Untitled Sermon (2)

Islam

What is the religion of Islam?

Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion, and its adherents, called Muslims, regard the Prophet Muhammad as the last and most perfect of God’s messengers.

Where do they get their ideology and teaching?

· The Muslim beliefs are based on the teachings of a book called the Quran, which the prophet Mohammed, the founder of Islam, claimed was dictated supernaturally to him in 610 A.D. by the angel Gabriel.

· Islam is the second-largest religion in the world and claims to have one billion followers.

· Muslims go to a gathering place called a Mosque every Friday to pray to God.

· In Mosque, they pray east towards the city of Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, where Mohammed had his vision from Gabriel.

What is the Quran (Quran)?

· The Islamic sacred book is believed to be the word of God as dictated to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel and written down in Arabic.

· Muhammed didn’t write the Quran himself. He couldn’t read or write. He would share the revelations from trances with his students and followers, and they wrote them down.

· The Quran consists of 114 units of varying lengths, known as suras; the first sura is said as part of the ritual prayer. These touch upon all aspects of human existence, including doctrine, social organization, and legislation.

· It follows no chronological order, and since its subjects are not grouped together, reading it can be a challenging task.

· It is only intended to be read in Arabic, which is why many cultural Muslims don’t read it but listen to it being read by their Imam.

Is the Quran the only book Muslims believe in?

No, they have several other writings.

1.) They also follow the Hadith, also spelled Hadīt, a record of the traditions or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, revered and received as a significant source of religious law and moral guidance, second only to the authority of the Quran, the holy book of Islam. It might be defined as the biography of Muhammad perpetuated by the long memory of his community for their exemplification and obedience.

2.) They also have the Sunnah; Sunnah is the term for the way of life and legal precedent of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions, based on the verbally transmitted record of their teachings, deeds, sayings, and approvals. It is a significant source of Islamic law and theology, along with the Quran. Sunnah also refers to optional prayers that the Prophet performed, which Muslims should follow.

What are core Muslim beliefs?

Muslims believe Islam is the only true religion and are often radically committed to their faith. At the core of Islam are seven fundamental beliefs that a Muslim must accept as a part of their religion. These beliefs are:

1. Belief in God (who, in Arabic, is named ‘Allah’).

2. Belief in the angels (both good and evil).

3. Belief in the revealed Books of God – Quran, Hadith, & Sunnah.

4. Belief in God’s many prophets (including Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and others whom Christians and Jews are familiar with).

5. Accepting that there will be a Last Day/Final Judgment.

6. Belief in the divine measurement of human affairs.

7. Belief in life after death.

Do Muslims believe in salvation?

📷They believe that salvation (reward in the afterlife) is only achieved through absolute obedience to Allah, the Quran, and the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam are:

1. Affirmation(Shahada) – Consistent recitation and belief in the creed that “there is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger.”

2. Prayer(As-Salah) – Praying toward Mecca (their holy city) five times a day.

3. Almsgiving(Zakah): Giving 2.5% of their income to the poor.

4. The fast(Siyam) – Fasting from dawn till dusk every day during Ramadan (the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar).

5. The Pilgrimage(Al-Hajji) – Traveling to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

How do these beliefs and lifestyle choices affect them?

· A Muslim’s beliefs affect every part of their life, including how they spend their time, what they eat, and the types of friends they choose.

· A Muslim’s religion is inseparably tied to their family and culture, so be sensitive to the fact that if they reject Islam, their family and culture will probably reject them harshly.

· The Quran firmly teaches that any Muslim who converts to another religion, whether Christianity or some other belief system, is guilty of apostasy and must be put to death. This is carried out in all Islamic Republics, but since those living in the west cannot kill a person for switching religions, friends and family will use other very harsh means to keep the person a Muslim. This will include kidnapping and imprisonment, beatings, and total exclusion from the family.

Things Christians should know about Islam.

1. “Muslim” and “Arab” are different.

“Muslim” is a religious term. A Muslim is someone who adheres to the religion of Islam. “Arab,” on the contrary, refers to a people group from a specific region. An Arab is a member of the people group who speaks Arabic. Islam originated among the Arabs, and the Qur’an was written in Arabic. However, some Arabs have historically been part of the ancient orthodox Christian churches. On the other hand, Islam spread far beyond the Arab world, and today most Muslims are not Arabs. This includes the Turks, the Kurds, the Iranians, the Pakistanis, other South Asian Muslims, the Malaysians, and the Indonesians, almost all Muslim but non-Arab.

2. The word “Islam” means submission.

A Muslim is someone who submits to their God. The Islamic conception of who God is and how he is to be worshiped and served is based on the teaching of Muhammad. Thus, the Islamic creed is: “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his prophet.”

3. There are two major denominations of Muslims.

The two major denominations of Muslims are Sunni and Shi’a, and Sunnis are the vast majority, at 85% of all Muslims. The split occurred in the first generation after Muhammad’s death and was based on a dispute over who should succeed him as leader of the Islamic community.

4. Islamic theology could be summarized as belief in one God, his prophets, his books, his angels, his decrees, and the final judgment.

Islam teaches that humans are born spiritually neutral, perfectly capable of obeying God’s requirements completely and that they remain this way even after they’ve personally sinned. The need of humanity, therefore, is not salvation but instruction; hence Islam has prophets but no savior.

5. Islam teaches that Jesus was a great prophet.

Islam affirms that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed mighty miracles, and will come again at the end of history. It even calls him a word from God. However, it explicitly denies the deity of Christ and views the title “Son of God” as blasphemous. It also (according to the majority view) denies he died on the cross, claiming that Jesus’ visage was imposed on someone else, who was then crucified, and that Jesus was taken up into heaven without tasting death. Islam explicitly denies the possibility of substitutionary atonement.

Things to keep in mind when witnessing.

It is not just about conversion. It’s about discipleship.

In witnessing to a Muslim, you must be aware that the person you are working with will probably be persecuted if they accept Christ. Many Americans do not realize how profound a change in religion can be in a Muslim context. For a Muslim, his family and community provide each member health insurance, a job, food, fellowship, their mate, and practically everything important. When we win a Muslim to Christianity, we must be prepared to make the necessary sacrifice in the disciplining process. They need much more of our time and love because we have torn them from their support system, and we must find a way to make this up. Even approaching a Muslim person with the gospel puts the person in a very difficult position. They fear what others will say if they speak with a Christian, and they also fear for their soul since they have been taught from birth that becoming a Christian will send them to the sixth level of hell. (The seventh being the worst). The Christians who witness must realize how serious this matter is for the Muslims and their families.

A typical Muslim will know more about Christianity than a Christian will know about Islam.

📷Just as Christians are taught how to witness to others, many Muslims are being taught how to refute the Christians’ arguments, thus making our witness less effective. From a young age, Muslim children are trained how to withstand Christian witnessing. The more one builds up their understanding and knowledge of Islam, the better the Christian can build a bridge to see them come to salvation in Christ.

How to witness to a Muslim

Remember that the typical Muslim is what we might call a “folk Muslim” or “cultural Muslim.” That is, they are not likely to be a scholar of the Quran or the Bible, and the teachings of an Imam or cleric and cultural tradition significantly shape their views.

1. Open your home for a meal or tea and coffee.

Muslims come from a radically different way of looking at the world, so your early witnessing efforts should consist mainly of listening. So first, be a friend. The Muslim culture places a high value on friendships, but many Muslims have not had the opportunity to develop a close friendship with a Christian. One way to establish a friendship in a way they will appreciate is to invite them to your home. They place a high value on hospitality—if you visited the home of a Muslim friend, you would not leave without being offered something to drink, no matter how short the visit. Show them the same care and hospitality and be sure and ask beforehand about any dietary restrictions.

2. Use your personal testimony.

Muslims often view their God (Allah) as an angry and demanding being. Use your testimony to show how it is possible to have a personal relationship with the God of the universe (Yahweh), who loves and forgives unconditionally based on Christ’s death and resurrection.

3. Ask them classic evangelistic questions. (Avoid Christian-ese)

📷 ‘What about your salvation?’ ‘Can you be certain of this?’ ‘If you were to die, can you be certain you'd enter heaven at some point?’ Their response is always, "No, I couldn't be certain.”

4. Speak in real terms. Avoid religious comparison; your job isn’t to debunk Islam. You are trying to give a clear witness to the gospel’s truth.

5. Stick to the things all avenues of Christianity have in common.

Be unashamed to talk about the law, sin, grace, the love of God, etc.

6. Memorize critical scriptures.

Muslims memorize the Quran from a young age. They don’t respect “Paul said” or “Jesus said,” but they will respect and value John 5:24 says,” Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” So memorize important scriptures as you are interacting with Muslims.

7. Be willing to purchase a Bible in Arabic (if that’s what they read)

8. Be culturally minded.

Men witness to men, and women witness to women. Extended correspondence across gender lines is heavily discouraged.

9. Try to help them understand the true Jesus.

Jesus is presented in the Quran as the One who did great miracles, including raising the dead (Sura 19:25). He is also presented as sinless (Sura 19:19) and born of a virgin. Informed Muslims will be gratified to know that you are knowledgeable about their book and will affirm that Jesus was a great prophet. You might also respectfully point out that the Quran does not record that Mohammed performed such miracles and that he had to ask for forgiveness for his sin. Then make the connector! Say that there are only two things mentioned in the Bible that are not in the Quran, 📷which, if a Muslim were to believe, he would join you in heaven. The two facts are that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. At this point, most Muslims will ask questions or defend why they don’t believe what you believe. It may be good to use an analogy here, explain a mediator, and tie that into Jesus, God, and humanity. Or you may be able to use a witnessing tool Arabic Christians use called “the camel method.” In Islam, the Muslims believe that there are 99 names of God known to man, but in heaven, there are 100, but the only creature on earth that knows the last name of God is the camel; thus, the upturned lips of the camel resemble a smile. This method of witness helps build a bridge by saying to a Muslim. “We know the 100th Name of God; it is Jesus Christ”. It builds upon what they know but takes them further to believe in Jesus Christ.

10. Don’t be worried if they use Allah to help make connections.

In pre-Islamic times, Allah was the name of a pagan deity. More specifically, Allah was one of the 360 gods in the Kabah in Mecca; Allah was the name of the moon god who married the sun goddess (hence the crescent moon in the Islamic religion).

That said, those who translate the Bible into Arabic must use the word “Allah” for God since no other word for God exists in the Arabic language. Those who read the Scriptures in Arabic will invest the word “Allah” with new meaning as they understand the Christian teaching.

11. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, AND PRAY SOME MORE

There are over 4 million Muslims in America and over 8,000 Muslims in Jacksonville, FL. We must be ready to witness to such a significant and growing population in our nation.