I. INTRODUCTION

A. Approximately one out of every five people in the world is a follower of the religion of Islam. It is now one of the fastest growing religions in the United States.

B. Therefore, it is wise for Christians to become familiar with this religion. This objective is too ambitious for one lesson, but we will presently attempt to obtain a brief introduction to the subject.

II. BRIEF SUMMARY AND HISTORY OF ISLAM

A. The name "Islam” means "peace.” A follower of Islam is called a "Muslim,” which means "person who submits.”

B. Muhammad (570-632) is the founder of the religion of Islam.

1. Muhammad was born and lived in the city of Mecca, which is in Saudi Arabia.

2. In 609, Muhammad claimed to receive the first of his visions and revelations from Allah (God) through the angel Gabriel. He claimed to receive many more of these for the rest of his life (23 years). He even claimed to have ascended through tiers of heaven, where he saw Adam, Abraham, Jesus, and others.

3. Muhammad was illiterate. All of his teachings were given orally and written down by others.

4. The religion of Islam began amid persecution, but over years Muhammad converted many to his teachings and established a powerful army to conquer his foes.

5. Having fled about 250 miles north from Mecca to Medina in 622, Muhammad converted that city to Islam and finally captured Mecca in 630. Several battles were fought over that span of time.

6. The leaders of Islam after Muhammad's death in 632 are called "caliphs” (successors) of Muhammad. The first four caliphs were all Muhammad's personal companions, and they are called the Rashidum (rightly guided). They spread Islam rapidly throughout Arabia and beyond.

C. The Qur'an is the book of Islam.

1. The word "Qur'an” means "recitations,” for Muhammad recited all of his teachings to others. The original records of these teachings were written on palm leaves, pottery, and even on the shoulder blades of camels according to tradition. They were transcribed into their current written form 40 years after Muhammad died.

2. The Qur'an is considered by Muslims to be the last revelation given by God to his prophets. Those prophets included many persons from the Bible, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, and Jesus. However, the Qur'an teaches that the records of the other prophets were corrupted over time and that only the Qur'an has been preserved as the true and unaltered message of God.

3. The Qur'an contains 114 chapters arranged from longest to shortest except for Chapter 1, which contains a brief prayer.

4. The original language of the Qur'an is Arabic, and it is still preserved in this language today. Muslims believe only the original Arabic words contain the true message of Muhammad.

5. The Qur'an contains Muhammad's versions of the stories of creation, Adam, Abraham, Israel, Jesus, and more. These versions are supposedly corrected from their previously corrupted records. The book also contains many instructions regarding the conduct and worship of Muslims.

D. Consider the basic tenets of Islam.

1. Islam teaches that there is one God. It rejects any notion of a Godhead or Trinity and considers Jesus to be merely a prophet and not the Son of God.

2. Islam recognizes four inspired books – the Torah (Pentateuch), the Psalms, the Gospels, and the Qur'an. However, the first three books are considered to be tainted now by the corruption of man.

3. The Qur'an frequently mentions the work of angels, which includes communicating revelations from God (completed with Muhammad), worshiping and glorifying God, recording every person's actions, interceding for man, and taking a person's soul at the time of death.

4. Islam emphasizes the work of the prophets (see notes about Qur'an above).

5. Islam teaches the doctrine of predestination, which states that God is in control of every event and has ordained them to happen. However, Islam also teaches free will and personal accountability.

6. Islam teaches a final day of judgment in which the dead will be raised and every person will be judged according to his deeds. Persons who have repented of their sins may be forgiven. This day is to be preceded by the coming of the Mahdi (the Guided One) and certain signs. Many Sunni Muslims (the largest Muslim denomination) identify Jesus as the Mahdi.

7. The "Five Pillars” of Islam are the mandatory acts for all Muslims.

a. All Muslims must recite under oath the Shahadah, which states, "I testify there are no deities other than God alone and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.”

b. All Muslims must recite certain prayers in Arabic five times a day while facing Mecca.

c. All Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk during the month of Ramadhan.

d. Muslims with financial means are required to give alms for the poor.

e. Every Muslim who is able must make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his lifetime.

E. Many Muslims claim that Islam is a peaceful religion, but there is division within Islam concerning the means of spreading the religion, the enforcement of its laws, and the role of war.

1. One of the basic objectives of Islam is to make itself into one universal religion. There is division regarding how this is to be achieved, whether by peaceful efforts or by forceful coercion.

2. Another objective is to form Islamic states in which there is no division between civil government and religion. This objective naturally breeds strife and often violence.

a. Shari'ia is the law that governs all persons within Islamic countries.

b. Thus, Islam is not merely a personal religion, but rather it is an enforced code of law. Wherever Shari'ia governs, non-Muslims face various levels of persecution, including imprisonment and execution.

3. The word "jihad” means "struggle” and indicates a holy war.

a. In the Qur'an, the concept of war developed chronologically. At first, Muhammad made no retaliation for the first persecution he received in Mecca. Later, he permitted defensive fighting in Medina, and then he commanded it. After conquering Mecca, Muhammad commanded an offensive war to kill infidels such as Christians and Jews.

b. Muslims are divided over which stage of the Qur'an's concept of war should be employed. Some reject war altogether, some accept only defensive fighting, and some espouse offensive war and even the killing of civilians.

c. Some Muslims perceive jihad to be a personal, inward struggle against evil. However, the Qur'an contains many explicit commandments concerning war, warriors, and the violent punishment of non-Muslims.

4. The history of Islam demonstrates tremendous violence, beginning with raids made by Muhammad's forces in Medina and continuing with military conquests, civil wars, assassinations, executions, massacres, and inquisitions over hundreds of years.

III. ISLAM VERSUS THE BIBLE

A. Islam teaches that there is one God but rejects the Trinity. The Bible teaches that there is one God with three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19; 1Cor. 8:6; 12:4-6).

B. Islam teaches that Jesus is a prophet born of a virgin but rejects His deity, crucifixion, and resurrection. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross and was raised from the dead (John 1:1; Acts 2:22-36; Rom. 1:4).

C. Islam teaches that salvation comes when one's good works exceed his evil deeds and forgiveness comes by repentance. The Bible teaches that salvation comes by grace through obedient faith to Christ's gospel and forgiveness comes by Christ's atoning sacrifice (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Eph. 2:8-10; Heb. 10:14-18).

D. Islam teaches that there will be a resurrection and judgment at the end of time and that the faithful according to Islam will enter Paradise while infidels to Islam will suffer eternal punishment. The Bible teaches that there will be a resurrection and judgment at the end of time and that the faithful according to the gospel will enter a new heavens and a new earth while unbelievers of Christ will suffer eternal punishment (2Cor. 5:10; 1Thess. 4:13-5:11; 2Thess. 1:5-10; 2Pet. 3:7-14).

E. Islam teaches that the Torah (Pentateuch), the Psalms, the Gospels, and the Qur'an are all inspired books but that only the Qur'an has not been corrupted by man. The Bible teaches that both the Old and New Testaments are inspired of God and that God's word is preserved. (Consider the word "Scriptures” in Luke 24:44-45; 2Tim. 3:16; 2Pet. 3:16.)

F. Islam allows the use of violence and war for self-defense and the spread of the religion. The Bible commends suffering for righteousness and forbids the use of carnal weapons for the spread of the gospel (Matt. 5:10-12, 38-48; 2Cor. 10:3-6; Eph. 6:10-17).

G. Islam teaches Shari'ia as both the religious law and the civil law. The Bible teaches a separation between Christ's kingdom and civil government (Luke 20:25; John 18:36; Rom. 13:1-7).

H. Many other comparisons and contrasts exist between Islam and the Bible regarding morals, worship, conduct, prayer, foods, the role of women, and more.

IV. ANSWERING ISLAM

A. Whether dealing with Muslims or any other non-Christians, we must abide by the Bible's teachings concerning morality and conduct toward them and all men.

1. Consider 1Peter 2:12 – Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

2. Christians must not give Muslims an opportunity for blaspheming Christ. If we are less dedicated to Christ than Muslims are to Muhammad, then our testimony for Jesus will be ineffective.

3. Notice 1Peter 3:15 – But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.

B. We must understand that many Muslims perceive Christians to be violent (due to the Crusades, wars in the Middle East involving Western nations, etc.) just as we often perceive them to be violent. Let us gently teach them the truth of faith in Christ by applying the teaching of 2Timothy 2:24-26:

The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

C. When contrasting Islam to Christianity, the evidence strongly favors Christianity. Christians need to be ready to present this evidence to Muslims.

1. Contrast the motives and lives of the men whose testimony is the basis of these two religions.

a. The faith of Islam is based on the testimony of men (Muhammad, the Rashidun, etc.) who used violence to gain great power and wealth.

b. In contrast, the faith of Christianity is based on the testimony of men (Jesus, the apostles, etc.) who used no violence but rather suffered and gained no worldly wealth or power.

2. Contrast the Qur'an to the Bible.

a. The faith of Islam is based on the Qur'an, which was given by one man over a period of 23 years. In that period of time, Muhammad's revelations progressed and sometimes replaced and contradicted previous revelations to accommodate circumstances.

b. In contrast, the faith of Christianity is based on the Bible, which was written by some 40 men over a period of 1,500 years.

i. These writers agreed with one another despite the great differences in their times and cultures. Moreover, their writings supported one another with the records of prophecies and fulfillments than demonstrate the Bible's inspiration by God.

ii. Furthermore, the Bible is perfect in its records of history and geography. It is unlike the works of men, which are always flawed and prone to error.

iii. These writings have been preserved, for we have thousands of ancient manuscript copies of the various books of the Bible. Some of these date back to within one hundred years of the original writing.

c. Most importantly, the Bible presents a higher moral standard and a more excellent message than the Qur'an.

i. Christianity rejects violence, revenge, and the poor treatment of women. Christians are to treat all people with Christ-like gentleness and kindness.

ii. The Bible produces faith in Christ and drastic changes in believers.

V. CONCLUSION

A. Certainly, much more can be said on this subject, but this has been only a basic introduction to Islam for the purpose of preparing us to give informed answers to Muslims or others.

B. Perhaps the final word on these matters should be taken from the following passages of Scripture:

1. 1John 2:22-23 – Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

2. 1John 4:2-3 – By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.