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1 - The Facts on Islam
Preface
Apart from Christianity, Islam
is arguably the most influential religion on earth. It is the second largest
religion in the world, and the powerful resurgence of Islamic fundamentalism
continues to spread the Muslim faith in more moderate Islamic nations.
What is the difference between the terms "Islam" and
"Muslim"?
"Islam" is the correct name for the religion that the Muslim
prophet Muhammad claimed God (Allah) revealed to him through the angel Gabriel.
The name is derived from the infinitive of the Arabic verb "to submit" (i.e., to
Allah's will). "Muslim" is the correct term for a follower of Islam and comes
from the present participle of the same verb.
More than any other single factor, the followers of Islam
have their lives directed by the book they believe is the Word of God - the
Koran. Dr. J. Christy Wilson of Princeton University comments, "Next to the
Bible, it is the most esteemed and most powerful book in the world." Whatever
Muslims believe and do, it is the teachings in the Koran that have inspired
these beliefs and actions. This is why no one should underestimate the
importance of the Koran.
The purpose of this book is first to supply a critique of
Islam from the perspective of history and Christian faith, and second, to
encourage persons familiar with this information to seek appropriate and
effective ways of relating that information to their Muslim friends. The
material in this book is introductory - primarily to inform Christians and
non-Muslims about Islam as it relates both to Christian and Muslim truth claims.
Regrettably, Muslims often have a number of unfortunate
misunderstandings concerning Christianity. They may also be very sensitive to
even valid criticism about Islam, the Koran, or Muhammad, so dialogue can be
difficult. Help on effectively relating to Muslims ("Dos" and "Don'ts," etc.)
can be found in the note preceding our endnotes. We emphasize that any Christian
desiring to minister to Muslims will find it helpful to continue studies in this
direction.
Muslims may refuse to approve translations of the Koran.
Nevertheless, a good English translation does provide sufficiently accurate
meanings of the original. The translations we have chosen to cite are those by
A. J. Arberry, which in the words of Wilfred Cantwell Smith of Harvard
University, is "the one that comes closet to conveying the impression made on
the Muslims by the original"' that of the Iranian scholar N. J. Dawood, director
of Contemporary Translation Limited and managing director of the Arabic
Advertising and Publishing Company, Ltd., London; that of J. M. Rodwell, which
"has been declared by modern scholars to be one of the best translations ever
produced"; and that by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, widely
used among American Muslims and considered by them among the best of
translations. Indeed, "some Muslims are prepared to commend the accuracy of the
best of these translations, and to admit their value as interpretation, though
not official interpretation, of the meaning of the sacred text."
While Muslims may be critical of non-Muslim translations (as,
e.g., Ali is of Rodwell's), one should not necessarily conclude Muslim
translations are always more accurate. For example, "Muslim translators such as
Yusuf Ali will not hesitate to mistranslate the Arabic text [cf. Sura 5:76] in
order to keep the English reader from discovering obvious errors in the Quran .
. . The readers of his translation must be aware of its hidden apologetic
agenda."
Finally, it should be noted that there are different
traditions of Islam (e.g., Sunni, Shi'ite, and Sufi) and, correspondingly, quite
different interpretations of the Koran.
SECTION 1
Religion of Islam: Introduction
1. What is Islam?
Islam is the world religion
founded by an Arabian visionary named Muhammad (ca. 570-632 A.D.;
var. sp.: Muhammed, Mohammed), who was born in the city of Mecca in Arabia.
Muhammad claimed he received supernatural revelations from God through the angel
Gabriel. These revelations were written down by others and compiled into a book
called the Koran, the Muslim Bible (var. sp.: Qur'an).
Islam today is comprised of two principal schools - the
majority Sunni school (90%) and the minority Shi'ite school (10%), In addition,
there are millions of Muslim mystics called Sufis. In America, Muslim influence
is seen in traditional Islam as well as the militant, racist black Muslim
movement. There are now more than 5 million Muslins in America, and their
numbers are expanding ("Religious Information," World Almanac 2002, p. 681).
John Ankerberg & John Weldon
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