Islam - Go!

Since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, many things have changed in our world. You can no longer listen to the news without hearing of a suicide bombing in Israel, a threat to American security, or an unjust act of violence against someone of middle-eastern heritage. It’s easy for the pain we all felt on that day to fill us with fear and to shape our perception of all people who claim Islam as their religion. Fear is a natural reaction and it is OK to feel fear when we are faced with such evil. But as people who know the love of Jesus Christ, we must learn to go beyond this reaction.

One way to take a step toward overcoming our fear is to learn more about what Islam really teaches. Knowledge can help us understand the people who hold these beliefs. It can help us to separate our feelings about terrorists from any Muslims we may personally come into contact with. The following article has been adapted from one that ran in Go! just over two years ago. We are printing the material again with the hope that all of us may gain a better understanding of Muslims and a deeper desire to share Christ’s love with them.

Living out Jesus for your Muslim friends and neighbors is no different than living out your faith around anyone. But there are some things that you can do (and other things you should avoid) to make sure your witness to Muslims is effective.

Listen. Listen to learn, to become friends and to build credibility so you can share your faith to a receptive audience.

be real. Try to build relationships built on common interests and activities that both of you are comfortable with (music, sports, games might be some places to start).

be culturally sensitive. You may need to explain a holiday, a tradition or even a Bible reference. Have an attitude of ministry whenever you encounter them.

Recognize the importance of family in Islamic culture. Muslims who convert to Christianity often face persecution and rejection from their families and communities. Be sensitive to that struggle and be there for them.

Know your Bible. You may come to know a Muslim who is well versed in the Bible. Do your very best to know what you are talking about, but admit it when you are uncertain.

live your faith. Let them see Christ in you. Arguments and debates alone won’t cut it.

Emphasize the importance of Jesus. Muslims strive to be good people, but good works as a path to salvation misses the truth of Christ’s sacrifice and God’s grace for them.

Call them “Moslems” or “Mohammadans!” The correct term is “followers of Islam” or simply Muslims.

Blame them for terrorism, troubles in Israel or the Middle East. Individual Muslims are no more responsible for terrorism than individual Christians are responsible for injustices done in the name of Christ.

Confuse being American with being Christian. As Christians, we have to remember we are citizens of heaven and our allegiance is to God first. We have to let our political opinions, especially during times of war, take a backseat to the Gospel.

Get emotional, hostile or offended. There are enough hostilities and misunderstandings between Christian and Islamic cultures.

Make assumptions about their loyalties or political feelings. Many Muslims living in the United States are citizens and proud Americans.

comparison of beliefs
ELEMENTS OF FAITH	CHRISTIANS BELIEVE	MUSLIMS BELIEVE

God the Father	God is eternal, the personal, infinite creator of the universe who desires to have a relationship with us. He is the only God. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19)	Allah is the one and only God. Muslims believe in the oneness of God and reject the idea of the trinity (Father, Son & Spirit)
Jesus, God the SoN	Jesus is God’s only virgin-born son, the incarnation of God. (John 1:1-18; Col. 1:13-22)	Jesus was virgin-born and a great man. Abraham, Moses and Jesus were all great prophets but Muhammed is the last and greatest of these prophets.
Problem of HumanitY	Man has rebelled against God, and is sinful by nature and choice. (Rom. 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10)	Man is sinful and must work hard to live up to the standards set forth in the Qur’an in order to gain the reward of paradise.
Solution to Problem	Christ died for man’s sins, saving all who choose to come to Him. (John 3:16; Rom. 10:9-10; Eph. 2:8-10)	Keeping the Five Pillars of faith (Confession of Faith, Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving, Pilgrimage to Mecca). At the end of time they will be judged based on their performance.
Solution to Problem	God’s laws decide ethics, and the Bible is the final guide for doctrine and practice. God alone is the arbiter of right and wrong. (2 Tim. 3:16; Ex. 20:1-17)	Right and wrong is based on the Five Pillars of faith and the teachings of the Qur’an.
Holy Scripture	The Bible is the entirety of God’s Word. (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21)	The Qur’an is believed to be the exact words of an angel of God, transcribed by Muhammed.

ISLAM: just THE facts

World Population.................... Est. 1 billion

U.S. Population................. Est. 6.5-8 million

Largest Branch........................ Sunni Islam

Founded in......................... 7th century A.D.

Founded by.............................. Muhammad

Holy Writings.................................... Qur’an

Believers Called............................. Muslims

in which world regions do most muslims live?

58% South and Southeast Asia

28% Africa

9% Middle East

5 % The rest of the world

Regional percentages of world Muslim population based on Interfaith Witness Belief Bulletin: Islam; NAMB, SBC.

world muslim populations

Indonesia........................ 170,310,000
Pakistan.......................... 136,000,000
Bangladesh..................... 106,050,000
India................................ 103,000,000
Turkey............................... 62,410,000
Iran.................................... 60,790,000
Egypt.................................. 53,730,000
Nigeria............................... 47,720,000
China................................. 37,108,000

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM
01 All Muslims are Arabs. The largest Muslim country in the world is Indonesia. Arabic is the language of the Qur’an, but Muslims can be of any nationality or race.

02 All Muslims are terrorists. Very few Muslims believe in acting violently against their enemies. The Qur’an teaches peaceful tolerance of the opponents of Islam.

03 All Muslims are radical fundamentalists. Although Muslims often hold strong beliefs about their religion, that doesn’t make them radicals.

04 All Muslims hate all Jews and Christians. According to the Qur’an, Christians and Jews are dhimmis, or “people of the book.” Dhimmis are protected by Islamic law and can practice freely.

IN-DEPTH RESOURCES
answering-islam.org A website that discusses Christian-Muslim issues. Find tools for evangelism and understanding Islam

The True Furqan. Edited by Al Saffee and Al Mahdy. WinePress Publishing, Enumclaw, Washington, ©1999. This new work offers a “Qur’an-style” poetic presentation of the Gospel in Arabic and English. It is an extremely valuable Arab-Christian response to Islam.

David Nasser David became a convert to Christianity from Islam as a teenager after moving, with his family, from Iran to Birmingham, Alabama. He is now a youth evangelist. Contact him at (205) 425-9996 or visit his home page at www.honkin.com/pages/dn.htm.

Video Resources Produced by the International Mission Board, Misconceptions of Islam as well as The Task are great resources for you and your youth group. Call 1-800-866-3621 for more information.