Dear Mohamed. Thanks very much for your complimentary remarks.

What I say is not necessarily true of course, it is merely a hypothesis based upon the texts.

I agree with you that there are parallels between Paul and Muhammad, primarily because they both received their teachings in revelations. They can both therefore be considered as prophets, although that is not a word usually used for Paul.

I also agree with you that there are the commonalities you mention between Christianity and Islam.

There are problems, however. You say that “Christian theology has developed over time through a process of interpretation and reflection on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ”. That is not how everyone sees it. Various people think that Christian theology is primarily derived from Paul, and that he was in conflict with the immediate followers of Jesus, namely James and Paul. The gospels were written later than Paul's epistles, so we can speculate as to how much influence his ideas had over their creation.

Also, can I ask you, since you were impressed by my article, and are obviously very knowledgeable about Islam, do you have any knowledge that would support my hypothesis? For example, were you aware of the lost gospel of Issa before you read my piece? Do you believe that there was a prophet Issa who predated Jesus, and upon whom the life of Jesus was modelled? If so, do you have any evidence?

Some people have responded, saying that the Issa mentioned in the Qu'ran is in fact the first-century Jesus (my three translations all use the word Jesus).

Do you have any thoughts?

Thanks and best wishes.