LEARNING TO SHARE YOUR FAITH
UNDERSTANDING ISLAM

Comment by Rev Andy Kelso on the series on Islam

The intention of this series is to examine Islam in the light of current events. It calls itself pre-eminent over all religions, with the Koran as God's pure and complete word, and Mohammed as God's last and greatest prophet. Is this true?

In order to find out the answers we need to look at the history of Islam and its founder Mohammed and we need to see if the Koran preaches peace as Muslims state. Are radical Muslims a splinter group or are they fulfilling the Koran's teaching?

The aim is to understand Muslims in order that we can have a heart of love towards them and engage in dialogue. I hope you will come to this series with an open mind.

NOTES TO ACCOMPANY "UNDERSTANDING ISLAM, PART 1"

Every revelation received by man throughout history has come from one of three sources - God's Spirit, the human spirit or a demonic spirit.

1 John 4: 1-3
An anti-Christ spirit is one which opposes the work and person of Christ. It denies the deity of Jesus, despises the Cross, denies redemption and forgiveness through the Blood of Jesus, and denies the death and resurrection of Jesus. Islam denies the deity, death and resurrection of Jesus. It denies the shed blood of Jesus and the redemption and forgiveness of sins through His Blood. That makes Mohammed a false prophet and Islam a false religion. It contradicts many facts and truths of the Bible and produces a religious spirit in its followers that results in violence, bloodshed and vengeance.

The spirit behind Islam has three objectives:

1. To challenge Christ, His Word and His Church.
2. To hinder the end-time world revival.
3. To oppose the Jewish people and take over their God-given land.

The word Islam means submission to Allah. The word Allah is a pre-Islamic name corresponding to the Babylonian Bel or Baal. In pre-Islamic times Allah worship and Baal worship involved the sun, moon and stars. Notice that the crescent moon is a symbol of Islam. Characteristics of Baal worship are that it produces a spirit of hatred towards God's elect, a spirit of immorality, fear, bloodshed, division and war. Islam has such a nature. Matthew 12: 33: The fruits of fear terror and bloodshed have always characterised Islam and do so today.

Islam was founded by Mohammed in 622 AD. It claims to supercede Judaism and Christianity. It stresses submission to Allah, the Koran and the Five Pillars as essential to salvation.

Five Pillars
1. Confession of Faith or Shahada: There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet.
2. Prayer of Salat five times a day facing Mecca.
3. Almsgiving or Zakat: 2-½ % of one's capital to the poor and the spread of Islam.
4. The Fast or Sawm: During the month of Ramadan a fast to be observed from sunrise to sunset.
5. Pilgrimage or Hajj: Need to journey to Mecca at least once in your lifetime. Need to walk 7 times around the Ka'abah, the shrine of the black rock.

The Koran or Qur'an is believed by Muslims to be God's perfect word, dictated in Arabic by Gabriel to Mohammed. It is divided into 114 Surahs or chapters.

The Doctrines of Islam

God: Absolutely one. Allah is beyond the understanding of man. Only his will maybe revealed.
Sin: The most serious sin is to consider God as more than one. Mankind is weak but not fallen.
Final Judgment: The good deeds and obedience to the Five Pillars and the Koran will serve as the basis for judgment.
Salvation: Determined by faith in Allah, Mohammed , the Koran and doing good deeds in line with the Five Pillars.
Marriage: Islam allows men as many as 4 wives. Men are superior to women.
War: Jihad or Struggle is both physical and spiritual. The enemies of Islam may be killed according to the Koran. Paradise is promised for those who die fighting in the cause of Islam. Moderate Muslims emphasise the spiritual dimension of Jihad.

Jews and Christians are "people of the book" but their failure to conform to the confession of Islam makes them unbelievers.

Question: Does the Koran support the radicalism of Al-Qaeda and other militants or is it a book of peace?

Fact! One out of every fifty-five verses is a war verse, intended to arouse Muslims to compel the conversion of non-Muslims to Islam, by violence if necessary. Mohammed himself ordered that non-Muslims be killed, enslaved or heavily taxed for the advancement of Islam.

Mohammed: Born in Mecca in 571 AD. Orphaned in childhood. Married a wealthy widow, Khadija. Early in the 600s AD Mohammed sought spiritual enlightenment. Claimed to receive visits from angel Gabriel who told him to oppose the worship of pagan idols. Didn't go down well and he fled to Medina 200 miles north.

There he became an arbiter of disputes but the Jews were suspicious as his knowledge of the Old Testament was woeful. He treated Jewish legends as valid parts of Old Testament scripture. The Jews opposed him on intellectual grounds and to his shame he chose to purge them. He drew up the constitution of Medina binding all people to peaceful coexistence. So he bided his time waiting for a Jew to violate the treaty.

He wanted to draw pagan Arabs on board so he turned to military prowess, plunder and sex. He marauded and captured women and girls who he gave to his followers as sex slaves. He put about that those who died whilst marauding would find a host of virgins waiting for them in Heaven. This is believed today.

Muslim men felt obliged to cover and hide their wives and daughters from view even more than pagan Arab culture required.

Next week: How Mohammed exacted vengeance on the Jews, exploring the violent verses in the Koran, and, what changed Mohammed into a violent polygamist.

Sources: The Bible, The Koran, Inside Islam: Reza F. Safa, Secrets of the Koran: Don Richardson, North American Mission Board Convention: Phil Roberts, Encyclopaedia of Religion, A comprehensive commentary on the Koran: E.M. Wherry