Discernment Part 15    World Religions pt.5      Islam           1-27-2002

Islam

Jesus

Taoism

Abraham

Close of OT

Moses

David

Mohammad 

600

100 AD

500 BC

1000 BC

1500 BC

2000 BC

Writing of Hindu Scriptures

“Buddah” &
Confucius

There are more Muslims in the US than Mormons. 

Mohammad claimed to get his revelations from Gabriel.  

He had 12 wives & 2 concubines even though the Koran limits the number of wives to 4 (4:3).

He took control of Yathrib, renamed Medina.  In 627 a Meccan army of 10,000 attacked 
Medina, but Muhammad and his 3000 men defended the city.

Up to that point he had been friendly toward the Jews, but since they supported this attack, he attacked them and killed all the 800 male Jews of this tribe while selling all of the women and children into slavery. 

Islam began shedding blood very early on.

Mohammed didn’t have any scruples about stealing either.  He funded the spread of Islam by raiding caravans – mercilessly attacking innocent civilians.  

Islam was not spread through intellectual persuasion.  It was spread by the sword. 

Soon after his death, over the next 200 years his successors conquered Palestine then Syria, then Iraq and Persia, then Egypt, Tripoli, Toledo in Spain, western India, Crete, and Sicily.  That aggressive, military approach to spreading Islam by conquering countries continued throughout history.  

Islam gained prominence not because people were attracted to it, but because someone put a sword to their throat and said, “Accept Islam or die.”

They picked their way through eastern Europe, and the only reason most of western Europe remained Christian is because the Muslims were defeated in France.  

And the leaders of Islam learned from Mohammad’s example in slaughtering the Jews in Medina.  Today everyone who is on TV or in the news insists that Islam is a peace loving religion, and that you can point to times when there have been slaughters in the name of other religions as well.

But first of all, generally speaking, people who kill in the name of other religions have to do so in violation of what that religion teaches.  But as I have shown you before, the calls to violence against unbelievers is throughout the Koran.

Secondly, the track record of Islam is horrible.  It’s not an isolated instance of violence here and there.

We could talk about their slaughter of 50,000 Greeks and Armenians 1822, 10,000 Armenians and Nestorians murdered in 1850, 11,000 Maronites and Syrians in 1860, 15,000 Bulgarians in 1876, 10,000 Armenians in 1894, 325,000 Armenians from 1895–1908, 30,000 Armenians in 1909, and 80 percent of the Armenian population (1.5 million) wiped out in 1915–1918.

Idi Amin murdered at least 300,000 fellow Ugandans in the 1970s. In the ’80s and ’90s, Muslim Arabs in North Sudan were either starving or selling into slavery Black Christians and animists in the South. 

And every Muslim country today persecutes Christians.

It’s no accident that the one thing in Islam that guarantees that you go to heaven is if you die in a holy war.  You could die to save someone else’s life and still go to hell.  You could die in an effort to preserve the world from disaster and go to hell.  You could die helping an old lady across the street and go to hell… 

Of all the noble things a person could do in life, there is only one thing you could do that would guarantee heaven and that is die in a holy war. 

The liberal wing of Islam is called Suni Islam.  They don’t take the Koran as seriously, and are not nearly as militant as the conservatives.  Ninety percent of the Muslims in the Middle East are Sunnis.

The conservative branch is the Shi’ite Muslims.  They are the militants.  And they are a tiny minority in most Islamic countries.  An exception is Iran, which is a Shi’ite country.  95% of the Muslims in Iran are Shi’ites.

The shi’ites are watching for the return of Muhammad much like we are waiting for the return of Christ.
He will bring about a golden age before the end of the world, and only he has the right to declare 
gihad. 

Another Muslim school of note is the Ahmdiyan school, which was founded in the 1800s in India. 
They believe Christ fainted and was revived by medication and traveled to India, where he died in Kashmir. This small group has produced the bulk of Islamic apologetics against Christianity and Judaism over the last forty years. The Ahmdiyans are highly visible on American campuses and practice 
strong proselytizing techniques on American students. 

A lot of the beliefs of the Nation of Islam come from this group.

Islam is getting a lot of attention in the US now.  Unfortunately, you rarely hear much said about it that is true.  Mostly people’s attitudes seem to be very positive.

I find this fascinating, because many of the complaints people have about Christianity – reasons why it must be so completely banned from schools, are the very things that Islam teaches without apology.

Islam teaches the inferiority and mistreatment of women, it claims exclusivity, it condemns all who do not adhere to it, it teaches there is only one true God, etc.

And yet it is being embraced in an alarming way.  I have heard of more than one elementary school that is teaching Islam.  One is doing an 8-week segment on Islam, and requiring kids to memorize sections of the Koran in Arabic, dress up as Muslims and act out an event in which they are fighting for Islam!

(Meanwhile the choir at Fairview can’t sing “Silent Night” at the Christmas concert).

Beliefs
The True God
Do you they God to be…
Self-existent (eternal & independent) Yes
The Creator  Yes
All-Powerful Yes and active in human affairs  ?
All-knowing Yes
Perfect in every way  Yes

The word “Allah“ means the unique God Who possesses all the attributes of perfection and beauty in their infinitude.

The character of the God they believe in is very similar to the true God.  And that is by design.  The Koran says, “Be courteous when you argue with People of the Book, except with those among them who do evil.  Say: ‘We believe in that which has been revealed to us and was revealed to you.  Our God and yoru God is one.  To Him we submit.” (29:46)

I have always heard that the concept of God’s love is missing from the Koran, but that’s not really true.  I found numerous references to God’s mercy, love and forgiveness (although with nowhere near the amount of emphasis that you see in the Bible).

The one major difference I noticed is in the area of God’s involvement in daily life, and our attitude toward Him.  The true God is interested not just in how you end up in the afterlife, but also about your life now moment by moment.

I don’t think that’s the case in Islam, and it’s illustrated by their attitude toward prayer.

The greatest measure of someone’s concept of God is the way that person prays.  I looked up dozens of references to prayer in the Koran.  Muslims are not called to pour out their hearts to God.

The relationship we have with God is pure submission (that’s what the word Islam means).  The goal is not to love God – just to submit.  And there is not a relationship where prayer becomes an time of communion and fellowship with God.

They do not pray for provision, guidance, etc. – all the kinds of things we tend to ask for as we look to God every few minutes.

In the Koran, prayer is a duty.  Prayers are something you faithfully say as an act of devotion and submission to gain merit.  You say your prayers so you will go to heaven. 

“Attend regularly to your prayers…for prayer is a duty incumbent on the faithful, to be conducted at appointed hours.” (4.103)

Do Muslims worship the true God?  Remember in our study of the essentials we found that there are people who seem to worship the true God, but you can always tell by what their response to Jesus is?

Jn.8:19-20  "If you knew me, you would know my Father also." 
Jn.14:6-7  No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. 

So what do the Muslims believe about Jesus?
Jesus
One must not only believe in His full deity, but also His humanity (1Jn 4:2-3)  Yes

Jesus said one must believe all His claims about Himself. (Jn.8:21-26).  

•	to be the Messiah (Mt.16:17, 26:64) Yes
•	to be without sin (Jn.8:29)  Sort of.  He is called “Righteous” and “Purged of sin” at birth

Chief among these is His claim to be the self-existent God of the OT. (Jn.8:24,28, 13:19) 

He also claimed… 
•	to be the sacrifice for our sins (Jn.3:13-17).  No didn’t even die (4:157)
•	to have been physically raised from the dead (Lk.24:39)  No
•	to be returning to save His people and judge the world (Rev.22:20) No
•	to do miracles (Jn.10:25,26), No – in the Koran signs are given to Jesus, but not by Jesus.  The only miracles he performed (that I could find) were preaching as a newborn from the cradle, and breathing life into a bird as a child.  But he didn’t have power to do miracles at will.  He had to ask God for them.
•	to be pre-existent before His birth (Jn.8:58) No  (3:58)
•	to be from heaven (Jn.3:17, 8:21-26)  No
•	to be God’s unique Son (Jn.8:29)  No  This idea is especially offensive to them, and is denied explicitly in the Koran again and again and again.

One of many examples: “Those who say: ‘The Lord of Mercy has begotten a son,’ preach a monstrous falsehood, at which the very heavens might crack, the earth split asunder, and the mountains crumble to dust.  That they should ascribe a son to the Merciful, when it does not become the Lord of Mercy to beget one!” (19:86)

The reason it is so objectionable is because they assume we mean by that that God had physical relations.
“How should He have a son when He has no consort (spouse)?” (6:101)

The Koran instructs Muslims to tell Christians the following: “If the Lord of Mercy had a son, I would be the first to worship him.” (43:82)

We can point that out to the Muslim, and say, “We both agree that it is blasphemous to think God came down and had relations with Mary.  We both know that if God wants to create someone or something all it takes is a thought.  So of course God didn’t beget a son in that way.   But what about if God became a Son?  The Koran says if God begot a son you would be the first to worship Him, what about if God decided to take on human flesh and become a man, so He had a human nature, but remained Almighty God in His divine nature?  Suppose He did that, and required us to worship Him.  Would you?”

The Right Way to Approach God

1.	As a Response to His revelation of Himself in Scripture  (Mk 16:16) No
Scripture is valid when it is properly interpreted, but any time it conflicts with the Koran, you know you have a misinterpretation.

Muslims also look to the Hadith for instruction.  This is a larger set of teachings that address all kinds of specific issues.  It functions kind of like the Talmud does for the Jews.

“He already revealed the Torah and the Gospel for the guidance of mankind, and the distinction between right and wrong... It is He who has revealed to you the Book.  Some of its verses are precise in meaning – they are the foundation of the Book – and others ambiguous.  Those whose hearts are infected with disbelief observe the ambiguous part, so as to create dissension by seeking to explain it.  But no one knows its meaning except God.” (3:2-9)

In a discussion with a Muslim, you could point this out, and then start showing him clear passages about Jesus’ miracles or claims to deity.  

2.	As a response to Jesus’ words (Dt.18:17-20, Ac 3:19-26)  No
They claim to believe Jesus was a prophet, yet they reject His message.

3. Admitting the Truth About Yourself  
A.	I am Sinful & unable to save myself  (1Jn 1:8-10, Mt.5:20)  Yes
B. I must approach God on His Terms (Salvation by Faith Alone) (Ro.4:5, Gal.4:8-11)  No

They believe salvation comes by God’s mercy through human religious effort.
Submission to God (Islam) entails faithfulness to carry out the 5 "pillars of Islam": 
1.	Recitation of the “shada” (their confession of faith) “There is no god but God, and Mohammed is the messanger of God.”  Saying that is what makes a person a Muslim.
2.	Prescribed prayers performed five times each day
3.	Fasting during the month of Ramadan between dawn and dusk
4.	The pilgrimage to Mecca at least once (if possible)
5.	The payment of a religious tax (zakat). 

Some also include jihad, which is of two kinds: the greater jihad, which is striving against one's soul in attaining spirituality; and the lesser jihad--defending Muslims against outside aggression.

Regardless of the condition of your heart, if you carry out those activities, you are doing what God requires.

Faith involves…
1. If you believe that Christ is Lord, you will approach Him as your Lord.  (Ro.10:9)  No

2. If you believe God’s is telling the truth when He says His way is best, you will turn your back on your own way, and follow His way (repentance) (Ac 26:20, 1 Pe.3:10,11)  Yes

3.	If you have genuine faith, you will worship God.  (Jn.4:24)  Yes, but without love or adoration

4.	True faith will always result in love for God and for people. (1Jn 4:8, 1Co 16:22, 1Jn 3:14)  No.  Man is God’s servant, nothing more.  The only issue is whether or not you will submit.

Perhaps this is a good point to address with a Muslim – that Scripture speaks of a relationship with God that is much richer and deeper than mere submission.

If you have genuine faith, you will not love the world, but will be willing to turn away from it.  (1Jn 2:15, Jas.4:4, Eph.5:8-9, 1Pe 2:9, 1Jn 2:9, Ac 14:15)  No/Yes

Genuine faith is always marked by humility. (Mt.18:1, Lk.18:9-14)  Yes
The Nation of Islam 
You may have heard the term “Black Muslims.”  Black Muslims are not just blacks who believe in Islam.  They are members of The Nation of Islam, which is it’s own branch of Islam.

Whenever you hear about a black athlete change his name, very often it’s because he has become a Black Muslim.  (Cacious Clay became Mohammed Ali, Lou Alcinder became Kareem Abdul Jabbar, etc)

The most well-known spokesman for the Nation of Islam today is Louis Farrakhan.

The Nation of Islam teaches that all non-whites are Asians.  Christianity is the white Europeans’ religion, and Islam is for the Asian.  Blacks are inherently good and whites inherently evil.  Eventually Asians and whites will fight it out in the battle of Armageddon. 

Abdul Farrakhan is a sought-after speaker by African-American university student groups, and publishes his beliefs and opinions in The Final Call. He is also well known for his hatred of whites and Jews.

Despite his attempts to reach out, he agreed with the “truths” spoken by his then spokesman, 
Khallid Abdul Muhammad, at Kean College, New Jersey, on November 29, 1993. In the speech, 
Muhammad called the Pope a “cracker” and referred to Jews as “bloodsuckers” who are in a 
conspiracy to control the finances of the world. They even control the presidency of the United 
States regardless of who is in office.  Farrakhan followed up Muhammad’s speech with 
rhetoric of his own condemning whites and Jews. 

He teaches that all members of the Nation are God, but that Allah is incarnate only in Wallace Farad Muhammad.

Not only that, but God was at one time a scientist who wanted to create a single language on the earth, but was unable to do so. After failing, he decided to destroy the earth, only succeeding in causing the moon to separate from the earth 66 trillion years ago. 
However, if “all Black Muslims are Allah, and Allah is incarnate as Wallace Fard Muhammad” is their doctrine, why have Asians—especially blacks (according to them)—made mistakes like anyone else? Is Allah “All-knowing” or not? If Black Muslims are Allah, how 
could they be deceived by the devil? If Allah can be deceived, why trust him? Why trust the 
writings of Wallace Fard Muhammad, Elijah Muhammad, Louis Farrakhan, the Quran, or the Bible, when they might be full of errors as well? If I am Allah, how can I trust myself? 
Ultimately we are left with a radical form of agnosticism and skepticism. 

Another historical belief of the Nation is that the earth and the original Black Man were 
created by Allah, and that all living blacks are descendants of the tribe of Shabazz. Fifty 
thousand years ago, the members of the tribe suffered the misfortune of having their hair turned 
kinky by another mad scientist who wanted to make life hard for them. 

Many years later, a 600-year-old scientist, Yakub, who was exiled to the island of Patmos, 
began experimenting with genetics and created the brown man. Two hundred years later, he 
created the red man, then the yellow in another 200 years, and finally, in another 200 years he 
created the white man. This was about 6600 years ago, in 4004 B.C. 
This Yakub is the same Jacob of the book of Genesis.

The white man is the devil and was given 6000 years to rule the earth, a period that ended in 1914. Therefore, it should be no surprise that the white man has invented nuclear weapons, 
concentration camps, or even the virus causing AIDS. 
Despite all this, a 1994 poll showed that 63 percent of African-Americans believe Farrakhan speaks the truth, and a New York Times survey reports that over one-third of African-Americans polled “express a favorable view” of him.