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 4 "

Mohammad - A biblical prophet?

Unfortunately his violence is a throwback to the time of the Judges and his polygamy is a throwback to the excesses of Solomon when he went into idolatry.

Christianity seeks to influence people by goodwill and by debate as expressed in Colossians 4:6. Mohammad spread Islam by aggression, intrigue and conquest.

The Koran prescribes armed struggle, polygamy and slavery as normative for Muslims until Islam becomes "Victorious over every other religion", Koran 61:9.

What about the Crusades and Inquisitions?

• Muslims regard Islam as Koran based.
• Christians regard Christianity as New Testament based.

The Crusades etc. promoted anti-New Testament polices. Violent Christianity is pseudo-Christianity just as moderate Islam is pseudo-Islam, i.e. not Koran based.

"While Crusaders may have fought with the Cross on their shields, they did not, could not, cite words from Jesus to justify their slaughters." (Kenneth Woodward- Newsweek).

Words of Jesus

Luke 12:49.

Jesus wasn't promoting arson! He had come to bring spiritual fire to earth for light, warmth and testing.

Matthew 10:34.

This was an ideological sword that would divide people having opposite opinions about Him.

Luke 9:54-56 Matthew 26:52

Look at the New Testament teaching on dealing with enemies.

Matthew 5:43-45 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Romans 12:14-20

Christianity's call to kindness towards others is based on Genesis 1:26-27. Every human being is created in the image of God and deserves respect. We see the same idea expressed in James 3:9.

By contrast Muslims believe that describing man as created in the likeness of God is insulting to God. So much of our democracy and justice rests on Genesis 1:26 and James 3:9. The absence of this belief in Islam is the major reason why there is no true democracy in Muslim countries.

Mohammad emphasised SUBMISSION. Islam means submission. Submission to God, to Mohammad, to the Koran, to men.

Polygamy

See 1Timothy 3:2-3. Mohammad would not have qualified.

Slavery

See 1Timothy 1:8-10. How greatly the New Testament differs from Mohammad and the Koran's endorsement of violence, polygamy and slavery.

Mohammad's Legacy

When Mohammad died in AD 632 Muslim armies overran Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch and Carthage. Eventually Islam controlled all of North Africa, Syria, Asia Minor, Spain and Portugal. Islam's advance was mainly unopposed, yet they slaughtered thousands of Jews and Christians who resisted conversion. The philosophy was this:

• The pre-eminence of Islam over all other religions. Koran 9:33
• Islam is the true religion of Allah. Koran 3:17
• It should reign over all mankind. Koran 34:27
• The Umma, (Muslim community) forms the party of Allah and is perfect. Koran 3:106
• It alone is qualified to rule and guide the world. Koran 35: 37
• The purpose of Jihad, (Holy War) is an obligation until the goal is achieved. Koran 8:40
• If a person would not convert to Islam they had to pay an ongoing tax, which was extortionate. Mohammad saw Islam dominating the world. Koran 9:33

Key Islamic strategies

• Exploit massive immigration of Muslims in to Western nations
  When one million Muslims had immigrated to Britain Muslim leaders announced the establishment of an Islamic parliament which Muslims here are required to obey.
  Dr. Kalin Saddiquin, Director of the Muslim Institute in London tells Muslims: "Not to obey British laws if they went against the Sharia, the Islamic Law."
  Dr. Zaki Badawi, former Director of the Islamic Cultural Centre, London wrote: "Islam intends to expand in Britain. Islam is a universal religion. It aims at bringing its message to all corners of the earth. It hopes that one day the whole of humanity will be one Muslim community."
• Widening Islamic Influences
  Muslims wanted to build a large Islamic Studies Centre next to Oxford University. They were refused. They invited Prince Charles into membership of a prestigious club. In return he was asked to persuade Oxford University to sell the land. THEY DID!
• Mosque Construction
  Oil rich Muslim nations are spending billions constructing mosques in hundreds of cities and towns in the non-Muslim world.
• Universities
  Islamic strategists have been seeking to influence our western secular academic world. They press for a Department of Islamic Studies, promising to fund it and provide professors who will be apologists for Islam.

Christianity is morally most opposite to Islam and as an evangelising religion is the one most able to take on Islam in a peaceful ideological struggle. But Christianity has been weakened to the point of danger and too few Church leaders and politicians realise the danger and are willing to speak out.

Next Week

*What should we do?
*How do we relate to Muslims?

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