Search The Scriptures: October 21, 2001
RELIGION OF ISLAM – 1
INTRODUCTION:
A. Good morning and welcome to the bible study program - Search the Scriptures. My name is
J.R. Bronger, and on behalf of the Danville church of Christ I am pleased you have joined us
this morning.
B. Before getting into our study this morning, let me remind you that if you have any questions
or comments, or if you would just like to browse our web site, you can do so at
www.danvillechurchofchrist.org You can also contact me by way of the web site or by phoning
me at the office at the building of the Danville church of Christ. That phone number is 745-
4708. Please let me hear from you, especially if you have a subject or a text you would like to
hear discussed on Search the Scriptures.
C. My friends, since September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
were attacked by what the Media reported as Islamic Fundamentalists, the religion of Islam has
been on the minds of most people in this country and perhaps throughout the world. What I want
to do on Search the Scriptures today and next week is to help us understand this religion. I am
not going to discuss the attacks in either a bellicose or a political way. I will, however, endeavor
to help us understand the Islamic Religion. Islam is not a religious cult, instead it’s a major
world religion. It is a religion that, I sincerely believe, is a false religion and one that is vastly
different and completely opposed to Christianity. Islam, has been for some time, the fastest
growing religion in the world. Today, one out of every five people on the face of the earth is a
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Muslim. Islam is considered to be one of the four largest religions in the world, behind
Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism. It has been estimated that by the year 2010, Islam will
move ahead of Judaism to become the second largest religion in America. Hundreds of millions
of people all over the world have embraced the Islamic faith to the point where entire countries
are ruled and dominated by Islamic teachings, practices, and laws. This religion from the east has
made tremendous gains worldwide, including the state of Indiana. Before I begin this study, let
me make this observation. Presently with America engaged in war against terrorism and with the
countries sponsoring terrorism, I recognize that a study of the religion of Islam might be
interpreted by some as a call to arms for an aggressive physical response to the attacks of
September 11. However, my friends, let me assure you that my interest in these studies is strictly
religious and nothing more. This is true even though Islam is a religious, social, and political
force of which every Christian should be aware.
B. Islam as a religion had its beginning around 600 A.D. by a camel driver named Muhammad
in the area known today as Saudi Arabia. Muhammad was born to the powerful tribe of the
Quraish in Mecca. His father’s name was Abdullah. And, from what can be determined,
Abdullah apparently was a merchant who made caravan trips. He died on a trading trip soon after
his marriage to Muhammad’s mother, leaving Muhammad fatherless at birth. Muhammad’s
mother, died when he was only six years old and he was taken in by his grandfather, only to have
him die when Muhammad was eight years old. At this time, his uncle, Abu Talib, one of the
leaders of the Quraish tribe took him in and raised him. Muhammad was taught the family
business and apparently became quite successful. A wealthy widow arranged for Muhammad to
oversee her trading business, and was so impressed with his skill and appearance that she
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proposed marriage to him. Muhammad was twenty-five and the widow was forty when they
married. They had six children, two boys and four girls. Having married into money, Muhammad
now became a gentleman of leisure and somewhat of a philosopher. He would retreat from
society, take trips into the desert and mountains, where he would spend his hours in meditation,
greatly concerned about the condition of the civilization he saw around himself. He set out on a
personal mission to find truth. One of his frequent places of seclusion was a cave on Mount
Nur. It was while in this cave, during the month of the Ramadan, a pagan festival at the time,
that he claimed he received his first visitation from supposedly the angel Gabriel and recited the
verses found in Koran 96:1-5. It reads, In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Read
in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read and your Lord is Most
Honorable, Who taught (to write) with the pen Taught man what he knew not. At first,
Muhammad shared his new revelations with only his family and close friends. During the next
three years, however, the message of Muhammad quietly spread among the people of Mecca,
especially among the youth. Then Muhammad is said to have received instructions from Allah to
go public with his message and openly condemn the paganism and idolatry of Mecca. This open
condemnation of idolatry became an economic threat to the prosperity of Mecca, and as a
consequence, organized opposition to Muhammad and Islam began. At this early stage, Islam
was politically weak, and many Muslims would be killed for their faith. Persecutions became so
great that many Muslims fled to Ethiopia for refuge. Muhammad continued to proclaim his
message, and his following slowly increased. At one point, in 621, a group of delegates from
Medina responded to his call and made a covenant with Muhammad and declared themselves to
be Muslim. A year later, some seventy people from Medina made a similar declaration and
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pledged to fight in order to protect Muhammad against any and all enemies. This covenant from
some who were leaders of Medina was a turning point for the religion of Islam. It provided
Muslims with a secure base of operations and allowed them to expand from it. Muhammad
commanded the Muslims in Mecca to migrate to Medina. And after some struggle, Medina was
declared to be wholly a Muslim community. For thirteen years, Muhammad had preached in
Mecca with little success. And, up to this time he had complied with a quiet, nonpolitical
approach and merely preached he beliefs. Now, however, his tactics changed. He established
himself as both a religious, political, and a military leader. Under his guidance, the community of
Muslims became more important than family or tribe. Islam then began to be spread through
intimidation and force. Entire tribes and cities were “converted” under threat of war or by
conquest. This success led to greater successes. Then in the year 630, eight years after he had
been forced to leave Mecca, Muhammad returned with such an overwhelming force that the
people could make no resistance. Muhammad’s forces destroyed all the idols of Mecca, and
declared the Kabah to be the place of worship for Allah. With the conquest of Mecca, Islam
became the force of power on the Arabian peninsula. Tribe after tribe, and city after city declared
allegiance to Islam and to Muhammad its prophet. Frankly, they were given no choice. Either
convert or die. Muhammad returned to Medina and continued to rule his kingdom from there.
Muhammad died in 632 at the age of sixty-three. In just twenty-three years he established a
political, religious and social order that continues to spread around the world today. Islam spread
as a social system, a political system, and a religious system and it was spread by force. That was
its philosophy in the beginning, and it is still the philosophy of Islam today. Make no mistake
about it, Islam converts by force and resistance means death to the infidel. And because of this
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militance and this violence Islam claims as much as one fifth of the world’s population as
loyalists. My good friends, one of the lies’ of the Islamic religion is that it claims to be a united
religion with no divisions; however, one does not have to be a shrewd observer to realize that
Islam is, in reality, fragmented into many different branches [or denominations], some of which
are militantly hostile to each other. There is no unity among Muslims as they would have us
believe. Two of the more prominent groups, the Shiites and Sunnites had their origins around
660 over who were the legitimate descendants to Muhammad. Other sects have followed
throughout the years. The Muslim world today is as fragmented as Protestant
denominationalism. With the end of the colonial system imposed upon the Arab nations by the
west, Islamic states were given their autonomy. And, with the wealth from the sell of oil from
these countries, Islam as a religion is again being successfully spread by violence, intimidation
and force all over the world today. But getting back to the founder of Islam, Muhammad; he
claimed to have received supernatural visions and revelations from Allah (which is the Islamic
name for God) through the archangel Gabriel. He claimed to have received 114 to be exact.
These visions and revelations were recorded and written down into what is called the Koran
(which is the Arabic term for “the recitation”). The Koran is the holy book of Islam.
Muhammad claimed he was the true and final prophet chosen to restore true religion and the
praise of Allah throughout the world. Ladies and gentlemen, in order for us to understand the
basic history and beliefs of Islam, there are some religious terms that must be defined. We need
to know what the word Islam means. Islam is the name of the religion which came out of the
revelations and teachings of Mohammed. Islam is the Arabic term for “submission.” Also, we
need to understand what the word Muslim means. Muslim is the name given to one who adheres
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to, or who follows the religion of Islam. Muslim means, “one who submits.” A Muslim is one
who submits to the will of Allah as revealed by Muhammad. Remember these visions were said
to begin during the month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month in Islam’s lunar calendar.
During this time Muhammad claimed Allah, through the angel Gabriel, first spoke to him and
this is when Islam had its start. Muhammad continued to have visions and revelations and soon
began to claim he was restoring the true religion of Abraham, Moses and Jesus, which had been
corrupted. The Koran records Abraham as saying, “This am I commanded, and I am the first of
the Muslims.” The religion of Islam claims to be the true religion of God. It not only claims that
Abraham was a Muslim, but that Jesus was also a Muslim. Let me read to you what supposed
holy men of Islam have written about Jesus. In commenting on the prayer of Jesus in the Garden
of Gethsemane recorded in Lk. 22:42 where he said, Father, if it is your will, take this cup
away from me; nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done. Here is what the Muslims say
about this. “The common thing observed from the above verses is: Jesus (peace be upon him)
prays to the Lord to save him from the anticipated persecution at the hands of the Jews; yet not
as Jesus wishes but as the Lord wills. Do you realize what Jesus is stating at this moment? He
subdues his wishes and submits himself to the will of Allah. In other words, Jesus declares his
Islam, submission, at that moment . . . A Muslim is one who has submitted to the will of Allah.
Islam means submission (to the will of Allah), while it also means Peace. Thus, by declaring his
submission to the will of Allah, Jesus declared himself to be a Muslim . . . Jesus, as also the
other prophets before him, called themselves ‘Muslims’ . . . Belief in all the messengers of Allah
is a basic requirement to be called a Muslim. Allah tells the Muslims in Koran: ‘Say ( O
Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed
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unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and that which Moses and
Jesus received, and that which the Prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction
between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered.” Now, after quoting from the Koran,
he concludes: “Thus Jesus practiced Islam.” My friends, sources today indicate that Allah was
in fact one of the 360 idol-gods worshiped by some Arab tribes. Allah was originally a mood god
to the Arabs, and when Muhammad proclaimed Allah as the only god, he encountered a great
deal of opposition in Mecca, and this was the reason he and his followers had to flee to Medina. I
mentioned a few minutes ago that Islam is a divided religion, with its various sects or
denominations. This is why we are hearing talk of fundamentalists and moderates within Islam.
You see the fundamentalists make a literal interpretation of the Koran, the Muslim holy book.
But the moderates take a more liberal view of the Koran. By far most of the Muslim world are
fundamentalists. The founder of Islam, Muhammad, was buried in Medina. This is a known
historical fact, but Muslim tradition tells a different story. They claim Muhammad went to
Jerusalem on a white horse where he ascended into heaven from a rock that is now enclosed in
the Dome of the Rock (or the Mosque of Omar) on Mt. Moriah. This is why Jerusalem is
considered a holy place for Muslims.
I. What is involved in becoming a Muslim? Current Mullah’s and Muslim holy men say there is
no ceremony, or no ritual, involved when a person wants to become a Muslim. All one has to do
is to believe and say: “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.” But after
saying this, the person is then obligated to do all the duties of Islam. And, my friends, we must
remember that the word Muslim means, “one who submits.” Islam, basically, offers the world
two choices; the Koran (conversion) or the sword (death). According to the teaching of the
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Koran, conversion to Islam can be either by persuasion or by force. Ladies and gentlemen, as we
look at and evaluate the current hostilities we must remember and understand that the spread of
Islam throughout the centuries has been carried out largely on the battlefield. Islam has been
advanced by the widespread use of war, torture, and force. Islam has swept over the world
slaughtering Jews and Christians alike. Islam is a fighting religion. Conquest is a religious duty
in Islam. The Koran urges Muslims to take up arms against the “infidel,” which according to
them is anyone who is not a Muslim. The Koran specifically says: “When ye encounter
unbelievers, strike off their heads until ye have made a great slaughter among them, and bind
them in bonds.” In another place it says, “those who fight against you, kill them wherever ye
shall find them . . . You Allah are our protector. Give us victory therefore over the infidel
nations.” Therefore, “kill thine enemy” is the practical teaching of Islam. Ladies and gentlemen,
I am aware that Muslim clerics in this country have condemned the attacks against America by
those who claim that the west is the “Great Satan.” However, my friends, their words are
intended for public consumption only, and they are void of truth. Islam is not a peaceful religion,
instead, it is a religion of force and violence. Jesus said in Matt. 5:44 I say to you, love your
enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who
spitefully use you and persecute you. Contrast this with the Koran, the holy book of the Muslim
faith. The Koran in Surah 2:190-191 says, “Fight in the cause of God, those who fight you, but
do not transgress limits; for God loveth not transgressors. And slay them wherever ye catch
them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out: For tumult and oppression are
worse than slaughter; But fight them not at the sacred Mosque unless they first fight you there;
But if they fight you, Slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith.” We have been
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hearing for some time now the word “Jihad.” At times we hear it in the context of a militant
organization but most often we hear it in the context of a holy war. Because of the violence
associated with Islam, most non-Muslims fear the word Jihad. And the reason Jihad strikes fear
in the hearts of non-Muslims is because of Islam’s fanaticism with war. Whenever there are men
who are willing to kill themselves along with their enemies in a Jihad there seems to be good
rationality for that fear. Whenever we see the carnage that occurred on September 11, Jihad
appears to be senseless and unstoppable. Ladies and gentlemen, let me assure you that the fruit
of my study indicates there are good reasons to be concerned about Jihad, a holy war waged by
Muslims against all non-Muslims. Remember the Koran tells Muslims to slay them wherever ye
catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. Yet, despite what the Koran
says and notwithstanding the murder of millions in Muslim holy wars throughout the centuries,
American Muslims today attempt to alleviate this fear of Islam by saying that westerners do not
really understand the Islamic concept of Jihad. They will assert that Jihad is really the personal
and individual struggle to overcome those things in one’s life that Allah would have eliminated
from their life. This assertion is partly true, but it is not the exclusive use of the term Jihad. My
friends, remember this. The heart and soul of Christianity involves evangelism. That is, to be a
follower of Christ is to attempt to convert the lost to him. This was the aim of the Lord’s great
commission. Matt. 28:19-20 records these words of Jesus. Go therefore and make disciples of
all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age. How is this effort to win followers to Christ perceived by the
Muslim religion? I’ll tell you how any effort to convert a Muslim to Christ is viewed by Islam. It
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is viewed as an aggressive act of war. This is why in countries governed by Muslim clerics it is
against the law and punishable by death to preach Christ. Now, this isn’t what the clerics in
America will tell you. They will cleverly cloak their rhetoric in falsehoods in order to keep from
us what they would do if they could somehow gain power. Their view of evangelistic
Christianity is clearly set forth in a book written by a Muslim named Ahmed Deedat entitled,
Crucifixion or Cruci-fiction. Deedat said “In the battle for the hearts and minds of mankind,
‘cruci-FICTION’ is the only card the Christian holds. Free him from his infatuation and you will
have freed the Muslim world from missionary aggression and harassment.” Now, do not miss
this. He said that any attempt to convert a Muslim to Christ is aggression and harassment. This,
then, my friends, gives Muslims reason to wage a holy war or Jihad against us. And, it is true
that Muslims believe that to die in battle against enemies of Islam is to immediately gain
paradise! The Koran states in Surah 47:4-8 “Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight),
smite at their necks; at length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on
them): thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its
burdens. Thus (are ye commanded): but if it had been God's Will, He could certainly have
exacted retribution from them (Himself); but (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with
others. But those who are slain in the way of God, He will never let their deeds be lost. Soon will
He guide them and improve their condition. And admit them to the Garden which He has
announced for them.” The Koran is, in many ways, to the Muslim what the bible is to the
Christian. It is the final authority in Islam. It is the recordings of all the visions and revelations
that Muhammad was supposed to have received directly from Allah. These revelations in the
Koran are believed by Muslims to have come to Muhammad over a period of 23 years. The
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Koran is divided into 114 “Surah’s” or chapters and contains many quotations and references to
the bible. And, remember this my friends, the Koran offers a religion that relies upon methods of
violence and force. It contains a doctrine of holy wars that gives motivation to political
revolutions and assassinations which have produced wars and tragedies unimaginable throughout
history. What we are witnessing in America and throughout the world today is simply what the
religion of Islam is about. The Koran offers a theology that is distinctly anti-Christ. Islam
claims to venerate the writings of all the supposed great prophets of the world, yet the Muslims
definitely exalt and honor the so-called “prophecy” of Muhammad, in the Koran above anything
the Scriptures or any other religious writings have to say. Muslims believe that Muhammad is
the prophet who fully revealed the final truth and they will not compromise that belief. A leaflet
prepared by the Institute of Islamic Information and Education states [and I quote],
“Muhammad is the very last Prophet of God to mankind. He is the final Messenger of God. His
message was and is still to the Christians, the Jews, and the rest of mankind. He was sent to
those religious people to inform them about the true mission of Jesus, Moses, David, Jacob,
Isaac, and Abraham.” The leaflet continues, “Muhammad is considered to be the summation
and the culmination of all the prophets and messengers that came before him. He purified the
previous messages from adulteration and completed the Message of God for all humanity. He
was entrusted with the power of explaining, interpreting, and living the teachings of the Koran.”
Muslims believe that all mankind must be brought into subjection to the teachings of the Koran
in order to experience peace and blessing. And, violence, destruction and intimidation are tools
to be used in bringing this about. At first glance, to the general public, Islamic belief appears to
be almost compatible with Christianity. Often people claim that the Muslims believe in the same
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God as Christians. It is often said that Christians, Jews, and Muslims are worshiping the same
God - but in different ways. Muslims have capitalized on this misconception and now urge
Christians and Jews to worship the one God (Allah) with them, and work together for solutions
to the world’s many social problems. And, in the modern spirit of tolerance and compromise
many are falling for this idiocy. My friends, let me tell you something. I do not [let me say
emphatically - I DO NOT] worship and serve the same God worshiped by Muslims. God of the
bible is not the Allah [god] of Islam. The Koran is not a companion to the bible. It is false
doctrine filled with lies. Based on the Koran, Muslims believe in one god (Allah), but not the
Trinity [or Godhead]. They do not believe that the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit is God.
They believe [or say they do] that Jesus was merely a prophet, but that he certainly was not the
Son of God. They do not believe that Jesus is the savior of all mankind. They do not believe that
Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. They certainly do not believe no one comes to the
Father except through Christ. Muslims believe that Jesus prophesied that Muhammad would
come as the final spokesman of God. One modern Muslim cleric wrote this unbelievable
declaration. He said, “The utterances of Jesus have been supportive of and predicting about the
rise of Muhammad, and through him the belief Islam and the believing nation of Muslims, to
which his followers are required to join. In John 16:12 & 13, Jesus says . . .” And he then
quotes, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when
he, the spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth . . .” So, to the Muslim the
promise of the Holy Spirit was - in truth - a promise of the coming Mohammad. Let me state
again, the god of Islam and the Koran is not the God of Christians and the bible. Muslims might
[and I say this with caution] but Muslims might happen to believe in some of the same things
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Christians believe in, but that does not mean there is any room for compromise. Muslims believe
in the resurrection of all (including animals), they also believe in something they call a final
judgment, and eternal punishment. However, their beliefs are not bible based, instead they have
placed a false definition upon these things. When you carefully study the bible and compare it
with the teachings of the Koran, it becomes obvious that the god of Islam is not the God of the
bible.
CONCLUSION:
A. And with this, I must close for today. Be sure to tune in next Sunday morning at 7 as we again
Search the Scriptures. Also, stay tuned for some important closing announcements. Until next
time, for the Danville church of Christ, this is J.R. Bronger saying goodbye for now.