Audio Teaching

Understanding the Teachings of Islam

Definition of terms

Islam – The religion of Muslims and means “submission.”
Muslim – A Muslim is a believer in Islam; means “one who submits.”

Qur’an – It literally means "to recite;" a collection of revelations given to Mohammad.

Surah – Individual revelation or chapter in Qur’an

Shahadah – Literally, means “to bear witness,” which is done by profession of Islamic faith. “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger.”

Shirk – Associating "partners" or idols with the only God, Allah. Christians practice shirk by claiming the Trinity or the Deity of Christ.

Kismet – Fate, Allah's will

Hijrah – The flight by Muhammad and his few followers to Medina (622).

Jihad – “Holy war" or "struggle" to preserve or propagate the faith.

Ka’ba – A cubical stone building in the court of the mosque at Mecca. The building contains the black stone supposedly given by Adam to Gabriel and used by Abraham who allegedly built the Ka’ba with his son Ishmael. This black stone has been kissed by Muhammad and Muslims since his time.

A. Who is Allah?

From a Biblical standpoint, the God of Islam and the God of Christianity are completely different.

# Allah is the only true God and they reject the Biblical doctrine of a Triune God. They call belief in the Trinity “Shirk” which means associating partners with Allah.

# Allah created the heavens and the earth. The first created spiritual beings were angels. Angels can neither err nor commit sin.

# God created another group of spiritual beings called Jinn. These are powerful intelligent creatures who possess freedom of choice. Therefore, some are good and some are evil. Most Muslim scholars believe Satan was an evil Jinn.

# Islam teaches Adam was the first human God created followed by Eve. He was created in heaven and was cast down to earth from heaven after he ate from the forbidden tree.

# Muslims believe we are not created in God’s image. What Allah gives to all humans is knowledge, will, and the power of action. Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, „Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.?27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, “The fact that man is in the image of God means that man is like God and represents God1.” Like in the sense we have certain attributes given to us similar to God; we can reason, we can love, we desire justice, and more.

# Some of the characteristics of the Muslim God are He is harsh, wrathful, sovereign, distant, and angry. Allah is not a personal God. In contrast Christianity teaches we can have a personal relationship with the God of the universe. The Bible says we have been adopted as sons (Rom. 8:14-15; Galatians 3:26); we are heirs of God (Gal. 4:7) and the Father deals with us as His children (Matt. 12:47; Mark 3:35; Hebrews 12:5, 7). We can even be called his friends (John 15:13-15; James 2:23) and we can call Him Dad (Gal. 4:6). The Bible says God is spirit but Muslims believe God is neither spirit nor physical; he is pure will. They also argue that all moral laws can be created and uncreated by Allah. Therefore, for the Muslim it is acceptable for God on occasion to lie and then sayit is wrong to lie. The Christian God acts according to His nature. The Christian God cannot lie because truth is part of His nature. The Muslim God can never be trusted like the Christian God.

B. Defense of the Bible
Muslims say they hold the Bible in high esteem. Yet, the only books they recognize as from God are the first 5 books from Moses, the Psalms, and the Gospel (4 Gospels).
1. Ask “Where is you proof the Bible has been changed?” No evidence for this claim.
2. Sura 10:94, “If thou wert in doubt as to what we have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book [the Bible] from before thee; the truth hath indeed come to thee from thy Lord; so be in no wise of those who doubt.” Mohammad is stating the Bible is from the Lord and can be used as a source to answer their doubts about the Qur’an. The Qur’an supports the Bible.
3. We have overwhelming evidence for the accuracy of the Bible.
# We have over 5,700 manuscripts of the New Testament dating from 250 A.D. to the 15th century.
# No evidence has ever been found that demonstrates the message of the Bible was destroyed or distorted, as Muslims claim.
# No book of antiquity compares to the quality of manuscripts of the Bible.

C. What Does Islam Believe about Jesus Christ?
Muslims believe Jesus Christ was a prophet of God and not the Son of God. Yet, the Quran does teach that Jesus did miracles (Sura 3:49; 5:110), was sinless (Sura 3:49), was called the “Messiah,” and was born of a virgin (Sura 3:45-47). Mohammad did none of these.

Christians that believe Jesus is God and can be demonstrated in a variety of Biblical verses. Some of the strongest Biblical claims in the Gospels:

1. John 8:58 (NIV) "I tell you the truth,? Jesus answered, „before Abraham was born, I am!?” Exodus 3:14 (NIV) God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God is the I AM and Jesus says He is the great I AM; He is claiming to be God. The Jews understood this claim and wanted to stone him for blasphemy in John 8:59 (NIV) “At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” And then again in John 10:31-33 (NIV) Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" 33 "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God." His claim to be the I AM was blasphemy.

2. Jesus also claimed that he should be honored as God. He said in John 5:23, “that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the father, who sent him.” Muslims would never honor Jesus equal to the Father.

3. Muslims must reject all verses that teach directly teach Jesus as God (Matt. 1:23 “God is with us.” John 1:1 the word was God; John 20:28 where Thomas calls Jesus “My Lord and my God,” etc.)

4. In the New Testament Jesus is both worshipped and prayed to, a privilege only given to God.
Muslims teach God would never let his prophet Jesus die a shameful death on a cross. Matthew 26:63-66 (NIV) “But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, „I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.? 64 „Yes, it is as you say,? Jesus replied. „But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.? 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, „He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?’ ‘He is worthy of death,’ they answered.”
Surah 4:156-157 "That they rejected Faith; that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge; that they said (in boast): 'We killed Christ Jesus The son of Mary, The Messenger of Allah.' But they killed him not, Nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them…”

D. How do Muslims enter heaven?
Islam teaches the all humans are created innocent and free but chose to sin against God.
“The Christian witness that the rebellion by our first parents has tragically distorted man and that sinfulness pervades individually and collectively, is very much contrary to Islamic witness. Islam teaches that the first phase of life on earth did not begin in sin and rebellion against Allah. Although Adam disobeyed Allah, he repented and was forgiven and even given guidance for mankind. Man is not born as sinner and the doctrine of the sinfulness of man has no basis in Islam2.”
Due to their belief, they are not born sinners, means they do not need a savior because they are not “fallen.” However, they are not saved either, so they need to do good works, which will earn them the needed salvation.

Five pillars of faith – Have to be done by every Muslim if he or she wants to escape the judgment of Allah.
1. Confession ("Shahadah") – “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammed is the prophet of Allah." Saying this sincerely is all that is needed to become a Muslim.

2. Prayers – 5 times each day, kneel and bow toward Mecca

3. Alms – 1/40th of income to help others. This is not considered charity but an obligation arising out of the realities of a world of poverty, injustice, inequality, and suffering.

4. Ramadan – fasting during daylight hours in atonement for their sins over the previous year. Muslims are allowed to eat and drink after sunset and some get up before sunrise to eat before the fast begins again.

5. Haji – pilgrimage to Mecca (or by proxy if bad health, age, or financial status is an issue.). This is to take place after Ramadan. There is an elaborate ritual including a visit at the most famous mosque in Mecca that holds the Ka’ba and in areas surrounding their most sacred city.

Muslims believe in a day of judgment. All the dead will be raised to stand trial before Allah, and they will be judged according to their works. In Islam, there is no atonement for sin or promise of forgiveness, and no assurance of any kind, except for those who die in jihad. Only martyrs are guaranteed eternal life in paradise3. Christianity teaches we are saved by faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

One strategy for sharing: They believe Abraham was right with God because he did good works Genesis 15:6 (NIV) Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. Abraham was saved by grace through faith; he was made righteous, not by doing good works but by belief.

1 Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids Michigan, 1994, p. 442
2 B. Kateregga and D. Shenk, Islam and Christianity, Grand Rapids: Eerhmans, 1981 p. 101
3 MacArthur, John, Terrorism, jihad, and the Bible, Kindle Book 2001

© Steve Bruecker Deception of Islam pt. 3 http://biblicalworldviewacademy.org/