How Does Paul's Relationship with the Jerusalem Church Present a Problem for Islam?

In a previous article, I offered a simple reason why the Qur'an cannot possibly be the word of God, since the proposition that the Qur'an is the word of God entails a necessary contradiction. Here, I am going to present an equally compelling reason to reject the Qur'an as the word of God.

As I alluded to in my previous post, the Qur'an contends that the disciples of Jesus were Muslims. According to Surah 3:52,

“…when Isa [Jesus] sensed disbelief in them, he said: “Who are my helpers in the way of Allah?” The disciples said: “

So according to the Qur’an, there is no question that the apostles were Muslims, under Jesus. But what if we could establish that the teaching of the apostles differed starkly from the teachings of Muhammad and the Qur'an? Here’s an argument to ponder:

Premise 1: If the original disciples of Jesus rejected core Islamic teachings, Islam is false.

Premise 2: The original disciples of Jesus rejected core Islamic teachings.

Conclusion: Therefore, Islam is false.

Muhammad Orders the Execution of Critics

When Muhammad entered Mecca, he ordered his followers only to fight those who refused to surrender to him, except certain people who were to be executed whether they surrendered or not. In our earliest detailed biographical source on the fall of Mecca, Ibn Ishaq lists eight people who were to receive the death penalty. The charges against four of the eight were "insulting Muhammad." One of the four critics was eventually pardoned; the others were killed.

Politicians, the media, and Muslim groups assure us that Muhammad never retaliated against people who insulted him. Too bad these modern apologists weren't there to tell Muhammad how tolerant they would one day imagine him to be.

Here's the passage from Ibn Ishaq, with details on the critics underlined. Pass it on.