Ten Things About Islam

A. S. Ibrahim (PhD, University of Haifa; PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is a professor of Islamic studies and the director of the Jenkins Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of Conversion to Islam, Basics of Arabic and Reaching Your Muslim Neighbors with the Gospel.

Original source: https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-islam/

Thinking Critically about Islam

I always teach my students to distinguish between Islam and Muslims. Islam is a world religion with adherents composing about 20% of the entire population on earth. They are called Muslims. As Christians, we are called to love everyone and preach the god news of Jesus Christ to every human being, including Muslims. We are not called to accept, follow, or love any ideology, but rather, in discernment and wisdom and based on biblical fidelity, we should test every thought and claim. Distinguishing Islam from Muslims is important, as we are called to love Muslims as Christ does, but it is important to think critically and biblically about the claims of Islam and subject them to the word of God and what it teaches. Here I offer you ten things you should know about Islam.

1. Islam means submission and surrender.

In many circles in the West, I hear people say that the term islam means peace. This is incorrect and either ignorant or misleading. The word means surrender and submission. Muslims understand it to reflect total devotion to the deity and the commands of the prophet of Islam, Muhammad. As a religion, Islam is built on laws and rules that require total submission (thus, islam). During Muhammad’s time, he was known in the latter part of his life as a commander who launched raids against his enemies. When they submitted to him and to his rule, the Muslim sources described the action as entering Islam or converting to Islam. This notion reflects the core meaning of the term—it is giving oneself to a set of religious commands, presumably revealed by the deity through his messenger to humankind.

2. Islam has two major foundations.

As a faith system, Islam is built on two foundations: Allah’s word and Allah’s messenger, i.e., the Quran and Muhammad. These are two important foundations, without which Islam collapses. The Quran is Islam’s scripture. It is believed by Muslims to be inerrant and infallible. It does not follow chronological order nor does it provide clear context, at times, to certain passages. This is why it is relatively difficult even for Muslims to comprehend. They rely on later commentaries, without which they do not understand the text. The second foundation is Muhammad, known in Islam as the final and best prophet sent by Allah. For Muslims, Muhammad is the best man who ever lived. His life is the precedent which reflects the best application of the Quran. This is why Muslims try to imitate the stories of Muhammad’s life as they seek to apply the Quran.

3. Islam’s deity is Allah.

The name of Islam’s deity is Allah. He was known before Islam as one of the deities in Muhammad’s birthplace, Mecca. Some Arabs thought that Allah had three daughters who acted as mediators and intercessors, taking requests to him. The characteristics and adjectives about Allah have many similarities to the God of the Bible, although Allah has specific distinctions explicitly given to him in Islam. One of the most important distinctions is that he is not a personal deity. While Christians always emphasize a personal relationship with God, this notion is significantly foreign in Islam. Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews use the name Allah to refer to the God of the Bible, although arguably what they understand about him deviates in many ways from Allah’s character and attributes.

4. Islam is more than a religious system.

If you think of Islam as a religious system with many rituals, rules, and laws, you wouldn’t be mistaken, but you wouldn’t be totally correct either. While Islam is indeed a religion, it goes beyond that. For Muslims, it is a social identity and a nationalism as well. Muslims feel proud to follow Islam even though they often say they do not understand or know its basics. It is part of their cultural identity. It encompasses all aspects of their lives, which makes abandoning it very difficult on the family structure. Muslims fear abandoning Islam will bring shame to their families, so they may abandon the idea. Moreover, it is not only a cultural identity but a nationalism. Muslims feel pride for thinking of themselves as the umma (community) of Muhammad. They pride themselves on this, claiming no other religion connects its people as Islam does. This rosy picture is not always factual, especially if you see how Muslims deal with each other in majority-Muslim lands, where social castes play a major role in the daily life.

5. Islam has two major sects or denominations.

The major two sects of Islam are Sunni and Shiite (or Shia). Sunnis make up about 85% of Islam and Shiites 13%. The disagreements between the two sects are often diluted in media outlets, but the reality is that the disputes are deep theologically and politically. It is even a well-known fact that most adherents of each sect believe the other sect are not true Muslims.

6. Islam is a works-based system.

In Islam, acceptance before the deity relies on good works with good intentions. If Muslims want to please Allah, they should intend well and do good works, precisely following the prescribed duties given by Allah through his messenger, Muhammad. For the vast majority of Muslims, the prescribed duties are many, but the most important are labeled the Five Pillars of Islam. They are the confession of faith (shahada), the daily ritual prayer (salat), almsgiving (zakat), fasting during Ramadan (sawm), and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime. These deeds bring man closer to Allah, but there is no guarantee in Islam for eternal bliss, except for martyrs who gave their lives in the path of Allah.

7. Islam is a strong worldview with precise anti-Christian claims.

The Islamic worldview is built on the Quran and Muhammad’s sayings. The worldview controls how Muslims view the world and respond to humans. There are various elements in the Islamic worldview, but we should note that the view that stems from Islamic texts has strong anti-Christian elements in it, such as (1) Jesus is not God, (2) God is not triune, (3) the Bible is altered and corrupted. When we talk with Muslims, we need to recognize these elements of the worldview so that we can explain our biblical worldview and refute misconceptions.

8. Islam preaches a different Jesus.

Islam has a specific view of the Jesus of Christians, calling him Isa. Muslims always declare that they believe in “Jesus” and they complain to Christians, If we believe in your Jesus, why don’t you believe in our Muhammad? The Islamic Isa is very different from the biblical Jesus. Isa in Islam is not God, nor the Son of God. Isa is merely one of the prophets sent by Allah to humankind. The portrayal of Isa in the Quran and Muslim sources demonstrates a distorted picture of what Christians actually believe about the Lord and Savior.

9. Islam does not permit apostasy.

One of the gravest sins in Islam is associating partners with the deity, i.e., polytheism. However, abandoning Islam is also one of the major sins. All classical Muslim schools of law insist that the penalty of abandoning Islam is a death sentence. This is why many Muslims avoid declaring their apostasy. Some progressive Muslims argue that the claims of classical Muslims are not suitable for today, and we should adhere to human reasoning and allow every person to follow the religion of his or her choice.

10. Islam is not the fastest growing religion.

Many are under the misconception that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. This assumption often relies on the fact that the number of Muslims is growing worldwide, according to some statistics. However, this does not mean Islam is growing, nor does it mean that truly the number of Muslims is growing. In many circles, Muslims have been growing in number in past generations, because first, Muslim families tend to have more children, and second, Muslim women often stay at home which results in more children. This does not mean “Islam” is growing, nor does it mean that these trends are still continuing today. In fact, some statistics show that the rapid growth in Muslim families is now fading and most Muslims—due to economic pressures—are beginning to have less children. No, Islam as a religion is not growing in attracting adherents—it is actually the exact opposite. Many recent statistics show that Muslims are abandoning Islam in droves, especially as the Internet has given access to Muslims to read for themselves what the primary sources of Islam reveal. Many Muslims have begun to question the Quran and Muhammad—the two elements which used to be the untouchables of Islam. More Muslims are abandoning Islam today, we can argue, than in past centuries all together. It is a marvelous time to proclaim the gospel to Muslims around us.

About Muhammad

9 Things You Should Know About Muhammad

Original source: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/9-things-about-muhammad/

A. S. Ibrahim serves as professor of Islamic studies and senior fellow for the Jenkins Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of A Concise Guide to the Quran: Answering Thirty Critical Questions and A Concise Guide to the Life of Muhammad.

As a Christian growing up in Egypt, many of my neighbors and classmates were named “Muhammad.” From an early age, I learned the significance of that name—the name of their prophet—to the Muslims around me. Muslims cherish, love, and respect Muhammad. They also believe the use of his name brings blessing to their lives.

Now I live in America. And as more Muslims come to this country, I believe American Christians need to know more of what Muslims understand about their prophet. Here are nine things you should know about Muhammad.

1. Muhammad was probably a historical figure.

Muhammad was allegedly born in Mecca in AD 570 and died in Medina in AD 632. Many are skeptical of the information about his life because the Muslim accounts of it were documented about two centuries after his death. We have no eyewitness accounts. This is problematic, as we cannot fully trust the records about him. However, we have reason to believe Muhammad was a historical figure. Some Christians in the seventh century wrote about a preacher who appeared among the Arabs—but they identified him as a false prophet because he came with swords and chariots.

2. He was likely influenced by Christians.

Muslims believe Muhammad received his revelation directly from Allah through the angel Gabriel and became a prophet at the age of 40. They insist there was no human intervention in the process.

However, the Muslim narrative itself reveals that when Muhammad was between 9 and 12, he met with a Christian monk in Syria. The monk told him Christian tales. Additionally, when Muhammad allegedly received his first divine revelation, he went to his wife’s cousin who was also a Christian and an expert in the Hebrew Bible. Thus, while Muslims insist Muhammad had no influence whatsoever from Christians, their history reveals differently.

3. Muslims view Muhammad as perfect.

For Muslims, Muhammad is Allah’s final prophet, the last and best in a chain of thousands of prophets (which include prophets from the Bible). Muslims view him as the only perfect man who ever lived. While historical accounts may shed doubt on this idealistic picture—as one can identify questionable deeds and problematic teachings—Muslims still revere Muhammad and believe he was infallible.

4. He lived in Mecca and Medina.

Muhammad lived in Mecca for 53 years, then in Medina for 10. After allegedly becoming a prophet in Mecca, he lived there for about 13 years, trying to preach his religious message. But it failed to gain traction. People mocked and persecuted him and his handful of followers. After years of failure and intense pressure, he took his few followers and emigrated to Medina where he lived the last decade of his life. At Medina, he was able to consolidate his power and accumulate resources. There, he became a commander and statesman.

5. He launched raids against many non-Muslims.

After being weak and vulnerable in Mecca, Muhammad became a strong military leader in Medina. Muslim sources reveal that he launched dozens of military raids against various groups, including polytheists, Jews, and Christians. Through these raids, Muhammad became so powerful as an Arab tribal leader that many tribes submitted to him and thus declared their conversion to Islam. The word islam itself means “submission” and “surrender.”

6. He didn’t perform miracles. (Or did he?)

The Qur’an insists that Muhammad’s only miracle is the Qur’an itself. Allah sent Muhammad merely to warn. Since people in past generations didn’t believe through miracles, says Allah, then the only miracle given to Muhammad was the Qur’an, and it was sufficient.

However, later generations of Muslims, after their interactions with Jews and Christians, felt the need to generate stories about Muhammad’s miracles. If Moses and Jesus both performed miracles, the logic goes, then Muhammad, too, must have done the same—even though this contradicts Islam’s scripture.

7. He had multiple wives and concubines.

Muhammad married many wives. The exact number is disputed, but he had somewhere between 9 and 12. He also had many concubines and female slaves. Muslims say he married these women to take care of them after they lost their husbands. Others believe these marriages were for economic and political reasons. Among the wives, a few are notable: Khadija was the wealthiest. Sawda was the oldest. Aisha was the youngest—he married her when she was six and consummated the marriage when she was nine. Zaynab was his adopted son’s wife, but Allah later revoked that adoption, allowing Muhammad to marry her. Safiyya was a Jewish woman who married Muhammad after he raided her tribe and killed her husband.

8. He died of poisoning.

Muslim sources reveal that Muhammad did not die naturally; he was poisoned. Sunni Muslims accuse a Jewish woman of poisoning Muhammad. Meanwhile, some Shiites argue that two of Muhammad’s wives conspired to kill him and prepare the way for their fathers to succeed him in ruling over the Arabs. Since the story of poisoning a prophet sheds doubts on divine protection, many Muslims claim the stories in the Muslim sources are forgeries and that Muhammad died of natural causes.

9. His grave is in Medina.

Muslim sources also reveal that Muhammad died in his home in Medina and was buried. Up to the present day, Muslims believe that his tomb is what blesses Medina. They seek to visit the city to be blessed. The name “Medina” means “The City” (i.e., the blessed city of Muhammad).

Of course, there’s much more to say about Muhammad’s life and teachings. But Christians should be aware of these basic facts as they interact with Muslim friends, neighbors, and coworkers. For those who would like to know more, I’ve written A Concise Guide to the Life of Muhammad. By learning about the prophet of Islam, Christians will be better able to speak of our hope in Christ to Muslims around us.

Explaining the Incarnation to Muslim Peoples

Article: 3 Ways to Explain the Incarnation to Muslim Peoples by Greg Handley, his wife Rachel, and their four children have lived among the Muslim peoples of Central Asia for the past five years. They meet weekly with local believers who will be celebrating the true meaning of the incarnation this Christmas, by God’s grace.  (original source – https://www.imb.org/2016/12/16/how-to-explain-the-incarnation-to-muslims/ )

The first “Christmas” evoked polarizing responses: magi from the East came to worship the Messiah while Herod trembled at the thought of his kingdom falling. Mary treasured the whole experience while Joseph wrestled through the shameful implications of marrying a miraculously pregnant woman. Angels declared good news of the promised Savior while this same news unsettled others. A treasure to some, a threat to others—this event, so great and world-shaking, allowed for no middle ground.

This polarization continues in our day, particularly among religions that give an account of Jesus. Islam suppresses the incarnation by teaching against it. According to Islam, God could never become man. An average Muslim has heard so many false ideas concerning what Christians believe about Jesus’s birth that the incarnation’s true implications aren’t discernible to them.

A Threat to Their Worldview

As you discuss the gospel with Muslims, it’s good to understand the threat the incarnation poses for them. To even consider whether God became a man would bring Muslims shame due to their “betrayal” of their religious community and cause them to fear the implications of differing from that community. The character of Allah, the teachings of the Qur’an, and their religious moorings are rendered suspect if God really did dwell among us in the person of Jesus.

Some well-meaning Christians attempt to soften this blow by minimizing the doctrine of the incarnation, but this is neither loving nor right. Faithfulness to God and being good friends to Muslims requires us to keep the edges of this truth while patiently remaining alongside questioners as they wrestle with the massive implications of the manger. During these discussions, your Muslim friends will need to have three facets of the incarnation clarified.

1. Clarifying How God became Man

Muslims are taught that Christians believe God had some type of physical relationship with Mary to have a son. After all, isn’t that the normal way sons enter the world? But Christians don’t believe this, as that would negate the virgin birth and impugn the very character of God. I’ve found that if you ask a Muslim how he believes Mary began carrying the baby Jesus, surprisingly you arrive on some common ground. We both can agree that the process transcended physical norms and was, therefore, miraculous. We may differ on the details, but we can build upon the commonality of the miraculous origin of Jesus’s birth.

2. Clarifying What “Son of God” Means

God can’t have a son in an Islamic worldview. He is too distant, too holy. It’s physically impossible and theologically inconceivable. Some Christians also struggle with what exactly we mean when we say Jesus is God’s Son. After all, the Bible uses the “son” language in a variety of ways. Sometimes it’s functional: a son does the deeds or has the role of his father (Matt. 5:9). Sometimes the son language designates a special representative of God or unique relationship with God (Ex. 4:22).

But it’s also used in a greater way, designating the very person of God himself. Muslims think Christians believe Jesus became the Son at his birth. But Christians believe the Son existed before the world and stepped into the world, receiving the name Jesus while on earth. Christians believe the Son is coexistent with the Father. If a selfie existed of the unchanging God, he would be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This one-in-three-persons being is who God is. God didn’t have a son two thousand years ago. The Son is God and has been with God since before the world came into being (John 1:1–314).

Muslims believe Jesus is a prophet who spoke truthfully, so opening the Bible and reading Jesus’s words together is the best thing to do to bring clarity here. “Have you read what Jesus said about himself?” is a good question to ask to transition into Scripture. Jesus claimed to exist before Abraham (John 8:53–59), and for this, the Jewish leaders wanted to stone him. When one of Jesus’s disciples requested that Jesus show them God the Father, Jesus’s answer was clear: he himself is the physical embodiment of the Father on earth. There was no need for more revelation or another prophet to come after Jesus for us to know the Father (John 14:8–118:19). Jesus even claimed to have the same authority as God to give life and to judge (John 5:19–23). Jesus didn’t teach people as the former prophets had by saying “God says this or that.” He began his statements with “I say,” assuming the very authority of God himself.

In light of these claims, we’re faced with a choice: submit to his claims as a true prophet or pick up stones to suppress his claims. This will inevitably lead to the discussion of whether the Bible has been changed. I’ve found the best proof for the Bible’s unchanging nature is the book itself. If you can open the Bible with Muslims, then you are exposing them to Scripture with self-authenticating power.

3. Clarifying Why God became Man

The manger brings joy to a Christian’s heart because it speaks of a God willing to embrace sacrifice in order to save sinners. This is good news, but this doesn’t line up with the god of the Qur’an. At its core Islam rejects the God who became man, thus denying he died on the cross and was raised to new life. In the absence of a Savior, we are left to save ourselves, which is just what Muslims believe. This isn’t liberating good news. We must connect the dots between Jesus’s coming, his suffering, and his victory over death. This is the news that must be heard in order to be saved (Rom. 10:9–13).

As we bring clarity to their misconceptions, Muslims need to see us embodying the way of Jesus if they are going to forsake their whole identity for a new path. We can’t change hearts, but we can show them the evidence of our changed hearts. Seeing God’s love in Scripture alongside Christians whose lives embody its power has the potential to make this news, once a threat, their greatest treasure.

Do We Need The Cross For Salvation?

A Debate with Adnan Rashid & Dr. James White.

“On Wednesday, January 17, 2018, Sovereign Nations held a Christian and Islamic debate on the thesis “Do We Need the Cross for Salvation?” The debate was purposed by Sovereign Nations in the interests of promoting polemic, scholastic and respectful dialogue between Christians and Muslims.

Upholding the affirmative Christian position was scholar and apologist Dr. James R. White of Alpha and Omega Ministries while the Muslim position was presented by scholar Ustadh Adnan Rashid. The debate was moderated by Sovereign Nations’ Founder, Michael O’Fallon.

There are major theological divides that separate Christianity and Islam. One of the most difficult to unwind is the denial of the crucifixion of Jesus in Muslim tradition.

The penal substitution of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary for the sins of his elect, His resurrection and assumption are the foundational to the doctrine of justification in Christianity. Christians believe that on the cross, Jesus voluntarily bore our sins. Jesus allowed people to lie about him and kill him. He used the evil done to him to bring good to others. He sacrificed himself and demonstrated the greatest love of all. On the cross is where we are redeemed, and it is where a Christian’s sin debt to God is canceled.

There are major theological divides that separate Christianity and Islam. One of the most difficult to unwind is the denial of the crucifixion of Jesus in Muslim tradition.

Though the assertion that Jesus did not die on the cross appears in only part of one difficult verse in the Qur’an, scholars agree that the majority view within Islam is that the Qur’an affirms categorically that Christ did not die on the cross and that God raised him to Godself.”

The Forgotten Key to Engaging Pluralist Society

Dr. Michael Reeves – What’s Missing from Our Gospel? The Forgotten Key to Engaging Pluralist Society

How has the church effectively allowed pluralism to so dominate our culture, and what can be done now to engage our pluralist neighbors? What are we not understanding from a biblical worldview that will help us to engage these neighbors well? This talk will investigate the potential of a neglected resource found in the gospel, and look at how we might use it for more effective mission.

Scripture, Apologetics and Islam

Stanmore Baptist Church 2016 Apologetics Conference with Pastor Jeff Durbin (Apologia Church) and Dr. James White (Alpha and Omega Ministries).

Session #1 of 6 teaching sessions presented on 1 November 2016.

Pastor Jeff Durbin: Why Apologetics?

Session #2 of 6 teaching sessions presented on 1 November 2016.

Session #2 of 6 teaching sessions presented on 1 November 2016.