112 OBJECTIONS TO SOME CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES

C. But, if the Qur'an is not Muhammad's composition but God's, it is not Muhammad but God who speaks of Muhammad's acts as crimes (ذنوب ). [Moreover, tradition shows that Muhammad confessed his own sinfulness, for Muslim and Bukhari relate that when he said to his followers, "Not even one of you shall enter Paradise except through the mercy of God Most High," and was asked, "Not even thou, O Apostle of God?" he said, "Not even I, except that God through His mercy cover me." Abu Hurairah relates that he heard Muhammad saying, "Verily I ask God for pardon, and I turn to Him in penitence seventy times in the day." In the Mishkatu'l Masabih (Babu'l Masajid, sect. ii. p. 62) we are told by Tirmadhi and Ahmar and Ibn Majah, on the authority of Fatimah, Muhammad's granddaughter, that whenever Muhammad entered the Mosque he used to say, "O my Lord, forgive me my sins (ذنوب ) and open to me the gates of Thy mercy," and on going out again he used to say, "O my Lord, forgive me my sins and open to me the gates of Thy grace."]—My object is merely to show you that in speaking of the sins of the Prophets the Qur'an does not contradict the Bible, and that your argument against the Bible on this point falls to the ground, if you accept the teaching of your own Qur'an. Remember too that the Qur'an agrees with the Bible in never accusing the Lord Jesus Christ of sin.

91. M. When Jesus said, "There is none good

AS ALLEGED TO BE TAUGHT IN THE BIBLE 113

but one, that is God," did He not imply 1 that He was not sinless? (Luke xviii. 19; see best reading) 2.

C. The idea that this is the meaning of the verse is refuted by the whole tenor of the Gospels, and by His own words, John viii. 46. (See also 1 Pet. ii. 22; 1 John iii. 5; Heb. iv. 15.) It means, "If you call Me good, remember that means more than an empty compliment. Only God is good: hence, if you acknowledge Me to be good, you recognize My oneness with the Father 3."

92. M. Baptism was given only to repentant sinners, yet Jesus was baptized (Matt. iii.13 sqq.; Luke iii. 21). Does not this prove that He was not sinless, if we accept your Gospels?

C. If you read what John the Baptist said in Matt. iii. 14, you will obtain an answer to this question.

93. M. Why then does the Gospel say that Christ was crucified, which the Qur'an denies? If He was crucified (which we deny), He must have been

1 The Bishop of Lahore says, "I used to lay stress on the form of the question, 'Why callest thou me?' &c., i.e., 'On what grounds do you think what is implied in the word good?' See Dean Church's famous sermon on the text."
2 Muslims also sometimes argue that Ps. li. 5 applies to Christ as well as to other men. (Rev. J. I. Hasler.) But (Isa. vii. 14: Matt. i. 18-25: Luke i. 35) Christ's Immaculate Conception is admitted by the Qur'an (Vide §§ 80, 116, 117, 118).
3 Dr. H. Martin Clark says, "In my experience the most helpful answer is to point out that Christ did not repudiate His own personal goodness, because to one who professed to have kept all the Law of God He said, 'One thing thou lackest: follow Me' (Mark x. 21: Luke xviii, 22)."