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"ISLAM: A RELIGION OF HOPELESSNESS AND FEAR" By N.S.R.K. Ravi, N. American Mission Board, SBC (2001)
ISLAM IN AMERICAN PERCEPTION
Muslims (literal meaning is 'submitted ones') make news more frequently than any other religious group. News media, television, radio, and major newspapers give dramatic pictures of various Muslim groups. Too often, Americans associate Muslims with international terrorists or troublemakers in the Middle East, especially those in the Palestinian political struggle, the 1979 Iranian hostage incident, the blowing up of American military barracks in Lebanon or Saudi Arabia, the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York, and two Embassies in Africa -- to name a few.
The truth is, the media likes to focus on the atrocities of a small group of fanatical, militant Muslims groups. Their actions overshadow the vast majority of Muslims who condemn terrorism and practice their religious faith known as ISLAM, which means submission to God. Another common perception is that Muslims are unenlightened and backward. However the truth is that over the centuries, Islamic centers of higher learning have produced famous scholars who have contributed to various fields such as Astronomy, Geometry, Mathematics and nautical geography. Muslim mathematicians left notable marks on mankind throughout the development of Arabic numeral system, the science of Trigonometry and Algebra.
ADHERENTS
Islam is the youngest of the world's three monotheistic faiths. It was born in the desert-oasis of the Arabia nearly thirteen hundred years ago, in the midst of Arab idolatry and animistic polytheism. Its expansion began in 622 AD from Mecca to Medina, then on to Palestine, and the entire Middle East. Islam then spread through its invading armies to North Africa, Spain, Persia, India, and parts of China. With its missionary zeal Islam spread by traders into sub-Saharan Africa and into Indonesia and Malaysia. Islam faced periods of stagnation, yet eventually spread into all six continents.
Today it has over a billion followers around the globe. About 58 percent of its adherents live in South and Southeast Asia (Indonesia is the largest Islamic country followed by Pakistan and India). Over 28 percent of Muslims live in Africa. Only about 15% of Muslims live in the Middle East. Over 500,000 Muslims live in Canada and in the United States estimates of Muslim population range from 6.5 to 8 million.
Islam is the second largest religion in the world but it is the fastest growing religion both in North America and the world. In the United States Islam is growing in three major ways: through immigration, through conversion (especially among the African Americans), and through native-born Islamic Americans. The United States is home for more than 1250 Islamic Centers or mosques.
What is Islam?
Islam is both a world religion and political system. Some of its foundational teaching is based on a blend of Arabic, Jewish, and Christian elements. Islam claims to be the final restoration of the original monotheism and truth revealed to mankind. Thus it boasts to be superior to both Judaism and Christianity in its message and monotheistic faith. It is considered to be one of the simplest and least complicated world religions to practice and governs all aspects of its adherent's life.
Islam stresses that there is only one God, Allah, the Arabic name for God, who is the sole and sovereign ruler of the universe. He does not share his divinity with any others. Islam believes that God has made himself known through other prophets in history but his final revelation came to Prophet Muhammad through Archangel Gabriel. The central demand of Islam is submission to the will of Allah. His will is believed to be completely revealed in the book, the Qur'an. Qur'an therefore is to be followed as the source of faith and practice for an individual life as well as a guide to society. Islamic faith has two basic aspects: faith and works. The entire Muslim lifestyle is based upon these two aspects which have been grouped together into the 'five pillars' or 'principles' or disciplines of Islam. Islam is divided into various sects. The two major sects are Sunnis (around 85%) and Shiites (close to15%).
LIFE OF MUHAMMAD
Muhammad was born AD 570 in what is present day Saudi Arabia at Mecca in the Quraish tribe. His father died before he was born and his mother died before he was six years old. He became a caravan worker and at age 25 married a wealthy widow caravan owner named Khadija. Muslim tradition says that at age 40, while he was meditating in a cave near Mecca, he was revealed a series of messages through the Archangel Gabriel and he was told to recite them.
Muslims believe Muhammad to be the last and greatest prophet of God - 'the seal of the prophets.' In the beginning his message encompassed two main points: there is one God to whose will people must submit, and there will be day of judgment and all people will be judged. Muhammad considered himself the supreme seer of God, because the Qur'an was dictated to him. His message was met with rejection and hostility so he was forced to flee Mecca to Medina in A.D 622. Muslims date their calendar from this date known as hijrah. In AD 630 Muhammad entered Mecca with an army and destroyed all the idols and images. There, he established Islamic faith and became sole prophet and leader of the Arabian people. Muhammad died in AD 632.
THE QUR'AN
The Qur'an is the most holy book of Islam and its highest authority. It is considered to be the earthly version of a heavenly book. Muslims believe that the Qur'an maintains its fullest and authoritative message only in the Arabic tongue, because it was dictated to Muhammad in that language. Islam teaches that only the Arabic version contains the precise words of God. Therefore it is a religious obligation to learn, read, and recite it in Arabic. The Qur'an is about the length of the New Testament and is divided into 114 chapters called 'surahs.' Each chapter is divided into verses called 'ayat.' The chapters are arranged by length, the longest chapter to the shortest. The Qur'an contains many references to the Torah, the Psalms of David, and the four Gospels. However the Qur'an emphatically claims to be the final source of authority.
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
In the view of Christians, the Qur'an is a greatly valued book for the Muslim. However, Christians believe it is not a divinely revealed book. Christians would ask: "How can God give contradictory messages?" For example, Qur'an confirms the previous scripture of the Jews and Christians (4:47; 7:157; 10:37; 10:94), yet it contradicts by saying that the Bible is corrupted (16:44). It accepts the miraculous birth of Jesus as sinless (19:19-21; 6612), yet it rejects the divinity of Jesus Christ (5:17' 72, 116); and rejects the death of Christ on the cross (4:158). Therefore the statements of the Qur'an can be accepted only where they agree with the Bible.
THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
Muslim lifestyle is based on certain core practices known as the five pillars or principles, or disciplines. These are essential obligations in Muslim worship to satisfy the will of Allah. Every Muslim must perform the five pillars with a hope for salvation at the mercy of Allah. The five pillars are: Confession, Prayer, Almsgiving, Fasting, and Pilgrimage.
1). The Confession or "Shahada": It is the fundamental creed of Islam: "There is no God but Allah; and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah." It expresses the belief in absolute monotheism that is crucial to Islam. All that is necessary to become a Muslim is sincerity in voicing the confession repeatedly. This confession of faith encompasses all of the Muslim's life from the beginning of the birth of a newborn to the last breath of the dying. This is the first step on the road to the hope of salvation.
2). Prayer or "Salat": Each Muslim is supposed to perform ritual prayers five times a day: before sunrise, at noon, in mid-afternoon, at sunset, and prior to sleep. These prayers must be preceded by ceremonial washing of hands, face, and feet. Muslims are required to say these prayers facing the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The prayers are formalized rituals that combine a sequence of postures and recitations from the Qur'an (in Arabic). Prayer is essential in Islam as it expresses obedience to the will of God. In addition to these formal prayers Islam has informal prayers. They are the prayers that come from the individual heart in their own language. Muslims consider Friday as a holy day.
3) Fasting or "Sawm": Fasting is required during the lunar month of Ramadan on the Arabic calendar. It is believed that Muhammad received his first revelations during that month. In commemoration of this event Muslims are required to fast during the daylight hours -- sunrise to sunset and are expected to abstain from all food, drink, and sexual relations. Exceptions are made for those who are sick, nursing mothers, young children, and those who are in travel. Each day eating meals is allowed after the sunset and before dawn.
4) Almsgiving or "Zakat": The Qur'an commands all Muslims to practice regular charity (2:43). Regular giving of two and one-half percent of one's capital wealth is obligatory to the causes of poor and for the propagation of Islam.
5) Pilgrimage or "Hajj": If at all possible every Muslim who is economically and physically able is expected to make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in his lifetime. Each pilgrim is required to wear seamless white garments with the notion that all are equal before God. During the Hajj each pilgrim is required to walk seven times around the Kaabah -- the sacred black stone and kiss it.
Muslims believe that the Kaabah was the original place of worship for Adam and for Abraham, thus it is the most holy site of the absolute monotheism of Islam. On the tenth day of Hajj sacrificial animals (sheep and goats) are sacrificed and a huge festival is celebrated. Muslims commemorate Abraham's sacrificing an animal as a substitute for his son Ishmael (not Isaac as mentioned in the Bible).
One of the issues that has been controversial in Islam is the subject of 'Holy War' or jihad. Jihad simply means holy struggle for Allah. Jihad is popularly interpreted as the act of fighting for against pagans and infidels (Surah 5). However it must be noted that jihad represents both internal spiritual struggle and external war against the adversaries for the spread of Islam. Paradise is promised for those who die fighting in the cause of Islam.
OTHER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF A MUSLIM
· Jihad, meaning "striving, struggling, endeavoring" commonly translated as Holy War
· Fight till they (i.e. the infidels) confess Islam
· Non-believing parents persuading believer to polytheism, al-`Ankabut 29:8; Luqman 31:15
· Striving hard against disbelievers, At-Taubah 9:73; Al-Furqan 25:52
· Striving hard in God's cause, al-Baqarah 2:218; Al-Imran 3:142; An-Nisa' 4:95; Al-Ma'idah 5:35,54; Al-Anfal 8:72, 74-75; At-Taubah 9:16, 19-20, 24, 44, 86, 88; Al-Hajj 22:78; Al-`Ankabut 29:6,69; Al-Hujurat 49:15; Al-Mumtahanah 60:1; As-Saff 61:11
· Martyrs go to paradise,
The Prophet said, "The person who participates in (Holy battles) in Allah's cause and nothing compels him to do so except belief in Allah and His Apostles, will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward, or booty (if he survives) or will be admitted to Paradise (if he is killed in the battle as a martyr). Hand I not found it difficult for my followers, then I would not remain behind any sariya going for Jihad and I would have loved to be martyred in Allah's cause and then made alive, and then martyred and then made alive, and then martyred in His cause." (Sahih Bukhari 1.35, also Sahih Bukhari 4.386).
*Humas are willing to die for their terrorist acts all around the world. They believe that as long as they are fighting Allah's cause, they die for it; they are assured a place in Paradise.
BASIC BELIEFS OF ISLAM
GOD
According to Islam, God (Allah) is numerically and absolutely one. He is beyond human understanding (43:82). He is confessed as the "merciful and compassionate one." Qur'an mentions 99 names to God. He has the ability to know everything and do anything (2:106, 117; 3:165, 189; 8:41). He is everywhere (2:115, 142, 177). He is the giver of good and evil (4:78). He has no wife and no son (72:3). He is not triune (4:171). There is no one like Allah. Concerning Jesus Christ that Muslims believe that he is not God (5:17, 72, 116). Jesus did not die on the cross but God took him from the cross and substituted Judas in His place, or at lest someone who looked like Jesus. He was then taken to heaven where He is alive and from where one day He will return.
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Christians are monotheistic and believe that God is one and revealed himself in plural form 'elohim" (Ex. 13:15). In the Genesis 1:26-27 the statement "let us" indicates plural form of God. A careful study of the Bible makes it clear that God's oneness comprises three persons - Father, Son, and the Holy Sprit (Mat. 28:19). The notion of God, who is three-in-one, is part of both the mystery and greatness of God. This truth helps us understand God as truly personal and having the capacity to relate to other persons. God's work in accomplishing salvation is through the person of Jesus Christ.
The Bible affirms that Jesus was conceived supernaturally by the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary (LK. 1:35). It does not in any way claim that Jesus was directly God the Father's physical or fleshly son. The virgin birth was supernatural as God the Holy Spirit conceived in Mary without physical relationship. In this manner even the Qur'an affirms the miraculous birth of Christ (Surah 19:16-21). Jesus was in this sense "God's unique Son." During His earthly ministry He carried out the will of the Father. The Qur'an affirms Jesus' life of miracles, His compassion, and ascension to heaven. (Surah 19:16-21,29-31, 3:37-47, 5:110.)
History and the testimony of the "Injil" (Gospels) are that Jesus died on the cross (27:32-66). Jesus is God's sacrifice for all the sins of the world and is a bridge from a holy God to fallen and sinful humans. This truth is revealed in the Injil-John 3:16. Even the Qur'an states: "Allah said: O Isa [Jesus], I am going to terminate [to put to death] the period of your stay (on earth) and cause you to ascend unto Me" (Surah 3:55).
SIN
In Islam sin is an error and is the result of weakness. Mankind is born sinless and without a sinful nature. Breaking the law of Allah and not doing his will is sin (7:33). When man commits sin it harms him only (7:22). The Qur`an even teaches that Allah created man's evil deeds, so man must do them. Sin does not grieve Allah (37:96; 54:49). However Allah does not love the sinner (7:55; 42:40). It is God, at his will, who decides whom to punish and whom not to punish (3:124; 5:118). Man can increase his good deeds to get God's favor and get forgiveness of his sins (21:47). The most serious sin that can be ascribed to people is that of "shirk" or considering god as more than one.
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Christians believe sin is "missing the mark." Sin is missing God's set standard. Man misses God's mark by rebelling against God (Psalm 51:4); by breaking the law (1 John 3:4). According to the Bible all mankind has sinned and become guilty before God (Rom.3:23). Man's sin grieves God (Psalm 78:40) and breaks fellowship between him and God; and among fellow men (1 John 1:3, 6, 7; Isaiah 59:2, 3). Man is born in sin therefore he commits sin (Rom. 5:12, 19). The Bible teaches that God hates sin but loves the sinner (Rom. 5:6-8). God forgives sins of those who trust in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:19-21). Good works do not earn forgiveness but forgiveness is a free gift (Eph. 2:8-9). A careful study of the Bible reveals that sin enters into the world three way: 1) inherited sin - is a result of the Fall of man, 2) Man himself generates his own sin by knowingly or unknowingly disobeying God, and 3) Satan who is the source of original temptation. The final result of sin is alienation from God.
MANKIND
According to Islam, mankind is born pure. However he is weak, fragile and forgetful, therefore he commits sin (4:28; 33:72; 80:23). Muslims believe that man did not inherited original sin from Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were forgiven from their sin, therefore no sin remained in them. Thus, we as their children, are not basically sinful. Man is religious and longs to worship Allah (30:30; 51:46). Man is slave to Allah and superior to angels (15:28-30, 42; 18:88). In Islam, man considers woman as less than an equal, and while a man has the right to divorce his wife, the wife has no similar power (see Surah 2:228, 4:34).
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Christians believe man is made in the image of God (Gen 1:27). He was made from the dust of the earth, and God breathed breath of life into him (Gen. 2:7). Man is sinner by nature therefore he commits sin. All men are sinners (Rom. 6:23). However, when man accepts Jesus Christ he will declared sinless by Christ through his shed blood. At the end of physical death Christians enjoy fellowship with Christ (Matt. 22:32; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23).
SALVATION
In Islam salvation is not assured to anyone but is determined by God's will. The basis of salvation is by declaration of faith, as well as by compiling good deeds primarily in conformity to the five pillars (19:60; 47:2). Salvation is based on three basic conditions: Repentance (3:88-89, 135; 4:17-18); Faith (4:136); and good works (2:279; 23:1-11). Allah will judge the world at the end of time. The good deeds and obedience of all people to the five pillars and the Qur'an will serve as the basis of judgment. Lack of assurance of salvation Muslim live in uncertainty and fear.
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
The Bible teaches that our basic need is the deliverance from sin and judgment of God and the restoration life eternal. It is provided to anyone who accepts God's grace. Salvation is a gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-10). It is impossible to earn one's salvation by good works (Titus 3:1-7). Religious deeds and exercises do not provide salvation (Matt. 7:22023; Rom 9:32, Gal. 2:16; Eph 2:8-9). The Christian hope of eternal life is that all true believers in Christ will not only have personal existence but also have personal fellowship with God.
PRINCIPLES FOR WITNESSING FOR MUSLIMS
Prayer: Salvation and the hope of eternal life in the Lord Jesus Christ is paramount in Christian witnessing, therefore, pray with confidence by name for your Muslim friends and neighbors. The Bible clearly states God's concern for the lost and the confidence and the power of prayers (2 Cor 4:4-5; 2 Pet 3:9; and 1 John 4:4-5). Prayer is the key element. Without the power of God in prayer, any other preparation is futile.
Love: Remember that we are challenged by the spread of Islam, but we are not at war with Muslims. Our attitude must be love and acceptance, because God accepts and loves everyone as they are. Against love there is no defense in Islam or otherwise. Therefore, be sure that the love of Christ is your motive in reaching Muslims with the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Jn 3:16; Acts 17). Make certain that you know that Christ is sufficient for Salvation through the Word of God (Rom 5:8-9,17; Eph 2:13; Col 1:20; Heb 9:22; 10:19; 1 Pet 1:18-20).
Live the Life: How can a Muslim accept bare statements of a belief system so different to the life they never see in you? Live a true Christ-like life and remember Christ is attractive to Muslims since they have highest respect for Christ. Jesus is mentioned 97 times in the Qur`an. Gain credibility and integrity by living a true Christian life. Have confidence in the Word; and be filled with Holy Spirit.
Be a Bridge Builder: When you approach the Muslims be very friendly and encourage them to talk first. Identify with them and when you start the conversation about religious matters ask them to tell about Islam. Show your genuine interest in their beliefs. Ask them to show passages from the Qur`an on various crucial beliefs and examine them. Be familiar with the Islamic belief system even before you ask questions. Ask questions such as, will Islam guarantee forgiveness of sins? Will it guarantee salvation? During your conversation find opportunities for the Gospel presentation in the future conversations. Be patient and never argue with Muslims, you may win the argument but lose their souls forever.
Present the Good News: Share that personal Christian experience with your Muslim friend and explain complete assurance of eternal life in Christ Jesus.
Establish the authority of the Holy Bible as the inspired word of God. Provide prophetic evidences (Jere 31:10; Dan 2; Matt 24:2), show Qur`anic evidences (surah 5:43-44, 46; 5:68; 10:64). Show the fallen nature of man from Qur`an itself surah 12:53 compare Psalm 51:5.
Explain the person and work of Jesus Christ. Explain the eternal nature and son ship of Jesus. Contextualize the terms and the message to make it simple to understand. Learn from the examples of Jesus (woman at the well and Nicodemus).
Explain the meaning of salvation. Stress the fact that salvation is a free gift from God and it can't be earned (Eph 2:8-9). Show from the Bible God's pledge concerning the assurance of salvation (1Jn 5:13). When a Muslim is ready to accept Christ as the personal savior, do not ask him or her to accept Christ in front of other Muslims. Ask your Muslim friend to pray alone with you as he may be afraid of a violent reaction from his Muslim associates.
Preservation: If the Muslim accepts Christ, nurture your young Muslim friend in the things of God. Provide a strong follow up program for the new believer to grow. Teach him what to do when he sins (1 Jn 1:8-9). The new convert needs real fellowship. Remember that Muslim community provides strong brotherhood. Therefore provide opportunities for fellowship. Show him care and love and encourage other Christians to provide spiritual support for the new believer. Remember sanctification is a process, therefore don't hammer for perfection from a new believer. Let the Holy Sprit do his work. Pray continually for the new believer.