Download Islam and Christianity

The Challenge
of
Islam to Christianity
Classical Islam: power and authority
Islam itself means 'submission,’
complete submission to the will of Allah
Operates in every aspect of life at every level of society from
individuals to states.
Classical Islam divides the world into two parts
Dar-al-Islam, the 'House of Islam',
Dar-al-Harb, the 'House of war'.
It is the duty of every Muslim to work towards turning all parts of
the world from Dar-al-Harb into Dar-al-Islam –
Shari‘a Law - an all-encompassing legalistic structure
based on the Qu'ran and 'hadith’ (traditions)
Born in 570 A.D.
in Mecca
At age 40 went
to meditate in a
cave where he
said he received
messages from
Allah thought to
be through the
Archangel
Gabriel.
Muhammad
was illiterate. He picked up stories from
the Jewish caravans.
Teaching:
•
Monotheism not
polytheism
(360 gods worshipped at
Ka’aba (black stone at
Mecca , image of Artemis
in Ephesus Acts 19:35)
•
oneness of GodAllah
•
day of judgement
•
need to live pure
lives.
Muhammad preaching
Muhammad became
a religious & political
leader in Medina
In 624 A.D. he won
the Battle of Badr,
extended his rule
over all Arabia.
He united all the
Arabs for the first
time.
The pagans of Mecca did not
accept Muhammad’s teaching
so in 622 A.D. he fled to
Medina.
Muhammad and the Jews
AT FIRST MUHAMMAD HAD GOOD RELATIONS WITH
JEWS AND CHRISTIANS AS THE OTHER MONO THEISTIC
RELIGIONS
FIRST CONVERTS WERE HIS OWN FAMILY
MOST INHABITANTS OF MECCA REJECTED HIS TEACHING
WHEN THE JEWS (& CHRISTIANS)
REJECTED HIS AUTHORITY HE BECAME HOSTILE
TOWARDS THEM: BLOODY WARS FOLLOWED
MUHAMMAD MODIFIED HIS TEACHING AND BEGAN TO
PREACH MORE MILITANT ISLAM (JIHAD)
TAUGHT THAT JEWS & CHRISTIANS HAD CORRUPTED
THE FAITH FROM ABRAHAM
Muhammad’s new teaching
•
•
•
O B L I G AT O R Y D A I LY T I M E S O F P R AY E R , F A C I N G M E C C A
F R I D AY W A S A P P O I N T E D A S A D AY F O R C O R P O R AT E
WORSHIP
A N N U A L M O N T H O F F A S T I N G W A S TA K E N O V E R F R O M
T H E PA G A N S O F M E C C A .
SPREAD OF ISLAM
- In 632 A.D. Muhammad died aged 62
- Succeeded by Caliphs: ‘Golden Age’
- Islam spread across the Middle East and North Africa.
- Most of Christian Byzantine Empire destroyed.
- 11th-13th Centuries - Crusades: battles over the Holy Land.
-Jews and Christians treated as ‘dhimmis’ inferior
subjects who had to pay jizya tax.
-1980’s Radicalisation of Islam since fall of Shah in Iran.
-AIM:
To set up a global Caliphate (world domination)
Islam and Christianity
Christian Beliefs
Islamic Beliefs
 One God ALLAH
 Prophet MUHAMMAD





(messenger)
salvation by WORKS
paradise (place of
pleasure: food, sex ) hell
(place of torment)
Holy book: Quran
(Koran) ‘infallible word
of God’ in Arabic. One
form.
Hadith(teachings of
Muhammad)
Shari’a Law
Submission to Allah and
his laws
 One God Trinity:
FATHER, SON (JESUS),
HOLY SPIRIT

Salvation by FAITH
 heaven( with God) hell
(place of torment)
 Bible – ‘Spirit breathed’
66 books, 40 authors 1,400
years
 Ten Commandments
Obedience, but freedom
from the Law
Major Differences in belief between
Islam and Christianity
ISLAM
CHRISTIANITY
 God’s name ALLAH general
God’s name YAHWEH specific
Salvation by faith in Jesus’
sacrificial work on the cross
and grace, cannot be earned.
Salvation by works- credit
to cancel debit
‘God has no son’
‘Isa’ is just a prophet
Garden of Eden was in
heaven
Paradise place of carnality:
wine &70 virgins
Jesus is God’s Son –fully divine
and human
Garden of Eden was on
earth
Heaven: place of God’s glory,
no more sin and pain
Islam
5 pillars
Christianity
Lifestyle
1. Recite creed
2. pray 5 times/day,
publicly on
Fridays
3. fasting dawn to dusk
during month of
Ramadan
4. giving alms to poor
2.5%
5. pilgrimage to Mecca at
least once in lifetime.
Public
worship
1. complex doctrine
beatitudes
2. pray without ceasing
3. fasting as led by the
Holy Spirit
4. giving, tithe to the
church 10%
Private
Islam
Christianity
 missionary- hard control
 missionary –soft
exclusive
 imperial, territorial
 intolerant of other religions
 male militant
 one way of salvation TRUTH
 Jihad (Holy War)

 ‘ moral’ but has hidden sins


 sects: Sunni
Shiite
Sufi
 Expecting the ‘Mahdi’(AntiChrist) re-incarnation of
Mohammed, ushering in the
Apocalypse




colonial expansion in past
non-resistance, peace loving
female (especially since
ordination of women and
feminist movement)
‘Just War’
seen as morally
decadent/permissive
sects and denominations
 Expecting the Messiah, Jesus,
resurrected, to come in
judgement and to set up His
kingdom on earth
Some Problems with Islam
 There are major inconsistencies
within the Quran in relation to chronology and
characters compared to the Bible.
 Praying towards Mecca:
The Qibla in the oldest mosques e.g. in Iran, Syria
and Egypt faced Petra (now in Jordan) not Mecca!
 There are only 3 prayers in the Quran.
Praying 5 times a day does nor appear until the 9th
century.
 Mecca was not as described in the Quran or on a
major trade route.
The Reliablity of Islam?
ISLAM
When were Muhammad’s
life and sayings recorded?
 765 AD Ibn Ishaq
 833 AD Ibn Hisham
 870 AD Al Bukhari
(Hadith)
 923 AD Al Tabari (Tafsir,
Ta’rikh)
All of Muhammad’s life
and sayings more than
200 years after his
death.
CHRISTIANITY
When were Jesus’ life and
sayings recorded?
 48-64 AD Paul’s letters
 50-66 AD Gospels of
Matthew, Mark & Luke
 52-62 AD Acts of the
Apostles (written by Luke)
 92 AD Gospel of John
All of the New Testament
written within the first
century, within 60 years
of Christ’s death!
Why is a tiny
country like Israel
(only the size of
Wales) seen to be
such a threat to the
Arab world?
Why do the
Muslims want to
destroy Israel?
To try to stop
Jesus returning
to Jerusalem.
Today Islamic Arab countries
surround Israel
Key Events in the Spread of Islam
1980’s Imposition of Shari’a law in Iran by Ayatollah
Khomeni and rapid spread
1990 Ahmed Deedat challenged British Christians to
debate the WORD of GOD: the Bible against
the Quran in London and Birmingham
2001 Bombing of the World Trade Centre in and
terrorism against Western democracy
Challenge of Islam to Christians
•
•
•
GOAL OF WORLD DOMINATION
GROWING 4X FASTER THAN CHRISTIANITY
SPREADING ALL OVER THE WORLD: NETWORKS &
INSTITUTIONS
YOUTHFUL, VIGOROUS AND AGGRESSIVE
WORLDWIDE
1 IN 5 ARE MUSLIM
1.5 BILLION
1 IN 3 PEOPLE ARE ‘CHRISTIAN’ -(MOST
ARE
NOMINAL)
THE BIRTH RATE AMONGST MUSLIMS IS FAR HIGHER.
EUROPE:
MASSIVE IMMIGRATION
12 CITIES TARGETTED - LONDON AS CENTRE
PROBLEM:
INCOMPATIBILITY OF CHRISTIANITY & ISLAM
THE CHURCH IS LARGELY ASLEEP!
Problems Islam presents for Britain
CHRISTIANITY & ISLAM ARE
DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED
•
INFILTRATION OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM
own schools , political parties, exhibitions etc
•
ROYAL FAMILY PRO-MUSLIM/MULTI-FAITH
PRINCE CHARLES ‘DEFENDER OF FAITHS’
•
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS: HUMAN RIGHTS
AGENDA & FREE SPEECH
REF:PAWSON D.(2003) THE CHALLENGE OF ISLAM TO THE CHURCH
HODDER AND STOUGHTON. LONDON.
SHOEBAT W. (2010)GOD’S WAR ON TERROR.TOP EXECUTIVE MEDIA.US.