Lesson 12: Islam

Danny was a champion heavy-weight boxer. On a visit to Turkey he heard the Islamic call to prayer, and it interested him greatly. He began to study Islam and felt that it was the right religion for him. He had claimed to be Christian before, but was convinced that there are mistakes in the Bible.

Read 1 John 1 aloud together. Write a paragraph that summarizes this scripture passage. What does this passage say about the believer’s relationship with God? Write a list of statements. 

Origin of Islam

Islam is the second largest religion in the world, with 1.5 billion followers. Entire nations are ruled by the principles of Islam. The word Islam means “submission,” referring to submission to Allah. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim. The word Muslim means “one who submits.” Muslims call themselves “believers,” and they call people who are not Muslims “infidels” (unbelievers).

Muhammad was the founder of the religion of Islam. He lived A.D. 570-632.

Muhammad claimed to receive revelations. Many people wrote about his revelations, and these were collected to form the Koran long after his death. The Koran is divided into sections called Sura.

► How is the origin of the Koran different from the origin of the Bible?

Muhammad’s religion was distinct from most of the religions around him because it was monotheistic and against idol worship. He knew about Judaism and Christianity, but rejected them.

Muhammad came from a poor family, but married a rich widow. After she died, he married 12 more wives, including his adopted son’s wife, after making his son get a divorce. According to the Koran, men are limited to four wives.

When Muhammad gained enough followers, he took control of the city of Medina, now located in the modern nation of Saudi Arabia. After several battles, he took control of Mecca, and moved there. He and his followers attacked and conquered areas around them. They eventually conquered several nations and forced the people to become Muslims.

Most Muslims today are not violent. They try to live in peace with their non-Muslim neighbors. However, there are commands to violence in the Koran. The Koran commands Muslims to attack and kill idol worshippers.[1] The Koran says that people who fight against Islam should be killed or have their hands and feet cut off.[2] Muhammad destroyed Jewish villages, killing the men and selling their families into slavery.

► How was the spread of Islam different from the spread of Christianity?

Beliefs of Islam

The most repeated belief of Islam, called the shahadah is: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.”[3]

Muslims believe that Allah is the only God, the Creator of the world. They believe he is the one who gave revelation to biblical individuals such as Noah, Abraham, and Moses.

Muslims do not believe in a Trinity or that any incarnation of God is possible.

► How is the Muslim’s view of Muhammad different from the Christian’s view of Christ?

Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet from God, did miracles, was the Messiah, and was sinless. They do not believe that he died on the cross, but that he was taken up by Allah when the Jews tried to kill him.[4] They do not believe he was the Son of God or an incarnation of God.[5] They do not believe he is the Savior of the world.

Muslims believe that the Bible is from God, but they believe that if there are contradictions between it and the Koran, the Koran is the final authority because it is the last revelation.[6] They believe that a later revelation can contradict a previous one.[7]

Muslims believe that salvation is earned by fulfilling certain obligations called the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam are:

(1) Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith

(2) Salat: performing ritual prayers five times each day

(3) Zakat: giving alms to the poor

(4) Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan

(5) Hajj: taking a pilgrimage to Mecca once during one’s lifetime

[16]

Difficult Doctrines of Islam

To see what kind of lifestyle Muslims believe in, we can look at the nations that are controlled by Islamic law. Islamic law is called Sharia law. Many Arab countries follow Sharia law to some extent. Islamic law does not allow freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, or freedom of the press.[8]

In an Islamic country a person can be killed for converting to Christianity or for attempting to evangelize other people.

According to Sharia law, a man can divorce his wife instantly for any reason. A woman cannot divorce without her husband’s agreement. Men are allowed to beat their wives, according to the Koran.[9] A man can be married to four wives.[10] A woman can be killed by her relatives if she does not follow Islamic requirements. In some countries women are not allowed to drive cars, go to school, or appear in public without their faces covered. [11] A woman may be beaten publicly if she breaks the rules.

Muslims believe that right and wrong come only from the will of Allah. Allah could change what is right if he chose, because his will is what matters rather than an unchange­able character.[12]

The Koran does not say that people are created in Allah’s image. Allah is said to be transcendent and unknowable and totally different.[13]

Muslims do not expect to have a personal relationship with Allah. Allah is called “all-loving,” but otherwise it is never stated in the Koran that he loves people. The Koran frequently states that Allah is forgiving and merciful to those who become believers in Islam. People are to repent and ask to be spared judgment with the hope that Allah is merciful, but there is no salvation experience or assurance of forgiveness.[14]

► How is a Christian’s relationship with God different from a Muslim’s relationship with Allah?

The benefits of Islam are offered mostly to men, and the Koran addresses every issue from the perspective of men. Women are only property of men. The Islamic paradise after death is for men, with women provided there for their pleasure.[15]

Now go back and read the footnotes for the entire section on Islam together. Look up the referenced Scripture verses and read them.

[1] Sura 9:5

[2] Sura 5:33

[3] “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.”
- The Apostles’ Creed

[4] Sura 4:157-158

[5] Sura 9:30-31, 18:4-5

[6] “I am as fully convinced today that the Scriptures are of God as that the sun shines. And this conviction (as every good gift) comes from the Father of lights.”
- John Wesley (letter in 1747)

[7] Sura 2:106, 13:39.   The Bible says that God’s Word will never pass away but stands forever (Isaiah 40:8, 1 Peter 1:25).

[8] “The good news is that God through Christ has done what the law could not do: sent his Son as an offering for sin. Christ expiated sin by his own sacrificial death.”  
- Thomas Oden, The Word of Life, 350

[9] Sura 4:34

[10] Sura 4:3

[11] Christians are told to be gentle with their wives (1 Peter 3:7). A man is supposed to love his wife as much as himself (Ephesians 5:28-29).

[12] The Bible tells us that God is good and is the source of everything good. God never changes (James 1:17).

[13] Humans are created in the image of God. Therefore, we can understand some things about the nature of God and can have a relationship with him (Genesis 1:27).

[14] The Bible promises us that God forgives the one who confesses and believes (1 John 1:9).

[15] Sura 55:56

[16]Image by Juan Camilo Guarin P from Unsplash, retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/njEXjDmYn8w.

It is not enough just to prove Christian doctrines from the Bible, because Muslims believe that the Koran replaces the Bible as the highest authority.

We can agree with certain important Islamic beliefs. Christians agree that there is one God who created the world. Christians agree that there is a final judgment, and that every person will be sent either to heaven or hell.

Other important truths should be shown in the Bible. Muslims believe that the Bible is from God but is superceded by the Koran. However, you can make the point that certain truths are so basic that they cannot change. Also, historical facts cannot change.

God made humans in his image (Genesis 1:27). He loves them and wants to be in relationship with them.

Christians agree with Islam that Jesus was the Messiah and sinless. Show that he promised to give eternal life to those who believed in him (John 10:28), he promised to raise the dead by his voice (John 5:28-29), and said that nobody comes to the Father except by him (John 14:6).

Show from Scripture that he was more than just a sinless man; See Handbook of Doctrine for

(5) Jesus is God.

He could not have been a good man and a prophet of God unless his claims about himself were true. Islam teaches that Jesus was a prophet of God, but he has to be either who he claimed to be and able to give eternal life, or he was a wicked or self-deceived man who caused people to put their faith in him.

Jesus came to show the love of God. He showed that God loves every person, including women and people of low class. People are not separated from God because of their gender or social class. People are separated from God only by their sin, and God offers forgiveness. God invites the sinner to be forgiven and to enter a personal relationship with him.

Jalal lived in Saudia Arabia. As a boy he was faithful to the Islamic religion. He memorized large sections of the Koran and helped at the mosque. When he was sixteen years old, he wanted to join a holy war and fight for Islam, but his parents said he was too young. Later he found a job and became busy and began to neglect religion. He got into a problem and wanted to pray for help, but was afraid that Allah was angry at him for his neglect of religion. He prayed to Jesus for help, and the problem was solved two days later. He also had a dream and saw Jesus showing people the way to heaven. He put his faith in Christ for salvation. Jalal says, “I feel love in my heart, and I am very happy to know Jesus. When I was a Muslim, I could never imagine that the Christians were right. After that, I found out how much God loves me, and I became a Christian. Yes, he loves me, he loves you, and he loves the whole world. Jesus Christ loved us, and he still does. And don't forget in the last day nobody can save us, only Jesus Christ.”

Now read 1 John 1 again. Write a paragraph explaining the message this passage has for a follower of Islam.