Tagged: Muhammad
Islam’s doctrine of deception
Like Christianity, Islam is monotheistic, yet it denies basic Christian doctrines like the Trinity, the deity of Christ, Jesus’ death and resurrection, and salvation by grace through faith.
Muhammad’s encounters with heretical Christian sects, and the lack of a Bible in Arabic in his lifetime, no doubt contributed to his faulty understanding of the Christian faith.
But two lesser-known teachings based on the Qur’an are equally disturbing. Christians should understand them in order to more effectively evangelize our Muslim friends.
What do you know about Islam?
Islam is the youngest and fastest-growing major religion in the world. But how much do you know about the beliefs and practices that Muhammad and his followers began exporting from the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century?
Here’s a chance to test your knowledge. The correct answers follow the quiz.
The real tragedy of jihad
Last month’s terrorist attack on the U.S. embassy in Libya, resulting in the deaths of four Americans, brought the Muslim doctrine of “jihad” back into our living rooms as we watched in horror the murderous rage of people acting in the name of Allah.
But what, exactly, is jihad? The Arabic term means to endeavor, strive, struggle, or fight. It is sometimes translated “holy war.”
There are two ways in which Muslims embrace jihad.
Do Christians and Muslims worship the same God?
Are Yahweh (the God of the Bible) and Allah (the deity of Islam) the same? Are the differences between them inconsequential — so small, in fact, that they negate any grounds for debate? In the spirit of tolerance, political correctness, ignorance or even fear, many have concluded that we all worship the same God. The only differences are in styles of worship, sacred scriptures, doctrines and traditions. Former President George W. Bush said as much in a 2007 interview with Al Aribaya Television. The words of Rodney King echo in our ears: “Can’t we all just get along?”
But insisting that Christians and Muslims worship the same God dishonors both religions and disrespects the people who hold dearly to their teachings. In other words, both Christians and Muslims would respond with a resounding “no” to any suggestion that the God of the Bible and the God of the Koran are the same.
But let’s make the issue more personal, as I did in this article, which continues to be the most-read post in this blog. Basically, the issue may be boiled down to three personal questions:
- Does God know me?
- Does God love me?
- Did God die for me?
Comparing Islam and Christianity
Islam is the youngest and fastest-growing major world religion. It was founded by Arabian visionary Muhammad (570-632 AD), who was born in the city of Mecca in Arabia. Muhammad claimed he received supernatural revelations from God through the angel Gabriel. These revelations were written down by others and compiled into a book called the Koran (or Qur’an). Islam today is comprised of two main schools: the majority Sunni school and the minority Shi’ite school. In addition, there are millions of Muslim mystics called Sufis. Islam is the second largest religion in the world (behind Christianity) with about 1.5 billion followers. Interestingly, the four nations with the largest number of Muslims today are all outside the Middle East – Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India.
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