This is the first article in our series that explores the beliefs of different religions. The goal here is not to fully explain Islam, but to give readers enough understanding of its origins and beliefs to present the gospel to a Muslim. Let’s start with a general overview of the religion, see how they answer important questions about life, then end with ways to explain the need for Christ to someone who thinks He was merely a prophet.
The basics of Islam
Islam is the religion that began when Muhammad claimed to receive a revelation from Allah in 610 AD. Muhammad is said to have a direct bloodline to Abraham’s son Ishmael from Genesis 16. Those who follow the teachings of Islam are called Muslims.
The city of Mecca is sacred to Muslims. After Muhammad spent years in exile, it is believed he made a pilgrimage to Mecca where they celebrated his triumphant return.
The deity of Islam is Allah, which Muslims would claim is the same as the Old Testament God. However, they would argue that Allah is different from the God of Christians, as we’ll discuss at the end.
Why is there something instead of nothing?
Islam teaches that Allah created the universe out of nothing in 6 days. However, most Islamic scholars would agree that these days weren’t literal because the word for “day” used in both the Bible (Yom) and Quran (Yawm) can also refer to long periods of time.
Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth, “Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion.” They said, “We have come willingly.” (Quran)
During creation, Allah formed everything into a single mass, exploded it, then called the chaotic debris to come together to form stars and planets.
“Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?” (Quran)
With the act of a long creation, Allah also slowly developed all living things from the water. However, humans were a special creation. Rather than evolving us from lesser life forms, Allah took clay and molded Adam, then eventually Hawwa (Eve).
Islam’s answer to this question lines up both with modern scientific theory in Earth’s long evolution and life beginning in the ocean, as well as the biblical account of Adam and Eve’s creation.
How can we know what’s true?
Islam’s primary source of truth is the Quran (literally translated “the recitation”). The Quran is believed to be the perfect collection of Allah’s word, given to the archangel Gabriel and spoken to the prophet Muhammad over the course of about 23 years.
Because many of Muhammads followers at the time couldn’t read or write, much of the Quran is a result of memorization. Muhammad continued teaching his followers up until his death in 632 AD. At that point, little of what he taught had been officially written down, but Muslims believe they were perfectly preserved in the memory of those still alive.
After many Muslims were killed in a battle, a caliph named Abu Bakr decided that the words of Allah should be preserved and ordered people to write Muhammad’s words on anything available to them. These writings were gathered into a single book, then the original pieces of writing were destroyed.
Surprisingly, the Quran affirms the Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible), the Psalms, and the “injil” (gospel) that was revealed to Christ. However, Muslims claim that they are untrustworthy in many areas because they’ve become corrupted over time. Thus, the Christian Bible can only be reliable if it is in harmony with the Quran.
In addition to the Quran, Muslims reference a book called the “Hadith,” which is a collection of traditions attributed to teachings, sayings, and approvals from Muhammad. This text is always secondary to the Quran, but can often be used to clarify teachings within the Quran itself.
Why are we here? What’s our purpose?
Humans were created with the express purpose of worshipping Allah.
And I did not create the jinn and humankind except to worship Me. (Quran)
Knowing that, the primary motivation for Muslims is to live in preparation for the “Eternal Home.” This is done by living lives pleasing to Allah, both materially and spiritually. Muslims don’t need to deny themselves of pleasures, but their goals in life need to exist beyond this life.
The foundation of living a good life is the Five Pillars of Islam:
- Shahadah (Faith): Muslims must believe that “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.” The Islamic vs. Christian view of Allah and God has been the center of great debate between the two religions.
- Salah (Prayer): Muslims are expected to pray 5 times every day. Prayer involves and cleansing ritual as they prepare to humbly address Allah, followed by them facing toward the holy city of Mecca as they pray.
- Zakat (Giving): Though not explicitly stated in the Quran itself, Muslims are expected to give charitably to those in need every year.
- Saum (Fasting during Ramadan): During their holy month, healthy Muslims cannot eat or drink during daylight hours.
- Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca): All capable Muslims are expected to visit the holy city of Mecca and nearby holy areas at least once in their life.
There are many other teachings within Islam about living a life of purpose, but much of it boils down to doing as Allah has commanded through Muhammad. It is said that this life is a test to see who will follow Allah, and who will follow something else. Thus we exist to serve Allah and work to prepare for the afterlife.
What is right and wrong?
Morality is defined according to Allah’s revelations in the Quran, but also uses Muhammad as an example of how to live. Much of what defines right and wrong focus on a person’s character. It is believed that any sinful action can be forgiven, but a bad moral character is dangerous because it’s incapable of desiring forgiveness in the first place.
This list is just a small part of how Muslims would define right and wrong. Notice that much of it deals with how an individual interacts with the world:
- Give to others
- Demonstrate humility
- Tolerate people at a personal, social, and religious level
- Maintain honesty and trustworthiness
- Be kind to humans and animals
- Strive to control anger
This moral living isn’t done as a result of Allah’s love, but in order to earn it. Much of this is optional compared to the Pillars we’ve discussed, but to neglect it is to risk falling out of favor with Allah.
What happens when we die?
“To those who believe and do deeds of righteousness hath Allah promised forgiveness and a great reward” (Quran)
Upon death, all people are sent to one of two places. Those in the Islamic faith who did enough good deeds on Earth are granted entry to Jannah, which is a paradise like the Garden of Eden. Those who are enemies of Allah, or who didn’t perform enough good works to outweigh their wicked ones, are sent to Jahannam, an eternal fiery punishment.
The Islamic faith offers no guarantee of Jannah to its followers. Though it’s debated today, many outside the west believe that death in a literal “Holy War” (Jihad) against Allah’s enemies will guarantee Allah’s reward. Others argue that this Jihad should be translated as “struggle” and is simply a metaphor for the battle against personal sin.
Regardless of how a Muslim views the concept of Jihad, they all agree that outside of that, there’s no guarantee of salvation while on this Earth.
Other important things to know
Yemeni Manuscripts
Ancient manuscripts of the Quran were unearthed in the 1970s. After careful study, some interesting discrepancies were discovered. One difference was that the order of many verses was different from the accepted Quran. Another is that many sheets of paper had been previously written on, washed, then written on again. These two issues strongly imply that the Quran has been an evolving document, rather than something written once and preserved through time with only minor copying erros.
Islamic Terrorists
This is the elephant in the room, and the primary thing that comes to mind when people think of Muslims. Despite being a religion of good works, it certainly has a history of violence like many other ancient religions. This isn’t the focus of today’s article, but I do think some points are worth considering so that we can have a fair and balanced understanding.
Muhammad spent the last years of his life as a warrior, fighting back against his exile from Mecca. Thus it’s no surprise that some of what he or his followers taught had a war-like tone to it. Although Islam has spent much of its history at war, it’s only fairly recently that the idea of terrorism has risen in popularity.
The reason to understand how Muslims view salvation is critical in understanding why terrorist groups have flown the Muslim flag. If you are a true believer in the teachings of Islam, you have no idea how your scale of good vs evil deeds is currently tipped. Has a decade of good deeds outweighed 2 decades of selfishness and indulgence? Is giving to the poor so that you can earn salvation a selfish act on its own, therefore attributing more evil to you?
So when the following verse from the Quran is recited, the offer of eternal salvation can far outweigh whatever dangerous or life-ending task you’re asked to complete.
And if ye are slain, or die, in the way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all they could amass. (Quran)
When coupled with a religious patriotism and a dehumanizing of those outside of Islam, it’s easy to see how such radical views would draw in both those looking to justify violence and someone worried about their eternal security.
It could be argued that the Muslims of the west, who view the Quran’s teachings on war against unbelievers as figurative, are actually against traditional Islamic interpretation. These are the Muslims who openly condemn acts of violence as opposed to the desires of Allah and the teachings of Muhammad. Despite what we want to believe, the reality is that most Muslims practice non-violence outside of war as is taught in the Quran.
Regardless of what Islam truly teaches, it’s important to understand how an Muslim interprets the Quran because a literal approach creates a much different world view than a figurative understanding of what’s written.
Christ’s deity
Muslims believe in Christ. However, the Quran teaches that Christ was a prophet before Muhammad, but certainly wasn’t Allah. They believe Christ was replaced before dying on the cross, explaining His apparent resurrection. Christ was certainly given a message from Allah (namely, the gospel), but any mention of His deity or salvation through His death is a corruption of the text over time. Again, the Bible is authoritative only as far as it agrees with the Quran.
The Christian God
As mentioned earlier, Muslims would argue that Allah is certainly the God of Abraham, but not the God that Christians worship. That’s because they see themselves worshipping the one true God, Allah, while we worship three gods. We’ve briefly discussed the trinity here, but the concept of “One God existing simultaneously as three distinct persons” is seen as blasphemous.
Sharing the gospel
Understanding the worldview of a Muslim equips us to share the gospel at a much more personal level. While not knowing enough about a religion should never keep us from obeying Christ’s command to preach the gospel, God can use us to greater effect if we understand not only what we believe, but what the other person believes as well.
Earning salvation
The most important thing to explain to a Muslim is that their good works can’t possibly save them. They live their lives in complete uncertainty, always wondering whether they’ve spent enough time doing good to cancel out a lifetime of bad. They need to see that they can’t save themselves.
The concept of “good works” is a vicious paradox. If one does good for the sake of earning merit, then they haven’t done good. They’ve merely done a task to benefit themselves. How can one possibly do good if the action comes from a selfish desire to earn favor with Allah?
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
The truth is that their good works mean nothing. Why would God need their good deeds? What benefit is that to a being is who is in need of nothing? Our problem isn’t that we can’t do enough good, but that without God’s intervention we can do nothing but evil (Romans 6:11-12).
The depth of sin
When someone thinks they can outdo their evil, they often completely misunderstand how deep their wickedness truly goes. God’s wrath isn’t just against major sins like theft, adultery, and murder.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness (Romans 1:8)
And what earns God’s righteous wrath?
- Self-righteousness and pride (Isaiah 2:12)
- Anger and hurtful words (Mattew 5:21-23)
- Our wandering eye (Matthew 5:27-28)
- Making anything more important than God (Colossians 3:5)
- Fear and anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7)
- Jealousy (1 Corinthians 3:3)
When anyone, Muslim or otherwise, says they’re a good person and haven’t done much evil, we can be sure they aren’t thinking about these sorts of sins. Yet if their good works are like filthy rags to God, and their sin is beyond their capacity to atone for, what can be done?
The need for Christ
When the Quran directly states that Jesus was not God, the gospel can come to a screeching halt. Yet if a person is able to see that their previous world view is not only hopeless, but genuinely impossible, they’re better able to see and accept truth.
If Christ wasn’t God, then the entirety of the Bible goes against all historical data that tells us how unchanging and cohesive it is. The entire Bible isn’t just a long story that eventually mentions Jesus. The entire thing, from Genesis to Revelation, points to Him!
Over and over we see the impossibility of Israel saving themselves, imperfect and temporary sacrifices, and the ever-present need for a savior. When we can see that the Bible can’t possibly have been corrupted, then the need for Christ becomes clear.
The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him. (John 3:35-36)
Every human’s good works are, in fact, selfish and wicked. No one can claim “I’m not a bad person” when they understand sin as God sees it. The reality of our sin against God leaves us completely without hope of saving ourselves.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved! (Ephesians 2:4-5)
If we are to present the gospel to Muslims, we need nothing more than the gospel itself. Yet it is through understanding what they believe that we are able to present a more intimate and loving reality of their sin, what their good works are really worth, and why they so desperately need Christ.
