September 15, 2002, Vol.1, No.16.

Part 1 on Islamism

To Our Muslim Friends

Introduction

Keith Sharp

"There are an estimated 5.4 million Muslims in Northern America and 1 billion Muslims worldwide." ("Islam," Factmonster. ) It is one of the three great "monotheistic" religions of the world.

Before September 11, 2001 most Americans were aware that many of the world’s people were Muslims, but we had little if any contact with Muslims and little incentive to learn about Islam. All that changed dramatically in one horrifying day.

As some misguided Muslims lashed out viciously at what they do not understand, many Americans want to respond in kind. I am not of that number.

I want to understand Islam and Muslims. Last fall I read the Qur’an in its entirety. I have read a history of Islam written by a Muslim historian. I have read both volumes of The Choice, a defense of Islam by Ahmed Deedat.

There are about 2.5 billion people in the world who call themselves "Christians." ("Religious Population of the World. 1998." Factmonster) It has more professed adherents than any other world religion.

Just as Christians should listen to what Muslims have to say, Muslims should listen to Christians. I believe just as passionately that Jesus Christ is the Son of God as any Muslim believes that Muhammed is the Prophet of Allah. I am willing to listen to a reasoned defense of Islam. But I believe Muslims should be willing to listen to a reasoned defense of the Gospel.

Muhammed taught:

Jesus taught, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:16) Jesus reasoned with his opponents (e.g., Matthew 22:15-46). His apostles spread the gospel by reasoning with their audiences (e.g., Acts 17:2,17; 18:4,19; 24:25).

Christians and Muslims agree that Isaiah was a prophet of God. Isaiah wrote for the Lord God:

The articles in this series of studies on Islam are intended to present the case for the gospel to Muslims. I hope Christians will love Muslims they know enough to present this material to them to read. I hope Muslims will be reasonable enough to read it. I hope Muslims offer reading material to Christians in return and that Christians are fair minded enough to read it. I hope dialogue and reasonable debate develop from this. I am confident that from such an exchange truth will be found.

Yes, I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Perhaps you disagree and believe that Muhammed is the Prophet of Allah. I’m willing to listen and reason. Are you?

List of Works Cited

The Bible, New King James Version.

The Glorious Qur’an. Translated by Muhammad A. Pickthall.

Factmonster.com@2002 Learning Network.

An Overview of the History of Islam

Introduction

Monotheism (belief in one God) distinguishes Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from most other religions. Islam is the youngest and most rapidly growing of the three. This article sketches only a very brief history of Islam. Later articles will attempt to objectively examine the truthfulness of Islamic claims. This article aims only at an objective and factual summary of the history of Islam.

Christians who read summaries of "Christianity" know that such summaries often distort the truth. Since different groups identified with Islam teach different doctrines and have different views about Islamic history, it is difficult to be both concise and accurate. Christians prefer that those who attempt to summarize Christianity use the Bible as their primary source. Thus, the primary source for this article is the Qur’an. A pro-Islamic short history of Islam was used as a secondary source.¹

The word "Islam" means "submission." Only those who "submit" to the will of Allah as expressed in the Qur’an are "Muslims."

The Qur’an is the authoritative teaching of Islam. Muhammad told others that the angel Gabriel had revealed these truths to him. These men eventually wrote down what Muhammad said and later collected these in the Qur’an.

Muslims believe in one God (Al-lah, "the God"), who rules over all. Islam leaves no room for the Biblical concept of a three person deity. Thus, the Qur’an denies the deity of Jesus (2:116; 4:171).² Like Christians, Muslims believe in angels, the Jewish prophets and a day of divine judgment. Unlike Christians, Muslims believe Muhammad was the last and most important prophet, and the Qur’an denies the crucifixion of Christ (4:157). Yet the Qur’an urges Muslims not to argue unless Christians are belligerent (29:46).

The core of Islam is often summarized in Five Pillars of Islam: the creed, prayer, alms, fasting, the pilgrimage. The Islamic statement of faith (creed) is "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet." Muslims pray five times a day, give alms to the poor, fast during the month of Ramadan and make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Qur’an includes a basic moral system of religion along with legal and cultural regulations. Some of these are highly offensive to Western and Christian sensibilities (e.g., 4:34). Many Muslims adhere to these teachings today, but others have attempted to modernize its precepts. While the New Testament instructs individuals and non-political local groups of believers, the Qur’an instructs Muslims as a political group as well as a religious group.

Who Was Muhammad?

Muhammad of Arabia, founder of Islam, was born about A.D. 570³ and died in 632. After organizing a community of disciples in Medina, he later chose Mecca as his holy city. By the time of his death, virtually all of Arabia was Islamic. Under the caliphs, militant faith in Allah, and in Muhammad as his prophet, spread quickly into Asia, Africa and even Europe.

The Qur’an honors Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Jesus, but traces Islam through Ishmael (2:127, 136; 19:54-55). Muhammad claims to be a messenger of Allah who has clearly revealed all things (7:158). Orphaned as a baby (93:6), Muhammad was deeply influenced by the loving care of his poor uncle Abu Talib who raised him most of his childhood. Muhammad became a caravan driver and financial manager, and at age twenty-five married his forty-year-old employer, a wealthy widow. This marriage allowed Muhammad a little more luxury and leisure time to devote to contemplation.

Muhammad encountered Jews and Christians on his frequent journeys, and referred to both as "the people of the book" (e.g., 2:145-146). Muhammad encouraged others to read and heed "the Book" which God gave Jews and Christians (2:87, 89, 121, et. al.). Yet Muhammad was clearly troubled by the exclusivism of Jews and Christians (2:111-112, 120), and desired a religion for the Arabs (2:151).

Muhammad began his work as a messenger of Allah at the age of forty while meditating in a cave on Mt. Hira near Mecca. Islam teaches that he received his call there in about 610, and then began receiving messages from the angel Gabriel. The Qur’an is very defensive regarding this call (53:1-12).

Muhammad made converts slowly. The most influential of his early converts was Abu Bakr, who, as a wealthy merchant, became an active proclaimer of Islam. Muhammad preached social justice which gradually gained both support and increased opposition. From Mecca, Muhammad moved to Medina where the leaders of the city welcomed him. In Medina, he established the first Muslim community with its own government. He did not force conversion to Islam, and had no initial hostilities toward Jews or Christians.

Early hostilities arose when the Meccan leadership clashed with the new religion and culture created by Muhammad at Medina. At first, Jewish communities in Medina who sided with the enemy were expelled. But because they swelled the support of Mecca, Muhammad had all the Jewish men of Qurayzah massacred and sold the women and children as slaves. For a while, the survival of Islam was very tenuous, but Muhammad eventually gained enough strength to force Mecca to agree to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. But when the Meccans violated the treaty, Muhammad led forth a massive army. Mecca surrendered peacefully and Muhammad took the city without forcing conversion to Islam.

The Early Spread of Islam

Islam spread as Muslim armies conquered huge swaths of land. In part, the desire for such conquests was fueled by the need for food and other goods. First the tribes of Arabia were conquered under Muhammad’s first successor, Abu Bakr and all of Arabia was united. Muslims went on to control Syria, Palestine, Egypt and large portions of the Persian empire. Cyprus, portions of North Africa, Iran, and Afghanistan also quickly came under Muslim rule.

Everywhere the armies invaded, they brought the teachings of Islam. Most early Muslim rulers apparently did not force their subjects to convert to Islam. The Qur’an forbids religious coercion (2:256), but not all Muslim rulers have honored that prohibition.

Through the years, disagreements arose concerning the legitimate successor of Muhammad, what kind of governmental power Muslim leaders should exercise, and the proper interpretation of the Qur’an. Civil wars erupted, and the Shia and Sunni branches of Islam developed. At first, caliphs ruled as successors to Muhammad over the entirety of the Islamic empire. But by the 900s, the caliphs were losing power, and leadership devolved to regional authorities. Countries claiming to be Islamic sometimes fought each other and sometimes fought together against armies claiming to be Christian. Power changed hands frequently, but Islamic influence was pervasive and powerful until the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the late eighteenth century.

With the industrialization of the West came great troubles. The meteoric rise of European and American powers overwhelmed Islam. Most Islamic countries today lag far behind the West in wealth and technology. This precipitous drop in world power was disquieting. Many Muslims resent the relative powerless of Islamic countries in world political affairs.

The British and United Nations backed creation of a homeland for the Jews in Islamic Palestine increased Muslim resentment of the West and has led to unceasing conflict, war, and terrorism not only in Palestine, but around the world. Thus, industrialization and the creation of a Palestinian homeland for Jews has led some Muslims to choose the path of suicidal terrorism.

Throughout history, Muslims have given different interpretations to Qur’anic references to jihad (striving) against unbelievers. A few radical groups interpret certain passages in the Qur’an to command aggressive violence against unbelievers, but the vast majority of Muslims believe the Qur’an only endorses warfare when Muslims are first attacked (2:191-194; 22:40-42; 25:51-52) or when others have broken treaties (9:1-24). Yet, this differs significantly from Jesus’ instruction to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:38-45).

Current Spread of Islam

Islam continues to spread rapidly without the acquisition of new territory. Why? Perhaps for several reasons. First, most Muslims live in countries which continue to experience great physical suffering from lack of food and water and oppressive governments. Such suffering often causes people to seek meaning for their lives. Many have never heard the gospel of Christ, but have heard the teachings of Muhammad. And the Qur’an’s focus on social justice appeals to those who are suffering injustice.

But Islam continues to spread even in the West. The spiritual vacuum that currently exists in the West, combined with unprecedented religious freedom has opened the door for Islam. Materialism has left little room for spirituality, but cannot satisfy spiritual needs. Western academics have so long been hostile to Christianity, people are turning elsewhere to fill the spiritual void in their lives.

Perhaps the current popularity of Islam also has something to do with the simplicity of Islam. Although there are several schools of Islam, there are over a thousand "Christian" denominations. Muslims can seem rather united and Islam straightforward when compared to all the interpretations of Christianity. The Qur’an strongly defends the free will of man, judgment based on personal sins not the sins of forefathers, and righteous daily living (2:134, 177). The Bible clearly teaches the same (e.g., 2 Corinthians 5:10), but many who claim to be Christians have neglected or perverted these teachings.

Finally, the Qur’an teaches a doctrine similar to the popular current sentiment, "Everyone who is sincere in his religion will go to Heaven" (2:62, 111-112). Obviously, this teaching appeals to many people of every generation.

Conclusion

No doubt there is much more interest in Islam in the West after September 11, 2001. As Christians would wish to be judged, so let us judge. We wish the world to turn to the Bible and study it carefully and critically. On the basis of the Bible alone, we ask the world to judge Christ and Christianity. Similarly, let us not judge Islam by the actions of just anyone claiming allegiance to Muhammad or by any one of its sects. Let us look at the teaching of the Qur’an, seek the most reasonable reading of the text, and ask ourselves whether its claims are true or false. If we decide the Qur’an is a revelation from God, honesty demands we follow it. If we decide the Qur’an is the work of mere men, we must reject it and take a principled stand against it.

Notes:

¹ Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Qur’an: Text, Translation and Commentary (Elmhurst, New York: Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., 2001); Karen Armstrong, Islam: A Short History (New York: The Modern Library, 2000).

² All references to the Qur’an give the Sura (chapter) number followed by a colon followed by the verse number(s).

³ Islam uses a different dating system. Year one (1 A.H.) corresponds to Muhammad’s move to Medina. Muslims also use a lunar calendar, making conversions difficult. Thus, this article uses the western calendar. All dates are A.D.