Sharing your Faith to Believers of Islam
Richard Gardner
Missionary with Wycliffe in
Published under “Featured Article”
at www.globalmissiology.org,
October 2007
Introduction
Islam is the fastest growing religion in some western
countries.
A brief history of
Islam
Islam started by Mohammad in
Key points of Islam
In order to be able to share your faith with Muslims it is important
to understand the Muslim world view, which includes some of their basic beliefs.
Understanding helps us know how to properly approach a Muslim (or a person of any
religion for that matter) and gets us and our particularities out of the way so
that the only stumbling block is the cross.
Five Pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam are the basic elements of Islam.
Even though there are different types of Islam each one would agree on these
five pillars.
The first pillar is the creed. The creed is the basis of
their faith. It reads, “There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is the messenger
of Allah.” To deny this creed is to deny Islam. When a baby is born, the father
whispers this creed into its ears.
The second pillar is prayer. The act of praying is very
important to Muslims. They are required to pray five times a day. Before they pray
they must purify themselves with water in specific cleansing ritualistic ways.
The third pillar is almsgiving. Giving alms to the poor is
central to Islam because it makes up for the bad deeds one has committed, and it
reflects the graciousness of Allah. Muslims are required to give at least 2.5
percent of their income after expenses.
The fourth pillar is the fast. Every year for the month
called Ramadan, all Muslim are required to fast during the daylight hours. They
are not supposed to eat or drink anything, and they are required to abstain
from sexual activity. The sick, elderly, youth before puberty, and menstruating
or pregnant women are exempt from the fast.
The fifth pillar is the Hajj. Once in a Muslim’s lifetime he
is suppose to visit
A Muslim’s view of Christians
How does the average Muslim view a Christian? It is good to
know so that when you share your faith you can try and break down the barriers
he has put up against you. Being a Christian is a very negative thing to most
Muslims. It is even verging more on a political view than a religious one. All
that Christians have done in the time since Mohammed has been carried over to
Christian of today. This is especially true of all the evil that was done
against the Muslims during the crusades. Any westerner is a Christian. There is
no denominational distinction to them and no real variance. Because “Christian”
is such a loaded term among Muslims it is even advisable to avoid using it and instead
use a descriptive phrase like “a follower of Jesus” or something to that
effect.
Before you begin you already have 2 strikes against you.
Some might even say 2 ¾ strikes. In any case, definitely, to most Muslims,
Christians are real adversaries.
Christians are infidels, a very serious negative category of
people who are to be brought under the authority of Allah.
Christianity is a step backward from Islam. Mohammed was the
last and most authoritative prophet to Muslims. Jesus was a prophet, but not as
important as Mohammed. So offering them to become a Christian is actually a
regress. Who would want to go back to what Jesus taught and not want to go
forward 600 years to what Allah revealed to his greatest prophet Mohammed?
Points of
similarities
It may seem strange to discuss points of similarities, but
since each religion seeks to quench the inner desire for a relationship with
God, they solve it in some areas similar to the Christian faith, and so they
share some views similar to Christianity.
1.
Religion is an integral part of life. You don’t have to
convince a Muslim that religion is integrated into everyday life. There is no
distinction between Church and State. Every part of a Muslim’s life is
integrated with Islam. Christianity believes the same. Integrating your faith
with all of life is scripturally taught.
2.
There is one God. When you speak of a creator God, Muslims
know exactly what you are talking about. You don’t need to spend time
convincing them there is a God and that there is only one God.
3.
The word of God is authoritative. They believe every word of
the Qur’an is true. Revelation was delivered by the angel Gabriel from Allah to
Mohammed. The Qur’an was compiled from 646-650 from materials written by
Mohammed. Since Allah doesn’t make mistakes, neither does his Word contain any.
4.
There is a need to get right with God. Muslims know they do
wrong and that they need the forgiveness of Allah. In fact, all of their
religious activities including the five pillars of their faith are done so that
they will find some way to receive forgiveness from Allah.
Points of
differences
1.
Triune God. This is one of the biggest conflicts with
Muslims. How can Christians believe in three gods? Muslims don’t grasp the
three persons in one God concept. They think the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
add up to three gods. This concept of the God of scriptures should be presented
later since it is even difficult for Christians to understand. There are many
analogies people use to illustrate the trinity, and they can be used, but not
right away. In explaining it Christians need to make it clear that God and his
creation are different. In creation there is one person to one being, but God,
even though he is reflected in creation, is different in that he is one being
with three persons.
2.
Impersonal God. Allah is a god who is far off and cannot be
approached. He is the master. There is no intimate relationship to be had with
him. He is the one who determines everything. There is not room for human
responsibility. Anything that happens “It is the will of Allah.”
3.
Qur’an vs. the Bible. The word of God for Muslims is the
Qur’an. Although it contains many items that contradict Christianity there are
true statements within it. This is due partly because Mohammed was influenced
by the Bible. There are some verses that describe Jesus (Isa), Mary, and many Old
Testament figures in positive ways. Because of this one of the strategies of
some Christian evangelists is to use the Qur’an as a bridge to the Bible. In
other words, they quote passages in the Qur’an to help the Muslim see some
truths about God and our Lord Jesus. Then as trust begins they suggest reading
more about Jesus in the gospels (injil). It would be important to know some of
these passages to share with those Muslims who would respond to this approach.
4.
Means of Salvation. The difference is good works vs.
substitutionary atonement. Muslims must do more good deeds than bad to be
accepted by Allah and make it into paradise. They try and make up for their
sins by doing good through religious activities such as, giving alms, praying,
and making the pilgrimage. Christians believe Jesus paid the penalty for sins
by taking them on himself on the cross and satisfying the righteous
requirements of God completely. When talking to a Muslim about this, be
patient. Remember Peter had a hard time understanding it.[1]
Jesus had to explain why he had to die even to his disciples.[2]
5.
Assurance of Salvation. Even though a Muslim does good most
of his life, he is not assured of salvation. No one is assured of salvation. He
still must depend on the mercy of Allah to let him into paradise. Mohammed
wasn’t even assured of salvation. No one knows when they have done more good
than evil. “Consequently, the devout Muslim makes every effort to please Allah
and thereby obtain heaven. But fate (kismet) in the hands of the all-powerful Allah
will decide the outcome.”[3]
Sharing points
1.
Grace – salvation is not earned. Even though Allah is called
the gracious one, the real need of every Muslim is to experience grace. He
needs to understand that salvation is not earned but freely given through the
death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
2.
Assurance of salvation. Muslims go through their life in
doubt they will receive salvation. Part of the good news is we can be sure we
are saved. “He who has the son has life.” We can lay the question of salvation
to rest and be free to live a life of service out of gratitude to our loving
God.
3.
A relationship with God. We can have a personal relationship
with God. He cares about us as individuals and wants to hear from us. Prayer to
the Muslim is not personal, but we can be personal with God. We can relate to
him. This is not only particular to Muslims but it is a human need created by
God. As Augustine said, “We are restless until we find our rest in thee.”
Caveats and attitudes
in sharing your faith
These caveats and attitudes are general guidelines. There
may be some Muslims whom God has prepared in advance that just need a simple
presentation of the gospel before receiving Christ, but most Muslims will need
to be slowly brought to the kingdom gates. It will take time for them to see
the truths of Christianity.
1.
Build Trust. They won’t believe the message until they trust
the messenger. Authors have written a lot on how to befriend and make Muslims feel comfortable with Christians,
everything from reading the Qur’an with them to visiting a mosque, but the fact
is it all comes down to taking away the distrust that is already against the
Christian and establishing a trusting relationship in its place. This is not
easy, but absolutely key if a Christian wants to have any impact in a Muslim’s
life.
2.
Avoid political discussions. National pride has its place,
but not when you are sharing your faith. Paul said when reaching out to the
Corinthians, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus
Christ and him crucified.”[4]
3.
Don’t defend Christian abuses. When confronted with Christian
abuses throughout the centuries don’t defend them or explain them away, but
confess them and remember that abuses have been done by tenets of all
religions. Jesus never advocated abusing people and neither should his
followers.
4.
Don’t use church language. Christians are full of religious
language which has no meaning to the uninitiated. Explain every Christian term
when sharing your faith.
5.
Be careful of taboos and offenses to their culture.
Hospitality is very important to Muslims. So don’t turn an invitation to their
homes down. Don’t shake hands or give anything to a Muslim with your left hand.
When having them over to dinner don’t serve pork, lard-based products, or
shellfish. Be careful when speaking to the opposite sex. If a husband is out of
the room do not address his wife. When one has built up trust there may be more
freedom, but be careful.
6.
Think what you are asking them to do. Receiving Christ is a
life changing event for everyone, but when a Muslim receives Christ he has not
just his changed his religion. Since everything is connected together in Islam,
he has rejected his former life and his identity. He has separated himself from
a community and in most cases he is rejected by that community and by his
family. In some cases his life is in danger. He has turned his back on the
almighty Allah, and become an infidel. Abul A’la Mawdudi said, “Islam is a
one-way door, you can enter through it but you cannot leave.”[5]
7.
Don’t rush them into Christianity; don’t invite them to
receive Christ until they understand who Christ is and what he has done for
them. To put it succinctly – No invitation without proclamation. Unfortunately
most Christians are interested in converting a person and not helping him
understand the wonderful news that is offered in the gospel. During the hard
times that follow conversion, Muslims need to sustain themselves with the great
hope of the gospel, and they can only do that if they understand it well before
they receive Christ.
8.
Believe that God can reach them. A local pastor came up to
Charles Spurgeon and asked, “How come people don’t receive Christ when I share
the gospel like they do when you share the gospel?” Spurgeon answered, “You
don’t believe every time you share the gospel people will receive Christ, do
you? The pastor replied, “Of course not!” Spurgeon said, “That’s your problem.”
The gospel is the power of God to salvation. His word won’t go out and return
empty. Believe not in your own abilities to share and to reach out, but that
message that you share will be used by God to draw people to himself. It is the
good news the Holy Spirit uses. Have faith in God otherwise you are not
pleasing him in any activity whether evangelist or otherwise. (Heb. 11:3)
9.
Finally be prepared for when Muslims do receive Christ. It
will mean a commitment on your part to see them through being integrated into the
faith and into fellowship. It doesn’t mean you alone will disciple them to
completion, but as far as possible you need to make sure they are being
discipled and integrated into the family of the Lord.
Conclusion
Despite all the challenges a Christian faces in sharing his
faith to people of Islam, it is worth the effort because it is of eternal value.
One man said, “If England was made of broken glass I would crawl on my knees
from top to bottom for an opportunity to save one soul.” It is the Christian’s
commission to reach the lost souls among the people of Islam and it is the
power and grace of God in using our “earthen vessels” that will bring them to
himself.
References
Caner, Ergun Mehmet and
Emir Fethi. Unveiling Islam.
Chapman, Colin. Cross and Crescent.