IS ISLAM HOW TO EFFECTIVELY MINISTER TO THE MUSLIM BROTHER AND SISTER
The “founder” of Islam is the prophet Muhammad. He was born around the year AD 570 in the commercial city of Mecca. He began his prophetic ministry at the age of 40 (AD 622 and moved to Medina. He died in AD 632. Muslims make pilgrimage to Muhammad’s home, Mecca. Neither Muhammad, nor Muslims would claim that Muhammad is the “founder” of the religion called Islam.
He believed that he simply brought back the ancient faith of Abraham and the other prophets. He believed that he was the prophet to restore the “true religion” and the praise of Allah all over the world. Islam considers Muhammad to be the last and greatest of the prophets. They believe that the fullness of the revelation of God (Allah) was revealed to Muhammad in the “Qur’an.”
TIMELINE for Founding of Islam
TIMELINE for Founding of Islam
Rapid Influence of Islam – Let History Be Our Teacher !
Muslim Influence and Occupation Today (shown in green). Notice culture surrounding Israel.
Put It In Context: ISIS Territory ISIS = I slamic S tate in I raq and S yria
In order to dialog with someone, you need to have some common language points. In order to understand how the Muslim thinks, we need to define some key terms: 1.ISLAM – Arabic term which means submission. It is also the religion that formed out of the revelations to and the teachings of Muhammad. 2.MUSLIM – Arabic term meaning “one who submits.” It also refers to one who practices the religion of Islam. 3.ALLAH – the Islamic term for God. Allah is called the “One True Deity.” 4. QUR’AN – the sacred texts of Islam (Scriptures). The word means “recitations.” 5.SURAH – divisions within the Qur’an
6. CALIPH – “leader.” One of the main leaders in Islam. 7. HADITH – Islamic literature containing the “collected traditions.” 8. INJIL – the gospel of Jesus Christ. 9. HAJJ – pilgrimage to Mecca (the holy city). 10. JIHAD – Holy War/struggle (believing that it was sacred duty to kill anyone who rejected the true faith).
Before we go further…Cults, False Religious Systems, Philosophies, Strange Ideologies, and Heresies: 1. Founded on Lies. Consider: Genesis 3:1-7 The Fall 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the L ORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God , knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye , and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Before we go further…Cults, False Religious Systems, Philosophies, Strange Ideologies, and Heresies: Founded on Lies (Continued): Matthew 4: 4-11 Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness 4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God .’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone .’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test .’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Cults: - Warfare against the Kingdom of God - Trouble with definition and identity of Christ - Attempt to draw others away from Christianity (who is this ???) - Offered as alternatives to Christianity - Most cults are philosophies – stimulated by social conditions
EVOLUTION of Islam as a religion: It is important for us to understand that Islam grew out of a culture and a context. Consider the following historical events leading up to the introduction of Islam: 1.Day of Pentecost and the birth of the Christian church. 2.Persecution by the Jewish establishment (esp. Temple Priests. NOTE also Saul’s rebellion, Paul’s conversion and missionary activity spreading the activity of the church). 3.During the 2 nd and 3 rd Centuries, Christianity suffered ridicule and accusation of heresy by philosophers of the day (especially Gnostics who claimed to have special knowledge of salvation based on knowledge and not faith).
4. After the Apostles passed on, Church “Fathers” took over the mantle of defending the faith against internal and external enemies doubting the qualification of Jesus to save. 5. Many wrote writings that they wanted to be considered part of the sacred writings of Scripture and there came a need to create a “standard” or canon for the God-inspired writings. 6. Questions on salvation and sin caused great disruption to the church’s growth. Creeds were established to universalize the beliefs of Christians.
7. Controversies over the Holy Spirit began to surface as well as the rise of the Roman empire and the papacy. 8. ISLAM arose in this culture of the church’s struggle.
Example: Heresy: - belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine.
Gnosticism A prominent, heretical movement of the 2nd-century Christian Church, partly of pre-Christian origin. Gnostic doctrine taught that the world was CREATED and RULED by a lesser divinity (the demiurge), and that Christ was an emissary (diplomatic representative) of the remote supreme divine being, esoteric (specialized) KNOWLEDGE (Greek: “gnosis – knowledge of spiritual mysteries) of whom enabled the redemption of the human spirit.
These heresies were meant to “shake the foundation” of the church. Gnosticism wasn’t by itself. There were heresies that followed heresies: 1. Ebionism – salvation by good works… 2. Montanism – strict “compensation” against heresy that became itself a heresy (strict fasting, moral discipline, celibacy …). 3. Novatianism – purist legalism concept of church membership 4. Monarchianism – modified definition of trinity (Father is true deity. Son and Spirit are personalities or impersonal attributes of the Father). 5. Manicheism – Christ came into the world to aid man’s gradual purification. Two classes of people existed: “elect” (worthy of baptism) and “auditors”. Promoted ministers as intermediaries.
ANYTHING BUT GOD ! ANY WAY BUT JESUS ! ANY “CONCOCTION” (a mixture of various ingredients or elements) BUT THE WORD !
Facts About Islam That Are Important For Us To Know: 1.Second largest religion in the world. 2. Introduced in a culture of “uncertainty” (heresies and compensating heresies). 3.Islam accepts the traditions of the other two “Religions Of The Book,” but with final “revelation.” 4.In Islam there is no distinction between social and religious life. “Sharia Law” governs them both.
Facts About Islam That Are Important For Us To Know: 5. Genesis 21:17-21 (We are brothers) ! “And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make him a great nation ." Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. And God was with the lad, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; [northern Arabia] and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.”
Genesis 25:6,12- 18, RSV. “But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country ."
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