Muslim apologists discredit Islam when they say Paul hijacked Christianity – Part 1

Following the bible teachings proves that Muhammad is a false prophet and Quran is least to say man made and not least to say devil inspired

That is why one of the famous Islamic false accusations is that “Apostle Paul hijacked Christianity and made Jesus God ASTAGHFIRU ALLAH”

But what did Islam from its original sources say about Apostle Paul?

Messiah Jesus Sends the apostles

In Surah Ya-Seen 36:14

“إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنِ فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا إِلَيْكُمْ مُرْسَلُونَ ” .

When We sent to them two (apostles), and they rejected both of them, so We confirmed them with a third one. So they said, “We are sent to you.”  (Taqi Usmani)

So Allah is talking and saying we sent to them two apostles, but then we find in Tafasir a surprise

The Surprise in Tafsir Al Qurtobi for 36:14

The lord God referred that (meaning sending the apostles) to himself because Eissa (Jesus) sent them by the commandment of the Lord, and that happened when Eissa was ascended to heaven

Question: So according to the Qur’anic text who sent the apostles?

Answer: Allah

Question: Who’s role to send Apostles?

Answer: Allah

Question: when interpreted who really send the apostles in case of 36:14?

Answer: Jesus

Question: When did he do that?

Answer: when he ascended to heaven

Question: so Jesus from heaven is practising Authority?

Answer: yes

Question: Is he acting like God and sending apostles?

Answer: yes

Question: So Jesus is God who came in flesh?

Answer: naturally the answer should be yes

Arabic Reference

Paul in Tafsir Ibn Kathir for Surah 36:14

“When We sent to them two Messengers (apostles), they denied them both;”

means, they hastened to disbelieve in them

so We reinforced them with a third,

means, `We supported and strengthened them with a third Messenger. (third Apostle we will see his name in a sec)‘

Ibn Jurayj narrated from Wahb bin Sulayman, from Shu`ayb Al-Jaba’i,

“The names of the first two Messengers were Sham`un and Yuhanna, and the name of the third was Bulus (PaulP), and the city was Antioch (Antakiyah).

and they said,

means, to the people of that city,

Verily, we have been sent to you as Messengers.

meaning, `from your Lord Who created you and Who commands you to worship Him Alone with no partners or associates.’

This was the view of Abu Al-Aliyah. Qatadah bin Di`amah claimed that;

they were messengers of the Messiah, peace be upon him, sent to the people of Antioch.

So My dear Muslim friend take a deep breath and see who is Bulus (the apostle Paul) according to Surah 36:14-15?

Question: According to Quran, Is Paul a false apostle? Or a wicked man?

Answer: No

Question: Is he a man of God? a righteous believer?

Answer: yes

Question: Is he an apostle of God almighty?

Answer: yes

Question: Is he sent by the Messiah Jesus?

Answer: yes according to Ibn Kathir paul is the apostle of the Messiah Jesus

Question: Does this mean we should trust his epistles found in the bible (NT)?

Answer: yes whoever is seeking God and truth should read the 14 epistles written by Apostle Paul messenger of Jesus

Arabic Reference

قال ابن كثير[المتوفى774هـ] فى تفسيره للنص :

” وَقَوْلُهُ : ( إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنِ فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا ) أَيْ : بَادَرُوهُمَا بِالتَّكْذِيبِ ، ( فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ ) أَيْ : قَوَّيْنَاهُمَا وَشَدَدْنَا أَزْرَهُمَا بِرَسُولٍ ثَالِثٍ .

قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ ، عَنْ وَهْبِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ ، عَنْ شُعَيْبٍ الْجُبَّائِيِّ قَالَ : كَانَ اسْمُ الرَّسُولَيْنِ الْأَوَّلِينَ شَمْعُونَ وَيُوحَنَّا ، وَاسْمُ الثَّالِثِ بُولِصَ ، وَالْقَرْيَةُ أَنْطَاكِيَةُ .

( فَقَالُوا ) أَيْ : لِأَهْلِ تِلْكَ الْقَرْيَةِ : ( إِنَّا إِلَيْكُمْ مُرْسَلُونَ ) أَيْ : مِنْ رَبِّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ ، نَأْمُرُكُمْ بِعِبَادَتِهِ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ . قَالَهُ أَبُو الْعَالِيَةِ .

وَزَعَمَ قَتَادَةُ بْنُ دِعَامَةَ : أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا رُسُلَ الْمَسِيحِ ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ ، إِلَى أَهْلِ أَنْطَاكِيَةَ ” .

* أنظر تفسير ابن كثير – إسماعيل بن عمر بن كثير القرشي الدمشقي – الجزء السادس – ص : 569 – دار طيبة – سنة النشر: 1422هـ / 2002م .

http://library.islamweb.net/newlibrary/display_book.php?bk_no=49&ID=&idfrom=1549&idto=1570&bookid=49&startno=3

http://quran.al-islam.com/Page.aspx?pageid=221&BookID=11&Page=441

Other tafseer like “Ibn Abi Hatem Al Razi” confirm that the third apostle is Paul, please note that Ibn Hatim Al Razi is one of the earliest Tafsir as Ibn Abi Hatim died 450 years before Ibn Kathir!

Arabic Reference

وقال ابن أبى حاتم[المتوفى327هـ] فى تفسيره :

عَنْ شُعَيْبٍ الْجَبَائِيِّ، قَالَ:” اسْمُ الرَّسُولَيْنِ اللَّذَيْنِ قَالا:

” إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنِ ” ، شَمْعُونُ، وَيُوحَنَّا، وَاسْمُ الثَّالِثِ بُولِصُ” .

* انظر كتاب تفسير ابن أبي حاتم لابن أبي حاتم الرازي .

http://islamport.com/w/tfs/Web/924/5131.htm

Also we find the same in Tafsir Al Seyuouti “AL Dorr Al Manthour”

Arabic Reference

وقال السيوطى[المتوفى911هـ] فى تفسيره الدر المنثور :

وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ ، عَنْ شُعَيْبٍ الْجَبَائِيِّ قَالَ : اسْمُ الرَّسُولَيْنِ اللَّذَيْنِ قَالَ : إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنِ شَمْعُونُ، وَيُوحَنَّا، وَاسْمُ الثَّالِثِ بُولَصُ .

وَأَخْرَجَ الْفِرْيَابِيُّ ، وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ ، وَابْنُ جَرِيرٍ ، وَابْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ ، وَابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ فِي قَوْلِهِ : فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ . قَالَ : فَشَدَّدْنَا .

وَأَخْرَجَ عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ عَنْ عَاصِمٍ ، أَنَّهُ قَرَأَ : (فَعَزَزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ) مُخَفَّفَةً .

وَأَخْرَجَ ابْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ فِي قَوْلِهِ : إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنِ الْآيَةَ، قَالَ : اسْمُ الثَّالِثِ الَّذِي عُزِّزَ بِهِ شَمْعُونُ وَيُوحَنَّا : بُولَصُ، فَزَعَمُوا أَنَّ الثَّلَاثَةَ قُتِلُوا جَمِيعًا، وَجَاءَ حَبِيبٌ وَهُوَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَانَهُ، فَقَالَ : يَا قَوْمِ اتَّبِعُوا الْمُرْسَلِينَ فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ أَعْلَنَ بِإِيمَانِهِ فَقَالَ : إِنِّي آمَنْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ فَاسْمَعُونِ -وَكَانَ نَجَّارًا- أَلْقَوْهُ فِي بِئْرٍ، وَهِيَ الرَّسُّ، وَهُمْ أَصْحَابُ الرَّسِّ .

أنظر الدر المنثور في التفسير بالمأثور – جلال الدين السيوطي – –  سورة يس – قوله تعالى وَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ مَثَلًا أَصْحَابَ الْقَرْيَةِ إِذْ جَاءَهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ – الجزء الثاني عشر – ص : 336- مركز هجر

– سنة النشر: 2003م – 1424هـ – رقم الطبعة : الطبعة الأولى – عدد الأجزاء: خمسة عشر جزءا .

http://library.islamweb.net/newlibrary/display_book.php?flag=1&bk_no=203&surano=36&ayano=13

Dear Muslim a final word I leave with you

As you see if you decided to follow conspiracy theory and deny Apostle Paul and describe him as a false apostle who hijacked Christianity, you will have a problem with Quran and Tafsir itself and those on that issue will not be on your side. And even if you dropped all Paul’s epistles from NT, would that help?

The answer is that all the teaching concerning Jesus Christ being God and Man in the same time can be found from Jesus mouth himself

Read for example from Gospel of John the following

John 10:27-30

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

I and my Father are one.

So Jesus says he is the life giver and he is one with God the father, do you know what was the Jews response to that claim? At the same spot they tried to stone him because meanwhile he is a man he made himself God, but Jesus was not appointed to death that day because his death appointment was with the Cross for you and for me