1cPage  of ? - " THE TRUTH ABOUT THE GOD AND MISSION OF THE RELIGION OF ISLAM http://www.foryourglory.org/ http://www.gospelcom.net/apologeticsindex/i07.html May 5, 2001 See also God of Justice under sermon docs-a The following explanation of basic Islam will help you to understand the foundations of the ongoing struggle in the Middle East and why our prayers are so vital. As Islam lies at the foundation of the present deadly conflict in the Middle East, it is very important to understand this religion in order to pray accurately. National borders are NOT the basic issue. When Jordan and Egypt controlled the West Bank and Gaza, nobody ever mentioned the idea of asking these countries to establish a sovereign Palestinian state there. What we are seeing is a religious and spiritual conflict between the God of the Bible and the god of Islam. Before we proceed let's read these sobering words of Jesus - either He was the Son of God and told the truth or He was an imposter and a liar - it's one or the other - you can't have it both ways - you decide. John 14:6 (NAU) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; NO ONE comes to the Father but through Me." Matt 7:14-21 (NAU) "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to (eternal) life, and there are few who find it. 15 Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn {bushes} nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits. 21 Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven {will enter}." Rom 14:17 (NAU) ...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but (i) righteousness and (ii) peace and (iii) joy in the Holy Spirit. It is commonly taught that Judaism, Christianity and Islam are the three monotheistic (believing that there is only one god) world religions, and many times it is implied that all the adherents of these three religions pray to the same God. President Clinton did much to promote this idea, elevating and popularizing Islam in America. This is a very, very serious mistake that must be clearly exposed. First of all it must be emphasized that Jews and Christians do pray to the same God. We share the same Scriptures. The New Testament is built upon the Old Testament and there are no contradictions between them. When the Church loses her relationship to the Old Testament and the Jewish people, she becomes an easy target for deception. Paul clearly warned about this in... Rom 11:18 (NAU) ...do not be arrogant toward the branches (the unbelieving Jews); but if you are arrogant, {remember that} it is not you who supports the root, but the root {supports} you. The term "Old Testament" is misleading because it can give the false impression that these Scriptures are old and no longer valid. Jesus Himself used the Jewish expression "The Law, The Prophets, and The Writings or Psalms" for these books (see Luke 24:44). Paul's statement about these Scriptures is very important, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." (2 Tim 3:16). God never changes - "I the LORD do not change." Mal 3:6. There is NO contradiction between the Old and the New Testaments. Both are absolute truth. There is ONE Bible and ONE revelation. The same is NOT TRUE concerning Islam. They are not worshipping the same God as Jews and Christians. Let's look at the clear facts. Mohammed grew up in Mecca in Arabia, belonging to the Quraysh tribe in charge of idol worship at the Kabah shrine, containing the black stone AND at least 360 idols. The word for god or idol in Arabic is "ilah." Allah was the name for the main IDOL worshiped in Mecca. The name was probably originally derived from the two Arabic words "al" and "ilah", meaning "the god" or "the idol." Allah was ALSO used as THE PERSONAL NAME among the Arabs for the moon god. Its symbol was the crescent moon found on many idols from pre-Islamic Arabia. Every year there was a pilgrimage to Mecca to worship Allah at the black stone. People were taught to turn towards Mecca several times a day. One month every year, beginning and ending with the crescent moon, was dedicated to fasting. Mohammed built upon all of these already known forms of idol worship. The only thing that was NEW was that Mohammed declared the pagan moon deity "Allah" to be the only true god and forbade the worship of all the other idols in Mecca. The basic confession within Islam is, "Allah is greater [greater than all the other idols]. There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet." Professor Augustus H. Strong makes an accurate assessment in his "Systematic Theology" when he declares that Islam "is heathenism in monotheistic form." Mohammed simply took the chief deity within the pantheon (all the gods of a religion) in Arabia, and made it the only god, keeping the pagan practices associated with this idol worship. This is of course in complete contradiction to the basic message about the one and true God found in the Bible, both in the Old and the New Testament, where idol worship is strictly forbidden. Abraham was chosen to leave cult worship surrounding the moon god in Ur of the Chaldeans, to go to a different land, in order to give mankind the revelation about the only true God as a loving Father and Savior. To confuse the issue, Mohammed declared that Allah is the god of the Jews and the Christians. Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus were all prophets sent by Allah. Since Mohammed's beliefs did not agree with the Scriptures, Mohammed declared that the Jews and the Christians have perverted the Scriptures. Therefore Allah has rejected them and cursed them and has sent Mohammed to replace the Bible with the Koran; and to replace Judaism and Christianity with Islam. It is the duty of Islam to subjugate and destroy the INFIDELS (a person who does not ackowledge your god), the Christians and the Jews. Islam is Satan's most powerful and successful plan to destroy true faith in the God of the Bible. In Islam religion and politics are joined together. Allah is not primarily interested in individuals. Love is a completely foreign concept in Islam. Allah is destined to rule the world. That is the basis of Islam. Everything else is related to this goal. The world is divided into two parts, Dar-al-Salaam meaning "House of Peace" where Allah rules and Dar-al-Harb, "House of War" where the people are not in submission to Allah and Islam. When Israel was established in 1948, it created a tremendous problem in the Middle East, not a political problem but a religious problem. The Jews had invaded the "House of Peace" turning it into a "House of War." Hamas spokesman Ismail Abu Shanab said last week in an interview, "The Israelis should understand that their existence is the only provocation in the area." And Arafat once again confirmed, "Peace for us means the destruction of Israel." This is the only condition for peace in Islamic thinking. When Israel won the first military conflicts with the Arabs it was a tremendous defeat for Allah. Finally, Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran explained that Israel is a judgment from Allah for the backslidden condition of the Muslims. THE DEFEAT OF ISRAEL, THEREFORE, HAS BECOME THE PRIMARY SIGN OF ALLAH'S PLEASURE WITH THE FAITHFUL MUSLIMS. When Israel pulled out from Lebanon last year it was heralded as the first Arab victory in more than fifty years of conflict. It was a confirmation that Allah finally is pleased with the violent path of the Iranian backed fanatical Muslim guerilla Hezb'Allah (meaning "Allah's Party"). We believe that God today is setting up a confrontation with Islam. The war is already going on and eventually it will evolve into a full-scale regional conflict. In talking about His return and the end Jehovah commanded us to not fear but He also said that wars must come. As much as we hate to admit it, the truth is THERE IS NO PEACEFUL SOLUTION! Islam has declared war and they can only be stopped through war. From its inception Islam has been a religion of war. The word Islam that Mohammed took for his religion was used for a sublime virtue in Arabian culture meaning, "defiance of death, heroism; to die in battle." War is the language that Islam clearly understands. The following quote from ICEJ News Service explains what we are talking about. "The Holy Koran teaches us that scaring the enemy is an important step in defeating him. Our prophet says, 'with terrorizing my enemy, I achieved a victory that can be achieved only with a one-month-march of an army.' Therefore any means that can terrify the enemy is a legitimate means." It is impossible to say when the full war with Islam will come. It could be this month; it could be in a few years time. We do know that Arafat is planning to make May 15 this year, the anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel observed by the Arab Muslims as Al-Nakba which means "The Catastrophe", into a major day of violence and confrontation." End quote. We need to fast and pray, for God's blessing and protection and for the exposing of the true hidden agenda of Islam. If ever your enemy can deceive you he is your friend you're in big trouble - because he'll smile in your face while stabbing you in the back. Remember, you will know them by their fruits (actions) - not rhetoric. I know there are many peace loving Muslims, but that is not what their religion teaches or their hidden agenda propagates. Their goal of Islam in the U.S.A. is to see their flying over the Whitehouse - they MUST CONQUER the world and cripple the world's last super-power (the thorn in their side that is protecting Israel). Jesus commissioned Christians to evangelize the world, but not by terrorism, but by love... John 13:34-35a (NAU) Jesus said... "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I d you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples...." ...a very different message from Islam. Islam believes Jesus was a prophet - one that erred in His message - which Mohammed finally got right. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BRIEF FACTS ON THE ISRAELI CONFLICT (it takes 5 minutes to read - very interesting) Nationhood and Jerusalem Israel became a nation in 1312 B.C.E., two thousand years before the rise of Islam. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 B.C.E. the Jews have had dominion over the land for one thousand years with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 C.E. lasted no more than 22 years. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital. Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran. King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed never came to Jerusalem. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem. ARAB AND JEWISH REFUGEES: In 1948 the Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews. Sixty-eight percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms (persecutions - especially against Jews). The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000. The number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands is estimated to be the same. Arab refugees were intentionally not absorbed or integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own peoples' lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no larger than the state of New Jersey. THE ARAB - ISRAELI CONFLICT: The Arabs are represented by eight separate nations, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself each time and won. The P.L.O.'s Charter still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy under the Palestinian Authority, and has supplied them with weapons. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all faiths. THE U.N. RECORD ON ISRAEL AND THE ARABS: Of the 175 Security Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed against Israel. Of the 690 General Assembly resolutions voted on before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel. The U.N was silent while 58 Jerusalem Synagogues were destroyed by the Jordanians. The U.N. was silent while the Jordanians systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives. The U.N. was silent while the Jordanians enforced an apartheid-like policy of preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These are incredible times. We have to ask what our role should be. What will we tell our grandchildren we did when there was a turning point in Jewish destiny in Israel, an opportunity to make a difference. Start now. Send this to 20 other people you know and ask them to send it to twenty others. The truth and the cause of peace are universal values we all share. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BACKGROUND OF ISLAM by Mark Bair I. HISTORY AND EVENTS Muhammad, the founder of Islam was born in Mecca (in modern day Saudi Arabia) in A.D. 570. At that time, the religious setting of the Arabian Peninsula was "a rather primitive polydemonism and worship of stones, stars, caves and trees. Around A.D. 610 he came to believe he was receiving visions, which he claimed were from the angel Gabriel. The Islamic scriptures, known as the "Koran," are the "reciting" of the revelations he claimed to have received for the next 22 years. Muhammad's preaching of these visions in Mecca met with considerable resistance. The reason for this was because Muhammad's message threatened not only popular polytheism, but the political and economic powers. As a result, Muhammad found his first followers among the lower class and those who were ripe for a new social order. In 622 he traveled to Yathrib, which is now called Medina. This event, called the "Hejira," is viewed as the turning point of Islam. From then on, Islam was no longer just a religion but a distinct political power. In Medina, the community of believers became a state with Muhammad as its religious and political leader. In 630, Muhammad and his followers took over Mecca without resistance. Muhammad declared the Kaaba (the temple in Mecca) was the holiest shrine in Islam. To this day, Muslims direct their prayers facing the city of Mecca and the shrine of Kaaba. By the time Muhammad died in 632, Islam had already reached large portions of Asia, Africa and part of Europe. Today, Islam claims over 450 million followers. According to Carmody and Carmody, "Islam is the world's fastest growing religion today. It is a great force in Africa, a middling presence in China and the Soviet Union, a shareholder in the petropolitics of the Middle East, a huge presence in Indonesia, and the religion of more than 6 million North Americans." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II. TEACHINGS OF ISLAM "The faith and practice of Islam are governed by the two great branches of Muslim learning, theology and jurisprudence, to both of which some reference has already been made. Muslim theology (usually called "Tawhid" from its central doctrine of the Unity of the Godhead) defines all that a man should believe, while the law (Shari'a) prescribes everything that he should do. There is no priesthood and no sacraments... Unlike any other system in the world today the Shari'a embraces every detail of human life, from the prohibition of crime to the use of the toothpick, from the organization of the State to the most sacred intimacies -- or unsavory aberrations -- of family life." These practices are mainly true of Sunni Islam, not of the divergent sects. A. The Articles of Faith These are basic doctrines every Muslim is required to believe. "O believers, believe in God and His messenger and the Book He has sent down before. Whoso disbelieves in God and his angels and His books, and His Messengers, and the Last Day, has surely gone astray into far error. Those who believe, and then disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve, and then increase in unbelief--God is not likely to forgive them, neither to guide them on any way." (The Koran, Sura 4:135) God-- There is one true God and His name is "Allah"; Allah is all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-powerful. Yet, Allah is not a personable, but a transcendent God, for He is so far above man that He is not personally knowable. "Say: 'He is God, One, God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, and was not begotten, and equal to Him is not any one." Angels-- The chief angel is Gabriel, who was instrumental in revealing the visions to Muhammad. Different than angels are the jinn (jeanies or demons). The leader of the jinn is Shaitan (Satan). Scripture-- There are four books Muslims consider inspired: the Torah of Moses (first five books of the Old Testament), the Zabur (Psalms of David), the Injil, (the gospel of Jesus) and the Koran. Muslims believe the former three contain error because they have been tampered with by Jews and Christians. Since the Koran is God's most recent and final word, it is viewed as superior to all other writings. When asked for a miracle to attest his claim to be a prophet, Muhammad would refer to the miracle of the Koran. "Qur'an" (or "Koran") is an Arabic word which means "recite." "It is seen as a perfect revelation of God, faithful reproduction of an original engraved on a tablet in heaven which has existed from all eternity. Copies of the Qur'an are therefore venerated very highly and are only touched and read by Muslims after ceremonial cleansing. According to Islamic tradition, the Qur'an was originally written on palm leaves, on shoulder-blade bones of camels and on stones. Following Muhammad's death in A.D. 632, tradition states that the first caliph, Abu Bakr, ordered Muhammad's former secretary, Zaid, to collect and arrange writings. This was done in cooperation with other and finally an authorized revision of the text was established by Caliph Uthman. Other versions in existence were ordered to be destroyed." Judgment Day --On the last day the dead will be resurrected. Allah will judge each person according to their deeds, sending them to heaven or hell. Heaven is a place of sensual pleasure. "For many men the best part of the heavenly garden was the bur: dark-eyed buxom virgins. In addition to his earthly wife, each male in heaven could expect to have seventy bur. They would never be sick, menstruating, pregnant (unless he wished), bad-tempered, or jealous." He would be able to de-flower them at will, and return to find them virgins again. Prophets -- The Koran lists 28 prophets, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jonah and Jesus. Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet. Predestination --Allah has determined what he pleases and no one can change what he has decreed. This is a sixth article of faith that is considered by many to be part of the five articles. This strong fatalism has played a central role in Muslim culture, and may be connected to the lack of modern progress that has characterized Muslim countries until recently. B. The Five Pillars of Faith The Creed (Shahada)-- "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet." This must be stated publicly to become a Muslim. The creed is repeated regularly by worshipers. Prayer (Salat)-- "The practice of prayer (salat) is five times a day (upon rising, at noon, in midafternoon, after sunset, and before retiring). The worshiper must recite the prescribed prayers (the first surah and other selections from the Koran) in Arabic while facing the Ka'aba in Mecca. The Hadith (book of tradition) has turned these prayers into a mechanical procedure of standing, kneeling, hands and face on the ground, and so forth. The call to prayer is sounded by the muezzin (a Muslim crier) from a tower called a minaret which is part of the mosque (the place of public worship)". Almsgiving (Zakat)-- Muslims are required to give one-fortieth of their income to help the poor. Fasting (Ramadan)-- Faithful Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset everyday during this holy month. The Pilgrimage (Hajj)-- The Pilgrimage to Mecca is expected of every Muslim at least once in their lifetime, unless prevented by war or other conditions beyond the worshipper's control. "It is the duty of all men towards God to come to the House a pilgrim, if he is able to make it there." "The Kaaba (in Mecca) is the most sacred place for believers. Much more than a mosque, it is believed to be the place where heavenly power touches the earth directly. " C. Holy War There is a sixth religious duty associated with the Five Pillars, Jihad or Holy War. The Koran teaches: "Prescribed for you is fighting, though it be hateful to you. Yet it may happen that you will hate a thing which is better for you; and it may happen that you will love a thing which is worse for you; God knows, and you know not. They will question thee concerning the holy month, and fighting in it. Say: `Fighting in it is a heinous thing, but to bar from God's way, and disbelief in Him, and the Holy Mosque, and to expel its people from it--that is more heinous in God's sight; and persecution is more heinous than slaying. They will not cease to fight with you..." (Sura 2:212). "So let them fight in the way of God who sell the present life for the world to come; and whosoever fight in the way of God is slain, or conquers, We shall bring him a mighty wage. How is it with you, that you do not fight in the way of God, and for the men, women, and children who, being abased, say, `Our Lord, bring us forth from this city whose people are evildoers, and appoint to us a protector from Thee, and appoint to us from Thee a helper'? The believers fight in the way of God, and the unbelievers fight in the idols' way. Fight you therefore against the friends of Satan; surely the guile of Satan is ever feeble" (Sura 4:77). Islamic scholars explain: "Jihad literally means an effort or striving. It includes a religious war against unbelievers with the object of converting them to Islam or subduing all opposition. (See Koran 9:5; 4:76; 2:214; 8:39.) It is the sacred duty of the Muslim nation to ensure that Islam triumphs over all religions. It is considered a general duty of the nation as a whole, not of individuals. Furthermore, it is a duty which relates only to religion. It has nothing to do with economic exploitation, political repression or imperialism in any form. In his early career Mohammed spread Islam by teaching and persuasion: several early Meccan suras stated that he was sent only to preach. When, at Medina, he declared that God had allowed him and his followers to defend themselves against infidels, and later when he proclaimed that he had divine leave to attack them and set up the true faith by the sword. Muhammad himself fought in nine battles and ordered many more."15 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- III. ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY God-- Muslims deny the doctrine of the trinity, considering it polytheistic. They consider it blasphemous to call God "Father" because it implies to them that He had sexual relations. "This doctrine, which makes God different from His creatures, is strong in Islam. Allah is so different that it makes it (1) difficult to really know very much about him, and (2) unlikely that he is affected by his creatures' attitudes or actions. Although Allah is said to be loving, this aspect of his nature is almost ignored, and his supreme attribute of justice is thought to overrule love. "16 The Bible-- The Muslims trace their roots to the Bible, but feel free to pick and choose the parts that support their view. Islam, for example, would not consider our New Testament to be the Injil (gospel of Jesus). It is not the words of Jesus, it is others' words about Jesus. His original words have been corrupted and many have been lost. Only the Qur'an is infallible. Muhammad and the Qur'an are that which Islam is to follow. "It is well known that at many points the Qur'an does not agree with the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. Therefore, from the Muslim point of view, it follows of necessity that these Scriptures must have been corrupted. Historical evidence makes no impression on the crushing force of the syllogism. So it is, and it can be no other way. The Muslim controversialist feels no need to study evidence in detail. The only valid picture of Jesus Christ is that which is to be found in the pages of the Qur'an."17 References to the Bible in the Koran make it evident that Muhammad was confused about the message of Christianity and also what the Old Testament said. In Gleason Archer's study we find that there are blatant anachronisms and historical inaccuracies in the Koran.18 If God revealed the Koran, he not only contradicted some of his earlier revelation in the Old and New Testaments (including the parts that Muslims consider to be inspired) but he forgot some of the historical details of his own revelation. The distinction between what are Christ's actual words and what was "corrupted" by Christians is completely arbitrary, leaving the Muslim interpreter as the final authority. As was pointed out earlier, when Muhammad was asked to validate his prophetic claim, he neither claimed to be divine, nor to have been raised from the dead. Rather, he pointed to the miracle of the Qur'an. Unfortunately, the book lends itself neither to falsification nor verification. There is no predictive prophecy such as that used by the God of the Bible to verify his word. The Koran's view of women In the Koran's teaching on women, we see a striking difference from the Bible. "Men are the managers of the affairs of women for that God has preferred in bounty one of them over another, and for that they have expended of their property. Righteous women are therefore obedient, guarding the secret for God's guarding. And those you fear may be rebellious admonish; banish them to their couches, and beat them. If they then obey you, look not for any way against them" (Sura 4:34). In these few words, God has made known the status of women in relation to men. In relation to other matters the status, rights and duties of women are defined with various degrees of rigidity, but in this the message is clear, finite and complete; it is not a matter for discussion or compromise. The Koran also states: 'Your women are a tillage for you; so come unto your tillage as you wish' (Sura 2:223)."19 The following passage is a summary of Islamic attitudes on women given by Denise Carmody: The status of women in Islam says a great deal about Muslim society. In the Qur'an there is some basis for sexual equality: Reward and punishment in the afterlife depend on deeds, not gender; marriage and conjugal life are precious; women have dowry rights in some divorces, inheritance rights, rights to remarry, and rights to protection in time of pregnancy and nursing. However, women's rights were not equal to those that the Qur'an gave males in either divorce or inheritance. Moreover, the Qur'an does not even consider the possibility that women might assume leadership roles in the community, receive an education equal to that of males, teach law or theology, or engage in polygamy (as males could). Furthermore, the misogyny latent in most patriarchal religions had dark effects in Muslim society. As late as 1970, an Arab sheik offered the opinion that "educated or not a woman is a woman and the Prophet--God's prayers and peace on him--had said that women are lacking in mind and religion. The tradition placed more women in the Fire than in the Garden, and the prime determinant of their destiny was their treatment of their husbands. In legend Muhammad virtually despised female nature as stupid and irreligious. Its specific defects were menstruation, which interfered with prayer and fasting, and unreliability, which made a woman's witness worth only half a man's in court. Obedience to her husband was the woman's first duty; failure to obey can still get her killed today. The Muslim woman was considered nd empty-headed. Thus she was subject to purdah (seclusion and veiling), polygyny, concubinage and the harem. Women were not to be taught to read and write ("a great calamity"), and they were morally "bent" because they came from Adam's bent rib. Thus, in many men's eyes, they had a dismal existence: "It were best for a girl not to come into existence, but being born she had better be married or buried." Recent Muslims, especially Africans, have defended clitoridectomy and kindred operations, frequently with the following sort of rationale: "Circumcision of women releases them from their to sex, and enables them to fulfill their real destiny to mother." 20 Other Problems with the Koran Another reason for suspicion in regard to the Koran's authenticity is cited by Christy Wilson: "There are alterations and abrogations within the Qur'an itself. For example, Muhammad originally ordered his followers to pray towards Jerusalem (sura 2:150), but when the Jewish people refused to follow him, he changed the direction of prayer to Mecca (sura 2:125). Such alterations are explained by sura 2:106, `If we abrogate a verse or consign it to oblivion, we offer something better than it or something of equal value.'"21 The Koran and Jesus Christ The Koran denies that Jesus was God, although it describes the virgin birth in a passage similar to Luke 1:26-38 (Sura 3:45-47). Islam does believe Jesus was a sinless prophet though not as great as Muhammad. "People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say not as to God but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God, and His word that He committed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not, `Three.' Refrain; better is it for you. God is only One God."22 "They are unbelievers who say, `God is the Messiah, Mary's son.' For the Messiah said, `Children of Israel, serve God, my Lord and . . . . They are unbelievers who say, `God is the Third of Three.' No god is there but One God. If they refrain not from what they say, there shall afflict those of them that disbelieve a painful chastisement. Will they not turn to God and pray His forgiveness? God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate. The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a Messenger; Messengers before him passed away; his mother was a just woman; they both ate food. Behold, how We make clear the signs to them; then behold, how they perverted are!" 23 It should be pointed out that Jesus left no room for such a claim (Jn. 8:58; 10:30; 14:6). Regarding the crucifixion, the Koran states: " And for their unbelief, and their uttering against Mary a mighty calumny, and for their saying, `We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the Messenger of God'--yet they did not slay him, neither crucified him, only a likeness of that was shown to them. Those who are at variance concerning him surely are in doubt regarding him; they have no knowledge of him, except the following of surmise; and they slew him not of a certainty--no indeed; God raised him up to Him; God is All-mighty, All-wise."24 "The death of Christ at the hand of the Jews is rejected by Muslims on a priori grounds, which are absolutely convincing if the major premise is admitted. It is impossible that God should so desert a prophet in the fulfillment of his mission. It would be contrary to His justice to permit the suffering of an innocent on behalf of others. It would be contrary to His omnipotence not to be able to rescue a prophet in danger. Therefore Jesus cannot have been left helpless in the hand of his enemies."25 Most Muslims believe Judas died on the cross, not Jesus. Here again, the historical reliability of the New Testament documents are being denied without evidence by a book with less credibility. The Koran on Sin and Salvation As we have seen above, the Muslim must earn salvation by good works. This contradicts the Torah (Gen. 15:6), which Islam affirms as being from Allah. Islam cannot explain how a righteous God can accept sinful men without compromising his own moral character. It is also unclear where the cut off line is between a saved Muslim and an unsaved Muslim. It does not require keeping the laws perfectly, but neither does Islam specify how close you have to come to be given eternal life. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Denise L. Carmody and John T. Carmody, Ways to the Center: An Introduction to World Religions (Belmont, California:Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1984) p.307 2 Denise L. Carmody & John T. Carmody, Ways to the Center. p.309 3 Lothar Schmalfuss, "Muhammad" in Eerdman's Handbook to the World's Religions, R. Pierce Beaver, et al. (Grand Rapids:Eerdmans, 1983) p.311 4 Josh McDowell, Understanding Non-Christian Religions (San Bernadino:Here's Life Publishers, 1982) p.150 5 Denise L. Carmody & John T. Carmody, Ways to the Center, p.307 The claim that Islam is the fastest growing religion is not universally accepted. 6 Sir Norman Anderson, ed., The World's Religions (Grand Rapids:William Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976) p.78 7 The Koran, Sura 112:all 8 Christy Wilson, "The Qur'an" in Eerdman's Handbook to World Religions, (Grand Rapids, MI:William Eerdman Publishing Company, 1982) p.315 9 Denise L. Carmody & John T. Carmody, Ways to the Center, p.333 10 D.S. Roberts, Islam: A Concise Introduction, (San Francisco:Harper and Row, 1981) p.35 11 D.S. Roberts, Islam p.35 12 Kenneth Boa, Cults, World Religions, and You (Wheaton, IL:Victor Books, 1977) p.53 13 The Koran, Sura 3:92 14 D.S. Roberts, Islam, p.43 15 D.S. Roberts, Islam, p.42 16 Sir Norman Anderson, World Religions, p.79 17 Stephen Neill, Christian Faith and Other Faiths (London:Oxford University Press, 1970) p.64 18 Gleason L. Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, (Chicago: Moody Press 1980) p.498-500 19 D.S. Roberts, Islam, p.130 20 Denise L. Carmody & John T. Carmody, Ways to the Center, p.332,333 21 Christy Wilson, "The Qur'an" in Eerdmans, p.315 22 The Koran 4:169 23 The Koran 5:76-79 24 The Koran 4:157 25 Stephen Neill, Christian Faith and Other Faiths, p.66,67 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to the Outlines page Return to the Crossroads Apologetics Resources page Return to the Xenos home page The Xenos web is available on cd! 2001 Xenos Christian Fellowship (See our usage guidelines.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EXCERPTS FROM ARTICLE'S I'VE READ ABOUT ISLAM ON THE INTERNET & QUOTATIONS FROM THE KORAN (QUR'AN) Mohammed also fashioned his revelations into principles, and administered the social, political, economic, and religious affairs of the Medinans. Recitations regarding the People of the Book (both Jews and Christians) became more belligerent: "God fight them, what liars they are" (Surah 9:30); and "O believers, take not Jews and Christians as friends; they are friends of each other. Whoso of you makes them his friends is one of them. God guides not the people of the evildoers" (Surah 5:56). At the same time, hostilities with the Meccans continued as Muhammad raided their caravans traveling north. The Battle of Badr (624) proved decisive for establishing Islam as an aggressive force. "The sword was unleashed and the scabbard way. The jihad, or appeal to battle, had been irrevocably invoked." A contentious debate continues today in Muslim circles about whether this aggression should be considered "defensive," since the future of Islam was at stake. The Qur'an maintains that war is an evil, but the extinction of Islam is a greater evil (Surah 2:217). But for all intents and purposes, the victory at Badr marked a critical stage in the evolution of Islam from a defensive to an offensive position. By 630 Muhammad returned to Mecca in victory. He claimed the city for Islam and destroyed the idols being worshiped at the Ka'bah. This action introduced the notion of "manifest success"geographical dominanceas a validating sign of Islam. In Muhammad's time, women's roles were notably inferior to men's. One of the most difficult verses reads: "Righteous women are therefore obedient, guarding the secret for God's guarding. And those you fear may be rebellious admonish; banish them to their couches, and beat them" (Surah 4:34). In matters of inheritance, women are to receive half of what men receive (Surah 4:11). Men are the "managers" of women (Surah 4:35) and can "come unto [their] tillage as they wish" (sexually) (Surah 2:223); can divorce their wives by stating "I divorce you" three times (2:229-230); and may take more than one wife (4:29). There is no original sin in Islam, only original purity." In other words, we, like Adam, may miss the mark now and then. But we, also like Adam, have the capability to right ourselves and rehabilitate our standing before God, through submission and through the five pillars. The characteristic description for human status before God is 'abdservant or slave. God, in his mercy, revealed himself through the Qur'an and his final prophet, but Islam nevertheless remains a religion driven by ongoing human efforts to earn God's favor. There is no category in Islam for the One true God with a triune nature. "The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him," the Qur'an says. "So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not, 'Three.' Refrain: better is it for you. God is only One God" (Surah 4:169). Muslims concur that Jesus was condemned to the cross, but they claim he was never crucified. The Qur'an asserts that "they did not slay him, neither crucified him, only a likeness of that was shown to them" (Surah 4:155). Islam cannot conceive of either a prophet or a son who is executed as a criminal. If Jesus died on the cross, "enduring the shame," then from the Muslim perspective he utterly failed. Without a concept of sonship and Jesus' atoning sacrifice on the cross, there is no remission of sins and therefore no grace. Mahmoud Ayoub says that "salvation by faith is arrogancewho decides?" To him it seems incomprehensible that a person would claim to be a servant of God without having to do anything. As one imam expressed it, "That is too good to be true!" The validating sign of faith, says Ayoub, is in what you donot in what you cannot do, as is implicit in the notion of grace. Christianity is totally banned in Saudi Arabia. [After I converted] I was taken into custody and tortured. They told me I would be beheaded if I did not turn back to Islam. I told the authorities I'm willing to die for Jesus and that I would never come back to Islam. Many who are intimately acquainted with Muslims expressed concern about the missionary mandate of some to conquer the world for Islam. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These are religious fanatics. They are sick, they are perverted, and unfortunately, its infiltrated America. We had over 400 mosques about eight years ago. Now we have over 1400. The media and others are trying to water it down. I heard a man say last night on TV, Oh, Jihad, thats not just war; you can have a Jihad going home, giving a flower to your wife. That is an absolute lie from the pits of hell. Jihad is a holy war and according to their Koran, the two worst groups of people on this earth are Christians and Jews. They get a free passage to heaven, with virgins waiting for them, for every one they kill. Its a religion of hate straight from the pits of hell. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ October 11, 2001 - Why Muslims hate us so... 2 Cor 2:14-17 (NLT) But thanks be to God, who made us his captives and leads us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now wherever we go He uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those being saved and by those perishing. 16 To those who are perishing we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? 17 You see, we are not like those hucksters-- and there are many of them-- who preach just to make money. We preach God's message with sincerity and with Christ's authority. And we know that the God who sent us is watching us. One reason the Muslims hate us so much is is because we are a fragrance of death and doom to them - the presence of life and light in us creates an atmosphere of conviction, death and doom for them. They think if they can kill us they could get rid of this conviction. God help me to preach with a pure motive to spread the gospel and change lives into Your likeness - not just to make money. 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