4 — According to the seventeenth verse of the
first chapter of Matthew, the grandfathers attributed to Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ from Ibrâhîm ‘alaihis-salâm’ to Yûsuf-u-Najjâr
(Joseph the Carpenter), make up forty-two generations. The names
given above, nevertheless, count only forty. According to Luke’s
account, on the other hand, the number reaches
fifty-five.
From the time when the Gospels first appeared
to our time, Christian scholars have remained in utter perplexity
as to this question. Some of them made such untenable explanations
as would not be admitted by anyone with common sense. For this
reason, scholars such as Eckharn, Keiser, Haisee, Ghabuth, Wither,
Fursen, etc. admitted the fact by saying that “These Gospels
contain lots of contradictions pertaining to meaning.” This is the
truth of the matter. For inconsistencies and errors are not only in
this matter but also in all the other matters.
Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ came to this world without
a father. Nevertheless, while Jews persistently calumniate him by
calling him an illegitimate child [May Allâhu ta’âlâ protect us
from saying so!], Christians attribute a paternal case history to
him and accept Yûsuf as his father, though he is not his father;
this is a consternating ignorance and a paradoxical state. In
Qur’ân al-kerîm, the âyats concerning Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ use such
terms as “Îsâ ibn Maryam,” which means “Îsâ the son of Maryam.” It
is declared clearly in the Qur’ân al-kerîm that Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’
did not have a father.
5 — It is written as follows in the
twenty-second and twenty-third verses of the first chapter of
Matthew: “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,” (Matt: 1-22)
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,
and they shall call his name Em-man’u-el, which being interpreted
is, God with us.” (ibid: 1-23) According to Christian priests, by
the word ‘Prophet’, Îshâyâ (Isaiah) ‘alaihi-salâm’ is meant. As an
evidence for this, they put forward the fourteenth verse of the
seventh chapter of the Book of Isaiah, which reads, “Therefore the
Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Im-man’u-el.”
(Is: 7-14) Rahmatullah Efendi explains this matter in detail in his
book Iz-hâr-ul-haqq. He states that their inference is wrong
for three reasons:
First; the word which the translators of the
Gospel and the translator of the Book of Isaiah translated as
azrâ (=virgin) is ’ilmatun, which is the feminine
gender of the word ’ilm (=knowledge). According to Jewish scholars
the meaning of this word is young woman. They say that this
term is also used to mean married woman, whether virginal or
not, in the thirtieth chapter of the Sifr-ul-emthâl (Proverbs of
Solomon). In the three Greek versions of the Book of Isaiah
translated by persons named Ikola, Thedusien, and Semiks, this term
is interpreted as (young woman). These translations, according to
Christian clergy, are quite old; it is narrated that the first was
translated in 129, the second in 175, and the third in 200. All
these translations, especially the Thedusien, were warmly accepted
by the early Christians. Therefore, according to Jewish scholars
and the interpretations of these three translators, the expression
used by Matthew is apparently wrong. Fery, in his discourse on the
Hebrew lexicon in a book of his which is popular and accepted among
Protestant priests, says that this word, i.e. (Azrâ), means (young
woman). They (Protestants) say that according to this explanation
the two meanings are common in this word. Yet the native speakers
of the language, i.e. the Jews, in response to this interpretation
of the priests, state that firstly Matthew’s expression is wrong
and secondly translating the word as Azrâ (=virginal woman),
which runs counter to the early translations of the Jewish
interpretations, requires sound proofs. The priest who wrote the
book Mîzân-ul-haqq says in his book Hall-ul-eshkal
that the meaning of the word is certainly Azrâ; he is wrong. The
two evidences we have mentioned above would suffice to refute
him.
Second; the twentieth verse of the first
chapter of Matthew reads as follows: “But while he thought on these
things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream,
saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary
thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”
(Matt: 1-20) And the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth verses say:
“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord
had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:” (Matt: 1-24) “And knew
her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called
his name JESUS.” (ibid: 1-25)
The first chapter of Luke, on the other hand,
states that the angel was seen by hadrat Maryam herself. According
to the thirty-first verse of the same chapter, the angel said to
hadrat Maryam: “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and
bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.” (Luke:
1-31)
While Matthew states that the angel appeared
to Joseph in his dream, Luke says that hadrat Maryam saw the angel
in person.
Furthermore, it is written as follows in the
twenty-third verse of the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew:
“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,
and shall call his name Em-man’u-el, ...” (Matt: 1-23) This is, at
the same time, the fourteenth verse of the seventh chapter of the
Book of Isaiah. It is wrong, because Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ never said
that his name was Em-man’u-el.
Third; the following episode prevents the
naming of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ as Em-man’u-el: When Râsîn (Rezin, or
Rasun), the Aramean ruler, and Fâqâh (Pekah), the Israelite ruler,
brought their armies together in Jerusalem in order to fight the
Judah ruler, Âhâz bin Yûsân was alarmed by their alliance. Jenâb-i
Haqq inspired Isaiah ‘alaihis-salâm’ to calm Âhâz. So he gave Âhâz
the good news: “O thou Âhâz! Don’t be afraid! They cannot beat you.
Their sovereignties will soon be destroyed and perish.” He also
stated its harbinger as follows: “A young woman shall become
pregnant and have a son. Before this boy distinguishes between good
and bad the empires of these two monarchs shall become
annihilated.” Fâqâh’s sovereignty was destroyed exactly twenty-one
years after this news. Then this boy must have been born before the
annihilation of Fâqâh’s sovereignty. On the other hand the birth of
Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ took place seven hundred and twenty-one years
after the annihilation of Fâqâh’s country. Therefore, people of the
book fell into disagreement as to the authenticity of the
narrative. Some Christian clergy and Bens [Dr. George Benson], a
doctor of history, stated that by ‘young woman’ Isaiah
‘alaihis-salâm’ meant his own spouse and told the story
accordingly. This explanation seems to be the most acceptable and
the most plausible.
6 — It is narrated in the second chapter of
the Gospel of Matthew that Yûsuf-u-Nejjâr (Joseph the Carpenter),
for fear of Hirodes (Herod), took Maryam and Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’
and went to Egypt. And the fifteenth verse of the second chapter
reads as follows: “And was there until the death of Herod: that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet,
saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” (Matt: 2-15) The
Prophet meant here is Yûshâ’ (Hosea). Thus the author of the Gospel
of Matthew refers to the first verse of the eleventh chapter of the
Book of Yûshâ (Hosea) in the Old Testament. This is wrong, because
this verse has nothing to do with Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’. The correct
form of the verse exists in the Arabic translation printed in 1226
[A.D. 1811], and reads as follows: “I loved Israel since his
childhood and invited his children from Egypt.” This verse is a
sign of the favour Allâhu ta’âlâ conferred upon the Israelites in
the time of Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’. The author of Matthew changed
this verse in the Old Testament by replacing the plural form
‘children’ with the singular ‘son’ (ibn) and using the first person
singular pronoun (my) instead of the third person (his). Following
his example, the author of the Arabic version published in 1260
[A.D. 1844] made [intentional] changes, [thus changing the meaning
altogether]. However, when the verses following it are read, the
reason for this change becomes clear. As a matter of fact the next
verse, the second verse of the eleventh chapter of the Book of
Hosea, purports: “As they called them, so they went from them: they
sacrificed unto Ba’al-im[22]
, ...” (Hos: 11-2). This cannot be the case with hadrat Îsâ, nor
with the Jews contemporary with Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ or even with
the Jews that lived five hundred years before the birth of Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’. For it is written clearly in history that five
hundred and thirty-six years before the birth of Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’, that is, after their salvation from slavery in
Babel, Jews desisted from worshipping idols and turned away from
idols in penitence. It is a recorded fact that after that time they
kept off idols.
7 — It is written in the nineteenth and
following verses of the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew,
“But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in
a dream to Joseph in Egypt,” “Saying, Arise, and take the young
child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: ...” “And he
arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the
land of Israel.” “... he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:”
“And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a
Nazarene.” (Mat: 2-19 thr. 23) This is wrong, too. None of the
books of Prophets contains a word of this sort. Jews reject this
word and say that it is a lie, a slander. [In fact, Jews hold the
belief that no Prophet lived in the region of Galilee, let alone
Nazareth. As it is narrated clearly in the fifty-second verse of
the seventh chapter of John, “They answered and said unto him, Art
thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth
no prophet.” (John: 7-52) This verse of John’s contradicts the
verse of Matthew we have mentioned above.] If the Christian priests
have other information in this respect, they ought to declare
it.
8 — As is written at the beginning of the
fourth chapter of Matthew; the devil wanted to test Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’. He was taken to the desert by the Spirit. Fasting
for forty days and nights, he became hungry. Then the devil took
Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ to the blessed city and made him mount the dome
of the temple, and said, “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself
down: ... He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in
their hands they shall bear thee up, ...” (Matt: 4-6) Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ answered the devil: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord
thy God.” (ibid: 4-7) Then he took him into the mountains and said:
“All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and
worship me.” (ibid: 4-9) Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ said to the devil:
“Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the
Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (ibid:
4-10)
It is written in the twelfth and later verses
of the first chapter of Mark: “And immediately the spirit driveth
him into the wilderness.” “And he was there in the wilderness for
forty days, tempted of Satan: he was with the wild beasts; and the
angels ministered unto him.” (Mark: 1-12, 13) No remark is made
here as to the manner of the devil’s testing or the forty days’
fasting by Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’.
9 — The sixth and seventh verses of the
twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew purports: “Now when Jesus was in
Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,” “There came unto him a
woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured
it on his head, as he sat at meat.” (Matt: 26-6, 7)
The third verse of the fourteenth chapter of
Mark reads: “And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of
ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and
poured it on his head.” (Mark: 14-3)
As it is purported in the thirty-sixth and
later verses of the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Luke, “And one
of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he
went into the Pharisee’s house and sat down to meat.” “And, behold,
a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus
sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of
ointment,” “And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to
wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her
head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.”
(Luke: 7-36, 37, 38) “And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.”
(ibid: 7-48)
On the other hand, the same episode is
narrated as follows in the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of John:
“Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where
Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.”
“There they made him a supper; and Martha served: ...” “Then took
Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed
the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: ...” (John:
12-1, 2, 3) [As it is seen, the same one episode is narrated
differently in the four Gospels.]
10 — It is written in the nineteenth,
twentieth and twenty-first verses of the first chapter of John:
“... when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask
him, Who art thou?” “And he confessed, and denied not; but
confessed, I am not the Christ.” “And they asked him, What then?
Art thou E-li’as? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet?
And he answered, No.” (John: 1-19, 20, 21)
On the other hand, according to the fourteenth
verse of the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ stated about Yahyâ (E’li’as) in front of the
people: “And if ye will receive it, this is E-li’as, which was for
to come.” (Matt: 11-14) And again Matthew writes in the tenth,
eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth verses of the seventeenth chapter:
“And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that
E-li’as must first come?” “And Jesus answered and said unto them,
E-li’as truly shall first come, and restore all things.” “But I say
unto you, That E-li’as is come already, and they knew him not, but
have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the
Son of man suffer of them.” “Then the disciples understood that he
spake unto them of John the Baptist.” (Matt: 17-10, 11, 12, 13) As
is understood from this final passage, Yahyâ (John the Baptist) is
the promised, expected E-li’as. According to the Gospels of John
and Matthew, the statements of Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ contradict
those of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’. [For in the Gospel of John, Yahyâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ declares that he is not E-li’as. One of the reasons
why Jews did not accept Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ was because they had
been expecting the coming of E-li’as before him. The contradiction
here is as obvious as the sun.]
11 — In the first chapter of the Gospel of
Luke, the angel who gives the good news of hadrat Yahyâ to
Zakariyya (Zachariah), or Zach-a-ri’as) ‘alaihis-salâm’ recounts
the qualities of Yahyâ, and says in the seventeenth verse: “And he
shall go before him in the spirit and power of E-li’as, to turn the
hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the
wisdom of the just; ...” (Luke: 1-17) This verse runs counter to
the verses of Matthew narrated above, For it would be paradoxical
for Yahyâ both to be E-li’as himself and to have virtues and merits
common with E-li’as.
12 — The twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth and
twenty-sixth verses of the fourth chapter of Luke state: “And he
said, Verily I say unto you, ...” “... many widows were in Israel
in the days of E-li’as, when the heaven was shut up three years and
six months, when famine was throughout all the land;” “But none of
them was E-li’as sent, save unto Sa-rep’ta, a city of Si’don, unto
a woman that was a widow.” (Luke: 4-24, 25, 26) Since this event
did not take place in the time of Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’, this
narrative is obviously contrary to the narrative of Matthew. [For
it is stated in the Gospel of Matthew that Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’
lived in the time of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ and that he was E-li’as.
On the other hand, contrary to the narrative in the Gospel of Luke,
the event of the sky remaining closed three years and six months
did not take place in the time of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ or Yahyâ
(John the Baptist), who is represented as E-li’as.]
13 — The fifty-third and fifty-fourth verses
of the ninth chapter of Luke purport: “And they did not receive
him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.” “And
when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt
thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume
them, even as E-li’as did?” (Luke: 9-53, 54) Hence, even the
apostles of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ knew that E-li’as had lived before
them and that Yahyâ was not E-li’as. This narrative contradicts the
narrative of Matthew, too.
14 — It is written in the first, second and
third verses of the twenty-first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew
that Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ sent forth two apostles of his to a nearby
village and ordered them to bring back with them a donkey tied
there and its foal. The other Gospels do not mention the donkey and
refer only to the foal.
15 — The sixth verse of the first chapter of
Mark writes that Yahyâ ate locusts and wild honey. The eighteenth
verse of the eleventh chapter of Matthew, on the other hand, says
that Yahyâ did not eat or drink anything. [Their statements are
quite opposite to each other.]
16 — The thirteenth to seventeenth verses of
the third chapter of Matthew narrate that “Then cometh Jesus from
Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.” “But John
forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and cometh
thou to me?” “And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so
now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he
suffered him.” “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up
straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto
him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and
lighting upon him:” “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt: 3-13, 14, 15, 16,
17) Again, the second and third verses of the eleventh chapter of
Matthew state that “Now when John had heard in the prison the works
of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,” “And said unto him, Art
thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matt: 11-2,
3)
Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ remained imprisoned in
the dungeon until he was killed there. Baptism of Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ by Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ was before his
imprisonment. According to Matthew, Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ knew of
Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ before the baptism. [In the thirteenth,
fourteenth and fifteenth verses of the third chapter, as we have
quoted above, Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ asks Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ to
baptize him and says, “I need to be baptized by you.” and yet in
the eleventh chapter it is narrated that when Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’
was in the dungeon he did not know Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ was the
Messiah and that “he sent his disciples to find out who he was.”
But the actual fact is that Yahyâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ remained in the
dungeon and was martyred there by Herod. This fact is stated also
by Matthew in the fourteenth chapter. Accordingly, the verses on
this subject in the third chapter and those in the eleventh chapter
belie each other.]
17 — On the other hand this episode is
narrated in an altogether different way in the Gospel of John. The
thirty-second and thirty-third verses of the first chapter state
that “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending
from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.” “And I knew him
not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto
me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining
on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.” (John:
1-32, 33) According to this narrative, Yahyâ did not know Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ before. He learned of him when the Spirit descended
on him. This narrative is contrary to the thirteenth, fourteenth
and fifteenth verses of the first chapter of Matthew, which we have
cited above.
18 — In the thirty-first verse of the fifth
chapter of the Gospel of John, Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ says: “If I bear
witness of myself, my witness is not true.” (John: 5-31) Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’, again, says in the eleventh verse of the third
chapter: “... We speak that we do know, and testify that we have
seen; ...” (John: 3-11) These two statements are absolutely
irreconcilable.
19 — In the twenty-seventh verse of the tenth
chapter of the Gospel of Matthew he says: “What I tell you in
darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that
preach ye upon the housetops.” (Matt: 10-27) And in the third verse
of the twelfth chapter of Luke he says: “Therefore whatsoever ye
have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which
ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the
housetops.” (Luke: 12-3) As is seen, the statement was derived from
the same one source but was changed afterwards.
20 — It is stated in the twenty-first and
later verses of the twenty-sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew
that “And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one
of you shall betray me.” “And they were exceeding sorrowful, and
began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?” “And he
answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish,
the same shall betray me.” (Matt: 26-21, 22, 23) “Then Judas, which
betrayed him, answered and said, Master is it I? He said unto him,
Thou hast said.” (ibid: 26-25)
The twenty-first and later verses of the
thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of John say: “When Jesus had thus
said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.” “Then the
disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.” “Now
there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus
loved.” “Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask
who it should be of whom he spake.” “He then lying on Jesus’ breast
saith unto him, Lord, who is it?” “Jesus answered, He it is, to
whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had
dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.”
(John: 13-21 thr. 26) The difference between the two narratives is
apparent.
21 — The twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew,
while narrating how the Jews caught and imprisoned hadrat Îsâ,
writes as follows beginning in the forty-eighth verse: “Now he that
betrayed him gave him a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that
same is he: hold him fast.” “And forthwith he came to Jesus, and
said, Hail, master; and kissed him.” “And Jesus said unto him,
Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on
Jesus, and took him.” (Matt: 26-48, 49, 50)
The third and later verses of the eighteenth
chapter of John narrate that “Judas then, having received a band of
men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh
thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.” “Jesus therefore,
knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said
unto them, Whom seek ye?” “They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him,
stood with them.” “As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he,
they went backward, and fell to the ground.” “Then asked he them
again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.” “Jesus
answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me,
let these go their way:” (John: 18-3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) Contradiction
between the two narratives is manifest.
22 — There are many opposite narratives as to
Peter’s denial of knowing Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ in the Gospels. The
sixty-ninth and later verses of the twenty-sixth chapter of the
Gospel of Matthew state that “Now Peter sat without in the palace:
and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also was with Jesus of
Galilee.” “But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what
thou sayest.” “And when he was gone out into the porch, another
maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was
also with Jesus of Nazareth.” “And again he denied with an oath, I
do not know the man.” “And after a while came unto him they that
stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou art one of them; for thy
speech betrayeth thee.” “Then began he to curse and to swear,
saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.” “And
Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the
cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept
bitterly.” (Matt: 26-69 thr. 75)
On the other hand, it is narrated as follows
between the sixty-sixth and seventy-second verses of the fourteenth
chapter of the Gospel of Mark: “And as Peter was beneath in the
palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:” “And
when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said,
And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.” “But he denied, saying,
I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out
into the porch; and the cock crew.” “And a maid saw him again, and
began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.” “And he
denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again
to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilæan, and
thy speech agreeth thereto.” “But he began to curse and to swear,
saying, I know not this man whom ye speak.” “And the second time
the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said
unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
And when he thought thereon, he wept.” (Mark: 14-66 thr.
72)
The fifty-fifth and later verses of the
twenty-second chapter of the Gospel of Luke narrate that “And when
they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down
together, Peter sat down among them.” “But a certain maid beheld
him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said,
This man was also with him.” “And he denied him, saying, Woman, I
know him not.” “And after a while another saw him, and said, Thou
art also of them, And Peter said, Man, I am not.” “And about the
space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a
truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilæan.” “And
Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately,
while he yet spake, the cock crew.” “And the Lord turned, and
looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how
he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me
thrice.” “And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.” (Luke: 22-55 thr.
62)
The twenty-fifth and later verses of the
eighteenth chapter of the Gospel of John write that “And Simon
Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art
not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am
not.” “One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman
whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden
with him?” “Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock
crew.” (John: 18-25, 26, 27) These kinds of contradictions in these
four narratives are palpable to men of reason.
23 — In the thirty-sixth verse of the
twenty-second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, hadrat Îsâ, on the day
he would be caught, says to the Apostles: “... But now, he that
hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that
hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.” (Luke:
22-36) In the thirty-eighth verse the Apostles say to hadrat Îsâ:
“... Lord, behold, here are two swords. ...” (ibid: 22-38) And
hadrat Îsâ says to them: “... It is enough.” (ibid) In the
forty-ninth, fiftieth, fifty-first and fifty-second verses: “When
they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto
him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?” “And one of them smote
the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.” “And
Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye that far. And touched his ear,
and healed him.” (ibid: 22-49, 50, 51) Nevertheless, the other
three Gospels do not contain the events of buying swords and curing
the excised ear.
24 — It is narrated as follows in the
fifty-first and later verses of the twenty-sixth chapter of the
Gospel of Matthew: “And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus
stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of
the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.” “Then said Jesus unto
him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take
the sword shall perish with the sword.” “Thinkest thou that I
cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more
than twelve regions of angels?” “But how then shall the scriptures
be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” (Matt: 26-51, 52, 53, 54) The
other Gospels, on the other hand, do not contain anything
concerning these spiritual soldiers, angels.
25 — In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke,
as Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ was being taken away for crucifixion, they
had a person named Simon of Cy-re’ne carry the cross, [Matt: 27-32;
Mark: 15-21; Luke: 23-26]. But John says, in the seventeenth verse
of the nineteenth chapter, that Jesus carried the cross
himself.
26 — According to the writings of Matthew and
Mark, two of the malefactors who were to be hanged with Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ kept railing on him. In the Gospel of Luke, though,
“One of them railed, but the other rebuked the former and asked
Jesus to remember him in his kingdom.” [Luke: 23-39, 40, 41, 42,
43.]
27 — The writings about the resurrection of
Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ are contradictory in the four Gospels. Lest the
reader should weary of a detailed account, we shall give a summary
of the contradictory verses in each of the Gospels for advisory
purposes:
In the fifty-seventh and later verses of the
twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew: “When the even was
come, there was a rich man of Ar-i-ma-thæa, named Joseph, who also
himself was Jesus’ disciple:” “He went to Pilate, and begged the
body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.”
“And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen
cloth.” “And laid it in his own new tomb, which had been hewn out
in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the
sepulchre, and departed.” “And there was Mary Magdalene, and the
other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.” “Now the next
day,[23] that followed
the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came
together unto Pilate,” “Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver
said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.”
“Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third
day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say
unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall
be worse than the first.” “Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch:
go your way, make it as sure as you can.” “So they went, and made
the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.” (Matt:
27-57 to 66) “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward
the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
to see the sepulchre.” “And, behold, there was a great earthquake:
for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and
rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.” “His
countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:”
“And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead
men.” “And the angel answered and said unto the women. Fear not ye:
for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.” “He is not
here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the
Lord lay.” “And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen
from the dead; and behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there
shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.” “And they departed quickly
from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring
his disciples word.” “And as they went to tell his disciples,
behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held
him by the feet, and worshipped him.” “Then said Jesus unto them,
Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and
there shall they see me.” “Now when they were going, behold, some
of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests
all the things that were done.” “And when they were assembled with
the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the
soldiers,” “Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole
him away while we slept.” “And if this come to the governor’s ears,
we will persuade him, and secure you.” “So they took the money, and
did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among
the Jews until this day.” “Then the eleven disciples went away into
Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.” “And when
they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.” “And Jesus
came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth.” “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost:” “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you: ...” (Matt: 28-1 to 20)
On the other hand, it is narrated as follows
in the forty-second and later verses of the fifteenth chapter and
in the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark: “And now when the
even was come, because it was the
preparation,[24] that is, the
day before the sabbath,” “Joseph of Ar-i-ma-thæa, an honourable
councellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and
went in boldly into Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.” (Mark:
15-42, 43) “... he[25] gave the
body to Joseph.” “And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and
wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was
hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the
sepulchre.” “And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld
where he was laid.” (ibid: 15-45, 46, 47) “And when the sabbath was
past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Sa-lo’ me,
had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.” “And
very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto
the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.” “And they said among
themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the
sepulchre?” “And when they looked, they saw that the stone was
rolled away: for it was very great.” “And entering into the
sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed
in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.” “And he saith
unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was
crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they
laid him.” “But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he
goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said
unto you.” “And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre;
for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to
any man; for they were afraid.” “Now when Jesus was risen early the
first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of
whom he had cast seven devils.” “And she went and told them that
had been with him, as they mourned and wept.” “And they, when they
had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed
not.” “After he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they
walked, and went into the country.” “And they went and told it unto
the residue: neither believed they them.” “Afterward he appeared
unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their
unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them
which had seen him after he was risen.” “And he said unto them, Go
ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
“He who believes and is baptized shall be saved; ...” (ibid: 16-1
to 16) “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was
received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.” (ibid:
16-19)
In the fiftieth and later verses of the
twenty-third chapter and in the twenty-fourth chapter of the Gospel
of Luke: “And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor;
and he was a good man, and a just:” “(The same had not consented to
the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Ar-i-ma-thæa, a city of
the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.” “This
man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.” “And he took
it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that
was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.” “And that
day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.” “And the women
also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld
the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.” “And they returned, and
prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according
to the commandment.” (Luke: 23-50 to 56) “Now upon the first day of
the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre,
bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others
with them.” “And they found the stone rolled away from the
sepulchre.” “And they entered in, and found not the body of the
Lord Jesus.” “And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed
thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:”
“And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth,
they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?” “He is
not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was
yet in Galilee,” (ibid: 24-1 to 6) “And returned from the
sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all
the rest.” “It was Mary Magdalene, and Jo-an’na, and Mary the
mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told
these things unto the apostles.” “And their words seemed to them as
idle tales, and they believed them not.” “Then arose Peter, and ran
unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes
laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that
which was come to pass.” “And, behold, two of them went that same
day to a village called Em-ma’us, which was from Jerusalem about
threescore furlongs.” “And they talked together of all these things
which had happened.” “And it came to pass, that, while they
communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went
with them.” “But their eyes were holden that they should not know
him.” “And he said unto them, What manner of communications are
these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?” “And
the one of them, whose name was Cle’o-pas, answering said unto him,
Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the
things which are come to pass there in these days?” “And he said
unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of
Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God
and all the people:” “And how the chief priests and our rulers
delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.”
“But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed
Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these
things were done.” “Yea, and certain women also of our company made
us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre;” “And when they
found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a
vision of angels, which said that he was alive.” “And certain of us
which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as
the women had said: but him they saw not.” “Then he said unto them,
O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have
spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to
enter his glory?” “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he
expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning
himself.” “And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went:
and he made as though he would have gone further.” “But they
constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening,
and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.” “And
it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and
blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.” “And their eyes were
opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.”
“And they said to one another, Did not our heart burn within us,
while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the
scriptures?” “And they rose up the same hour and returned to
Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that
were with them,” “Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath
appeared to Simon.” “And they told what things were done in the
way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.” “And as
they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and
saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” “But they were terrified and
affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.” “And he said
unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your
hearts?” “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is myself: handle
me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me
have.” “And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and
his feet.” “And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered,
he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?” “And they gave him a
piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.” “And he took it and
did eat before them.” (Luke: 24-9 to 43) [The intervening verses
omitted here recount the admonitions and advice which Jesus gives
them.] “And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up
his hands, and blessed them.” “And it came to pass, while he
blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.”
(ibid: 24-50, 51)
On the other hand, in the thirty-first and
later verses of the nineteenth chapter and also in the later
chapters of the Gospel of John: “The Jews therefore, because it was
the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross
on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,)
besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that it might
be taken away.” “Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the
first, and of the other which was crucified with him.” “But when
they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake
not his legs:” “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his
side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” (John: 19-31,
32, 33, 34) “And after this Joseph of Ar-i-ma-thæ’a, being a
disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought
Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave
him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.” “And
there came also Nic-o-de’mus, which at the first came to Jesus by
night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred
pound weight.” “Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in
linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews to bury.”
“Now in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden; and
in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.”
“There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation
day;[26] for the
sepulchre was nigh at hand.” (ibid: 19-38 to 42) “The first day of
the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto
the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.”
“Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other
disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken
away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have
laid him.” “Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple did
outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre, and we know not
where they have laid him.” “Peter therefore went forth, and that
other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.” “And he stooping down,
and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying: yet went he not in.”
“Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the
sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,” “And the napkin, that
was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped
together in a place by itself.” “Then went in also that other
disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and
believed.” “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must
rise again from the dead.” “Then the disciples went away again uto
their own home.” “But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping:
and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,”
“And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and
the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” “And they
say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because
they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid
him.” “And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw
Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.” “Jesus saith unto
her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing him
to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him
hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.”
“Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto
him, Rab-bo’ni, which is to say, Master.” “Jesus saith unto her,
Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my
brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your
Father; and to my God, and your God.” “Mary Magdalene came and told
the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken
these things unto her.” “Then the same day at evening, being the
first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples
were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the
midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” “... he showed unto
them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when
they saw the Lord.” “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto
you: as my Father hath sent me, so send I you.” “And when he had
said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the
Holy Ghost:” “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto
them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” “But
Thomas, one of the twelve, called Did’y-mus, was not with them when
Jesus came.” “The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have
seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his
hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of
the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
“And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas
with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the
midst, and said, Peace be unto you.” “Then saith he to Thomas,
Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy
hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but
believing.” (John: 20-1 to 29) (The first, second, and third verses
of the twenty-first chapter narrate how some of the disciples went
out fishing on a boat in the Taberiyeh (Ti-be’ri-as, or Tiberias,
the sea of Galilee) and how they did not catch any fish that night.
Then the fourth verse goes on as follows:) “But when the morning
was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not
that it was Jesus.” “Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye
any meat? They answered him, No.” “And he saith unto them, Cast the
net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast
therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude
of fishes.” “Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto
Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the
Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and
did cast himself into the sea.” “And the other disciples came in a
little ship; ... dragging the net with fishes.” “As soon then as
they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish
laid thereon, and bread.” “Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish
which ye have now caught.” “Simon Peter went up, and drew the net
to land full of great fishes, and hundred and fifty and three: and
for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.” (John:
21-4 to 11)
These are four different narratives. They
differ from one another very much. These four Gospels, which form
the basis for the Christian creed, are full of such contradictory
narratives. A little attention will suffice to see how one
narrative is the opposite of another. Furthermore, more often than
not, a matter narrated by one of them does not exist in the others.
The contradictions and differences in the Gospels are not only on
the resurrection of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ but also on all the other
matters alike. There are very few events narrated in all of them.
For instance, such events as the manner of the birth of Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’; Herod’s having the children killed; the arrival of
priests from the east; Îsâ’s ‘alaihis-salâm’ going to Egypt in his
childhood; the Nazarenes’ refusing Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’; his curing
a (military) captain’s ailing servant, resuscitating a judge’s dead
daughter, enjoining on his Apostles to buy swords; his various
admonitions and exemplifications; his invocation on the cross, “O
my God; o my God! Why hast thou forsaken me? (=Eli, eli, lama
sabaktanî)”; his carrying his own cross; guards’ waiting on his
tomb; his resurrecting from among the dead and showing himself to
his Apostles in various guises; and many others, exist only in one
or two of them, while the others do not contain them.
The fourth Gospel, John’s Gospel, is
altogether different from the other three Gospels in manner and
style. Îsâ’s ‘alaihis-salâm’ insulting his mother and turning the
water into wine, narrated in the second chapter; his talking with a
woman by a well, in the fourth chapter; his curing a patient who
had been bedridden for thirty-eight years near the pool of
Bethlehem, in the fifth chapter; the dispute he had with the Jews
on the Messiah’s own flesh and blood, in the sixth chapter [the
fifty-second and later verses]; his trial of an adulteress and the
conversations he had with the Jews on the origin and genealogy of
the Messiah, in the eighth chapter; his curing a blind man’s eyes
with the mud he made with his spittle and put on his eyes and
sending him for a bath in the pool of Siloam and the Pharisees’
various attempts and their disputes with Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’, in
the ninth chapter; the Jews’ beginning to stone Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’
and the conversations he had with them concerning his divinity, in
the tenth chapter; his resuscitating Luazer (Lazarus), in the
eleventh chapter; the anointing of Îsâ’s ‘alaihis-salâm’ feet, in
the twelfth chapter; his talking with Philip and Judah, in the
fourteenth chapter; the curious supplication of Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’, in the seventeenth chapter; the following events
narrated in the nineteenth chapter: the label put on his chest when
he was crucified was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek and as
Mary, his mother, and Mary, his mother’s sister (his maternal aunt)
and the wife of Aeklaviya (Cle’o-phas), and Mary Magdalene stood by
his cross, Jesus saw his mother with his most beloved disciple and
said to his mother: “... Woman, behold thy son.” “Then saith he to
the disciple, Behold they mother, ...” in the twenty-sixth and
twenty-seventh verses; a spear was thrust into his flank when he
was on the cross; the cross was erected in a yard; Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ resurrected from his tomb and said to Mary
Magdalene; “Do not touch me, I have not been to my father yet”; he
showed himself to his Apostles at different places three times; and
many other similar narratives do not exist in the Gospels of
Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Quite a number of the matters existing in the
Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke do not exist in the Gospel of
John. An example of this is ’Ishâ-i-Rabbânî, (the Eucharist), which
is one of the sacraments of Christian religion. It exists in the
three Gospels, but not in John. [’Ishâ-i-Rabbânî means
evening dinner. It symbolizes a belief based on the following
event: As is narrated in the twenty-sixth verse of the twenty-sixth
chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, in the twenty-second and later
verses of the fourteenth chapter of Mark, in the nineteenth verse
of the twenty-second chapter of Luke, “And as they were eating,
Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the
disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my body.” “And he took the
cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of
it;” “For this is my blood of the new testament, ...” (Matt: 26-26,
27, 28)[27] So it has been
held as a belief that when priests in churches breathe a certain
prayer on a piece of bread it will become Jesus’s flesh, when they
break the loaf of bread to pieces Jesus will have been sacrificed,
when they breathe a prayer on some wine in a container it will
become Jesus’s blood, and those who eat the morsels of bread after
dipping them in the wine will be united with God. This matter will
be explained in the ninth chapter of our book.]
As for the Gospel of Matthew; such events as
Peter’s walking on water towards Jesus, a fish holding a coin in
its mouth, the dream of Pilate’s wife, the resurrection of all
saints with the resurrection of Jesus, the posting of guards before
Jesus’s tomb exist only in the Gospel of Matthew, and not in the
others.
The four Gospels not only contradict one
another in number of matters, but also each Gospel contains various
inconsistent matters. This can be exemplified as
follows:
1 — In the Gospel of Matthew, when Îsâ
‘alaihis-salâm’ sent forth the twelve Apostles on their first
religious mission, he prohibited them from going to the cities of
pagans and Samaritans and meeting them [Matthew: 10-5]. In his
preaching on the mountain, he prohibited his disciples from giving
sacred things to the dogs and throwing their Gospels to the swine
[Matthew: 7-6]. The same Gospel of Matthew commands something quite
contrary to this commandment: In the eighth and twenty-first
chapters, it is commanded that the pagans be called to Christianity
instead of the Jews and the Jews are complained about for their
infidelity. In the fourteenth and other verses of the twenty-fourth
chapter, it is professed that the end of the world shall not come
before the Bible has been communicated and taught to all tribes and
peoples on earth. In the twenty-eighth and other chapters, the
Apostles are ordered to admit others to Christianity through a
single baptism and without any discrimination.
2 — There is contradiction between the verses
concerning the military captain who came to Jesus [the fifth and
later verses of the eighth chapter] and the twenty-second and later
verses of the fifteenth chapter, in which the story of a woman is
narrated. For Jesus helps the pagan captain’s ailing servant in the
eighth chapter. On the other hand, though the Canaanite woman dealt
with in the fifteenth chapter is not a pagan, Jesus first refuses
her openly, then helps her as an exceptional gift upon the woman’s
earnest supplication.
3 — It is written at the beginning of the
seventh chapter of John that “After these things Jesus walked in
Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to
kill him.” “Now the Jews’ feast of Tabernacles was at hand.” “His
brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea,
that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.” “For
there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself
seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself
to the world.” “For neither did his brethren believe in him.” “Then
Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is
alway ready.” “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because
I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” “Go ye up yet
unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.” “When he had
said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.” “But when
his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not
openly, but as it were in secret.” (John: 7-1 to 10) If it should
be said that the Gospel of John was not altered, how can this
imputation of mendacity which it makes on Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ be
explained? [For it says that Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ first said he
would not go to the place of the feast and then went there
secretly, which would be mendacious. Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ could
never have such a blemish.]
4 — The Gospel of Matthew narrates Judas’s
suicide as follows in the third and later verses of its
twenty-seventh chapter: “Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when
he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again
the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,”
“Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.
And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.” “And he cast
down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and
hanged himself.” “And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and
said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because
it is the price of blood.” “And they took counsel, and bought with
them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in.” “Wherefore that
field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.” (Matt: 27-3
to 8)
But Luke narrates from Peter in the eighteenth
verse of the first chapter of his Book of Acts (of the Apostles),
and says: “Now this man purchased a field with the reward of
iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and
all his bowels gushed out.” “And it was known unto all the dwellers
at Jerusalem; inasmuch as that field is called in their proper
tongue, A-cel’da-ma, that is to say, The field of blood.” These two
narratives are contradictory in two respects:
First; according to Matthew’s narrative, Judas
repented and returned the silvers he had taken, and the priests
bought a field with it. And according to Luke’s narrative, he
(Judas) bought the field himself.
Second; according to Matthew’s narrative,
Judas committed suicide by hanging himself. According to Luke’s
narrative, he fell headlong and his abdomen split.
5 — It is written in the second verse of the
second chapter of the first epistle of John, “And he is the
propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the
sins of the whole world.” (1 John: 2-2) This comes to mean that
only Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ is impeccable and he is the redeemer of
all the sinful people.
On the other hand, the eighteenth verse of the
twenty-first chapter of Proverbs purports: “The wicked shall be a
ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.”
(Prov: 21-18) Accordingly, the sinner will be sacrificed for the
innocent and the hypocrite will be sacrificed for the righteous.
[This passage contradicts John’s writing.]
6 — It is written in the eighteenth and
nineteenth verses of the seventh chapter of the Hebrews: “For there
is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the
weakness and unprofitableness thereof.” “For the law made nothing
perfect, ...” (Heb: 7-18, 19) And in the seventh verse of the
eighth chapter, “For if that first covenant had been faultless,
then should no place have been sought for the second.” (Heb: 8-7)
Nonetheless, Jesus says in the seventeenth verse of the fifth
chapter of the Gospel of Matthew: “Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfill.” (Mat: 5-17)
7 — Jesus says unto Peter in the eighteenth
and nineteenth verses of the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of
Matthew: “And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it.” “And I will give unto thee the keys of the
kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be
bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven.” (Matt: 16-18, 19) However, it is written in the
same chapter, beginning in the twenty-first verse: “From that time
forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go
unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third
day.” “Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it
far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” “But he turned,
and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence
unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but
those that be of men.” (ibid: 16-21, 22, 23) Again, in the
thirty-fourth verse of the twenty-sixth chapter of the Gospel of
Matthew, it is reported that Jesus predicted about Peter that “...
before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.” (ibid: 26-34),
and in the thirty-fifth verse that Peter swore that he would not
deny him. It is reported in the sixty-ninth through seventy-fifth
verses of the twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew that Peter forgot
this promise of his and denied three times, with swearings and
curses, that he knew Jesus. Accordingly, in the sixteenth chapter
of Matthew, Jesus praises Peter, adding that Allâhu ta’âlâ shall
forgive whomever he forgives. In the twentieth chapter, however, he
dismisses him and calls him ‘Satan’; and in the twenty-sixth
chapter he predicts that he (Peter) will deny him. Christians
believe that Jesus is God [May Allâhu ta’âlâ protect us from
believing so.] Can the name God be reconciled with such an error?
It is this very Peter that the Popes living in Rome today claim to
represent, thus assuming to be the universal monarchs to whose
disposal the earth has been bequeathed. And some people, believing
in the Pope as such, have had the dream of entering
Paradise.
8 — Again, when the episodes of
’Ishâ-i-Rabbânî (the Eucharist) [the last evening dinner] narrated
in the twenty-sixth verse of the twenty-sixth chapter of Matthew,
in the nineteenth and twentieth verses of the twenty-second chapter
of Luke and in the twenty-second and twenty-third verses of the
fourteenth chapter of Mark are compared, it will be seen that one
of them says that it was before night prayer, while another one
says it was after night prayer, and that all the three Gospels
state that there was wine on the table. It is stated in the sixth
chapter of the Gospel of John that the so-called event took place
and that there was only bread, no mention of wine being
made.
Nevertheless, one of the dogmatic and
practical principles of Christianity is eating the dinner of
’Ishâ-i-Rabbânî (the Eucharist) and believing that the bread is
Jesus’s flesh and the wine is his blood. John, who is more careful
and more solicitous than the others on such matters of creed, does
not mention the wine; this shows clearly that this dogma of theirs
is another superstition.