God

Introduction. Even before the recent attack on the US by Muslim extremists Christians in the United States have in recent decades been confronted by a growing number of those in America who have come to believe in Islam.  E.g. In 1974 a four night debate was conducted between a gospel preacher named Hiram Hutto and Dr. Salah El Dareer (the president of the Birmingham Islamic Center) over the validity of Islam.  Islam is one of the largest growing religions in the US.  
•  What is this religion?
•  What are its basic tenants?
•  Does it have links to the Bible?
•  Are its claims valid?
In this lesson we will engage briefly in an introduction to Islam and its main tenants in light of whether they hold any validity in light of Scripture.

I.  A Brief Introduction to Islam.

A.  Muhammad. 
  1. Arab who claimed that God had called him to declare that there is only one god.
  2. Began preaching in Mecca in 610 A.D.  Forced to flee to Medina (Yathrib) in 622.  Called the Hijra (i.e. “flight”).
  3. Gaining support in Medina in 630 he returned to Mecca and occupied the city.  He liberated a pagan center in the city destroying its idols and made it a sacred site known as the Kaaba.
  4. Muhammad died in 632.
B.  The Qur’an.
  1. During the life of Muhammad his companions wrote down his teachings.
  2. After his death these were collected and compiled in an official edition ordered by the Caliph Othman a little over a decade after his death.
  3. These teachings, called the Qur’an are viewed as the holy book and word of God by Muslims.
C.  “The Five Pillars.”
  1. Islam means “submission.”  One who follows Islam is a Muslim, meaning “one who submits.”
  2. Muslim submission revolves around five duties, known as the “five pillars.”
    1. Confession (Shahadah).  “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.”
    2. Prayer (Salat).  Five times a day.
    3. Almsgiving (Zakat).
    4. Fasting (Ramadan).  Daytime fast during the ninth month of the Islamic year.
    5. Pilgrimage (Hajj).  To the Kaaba at Mecca.
D.  “Holy War” (Jihad). 
  1. Primarily applies to Islamic evangelism.
  2. Used  in Medieval times and in modern times to justify military action.

    Note:  I appreciate the efforts that our leaders have taken to distinguish between violent radicals traditional Islam. 

    •  From its beginning Islam has been associated with warfare. In 627 the Jewish tribe of Qurayza was raided - 800 men beheaded who refused to convert, women and children sold.
    •  However, it is a mistake to characterize all Muslims as advocates of such violence. (E.g.  As a Christian  I oppose abortion, I have no alliance, sympathy or agreement with those who seek to oppose it with violence.)


II.  Allah & The Bible.

A.  Is God Allah?
  1. It is often asserted that Allah the God of Islam is the same God as the God of the Old Testament and the New Testament.
  2. The Qur’an makes the same claim - “Say: ‘We believe in God [Allah], and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ismail; Isaac, Jacob and in the Tribes, and in (the books) given to Mose Jesus and the Prophets, from their Lord we make no distinction between one and another...”  (Sura 3:84).
  3. In the Old Testament, some of the names for God are formed from the Hebrew letters alh. [E.g. Hebrew ’eloha(Deuteronomy 32:15) =  Aramaic-Syriac ’alaha =  Arabic ’allah].  But identity is much more than words and names. 
  4. Paul’s teaching to the Galatians.  (Gal. 1:6-9)
    1. Paul teaches that to accept different truths  is to accept a different gospel.
    2. Paul teaches that no other true gospel will come.
  5. Islam rejects the deity of Jesus.  (Colossians 1:15; 2:9). 
     
    Allah is a different God just as the Galatians gospel was a different Gospel. 
III.  The Great Dilemmas of Islam. 
      In addition to the differences concerning God, there are two great contradictions with which Islam cannot come to terms.

A.  The Qur’an & the Bible.
     I do not believe that the Qur’an is from God, but for those who do, they should consider that the Qur’an has some clear statements about Muhammad’s view of the Bible.

  1. God gave scripture to Moses - “And remember We gave Moses the Scripture and the Criterion (between right and wrong): there was a chance for you to be guided aright.” (Sura 2:53). 
  2. Moses was followed by the prophets and then by Jesus - “We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of Apostles; we gave Jesus the son of Mary clear (signs) and strengthened him with the holy spirit...”  (Sura 2:87).
  3. The books of Moses, the prophets and Jesus came from God -  “Say: ‘We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ismail; Isaac, Jacob and in the Tribes, and in (the books) given to Moses, Jesus and the Prophets, from their Lord we make no distinction between one and another...”  (Sura 3:84).
  4. The Qur’an was to confirm what went before - “It is He who sent down to thee (step by step), in the truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this as a guide to mankind...” (Sura 3:3). 
     If the Bible is from God then what it says must be true: (II Timothy 3:16,17; John 14:1-6; John 12:47,48).
B.  Jesus & the Qur’an.
  1. Jesus was born of a virgin -  “She said:‘How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?’  He said: ‘So (it will be):’  Thy Lord saith, ‘That is easy for Me...’  (Sura 19:20,21).  •  What does the Bible say about Jesus’ birth?  (Isaiah 7:14). 
  2. He was an apostle of God -  “And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: ‘O Children of Israel!  I am the apostle of God (sent) to you confirming the Law (which came before me...”  (Sura 61:6).  •  What does the Bible say about God sending Jesus?  (Hebrews 1:1-4.)
  3. He was the Christ -  “Behold!  the angels said: ‘O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: His name will be called Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to God” (Sura 3:45).  •  What does the Bible say about the Christ?  (Acts 4:10-12).
  4. He was the word of God - “...Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of God, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit preceding from Him...” (Sura 4:171).  What does the Bible say about Jesus as the word of God? (John 1:1-3; 1:14). 
Conclusion.  In spite of the fact that millions of people across the world are deceived by the teachings of Islam, it is a false religion.  Allah is not God.  The Qur’an is not from God.  Muhammad is not God’s prophet. 

 

For more study on this subject order the booklet: The Christian & Islam: A Study of the Islamic Faith in Light of the Bible & the Quran. By Kyle Pope.

Kyle Pope 9/23/01

  
Ancient Road Publications™ - http://kmpope.home.att.net