Notes on Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner’s
Unveiling Islam
Chapter 2: Muhammad (The Militant Messenger)
Islam encourages trust in the Koran and emulation of Muhammad’s life. Yet Muhammad himself was unsure at first whether his “revelation” was from God or a demon–his wife convinced him that it was of god. While proclaiming that the Qur’an is the exact words of Allah as received by himself, Muhammad changed the wording of the “revelation” at the suggestion of his scribe. Beyond this, Muhammad condoned and lived a violent life, took on many brides (11 in all, one of whom was only nine years old when their “marriage” was consummated), and was capricious in his judgments.
“Clearly Jesus was a far superior prophet of peace and mercy. Muhammad was ruthless in war, not considering ethical ramifications when he was caught up in the height of savagery. The only life Jesus Christ voluntarily gave up was His own. His character offers continuous, unassailable compassion.”
Caner and Caner, Unveiling Islam, page 52
The history of Islam’s founder belies the common notion that Islam is a religion of peace. Muhammad was far from peaceful, rarely merciful, and plainly immoral (even by modern standards). This stands in sharp contrast to Jesus the Christ, who staged no revolts, murdered no one, and judged no one (except by the truth of His character according to John 3:17-19). He did nothing wrong. Even His worst enemies were incapable of bringing false accusation against Him (Matthew 26:59-60). As the Caner brothers so insightfully point out, “The only life Jesus Christ voluntarily gave up was His own.” He, and He alone, is a true prophet of peace.
Addendum (May 10, 2010): Ergun Caner’s testimony as a converted Muslim has been challenged by several bloggers who claim that he has grossly exaggerated the extent of his Muslim upbringing. Readers of this book ought to be aware that the Caners may or may not have the experiential knowledge of Islam that they claim to have, and should therefore be careful to test the statements found in this book against other reliable sources.
Something rather interesting is that in my {not as extensive as I would like} study of religions, Christianity seems to have more in common with Buddhism on a principles level than with the other Abrahamic religions {Judaism, Islam}.
My Christian friend got a Buddhist tattoo that translates as a call to “the end of hunger and poverty in the world.” Upon receiving criticism from friends who are a little more mainstream Christian, she said, “It sounds like Jesus to me.”
Just a thought I had while I was reading your comparisons and contrasts between Islam and Christianity…
I don’t know that much about Buddhism or Buddhist principles, so I can’t comment on that–but Jesus is definitely unique among gods in that He affirms the holiness and wrath of God while also affirming the mercy and forgiveness of God. He turned the world on end by saying that the least would be greatest and the poorest the richest.