Rebuttal to Sam Shamoun's Article, "Is Jesus Like Adam?"

by

Bassam Zawadi

 

Shamoun, in his article, wastes too much time trying to show differences between Adam and Jesus in order to try and prove that the verse in the Qur'an... 

Surah 3:59

Truly, the likeness of Jesus, in God's sight, is as Adam's likeness; He created him of dust, then said He unto him, 'Be,' and he was 

is false.

Sam seems ignorant of what the verse is trying to prove. The verse is not saying that Jesus and Adam are alike in a general sense, but that they are alike in the sense that they were created without a father.

Ibn Kathir says in his commentary:

Therefore, He Who created Adam without a father or a mother is able to create `Isa, as well, without a father. If the claim is made that `Isa is Allah's son because he was created without a father, then the same claim befits Adam even more. However, since such a claim regarding Adam is obviously false, then making the same claim about `Isa is even more false. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Source) 

Al Suyuti says in his commentary:

Truly, the likeness of Jesus, his remarkable case, in God's sight, is as Adam's likeness, as the case of Adam, whom God created without father or mother: this is a comparison of one remarkable thing with another more remarkable, so that it convinces the disputer and establishes itself in one's mind more effectively. He created him, Adam, that is, his form, of dust, then said He to him, 'Be,', a human being, and he was; similarly, He said to Jesus, 'Be' - without a father - and he was. (Jalal ud-Din Siyuti, Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Commentary on Surah 3:59, Source)

 So here we see that the Qur'an is refuting a SPECIFIC argument that Christians put forth for Jesus being the Son of God, and that is that Jesus was born without a father. 

A Christian writer candidly admits:

Some Christians, it is true, might conclude that because Jesus was born of the virgin Mary, therefore He is the Son of God. (Luther Engelbrecht & Ernest Hahn, Jesus as the Son of God, Source) 

Shamoun himself argues that the virgin birth is an argument (not the only argument but an argument) for Jesus being the Son of God:

Yet, why would there be a need for Jesus to be born of a virgin seeing that the process of sexual reproduction had already been established by God? The Quran does not give us an answer, yet the Holy Bible does:

"And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no husband? Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and so the holy Thing which shall be born, will be called the Son of God." Luke 1:34-34

The reason for the virgin birth is that Jesus is the Son of God. Being the Son of God, this was the only befitting manner for him to enter time and space. (Sam Shamoun, Responses to "Islamic Information": Jesus on whom be peace in the Glorious Qur'an, Source) 

Shamoun thinks he might have refuted the Qur'anic logic by arguing that Adam is an exception since he was the first of mankind. However, the Qur'an's logic is that the miracle of Adam's and Jesus' creation without a father refutes the simple argument that "Jesus not having a father means God is his father." Shamoun also assumes that Jesus was given this miracle because he was divine. However, to prove this, he must provide other evidence and not just the mere fact that Jesus was created without a father.

So the Qur'anic verse is only refuting the specific argument "Jesus was created without a father; therefore, he is the Son of God" and not using this verse to refute ALL arguments Christians pose for the alleged deity of Christ.

He also mentions that there is a contradiction between Surah 3:59 and 38:71-75. However, this argument has already been refuted here.

 

 

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