On Islam

You'd have to live under a rock to not be thinking about Islam these days in the U.S. Since the Islamic extremists attacked the U.S. years ago we've been at war in Muslim countries. Much has been said and it seems that most people have an opinion. I wonder how many people have the facts. Have you read the Koran? I have. In fact I have two copies of it. It's an interesting read. But I don't recommend it. It's not for the faint at heart!

What is the truth about Islam? Who are the people that profess to be Muslims? Are they to be feared? Disagreed with? Opposed? I could go on all day discussing the Islam as a religion. But there are some simple truths that I believe every Christian should know. Let's look at some of them.

Background
Islam started by the prophet Muhammad, about 600 years after Jesus' death. Beginning in AD 610, Muhammad claimed a period of 23 years during which he received divine revelation from the angel Gabriel. This revelation, in its aggregate, became the Koran. It has 114 Surahs (chapters) and what we know as verses are called Ayats. The Hadith is a collections of sayings and examples of Muhammad, and is considered the highest authority for day to day living, after the Koran. Finally, Shariah Law lays down a strict and comprehensive guide of life and conduct for Muslims. It even covers things like insurance and lending!

Beliefs
Muslims believe in the same God we do, but they see Him very differently. Islam claims four (4) inspired books of God. They are (1) The Torah, (2) the Psalms of David, (3) The Injil (the Gospel of Jesus) and (4) the Koran. While Islam recognizes Jesus and the Bible, they claim that it has been corrupted and is no longer true. In fact, they believe all of the inspired books of God have been corrupted, except of the course the Koran. For example, they see Jesus as a prophet, who was lower in rank than Muhammad. They also deny that Jesus was crucified and resurrected. They just believe God "took Him."

The Koran teaches that the Trinity is blasphemous. In Surah 5:17 and 5:75, the Koran specifically denies that Jesus is God. Moreover, Surah 4:48 warns that any Muslim who believes Jesus Christ is God has committed the unforgivable sin and will be sent to hell. Muslims worship Allah only. Worshipping Jesus would be considered idolatry in Islam. There are many contradictions like this between the Koran and the Bible. But not to worry, there are also many contradictions within the Koran. For example, in Surah 41:9-12, God's creation was eight days long, but in Surah 7:54 it was only six (which matches the Bible).

In general, Islam is a much harsher religion, offering little in the way of grace to its followers. The keys to eternal life with God in heaven are believed to be found in weighing one's good deeds against the bad. Obedience is paramount in Islam, and the sin nature is not able to co-exist with followers of Allah. In fact, Surah 2:190 says that "Allah does not love transgressors (sinners)." So Muslims believe that sinners are not loved by God.

Violent or Peaceful?
Much has been said about the supposed violent nature of Islam as a religion. Of course western Muslims protest and say that Islam is a very peaceful religion. These western Muslims may indeed be peaceful people --- but if they are they are not following Islam very well!

It is true that there are peaceful statements in the Koran. For example, Surah 2:256 says "Let there be no compulsion in religion." Surah 73:10 instructs Muslims to "Have patience with what opponents say and leave them with dignity." But like I said earlier, the Koran contradicts itself. Surah 9:5 says that Muslims are to slay non-Muslims wherever they find them. Surah 4:101 says that non-Muslims are "open enemies." Surah 9:15, 3:157-158, 3:195 and other verses tell Muslims that dying in battle against non-Muslims is the fastest way to paradise. Surah 5:14 and 51 specifically explain that Christians and Jews are enemies of Islam. And of course the Koran says that enemies of Islam are to be killed, without question.

Should we fear Islam?
I don't know if fear is the right word. But aside from the wars and other open media causes, consider some statistics about Islam today.

• Islam makes up about 20% of the world's population, and is second only to Christianity. It is the fastest growing religion in the world.
• In 1990 there were only 30 Islamic mosques in the U.S. Today there are more than 3,000. A new Islamic mosque opens in the U.S. every single week. Most are financed by the people of Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries. Clearly Islam is advancing in the west, at breakneck speed!
• The western world allows Islamic evangelism openly. Islamic countries mostly prohibit Christian evangelism. In fact, the Saudi government, has said that non-Muslims in their country are never allowed to show public displays of their faith or practice their religion publicly.
• Countries like Sudan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan openly kill, imprison, or otherwise sanction Christians.
• Morocco, Kuwait, Qatar, and other countries severely limit or even prohibit evangelism, construction of churches, etc.
• Islam has all but taken over England and France. It is the dominant religion in those western countries already.

Conclusion

So what should we make of this? What do American Christians do about Islam? Well, the first thing I believe we should do is recognize the truth. Stop being in denial about what Islam really is and what Islam is really doing. The second thing we should do is to pray for the followers of Islam. The Muslim people have been badly deceived. They are to be pitied and prayed for. The third thing we should do is try to evangelize them ... get into relationships and businesses with them. Don't allow them to segregate in our society. Create an open dialogue so that they have the opportunity to step out of their deceit. Give them an opportunity to gain access to the truth.

Finally, I believe we should pray for our government and international leaders to see the need to create a more open exchange so that the playing field is fair and level. Muslim countries should allow Christian evangelism. It's that simple. These are important matters in our modern times. We Christians are called to take a stand against what's wrong in this world. This may be one of the most deceptive and destructive religions in the history of mankind. It should motivate us to prayer and action.