The Great Islamic Dilemma: The Quran Contradicts Itself About Jesus
Updated: Oct 14
In this blog...
Discover how the Islamic dilemma reveals logical contradictions in Quranic teachings about the Bible, giving Christians a powerful tool for respectful faith discussions with Muslim friends.
Explore how the Quran commands Muslims to honor Christian scriptures while simultaneously denying key biblical truths about Jesus Christ, creating a clear internal theological conflict.
Learn how pointing out logical inconsistencies in Islamic texts can open meaningful doors to share the truth, love, and salvation found in the gospel of Jesus.
In the mission to share the gospel with Muslims, the study of Islam is important! If Christ-followers do not understand the truth about this harmful ideology, how are we going to be able to engage in meaningful conversations with Muslims about their beliefs?
It is very important to approach studying Islam with a spirit of discernment and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and truth. Many sources seek to deceive people about the true Islam. But the truth is that some Muslims know the Quran and their beliefs forwards and backwards, while others are nominal in their religion. Christ-followers must be equipped with truth and love to bring the gospel to both groups.
What Is an Islamic Dilemma in Christian Apologetics?
Apologetics are helpful when preparing to share the gospel. Apologetics is the practice of learning to defend your faith and the Bible. This is not the practice of learning to argue with others about their beliefs and winning debates– instead it is about how to best explain and defend the truth!
When it comes to Islam, one of the most popular apologetics topics is the presence of “Islamic dilemmas” in the ideology. An Islamic dilemma happens when Islam contradicts itself and does not fit within its own claims. These errors in the Quran are tools we can use to open Muslim eyes to the deception of Islam, they should never be used to demean or insult Muslims.
The Quran’s Contradictory Relationship with the Bible
One of the largest Islamic dilemmas is the Quran’s contradictory relationship with the Bible, specifically the Torah and Injil (the gospel). Muslims believe the Injil is a book Allah gave to prophet Isa (Jesus). They do not believe it is a written account of Jesus' life, and do not refer to the biblical gospels.
Islamic scholars and teachers generally maintain that the original uncorrupted Injil given to Jesus is no longer extant in its pure form, believing that over time the text of the New Testament experienced human alterations, translations, and interpretations, which is why Allah eventually sent the Qur'an as the final, immutable revelation.
Essentially, there are many times where the Quran affirms to Muslims that the Torah and Injil are scriptures to follow and look to. But then the Quran will also contradict the beliefs of the Bible, despite claiming that they are trustworthy sources.
But I thought Muslims believed the Bible is corrupted?
Great point! However, the Quran never says this. Instead, the Quran says that Jews and Christians twisted the Book with their words. It never tells Muslims that the Scriptures itself was corrupted! So, even according to their own book, Muslims should be able to read the Bible and glean truth from it.
“And lo! there is a party of them who distort the Scripture with their tongues, that ye may think that what they say is from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture. And they say: It is from Allah, when it is not from Allah; and they speak a lie concerning Allah knowingly.” Surah 3:78
The Islamic Dilemma about Jesus Christ Explained
Now let’s look at one of the ways the Quran contradicts itself about Jesus Christ.
Islam teaches that Jesus was a true prophet of God.
Islam teaches that true prophets never lie.
In the Gospels (which the Quran affirms), Jesus is called the Son of God. (Matthew 17:2-5)
Dilemma: The Quran says he is not the Son of God. (Surah 9:30)
What Jesus says about Himself and what the Quran says about Him are opposite. This is an Islamic dilemma. It cannot be solved, because both cannot be true.
This matters. Who Jesus is sits at the heart of the gospel. Jesus is God in the flesh. Because of this, He alone can forgive our sins and give us eternal life.
When you bring this up with a Muslim friend, there are usually three answers given:
Jesus never said He was the Son of God.
Some say “Son of God” just means prophet, not God.
They say the sinless Jesus could not have claimed to be God.
Addressing Common Muslim Objections
Islamic Dilemma Argument #1: Jesus never claimed to be the Son of God
It is important to talk about who Jesus truly is with your Muslim friend, because this is core to the gospel! Many Muslims believe that Jesus never said He was the Son of God.
The truth is He did. He said plainly that He was the Son of God. This is one of the main reasons His enemies, the religious leaders of his time, tried to kill him!
In John 10:36, Jesus calls Himself the Son of God. The gospels say this many times.
“It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” (John 10:33-36).
They planned to kill Jesus because He called Himself the Son of God. His life was on the line. Still, He did not change his words. He said it again at His trial in Matthew 26:63-64:
“But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” In verse 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Often, Muslims who try to claim that Jesus did not call Himself the Son of God have simply never read the Bible, especially because Muslims are told the Bible holds harmful spirits to manipulate them from reading it!
Islamic Dilemma Argument #2: The Bible is corrupted
So, when faced with this Islamic dilemma about Christ’s identity, some Muslims try to answer another way. They say that because Jesus was sinless, He would not have claimed to be God. Instead, some Muslims think the Bible has been changed to mislead the readers!
What does the Quran say about the Bible?
The Quran says the earlier Scriptures are the words of Allah (Surah 3:3; 5:44; 6:114). Allah even told Muhammad to check the “previous Scriptures” if he ever had doubts (Surah 10:94:
“And if thou (Muhammad) art in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto thee, then question those who read the Scripture (that was) before thee. Verily the Truth from thy Lord hath come unto thee. So be not thou of the waverers.”
This makes the dilemma even worse. The Quran says the Bible is true. But in the Bible, Jesus claims to be the Son of God. If the Bible is true, then it goes against the Quran and the Quran is false.
The Quran says No One Can Change Allah’s Word
Quran 18:27 and 6:115 both say that no one can change Allah’s words. If people can change his words, what does that say about Allah? Who is more powerful? Allah, or a person who claims he can change what Allah said?
If Allah’s words last forever, no one should be able to change them. But if the biblical scriptures came from Allah, and someone changed them anyway, how can we trust later writings? Maybe someone changed those too. This makes the Islamic dilemma even harder to defend.
The Islamic Writings Say Muhammad Had the Torah and the Gospels
Muhammad says he held the Torah in his own hands. Even more, he said it was true:
“They placed a cushion for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who sat on it and said: Bring the Torah. It was then brought. He then withdrew the cushion from beneath him and placed the Torah on it saying: "I believed in thee and in Him Who revealed thee” (Sunan Abi Dawud 4449).
Does that mean all of it should be taken as true? Yes. The Quran tells Jews and Christians to believe all of their Scriptures, not just parts of them (Surah 2:85; 5:46–47). If they don’t believe all of it, the Quran gives a stern warning:
“Do you believe in some of the Scripture and reject the rest? Is there any reward for those who do so among you other than disgrace in this worldly life and being subjected to the harshest punishment on the Day of Judgment?” (Surah 2:85).
Muhammad himself said the Torah and Gospels were true. These are the same texts Jews and Christians use today. So when was it possible for anyone to change the Bible? The Bible texts we have today are based on those manuscripts that came even before Muhammad.
Islamic Dilemma Argument #3: “Son of God” Just Means Jesus was a Prophet
Finally, once faced with the fact that Jesus did identify as the “Son of God”, many scholars will argue that this title just means prophet and is not a claim to divinity. But when we look at the Bible, we see the opposite is true.
This is the Quranic verse most often quoted to promote the belief that Isa (Jesus’ name in the Quran) encouraged his followers to make him a god though he was a mere human:
“And when Allah will say: O Isa son of Maryam! did you say to men, Take me and my mother for two gods besides Allah he will say: Glory be to Thee, it did not befit me that I should say what I had no right to (say); if I had said it, Thou wouldst indeed have known it. . . .” Surah 5:116
What Does it Mean to be the Son of God?
Let us look at the biblical definition of this term. The term Son of God indicates origin, a close association, or identification. In Christian theology, it describes the relationship of two persons of the Triune God. It expresses an intimate relationship between these two persons: God the Father and God the Son (Jesus, the Messiah).
Here is an example that may clarify this term:
In Egypt, Egyptians call themselves “sons and daughters of the Nile.” We know this does not mean that the Nile got married and had children. In the same manner, God chose to describe the relationship between Himself and Jesus as a father-son relationship because it is a term we can understand. However, the relationship between God the Father and God the Son is much stronger and deeper than we can fully comprehend.
The Conclusion of the Islamic Dilemma about Jesus’ identity
Both the Quran and the Bible agree that Jesus is sinless! But we’ve also seen that:
Jesus called Himself the Son of God.
The Bible has kept Jesus’ words safe and true
“Son of God” is a title that means Jesus is God.
If Jesus is God according to His own words, we should believe what He says about Himself.
This Islamic dilemma cannot be resolved. The Quran and the Bible cannot both be true about who Jesus is and claims to be. This conversation matters when we are talking to Muslims about Jesus, because understanding Jesus' identity is central to understanding the gospel!
How to Share Gospel Truth with Muslims Without Arguing
How we ask a question matters. A good question can open more than a conversation. It can open a door to someone’s heart and mind.
Here are five kinds of questions you can ask about the Bible:
Ask open-ended questions — Instead of a yes-or-no question, try this: “Why does the Quran tell Muhammad to ask the people who were already reading the Scriptures before him?” (Surah 10:94)
Share your own story — “Can I tell you what I found when I looked into this myself?”
Start with “What If” questions — “If the Torah and the Gospels we have today have not been changed, what would that mean for the Quran?”
Add clarifying questions — “What evidence led you to believe the Bible has been changed?”
Give personal reflection questions — “What would it take for you to believe the Bible has been faithfully kept?”
These questions don’t corner anyone. They don’t put a person on the defensive. Instead, they invite conversation. They help your Muslim friend think through the Islamic dilemma. We pray these questions open doors to share the truth and love of Jesus with our Muslim friends.
