CHRISTIAN - MUSLIM HEATED DEBATE (Part 1) Dear friends, I present to you the long-awaited compilation of the arguments and debates with my new friends - the newly converted Christians, who were previously Muslim scholars at the time of the debate. Bear in mind that this compilation is to enable you to understand the kind of questions asked by Muslims and how to clarify and also refute attacks against the Christian faith. I selected the basic conversations from the chats with the two friends on Facebook and Google Meet Videos, and thus, present them in a systematic and improved way here. This is just part 1, part 2 is the heart of our debate, which led to their conversion. Do share with others as you come across this piece... Happy reading! MUSLIM SCHOLARS: Fr. Chinaka, peace be upon you. I have been following your posts for the last three weeks, especially the rebuttal you wrote against Reno Omokri’s claims. Your Greek exegesis caught my attention, but I have my reservations. I believe you may have misinterpreted some key passages regarding Jesus (peace be upon him) and His role in Christianity. First of all, can I meet you? I also have a colleague of mine who shall also contact you here on messenger and also get to debate you on video. FR. CHINAKA: Hmmm, peace be with you sir, and nice to meet you here. I'm open to further discussion regarding the Christian faith, and particularly, the divinity of Jesus. I'm Fr. Chinaka (Fr. CJay), a missionary Priest serving in São Paulo Archdiocese, Brazil. Could we discuss this tomorrow? I'm in school for the whole day today. So, who am I chatting with? MUSLIM SCHOLAR: I'm Dr. Ibrahim, currently in Houston, Texas. I've got my Ijazah - Certificate of Authority to Teach and interpret Islamic sciences, such as Quranic exegesis (tafsir), Hadith, and Islamic law (fiqh). I also have my Ph.D. (Doctorate in Islamic Studies). So, you can call me doctor. I see on your page that you're a Bible scholar and an Exegete, and you mentioned that you were in school the other day. Are you a student or lecturer? So, what's your academic qualification? FR. CHINAKA: (Thinking aloud 💭 ...Hmmm, this guy wants to begin by intimidating me with his fat qualifications and degrees sha, but there's no need to go that route with him. I'll tell him it's not necessary jare). Dr. Ibrahim, could we just forget about the academic qualifications here? I'm simply a Roman Catholic Priest. You can address me as Fr. CJay or Chinaka. So, what are your reservations concerning Christianity, the Bible and the divinity of Jesus Christ? MUSLIM SCHOLAR: Good morning, Fr. CJay. I'll respect your wish. So, Fr. CJay, as you know, we Muslims regard Jesus as a prophet and the Messiah, but we cannot accept the claim that He is divine. I would like to engage you in a respectful dialogue because, as far as I know, there is no place in the Bible where Jesus explicitly says, “I am God, worship me." But before we discuss further, I'd like to point out various contradictions in Christianity, for the Bible is full of contradictions and inconsistencies. It has been changed many times, and there are multiple versions. How can Christians claim that it is the Word of God when it has been altered over the centuries? The Quran, on the other hand, is perfect and without contradiction. It is clear, fully explained, and unchanged since it was revealed. Allah said in Surah 2:85 that the Quran is fully detailed. Can we discuss this on Google Meet or Zoom? We can record if you don't mind. FR. CHINAKA: [Fast forward to Google Meet session] Before I address the issue of contradictions and versions, let's clarify the nature of the Bible. The Bible is not a single book; it is a collection of writings spanning thousands of years, written by different authors in different contexts, all inspired by God. Its purpose is not to provide a manual on every scientific or historical detail but to guide humanity in faith and morals. Yes, there are different translations based on manuscript traditions, but the message remains coherent across versions. Now, you mentioned contradictions in the Bible. Most of what you Muslims point out as contradictions are either misunderstandings of the text, or you fail to recognize the literary genres used. For instance, the apparent differences in the Gospels are not contradictions but different perspectives on the same events. Let me ask you: if four different people describe the same event in their words, would their accounts be identical? Of course not, but they can still present the truth of what happened. Let’s now talk about the Quran. You claim the Quran has no contradictions. However, in my study of Islam, I discovered that Surah 2:62 says: "Indeed, those who believed, and those who were Jews or Christians or Sabeans - those who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness - will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve." But in Surah 3:85, it says: "And whoever desires other than Islam as a religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers." Now, do Jews and Christians have hope for salvation as Surah 2:62 suggests, or will they be condemned as Surah 3:85 states? This is a direct contradiction, despite the Quran’s claim in Surah 4:82 that 'had it been from any other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.' MUSLIM SCHOLAR: You're misinterpreting the verses. The Quran is clear and fully explained in everything. Surah 16:89 says, 'We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things.' These two verses are not contradictory; they refer to different times. Surah 2:62 refers to those before the coming of Islam, and Surah 3:85 refers to those after Islam has been revealed. FR. CHINAKA: That looks like a convenient explanation, but it doesn’t hold up. If Surah 16:89 claims that the Quran clarifies everything, why does the Quran have verses that even Islamic scholars admit are 'allegorical' and impossible to fully understand? In Surah 3:7, it says: 'It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific.' So, are all things fully explained or not? If you say the unclear verses are allegorical, how can you claim that the Quran is completely clear and fully detailed? Also, your explanation of Surah 2:62 and Surah 3:85 doesn’t solve the problem. There is no clear indication in the Quran that these verses refer to different periods You’re reading into the text to justify the contradiction. You see, this is why Christians interpret Scripture through the Church and guided tradition, ensuring that the message remains coherent over time. Meanwhile, Islamic scholars have differing interpretations of these same 'fully explained' verses. As for the claim that the Quran has never been changed, historical evidence proves otherwise. The Quran we have today was finalized under Uthman, the third caliph, who ordered the destruction of other Quranic versions to preserve uniformity (Sahih al-Bukhari 4987). And if you must know, the Quran underwent revisions over centuries, with different dialects and readings. In fact, the Cairo edition of the Quran, which is widely used today, was printed in the 1920s based on the 'Hafs' reading, one of many variants. So, stop accusing the Bible of having many versions and aiming the Quran is so perfect without contradictions. You and I know that is not true, and those who truly know the history of the Quran like I do, know where your loopholes stand. MUSLIM SCHOLAR: Well, I'll research what you've said and get back to you. Let me pass this on to my brother Hassan to clarify you better. [Hassan speaks up] Fr. Chinaka, Allah promised to preserve the Quran, which is why we believe it is perfect. In Surah 15:9, it says, 'Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian.' The Uthmanic codification was part of Allah's plan to ensure that the Quran remained unchanged. While there were different readings, the core message has always been the same. (Network glitch... Google Meet call ended abruptly... The next is on Facebook Messenger) FR. CHINAKA: Hi Doctor, how're you doing today? Returning to our last conversation which left us with many unclear stands... Now, if Allah promised to guard the Quran from change, why were there different readings to begin with? Why did Uthman need to destroy other copies? If the Quran was truly preserved from the start, such differences should not have existed at all. Moreover, your claim about the Quran’s clarity and lack of contradictions is problematic because the Quran itself claims in Surah 39:23 that it is consistent and free of error. Yet we’ve already seen that contradictions exist. In addition to Surah 2:62 and Surah 3:85, consider the issue of whether there is compulsion in religion. Surah 2:256 says, 'There shall be no compulsion in religion,' but Surah 9:29 commands Muslims to fight those who do not believe in Allah. How can these two verses be reconciled? This is not to mention other inconsistencies, such as the different creation accounts in Surah 41:9-12, where the timeline for the creation of the earth and heavens doesn’t tally with other parts of the Quran. MUSLIM SCHOLAR: My brother, Fr. Chinaka! Peace be upon you. These verses can be explained by scholars. I'll reach out to my colleagues and return to you. Besides, there is no real contradiction if you understand the context of each passage in the Quran. FR. CHINAKA: Hmmm, I see! [smiling] Context is important, but if the Quran claims to be fully detailed, then these contradictions should not exist, nor should they require outside explanations. Meanwhile, the Bible, despite being written over centuries by different human authors, remains consistent in its message of salvation through Jesus Christ. Any seeming contradictions in the Bible can be explained through understanding the different literary forms, contexts, and purposes of the writings. The Bible, unlike the Quran, doesn’t claim to be a fully explained book of everything but a sacred text to guide believers in faith. So, while you assert the Bible has been corrupted, it is in fact the Quran that shows inconsistencies both in its content and its historical transmission and in fact, corrupted. The Bible, on the other hand, has stood the test of time, and its message remains unchanged - salvation is found in Christ alone. MUSLIM SCHOLAR: Well, can we leave this argument and focus more on Jesus Christ's claim of divinity? In this area, I'm convinced you have no escape route. See, as a Muslim, I revere Jesus as a prophet, but I cannot accept that He claimed divinity. I believe the Bible does not contain any direct statement from Jesus where He says, “I am God, worship me.” Let's look into this and I can't wait to see your false claims and refute you. Salam, brother! FR. CHINAKA: I'm quite tired now, and I've got classes tomorrow. I hope to engage you by the weekend. How about that? MUSLIM SCHOLAR: Sure, Fr. Chinaka. Talk to you later. Salam! Click on the link below for part 2 https://www.facebook.com/share/p/px7GJth172My5ftY/?mibextid=oFDknk Do share with others too and let us know how this argument has touched you. Shalom! ©️ Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ #SoulOfAMissionary All reactions: