The Qur’an or the Bible?

A Comparative Apologetic Analysis of Allah, the Qur’an, Islam, and Muhammad vs. Jesus, the Bible, and Christianity

By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute

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Introduction

Throughout history, the world’s two largest religions—Christianity and Islam—have advanced distinctive and often conflicting portrayals of God, revelation, and salvation. The Qur’an, regarded by Muslims as the final revelation, presents Allah as a deity whose relationship with humanity is contingent upon submission to Islam. The Bible, on the other hand, presents God as love (1 John 4:8), a Father who seeks to reconcile all people to Himself through Jesus Christ. This paper seeks to contrast the theological foundations of Islam and Christianity by comparing the Qur’an’s depiction of Allah with the Bible’s revelation of God, examining the messages of Muhammad and Jesus, and evaluating the implications for human destiny.

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Allah and God: The Nature of Divine Love

The Qur’an describes Allah as an adversary to disbelievers:

“Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His messengers and Jibreel and Mikaeel, then indeed Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.” (Qur’an 2:98)

Furthermore, the Qur’an emphasizes that Allah does not love those who reject Islam:

“Allah does not love the disbelievers.” (Qur’an 3:32; cf. 22:38, 30:45)

In contrast, the Bible reveals God as universal in His love, desiring salvation for all:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
“God our Savior desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3–4)

Thus, whereas Allah’s love is conditional and selective, the God of the Bible reveals Himself as unconditionally loving, gracious even toward His enemies.

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Muhammad and Jesus: Teachings on Violence and Peace

Muhammad instructed his followers to engage in aggressive combat against unbelievers:

“O you who believe! Fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you, and let them find in you hardness.” (Qur’an 9:123)
“Fight them until there is no more persecution and religion is only for Allah.” (Qur’an 8:39)

In stark contrast, Jesus Christ proclaimed a radically different ethic:

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

Where Muhammad advocated warfare to expand religious dominance, Jesus exemplified nonviolence and sacrificial love, even unto death on the cross.

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Islam and Christianity: Theological Implications

The Qur’an’s theology fosters a worldview of hostility toward those outside Islam, legitimizing coercion and militancy. Christianity, however, roots its theology in God’s love revealed in Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

This contrast underscores two fundamentally different visions of God’s kingdom:

• Islam advances through submission enforced by power.

• Christianity advances through transformation of hearts by divine love.

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Conclusion

The central apologetic question is not merely Qur’an or Bible?, but ultimately What vision of God is true? The Qur’an presents Allah as selective in love and hostile to disbelievers, while the Bible presents God as love itself, extending grace to all humanity. Muhammad promoted militant expansion; Jesus Christ offered Himself in meekness, humility, and sacrificial love.

Thus, for the Christian apologist, the evidence compels one to affirm the Bible over the Qur’an, Jesus over Muhammad, and Christianity over Islam. For only in Christ do we find a God who is both just and loving, offering redemption not by force, but by grace.

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