What does the Bible say about Islam?
1 John 2:22-23
22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.
23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
New International Version (NIV)
The answer
The Bible does not mention Islam or Muhammad by name; Islam arose centuries after the New Testament was written. Nevertheless, Scripture gives a clear verdict when its own tests are applied: Islam is not another saving way to God, because it denies Jesus as God’s Son and rejects the gospel of His atoning death and resurrection. That judgment concerns Islamic teaching, not a permission to hate Muslim people.
The decisive issue is Jesus
Islam honours Jesus as a prophet, but it rejects His deity and divine Sonship and denies the New Testament’s account of His crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus, however, said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me” (John 14:6). Peter likewise declared that there is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12).
First John 2:22-23 identifies denial of Jesus as the Christ and denial of the Father and the Son with the spirit of antichrist, then states plainly: “Whoever denies the Son doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.” Merely acknowledging one God, or speaking respectfully about Jesus as a prophet, is not the confession John requires. A religion that denies the Son does not bring people to the Father. John also says that many antichrists had already arisen (1 John 2:18), so this expression describes false teaching opposed to Christ, not only one future end-times figure. It must never be turned into an insult against Muslim neighbours.
A different gospel cannot save
The gospel’s essential content is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Islam rejects that saving message rather than simply adding something to it.
Galatians 1:8-9 pronounces God’s curse on anyone—even an angel from heaven—who preaches a gospel different from the apostolic gospel. Paul was not specifically naming Muhammad or Islam; he was establishing the test by which every purported revelation must be judged. A later message that changes who Jesus is or removes His saving death and resurrection is a false gospel, not another legitimate expression of Christian faith.
Muslims must be loved and called to Christ
Rejecting Islam’s claims never justifies contempt, coercion or violence. Jesus commands His disciples to love even their enemies and to do good to those who hate them (Matthew 5:44). Christians are to explain their hope with humility and a good conscience (1 Peter 3:15-16), speaking truth without insults.
The invitation to every Muslim is the same gracious invitation offered to everyone else: confess Jesus as Lord, believe that God raised Him from the dead, and call on Him for salvation (Romans 10:9-13). That means turning from Islam’s denial of Christ, not merely adding Jesus to an existing religion. Christ crucified and risen is the only Saviour, and everyone who calls on His name is welcomed by Him.
Answered from Scripture · reviewed November 11, 2026
While the Bible does not mention Islam or the Qur'an by name—having been completed half a millennium before Muhammad—it speaks directly and decisively to the core theological claims that Islam later advanced. Scripture establishes the eternal deity, sonship, sacrificial death, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ as the singular way to God, ruling out any system that demotes Christ to a mere human prophet or denies His cross.
The Divine Son
Denying the Son Means Forfeiting the Father
Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
1 John 2:22-23 (NIV)
It defines antichrist teaching as the explicit denial of Jesus as the Christ and the Son, declaring that no one can have God without acknowledging the Son.
The Apostle John cuts through all theological compromise in 1 John 2:22-23, declaring that no one who denies the Son has the Father. The central dogma of Islam—which reveres Jesus merely as a human prophet (Isa) while explicitly repudiating His divine sonship—collides directly with apostolic doctrine. In 1 John 2:22, John insists that whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ, and rejects both the Father and the Son, is governed by a spirit contrary to God. Denying Jesus His eternal place as God's Son is not a minor semantic disagreement; Scripture teaches it severs a soul from the Father entirely (1 John 2:23).
Believers are therefore commanded in 1 John 4:1-3 to test every spirit, because every confession that refuses to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the incarnate Lord does not proceed from God. John reiterates this in 2 John 1:7, pointing out that deceivers abound who distort Christ’s true identity. The warning is echoed by Jude, who cautions in Jude 1:4 against ungodly doctrines that pervert grace and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Christ is not merely one prophet in a succession of voices; He is the divine Son through whom life itself is given.
Life eternal is found exclusively in this divine relationship. As John writes in 1 John 5:11-12, whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. The Lord Himself stated this with finality in John 3:36: whoever believes in the Son enjoys eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son shall not see life, and God’s wrath remains upon him. When Peter answered Jesus in Matthew 16:16-17, confessing, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus affirmed that this truth was not the invention of flesh and blood, but a revelation given directly by the Father in heaven.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| 1 John 2:22 | Declares that whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ and denies both Father and Son belongs to the spirit of antichrist. |
| 1 John 2:23 | Affirms that whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. |
| 1 John 4:1-3 | Warns believers to test the spirits, teaching that any spirit refusing to confess Jesus Christ come in the flesh is not from God. |
| 2 John 1:7 | Warns of deceivers in the world who refuse to confess the true bodily coming of Jesus Christ. |
| Jude 1:4 | Denounces ungodly men who pervert God's grace and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. |
| 1 John 5:11-12 | Whoever has the Son has eternal life, but whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life. |
| John 3:36 | Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son shall not see life; God's wrath remains. |
| Matthew 16:16-17 | Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, which flesh and blood did not reveal. |
The Only Mediator
Salvation Exists Solely in Jesus Christ
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6 (NIV)
Jesus explicitly declares Himself to be the singular way, truth, and life, utterly ruling out any other path to the Father.
In John 14:6, the Lord Jesus proclaims the most exclusive claim in human history: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." While Islam venerates Jesus as a righteous prophet, it explicitly denies His atoning crucifixion and His singular mediatorial office. Scripture leaves no room for multiple valid paths to God. Following Christ’s resurrection, Peter announced to the rulers in Jerusalem that there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
Paul reinforces this truth in 1 Timothy 2:5-6, declaring that there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all. No prophet, angel, or system can bridge the gulf between a holy God and sinful humanity; only the God-man who bore our sins can intercede. God has spoken definitively, as Hebrews 1:1-3 explains: though He spoke long ago through the prophets, in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, the exact imprint of His nature, who sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high after making purification for sins.
The core of this singular mediation is the historical reality of the cross. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised on the third day. To deny the crucifixion—as traditional Islamic teaching does—is to empty the faith of its saving power. As Paul observes in 1 Corinthians 1:18, the message of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God. Because of this finished work, God has exalted Him above every name, ensuring that every knee will bow to Jesus Christ as Lord (Philippians 2:9-11).
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| John 14:6 | Jesus states that He is the way, truth, and life, and that no man comes to the Father except through Him. |
| Acts 4:12 | Peter proclaims there is salvation in no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. |
| 1 Timothy 2:5-6 | Affirms there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom. |
| Hebrews 1:1-3 | Declares that God has spoken decisively through His Son, the exact representation of His being, who purged sins and sat down on high. |
| 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 | Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised on the third day. |
| 1 Corinthians 1:18 | The word of the cross is folly to those perishing, but to those being saved it is God's power. |
| Philippians 2:9-11 | God exalted Jesus and bestowed the name above every name, that every knee should bow and tongue confess Him Lord. |
The True Gospel
Warning Against Messages from Other Revelations
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
Galatians 1:8-9 (NIV)
Paul warns that even if an angel from heaven should proclaim a different gospel than the one received, that message is accursed.
Centuries before an alleged angelic revelation came to Muhammad in the cave of Hira, the Apostle Paul issued an unambiguous warning in Galatians 1:8-9: "Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." Paul repeated the solemn phrase twice in consecutive verses so that the Galatian church would never accept any subsequent message that altered, added to, or contradicted the gospel of Jesus Christ. Apostolic revelation was delivered complete, grounded entirely in the historical sacrifice and bodily resurrection of the Son of God.
The Apostle recognized the subtle strategies of spiritual deception. Writing to Corinth, Paul lamented that people might be easily led astray by anyone proclaiming another Jesus, a different spirit, or a different gospel than what the apostles delivered (2 Corinthians 11:3-4). He reminded them soberly in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light; therefore, claims of heavenly messengers or visions must always be measured against the closed canon of Scripture. The biblical narrative is complete, sealed with the severe warning of Revelation 22:18-19 that warns against adding to or subtracting from God's holy words.
Jesus Himself prepared His followers for the arrival of new movements and competing voices. In Matthew 24:24, our Lord warned that false christs and false prophets will arise, performing remarkable signs capable of deceiving many. Paul similarly alerted Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1 that the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will depart from the true faith, turning aside to deceitful spirits. The church is called to anchor its confidence firmly in the once-for-all revelation handed down by the apostles.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Galatians 1:8 | Pronounces a curse upon anyone—even an angel from heaven—who preaches a gospel contrary to the apostolic gospel. |
| Galatians 1:9 | Repeats the solemn warning that any teacher delivering a different gospel from what the apostles delivered stands under judgment. |
| 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 | Cautions believers against receiving another Jesus, a different spirit, or an alternate gospel distinct from apostolic preaching. |
| 2 Corinthians 11:14 | Reminds the church that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light to deceive and lead astray. |
| Revelation 22:18-19 | Solemn warning against adding to or taking away from the words of the prophecy of Scripture. |
| Matthew 24:24 | Jesus warns that false christs and false prophets will arise, performing signs to lead astray if possible even the elect. |
| 1 Timothy 4:1 | The Spirit expressly states that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits. |
Truth and Love
Contending for Truth While Loving our Neighbours
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)
It outlines the Christian posture: always being ready to give a reasoned defense for our hope, yet doing so with gentleness and respect.
When interacting with Muslims and evaluating Islamic theology, Christians are given clear behavioral instructions in 1 Peter 3:15-16: "Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." Defending the truth does not mean adopting hostility or rancor. Believers must sanctify Christ as Lord in their hearts, standing uncompromisingly upon the truth of Scripture while demonstrating the character of Jesus Christ to those who hold different beliefs.
Scripture calls believers to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). This faith cannot be compromised to find common theological ground with systems that deny Christ's deity, but our contending must reflect the heart of our Savior. Jesus commanded His disciples in Matthew 5:44 to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, establishing that love and truth are never mutually exclusive in the kingdom of God. Christians must view their Muslim neighbors not as political or cultural adversaries, but as fellow image-bearers of God who need the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Paul models this pastoral mindset in 2 Timothy 2:24-26, writing that the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, and correcting opponents with gentleness. The goal of every conversation is never merely to win an intellectual debate, but that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. We speak the truth with absolute firmness because Christ alone saves, and we do so with genuine love because Christ gave Himself for us.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Jude 1:3 | Exhorts Christians to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. |
| 1 Peter 3:15 | Commands believers to sanctify Christ as Lord in their hearts and give a defense of their hope with gentleness and respect. |
| Matthew 5:44 | Instructs disciples of Christ to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. |
| 2 Timothy 2:24-26 | Directs the Lord's servant not to be quarrelsome, but kind to all, teaching patiently that God may grant repentance leading to the truth. |
The Covenant Line
The Seed of Abraham and the Line of Promise
Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”
Genesis 17:19-21 (NIV)
God explicitly establishes His everlasting covenant with Isaac rather than Ishmael, while still giving Ishmael an earthly blessing.
In Genesis 17:19-21, God establishes the singular channel of His redemptive promise: 'Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed, and you shall call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant.' While Abraham pleaded for Ishmael, God marked an unambiguous boundary between earthly blessing and redemptive covenant. Islamic tradition venerates Ishmael as the primary child of sacrifice and the patriarchal ancestor through whom God’s final revelation would emerge in Arabia. Yet Scripture repeatedly and consistently locates the covenant of redemption in Isaac alone.
God did not disregard Hagar or her son. In Genesis 16:10-12, the Angel of the Lord appeared to Hagar in the wilderness, promising that her offspring would multiply beyond number, while foretelling that Ishmael would live as a wild man in conflict with his brethren. When Abraham again expressed pastoral longing for his firstborn, God in Genesis 17:18-21 granted Ishmael fruitfulness, promising twelve rulers and a great nation, yet immediately reaffirmed, 'My covenant will I establish with Isaac.' This distinction governed the household; in Genesis 21:12-13, God comforted Abraham concerning the departure of Hagar, directing him to listen to Sarah, 'for in Isaac shall thy seed be called,' while repeating the guarantee that Ishmael would become a nation because he was Abraham's fleshly offspring. The historical fulfillment of that temporal promise is detailed in Genesis 25:12-18, which catalogues the twelve tribal chieftains descending from Ishmael and their territory stretching toward Assyria.
The apostolic interpretation resolves any remaining ambiguity regarding spiritual lineage. In Galatians 4:22-31, the Apostle Paul treats this history typologically to contrast two covenants. Ishmael, born of the bondwoman according to the flesh, corresponds to earthly Jerusalem and the bondage of relying on human effort; Isaac, born of the freewoman through divine promise, represents heavenly Jerusalem and the children of grace. The seed of promise runs exclusively through Isaac, culminating in Jesus Christ, thereby disallowing any rival theological lineage based on the lineage of Ishmael.
| Passage | What it says |
|---|---|
| Genesis 16:10-12 | The angel promises Hagar that Ishmael's offspring will multiply exceedingly, describing his character and dwelling over against his kinsmen. |
| Genesis 17:18-21 | God establishes His everlasting covenant uniquely through Isaac, while also promising to bless Ishmael with fruitful multiplication and princes. |
| Genesis 21:12-13 | God affirms that Abraham's offspring will be named through Isaac, while promising to make a nation of Ishmael as Abraham's seed. |
| Genesis 25:12-18 | The genealogy of Ishmael recording twelve princes according to their tribes, dwelling from Havilah to Shur opposite Egypt. |
| Galatians 4:22-31 | Paul contrasts Hagar and Sarah typologically, distinguishing between birth according to the flesh under bondage and the promise of freedom. |
Where in the Bible
| Book | Passages |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 4 · Genesis 16:10-12, Genesis 17:18-21, Genesis 21:12-13, Genesis 25:12-18 |
| Matthew | 3 · Matthew 16:16-17, Matthew 24:24, Matthew 5:44 |
| John | 2 · John 3:36, John 14:6 |
| Acts | 1 · Acts 4:12 |
| 1 Corinthians | 2 · 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 1 Corinthians 1:18 |
| 2 Corinthians | 2 · 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 2 Corinthians 11:14 |
| Galatians | 3 · Galatians 1:8, Galatians 1:9, Galatians 4:22-31 |
| Philippians | 1 · Philippians 2:9-11 |
| 1 Timothy | 2 · 1 Timothy 2:5-6, 1 Timothy 4:1 |
| 2 Timothy | 1 · 2 Timothy 2:24-26 |
| Hebrews | 1 · Hebrews 1:1-3 |
| 1 Peter | 1 · 1 Peter 3:15 |
| 1 John | 4 · 1 John 2:22, 1 John 2:23, 1 John 4:1-3, 1 John 5:11-12 |
| 2 John | 1 · 2 John 1:7 |
| Jude | 2 · Jude 1:4, Jude 1:3 |
| Revelation | 1 · Revelation 22:18-19 |
The story in order
- God establishes covenant with Abraham (c. 2000 BC) · Genesis 17:18-21 · God promises blessing to Ishmael, but establishes His covenant through Isaac.
- Birth of Isaac and Ishmael (c. 2000 BC) · Genesis 21:12-13 · God affirms Isaac as the line of promise, but will also bless Ishmael.
- Genealogy of Ishmael (c. 1900 BC) · Genesis 25:12-18 · Lists the twelve princes descended from Ishmael.
- Moses receives the Law (c. 1450 BC) · Exodus 20:1-17 · God gives His law, revealing His character and commands.
- Davidic Kingdom established (c. 1000 BC) · 2 Samuel 7:11-16 · God promises David an everlasting kingdom through his offspring.
- Prophets warn of judgment (c. 600 BC) · Jeremiah 1:16-19 · Prophets delivered God's message, often facing opposition.
- Jesus is born (c. 4 BC) · Matthew 1:18-25 · The promised Son of God enters the world.
- Jesus' earthly ministry (AD 28-30) · John 14:6 · Jesus declares Himself the only way to the Father.
- Jesus' sacrificial death (AD 30) · 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 · Christ died for sins, was buried, and resurrected.
- Peter proclaims salvation in Jesus (AD 33) · Acts 4:12 · No other name brings salvation than Jesus Christ.
- Paul warns against false gospels (c. AD 55) · Galatians 1:8-9 · A curse on those preaching a different gospel.
- John warns against antichrist (c. AD 90) · 1 John 2:22-23 · Denying Jesus as the Christ forfeits the Father.
- John warns against adding to Scripture (c. AD 95) · Revelation 22:18-19 · Solemn warning against altering God's revealed word.
Warning Against False Gospels
| Warning | Source of Deception | Consequence | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do not believe anyone preaching a different gospel | Even an angel from heaven | Accursed | Galatians 1:8-9 |
| Be cautious of receiving another Jesus | A different spirit, or an alternate gospel | Deception | 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 |
| Satan disguises himself | As an angel of light | Leading astray | 2 Corinthians 11:14 |
| Beware of false prophets | Performing signs to mislead | Leading astray the elect | Matthew 24:24 |
| Some will depart from the faith | Devoting themselves to deceitful spirits | Falling away | 1 Timothy 4:1 |
Key words
- Christ (Christos, Χριστός)
- Anointed one, Messiah, King sent by God. · Matthew 16:16-17
- Son of God (Huios tou Theou, Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ)
- Jesus' unique divine identity and relationship with the Father. · Matthew 16:16-17
- Mediator (Mesites, μεσίτης)
- One who stands between God and humanity, reconciling them. · 1 Timothy 2:5-6
- Gospel (Euangelion, εὐαγγέλιον)
- The good news of salvation through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. · Galatians 1:8-9
- Antichrist (Antichristos, ἀντίχριστος)
- One who opposes Christ or denies His true nature and work. · 1 John 2:22
Scripture calls Christians to hold firmly to the exclusivity of Christ while demonstrating genuine love and kindness toward Muslim neighbours. Because salvation rests entirely in the divine Son who gave His life on the cross and rose again, the church proclaims this gospel faithfully, inviting all people into eternal life through faith in Him.
31 passages, each cited once.
Scripture cited
- 1 John 2:22-23
- 1 John 2:18
- John 14:6
- Acts 4:12
- 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
- 1 Peter 3:15-16
- Matthew 5:44-45
- Galatians 1:8-9
- Romans 10:9-13