From Al-Kadhi's understanding of the gospel, one comes to the conviction that it's not that he doesn't understand it, but that he won't accept that he is incapable of saving himself, that he needs Jesus. When i was first saved, i was shouting ecstatically for joy that my sin had been wiped out by faith in Jesus. A lady came and asked me why i was screaming, and i told her "i've just accepted Jesus as my saviour." She seemed not to understand, because she responded blankly. But God witnessed to me that she did not accept His Son. At that point He cried in me for her soul. That one person would refuse God's Son, and all the love that He gives tore my soul in agony. It is the same with Al-Kadhi. This chapter contains basically two arguments, which we will answer. First he says that Jesus Himself never preached the need for atonement. Second he says that heaven can be attained by merit through good deeds. This central error in muslim theology explains the teaching of the "five pillars" or duties prescribed for "submission" to God. To deny the need for Jesus' sacrifice, Al-Kadhi undercuts original sin. He draws the inference that babies are sinless. Yet even in the Koran Mohammad says (no doubt from his learning with a heretical monk) that all babies are touched by Satan at birth. David says in Psalm 51 by the Holy Spirit, "Surely I was sinful in my mother's womb, from the time of conception." Al-Kadhi juxtaposes the sinful nature of man with Jesus' statement that,"The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these," referring to little children. There is controversy in the church about the salvation of unbaptised infants, but when one actually witnesses a baby being baptised, there is tremendous power released in the heavens. No doubt baptism has a lot of merit, and is even a commandment for believers. What God does about a baby who cannot make a conscious decision about Christ is not implicitly clear, but in Romans we read that those who do not hear the gospel (ie- comprehend it) will be judged by their conscience. God is merciful. Solomon says that even a stillborn child is better off than a man who lives in darkness (ie- without the Gospel). We are then asked to believe that the Fathers of Faith, such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses are condemned by Pauline theology, never having accepted the cross. But the New Testament says these men, knowing the things which were to be, having had the glory of Christ revealed to them, lived out the promises of God by faith with works (Hebrews 11). Abraham offered up Isaac in obedience to God (faith with works), Moses left Egypt for Canaan when God called him, suffering the loss of power and position among Pharaoh's household. These examples do not nullify the message of grace. They point to it: IPeter1:10-11-"As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow." Jesus explained on the road to Emmaus to two disciples how all the Law and the prophets foretold the glories of Christ (Luke 24). Jesus says that to God all men are alive and that those who participate in the feast in the kingdom of heaven will sit down and eat with these very men! The Deuteronomy 18:18 passage in which muslims err, ascribing Moses' prophecy to Muhammad, is revealed by Jesus' disciples to be messianic, as are the rest: John 1:45-"Philip found Nathanael and said to him, 'We have found Him of Whom Moses in the Law and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Jesus and Paul commend these men for their faith in Christ, integral to which is the sacrifice of Christ. Al-Kadhi blanks on the point of Jesus actually claiming to die for the sins of men. He is blind to the words spoken by the Lord Himself to His disciples, Luke 22:19-20-"And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them , saying, 'This is my body which is given for you; do this in rememberance of me.' And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood'." If that is not clear enough an indication of the cross, let's look at: John 6:53-56-"Jesus therefore said to them, 'Truly, truly I say unto you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him." And did Jesus say He was to be crucified? John 3:14-15-"For as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up from the earth, so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life." So not only are men sinful by nature, as genetically inherited a trait as hair color, but Jesus Himself did explicitly point to need for atonement, which He would provide. Al-Kadhi goes on in the second part to require good works for salvation, without the cross. His error is a common one, that a person's good deeds must outweigh their bad deeds to get to heaven. But God wants perfection, a 4.0, not a 2.6. The error is in perception of God and His holiness, and the nature of His love. God's holiness will not permit sin to enter in His presence. Even a single sin brings the charge of the whole Law against a soul. A criminal who steals can be thrown in jail without committing murder. The punishment is for a single infringement. So if earthly laws judge by strict penalty for the slightest infraction, how much more severe a transgression against the perfect Law of the Creator of the whole universe, who keeps the planets in orbit? The problem is impossible to solve unless, as Jesus said, we keep the Law perfectly. But Paul was shown by the Lord that Law was only a mirror for us to see how much we failed to keep God's perfect requirements, and hence required a solution outside of ourselves, one which God had planned from the beginning of time, and encompasses Law completely, especially the greatest Law of Love. The Law of Love says to lay one's life down for one's friends (John 15:13). God said to Noah, "I will require an accounting for the life blood of every creature, and of every man will I require the blood of his brother." (Genesis 9:5, paraphrased) In the Ten Commandments, God says, "I am the Lord who visits the sins of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generations, but who loves those who love Me and keep My commandments, showing mercy to the thousandth generation." God has a good memory, and wants Himself to be glorified generationally, or He would not have chosen Israel to bear His witness corporately. But after Christ, the grace of God was open to all without question of inheritance, save the inheritance of heavenly blessings in His Son, Jesus Christ. So, while we were inheritors of a sinful nature, we all have free access to God's redemptive grace in His Son, Jesus Christ Who died for us on a cross to set us free from death. In calling attention to the unity of God, Al-Kadhi defeats his own argument. He quotes: Isaiah 45:21-"and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Savior there is none beside me" This is not a refutation of the deity of the Messiah, but a proof for it! The very name "Jesus" means deliverance, or salvation. Having said that, Jesus took up His cross and died for the sins of all, including you, me and all the 1.1 billion muslims, of whom God says, "God is not willing that any perish, but that all come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) The cross is foolishness to them that are perishing. So Al-Kadhi nullifies Jesus' death by snipping words from the Lord's mouth, and shifting attention solely to deeds. Faith must accompany works, that is what Jesus said, and what Paul said, and what we say. But faith cannot be in false revelation from angels who bring a different message (Gal.1). The message of Jesus' life, as well as His atoning death on the cross at the hands of ungodly sinners is what believers benefit from. His life, being perfectly conformed to the obedience of the Law, even unto death, removes the curse of the Law, even death and fear of punishment. Having dealt with Al-Kadhi's flawed interpretation of general theology, we will not trifle with sparse objections he makes with misquoted and decontextualized scriptures. If you miss the broad side of the barn, how can one expect to hit a flying target? In denying the cross, Al-Kadhi makes his exegesis of other scripture without foundation, as is his life without the good foundation of God's Son, Jesus Christ. We are praying for you to come to the truth, Al-Kadhi.
The Rebuttal to "What Did Jesus Really Say?"
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