What's New On "Answering Islam" ?

The following pages have been added newly or substantially revised during the year 2010 at the following dates:

December 19, 2010
On this fourth Advent Sunday, and Christmas celebrations approaching, the first articles explore the meaning of Jesus’ birth and his true identity. Rejoice and Welcome the King! by Roland Clarke. Celebration Time! (off site). The Case against the Jesus of the Quran by Oskar. Anthony Rogers continues his series, The Malak Yahweh: Jesus, the Divine Messenger of the Old Testament (Part IIIa, Part IIIb) and Sam Shamoun presents The Lord Jesus Christ – The God of the heavenly assembly! (Part 1, Part 2, Appendix A]. In the Qur'an, Jesus’ birth immediately leads to his first miracle, his "speech from the cradle". That passage ends with Surah 19:37, a verse that raises a lot of questions, causing troubled translators to produce differing translations: Which sects are differing about what? Masud Masihiyyen closely examines this verse in his paper, Unravelling a Knot of the Qur'an: De-confusing Surah 19:37. Sam Shamoun contributes a new installment in his series of answers to common questions: Did Christ’s Sacrifice Appease the Father or the entire Godhead? (Part A, Part B, Part C), and he discusses another inconsistency in the Qur'an: Does Allah permit lust or not? Then we have a number of rebuttals to Muslim claims. Keith Thompson examines the question, Does Muhammad Pass the 1 John 4 Prophethood Test? Anthony Rogers refutes a claim by Ibn Anwar in Mishmash. Masud Masihiyyen deals with another alleged scientific miracle in the Qur'an, Surah 30:41 – Allah and Ecology. Silas examines some claims that were published on CNN: Islam, Politics, and Jocelyne Cesari. Finally, Incarnational Missions? by Rev. Bassam Madany comments on an inner-Christian debate on approaches in missions.

November 21, 2010
Today, we have a broad mixture of topics. Simply Share the Gospel by Roland Clarke. Khomeini’s evaluation of Islam by Dr. Dallas Roark takes a look at the topic of joy in Islam compared with the Bible. Five Reasons Why Jesus is Not Merely a Prophet by Keith Thompson. The Christianization of the OT Shema and Revisiting the Quran's errors concerning Christian theology by Sam Shamoun. “From Religion to No Religion” – A Syrian Muslim’s Retreat into Unbelief by Bassam Madany. The fifth chapter in Dr. Campbell's book on the Gospel of Barnabas: The Documents and their History, and Masud Masihiyyen's third installment in his examination of the same book: The Mystery of Pseudo-Barnabas’ List of the Apostles. Regarding political aspects: Islamic or Islamist? by Silas looks at a recent publication in Newsweek and a link to the article De Facto Shariah Law in America was added to our Index entry on Sharia. Jamal Badawi's Misinformation and Misquotations (Part 5, Part 6) are examined and exposed by Sam Shamoun, and a link to a new website refuting many claims by Zakir Naik (1, 2) was added to our Naik rebuttal page. Cornelius argues Why the Quran cannot be considered completely preserved and inspired. Finally, we look at a "test of prophethood" reported in the Islamic traditions: Islamic Genetics: How a Jew’s testing of Muhammad proves that he was not a true prophet.

October 31, 2010
Jesus the Prophet: His short-term & long-term Prophecies. Knowing What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? is all the more relevant when one realizes The Impossibility of Reforming Islam and even elements of inherent idolatry in Islam as explained in the series Supplicating Allah and …? [Part 1, Part 2, Part 3] by Sam Shamoun who also shows that Jesus actually meets the quranic criterion for deity in Meeting the challenge of the Quran concerning the Deity of Christ. An investigation into the question Are the Arabs Descendants of Ishmael? by Cornelius, and evidence that Muhammad Cursed and Abused His Followers by Sam Shamoun. Finally, we continue our examination of the “Gospel of Barnabas” with two articles: The Anatomy of Pseudo-Barnabas’ Mistakes: Part 2 by Masud Masihiyyen, and the fourth chapter of Dr. William Campbell's book on Scientific Faults in the Gospel of Barnabas.

October 10, 2010
Several articles today deal with foundational issues. An important biblical theme that hardly features in the Qur'an: Proclaim Freedom by Roland Clarke. The love of God: Outrageous Love by Dr. Dallas Roark. Understanding Some Muslim Misunderstandings by Dr. Ernest Hahn. The Danger of Following Modern Muslim Apologists by Cornelius. Having laid the ground work in the first three parts, Anthony Rogers now concludes his series on Allah's Use of Plural Pronouns: A Survey and Critique with Part IV and Part V. The Qur'an Versions article Marriage to Minors examines how different Qur'an translators deal with Surah 65:4, a verse that has morally questionable implications. From Defender of the Faith to Defector from the Faith by Jacob Thomas. Already on 13 September 2010, we launched a new Indonesian language section of Answering Islam.

September 11, 2010
As stated two days ago, instead of burning copies of the Qur'an we need to carefully study the Qur'an and expose its true nature. Therefore, we continue with our established approach to publish carefully researched articles presenting a reasoned critique of Islam – its book, its prophet and its laws, the treatment of women, of unbelievers, the use of violence etc. Do not attack Muslims on an emotional level, but present them with serious questions and observations and invite them to evaluate their faith rationally – particularly on this anniversary of the worst terror attack ever perpetrated by Muslim terrorists.

Since today nearly became a "Burn a Koran Day" (and we pray that it remains cancelled), it may be helpful to point out that the first people in history to burn the Qur'an were Muslims! Thus, we want to recommend to our readers a video on this issue, published by another website: The Original Burn the Qur'an Day. Moreover, Sam Shamoun presents evidence from early Islamic sources about The Irreparable Loss of much of the Quran. Masud Masihiyyen carefully analyzes the passage on Cain and Abel in the Qur'an together with its literary sources in the Talmud and other Jewish traditions. Along the same line of thought, Francis Shakespeare looks at the impact of borrowed stories in relation to the Islamic view of inspiration in Examining the Infallibility of the Qur'an. Anthony Rogers continues his series on Allah's Use of Plural Pronouns: A Survey and Critique with Part II and Part III. Certainly worth asking is the question: Would Jesus Approve of Muhammad? – Part 2: Holiness by Keith Thompson. Wife Beating? Is there a better way? and What are prophets? by Dr. Dallas Roark. “From Faith to Unbelief” – The Journey of a Saudi Intellectual by Rev. Bassam Madany. Muslims at the service of Allah and Muhammad his associate by Sam Shamoun. The third chapter of Dr. William Campbell's examination of the “Gospel of Barnabas” is now available: Evidence in the Gospel of Barnabas which proves an Origin between 1300 and 1634 AD. Masud Masihiyyen exposes another series of errors in the Gospel of Barnabas: The Anatomy of Pseudo-Barnabas’ Mistakes: Part 1.

September 9, 2010
Because this matter has been pushed to the media front lines, and has the potential of horrible consequences, here are two reflections on the issue of the "Burn a Koran Day" to which we are utterly opposed: Cancel the foolish "Burn a Qur'an" Day! by Jochen Katz and Burn a Koran Day – The Ultimate Lesson to be Drawn by Oskar.

August 6, 2010
Several articles of today's update deal with different aspects of honor and relationships. Forgiveness and Honour in the Bible and the Qur'an by Luke Plant. Marrying Islam by Angela Arafat examines problems and pitfalls often occuring in love relationships between Western women and Muslim men, and in Communicating Christ Across Cultural Barriers she shares advice on how to build good relationships with Muslim neighbors, co-workers, etc. True Freedom of Religion Is a Two-Way Traffic and The Muslims in the West by Jacob Thomas. What is the Bible? – A short explanation for Muslims by Samuel Green. Allah's Use of Plural Pronouns: A Survey and Critique – Part I by Anthony Rogers is the first installment of a five part series investigating a feature of the Qur'an which is perplexing to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The same author also continues an earlier series with The Malak Yahweh: Jesus, the Divine Messenger of the Old Testament [Part II]. Sam Shamoun discusses how Islamic theology confirms that both Jesus and his followers claimed that he is God, looks at inconsistencies between Islamic theology and the Qur'an in Tauhid versus I’jaz al-Quran and Pharaoh – Another Lord and King Besides Allah, and a contradiction created by the interpretation of some Muslims: The incorruptibility of Allah’s words and the charge of Biblical corruption. Dr. Dallas Roark's gives his Rebuttal to Syed Tirmizi: Is Christianity Rational?

July 10, 2010
Today's articles cluster around three topics: women, salvation, and problematic statements in the Qur'an, and many even belong into two of these categories at the same time. Angela Arafat reflects on The Position of Women in Islam, and Pinar shares her testimony of a changed life. Wasn’t the God of the Bible strong enough to save Jesus from being killed? by Roland Clarke. A Summary of the Qur'anic Teaching on Salvation by Callum Beck. None Can Feel Safe From Allah’s Schemes by Sam Shamoun, and he examines the implications of the Muslim practice of Praying for Muhammad’s Peace and Security. Luke Plant's short article, Sura 3:33 and Mary, the daughter of Imran, provides an additional aspect to the discussion of one of the Qur'an’s major historical blunders, i.e. confusing two biblical figures with the same name, the mother of Jesus and the sister of Aaron. Masud Masihiyyen examines the same question in great detail, proposing a coherent explanation for the source of this confusion in his two-part series, Imran's Fatherhood: Part I, Part II. A new entry in the list of Qur'an Contradictions: Does Allah Forgive All Sins or Doesn’t He? Three more articles in the category of problematic statements in the Qur'an deal with a common theme: Mistake or Blasphemy: Are Muslims the slaves of Muhammad? by Jochen Katz and How many lords do Muslims really have? by Sam Shamoun both look at two verses that have implications for the alleged perfection of the Qur'an (inimitable eloquence and quality of expression) and are in contradiction to the Islamic teaching of tawhid. Anthony Rogers' article, “To the Believers Is He Most Kind and Merciful”: A Case Study in Shirk discusses yet another verse in the Qur'an that promotes the elevation, if not implicit deification of Muhammad. Rev. M.J. Fisher's book A Topical Study of the Qur'an is now available in two off-line formats [EPUB (iBooks for the iPad), MOBI (Kindle format)], which are linked at the bottom of the table of contents page.

June 14, 2010
The war on Muslims, Jihad and the Prophets examines the part of Jihad in which Muslims are called to fight against Muslims. The Cordoba Mosque in New York discusses the plan by some Muslims to build a large mosque close to Ground Zero. Reluctant Messengers asks the question why we are so slow to share the Gospel with Muslims. Anthony Rogers starts a new christological series: The Malak Yahweh: Jesus, the Divine Messenger of the Old Testament, and Sam Shamoun continues his series on The Binitarian Nature of the Shema with Appendix A. Then we have plenty of rebuttals to various Muslim arguments: (1) Andrew Vargo examines a hypothesis by Sher Mohammad Syed: Was Haman the high-priest of Amun? (2) Bassam Zawadi cannot complain that we are ignoring his arguments: (A) Muhammad the Borrower Still! – The Influence of the Christian Apocrypha on the composition and formation of the Quran (Part 1, Part 2), (B) Reexamining Muhammad's Treachery Against The Banu Qurayza, (C) Revisiting Muhammad's Idolatry, (D) Will all Muslims Go to Hell according to the Quran?, and one of his articles receives even two rebuttals: (E) Revisiting the Uncertainty of Muhammad's Salvation by Sam Shamoun, and (F) Whistling in the Dark by Jochen Katz. [The latter two articles are provided to help Bassam Zawadi prepare for his debate on this very topic.] Masud Masihiyyen looks at an atheist attack on the Gospel of Matthew: Age of Reason or Age of Ignorance: A Rebuttal to Thomas Paine. Last but not least, yesterday we launched another language section: Telugu.

May 20, 2010
It is more than two years that we last offered an updated CD-ROM version of Answering Islam. In the meantime, our content has outgrown the capacity of a CD-ROM. Starting today, readers can download our complete site in one file via BitTorrent.

May 14, 2010
Today is "Zawadi Day" as Sam Shamoun provides plenty of rebuttals to recently published articles by Bassam Zawadi: (1) Were there Messengers sent to the Arabs before Muhammad?, (2) Reexamining Allah's Forgetfulness of the Muslim Wives, (3) A Rebuttal to Zawadi's Reply to TurretinFan's Article "Mohamed Did Not Believe that the Old Testament was Corrupt", (4) The Inconsistency of Bassam Zawadi (Part 1, Part 2), (5) Muhammad the Antagonist Still!, and (6) an Appendix to Muhammad on the Divine Throne. Masud Masihiyyen discusses further instances of Muhammad’s plagiarism and confusion in Surah 18: From Alexander to the Messiah. This detailed examination of the text and its sources leads to several new insights. Then we have another contribution to one of the most fundamental topics of discussion between Christians and Muslims: The Qur'an’s View of the Bible: A Study Guide by Callum Beck. The Trinity and Christian Missions to Muslims by Rev. Bassam Madany.

April 30, 2010
Sam Shamoun continues his series on The Binitarian Nature of the Shema with Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7. Moreover, he provides two rebuttals to Bassam Zawadi: (1) Does Islam really teach that Muhammad is the only Universal Messenger?, and (2) Revisiting the Issue of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah’s Comments Regarding the Text of the Torah One More Time.

April 23, 2010
The central Christian message to Muslims: Knowing God Personally by John Gilchrist. Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God? by Roland Clarke. A Case for the Deity of Christ in Light of Muslim Objections by Keith Thompson. Are there problems with John 3:16? by Dr. Dallas Roark answers to certain claims by Sami Zaatari. The Arabic Bible – Islam’s Friend or Foe? and The Binitarian Nature of the Shema (Part 4) by Sam Shamoun. Authorship of Barnabas: Was the Writer a Jew of the Time of Christ? is the second chapter of Dr. William Campbell's book on the Gospel of Barnabas. Samuel Green greatly expanded his article on The Different Arabic Versions of the Qur'an.

March 31, 2010
The Trinity in the Old Testament: A Brief Summary of the Evidence by Anthony Rogers. Two further books by John Gilchrist are finally available online: Muhammad: The Prophet of Islam and The Qur'an: The Scripture of Islam. Sam Shamoun presents rebuttals to (1) Sami Zaatari: Reexamining Some of the Reasons Why Muhammad cannot be a true Prophet of God [Part 1, [Part 2] and (2) Bassam Zawadi: Reexamining Islam’s Divine Insurance Scam [Part 1, Part 2]. Keith Thompson refutes an argument found on many Muslim websites: The Muslim Misuse of Hebrews 5:7. Earlier this month, on the first day of Spring, the Hindi language section of Answering Islam was launched.

March 8, 2010
Christianity as the Pathway to Refinement for a Muslim by Timothy Abraham. Why Islam Is Different from All Other Faiths by Rev. Bassam M. Madany. With Part IV the final installment of Arthur Jeffery's series The Qur'an as Scripture is now available, and we begin with the online publication of Dr. Campbell's book on the Gospel of Barnabas: Prologue and Chapter 1: Contradictions to the Qur'an in the Gospel of Barnabas. Masud Masihiyyen responds to Harun Yahya in regard to some of his claims about Scientific Predictions in the Qur'an. Then, we have some rebuttals to (1) Sami Zaatari: (a) What about Slavery in the Bible? by Dallas Roark, (b) The Messiah is God Indeed! (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) by Sam Shamoun, and (2) Unveiling Ibn Anwar (Part 1, Part 2). Finally, several papers on Christology and the Trinity: (1) Early Christian Writings on Genesis 19:24, (2) The Early Post-NT Witness to the Trinity and Deity of Christ, (3) The Binitarian Nature of the Shema (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3).

February 13, 2010
Sam Shamoun presents a number of christological articles: (1) How Jesus’ Claims to Messiahship prove he is God, (2) Refuting the Deity of Christ? – Understanding How the Use of Exclusive Language Functions in the Holy Bible (Part 1, Part 2), (3) Jesus as the First Creature and the Irrationality of Arianism, (4) Is Jesus Christ the Archangel Michael? and (5) another installment in the series of common questions: Does the fact that the Bible distinguish Jesus from God disprove his Deity? Furthermore, he provides a couple of rebuttals to (A) Bassam Zawadi: (1) Reexamining the Qur'an’s Distortion and Misrepresention of Historic Christian Beliefs, (2) The Arrogance and Ignorance of Bassam Zawadi, and (B) Ibn Anwar: Mark’s Prologue Examined In light of the assertions of an Incompetent Dawagandist. Arthur Jeffery's The Qur'an as Scripture, Part III was added to the Classical Library. With the last three articles we move from "academic" discussions to life (and death) issues: A Bloody Greeting for Coptic Christians As They Celebrate Christmas by Jacob Thomas. How I became a Christian is Khadija's testimony of conversion. Learning from the “New” Maghrebi Christians by Rev. Bassam Madany.

January 20, 2010
What is so bad about child brides? by Dallas Roark looks at the medical and social consequences when girls marry and thus become pregnant too early, which is a common problem in the Islamic world based on the model of Muhammad's marriage to young Aisha. A new Index entry on Child Brides provides links to further articles discussing this topic. The Incompatibility of Islam with Western Civilization by Jacob Thomas. Anthony Rogers added the subsection "Joshua and Jesus" to his article Do Not Be Afraid of Him – Part II examining the fulfillment of God's promise to send "a prophet like Moses". The Anatomy of Qur'an’s Mistakes by Masud Masihiyyen presents a detailed analysis of some major blunders and proposes explanations of how they might have arisen. The Quran on Moses as the Most High by Sam Shamoun discusses a discrepancy between Islamic theology and a quranic statement. Two articles show how the Trinity is necessary in order to have a satisfactory understanding of the nature of God, and to have a love relationship with God: (1) The Triune God – The Greatest Conceivable Being that Exists by Sam Shamoun. (2) When My Beloved Became Triune by Timothy Abraham is a meditation on the trinitarian nature of God supported with thoughts from Ibn Arabi. Finally, Sam Shamoun provides rebuttals to various Muslim authors: (1) Shabir Ally admits that the Quran confirms the Gospels, (2) Bassam Zawadi: (a) Examining the Muslim criticism of C. S. Lewis’ Trilemma, (b) The Word Became a Book – The Inlibration of Allah’s Word, (c) Islam’s Divine Insurance Scam, and (3) Sami Zaatari: (a) Examining John 17:3 Once Again!, (b) Allah is not the only true God and the only true God is not Allah.

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