Project Description

2014/07

ISLAM

Late spring in N Ireland was enlivened not just by the hullaballoo of an election campaign but by controversy occasioned by a single sermon. The message was delivered by one of the province’s best-known Evangelical pastors, and its theme was Islam. By all accounts, the preacher presented a forthright denunciation of the world’s fastest growing religion. In the aftermath, he found himself condemned as an ‘extremist’ and a ‘racist’, and of making ‘comments unbecoming a Christian minister’. We may not agree with every statement made from that pulpit, or in subsequent interviews – but that does not mean we think it inappropriate to issue a warning in respect of those ‘faiths’ that are patently unscriptural. Indeed we err if we fail to sound such alarms, especially in an age when many perceive one religion to be as valid as the next. It is right, then, that we ask the question, what is Islam all about?.

Creed  
Muslim beliefs may be traced back to the seventh-century founder and ‘prophet’ of the religion, Muhammad, and to those who formulated his teachings after the death of their leader. Islam is monotheistic – believing in one true God – but this is not the God of the Bible. Allah, who is neither spiritual nor physical, is supreme; but he is so far above and beyond his creatures that he cannot be known in any personal way (cf. Hosea 4:6, 6:6, John 17:3). Muslims deny the Bible doctrine of the tri-une God, one God existing in three ‘persons’. Christ is not God, and the Holy Spirit is equated with the angel Gabriel!
Many Islamic tenets may be traced to the Koran or Qur’an. This is one of just four of the original 104 holy books still in existence – the others being the Law, Psalms and Gospels – and is, to Muslims the most important. The Bible, in their view, has been amended to support Christianity, and it is therefore unreliable. All of this is far removed from the Christian understanding of the inspiration, inerrancy and sufficiency of Holy Scripture (cf. Isaiah 8:20, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:21).

Islam has a deficient view of Christ. Of 124 000 prophets, 28 are referred to in the Koran. The six great prophets are Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Christ and Muhammad – the last being the greatest of all. Key aspects of the person and work of Christ are denied: Muslims reject His pre-existence, His deity, His crucifixion and His atoning death. Truly, this is ‘another Jesus’!

And salvation, for the Muslim, depends ultimately on whether the good outweighs the bad. The individual is accompanied through life by two recording angels who keep a tally! It is salvation by works (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5) – there is no certainty, no assurance.

Conduct
Followers of Muhammad believe that religion must impact everyday life. They are right. Believers are to be light in a world of darkness and salt in a society blighted by corruption (Matthew 5:14-16). But for the Muslim this entails observance of a series of rituals, commonly styled ‘the five pillars of Islam’. These are the repetition of the Islamic mantra (‘There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet’); five stated times of prayer each day, facing Mecca; fasting from dawn to dusk during the holy month of Ramadan; prescribed giving, including payments on property and income; and the Hajj, the requirement to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in one’s lifetime. Some add a sixth obligation – Jihad or ‘holy war’, a term that will be only too familiar to those who have suffered at the hands of Islamic ‘soldiers’ in various conflicts, and as a result of various atrocities. Those who lose their lives in pursuit of Jihad are guaranteed a place in paradise.

There is no doubt that many Muslims are serious and sincere in the practice of their faith. And, yes, we might take a lesson from them as we review our own commitment to such things as witness, prayer, stewardship, and standing up for what we believe. Sadly, despite their zeal, they are ignorant of the one and only way to salvation (cf. John 14:6, Acts 4:12) – they have no Saviour, and without Him, no hope.

Conflict
The pastor mentioned at the outset was prompted to speak as he did because of the latest report of an individual from the Christian tradition facing execution in a state regulated by Islamic Sharia law. This is not unusual. Many Muslim controlled states have made conversion – ‘reversion’ is their term – a capital offence, and ‘human rights’ organizations regularly include these countries on lists of the most oppressive regimes in the world.
Why are these Muslims so aggressively opposed to the Christian faith? Some of this opposition may stem from historical events – the Crusades of the Middle Ages, for example, or the imperialism of more recent times – or from annoyance over present day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and support for the state of Israel. Some arises from the view that Christians are ‘infidels’, and the Koran is intolerant of those who have departed from the ‘true’ faith.

But perhaps most significant is the belief that Christianity is just a Western religion. It is not, of course; it did not originate in the West, it crosses boundaries and has made steady progress in many non-western countries, it is for all – but long held perceptions are not easily left aside. And, of course, coming from this perspective, what do Muslims see in the West? Widespread immorality, abuse of alcohol and drugs, immodest standards, despising of all things ‘religious’ – hardly attractive, and certainly not the most ringing endorsement of the reality of the Christian faith and its ability to impact everyday life!

Challenge
The rise of Islam is a challenge for us in the twenty-first century, a challenge that requires a robust and considered response. We must not be afraid to speak the truth. More and more, those from a conservative Christian constituency are being sidelined. Our voice needs to be heard, even if our message is unpopular. But we must deliver that message wisely and graciously (cf. Matthew 10:16). We must maintain an evangelistic focus – Muslims
need salvation too! And this means making much of Christ; He, after all, is the answer, and there is hope for no man without a saving interest in Him. First and foremost, then, we must preach Christ; everything else is secondary. We must live as befits true followers of Christ, demonstrating that the laxity of modern western society is but a perversion of the liberty that Christ gives. We must shine for Him. Those in darkness need light: where are they to obtain it if not from those who possess it? (Matthew 5:16).

Rev Timothy Nelson.