Qur'an, Bible and Creation

From WikiIslam

Among the numerous Biblical creation passages, the verses in John, chapter one, seem to have had an absolutely enormous impact on the authors who penned the Koranic text.

Let’s review why this is so…

John 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men; and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. There was a man sent from God; his name was John. He came for a witness, that he might witness concerning the light, that all might believe through Him. He was not that light, but that he might witness concerning the light. He was the true light; He enlightens every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones believing into His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God. And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, glory as of an only begotten from the Father, full of grace and of truth. John witnesses concerning Him, and has cried out, saying, This One was He of whom I said, He coming after me has been before me, for He was preceding me. And out of His fullness we all received, and grace on top of grace. For the Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, that One declares Him.

John informs us regarding numerous things about Jesus Christ. Important for this discussion is that Jesus is The Son, The Word, & God – all at the same time. We are told unequivocally that the entire physical Universe was brought into existence through Jesus Christ.

Compare what John tells us about the creation of the Universe, to that of the Koran…

بديع السموت والأرض أنى يكون له ولد ولم تكن له صحبة وخلق كل شيء وهو بكل شيء عليم

BadeeAAu alssamawati waal-ardi anna yakoonu lahu waladun walam takun lahu sahibatun wakhalaqa kulla shay-in wahuwa bikulli shay-in AAaleemun

6.101 Originator (of) the heavens and the earth, that He has certainly been his Son, and not to be certainly his companion, and He created every thing that He will, and He on account of every thing that he will who knows.

According to this ayah, the Son (i.e. Jesus Christ) is shown to have created the heavens and the earth.

Let’s see why this is true by simply looking no further than the first word…

Defining the word…

بديع = “badeeAAu”

“badeeAAu” definition:

Active 2nd participle. Originated; invented; innovated; made done, produced, caused to be or exist, or brought into existence, newly, for the first time not having been or existed before, and not after the similitude of anything pre-existing; new; wonderful; unknown before. An originator, inventor, or innovator; one who makes, does, or produces, causes to be or exist, or brings into existence, newly, for the first time and not after the similitude of anything pre-existing. Wonderful originator, without depending upon any matter or pattern or help; wonderful thing; thing which is not after the similitude of anything pre-existing. A novelty; or thing existing for the first time; a first doer; as though meaning one who has none among his fellows to share, or participate, with him in a thing, or an affair. Such a one is the first doer in this affair; the first who has done it. Applied to a man, superlative in his kind in anything; in good and in evil; or in knowledge, or courage, or nobility. A man liberal in disposition. A full body.

It comes from the root “bada’a” (ba-dal-ayn), which means to produce something new, begin a thing, find out a new thing; create a thing. He became superlative in his kind; or it became so in its kind; in good or in evil; he was, or became, fat.

References:

An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume one, pp. 166 - 167

The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar p. 44

Concordance of the Koran, Gustav Flugel, p. 27

From the classic definition alone, we understand that the entire physical Universe was brought into being ex-nihilo (i.e. out of nothing – same as taught in the Holy Bible).

The classic definition also goes on to inform us that it applies to a man.

Thus, right from the very start, we have the premise that the Universe came into being – perhaps via a man.

So…

Where else is the word “badeeAAu” used in the Koran…?

It is used in only one other location….2.117

Here it is in context…

وقالوا اتخذ الله ولدا سبحنه بل له ما في السموت والأرض كل له قنتون

Waqaloo itakhatha Allahu waladan subhanahu bal lahu ma fee alssamawati waal-ardi kullun lahu qanitoona

2.116 And they said: " “allah” he has taken a Son, glory be to Him, much more certainly His, that which (is) in the heavens and the earth, all are certainly obedient unto Him.”

(Note…yet another Koranic confirmation to Jesus’ being the Son).

Next…

بديع السموت والأرض وإذا قضى أمرا فإنما يقول له كن فيكون

BadeeAAu alssamawati waal-ardi wa-itha qada amran fa-innama yaqoolu lahu kun fayakoonu

2.117 Originator (of) the heavens and the earth and when commanded entirely by (the) Word, so only certainly Him, He says: "Be thou." so (it) is.

As amazing as it is, both of these Koranic ex-nihilo ayahs have the Son as the subject matter!

Fact is that the Son is fully acknowledged, and He is given His rightful position as the Creator of the Universe, as per the Holy Bible.

2.117 even goes so far as to specifically inform us that the Son is the Word through which the Universe came into being!

Further, the root “bada’a” and its three derivatives (which includes “badeeAAu”) all pertain to Jesus Christ in the Koran. Each and every single solitary time.

• 2.117

• 6.101

• 46.9

• 57.27

Thus, we can be completely confident that the authors who penned these ayahs understood the Biblical Jesus, and that they give full credit to Jesus for creating the known Universe…

Jesus, the self-existing Son, Created the Known Universe

لو أراد الله أن يتخذ ولدا لاصطفى مما يخلق ما يشاء سبحنه هو الله الوحد القهار

Law arada Allahu an yattakhitha waladan laistafa mimma yakhluqu ma yashao subhanahu huwa Allahu alwahidu alqahharu

39.4 Although “allah” he intended that he takes a son; he has not chosen from that which he creates, (but) what he wills, glory be to him, he (is) “allah”, the one, the supreme.

39.4 is yet another clear Arabic ayah that boldly proclaims that Jesus is the Son.

In fact, it is stated that “he intended” (“arada” – completed action) that he takes (“yattakhitha”) a Son.

The stipulation being that the Son does not come from anything that is created (“yakhluqu”).

This should sound extremely familiar, as it proclaims that the Son (i.e. Jesus Christ) is uncreated!

A Son that has always existed.

Further, 39.5 point-blank tells us that the Son is Jesus Christ by the following statement…

39.5 He created the heavens and the earth, on account of The Truth…

This ayah tells us that “allah” created the known Universe with the help of “The Truth”.

It is already a very well established fact that “The Truth” is repeatedly mentioned as a deity attribute of Jesus Christ in both the Holy Bible as well as the Koran.

Now…once again… “allah” is shown to be in need of assistance in creating the Universe.

The assistance of the Son.

This is becoming quite a habit of the Koranic authors…to always be mentioning the Son in the context of creating the heavens and the earth.