"Islam Part II"

1. Origin of Islam -

2. Early Spiritual Experiences -

3. Spread of Islam -

4. Islamic Succession -

Divisions in Islam: Shiites and Sunnis

5. Some Basic Facts About Islam -

The Five Pillars of Islam -

6. The Doctrine of Islam -

Muslims summarize their doctrine in six articles of faith:

1. Belief in one Allah: Muslims believe Allah is one, eternal, creator, and sovereign.

2. Belief in the angels

3. Belief in the prophets: The prophets include the biblical prophets but end with Muhammad as Allah’s final prophet.

4. Belief in the revelations of Allah: Muslims accept certain portions of the Bible, such as the Torah and the Gospels. They believe the Qur'an is the preexistent, perfect word of Allah.

5. Belief in the last day of judgment and the hereafter: Everyone will be resurrected for judgment into either paradise or hell.

6. Belief in predestination: Muslims believe Allah has decreed everything that will happen. Muslims testify to Allah’s sovereignty with their frequent phrase, inshallah, meaning, “if God wills.”

A Muslim’s entrance into paradise hinges on obedience to these Five Pillars. Still, Allah may reject them. Even Muhammad was not sure whether Allah would admit him to paradise (Surah 46:9; Hadith 5.266

7. An Honest Evaluation of Islam -

Compared to Christianity, Islam has some similarities but significant differences as well. Like Christianity, Islam is monotheistic. However, Muslims reject the Trinity—that God has revealed Himself as one in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Muslims claim that Jesus was one of the most important prophets—not God’s Son. Islam asserts that Jesus, though born of a virgin, was created like Adam. Muslims do not believe Jesus died on the cross.

They do not understand why Allah would allow His prophet Isa (the Islamic word for "Jesus") to die a torturous death. Yet the Bible shows how the death of the perfect Son of God was essential to pay for the sins of the world.

Isaiah 53:5–6 NASB95

5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

John 3:16 NASB95

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 14:6 NASB95

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

1 Peter 2:24 NASB95

24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

Islam teaches that the Qur'an is the final authority and the last revelation of Allah. The Bible, however, was completed in the first century with the book of Revelation.

The Bible warns against anyone adding to or subtracting from God’s Word. The Qur’an, as a claimed addition to God’s Word, directly disobeys God’s command.

Deuteronomy 4:2 NASB95

2 “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Proverbs 30:6 NASB95

6 Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.

Galatians 1:6–12 (NASB95)

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. 11 For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.

12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 22:18 NASB95

18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;

Muslims believe that paradise can be earned through keeping the Five Pillars. The Bible, in contrast, reveals that sinful man can never measure up to the holy God (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Only by God’s grace may sinners be saved through repentant faith in Jesus (Acts 20:21; Ephesians 2:8-9). Because of these essential differences and contradictions, Islam and Christianity cannot both be true. The Bible and Qur’an cannot both be God’s Word. The truth has eternal consequences.

1 John 4:1–4 (NASB95)

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;

3 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.

4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Key Points When Sharing with Them -

1. Islam teaches the idea of a holy and just God, but very inadequately (Is. 6:1ff.; 1 John 1:5).

2. Real holiness and real justice means damnation for even the “smallest” of all sins—sins of which all men are guilty (Gen. 6:5; Is. 59:2; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:10ff.; Eph. 2:1-3; Rev. 20:11-15).

3. Emphasize that the good works of any unsaved man is filth in the eyes of a holy God (Is. ch. 1; 64:6; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:4-5).

4. Emphasize the promise of salvation through the Only Savior (Is. 9:6-7; 52:13-53:12; Dan. 9:24-26; Mic. 5:2; Zech. 12:10).

5. Emphasize the victory of Jesus over the curse of sin and death and salvation through faith in Him (John 11:25-26; 14:6; 20:1ff.).

SO WHAT?

praise the Lord for adopting you into His family

Love, cherish, and cling to the Scriptures

Romans 8:31–39 (NASB95)

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.