Islam used to be a non-factor in our nation. But since the rise of tensions
between Middle Eastern powers, the holding of American hostages for 444 days
in Tehran, Iran, the rise of Shia Islam, and its fostering of worldwide
terrorism, the introduction of Islam on a scale not previously experienced in
this nation, it has indeed become a factor in the religious mosaic of our
world. Additionally, with the bombing of the U.S. Marines in Beirut, Lebanon;
the wanton death and destruction of two of our African embassies; and finally
the terribly violence of the destruction of the Word Trade Towers, the attack
on the Pentagon, and the crashing of an American Airlines jet (apparently
intended as a flying bomb for either the White House or the U.S. Capital
building), Islam has captured our undivided attention. What do Muslim’s
believe? What divisions exist within Islam? What drives some of them to such
terrible acts of violence? Let us take a brief look at this major religion and
see what it is all about and the challenges it brings to Christianity.
I. SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A. Islam is the only major religion established after Christianity which
claims to be superior to Christianity.
1. The name "Islam" is Arabic for "submission" or
"to enter into peace"; therefore, a Muslim is one who makes his
peace with God and man.
a. Peace with God implies complete submission to Allah’s will, and peace
with man is not only to refrain from evil or injury to another but also to do
good to him.
b. A follower of Islam, therefore, is a doer of good to others who receives
from the Lord his reward for his submission.
2. The "holy book" of Islam is the Koran or Qur’an.
a. This is God’s revelation to his last and greatest Prophet, Mohammed.
b. All other of the prophets of Islam are inferior to Mohammed.
c. Islam recognizes six major prophets: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus,
and Mohammed.
B. The two major doctrines of Islam:
1. The Unity of God.
2. The unity or brotherhood of the human race.
C. Islam’s view of its place in the world’s religions:
1. Islam sees itself not only as the last great religion, but also as
all-inclusive of all other religions which came before it.
a. Islam requires its followers to believe that all the great religions of
the world which preceded it, were revealed by God.
b. The Qur’an says:
"We believe in Allah and (in) that which has been revealed to us,
(in) that which was revealed to Abraham and Ismael and Isaac and Jacob and
the tribes, and (in) that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and (in) that
which was given to the prophets from their Lord; we do not make any
distinction between any of them." (2:136)
2. Therefore, a Muslim believes not only in the Prophet Mohammed but in all
other prophets as well.
a. A Jew, therefore, believes only in the prophets of Israel; a Christian
believes in Jesus Christ and, in a lesser degree, in the prophets of Israel; a
Buddhist in Buddha; a Zoroastrian in Zoroaster; a Hindue in the prophets who
appeared in India; a Confucian in Confucius; but a Muslim believe in all these
and in Muhammad also, the last of the prophets.
b. Islam, therefore, is seen as an all-comprehensive religion within which
are included all the religions of the world; and similarly, its sacred Book,
the Holy Qur’an, is spoken of as a combination of all the sacred scriptures
of the world:
"Pure pages, wherein are all right books." (98:2-3)
3. There is one additional aspect of Islam in relation to the other
religions of the world.
a. In addition to being the last and all-inclusive religion, it is the
perfect expression of the Divine will.
"This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My
favour to you, and chosen for you Islam as a religion." (5:3)
b. Jesus is said to allude to this idea when He says:
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But
when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth."
(Jn. 16:12-13)
4. Therefore, it is the great mission of Islam to bring about peace in the
world by establishing a brotherhood of all the religions, to bring together
all the religious truths contained in the previous religions, to correct their
errors and sift the true from the false, to preach the eternal verities which
had not been preached before on account of the special circumstances of any
race or society in the early stages of its development and, last of all, to
meet all the moral and spiritual requirements of an ever-advancing humanity.
II. A BRIEF EARLY HISTORY OF MUHAMMAD
A. Muhammad was born in Mecca (Makka) about the year 570 A.D.
1. The area around Makka was/is a desert without an agricultural base in
which, (at the 6th century), most earned a living through nomadic raising of
livestock.
2. While Makka served as a market community bands of robbers plied the
caravans of traders traveling between cities on a regular basis. (Much like
our "Old West")
3. Settlements in the area were also systematically robbed, except during
the months of July, November, and December, during which such activities were
prohibited by religious sanction.
4. Into this cultural and economic environment Muhammad was born to
Abdallah and Amina of the clan of Hashim in the tribe of Quraysh.
a. Muhammad’s father died before he was born and his mother died when he
was a six year old boy.
b. His paternal grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, died two years later, so
thereafter, his paternal uncle, Abu Talib, brought him to manhood.
B. Most Arabs at that time were not very religious, and those who were
believed in a polytheistic religions of many gods expressed in idol worship.
1. Muslims call pre-Islamic Arabia, al-jahiliyya, which means, "the
age of ignorance".
2. Muhammad was a very religious person (whose father’s name meant,
"the servant of one God."), became convinced that God would judge
all people, offering hell-fire for the wicked and paradise for the obedient.
3. Allah comes from al-Ilah, meaning "The God", had been
"poluted" in Muhammad’s view.
a. The polytheists believed that Allah had three daughters: al-Lat (the
mother goddess, consort of the moon), al-Uzza (possibly the patron goddess of
Makka), and Manat (the goddess of fate and death.)
b. These daughters were, in the practice of most Makkans, more important
than their father, who seems to have been a distant, though benign, supreme
being.
4. There were others with Muhammad’s concerns called hunafa who were
followers of the religion of Abraham (Judaism).
5. Most historians agree that both Christianity and Judaism, (especially
Judaism) impacted Muhammad to a great degree.
III. THE BIRTH OF ISLAM
A. Muhammed spent a good deal of time in the caves outside of Makka in
prayer to Allah, and in 610 AD, he claims to have received a revelation from
Allah from the angel Jibril (Gabriel), in which Muhammed was ordered to recite
and pressed a coverlet of brocade on him so tightly that Muhammed thought he
was going to die.
1. According to Muhammed, the brocade coverlet was inscribed with these
words:
"Recite in the name of the Lord who created, created humans from
clots of blood. Recite, for you Lord is merciful. He has taught the use of
the pen, taught humans what they do not know." (Q 96:1-5)
2. Fearful that his family would think he was crazy, Muhammed confided only
in his wife, who in turn consulted her cousin Waraqa, who had become a
Christian.
a. This Christian cousin proclaimed that Muhammad had received the message
that had come to Moses and Jesus, and would be the Arab’s prophet.
b. After a period of six months (or three years), God spoke again to
Muhammad saying:
"You, wrapped in your cloak. Arise and be a warner. Praise your
Lord. Purify your clothing. Flee the wrath." (Q 74:1-5)
c. After this experience, Muhammed assumed the role of Prophet.
B. The flow of prophecy to Muhammed:
1. Continuing revelations of Allah’s prophecy came to Muhammad piecemeal
through the mediation of Gabriel until his death in 632 A.D.
2. His first followers were members of his immediate family: his wife
Khadija; his cousin Ali; and Zayd ibn Haritha, a freed slave who remained in
his household as his adopted son.
3. Abu Bakr became the first caliph, also followed Muhammad from the very
early days.
IV. EVENTS FOLLOWING THE RECEIVING OF MUHAMMAD’S FIRST
REVELATION
A. Muhammad’s earliest message was against idolatry.
1. He emphasized the unity of God, the Creator and judge of all who will
call all humans to account on the day of judgment according to their works.
a. The wicked will go to hell.
b. The good will go to paradise.
2. Muhammad referred to his revelations as the "Arabic Quran’.
B. At first, Muhammad’s prophesy was roundly rejected as foolishness and
some Makkans offered to pay to have him exorcized, if he would give up
attempts to modify their religion.
1. After a while instead of being amused by Muhammad, it was determined
that he was, in fact, dangerous, since those who believed him elevated him to
positions of local power and authority.
2. Muhammad insisted that since he was God’s mouthpiece, the Quran
implicitly demanded obedience to him.
3. Persecution of Muhammad’s followers began, but Muhammad’s uncle was
locally powerful enough to provide physical protection for him.
C. Finally, it became so perilous for Muslims and Muhammed in Makka, that
in 622 A.D., he fled to Medina after a long and dangerous journey.
1. The birth date of Islam has been reckoned as July 16, 622 A.D. (The
first day of the Arabic lunar new year.)
2. In Medina, Muhammad began to organize the religion:
a. Muhammad’s Makkan followers who emegrated to Yathrib were known as
muhajirun (emigrants).
b. His local Median followers were known as ansar (helpers).
c. Both groups were knows as "submitters" to the one God, Allah,
and obedient to the Prophet Muhammad.
d. Both groups worked together to build Muhammad’s house.
3. The number of Muhammad’s followers in Medina is said to have reached
about 1,000 by the end of the first year there.
a. Essentially, this community was not governed by local customs and laws,
but only by the Quran, (as interpreted by Muhammed).
b. This established a detailed religious law but had three basic duties
imposed on all believers:
1.) Formal daily prayers (salat), which had been instituted in Makka,
were required four times daily – sunrise, mid-morning, late afternoon, and
at sunset.
2.) Alms giving (zakat); This was not voluntary charitable giving but a
kind of tax upon believers that purifies what is kept for oneself. This was
to be given to the poor and needy. This is commanded in Q4:162, and is equal
to 1/40th of one’s income.
3.) The fast of Ramadan, the ninth month of the year in which they are to
refrain from eating and sexual intercourse from dawn until dusk during that
month.
4. As further issues arose in the community, further
"revelations" were received by Muhammad and codified into the Quran.
D. The Warrior Prophet – Muhammad.
1. The bad relationship between Muhammad and the Makkans took a turn for
the worse when Muhammad determined that it would be acceptable to attack
Makkan caravans as they passed by Medina.
a. This was seen as necessary for the support of the Makkans who had
emigrated to Medina with him.
b. Additionally, Muhammad was keen to return to Makka as a victorious
prophet thus proving the truth of his alleged revelation from God and
receiving God’s vindication.
2. Such raids (razzias) were a normal part of Arab life.
a. As little blood as possible was shed during such raids in order to avoid
retaliatory feuds.
b. Not only was this a means of support, but a means to the eventual defeat
of the Makkans.
c. Certain passages in the Quran attempted to justify this kind of robbery
and frequent murder:
"They [the Prophet’s supporters] ask you [Muhammad] about fighting
in the holy month [of Rajab]. Say: Fighting in it is abhorrent, but more
abhorrent in the sight of God is: to bar access to God’s way; to deny him;
and to prevent access to the holy mosque, driving out its members. Sedition
is more abhorrent than slaughter. They will not stop fighting until they
turn you from your faith, if they can. Whoever among you turns from faith
and dies faithless – their works have failed in this life and the next:
these are the inhabitants of hellfire, where they will remain forever."
(Q2.217)
d. This verse suggests that the decision to plunder adversaries’ caravans
during the holy month met with dismay among some of Muhammad’s closest
followers, and at first, he disavowed the raid and refused to accept his share
of the booty, until God’s revelation clarified the matter.
e. This divine word was that honoring the traditional taboo was less
important than punishing the wickedness of the Makkans for refusing the
Prophet’s message.
f. In one notable raid in 624 A.D., between 49 and 70 Makkans were killed,
and about 50 prisoners were taken
g. After finally returning in victory to Makka, Muhammad died in June of
632 A.D.
V. WHAT ISLAM TEACHES
A. The Unity of God:
1. The centrality of this doctrine is fundamental to Islam.
"The Unity of God, according to the Qur’an, implies that God is
One in His person, One in His attributes and One in His works. His Oneness
in His person means that there is neither plurality of gods nor plurality of
persons in the Godhead; His oneness in attributes implies that no other
being possesses one or more of the Divine attributes in perfection; His One
in works implies that non can do that which God has done, or which God may
do. The doctrine of Unity is beautifully summed up in one of the shortest
and earliest chapters of the Qur’an:
"Say: He, Allah, is One; Allah is He on Whom all depend; He begets
not; nor is He begotten; and none is like Him." (ch. 112)
2. Please note that the Council of Nicea was held in 381 A.D., and the
major arena of discussion at the Council was the person of Christ which was
summed up in the words:
"And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God,
begotten of his father before all worlds, Light of Light, very God of very
God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all
things were made." (emphasis mine)
a. What seems very clear is that Muhammad was familiar with this
fundamental creed of Christendom and was specifically refuting it.
b. In a very real way this passage from the Qur’an is a specific
refutation of the Christian faith and of the Triune nature of the revealed God
of the Scriptures which the Muslim faith say is a true holy book.
3. The opposite of unity is called "shirk", which implies
"partnership".
a. Ali in his, The Religion of Islam, says with specific reference to the
Christian concept of Trinity:
"Shirk is, therefore, of all sins the most serious because it
degrades man and renders him unfit for attaining the high position destined
for him in the Divine scheme...The second kind of shirk, which is less
palpable, is the associating of other things with God, that is, to suppose
that other things and beings possess the same attributes as the Divine
Being. The beliefs that there are three persons in the Godhead, and that the
Son and the Holy Ghost are eternal, Omnipotent and Omniscient like God
Himself, as in the Christian creed...all come under this head."
b. The beginning of the Athanasian Creed states: "Whoever will be
saved shall, above all else, hold the catholic faith. Which faith, except
everyone keeps whole and undefiled, without doubt he will perish eternally.
And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in three persons and
three persons in one God, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the
substance...This is the catholic faith which, except a man believe faithfully
and firmly, he cannot be saved."
4. It should be obvious that any attempt to blend the theologies between
Christianity and Islam hit a solid "dead end" at this most
fundamental point.
B. Revealed Books:
1. All so-called "holy" books are included in the Islamic concept
of revealed books.
"The religion of Islam, therefore, requires a belief, not in the Qur’an
alone but in all the books of God, granted to all the nations of the
world...Mankind is a single nation. So Allah raised prophets as bearers of
good news and as warners, and He revealed with them the book with truth...in
other words, in the sacred scriptures of every nation, because every nation
had a prophet and every prophet had a book."
2. This does not mean that all sacred books are equally authoritative for
Islam sees divine revelation as progressive, attaining perfection in the last
of the prophets, the Prophet Muhammad.
a. Revelation before Muhammad is seen as a revelation granted to each
nation according to its requirements, and in each age in accordance with the
capacity of the people of that age.
b. "As the human brain became more and more developed, more and yet
more light was cast by revelation on matters relating to the unseen, on the
existence and attributes of the Divine Being, on the nature of revelation from
Him, on the requital of good and evil, on life after death, on Paradise and
Hell."
3. Of course, this indicates that the previous "revelations" were
not correct in that the teachings of Buddha, Jesus, and others do not at all
agree but rather contradict each other just as the Gospel of Jesus Christ
flatly contradicts the Qur’an on many subjects.
4. It is also dubious that the human brain has become more and more
developed over time, and, in fact, the residual effects of Original Sin would
postulate that the human brain continues to suffer the corrosive deterioration
which sin has brought.
5. Nevertheless, Islam sees the Qur’an as the perfect and final
revelation given by Allah to the Prophet Muhammad, and is corrective of all
previous "editions" of God’s Word.
C. Life after Death:
1. Death, according to the Qur’an, is not the end of man’s life; it
only opens the door to another, a higher form of life:
"We have ordained death among you and We are not to be overcome,
that We may change your state and make you grow into what you know
not." (Q 56:60-61)
2. The Qur’an says:
"Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good, they have
their reward with the Lord." (Q 2:62)
a. This is a prayer which is repeated more than 30 times a day in the five
prayers of the day by faithful Muslims.
b. Of this Ali says: "This constant repetition of the idea of a
requital of deeds, undoubtedly impresses on the mind the reality of a future
life, when every deed shall find its full reward. The greater the faith in the
good or bad consequences of a deed, the greater is the incentive which urges a
man to or withholds him from that deed."
c. This, of course, is nothing but blatant works righteousness.
3. The Day of Resurrection and Judgment:
a. The Qur’an teaches a day of judgment and bodily resurrection of the
dead.
"When the earth is shaken with her shaking, and the earth brings
forth her burdens...On that day men will come forth in sundry bodies that
they may be shown their works" (Q 99:1-6)
b. The resurrected are raised either to eternal life with Allah in heaven
or to be caste into eternal hell.
4. Judgment based solely on good works:
a. Ali writes:
"Another argument adduced by the Qur’an in support of the
resurrection is that good and evil must have their reward. Of the whole
living creation, man alone has the power to discriminate between good and
evil."
b. Ali says:
"It will have been noticed that the guarding of the good and evil
deeds of man, which form the basis of the higher life, is spoken of as
writing them down; and a book of good and evil deeds is repeatedly
mentioned."
"Or do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private
counsels? Aye! and Our messengers with them write down." (Q 43:80)
5. Paradise: "The life after death takes two forms: a life in Paradise
for those in whom the good preponderates over the evil, and a life in Hell for
those in whom the evil preponderates over the good."
a. Paradise is described in parabolic terms as a beautiful garden flowing
with water and abundant fruit, but is seen as a picture of incomprehensible
pleasures.
b. The pleasures of Paradise are in direct proportion to the good deeds
done in the previous life.
c. In Paradise, people continue to advance to higher and higher stages of
spiritual life.
6. Hell: The experience of hell is characterized by three ideas: 1.) The
idea of falling down, 2.) The idea of burning, and 3.) The idea of being
broken down.
a. All of this is the result of man’s own deeds because he follows his
low desires and baser passions, he makes himself fall into the depths.
b. Just as in this life a man burns with lust and passion, so in the
afterlife that burning is replaced with flaming fire.
c. Just as in this life a man was unfruitful, so in hell the deep regret of
his fruitlessness will be clearly seen.
"Fire kindled by Allah which rises over the hearts." (Q104:6-7)
d. Hell is not merely punishment but remediation in that thus being
purified of his evil deeds, he may be made fit to advance spiritually.
e. The Islamic idea of hell is a "kinder, gentler" sort of hell,
thus Ali says:
"Thus the faithful are purified through their sufferings, in the way
of God, in this life; and the evil-doers shall be purified by hell-fire.
Hell is called a ‘friend’ of sinners, because through suffering it will
fit them for spiritual progress, and it is called their ‘mother’,
because in its bosom they will be brought up, so that they may be able to
tread the path of a new life."
VI. THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
A. Confession of the Faith. (shahada)
1. This is not just any prayer but the recitation of the shahada, which is
the profession of faith that, "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is
his Prophet."
2. This is frequently the phrase we hear being shouted in anti-American
demonstrations by fanatic factions of Islam, along with catchy phrases like,
"Death of America!"
B. Ritual Prayer: (salat)
1. This must be done five times each day at sunrise, mid-morning, noon,
mid- afternoon, and sunset.
2. These consist of five daily prescribed prayers that must be said.
C. Alms Giving: (zakat)
1. Required to give 1/40th of one’s income to the poor and needy as a
sort of taxation.
2. Sadakat which is a voluntary giving for support of the Muslim faith.
D. Fasting During Ramadan: (Sawm)
1. During the month of Ramadan Muslims are to refrain from eating anything
between the hours of sunrise and sunset.
2. Also during these hours Muslims are to refrain from sexual intercourse.
E. Pilgrimage to Mecca: (hajj)
1. Once in a Muslim’s lifetime he/she must make a pilgrimage to the holy
sites in and near Mecca, most significantly to circle the Kabah.
2. One may be excused from this by being seriously ill and having another
make the pilgrimage on one’s behalf.
F. Holy War: (jihad)
1. Some minority (but growing fundamentalist Muslims), include this sixth
pillar of Islam but the meanings of jihad vary from group to group.
a. The idea is that since Islam is to be the final revelation of true
religion which should combine all humanity into one Islamic brotherhood, some
think that other religions should be eliminated either by propagation of the
faith through proclamation or by military force.
b. By far the vast majority of Muslims condemn the idea of forced
conversions.
c. The most radical of fundamentalist Islamic groups, (i.e., Osama Bin
Laden, et. al.), view jihad as justifying aggressive, murderous, slaughter of
innocent people such as we have seen on September 11, 2001.
2. Most Muslims insist that a proper understanding of jihad as the inner
struggle to be godly.
Sources:
1. Ali, Maulana Muhammad, The Religion of Islam: A Comprehensive Discussion
of the Sources, Principles and Practices of Islam, Published by The Ahmadiyya
Anjuman Isha' At Islam, U.S.A., 1990.
2. Lutheran Cyclopedia, Erwin Lueker, editor, Concordia Publishing House,
St. Louis, Missouri, 1975.
3. Forward, Martin, Muhammad: A Short Biography, One World Press, Oxford,
England, 1997.
4. Athanasian Creed, Lutheran Worship, Concordia Publishing House, 1982,
pp. 134-135.
5. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 14, The Seven Ecumenical Councils,
Second Series, editor Philip Schaff and Henry Wace,Hendrickson Publishers,
Inc, Peabody, MA, Second Printing 1999, p. 163.