In this month's issue we are taking on the subject of Islam
and how it is being packaged today for universal acceptance. The
latest offspring fits the bill of the coming together in unity
of all denominations including "Christians", Judaism,
Islam, Buddhists, Hindus and etc.. It always amazes us when we
look at the finished product, how the Holy Spirit brings the information
together to show us why it applies and why we need to know to
protect ourselves from these movements.
They use the Gospel but their definitions are different which
is not discernable without some understanding of what they mean
and how they apply it. Another layer has been placed over Islam
to fill the vacuum created for new definitions that apply to all.
What the unity movement is looking for, are concepts that all
can agree on.
The prayer to God in Congress is now "People of Faith, unite
us." Congress alternates different religious leaders over
time so all different denominations including Rabbis find acceptance.
It reminds me of the World Council of Churches. The meeting was
opened with a reading from the Quran by a Muslim leader, directed
by a Catholic, now Cardinal, in Rome and attended by most denominations.
All religions have faith of one kind or another. The changes are
very subtle and sound so right but end up to be the fatal deception
for born again believers. We are beginning by describing Islam,
it's history and its belief and where it is today. How can the
unity achieved.
Islam Arabic, = submission to, or having peace with God, the religion
of which Mohammed was the prophet an adherent of Islam is called
a Moslem or Muslim [Arabic = one who submits].
It is the latest of the three monotheistic religions. The first
two are Judaism and Christianity.
Islam is the principal religion of much of Asia, several provinces
of China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan and
Arabian states. It is also practiced in Turkey, Albania, and Bosnia,
throughout Europe and the Americas, as well as much of the USSR
in Asia. The religion also prevails in Egypt, Ethiopia and Central
Africa. (See the Columbia Encyclopedia p. 979, 980)
Islam has made great strides in America since the 1950s when the
Encyclopedia states that the United States did not have any Muslims.
Their devotion is to the Koran, which is to them a revelation
of God to Mohammed. God's name in Arabic is Allah. Muslims believe
God keeps sending new prophets and Mohammed was the latest one
in the 1950s. There are apparently several a new prophets who
have taken Mohammed's place, which I will discuss later. It contradicts
Islam's teaching, that Mohammed is the last one. They claim when
the world falls away from Mohammed, the world will end.
According to Muslim teaching, Abraham was the father of the faithful,
the first Moslem. According to Muslims, Jesus was not crucified
but substituted with someone else in his stead. Instead he was
taken up by God and left a shadow. Jesus is considered to be just
a prophet along with Abraham.
Any discrepancy between the three faiths is due to misinterpretations
by Christianity and Judaism. Muslims praise and glorify God alone.
Faith and works are one and the same thing. They pray five times
a day by prostrating themselves continually. When they pray they
face Mecca. Muslims give alms generously. In some places Islam
is a state religion. They fast on certain days and must make a
pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj). In a Muslim state, only Muslims are
really citizens. Non Muslims are aliens, are not allowed to serve
in neither office nor the Army and they must pay special tax.
Their religious law covers the whole individual. Muslim thought
is distinct UNITY tends toward legalism, rationalism and mysticism.
Islam came into existence in 622 AD. The greatest cause is to
be fighting for the faith because they go to paradise. On the
other hand conversion by the sword are no conversions.
ISLAM HAS TREMENOUS APPEAL AS A UNIVERSAL RELIGION. There is a
political advantage to it. UNITY IS A POTENT POLITICAL IDEAL.
(See Ibid. pp.979, 980)
Bahaism is an offspring of Islam, a religion founded by Baha Ullah
and led by his son Sir Abdul Baha Bahai (1844 - 1921) It has affinity
with Shiite Islam, Sufism and Gnosticism. It teaches that GOD
CAN BE KNOWN THROUGH MANIFESTATIONS. Their prophets include Abraham,
Moses, David, Christ, Mohammed, the Bab, and Baha Ullah. THEY
BELIEVE IN UNITY OF ALL RELIGIONS IN UNIVERSAL EDUCATION, IN WORLD
PEACE, AND IN EQUALITY OF MEN AND WOMEN. An international language
is advocated. Emphasis is laid upon simplicity of living and upon
SERVICE TO SUFFERING FELLOWMEN. The teachings spread across the
world in the 20th century. (See Ibid. p.136)
One billion, two hundred million Islamic and Christians are
tired of colliding and wish to find common ground. Bill Baker,
a Christian, had a book published recently titled: "More
In Common than You Think." Dr. Robert H. Schuller, founder
of the Hour of Power television ministry, promoted the book. Dr.
Schuller interviewed the author during worship service, which
raised my blood pressure to say the least. The two men introduced
a new organization named CAMP that will be coming to your city
as well as throughout the world. Who is CAMP? Christians and Muslims
for Peace is what the name means. Their pursuit is one of a coalition
between Christians and Muslims to serve a God of ALL men in UINITY
for the sake of peace, freedom, justice and moral values. Notice
this word: I - slam. To Islam it means peace through submission
to the will of Allah.
"Say, we believe in Allah and in what has been revealed to
Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, in what was given
to Moses and Jesus, and in what the prophets received from their
Lord; we make no distinction between any of them." (Holy
Quran 2:136)
Mohammed did not create Islamic religion according to the author.
He is a PROPHET LIKE JESUS WAS. If Jesus was not the Son of God
but merely a prophet, we are dealing with an unbiblical Jesus.
The Muslims have a "Holy of Holies" just as the Jews
did in the Old Testament. In Mecca is a cube-shaped building,
which is called "Holy of Holies" for Muslim pilgrims.
According to Muslim Scripture, the angel Gabriel communicated
the words of the Quran to Muhammed, an Arab.
Before Islam existed, pagans used sanctified black stones for
blood sacrifices. Tribes of Arabia created their own gods and
animism that all nature possesses sacred powers and is inhabited
by spiritual forces. Muslims retain the old practice of touching
and kissing the black stone. (Does this remind you of the United
Nations sanctuary where they worship?)
According to the author, Muhammad had no intention of founding
a new religion. He wanted Arabs to worship one God same as Christians
and Jews. The Jews did not accept Islam nor convert to the NEW
religion. Islam spread like wildfire after Mohammed's death. People
conquered by Islam were called Dhimmis and Jews and Christians
"People of the Book." Dhimmis were permitted to retain
their own religions and had to pay a special tax.
The Quran is supposed to bring people closer to Allah. It is to
Muslims the infallible Word of God. To trivialize it is to do
the same to God. Hadith and Sumah are additional writings revered
by Muslims. Allah is the Syriac and Arabic name for God "il"
was the original Babylon name. Hebrews used "El" Elohim.
Arabic Il-ah, in English Allah. The goal was for men to come to
a position of worship of ONE GOD OF ALL MEN AND NATIONS. According
to Islam, Allah is the same Jehovah, Elohim, of Judaism and Christianity.
Muslims carry "worry beads" likened to the Rosary. Subha
is prayer thread of thirty beads and a tassel enabling a Muslim
to recite ninety-nine names of God. Understanding the unity of
God helps us understand how Islam transcends all diversity, racial
and ethnic and no separation between church and state.
The five pillars are the foundation: witness, prayer, fasting,
purifying possessions by giving and the pilgrimage to Mecca. The
five phrases are repeated 20 times a day. They believe in God,
in angels, sacred books, prophets and a Day of Judgment and resurrection.
Muslims are all equal and stand in identical simple unsewn robes
of white cloth. (Much of this reminds me of the Mormonism and
their temples)
Quran contain portions of the Torah and New Testament. Islam do
not allow veneration of prophets, Apostles, Saints or other human
beings.
Many hostile acts occurred between Roman Catholics and Islam.
They declared was against Islam. The author wrote that he as a
Christian was taught that Muslims reject Jesus Christ and that
Muslims claim that they cannot be Muslims unless they love, honor
and respect Jesus.
In trying to explain that Islam believes what Christians do, they
spoke of Mary. "She said: How shall I have a son, seeing
that no man has touched me, and I am chaste. The angel replied
"even so, Allah creates what He wills; when he has decreed
a plan, he only says to it "Be and it is." (Surah 3:47)
The author quotes Luke 1:34,35 which refers to the Holy Spirit.
Islam does not include the Holy Spirit in their religion. Muslims
have a high regard for Mary.
"Appoint him a messenger to the children of Israel, with
this message: "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord,
in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of
a bird, and breathe into it and it becomes a bird. By Allah's
leave I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the
dead." (Surah 3:49-51) In their teaching Jesus is the son
of Mary, not the Son of God. To convince the reader that Islam
believes what Christians believes he quotes the Bible but it doesn't
line up with the their teaching.
The single greatest difference between Islam and Christianity
is that Islam rejects the crucifixion and Deity of Christ. By
supporting the Islamic faith which Dr. Billy Graham, Dr. Robert
Schuller and the President do, they identify with this same belief.
Muslims cannot accept the fact that God would reduce Himself to
be executed and crucified by mere men. Instead they teach that
the "Sonship" and crucifixion of Jesus were assumed
later. They believe a substitute was nailed to the cross. They
teach that Jesus was simply taken up by God like Elijah.
The present craze over angels feeds into Islamic beliefs. They
believe that angels minister to the needs of mankind and that
they accompany us throughout the journey of life. If we test that
by asking: when angels deliver messages to people in flesh from
God, whom are they serving: people or God?
At the final judgment Muslims will be judged on all their deeds.
Good deeds will outweigh the bad. They don't believe in original
sin. Man is born innocent in their belief. Rewards must be achieved.
The "Breath" or "Spirit" God breathes into
us has us born innocent. Believing that, they have no need for
a savior. Their God is not the God of the Old Testament, a God
who is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever
The hardest area for Islam to live down is the Jihad. It is short
for "Jihad fi Sabeel Allah." "Those who believe,
and suffer exile and strive with might and main, in Allah's cause,
with their goods and their persons, have the highest rank in the
sight of Allah: they are the people who will ACHIEVE SALVATION."
(Surah 9:20) Non-Muslims misinterpret this verse. What it is supposed
to mean, "struggle in God's cause." The real Jihad is
the warfare against the passions.
The Islamic Invasion refers to the explosion of Muslim migrants
throughout Europe and the US. Over eight million Muslim are in
the United States. Iranian leader Mohammed Khatami, the moderate
cleric who heads Iran's theocratic government, a Shiite Muslim,
told the Roman Catholic Pope John Paul II that he hope the two
monotheistic faiths could join to inspire a more equitable world
order in which Islamic nations are treated by the West as full
partners. He kissed the Pope on both cheeks surprising everyone.
(Midnight Call, September 1999)
Germany is considering changing the church tax system. Germany's
churches have a 54.8 million members and bring nearly $9 billion
in U.S. dollars each year. Their Catholic and Lutheran churches
have lost millions of members to the ecumenical movement that
has resulted in reduced income. The churches in Germany are positioning
toward what seems to be unification into a single state church.
Ultimately the tax has to be paid and has been renamed "cultural"
tax. (Midnight Magazine, October 1999)
Hillary Clinton hosted a Muslim holy event in the White House
recently to show their support of Islam.
The organization CAMP, Christians and Muslims for Peace, meet
in each other's homes for dialog and to help the poor. They seek
reconciliation. There are CAMP Seminars given throughout the United
States and the world. Even though they claim we have a lot a lot
in common, we do not have a thing in common. Their God is a different
God. Their Jesus is a different Jesus - even their angels are
different angels. THEIR MESSAGE TO THE WORLD IS NOT ABOUT SALVATION.
"Muslim nations are pursuing "a clear program of
expansion and re-conquest" of Europe," an Italian bishop
told a Vatican synod. Oil-rich nations are using their money "not
to create jobs in poor countries of North Africa and the Middle
East but to build mosques and cultural centers in Christian countries,"
said 72-year-old Giuseppe Bernardini, who lived in Muslim-dominated
Turkey for 42 years, according to Reuters.
..."Thanks to your democratic laws, we will invade you. Thanks
to our religious laws, we will dominate you," a Muslim leader
once told him, Bernardini said in a letter to the Synod of European
Bishops. "One can believe, because the domination has already
begun." He said Islam has become the second largest faith
in Italy and that mosques have been built in several cities. A
$50 million mosque in Rome was financed by 23 Muslim nations,
with $35 million coming from Saudi Arabia.
...Bernardini called on the pope to convene a special synod to
address the issue. John Paul II has attempted to foster better
Muslim-Christian relations and has visited several Islamic nations,
including Morocco, Tunisia, and Sudan, preaching a message of
religious tolerance. He has asked Muslim nations that forbid Christian
worship to afford equal rights to all.
Religious police invaded two Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, house churches
and arrested 40 Christians Oct. 8. Police ransacked the houses
and confiscated Bibles, money, and other personal belongings,
International Christian Concern said. All but 13 people have been
released. The Christians were forced to sign a document admitting
they violated Saudi laws and promising not to attend religious
meetings, ICC said.
...The names of the two house churches are Jesus is Lord and Shalom.
The 13 Christians held at Riyadh's Malz prison are Renato Caraan,
Cesar Lacierda, Rollando Cubangbag, Loepoldo Co, Daniel Caballero,
Rogel Bernabe, Nelson Ventura, Fernando Tagadtad, Lope Arcella,
Emmanual Derecho, Rogelio Maon, Maximo Havanera, and Arnold Garcia.
...The raids came shortly after Saudi officials allowed evangelistic
meetings in an auditorium outside Riyadh, ICC said. More than
1,000 people of various nationalities attended the October crusade,
five services preached by Morris Cerrullo. The event was unprecedented
in Saudi Arabia, where Christian worship is forbidden, ICC's Steve
Snyder told Religion Today. Christians came away encouraged and
spiritually enthused by the services, he said.
Eastern Orthodox theological students will mix with their Catholic
and Protestant peers at England's Cambridge University. The Institute
for Orthodox Studies is part of the Cambridge Theological Federation,
which includes Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, and United
Reformed theological schools, Ecumenical News International said.
The Orthodox institute is one of only a few that educates its
students in an interdenominational setting.
...The experience will make students "not worse Orthodox,
but strengthened by experiences that will challenge them,"
Canadian-born Orthodox priest John Jillions said. The program
has the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople,
spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians.
Three full-time students include a South Korean nun and two men
from Greece and India. Mixing with students of other branches
of Christianity will benefit everyone, Jillions said. Western
Christians will gain a better understanding of Orthodoxy by mingling
with the students, he said.
The minister who first challenged teens to ask "What Would
Jesus Do?" doubts the nationwide fad is a good thing. "I
think it diluted the message. People were wearing these bracelets
who didn't even understand what it meant," Janie Tinkleberg
told Knight-Ridder news service.
...Tinkleberg, assisted by an advertising executive in her church,
developed and distributed the now-famous "W.W.J.D" bracelets
to teens in her youth group. Religious and secular marketers picked
up on the idea and millions of the bracelets have been sold in
the past several years. The fad is dying down and that's a good
thing, she said. "I want this to fade so it will end up where
it belongs - back with people wearing them who know what these
little nylon bracelets really mean."
...Buddhists are jumping on the bandwagon. A new book, What Would
Buddha Do?, offers Buddhism's answers to 105 daily dilemmas. "What
would Buddha do about coffee addiction? He'd switch to tea,"
the book says. "How would Buddha deal with road rage? He'd
steer away from anger." A person need not be a Buddhist to
read the book, marketer Bryce Willet said. "Americans feel
free to look for spiritual wisdom in many different traditions.
They use different spiritual practices they find meaningful."
In Australia there is a large and growing Muslim population
with more than 100 centres of Islam established around the country!
Many Australians are succumbing to the Moslem and his proselytising
and are converting to the Islamic faith. This is not unique to
Australia as Islam is in many western countries now the fastest
growing religion.
Beginnings: Muslims claim that their Islamic faith began in the
7th Century, when Christ, when he was God, whose real name is
Allah, supposedly gave mankind a new religion through the man
Muhammad, who is now revered by millions as being the Holy Prophet.
Islam is thought of by its followers as a perfect religion' which
combines the basic truth of all religions and enjoins it with
new truths, thus making it the most complete faith system. It
is regarded by its followers as "The Universal Religion".
The name Islam means peace', therefore peace with God'. A follower
of Islam is called a Muslim, which means "obedient to God
and peace-loving". Obviously, to the reader quite a contradiction
in the light of what has been occurring in the Middle East in
the latter half of this century!
Central Teaching: The core of Islam is found in the Muslim's statement,
"THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND MUHAMMAD IS THE MESSENGER
[or prophet] OF ALLAH". To acknowledge the supposed truth
of this statement, and then to profess it publicly is to enter
into the fold of Islam.
Beliefs: The following is a list of the main teachings of Islam:
God is one and everlasting
Angels are God's agents, working at his command and that the angel
Gabriel is the Holy Spirit
Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, Confucius, etc., were
all sinless prophets in their time
The chief of all prophets was/is Muhammad
The Bible books of Moses, the Psalms of the Gospels; also other
religious texts Vedas, the Zend-Avast as, etc., were all inspired
by God, they were originally pure, but no longer intact. The basic
truths of all these writings have been incorporated into the Quran,
the Muslim "Bible", although in the West it is more
commonly known as the Koran.
The Quran is claimed, by Muslims, as being 100% the Word of God
- but only if it is written in Arabic! Other language translations
of the Quran are not acceptable as the true meaning is said to
be lost in the translating.
There is life after death and a Day of Judgement for all people
There is a Heaven, which is called Paradise, and there is a Hell.
Hell is said to be a reformatory, for in the end all will be with
Allah in heaven.
There are five times in each day that certain prayers are required
to be said by the faithful.
It is a requirement to fast and not eat food during daylight hours
in the month of Ramadan each year, for it is the Islamic Holy
Month.
Moslems are required to give alms to the poor. The legal requirement
is to give one-fortieth of their income.
To journey to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, as a pilgrim at least once
in their lifetime to engage in ceremonies and rituals around the
Ka'ba Shrine, the most sacred shrine for Muslims in the world.
The pilgrimage to Mecca is an essential part in gaining, or obtaining
salvation.
Islam teaches equality of all races believing that all men
are equal in the sight of God. Islam believes that it has the
solution to the world's economic problems. Islam prohibits its
followers from gaining interest on capital that is invested, thereby
facilitating the equalising wealth. It is a religious duty for
both males and females to acquire knowledge of their faith.
Islam does not allow the partaking of alcohol, drugs, or anything
that may cause addiction. The only exception to the rule is for
medication given to treat illness.
Sin and Salvation: Sin is punishable, but Allah forgives it. A
sinful deed can be atoned for by a good deed. Therefore the Moslem
sees himself as being righteous if he feels his good deeds far
outweigh the bad.
Jesus Christ: Islam teaches that Jesus Christ was born fatherless
like Adam. Some Muslims say Jesus did not die on the Cross, that
someone else died in his place. Others say he only fainted. He
recovered and left with his mother and travelled through Syria,
Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan, and took final refuge in Kashmir,
India, where he died at the age of 110 years!
Jesus Christ, to the Muslim, is just another great prophet. They
acknowledge that he was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life,
performed miracles such as giving sight to the blind, healing
lepers, and raising the dead. Some Moslems believe that Jesus
is called the Messiah and that he will return to earth to fully
establish Islam. Some call Jesus 'the Word of God' and, 'the Spirit
of God'. However, Jesus is not seen as the Son of God, or as the
Saviour. For someone to equate anyone with Allah, to the Muslim,
is blasphemy, which is the unforgivable sin.
The Second Coming: Jesus' second coming was promised by Muhammad.
Since Jesus died the Messiah can only be another person coming
in the power and spirit of Jesus. To add to their confusion the
Ahmadiyya Movement, a small sect of Islam, believes that the Messiah
has come. His name was Ahmad, and he was born in Qadian, India,
in 1835!
The Sunnis: After the death of Muhammad, a power struggle developed,
as different factions within Islam vied to be Muhammad's successor.
Four schools of thought emerged which were;
The Malikis - The Hanafis - The Shafi'is - The Hanbalis.
Each of these schools accepted the Quran, the Sunna (or practice
of the Prophet), and the four bases of Islamic Law, or Shari'a,
which are: the Quran - the Hadith -the Ij'ma (the consensus of
the Muslim community) - the O'yas (the use of logical reason).
Those who accepted these four bases of thought came to be called
the Sunnis, who make up about 90% of today's Islam world of around
900 million people.
The Shi'a: The Shi'a Muslims regard themselves as people of `appointment
and identification' because they differ with the Sunnis over leadership.
Their leader is appointed by what is called "The Cycle of
Initiation" which was supposedly introduced by Muhammad himself.
It is their belief that their leader, or IMMAM, be invested with
the qualities of the inspired and infallible interpretation of
the Qoran. Their first Immam was Muhammad's cousin, adopted son
and later son-in-law, by marriage to his daughter Fatima. The
Immamis are supposedly in direct descent from this line.
They believe that the "cycle" will be completed with
the "Messianic return of the 12th Immam". He is said
to have withdrawn in the 3rd century of Islam, but still gives
`Guidelines' to his agents on earth. These agents are known as
the MUJTAHIDUN, or the doctors of the law. The most respected
of these are the AYATOLLAHS of Iran. The Ayatollahs are the only
ones to have the right to interpret the law and to make religious
rulings.
There are two offshoots of the Immamis. Firstly, there is the
Saudis, who mainly live in Yemen, and do not limit the Immamis
to being twelve (12) in number. Secondly, there are the Isma'ilis,
who have developed secret teachings regarding the Immam. Within
the Isma'ilis are also two groups, vis: the Mizaris, who look
to the well known 'playboy' the Aga Khan as their Immam, and the
Musta'lis, also known as the Bohora Muslims, who believe in a
hidden Immam.
The Iraqi and Iranian War: For most of the 1980's a relentless
war raged between these two neighbouring Muslim countries. This
war lasted so long because in the Iranian's Muslim mind there
could only be one outcome, victory for the SHI'A! The use of conventional
weapons and indiscriminant use of chemical warfare resulted in
an enormous loss of manpower by both countries - Muslim killing
Muslim! Officially, the war is now over and world leaders are
seeking a permanent solution. However, what now exists can only
be described as a nervous truce, policed by a United Nations.
Prisoners of war have been exchanged by both sides and territory
that was disputed seems to be no longer an issue.
The writer believes that the only reason for the present cease-fire
situation is that of economics and Iraq's Saddam Hussein's recent
unsuccessful invasion of and the occupying of Kuwait! The war
Iran-Iraq war was claimed by the Iranians to be a JIHAD, or a
holy war, that had to be fought to a conclusion. Peace was not
negotiable claimed both sides. Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini, now
deceased, believed that he was leading a struggle "between
Islam and all infidels". All who are not Muslims are considered
as infidels. He has taught his followers, as their Immam, that
"the USA is the mother of all infidels" and is "the
Great Satan".
Islamic Prophecy: Just as Christianity has its problems dealing
with prophecy, so too have the Islamic people. The now deceased
Ayatollah Khomeini believed that he alone had the task of bringing
to pass the fulfilment of an ancient Islamic 'prophecy' that was
given about 800 years ago! That prophecy stated that in the time
of the end, the SHI'A, led by the IMMAM MAHDI (who many Muslims
believed Khomeini was) in an uprising in which they would overthrow
the less militant SUNNIS, and thus establish the Shi'a as the
leaders of Islam in the world.
Incidentally, Ezekiel 38:5 mentions Persia and Libya, along with
other nations, as being in an alliance that will come against
Israel. It has been interesting to see the Muslim nations of Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan, who are not Shi'a, lean towards Israel
in recent times. The reason, as the writer sees it, is one of
self-preservation. These nations do not wish to be dominated by
the harsh laws of the Shi'a. Israel, with one of the most efficient
and highly trained military machines in the world today, has become
the target of the Shi'a, yet, if she remains strong she is the
hedge that other Islamic countries need to be able to maintain
their independence from the more militant Shi'a.
Allah: Unlike the God of the Bible, Yahweh, has done nothing for
man that has cost him something.
THE ISLAMIC RELIGION MAKES NO REAL PROVISION FOR THE ATONEMENT
OF SIN. SALVATION IS NEVER SURE, and the product of that uncertainty
is a works' emphasis, that motivates the Moslem to always seek
to do good deeds. True Christianity is the revealing of God to
man. Islamic theology is revelation FROM God, but not the revelation
of God! Therefore ALLAH, the god of Islam, does not offer the
Moslem a personal relationship with himself. The Quran never uses
the word 'father' when speaking of God. The God of Islam is impersonal
and motivates his people by emphasising judgement, to the exclusion
of love, thus using fear as the motivator, rather than permitting
and extending grace.
Muhammad: Islam's founder based his teachings on what has proven
to be untrue and inaccurate interpretations of the Bible. Much
of his teachings in the Quran are based on revelations' which
he initially believed to be demonic in origin.
Conclusion: A note of caution to the Christian who would witness
to the Muslim. One should avoid condemning Islam, or speaking
badly of Muhammad. Remember, even though wrongly taught, the Muslim
believes in a one true god and in his laws. In the heart of every
true Muslim is a fear of God. Most Muslims have a sense of sin,
but no conviction of same.
The Holy Spirit is the chief agent in winning anyone to Christ.
In witnessing to the Muslim try to forget their, at times militant
and un-Christian ways, and treat them as human beings who are
lost and in need of a Saviour. Your words will be judged by your
character, your witness and conduct will speak volumes to them.
Build on the truths that he already knows, and most importantly
bear in mind that all Muslims, like most people will respond to
love.
Notes
Books of reference used in compiling the foregoing:
The World's Religions, by Lion
So What's The Difference? by Fritz Ridenour, Regal Books, Revised
Edition,' 1979
The Cultic Phenomenon, by Daniel Markham, Albatross Books, 1987
Larson's Book of Cults, by Bob Larson, Tyndale, 1982
Introduction to Islam, by Dr Muhammed Hamidullah, IIFSO, 2nd Edition
1983, Malaysia
Islam in Focus, by Hammudah Abdalati, IIFSO, 1983, Lebanon
Islam the Misunderstood Religion, by Muhammad Qutb, Delhi
The Koran, A Translation by N.J.Dawood, Penguin Books 1983
The Koran, A Translation by George Sale, Warne, London