Islam’s Prophet, Followers, Holy Scriptures, and Law

Islam: Submission to the sovereign will of Allah

Key Prophet: Muhammad

Followers: Muslims - Sunni (orthodox) & Shi’ite [Wahhabis, Sufi, Twelvers, Alawites, Druzes, … ]

Scriptures: 1. Qur’an (Koran) 2. Hadith - sayings and traditions of Muhammad

3. Torah (OT Law), Zabur (Psalms), & Injil (the Gospel)

Law: Shar’ia Law (Qur’an, Hadith, Ijima , analogy)

Mosque (Masjid): Place of Prayer, Worship, Education

(place of prostration)

Islamic Clergy • Caliph / Khalifa -----------Successor. Ruler of the umma.

• Sheikh -----1. One who is old and may be the head of a tribe. 2. Well instructed member of a Sufi order.

• Imam ------The Shi’ite leader or any leader of Muslim worshipers in prayer.

• Muezzin----One who sounds the call to prayer.

• Mufti--------Legal expert.

• Ayatollah---1. A high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. 2. Is similar in rank to a Bishop or Cardinal in Catholicism.

The Islamic call to prayer… Recital Arabic Translation

4x أكبر . God is Greatest

2x أشهد أن ال اله إال هللا I bear witness that there is no God except the One God.

2x أشهد أن محمدا رسول هللا I bear witness that Muhammad is God’s Messenger

2x حي على الصالة Come to salat (prayer, worship)

2x حي على الفالح Come to success

2x الصالة خير مه النوم Salat (prayer, worship) is better than sleep

2x هللا أكبر God is Greatest

1x ال إله إال هللا There is no god except the One

Called out 5x per day…

Five Pillars • Shahadah ------------------(Confession or Creed of Faith)

• Saum ------------------------(Fasting during Ramadan)

• As-Salat----------------------(Prayer 5x per day)

• Zakat-------------------------(Alms giving to the poor)

• Hajj---------------------------(Pilgrimage to Mecca) ********************************************** • Jihad (considered a 6th by some)---(“to struggle against”)

Six Doctrines 1) Allah / God -------------------------He is one - God alone. (creator, sovereign, personally unknowable, 99 names)

2) Angels and Spirits Iblis - the Devil / Satan (spirit) Jinn - evil spirits Gabriel - the archangel The Holy Spirit - created Recording angels – ea. person has two (1 for bad & 1 for good deeds)

3) Holy Books ---------------------------Torah, Zabul, Injil, Hadith, Qur’an

4) Prophets ----------124,000 prophets are recognized with 25 to 30 being primary prophets of whom Muhammad is the seal. Isa (Jesus) –is just a prophet.

5) Day of Judgment / Resurrection---------good deeds vs. bad deeds.

6) Divine Preordainments (Al-Qadar) / Fate ----Allah’s will comes to pass.

Important Cities

• 570 AD --Muhammad’s birth.

• 610 AD --Muhammad’s initial calling while in a cave.

• 621 AD --Found supporters for his belief in Medina.

• 622 AD --Death plot on Muhammad In Mecca. He then fled to Medina. (Hajira / flight)

• 624 AD --Battle of Bedr – Muhammad and his Muslims were outnumbered three to one and won.

• 630 AD --Muhammad + 10k Muslims raided Mecca and met virtually no resistance and established Monotheism.

• 632 AD --Muhammad died suddenly of natural causes.

Islam’s Birth

Sunni & Shia Locations

Muslim Population by Region

Estimated 2009 % of Pop. % of World Muslim

Population that is

Muslim Muslim

Pop.

Asia-Pacific 972,537,000 24.10% 61.90%

Middle East-North Africa 315,322,000 91.2 20.1 Sub-Saharan Africa 240,632,000 30.1 15.3

Europe 38,112,000 5.2 2.4

Americas 4,596,000 0.5 0.3

World Total 1,571,198,000 22.9 100

http://www.pewforum.org/newassets/images/reports/Muslimpopulation/Muslimpopulation.pdf

Accessed on 9/16/2011

http://www.rcms2010.org/maps2010.php

Religious Congregations & Membership Study 2000

Common Ground Islam Christianity

One God (monotheism) x x

Torah (The Law) x x

Prophets x x

Heaven & Hell (Judgment Day) x x

Jesus is the Word of God x x

Jesus is alive in Heaven & will return x x

Jesus was sinless x x

Debt is not good x x

Treat others with hospitality x x

Be generous x x

Prayer is important x x

Fellowship is important x x

Muslim Sayings • “Insha Allah!” If God wills.

• “We are not supposed to question the Qur’an or the traditions of Muhammad.”

• “The Qur’an is the greatest miracle in Islam.’

• “Islam is a religion of peace and true Muslims do not agree with Osama Bin Laden.”

• “There is no difference between Jews, Christians and Muslims. We believe in the same God.”

• Abraham is for Jewish people, Jesus is for Christians, and Muhammad is for Muslims.

• “Muhammad is the prophesied prophet in the Torah (Deut. 18:18) and the helper prophesied in the Injil (John 14:26).”

Adultery – the married person will be stoned to death. (Al Bukhari 9:83:37)

Drinking – punished by 40 or 80 lashes. (Al Bukhari 8:770)

Fornication - the unmarried will be exiled for a year and be flogged 100 stripes. (Surah 24:2; Muslim 17:4191)

Stealing – punished by hand amputation. (Surah 5:38)

Waging war against Islam – killed or crucified with a hand and foot cut off from opposite sides. (Surah 5:33)

Wife Beatings – for defiant women. (Surah 4:34) *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Honor Killings – for acts that dishonor family.(Surah 4:15)

Shari’a Law Examples

Islamic Teaching about Women

• The majority of all people in hell are women (Bukhari 2.24.541, 7.62.124)

• The witness of a woman in court is ½ that of a man because of a deficiency in their brains. (Surah 2:282, Bukhari 3.48.826)

• Men are allowed to beat their wives. (Surah 4:34)

Surprisingly, even being aware of and experiencing these teachings, many Muslim women are passionate supporters of Islam, though many strive for reform regarding the treatment of women.

(Surah 4:34)

“Men are the managers of the affairs of women because Allah has made the one superior to the others

and because men spend of their wealth on women.

Virtuous women are, therefore, obedient; they guard

their rights carefully in their absences under the care

and watch of Allah. As for those women whose

defiance you have cause to fear, admonish them and

keep them apart from your beds and beat them. Then,

if they submit to you, do not look for excuses to punish

them: note it well that there is Allah above you, Who is

Supreme and Great.”

(Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an )

Jihad

“Al-Jihad (holy fighting) in Allah’s cause (with full force of numbers and weaponry) is given the utmost importance in Islam and is one of its pillars (on which it stands). By Jihad Islam is established, Allah’s Word is made superior, (His Word = being La ilaha illallah which means none has the right to be worshipped but Allah), and His religion (Islam) is propagated. …

“By abandoning Jihad (may Allah protect us from that) Islam is destroyed and the Muslims fall into an inferior position; their honor is lost, their lands are stolen, their rule and authority vanish. Jihad is an obligatory duty in Islam on every Muslim, and he who tries to escape from this duty, or does not in his innermost heart wish to fulfill this duty, dies with one of the qualities of a hypocrite.”

Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan and Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali, The Noble Qur’an. (Darussalam Publishers and Distributors: Riyadh, 1996).

Important Quranic Surahs Surat At-Taubah -“The Repentance”

9:5 (or 4) – Then when the Sacred Months have passed, then kill the Mushrikun wherever you find them, and lie in wait for them in every ambush. But if they repent [by rejecting Shirk (polytheism) and accept Islamic Monotheism] and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and give Zakat, then leave their way free. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

9:28 – Fight [as in battle] against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor in the Last day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute (Jizyah) readily, being brought low.

John 18:36 - Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."

The Way of Jesus is peace

Matthew 5:43-44 - "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Luke 9:5 – “And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them."

Doctrinal Differences Islam

(The Qur’an) Christianity (The Bible)

God - Trinitarian in nature – yet one. x

The main prophet taught to physically fight the enemy.

x

Jesus was crucified and resurrected. x

Jesus’ blood on the cross cleanses the soul. x

Jesus is God in the flesh. x

A person’s efforts cleanses the soul. x

Muhammad was a prophet of God. x

Forgiveness of sin and peace for the soul is possible now while living on earth.

x

Truths about the Bible & Jesus • The Bible was written by approximately 38 writers

inspired by the Holy Spirit with incredible unity.

• Prophecies of Jesus Messiah are numerous and fulfilled and will continue to be fulfilled.

• Jesus was seen by over 500 brethren after His resurrection. (1 Cor. 15:6)

• The Messiah was first for the Jewish people and then for the Gentiles too! In the Bible, God primarily categorizes people of the world in the following ways:

1) Jewish and Gentile (Caucasian, Arabian, African, Hispanic, …) 2) Those who are spiritually born again by faith the blood of Jesus

on the cross and His resurrection and those who are not.

• Jesus is the Messiah for the whole world. (John 3:16, Rom. 1:16)

•

How to Relate to Muslims • Spend time getting to know a Muslim friend, co-

worker, or neighbor. • Invite them to your home to have tea or coffee. • Sincerely ask and care about what they believe, listen. • Avoid arguments. • Pray for them and with them. • Invite them to a cookout with friends or a fun event. • Ask questions about their family, work, and belief. • Be patient with them. • Share your testimony and biblical stories.

• Beatitudes, stories of forgiveness, grace, mercy. • Consistently live a holy life during good times and bad times. KNOW YOUR BIBLE.

A Clean Heart • God’s justness …

1) Requires a payment for sin. - In the OT there had to be a blood sacrifice.

- In the NT Jesus is the blood sacrifice.

- In the Qur’an there is forgiveness without payment of sin except at judgment day.

Love and Forgiveness • Love of God Toward Sinners

• Allah has no love toward sinners (Surah Al-’Imran 3:32)

• God of the Bible expresses love to sinners though He hates sin. (Matthew 5:43-48; John 5:8)

• Forgiveness…

• Allah in the Qur’an offers no assurance of forgiveness after working hard all your life to please Him. (Surah Al-Mu’minun 23:102-103)

• God of the Bible offers forgiveness now, this very day – (Romans 10:9-10, John 3:16)

Core Commands from the Bible You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all of your mind, and your neighbor as your self. (Luke 10:27)

Core Promises from the Bible “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

• Will you trust scriptures from one man led by a questionable* spirit OR trust in miraculously unified Scriptures about Jesus the Messiah, fulfilled prophecy, truths of many miracles and inspired by the Holy Spirit?

• You can have rest for your soul, a clean heart, and the power and promises of Jesus forever on earth and in heaven…TODAY. (John 14:6, Rom. 10:9-10, Rom. 10:13)

• Accepting Jesus as payment for your sin and as the only true way to the Father guarantees you eternal fellowship with Him and with the community of all believers. (1 John 1:3), (1 John 2:23, 5:12)

A Decision to Make: The Crescent or the Cross?

* Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah, [The Life of Muhammad], trans. A. Guillaume (New York: Oxford University Press, 1980), 106; quoted by Norman L. Geisler & Abdul Saleeh, Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1993), 70.