Mokhtar Stork
Introduction
My
understanding on Christianity before my conversion to Islam,
is based on the History of the Christian Church by Williston
Walker. Jesus was a Jew; he was circumcised; abstained from pork,
observed the Sabbath and worshipped in a synagogue. In a way,
his approach made him and his followers a sect of Judaism, not
Christians.
Reflect
upon this: Jesus was a virtually unknown peasant with a few
followers in a remote part of rural Galilee. The Gentiles could not
join him, but now through Paul, he is equal to God Almighty. How did
that take place? Then comes a long Paul with ‘intellectual
thinking’ as ‘inspiration’ to define Jesus in a way unknown to
Jesus himself nor his followers.
“The
Nicaean/Chalcedonian conception of Christ is the fullest expression
of high Christology, according to the parameters set forth in this
study. Does Paul accord with such thinking in his letters? A careful
reading of certain portions of Paul’s letters seems to demonstrate
that these documents do exhibit some form of a high Christology.
Though Paul’s conceptualizations of Christ do not precisely
accord with the dogmatic formulations proclaimed by later ecumenical
councils, he nevertheless seems to have subscribed to a Christology
in which his imagery, allusions, and theological formulae adumbrate
the High Christology of Nicaea and Chalcedon. In short, it
appears that for Paul, Jesus is the divine mediator between God and
humanity, so that God might be all in all.” [The
presence of "high" christology in the letters of Paul the
Apostle, Eaglen Jason (2006).
https://openscholar.uga.edu/record/10129?ln=en&v=pdf]
Paul
did not invent the Trinity as a formal doctrine. That word came
into existence decades after. However, Paul did introduce ‘High
Christology’. Many early followers viewed Jesus as a prophet or
a Messiah in a political context. Paul argued that Jesus was the
‘image of the Invisible God’ and that ‘in him all things were
created.
In
his thesis, Jason Eaglen (2006), points out similarities. It is quite
obvious that the finalization of the Trinity takes place later and is
endorsed later Nicaean Councils. [The Presence
of “High Christology in Letters of Paul the Apostle, Jason Eaglen
(2012) https://openscholar.uga.edu/record/10129?ln=en&v=pdf]
Paul
was a Jew and a radical reformist, who argued that the
Gentiles did not need to become Jews to follow
Jesus. He argued that it was based on Faith and not the Jewish
Law. As a result of it, the Church dropped the requirement for
circumcision and dietary laws for Gentiles. This is what allowed
Christianity to stop being a small Jewish sect and start becoming a
global religion.
If
you look up the history of any religion, you will note a
transformation from what it was and what it has become today.
Islam is no exception. There are many Denominations of
Christianity just as there are so Islamic Sects. Buddhism and
Hinduism also has its fair share. All these developments are based on
‘interpretations’ (intellectual as well as political).
What
is overlooked today, is that people hardly know the history of their
religion but speak of it in terms of ‘now’. If we all took
several steps backwards, we will recognise many common similarities
in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Most of all some distinct
founding principles beginning with God, Mankind and His Prophets.
This essential link from an Islamic perspective proves that God is
One, and that all prophets, beginning with Adam right down to
Abraham, Jesus and Muhammad, were all Prophets of God, regardless of
race.
NOTE: Kindly
note that I am not debating the validity of Christianity. What
I have mention is just a basic outline. My goal to view the Spiritual
Dimension established in Christianity and in Islam.
The
Lord of Creation is The Lord of Mankind
I
consider anyone who views religion as a ‘copyright’ is
erroneous in faith and practice. God is viewed universally as
belonging to mankind irrespective or race or colour. In Islam, God is
referred to as Rabbul Alameen (Lord of Creation), and
Rabbun Nas (Lord of Mankind). The Qur’an
rejects the notion that the Jews as the Chosen People of God, having
sole rights over Him or are superior. Islam also rejects the notion
that unless you believe in Jesus Christ, you will not attain
salvation (be saved). I can add that the Qur’an also rejects the
notion that only Muslims will end up in heaven, while the rest end up
in hell. Muslims do end up in hell. One has to earn his or her
passage to heaven, or end up in hell, and them move on to heaven, due
to an atom’s weight of belief in God in Islam.
“Indeed,
those who believed and those who were Jews or Christians or Sabeans
[before Prophet Muhammad] - those [among them] who believed in Allah
and the Last Day and did righteousness - will have their reward with
their Lord, and no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they
grieve.” (Surah Baqarah
2:62).
“Indeed,
those who have believed [in Prophet Muúammad] and those [before Him]
who were Jews or Sabeans or Christians – those [among them] who
believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness – no fear
will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.”
Surah Ma’idah 5:69)
Narrated
Anas (r.a.): The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "Whoever
said "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and has in
his heart good (faith) equal to the weight of a barley grain will be
taken out of Hell. And whoever said: "None has the right to be
worshipped but Allah and has in his heart good (faith) equal to the
weight of a wheat grain will be taken out of Hell. And whoever said,
"None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and has in his
heart good (faith) equal to the weight of an atom will be taken out
of Hell." (Sahih Bukhari).
Theological
Debate
Every
religion has its fair share of theological debate over
interpretation of religious text. I can go along with that,
because everyone is entitled to his or her own point of view.
However, I do object, when it becomes rigid or extreme in its
direction, refusing to acknowledge other valid moderate
alternatives available. Often, these negative decisions are
reached based on a specific ideology upheld by that School of
Thought.
The
"error of viewing" religious text occurs when human
intellect over-complicates a simple spiritual reality because it feels
a psychological need to "contain" or "visualize"
the Divine in a specific form. All these theoretical arguments
defining God, to make Him more ‘approachable’ and ‘accessible’
are intellectual assumptions. The desire to visualise God in a
‘human’ context has existed for ages. There has been a
desire to make God, the “Infinite” “Finite” in Man, so that
He can be better understood. As a result of this, the tendency to
“intellectually interpret” religious text, either directly or
indirectly, becomes a common tool. Along these lines, the formulation
of Jesus ends up becoming the Son of God and at the same time also
God. Had Muslims viewed Muhammad in this context, he too would
also have become the ‘total’ manifestation and ‘image’ of
God.
The
Trinity
Paul
did not come up with the Trinity. All he said was Jesus is equal to
God. “Did Paul Know Jesus was the Second Person in the
Trinity?” According to J. W. Bowman, “The Church cannot
indefinitely continue to believe about Jesus what he did not know to
be true about himself,” [The Intention of
Jesus (London: SCM, 1945), p. 108.] This is not really a
historical claim but a theological one, and it reflects a common
assumption: The assumption that the theological/religious
validity of claims about Jesus rest upon what Jesus believed and
taught about himself. [Dr. Larry Hurtado,
Questioning a Common Assumption
(2014).
https://mymorningmeditations.com/2014/05/16/did-paul-know-jesus-was-the-second-person-in-the-trinity/] It
took the Church 300 more years of arguing to come up with the
"Trinity" as the official solution to Paul's claims.
According to Larry Hurtado it appears that only after the
resurrection that it was known to anyone else including Jesus
that he was indeed the Divine Son of God the Father.
What
Jesus Said and How You View It
Jesus
said (answered, “I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
(Bible: John 14:6). “I am the gate. If
anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go
out and find pasture.” (John
10:9). “In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. / He was with God in the
beginning. / Through Him all things were made, and without Him
nothing was made that has been made.”
(John 1:1-3). “The Word became
flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the
glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and
truth.” (John 1:14). Once
again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the
world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will
have the light of life.” (John
8:12)
By
presenting these “utterances” in comparison to Qur’anic ones, I
am proving that these utterances of Jesus have the same connotation
and meaning to those mentioned in the Qur’an, uttered by Muhammad.
They all indicate a “simple straightforward message” indicating
that Jesus and Muhammad, shared the same view when it comes to God
and His Message.
No
More Than a Human Being
Say
(O Muhammad), "I am only a man like
you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So, whoever
would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work
and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone."
(Surah Kahf 18:110).
The
Qur’an views all prophets as human beings. In
Christianity, the Holy Spirit
impregnated
the Virgin Mary, thereby conceiving her
first-born son Jesus miraculously. The Holy Spirit (Ruhul
Qudus in the Qur’an is the Angel
Gabriel). Isn’t the birth of Adam
equally miraculous? Why the emphasis on
Jesus only and not Adam? Answer: Theological emphasis to indicate
Jesus’s status in relation to God, not his birth.
Utterances
of Jesus and Muhammad
“I
am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me.” (Bible: John 14:6). I am the
‘way’ literally indicates the “path” revealed by God to
Jesus. “Siratal Mustaqim” is the same path revealed to Muhammad.
Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love
Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your
sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."
(Surah Imran 3:31).
Both
Jesus and Muhammad are the “way” to God. However, the principle
of succession takes place, making Muhammad the successor of Jesus.
Even when Jesus returns because he has not passed a normal death, he
will follow Qur’anic Laws. Fundamentally, The “way” has
always remained the same with all Prophets. They worshiped One God.
They were nothing but Prophets of God.
The
Dimensional State of Both Prophets
There
is a human tendency as a ‘believer’ to exaggerate the state of a
prophet. We find this taking place with Christianity and also
with Islamic Sects through their Imam. If the emphasis is on
miracles, we can say that both Jesus and Muhammad, were both known
for their miracles. The only difference is that in the case of
Jesus, these are magnified to indicate spiritual status, whereas with
Muhammad, they are hardly mentioned but recognised.
The
Metaphysical Dimensional State of Both Prophets
In
modern day Christianity, Jesus Christ has taken on a godly stance,
whereas in Islam, Muhammad remain no more than a “Servant and
Prophet” of God. In fact, theoretically, one can “visualise”
Muhammad in a similar fashion undertaken in Christianity. The only
reason Islam does not adopt this approach because it leads to shirk
(attributing a thing to God). This is where Christianity has erred in comparison to Islam.
In
the case of Muhammad (s.a.w.), one will note the “intimate”
relationship between God and Muhammad. Allah is “The Praised”
while Muhammad is “Praiseworthy” [al-Hamdulillah (Ha-Mim-Dal
= Hamd; If you put a ‘Mim’ in front of Ha-Mim-Dal
you will get Muhammad]. Ar-Rahman is an attribute of
Allah, while Muhammad is mentioned in the Qur’an as
Rahmatan-lil-Alamin,
Mercy to the Worlds.
In
my blog (http://marathonsoul.blogspot.com), I have presented an article on the “spiritual presence” of
Muhammad during salat (prayer).
In Hadith, God has bestowed upon the Prophet (s.a.w.) the capacity to
answer every greeting he receives. The list of his spiritual benefits
is endless. One
can say unofficially, that every Name and Attribute of Allah is
manifest in the personality of the Prophet (s.a.w.). Along these
lines, the Christian error can occur within Islam, if it was not kept
in check by the Shari’ah. The
Barelvi movement of the Ahli-Sunnah wal Jama'at,
a prominent Sunni revivalist movement, holds the perspective that the
Prophet Muhammad was not merely a human being (bashar),
but also a primordial light (Nur) created by God before
the rest of creation. While they acknowledge his physical
humanity, they believe his essence is Divine Light. According to
their beliefs, the Prophet (s.a.w.) possesses a spiritual presence
that allows him to observe the actions of the Ummah. His Hazir is
present in a spiritual sense, and his Nazir: Witnessing or seeing is
also present. The danger here is this: Can we say that if a Muslim
does not “utter Durood or Salawat Nabi, at the beginning and end,
would it make his dua (supplication) null and void? It is erroneous
to do so. We do so out of respect (adab), because whatever we know
about Islam comes from our Beloved Prophet (s.a.w.).
All
these “theological interpretations” for or against arise due to
“assumed entrenched beliefs” related to the Barelvis,
Deobandis, Wahabis’ and Salafiyahs. I am of the view
that taking any “belief” to an extreme is unnecessary when the
“adab” (etiquettes) of Islam provides a “balanced tolerance”.
Conclusion
Revealed
Religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) all share common
similarities but differ greatly on may other issues. Do not
confuse the Ahlul Kitab (Members of the Book) to represent modern day
Christianity. If we return to the original fundamental principles,
we will note the principle of belief in just One God, the
Abstention of pork meat, Circumcision – all Jewish practices
observed by Jesus, also exist in Islam today, not because Muslims are
Jews but simply because we are all descendants of Adam believing in
One God and One Path.
Next,
comes the stick issue of whether it was Ishmael of Issac. This
is an ongoing argument over the legitimacy of a marriage and a descendant, just to prove what? The fundamental principle still
remains the worship of the One and Only God, whom we refer to Yahweh,
God and Allah because we want to be different, when in fact the
Qur’an does views all prophets as Prophets and Messengers of God,
regardless of race.
Raising
of the status of Jesus to be the Son of God is a theological error.
The same could have happened to Muhammad, because his
“dimensional and metaphysical state” indicates this too. After
all, Muhammad is the manifestation of Allah’s Names and Attributes.
However, Islam continues to remain intact and safe by adhering to the
Shari’ah over the Oneness of God and that Muhammad “is only a
human being” (Qur’an).
One
simple question arises in my mind: Everyone
need to ponder and reflect upon their mode of worship. Did their
Prophet do what they are doing now? And if he did not, where will it
place you when you come before your prophet. What will be your
position in the presence of God. Will it be based on “theological
assumptions” or what your Prophet did and was?
[Mokhtar Stork 23 Feb, 2026] [The
Divinity of Man: Did We Make Jesus The Son of God? © 2026 by Mokhtar
Stork is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. To view a copy of this
license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/] [Marathonsoul. 21 May, 2026]
