The Call for Muslim Evangelism

According to Muhammad,

“The most hated person in the sight of God is the most quarrelling person.”

(Saheeh Al-Bukhari volume 3, Book 43, Page Number 637).

Things that make you go, “hmmmm.” 

I got these quotes out of a book I bought from a Muslim bookstore a few years ago, entitled, “A dictionary of Arabic and Islamic Proverbs.” I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

On Ambition:

“To get what you want you must be prepared to kiss a dog on its mouth.” -Tunisian-

“If you fall in love, fall in love with a prince; if you steal, steal silk; and if you knock at a door, knock at the door of a great man, so that when they revile you it will be for something big.” -Lebanese-

“Every illiterate dreams of being prime minister.” -Turkish- 

On Anxiety:

“In this world only three things dispel anxiety: women, horses, and book.” -Arabic-

“If you have anxieties, go to sleep.” -Moorish-

How about that for quotes of the day? 

Last week, I got a response to my blog from a Muslim. He was very kind in what he had to say, and he made several interesting points that I think we all should consider. I’m posting his message below with my response in the comments section. I hope everybody reading this (both Muslim and Christian) will add their own thoughts and comments on the subject.

Here you go:

wqah:
“I am a muslim and i have been reading your blog.

No matter what religion we are from, our final goal should be the constant struggle for finding the truth, is it not right? And where ever we may find it we must accept it.

Do you call upon people to accept Jesus and Christianity in the name of religion, because you’re Christian, or because your belief is that Christianity is true, and truth must be told to everyone so people are able to see it and accept it?

I believe that people, if they are to be called to any faith, should be called on by telling the truth.

I have respect for you and your work. I believe you are a God fearing man. Remember, truth is what must be accepted, not the religion we are born into due to emotional or ancestral attachments.

Having said that, there are many falsehoods i have found in that pamphlet concerning Prophet hood; ‘Who is a True Prophet?’

http://debate.org.uk/topics/trtracts/t02.htm

Things that are here due to distorted understanding of Islam, or outright ignorance. We should be afraid of the day of judgment we both believe in, that we both become so narrow minded about our religions and ignore the truth.

We should be afraid that God might ask us that why did we spread falsehood in his name. He might ask why we said wrong things about each other without first understanding the complete truth about each other. He will ask us that why didn’t we accept the truth when we saw it, why instead of changing our views, we changed and distorted the truth.

May the One, True, and Only God guide us both.”

A new fad has recently increased in popularity amongst missionaries to the Muslim world. To keep from facing persecution new believers who have come out of Islam and accepted Christ as their Savior are now told to continue praying in Mosques and observing Islamic holidays as though nothing had ever happened. Only when they pray, they should pray to Jesus instead of Allah.

Then some will go a step further and tell people that they are a “true” Muslim because the word itself means one who is submitted unto God. A person can only be submitted unto God through Jesus Christ and therefore, in a sense a follower of Christ is one submitted to God. Or so they say.

I have been told by countless Muslims that Christianity and Islam are practically the same. Islam is just a continuation of what Jesus began to teach in His ministry.

So the question comes up, “Can a Christian be a ‘Muslim’?” Or, “Can a Christian be a ’secret follower’ of Jesus?”

First of all, playing the semantics game is just ridiculous. Calling yourself a Muslim because it means one who is submitted to God makes just as much sense as calling yourself a Buddhist in South Asia because you are “enlightened” or “awakened” to the truth through Jesus Christ.

To tell somebody or do something that purposely makes people think you are something that you are not is hypocrisy at best. The Lord may have blessed the lying ministry of Jacob in Genesis, but I’m not so sure we’d be that lucky.

Secondly, Jesus didn’t seem to think highly of the “secret follower” method when he said, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.” He even promised his followers that they would face persecution and should rejoice when it happens.

Finally, Christianity and Islam are not in any way shape or form the same.

The foundation of Christianity is confessing that Jesus Christ is LORD and believing that God raised Him from the dead. According to Romans 10:9-10 this is the only way for a person to be saved. Bottom line!

The fundamental believe of Islam concerning Jesus Christ is that He is not LORD and that He didn’t die, hence He could not have raised from the dead.

True born-again Christianity is based on faith without the works of the law (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Islam is based on keeping the whole law and doing as much “extra credit” work as you can.

Did Mohammad complete the ministry of Christ? Absolutely not! He was in fact the alter ego of Jesus and contradicted the most basic of his teachings.

A person in free to do as he pleases, but as for me I do not want to dress like a Muslim, talk like a Muslim, pray like a Muslim, say or do anything else at all that may indicate that I am in any way shape or form a Muslim.

To pretend to be anything other than a born-again follower of Jesus Christ would disgrace and dishonor the One who wasn’t too embarrassed to be beaten and hung on a cross for me.

A true Christian cannot be a Muslim.

Ramadan is kind of like Christmas for Muslims - at least that’s how my friend Ahmed put it. Ahmed owns his own ”halaal” supermarket in Atlanta and is devoted to Islam. About this time last year, I went to visit him in his store and when I got to the counter he was beaming. The store was absolutely packed with customers from all over the Muslim world, and out of curiosity, I asked him, “What in the world is going on here”?

“It’s Ramadan!” he exclaimed.

“Yeah, I know. So why are there so many people buying food during the one month of the year that is supposed to be dedicated to fasting and praying?”

“This is actually the busiest time of year for me here in my store!”

“Really?!”

“Yeah, this is the biggest celebration we have all year. The way it works is that every morning we wake up early and eat a predawn breakfast known as ’suhoor.’ From then until sunset we are not supposed to touch a woman, smoke, eat, or drink anything. We do this to teach ourselves self-control and self-restraint. It’s a time for us to reflect on our spiritual lives, pray, show generosity to other people, and spend time with our families.

“When the sunsets, we are allowed to eat again. Our bakery can’t put out enough bread and pastries for the customers each day, and we sell more dates per hour than you could possibly imagine.

“Everybody’s in a good mood and looking for an opportunity to do something for somebody else.

“At the end of the month we have a huge feast called ‘Eid-ul-Fitr.’ We give out gifts and make donations during this time as well. It’s kind of like Christmas for Muslims. This is the best time of the year!”

All I could think of is that my Muslim friend has “a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.” What a warrior for Christ he could become!

This year Ramadan begins on September 13.

It’s a perfect time for Christians to fast and pray for the Muslim world. We should ask God to show people like Ahmed that their hope of eternal life doesn’t depend on all of the good things they do, but rather in the sacrifice Jesus Christ has already made for them. Salvation is by grace through faith alone, and the Muslim people need someone to love them enough to take this message to them.

His majesty King Muhammed VI has taken great strides in providing equality for women in the Kingdom of Morocco. The bellow article is a speach he made to Parlament concerning this advancement. Please pray for the King that the Lord will continue to give him wisdom as he leads the Moroccan people.

The new reforms of the moudawana, that took place on October 10th, 2003 are very significant in the history of Moroccan women, in the sense that they grant equity, justice and dignity to women, who are also responsible for the progress of any given society. What follows are exerpts from the new reforms of the Moudawana which were announced by his Majesty King Mohamed VI during his speech at the opening of the Parliament Fall Session:

“As regards the issue of the family and the status of women, I raised this fundamental problem, shortly after acceeding to the supreme position of Amir Al-Muminin (Commander of the Faithful), by asKing the following question in my address of 20 August 1999: how can society achieve progress, while women, who represent half the nation, see their rights violated and suffer as a result of injustice, violence and marginalisation, notwithstanding the dignity and justice granted them by our glorious religion?

In addition to taking significant decisions and initiatives to ensure that women enjoy a better and more equitable status, I did not hesitate to take steps to prevent our society from being split over this issue.

To this end, I set up a multi-disciplinary advisory committee to propose an in-depth review of the Family Law. Since then, I have constantly provided this committee with instructions and guidelines until it presented me with its conclusions.

I should like to take this opportunity to commend the efforts exerted by the chairman and all the members of the committee. Views on certain issues may have differed at times, but in the case of Ulemas (religious scholars), I consider such differences rather as a blessing.

Through the instructions I issued and the opinion I expressed regarding the proposed Family Law, I wanted to see to it that the following fundamental reforms be introduced:

1- Adopt a modern form of wording instead of that which undermines the dignity of women as human beings.

Make husband and wife jointly responsible for the family, in keeping with the words of my ancestor the Prophet Sidna Mohammed, peace and blessings be upon Him, who said that men and women were equal before the law, and also with the saying: “Only an honourable man will honour them (women); and only an ignoble man will humble them”.(MAP/MORE)

2- Entitle the woman who has come of age to guardianship as a right, if she so chooses or if it serves her interest, in accordance with one of the interpretations of the Quranic verse which stipulates that a woman shall not be forced to marry against her free will: “…place not difficulties in the way of their (re-)marrying their husbands if it is agreed between them in kindness”. A woman may, of her own free will, entrust guardianship to her father or to a relative.

3- Ensure equality between men and women by setting the minimum age for marriage at 18 years for both of them, in accordance with certain provisions of the Malikite rite. The judge may, however, lower the age for marriage in certain justifiable cases. Also ensure equality between boys and girls placed in custody, by allowing them to choose their custodian at the age of 15.

4- Regarding polygamy, I have seen to it that the true, tolerant aims of Islam are duly taken into account, mainly with respect to justice. In this regard, Almighty Allah allowed polygamy, but subject to compliance with strict conditions; He said: “…and if you fear that you cannot do justice (to so many) then one (only)”.

Then the Almighty ruled out the possibility for man to do justice in this particular case: He said: “You will not be able to deal equally between (your) wives, however much you wish (to do so)”. He thus made polygamy almost impossible, from the Islamic legal point of view.

Similarly, I have sought guidance from the pristine wisdom of Islam which makes it legally possible for a man to take a second wife, but only in circumstances beyond control. In addition, strict conditions must be observed and a judge’s permission secured. Failure to allow for such exceptions by outlawing polygamy, may result in men being tempted to engage in unlawful polygamy.

Hence, polygamy shall be allowed solely in the following cases and under the legal conditions below:

- The judge shall not allow polygamy unless he ascertains that the husband will treat his second wife and her children on an equal footing with the first, that he will provide the same living conditions for all, and that there is a clear and objective justification for polygamy;

- The woman has the right to impose a condition in the marriage contract whereby her husband will refrain from taKing a second wife. In this connection, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, is quoted as saying: “Contracts are tantamount to laws, for both parties”. If no such condition has been stipulated, the judge shall summon the first wife to secure her consent. Similarly, the second wife must be informed that her husband-to-be is already married. Her consent must also be secured. The first wife shall have the right to ask for divorce because of harm suffered.

5- As a token of my special concern for my dear subjects residing abroad, and in order to reduce the hassle they face to get marriage contracts processed, I have decided that the procedure shall be simplified. The marriage contract shall simply be drawn up in the presence of two Muslim witnesses, in accordance with the procedures in force in the country of residence, and shall then be registered with the relevant Moroccan consular or judicial authorities. In this regard, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon Him, is quoted as saying: “Seek ease, not hardship”.

6- Make divorce, defined as the dissolution of marriage, a prerogative that can be exercised as much by the husband as by the wife, in accordance with legal conditions set for each party, and under judicial supervision. Thus, the husband’s right to resort to repudiation shall be limited by specific restrictions and conditions designed to avoid misuse of this right. In this connection, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon Him, is quoted as saying: “The most hateful to God, of all lawful things, is divorce”.

For this purpose, mechanisms for reconciliation and mediation, through the family and the judge, shall be strengthened.

Divorce is the prerogative of the husband; the wife may also avail herself of this prerogative by using the right of option (tamleek).

Whatever the case, and before the divorce is authorised, it shall be ascertained that the divorced woman gets all the rights to which she is entitled.

A new procedure for divorce has been established, requiring the court’s prior authorization. Divorce cannot be duly registered until all monies owed to the wife and children have been paid in full by the husband. Verbal repudiation, in exceptional cases, shall not be considered valid.

7- Expand the woman’s right to file for divorce if the husband fails to observe any of the conditions in the marriage contract, or if he harms his wife through lack of financial support, abstinence, violence, or any other wrongful deed. This provision is in line with the general legal principle which advocates balance and moderation. Its aim is to promote equality and fairness between husband and wife.

A provision has also been introduced allowing divorce by mutual consent, under judicial supervision.

8- Seek to further protect children’s rights by maKing the provisions of the relevant international agreements ratified by Morocco, part of the Family Law. Children’s rights with respect to custody are also to be guaranteed by entrusting custody to the mother, then the father, then the grandmother on the mother’s side.

Should this prove to be impossible, the judge will entrust custody to the relative in the child’s family who is deemed most fit to assume that responsibility, keeping in mind the sole interest of the child.

Requirement to provide suitable accommodation for custody children shall be considered separately from other alimony obligations. Alimony cases shall be treated swiftly, within a maximum period of one month.

9- Protect the child’s rights to acknowledgement of paternity in case the marriage has not been officially registered for reasons beyond control. The court shall examine the evidence put forth to prove parentage.

A 5-year period shall be allowed for, in order to settle unresolved cases, so as to spare children in this situation sufferings and deprivations.

10- In keeping with the principle of ijtihad, the granddaughter and the grandson on the daughter’s side, just like the son’s children, shall be granted the right to inherit from their grandfather, as part of the compulsory legacy.

11- Regarding the management, by husband and wife, of the property acquired during marriage, and while confirming the principle of separate estate for each one of them, the couple may agree, in a document other than the marriage contract, on how to manage and invest the assets acquired jointly during marriage.

In case of disagreement, they shall resort to the judge who shall base his assessment on general regulations of proof to determine the contribution of each of the spouses in fructifying the family’s assets.

Ladies and Gentlemen, honourable Members of Parliament,

These reforms, the most important of which I have mentioned, should not be perceived as an indication of one side’s victory over the other, but rather as gains for all Moroccans. I was keen to ensure that they were consistent with the following principles and references:

- In my capacity as Amir Al-Muminin (Commander of the Faithful), I cannot make licit what God has forbidden, nor forbid what He has made lawful;

- It is necessary to be mindful of the tolerant aims of Islam, which advocates human dignity, equality and harmonious relations, and also to rely on the cohesiveness of the Malikite rite and on ijtihad, thanks to which Islam is a suitable religion for all times and places. The aim is to draw up a modern Family Law which is consistent with the spirit of our glorious religion.

- The Family Law should not be considered as a legislation devised for women only, but rather as a code for the family: father, mother and children. The proposed legislation is meant to free women from the injustices they endure, in addition to protecting children’s the rights and safeguarding men’s dignity.

Would anyone of you want to see his wife and children thrown out of their home and into the street, or his daughter or sister treated brutally?

- As the King of all Moroccans, I do not make legislation for a given segment of the population or a specific party. Rather, I seek to reflect the general will of the Nation, which I consider to be my extended family.

As I am determined to preserve the rights of my faithful subjects of Jewish faith, I have seen to it that the new Family Law contains a provision which reaffirms that they shall continue to be governed by the Hebraic Moroccan Family Law.

Although the 1957 Family Law was drawn up before the Parliament was established, and was subsequently amended by Dahirs (Royal Decrees) in 1993, during a constitutional transition period, I have made a decision for the proposed Family Law to be submitted to Parliament, for the first time, in view of its implications with respect to civil law. As for the provisions of a religious nature, they fall within the competence of Amir Al-Muminin (Commander of the Faithful).

I expect you to rise to this historic occasion and be worthy of the responsibilities assigned to you, not only by respecting the sacred nature of the proposed texts, which were prepared with due account being taken of the aims of our tolerant religion, but also when you adopt new legislation.” (The full text of the speech)

The Scripture refers to this man as “the friend of God” and “the father of all who believe.” Do you know who it is? It is the prophet of God, Abraham {Ibrahim in Arabic}. The Holy Scriptures speak a great deal about Abraham. His name appears in the Writings of the Prophets more than three hundred times. Therefore, God willing, we will search the Scriptures to discover what they teach concerning this man who was called the friend of God. In this first part we intend to look into the story of Abraham, to see how God called him to follow Him, and why He called him and what God promised him.

Did God do what He promised? Did He make of Abram a great nation? Did He give the land of Palestine to Abram’s descendants?

What does it mean to believe God? As you may know, the Scriptures of the Prophets were written in the Hebrew language. In Hebrew, the word for “believe” is “AMAN” from which we get our word Amen. When you say “Amen” you are simply saying, “Yes! It is true!” or “Yes, I agree!” This is what it means to believe. When God made a promise to Abram, Abram’s heart response was: “Amen! Yes! It is true! I believe your words!” Based on that simple “Amen” to the word of God, God counted Abram as righteous.

Thus, the Scriptures say:  “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead–since he was about a hundred years old–and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” (Rom. 4:18-21)  Nevertheless, Abraham wanted to know what would happen to Ishmael, the child of his servant, Hagar. God replied, “As for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him…I will make him into a great nation. But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you…I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” (Gen. 17:20,21,19)Thus, God confirmed His purpose to bring forth the prophets and, at last, the Redeemer Himself through the descendants of Isaac. In the next lesson, God willing, we will see how the Lord gave Abraham and Sarah the son of the promise—Isaac {Ishaq in Arabic}.  Truly, God is faithful. God does what He promises! Nothing is too difficult for Him! Listen to these beautiful verses from the holy Gospel {Injil}: Read this article in its entirety—

** This concludes our first part of a two part study of Abraham from the Holy Scriptures.   To go to part 2 click here . This teaching from the Scriptures is a compilation of Lessons 18, 19 and 20 from “The Way of Righteousness” by Paul Bramsen.    Posted here by permission of copyright holder – Paul Bramsen.

Main passages: al-Baqara 2:30-37, al-Maida 5:27-32, al-A`raf 7:11-27, al-Hijr 15:28-43, al-Isra’ 17:61-65, Ta Ha 20:115-123, Sad 38:71-84

1. What material Adam was created from: Dust: Al Imran 3:59, Earth: Hud 11:61, al-Kahf 18:37, al-Hajj 22:5, al-Rum 30:19, al-Fatir 35:11, Ghafir 40:67, Loam: al-Mu’minun 23:12, Nothing: Maryam 19:67, Water: al-Hajj 22:5, al-Mu’minun 23:13-14, al-Furqan 25:54, Ghafir 40:67, Nuh 71:14, al-Qiyama 75:37-38, al-`Alaq 96:2
2. The formation of the first human being: al-A`raf 7:11, al-Hijr 15:29, al-Sajda 32:9, Sad 38:72, Ghafir 40:67, al-Taghabun 64:3, al-Infitar 82:7-8
3. The original glorious appearance of Adam: al-Tin 95:4-6
4. Adam’s choice: Al Imran 3:33
5. Adam names everything: al-Baqara 2:30-33
6. Worship of Adam. Satan’s Fall: al-Baqara 2:34, al-A`raf 7:11, al-Hijr 15:28-38, al-Isra’ 17:61, al-Kahf 18:50, Ta Ha 20:116, Sad 38:71-82
7. Satan’s profession: al-Nisa 4:118-119, al-A`raf 7:16-17, Ibrahim 14:22, al-Hijr 15:39-43, al-Isra’ 17:62-65, Ya Sin 36:60-62, Sad 38:83-84
8. The creation of Eve: al-Nisa 4:1, al-A`raf 7:189, al-Rum 30:21, al-Zumar 39:6, al-Shura 42:11
9. Allah gives Adam the interdiction: al-Baqara 2:35, al-A`raf 7:19
10. The constitution of the prohibited tree: al-Mu’minun 23:20, al-Nur 24:35, al-Tin 95:1-2
11. Allah’s covenant with Adam: Ta Ha 20:115
12. Allah exhorts Adam: Ta Ha 20:116-119
13. Seduction by Satan: al-A`raf 7:20-21,27, Ta Ha 20:120
14. The fall of man: al-A`raf 7:22-23, Ta Ha 20:121
15. Expulsion from Paradise: al-Baqara 2:36, al-A`raf 7:24, Ta Ha 20:123
16. The curse: al-Baqara 2:36, al-A`raf 7:24-25, Ta Ha 20:55, 22:66
17. Adam’s repentance and restitution: al-Baqara 2:37, al-A`raf 7:23, Ta Ha 20:122
18. Eve’s pregnancy. The fall of the first human beings: al-A`raf 7:189-190

Read on…

The following stories are exerpts from answering-islam.com:

Many of the stories of the Qur’an are derivatives of Biblical stories, containing many similarities but also striking differences in what is stated and what is omitted. This compilation provides references to the passages of the Qur’an which are re-narrations of Biblical material, and has the objective to allow the Christian reader who is familiar with the Bible to quickly find and compare the Biblical story with the Quranic version.

So far, this is done only for stories from the Old Testament. We hope to soon provide similar reference lists for the passages in the Qur’an that speak about John the Baptist, Mary, Jesus, and his disciples.

Read on…

One of the biggest obsticles the church faces in reaching Muslims with the gospel is the overwhelming ignorance of Christians on the topic of Islam. Before we can expect to win any person to Christ, we must learn how they think, how they live, and how they talk. Language is vital to touching the heart of an individual, and we have an obligation to speak to them in terms to which they can relate. Ignorance should never be an excuse for not completing our mission. Therefore we need to educate ourselves on this matter. The following link will provide you with a helpful resource which defines the common terms they use in their everyday religious lingo. 

http://www.answering-islam.org/Books/Hughes/index.htm