Saint John of Damascus Deconstructs Islam The People-Deceiving Religion of the Ishmaelites

 Saint John of Damascus Deconstructs Islam

The People-Deceiving Religion of the Ishmaelites Saint John of Damascus Deconstructs Islam

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The People-Deceiving Religion of the Ishmaelites Saint John of Damascus Deconstructs Islam

Did you know that the first systematic critique of Islam was written by a Saint who lived in the heart of the Arab world? Saint John of Damascus, the "Golden-Streamed" of Orthodoxy, presents a stunning analysis of the religion of the Ishmaelites in his work On Heresies.

Armed with logic and profound knowledge of the Scriptures, the Damascene poses unrelenting questions: "Where are the witnesses? Where are the prophecies?" He does not treat Islam as a foreign religion, but as a dangerous delusion that distorts the person of Christ, presenting Him as a mere created prophet.

What follows is the authentic text from the series Greek Fathers of the Church (ΕΠΕ), where the Damascene dismantles the narratives of Muhammad and defends the truth of the Cross.

Interpretive Glossary for Understanding the Text To follow the text more easily, here are the key terms used by the Saint:

Ishmaelites / Hagarenes / Saracens The terms used by the Byzantines for Arab Muslims. The Damascene makes a pun with "Saracens," ironically claiming it derives from "empty of Sarah" (those driven away empty by Sarah, Abraham's wife).

Associates (Etairestes) What Muslims called Christians (from Arabic mushrikun). They accused Christians of associating a partner with God because of belief in the Holy Trinity.

Cutters of God (Koptes tou Theou) The Damascene's brilliant reply. If the Word and the Spirit are not God, then Muslims "cut" God, presenting Him as inanimate (like a stone or wood). Note: This term has no relation to the Coptic Christians of Egypt.

Khabar (Khubar) Reference to pre-Islamic Arab worship. The Damascene identifies veneration of the Kaaba with ancient idolatrous remnants.

Sura of the Camel / Table The Damascene refers to specific chapters of the Quran, often mocking their content to show their lack of spirituality.

Zayd (Zayd ibn Harithah) A real historical figure, Muhammad's adopted son, whose story the Saint uses to criticize Islamic laws on marriage and divorce.

Protopresbyter Stephanos Stefopoulos

"You don't even buy a donkey without witnesses… how do you accept an entire religion and scripture without any testimony?"

FROM SAINT JOHN OF DAMASCUS (Source: Ε.Π.Ε. https://oodegr.com/oode/pateres1/damaskinos/islam_airesh_1.htm)

There is also the people-deceiving religion of the Ishmaelites, which prevails until now and is a forerunner of the Antichrist. It originates from Ishmael, the son of Abraham born to Hagar, which is why they are called Hagarenes and Ishmaelites. They are also called Saracens, from "empty of Sarah," because Hagar said to the angel: "Sarah has sent me away empty."

These people became idolaters and worshiped the morning star and Aphrodite, whom they named Khabar in their language, meaning "great." Until the time of Heraclius, they were openly idolaters. From that time onward, a false prophet appeared among them named Muhammad. After studying the Old and New Testaments and supposedly conversing with an Arian monk, he founded his own heresy. Believing he was leading the nation to piety, he claimed that a scripture was sent down to him from heaven. He composed some ridiculous laws in his book and handed it over to them for reverence.

"They say the Jews crucified His shadow… while Christ Himself was neither crucified nor died. Delusion and nonsense!"

He says there is one God, the creator of all, who neither begot nor was begotten. He says Christ is the Word of God and His Spirit, but created and a servant, and that He was born of Mary, the sister of Moses and Aaron, without seed. For, he says, the Word of God and the Spirit entered Mary and she gave birth to Jesus, who was a prophet and servant of God. The Jews, however, acting lawlessly, wanted to crucify Him, and having seized Him, they crucified His shadow, while Christ Himself, he says, was neither crucified nor died; for God took Him up to heaven because He loved Him. And he says this because, when Christ ascended to heaven, God asked Him: "Jesus, did You say, 'I am the Son of God and God'?" And Jesus answered, he says: "Have mercy on me, Lord; You know well that I did not say this, nor did I boast that I am Your servant. But lawless men wrote that I said this word, and they lied against me, and they are deceived." Then God replied: "I know that You did not say this word."

Saying many other monstrous things in this writing, worthy of laughter, he boasts that it was sent to him by God.

When we ask, "Who testifies that God gave him scripture? And which prophet foretold that such a prophet would appear?" they deny that Moses received God's law on Mount Sinai in the sight of the whole people, and that God appeared to him in cloud, fire, darkness, and storm, that all the prophets from Moses onward prophesied the coming of Christ, that Christ is God, and that the Son of God would come incarnate, be crucified, die, rise, and judge the living and the dead.

And when we ask, "Why did your prophet not come in this way, with others testifying about him first, and how did God give you the scripture without your presence, not as He gave the law to Moses while the people watched and the mountain smoked, so that you too might have certainty?" they reply that God does whatever He wills.

"A false prophet sprouted up among them… who engraved some ridiculous laws and handed them over for reverence."

We say, we know that too; but we ask how the scripture came down to your prophet.

They reply that while he slept, the scripture came down upon him. And we say to them that ridiculous thing: since he received the scripture while sleeping and did not feel the action, the popular proverb was fulfilled in him…

Again, when we ask, "How, when he commands you in your scripture not to do or accept anything without witnesses, did you not ask him: 'Prove to us first with witnesses that you are a prophet and come from God, and what scripture testifies about you?'" they remain silent in shame. "While it is not permitted to marry a woman without witnesses, nor to buy, nor to acquire, nor even for you yourselves to have a donkey or animal without witnesses, yet you have wives, properties, donkeys, and the rest with witnesses, but only faith and scripture without witnesses; for the one who delivered it to you has no certainty from anywhere, nor is any prophet of his known, but he received it while sleeping."

They call us Associates, because, they say, we introduce a partner to God, saying Christ is the Son of God and God. We reply to them that the prophets and Scripture handed this down to us; and as you claim, you accept the prophets. If then we wrongly call Christ the Son of God, they taught and handed it down to us.

Some of them say we added these things by allegorizing the prophets. Others say the Jews deceived us out of hatred, claiming the prophets wrote them, so we might be lost.

We say to them again: "Since you too say Christ is the Word and Spirit of God, why do you accuse us as Associates? For the Word and Spirit are inseparable from Him in whom they naturally exist. If then the Word exists in God, it is clear He is also God; but if He exists outside God, according to you God is without reason and without spirit. Avoiding making a partner for God, you cut Him off. For it would be better to say He has a partner than to cut Him off and present Him as stone or wood or something inanimate. Thus, while you falsely call us Associates, we call you Cutters of God."

They also accuse us as idolaters because we venerate the Cross, which they abhor. We reply: "Why then do you rub yourselves on a stone in your Kaaba and kiss and embrace the stone?"

Some say Abraham had intercourse with Hagar on it; others that he tied his camel to it when about to sacrifice Isaac.

We reply: "Scripture says there was a wooded mountain and wood which Abraham split for the sacrifice and loaded on Isaac, and that he left the donkeys with the servants far away. Whence then your nonsense? For there are no wooded trees in the Kaaba nor do donkeys pass by." They are ashamed but say it is Abraham's stone.

Then we say: "Let it be Abraham's, as you babble; when you kiss it because Abraham had intercourse with a woman on it, or tied the camel to it, are you not ashamed, but condemn us for venerating the Cross of Christ, by which the power of demons and the deception of the devil were abolished?"

But the stone they call is the head of Aphrodite, whom they worshiped calling her Khabar, and on it even now a trace of carving is visible to those who observe carefully.

This Muhammad, as is said, composed many nonsense things, giving each a name; for example, the writings about women, in which he legislates to take four wives officially, and concubines if they can, a thousand, as many as his hand can conquer, who obey the four wives; but if any thinks or wishes to dismiss her and take another, he legislated this for the following reason, having as collaborator in this Muhammad someone named Zayd.

He had a beautiful wife whom Muhammad desired. Once, as he sat, Muhammad said: "So-and-so, God commanded me to take your wife." And he replied: "You are the Apostle; do as God told you; take my wife." Rather, to tell it from the beginning, he said to him: "God commanded me to divorce your wife"; and he divorced her. And after many days: "But God commanded me to take her." Then, taking her and committing adultery with her, he laid down the law: "Whoever wishes, let him divorce his wife; but if after divorce he returns to her, let another marry her. For it is not lawful to take her unless another has married her. Even if a brother divorces his wife, let his brother marry her if he wishes." In the same scripture he commands: "Work the land God gave you and tend it" and do this and that, to avoid mentioning, as he does, all the shameful things.

"If your camel drinks all the water in Paradise, will you die of thirst in the midst of enjoyment?"

Also in the chapter about the camel of God he says there was a camel sent by God, which drank the whole river and could not pass between two mountains because it did not fit. There was a people there, he says, who one day drank the water, and the next the camel, which, drinking their water, fed them by giving milk instead of water. But those men, being wicked, rose up and killed the camel; she had borne a little camel, which when the mother was killed entreated God and He took it to Himself.

We say to them: "Where did that camel come from?" They say from God. And we say: "Did another camel have intercourse with her?" They say: "No." How then, we say, did she give birth? For we see your camel without father, without mother, without genealogy, and giving birth she suffered evil. But neither the one who took her to heaven appears, nor was the little camel taken up. Your prophet then, to whom you say God spoke, why did he not learn where the camel grazes and who milks her milk? Or perhaps she too fell among the wicked, like her mother, and was killed, or entered Paradise as your forerunner, and from her flows the river of milk about which you babble? For you say three rivers flow in Paradise for you, one of water, one of wine, and one of milk. If your forerunner camel is outside Paradise, it is clear she dried up from hunger and thirst, or others enjoy her milk, and your prophet boasts in vain that he spoke with God; for the mystery of the camel was not revealed to him. If again she is in heaven, she drinks the water and you dry up from drought in the midst of Paradise enjoyment. And if you wish to drink wine from the river flowing beside, since there is no water (for the camel drank it all), drinking unmixed wine you burn and stagger from drunkenness and sleep; having then a strong headache after sleep and being in the hangover of wine, you forget the joys of Paradise. How then did your prophet not think of these things, lest they happen to you in Paradise for enjoyment? He never cared for the camel to learn where she lives now. But neither did you ask him when he spoke dreamily about the three rivers. We assure you clearly that your wonderful camel is in the souls of donkeys, where you too are about to live as beasts, going as her forerunner, there where is outer darkness and endless hell, fire that crackles, sleepless worm, and terrible demons of Tartarus.

Muhammad also says in the chapter titled "Table" that Christ asked God for a table and it was given to Him. For God said to Him, "I have given you and yours an incorruptible table."

And the chapter titled "Little Cow" says other nonsense things worthy of laughter, which I think I should pass over because there are too many. For example, he legislated circumcision for women too, commanded not to keep the Sabbath rest, nor to baptize, to eat what is forbidden by the law, and forbade wine-drinking entirely.

Saint John of Damascus, On Heresies, 101. ΕΠΕ Panayiotis K. Christou, Dogmatic Works B', pp. 306-321.