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 DOCTRINES AND TEACHINGS

  1. Allah is the one true God.
  2. The Qur'an  -  most important of the scriptures (The mother of all books)
  3. Muhammad is the last and greatest of the prophets. The seal of the Prophets
  4. Jesus is the sinless prophet, but  considered neither the greatest prophet nor  deity
  5. Adam was the first prophet (Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Jonah, Aaron, Solomon, David  and Jesus to name a few)
  6. Abraham was the first messenger
  7. Parts of the Bible are accepted; Jews and Christians are considered people of the book, but only the Qur'an is considered uncorrupted.
  8. There are angels and demons; the ruler of the demons is Shaitan (Satan)
  9. There will be a day of judgment, a resurrection, and a heaven and hell
  10. Salvation is man's responsibility; it depends on a man's actions and attitudes and not God's grace.
  11. The Five Pillars
    1.  Recitation of Islam's Creed  (The Shahadah)                                                                There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet"
    2. The practice of prayer  (Salat)                                                                                      Praying 5 times a day facing Mecca
    3. The practice of giving money to the poor  (Zakat)                                                                         A tax on of one's income and holdings. Currently about one-fortieth
    1. The pilgrimage (Hajj)                                                                                                           Everyone must travel to Mecca at least once during their lifetime if physically and financially able. 

 

  1. The Holy War (Jihad: Striving) Often added as the sixth pillar. There are two forms of Jihad
    1. The “Greater Jihad”- Subjugation of your heart to the will of Allah. The internal struggle for righteousness.
    2. The “Lesser Jihad”- Subjugation of the infidel to the religion of Islam – Holy War
    3. Violence is advocated in the Qur’an - Sura 9:5; Sura 48:16; Sura 5:33, etc.  Sura 5:33 reads: “The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His Messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or exile from the land.”
  2. Good Works                                                                                                                                        The rewards are great for good deeds.  If you have more good than bad, you may have a place in paradise. Sura 32:29  God’s mercy gives optimism but no certainty of Paradise.
  3.  

 One God – Are they the same?

“…We believe in the Revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; our God and your God is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam). Surah 29:46

Allah

Jehovah

One God

One Triune God  (Mt. 2:15-17)

Changes

Never Changes (Heb. 13:8)

Untrustworthy
No such thing as a right or wrong principle.

Always Just (Deut. 10:17, Romans 2:11)
He must punish every sin (Is. 53)

Transcendent – Unknowable, untouchable

Personal – Knowable, became a man  (John 17:3)

Reveals his will

Reveals Himself  (John 14: 9,10)

Gave and abrogated the Qur’an

Gave and preserved the Bible  (

Above personal interactions

Initiates personal fellowship   (John 1:18)

Unlimited – can do anything, anytime, any reason

Limited by Nature (Titus 1:2, Heb 6:18, 2Tim 2:13)

Conditional love  (S. 3:134, 140,146,148)

Unconditional love  (John 3:16

Expects sacrifices for sin

Became the sacrifice for sin  (Romans 5: 6,8)

Salvation by good deeds – maybe

Salvation by Grace – absolutely  (Eph. 2: 8,9)

Teases with the hope of  Paradise

Assures a place in Heaven  (Jn 1:12

 ARE ALL MUSLIMS THE SAME - THE ISLAMIC SPLIT

  1. Sunni (“Consensus”)
  2. Shi’ite (“Partisan”, dissenters)
  3. Variations

 Contradictions in the Qur’an 

Believers w/ good works will go to Paradise (S30:15)

No one is guaranteed a place in Paradise
(S 6:125,S 7:178-179, S32:13)

Pray facing Qiblah in  Jerusalem (from Mecca)

Pray facing Qiblah in Mecca from Medina (S.2:142)

The earlier revelations from Mecca appear to be more accommodating to Christians and Jews.

  • Sura 109: “…To you your religion, to me my religion.
  • Sura 15:45: “We well know what the infidels say: but you are not to compel them.
  •  Sura 43:88 -- 89: "and [Mohammed] says, ‘O Lord, these are people who do not believe. Bear with them and wish them peace.’ In the end they shall know their folly.”
  • Sura 2: 256: "there is no compulsion in religion.”
  • Sura 29:46: “And argue not with the People of the Scripture …and say: We believe in that which hath been revealed unto us and revealed unto you; our God and your God is One, and unto Him we surrender.
  • Sura 42:15b: “… Unto us our works and unto your works; no argument between us and you.  Allah will bring us together, and unto Him is the journeying.”
  • Sura 5:82: Thou wilt find the most vehement of mankind in hostility to those who believe the  Jews and the idolaters.  And thou wilt find the nearest of them in affection to those who believe those who say: Lo! Weare Christians. That is because there are among them priests and monks, and because they are not proud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attitude and tolerance changes toward Christians and Jews in the later (Meccan) era.

  • Sura 22:9: "as for the unbelievers [now refers to Christians and Jews], for them garments of fire … and shall be poured over their heads boiling water whereby whatever is in their bowels and skin shall be dissolved into and shall be punished with hot iron rods.
  • Sura 47: 4: "when you meet the unbelievers, strike off their heads: then when you have made wide slaughter among them, carefully tie up the remaining captives.
  • Sura 5: 75: “ they surely are infidels who say, "God is the third of three"; for there is but one God: and if they cannot refrain from what they say, a severe punishment shall light on those who are unbelievers.”
  • Sura 5:51: “believers [Muslims], do not take Jews or Christians as friends. They are but one another's friends. If anyone of you takes them for his friend, then he is surely one of them.
  • Sura  5:56-64: “all believers, do not take as your friends the infidels or those who received the scriptures before you [Jews and Christians] and who scoff and jest at your religion, but fear God if you are believers. Nor those who when you call them to prayer, make it and object of mirth and derision. This is only because they are people who do not understand. Say: “People of the Book: isn't it true that you hate us simply because we believe in God, and in a what he has sent down to us, and in what he has revealed to others before; and because most of you are evildoers?”
  • Sura 9:29,30: (S 5:82; 9:30; 22:17)
  • Sura 2:61: “wretchedness and baseness were stamped on them [that is, the Jews] and they drew on themselves the wrath of God. This was because they disbelieve to the signs of God and slew the Prophets unjustly, and because they rebelled and transgressed.”
  • Sura 4:160,161: “because of the wickedness of certain Jews, and because they turned many from the way of God, we have forbidden them good and wholesome foods which were formally allowed them; and because they have taken to use three, though they were for betting that: then have cheated others of their possessions, we have prepared a previoextsus punishment for the infidels among some.”
  • Sura 30:31: “… be  not of those who ascribe partners (Trinity) unto Him”

 

 

Religion of peace
No coersion in faith  (S.4:15)

Islam means “submission” in Arabic
Salaam is the word for “Peace” in Arabic
       (same root word, different meaning)
Muslim is one who submits to Allah
Therefore:
 Islam is said to be the “way to Peace” because you can only find peace in submission to God.

 

Sura 9:5 - “Fight and slay the pagans (i.e. infidels) wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of   war.”
Sura 5:33 - “The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His Messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or exile from the land.”

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