INTRODUCTION
The religion of Islam is an obsessive and dominating religion. In recent years this philosophy of life has been examined more closely. This analysis will present a summary of Islam, flaws, and witnessing tips for reaching Muslims. The view that this religion leads to oppression and discrimination will be examined.
SUMMARY OF ISLAM
Islam was birthed from a man named Muhammed in the 6th Century AD.[1] Later in Muhammed’s life he had a vision where he believed that the angel Gabriel visited him. In this vision, Gabriel revealed that the world had forsaken true worship and that he was chosen by God to be a prophet to bring God’s message to the world. “This message was relatively straightforward in its content: 1) all religions on the earth were now corrupt; 2) he was to proclaim the worship of the one true God, named Allah; 3) he was to receive the true words of Allah, record them, and bring people back to the ‘straight path.’”[2] Islam teaches that the Jews were given the truth of Allah, but strayed away and that Christians corrupted it. There is a system of Islam that every convert must practice. This is referred to as The Five Pillars of Islam. The first pillar states that the convert must recite “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his final prophet.” This dogma is referred to as the kalima. The second pillar is prayers that are performed five times a day towards Mecca. These prayers are conducted in a precise fashion. The third pillar is the alms or tithe that must be given for the cause of Islam. This tithe equals one-fortieth of a Muslim’s income. The fourth pillar consists of continual fasting. This
especially pertains to the month of Ramadan, which is the month of fasting and devotion to Allah. The fifth pillar is a journey to Mecca during the life of a Muslim.[3] There are many aspects of Islam that can be discussed, but The Five Pillars summarizes the general day to day lifestyle of a devout Muslim.
FLAWS IN ISLAM
There are many flaws in the belief system of Islam that are counterintuitive to Christianity. One is that the redemptive nature in Islam is quite different than that of Christianity. Islam, according to Muhsin Akbas, gains redemption through suffering and works. Akabas also states that Islam does not have a formulated plan of redemption compared to the incarnation and original sin that is presented in Christianity’s formulation of salvation and redemption. With this said, Akabas admits that there is no unambiguous redemption that is defined formally in Islam.[4]
Second is the oppressive nature of Islam. The Quran teaches in Surah 2:191to kill unbelievers or infidels.[5] This passage is one of many that have an oppressive nature against those who do not believe in Islam. In contrast, Christianity teaches to reach out to the unbeliever in love. Islam also has hatred towards Jews and Christians. An example of this hatred of Jews and Christians can be found in Surah 9:30.[6] The totality of the method of bringing in converts is through fear. The Quran teaches to kill the unbeliever if he or she does not convert to Islam. The conclusion of this idea leads to what is now known as terrorism. Killing unbelievers in the name of Allah is what ultimately must take place in the life of a devout Muslim in order to be consistent with the Quran.
WITNESSING TIPS FOR REACHING MUSLIMS
There are many ways that a Christian can witness to a Muslim. One of the most important things is to understand the distorted similarities in Islam to Christianity. Charles E. Farhadian points out that Muslims and Christians believe that Jesus or Isa walked this earth and performed great miracles. Both are taught that Jesus was sent to be crucified, but Islam teaches that someone else took his place at the cross.[7] The Christian must point out the fact that it is impossible for someone to take the place of Jesus at the cross. Jesus was seen by men and women all throughout the land of Israel. If another man was crucified in Jesus’ stead, many people would have known and would have revealed this deceit.
Emphatically, the most important concept for the Christian to reveal when witnessing to a Muslim is the unconditional love of God. This is a concept that Muslims do not understand. Allah is taught as a temperamental god who does not save because of love for his believers. The thoughts of John 3:16[8] are foreign to the Muslim. Followers of Islam cannot grasp God loving them so much that He died for them. The fundamental tool in witnessing to a Muslim is loving them, as Christ loves them. If the believer lives a Christ-centered life, the Muslim will see this and wonder what makes the Christian so different from their belief systems.
CONCLUSION
The logical conclusion of the belief system of Islam is oppression. Even though Islam is an oppressive religion, the Christian must love them with a Christ-centered love because Christ also died for them. It is easy to run and hide from reaching out to a hostile religious people group, but if the believer will not, than who will? If the Christian truly strives to love the unbeliever, then that love will manifest itself to all unbelievers, whether generous or hostile. What must be studied further to understand Islam more efficiently is the Quran. The references used in any religion must be the first thing that is studied to reach a certain people group. This is important in apologetics and in being a more effective witness.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Akbas, Muhsin. “Redemptive Suffering In Islamic Thought: A Critical Approach.” Deüifd XXXI (2010): 194.
Caner, Ergun. “Islam.” In The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics, eds. Ed Hindson and Eurgan Caner, 401-402. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2008.
Farhadian, Charles E. Farhadian. “The Mission and Death of Jesus in Islam and Christianity.” Religious Studies Review 36:1 (2010): 67-68.
[1] Ergun Caner, “Islam,” In The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics, eds. Ed Hindson and Eurgan Caner (Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2008), 277.
[2] Ibid., 278.
[3] Ibid., 279.
[4] Muhsin Akbas, “Redemptive Suffering In Islamic Thought: A Critical Approach,” Deüifd XXXI (2010) 194.
[5]Surah 2:191, And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers.
[6] Surah 9:30 And the Jews say: Ezra is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old. Allah (Himself) fighteth against them. How perverse are they!
[7] Charles E. Farhadian, “The Mission and Death of Jesus in Islam and Christianity,” Religious Studies Review 36:1 (2010): 67-68.
[8] John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (NKJV).
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