The Bible or the Quran? - Sadat Anwar vs Tony Costa

Frequently Asked Questions

1.Do Muslims believe in the Bible?

2.What is the Bible?

The Bible is the holy book of the Christians

3.In the Bible, God says "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Begotten son"

The words "Begotten" and "Son" are not accurate. View Jesus is the Son of God for more information.

In the Quran, God says:

"They say: (God) Most Gracious has begotten a son! Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! At it the skies are ready to burst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin, That they should invoke a son for (God) Most Gracious. For it is not consonant with the majesty of (God) Most Gracious that He should beget a son." (Quran 19:88-92)

4.Who were the authors of the books in the Bible?

Obviously the Church must know them very well since they are popularly believed to have received divine inspiration from God Himself. Right? Actually, they don't.

For example, we will note that every Gospel begins with the introduction "According to..." such as:
"The Gospel according to Mark"
"The Gospel according to Matthew"
"The Gospel according to Luke"
"The Gospel according to John"

The obvious conclusion for the average man on the street is that these people are known to be the authors of the books attributed to them.

This, however is not the case. Why? Because not one of the vaunted 4,000 copies existent carries its author's signature.

It has just been assumed that certain people were the authors of the books.

5.Does the Bible tell us to act like slaves?

Historically, the Bible has been used by some to enslave, subjugate and dominate over a people.

The "Curse of Ham" Myth: Pro-slavery advocates twisted Genesis 9 to claim that people of African descent were divinely cursed to be eternal servants.

Old Testament Legal Protection: Slaveholders cited Leviticus 25 to argue that purchasing foreign bondmen and passing them down as inherited property was biblically sanctioned.

Weaponising Obedience Verses: Plantation owners frequently read verses like Ephesians 6:5 ("Slaves, obey your masters") to religiously brainwash enslaved people against rebelling.

The Redacted "Slave Bible": British and American authorities physically censored the scriptures, deleting the entire Book of Exodus to hide the narrative of freedom from bondage.

Enforcing Fugitive Slave Laws: Pro-slavery preachers used Paul's letter to Philemon to argue that runaway slaves were legally and spiritually obligated to return to their masters.

6.Is Muhammad mentioned in the Bible?

God has placed many signs in Scripture which point to the coming of Muhammad.

7.Does the Bible support the Trinity (3-in-1) God concept?

This verse mentions the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Ghost) in the King James Version Bible (KJV). Bible critics agree the KJV verse is a forgery that was added into the Bible. More modern, accurate Bibles give different text:

And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth - (RSV Bible)

And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth - (ASV Bible)

For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. (NIV Bible)

8.The Bible is about peace and forgiveness

If two men are fighting and ones wife gets involved in the dispute, the Bible tells her husband to cut off her hand.

9.What is the punishment for apostasy in The Bible (Old Testament)?

According to the Bible (Old Testament), the punishment for apostasy (turning away from Gods religion) is death

10.Is the Bible a peaceful scripture with no violence?

No. In the Bible, Moses orders the killing of all men

11.What is the oldest manuscript of the Bible New Testament?

It is of enormous importance in establishing the biblical text. There are three earliest manuscripts of the Bible New Testament:

1. Codex Alexandrinus is one of the earliest and most important manuscripts of the entire Bible in Greek

2. Codex Sinaiticus is one of the most important books in the world and is kept in the British Library. Handwritten well over 1600 years ago, the manuscript contains the Christian Bible in Greek, including the oldest complete copy of the New Testament.

<"a href="http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/" target="_blank">codexsinaiticus.org

3. Codex Vaticanus in Rome

12.Is the word 'Bible' used in the Bible itself?

The Greek word 'Biblos' is a standard term for a collection of any books, and not specific to scripture. In Acts 19:19, a collection of books (Biblos) are burned. Does that mean the Holy Bible was burned and destroyed? Obviously not!

13.Who are the Gods in the Bible?

Emperor Constantine at the opening of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) quoted Psalm 82:6 to remind the bishops that their high office should raise them above jealousy and party feeling.

The term 'God' was applied to people of power, authority and rule who were considered to have greater nearness to God than others - an appellation which implies that you are God's representatives on earth, and that your decision is, in an important sense, to be regarded as his.

14.Who translated the Bible from Greek into Latin?

Saint Jerome (342-420) was commissioned to translate the gospels from Greek into Latin. This key Catholic Biblical scholar was highly regarded and often represented with the figure of a lion.

15.When were Catholics encouraged to read the Bible for themselves?

In 1909, Pope Pius X first encouraged Bible study. For the first time, Catholics could now study the Bible for themselves and Catholicism returned to being a 'religion of the book' for the people

16.How was the Bible used to manipulate the people?

The 16th century translators of the Geneva Bible harnassed it to promote their anti-monarchist views.

The medieval Church prohibited use of the Bible to ensure people believed that they were told, not what they read, or others read to them.

17.Who was Lazarus of Bethany in the Bible?

In the Gospel of John, Lazarus was a close friend of Jesus Christ and the brother of Mary and Martha. They lived in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem.

18.What was the miracle of Lazarus of Bethany in the Bible?

Lazarus fell ill and died. According to the text, Jesus arrived four days after Lazarus was buried in a tomb, ordered the stone to be rolled away, and commanded, "Lazarus, come out!" The Raising of Lazarus is considered one of Jesus' most significant and dramatic miracles, directly setting off the events leading to the Crucifixion because it drew massive public attention.