Comparative religion

One message, many witnesses

GOD sent a messenger to every community (16:36), and every messenger brought the same message. Here the earlier scriptures are set beside the Final Testament, verse by verse, along ten threads that run through them all. Only clear matches and reasonable readings are shown; weaker claims are left out.

1GOD is One, in every scriptureEvery scripture that the project has so far examined contains, in its own words and its own language, the declaration that GOD is one, without a second, without parent or equal, and that He is called by many names but is one.33 witnesses 2No image, no partnerThe scriptures do not merely say GOD is one; they forbid making Him a likeness and condemn bowing to what is made.15 witnesses 3The messengers were menThe Quran honours Jesus as the Messiah, "a messenger of GOD, and His word that He had sent to Mary, and a revelation from Him" (4:171), born of a virgin, working miracles "by GOD's leave" (3:49), "prominent in this life26 witnesses 4The chain of prophecyThe scriptures announce one another. Moses told Israel that GOD would raise up "a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee" and put His words in his mouth (Deuteronomy 18:18); John the Baptist was asked three separate questions — Christ?16 witnesses 5One storyThe same histories run through the Torah, the Gospel, the Quran and, for the flood, the Mesopotamian and Vedic memories too: one Adam and one humanity, who disobeyed and was forgiven; Noah and a flood that drowned the ar9 witnesses 6One lawThe practice that the Quran decrees is the practice the earlier scriptures already record: prayer with prostration on the face, at fixed times, facing a fixed direction, after washing hands and feet, with shoes removed o22 witnesses 7One humanity"O people, we created you from the same male and female, and rendered you distinct peoples and tribes, that you may recognize one another.9 witnesses 8One destinyEvery scripture that carries the one message carries the same end: death once, a barrier until the resurrection, judgement by one's own works, Paradise with rivers of milk and honey, Hell for those who broke GOD's law.10 witnesses 9The scriptures testify about themselvesThe earlier scriptures, as they now stand, record their own transmission.21 witnesses 10Signs in creation and the argument for GOD's existenceFor the listener with no scripture, the thread begins where the Quran begins with the Meccans: with GOD's own questions.15 witnesses

The message is one and universal

These ten verses are the warrant for the entire thread. Everything in strands 1–10 is an instance of what these verses state.

[16:36] We have sent a messenger to every community, saying, "You shall worship GOD, and avoid idolatry." Subsequently, some were guided by GOD, while others were committed to straying. Roam the earth and note the consequences for the rejectors.

[35:24] We have sent you* with the truth, a bearer of good news, as well as a warner. Every community must receive a warner.

[42:13] He decreed for you the same religion decreed for Noah, and what we inspired to you, and what we decreed for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: "You shall uphold this one religion, and do not divide it." The idol worshipers will greatly resent what you invite them to do. GOD redeems to Himself whomever He wills; He guides to Himself only those who totally submit.

[3:64] Say, "O followers of the scripture, let us come to a logical agreement between us and you: that we shall not worship except GOD; that we never set up any idols besides Him, nor set up any human beings as lords beside GOD." If they turn away, say, "Bear witness that we are submitters."

[2:136] Say, "We believe in GOD, and in what was sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs; and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and all the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them. To Him alone we are submitters."

[29:46] Do not argue with the people of the scripture (Jews, Christians, and Muslims) except in the nicest possible manner - unless they transgress - and say, "We believe in what was revealed to us and in what was revealed to you, and our god and your god is one and the same; to Him we are submitters."

[30:30] Therefore, you shall devote yourself to the religion of strict monotheism. Such is the natural instinct placed into the people by GOD. Such creation of GOD will never change. This is the perfect religion, but most people do not know.

[7:172] Recall that your Lord summoned all the descendants of Adam, and had them bear witness for themselves: "Am I not your Lord?" They all said, "Yes. We bear witness." Thus, you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection, "We were not aware of this."

[5:48] Then we revealed to you this scripture, truthfully, confirming previous scriptures, and superseding them. You shall rule among them in accordance with GOD's revelations, and do not follow their wishes if they differ from the truth that came to you. For each of you, we have decreed laws and different rites. Had GOD willed, He could have made you one congregation. But He thus puts you to the test through the revelations He has given each of you. You shall compete in righteousness. To GOD is your final destiny - all of you - then He will inform you of everything you had disputed.

[40:78] We have sent messengers before you - some of them we mentioned to you, and some we did not mention to you. No messenger can produce any miracle without GOD's authorization.* Once GOD's judgment is issued, the truth dominates, and the falsifiers are exposed and humiliated.

Three supporting verses that the strands lean on constantly: [4:164] Messengers we have told you about, and messengers we never told you about. And GOD spoke to Moses directly. [10:47] To each community, a messenger. After their messenger comes, they are judged equitably, without the least injustice. [2:213] The people used to be one community when GOD sent the prophets as bearers of good news, as well as warners. He sent down with them the scripture, bearing the truth, to judge among the people in their disputes… (AEV fn 2:213: "All worshipers of God ALONE, from all religions, are truly united.")

Note on 35:24: the asterisk in the AEV leads to a footnote that reads the verse's "you" through the 19-code and the name of the Messenger of the Covenant. The verse's second sentence, "Every community must receive a warner," is the sentence the thread rests on; the footnote is reported in section 12, not asserted here.

The method in three steps

Step 1 — Common ground. Begin where the listener already stands. Show, from the listener's own scripture, in the listener's own translation, that GOD is One, that He has no image and no partner, that His messengers were men, that the same law and the same destiny were taught to them. This is 3:64 and 29:46 made practical: "our god and your god is one and the same." Common ground is established before any difference is mentioned (R33, R35). Strands 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 are this step.

Step 2 — The chain of prophecy. Show that the scriptures do not stand side by side as rivals but in a line: each confirms what came before and announces what comes after. Moses announced a prophet like himself; Jesus confirmed the Torah and announced one to come after him; the Quran confirms both (5:46, 5:48, 61:6). The listener is invited to test the chain by their own book's criteria. Strand 4 is this step, graded honestly, because a single over-claimed prophecy costs more credibility than ten sound ones earn (R16; 17:36: "You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself.").

Step 3 — The Final Testament and its proof. Only now, point to the Quran as the criterion that supersedes and sifts the earlier books (5:48), and to the proof it carries in itself: "Over it is nineteen" (74:30), the proof the Quran says was assigned "to convince the Christians and Jews (that this is a divine scripture)" and "to remove all traces of doubt" (74:31). Strands 9 and 10 are this step, together with the Quran's own arguments for GOD's existence for the listener who has no scripture at all.

The manner at every step is fixed by the Quran: "You shall invite to the path of your Lord with wisdom and kind enlightenment, and debate with them in the best possible manner" (16:125); "You shall resort to the nicest possible response. Thus, the one who used to be your enemy, may become your best friend" (41:34); "Do not curse the idols they set up beside GOD, lest they blaspheme and curse GOD, out of ignorance" (6:108); "There shall be no compulsion in religion" (2:256); "You shall remind, for your mission is to deliver this reminder. You have no power over them" (88:21–22).

Read the article series

The same threads, written as fourteen essays for readers of every faith and none.

1Our god and your god is one and the same 2One only, without a second 3Hear, O Israel 4Ik Onkar 5No likeness of Him 6Let Jesus speak 7A prophet like unto thee 8One story 9They fell on their faces 10The same table 11From the same male and female 12Once to die, then the judgement 13The Bible's own testimony, and the Quran's answer 14Were they created from nothing?

Explore the earlier scriptures themselves on the Scriptures shelf, or ask John Murray or Afreen on the Ask page.