Need these questions answered for a class on Islam

[JesseHuck]

I do not expect an academic answer nor do want links to any academics. I want to know what some of you guys personally believe about these questions. Thank you for your time.

1. What are the historical origins of Islam? How do these foundations differ from the traditional Muslim view?

2. How does the Qur’an compare with the Bible? Which book is best supported by archaeological and historical evidence?

3. Is the Yahweh of the Bible the same God as the Allah of the Qur’an? Can the Father of Jesus be the God of Muhammad?

4. Is Jesus Christ God himself or is he only a prophet of God? Was Jesus crucified on the cross for our sins or was he taken into heaven and a substitute crucified in his place?

5. Is sin part of our very nature or is it something that can be added and wiped away? If there is no original sin, then why do we need a savior?

6. Is the nature of sin such that it separates us from a holy God or does sin represent our forgetfulness in regard to God’s commandments and therefore requires only a recommitment on our part?

7. Are we able to do enough good works to bring about our own salvation or are we lost on our own merit and totally dependent on God’s favor?

8. Is the Holy Spirit God himself or just God’s spirit represented through an angel like Gabriel? Does the work of the Holy Spirit bring transformation of man’s spirit or is the work of God’s spirit focused on humbling man into submission to God?

9. Is the mission of Islam to restore man to God or is it to subdue the world for God?

10. When Christ returns will he rapture the saints and usher in the Millennium or will he join with the Imam Mahdi and break the cross and destroy all Christians?

Thanks again. God Bless

 

[Ümit]

I do not expect an academic answer nor do want links to any academics. I want to know what some of you guys personally believe about these questions. Thank you for your time.

1. What are the historical origins of Islam? How do these foundations differ from the traditional Muslim view?

Don't exactly understand this question...historical origins of Islaam is the same as in Judaism and Christianity...They share the same origin.

2. How does the Qur’an compare with the Bible? Which book is best supported by archaeological and historical evidence?

The Quraan is the litterally word of God. Exists only in Arabic. Remained exactly the same as when it was revealed. It has no other Author than Allah. Muhammad sas could not be the Author of it, since he was illiterate...which is proven.

The Original Gospels are also the word of God...and therefore reliable...however, since it is replaced by the Quraan...it has no more authority.
Besides, it is not available in original language and unchanged version.
Since NT are a collection of narratives of people about Jesus as, the whole NT is in fact nothing more than a collection of ahadeeth of prophet Jesus as.
because Christians see Jesus as as a God, then everyone who has seen or known Jesus as in his/hers life are automatically seen as prophets...like Mattheus, Johannes, Marcus, Judas, etc.

In Islaam there are hadeeths which are unreliable, or weak...The same with the NT...so it is perfectly normal that the NT contains a lot of mistakes...but no Christian would admit that.

3. Is the Yahweh of the Bible the same God as the Allah of the Qur’an? Can the Father of Jesus be the God of Muhammad?

It is the same God. Jesus as was a messenger of God, he brought us the word of God and after him Muhammad sas brought us a newer version of the word of the same God.
It is the same religion originally. it is only that people added innovation and changes and therefore strayed from the right path and created Christianity.

The same with Judaism...or actually, almost every other religion

4. Is Jesus Christ God himself or is he only a prophet of God? Was Jesus crucified on the cross for our sins or was he taken into heaven and a substitute crucified in his place?

No. Jesus as is just an ordinairy human...just like Muhammad sas...they both are just messengers from God...nothing more.
He was not crucified, nor he is dead...we do not know where he exactly is, whether in Heaven or not...we do not know...but he is alive...and waits for his time to come back to Earth...and he will die a normal death one day, like all living beings.

5. Is sin part of our very nature or is it something that can be added and wiped away? If there is no original sin, then why do we need a savior?

part of our nature...we are just humans...we make mistakes...that nature comes from one property that differs us from all other creatures...and that is free will.
Angels do not have this, and therefore they cannot sin...only humans and Jinns are granted with free will, and therefore we occacionally make the mistake of sinning.

There is no original sin. every soul is being born with a clean slate and totally sin free.
We do not need a savior. We came on this world by our own free will...we wanted to find God on our own...and here we are, looking for him...that is our mission...this world is a test...we could succeed and find God, or we could fail and not find God.

6. Is the nature of sin such that it separates us from a holy God or does sin represent our forgetfulness in regard to God’s commandments and therefore requires only a recommitment on our part?

what separates us is simply that God is the creator and we are creations...that is separation enough. again, nature of sin is only a result of having free will. we constantly have a battle going on between choosing for the good vs choosing for the bad. We are just humans, and occasionally, we are not as strong or sharp as always...and then we might sin.

7. Are we able to do enough good works to bring about our own salvation or are we lost on our own merit and totally dependent on God’s favor?

your own salvation? ehm...I think you did not totally get it.
if you are doing a test, then the outcome cannot be a some sort self salvation from it...the outcome is either good or bad.
So it is with life...if you die as a believer, you succeed...if not, you fail...there is no other option like self salvation or whatever.

8. Is the Holy Spirit God himself or just God’s spirit represented through an angel like Gabriel? Does the work of the Holy Spirit bring transformation of man’s spirit or is the work of God’s spirit focused on humbling man into submission to God?

I never understood this holy spirit part...Gabriel is just an angel, just like Mikail and Israfil, and therefore not a part of God...and God is not the father of Jesus as. God is our creator and we and the Angels are part of His creation.

9. Is the mission of Islam to restore man to God or is it to subdue the world for God?

Our mission is to find God and to please Him, to serve Him by following His orders, by doing good and staying away from evil.
Islaam is our way. The Quraan is our guide.

10. When Christ returns will he rapture the saints and usher in the Millennium or will he join with the Imam Mahdi and break the cross and destroy all Christians?

Thanks again. God Bless

I do not know...but rapture the saints and usher in the Millenium? what saints? and what does "usher in Millenium" mean?
Whether Jesus as is a different person as the Mahdi...or he will be the Mahdi...that part is for what I know, not exactly clear.

Your'e welcome