the "Scrolls of Abraham".

• Contradictory Messages:

  • The Torah (Jewish scripture) is fundamentally different in doctrine and law from the Quran.

  • The Gospel (Injil), as recorded in the New Testament, teaches the crucifixion of Jesus and his divine sonship, which the Quran denies (Quran 4:157, 5:116).

• The Problem of Corruption: The Quran claims to confirm the Torah and Gospel (Quran 5:44, 5:46), but also claims they were corrupted.

  • If they were corrupted, how can the Quran confirm them?

  • If they were preserved, then the Quran’s contradictions cannot be explained.

---

4. The Claim that All Prophets Were Muslims

Claim:

• All true prophets (including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus) were Muslims because they submitted to Allah.

Problems:

• Misleading Use of the Term "Muslim": Historically, the term "Muslim" is a label specific to the followers of Muhammad, beginning in the 7th century.

• Retrospective Reinterpretation: By labeling all prophets as "Muslims," Islam reinterprets their beliefs and teachings to align with Islamic doctrine, ignoring their historical and religious context.

• Direct Quranic Contradiction:

  • Abraham: The Torah (Genesis 17:1-8) presents him as the patriarch of the Jewish covenant, not an Islamic prophet.

  • Jesus: The New Testament (John 14:6) identifies him as the way, the truth, and the life, directly opposing the Quranic claim (Quran 5:116).

---

5. Muhammad as the Final Messenger

Claim:

• Muhammad is the last and final prophet, completing a long line of messengers.

• His message is universal, for all humanity.

Problems:

• Contradiction with the Bible:

  • The Old Testament (Deuteronomy 18:18) is often claimed by Muslims as a prophecy of Muhammad, but it specifies a prophet from the "brethren of Israel" (not the Ishmaelites).

  • The New Testament (John 14:16) is also claimed as a prophecy, but the text refers to the Holy Spirit, not Muhammad.

• Historical Revisionism: By claiming Muhammad is the final prophet, Islam invalidates the core teachings of Judaism (Moses as lawgiver) and Christianity (Jesus as divine savior).

• Theological Inconsistency: If Muhammad’s message is universal, why were previous revelations (Torah, Gospel) limited to specific peoples?

  • If all prophets preached Islam, then why do their scriptures contain radically different teachings?

---

6. The Problem of Divine Preservation and Corruption

Claim:

• All previous scriptures (Torah, Gospel) were corrupted, but the Quran is perfectly preserved.

Problems:

• Contradicts Quran’s Own Words: The Quran confirms the Torah and Gospel as "guidance and light" (Quran 5:44-46), while also claiming they were corrupted.

• Logically Inconsistent: If God’s word cannot be changed (Quran 6:115, 18:27), then the Torah and Gospel cannot be corrupted.

• Historical Reality: The text of the Torah and New Testament is well-preserved, with thousands of ancient manuscripts confirming their integrity.

---

7. Conclusion: Islam’s Narrative is a Retrospective Claim

• Islam’s claim of being the "original, unchanging religion" is a retrospective redefinition that reinterprets the beliefs and teachings of previous religions.

• By claiming all prophets were Muslims, Islam effectively replaces their historical and theological contexts with a single Islamic narrative.

• The claim that the Torah and Gospel were corrupted contradicts the Quran’s own principle of divine preservation.

• Islam is not a "continuation" of Abrahamic faiths, but a replacement of them, presenting itself as the final and correct version while rejecting the actual teachings of Judaism and Christianity.