I remember driving down Interstate 20 West in Atlanta. I was returning a U Haul truck I rented to move some new furniture. As I stopped at the Shell station to ensure that I refilled the tank, I heard the news flash on the radio........" apparently there has been a plane that struck the World Trade Center." I instantly thought it was a small prop plane that was misguided causing minimal damage. I left the Shell station and continued to the U Haul center and then another flash................................."a second plane has struck the World Trade Center, the Twin Towers are greatly damaged and the smoke can be seen 20 miles away. I quickly dropped off the truck and hurried home to turn on the CNN program. When I turned it on, I saw the Towers billowing with smoke, and suddenly.......... crumble to ground zero.
Soon those responsible for the attack claimed to be Islamic extremist that had declared Jihad on the infidel America. Osama Bin Laden became a household name, and the religion called Islam became as curious as if a UFO had landed on the White House lawn.
The religion of Islam has tendered much interest and inquiry. We see a proliferation of Islamic culture being embraced by America. It is common to see citizens with names like Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Khalid, Muhammad Ali, Rashaad, Nazi Muhammad, Abdul Shareef. Within most metropolitan areas you can find several mosque, and persons wearing traditional Islamic attire. What is Islam? What is the core teachings and beliefs of this religion?
We at BARC would like to provide a concise and capsuled overview of Islam and answer the most important questions concerning Islam.
1. What is it's origin?
2. What does it teach?
3. What is the origin of the Koran?
4. Is Islam compatible with Christianity?
5. Is Mohammad a prophet of God?
6. Is Louis Farrakhan a friend or foe?
We at BARC must say that we love all Muslims, and pray that they will perceive God clearer, and obtain eternal life through Jesus Christ!
ISLAMIC STRUCTURE & COMPOSITION
Islam is a major religion in the world with over 1.4 billion adherents. Most Christians understand very little about Islam and are apprehensive to share their faith with them. The shahada "There is no God but Allah" is declared daily by Muslims. Islam is divided into two major traditions. Sunnis are by far the largest group, comprising about 80% of all Muslims. The rift was originally caused by who would succeed Muhammad. Since Mohammad failed to appoint one before he died, the Sunni's contended that one should be elected.
The Shiites on the other hand insisted he should come from the bloodline of Mohammad. The Shiite strongly feel that Ali, Mohammad's cousin should have been the rightful successor.
Another faction of Islam is Sufi, the Sufis are a mystical sect found within Shiite and Sunni branches. They focus on a personnel relationship with God. The roots of Sufis stemmed from Muslims protesting the secularism of the other sects and desired a more conservative mode, even adopting the clothing and and manners of Syrian Christian monks wearing the 'suf', thus the term 'Sufi's.'
Islam operates by the calendar of the moon, thus the crescent moon being it's symbol. Islam recognizes three holy cities, on top is Mecca, then Medina, then Jerusalem. In Medina, the Koran revealed the Shari'a, the Holy law of Islamic theocracy. The legal teachings of the shari'a in their essentials, guide Muslims to this day. The eight components of the shar'a consist of Umma (faith in Allah vs. tribal bloodlines), Justice (being merciful vs. eye for an eye), Manumission (being merciful to slaves and servants), Right to life (not killing children and babies), Marriage ( women marry Muslim men only, polygamy was permitted), Adhan (call to prayer), Quibla ( direction of prayer), Toleration ( tolerate and allow other religions).
Islam rest on five precepts, Shahadah (witness and submission to Allah), Salat (prayer), Zakat (giving alms), Sawm (fasting), Hajj (pilgrimage).
HISTORY OF ISLAM
The history of Islam can be traced to Mohammad an Arab born in Mecca around 570 A. D. He died in 632 A.D. He claimed to be the prophet to restore the true religion and praise to Allah.. Just as they teach Jesus was only a prophet for His time. Mohammad means' the one who is praised.' Muslim means 'one who submits', Islam is a term that means "submission'. Koran means 'recitation' referring to revelations Allah gave to Mohammad. Caliph is an Arabic term for 'deputy' Ayatollah refers to a spiritual leader in the Shiite sect. Allah is defined as 'the unique God who possesses all the attribute of perfection and beauty in their infinitude.
At first glance Islam appears to be compatible with Christianity. Many believe that Muslims believe in the same God as Christians, they just don't accept Jesus Christ deity. The biblical doctrine of the Trinity is also rejected by Islam. Muslims desire is to submit to the point where he can hold back the judging arm of Allah and inherit eternal life in an earthly paradise of gluttony and sexual gratification. Muslims have no concept of God as a loving and compassionate Father.
To the Muslim God is not only a harsh wrathful God, even though he is those things too. The Koran mentions only two verses that describe God as Loving and compassionate. However, there is no verse or evidence that God has any love or compassion towards mankind. To the Muslim God has no likeness, is transcendent, is unknowable. He is neither spirit or physical. To the Muslim Allah does not resemble his creatures (mankind) in any way.
The Muslim prophet Mohammad was born to Abdullah near the western coast of Arabia. He died two months after Mohammad was born, and to Aminah who died when he was six. Mecca was a large commercial city known for the Ka'aba (cube) a building famous for it's 360 idols containing images of the moon god Habul, al-Lat, al-Uzza and Manat and the Black Stone. Mohammad's family was relatively poor of the Quarysh tribe. It was the patriarch of that tribe Fihr who Muslims claim to be the descendant of Ishmael and an inheritor of God's promise to Hagar in Gen. 21:18.After the death of his mother, he was sent to live with his grandfather, Abd-al-Muttalib, who provided a Bedouin foster mother for him, Halimah, and was raised in the desert. After the death of his grandfather at age eight, he returned to Mecca to live with his uncle, Abu Talib.
At age twenty five, Mohammad married a wealthy forty year old widow, Khadijah after she proposed to him. Mohammad remained with Khadijah for twenty five years and had two sons, who died in infancy, and four daughters. After Khadijah died in 620 A.D. Mohammad then married a widow of a disciple and a seven year old named Ayisha. His seventh wife was his ex-daughter in law by the time of his death he had twelve wives and two concubines. Interestingly, Sura 4:3 limits the number of wives to four, and and 4:31 prohibits marriage to a daughter-in-law.
Mohammad died on June 8, 632, after his death Islam successors wrested power and conquered Iraq, Persia, Syria, Egypt, Tripoli, India, Sicily. In Africa Muslims under the rule of Almoravids pillaged the capital of Ghana. Nubia and a few small Christian nations survived until the 1500's.
Muslim and Non-Muslim Relations
Apparently when Mohammad started his new movement, he encouraged nonbelievers to freely consider Islam. Sura 2:256 say's; Let there be no compulsion in religion. Later he seemed to have a much harsher stand. Sura 9:5 say's; Fight and slay the idolaters whenever you find them, and besiege them, and lie in wait for them. Jews and Christians are 'people' of the book, but that does not mean that Mohammad had a high regard for them. In Sura 5:41 Jews are called people "who will listen to any lie" and Christians are enemies!!! (Sura 5:14) and Muslims are not to have Christians or Jews as friends. The Pact of Omar, written around 637 A.D. by Christians under Caliph Omar, essentially imported most religious rights to the control of Muslims. They agreed not to repair churches, to display crosses on churches, not to preach to loudly, especially when Muslims were around. They agreed not to bear arms. The penalties of not submitting to Muslim authority resulted in severe penalties.
Many were burned alive or hanged, many were just cast down off buildings. Islam has a long history of persecution directed at Christians and non Muslims. There is the record of 50,000 Greeks and Armenians massacred in 1822. Then there was the 10,000 Armenians and Nestorians murdered in 1850. History records 11,000 Maronites and Syrians murdered in 1860, another 15,000 Bulgarians in 1876. They killed 325,000 Armenians from 1895-1908.During the year of 1909 Muslims killed another 30,000 Armenian Christians. Eighty percent of the Armenian population of 1.5 million was exterminated between 1915-1918. Muslim leader Idi Amin Dada killed 300,000 fellow Ugandans in the 1970's. Black Christians in North Sudan were starved and sold into slavery by Arab Muslims in the eighties and nineties.
Persecution against Christians can be chronicled occurring in Libya, Nigeria, Tanzania. In 1990 it was believed that there were 400,000 Christian slaves in Mauritania. In 1994 Iran began a campaign of persecution against Christians, especially the Assemblies of God. Even the more moderate Saudi Arabia forbades importing a Bible, Christian evangelism, and converting a Muslim are considered capital offenses. It is fact that atrocities have been committed by Christians. The behavior of it's adherents don't validate or disqualify a religion. However, within the structure and admonitions of Islam, killing and persecuting Christians is a spiritual practice.
ISLAMIC BELIEFS
Allah, the God worshipped by Muslims can be traced to to lliah, the South Arabian moon God. Allah derived from the popular deities in Mecca, lliah, Lat, Uzza, Venus and Manat.
Allah, is defined by Muslims as Absolute unity. The God of the Bible is defined as Plurality within unity.
In Islam man is 'good by nature', the Bible claims man is 'sinful' by nature .
To the Muslim, Jesus is a mere prophet, did not die on the cross, did not rise from the dead. The Bible describes Jesus as both God and man, that Jesus died on a cross and rose from the dead.
Islam believes salvation is by works, the Bible teaches that salvation is by grace through faith.
Islam believes the Bible is corrupted, Christians believe the Bible is inspired of God.
We at BARC find it interesting that Mohammad is exalted and revered by Muslims, and Jesus is not.
When you research the contents of the Qur'an (Koran) it tells a different story about Jesus and Mohammad. The Qur'an say's that Mohammad was sinful, not born of a virgin, he was never called Messiah, was never addressed as 'Word of God'. He performed no miracles. He did not ascend into Heaven. Jesus on the other hand is described in the Qur'an as perfect, without sin, born supernaturally of a virgin, one who performed miracles. The Qur'an say's Jesus was the 'Word of God', and ascended into Heaven.
The sincere Muslim must consider the very book they embrace as Allah's word, esteems Jesus above Mohammad in every area.
The Muslim lives his or her life by strict sacraments, They must abide by the Adhan, call to prayer daily. Then the Muslim must Salat, (pray five times a day). While praying five times daily the Muslim must perform the Qibla, facing toward Mecca, where the Ka'aba resides.
The Muslim must daily observe the Shari'a, and then is forbade from gambling, drinking, or eating pork. No ham, no bacon, no Jimmy Dean sausage, or ribs. At this juncture we at BARC must say, Muslims are to be applauded to abstain from such tasty entree's. Muslims are also required to give to the needy. Their submission to Allah by the Zakat is attributed by the giving they perform. Every year during the month of Ramadan Muslims are required to fast from sunrise to sunset beginning on the first day of that month, commemorating the first month that the Qur'an first began to be written. And finally at least once during your lifetime, a Muslim had to make the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Muslim desires to go to Heaven where he can live forever in excess of foods, and sexual orgies, or not perform all the required daily abstinences and mandates and spend eternity in hell.
CRITIQUE OF THE QUR'AN
Muslims claim to trust and believe in five books, 1. The Suhuf (Scrolls) 2. Torah 3. Psalms 4.The Gospels of Isa (Jesus) 5. Qur'an.
Since the introduction of the Koran (Qur'an) into the world in 610 C.E. the Muslim world has proclaimed it to be a superior new revelation that replaces the Bible. The Muslims state that it is more reliable than the Bible since it was a recitation by a man from God. The Muslims consider the Bible to be corrupted, and the Qur'an sublime. The Muslims say, "the Koran is an exact copy of the words of God which are inscribed in the Celestial Plate. "Thus it is inerrant !" In the tradition of other divinely revealed books (Torah, Psalms, Gospels). It supersedes them because it was not corrupted by man. Indeed, only the Qur'an was collected so promptly and meticulously after it's prophetic completion. Muslims go on to claim that the Qur'an is a revelation that cannot be imitated. They claim that it came by a messenger the angel Gabriel. That it provides Muslims at all times and in all places with direction in religious and civil duties. It guides them to the straight path.
The testimony within the Qur'an says, God gave us the BOOK (Qur'an) with the TRUTH, confirming the scriptures that preceded it. He already gave us the Torah and the Gospels for the guidance of men. Sura 3:3.
The Qur'an also say's that the Holy Spirit brought the book down your lord in truth to reassure the faithful and give them guidance.
We at BARC are respectful of the diligent Muslims that practice and submit to the teachings of the Qur'an. However, we are alarmed at many of the unfounded and hollow claims of Islam. When testing the authenticity of documents the older revelation is to be held to if the newer one contradicted it or failed to fulfill it. By way of example, the Mormons claim that the Book of Mormon is a new revelation from God, but it contradicts the Bible, as well as commit false prophesies. The Bible say's that there is one God, the Book of Mormon say's there are millions. The Bible say's that Jesus was born in Bethlehem the Book of Mormon states Jesus was born in Jerusalem.
This is clearly a case where the rule stands, If a new revelation contradicts the older revelation, the new one must be rejected!!!!
The new revelation (Book of Mormon) must be rejected since it contradicts what God said in a confirmed previous revelation. We arrive at the same conclusion concerning the Qur'an. We first, challenge the Muslim claim that the Bible is corrupted. The God of the Bible say's heaven and earth will pass away, but his word will never pass away (or be corrupted) Mark 13:31. The God of the Bible said in Galatians 1.8 that if any one even an angel comes and preaches any other (new) message that was different or contrary to what was already preached by the apostles was to be rejected. Jude inspired by the Holy Spirit said, the Gospel {God's message to man} has already been once and for all times delivered to the saints (Jude3). Revelation 22 proclaims, that nothing else is to be added to God's word.
The Bible unlike the Qur'an is replete with prophecies that could not have been fulfilled through chance, good guesses, or deceit. The Bible is filled with detailed prophecies and accounts of Jesus life. The prophesies would have been impossible for Jesus to conspire to fulfill. His birth place predicted (Micah 5:2-3) . His crucifixion (Psalms 22:16) The fact of gambling for His garments. The piercing of His side (Zechariah 12:10). In sharp contrast prophetic confirmation of the Qur'an is conspicuous by their absence. The Qur'an is riddled with factual errors. Most importantly is its denial of Christ resurrection. Sura 4:157 say's; They killed Him not, nor crucified Him, but so it was made to appear to them....for of a surety, they killed him not.
This is critical, for the resurrection of Christ is the most established facts of human history. Even in this age of scientific enlightenment, there is a virtual consensus from liberal and conservatives alike that Jesus died on a Roman cross. These facts are corroborated by archeology , history and items such as Pilots Stone, the burial grounds of Caiaphas. The Qur'an not able to disprove facts of the crucifixion claims that Judas was a Jesus look alike and was crucified in Jesus place. The Qur'an is filled with ethical inconsistencies, most notably its treatment and inequality of women Sura 4:3, 33:50, 4:34.
Muslims say that the Qur'an was recited or spoken directly to Mohammad so that there was no possibility of error. That premise sinks by the fact that HUMAN BEINGS HAD TO WRITE IT IN ARABIC!!! Muhammad had to recite to scribes because he couldn't read or write. The scribe had to recite it back to Muhammad for verification, thus creating a dependency on two human memories to retain the alleged words of God. The Qur'an even submits it's self to the human practice of abrogation. By abrogation we mean that men can change the Qur'an anytime they desire. What the scribes alleged to have memorized was futile, for those words and Sura's are changed today. The Qur'an that is read today is quite different from what Mohammad originally presented. Mohammad even changed the Qur'an to permit marrying your daughter in-law after he married his, 'Things that make you say huh?'
The Qur'an originally discouraged wine, but you were at liberty to drink it. Then it was changed to condemn it only before prayer, and then finally forbade it totally. Sura 2:219, 5:90.
Islam used Tafseers, to act as jurist in scientific, historical, and transmission of Koranic revelation. So the truth is: 'Far from being an inerrant document it has been handled by biased hands, placing it's self as a replacement for God's Holy Word. The Bible say's we are founded upon the doctrine of the apostles and the prophets (past) and Jesus was the Chief cornerstone. If a future person came along claiming to be a prophet with a new revelation, God's people were warned we were already established by the teachings of the past apostles and prophets. Mohammad claimed the angel Gabriel gave him the new revelation, this is impossible. The Bible states that {all angels} including Gabriel were subjects of Jesus in 1 Peter 1:22. Hebrews 1:6 reveals that God told Gabriel to worship Jesus. Gabriel told John on the Island of Patmos that he had the testimony of Jesus, and that the essence of truth is revealed by Jesus is the spirit of all prophecy [the vital breath, the inspiration of all inspired preaching and interpretation of the divine will and purposes of God.
It is a lie, Gabriel would never be the transporter or courier of a document, revelation that discredits and demotes Jesus of his Deity. Furthermore, Jesus would never send Gabriel to deliver a perverse document that contradicted His complete and sufficient word.
Muslims claim they follow the teachings of the Torah, Psalms, and The Gospels, however, that is not true. If they followed the Psalms and the Gospels they would have given jurisprudence to the things written concerning the deity of Christ ! Psalms speaks about Christ crucifixion and deity. Matthew calls Jesus God with us! John 1:1 said that Jesus was God in the beginning. John 10:33 said that Jesus was God in human form. John 20:28 records how Thomas called Jesus Lord and God! John 8:58 records how Jesus was the I AM (or ever existent one). The truth is, for the Muslim, the Qur'an has superseded the Bible, therefore obscuring the fact of Christ deity.
The Qur'an is filled with legalism that contradict the New Testament. Romans 14 and Colossians 2; tells God's people that there are no legal restrictions on eating foods. The Qur'an contradicts God's word. The Bible say's we're saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Qur'an say's it's by works and deeds. Imagine if you will, if President Bush called a news conference to announce that he was declaring war on North Korea, and had deployed ten divisions and four battle groups. Soon thereafter, Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. calls a news conference and states that we are not going to war, we are only monitoring events occurring in Asia. Who would you believe? Muslims are asking the world to put confidence in the words of a prophet who didn't have the authority of Jesus, nor the credibility of his life.
Muslims have accepted the shallow baseless conclusion that the Bible is corrupted. How many Muslims have performed a complete examination of the inerrancy of scripture? Few, If you have not done so, please read that portion of this site.
Barc would like to highlight an area that we find problematic with the Qur'an. It is the Islamic prerogative called abrogation, a legal term referring to the destruction or annulling of a former law by an act of the legislative power. Sura 2:100;106 say's, And for whatsoever verse we abrogate or cast into oblivion, we bring one better or like it. Islam considers this substitution, progressive revelation.
If the Qur'an is the eternal speech of God, why does it need to be altered, modified? Is Allah confused? Is he like humans and makes mistakes concerning His will? The Bible is so different than the Qur'an, the Bible does not change alter or abrogate, it fulfills.
If the Qur'an can be abrogated, we run into several theological problems.
1.The Qur'an cannot be trusted because it contains 'divinely inspired' contradictions. How can we be certain that what his will is today won't change tomorrow?
2. How can we have confidence in the Qur'an concerning Mohammad being the last prophet? Abrogation allows the possibility that it can change and announce another prophet with entirely contrary revelations.
3.If God can abrogate His eternal speech, then we can't be confident concerning our eternal souls.
4. If abrogation is valid, it taints God. He has cast divine revelation beneficial for mankind into oblivion, or he is not good or all knowing to have to make a deletion.
5. If the Muslim God is not consistent, then his creatures have no foundation for morality and ethics. Morals must be absolute, universal and invariant, or we would be autonomous, lacking divine standards.
In summary of the Qur'an, we respect all Muslims who uphold it above the Bible and look to it for a guide for their daily religious practice. However, we have concluded from our research, it was not revealed by the Holy Spirit or Gabriel, as claimed. The Qur'an disqualifies it's self as a modern revelation from God, because it contradicts the Bible Muslims claim is from God. It's system of morals and sacraments reintroduce legalism and ordinances that Jesus nailed to the cross, according to Colossians 2 . The God of the Qur'an Allah is a derivative of the pagan gods of Mecca. Finally the origin is later than the Bible and is filled with Eastern and Jewish tradition. This confirms it was birthed from the hearts of men, consistent and ripe for the culture.
The Qur'an includes Jihad, as a condition of faith, and early Muslims believed it was their sacred duty to murder anyone who would not embrace the one true faith (Islam). Contemporary Islam is much more moderate, however, there are several factions that talk of it being one of the essentials of the Islamic faith.
Nation of Islam
Nation of Islam is a branch of unorthodox Islam, they are known as 'Black Muslims' or 'The Nation of Islam.' We at Barc won't commit much space to this aspect of Islam for it is relatively minute, confined to the inner cities of Black America. Briefly, The movement was derived from a group called the Moorish-American Science Temple in Newark, New Jersey in 1913 by one Timothy Drew. Wallace Fard Muhammad, a white magician from New Zealand had been arrested and served in San Quentin for selling heroin, then finally moving to Chicago and then Detroit. Once there he met one Dwight Poole who changed his name to Elijah Muhammad. Fard was embraced as God (Allah in human form) by black Muslims, and Elijah was the messenger of God.
The members grew to over 300,000 under Elijah, chiefly due to his installing Malcolm X as his national minister. Malcolm X and The Nation, preached, black supremacy, and that whites are blond haired blue eyed devils. The Nation advocated segregation and independence from whites. The dietary, and five pillars of Islam were adopted, but synthesized it's teachings towards a downtrodden and discriminated black American culture.
Elijah Muhammad fathered several children from young Muslim girls and was succeeded by his son Warith Muhammad after his death. In 1977 the Honorable Louis Farrakhan broke away from the new movement and maintained all of Elijah's original beliefs. Today you can still see many members of the movement selling the ' Final Call' newspaper. The Final Call is primarily a publication that informs of organizational events, views, and provides a source of solicitation. The hard racist stance that Farrakhan once held has been quite tempered over the last ten years.
It was common to see him on television berating the white Jesus, black Christians attending churches versus the Muslim mosque. He surrounded himself with men such as Khalid Abdul Muhammad who, called Barbara Walters a white Jew witch. He was notorious for calling black leaders, uncle Toms. He praised the murder of of eight white people on the Long Island train in the nineties, and spouted a hail of anti-semi-tism towards Jews.
Today, Farrakhan has perfected the art of spiritual camouflage. He uses every biblical term. He speaks of Jesus, God, heaven, salvation, speaking very much like the classic black preacher. He speaks very little of black supremacy, or searing claims of whites being devils. When we see the presentation of him today, he appears to have shifted in order to be more appealing to mainstream blacks. The hard line platform that was tailor made for a more overt racist sixties is not appealing today. As a result, he is being embraced by so many in the black church. You find so many pastors sharing pulpits with him, providing their facilities to his events. We at BARC love Louis Farrakhan, and stand with him against bigotry, hatred, racism, social injustice, and police brutality. We share in his call for financial independence and overcoming illiteracy and poverty among peoples of color. However:.........................
We at BARC are not asleep concerning Farrakhan's strategy. He is attempting to win supporters and then unveil his venomous Islamic positions.
Has Farrakhan ever denounced the proclaimed prophet Mohammad?
Has he denounced his affiliation with Islam?
Has he denounced the Qur'an?
Has he stopped observing the ordinances of Islam?
Is he a member of any recognized Christian body?
Does he have a testimony that he was saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ?
Has he testified that Jesus was God, and the Bible is the only inspired book? I don't think so!
Islam is a false and sometimes socially dangerous religion that has done little for mankind. When you look at the total results of what the Islamic world has produced economically, socially, morally, it is a far cry from what God promised through Christ. May the Muslim be free from the daily system of works, hoping that their efforts will be good enough.
I pray they find peace, true joy and LOVE that is only through the God of the Bible and His Son Jesus Christ. The one who paid the price for your sins on Calvary.
Mohammad is dead, he didn't pay for your sins. Jesus did, and He is alive today. I challenge any Muslim to study His word, call on His name through prayer and repentance, He'll answer you and write your name in Heaven. And you will live with Him eternally.