Islam
The news today is replete with the activities of the Islamic State and individuals associated with Islam. In the United States, the conversation is around the increasing number of practitioners of this religion in our country and what that means for our laws and culture. In liberal theological circles the conversation centers around whether Christianity, Judaism, and Islam share the same God. As the question of who God is and how He reveals Himself to mankind is important to the Christian faith, I will explore that question for the Islamic faith. Specifically, I will address how Islam deals with the personal revelation of God, His eternally begotten Son Jesus Christ.
Short History
The History of Islam is linked with the most important and last prophet in Islam, the Prophet Mohammed. Mohammed is seen by Muslims as the last in a line of prophets that include Jesus, Moses, and Abraham. Mohammed is seen as the most important in the line of prophets as he was the one chosen to deliver the word of Allah (the Islamic name for God) to the world. Because of this privilege, those who follow Islam try and imitate the life and teachings of Mohammed. In addition, the sayings of Mohammed outside of the Quran, known as the hadith, are also seen as sacred.
Muhammad was born in Mecca to a merchant tribe. Mecca and the lucrative trade was thought to be protected by many gods. It is this cultural polytheism in which Mohammed faced as a young merchant. When he was around 40 years of age, Mohammed began to see visions and hear voices. It was a supposed appearance of Gabriel where he was commanded to begin to write down what he had been seeing and hearing. This became the basis of the Quran, the most holy book of Islam. The message about Allah was strongly monotheistic, which angered Mohammed’s friends and colleagues in Mecca. Despite persecution, Muhammad's message attracted some followers in Mecca. They were forced to leave Mecca for Medina, a place where they would be free to practice their religion. It was there they built a community of faith and grew strong. The Muslims were able to eventually take over Mecca (after 20 years of conflict), destroying all the idols of the myriad gods and establishing their faith.
Summary of Beliefs
While the destruction of idols and a strong monotheistic faith seem like a good thing, Islam, through the Quran, also justifies violence, conquest, and submission of other faiths to Islam (‘of faiths other than Islam’). There is no ‘coexist’ with Islam. The name Muslim means submission; when a Muslim says that their religion is a religion of ‘peace’ it is really ‘peace’ brought by submission. Submission means that you believe that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his prophet. If you do not believe this, then submission is brought about by the point of the sword. This has been Islam’s violent history, and it continues to this day. News from around the world tells us of kidnappings, rapes, burning buildings, and violent atrocities in the name of the false god Allah and his false prophet Muhammad. This type of violence continues despite the claims of some American Muslims that they are a religion of peace. The reality is that the entire history of Islam has been one of violence in the name of god.
That is because their god is not our God. While Allah has some attributes of our God, Allah is not the same. Specifically, there is no trinity (5:73), and as such, Jesus is only a prophet, not God the Son Himself (9:30) and He is not divine (5:17, 75). Jesus was not crucified (4:157) or resurrected from the dead. There is also no Holy Spirit; He is seen as one and the same with the Angel Gabriel (2:97, 16:102) and they delivered the inspiration for the Qu'ran to Muhammad. Muhammad is superior to all the other prophets, including Jesus. All the other ‘holy’ books, including the Torah and the teachings of Jesus (that were written down, but are now lost) are inferior to the Quran.
A major issue in faith is how one should live and why one should live in that way. Like all other religions, Islam has a list of rules to be followed in order to please god (Allah). Muslims believe there is a day of judgement (3:30, 35:33-37; 99:6-8) and that if your good deeds (following the 5 Pillars of Islam, the Quran, exemplifying Muhammad in your lifestyle) outweigh your bad deeds, you may go to paradise (if Allah is merciful to you) (3:135, 7:8-9, 21:47, 49:14; 66:8-9). There is a hell for all those who are not Muslims (3:77). The only way to avoid hell and to enjoy Paradise is to believe in Allah, do good deeds, repent of all your sins sincerely, and to practice Islam as part of the ‘True Faith’ (5:9; 24:26; 45:21-22; 64:7). The bad news is that there is no assurance of heaven. At the end of the day, it is still based upon Allah’s mercy.
The Biblical View
Biblical Christianity stands alone as a religion in the sense that it teaches salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and not of works. A Muslim must point to his or her good works to elicit the mercy of Allah as their hope of paradise. The most important fact that differentiates Islam from Biblical Christianity is the former’s view of God. Specifically, Islam acknowledges Jesus as a good man, a prophet, but not wholly God and wholly man.
John 1:1-3, 10,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Colossians 1:15-17 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
Hebrews 13: 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and forever.
Mark 2:5-10 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
When you have a deficient view of who Jesus is as Muslims do, it is very easy to have a false teaching about salvation. Muslims deny the deity of Christ and the sacrificial death of Christ and His resurrection; so there is no Gospel. Therefore, like every other religion, Muslims must work to earn their salvation. Biblical Christianity states that eternal life in heaven is based upon the finished work of Jesus alone. When Muslims rely on our own merit and good works, they, like us, would fall far short of God’s standard, which is perfection. The substitutionary work of Christ on the cross is the only hope of salvation. Through repentance and faith in Christ’s work, Christians have an assurance of heaven, based on the promise of God.
Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
John 5:24 24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Acts 4:10-12 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Galatians 2:16-17 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid
There is no hope in Islam, for it is only a man made system by which its practitioners may enter into Paradise if they repent, do enough good works, and Allah is merciful. This limits their voluntary evangelism, except for those who resonate with doing good works. This is why from its inception in the 7th century Islam has grown mostly at the point of a sword. The most hated enemy of Islam is Biblical Christianity, because the god of Islam is Satan, the great deceiver, and he is exposed when the Bible is preached. The darkness cannot overcome light, and though Islam will continue to burn churches and murder Christians in this world, they will not stop the work of Christ in this world. God will be victorious; The god of Islam and its followers will proclaim Jesus as LORD and God before they are all be cast into Hell on the day of judgment.
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