During the interview, Dr. Brimah claimed that the original revelation given by God to Moses was lost over time, forcing later writers to reconstruct the biblical texts based on the historical circumstances of their respective eras. He argued that this process of compilation and revision explains what he described as contradictions between the Bible and the Quran. In contrast, he maintained that the Quran remains the direct revelation of God as delivered to the Prophet Muhammad.
Dr. Brimah also discussed the biblical patriarch Abraham, describing him as a visionary whose prayers extended beyond his immediate needs to future generations. He suggested that while people from different cultures, including African ancestors, may have sought God, Abraham distinguished himself through his long-term perspective, which led to God’s covenant with his descendants.
“Abraham sought the word of God, which brought him out of idolatry. Perhaps some African ancestors also did the same because there are prophets all over the world. But the difference with Abraham is that he was guided and blessed by God because he had a futuristic mindset. When he prayed, he did so not for the immediate but for his future lineage. So compared to our ancestors, Abraham was always looking into the future, and based on that, God selected him and promised him that his lineage would be the light to the nations,” he stated.
Turning to the person of Jesus Christ, the author of the book “Misunderstood: Jesus the Messiah,” described Jesus as one of history’s most misunderstood and controversial figures. He noted that Jesus is known by different names and interpreted differently across religious traditions. He further argued that uncertainty surrounding Jesus’ maternal lineage, combined with divergent religious beliefs that identify him as God, a prophet, or reject his role altogether, has contributed to ongoing debates about his identity.
Dr. Brimah also compared the historical influence of Christianity and Islam on scientific progress. He contended that Christianity slowed scientific advancement by adhering to what he characterized as unscientific biblical claims. Conversely, he argued that the Quran encouraged scientific inquiry and that Islamic civilization played a significant role in preserving and advancing scientific knowledge during the period commonly referred to as the Dark Ages.
Many of the issues raised by Dr. Brimah, including the origins of biblical texts, the preservation of scripture, the identity of Jesus, and the relationship between religion and science, remain subjects of ongoing scholarly and theological debate, with differing conclusions reached by historians, biblical scholars, Islamic scholars, and religious communities.
