Naming previous Prophets as the sons of Allah

            Allah (SWT) named a number of previous Prophets as the sons of Allah. We read in the Old Testament:

1.     In Exodus: “And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn.”[1] So, Israel, who is Jacob, is the firstborn of Allah.

2.     In Jeremiah: “for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”[2] Notice that the first text informs tat Israel is the firstborn of Allah; while in the second text it is Ephraim who is he first born of Allah. There are many others who are the firstborns of Allah!!

3.     In Romans we read: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”[3] If all these are the firstborns of Allah what will Jesus (peace be upon him) be in relation to Allah?

4.     A long time before the birth of Jesus (peace be upon him) Allah (SWT) said to David (peace be upon him): “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.”[4]

5.     Allah (SWT) said to Solomon: “he shall build my house and my courts: for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.”[5]

6.     Moses said to his people: “Ye are the children of the LORD your God.”[6]

7.     Isaiah said in his supplication: “thou, O LORD, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.”[7]

8.     Jesus (peace be upon him) said to the Jewish clergy that they were gods: “Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?’”[8] Then has any Christians said that they were gods as Jesus is a god, as they allege?

9.     Allah said to Moses (peace be upon him): “And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.”[9] Do you, O Christians, believe that Moses (peace be upon him) was a god and his brother Aaron was his Prophet as the text of the present expression implies if we take it literally?

           Ask the Christian this question and he will answer: “No definitely because it does not mean a real god.” Then ask him why he does not abide by what he wants others to abide by.

           Jesus cannot be a god, either. As we have seen from several texts, Allah has many sons. So, if we believe in all the texts, Jesus cannot be the son of Allah. So, you have to understand the texts of the Gospels figuratively as you do the other texts occurring in the Old Testament and New Testament, where it is mentioned that Allah (SWT) said that He was the father of Solomon, David and all people. If Allah is the father of all people, why shall we exclude Jesus alone?

            This doctrine results in dangerous consequences, as John says in his Gospel: “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”[10] John also says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish.”[11]

            By the way, the phrase “the only son of God” occurs only in the Gospel of John, which was the last Gospel to be written.

            O Christian! If you want to be fair you must equal the sonship of Jesus with that of David, Solomon, Israel, Ephraim and others that were mentioned in the Old Testament of your Holy Scripture. You must understand that it is a figurative addition, as you understand the expression in the Gospel describing Jesus (peace be upon him) as “the lamb of Allah”. None of you say he is a real lamb, an animal species, but we believe that it is a figurative usage. “The son of Allah”, likewise, is a figurative expression, as we say (in Arabic) “the children of Yemen”, “the children of Palestine”.