Understanding Islam

1
Understanding Islam

• Why the Muslim Faith Is in Conflict With the
  Christian Faith

2
Key Passages

• For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
  for it is the power of God to salvation for
  everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also
  for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God
  is revealed from faith to faith as it is
  written, the just shall live by faith. Romans
  116,17

3
Key Passages

• I marvel that you are turning away so soon from
  Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a
  different gospel, which is not another but there
  are some who trouble you and want to pervert the
  gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel
  from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than
  what we have preached to you, let him be
  accursed. As we have said before, so now I say
  again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you
  than what you have received, let him be
  accursed. Galatians 16-9

4
Key Passages

• Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test
  the spirits, whether they are of God because
  many false prophets have gone out into the world.
  By this you know the Spirit of God Every spirit
  that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the
  flesh is of God and every spirit that does not
  confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
  is not of God. And this is the spirit of the
  Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and
  is now already in the world. 1 John 41-3

5
Key Passages

• And we have seen and testify that the Father has
  sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever
  confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God
  abides in him, and he in God. 1 John 414,15

Keep these verses in mind during our study.
6
Introduction

• Islam (the Muslim faith) has been in the news
  since
• Iran hostage crisis in the late 70s
• Twin Towers attack on September 11, 2001
• Beginning of the present war in Iraq
• Presently, it is the worlds fastest-growing
  religion.
• 1.6 billion Muslims (1/4 of the worlds
  population)
• More than 10 million live in the US.

7
Introduction

• Why should Christians learn about Islam?
• To better understand current conflict
• To better understand the faith of some of our
  neighbors, co-workers, or enemies
• To prepare ourselves to teach the gospel
• To understand the contrast with Christian faith
• Do Islam and Christianity have anything in
  common?
• Conflicts are fundamental/monumental/insurmountab
  le

8
Basic Terminology

• Islam means to surrender, more specifically,
  to surrender to the will or law of God.
• Muslim is a follower of God.
• Islam is the name of the religion, and Muslim is
  the name given to those who follow the Islam
  religion.
• Allah is the Arabic language name
  for God that Muslims use.

9
Founder of Islam--Mohammed

• Born in 570 A.D., in Meccaa city in present-day
  Saudi Arabia.
• Muslims believe Abraham and Ishmael rebuilt a
  temple for God in the city of Mecca.
• Mohammed claimed that, when he was 40, the angel
  Gabriel appeared to him in a vision. Gabriel
  gave Mohammed a scroll and told him to read it.
• Mohammed was told he was an apostle sent from
  God.
• The angel appeared numerous times with
  revelations, which Mohammed alleged were written
  down. The Quran (Koran) is purported to be a
  compilation of these heavenly messages.

10
Founder of Islam--Mohammed

• Rejected and ridiculed in Mecca, in 622 A.D.,
  Mohammed traveled to Medina, where he received a
  message and began to be viewed as a spiritual
  leader.
• Arab tribes pledge allegiance to him.
• Jewish and Arab opposition was crushed.
• Islamic calendar dated 622 A.D., when acceptance
  began.
• Before Medina, Mohammed was largely a religious
  teacher with a religious message.

11
Founder of Islam--Mohammed

• In Medina, he became a strong political leader.
• Mohammeds message became more and more social
  and political.
• Mohammed died in 632 A.D.
• 632661 A.D.war and the spread of Islam
• 650 A.D. authorized version of Koran printed
• 680 A.D. civil conflicts
• 10001450 A.D.Crusades

12
How Muslims View Mohammed and the Quran

• Mohammeds position in Islamic beliefs
• He is believed to be Jesus successor.
• Both OT and NT prophesy of his coming Jesus
  Himself spoke of him.
• Accepted Moses, David, and Jesus as
  prophets from God.
• Accept Torah, OT law, was from God, but
  allege that the Jews corrupted it.
• Believe God delivered the gospel to Jesus,
  but the apostles corrupted it.

13
How Muslims View Mohammed and the Quran

• Mohammeds position in Islamic beliefs
• Mohammed is viewed as the last and
  final prophet from God.
• He has delivered a message that wont
  be corrupted or changed.
• He is viewed as a reformer or restorer
  of true faith in God.
• That faith is traceable back to Adam.

14
How Muslims View Mohammed and the Quran

• How Muslims view the Quran
• They allege that false teachers have corrupted
  both the Jewish and Christian Scriptures but
  affirm that nothing in the Quran has ever been
  changed.
• Quran has 114 chapterssupposedly revealed to
  Mohammed over 23 years.
• Originally, followers are reported to have
  memorized this material. Not until 40 years after
  Mohammeds death was it written down.
• Muslims view the Quran as Gods infallible word.
• It is viewed as truly understood only when read
  in Arabic.

15
Islam Contrasted With Christianity

• Quran teaches
• One person is God thus, Jesus, the Son of God,
  is not Deity.
• Denies that Jesus was crucified or died for
  mankinds sins.
• Denies Jesus was the final revealer of Gods
  will. (Hebrews 11-3)
• Based on the above, Islam denies that Jesus was
  resurrected, that He presently rules and reigns
  in heaven, or that He will return in judgment.

16
Islam Contrasted With Christianity

• A persons beliefs and practices are based on the
  authority he accepts
• Muslims reject the Bible and accept the Quran.
• Christians accept the Bible
• So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by
  the word of God. Romans 1017
• All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
  and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
  correction, for instruction in righteousness,
  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
  equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy
  316,17

17
Islam Contrasted With Christianity

• What we have in common
• Many common principles of morality
• Gods creation of the world
• Final judgmentheaven or hellbased on our deeds
• Man is NOT born in sin as Calvinists teach
• We have these same things in common with many
  other religions
• Does this make our differences small?

18
Islam Contrasted With Christianity

• Differences most fundamental and irreconcilable
  (ecumenism impossible)
• Christian faith centers on the death of Gods Son
  for our sins (John 316).
• Our faith is in Jesus as our high priest, our
  mediatorwe pray through Him.
• Faith in His death as means of justification
  (forgiveness) is the very heart of the gospel.
• Believe in Jesus resurrection is evidence for
  our own (spiritually/physically).
• If we take away what Muslims deny, theres
  virtually nothing left of the Christian faith.

19
Conclusion

• If Islam is true, the Bible lies
• Jesus lied
• The apostles lied
• Our faith is vain

• If the Bible is true, Islam is a false religion
• Mohammed is a fake--a false prophet and teacher.

There is no middle ground. Faith is based on the
authority we accept.