Answering Islam

Answering Islam

Answering Islam with Questions

 

 

When it comes to answering Islam, compare the Ten Commandments of the Bible to the commandments of Mohammed in the Koran!

Commandment #1:  “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.”

The word translated “LORD” in English is YHWH, in the original language of the Old Testament. It’s not a title, it’s a proper name. It literally means, “The eternal, self-existent One,” The God who is, the God who was, and the God who always will be, from eternity past to eternity future, without beginning, and without end.

YHWH comes from the same root as the word used in Exodus 3:14 where God said of Himself to Moses, “I Am, that I Am. Tell them, I Am sent you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.” This is the most holy and proper name of God. The name Allah is not found in the Bible.

More than 2,000 years after God personally revealed His proper name to Moses at Mt. Sinai, Mohammed is quoted in the Hadith as saying, “I have been commanded that I should fight these people till they bear witness that there is no god but Allah. When they do this, their blood and their property shall be safe with me except as Islam requires.”

Commandment #2:  “You are not to worship or bow to any created thing.”

The greatest act of worship in Islam is the required once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca. The highpoint is the ceremony at the religious shrine known as the Ka’aba. Muslims must run around the building counterclockwise seven times, and each time pause to kiss a black rock that supposedly fell from heaven!

Kissing a rock in a religious ceremony is a blatant act of idolatry clearly forbidden by the second commandment. We are not even to bow to any created thing, let alone kissing it!

Commandments #3:  “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD in vain.”

Did you know that in Islam, Surah 53:19 says Allah has three daughters? Why does the Koran say, “God forbid that Allah should have a son,” and then say he has three daughters?

Will Durant in his secular classic, The Story of Civilization, writes,

“Within the Ka’aba, in pre-Moslem days, were several idols representing gods. One was called Allah; three others were Allah’s daughters,  al-uzza, al-Lat, and Al-Manat. We may judge the antiquity of this Arab pantheon from the mention of At-il-Lat by Herodotus [a fifth century B.C. Greek historian] as a major Arabian deity. The Quraish (Mohammed’s tribe) paved the way for monotheism by worshiping Allah as the chief god.”

Archaeological evidence discovered in Arabia proves that the dominant pre-Islamic religion was the worship of the moon-god, Allah. Mohammed simply eliminated the other 359 idols, including Allah’s daughters. That is why you see the crescent moon on the Islamic flag and above Islamic temples.

The God of the Bible is not the god of the moon; He is the Creator of the moon! To refer to a pagan deity as God is to disobey commandments 1, 2, and 3.

Commandment #4:  “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.”

Originally on Saturday, it was changed to Sunday to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Since the penalty for sin is death, true believers find the ultimate spiritual rest in the finished work of Christ who sacrificed Himself to pay for the sins of the world. Muslims worship on Friday.

Commandment #5:  “Honor your father and your mother.”

The primary application here is to give honor to whom honor is due. However, it is also true that women are to be honored, and are of equal value with men in the sight of God.

Sura 58:22 says, “You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day befriending those who oppose Allah and His Messenger even though they be their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred.”
 Sura 9:23-24 says, “Believers, do not take your fathers and your brothers for your allies if they choose unbelief in preference to belief. Whosoever of you takes them as allies those are wrong-doers. [9:24] Tell them, (O Prophet): If your fathers and your sons and your brothers and your wives and your tribe and the riches you have acquired and the commerce of which you fear a slackening, and the dwellings that you love, if they are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His decree.22 Allah does not guide the evil-doing folk.”

Commandment #6:  “Thou shalt not murder.”

There are 123 verses in the Koran that call for fighting and killing anyone who does not believe the statement, “There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet.” Jews and Christians are specifically named and targeted as “infidels.”

In Islam, Sura 5:37 says,

“…they (the infidels) shall be slain or crucified, or have their hands and feet cut off.”

In Islam, Sura 9:5 says,

“Wage war against the infidels, as are your neighbors…,”

I Sura 47:3-9, a Muslim who cuts off the head of an “unbeliever” is promised paradise!

Ironically, Sura 2:256 says,

“Let there be no compulsion in religion.”

This is an obvious contradiction. And, according to the Koran, what awaits the men who are admitted to Paradise? Two things that are forbidden as sinful in this life, wine, and women! What do the women get? Sadly, no one knows. This is how to answer Islam.

Commandment #7:  “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”

In Matthew 5:28 Jesus said, “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” In 19:5 Jesus (quoting Moses) said, “…. a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” The grammar is clear—one man has one wife.

But, in Islam, Sura 4:2, the Koran says,

“….of other women who seem good in your eyes, marry two, or three, or four; and if ye still fear that ye shall not act equitably, then one only; or the slaves you have acquired.”

Nature itself proves that the doctrine of polygamy cannot be divinely inspired since the ratio of men to women has always been 50/50. If there were four (or more) women to every man in the world, this doctrine might not be so obviously false.

The Koran goes on to say that the owner of any female slave can sell her into prostitution or rape her anytime he wants to, and Allah will forgive him! Don’t believe it?

In Islam, Sura 24:33 says,

“Force not your female slave into sin in order that you may enrich yourselves in this world if they wish to preserve their modesty. Yet if any of you do compel them, afterward, God will forgive you.”

This is a classic example of “Doublespeak.” That is language that deliberately disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words or phrases.         

Commandment #8: “Thou shalt not steal.”

Yet, in Islam, Sura 24:29 the Koran says,

“There shall be no harm in your entering houses in which no one dwells, for the supply of your needs.”

In other words, as long as no one is home, go in and take whatever you need!  The Bible says, “Thieves shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Commandment #9:  “Thou shalt not lie.”

But, in Sura 5:91, the Koran says,

“God will not punish you for a mistake in your oaths, but he will punish you for an oath taken seriously.”

The word “oath” means a solemn appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed. In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus said, “But I say to you, make no oath at all,… let your yes be yes and your no is no; anything beyond this is of evil.”

Commandment #10: “Thou shalt not covet.”

To covet is to desire something that belongs to someone else, or something forbidden. That is what wars are made of.  Obeying these commandments is not difficult, it’s impossible.

** A WORD ABOUT MARRIAGE**

In Islam, Sura 4:38, the Koran says, “Men are superior to women,” and gives men permission to “remove them unto their beds, and beat them….” However, in Eph. 5:28, the Bible says, “So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church.”

And, in 1 Peter 3:7, the Bible also says,

“You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

In other words, if you’re not right with your wife, you’re not right with God! Following the Koran, regarding the disrespect and the physical abuse of women, disobeys the clear teaching of Scripture. Jesus said: “Whatever you do to the least of these my brethren, you do to Me” (Matt. 25:40).

Fortunately for critical thinkers, there are only 5 major religions in the world, and they are mutually exclusive. The only thing they have in common is the fact that they have almost nothing in common, most importantly with respect to the nature of God:

  • Christianity teaches that God is: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three distinct persons make up the one God.
  • Islam teaches the strictest form of Unitarian monotheism and the Trinity is polytheistic blasphemy, a damnable heresy, and an obvious contradiction.
  • Hinduism says there are 330 million gods.
  • Buddhism doesn’t believe in God at all!
  • Judaism rejects the deity of Jesus Christ–the foundation of Christianity.

Logically, they are either all wrong or one is right, and the others are wrong. If we can discover the true nature of God then we will know the truth and be free.

PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE TRINITY IN NATURE

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity proved mathematically (math being a perfect science) that we live in a three-dimensional world: Time, space, and matter (which is energy). Interestingly, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity fits the Biblical account of creation perfectly. The very first verse in the Bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth.”

In the beginning (that’s time), God created (that’s energy), the heavens (that’s space), and the Earth (that’s matter).

That’s quite a coincidence! Einstein’s mathematical equation is a trinity of trinities!

  • Time is a trinity: The past, the present, and the future. The past is not the present, the present is not the future, and the future is not the past. One is not the other, all are part of the same, none can exist without the other, and yet each one is distinct.
  • Space: We live in a three-dimensional world: Height, width, and depth. Height is not width, width is not depth, depth is not height. One is not the other, all are part of the same, none can exist without the other, and yet each one is distinct.
  • Matter is made up of atoms, and atoms have three basic components: protons, neutrons, and electrons. One is not the other, all are part of the same, none can exist without the other, and yet each one is distinct.

One molecule of water consists of three atoms—two hydrogen and one oxygen. Pure hydrogen is highly flammable, and pure oxygen is also highly flammable. Combine them in a 2 to 1 ratio and you have a third substance which you can use to extinguish a fire! Can you rationally understand that? As you can see, whether or not you can rationally understand something does not preclude you from believing it. Can you fully comprehend God?

The human brain is the most complex thing known to science. The brain houses the mind which is a trinity; the mind, will, and emotions. The mind (intellect) is not the will, the will is not emotion, and emotion is not the intellect. One is not the other, all are part of the same, none can exist without the other, and yet each one is distinct!

As you can see, the Trinity is not an unfathomable, irrational contradiction. There are many more “tri-unities” all around us. A good case can be made for: Earth, wind, fire, light and many more. There is no logical or theological reason whatsoever, that Almighty God cannot sit on the throne in heaven, come to Earth as a sinless man, born of a virgin, and fill the world with His Spirit—all at the same time. God is not limited. Nothing is impossible for Him!

ONLY THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD CAN PREDICT THE FUTURE WITH PERFECT ACCURACY

According to Ph.D. astrophysicists and qualified scientists, the odds of the Bible’s more than 2,500 predictions being fulfilled by chance is one out of a number expressed as 1 with 2,000 zeros after it! According to the mathematical science of probability, if a number has more than 50 zeros after it, the odds of that happening by chance make it virtually impossible. Here is one example of Bible prophecy you can see right before your eyes.

In Ezekiel 36-39 (written 2,500 years ago) God revealed that the Jews would be exiled from Israel (because of their sin), the land would remain desolate for a long period of time, and in the latter days, He would bring them back as a nation. He then says, “These things were written so that the nations may know that I am the LORD.” In A.D. 70, the Roman Empire fulfilled biblical prophecy, the Jews were exiled and had no homeland for nearly 1,900 years. Then, on May 14th, 1948, after Hitler was finally stopped, the Jewish people returned to establish a 2nd Jewish state; another fulfillment of Bible prophecy (also see Jeremiah 31:35-36).

WHAT THE KORAN SAYS ABOUT THE BIBLE

In 3:3, 4:163, 5:46, 6:34, 6:115, 10:37, and 10:64, the Koran says the Bible was written by Allah and cannot be changed. In Genesis 17 the Bible says, “And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”’

More than 2,600 years later, Mohammed claimed Ishmael, not Isaac, was the rightful heir, and therefore the land belongs to the Arabs. That is why Muslims believe they must destroy Israel and take the land. As long as Israel prevails (or even exists), they are forced to the inescapable conclusion that Allah is not God, Mohammed was not a prophet, the Koran is false, and the Bible has not been corrupted!

Islam teaches that if your good works outweigh your bad works, Allah may have mercy on you. Yet, in Romans 3:20 the Bible says, “For by the deeds of the law no man will be justified in His sight, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” The moral law proves we are guilty, and cannot save ourselves.

When Adam and Eve sinned, they covered themselves with fig leaves, but God slew an animal to cover their sin.  Cain brought his own offering, but Able brought a blood sacrifice. Able’s was accepted, Cain’s was rejected. In Exodus, the angel of death passed over God’s people by the blood of a lamb. God is trying to tell us something.

In Leviticus 1-17, God instructed Moses that only a blood sacrifice could atone for sin. Leviticus says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.” Symbolic of sinless perfection, the sacrifice had to be perfect, without spot or blemish. The sacrificial system provided the world with 1,500 years of literal, historical, and theological context, so when John the Baptist saw Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” this would all make sense. The sacrificial system ended when Jesus fulfilled this prophetic picture of salvation. He satisfied God’s perfect justice once and for all who truly repent and believe!

Simply stated, it’s because we have broken God’s law that we need His grace. Since the penalty for sin is death (all men die because all men sin), in order for a savior to save you, he would have to be sinless and die for you. This is how God can legally forgive sin without compromising His justice. Justice and mercy were reconciled when Jesus Christ died on the cross. Three days later, He took authority over sin and death by raising Himself from the dead—by His own power! If you come to God without the prescribed blood sacrifice, you die in your sin and your own life will be required. Revelation 21:8 calls it, “the second death.”

How do you get saved from sin and death (separation from God)? Repent (change your mind and direction) and believe the Gospel. In 1 Cor. 15:3-4 the Bible says, “…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” Christianity is not a religion, it’s a revelation, and once you’ve had the revelation it leads you to a personal relationship with God based on love, not law. God is personal and you can know Him personally. “We love Him because He first loved us and gave Himself for us that we might become children of God” (I John 4:19).

The Bible says,

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

This is the definitive apologetic argument against Islam.