In a previous article, we addressed the popular Christian argument known as the Islamic Dilemma, which goes as follows:
The Quran instructs Christians to follow the Gospel (Injeel).
Therefore, Christians must adhere to the New Testament as it exists today.
But the New Testament contradicts the Quran.
Therefore, the Quran is false.
This line of reasoning is flawed for several reasons:
First, the Quran calls on Christians and Jews to uphold their original scriptures as a source of divine law—not to follow later theological interpretations or inherited traditions.
Second, this argument falsely equates the Injeel with the entire New Testament. The Quran only affirms the Gospel given to Jesus—not the collection of writings composed after his time.
Third, if we focus solely on the teachings attributed to Jesus himself found in the Gospels, we find that he did not bring a new set of laws. Rather, he reaffirmed the Law of the Torah and called the Children of Israel to uphold it—both in action and in spirit.
Jesus and the Law
One of the strongest verses in the Gospels confirming that Jesus did not want his followers to abandon the law can be found in the following passage in Matthew 5. In this passage, Jesus uses incredibly strict language, saying that he did not come to abolish the law, but for people to follow the law without the least bit of relaxation.
17 “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18 For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5
Acting in Accordance with the Law
Jesus then gives examples of his extreme adherence to the letter and spirit of the Law. He provides several hyperbolic examples, to illustrate that his expectation is that his followers should go the extra mile in upholding the law, which goes above and beyond merely the mere motions and actions.
21 “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.
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27 “ You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that every one who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40 and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; 41 and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5
How to Be Good
When Jesus was questioned about what good thing one needed to do to obtain eternal life, Jesus point-blankly told him to uphold the commandments. Then, he specified exactly the commandments he was referring to in case there was any doubt about what he meant by his statement.
16 And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 Matthew 19
Practice the Law
In Matthew 23, Jesus commands his followers to obey the Law of the scribes and Pharisees, but not to do as they do because they do not apply the law correctly. This is because, according to Jesus, while they may be outwardly carrying out the law, inwardly, they are full of hypocrisy and greed. This indicates again that Jesus wanted his followers to uphold the law, but to do it correctly with a pure heart.
23 Then said Jesus to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; 3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. Matthew 23
Which Paradigm Better Aligns With Jesus’s Teachings?
That stated, one has to ask: Which paradigm truly aligns with the teachings of Jesus—Christianity as it developed over time, or the Quranic worldview?
The Gospel passages cited above show a Jesus who:
Upheld the Torah without compromise
Called for internal and external righteousness
Warned against hypocrisy
Emphasized obedience to God’s commandments
Preached pure monotheism without intermediaries
This portrayal of Jesus is not in tension with the Quran. In fact, it is remarkably consistent with it.
The Quran never claims that Jesus brought a new religion. Rather, it confirms that he was sent to the Children of Israel, as a messenger affirming what came before him (the Torah), and bringing guidance that emphasized justice, piety, and submission to God alone.
To interpret Jesus apart from the Law he upheld, the covenant he affirmed, and the monotheism he preached is to misrepresent both the man and the message.
In contrast, the New Testament—particularly in the writings attributed to Paul—moves away from that context. It introduces a theological framework that diminishes the law, replaces it with vicarious atonement, and shifts the focus from God’s commandments to belief in Jesus’s death and resurrection.
But this is not what Jesus himself taught, according to the very Gospels Christians revere.
So we are left with a simple, unavoidable question:
If Jesus was a Jew who upheld the Torah, called for obedience to God, and preached submission and righteousness—and the Quran calls for the same—while much of Christian doctrine teaches something else entirely:
Which message truly reflects the mission of Jesus?
The Quranic Jesus and the Jewish Perspective
Another important point often overlooked in Christian critiques is the Jewish context of Jesus himself. Jesus was born, lived, and taught as a Jew in first-century Palestine. Any authentic understanding of his message must therefore be filtered through a Jewish lens, rooted in Torah observance, prophetic tradition, and strict monotheism, not through the later Greco-Roman theological developments that shaped Christianity as we know it.
Remarkably, the Quranic portrayal of Jesus aligns far more closely with Jewish expectations of a human prophet than with the Christian doctrine of a divine savior. While the Quran regards Jesus as a highly honored messenger of God, it rejects his divinity, denies any claim to him being the literal Son of God, and presents him instead as one who confirmed the Torah and called his people back to righteousness and pure worship of God alone:
3:47 She said, “My Lord, how can I have a son, when no man has touched me?” He said, “GOD thus creates whatever He wills. To have anything done, He simply says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.
3:48 He will teach him the scripture, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel.
3:49 As a messenger to the Children of Israel: “I come to you with a sign from your Lord—I create for you from clay the shape of a bird, then I blow into it, and it becomes a live bird by GOD’s leave. I restore vision to the blind, heal the leprous, and I revive the dead by GOD’s leave. I can tell you what you eat, and what you store in your homes. This should be a proof for you, if you are believers.
3:50 “I confirm previous scripture—the Torah—and I revoke certain prohibitions imposed upon you. I come to you with sufficient proof from your Lord. Therefore, you shall observe GOD, and obey me.
This Quranic view has not gone unnoticed by Jewish scholars and rabbis, many of whom have recognize that its portrayal of Jesus is far more compatible with Jewish theology than the traditional Christian view.
For example, Rabbi Tovia Singer, a renowned Orthodox Jewish scholar and counter-missionary speaker, has explicitly stated that Islam is theologically much closer to Judaism than Christianity. In an interview, Rabbi Singer explains that:
Islam maintains the same uncompromising monotheism as Judaism, absolutely rejecting any notion of God having partners or incarnations.
Muslims do not believe Jesus was divine, nor that he was crucified for the sins of humanity. Instead, they regard him as a prophet and servant of God, which aligns closely with how Jews would theologically categorize such a figure.
The Quran explicitly condemns associating partners with God, which echoes the Jewish rejection of idolatry and reinforces the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One.”
In contrast, Rabbi Singer notes that Christianity departs fundamentally from Jewish theology, particularly through its doctrines of the Trinity, original sin, and salvation through the crucifixion.
“From a Jewish perspective, Islam is much closer. Islam believes God is one. Muslims are not idolaters. They pray to the God of Abraham. They revere the Torah. And they reject the divinity of Jesus. In that sense, the Islamic view of Jesus is far less offensive to Jewish theology than the Christian one.” — Rabbi Tovia Singer
In short, when viewed through the lens of Judaism, it becomes evident that the Quran preserves a more historically and theologically authentic portrayal of Jesus—as a prophet, a servant of God, and a restorer of the law. This stands in stark contrast to the Christian theological developments that emerged centuries later, which portray Jesus as the begotten Son of God, a divine member of the Trinity, and the fulfillment and end of the Law. While Christianity transformed Jesus into the object of worship, the Quran upholds him as a faithful messenger who pointed people back to God—not to himself.
Conclusion: A Jesus More True to Himself
When stripped of centuries of theological embellishment, Jesus emerges not as a renegade who abolished the law, but as a reformer who upheld it—a faithful Jew who called his people to return to the essence of God’s commandments with sincerity and righteousness. That is the Jesus portrayed in the Quran. And that is the Jesus echoed, albeit reluctantly, in the very Gospels Christians revere.
Far from contradicting Jesus, the Quran restores him.
It places him back in the Jewish tradition that birthed him—grounded in the Torah, preaching monotheism, challenging hypocrisy, and urging moral excellence. It removes the layers of Greco-Roman metaphysics and theological invention, and reaffirms him as a messenger of God, not God Himself.
So the real dilemma is not the “Islamic Dilemma.” It is the Christian dilemma:
If Jesus taught what the Quran says he taught, then what became of that message?
And if the Quran revives it faithfully—while Christian doctrine transforms it—then which truly reflects the mission of Jesus:
The words of Jesus, or the words about him?
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Appendix:
The word Injeel (Gospel) occurs 12 times in the Quran.
3:3 He sent down to you this scripture, truthfully, confirming all previous scriptures, and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel
3:65 O followers of the scripture, why do you argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after him? Do you not understand?
5:46 Subsequent to them, we sent Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the previous scripture, the Torah. We gave him the Gospel, containing guidance and light, and confirming the previous scriptures, the Torah, and augmenting its guidance and light, and to enlighten the righteous.
5:47 The people of the Gospel shall rule in accordance with GOD’s revelations therein. Those who do not rule in accordance with GOD’s revelations are the wicked.
5:48 Then we revealed to you this scripture, truthfully, confirming previous scriptures, and superseding them. You shall rule among them in accordance with GOD’s revelations, and do not follow their wishes if they differ from the truth that came to you. For each of you, we have decreed laws and different rites. Had GOD willed, He could have made you one congregation. But He thus puts you to the test through the revelations He has given each of you. You shall compete in righteousness. To GOD is your final destiny—all of you—then He will inform you of everything you had disputed.
5:66 If only they would uphold the Torah and the Gospel, and what is sent down to them herein from their Lord, they would be showered with blessings from above them and from beneath their feet. Some of them are righteous, but many of them are evildoers.
5:67 O you messenger, deliver what is revealed to you from your Lord— until you do, you have not delivered His message—and GOD will protect you from the people. GOD does not guide the disbelieving people.
5:68 Say, “O people of the scripture, you have no basis until you uphold the Torah, and the Gospel, and what is sent down to you herein from your Lord.” For sure, these revelations from your Lord will cause many of them to plunge deeper into transgression and disbelief. Therefore, do not feel sorry for the disbelieving people.
5:110 GOD will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary, remember My blessings upon you and your mother. I supported you with the Holy Spirit, to enable you to speak to the people from the crib, as well as an adult. I taught you the scripture, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel. Recall that you created from clay the shape of a bird by My leave, then blew into it, and it became a live bird by My leave. You healed the blind and the leprous by My leave, and revived the dead by My leave. Recall that I protected you from the Children of Israel who wanted to hurt you, despite the profound miracles you had shown them. The disbelievers among them said, ‘This is obviously magic.’
7:155 Moses then selected seventy men from among his people, to come to our appointed audience. When the quake shook them, he said, “My Lord, You could have annihilated them in the past, together with me, if You so willed. Would You annihilate us for the deeds of those among us who are foolish? This must be the test that You have instituted for us. With it, You condemn whomever You will, and guide whomever You will. You are our Lord and Master, so forgive us, shower us with Your mercy; You are the best Forgiver.
7:156 “And decree for us righteousness in this world, and in the Hereafter. We have repented to You. He said, “My retribution befalls whomever I will. But My mercy encompasses all things. However, I will specify it for those who (1) lead a righteous life, (2) give the obligatory charity (Zakat), (3) believe in our revelations, and
7:157 “(4) follow the messenger, the gentile prophet (Muhammad), whom they find written in their Torah and Gospel. He exhorts them to be righteous, enjoins them from evil, allows for them all good food, and prohibits that which is bad, and unloads the burdens and the shackles imposed upon them. Those who believe in him, respect him, support him, and follow the light that came with him are the successful ones.”
7:158 Say, “O people, I am GOD’s messenger to all of you. To Him belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. There is no god except He. He controls life and death.” Therefore, you shall believe in GOD and His messenger, the gentile prophet, who believes in GOD and His words. Follow him, that you may be guided.
9:111 GOD has bought from the believers their lives and their money in exchange for Paradise. Thus, they fight in the cause of GOD, willing to kill and get killed. Such is His truthful pledge in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran—and who fulfills His pledge better than GOD? You shall rejoice in making such an exchange. This is the greatest triumph.
48:29 Muhammad—the messenger of GOD—and those with him are harsh and stern against the disbelievers, but kind and compassionate amongst themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating, as they seek GOD’s blessings and approval. Their marks are on their faces, because of prostrating. This is the same example as in the Torah. Their example in the Gospel is like plants that grow taller and stronger, and please the farmers. He thus enrages the disbelievers. GOD promises those among them who believe and lead a righteous life forgiveness and a great recompense.
57:27 Subsequent to them, we sent our messengers. We sent Jesus the son of Mary, and we gave him the Injeel (Gospel), and we placed in the hearts of his followers kindness and mercy. But they invented hermitism which we never decreed for them. All we asked them to do was to uphold the commandments approved by GOD. But they did not uphold the message as they should have. Consequently, we gave those who believed among them their recompense, while many of them were wicked.