(A Guide for Muslims Seeking the Real Jesus)
Two Books, Two Stories, One Search for Truth
Many Muslims believe they already know who Jesus (ʿĪsā) is. The Qur’an speaks of him often — as a prophet, as the Messiah (al-Masīḥ), as one who was born of a virgin and performed miracles. Yet, what the Qur’an teaches about Jesus is not what the Bible teaches. This is not a small difference. Either the Qur’an or the Bible is wrong about him. They cannot both be true.
Muslims are taught that Christians corrupted the Gospel (Injīl). They are told that Christians worship a Trinity of “God, Jesus, and Mary” (Qur’an 5:116). They are taught that Jesus was not crucified (Qur’an 4:157), and that he will return only to destroy crosses and confirm Islam.
These are serious claims. But they are not true.
This article is for Muslims who are willing to listen. It is for those who know that truth matters more than tradition. If you believe that Allah is al-Ḥaqq — The Truth — then you should be willing to seek truth, even if it challenges what you were taught (Qur’an 17:81).
The Bible says, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
So let us begin.
Is the Gospel Corrupted?
Muslims are often told that the Gospel (Injīl) is no longer trustworthy — that it was changed, lost, or corrupted by Christians. The Qur’an says, “Woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say, ‘This is from Allah’” (Qur’an 2:79). Based on this, many Muslims assume that the Bible we hold today is not the true Word of God.
But what does history say?
What the Qur’an Itself Says About the Gospel
The Qur’an speaks respectfully about the Gospel. It says that Jesus received the Gospel from God (Qur’an 5:46), and that Christians were supposed to judge by what God revealed in it (Qur’an 5:47). If the Gospel was already corrupted in the time of Muhammad, how could Allah tell Christians to judge by it?
The Qur’an even commands Muhammad himself to seek confirmation from “those who read the Scripture before you” (Qur’an 10:94). If the earlier Scriptures were corrupted, why would Allah point Muhammad toward them?
Therefore, if the Gospel was ever corrupted, it must have happened after Muhammad’s time. But history proves this didn’t happen.
Manuscript Evidence: The Dead Sea Scrolls and Early New Testament Texts
The Bible was not preserved like the Qur’an. It was never claimed that a single perfect copy was kept in heaven and then revealed word-for-word. Instead, thousands of handwritten copies were produced, spread across countries, languages, and centuries. You might think this allows for corruption. But in reality, it prevents it.
Why? Because you cannot corrupt all copies in all places at all times. If anyone tried to change the Bible in one region, the unchanged manuscripts elsewhere would reveal the forgery.
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 showed this. These scrolls contain Old Testament texts over 1,000 years older than previously known manuscripts. When scholars compared the Dead Sea Scrolls to modern Bibles, they found that the message was unchanged. God’s Word was preserved.
For the New Testament, we have more than 5,800 ancient Greek manuscripts. Some date as early as 125 AD — barely a generation after the apostles. These are not hidden manuscripts. Scholars have studied them carefully, comparing thousands of copies to ensure accurate translation.
This is why even non-Christian historians admit: The Bible we read today is what the early church read. It has not been lost. It has not been corrupted.
As Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
Why Muslims Believe the Bible Is Corrupted
Why, then, do Muslims believe the Gospel was changed? The answer is simple: Because Muhammad taught a different message. The New Testament clearly calls Jesus the Son of God (John 3:16), says He died on the cross (Mark 15:37), and that He rose again (Luke 24:6). Muhammad denied all of this (Qur’an 4:157).
Faced with these contradictions, Muslims were forced to say: “The Christians changed their book.” But this is an excuse, not evidence.
The fact is, the Gospel was not corrupted. It is the same message Jesus preached, His apostles taught, and the early church preserved. As Paul said, “If anyone preaches a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be cursed” (Galatians 1:9). Islam came 600 years later, bringing a different gospel.
In the end, Christians trust what Jesus and His eyewitnesses said. Muslims trust what Muhammad said. You must choose which voice to believe.
Do Christians Worship Three Gods?
Muslims are often taught that Christians worship three gods: Allah, Jesus, and the Virgin Mary. This misunderstanding likely stems from Qur’an 5:116, where Allah asks Jesus: “Did you say to people, ‘Take me and my mother as gods besides Allah’?” Christians are puzzled when they read this. Nowhere in Christian history has Mary been considered part of the Godhead.
The Qur’an presents a caricature of the Trinity, not its reality.
What Is the Trinity?
The word “Trinity” does not appear in the Bible, but the concept is everywhere in its pages. Christians believe that God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4), but this One God exists in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
These are not three gods. Christians are not tritheists. There is only One God, but this One God has revealed Himself as a relational Being. God is love (1 John 4:8). But love requires relationship. If God was alone for all eternity, who did He love? The answer is that the Father loved the Son through the Spirit — from all eternity.
This is why Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), yet He also prayed to the Father (John 17:1). He is distinct from the Father, yet shares the Father’s nature. He is not created. As John’s Gospel declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Word became flesh in Jesus Christ (John 1:14).
Christians do not worship Mary. Christians do not believe that Jesus is a separate god beside the Father. Rather, Jesus is God Himself, who took on human flesh to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). The Holy Spirit is not an angel or a force, but the Spirit of God Himself (Acts 5:3-4).
Thus, the Trinity is not three gods, but One God in three Persons.
Why the Qur’an Misunderstands
The Qur’an’s understanding of the Trinity seems based on the heretical sects in Arabia during Muhammad’s time. Certain cults, such as the Collyridians, worshipped Mary, and it appears Muhammad mistakenly believed this reflected true Christianity.
Yet the Qur’an also strangely claims, “Say not three” (Qur’an 4:171), and accuses Christians of associating partners with Allah (shirk). But Christians associate no partners. God’s nature is simply more complex than Islam admits. God is greater than human logic, yet He has revealed Himself in Scripture.
As Jesus declared, “Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Singular name. Three Persons. One God.
Who Is the Messiah?
Muslims know Jesus as “al-Masīḥ” (ٱلْمَسِيح) — the Messiah (Qur’an 3:45). But what does “Messiah” actually mean? Here lies a critical misunderstanding. The Qur’an uses the title, yet never explains it. Islam acknowledges the term but denies its true purpose.
To understand the Messiah, we must look beyond Arabic, back to the original languages and prophetic traditions where this title was born.
The word “Messiah” comes from the Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ (Mashiach) — meaning “the Anointed One.” In Greek, this became Χριστός (Christos), from which we get the word Christ. The Arabic equivalent, used in the Qur’an, is ٱلْمَسِيح (al-Masīḥ).
To be “anointed” (משח) meant to be chosen and set apart by God for a sacred purpose. In the Old Testament, kings were anointed (1 Samuel 10:1), priests were anointed (Exodus 30:30), and sometimes prophets too (1 Kings 19:16). Yet none of these figures were simply called “The Messiah.” That title referred to someone far greater — a promised Deliverer who would fulfill God’s plan of salvation.
The Jewish Prophets foretold the coming of this ultimate Mashiach:
- Isaiah (ישעיהו) 7:14 spoke of a virgin-born child who would be called עִמָּנוּ אֵל (Immanuel) — “God with us.”
- Micah (מִיכָה) 5:2 prophesied His birth in בֵּית לֶחֶם (Bethlehem), yet said His origins were “מִקֶּדֶם מִימֵי עוֹלָם” — “from of old, from ancient days.”
- Isaiah 9:6 called Him “אֵל גִּבּוֹר” (El Gibbor – Mighty God), “אֲבִי עַד” (Avi Ad – Everlasting Father), and “שַׂר שָׁלוֹם” (Sar Shalom – Prince of Peace).
- Isaiah 53 described the Suffering Servant who would be “מְחֹלָל מִפְּשָׁעֵנוּ” (pierced for our transgressions).
In the New Testament, these prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. When Andrew met Him, he declared:
“We have found the Messiah”
(Ἑυρήκαμεν τὸν Μεσσίαν) (John 1:41).
At His trial, when asked directly:
“Are You the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”
(σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Εὐλογητοῦ;)
Jesus replied: “I am”
(Ἐγώ εἰμι) (Mark 14:61-62).
To Christians, declaring “Jesus is the Messiah” is not a small statement. It proclaims that He is:
- The Savior of the world.
- God incarnate (John 1:14).
- The fulfillment of all prophetic promises.
- The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
In contrast, Islam reduces al-Masīḥ (ٱلْمَسِيح) to a mere prophetic title. The Qur’an calls Jesus the Messiah (Qur’an 3:45) but never explains why He holds this title. In Islamic teaching:
- Jesus was only a human prophet (Qur’an 5:75).
- He was not crucified nor resurrected (Qur’an 4:157).
- He was not divine (Qur’an 5:72-75).
Thus, Islam drains “al-Masīḥ” of its biblical weight and theological significance. The Qur’an affirms the name but denies the meaning.
This is not a small theological difference — it is a contradiction of the prophets themselves:
- If Jesus was not crucified (Qur’an 4:157), then Isaiah 53 was wrong.
- If Jesus was not divine, then Micah 5:2 lied.
- If He was just a messenger, then Psalm 2:7 was false:
“You are My Son; today I have begotten You.”
But the Scriptures do not lie.
The New Testament affirms their fulfillment in Jesus. The title “al-Masīḥ” cannot be hollow — it identifies Him as the Anointed Savior, the climax of God’s redemptive plan.
Islam acknowledges the title, but denies the mission.
The Messiah is not merely a voice in the prophetic chain. He is the final Word (Hebrews 1:1-2). He is not just a servant, but the Son (Matthew 3:17).
In Christianity, the Messiah is:
- The One who would suffer and die for the sins of humanity.
- The One who would rise from the dead, conquering death itself.
- The One who reigns forever as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:16).
Thus, to affirm Jesus as “al-Masīḥ” while rejecting His cross, His divinity, and His resurrection, is to deny the very purpose of God’s promises.
In truth, Jesus is not merely a prophet.
He is the Messiah — Mashiach — Christos — al-Masīḥ.
He is the Redeemer.
He is the fulfillment of all the promises.
He is God’s plan revealed to the world.
The Gospel Is Not Corrupted
Muslims are often taught that the Injil — the Gospel — was corrupted after Jesus. Yet this belief raises serious historical and theological problems.
The Qur’an itself affirms the Gospel as divine revelation:
- Qur’an 3:3 says that Allah “sent down the Torah and the Gospel.”
- Qur’an 5:46 declares, “We sent after them Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming what was before him of the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel.”
- Qur’an 5:47 commands: “Let the People of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein.”
Why would Allah command Christians to judge by a corrupted book? If the Gospel was already corrupted, then Allah either failed to preserve His own Word — or the Qur’an is wrong in affirming it as reliable. Both options are problematic for Islamic theology.
Historically, there is no evidence of a lost or corrupted Gospel. What we have today are the same Gospels known to Christians in Muhammad’s time.
Consider the evidence:
- The Dead Sea Scrolls (discovered in 1947) pre-date Muhammad by hundreds of years. These scrolls, especially those of the Old Testament, prove that the biblical text was preserved across centuries.
- For the New Testament, early manuscripts like Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, both from the 4th century, contain the same four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — that Christians read today.
- Fragments like the Rylands Papyrus (P52) date to around 125 AD, only decades after the original writing of the Gospel of John.
- There is no historical record of any alternative Gospel known to early Christians.
If Muslims claim the Gospel was corrupted, when did this happen? Before Muhammad? Then why does the Qur’an affirm its reliability? After Muhammad? That makes no sense, as manuscripts older than the Qur’an exist today.
Furthermore, the Qur’an itself says, “There is none that can alter the words of Allah” (Qur’an 6:115). Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God. Therefore, according to the Qur’an’s own claim, the Bible could not have been corrupted.
Muhammad himself seemed unaware of any corrupted Scriptures. When uncertain, he was told, “If you are in doubt about what We have revealed to you, then ask those who have been reading the Scripture before you” (Qur’an 10:94). This assumes that Jews and Christians still possessed the true Scriptures.
The idea of a corrupted Gospel arose later, among Islamic scholars trying to explain away the contradictions between the Qur’an and the Bible. But this claim has no basis in either the Qur’an or history.
In truth, the Gospel we read today is the same Gospel that Muhammad affirmed — the Gospel that tells of Jesus, the Son of God, crucified and risen, offering salvation to all who believe.
God in Islam Does Not Love
In the Bible, God’s essential nature is love. This is not just one of His attributes; it defines His being. “God is love” (1 John 4:8). From the opening pages of Scripture, God is shown as a God who reaches out, who seeks relationship with His creation (Genesis 3:9). His love is patient, self-sacrificing, pursuing even the lost and rebellious (Luke 15:4-7).
In contrast, Allah in the Qur’an is never described as love itself. Though he is called “Al-Wadud” (the Loving One) in Qur’an 11:90 and 85:14, this love is conditional. Allah only loves certain people:
- “Indeed, Allah loves those who rely upon Him” (Qur’an 3:159).
- “Indeed, Allah loves those who purify themselves” (Qur’an 9:108).
- “Indeed, Allah does not love the transgressors” (Qur’an 2:190).
- “Indeed, Allah does not love the disbelievers” (Qur’an 3:32).
In Islam, love is transactional. Allah loves the obedient but withholds love from sinners. Mercy and compassion are mentioned repeatedly (Qur’an 1:1), but nowhere is Allah described as loving sinners while they are still sinners (contrast Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”).
In Christianity, love drives God’s actions. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” (John 3:16). He loves the unlovable. Jesus commands, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44) — reflecting God’s own heart. The entire Gospel message flows from divine love seeking to rescue mankind.
By contrast, in Islam, Allah remains distant. The 99 names of Allah describe power, judgment, and mercy, but not intimate, unconditional love.
This difference changes the relationship between God and humanity:
- In Christianity, God is Father (Matthew 6:9). Believers are His children (John 1:12).
- In Islam, Allah is Master. Muslims are slaves (‘abd). The title “Father” for God is absent, even forbidden.
A father loves. A master rewards and punishes. This fundamental difference cannot be ignored.
In the end, Islam offers mercy from Allah, but not a personal love relationship. Christianity offers adoption into God’s family through Jesus Christ, grounded in eternal love.
Islam’s Misunderstanding of the Trinity
A serious misunderstanding found within Islamic theology is its representation of the Christian Trinity. The Qur’an mistakenly portrays the Christian belief as worshiping three distinct gods: Allah, Jesus, and Mary. This is most explicitly stated in Qur’an 5:116:
“And [beware the Day] when Allah will say, ‘O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, “Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah?”’”
No Christian in history has ever taught or believed that the Virgin Mary is a member of the Trinity. Christians honor Mary as the mother of Jesus, but worship belongs to God alone. Jesus Himself emphasized the singularity of God:
“Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” (Matthew 4:10).
The biblical doctrine of the Trinity teaches that God is one in essence but three in person: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). This is not a belief in three gods (tritheism). Rather, Christianity holds monotheism — one God — but understands God’s inner being to be more complex than simple unitarianism. Islam misunderstands this entirely.
The Qur’an addresses a false version of Christianity:
- In Qur’an 4:171, Christians are told: “Do not say ‘Three’; desist — it is better for you. Allah is but one God.”
But Christians do not say “three” in the sense the Qur’an assumes. The Trinity is not three separate gods. The Nicene Creed, formulated centuries before the Qur’an, declares:
“We believe in one God, the Father Almighty… and in one Lord Jesus Christ… and in the Holy Spirit…”
This ancient creed affirms monotheism, not polytheism. God is one being in three persons. His nature is relational. The Father loves the Son (John 3:35), the Son glorifies the Father (John 17:1), and the Spirit proceeds from both to indwell believers (John 14:16-17). This divine relationship is the source of all human love and relationship.
In denying the Trinity, Islam denies not only the Son, but also the true Fatherhood of God. As Qur’an 5:18 says:
“The Jews and the Christians say, ‘We are the children of Allah and His beloved.’ Say, ‘Then why does He punish you for your sins?’ Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created.”
In contrast, Jesus taught believers to pray directly to “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). The title of Father expresses God’s personal love and care — something Islam rejects.
By misunderstanding the Trinity as worship of three gods — Allah, Jesus, and Mary — Islam dismisses the actual doctrine without ever truly addressing it. Christians worship one God, not three. And only through the Son can humanity know the Father:
“No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
The True Jesus, Not Islam’s Version
Islam honors Jesus with titles but strips them of their meaning. Calling Him al-Masīḥ (ٱلْمَسِيح) without understanding that this means Mashiach (מָשִׁיחַ) — the Anointed One, the Savior — is hollow. Saying He was born of a virgin (Qur’an 3:45-47) but denying His crucifixion (Qur’an 4:157) and resurrection (Qur’an 4:158) is rejecting His purpose. Recognizing Him as “a word from God” (Qur’an 4:171) while denying that He is the Word made flesh (John 1:14) is confusion.
Islam teaches that Jesus was a prophet sent only to Israel, a man who performed miracles but did not die for sins, who was not the Son of God, who will return only to break crosses and rule under Islam. This is not the Jesus of history, prophecy, or salvation. This is not the Jesus that the Torah, the Prophets, and the Gospel reveal.
Christianity offers no confusion:
- Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:31).
- He is the Word of God, existing before creation (John 1:1).
- He is the Lamb of God, sacrificed for our sins (John 1:29).
- He is God in the flesh (John 1:14).
- He is the Messiah, the fulfillment of all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27).
- He is the Savior of the world (John 4:42).
Islam’s misunderstanding is not a small error — it is a denial of who Jesus truly is.
This matters eternally.
Jesus said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
(John 14:6)
And again:
“This is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”
(John 17:3)
Therefore, to every reader:
Turn to the real Jesus. Not the Jesus of religion, nor the Jesus of culture, nor the Jesus reduced to a prophet by later teachings.
Turn to the Jesus revealed in Scripture.
The true al-Masīḥ.
The Son of God.
The Savior of the world.
In Him alone is life.
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28)
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
(John 3:16)