Download Islam – Part 1 - First Baptist Hastings

Student Copy w/Answers
Lesson 1 – Islam - Part 1 -1-
“Shattering the Deception of Cults and False Religions”
Lesson 3: Islam – Part 1
Name: _______________________
Synopsis: This lesson and the following lessons are designed to help the believer in understanding
Islam and to better defend our faith.
Memory Verses / Scripture References: The following is a list of potential memory verses or scripture
references. For credit memorize one or know three scripture references.
 Galatians 1:8 – “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”
 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 – “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the
apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
I. Overview of Islam
A. Ancient Islam
1. Muhammad was born in Mecca, Arabia, in AD 570. His father died before his birth and his
mother died when he was 6 years old. He was then raised by his grandfather and later by his
uncle.
2. At 25, he married a wealthy 40 year old widow.
a) Muhammad married 10
women in his life and had 2 other concubines. In fact,
his youngest wife Aisha was 6 when they engaged and 9 when they consummated in
marriage.
3. The Call – As Muhammad grew his views changed. He came to believe in only one god,
Allah, a monotheistic faith and rejected the idolatrous polytheism of those around him. At 40
years old, the now religious Muhammad had his first vision.
a) In 610, at the age of 40 he supposedly received his first vision which was a series of
revelations from god, among them, that he was to be god’s messenger. These visions
marked the start of Muhammad’s prophetic call by Allah. He received these visions for
the next 22 years until his death in 632 A.D.
b) At first he was unsure of these visions whether they were divine or demonic
His wife encouraged him to believe they were divine. Muhammad claimed later that
these revelations were dictated to him by the angel Gabriel
. He then repeated
the words he had been told, and a secretary recorded them. The 114-chapter (surah)
collection of these revelations is known as the Quran
.
c) This new faith received opposition in his home town of Mecca. Therefore
Muhammad and his followers moved to the city known as Medina (which means “city
of the prophet”) renamed from its original Yathrib.
(1) This is known as the Hijira or “flight
”, which marks the turning
point in Islam. All Islamic calendars mark this date, July 16, 622, as their
beginning.
(2) In his early years Muhammad was sympathetic to Jews and Christians, but
they rejected him and his teachings. Because of that rejection, Muhammad
turned the center of worship from Jerusalem to Mecca
, where the
famous black stone Ka’aba was enshrined. He denounced all the idols which
surrounded the Ka’aba and declared it was a shrine for the one true god, Allah.
(3) With this new focus on Mecca, he realized he must return to his home. The
rejected prophet did return and in triumph, conquered the city. Between the
Student Copy w/Answers
Lesson 1 – Islam - Part 1 -2-
return to Mecca and his death, Muhammad zealously and militarily propagated
Islam, and the new faith quickly spread throughout the area.
4. At his death in 632, no successor had been appointed, so his followers decided the caliph
(successor) would be a leader in Medina chosen by consensus.
a) Ali, who was Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, became the fourth caliph.
During his leadership a dispute arose over who was the rightful successor. Mu’awiya
began to lead dispersion in 661; his followers are called “Sunni
,” or
orthodox Muslims. Those who continued to follow Ali are known as “Shiite
” Muslims.
5. The years 632-800 saw rapid expansion of Islam by military force and the belief that
nonbelievers should be overcome and brought into the true religion. Muslims believed Islam is
not simply another religion but the god-sanctioned faith for the world. They hold it to be the
culmination of Judaism and Christianity. In their eyes, success in conquering other nations and
expanding the Islamic empire was proof of divine approval and prosperity.
6. Christian/Muslim conflict occurred during the Crusades (800 – 1300). Since then,
expansion, decline and, currently, revival have characterized Islam.
B. Modern-day Islam
1. Islam is followed by more than a billion people and today is the world's fastest
growing religion and some say will soon be the world's largest. Christianity is the largest
world religion with 2 billion adherents and Islam has 1.5
billion adherents making
up approximately 20% of the world's population. The Muslim population of the United States
now out numbers that of Episcopalians. (2.3 million Episcopalians vs. up to 7 million Muslims)
2. Islam in America
a) The council of American Islamic relations states: - “There are an estimated 7
million Muslims in America. The Muslim community in America is made up of people
from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and national origins. There are almost 2,000
mosques, Islamic schools and Islamic centers in America. Muslims are active in all
walks of life. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in this country and around the
world.”
b) There are 1,209 mosques in the United States and the nation's largest mosque, the
Islamic Center of America, is in Dearborn, Michigan. It was rebuilt in 2005 to
accommodate over 3,000 people for the increasing Muslim population in the region.
c) California has the most mosques – 227; then New York (140); Ohio has the 6th
largest number of mosques.
d) In 2005, according to the New York Times, more people from Muslim countries
became legal permanent United States residents — nearly 96,000 — than in any year in
the previous two decades.
e) In addition to immigration, the state, federal and local prisons of the United States
may be a contributor to the growth of Islam in the country.
(1) Dr. J. Michael Waller (Annenberg Professor of International
Communication) on Oct. 14, 2003 before the Subcommittee on Terrorism,
Technology and Homeland Security; Claimed that Muslim inmates comprise
17-20% of the prison population, or roughly 350,000 inmates in 2003. He also
claims that 80% of the prisoners who "find faith" while in prison convert to
Islam.
(2) Concern over jailhouse conversions to Islam first rose in 2001 when Imam
Warith Deen Umara, Islamic chaplain for the New York state prison system,
was reported to have praised the September 11 attacks. This prompted members
of Congress to call for an investigation of Islam in the nation’s prisons.
f) In a 2004 report, the Justice Department faulted the prison system for failing to
protect against “infiltration by religious extremists.” However, the report made clear
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Lesson 1 – Islam - Part 1 -3-
that the problem was not radical chaplains, but, rather extremist inmates running
worship services.
g) Mark S. Hamm, a criminologist at Indiana State University, describes it as a
phenomenon he calls "prison
Islam."
3. Because of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the current War on Terror, many people are
familiar with Islam. Because of this religion’s high profile, many “evangelical” leaders
promote unity among Islam and Christianity, highlighting the similarities of the two religions.
However, careful study of the basic beliefs of Islam reveals that this religion goes against the
truth of God’s Word.
II. Basic Beliefs of Islam
A. The name for the religion of Muhammad is “Islam” which means “to submit to god
”
“Muslim” is the term for one who follows that religion. Islam includes the beliefs of the religion, the
practices of the religion, and the Islamic law. Muslim countries vary in the extent to which they hold
to the Islamic law. Though there are different sects within Islam, all hold the following fundamental
beliefs:
1. The one true god is Allah, he is all knowing and all powerful. The emphasis of Allah is
on his judgment, not grace; on power, not mercy. He is the source of good and evil and his will
is supreme.
2. The existence of angels and devils
a) This is fundamental to Islam; Gabriel is the leading angel who appeared to
Muhammad.
b) Al Shaytan is the devil
and most likely a fallen angel or jinn. Jinn are
those creatures between angels and men which can be either good or evil. They believe
everyone has two recording angels – one which records his good deeds, and the other
his bad deeds.
3. The scriptures (see in a moment)
4. The prominence of the prophet Muhammad
a) They believe god has spoken through numerous prophets down through the
centuries. The six greatest are: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, & Muhammad.
Muhammad was the last and greatest.
5. The Day of Judgment – there will be a final resurrection and judgment. Those who
followed Allah and Muhammad will go to Islamic heaven, a paradise and place of pleasure.
Those who opposed him will go to hell to be tormented.
6. The eternal decree of god – this is the belief in god’s decrees or Kismet, the doctrine of
fate. It is a very rigid view of predestination that states all good or evil proceeds from divine
will.
B. Concerning the Bible
1. Muslims accept: (1) The Law of Moses, (2) The Psalms of David, (3) The Gospel of Jesus,
(4) The Quran of Muhammad.
a) The Quran contains laws, legends, prayers, and stories that often use Biblical
characters but differ from the Bible’s narratives. Its contents are written in the form of
surahs, or works of rhymed prose. There are 114 surahs in the Quran and are arranged
by length; the longer in the front, the shorter in the back. It is accepted as correct only
in the Arabic language in which it was written. Anywhere the Quran and the Bible
contradict, a Muslim will accept the Quran , for he believes it is the most recent
revelation from God. Muslims believe Christians and Jews have changed the
scriptures, but they cannot say where or when, and the Quran makes no such
accusation. They also are quick to sight discrepancies in practice, like Christians eating
pork when the Old Testament law forbids it.
2. In addition to the Quran, Muslims have Traditions, or Hadith
. This book is a
record of what Muhammad did, allowed, or enjoyed, as passed down through the years by
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Lesson 1 – Islam - Part 1 -4-
word of mouth. Each tradition contains a list of names of those through whom that particular
report was handed down.
III. God’s Truth
A. Concerning the Bible
1. Muslims put the Quran above the Bible in authority, and say it has been filled with errors
by Jews and Christians, yet they have no evidence of this.
a) Psalm 119:160 - “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy
righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
b) Psalm 119:89 – “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”
c) Matthew 5:18 – “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or
one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
2. Muslims add the Quran to the Bible as more up to date and accurate revelation, does the
Bible teach new revelation would come?
a) Question: Does the Bible teach “new revelation” can be added to the Scriptures?
;
b) What do you learn from Revelation 22:18-19?
c) What do you learn from Proverbs 30:5-6?
3. Muslims add to the Bible because Muhammad had visions from the angel Gabriel, who he
wasn’t sure at first whether it was demonic or divine, but his wife assured him the angel was
from god.
a) Can Satan or demons come and appear as angels from God?
b) What do you learn from 2Corinthians 11:13-15?
4. What if an angel came and gave you “new revelation”, should you accept it from one of
“God’s angels”?
a) What do you learn from Galatians 1:6-10?
“Shattering the Deception of Cults and False Religions”
Lesson 3: Islam – Part 1
Lesson 1 – Islam - Part 1 -5-
Student Copy w/Answers
Name: _______________________
** Teacher’s signature for student’s completion of 1 memory verse OR 3 scripture references:
** Teacher’s signature for student’s completion of this handout:
*Homework Assignment: Two requirements to gain credit for passing this lesson:
1. Complete this handout and turn it in to your Sunday School teacher next Sunday for credit.
2. Using the honor system, you need to write out the weekly memory verse.
Memory Verse
1) Who is the founder of Islam?
2) Where and when was the founder of Islam born?
3) What happened to Muhammad when he was 40yrs old?
4) What is the title ascribed to the deity of the Islamic faith?
5) What was Muhammad’s first reaction to the visions he had?
6) Who was claimed to have brought Muhammad his visions?
7) What are the recorded visions of Muhammad called?
8) How was the Quran penned down?
9) What is a surah?
How many are in the Quran?
10) Circle One: Islam was established in Mecca diplomatically
or
militarily.
11) How was Muhammad’s views towards Jew/Christians and why did it change?
12) When did Muhammad die? 632AD Who succeeded Muhammad after his death?
13) What was the reason for rapid expansion of Islam from 632-800AD?
14) What happened between 800-1300AD that directly affected the Islamic faith?
Lesson 1 – Islam - Part 1 -6-
Student Copy w/Answers
15) Modern-day Islam claims how many adherents?
or
% of the world’s population
16) What is the fastest growing religion in the world?
17) What did we learn are 2 major factors in the growth of Islam in America?
18) What does Islam mean?
19) What is the difference between the terms Islam & Muslim?
20) What are 4 fundamental beliefs that Muslims hold to?
21) What 4 writings do Muslims accept as scriptures?
22) What happens when the Quran contradicts with these 3 other writings?
23) Besides the Quran have H
. What is this book?
24) Muslim view the Quran as new revelation that usurps the Bible, how does this contradict with the
Bible?
25) Muhammad claimed to receive his new revelation from an angel, how does this contradict the Bible?
Questions for the teacher: