Muslims' most common questions are about the Bible, Christ, and the Trinity. Answering their questions opens the way to tell them our message: We have peace with God through Christ.

Before you start, be ready for the Muslim "jihad of the tongue." Many are as interested in leading you to Islam as you are in leading them to Christ.

The Bible

Many Muslims are taught that the Bible is corrupt and are discouraged from reading it. Reassure Muslims that the Bible is trustworthy.

• Mohammad claimed that the Bible was a right guide. Bibles today are translated from texts before the time of Mohammad.
• Honest people will not falsify a holy book.
• Thousands of ancient manuscripts of the books of the Bible have survived that verify our modern text.
• Ancient Christian writers quoted the New Testament so much that almost the whole New Testament (save roughly a dozen verses) can be verified from quotes of Christian writers of the 100's and 200's AD.

Christ

Muslims misunderstand what Christians mean by "Son of God." Mohammad said in the Qur'an, "How can God have a son when he has no female companion?" For Muslims raised in Islamic countries, it seems as if Christians say God had relations with Mary and so Jesus is some sort of second god.

Clear up these misunderstandings. When we call Jesus "Son of God," we do not mean "son" in a fleshly way. The Bible is clear: according to the flesh, Jesus was son of Mary; according to the Spirit, Son of God. The early church compared it to a light shining and "begetting" light, as the Nicene Creed says, "Light from Light, begotten, not made." Christ is God's Word made flesh. In the Qur'an, Mohammad agreed that Jesus is the Word of God. We can build from that to the idea of Jesus being God's full self-revelation in human form.

The Qur'an also denies that Jesus was crucified. But the New Testament, along with Greek and Jewish historical sources, attest that Jesus was executed by crucifixion. Roman sources mention his execution under Pontius Pilate.

The Trinity

Muslims strongly attack the idea of the Trinity. The Qur'an discusses worshiping Jesus and Mary as two other gods besides the true God. (This was once taught by a heretical Christian group in Arabia.)

Reassure Muslims that we believe in one God, not three gods. Some early Christian writers said God's Word (his Son) and God's Spirit are like God's right and left hands, which God uses to work in the world. Like all comparisons, this is imperfect, but it shows that we see God as one. Proper teaching about the Trinity guards against two errors: either dividing God into more than one God, or confusing Father, Son, and Spirit. God is One: He sends his Word and his Spirit into the world. God's Word became human in Christ. God's Word and God's Spirit can live inside us and change us into children of God.

Anne Kim is a programmer/analyst who enjoys spreading the good news of Christ and answering questions about Christianity and the Bible.

Check out another article by Anne Kim about witnessing to Muslims: Basic how to-s of sharing Jesus with Muslims.

About Islam: For more information on what Muslims believe about God, read Basic Facts about Islam.