What Islam Teaches

In light of the events of Sept. 11th, 2001 I thought I'd post a general belief statement of the Islamic religion. This Christ-less religion is easily contradicted in the light of Scripture and historical evidence. I'll present a general primer on Islam and then I'll present information that will set the record straight. This is a work in progress and I'll add Bible verses and more information in the next couple of days. Knowing about Islam will help Christians better witness to Muslims who are lost without Jesus Christ.

What are the origins of Islam?

Islam means "surrender (or self-surrender) to God." Muslims believe the final prophet of God is Muhammad, and Muslims believe the true name of God is Allah. For Muslims, The Qur'an (or Koran) is believed to be the final revelation of Allah as it was revealed to Muhammad. Islam originated around 610 AD. 

***Allah is actually the name of the Pagan moon god that the Sabeans worshiped in the Arabian peninsula that predates Islam. According to Sabean legend, Allah married the sun goddess who gave birth to three goddesses. Their names were Al-lat, Al-uzza and Manat. They were worshiped as the daughters of Allah. Allah was one of 360 idols in the Kabah in Mecca (the present day capital of Saudi Arabia and the most holy city in Islam). The crescent moon is the symbol of Islam, thus standing as a present day witness against the extreme pagan roots of Islam. Ramadan (The Islamic month of fasting) begins and ends with the crescent moon. A moon god temple was excavated in Hazor, Palestine in the 1950's. Two idols of the moon god were found which proves that Allah predated the Islam of Muhammad.*** 

What do Muslims practice as part of their faith?

Islam has five pillars which its adherents live by:

The first is a profession of faith known as the Shahada. The believer proclaims, "I bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger."

The second pillar is prayer, or Salat. The believer is called to pray five times a day: dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall.

The third pillar is charitable giving, or Zakat.

The fourth pillar is fasting during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (which is a lunar calendar). During this month, believers do not eat, drink, smoke or have sexual relations with their spouses from dawn to sunset, as a means of purification and to empathize with the poor. Some Muslims around the world make an extra effort to feed the hungry or give a large charitable donation during Ramadan. The fasting month ends with a festival called Eid al-Fitr (feast of fast-breaking).

The fifth pillar is Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, during the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. Mecca is the place where the first mosque for the worship of Allah stands, believed to have been built by Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ishmael (Ismail). Each believer is encouraged to make the trip at least once in his or her lifetime, if he or she is financially and physically able. The twelfth month ends with another major festival, Eid Al-Adha (feast or celebration of sacrifice), in which believers celebrate Abraham's obedience to Allah, and the placing of a ram to prevent Abraham from sacrificing his son Ishmael (according to Muslim belief, it is Ishmael, not Isaac, whom God asked Abraham to sacrifice).

***This contradicts the Bible. The Koran is easily proven to be a false document composed by Muhammad himself who simply wanted to create his own religion. The birthright came through Isaac, not Ishmael. The Bible, on the other hand, is free of contradictions and can easily be proven to be the true word of God. Countless prophecies have been fulfilled and are being fulfilled. Many bore witness of Jesus but Muhammad simply bore witness of himself.***

Does Islam have any similarities to any other religions?

Muslims believe that Christians and Jews worship the same God whom they call Allah. Islam, Christianity and Judaism all originated in the Middle East. The prophets of Judaism and Christianity are also the prophets of Islam. The holy texts in each of these religions share common accounts, such as the Creation and stories about Adam and Eve, Abraham, Noah, Moses, David, Solomon, and Jonah. Christians and Jews trace their religious roots through Isaac (Is'haq), Abraham's son by Sarah, and Muslims trace their religious heritage through Abraham's older son Ishmael (Ismail), whose mother was Sarah's Egyptian handmaid, Hagar. Judaism and Islam are sometimes called "brother religions" or "Abrahamic faiths."

***In actuality, Islam is simply a rip off of Judaism and Christianity. Ishmael has always been jealous of Isaac and it was even prophesied that Ishmael would be a stumbling block to Isaac and that is shown today in the Arab's (children of Ishmael) persecution of the Jews and the state of Israel (the birthright children of Isaac).***  

Regarding Christianity, Muslims do not believe that Jesus was the son of God, or that he was crucified or resurrected. Muslims believe Jesus was the son of the Virgin Mary, and that he was a major messenger or prophet of God, but not divine in nature. They believe Jesus was blessed with the Holy Spirit and that Jesus performed miracles such as raising the dead. They believe that God intervened to prevent Jesus' death, and that Jesus will return to earth to conquer evil. Muslims believe that all messengers were Muslim and that Jesus will join them upon his second coming.

Muslims recognize similarities between these three religions by referring to Christians and Jews as "people of the book."

***This denial of Jesus as His position as God makes Islam simply a manmade blasphemous religion. Lets see what the Bible says about who Jesus is:

John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (NIV)

John 10:30 I and the Father are one.

Do all Muslim women wear veils?

There are two parts to a woman's clothing: a hijab is a scarf that covers the head; a djellaba is a long, loose dress. Muslim women are supposed to wear loose, opaque clothing that is unrevealing and conceals the curves of the body.

Not all Muslim women wear veils. Some customs observed in countries that are Muslim are cultural or imposed by the government and are not religiously mandated. It would be a mistake to assume that all Muslim women are required by their religion to dress as Afghan women are told to dress by their government. For example, Morocco's state religion is Islam, but the country's proximity to Europe has westernized the culture. While some Moroccan women choose to cover their bodies, heads, and lower faces, others wear a djellaba without covering their heads, and some women wear modest western-style clothing. In other countries, women may determine the length of their clothing as long as it conceals the shape of the body

How many people in the world practice Islam?

An estimated 1.2 billion people practice Islam, according to a study released in January 2001 by the World Christian Encyclopedia. In contrast, there are 1.9 billion Christians, about a third of the world's population. Islam is the world's second most-popular faith, and America's fastest growing religion. In the United States, the number of Muslims has quadrupled in the past 30 years.

Are all Arabs Muslim?

No. An Arab can be Muslim, Christian, Jewish, of another faith, or even an atheist. For example, while many Egyptians are Muslim, there is a Christian population in Egypt. Arabs make up only a fraction (about 20 percent) of Muslims worldwide.

What does Islam teach about warfare and violence?

Many people have heard the word "jihad" used in the news media, on television and in motion pictures, and think it means a "holy war." Muslims will tell you "holy war" is a Christian concept, and not Islamic. The meaning of "jihad" is much more complex. "Jihad" is derived from a word that means "to strive" or "to be diligent." There is also a verb, "jaahada," which means "to endeavor, to struggle, or to fight against." There are different types of jihads. One type of jihad is a struggle with oneself-- a struggle between one's spiritual self and the carnal self. Another jihad is a struggle for Islam. This type of jihad cannot be for one's personal glory, for territory, or for any tribe, nation, or community; and it is not necessarily a physical, violent struggle. One may defend Islam by talking, writing, or warfare. Warfare can only be defensive, and if the opposition proposes peace, retreats, or is willing to negotiate, then, according to Islamic teachings, the warfare must end.

Jihad cannot be declared by a few individuals, but rather an Islamic ruler called a khalifah or a caliph, to whom Muslims have given allegiance. Osama bin Laden's declaration of jihad (fighting) against America or the West is not supported by Islam. Jihad may begin if a Muslim Caliph has declared it. It can also be waged to defend the Islamic state or to assert the right to convey the message of Islam, or to protect the right of someone wanting to embrace Islam, or to defend someone who has embraced Islam against persecution for his belief. Even if such a jihad were to be declared, innocent people -- women, children, old men, and religious people -- would be exempted from this fighting. Also forbidden in jihad are killing animals, destroying plants and trees, contaminating waters and springs, and destroying homes and civilian establishments.

There are many people in the Muslim world who are unhappy with what they see as American imperialism and unjust foreign policy, especially in the Palestinian-Israeli dispute. However, according to Islam, that still does not justify killing of innocent Americans or declaring jihad against the United States.

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