OMYA,
I understand your question and why you ask it. I believe in Islam that you have a word "tilawat" which refers to the reciting of the Quran. That you believe as it is recited, the very words of God as dictated to the prophet are being recited. That every word is inerrant and beyond critical investigation. It is to be accepted by faith.
To hear Christians say the Bible is the very same thing to them, and yet, the words seem to come through men and not via direct dictation from God, must appear illogical.
Alpha said it clearly in his last post and what he said was and is true.. the only difference in the way we have our respective scriptures is the way we view God. God used falliable man in Christianity, but he also used falliable man in Islam. It was not a case of God presenting the completed Quran to Mohammed. According to the Muslim version, Mohammed wrote down the text as it was given to him. Does this also not show a bias was possible? Just as much as in the lives of those who God used to write the Bible?
And what of the Old Testament? It was written in exactly the same way as the New Testament. God spoke to people and they wrote down what he said, and what happened in their lives. Muslims accept the Law and the Prophets, and without accusations of bias, but when it comes to the injils, which are given equal credit in the Quran as a holy book, muslims declare that they are biased and of less worth than the Law and Prophets.
What then is the difference ... if both Christian and Muslim claim their books have their basis in God speaking to man and man writing down what God has told them.. what is the one thing which separates the two revelations?
The answer is in my signiture text.. If Mohammed was the Messenger of God, Jesus Christ is the Word of God. For Muslims the eternal Word of God appear in the form of the Quran. For Christians, the eternal Word of God came to earth in the form of the God-man, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Now.. in case you think it's only a Bible given name.. look in Surah 4:171 where it says
"The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah AND HIS WORD which He cast into Mary and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers."
Now.. when you come to the Gospels and your original question about how can we Christians affirm them as the Word of God when they have come through men.. let's compare what the New Testament says of Jesus compared to what the Quran says of Him
Both the New Testament Gospel accounts of the life of Christ and the Quran say of Jesus (and the Quran accounts are affirmed by Mohammed
"the virgin birth. He (Jesus) was called the Spirit of God, the work of God. There is belief that Jesus raised people from the dead and He was a miracle worker. The Quran calls Jesus pure and sinless
Mohammed believed in the virgin birth of Jesus .. look at Surah 3:45-47
"The angels spoke to Mary, saying "Oh Mary, Allah giveth good tidings of a word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, illustrious in the world, and the Hereafter and one of those brought near unto Allah. He will speak unto mankind in his cradle and in his manhood, and he is of the righteous. She said, "My Lord, How can I have a child when no mortal hath touched me?" He said, "So it will be. Allah createth what He will. If He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it si.
Then compare that to Surah 19:16-36. here it is recorded that God sent His spirit, which I know you think of as Gabriel, to announce to Mary that she would become the mother of Jesus. Mary protests that this is impossible as she has known no man. Gabriel then assurs her that nothing is impossible with God.
Now compare that story with Matthew chapter 1, and Luke chapter 1 and ask yourself, which narrative was given first?
Throughout his life, many miracles are given as having been done by Jesus and therefore authenticating his ministry. Parallel that with the teachings of the Gospel writers who wrote their version of events hundreds of years before the Quran.. and for what reason? "That you may know that Jesus is the Son of God, and that in believing you might have life in His Name"
Now look in detail at his death according to the Quran and compare it with the narratives in the Gospels.
Surah 3:55, 5:17 and 19:33 all mention the death of Jesus, but in Surah 4:157 the picture is obscured a little.
It's interesting that the crucifixion and the death of Christ is agreed to and is parallelled in the Gospel versions.. and that it is one verse which now lead Mohammad to choose that interpretation over the others
But whether or not he died at the crucifixion or later according to the Quran, it then says he is now in heaven, and has access to the throne of God. He is expected to return to this world shortly before the day of judgment.
(I'm sorry.. I don't know the Surah this comes from)
"Verily, he (ISA) is only a servant whom we favoured and made an example to the children of Isreal." And we pleased, we could have given you anglels as offspring. And verily, he (Isa) is the knowledge of that hour."
Because of this verse, tradition (the Hadith) has built a whole eschatological (second coming) structure, that Isa (Jesus) will descend on a mountain path in the Holy Land, porbably near Afiq. In his hand will be a spear with which he will kill the antichrist. He will then enter into the mosque, where he will fall into line and pray behind the imam, according to the rites of Islam.
Isa will reign for 40 days and then die and be buried in Medina. Upon completion of Isa's mission, the sound of the trumpet will be heard and the great day of judgement will be ushered in.
Isa WILL oneday return to the earth.
Now.. though we differ on some aspects of the way things happen, EVERYTHING that the Quran states in those surahs above are in the Gospels and the Letters to the Churches (the epistles).
Let's just look at some verses, talking about where He is seated and His second coming. there are many others
Hebrews 12:2
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of God."
I Thessalonians 4:16
"For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God.."
Acts 1:11
"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking at the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
and do compare Daniel chapter 12 with Matthew chapter 24
You see Omya.. even if we were comparing the two without any religious faith as the basis of our comparison, we can only conclude, that both the Quran and the Bible agree on the Life, work, death, and second coming of Christ (and therefore His resurrection).
If we then say that the Gospel narratives are only from man and the Quran narratives from God.. why do they agree with each other? Could it be that Mohommed was also biased by his knowledge of the New Testament oral and written stores, which after all were assembled long before the Quran was given?
Maybe food for though? I'll be around all weekend, so lots of time to give adequate justice to my posts. These past few have been rushed, so I hope they are saying what I am trying to make them say
Carol