Islam
Muslims are followers of the Islam religion.
History
Islam was started by Muhammad, who was born in 610 AD. Born into the lowest of society, he was to later become one of the most prominent figures in history. Islam was started to combat polytheism, the belief in many gods. The city of Mecca had been overtaken by idol worship, and the people there refused to turn from those beliefs. Muhammad's desire was to turn everyone to monotheism, the belief in one God. After preaching this for a while in Mecca, he was eventually driven out, and settled in the city of Medina. While there, Muslim tradition says that Muhammad received several revelations from Allah, who is the Muslim god. These revelations were memorized by his followers, and were eventually written down in a book known as the Qur'an. The Qur'an is the holy book of Islam. Muhammad overtook Mecca with his followers, in 629 AD, and went on to preach the message of this new-found religion to many people.
Misconceptions
Many people think that all Muslims are violent, which has to do with the current wars and acts of terrorism. Most Muslims will tell you that violence isn't a part of Islam, and don't accept that terrorists are truly of the Muslim faith. It could be argued that there are sections of the Qur'an that condone violence, but the majority of Muslims will say that it has been misinterpretated.
Another misconception about Islam is that most Muslims are Arabic. In reality, only 18% of Muslims are Arabic.
Names
Islam means submission, or submission to Allah. Some Muslims argue that is actually means peace, which is through submission to Allah. The name Muslim applies to anyone who submits to Allah.
Their holy book, the Qur'an, means recitation, and all Muslims are required to study and memorize it regularly.
Allah is actually the Arabic name for God. Muslims have since taken it and applied it to be the name of their false god, but the name itself is perfectly suitable for the true God of Christianity.
Books
Unlike Christianity, Islam has several. These are:
The Qur'an
The Sunnah (the practices of Muhammad)
The Torah
Psalms
The Gospels
The Scrolls of Moses and Abraham
While they affirm the validity of these writings, interestingly they don't read from all of them. More specifically, they don't read from the Bible. They believe that over the years of being copied many times, it became corrupted. These corruptions are wherever it disagrees with the beliefs of Islam.
Pillars
Islam has five basic pillars, or rules, that every Muslims must follow in order to please Allah. Those five are confession, prayer, fasting, alms giving, and pilgrimage. The pilgrimage is to be made to Mecca, and it must be done at least once in a Muslim's lifetime. The only exemptions are when a person is either sick or financially unable.
Prayer
The Qur'an requires a Muslim to pray five times a day, each time facing toward Mecca. These prayers are all recited, and not personal prayers like those of the Christian community. These prayers are sometimes done in a Mosque, which is the name of Muslim places of worship. A Muslim is permitted to pray whenever they want to, but these five prayers are mandatory.
Prophets
Over the course of history, Muslims believe that Allah appointed several prophets. The most prominent prophets are Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and finally Muhammad. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the final prophet of Allah, and there will be no more after him. They believe that Jesus was the most important prophet besides Muhammad. All the prophets are believed to either be perfect or nearly perfect.
Jesus
Muslims believe that Jesus was sinless, came into the world by virgin birth, and performed many miracles. What they don't believe is that Jesus was the Son of God. They also don't believe that Jesus came to die for us so that we may be forgiven and go to Heaven. A common argument for this would be John 14:6, where Jesus says that He is the only true way, and no one comes to God except through Him. Muslims would argue that Jesus was only referring to Him being the current prophet, and anyone who listened to and obeyed His teachings would go to Heaven. Finally, Muslims believe that Jesus didn't die on the cross. They believe Allah miraculously switched His body at the last minute so that another man who was made to look just like Him died instead. The man who supposedly died in His place is said to be Judas.
Trinity
Muslims do not believe in any concept of the Trinity, since, they say, three persons cannot be one God, even though Genesis 1:26, among many other verses, indicates that God can be multiple. Muslims believe that by believing in the Trinity, a Christian is believing in three gods rather than one God.
Salvation
Islam is a works-based religion. Whether a Muslim gets to Heaven is determined by how good of a person they are on Earth. There is also no guarantee that a Muslim will go to Heaven. They take comfort in the idea that Allah will be just in his judgement. In Ephesians 2:8-9, we see that no one can be saved except by the grace of God, and that it has nothing to do with their goodness.
Heaven
Ultimately, Allah determines who will enter into Heaven. There are different levels of Heaven, depending on how good of a person the individual was on Earth. If someone dies for the sake of Islam, the Qur'an tells them they will receive 72 virgins, as well as being served regularly by teenage boys. Oddly, the Qur'an mentions nothing about women in Heaven, apart from the 72 virgins. Muslims say that Christians, Jews, and anyone else who believes in one God can go to Heaven as well. The only catch is they have to practice the beliefs of Islam, including not believing in the Trinity.
Hell
Hell is a place where anyone who didn't meet the standard of Allah is sent. Unlike Christianity, Hell isn't permanent in Islam. It is possible for someone to go from Hell to Heaven depending on the level of good works they had on Earth. Muslims who are living are also able to pray someone out of Hell. In the Bible, we see in Matthew 18:8 that Hell is eternal, and there is no escaping for anyone who enters.
Conclusion
Muslims are extremely hard to witness to, since their views stray so far from Scripture. There are verses to contradict them, but they will argue by saying that the Bible is corrupted. The best way to witness to Muslims is to first build a relationship with them. Without that relationship, there is a very good chance a Muslim will not want to listen. Witnessing to a Muslim may rarely be successful, but we should continue to try. We were called to make disciples of all people, not just the ones we feel comfortable around. The key thing here, as with any relationship, is to show the love of God above all else. Once they see that, you'll have a much easier time reaching them for the Gospel.
Genesis 1:26 — Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
John 1:1 — In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 — And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 19:20 — Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin {and} in Greek.
Hebrews 1:3 — And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Hebrews 1:8 — But of the Son {He says,} "YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER, AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF (Late mss read {Your}) HIS KINGDOM.
John 3:16 — "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.
Ephesians 2:8-9 — For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, {it is} the gift of God;
not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
1 John 4:7-10 — Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son {to be} the propitiation for our sins.
Titus 3:4-7 — But when the kindness of God our Savior and {His} love for mankind appeared,
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to {the} hope of eternal life.
John 14:6 — Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Bible Answer From: The Holypop Team
History
Islam was started by Muhammad, who was born in 610 AD. Born into the lowest of society, he was to later become one of the most prominent figures in history. Islam was started to combat polytheism, the belief in many gods. The city of Mecca had been overtaken by idol worship, and the people there refused to turn from those beliefs. Muhammad's desire was to turn everyone to monotheism, the belief in one God. After preaching this for a while in Mecca, he was eventually driven out, and settled in the city of Medina. While there, Muslim tradition says that Muhammad received several revelations from Allah, who is the Muslim god. These revelations were memorized by his followers, and were eventually written down in a book known as the Qur'an. The Qur'an is the holy book of Islam. Muhammad overtook Mecca with his followers, in 629 AD, and went on to preach the message of this new-found religion to many people.
Misconceptions
Many people think that all Muslims are violent, which has to do with the current wars and acts of terrorism. Most Muslims will tell you that violence isn't a part of Islam, and don't accept that terrorists are truly of the Muslim faith. It could be argued that there are sections of the Qur'an that condone violence, but the majority of Muslims will say that it has been misinterpretated.
Another misconception about Islam is that most Muslims are Arabic. In reality, only 18% of Muslims are Arabic.
Names
Islam means submission, or submission to Allah. Some Muslims argue that is actually means peace, which is through submission to Allah. The name Muslim applies to anyone who submits to Allah.
Their holy book, the Qur'an, means recitation, and all Muslims are required to study and memorize it regularly.
Allah is actually the Arabic name for God. Muslims have since taken it and applied it to be the name of their false god, but the name itself is perfectly suitable for the true God of Christianity.
Books
Unlike Christianity, Islam has several. These are:
While they affirm the validity of these writings, interestingly they don't read from all of them. More specifically, they don't read from the Bible. They believe that over the years of being copied many times, it became corrupted. These corruptions are wherever it disagrees with the beliefs of Islam.
Pillars
Islam has five basic pillars, or rules, that every Muslims must follow in order to please Allah. Those five are confession, prayer, fasting, alms giving, and pilgrimage. The pilgrimage is to be made to Mecca, and it must be done at least once in a Muslim's lifetime. The only exemptions are when a person is either sick or financially unable.
Prayer
The Qur'an requires a Muslim to pray five times a day, each time facing toward Mecca. These prayers are all recited, and not personal prayers like those of the Christian community. These prayers are sometimes done in a Mosque, which is the name of Muslim places of worship. A Muslim is permitted to pray whenever they want to, but these five prayers are mandatory.
Prophets
Over the course of history, Muslims believe that Allah appointed several prophets. The most prominent prophets are Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and finally Muhammad. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the final prophet of Allah, and there will be no more after him. They believe that Jesus was the most important prophet besides Muhammad. All the prophets are believed to either be perfect or nearly perfect.
Jesus
Muslims believe that Jesus was sinless, came into the world by virgin birth, and performed many miracles. What they don't believe is that Jesus was the Son of God. They also don't believe that Jesus came to die for us so that we may be forgiven and go to Heaven. A common argument for this would be John 14:6, where Jesus says that He is the only true way, and no one comes to God except through Him. Muslims would argue that Jesus was only referring to Him being the current prophet, and anyone who listened to and obeyed His teachings would go to Heaven. Finally, Muslims believe that Jesus didn't die on the cross. They believe Allah miraculously switched His body at the last minute so that another man who was made to look just like Him died instead. The man who supposedly died in His place is said to be Judas.
Trinity
Muslims do not believe in any concept of the Trinity, since, they say, three persons cannot be one God, even though Genesis 1:26, among many other verses, indicates that God can be multiple. Muslims believe that by believing in the Trinity, a Christian is believing in three gods rather than one God.
Salvation
Islam is a works-based religion. Whether a Muslim gets to Heaven is determined by how good of a person they are on Earth. There is also no guarantee that a Muslim will go to Heaven. They take comfort in the idea that Allah will be just in his judgement. In Ephesians 2:8-9, we see that no one can be saved except by the grace of God, and that it has nothing to do with their goodness.
Heaven
Ultimately, Allah determines who will enter into Heaven. There are different levels of Heaven, depending on how good of a person the individual was on Earth. If someone dies for the sake of Islam, the Qur'an tells them they will receive 72 virgins, as well as being served regularly by teenage boys. Oddly, the Qur'an mentions nothing about women in Heaven, apart from the 72 virgins. Muslims say that Christians, Jews, and anyone else who believes in one God can go to Heaven as well. The only catch is they have to practice the beliefs of Islam, including not believing in the Trinity.
Hell
Hell is a place where anyone who didn't meet the standard of Allah is sent. Unlike Christianity, Hell isn't permanent in Islam. It is possible for someone to go from Hell to Heaven depending on the level of good works they had on Earth. Muslims who are living are also able to pray someone out of Hell. In the Bible, we see in Matthew 18:8 that Hell is eternal, and there is no escaping for anyone who enters.
Conclusion
Muslims are extremely hard to witness to, since their views stray so far from Scripture. There are verses to contradict them, but they will argue by saying that the Bible is corrupted. The best way to witness to Muslims is to first build a relationship with them. Without that relationship, there is a very good chance a Muslim will not want to listen. Witnessing to a Muslim may rarely be successful, but we should continue to try. We were called to make disciples of all people, not just the ones we feel comfortable around. The key thing here, as with any relationship, is to show the love of God above all else. Once they see that, you'll have a much easier time reaching them for the Gospel.
not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son {to be} the propitiation for our sins.
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to {the} hope of eternal life.