A Christian Critique of Islam

Steve Rowe

3/23/02

 

Galatians 1:8 – But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned.

 

I.                     Origins of Islamic Traditions – If God was refining his old religion or creating a new one, he would not have used the same practices used by the local religions.  Incorporating the traditions of the people around them got the Israelites in trouble many times. 

a.        The Ka’ba was the center of the Arabian polytheistic religion before Muhammad.  It contained idols to 360 idols.

b.       Allah

                                                               i.      Allah was the top god among the Arabian pantheon.

                                                              ii.      According to the Encyclopedia of Religion, Allah is the pre-Islamic name corresponding to the Babylonian Bel (Baal).  Jezebel, Ahab’s wife was a worshiper of Baal.

                                                            iii.      According to Middle East scholar E.M. Wherry, in pre-Islamic times, both Allah-worship and Baal-worship involved worship of the sun, moon, and stars.  This is likely where the crescent mood symbol comes from.

                                                            iv.      Muhammad’s father was named Abd Allah – Slave of Allah.

c.        Practices

                                                               i.      Prayer toward Mecca comes from the Jewish tradition to pray toward Jerusalem.

                                                              ii.      The Haaj (pilgrimage) to Mecca was a pagan ritual.

                                                            iii.      Ramadan comes from the Jewish celebration of Ashura.

d.       2nd Century philosopher Plotinus influenced Islamic view of God.  He stated that God was absolutely and indivisibly one and that he is so utterly transcendent that it cannot be know except by mystical experience.  Answer is found in Thomas Aquinas:  effect must resemble cause.  Material cause (paint brush) vs. efficient cause (artist’s mind)

II.                   Muhammad

a.        Muhammad’s revelations fit the example of mediums (p. 155)

b.       Islam claims that Muhammad was predicted in the Bible.  The Qur’an claims this in Sura 7:157.  One example is Deut 18:15-18.  There are many others.

                                                               i.      The term rendered brethren means fellow Isrealites.  Verse 2 makes this clear when it talks about Levites.

                                                              ii.      Deut 17:15 uses the same term to mean Israel, it contrasts brethren with foreigners.

                                                            iii.      Muhammad came from Ishmael but the Jewish line went through Isaac (Gen 17:21, Gen 21:12).

                                                            iv.      Jesus fulfilled this perfectly.  He fit the profile of a prophet (miracles), spoke on the authority of God, and was Jewish,

c.         Claimed that the word of God was directly given to him and that they were not his words but he would change them based on the suggestions of his followers.  See story on page 157.

d.       Miracles, or the lack thereof

                                                               i.      When asked to perform miracles, Muhammad refused (3:181-84).  His only miracle claim was the Qur’an itself (see below). p. 168.

                                                              ii.      The Qur’an admits that other prophets did miracles to establish the authenticity of their message.  Moses, Jesus, Elijah, etc.

                                                            iii.      Qur’anic miracles

1.        Splitting the moon – talking about end times.  No other culture has this legend.

2.        Miraj – night journey – not a literal trip

3.        Victory at Badr – Many have won outnumbered victories (Hannibal);  wouldn’t humiliating loss at Uhud be a sign as well?

4.        Splitting of Muhammad’s breast by Gabriel to wash his heart – not literal

5.        Prophecies – see below

6.        If these were miracles, why did Muhammad claim he had none?

                                                            iv.      Miracles in the Hadith

1.        Most alleged miracles take place here

2.        If true, contradict Qur’an

3.        Bukhari, considered most reliable collector, thought only 7,275 of 300,000 were true.  After repetitions, only 3,000 left.

4.        Most collected by people far removed from original events (300 years later)

5.        Muslims do not agree on which are true and which are not.

6.        Only began to be claimed in response to Christian and Jewish pressures.  Specifically, two Christian bishops named Abu Qurra and Arethas.

                                                             v.      Islam sets up nine criteria for prophetic miracles called the mudjiza.  Muhammad’s so-called miracles do not meet these.  These are:

1.        Act of God that cannot be done by any other creature

2.        Contrary to customary course of things

3.        Aimed at proving authenticity of prophet

4.        preceded by an announcement of event

5.        proceeds in exact manner prophesied

6.        occurs only through prophet

7.        in no way disavows Muhammad’s claim as a prophet

8.        is accompanied by a challenge to duplicate

9.        cannot be duplicated

e.        Moral Example

                                                               i.      Claimed to be beyond major sin and a perfect moral example

                                                              ii.      This is claimed as proof of his prophethood.

                                                            iii.      Islamic law says only 4 wives but Muhammad was given a reprieve.  Had at least 12 plus 2 concubines.

                                                            iv.      Received a revelation telling his adopted son, Zaid, to divorce his wife Zainab so that Muhammad could marry her.

                                                             v.      Women treated poorly

1.        Men are in charge of women

2.        Ordered to be beaten if misbehave

3.        Most of hell is women

                                                            vi.      Muhammad has people executed for speaking out against him

III.                 The Qur’an

a.        Qur’an is likened to Christ.  It is the expression of the divine will of God

b.       Claims that Qur’an is a miracle

                                                               i.      Unique Literary Style – 2nd to none; only God could write it

1.        Doesn’t meet mudjiza rules

2.        Eloquence is in the eye of the beholder

3.        Others in Arab world (Mu’allaqat, the Magamat, Hariri) and outside it (Shakespear, Homer, Mozart) have created works of at least equal eloquence.

4.        Contains many grammatical mistakes.

5.        No reason God would necessarily use eloquence

6.        Many (Carlyle) find it toilsome to read.

7.        It is a logical fallacy to argue that eloquence means God must have said it.

8.        Most in the Muslim world (80%?) cannot read the Qur’an and just take this on face.

                                                              ii.      Muhammad’s Illiteracy

1.        Word rendered unlettered may mean Gentile and is even translated as such elsewhere in the Qur’an (62:2)

2.        Evidence suggests he could write – changed words in Treaty of Hudaibah, called for a pen before death.

3.        Bright person, could speak even if couldn’t write.

                                                            iii.      Perfect Preservation

1.        Most muslims believe Qur’an was compiled during lifetime of Muhammad but wasn’t until after he died. 

2.        The version we have today (Uthman codex) replaced several others in existence at time.  There were many variations and not just grammatical ones.

3.        Some verses have been lost, others changed – One hundred stripes replaced stoning.

4.        There are some variations in the versions used today. 

                                                            iv.      Prophecies in the Qur’an

1.        “We will win” – typical talk of a leader.

2.        Romans will win – short term (10 years), easy to see in history, could have said defeat – no vowels.

                                                             v.      Unity of Qur’an (no contradictions)

1.        Abrogation, yet Qur’an claims no words can be changed

2.        Changed over 22 years of revelations

3.        Creation claimed to be 6 days and 2 x 4 days (8)

4.        At best, only a negative test

5.        True of other scriptures

                                                            vi.      Scientific Accuracy

1.        Christians also claim

2.        At best, negative test

3.        Describes fetal development as sperm->blood clot-> fetal lump (23:14)

4.        Claims sun sets into a puddle (18:86)

                                                          vii.      Mathematical structure - #19

1.        Bible has similar structure for #7

2.        Some claim to have found a Bible Code

3.        Just mathematical structure wouldn’t make claim for idolatry from God

                                                         viii.      Changed Lives

1.        So does Christianity

2.        At the blade of a sword

3.        Jesus did this without weapons or a political structure

4.        Christianity grew under oppression

c.        Contradicts Bible and History

                                                               i.      Chronological order is Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Job, Joseph, Moses, Ezekiel, Elijah, Elisha, Samuel, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Daniel, Hannaniah, Ezra, Zechariah, John, Jesus, Jonah, Samson (many left out).

                                                              ii.      Mary, the mother of Jesus, is addressed at the sister of Aaron and daughter of Amram (3:31-37 and 19:28)

                                                            iii.      Many discrepancies with Bible (see Inside Islam, pp. 72-79)

                                                            iv.      Be careful not to argue from the Bible.  Muslims believe it is corrupted.

IV.                 A few Philosophical arguments (see Answering Islam chapter 7 for more)

a.        If Muslims believe Islam is God-willed and destined to dominate the world, its failure to do so must indicate that God’s sovereign will is being frustrated.  Since this cannot happen, it cannot be God’s will.  Islam has never been the dominant world religion numerically, culturally, or spiritually.

b.       Claim God doesn’t have a nature but if he is self-existent, he cannot not exist and thus it is his nature to exist.

c.        If God is will without essence, he does not do things because they are right, things are right because he does them.

d.       Because God is so abstract, people need something to relate to and they choose Muhammad.

e.        Determinism is extreme.  Only God acts.  This leads to pantheism (God is everything)

V.                   Empirical Arguments

a.        Islam has historically been violent.

                                                               i.      Whenever it gains power, not just when used against scriptures like Crusades

                                                              ii.      Will go to paradise if die in battle

                                                            iii.      9:5  “kill those who join other gods wherever you find them.”

                                                            iv.      5:26 “the punishment of those who wage war against God…is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feed from opposite sides, or exile from the land.”

                                                             v.      2:244 “Fight in the cause of God”

                                                            vi.      47:4 “when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight) Smite at their necks”

                                                          vii.      Many more in the Hadith

b.       When it takes over a government, freedom dies.