WHAT IS ISLAM?

In this month's issue we are taking on the subject of Islam and how it is being packaged today for universal acceptance. The latest offspring fits the bill of the coming together in unity of all denominations including "Christians", Judaism, Islam, Buddhists, Hindus and etc.. It always amazes us when we look at the finished product, how the Holy Spirit brings the information together to show us why it applies and why we need to know to protect ourselves from these movements.
They use the Gospel but their definitions are different which is not discernable without some understanding of what they mean and how they apply it. Another layer has been placed over Islam to fill the vacuum created for new definitions that apply to all. What the unity movement is looking for, are concepts that all can agree on.
The prayer to God in Congress is now "People of Faith, unite us." Congress alternates different religious leaders over time so all different denominations including Rabbis find acceptance. It reminds me of the World Council of Churches. The meeting was opened with a reading from the Quran by a Muslim leader, directed by a Catholic, now Cardinal, in Rome and attended by most denominations. All religions have faith of one kind or another. The changes are very subtle and sound so right but end up to be the fatal deception for born again believers. We are beginning by describing Islam, it's history and its belief and where it is today. How can the unity achieved.
Islam Arabic, = submission to, or having peace with God, the religion of which Mohammed was the prophet an adherent of Islam is called a Moslem or Muslim [Arabic = one who submits].
It is the latest of the three monotheistic religions. The first two are Judaism and Christianity.
Islam is the principal religion of much of Asia, several provinces of China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Arabian states. It is also practiced in Turkey, Albania, and Bosnia, throughout Europe and the Americas, as well as much of the USSR in Asia. The religion also prevails in Egypt, Ethiopia and Central Africa. (See the Columbia Encyclopedia p. 979, 980)
Islam has made great strides in America since the 1950s when the Encyclopedia states that the United States did not have any Muslims. Their devotion is to the Koran, which is to them a revelation of God to Mohammed. God's name in Arabic is Allah. Muslims believe God keeps sending new prophets and Mohammed was the latest one in the 1950s. There are apparently several a new prophets who have taken Mohammed's place, which I will discuss later. It contradicts Islam's teaching, that Mohammed is the last one. They claim when the world falls away from Mohammed, the world will end.
According to Muslim teaching, Abraham was the father of the faithful, the first Moslem. According to Muslims, Jesus was not crucified but substituted with someone else in his stead. Instead he was taken up by God and left a shadow. Jesus is considered to be just a prophet along with Abraham.
Any discrepancy between the three faiths is due to misinterpretations by Christianity and Judaism. Muslims praise and glorify God alone. Faith and works are one and the same thing. They pray five times a day by prostrating themselves continually. When they pray they face Mecca. Muslims give alms generously. In some places Islam is a state religion. They fast on certain days and must make a pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj). In a Muslim state, only Muslims are really citizens. Non Muslims are aliens, are not allowed to serve in neither office nor the Army and they must pay special tax.
Their religious law covers the whole individual. Muslim thought is distinct UNITY tends toward legalism, rationalism and mysticism. Islam came into existence in 622 AD. The greatest cause is to be fighting for the faith because they go to paradise. On the other hand conversion by the sword are no conversions.
ISLAM HAS TREMENOUS APPEAL AS A UNIVERSAL RELIGION. There is a political advantage to it. UNITY IS A POTENT POLITICAL IDEAL. (See Ibid. pp.979, 980)
Bahaism is an offspring of Islam, a religion founded by Baha Ullah and led by his son Sir Abdul Baha Bahai (1844 - 1921) It has affinity with Shiite Islam, Sufism and Gnosticism. It teaches that GOD CAN BE KNOWN THROUGH MANIFESTATIONS. Their prophets include Abraham, Moses, David, Christ, Mohammed, the Bab, and Baha Ullah. THEY BELIEVE IN UNITY OF ALL RELIGIONS IN UNIVERSAL EDUCATION, IN WORLD PEACE, AND IN EQUALITY OF MEN AND WOMEN. An international language is advocated. Emphasis is laid upon simplicity of living and upon SERVICE TO SUFFERING FELLOWMEN. The teachings spread across the world in the 20th century. (See Ibid. p.136)

IS THERE A BRIDGE BETWEEN ISLAM AND CHRISITANITY?

One billion, two hundred million Islamic and Christians are tired of colliding and wish to find common ground. Bill Baker, a Christian, had a book published recently titled: "More In Common than You Think." Dr. Robert H. Schuller, founder of the Hour of Power television ministry, promoted the book. Dr. Schuller interviewed the author during worship service, which raised my blood pressure to say the least. The two men introduced a new organization named CAMP that will be coming to your city as well as throughout the world. Who is CAMP? Christians and Muslims for Peace is what the name means. Their pursuit is one of a coalition between Christians and Muslims to serve a God of ALL men in UINITY for the sake of peace, freedom, justice and moral values. Notice this word: I - slam. To Islam it means peace through submission to the will of Allah.
"Say, we believe in Allah and in what has been revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and in what the prophets received from their Lord; we make no distinction between any of them." (Holy Quran 2:136)
Mohammed did not create Islamic religion according to the author. He is a PROPHET LIKE JESUS WAS. If Jesus was not the Son of God but merely a prophet, we are dealing with an unbiblical Jesus. The Muslims have a "Holy of Holies" just as the Jews did in the Old Testament. In Mecca is a cube-shaped building, which is called "Holy of Holies" for Muslim pilgrims.
According to Muslim Scripture, the angel Gabriel communicated the words of the Quran to Muhammed, an Arab.
Before Islam existed, pagans used sanctified black stones for blood sacrifices. Tribes of Arabia created their own gods and animism that all nature possesses sacred powers and is inhabited by spiritual forces. Muslims retain the old practice of touching and kissing the black stone. (Does this remind you of the United Nations sanctuary where they worship?)
According to the author, Muhammad had no intention of founding a new religion. He wanted Arabs to worship one God same as Christians and Jews. The Jews did not accept Islam nor convert to the NEW religion. Islam spread like wildfire after Mohammed's death. People conquered by Islam were called Dhimmis and Jews and Christians "People of the Book." Dhimmis were permitted to retain their own religions and had to pay a special tax.
The Quran is supposed to bring people closer to Allah. It is to Muslims the infallible Word of God. To trivialize it is to do the same to God. Hadith and Sumah are additional writings revered by Muslims. Allah is the Syriac and Arabic name for God "il" was the original Babylon name. Hebrews used "El" Elohim. Arabic Il-ah, in English Allah. The goal was for men to come to a position of worship of ONE GOD OF ALL MEN AND NATIONS. According to Islam, Allah is the same Jehovah, Elohim, of Judaism and Christianity.
Muslims carry "worry beads" likened to the Rosary. Subha is prayer thread of thirty beads and a tassel enabling a Muslim to recite ninety-nine names of God. Understanding the unity of God helps us understand how Islam transcends all diversity, racial and ethnic and no separation between church and state.
The five pillars are the foundation: witness, prayer, fasting, purifying possessions by giving and the pilgrimage to Mecca. The five phrases are repeated 20 times a day. They believe in God, in angels, sacred books, prophets and a Day of Judgment and resurrection. Muslims are all equal and stand in identical simple unsewn robes of white cloth. (Much of this reminds me of the Mormonism and their temples)
Quran contain portions of the Torah and New Testament. Islam do not allow veneration of prophets, Apostles, Saints or other human beings.
Many hostile acts occurred between Roman Catholics and Islam. They declared was against Islam. The author wrote that he as a Christian was taught that Muslims reject Jesus Christ and that Muslims claim that they cannot be Muslims unless they love, honor and respect Jesus.
In trying to explain that Islam believes what Christians do, they spoke of Mary. "She said: How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am chaste. The angel replied "even so, Allah creates what He wills; when he has decreed a plan, he only says to it "Be and it is." (Surah 3:47) The author quotes Luke 1:34,35 which refers to the Holy Spirit. Islam does not include the Holy Spirit in their religion. Muslims have a high regard for Mary.
"Appoint him a messenger to the children of Israel, with this message: "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it becomes a bird. By Allah's leave I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead." (Surah 3:49-51) In their teaching Jesus is the son of Mary, not the Son of God. To convince the reader that Islam believes what Christians believes he quotes the Bible but it doesn't line up with the their teaching.
The single greatest difference between Islam and Christianity is that Islam rejects the crucifixion and Deity of Christ. By supporting the Islamic faith which Dr. Billy Graham, Dr. Robert Schuller and the President do, they identify with this same belief.
Muslims cannot accept the fact that God would reduce Himself to be executed and crucified by mere men. Instead they teach that the "Sonship" and crucifixion of Jesus were assumed later. They believe a substitute was nailed to the cross. They teach that Jesus was simply taken up by God like Elijah.
The present craze over angels feeds into Islamic beliefs. They believe that angels minister to the needs of mankind and that they accompany us throughout the journey of life. If we test that by asking: when angels deliver messages to people in flesh from God, whom are they serving: people or God?
At the final judgment Muslims will be judged on all their deeds. Good deeds will outweigh the bad. They don't believe in original sin. Man is born innocent in their belief. Rewards must be achieved. The "Breath" or "Spirit" God breathes into us has us born innocent. Believing that, they have no need for a savior. Their God is not the God of the Old Testament, a God who is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever
The hardest area for Islam to live down is the Jihad. It is short for "Jihad fi Sabeel Allah." "Those who believe, and suffer exile and strive with might and main, in Allah's cause, with their goods and their persons, have the highest rank in the sight of Allah: they are the people who will ACHIEVE SALVATION." (Surah 9:20) Non-Muslims misinterpret this verse. What it is supposed to mean, "struggle in God's cause." The real Jihad is the warfare against the passions.
The Islamic Invasion refers to the explosion of Muslim migrants throughout Europe and the US. Over eight million Muslim are in the United States. Iranian leader Mohammed Khatami, the moderate cleric who heads Iran's theocratic government, a Shiite Muslim, told the Roman Catholic Pope John Paul II that he hope the two monotheistic faiths could join to inspire a more equitable world order in which Islamic nations are treated by the West as full partners. He kissed the Pope on both cheeks surprising everyone. (Midnight Call, September 1999)
Germany is considering changing the church tax system. Germany's churches have a 54.8 million members and bring nearly $9 billion in U.S. dollars each year. Their Catholic and Lutheran churches have lost millions of members to the ecumenical movement that has resulted in reduced income. The churches in Germany are positioning toward what seems to be unification into a single state church. Ultimately the tax has to be paid and has been renamed "cultural" tax. (Midnight Magazine, October 1999)
Hillary Clinton hosted a Muslim holy event in the White House recently to show their support of Islam.
The organization CAMP, Christians and Muslims for Peace, meet in each other's homes for dialog and to help the poor. They seek reconciliation. There are CAMP Seminars given throughout the United States and the world. Even though they claim we have a lot a lot in common, we do not have a thing in common. Their God is a different God. Their Jesus is a different Jesus - even their angels are different angels. THEIR MESSAGE TO THE WORLD IS NOT ABOUT SALVATION.

AMERICANS FEEL FREE TO LOOK FOR SPIRITUAL WISDOM THAT APPLIES TO "NOW" IN MANY DIFFERENT TRADITIONS WHICH OPENS THE DOOR TO ISLAM

"Muslim nations are pursuing "a clear program of expansion and re-conquest" of Europe," an Italian bishop told a Vatican synod. Oil-rich nations are using their money "not to create jobs in poor countries of North Africa and the Middle East but to build mosques and cultural centers in Christian countries," said 72-year-old Giuseppe Bernardini, who lived in Muslim-dominated Turkey for 42 years, according to Reuters.
..."Thanks to your democratic laws, we will invade you. Thanks to our religious laws, we will dominate you," a Muslim leader once told him, Bernardini said in a letter to the Synod of European Bishops. "One can believe, because the domination has already begun." He said Islam has become the second largest faith in Italy and that mosques have been built in several cities. A $50 million mosque in Rome was financed by 23 Muslim nations, with $35 million coming from Saudi Arabia.
...Bernardini called on the pope to convene a special synod to address the issue. John Paul II has attempted to foster better Muslim-Christian relations and has visited several Islamic nations, including Morocco, Tunisia, and Sudan, preaching a message of religious tolerance. He has asked Muslim nations that forbid Christian worship to afford equal rights to all.
Religious police invaded two Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, house churches and arrested 40 Christians Oct. 8. Police ransacked the houses and confiscated Bibles, money, and other personal belongings, International Christian Concern said. All but 13 people have been released. The Christians were forced to sign a document admitting they violated Saudi laws and promising not to attend religious meetings, ICC said.
...The names of the two house churches are Jesus is Lord and Shalom. The 13 Christians held at Riyadh's Malz prison are Renato Caraan, Cesar Lacierda, Rollando Cubangbag, Loepoldo Co, Daniel Caballero, Rogel Bernabe, Nelson Ventura, Fernando Tagadtad, Lope Arcella, Emmanual Derecho, Rogelio Maon, Maximo Havanera, and Arnold Garcia.
...The raids came shortly after Saudi officials allowed evangelistic meetings in an auditorium outside Riyadh, ICC said. More than 1,000 people of various nationalities attended the October crusade, five services preached by Morris Cerrullo. The event was unprecedented in Saudi Arabia, where Christian worship is forbidden, ICC's Steve Snyder told Religion Today. Christians came away encouraged and spiritually enthused by the services, he said.
Eastern Orthodox theological students will mix with their Catholic and Protestant peers at England's Cambridge University. The Institute for Orthodox Studies is part of the Cambridge Theological Federation, which includes Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, and United Reformed theological schools, Ecumenical News International said. The Orthodox institute is one of only a few that educates its students in an interdenominational setting.
...The experience will make students "not worse Orthodox, but strengthened by experiences that will challenge them," Canadian-born Orthodox priest John Jillions said. The program has the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, spiritual leader of the world's 300 million Orthodox Christians. Three full-time students include a South Korean nun and two men from Greece and India. Mixing with students of other branches of Christianity will benefit everyone, Jillions said. Western Christians will gain a better understanding of Orthodoxy by mingling with the students, he said.
The minister who first challenged teens to ask "What Would Jesus Do?" doubts the nationwide fad is a good thing. "I think it diluted the message. People were wearing these bracelets who didn't even understand what it meant," Janie Tinkleberg told Knight-Ridder news service.
...Tinkleberg, assisted by an advertising executive in her church, developed and distributed the now-famous "W.W.J.D" bracelets to teens in her youth group. Religious and secular marketers picked up on the idea and millions of the bracelets have been sold in the past several years. The fad is dying down and that's a good thing, she said. "I want this to fade so it will end up where it belongs - back with people wearing them who know what these little nylon bracelets really mean."
...Buddhists are jumping on the bandwagon. A new book, What Would Buddha Do?, offers Buddhism's answers to 105 daily dilemmas. "What would Buddha do about coffee addiction? He'd switch to tea," the book says. "How would Buddha deal with road rage? He'd steer away from anger." A person need not be a Buddhist to read the book, marketer Bryce Willet said. "Americans feel free to look for spiritual wisdom in many different traditions. They use different spiritual practices they find meaningful."

THE CONFUSING WORLD OF ISLAM
By Fred Grigg

In Australia there is a large and growing Muslim population with more than 100 centres of Islam established around the country! Many Australians are succumbing to the Moslem and his proselytising and are converting to the Islamic faith. This is not unique to Australia as Islam is in many western countries now the fastest growing religion.
Beginnings: Muslims claim that their Islamic faith began in the 7th Century, when Christ, when he was God, whose real name is Allah, supposedly gave mankind a new religion through the man Muhammad, who is now revered by millions as being the Holy Prophet. Islam is thought of by its followers as a perfect religion' which combines the basic truth of all religions and enjoins it with new truths, thus making it the most complete faith system. It is regarded by its followers as "The Universal Religion". The name Islam means peace', therefore peace with God'. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim, which means "obedient to God and peace-loving". Obviously, to the reader quite a contradiction in the light of what has been occurring in the Middle East in the latter half of this century!
Central Teaching: The core of Islam is found in the Muslim's statement, "THERE IS NO GOD BUT ALLAH AND MUHAMMAD IS THE MESSENGER [or prophet] OF ALLAH". To acknowledge the supposed truth of this statement, and then to profess it publicly is to enter into the fold of Islam.
Beliefs: The following is a list of the main teachings of Islam:
God is one and everlasting
Angels are God's agents, working at his command and that the angel Gabriel is the Holy Spirit
Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, Confucius, etc., were all sinless prophets in their time
The chief of all prophets was/is Muhammad
The Bible books of Moses, the Psalms of the Gospels; also other religious texts Vedas, the Zend-Avast as, etc., were all inspired by God, they were originally pure, but no longer intact. The basic truths of all these writings have been incorporated into the Quran, the Muslim "Bible", although in the West it is more commonly known as the Koran.
The Quran is claimed, by Muslims, as being 100% the Word of God - but only if it is written in Arabic! Other language translations of the Quran are not acceptable as the true meaning is said to be lost in the translating.
There is life after death and a Day of Judgement for all people
There is a Heaven, which is called Paradise, and there is a Hell. Hell is said to be a reformatory, for in the end all will be with Allah in heaven.

DUTIES OF A MUSLIM

There are five times in each day that certain prayers are required to be said by the faithful.
It is a requirement to fast and not eat food during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan each year, for it is the Islamic Holy Month.
Moslems are required to give alms to the poor. The legal requirement is to give one-fortieth of their income.
To journey to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, as a pilgrim at least once in their lifetime to engage in ceremonies and rituals around the Ka'ba Shrine, the most sacred shrine for Muslims in the world. The pilgrimage to Mecca is an essential part in gaining, or obtaining salvation.

FEATURES OF ISLAM

Islam teaches equality of all races believing that all men are equal in the sight of God. Islam believes that it has the solution to the world's economic problems. Islam prohibits its followers from gaining interest on capital that is invested, thereby facilitating the equalising wealth. It is a religious duty for both males and females to acquire knowledge of their faith.
Islam does not allow the partaking of alcohol, drugs, or anything that may cause addiction. The only exception to the rule is for medication given to treat illness.
Sin and Salvation: Sin is punishable, but Allah forgives it. A sinful deed can be atoned for by a good deed. Therefore the Moslem sees himself as being righteous if he feels his good deeds far outweigh the bad.
Jesus Christ: Islam teaches that Jesus Christ was born fatherless like Adam. Some Muslims say Jesus did not die on the Cross, that someone else died in his place. Others say he only fainted. He recovered and left with his mother and travelled through Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan, and took final refuge in Kashmir, India, where he died at the age of 110 years!
Jesus Christ, to the Muslim, is just another great prophet. They acknowledge that he was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles such as giving sight to the blind, healing lepers, and raising the dead. Some Moslems believe that Jesus is called the Messiah and that he will return to earth to fully establish Islam. Some call Jesus 'the Word of God' and, 'the Spirit of God'. However, Jesus is not seen as the Son of God, or as the Saviour. For someone to equate anyone with Allah, to the Muslim, is blasphemy, which is the unforgivable sin.
The Second Coming: Jesus' second coming was promised by Muhammad. Since Jesus died the Messiah can only be another person coming in the power and spirit of Jesus. To add to their confusion the Ahmadiyya Movement, a small sect of Islam, believes that the Messiah has come. His name was Ahmad, and he was born in Qadian, India, in 1835!

THE MAIN SECTS OF ISLAM

The Sunnis: After the death of Muhammad, a power struggle developed, as different factions within Islam vied to be Muhammad's successor. Four schools of thought emerged which were;
The Malikis - The Hanafis - The Shafi'is - The Hanbalis.
Each of these schools accepted the Quran, the Sunna (or practice of the Prophet), and the four bases of Islamic Law, or Shari'a, which are: the Quran - the Hadith -the Ij'ma (the consensus of the Muslim community) - the O'yas (the use of logical reason).
Those who accepted these four bases of thought came to be called the Sunnis, who make up about 90% of today's Islam world of around 900 million people.
The Shi'a: The Shi'a Muslims regard themselves as people of `appointment and identification' because they differ with the Sunnis over leadership. Their leader is appointed by what is called "The Cycle of Initiation" which was supposedly introduced by Muhammad himself. It is their belief that their leader, or IMMAM, be invested with the qualities of the inspired and infallible interpretation of the Qoran. Their first Immam was Muhammad's cousin, adopted son and later son-in-law, by marriage to his daughter Fatima. The Immamis are supposedly in direct descent from this line.
They believe that the "cycle" will be completed with the "Messianic return of the 12th Immam". He is said to have withdrawn in the 3rd century of Islam, but still gives `Guidelines' to his agents on earth. These agents are known as the MUJTAHIDUN, or the doctors of the law. The most respected of these are the AYATOLLAHS of Iran. The Ayatollahs are the only ones to have the right to interpret the law and to make religious rulings.
There are two offshoots of the Immamis. Firstly, there is the Saudis, who mainly live in Yemen, and do not limit the Immamis to being twelve (12) in number. Secondly, there are the Isma'ilis, who have developed secret teachings regarding the Immam. Within the Isma'ilis are also two groups, vis: the Mizaris, who look to the well known 'playboy' the Aga Khan as their Immam, and the Musta'lis, also known as the Bohora Muslims, who believe in a hidden Immam.
The Iraqi and Iranian War: For most of the 1980's a relentless war raged between these two neighbouring Muslim countries. This war lasted so long because in the Iranian's Muslim mind there could only be one outcome, victory for the SHI'A! The use of conventional weapons and indiscriminant use of chemical warfare resulted in an enormous loss of manpower by both countries - Muslim killing Muslim! Officially, the war is now over and world leaders are seeking a permanent solution. However, what now exists can only be described as a nervous truce, policed by a United Nations. Prisoners of war have been exchanged by both sides and territory that was disputed seems to be no longer an issue.
The writer believes that the only reason for the present cease-fire situation is that of economics and Iraq's Saddam Hussein's recent unsuccessful invasion of and the occupying of Kuwait! The war Iran-Iraq war was claimed by the Iranians to be a JIHAD, or a holy war, that had to be fought to a conclusion. Peace was not negotiable claimed both sides. Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini, now deceased, believed that he was leading a struggle "between Islam and all infidels". All who are not Muslims are considered as infidels. He has taught his followers, as their Immam, that "the USA is the mother of all infidels" and is "the Great Satan".
Islamic Prophecy: Just as Christianity has its problems dealing with prophecy, so too have the Islamic people. The now deceased Ayatollah Khomeini believed that he alone had the task of bringing to pass the fulfilment of an ancient Islamic 'prophecy' that was given about 800 years ago! That prophecy stated that in the time of the end, the SHI'A, led by the IMMAM MAHDI (who many Muslims believed Khomeini was) in an uprising in which they would overthrow the less militant SUNNIS, and thus establish the Shi'a as the leaders of Islam in the world.
Incidentally, Ezekiel 38:5 mentions Persia and Libya, along with other nations, as being in an alliance that will come against Israel. It has been interesting to see the Muslim nations of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan, who are not Shi'a, lean towards Israel in recent times. The reason, as the writer sees it, is one of self-preservation. These nations do not wish to be dominated by the harsh laws of the Shi'a. Israel, with one of the most efficient and highly trained military machines in the world today, has become the target of the Shi'a, yet, if she remains strong she is the hedge that other Islamic countries need to be able to maintain their independence from the more militant Shi'a.
Allah: Unlike the God of the Bible, Yahweh, has done nothing for man that has cost him something.
THE ISLAMIC RELIGION MAKES NO REAL PROVISION FOR THE ATONEMENT OF SIN. SALVATION IS NEVER SURE, and the product of that uncertainty is a works' emphasis, that motivates the Moslem to always seek to do good deeds. True Christianity is the revealing of God to man. Islamic theology is revelation FROM God, but not the revelation of God! Therefore ALLAH, the god of Islam, does not offer the Moslem a personal relationship with himself. The Quran never uses the word 'father' when speaking of God. The God of Islam is impersonal and motivates his people by emphasising judgement, to the exclusion of love, thus using fear as the motivator, rather than permitting and extending grace.
Muhammad: Islam's founder based his teachings on what has proven to be untrue and inaccurate interpretations of the Bible. Much of his teachings in the Quran are based on revelations' which he initially believed to be demonic in origin.
Conclusion: A note of caution to the Christian who would witness to the Muslim. One should avoid condemning Islam, or speaking badly of Muhammad. Remember, even though wrongly taught, the Muslim believes in a one true god and in his laws. In the heart of every true Muslim is a fear of God. Most Muslims have a sense of sin, but no conviction of same.
The Holy Spirit is the chief agent in winning anyone to Christ. In witnessing to the Muslim try to forget their, at times militant and un-Christian ways, and treat them as human beings who are lost and in need of a Saviour. Your words will be judged by your character, your witness and conduct will speak volumes to them. Build on the truths that he already knows, and most importantly bear in mind that all Muslims, like most people will respond to love.
Notes
Books of reference used in compiling the foregoing:
The World's Religions, by Lion
So What's The Difference? by Fritz Ridenour, Regal Books, Revised Edition,' 1979
The Cultic Phenomenon, by Daniel Markham, Albatross Books, 1987
Larson's Book of Cults, by Bob Larson, Tyndale, 1982
Introduction to Islam, by Dr Muhammed Hamidullah, IIFSO, 2nd Edition 1983, Malaysia
Islam in Focus, by Hammudah Abdalati, IIFSO, 1983, Lebanon
Islam the Misunderstood Religion, by Muhammad Qutb, Delhi
The Koran, A Translation by N.J.Dawood, Penguin Books 1983
The Koran, A Translation by George Sale, Warne, London

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