Dear Maria:

Islam was created by Mohammad in around A.D. 610 when Mohammad allegedly received his first revelation of the Qur'an in the cave at Hira. This revelation was suppose to have been received from the Angel Gabriel.

All this is nonsense. This so called "revelation" was either from the devil, thereby the "angel" was a demon and not St. Gabriel; or this was an hallucination and delusion; or it is a hoax conjured by Mohammad for ulterior reasons (i.e. power, politics).

Islam claims a spiritual heritage to Abraham, but the God of Abraham bares little resemblance to the Allah of Islam. The true God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A "god" through Ishmael is not the true God. The biological ancestry of the Arabs, however, do come through Ishmael, while the Jews come through Jacob.

In the construction of Islamic beliefs, Muhammad essentially stole some teachings from the Laws of Moses (but misinterpreted them) and other teachings from Christ and His church, the Catholic Church (and misinterpreted them). With these misinterpretations and his own ideas (or ideas given to him by demons), the Qur'an was born, and the subsequent sharia law and the hadith commentaries on the the law.

It is not possible that God gave Muhammad any revelations or inspirations through St. Gabriel or through any other means because Islam does not belief that Jesus was the Son of God. Islam does not believe in the Trinity, nor many other things that would have to be affirmed if indeed was going to give an addition revelation.

For Muhammad's revelations to be genuine and valid it would have to affirm all that is the New Testament. Any "revelation" adding to that Tradition would have to be built upon and consistent with the New Testament.

As the revelations of Muhammad are not built upon or consistent with the New Testament, such revelations, by definition, are false and demonic.

Therefore, Muhammad is a false prophet, and Islam is a false religion in the sense that Islam is not truly a continuation of the genuine prophets of the Old and New Testaments. It is not an additional revelation in the line of Abraham through Jesus, but rather a brand new religion of its own. Islam is similar to other sects in the category that claims to believe in the God of Abraham, the God of Creation, and the God of Last Judgment yet fails the test of a genuine believer of the True God, the God of Abraham who is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and who is the Trinity (i.e., such as Mormons, Jehovah Witness, One Holiness Pentecostals, etc.).

The Catholic Church gives deference to Islam only in the sense that Islam "claims" to worship the God of Abraham, God as Creator, and God the Judge on the Last Day, and the fact that all are the children of God. But, the Church goes on to say that these non-Christian religions search among "shadows". While the Church recognizes the good and truth that might be found in any religion, she also recognizes the error and deceptions of the devil also found in these religions. Here is the Catechism on this:

841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."

842 The Church's bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race:

All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all against the day when the elect are gathered together in the holy city. . .

843 The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as "a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life."

844 In their religious behavior, however, men also display the limits and errors that disfigure the image of God in them:

Very often, deceived by the Evil One, men have become vain in their reasonings, and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and served the creature rather than the Creator. Or else, living and dying in this world without God, they are exposed to ultimate despair.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary