Friday, June 13, 2025

Theological Refutation of Islam: The Divine Ethic of Enemy Love as the Criterion of True Revelation

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute

Introduction

The manner in which a religious tradition instructs its adherents to treat enemies is a powerful indicator of its divine or human origins. In particular, the ethical directives of Jesus Christ regarding love for enemies stand in stark contrast to the martial injunctions found in the Quran. This article presents a theological critique of Islam’s claim to divine origin, focusing especially on Surah 9:14 (Q9:14) and its implications, while contrasting these with the teachings of Jesus as preserved in the New Testament. The conclusion is drawn that Allah, as depicted in the Quran, is not the God of the Bible, and therefore the prophets and apostles before Muhammad were not Muslims.

1. The Biblical Ethic of Enemy Love

One of the hallmarks of the New Testament is Jesus’ radical command to love one’s enemies. As recorded in Matthew 5:44, Jesus declares, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”1 This theme is reiterated throughout the New Testament and has its antecedents in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament):

  • Luke 6:27-28: “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”2

  • Proverbs 25:21-22: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”3

  • Romans 12:20: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”4

These teachings reflect the essential nature of God as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”5 The ethic of enemy love is not marginal, but central to the Christian revelation, culminating in Christ’s self-sacrificial death for sinners and enemies alike (Romans 5:8).6

2. The Quranic Ethic: Surah 9:14 and Divine Violence

In contrast, the Quran repeatedly sanctions violent struggle against non-believers, particularly in the Medinan surahs. Surah 9:14 reads:

“Fight them; Allah will punish them by your hands and will disgrace them and give you victory over them and satisfy the breasts of a believing people.”7

All major English translations render the message similarly, authorizing fighting, punishment, humiliation, and the satisfaction of the believing community.8 The exegetical tradition (tafsir) reinforces this interpretation. Ibn Kathir, for example, comments that this verse means Allah “will punish them at your hands, you are the ones who will inflict punishment upon them.”9 The message is echoed throughout other surahs (Q2:190-193; Q8:12-13; Q9:5, 29), establishing a pattern that stands at odds with the radical nonviolence of Jesus.10

Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) historically codified these commands into laws concerning jihad (offensive and defensive war), as attested by classical scholars such as al-Tabari and al-Mawardi.11 Attempts by modern apologists to recontextualize these verses do not erase the traditional, literal understanding embedded in both Sunni and Shia orthodoxy.12

3. Allah and the God of the Bible: Theological Incompatibility

A. God as Father

The Bible reveals God as Father—a personal, relational deity (Matthew 6:9; Romans 8:15).13 The Quran, in contrast, emphatically denies God’s fatherhood (Q5:18; Q6:101; Q19:88-93).14 This theological distinction is foundational.

B. God as Love

While the Bible asserts that “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16), the Quran never makes this ontological claim about Allah. Allah is described as “the Loving” (al-Wadud; Q11:90, Q85:14), but love is not presented as His essence.15

C. God Incarnate in Christ

Christianity proclaims that God was incarnate in Jesus Christ (John 1:1-18; Colossians 2:9). The Quran explicitly rejects the divinity and crucifixion of Christ (Q4:157-158).16 Therefore, the God revealed in Jesus is not the Allah described in the Quran.

4. The Prophets and Apostles: Not Muslims, Not Proclaimers of Islam

The claim that the biblical prophets and apostles were Muslims collapses under both historical and textual scrutiny:

  • The Hebrew prophets and New Testament apostles never professed faith in the Qur’anic Allah or recited the shahada.17

  • The ethical framework of the Hebrew Bible, while containing accounts of divinely sanctioned war, never commands perpetual violence against all non-believers. These wars were judicial, historically circumscribed, and ultimately aimed at redemption.18

  • The New Covenant inaugurated by Jesus is defined by reconciliation, peacemaking, and the abolition of ethnic, cultural, and religious hostilities (Ephesians 2:14-16; Galatians 3:28).19

5. Conclusion: Islam as a Contradiction of Divine Revelation

The Qur’anic teaching to “fight them… punish them by your hands… disgrace them” (Q9:14) is incompatible with the divine ethic of enemy love that Jesus proclaimed. The true measure of divine revelation is the perfection of love, mercy, and forgiveness—attributes uniquely revealed in the triune God of the Bible.20 Thus, Allah of the Quran is not the same as the God of the Bible, and Islam cannot be the final or true revelation from the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus.

Endnote:
The invitation stands for all to come to Jesus Christ, who alone reveals the heart of God, brings peace, and heals the wounds of both friend and enemy.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 5:44, English Standard Version (ESV).

  2. Luke 6:27-28, ESV.

  3. Proverbs 25:21-22, ESV.

  4. Romans 12:20, ESV.

  5. Exodus 34:6, ESV.

  6. Romans 5:8, ESV; cf. John Stott, The Cross of Christ, IVP, 1986, pp. 77-82.

  7. Quran 9:14, Sahih International translation; see also Pickthall, Yusuf Ali, Shakir, Muhammad Sarwar, Mohsin Khan, Arberry.

  8. See image and comparative English translations; cf. The Meaning of the Glorious Qur’an, Pickthall.

  9. Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Azim, commentary on Q9:14.

  10. Quran 2:190-193, 8:12-13, 9:5, 29.

  11. Al-Tabari, Jami’ al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, on Q9:14; al-Mawardi, al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya.

  12. See David Cook, Understanding Jihad, University of California Press, 2005, ch. 1–2.

  13. Matthew 6:9; Romans 8:15, ESV.

  14. Quran 5:18, 6:101, 19:88-93; see also Abdel Haleem, The Qur’an: A New Translation.

  15. 1 John 4:8, 16, ESV; Quran 11:90, 85:14; cf. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, The Study Quran, commentary on al-Wadud.

  16. John 1:1-18, Colossians 2:9, ESV; Quran 4:157-158.

  17. See Kenneth Cragg, The Call of the Minaret, Oxford University Press, 2000.

  18. See Paul Copan, Is God a Moral Monster?, Baker, 2011, ch. 14.

  19. Ephesians 2:14-16; Galatians 3:28, ESV.

  20. John 13:34-35, 1 John 4:8, Matthew 5:44.

Endnotes and References

  1. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV).

  2. The Qur’an, various translations (Sahih International, Pickthall, Yusuf Ali, Shakir, Arberry, Mohsin Khan, Muhammad Sarwar).

  3. Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Azim.

  4. Al-Tabari, Jami’ al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an.

  5. Al-Mawardi, al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya.

  6. David Cook, Understanding Jihad, University of California Press, 2005.

  7. Kenneth Cragg, The Call of the Minaret, Oxford University Press, 2000.

  8. Paul Copan, Is God a Moral Monster?, Baker, 2011.

  9. John Stott, The Cross of Christ, IVP, 1986.

  10. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, ed., The Study Quran, HarperOne, 2015.

  11. Samuel Zwemer, The Moslem Christ, American Tract Society, 1912.

  12. Abdel Haleem, The Qur’an: A New Translation, Oxford University Press, 2004.

Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute



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