Nativity in Islam and Baby Jesus Speaking from the Cradle

Last updated on: December 25, 2021 at 7:40 am By Ejaz Naqvi, MD

I had published a post earlier about the account of Annunciation as they appear in the Qur’an and the Gospels. As we near Christmas, it is worthwhile to review Islamic aspects of the annunciation, nativity, and something that does not show up in the canonized Gospels- Jesus speaking from the cradle. Only two of the canonized Gospels (of Matthew and Luke) actually narrate the birth of Jesus- both placing it in Bethlehem. The Gospels of Mark and John are pretty... Read more

Is the Islamic Isa the Same Person as Jesus?

Last updated on: December 21, 2021 at 11:49 pm By Ejaz Naqvi, MD

Muslims hold Jesus in high esteem. Some have argued that Isa, as he is referred to in the Qur’an, and by Muslims, is not the same person as Jesus. To be clear, this argument is mostly made by those who have no intention of promoting understanding between Muslims and Christians. But as we will see here, Isa and Jesus are indeed the same person. They argue that many of the Biblical Prophets mentioned in the Qur’an have phonetic closeness to... Read more

Believing is Good But is it Good Enough?

Last updated on: November 29, 2021 at 12:14 am By Ejaz Naqvi, MD

The Qur’an and the Bible repeatedly remind us that the belief in God is the foremost commandment, along with belief in angels, Prophets, the Scriptures and the Hereafter. However if we examine the Qur’an more deeply, it becomes clear that even though it is essential, belief alone may not be good enough to get the ultimate reward- the nearness and love of God. In addition to the believing, the Qur’an places a premium on actions- the doing part. The Qur’an... Read more

Should We Celebrate Thanksgiving Day?

Last updated on: November 25, 2021 at 12:11 pm By Ejaz Naqvi, MD

4th Thursday of November is the traditional Thanksgiving Day in America- a tradition that is centuries old, celebrating the day Americans fed the undocumented aliens from Europe! The first official Thanksgiving is believed to be celebrated after the harvest in Plymouth, New England in 1621 by the pilgrims. Even prior to that, it was customary for many of the pilgrims to give thanks, mostly after the harvest in the autumn. However, more recently people have pointed, correctly, the atrocities,... Read more

Annunciation to Abraham in the Qur’an and the Bible

Last updated on: November 20, 2021 at 8:15 am By Ejaz Naqvi, MD

My previous post was about annunciation to Mary, mother of Jesus. Here, the verses from the Qur’an and the Bible (the book of Genesis from the Hebrew Bible) are compared. Annunciation to Abraham in the Qur’an The annunciation appears at least in 4 different chapters (Surahs). In some places, the son/s are names, while in others his wife (Sarah- not mentioned by name) laughs and is surprised. In some of the passages, the angels then go on to the people... Read more

Annunciation to Mary, Zechariah and Abraham in Qur’an and Bible: Part 1

Last updated on: November 14, 2021 at 12:56 pm By Ejaz Naqvi, MD

Annunciation is widely celebrated by Christians. It is the announcement, or glad tidings, to Mary by archangel Gabriel, about the birth of Jesus Christ. The annunciation, or the announcement, also appears in the Qur’an. Even though annunciation traditionally refers only in relation to Mary and Jesus Christ, both the Qur’an and the Bible speaks of other annunciations, notably to Zechariah for John the Baptist(known as Yahya in the Qur’an) and Abraham (for Isaac and Ishmael). This is a 3-part post... Read more

Believing in Muhammad’s Prophecy is Essential for Muslims

Last updated on: October 31, 2021 at 10:19 pm By Ejaz Naqvi, MD

An essential part of being a “Muslim” is to believe in One True God and believing in the Prophecy of Prophet Muhammad. This forms the foundation of the Shahada, or the testimony that states “I bear witness that there is no god but God (One True God, or Allah in Arabic), and Muhammad is His Prophet”. An interesting fact is that the Shahada in its complete form does not appear in the Qur’an. However there are numerous passages throughout the... Read more

Joseph, Son of Jacob (Yusuf) in the Qur’an and the Bible

Last updated on: October 16, 2021 at 9:35 pm By Ejaz Naqvi, MD

The story of Jospeh as it appears in the Qur’an and the Bible are compared here, noting the similarities and the differences. Joseph (or Yusuf, as he is known in the Qur’an) was the eleventh son of Jacob and the only prophet among his twelve sons, according to the Islamic traditions. He is one of the most highly regarded prophets in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. This post provides a brief overview with similarities and variations in the story of Joseph... Read more

Do Animals Worship God and Will They Go to Heaven?

Last updated on: September 10, 2021 at 2:56 pm By Ejaz Naqvi, MD

While humans (at least most) do worship God in some manner or form, have you also wondered whether animals also worship God? Or whether animals will go to paradise? Let’s review what the Qur’an and the Bible say on this subject. Review of Qur’an’s passages: Let’s start with the question whether the animals worship God. There are a number of passages that address this question. Among the creation of God, men, the angels and Jinns (Genies) are well known to... Read more

There is No Compulsion in Religion

Last updated on: September 6, 2021 at 9:15 pm By Ejaz Naqvi, MD

With Afghanistan back under the rule of the Taliban and the presence of Daesh, mistakenly called ISIS, people are fearing forceful implementation of Islamic law, or even forced conversions. However, as explained below, this is opposite to the teachings of Islam, and more specifically, the Qur’an. Among the creation of God, there are those that are created with free will, and those without. The free will to obey and believe in God and His rules. Angels are subservient to God,... Read more