The Original Sin


According to the explanation of this dogma, Adam


sinned when he disobeyed Allah by eating from the


forbidden tree (the tree of knowing good from evil as in


Genesis 2: 1i). As a result, and according to Christian


theology, all descendants of Adam inherit the sin of Adam,


which means that all human beings are born with this


original sin. And according to Christianity, for God's


to be satisfied, a price must be paid for every sin


that has been committed.


In other words, God will not let any sin go unrequited


and cannot even forgive a simple sin! Accordingly, the


only thing that can wipe out sins is the shedding of blood.


According to Paul, the shedding of blood


there is no remission." Hebrews 9:22)? But this blood


must be perfect, sinless, and incorruptible. Therefore,


Jesus, alleged to be the son of God, shed his sinless blood,


suffered indescribable agony and died to for the sins of men. Because he was the God, alone could pay the infinite price of sin. Therefore, no one


can be saved unless he accepts Jesus savior3


. Moreover, everyone is condemned to suffer


eternally in Hellfire because of his or her sinful


] It is therefore fitting to ask: How will he for if he did 2 This very same text is with other Biblical texts which


state that atonement could be through offering Leviticus 5: 11, money as in Exodus 30: "of jewels of gold,


chains, and bracelets, 31 50.


3 Isaiah 43: 11 reads, 001, 1, am the beside me This verse clearly states that God the only savior


I tt Great Love For Jesus Led Me To lslAm


parls: (1)


(2) justice requires


that.paid (3)


price men


for


thosew ho believei n vicariouss acrifice.'


nart, De Groot


CatholicT eaching,p . 1a0) Scripturet eachesu s


(our lady


"Therefore, as


to


just." (Romans 19)." These


sin.


the


'InheritedS in' suppofti n wordso f Jesuso r of


every


accountablefo r c hildrenw ould


punishedfo r oftheir parents.


humanb eingi s J esush imselfr egarded


childrena s innocenta nd n ot lt is clear


"Suffer children


Lrnto me. is the


whosoever


child,


(Mark l0:14-15).


t bclief thc crucifixiono f Jesusis thc rvayt o salvationf or


those rvho bclieve what


case lbr sinners r.r'ho died bcfbre and had the


chanceto knorvh im or believei n crucifixion?


~ My Islam


nature unless he or she accepts atonement for his or her


sins made by Jesus with his blood.


This dogma can be divided into three distinct parts: the original sin, the belief that God's that the penalty for sin must be for by blood, and the belief that Jesus has paid the for the sins of by his death on the cross and that salvation is only those who believe in his vicarious sacrifice. I


Regarding the first part, the Reverend (Catholic Teaching, p. 140) writes: "Scripture teaches us


that Adam's sin passed unto all men Blessed exempted). For in the words of St. Paul: by the offence of one (Adam) all men were taken condemnation; so also by the Justice of one (Christ)


many shall be made 5: 18-19)." words make it plain that all men inherited Adam's Like many other Christian beliefs, the doctrine of 'Inherited Sin' finds no support in the words of Jesus or the prophets who came before him. They taught that man was accountable for his own actions; children would


not be punished for the sin of their No human being is born sinful. Jesus himself regarded


children as innocent and pure, not born with sin. It from his reported saying: not the little to come unto me, and forbid them not: for such Kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little he shall not enter therein." Mark 10: 14-15).


1 If the belief in the crucifixion of Jesus is the only way to salvation for


those living in his time and those who believe in him afterwards, is the case for the sinners who died before Jesus and never chance to know him or believe in the crucifixion?


MyG reaLt oveF orJ esusL edM eT ol slamQ P


committedt housandso f yearsa go S in


transgressiono f hearted consecratedg roundsi n b ecause


wereb elievedt o haved iedi n 'originals in.'


Isldm condemns b ut somethingth at acquiresb y nart justice price If were


punishment, would justice, (Zfte


Atonementp, .5) connection":l t shouldb e as


cannot break His own


without first giving him an


appropriatep unishmentF. or did so, who rvould call


'Just' view shows complete


justice. is not a mere judge or


Qur'iin Him: Most


Most Merciful. Master of the Day of


He is not only 'Just' but also Merciful and


My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To Islam ~


Rationally considered, it would be the height of


injustice to condemn the entire human race for the sin


committed thousands of years ago by our first parents. Sin


is a willful transgression of the Law of God or the Law of


right and wrong, hence the responsibility or blame for it


must lie only on the person committing it, and not on his


children. It is a grave injustice to consider man sinful at


birth. How unreasonable and hard-hearted a man can


become by believing in the dogma of the inherited sin as


shown by the theological dictum of Saint Augustine that


all unbaptized infants are doomed to burn eternally in the


Fire of Hell?! Until recently, the unbaptized infants were


not buried in consecrated grounds in Christendom, because


they were believed to have died in 'original sin.'


Islam condemns the dogma of Original Sin and


regards children as pure and sinless at birth. Sin, it says, is


not inherited, but is something that one acquires by doing


what he or she should not do and by failing to do what he


or she should do.


The second part of the Christian doctrine of


atonement is that God's requires that a be


paid for the original and all other sins of man. God to pardon a sinner without it be a


denial of His justice. The Reverend W. Goldsack The


Atonement, p.5) writes in this connection: "It should be clear as daylight to anyone that God law: He cannot forgive a sinner appropriate punishment. For if He would Him 'Just' and Equitable." This ignorance of God's God judge king. He is as the Qur 'an describes "The Gracious, the Recompense." 'Just'


I mV Great Love For Jesus Led Me To lslAm


*...Allah (Qur'dn 92).If A fter justice. person someonee lse c annotb e consideredf orgivenessb y


prescribesa demandso bediencei,t b ut benefito f A nd punishesa faultsa nds ins,i t satisfactiono r compensationa, s b ut G od


sinsa ndr eformedt hemselvews ithoutp unishing


justice.


Allah "...Your himsetf - Qur'dn 54)


part dogrna atonementi s Jesusp aid penaltyf or salvationc annotb e obtainedw ithout F. (Catholic


Teachingp, . w rites:" SinceC hrist,G od Incarnateh, as


~ My Islam


Forgiving, " ...Allah will forgive you; and He is the most


merciful of the merciful." Qur'an 12:92). If God knows


that man is sincerely repentant, having a real urge to


conquer the evil within himself, then Almighty God can


forgive his failings and sins altogether. After all, the only


proper motive for punishment is to check evil and reform


the offender. To punish a person for his past sins, even


after he had repented and reformed himself is a sign of


vengeance, not Also, forgiving a after


punishing him or her, or after inflicting punishment on


someone else instead, cannot be considered forgiveness by


any stretch of imagination.


The God we worship is a God of mercy. If He


prescribes a law and demands obedience, it is not for His


own benefit, but for the benefit of humankind. And if He


punishes a man for his faults and sins, it is not for His own


satisfaction or compensation, as the Christian dogma


proclaims, but it is to curb evil and purify the sinner. God


forgives the faults and sins of those who have turned away


from their sins and reformed themselves without punishing


them or any other person on their behalf and this is not


contrary to God's Thus, A/liih says: " ...Your Lord has decreed upon


Himself mercy: that any of you who does wrong out of


ignorance and then repents after that and corrects


himself indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful."


(Qur'an 6:54)


The third of the Christian dogma of the


atonement is that Jesus paid the penalty for the original


and other sins of men by his death on the cross of Calvary,


and that salvation cannot be obtained without belief in the


saving power of his blood. J.F. De Groot Teaching, p. 162) writes: "Since Christ, God Incarnate, has


lslam @


satisfactionto demandf or jr,rsticeH, e mediatorb etweenG od andm an."T his dogmai s justice.'


fonner rvilling rnanyr efutationsw hich confinn atonemenat nd cruciflxionT. he ale fbr.vfi orn amongt hem:


dogrnao f crucifixiono 1'.ef susC hristt o atonef or


cornrpt fbundation any,thingb uilt corruptf bundationis itselfc orrupt.T he


nas pessecol r.rt o his conlratlicttsh ev crsesin thc


-['orah


ri'hich.a ccordingto .lesrrsc arrren ot 1o rlestrorb ut firlllll. Also, in


Deuterortottr3l -1l,( r u'c rcacl:" '[-hc firthcrs shall not ftrr cltiltlren, neither shall the


childrcn bc to death fbr the' fathers: every man


fbr his o*rt sin." Irr Ezekiel l8:20


llncl: "'l'hc sorrl sinncth, it shall die. The


not bear the irticlLrit-or'f the f'ather, neither


the father bear thc iniquit,v of the son." Jesus


himselfs aid.a ccordinsto Matlheu'1 6;27". then he shall


I point nruslb c askcd:\ \'asA dartt'sr clnofsca nd repcntancteo


God. his deyralting1 r'ontI 'aradisc.t hc flooding ancl the numerous


sacriliccsn raclct u (iocl not a pricc crtoLrghlb r his salration?l)W hat


thc rttorc horrcnclousth att '\dattt's'l ,\ttd horr could this


m) 'ster )o f sal rat iontc nt i t i ru. tn kt tonttto al l thc propl tclos nl l ' to bc latcr


discovcrccblv thc church?


My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To Islam \W


taken upon Himself our sins in order to atone for them by


giving satisfaction to God's demand for justice, He is the


mediator between God and man." This dogma is not only a


denial of the mercy of God but also of His justice. [


To demand the price of blood in order to forgive the


sins of men is to show a complete lack of mercy, and to


punish a man who is not guilty for the sins of others,


whether the fanner is willing or not, is the height of


injustice.


There are many refutations which confirm the falsity


of the belief in atonement and crucifixion. The following


are only a few from 21l10ng them:


First, the dogma of crucifixion of Jesus Christ to atone for


the original sin is based on a corrupt foundation and


anything built on a corrupt foundation is itself corrupt. The


idea that Adam's sin was passed on to offspring


contradicts the verses in the Torah which. according to the


Bible. Jesus came not to destroy but to fulfill. Deuteronomy 24: 16 we read: "The fathers be


put to death for the children, nei ther children be put to for the shall be put to death for own In 18:we also find: "The soul that sinneth, son shall hear iniquity of father, shall the iniquity himself said, according to Manhew 16:27, "then I At this it must he asked: Was Adam's remorse and repentance to


God, departing from Paradise. the tlooding and sacrilices made [0 God price enough ttlr salvation'?') What


about the sins more horrendous than Adam's') And hOlv mystery of salvation remain unkl101\11 to all the prophets only be later


diseOVCl'ed by the church')


I


"t


Great Love For Led Me To lslim


agreementw ith Qur'dn states" That [good] 38-


40)


5, T his provest he falsehoodo f Genesis2 :"...for becauseit 21-22


wicked' he live,


hath


mentioned him: in


was not inherited. thus. there was no reason


Jesush ad sinso f anyone. T his is in total


agreemenwt ith the Qur'iin,w hich states:'o ...And Adam


his Lord erred. Then his Lord chose him


him and guided [himl."


(20:121-122).


Third: It is not correcta ccordingt o the Bible to say that


Jesush ad come to willinely and deliberatelyf or the


' is case with ''u'icked". what would be rvhen the sinner


happened to be a righteous person like Adam? Surely, he would be


grantedf orgivenessa s he soughtr epentance.


~ My Jesus Islam


reward every man according to his works." This is in


agreement with the Qur'an as it states "That no bearer of


burdens will bear the burden of another. And that


there is not for man except that [good] for which he


strives. And that his effort is going to be seen." (53:3840)


Second, according to Genesis 5:5, our father, Adam, lived


with his wife after they had eaten from the forbidden tree


for 930 years. This proves the falsehood of Genesis 2: 17,


which states " ...in the day that thou eatest thereof


thou shalt surely die" because it did not occur. This also


indicates that Adam repented from his sin and sought


forgiveness and God pardoned him. Ezekiel 18:21-22


states: "But if the wickedl will turn from all his sins


that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and


do that which is lawful and right, shall surely he shall not die. All his transgressions that he committed, they shall not be unto his righteousness that he hath done he shall live." So,


as Adam and his wife "lived", they must have "turned


from all the sins they have committed." This means that


the sin inherited, and thus, that Jesus had to die for the sins of This agreement with Qur'an, which states: " ...And disobeyed and and turned to in forgiveness [him]."


121-122).


correct according to Jesus had die willingly deliberately for I If this the the "wicked", when granted forgiveness as sought repentance.


Myc reatL oveF orJ esusL edM eT ol slamQ 2


We read "soul (Mark l4:"Abba, not will. (Mark 36).H e askedh is disciplest o (Luke 36) protect


15:34 person


"cried w hich interpreteda s, 66My


desperatec ries - acceptf or sakeo f argumentt hat


- prove person was imporlantly passage


containsc leare videnceth at personc rucifiedc ould not


JesusC hrist, desperatec ries


prophet one who


50, was witnessedb y anyoneo f discipleso f Jesusa s "... they


fled."r witnessedth e in rvords,


therew ere crediblee ye-witnesseTs.h us,t he sourceso f


the


' rve disciplcso f Jesus\ \'e aret o conclude


oftrvo e ithert his anothcri nterpolationa nd rvasn ot


o1'thco riginalt ext. (if t he disciplesd id leavea s


not.lcsus Either *'a1'.


same.


My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To Islam ~


sins of men. in the Bible that he did not wish to


die on the cross. For when he learnt that his enemies were


plotting against his life, he declared that his "soul was


exceedingly sorrowful unto death." 14:34). After


that he prayed to God, saying, Father, all things


are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from me;


nevertheless what I will, but what Thou wilt."


14:36). He also asked his disciples to buy swords


22:36) and keep watch over him at night to him from his enemies.


Fourth: The Bible tells us in Mark 15 :34 that the crucified with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi,


lama sabachthani?" which is being interpreted as, "My


God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Such


desperate cries - if we accept for the sake of argument that


they did occur - that the crucified not


willing to die on the cross. More importantly the contains clear evidence that the person crucified could possibly have been Jesus Christ, as such desperate cries


and panic do not befit a of God, let alone is claimed to be God.


Fifth: According to Mark 14:50, the crucifixion not


witnessed by anyone of the disciples of Jesus as " ... all forsook him, and fled."] Also, none of the Gospel and


Epistle writers witnessed the crucifixion; other words,


there were no credible eye-witnesses. Thus, the sources of


the story are doubtful especially considering that 1 As we are to think good of the disciples of Jesus \ve are to one of two things: either this text is another interpolation and was not


part of the original text, or it was correct) the disciples did leave as


they realized that the crucified one was not Jesus himself. way,


the result is the same,


I tt creat Love For Jesus Led Me To lsldm


CanonicalG ospelst hemselveds iff'era rnongt hemselvesa s


to the exact fiom The idea sheddingo f blood is necessaryto


appeaseth e wrath carnei nto Christianityf rom primitive imageo f asa n porverfudl ernon.T herei s


no logicalc onnectionb etweens in W hat sins blood, rcrnorse.s incerer epentance.


persistentr esistancetc l inclirrationsa nd strugglet o carr1,o' ut the rvill o1'Cod as rer,ealedto us prophets. F urlhermorer, vhenJ esusr vas askeda bout


way to etemal reply rvas not belief hirn saviort hrought he sheddingo f his blood. I nsteadi,t


".... rvilt entcr life, commandrnents." (Mattherv | 9 : 1 7).


The Christians cherneo f salvationi s and unsound.b ut also contradictst he


Jesusr .vhoc amet o rescuel nen li'om sin by his


teachingsa nd exampleo f his godll' lifc rathert han by


deliberatelyd ying crossl br therrt.a nclo ffering his


for H is rnissiorut 'asa lsct'lo call sitrnersto


repenta s wast he cascr vitha ll tlrc prophctsb elbreh irn.H e


fbr thc atonemenot f human sin.


ernphasizeidn Mattherv4 : 17.a s \\e aret old Jesus": From Jesusb egant o preach, a nd to


R epent:f or kingdorno f heavcni s at hand." I t is


reallyi ncornprehensibthlea tt he Bibleg ocst o the extreme


anda buses.lesLbrys'r nakinglr inra cursc.I )aLrsla ys": Christ


hath redeemed fi'orn the curse of thc larv, being


fbr f<rr it is rvritten, is


everyoneth at hangctho n t ree, "( Galat ian3s: 13)


'fhe


dogmao f atonemerrlti.k c thc pt'cviousC hristian


originatccl lionr uttcicnl pagiur ~ My Great Islam


Canonical Gospels themselves differ among themselves as


details of the crucifixion from beginning to


end.


Sixth: that shedding of necessary to


appease the of God came into Christianity from the


image of God as an all-powerful demon. There is


logical connection between sin and blood. What wipes


away is not blood. but remorse. sincere repentance,


persistent resistance to evil inclinations and constant


struggle to carry out wi II of God revealed to by


the Furthermore, when Jesus was asked about


the eternal life, his was in him as


the savior through the shedding of Instead, it


was, ...... but if thou wilt enter into keep the


commandments." Matthew 19: 17).


Christian scheme of salvation is not only


morally rationally unsound, but contradicts the


words of Jesus who came to rescue men from teachings and the example of godly life rather than deliberately dying on the cross for them, and offering blood their sins. His mission was also to sinners to


repent as was the case with all the prophets before him. He


never said that he came for the atonement of This is emphasized in Matthew 4: 17, as we are told about


Jesus: "that time Jesus began to and say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is It really incomprehensible that the Bible goes to and abuses Jesus by making him a curse. Paul says: "us from the law, made a curse for us: for written, Cursed everyone that hangeth on a tree," (Galatians 3: 13)


The dogma of atonement. Iike the previous Christian


dogmas, originated fi'om ancient pagan religions.


MyG reaLt oveF orJ esusL edM ef o lslam@


their salvation Egyptian t-tot rationalt hinking,b ut motivatesp eoplet o thell, the


claimed:


justified by


(Romans 3:28). He


b), his deeds


2). only


attainableb y Christ'sc rucifixion.W hat would be


people in this


was made by Jesus


himseli "\\rhosoever shall break one of


teach men so,


least in the kingdom of heaven:


teach them, the same


kingdom of heaven."


Matthew 5;19).


Islant rejectst he dogrnao f atonemetrt.I t declarest hat


the fbrgivenesso f sinsc annotb e obtainedb y the suftering


and sacrificeo f any otherp erson,b ttt only by the graceo f


God and a person'so wn sincerer epentanclev ith persistent


effbrlst o avoide viland do goodd eeds.F utlhermorei,f tl .-'


sinsc ommittedi nvolvei njusticeto people'sr ights.t ho:'c


My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To Islam \U)


According to Arthur Findley (Rock of Truth, p. 45), 16


names were believed by their peoples to have come for


their salvation and atonement. Some of them were: the


Egyptian Osiris (1700 BC), the Babylonian Baal (1200


BC), the Hindu Krishna (1000 BC), the Tibetan Andra


(725 BC), the Chinese Buddha (560 BC), and the Persian


Mithra (400 BC).


The dogma of atonement is not only an insult to


rational thinking, but it also motivates people to abandon


good deeds and commit evils like murder, theft, rape and


adultery. Paul underestimated the importance of commandments preached by Jesus, and "Therefore we conclude that a man is faith without the deeds of the law." even stated that Abraham was not helped by (Romans 4:2). It was thus Paul who made salvation attainable by belief in Christ's crucifixion. What the state of mankind if were to believe concept?


The answer to Paul's claim himself, "Whosoever therefore these least commandments, and shall he shall be called the but whosoever shall do and shall be called great in the (Matthew 5: 19).


Islam rejects the dogma of atonement. It declares that


the forgiveness of sins cannot be obtained by suffering


and sacrifice of other person, but grace of


God and a person's own sincere repentance with efforts to avoid evil and do good deeds. FUlihermore, iftl.'


sins committed involve injustice to people's rights, tho:,c


I


"t


Great Love For Jesus Led Me To lsl6m


rights have to given one hast o seekt heir forgivenessw heneverp ossible.


The Qur'dn promises believe in the ,.Yes


[on the contrary], Isliim Allah while good with his Lord. them, nor will grieve." (2:112). the Qur'dn, "'Whoever his Lord let the worship ( 1 8: 1 I 2: 14 and and commandments, "What brethren, though a not works? faith faith. hath not works, ~ My Great Love Islam


be back to their rightful owners and


has to seek their forgiveness whenever possible.


Qur'dn salvation to all those who


oneness of God and do good deeds: "Yes


[on whoever submits himself in Islam to


being a doer of will have his reward


And no fear will there be concerning


they 112). Allah also says in


Qur'dn, "Whoever would hope for the meeting with


him do righteous work and not associate in


of his Lord anyone." 18: 11 0)


James and 17 complies with both Islam and the


it reads, doth it profit, my


man say he hath faith, and have


Can save him...? Even so faith, if it


is dead, being alone."


Myc reatL oveF orJ esusL edM eT ot stamQ 2


Isldmz The Monotheistic Alt An unbiaseda nalysiso f aforementionedC hristian


doctrines can lead to only one are


both irrational ofJesus. is


sufficient following Jesus' ascendancei nto followers consideredh im propheto f doctrines mentioned previously years later, of the Christian deviation from the other prophets before him.


Believing in the onenesso f worshippingn o


one elseb ut Him is the rule. A ssociatingo thersi n with God came at humankind. For humankind, A dam, humanb eingsw orshippedn o God (AllAQ. It was only prior to that idol worshipb egant o practicedI.t wast he resulto f


people'se xcessivee ndeavorsin reverings ome individuals among them who had passed then sent by God to guide his people and call them back to the worship of Allah that He sent one prophet after another to various preacht he sameb asicm essaget:h at there is god of worship butAllah.


The primary mission of all prophets was not peoplet o believei n the existenceo f God as the Supreme


Being and acknowledgingH im as the Creator, P rovider


and Sustainero f the worlds for event he polyheistsk nerv


by nature that God existed and never doubted that such


My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To Islam ~


Islam: The Monotheistic Religion of All the Prophets


An unbiased analysis of the aforementioned Christian


doctrines can lead to only one conclusion; that they are


both irrational and contrary to the teachings of Jesus. It is


sufficient to know that during the years immediately


following Jesus' ascendance into heaven, none of his


followers considered him other than a prophet of God. The


were conceived many


which is a clear indication that the foundation


Church was based on a considerable


original message of Jesus and all the


oneness of God and worshipping no


else but Associating others in worship


a later stage in the history of


ten centuries after the father of


Adam, human beings worshipped no one but


Allah). the era of Prophet Noah


worship began to be practiced. It was the result of


people's excessive endeavors in revering some righteous


away. Noah was


back to the right path


alone. After


nations to


preach the same basic message: that no worthy


but Allah.


to call


people to believe in existence of acknowledging Him Provider


Sustainer of even the polytheists knew


I tt Great Love For Jesus Led Me To lslAm


wast he case'.O nly a few of themp retendedto denyG od's


existence. those who worshipped God by


doing devoted prayers to Him in


difficult they did so


through intercessorsT. he prophets called


them to turn without


mediators and


hardship.A nd becausem onotheismi s foremosta nd


most impofiant fbundation which makes


deedsv alid acceptablew, e all the prophets


began "Worship


Allah; IIim." (Qur'dn


7:65). Qtr'dn (1636): We


certainly messenger' [sayingl'


'Worship Atllh Taghiit (false deities)."'And


25 states:" And sent not before you


any revealed to him that


there Me." Therefore,


that Isldm submissiont o Allah) hasa lways been


prophetsa nd messengeros f God,


frorn I slam was indeedt he religion


of Noalr.A braham,M osesa nd JesusA. ccordingt o Islam,


I Atheism onll'started to spreado n a large scale in Clhristians ocieties


during the eighteenth and nineteenth centurics. Among the reasons for


that were the injustices cornmittcd by the Church manifested in the


cnslavcmenth, umiliationa nd abuseo f peoplei n the name of "God'"


Christianity also conflicted r.vith rcason ancl hunlan nceds. The Church


fought scientillca dvancemenat nd pcrsecutcds cicntistsr.e sultingi n a


dichotomyb etrveenm an and laith. Conscquentllp',e opleb ccamem ore


concernecwl ith the materialr vorld and gave in to their naturalt endcncy


to pursuc rvorldly te mptations. With the absencc of rcason and


compatibility.f nith disintegratcda nd religion's role in lif'e becamc


nonexlstcnL


\If My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To Islam


was the case1


• Only a few ofthem pretended to deny God's


existence. There were those who worshipped God by


doing good deeds; they also devoted prayers to Him in


difficult times. However, during times of ease, they did so


through mediators and intercessors. The called


them to tum to God and supplicate to Him alone mediators or intercessors in times of both ease hardship. And because monotheism is the foremost and


most important obligation and the foundation deeds valid and acceptable, we find that began by calling their peoples and saying: "Worship


Allah; you have no deity other than Him." 7:65). Allah also states in the Qur'dn 16:36): "And certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying],


'Worship Allah and avoid Taghut deities).'" in Verse 21:25 it states: "And We any messenger except that We there is no deity except Me, so worship it is clear that Islam (submission to has always the religion of all the prophets and messengers of from Adam to Muhammad. Islam indeed the of Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, According to 1 Atheism only started to spread on Christian societies


during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. the reasons for


that were the injustices committed by the Church manifested in the


enslavement, humiliation and abuse of people in the name of "God."


Christianity also conflicted with reason and human needs. The Church


fought scientific advancement and persecuted scientists, resulting in a


dichotomy between man and faith. Consequently, people became more


concerned with the material world and gave in to their natural tendency


to pursue worldly temptations. With the absence of reason and


compatibility, f~lith disintegrated and religion's role in life became


nonexistent.


, Myc reatL oveF orJ esusL edM eT ol slam9


all prophets are brothers and no distinction between them. As for those people guidanceo f the propheto f time and worshippedG od


as He should be worshipped, they are Muslims, a nd Paradisew ill Islam restored to its status message that God revealed to all His prophets. continuationo f that messagew, hich is essenceo, ne.


Althouglr Allclh had originally addressedit tribe, people or nation prophet, passageo f tirne it was rnisinterpreteda nd superstitionsf,a lse beliefs rituals inventedb y This caused a degenerationo f the superstitionasn dm eaninglesrsit uals.


Islam, as revealedto ProphetM uhamrnadi,s a revival


ofthe concepto fmonotheismt aughtb y Jesusa nd tlre precedingp rophetso f Islclmi s rnessageto of humanity until the end and particular


group, a sw ast he casew ith previousp rophets.


Islam rejectsa ll blasphemoutsh eologicalb eliefs reinstatesth e true concepto l'God; that is Creator, t he Providera nd Controllero f every.thingin universea nd to whom alonep erfbctioni s T his


necessitates that He alone is to be worshipped.


Furlhermore,H e must be worshippedi n u,ay that ordained and not through invented ritr.ralsa nd acts worship. I'{e is the only whon prayers addressedA.n d just as confirmingt he onenesso f God the greatesta nd rnosti rrrportanvt irtue,a ssociatingo thers


rvith l'lirl is the gravest all. is only sirr


unfbrgivableb y God unlesso ne repentst o Him before


dcatl-rH. e hass aidi n the Qur'dn:" Indeed, Alllh doesn ot


forgivc association rvith Him, He what My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To Islam ~


should be made


who followed the


guidance of prophet of their worshipped God


all considered


and Paradise will be theirs.


restored original the same eternal


Islam is a


continuation of message, which in essence, one.


Although Allah addressed it to a specific


through their with the


passage of time misinterpreted and mixed with


superstitions, false and invented by man.


degeneration of true religion into


superstitions and meaningless rituals.


revealed to Prophet Muhammad, is of the concept of monotheism taught by Jesus and by all of


the preceding prophets of Allah. hlam is a message to all


of time not to a as was the case with previous prophets.


rejects all blasphemous theological beliefs and


reinstates the concept of God; He alone the


the Provider and Controller of everything in the


universe and alone perfection is attributed. This


Furthermore, He worshipped in the way He


rituals and of


He one to whom should be


addressed. And just confirming the oneness of is


greatest and most impOliant virtue, associating others


with Him sin of It the sin


unforgivable by unless one repents to death. He has said in Qur'cin: "Indeed, Allah does not


forgive with but forgives is


I *t To lslim


less than whom a sin Hellfire. Qur'dn


"Indeed, Alleh -


Atllh Qur'dn


"But Allnh,


then 88)


t he all depend, Merciful, the


Dr.


Vaglierir, to Islam,


The concept


practices of religion and social


monstrosities


minds were made


realized its dignity and


Lord and Master of


"The spirit was liberated


from free from the ties which


or other so-called hidden


guardians of mysteries, brokers of


salvation and all pretended to be mediators


| "Apologia dell' Islamismo" translated into English as "lnterpretation


of Islam" by Dr. Caselli,p p. 33 34.


W My Great Love For Jesus Led Me Islam


less than that for whom He wills." (4:48). Moreover, it is


a sin that deprives one of Paradise and consequently


relegates the person who commits it to eternity in the


Hellfire. This was stated by Jesus as quoted in the Qur'an


(5:72): "Indeed, he who associates others with Allah Allah


has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the


Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any


helpers." Directing any act of worship to other than God


is the one sin that nullifies all good deeds. The Qur'an


confirms: "But if they had associated others with Allah,


then worthless for them would be whatever they were


doing." (6:88)


God is indeed the one to whom all needs are sought


without intercessors, the one upon whom creatures


depend, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe,


the Oft-Forgiving, the Most-Merciful, the Almighty, Omniscient.


Citing the words of the famous Italian orientalist, Laura Veccia Vaglieri \ she writes: "Thanks paganism in its various forms was defeated. of the universe, the customs were each liberated from all the which had degraded them, and human free of prejudices. Mankind finally humbled itself before the Creator, the all mankind." She continues, from prejudice, man's will was set had kept him bound to other men called powers. Priests, false salvation and all those who I "Apologia dell' Islamismo" translated into English "Interpretation


ofIslam" by Dr. Caselli, pp. 33 34.


MyG reaLt oveF orJ esusL edM eT ol stam @


betweenG od and man and consequentlyb elievedt hat they


had authority over the will of other people fell from their


pedestals. Man became the servant of alone and


towards other men he had only the obligations of one free


man towards another free men had


suffered from the injustice of social ,Islarz


proclaimed equality among Muslim


was distinguished of


birth or any other his


personality, but by his greater his morals and intellectual her


book, "It was, of


arrns nor through the pressure that caused the great and but


above all, through the fact presentedb y the


Muslims to the vanquishedw, ith accepti t or


reject it, was the Book the


greatesmt iracleM ohammadc ould showt o thosei n and to thosew ho remaineds tubborn."S hec ontinues,., The


strengtho f this messagew as its crystalc lear marvelouse asinessf,o r Islam reachedo ut people without having recourset o explanationso r


involved sermons."


And as one of the foremost historians, Toynbee, o bsenres": Indeed, I invite the adoptt he


Islamic principle of brotherhood doctrineo f God's onenessb roughtb y Islam wonderful examples of how to unify continuationo f Islamg ivesh opet o the whole r


I Civilization onT rial.N ervY ork,O xtbrdU niversitpyr ess1, 948


My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To Islam \ij)


between God and man and consequently believed that they


had authority over the will of other people fell from their


pedestals. Man became the servant of Allah alone and


towards other men he had only the obligations of one free


man towards another free man. While previously men had


suffered from the injustice of social differences, Islam


proclaimed equality among human beings. Each Muslim


was distinguished from other Muslims not by reason of


birth or any factor not connected with his


fear of God, his good deeds,


qualities." She also states in her


therefore, neither by means of violence of


arms of obtrusive missionaries


rapid diffusion of Islam, but


that this Book presented by the


vanquished, with the liberty to accept it or


of God, the Word of Truth, the


greatest miracle Mohammad could show to those in doubt


those who remained stubborn." She continues, "The


strength ofthis message was crystal clear simplicity and


marvelous easiness, for reached out to the soul of the


recourse to long explanations or


Arnold J.


observes: "world to adopt the


and equality. The


doctrine of oneness brought by is of the most


the world. The


continuation of Islam gives hope to world."l


I Civilization on Trial, New York, Oxford University Press, 1948


\Z tty Jesus Led Me To lslAm


VIII. My Isltim: Influence Of


Jesus On Conversion Islfim


in the


to


Islam to which


Christianity real


teachings decisive path that the


church "talisman" was always


with srnall package I


always and a


supposedir nagea nd statueo f JesusI. felt if I everp ut


it aside r.ne. For this


reasonI neverm isplacedit ; wasa lwaysi n rny pocket.


reviewingt he literaturet hat had


rne I readt wo statementsth at


joy happiness.


'fears started


"My God, this is the


t his answert hatI couldn everf indl"


adrnit the leader that up to that


tirne rcad rl'te Qur


'cirr' I had not


seeno r toucheda in any langtragea,r rdt he nalle


Qur'dn parl lny vocabulary. l n a categorical,


precisc lrlatlner. I read in the study


euide lnosque: T'hey said 6oast], 'We Jesus, the son of Mary, the


Messenger All[h.' killed him not, nor did


they crucify (Qtrr'tin 4: 157)


Here, I pausedin reading. I repeateds everatl imes,


"...lhey killed him tlot, dicl the.1ctr Ltcifi'h im'" At rhe


precisem omentI rvasr eadingt hoses tatetrentsI' I'eltt hat


bod was answeringth e questiontl tatm adeI nc ltaved oubts


about His power due to the lack o1' a logical and


convincinagn swer .


It was not easy to flnd this anslver. I had to cotnpete


with rnany other studentst o eartta scholarshipI. had to


~ My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To Islam


VIII. My Final Step Toward Islam: The Influence Of


Jesus On My Conversion To Islam


Even a portion of the information contained the


previous chapters is sufficient for a seeker of truth to


perceive the authenticity of lshim and the extent Christianity has deviated from and contradicted the teachings of Prophet Jesus. Yet I still could not take any


decisive step to distance myself from the church had outlined for me. My with me wherever I went. Inside this small always carried were seven small silver crosses supposed image and statue of Jesus. I that ever put


it aside something bad would happen to me. reason I never misplaced it; it was always in my One day, when I was reviewing the literature that been given to me in the mosque, read two statements that


filled my heart with great and Tears to flow from my eyes and I said: truth; this is the answer that I could never find!"


At this point, I must admit to reader time I had never touched or read the QUI' ·cin. seen or touched a copy of it language, and the name


QUI' 'an was not part of my In emphatic, clear and precise manner, guide I had received in the mosque: "They [in


boast], 'We killed Christ Messenger of Allah.' But they they crucify him..." Qur 'an Here, I paused in the repeated several times,


" ... they killed him not, nor did {hey crucify him. " the


precise moment I was reading those statements, I felt that


God was answering the question that made me have doubts


about His power due to the lack of convincing answer.


It was not easy to find this answer. I had to compete


with many other students to earn a scholarship. I had to


My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To tstim


@


travel thousands of miles to the state of Washinston in the


westernmost part of the USA. I had to Iearn to*speak and


read English, and being from Latin America, I had to have


a charactert hat was acceptableto the rest of the Muslims


in Seattle in order to find statements. probabilities that this information of a Venezuelan in 1978 been decreedby AllAh must while I was still rejoicing great God and asked Him for this newst o Venezuelaa nd give rest of the world.


It was happeningju st hero, the good guy in Jesus of Nazareth, to whom I pray smalla ltari n my house, h adn ot beenc rucified!


To me it seemed as allegedlyc arriedb y JesLrtso Calvaryv anisheda nd


disintegratedin the sarner nannert hat greatb uildingsa nd


firm mountainsc rumbler vhend emolishedb y What followedt his discoveryw as lesss ignificant.reasoneda, nd said:" lf this trr.rtht,h ent his religioni s


the right one." For twenty years, had been killed. I had been journey alternate routes. Now, with a more logical answer, a nd nou, thingsr .vereg etting


clearer and the last piece "Dnzzle" This wast he lasti n thes equencoef miraclesth atJ esush ad


perfonned by the power Atlah. of God, hadr eturneds ightt o r vhoh adw alkedo n


lvater, healed a leper, nlade lame rnultiplied


breada nd fish to feed thousandso f peoplea nd given life back to the dead.u ndoubtedlyc ould been crucified! Once again wantedt o belongt o thisr eligion;rvantedto bea Muslirn!


My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To Islam ~


travel thousands of miles to the state of Washington in the


westernmost part of the USA. I had to learn to speak and


read English, and being from Latin America, I had to have


a character that was acceptable to the rest of the Muslims


Seattle these two statements. The


would reach the hands


1978 were remote. However, what has


decreed by Allah be fulfilled. In those moments


over this news, I spoke to


forgiveness. I wanted to fly with


news to Venezuela and it to my family and to the


happening just like in the movies. My great


the movie, my beloved prophet,


used to twice a day in a


small altar in had not been crucified!


though the weight of the cross


allegedly carried by Jesus to Mount Calvary vanished and


disintegrated in same manner that great buildings and


mountains crumble when demolished by dynamite.


followed this discovery was no less significant. I


reasoned, and said: "If is the truth, then this religion is


I had been told that Jesus


taken on a without any


another avenue had been opened


and now things were getting


of the puzzle" was available.


was the last in the sequence of miracles that Jesus had


performed of Allah. A man who, by the will


had returned sight to the blind, who had walked on


water, made the walk, multiplied


bread and thousands of people and who had


dead, undoubtedly could not have


I reasoned and resolved; I


wanted to belong to this religion; I wanted to be a Muslim!


9 ftfy lsl6m


disintegrated, Holy Churches the 'Holy


Days' logical was theseb aselesstr aditionsb uilt


upon even


though could no


course


Oklahoma illuminated the


called


1979 I


same imam who had


lslamic embracedI slam officially


(the Shahadah)'


tne: you


I "Yes." Then he


it will be written in your


I said: "Even so." Then


you want, then repeat


testifu right to be worshipped


except AllAh, that Muhammad rs the


of Allah. " testirnony in English and


then it afler the imam, thereby


taking to Islam.


~ My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To Islam


In the same manner that the weight of the cross


disintegrated, the resurrection of Jesus on Sunday, the


Holy Week (Easter), Good Friday, the visit to the Seven


Churches (Stations of the Cross), the fasting on Fridays,


the eating of fish instead of meat on those alleged 'Holy


Days' also disintegrated all at once and I realized that they


were all lies. The power of the talisman vanished. The


logical mind of a young man studying to be an engineer


was now free to reject all of these baseless traditions built


upon the irrational concept of God becoming a man and


dying for the sins of men. As a young man who had been a


professional fireman saving lives and property and who


had not acquired the vices of smoking and drinking though these were among the norms of society, I longer accept these impositions.


During the summer of 1979 I took an optional at Oklahoma State University that further new path I had started to walk. The course was "Islamic Culture." At the end of the summer of went back to Seattle, and before the given me the Islamic literature, I embraced Islam by pronouncing the testimony of faith Shahiidah).


I can still remember the imam asking me: "Are sure you want to embrace Islam?" said, insisted: "Even if it means that passport that you are a Muslim?" he said, "If you are sure that is what after me: I testify that none has the except Allah, and I testify is Messenger ojAllah. " I made the testimony then in Arabic by repeating after taking my final step


My Great Love For Jesus Led Me To lslam @


Isldm Undoubtedlyc, hangesin volvec ertaina djustmentas nd


my casew as no exceptionO. nce I had embracedIs lam, I


prornised that I rvould do whatever I could to learn


as as possiblea boutt his religion. W hile I was still


young having just completed my first year at


State University, I married a young Muslim


girl. In O klahornat,h e IslarnicC entera ssigned


me first Islamic teacher. Brother Faiz from Palestine


(may him and reward him for rvhat he taught


me) dedicateda lot of his tirnet o teacht nc the prayer, t he


pillars Islam, pillars of f-aith,a bout life after


t he Day of Resurrectiona nd many other topics. I


remember the great in"rpact caused by the


life During my life as a


n o one ever taughtr re any'things irnilara nd in


suchd etail.D eathr vasa lu'aysa m,v"stetroy tne.


not know what rvould happen to me once my


buried the grottnd.l n Islc1rnI, found


detaileda nswersW. hen a persond ies.h e or shem ust be


the itrstrlrctiotrs of Prophet


T he the personi s rvasltedc ornpletely


T hen is rvrappedit t ttvo pieceso f r.vhite


andt he body is buriedi n tlte grotttrdr vithotrta coffin


andf acingM akkah.T he dcadp ersonu 'ill heart he stepso f


rvalk arval frorrr thc grare attd rvill be


awaret hath e sltei s beingl cft alone. Shortlyt hereafter,


trvo angelsc ome into gravea nd ask tlte cleceasetdh e


follorving three questiorts:


( l) is your Lord'?


(2) is voul religion?


3) is your prophet?


Islam \ij/