Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria
have laid waste the nations
and their lands, and have cast
their gods into the fire; for
they were not gods, but the
work of men's hands--wood and stone.
Therefore they have destroyed them.
Now therefore, O LORD our God,
I pray, save us from his hand,
that all the kingdoms of the earth
may know that You are the LORD God,
You alone.
2 Kings 19:17-19
Hezekiah prayed to God for deliverance from the invading King Sennacherib. God heard the words of Hezekiah and God acted in behalf of Israel: "And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when the people arose early in the morning, there wee the corpses--all dead" (2Kings 19:35). God will act towards His people even though they attack them in many and various ways. Islam is one such attack. We are now preparing so that we can confront such error with the truth of God's word.
Mohammad (c.570–632 A.D.), became the leader that unified the various
Arabian tribes into a religious polity called Islam. He is believed by the
Muslims to be a messenger and a prophet of God. They further believe that Islam
was not invented by Mohammad, rather that Islam was revealed to him by God. He
is considered to be the last prophet of God. Muslims further believe that
Mohammad restored the original monotheistic faith, that which is attributed to
Adam, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Jesus, and other prophets. Mohammad from time to time
as it was his habit to retreat to a cave for meditation and prayer and it was
there at his age of 40 that he admits to his first revelation from God,
revelations that he would receive during the rest of his life. Mohammad proclaimed
that “God is One,” and that God required complete “surrender to Him” or Islam: In
a religious context it means "voluntary submission to God" and this
is the only way to be accepted by God.
Mohammad
was born in the Arabian city Mecca and became orphaned, and was raised by his
uncle Abu Talib. Mohammed worked mostly as a merchant and as a shepherd,
married by the age of 25. After receiving this revelation of God and his
preaching to the Arab tribes, Mohammed gained few followers and even the Meccan
tribes showed him hostility, and Mohammed and his followers were treated poorly
so to escape persecution Mohammad sent some of his followers to Abyssinia, then
he retreated with some of his adherents to Medina (622 A.D.). This event marks
the beginning of the Islamic calendar. It was in Medina where Mohammed united
the tribes under the Constitution of Medina. Mohammed warred with Mecca for
some eight years and during this time his adherents had grown to about 10,000
followers. After this eight–year war Mecca surrendered and with this conquered
city, Mohammed went about destroying the symbols of paganism in Mecca and then
sent his followers to destroy all of the remaining pagan temples throughout
Eastern Arabia. In 632 A.D. Mohammad fell ill and died but not until he had
united the tribes of Arabia into a single Muslim religious polity: most of the
Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam. Those revelations from God formed the
Qur’an and the hadith collections that are accounts of the verbal and physical
traditions of Mohammad. These date from several generations after his death.
With caution as being accurate historical sources Western academic view with
much criticism. Some scholars judge those collections in the context of history
and on the basis of their compatibility with events and figures.
The
question arises as to how and why Islam could take such a hold upon peoples and
tribes; therefore a look at pre–Islamic Arabia is important. As most are
familiar with the terrain of Arabia that it is desert and arid. This terrain
makes it hard for agriculture except where there are oases or springs. The
desert had small towns here and there, the prominent towns being Mecca and
Medina. Median was a flourishing agriculture center and Mecca was an important
financial center for the surrounding tribes. Due to the harsh environment it
was essential to form communal life so that they could survive. Acting as a
unit this tribal grouping was based on the bond of kinship by blood. The
Arabian people were either nomadic traveling from one place to another for
water and food, or sedentary, living in cities, applying agriculture and trade.
The nomadic people relied upon raids against caravans and this raiding was not
viewed as a crime. Before Islam the pre–Islamic people had gods or goddesses as
protectors of individual tribes. These gods or goddesses were associated with
sacred trees, stones, springs, and wells. The Kaaba shrine in Mecca had 360
idol statues of tribal patron deities. With all these gods and goddesses the
Arabians shared a common belief in a supreme god called Allah (the god). Allah
was remote, did not concern himself with everyday life, and was not the object
of cult or ritual. Allah had three daughters, Allat, Manat, and al–Uzza. At
this time monotheistic communities existed in Arabia; Christians and Jews.
Another monotheistic tribe, although disputed by some was the Hanifs, and
according to Muslim tradition Mohammad was a Hanif and one of the descendants
of Ishmael, son of Abraham.
Tradition
has it that in 520 A.D. Mohammed experienced the Isra and Mi’raj, a miraculous
journey that he took with the angel Gabriel in one night. It is said that he
traveled from Mecca on a winged steed, to the farthest mosque, a mosque that is
identified with the Al–Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Then Mohammed is said to have
toured heaven, and hell and spoke with earlier prophets, such as Abraham,
Moses, and Jesus; some say that this is only a spiritual experience, others
present it as a physical journey. Notice some similarity to the Mormon religion
and Joseph Smith, Jr. and him being visited by Gabriel.
Mohammed
converted many to his theology and with the Qur’an allowing wars; Islam was at
war much of the time. At one point Mohammed wanted to kill all the Jews
expelling them and desired to kill them, only the chief of Khazraj tribe would
not agree and ordered the Jews out to be expelled to Syria without their
property. After the Battle of Badr, Mohammed allied with a number of Bedouin
tribes to protect his community from the northern part of Hizaz. Much armed
conflict and war could be said to be a hallmark of Islam and Mohammad, the
final and much celebrated war was with Mecca. Without going into each and every
war it is best to say that Islam was promoted to a people that already believed
in Allah, and were superstitious and had protector gods, so that the change to
Islam was not a huge chasm to leap. It was by war and forcing the people to
accept that he was a prophet of God and that the Qur’an was God’s final word.
While many accepted Islam there are many separate groups claiming to have the
truth. The Qur’an has become the grid by which Muslims view the Bible and/or
other religions writings. If anyone attributes the words of the Qur’an to be
only the words of Mohammed will “roast in hell.” Qur’an #37: “Whoever hears
it and alleges it is human speech has disbelieved, for God has rebuked,
censured, and promised such a one an agonizing punishment, saying, I will roast
him in the Hell-fire (Qur’an 74:26). Because God threatened those who allege,
this is merely human speech (Qur’an 74:25) with an inferno of torment, we
acknowledged and ascertained that it was the Word of the Creator of humanity,
and does not resemble human speech.” (Italics mine).
Getting to
know the opposition is so important so that we may understand how they think,
how they react, and act, so that we can be prepared, and so that our message
would be such so that they hear and learn of the Gospel. There is more that
needs to be written and this will be the thrust of the next blogs, then, I will
compare this information with Jesus Christ and Christianity. God promised that
He would call peoples from all nations and that includes those who have
succumbed to the teaching of Islam. We are God’s ambassadors, we, as
ambassadors, learn to preach the Gospel to all people, allowing God by means of
His Gospel, the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension into heaven by Jesus
Christ to sit at the right hand of God making eternal intercession for those
entire God has given Him.
Let them be confounded
and dismayed forever,
Yes, let them be put to
shame and perish.
That they may know that You,
whose name alone is the LORD,
are the Most High over all the earth.
Psalm 83:17-18
Make Intercessor Prayer for the People of Islam
Richard L. Crumb
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