Explore every episode of the podcast Islam for Christians

The Quran clearly paints the apostles as righteous and honest men. What does that mean for the difference between the Christian and the Muslim versions of these men?

Three persons set out on a journey. They were overtaken by rain and they had to find protection in a mountain cave where at its mouth there fell a rock of that mountain and thus blocked them altogether. One of them said to the others: Look to your good deeds that you performed for the sake of Allah and then supplicate Allah, the Exalted, that He might rescue you (from this trouble). One of them said: 0 Allah, I had my parents who were old and my wife and my small children also. I tended the flock and when I came back to them in the evening, I milked them (the sheep, goats, cows, etc.) and first served that milk to my parents. One day I was obliged to go out to a distant place in search of fodder and I could not come back before evening and found them (the parents) asleep. I milked the animals as I used to milk and brought milk to them and stood by their heads avoiding to disturb them from sleep and I did not deem it advisable to serve milk to my children before serving them. My children wept near my feet. I remained there in that very state and my parents too until it was morning. And (0 Allah) if Thou art aware that I did this in order to seek Thine pleasure, grant us riddance from this trouble. (The rock slipped a bit) that they could see the sky.

The second one said: 0 Allah, I had a female cousin whom I loved more than the men love the women. I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her; she refused but on the condition of getting one hundred dinirs. It was with very great difficulty that I could collect one hundred dinirs and then paid them to her and when I was going to have a sexual intercourse with her, that she said: Servant of Allah, fear Allah and do not break the seal (of chastity) but by lawful means. I got up. 0 Allah, if Thou art aware that I did this in order to seek Thine pleasure, rid us from this trouble. The situation was somewhat eased for them.

The third one said: Allah, I employed a workman for a measure of rice. After he had finished his work I gave him his dues (in the form of) a measure of rice, but he did not accept them. I used these rice as seeds, and that gave a bumper crop and I became rich enough to have cows and flocks (in my possession). He came to me and said: Fear Allah, and commit no crueltv upon me in regard to my dues. I said to him: Takeaway this flock of cows and sheep. He said: Fear Allah and do not make a fun of me. I said: I am not making a fun of you. You take the cows and the flocks. So he took them. 0 Allah, if Thou art aware that I did it for Thine pleasure, case the situation for us. And Allah relieved them from the rest of the trouble.

The preamble to the Battle of the Trench... or the Siege of Medina. Same thing. Setting the table with some historical parallels, and also looking at the reasons for the battle and the strengths of the combatants. Muhammad has a week to prepare for an alliance of Arab tribes coming right at Medina -- that's the good news. The bad news? They have 600 horses. He has none.

By those angels stripping out evil souls harshly,

and those pulling out good souls gently,

and those gliding through heavens swiftly,

and those taking the lead vigorously,

and those conducting affairs obediently!

Consider the Day when the quaking Blast will come to pass,

followed by a second Blast.

The deniers’ hearts on that Day will be trembling in horror,

with their eyes downcast.

But now they ask mockingly, “Will we really be restored to our former state,

even after we have been reduced to decayed bones?”

Adding, “Then such a return would be a total loss for us!”

But indeed, it will take only one mighty Blast,

and at once they will be above ground.

Has the story of Moses reached you O Prophet?

His Lord called him in the sacred valley of Ṭuwa,

commanding, “Go to Pharaoh, for he has truly transgressed all bounds.

And say, Would you be willing to purify yourself,

and let me guide you to your Lord so that you will be in awe of Him?’”

Then Moses showed him the great sign,

but he denied and disobeyed Allah,

then turned his back, striving against the truth.

Then he summoned his people and called out,

saying, “I am your lord, the most high!”

So Allah overtook him, making him an example in this life and the next.

Surely in this is a lesson for whoever stands in awe of Allah.

Which is harder to create: you or the sky? He built it,

raising it high and forming it flawlessly.

He dimmed its night, and brought forth its daylight.

As for the earth, He spread it out as well,

bringing forth its water and pastures

and setting the mountains firmly upon it—

all as a means of sustenance for you and your animals.

But, when the Supreme Disaster comes to pass—

the Day every person will remember all their striving,

and the Hellfire will be displayed for all to see—

then as for those who transgressed

and preferred the fleeting life of this world,

the Hellfire will certainly be their home.

And as for those who were in awe of standing before their Lord and restrained themselves from evil desires,

Paradise will certainly be their home.

They ask you O Prophet regarding the Hour, “When will it be?”

But it is not for you to tell its time.

That knowledge rests with your Lord alone.

Your duty is only to warn whoever is in awe of it.

On the Day they see it, it will be as if they had stayed in the world no more than one evening or its morning.

A review of the Jesus portion of the series.... emphasizing key concepts and being brutally honest of the possibility of Christian-Muslim dialogue about Jesus.

Muhammad, like an overwhelmed parent, tires of the constant questions... particularly those asked in bad faith.

Muhammad marries Zaynab, and we discuss the legacy of this action from several different perspectives.

He frowned and turned his attention away,

simply because the blind man came to him interrupting

You never know O Prophet, perhaps he may be purified,

or he may be mindful, benefitting from the reminder.

As for the one who was indifferent,

you gave him your undivided attention,

even though you are not to blame if he would not be purified.

But as for the one who came to you, eager to learn,

being in awe of Allah,

you were inattentive to him.

But no! This revelation is truly a reminder.

So let whoever wills be mindful of it.

It is written on pages held in honour—

highly esteemed, purified—

by the hands of angel-scribes,

honourable and virtuous.

Condemned are disbelieving humans! How ungrateful they are to Allah!

From what substance did He create them?

He created them from a sperm-drop, and ordained their development.

Then He makes the way easy for them,

then causes them to die and be buried.

Then when He wills, He will resurrect them.

But no! They have failed to comply with what He ordered.

Let people then consider their food:

how We pour down rain in abundance

and meticulously split the earth open for sprouts,

causing grain to grow in it,

as well as grapes and greens,

and olives and palm trees,

and dense orchards,

and fruit and fodder—

all as a means of sustenance for you and your animals.

Then, when the Deafening Blast comes to pass—

on that Day every person will flee from their own siblings,

and even their mother and father,

and even their spouse and children.

For then everyone will have enough concern of their own.

On that Day some faces will be bright,

laughing and rejoicing,

while other faces will be dusty,

cast in gloom—

those are the disbelievers, the wicked sinners.

Going through the specifics of the Islamic second coming of Jesus.

Allah's Messenger said, "If somebody innovates something which is not in harmony with the principles of our religion, that thing is rejected."

Muhammad marries his son's ex-wife and the community erupts in scandal. This is his fifth wife and a major break from Arab tradition -- some in the community call it incest. This is what we know about how this situation came to be.

When the sun is overthrown,

And when the stars fall,

And when the hills are moved,

And when the camels big with young are abandoned,

And when the wild beasts are herded together,

And when the seas rise,

And when souls are reunited,

And when the girl-child that was buried alive is asked

For what sin she was slain,

And when the pages are laid open,

And when the sky is torn away,

And when hell is lighted,

And when the Garden is brought nigh,

(Then) every soul will know what it hath made ready.

Oh, but I call to witness the planets,

The stars which rise and set,

And the close of night,

And the breath of morning

That this is in truth the word of an honoured messenger,

Mighty, established in the presence of the Lord of the Throne,

(One) to be obeyed, and trustworthy;

And your comrade is not mad.

Surely he beheld Him on the clear horizon.

And he is not avid of the Unseen.

Nor is this the utterance of a devil worthy to be stoned.

Whither then go ye ?

This is naught else than a reminder unto creation,

Unto whomsoever of you willeth to walk straight.

And ye will not, unless (it be) that Allah willeth, the Lord of Creation.

The Mahdi is a figure from the hadith... a man from Muhammad's family who will come before Jesus comes... again. The Mahdi is a curiosity for some Muslims, dogma for others, and the source of religious imagination for those who dream of a world beyond Islamic orthodoxy.

Episodes will now be released twice a month rather than the four you may be used to...

For two years after Uhud, both sides avoid major battles and fight on the outskirts of Arabia. A second Battle of Badr is planned but never happens, but it becomes obvious that these sides will fight, and only one can be master of the peninsula.

When the sky splits open,

and when the stars fall away,

and when the seas burst forth,

and when the graves spill out,

then each soul will know what it has sent forth or left behind.

O humanity! What has emboldened you against your Lord, the Most Generous,

Who created you, fashioned you, and perfected your design,

moulding you in whatever form He willed?

But no! In fact, you deny the ˹final˺ Judgment,

while you are certainly observed by vigilant,

honourable angels, recording ˹everything.

They know whatever you do.

Indeed, the virtuous will be in bliss,

and the wicked will be in Hell,

burning in it on Judgment Day,

and they will have no escape from it.

What will make you realize what Judgment Day is?

Again, what will make you realize what Judgment Day is?

˹It is˺ the Day no soul will be of ˹any˺ benefit to another whatsoever, for all authority on that Day belongs to Allah entirely.

What the Quran has to say on Jesus and the end times.

He who gets back his charity is like a dog which vomits, and then returns to that and eats it.

The seeds for 1400 years of Jewish-Muslim enmity are planted as Muhammad takes action against a tribe he sees as disloyal and dangerous. This was a first in Muslim history, but for the Jews it was just another in a countless number of expulsions through out time. From Assyria to Babylon to Rome to Spain to Russia to Uganda... this is a familiar pattern - with an ironic twist from the conflict in modern Israel.

Surah 83 continued, focusing in a few more words unique in the Quran.

If the Christian story is wrong... then what exactly is right? If Jesus did not suffer, die, get buried and rise from the dead on the third day -- then what is the Islamic story? There are many theories but little certainty.

The Messenger of Allah said: "The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe, and the believer is the one from whom the people's lives and wealth are safe."

Wrapping up the Battle of Uhud. Who won? The Quran gives one answer, and also downgrades the expected strength of a Muslim warrior.

Woe unto the defrauders:

Those who when they take the measure from mankind demand it full,

But if they measure unto them or weight for them, they cause them loss.

Do such (men) not consider that they will be raised again

Unto an Awful Day,

The day when (all) mankind stand before the Lord of the Worlds?

Nay, but the record of the vile is in Sijjin

Ah! what will convey unto thee what Sijjin is!

A written record.

Woe unto the repudiators on that day!

Those who deny the Day of Judgment

Which none denieth save each criminal transgressor,

Who, when thou readest unto him Our revelations, saith: (Mere) fables of the men of old.

Nay, but that which they have earned is rust upon their hearts.

Nay, but surely on that day they will be covered from (the mercy of) their Lord.

Then lo! they verily will burn in hell,

And it will be said (unto them): This is that which ye used to deny.

Nay, but the record of the righteous is in 'Illiyin

Ah, what will convey unto thee what 'Illiyin is!

A written record,

Attested by those who are brought near (unto their Lord).

Lo! the righteous verily are in delight,

On couches, gazing,

Thou wilt know in their faces the radiance of delight.

They are given to drink of a pure wine, sealed,

Whose seal is musk - for this let (all) those strive who strive for bliss –

And mixed with water of Tasnim,

A spring whence those brought near (to Allah) drink.

Lo! the guilty used to laugh at those who believed,

And wink one to another when they passed them;

And when they returned to their own folk, they returned jesting;

And when they saw them they said: Lo! these have gone astray.

Yet they were not sent as guardians over them.

This day it is those who believe who have the laugh of disbelievers,

On high couches, gazing.

Are not the disbelievers paid for what they used to do?

The difficulty of the cross has spouted different non-Christian interpretations throughout the years... including a very old heresy called Docetism. Muslims, as believers in the holiness of Jesus, need a much more detailed accounting for Jesus and the cross than Jews.... however, the Quran has little to say on the subject.

"I heard Anas bin Malik narrating that the Prophet said: 'There are three things, whoever attains them will find therein a sweetness of faith: When he loves a person, and only loves him for the sake of Allah; when Allah and His Messenger are dearer to him than all else; and when he would prefer to be thrown into the fire rather to go back to the disbelief from which Allah has saved him.'"

Hamza's body is mutilated.... Quryashi allies recoil at the battlefield mutilation... the battlefield victors leave for Mecca... why they left... an alternate theory on what happened at Uhud.

When the heaven is split asunder

And attentive to her Lord in fear,

And when the earth is spread out

And hath cast out all that was in her, and is empty

And attentive to her Lord in fear!

Thou, verily, O man, art working toward thy Lord a work which thou wilt meet (in His presence).

Then whoso is given his account in his right hand

He truly will receive an easy reckoning

And will return unto his folk in joy.

But whoso is given his account behind his back,

He surely will invoke destruction

And be thrown to scorching fire.

He verily lived joyous with his folk,

He verily deemed that he would never return (unto Allah).

Nay, but lo! his Lord is ever looking on him!

Oh, I swear by the afterglow of sunset,

And by the night and all that it enshroudeth,

And by the moon when she is at the full,

That ye shall journey on from plane to plane.

What aileth them, then, that they believe not

And, when the Qur'an is recited unto them, worship not (Allah)?

Nay, but those who disbelieve will deny;

And Allah knoweth best what they are hiding.

So give them tidings of a painful doom,

Save those who believe and do good works, for theirs is a reward unfailing.

Jesus as the Word of God. What does that mean anyway? And what does it mean in Islam? Well... it's complicated.

We witnessed along with Allah's Messenger the Khaibar (campaign). Allah's Messenger told his companions about a man who claimed to be a Muslim, "This man is from the people of the Fire." When the battle started, the man fought very bravely and received a great number of wounds and got crippled. On that, a man from among the companions of the Prophet came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Do you know what the man you described as of the people of the Fire has done? He has fought very bravely for Allah's Cause and he has received many wounds." The Prophet said, "But he is indeed one of the people of the Fire." Some of the Muslims were about to have some doubt about that statement. So while the man was in that state, the pain caused by the wounds troubled him so much that he put his hand into his quiver and took out an arrow and committed suicide with it. Off went some men from among the Muslims to Allah's Messenger and said, "O Allah's Messenger! Allah has made your statement true. So-and-so has committed suicide." Allah's Messenger said, "O Bilal! Get up and announce in public: None will enter Paradise but a believer, and Allah may support this religion (Islam) with a wicked man."

The Muslim army begins to win the battle... then suffers an unlikely setback. Muhammad give his archers a clear directive: “Whether we are winning or losing you stay where you are. If you see us plundering a defeated army and wish to have a share of it… stay where you are. If you see us dying and want to help us… stay where you are.” Some listen, some don't, and the battle takes a chaotic turn. Muhammad is wounded, but escapes alive.

By the sky full of constellations,

and the promised Day of Judgment

and the witness and what is witnessed!

Condemned are the makers of the ditch—

the fire pit, filled with fuel—

when they sat around it,

watching what they had ˹ordered to be˺ done to the believers,

who they resented for no reason other than belief in Allah—the Almighty, the Praiseworthy—

the One to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and earth. And Allah is a Witness over all things.

Those who persecute the believing men and women and then do not repent will certainly suffer the punishment of Hell and the torment of burning.

Surely those who believe and do good will have Gardens under which rivers flow. That is the greatest triumph.

Indeed, the crushing grip of your Lord is severe.

For He is certainly the One Who originates and resurrects all.

And He is the All-Forgiving, All-Loving—

Lord of the Throne, the All-Glorious,

Doer of whatever He wills.

Has the story of the destroyed forces reached you O Prophet—

the forces of˺ Pharaoh and Thamud?

Yet the disbelievers still persist in denial.

But Allah encompasses them from all sides.

In fact, this is a glorious Quran,

recorded in a Preserved Tablet.

Jesus as the Son of God. What is a son, anyway? How would it have been seen in Muhammad's world? And what is the function of Jesus -- a special prophet born of a virgin -- within Islam? If Jesus is not the Son of God... then what is He?

Sunan an-Nasa'i 5013

It was narrated from Qatadah that:

He heard Anas say: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'None of you has believed until I am dearer to him than his son, his father and all the people.'"

The armies line up at the foot of Mount Uhud, and the Muslims find yet another great position to fight. The armies fight while 50 key archers protect the flanks, rendering the Meccan cavalry useless. Hamza falls in the battle, basically assassinated by a well-paid slave. And the moment of truth arrives for the 50 archers who could make or break the Muslim army.

God gives solace to Muhammad... and hints at the nature of why evil appears to thrive.

Lo! they plot a plot (against thee, O Muhammad)

And I plot a plot (against them).

So give a respite to the disbelievers. Deal thou gently with them for a while.

Giving a broad take on Jesus' role in Islam, and his importance (or lack thereof) in Islamic theology. A preview of the rest of the Jesus episodes.

The Prophet said: "There are two blessings that many people are deceived into losing: health and free time."

The Meccans come to conquer the Muslims on the outskirts on their own city, and once again, the Muslims are facing towering odds. Muhammad and his companions work out a strategy and head out to face the enemy at the foot of Mount Uhud.

Introducing the concept of abrogation, which is first seen -- classically speaking -- in this surah. The main question in this surah is, "who is the Quran speaking to?" The answer depends on who you ask and their opinion on abrogation.

Possible Biblical sources in the Quran, and its role in the religious free-for-all in Arabia.

The Prophet said, "Your life in comparison to the lifetime of the past nations is like the period between the time of `Asr prayer and sunset. Your example and the example of the Jews and Christians is that of person who employed laborers and said to them, "Who will work for me till the middle of the day for one Qirat (a special weight)?' The Jews did. He then said, "Who will work for me from the middle of the day till the `Asr prayer for one Qirat each?" The Christians worked accordingly. Then you (Muslims) are working from the `Asr prayer till the Maghrib prayer for two Qirats each. They (the Jews and the Christians) said, 'We did more labor but took less wages.' He (Allah) said, 'Have I wronged you in your rights?' They replied, 'No.' Then He said, 'This is My Blessing which I give to whom I wish."

Medina waits for the inevitable attack, the Muslims remove a potential traitor to the south, and Muhammad's family undergoes some major changes.

Has the news of the Overwhelming Event reached you ˹O Prophet˺?

On that Day ˹some˺ faces will be downcast,

˹totally˺ overburdened, exhausted,

burning in a scorching Fire,

left to drink from a scalding spring.

They will have no food except a foul, thorny shrub,

neither nourishing nor satisfying hunger.

On that Day ˹other˺ faces will be glowing with bliss,

˹fully˺ pleased with their striving,

in an elevated Garden,

where no idle talk will be heard.

In it will be a running spring,

along with thrones raised high,

and cups set at hand,

and ˹fine˺ cushions lined up,

and ˹splendid˺ carpets spread out.

Do they not ever reflect on camels—how they were ˹masterfully˺ created;1

and the sky—how it was raised ˹high˺;

and the mountains—how they were firmly set up;

and the earth—how it was levelled out?

So, ˹continue to˺ remind ˹all, O Prophet˺, for your duty is only to remind.

You are not ˹there˺ to compel them ˹to believe˺.

But whoever turns away, persisting in disbelief,

then Allah will inflict upon them the major punishment.1

Surely to Us is their return,

then surely with Us is their reckoning.

Jesus speaks from the cradle in the Arabic infancy Gospel, and perhaps -- maybe -- part of that makes its way into the Quran. Or, is it the other way around? The final episode regarding the apocryphal Gospels and how they relate to the Quran.

The Prophet said, "Allah will not accept the excuse of any person whose instant of death is delayed till he is sixty years of age."

Abu Sufyan, more powerful than ever, picks up the pieces in Mecca. He's raising an army for a move on Muhammad.

A warning about destruction, examples from history, and an invitation to join God in his hidden garden.

The Gospel of Pseudo Matthew picks up with the holy family's flight to Egypt.... a story that came about 600 years after Jesus was born. Dragons and miracles and dead children -- this imaginative tale is one unfamiliar to Christians and Muslims alike. Well... most of it.

Certainly, the time of prayer shall come and then Jesus (peace be upon him) son of Mary would descend and would lead them. When the enemy of Allah would see him, it would (disappear) just as the salt dissolves itself in water and if he (Jesus) were not to confront them at all, even then it would dissolve completely, but Allah would kill them by his hand and he would show them their blood on his lance (the lance of Jesus Christ).