Sermon for Sunday October 7th, 2007

The True Islam by Scott Coltrain

Matthew 7:15-7:15




On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001 nineteen men affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners in the New York region. Two of the airliners were flown into the World Trade Center, one was flown into the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In addition to the nineteen hijackers, 2973 people died; another 24 are yet missing and presumed dead. It was the most deadly domestic attack by an outside foe in our Nation’s history. All nineteen of the hijackers were Islamic; or, that is to say, they were Muslims.

Six days after the attacks, President George W. Bush spoke at the Islamic Center of Washington, DC and said: "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don’t represent peace. They represent evil and war."

Three days later, in the US Capital, President Bush addressed a Joint Session of Congress and the American people and asserted: "The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists, and every government that supports them."

Thus, quickly after 9/11, the President made it clear that he believed that the terrorist attack had nothing to do with the teachings of Islam but that - even though the act was done in the name of Allah - the terrorists were inspired by a belief-system that was contrary to the true Muslim Faith.

A year after 9/11, President Bush still promoted his belief -

"All Americans must recognize that the face of terror is not the true faith -- face of Islam. Islam is a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. It’s a faith that has made brothers and sisters of every race. It’s a faith based upon love, not hate."
President George W. Bush Holds Roundtable with Arab and Muslim-American Leaders
Afghanistan Embassy, Washington, D.C.
September 10, 2002

"Islam is a vibrant faith. Millions of our fellow citizens are Muslim. We respect the faith. We honor its traditions. Our enemy does not. Our enemy doesn’t follow the great traditions of Islam. They’ve hijacked a great religion."
Remarks by President George W. Bush on U.S. Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan
Presidential Hall, Dwight David Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Washington, D.C.
October 11, 2002

"Islam, as practiced by the vast majority of people, is a peaceful religion, a religion that respects others."
Remarks by President George W. Bush in a statement to reporters during a meeting with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan
The Oval Office, Washington, DC
November 13, 2002

The question is: which person is telling the truth - President Bush or Osama bin Ladin? Bush and many others say Islam is a religion of tolerance, love and peace. Osama bin Ladin says that he and his followers are the true followers of Islam and that they best represent what it means to be a good Muslim.


Today, I want to explore the true nature of Islam by looking at what is actually taught within the Scriptures of Islam - the Quran. I want us to have a better understanding of the beliefs of what is the fastest growing of the world’s major religions.
First, there is no dispute that the so-called ‘Five Pillars of Islam’ are the foundation of Muslim life:

SHAHADAH or DECLARATION OF FAITH.
The Declaration or Testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “There is no true God but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger (Prophet).” The significance of this declaration is the belief that the only purpose of life is to serve and obey Allah, and this is achieved through the teachings and practices of the Last Prophet, Muhammad. This Declaration of faith is a simple formula which should be said in order to convert to Islam. The Declaration of faith is the most important pillar of Islam.

SALAT or PRAYER
Salat is the name for the obligatory prayers that are performed five times a day. Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform. Prayers are said at dawn, mid-day, late-afternoon, sunset and nightfall. The worshipper bows his head toward Mecca in Arabia while praying.

ZAKAH or CHARITABLE GIVING
An important principle of Islam is that everything belongs to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. Possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need and for the society in general. Each Muslim calculates his or her own ‘zakah’ individually. This involves the annual payment of a fortieth of one’s capital. A person may also give as much as he or she pleases as voluntary alms or charity.

SAWM or FASTING
Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations with their spouses. Although the fast is beneficial to health, it is regarded principally as a method of spiritual self-purification.

HAJJ or PILGRIMAGE
The Annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca is an obligation once in a lifetime for those who are physically and financially able to perform it. About two million people go to Mecca each year, especially during the twelfth month, from every corner of the globe. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes which strip away distinctions of class and culture so that all stand equal before God.

These are the ‘Five Pillars of Islam’. It is now important for us to examine more closely the First Pillar - the Declaration of Faith - to get a better understanding of the doctrinal assertions of Islam. Before doing that, let me tell you how Islam came to be:

Muhammad was born in AD 580 in the city of Mecca in Arabia. He was orphaned very early in life which meant that he was shuttled between various family members. He was first a shepherd but later worked as a merchant. As a merchant, with his traveling caravans, he came into contact with Jews and Christians of the Mideast. He heard a little of the teachings of the Bible. He was fascinated with the Judeo-Christian idea that there was one God and that this one God had spoken truth through Moses, the prophets and Jesus Christ. This was quite different than the abominable pagan polytheism of the Arabs.

At age 26, Muhammad married a rich widow with whom he started raising a family of six children. Because he was financially comfortable, he was able to increasingly retreat to the solitude of the mountains to meditate and reflect alone. It was during one of these retreats, when he was age 40, that he had a couple dreams. In one of the dreams, he said a supernatural being told him, “You are the Messenger of God.” He awoke convinced that the angel Gabriel had revealed to him a message from Allah, or God. He shared these experiences with his close family and friends and they encouraged him to accept his calling.

Three years after the first vision, Muhammad started preaching the revelations publicly, proclaiming that “God is One”, that complete "surrender" to Him (lit. islâm) is man’s religion, and that he was a prophet and Messenger of God, in the same vein as Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.
Muhammad and his followers proclaimed that he was not the creator of a new religion, but the restorer of the original, uncorrupted monotheistic faith of ancient Judaism and early Christianity. He was the last and greatest in the series of prophets that God had sent. The revelations became the writings of the Quran and they were to supersede the Bible, which was corrupted they claimed.

At first, Muhammad and his core followers met with stern resistance and severe persecution by their fellow Arabs. However, as his followers increased so did his military power and he found that the threat of the sword did wonders to convince individuals, tribes and entire cities to convert to Islam. Muhammad told his followers that Allah sanctioned military attacks upon the Arabs who rejected Allah and His new Messenger. By AD 630, he was in control of all Arabia. He died in AD 632. Those who led the movement after he died, took Islam through-out the Mideast and North Africa - often by sword if not by persuasive preaching. The rest is history.

For the remainder of our time, let’s examine some assertions made by Muslims regarding their religion-

ALLAH THE GOD OF THE BIBLE?
Muhammad claimed that Allah is the God of the Bible. However, Muhammad claimed that the doctrine of the Trinity was Satanic. The Allah of the Quran is but one person as compared to the Biblical doctrine that there is but one God but is three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

[5.73] They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One Allah. If they desist not from their word of blasphemy, verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.
[4.48] Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed.
[4.171] O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was no more than a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not "Trinity": desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: far exalted is He above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.

According to Muhammad, to claim that God the Father has a begotten Son and that the Son is Jesus Christ makes one worthy of Hell.
[112.1-4] Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begettest not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.
[23.91] No son did Allah beget, nor is there any god along with Him.
[3.58-59] This which We recite unto thee is a revelation and a wise reminder. Lo! the likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then He said unto him: Be! and he is.
[5.72] They do blaspheme who say: "Allah is Christ the son of Mary." But said Christ: "O Children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Whoever joins other gods with Allah - Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help.
[9.30] The Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old. Allah Himself fighteth against them. How perverse are they!


ISLAM BELIEVES IN THE BIBLICAL JESUS?
Muhammad taught that Muslims should think highly of Jesus as a former Messenger or Apostle of Allah. However, the Jesus presented by Muhammad was not Divine but a mere man.
[4.171] O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was no more than a messenger of Allah.
[3.84] Say O Muhammad: “We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and that which was vouchsafed unto Moses and Jesus and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Allah do we bow our will in Islam."
[5.75] Christ the son of Mary was no more than a messenger; many were the messengers that passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their daily food. See how Allah doth make His signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the truth!

In saying that Christ Jesus was just a Messenger, it not only means that He was not Divine but that He was not the Savior of the world. In fact, Muhammad denied that Jesus was crucified. In stead, Allah sneaked another person to be tried and crucified while Allah took Jesus directly to Heaven.
[4.157-159] That they [the Jews] said in boast, "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah" - but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no certain knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not - Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise - And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment Jesus will be a witness against them.


IS THE BIBLE AND THE QURAN FROM THE SAME GOD??
Muhammad taught that the Bible and the Quran are both the word of Allah. One of the problems with that idea is that the Quran, in trying to repeat some of the stories of the Bible, actually contradicts and distorts what the Bible says. If we accept that Allah authored both books, He does not seem capable of getting his stories straight. For example -

Noah’s son and the Flood.
According to the Quran (11:42-46), one of Noah’s sons was disobedient to God and perished in the Flood with the rest of the unrighteous. But according to the Bible (Genesis 6:10; 7:13; 9:18), all of Noah’s three sons and their wives were saved on the Ark.

Abram being called Abraham.
According to the Quran, Abram was called Abraham in his youth (5:20). According to the Bible (Genesis 17:1-5), Abram was 99 years old when God changed his name to Abraham.

Lot and Isaac and Jacob.
According to the Quran (29:26-28), Lot was the father of Isaac and Jacob. However, the Bible (Genesis 17:19; 25:21-26) reveals that Isaac was Abraham’s son and Isaac was the father of Jacob.

Ishmael and the Patriarchal Line.
The Quran (2:132-133) says that Ishmael was one of the chosen patriarchs, being an ancestor of Jacob. The Bible (Genesis 17:15-21; 25:21-26) states that Ishmael was not chosen by God and that he was the uncle rather than a direct ancestor of Jacob.

Rachel and Egypt.
According to the Quran (12:99-100), both Jacob and Rachel moved their family to join Joseph in Egypt in their old age. But according to the Bible (Genesis 35:16-20; 46), Rachel died in childbirth before Joseph entered Egypt in his youth.

Mary and Miriam
The Quran (19:27-28; 66:12) has Mary, the mother of Jesus, being Miriam the sister of Aaron and Moses, and daughter of Amram (Numbers 26:59), which is a mistake of only about 1400 years.

Haman and Moses
According to the Quran (28:35-42; 40:36-37), Haman was an official of Pharaoh (king of Egypt) in the same time as Moses. However, the Bible (Esther 3:1) says that evil Haman served as the official of Ahasuerus (king of Persia. Apart from the error in location, this is placing Pharaoh, Moses and Haman in the same story even though they lived 1,000 years apart.

Pre-Exodus Israelite Prophets and Kings
The Quran (5:20) has Moses telling the Israelites to remember the prophets God had sent to them and the kings He had established over them. However, the Bible (Deuteronomy 18:15; 1 Samuel 8:5-22) clearly teaches that Moses was the first prophet to be sent to the Israelites and their first king - Saul - wouldn’t even come on the scene until 400 years after Moses’ death.

Samaritan and the Golden Calf
According to the Quran (20:85-88, 95), the Israelites created the golden calf at the instigation of a Samaritan. However, the Samaritans did not exist until about 700 years after the exodus from Egypt.

Desert Date-Palm Vs. Bethlehem
According to the Quran (19:22-27), Mary gave birth to Jesus all alone in a remote desert place under a date palm tree. However, we know that the Bible (Luke 2:4-7) teaches that Mary gave birth to Jesus in the town of Bethlehem.

Many other discrepancies between the Quran and the Bible could be cited. It is obvious that the two books did not come from the same source. Funny that the Quran (4:82) itself says - “Do they not consider the Qur’an with care? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein Much discrepancy.”


HOW IS ONE SAVED IN ISLAM?
Muhammad does not speak of the need for atonement of sin. A Muslim may pray for forgiveness of their sins but will not know whether or not they have been forgiven until Judgment Day. This is true because forgiveness is not based upon grace but by works. You must have submitted yourself to Islam and your good deeds must out-weigh your bad deeds.
[23.102-103] Then those whose balance of good deeds is heavy, they will attain salvation: But those whose balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls, in Hell will they abide.
[5.9] Allah has promised to those who believe and do good deeds that they shall have forgiveness and a mighty reward.
[33.70-71] O you who believe! be careful of your duty to Allah and speak the right word. He will put your deeds into a right state for you, and forgive you your faults; and whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he indeed achieves a mighty success.


IS ISLAM A RELIGION OF LOVE AND PEACE?
The Quran speaks frequently about being gracious and kind and just and peaceful. However, that treatment is reserved for fellow Muslims. Allah despises the unbelievers and encourages jihad (holy war) against the non-Muslim infidels.
[66.9] O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and be hard against them; and their abode is hell; and evil is the resort.
[5.51] O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is one of them. Lo! Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.
[3.151-152] We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve because they ascribe unto Allah partners [in the Trinity], for which no warrant hath been revealed. Their habitation is the Fire, and hapless the abode of the wrong-doers. Allah did indeed fulfill His promise to you when ye with His permission Were about to annihilate your enemy - until ye flinched and fell to disputing about the order, and disobeyed it after He brought you in sight of the booty which ye covet. Among you are some that hanker after this world and some that desire the Hereafter. Then did He divert you from your foes in order to test you but He forgave you: For Allah is full of grace to those who believe.
[9.123] O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty unto Him.
[9.29-30] Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, even if they are of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. The Jews call ’Ezra a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; in this they but imitate what the unbelievers of old [those killed by Noah’s Flood] used to say. Allah’s curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!
[8.12-14] When your Lord revealed to the angels: I am with you, therefore make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them. That is because they opposed Allah and His Messenger. Whoso opposeth Allah and His messenger, for him lo! Allah is severe in punishment. That is the award, so taste it, and know that for disbelievers is the torment of the Fire.
[8.38-39] Say to the Unbelievers, if now they desist from Unbelief, their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already a matter of warning for them. And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily Allah doth see all that they do.
[4.74,76] Let those fight in the cause of Allah Who sell the life of this world for the hereafter. To him who fighteth in the cause of Allah - whether he is slain or gets victory - Soon shall We give him a reward of great value…Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah; and those who reject Faith, fight in the cause of Evil: So fight ye against the friends of Satan: feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan.

SPECIAL REWARDS ARE PROMISED TO MARTYRS IN JIHAD.
[3.169-171] Think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord; They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah: And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them in their bliss, the Martyrs glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they cause to grieve. They glory in the Grace and the bounty from Allah, and in the fact that Allah suffereth not the reward of the Faithful to be lost in the least.
[3.157-158] And if ye are slain [by the enemy] or die [in a suicide attack] in the way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all they could amass. And if ye die, or are slain, Lo! it is unto Allah that ye are brought together.
[22.58-59] Those who leave their homes in the cause of Allah, and are then slain [by the enemy] or die [by suicide attack], on them will Allah bestow verily a goodly provision: Truly Allah is He Who bestows the best provision. Verily He will admit them to a place with which they shall be well pleased: for Allah is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing.
[78.31-34] Verily for the Righteous there will be a fulfillment of the heart’s desires; Gardens enclosed, and grapevines; And voluptuous women of equal age; And a cup full to the brim.


As we conclude our study, we see that true Islam is a dangerous religion both in what it teaches as its doctrines and in the activities it promotes towards unbelievers. Islam, when practiced faithfully, always creates an oppressive society. The fact that it is the fastest growing major religion should be viewed with alarm. We need to warn others about the true nature of Islam.