Download What Do Muslims Believe About God?

Lakeview Christian Center
Series: “Engage the Culture Through the Lens of Genesis”
School of the Word
Jason Stubblefield
June , 2013
Engaging Islam
Intro
Quiz
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For us as Christians to avoid being hateful and bigoted towards Muslims, and for us
to lovingly engage in reaching out them as God calls us to, we must sharpen our
thinking about both Islam’s basic foundations, and Christianity’s basic foundations.
What Do Muslims Believe About God?
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If there is one thing a Muslim believes, it is the fact that there is one God
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“There is no God but Allah and Muhammed is the prophet of Allah.” (Shahadah)
This is the motto of the Muslim’s family life, the ritualistic formula that welcomes
the infant as a believer, and the final message that is whispered in the ear of the
dying. By repeating these words, the unbeliever is transformed into a Muslim and
the backslider is welcomed back into a spiritual brotherhood. By this creed the
faithful are called to prayer five times daily, and it is the platform on which all the
warring sects of Islam unite. It is the very foundation of the Islamic religion.
–Norman Geisler, Answering Islam, p. 15.
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God is one (tawhid)
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In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Say: He is God, The One and
Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, Nor is He begotten; And there is
none like unto Him. (Sura 112)
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Lakeview Christian Center
Series: “Engage the Culture Through the Lens of Genesis”
School of the Word
Jason Stubblefield
In fact, Islam, like other religions before it in their original clarity and purity, is
nothing other than the declaration and unity of God, and its message is a call to
testify to this Unity.
– Abdel Haleem Mahmud, The Creed of Islam, p. 20.
The Unity of Allah is the distinguishing characteristic of Islam. This is the purest
form of monotheism, i.e., the worship of Allah Who was neither begotten nor beget
nor had any associates with Him in His Godhead. Islam teaches this in the most
unequivocal of terms.
– Alhaj A.D. Ajijola, The Essence of Faith in Islam, p. 55.
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Shirk
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God forgiveth not [The sin of] joining other gods with Him; but He forgiveth Who
He pleaseth other sins Than this: one who joins Other gods with God, Hath strayed
far, far away [From the right] (Sura 4:116)
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The Qur’an affirms that the Bible is itself revelation from God. ( See Sura 6:91; 17:55;
5:46-47)
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The Bible teaches there are three persons within the Godhead. That each person is
fully God, and that there is one God. This is the doctrine of the Trinity. It stands at
the heart of of the difference between Islam and Christianity.
Genesis 1:1-3
o Trinity in creation
Genesis 1:26-27
o Let us make man in our image and in our likeness
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Christians must cling to the doctrine of the Trinity. If we surrender on the Trinity, we
in effect deny the gospel.
o
o
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Father:
Son:
Spirit:
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Lakeview Christian Center
Series: “Engage the Culture Through the Lens of Genesis”
School of the Word
Jason Stubblefield
Muslims and Christians agree that God is holy, just, righteous, and our Judge. But our
Muslim friends do not understand that that holy, just, and righteous Judge is none
other than the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Unless they come to see this, they will enter
eternity and be stunned with eternal grief to find waiting there the Son of God whom
they rejected in this life.
– Thabiti Anyawible, The Gospel for Muslims, p. 39.
What Do Muslims Believe About Humanity & Sin?
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While Muslims and Christians agree that man is a created being who owes worship
and obedience to God, they differ in their view of man and sin in several ways.
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Muslims reject the idea that humans are created in God’s image and after his
likeness.
o
o
And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will
make upon the earth a successive authority." They said, "Will You place upon it one
who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and
sanctify You?" Allah said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know." (Sura
2:30)
Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made
for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful. (Sura 32:9)
The Christian witness, that man is created in the “image and likeness of God,” is not
the same as the Muslim witness. Although God breathed into man His spirit...for
Islam the only Divine quality that was entrusted to man as a result of God’s breath
was the faculty of knowledge, will, and power of action. If man uses these Divine
qualities rightly in understanding God and following his law strictly, then he has
nothing to fear in the present or the future, and no sorrow for the past.
– Badru D. Kateregga and David W. Shenk, Islam & Christianity, p. 100-101.
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Christians, believe that God created humanity in his own image, and after his own
likeness
o Genesis 1:26-27
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Lakeview Christian Center
Series: “Engage the Culture Through the Lens of Genesis”
•
School of the Word
Jason Stubblefield
Muslims also deny original sin.
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Then began Satan to whisper Suggestions to them, bringing Openly before their
minds All their shame That was hidden from them (Before): he said: “Your Lord
only forbade you this tree, Lest ye should become angels Or such beings as live for
ever.” And he swore to them Both, that he was Their sincere advisor. So by deceit he
brought about Their fall: when they Tasted of the tree, Their shame became
manifest To them, and they began To sew together the leaves of The Garden over
their bodies. And their Lord called Unto them: “Did I not Forbid you that tree, And
tell you that Satan Was an avowed Enemy unto you?” They said, “Our Lord! We
have wronged our own souls: If Though Forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy
Mercy, we shall certainly be lost. [ Allah ] said, "Descend, being to one another
enemies. And for you on the earth is a place of settlement and enjoyment for a
time." He said, "Therein you will live, and therein you will die, and from it you will
be brought forth." (Sura 7:20-25)
The Christian witness that the rebellion by our first parents has tragically distorted
man, and that sinfulness pervades us individually and collectively, is very much
contrary to Islamic witness. Islam teaches that the very first phase of life on earth
did not begin in sin and rebellion against Allah. Although Adam disobeyed Allah, he
repented and was forgiven and even given guidance for mankind. Man is not born a
sinner and the doctrine of the sinfulness of man has no basis in Islam.
– Badru D. Kateregga and David W. Shenk, Islam & Christianity, p. 17
The Islam teaches that our sins cannot offend our Creator, who stands too far above us
to be directly concerned by our disobedience.
– Chawkat Moucarry, The Prophet and The Messiah, p. 99
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The Bible teaches that Adam, who represented all of humanity, committed the first
sin when he broke God’s command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil.
o Genesis 2:16-17, 3
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Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death
came to all men, because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)
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Lakeview Christian Center
Series: “Engage the Culture Through the Lens of Genesis”
School of the Word
Jason Stubblefield
What Do Muslims Believe About Jesus Christ?
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Jesus was merely a human being who was chosen by God as a prophet and sent for
the guidance of the people of Israel.
o
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Christ the son of Mary was no more than an Apostle. Many were the apostles that
passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat
their daily food. (Sura 5:75)
Jesus was not crucified.
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And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary,
the messenger of Allah ." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but
[another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it
are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of
assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.Rather, Allah raised him to
Himself. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise. And there is none from the
People of the Scripture but that he will surely believe in Jesus before his death. And
on the Day of Resurrection he will be against them a witness. (Sura 4:157-159).
The end of the life of Jesus on earth is as much involved in mystery as his birth. The
Quranic teaching is that Christ was not crucified or killed by the Jews,
notwithstanding certain apparent circumstances which produced that illusion in the
minds of some of his enemies; that disputations, doubts, and conjectures on such
matters are vain; and that he was taken up to God.
– Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Meaning of the Glorious Qur’an, p. 230
The rationale of this is that the Qur’an regularly reports that earlier prophets had at
first encountered resistance, unbelief, antagonism and persecution; but finally the
prophets had been vindicated and their opponents put to shame. God had
intervened on their behalf. So Jesus, accepted in the Qur’an as one of the greatest
prophets, could not have been left to his enemies. Instead, God must have
intervened and frustrated their evil purpose. If Jesus had been allowed to die in this
cruel and shameful way, then God himself must have failed - which was an
impossible thought. – Sir Norman Anderson, Islam in the Modern World, p. 219.
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Lakeview Christian Center
Series: “Engage the Culture Through the Lens of Genesis”
School of the Word
Jason Stubblefield
What Do Muslims Believe About Salvation?
The Muslims use the term “repentance” to refer either to the conversion of nonmuslims to Islam (Sura 5:36-37) or of Muslims themselves turning to God (Sura
24:31). Men and women are called to repent because they are too weak to obey
Allah’s commands. Their repentance must be genuine in order for Allah to accept it
(Sura 66:8), but it’s unclear what things require repentance since Muslim
theologians make a distinction between major and minor sins. All Muslims agree
that repentance for major sin is necessary, but some say minor sins do not require
repentance. – Thabiti Anyawible, The Gospel for Muslims, p. 84
The For many in the Islamic world, the essence of the Qur’an’s view of salvation can
be summed up in its teaching about the scales...which will be brought forth on the
Day of Judgement to weigh the good and bad. – James White, What Every Christian
Needs to Know About The Qur’an, p. 145
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And we set up a just balance [scales] for the Day of Resurrection. Thus, no soul will be
treated unjustly. Even though it be the weight of a mustard seed, we shall bring it forth to be
weighed; and Our reckoning will suffice. (Sura 21:47)
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Interestingly, the Qur’an does give evidence of a concept of salvation by God’s mercy
and grace.
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O you who believe! Follow not the steps of the Devil, surely he will enjoin on him
what is indecent and blameworthy. Had it not been for Allah’s grace and His mercy
to you none of you would have ever been purified. But Allah causes whom he will to
be purified. And Allah is Hearer, Knowing. (Sura 24:21)
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Lakeview Christian Center
Series: “Engage the Culture Through the Lens of Genesis”
School of the Word
Jason Stubblefield
The Muslim claim is that God can forgive without reference to his law’s completion
and without regard for the demonstration of his righteousness. Christians believe
the glory of God’s forgiveness is found in it’s fulfillment of His desire to express His
love, mercy, and grace while simultaneously providing an awesome display of His
essential justice, righteousness, and holiness. This leads Christians to confess the
truth of the incarnation, for only in the God-Man can the full spectrum of God’s
attributes be displayed. In the cross, where the God-Man voluntarily takes on the
sins of His people, the complete fulfillment of God’s righteousness, including His
wrath against sin and the holiness of His law, meets His overwhelming mercy, grace,
and love in this one act of self-giving and redemption. We see in this one reality,
then, a place where the divergence between Christianity and Islam is wide, deep,
and definitional. In Islam, forgiveness is an impersonal act of arbitrary divine power.
In Christianity, forgiveness is a personal act of purposeful and powerful yet
completely just, divine grace.
– James White, What Every Christian Needs to Know About The Qur’an, p. 158-159
Recommended Reading:
What Every Christian Needs to Know About The Qur’an by James White
The Gospel for Muslims by Thabiti Anyawible
Breaking the Islam Code by J.D. Greear
Answering Islam by Norman Geisler
Qur’an
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