Download Millersville Bible Church Apologetics Class What About Islam?

Millersville Bible Church
Apologetics Class
What About Islam?
How did Islam originate?
Islam began as a result of the teachings of its founder, Muhammad, who was born in
Mecca about A.D. 570. At the age of 40, Muhammad, had convulsions through which
he claimed he received revelations from the angel Gabriel. However, he was deathly
afraid of these events and believed himself to be demon possessed. His wife was
eventually able to convince him that he was not.
He then began to preach his message of monotheism to the polytheists of Mecca. The
city’s leaders denounced him and he fled to Medina. Eventually he would return and
conquer Mecca through a series of military campaigns. Two years after conquering
Mecca he delivered his final message to tens of thousands of followers and died in
June of that year (632 A.D.).
After Muhammad died in 632 A.D., Abu Bakr was elected caliph, the Muslim ruler. He
and his successors encouraged the jihad (holy war). Within a hundred years, they built
an empire that stretched from northern Spain to India.1
Islam quickly spread throughout the Middle East, across Africa, and later into Europe.
Today, Islam claims that it has 1.2 billion followers or one out every five person on the
earth.
Questions:
o Shouldn’t it be a major concern that the founder of Islam believed himself to
be demon possessed after receiving his “revelations”? Prophets throughout
Scripture may have been terrified upon meeting an angel, or receiving direct
revelation from God, but none of them ever perceived that they were demon
possessed. What true prophet doubts the source of his revelation?
o Even a cursory glance at Islam should raise the question, “If Islam is a
religion of peace, why did it spread through violence and forced
conversions?” In contrast, Christianity spread while violence was perpetrated
upon those who claimed the name of Christ. One could easily see that a
religion could spread rapidly if there were “benefits” to doing so (like retaining
your life). But, the spread of Christianity is a little harder to explain. It spread
rapidly even though there were severe (earthly) hazards to calling oneself a
Christian.
1
World Book Encyclopedia, 1986. p. 374.
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Let’s examine Islam and it’s founder a little closer…
What kind of man was Muhammad?
He was violently hostile toward any who opposed him. In 627 A.D. he ordered 800
helpless Jewish men in Medina beheaded on the edge of a trench. According to three
brothers, who at one time were all devout Muslims (and sons of an Islamic leader)2,
Muhammad was both erratic and hostile. They said,
“He killed critics for speaking their minds, ordered the severe beating
of a woman to retrieve information from her, had sexual relations
with a child of nine. He was a ruthless general and raided caravans
merely for financial gain to expand his movement. He even broke
the rules of engagement when he fought during a sacred month.”3
Muhammad seldom gained conversions except through coercion and depended on his
own good works to get to heaven.4 His mantra is found in the Koran: “Fight and slay
the pagans wherever you find them” (surah 9:5). He is the one who made holy war
(jihad) a necessary requirement for all Muslims. It was he who sparked the Koran’s
teaching to execute, crucify, mutilate, or exile anyone who “fights against Allah and His
messenger” (surah 5:33).
Questions:
o If Islam is a religion of peace, why does the Koran teach its followers to fight
until Islam controls the world?
Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject
Faith fight in the cause of Evil: So fight ye against the friends of Satan:
Feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan (surah 4:76).
Fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, beleaguer them,
and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war) (surah 9:5).
Fight them, and Allah will punish them by your hands, cover them
with shame, help you (to victory) over them (surah 9:14).
Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their
necks; at length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a
bond firmly (on them): Thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or
ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens. Thus (are ye
commanded): But if it had been Allah’s Will, He could have certainly
2
All three brothers were converted to Christianity in the early 1980’s. Today, two of them are Christian professors
of church history and theology. They have written a wonderful book titled, Answering Islam (Kregel Publications).
The book illuminates the irreconcilable differences between Islam and Christianity and is full of important historical
information about Muhammad.
3
Ergun and Emir Caner, Unveiling Islam, as cited in the January/February issue of Israel My Glory, pg. 40.
4
Ibid., 40.
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have exacted retribution from them (Himself); but (He lets you fight) in
order to test you, some with others. But those who are slain in the
way of Allah, – He will never let their deeds be lost (surah 47:4).
o Why did Muhammad have twelve wives when the Koran states that a man
may only marry up to four women?
If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with orphans, marry
women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if ye fear that ye shall
not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or that which
your right hand possess… (surah 4:3).
Does Islam teach salvation by works?
Muslims will tell you that the Koran teaches that Allah is gracious and that they do not
earn their forgiveness. It is to be acknowledged that the Koran does in fact teach that
Allah is gracious (Surah 8:29). But this grace cannot extend to salvation for the Muslim
according to the Koran. The Koran is clear: If one’s good works do not outweigh his
bad works, hell will be their final destiny.
“Each individual has two angels – one on his right who records his good
deeds and one on his left who records the bad deeds. By Allah’s orders,
these angels registered every single act and intention of every human
being.”5 Sura 18:49 declares that “the Book (of Deeds) will be placed
(before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what
is (recorded) therein; they will say, ‘Ah! woe to us! What a book is this! It
leaves out nothing small or great, but takes account thereof!’ They will
find all that they did, placed before them: and not one will thy Lord treat
with injustice” (cf. Sura 17:13-14).
The final judgment is carried out by the means of a scale (mizan), which
is used to balance the individual’s good deeds against his or her bad
deeds. “Then those whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy, - They will
attain salvation: but those whose balance is light, will be those who have
lost their souls; in Hell will they abide” (Sura 23:102-103).
A Muslim may take you to passages that speak of Allah’s grace, but the bottom line is
stressed in the verses mentioned above.
The only way a Muslim can know for sure they are going to enter Paradise is to die in
jihad (Holy War). “The person who participates in (Holy battles) in Allah’s cause and
nothing compels him to do so except belief in Allah and His Apostles, will be
recompensed by Allah either with a reward, or booty (if he survives) or will be admitted
to Paradise (if he is killed in battle as a martyr)” (Hadith6 1.35). The Koran itself says,
“Therefore let those who fight in the way of Allah, who sell this world’s life for the
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6
Abdullah Muhammad Khouj, The End of the Journey (Washington, D.C.: The Islamic Center, 1988), 70.
Hadith – The body of traditions relating to Muhammad, which now form a supplement to the Koran.
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hereafter; and whoever fights in the way of Allah, then be he slain or be he victorious,
We shall grant him a mighty reward” (Sura 4:74).
Muslims claim the Bible is corrupt, but the Koran says the Bible is not corrupt.
o Concerning the Pentateuch – “We gave Moses the Book and followed him up
with a succession of messengers,” (Sura 2:87).
o Concerning the Psalms – “We have sent thee inspiration, as We sent it to
Noah and the Messengers after him: we sent inspiration to Abraham, Isma’il,
Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and
to David We gave the Psalms,” (Surah 4:163).
o Concerning the Gospels – “It is He who sent down to thee (step by step), in
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, and
He sent down the criterion (of judgment between right and wrong),” (Sura
3:3).
Also, “And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming
the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was
guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before
him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah,” (Surah
5:46).
It is apparent that the Koran holds the Pentateuch, Psalms, and the Gospels in high
regard. As Christians we can heartily agree with Muslims at this point. But Muslims
claim that the Bible is corrupted and full of contradictions. This is a severe dilemma
for the Muslim because the Koran states that the Word of God cannot be altered:
o “Rejected were the messengers before thee: with patience and constancy
they bore their rejection and their wrongs, until Our aid did reach them: there
is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah. Already hast thou
received some account of those messengers,” (Surah 6:34).
o “The word of thy Lord doth find its fulfillment in truth and in justice: None
can change His words: for He is the one who heareth and knoweth all,” (Sura
6:115).
o “For them are glad tidings, in the life of the present and in the Hereafter; no
change can there be in the words of Allah. This indeed is supreme felicity,”
(Sura 10:64).
Questions:
o If Allah is sovereign over all His creation, why was He unable to prevent His
Word from being corrupted?
o The Koran says, “And dispute ye not with the People of the Book [Jews and
Christians], except in the best way, unless it be with those of them who do
wrong but say, ‘We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and
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in the which came down to you,’” (Sura 29:46). Isn’t the Koran saying that
the Muslim is to believe what the Bible says?
o Muhammad claimed to receive the revelation for the Koran from Allah. This
means, that at the time of Muhammad, the Bible was not corrupt. In fact,
Sura 5:71 states, “Say: O People of the Book! Ye have no ground to stand
upon unless ye stand fast by the Law, the Gospel and all the revelation that
has come to you from your Lord.” Since the Koran states that God’s Word
cannot be corrupted (see above), why do you reject the Bible as accurate? If
the Bible was corrupted, when and how did that take place?
 Muslims should be directed to F.F. Bruce’s, The New Testament
Documents: Are They Reliable? (Intervarsity Press, 1960) or Norman
Geisler and William Nix’s General Introduction to the Bible (Moody
Press, 1986, chaps. 22-26).
How do the Koran and Islam’s other holy texts (Hadiths) view women?
o Men are superior to women (Sura 2:228 & 4:34).
o Women are deficient in intelligence, gratitude and religion (Hadith Sahih alBukhari).
o Women are “toys” (Hadith No. 919).
o The witness of two women is equal to the witness of one man (Surah 2:228).
o When women go outside their homes, it delights the devil (Hadith Ihy’a
‘Uloum ed-Din).
o A husband who fears rebelliousness in his wife must admonish her first. If
that does not work, he has the right to desert her sexually. If that does not
work, he may beat her (Sura 4:34).
o Men in paradise will enjoy sex with perpetually exquisite virgin women (Sura
44:51-54; 55:56-58; 56:17).
o The husband is required to support his wife “in return for the woman being
locked up in the man’s house.” But a husband can refuse support if she
goes outside the house without his permission, refuses sexual relations with
him, kisses her son in a way that the husband considers lustful, becomes
severally ill or is raped by another man (Hadith al-Fiqh ‘ala al-Mazahib alArba’s; Encyclopedia of Islam).
o The majority of women will go to hell (Hadith No. 33 and 301).
*The following information is from an article entitled, Understanding and Reaching Muslims
by Abdul Saleeb & Norman L. Geisler. It can be found at www.equip.org.
How do you go about reaching Muslims for Christ?
There are three main misunderstandings that Muslims have about Christians:
1. They say, “Christians believe in three Gods.” The oneness of God must be
stressed. Verses such as these can be used: Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear, O
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Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one”; Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no
other gods before me”; Isaiah 45:18 – “I am the LORD, and there is no other”;
Mark 12:29 – “The most important one [command],” answered Jesus, “is this:
Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one…”; 1 Corinthians 8:4 –
“We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but
one.”
2. They say, “God cannot have a Son.” Many Muslims think that Christians believe
the Trinity came about through Jesus’ being born of a sexual union between
God and Mary. Such a belief, of course, is blasphemous, and it is clearly not
what Christians believe (see Matthew 1:21; Luke 2:1-7).
3. They say, “God would not allow his servant to die on a Cross.” One of the
roadblocks in conveying the gospel to Muslims is their belief that God would not
allow one of his servants to suffer such an ignominious death as crucifixion. In
response, several facts can be pointed out. First, according to Muslims, Allah
can do anything He wants. If so, God could allow Jesus to die on a cross.
Second, Jesus did not suffer such an ignominious end, for the crucifixion was
not the end. He experienced a glorious resurrection.
What are the do’s and don’ts of witnessing to Muslims?
Don’ts: Don’t argue with Muslims. Their culture does not permit them to lose face
or lose an argument. Don’t be confrontational or provoked to anger. Don’t use a
marked Koran or marked Bible. This is a sign of desecration to them. Muslims
never hold their Koran below their waist. They try to hold it high and place it in the
highest position on the shelf. Don’t speak to them in groups. Peer pressure is a
negative factor.
Do’s: Pray with them. They have a strong belief in prayer, and the Christian’s
personal relationship to the heavenly Father is something Muslims do not have.
Speak of Jesus, whom they respect as one of the great prophets. Use the parables
of Jesus (such as the Lost Son). They love stories. They are often impressed by the
Sermon on the Mount, which puts Jesus in strong and loving contrast to the violent
life of Muhammad. Respect their dietary restrictions. Be sensitive to male-female
relational boundaries, and especially make sure to dress modestly. Show love to
them. An act of kindness, such as escorting them to the store (e.g., if they feel
threatened in the current atmosphere), would help build bridges. Some Muslims
regard Christians as their enemies and in some Muslim lands Christians are
persecuted; this provides Christians an opportunity to provide a practical
demonstration of the superiority of the gospel of grace (Matthew 5:38-47; Romans
12:17-21).
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