The Gospel Of Barnabas: replies to commentators
Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim. As salaamu 'alaikum, this is a reply to the commentators statement that The Gospel Of Barnabas, contradicts both Bible and Qur'an. This is the final installment of the replies to the commentators.
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Is The Gospel of Barnabas consistent with the Bible and the Qur’an?
Following are only some of its contradictions of one or of both:
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1. Muhammad is referred to as the Messiah (GB 42). To be the Messiah, Muhammad would have to have been a Jew. Both the Bible (John 1:41) and the Qur’an (Al Imran 45; Maida 72) state that Jesus is the Messiah.
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The is no evidence to support the claim that Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] is The Messiah. AL-Qur'aan, in 3:45, 5:72 and 9:31 state that Prophet 'Isa [PBUH] is the "Messiah" or the "Anointed" of Allaah, The Compassionate, The Merciful.
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2. Mary gave birth to Jesus without pain (GB 3). The Qur’an (Maryam 23) states that Mary gave birth to Jesus with pain.
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019.023 And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree: She cried (in her anguish): "Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten and out of sight!" Al-Qur'an, 019.023 (Maryam [Mary])
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3. Only one wife is permitted (GB 115). The Qur’an says that a man may take 3 or 4 wives (Al Nisa 3).
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002.106 None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things? Al-Qur'an, 002.106 (Al-Baqara [The Cow])
016.101 When We substitute one revelation for another,- and Allah knows best what He reveals (in stages),- they say, "Thou art but a forger": but most of them understand not.
016.102 Say, the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation from thy Lord in Truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a Guide and Glad Tidings to Muslims.
016.103 We know indeed that they say, "It is a man that teaches him." The tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear.
016.104 Those who believe not in the Signs of Allah,- Allah will not guide them, and theirs will be a grievous Penalty.
016.105 It is those who believe not in the Signs of Allah, that forge falsehood: it is they who lie! Al-Qur'an, 016.101-105 (An-Nahl [The Bee]).
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4. The accounts of the Day of Judgement in the Qur’an and Gospel of Barnabas contradict each other (GB 53 vs. Surahs ‘Abasa 80:33-37 and Al-Haqqa 69:13-18).
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The Gospel Of Barnabas, appears to be leading up to the narrative given in the accounts in AL-Qur'aan 69:13-18 and in AL-Qur'aan 80:33-37. Some clarification of the Qur'aan's verses may be found here: http://www.understanding-islam.org/rela ... sp?catid=3
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5. There are nine heavens (GB 105,178), following Dante. The Bible states three heavens (2 Cor. 12:2). The Qur’an states seven (Surahs, Nuh, 71:15; Aal-Mulk 67:3; Al-Mu’minun 23:86; Ha-Mim Al-Sajda 41:12; Bani Israil 17:44; Al-Talaq 65:12; and Al-Baqara 2:29).
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AL-Qur'aan is correct. Allaah, has made seven heavens, All Praise and Glory Be To HIM.
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6. Ishmael was offered on the altar by Abraham (GB 44). The Bible names Isaac (Gen. 22; James 2:21). The Qur’an infers Isaac as well who is twice named in the surah (Saffat 100-113).
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Note, that after the rescinded 'trial of sacrifice' of Ishmael [37:100-111] verse 112 declares: 037.112 And We gave him the good news of Isaac - a prophet,- one of the Righteous. Al-Qur'an, 037.112 (As-Saaffat [Those who set the Ranks, Drawn Up in Ranks]). Text Copied from DivineIslam's Qur'an Viewer software v2.9
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7. Circumcision is necessary for eternal salvation (GB 23). The Bible teaches that circumcision is not necessary for eternal salvation (Acts 15: 1-16).
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"Jesus answered: 'Let it suffice you that God hath commanded it to Abraham. saying: "Abraham, circumcise thy foreskin and that of all thy house, for this is a covenant between me and thee for ever.'' It is clear from this discourse and chapter 22, also, that the flesh is an enemy unto THE ONE GOD. "What the flesh is at this present its desires make manifest -that it is a harsh enemy of all good: for it alone desireth sin. 'Ought then man for the sake of satisfying one of his enemies to leave off pleasing God, his creator?" " you cannot serve two masters that are at enmity with each other." If it is the world that you love, you will lose the life of the next world [hereafter]. (Genesis 17:9-14 re: covenant of circumcision). See Chapter 16 of The Gospel of Barnabas.
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8. A Biblical quotation from the Prophet Ezekiel (33: 11) is attributed to the Prophet Joel (GB 165), and a prophecy mistakenly attributed to Ezekiel (GB 67) is actually from the Prophet Jeremiah (31: 31). Also attributed to the Prophet Daniel is an historical account found much earlier in I Kings 22. It is strange that Jesus, knowing the Old Testament so well, does not correct ‘Barnabas’, if he were indeed the author of the record.
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Joel 2: 12-14 has a similar theme to that of Ezekiel 33:11. There's no way to tell what the translator / copyist ?, was thinking. In reference to Ezekiel (GB 67), I did find (in part, only) the prophecy of Jeremiah [PBUH], attributed to Ezekiel [PBUH]. Prophet Daniel [PBUH] is not found in 1 kings 22.
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9. God is said to be the ‘God of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac’ (GB 212). The Old Testament consistently reads the ‘God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’.
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GOD, is THE GOD, of All of HIS, Prophets, May The Peace And Blessings of The Almighty GOD, Be Upon Them All.
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10. Adam circumcised himself (GB 23). The Bible declares Abraham to be the first man circumcised (Gen. 17: 24).
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I did not find that which you have stated, in Genesis 17:24
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11. The Gospel of Barnabas totally ignores the existence of the Prophet John the Baptist (Yaha Ibn Zakariyya), so prominent in both the Bible and the Qur’an, yet the very words of John (John 1: 27) are put into the mouth of Jesus (GB 42,96), an obvious plagiarism.
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Readers of author James Morgan Pryse have learned that this is also true of the New Testament. Some words (verses) which were recorded as spoken by [3:39 Qur'an] Prophet John the Baptist [PBUH] are attributed to Prophet Jesus [PBUH].
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11. Jesus supposedly relates a dialogue between the Prophet Elijah and a blind man that nowhere exists in Biblical history (GB 116,117).
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It is well known that some Books are missing, of (previous) older Scripture. The dialogue could be lost.
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12. Stranger still is the statement in The Gospel of Barnabas that the Jewish high priest, and perhaps also Herod and Pilate, wished ...to bow himself down and worship Jesus...(GB 93). The high priest, it should be remembered was the chief enemy of Jesus and would not be about to worship Him for two reasons: I) He considered Jesus guilty of blasphemy (Mark 14:63,64). 2) Jesus constantly convicted the priests of hypocrisy.
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According to the story (incidents) in this gospel, all was done with the intention of keeping the peace.
< External Evidence >
The writers state that Barnabas was not a disciple of Prophet 'Isa [Jesus, PBUH]. I would have to ask them; who then recorded the sayings of Prophet Jesus [PBUH] which are claimed to be preserved in the New Testament, and or, The Gospel of Barnabas. Who then is the scribe of these Book's [ if not Barnabas?].
Salaam. EssentiallyIslam