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UNVEILING CHRISTIANITY AND
ISLAM Session Eight - January
8, 2003 ISLAM SEES MUSLIM’S AS SLAVES TO ALLAH. Muslim’s see Allah as Great, but unknowable. Muslim’s have a religion, but they have no personal relationship with God. Islam = submission or surrender. By the 9th century the Sufis claimed to have attained the supreme experience of union with God! They believed that Allah and Creation were one. This evolved into pantheism, the worship of nature, and was rejected by the orthodox Muslim community. Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam believes that God transcends His creation. "By the 9th century AD the Sufis claimed to have methods of finding mystic knowledge of God, or Allah. The Sufi mystic, described as a pilgrim on a journey, follows a path of seven stages: repentance, abstinence, renunciation, poverty, patience, trust in God, and acquiescence to the will of God. Then, with the grace of God, a higher level of consciousness is attained, in which knowledge, the knower, and the known are realized as one. Some mystics believed that the supreme experience of union with God could not be expressed in words; others who tried to express it scandalized the orthodox by ecstatically proclaiming their identity with God. Eventually, formal pantheistic doctrines (see Pantheism) emerged; statements that the universe and God are actually one further outraged the orthodox, who believed that God, as creator of the world, transcends it. In addition, although most early Sufis conscientiously observed the religious law, some scorned it outright, proclaiming their inner light a sufficient source of religious guidance." Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 2001 CONCEPT OF SIN Judaism and Christianity believe in the effect of the sin of Adam, that it tainted the world as the human creation were expelled from the presence of God and the garden of paradise. We believe that all sin has an effect beyond the individual. Sin affects the community. Islam believes Adam sinned, but was completely forgiven, and thus had no repercussions of the rest of humanity. They believe sin only affects the individual. It does not affect those it touches. The Muslim asks, "Why should we accept guilt for someone else’s disobedience?" For the Muslim, mankind is born without sin. Sin is failure of obedience to Allah. Every person gains paradise through their good living, i.e. obedience to Allah. There is no need for a Savior since there is no sin. It is blaspheme to say that Jesus, a prophet of Allah, died upon a tree for the sins of others. Just as it is impossible for one person to have to shoulder the guilt for another person’s sin, it is also unthinkable that one man could pay the penalty for another person’s sin. Religion for the Muslim is not the way to salvation, it means following the right "path" explained by Islamic Law. While Christianity is consumed with right belief or orthodoxy, Islamic faith is concerned with right practice. THE LOVE OF GOD / ALLAH God Loves You! The brash claim of Christianity. No such statement exists in the Qur’an.
The Bible teaches that God hates sin and is angry with sinners, the Qur’an affirms that Allah hates sinners: "For Allah loves not transgressors" (surah 2:190). "And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your own hands contribute to destruction, but do good; For Allah loves those who do good" (surah 2:195) "Say ‘If you do love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-forging, Most Merciful’ " (Surah 3:31). "Say: ‘Obey Allah and His Messenger’: But if they turn back, Allah loves not those who reject Faith" (surah 3:32). THE PERSONAL QUALITY OF GOD / ALLAH THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO FAITHS IS THE PERSONAL QUALITY OF GOD. In Islam, it is hoped that salvation is earned through one’s good works (surah 3:31). In Christianity, God loved people first in order to secure their salvation. In Islam, good works can only give one hope for heaven, but never the quarante of such. FATALISM, THE HEART OF ISLAMIC INSECURITY "We sent not a messenger except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them. So Allah leads astray those whom He pleases and guides whom He pleases and He is Exalted in power, full of wisdom." (Surah 14:4) Fatalism is a belief that events are fixed in advance for all time in such a manner that human beings are powerless to change them. Muhammad said: "By Allah, though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me." (Hadith 5.266) Muhammad questioned his own salvation, even though he was the greatest of prophets, the Apostle of Allah himself. "As to those who reject Faith. It is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe. Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing. And on their eyes is a veil; Great is the chastisement they [incur]." (Surah 2:6-7) Hell is always closer than Paradise! The Muslim is continually being reminded of Allah’s wrath. POLITICS AND ETERNAL SECURITY Allah must be enticed to love the individual by some demonstration of his or her faithfulness toward Him. (Surah 4:54). In return for showing this love the Muslim expects something in return. Their obedience earns prosperity (Surah 24:51-55). "Here is the profound weakness of a religion in which there is no genuine connection between God and human beings. Allah guides people into the truth through his messenger Muhammad, but one should never anticipate speaking to Allah personally or relationally. Love is never part of the equation – the religion demands upon a sense of duty and a desire for payback." Unveiling Islam; page 34. The Canner brother say, The faithful Muslim will be victorious politically; those in influence earned an "inheritance of power, as He granted to those before them" (Surah 24:55). Inheriting and maintaining authority is an important theme in the Muslim’s relationship to Allah. Prosperity is given to those who will enforce the Law of Allah. Prosperity is understood as living in peace, the ability to practice one’s religion openly. It is a paradox however that Islam believes that in order to practice their faith in freedom they must deprive that right from others! "THE KEY IS THAT PROSPERITY IS UNDERSTOOD AS INTEGRATING POLITICS AND RELIGION." (Unveiling Islam, Page 35). Eternal security is further based on a Muslim’s hatred toward enemies of Allah. The Muslim must passionately hate those who stand against the expansion of Islam – both external enemies and enemies from within. The Hadith makes it transparent that jihad has as its primary characteristic a bloody struggle involving military battles. "The prophet said, "the person who participates in [holy battles] in Allah’s cause and nothing compels him to do so except a belief in Allah and His Apostles, will be recompensed by Allah either with a reward, or booty [if he survives] or will be admitted to Paradise [if he is killed in the battle as a martyr]." (Hadith 1:35). |
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