THINKING BIBLICALLY ABOUT ISLAM

As a term, “Islam” means submission (to Allah, or God) and “Muslim” is one who submits (to Allah, or God).  Islam is a religion of remarkable discipline and rigor.  It promotes a works righteousness view of salvation that instructs the worshiper on how to merit the favor of Allah.  How did this worldview develop?

ISLAM: ITS HISTORY

The founding and early history of Islam revolves around the prophet Muhammad (A.D. 570-632).  Muhammad was born about 570.  Because he lost his father near the time of his birth and because his mother died when he was six, Muhammad was cared for briefly by his grandfather and later by his uncle, Abu Talib.  His uncle, Abu Talib, was a merchant, so Muhammad traveled extensively with him in the thriving caravan network that traversed Arabia, Syria and into India and northern Africa.  No doubt it was these journeys that first exposed Muhammad to Christianity and Judaism.  Although none of these contacts were with orthodox representatives of either faith, a deepening conviction about the truth of monotheism resulted.

At the age of 25, Muhammad led a trading expedition to Syria for a wealthy widow named Khadijah.  So impressed was she with Muhammad, that she sought his hand in marriage.  Though she was 15 years his senior, he accepted and they began a life of devotion to one another; a marriage that produced six children.  Although he married several women after she died, he maintained a monogamous relationship with her throughout their life together.  According to Muslim tradition, the year 610 changed Muhammad and thereby the world.  On the 17th night of the month of Ramadan, Muhammad was in solitary meditation in a cave at the foot of Mount Hira, near the city of Mecca, when he suddenly saw a vision.  The angel Gabriel commanded him to “recite.”  Not understanding what he was to recite, Muhammad heard Gabriel exclaim that he was the prophet of God (Allah).  His newfound monotheism was controversial among the polytheistic tribes of Mecca.  Resistance from Mecca intensified and his life was in danger.  Also according to Muslim tradition, Allah confirmed Muhammad’s prophethood in 620, miraculously bringing him at night to Jerusalem.  There he conversed with Jesus, Moses and Abraham, and there he and Gabriel were taken by a ladder to the seventh heaven.  (Muslims believe that the Dome of the Rock is built on the site of this ascension.)  But this confirmation did not facilitate acceptance of his monotheistic message by others.  Muhammad continued to condemn the paganism of the polytheistic Arabian tribes.  In Mecca there was a massive stone shrine called the Ka’bah, which attracted pilgrims from all over Arabia.  Fifty feet high and nearly 40 feet square, it housed one idol for each day of the year.  Some said it had been built by Adam and Eve after their expulsion from the Garden.  Others claimed that Abraham and Ishmael had built it.  Arabian pilgrims came to kiss or touch the smooth black stone that glistened in the southeastern corner.

So severe was Muhammad’s persecution that he took his wife and small group of followers and fled to Medina, about 250 miles north of Mecca.  For the Muslim this momentous event, called the “Hijra,” is year 1 in the Muslim calendar.  While in Medina, he found acceptance and began to build his army of Islam.  Muhammad had become a military leader!  Eight years after the Hijra, Muhammad and his army of 10,000 reentered Mecca in triumph.  Thronged by his followers, the 62-year old Muhammad led a glorious pilgrimage to the Ka’bah, now the focal point of Islamic worship.  There in 632, he announced the perfection of a new religion--the religion that worshiped Allah.  Before he died, Muhammad established complete domination over the Arabian Peninsula.

What was Muhammad’s relationship with the early Christians and the Jews?  Muhammad was not really familiar with Christianity, nor the Bible.  The Qur’an, the 114 chapters of Archangel Gabriel’s revelations to Muhammad, refutes Christian claims that Jesus died on the cross, that He was God’s Son, and that God is Trinity.  Likewise, the Qur’an alludes to other beliefs that are of course demonstrably false--that Mary was a sister of Aaron and Moses and that Mary was part of the Trinity.  Therefore, Muhammad denied Jesus’ deity, His atoning death on the cross and the Trinitarian nature of God.

Despite such horrific error and misunderstanding about the truth of Christianity, Muhammad vigorously taught that he and his teachings were heirs to both Judaism and Christianity--those he called “peoples of the book.”  For that reason, he decreed that Christians and Jews were to receive protection under Muslim rule.  He extended personal hospitality to Christians, less to Jews.  In fact, when one evaluates the chapters of the Qur’an chronologically, a clear progression exists confirming hostility towards Jews and Christians.  During his early years in Mecca, Muhammad confirmed his basic allegiance with Jews and Christians.  However, after the flight to Medina, his attitude towards Jews and Christians changed.  He turned radically against them and developed his teachings about jihad (to be discussed later).

After Muhammad’s death, Islam spread quickly.  In fact, in only 100 years (632-732) it swept across the rest of Arabia, Palestine, all of northern Africa and into Spain, only to be stopped in France.  Why did it spread so quickly?  The military vacuum left by the collapse of western Rome and the jihad, or holy war, proclaimed by the Qur’an help to explain the swift conquest by Islam.  Huge territories, once dominated by Christianity, were lost, many of which have never been recovered.  When Muhammad died suddenly, he had designated no successor.  His followers had to decide how the succession issue was solved--was it to be based on heredity or chosen based on loyalty to Muhammad?  The successors to Muhammad fell into disagreement, which caused a fatal division in Islam that has never healed.  According to the Sunni sect (the Traditionalists), Medinans elected an aging member from Muhammad’s tribe, Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law.  But, according to the Shiah sect (partisans of Ali), the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law was the designated successor--Ali ibn Abi Talib.  For the sake of unity, Ali ultimately deferred to Abu Bakr, but the split has never healed.  Islam today remains divided between the Sunnis and the Shiites.

ISLAM AS A WORLDVIEW: ITS THEOLOGY AND ITS ETHICS

God.  The Muslim concept of God is summed up in the name “Allah.”  A critical point for Islamic doctrine is the stress on Allah’s unity of being.  This dominates the Muslim’s thinking about God, and is expressed in the phrase, “There is no God but Allah.”  He is absolutely unique and inconceivable.  An Islamic proverb says, “Whatever your mind may think of, God is not that!”  A constant phrase repeated in Muslim prayers is “Allah akbar” (God is great).  God is far greater than any thought humans can have of him.  Allah is so great that he can do what he likes, even break his own laws.

In Islam, Allah has decreed all that will occur.  He is the creator of all that is in heaven and on earth.  His knowledge is perfect; his will is beyond challenge; and his power is irresistible.  All these attributes--omniscience, sovereignty and omnipotence--are evident in his creation.  Many pious Muslims carry a rosary that has 99 beads, each one representing one of Allah’s names.  The one-hundredth is unknown to humans, known, legend has it, only to the camel.

Allah’s might and majesty are tempered with justice.  He rewards and punishes, yet he is merciful, a guardian of his servants, defender of the orphan, guide of the wrong-doer, liberator from pain, friend of the poor, and ready-to-forgive- master (Qur’an, 11:52).

Allah resides in the seventh heaven, far removed from his creation.  He is unknowable but he has chosen to make himself known through the holy books and through his prophets.  These books include the Old and New Testaments, and the prophets include the prophets of the Old Testament and Jesus.

Angels and Evil Spirits.  Allah is surrounded by angels, pure, sexless beings, who worship and adore him.  Angels also serve as messengers from Allah to his people and fight for the true Muslim believers.  Some of them are known as the good “jinn,” as the guardian angels of man, not only guarding humans but also keeping records for the day of judgment.  Other angels guard Hell to insure that all condemned there, stay there.

The fear of evil spirits plays a prominent role in the lives of Muslims.  They believe that the entire universe is inhabited by both good and bad “jinn.”  Chief among the evil “jinn” is the devil or Satan.  Once an angel, Allah expelled him from heaven for refusing to bow to Adam at Allah’s command.  Most Muslims believe in Satan and continually ask Allah for protection.

The Holy Books.  Muslims maintain that Allah handed down 104 books, and of these only four are most important.  They believe that the Law was given to Moses; that the Psalms were given to David; that the Gospels were given to Jesus and that the Qur’an was given to Muhammad.  Muhammad made no claim that his teaching invalidated the Jewish and Christian scriptures, rather he instructed both Christians and Jews to follow their respective teachings (5:72.73), and commanded Muslims to believe in and obey the Law and the Psalms (3:78).  He taught that the Gospels were sent to confirm and safeguard the Law, which served as guidance and light to those who fear Allah (5:48).  The Qur’an safeguards both the Law and the Gospels (5:52).

The Prophets.  Muslims believe that Allah sent 124,000 prophets and apostles, but that the three greatest prophets were Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.  Muhammad, the Qur’an teaches, is the last and the greatest prophet, for he proclaimed the Allah’s final revelation.  The heart of his message was one of morality, a call to righteousness.  That meant abandoning the polytheism and paganism of his day and submitting totally to the will of Allah.  His message, however, also involved community.  Islam would create a new fellowship based on loyalty to Allah and to one another.  The old loyalties to clan, tribe, nation and state would be set aside for loyalty to Allah.  For that reason, even today, Muslims of all clans, tribes and nations gather in Mecca.  Islam refuses to separate church and state and Islamic judges always respect the consensus of the community.

The Day of Judgment.  The inevitability of divine judgment permeates the Qur’an.  In Sura 2 it is described as the Day of Gathering, when there will be a group in Paradise and one in the Fire.  It teaches that Allah will take a scale and weigh the good and evil deeds of each person and if the good outweighs the bad--paradise--otherwise hell.  But for Muslims, Allah is great and merciful and Muhammad intercedes for them.  The result is that Allah’s decision on judgment is more related to his will than to his justice.  The Qur’an offers little assurance on this matter of eternity.

The Pillars of Islamic Practice.  Submission and obedience constitute the vital center of Islam.  By good deeds, the Muslim expresses his commitment to Allah.  The moral and ritual obligations of Muslims are summed up in the five pillars of Islam:
Pillar 1: The Witness.  To make the profession, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet,” is to become a Muslim.  In uttering the first part, one becomes a submitter to Allah; by uttering the second, one becomes an adherent of Islam.  It is not to be taken lightly.  It begins with an affirmation of Allah and his oneness.  It continues with the means by which Allah reveals himself to humanity--through Muhammad. 
Pillar 2: The Ritual Prayers.  Every devout Muslim performs the ritual prayers at least five times a day.  There are the prayers of the morning, at midday, midway between midday and sunset, at sunset and one hour after sunset.  Ritual prayers mainly are praises to Allah, and are always recited in Arabic.  In most Muslim countries, a spiritual leader, called a “muezzin,” mounts the balcony of the minarets that dot Muslim city skylines and call Muslims to prayer.  The prayer is recited wherever one finds oneself, although urban Muslims usually gather in the mosques of the city.  All face the direction of Mecca when they pray, for this reminds them of the birthplace of their faith.
Pillar 3: The Paying of Alms.  Paying alms is giving back to Allah a portion of his bounty to avoid suffering in the next life and as a purification of what he retains materially.  It is not voluntary, but is an obligation to gain favor with Allah.
Pillar 4: The Fast of Ramadan.  The fast of Ramadan is an obligatory duty for all Muslims (except the sick, pregnant women, travelers under certain conditions and soldiers in combat).  Because Muslims follow the lunar calendar, Ramadan is thirty days and is about nine days earlier than the previous year.  Each day of the fast begins from the moment one awakes and lasts until sunset.  The night is spent eating and drinking.  During the day of the fast, the Qur’an prohibits eating, drinking, smoking, swallowing saliva, and sex.  The fast is a debt owed to Allah, and atones for sin, helps control passions, and merits favor with Allah. 
Pillar 5: The Pilgrimage to Mecca.  This obligation to Allah is to be performed at least once during a Muslim’s life.  This pilgrimage is filled with ritualistic observances like stopping at the well where Gabriel heard Hannah’s plea for water, where Satan is stoned and kissing the sacred black stone of the Ka’bah.

A Word about Jihad.  The term “jihad” literally means “struggle” or “exertion.”  In the religious context it always involves a struggle against evil.  That struggle can involve one of the heart, where the Muslim fights the evil of his nature, but it can also be a “jihad of the mouth” where the Muslim struggles against those who oppose Islam.  But the most controversial form of jihad is the “jihad of the sword.”  Throughout the Qur’an there are calls to physical combat on behalf of Islam.  In fact, this doctrine developed over time in Muhammad’s teaching.  In the Qur’an chapters that focus on his time in Mecca and even early Medina, the militancy of jihad is absent.  However, as the opposition to Islam mounted so did Muhammad’s teaching that jihad is military force in the name of Allah.  As the doctrine developed, Muhammad taught that those who sacrificed their lives for the battle for Allah were guaranteed admission to the highest level of heaven.  Jihad had become a violent, military means of spreading the faith and Allah was glorified through this.  Historically, jihad became the heart of Islam’s expansion.  Today, Islamic terrorists are trying to resurrect that militant, aggressive form of jihad.  Earlier, I asked the question whether the fanaticism seen on 9/11/01 is typical of Islam.  Within the entire spectrum of Islam, such fanaticism is not typical (e.g., Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, etc.).  The vast majority of Muslims are not committed to fanatical jihad where killing civilians in terrorist attacks is a holy cause.  However, to the followers of Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, the Palestinian terrorists of Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad, fanatical jihad is becoming the norm.  Many of these terrorists were radicalized in the war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan during the 1980s.  They defeated one of the superpowers there, and now they believe they can do so against the United States, which they regard as corrupt, decadent and ultimately weak.  Such groups believe they can destroy Israel and the United States with their terrorist acts they commit in the name of jihad.  Although small, such groups can wreak devastation, fear and destruction on their enemies.

In the end, Muslims also stumble over Jesus as the Son of God, because often they teach that God cohabited with Mary to produce Jesus.  What we as Christians must do is demonstrate that Jesus’ sonship describes His relationship to the other members of the godhead and not that He had a point of origin or beginning.  Jesus is the manifestation of the unseen God (see Hebrews 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:15-20).  Islam is one of the most difficult religions to penetrate with the gospel.  For that reason, the establishment of a relationship with Muslims is imperative.  Once trust and confidence are present, the Holy Spirit will have the freedom to move in the heart of Muslims through us.  We must know Islam and we must be willing to spend time with Muslims.

See James P. Eckman, The Truth About Worldviews, pp. 75-84.

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