Counterfeit Religion- Islam: Who is ALLAH?
As Christians, we have a biblical imperative to respond to those who oppose and pervert the gospel of Christ. The gospel was delivered to us ONCE. (Jude 1:3)
Former Plo describes the lies of Islam: From Islam to Jesus
Intro: Counterfeit Religion can be seen in the illustration of counterfeit money. People will only try to counterfeit something of value. We as Christians know that the truth we have in Christ is of everlasting value. You don’t see people counterfeit things that aren’t valuable.
-The FBI trains it’s agents to spot counterfeit monies by becoming so familiar with the real money that when a phony dollar bill is introduced that it is spotted immediately. I want you to be so familiar with the truth that you will spot a counterfeit religion. Islam is a counterfeit religion that needs to be examined. We will look at this from a Christian worldview and how it affects our witness for Christ.
As Christians, we have a biblical imperative to respond to those who oppose and pervert the gospel of Christ. The gospel was delivered to us ONCE. (Jude 1:3)
The Bible Warns of False Apostles
The bible declares and warns of false teachers and false gospels. (Galatians 1:6-9) False Apostles, (Revelation 2:2), false prophets (Matthew 24:24), signs and wonders, fallen angels preaching, and the devil using ministers of righteousness. We will see in this study that Islam is a religion of false teachings and that Allah is not the same as the God of the bible. Islam and Muhammad are a false prophet. Islam is not a peace-loving religion in the sense that we know peace. Peace will come when ALL submit to the teachings of the Qur’an and confess Muhammad is His prophet. Islam wants to spread to the four corners of the earth and have all submit to Allah. Islam means submission!
Islam claims to be God’s final and complete revelation, and Muhammad is the seal (last) and greatest of the prophets. Muhammad claims to have received this revelation of the sayings of the Qur’an from the angel Gabriel with his call to be a prophet. (Galatians 1:8) We will examine these claims in the light of what the bible has warned us and what the teachings of Islam are.
Religion is Satan’s greatest weapon!
Satan has used and manipulated men throughout the ages to accomplish his will to hinder the work of God and his church. (2 Timothy 2:24) Satan has no authority over the life of a believer, so it is his plan and purpose to obstruct God’s people by causing doubt and confusion. Religion is a work of man. True Christianity is that of a relationship with the true and living God as revealed in His Holy Bible. From the beginning, Satan has employed the tactic of using God’s word and then casting doubt upon the validity of that word. In Genesis ch. 3, Satan said to Eve. “…Has God said…” Casting a shadow of doubt on what God had already revealed to Adam and Eve. Doubt is the antithesis to faith.
All False Religions of Cain are based on Works: The Way of Cain
Again, false religions are always based on a system of works to gain favor with God. As a Christian, this flies in the face of the grace that was poured out at Calvary’s cross. The gift given to us is FREE! Works-based religions are imprisoning people who are eager to get right with God. Islam is a religion of law (Shariah) and is more oppressive than any religion that I know of.
After the fall of man, God set forth the plan of salvation thru a blood sacrifice with God sacrificing and animal (I believe was a lamb) to provide covering for Adam and Eve. This was a foreshadow of the blood of the Lamb, that John the Baptist proclaimed when he saw Jesus. Satan was also busy at work in this time with establishing a religious system of works. Cain and Able both presented an offering to God. Able had followed the plan of blood sacrifice of the first of the flock, which he offered to God.
While Cain offered the “fruit of his hands”, this offering was works based and not in accordance with the system God had set forth. God offered loving correction to Cain. “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7)
See! In the beginning of the fallen world, we had two brothers who had two religions. One was the faith that righteous Abel (Hebrews 11:4) made a blood sacrifice in accordance with what God had set forth with their parents, Adam and Eve. Cain’s knew the way, but added his own effort back to God. This was the fruit of his labor, or today we call it “Works-Based Religion.” It’s man-centered, not Christ-centered. This man-made religion rose up and killed the God-given mandate of blood sacrifice, which was a foreshadowing of the grace that would come. John the Baptist prophesied of this sacrifice when lifting his eyes and seeing the Lord Jesus…” Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:36)
Islam Denies The Son, The Cross, and The Resurrection
Islam, as we will see, denies the work of Calvary’s cross, which is the cornerstone of the Christian’s life. We believe Jesus Christ came, died, and was raised again bodily in accordance with the Scriptures. Islam denies these tenets of our faith and many of the things we hold dear as Christians. Islam denies the shed blood and the forgiveness that was foreshadowed in the work of Jesus Christ. It denies that Jesus is the Son of God and therefore qualifies as an antichrist religion. (1John 2:22,23)
Consider the 26 or so books referred to as scripture, from the Qur’an (Koran) and the Book of Mormon to the Holy Bible. How is it that we know that we have the truth? Truth is, after all, what many of these false religions claim to have. Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Muslims, and tens of thousands of denominations claim to be the doorway to God. Ever heard anyone exclaim, “Any religion is good as long as you believe it and work at it”? Wow, sounds good at the surface level, or does it? Among the many religions, ideas of God or gods vary radically from one another. How does one sift through all these claims? After all, many seek some kind of spiritual food. We are spiritual creatures. God has made us that way.
Truth is not subjective. It does not work for one and not for another. It is either rejected or embraced. Some religions preach pantheistic ideology; some preach that you can be a god, and many pervert the Christian faith. Of all these, Monotheism is the belief that there is only one God. Of the big three religions, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all believe in the One true God. As Christians, we understand that Jesus is the Son of God, and we are, in essence, a fulfilled Jew in Christ Jesus. We have accepted the Messiah that was foretold in the Old Testament. Islam, on the other hand, is a tool of Satan to blind billions to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Judaism is the Old Testament beginning of our faith. Jews have not accepted the Messiahship of the Lord Jesus. Many hold Jesus as a good man and maybe even a prophet. Our focus is on Islam, and its claim as the true religion.
God’s Word is Our Defense
God’s word is our primary and only source of truth…the bible is the only self-authenticating book in the world. It is the only book where the author is ever present. It is the only book with verifiable historical facts and chronological events. With the advent of archeology, biochemistry, astronomy, and even mathematics, none of these have any facts that contradict what the bible says. Not so of the other writings. The one glaring missing component of the 26 sacred writings is predictive prophecy.
If you are not a student of prophecy, I recommend that you establish yourself on the solid ground of God’s word, the Holy bible. Jesus claims to be “the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) What a claim! The seven I AMs in the Gospel of John set Jesus apart from all others who claim to be the way to God. After all, Jesus claimed to be God, and we know He is. This makes His sacrifice for His creation positively unique! The Creator dying for His creation!
For those who do not believe that Jesus was God, it only takes away from the love He has for us and minimizes the sacrifice at Calvary. God is infinite, and His sacrifice can quench even the enormous gulf of sin we have created between us. God established the covenants with the patriarchs and swore to Abraham. “Because He could not swear by anyone higher.
Thus, God took it upon Himself to bring it to pass. And He will. When God passed between the animals, He took responsibility for bringing this agreement to pass Himself. The ancient practice of two parties making a covenant by passing between the slain animals said, in effect.
If either of us fails to bring this agreement to pass, then let what happened to these animals be done unto me. God took this upon Himself. (Genesis 15 & 22) How could a man take the wrath of God on a cross? Jesus was God in the flesh, and He has paid our debt in full. The Bible has at least 333 predictive prophecies on Jesus alone. Many of which are out of the realm of self-fulfilling. God makes His case for Himself as the one and only God in the book of Isaiah…Read Isaiah chapters 40 through 49 (The Trial of the false gods). Consider the claims and the titles of the many names for God and how they relate to Jesus. You will be blessed as God shows you this rock-solid word.
The Textual Evidence for The Bible
What you need to establish is the rock solid foundation that the bible defends itself. I recommend you examine the overwhelming evidence of writings and antiquities. Approximately 5700 copies of the New Testament are around. They vary slightly in reference due to copying errors. Typos, if you will. For example, note the two sentences below.
“Yxo are saved by grace…”
“Xou are saved by grace…”
This illustration, though simple, shows that the message’s content has not been changed or corrupted, as critics may claim. Skeptics look at the 5,700 copies, find slight variations in the writings, and say, “These are not the same!” Sorry a closer look demonstrates that 99.5% of the writings show harmony and not one article of faith is changed by any of these variations…Only those who want so desperately to escape the truth of a living God who will someday judge us want to worm their way out to their own shame.
Consider what great distances these where found in the ancient world and they carried the same message of a loving God who gave His son that we might have eternal life in Him…The gospel is intact and is the most copied ancient manuscript in the world. Today, the Bible is still the best-selling book in the world year after year. Many have tried to wear out the bible only to fall on their own sword over the last two millennia. Trust it and get to know it.
Another item I strongly recommend is a look into the Dead Sea Scrolls. In 1948, a young boy found these scrolls in a cave. Amazingly well preserved, considering they have been dated to the 1st century! In short, the book of Isaiah was found intact. It was meticulously unrolled and is in a museum today. That book is intact in all of its content with what we have today…Truly God confounds the wise at every turn.
He has, in fact, proven Himself, maintained His word, and His promise to never leave us or forsake us. The bible interprets itself, and when studied with a hunger to know the truth as God reveals, it will establish you in your defense of the faith. If you can’t use God’s word to defend your faith, you need to get grounded in it. If you’re not a big reader, I recommend using either an online audio Bible or an app on your phone.“…The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Jesus is described as the “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John1: 1) Jesus also told us “God is Spirit…” (John 4:24) and follows with “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)
Prophecy as Proof: Trial of the False gods (Allah is a False god)
In Isaiah the Lord God states this. “Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from the Ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.’” (Isaiah 46:9-10) The pages of the Qur’an can make no such claim or revelation in its writings. Nor in the sheer number of predictive prophecies! Take comfort in the living word God has maintained over the eons
.
There are over 300 prophecies about Christ Jesus alone. Many are fulfilled, yet many are beyond human control and cannot be self-fulfilled. Such as birthplace, and many such others that space here prohibits further expounding on this point.
As Christians we know “The way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Since Islam denies that Jesus is the Son of God and minimizes the Lords role in humanity. See insert on the Jesus of Islam for more on this subject.
So what is Islam? What do they believe? Is Islam an Antichrist religion? Let’s examine these primary problematic issues in the light of the gospel message and God’s word. Islam has a doctrine of the “Tahrif” that claims that our ancient writings of the Old and New Testaments are corrupt. That is a very serious charge. As stated above, we know that is not true, with the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls dated well before the Quran. 1st-century scrolls to what was given to the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century.
Since there are varied divisions within Islam, as in Christianity, I will stick with what all Muslims hold in the Four Foundational beliefs. It should be noted here that not all Muslims are Arabs. In fact, less than half of all Muslims are of Arab descent. In America, most Muslims are of African American descent. We just see our daily news, which shows the Middle East conflict, where indeed most of the Arab Muslims are.
Four foundational beliefs of Islam
The foundation of Islam cannot be overstated. It is at the very core of the world’s problem in dealing with the Middle East.
A total belief in Allah that extends to every area of the Muslim life.
Muslims believe that Muhammad is the final and greatest of all prophets. Every aspect of a Muslims life is modeled after the teachings found in the Hadith and the Quran. This extends to their religion, politics, social, and economic life. There is no separating Islam from day-to-day living.
The Quran is the Holy book of the Muslim. It is revered and not to be questioned. It is considered to be the very words of Allah. Also considered to be a miracle since Muslim tradition holds that Muhammad was illiterate and must be from God since he could not read or write.
Islam is a religion of law. Much more so that the Catholic canons and the Old Testament law given to Moses. Every area of Islamic law known as the Shar-riah extends to everyday life.
The Five Pillars of Islam
Confession- The Islamic confession of faith is known as the Shahadah, which reads, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger.” Devout Muslims pray this many times daily. It appears in Arabic on the Saudi national flag. With Muhammad’s sword below the writing.
Prayer- A Muslim’s prayer life is a discipline called Salat. This prayer life has all business come to a stop, and prayer is given facing Mecca, the holy city of the Kaaba.
Giving- is done mostly in private by putting money in a metal box known as Zakat. The Zakat involves giving 2.5% of Muslim assets to the poor and for emergencies.
Fasting- (Sawm) is widely known during the month of Ramadan. The ninth month on the Muslim calendar is a fast from all food, water, and sex from sun-up to sundown. It is a time of reflection for the serious Muslim and ends in a three-day feast.
Pilgrimage- known as Hajj, is the command of all able-bodied Muslims to make at least 1 pilgrimage in their lifetime. Every year, over 2 million pilgrims make their way to Mecca and circle the Kaaba 7 times. A cube shaped temple that they believe Abraham built with Ishmael. Both men and women put on ritualistic white robes and recite, “Here I am at your service, O God, here I am!” Pilgrims also reenact the plight of Hagar (Abraham’s wife and mother of Ishmael), who was looking for water. Muslims also throw stones at a pillar that symbolizes Satan and engage in animal sacrifice in memory of the story of Abraham and Isaac.
Muslims Believe that Isalm Predate the Prophet
Muslims believe that Islam predates the prophet Muhammad. They claim that Islam began with Adam and Eve and, in fact, that Adam was the first prophet of Islam. God has been sending His prophets to keep correcting His people back to the religion of Islam. In fact Islam teaches that all the Old Testament prophets where prophets of Islam and preached what is taught in the Quran.
Muslims do not teach the doctrine of ‘original sin’. They believe Adam and Eve made a mistake in the Garden of Eden, but God forgave them, and mankind is basically good.
Muslims hold that Allah (God) is the creator of the entire universe, judgment day, the office of a prophet (big on prophets), hell, heaven as a reward for the righteous, and angels. Muslims hold special significance of angels. They believe that there are both good and bad angels, and that it was the angel Gabriel who brought the message of the Quran to the prophet Muhammad.
Islam Teaches that Jesus (Isa) was a Prophet of Islam
Muslims believe that Jesus was a great prophet of Islam and is held in high esteem. Jesus was a Muslim and taught Islam, did not die on the cross, was not the Son of God, and therefore was not raised from the dead. See insert (The Jesus of Islam) this is the major point of contention for us as believers. Islam denies the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. That is the very foundation of Christianity and thus makes Islam an antichrist religion. (1John 4:1-3) When talking with anybody about Jesus, it’s good to ask him or her to define who Jesus is. You will get more answers than you thought. They hold to another Jesus and do not have the gospel that can save them.
The Quran and the Bible
The prophet Muhammad compiled the Quran over a 22-year period when, according to Muslim tradition, the angel Gabriel gave Muhammad verses to recite. Muhammad was reported to be illiterate, and it is considered that the Quran is a miracle of Allah since he was unable to read or write in Arabic. The Quran was compiled by Muhammad’s followers, who, when the Prophet received revelation, would write down what Muhammad had recited on anything that was available. They wrote the verses on leather, saddles, leaves, wood, scraps of parchment, and even bone.
It was not until after the Prophet’s untimely death that his followers began to note that others had not properly learned to recite correctly. The Quran literally means to recite. Muhammad’s followers learned to recite the verses in their entirety. However, as it evolved, Muhammad’s successors sought to compile the verses into chapters called Surahs. The Quran is arranged by Surahs (chapters), with the longest verses to the shortest. It is historical fact that there were several copies of the Quran, which differed, and, as usual, the final copy today was settled with the sword.
From what I read, I can say there wasn’t any one prophecy in the Quran that was noteworthy compared with the some 2000 specific prophecies in the Old Testament alone. 333 concerning Jesus, of which he fulfilled most with his first coming. The rest will be fulfilled when he returns and splits the heavens. Over 1500 prophecies concern countries and cities. More than 100 prophecies concerning Babylon alone set the bible apart from the so-called 26 sacred writings.
Predictive prophecy is glaringly absent from all other writings, as it is in the Quran. Read Isaiah chapters 40 through 48, where God calls all other pretenders (false gods) to state their case. Look into the prophecy of Ezekiel 30:13 about Egypt’s leadership. A student of History will find God’s word stunning in its continual fulfillment.
The Quran is to the Muslim, along with the Hadith (traditions and sayings of Muhammad compiled by his contemporaries. As stated above it is to be written and read in Arabic. Interestingly enough, 60 to 70% of the Muslim population is non-Arab-speaking. Even further is the number of Arab Muslims in poor countries that can’t read or write in Arabic. The Quran is nevertheless held in very high esteem and is never to be questioned.
Israel and Islam Historically
God’s prophetic timepiece is the tiny nation of Israel! When Israel, in the face of overwhelming opposition, declared sovereignty, a nation was born in a day.
The land that was given to Israel, as an everlasting possession, was known as Canaan. This was a promise of God, and it will come to pass. The Quran is full of verses that give credence to the children of Israel and all that God had promised, and Israel’s disobedience. The Quran tells us to look to our own scriptures for guidance, then later says they are corrupt. Keep in mind that it was compiled after the death of Muhammad. Many glaring contradictions appear in the accounts of the flood, and in as many as four different descriptions of how many days it took Allah to create the universe. See the section on books and links and the end of this work to look more in depth.
-Became Israel, and King David established Jerusalem as its capital (2 Samuel 5:6-9), which was previously Salem. (Genesis14: 18)
Israel and Islam: The Dome of the Rock
-Solomon built the first temple on the present-day site of the Dome of the Rock. Baal worship was prevalent in the land, and after many cycles of apostasy and revival, God gave the children of Israel up to King Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon) to be trampled down by the Gentiles until that time is fulfilled. (Daniel 9:20-27,Luke 21:20-24) Jerusalem has been under the control of Gentiles ever since, and in 1968 Jerusalem was annexed in the Six-Day War to become Israel’s capital again. These are truly exciting times to live in.
According to Islamic tradition, the site of the Dome of the Rock is where Muhammad ascended to Allah and is the third holiest site for Muslims. In 691 AD, the Dome of the Rock was erected where Abraham offered up Isaac. (Genesis 22) Muslims hold that Allah (God) gave the blessings through Ishmael and not Isaac. Abraham is their father also.
The Dome of the Rock was erected in 638 AD during a bloody conquest in which Muslim armies tried to capture Jerusalem from the Persians. The Persians, in reference to resettling in the old city, had lied to the Jews. The Muslims told the Jews that if they fought with the Muslims, they would allow them to move back in, and it happened.
Catholic Crusaders, called by Pope Urban II to regain the Holy Land for the glory of the church, began in 1095 AD and took it in 1099 AD. Saladin, a Kurdish officer from Iraq, took it back, reclaiming Jerusalem in 1187AD. Much clashing in the name of God was done in the 10th century and into the colonial years. By the First World War, Britain and France ruled much of the area, including Jerusalem. Britain took out the Ottoman Empire, which ruled in the heyday of Islam.
Israel and Islam in the Era of Self-Determination
After the fighting of the two World Wars, the idea of “self-determination” was carrying much influence, and with the advent of Israel becoming a nation and the fading of colonialism, it set the stage for today’s present Middle East conflict.
This followed a second Jewish revolt against the Romans, which ended with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. After the second revolt in 135 AD, Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina. This area roughly corresponds to Palestine, today’s Israel, the occupied territories, and Jordan.
In 1917, the Balfour Declaration was a statement issued by the British government recognizing the Jewish people’s right to a national homeland. President Woodrow Wilson and the Allies endorsed it.
The idea of Zionism came from Theodor Herzl, who proposed a national homeland in what was then called Palestine. This was to be a solution the growing Anti-Semitism that was growing in Europe.
Israel and Islam and the Global Problem of the ‘Two-State Solution’
The UN failed to develop plans to appease both sides in this new hotbed on the heels of WWII in 1947. The partition plan (Two State Solution) of the UN Assembly Resolution 181 was a partition plan that gave what is now 80% of Israel to the Palestinians, and Jerusalem would remain under UN control. Israel did not like it, but was willing to accept if they could live in peace. The Arab League, with tough rhetoric, rejected the partition plan, and Israel promptly exercised its right to become a nation in 1948.
Promptly after, five neighboring Arab armies attacked, and Israel won a miraculous victory. The UN and the world’s focus have been on this tiny country that represents less than 1/6 of 1% of the entire Arab world. Why the fuss? God will show Himself to the whole world through this people, and Jerusalem has become a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone to all peoples. (Zechariah 12) Space just does not permit a careful study of all that has gone down in this area.
Books and links we recommend
-Answering Islam (The Crescent in Light of the Cross) by Norman L. Giesler and Abdul Saleeb. This book was strong on doctrine and apologetics.
-Inside Islam (Exposing and Reaching the World of Islam) by Reza F. Safa. The author is one of the few authors I found who framed the conflict as spiritual rather than philosophical. I loved it! IT is a spiritual battle.
-World Religions (From Ancient History to the Present) By Geoffrey Parrinder. Just about any encyclopedia on religion will glean the same historical facts.
-Myths and Facts (A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict) By Mitchell G. Bard. The best book I read on the historical and political climate in an easy format. Excellent tool to catch you up on what is politically going on inside.
-A Cup of Trembling (Jerusalem and Bible Prophecy) By Dave Hunt. An author who has a ton of historical footnotes with a no-nonsense approach to bible prophecy. I enjoy this author’s work and diligence. He is tough on the enemy!
-The Quran- (Translation) By Abdullah Yusuf Ali. The most quoted author by all sources that I read. It is to be stated that Muslims hold that Quran is to be read in the original Arabic. I would also agree that the bible should be read in Hebrew and Greek, but we have excellent English translations. For what we need to know, it is handy to check it out for yourself.
-The best link to get you to many other links is www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. It even took me to Islamic sites with side-by-side Arabic-English translations of the Quran. Many other documents and historical links. Enjoy!
How to Witness to Muslims
Muslims need Jesus. They are not the enemy, but are captives of the enemy. Taken by the enemy to do his will. It is a spiritual battle. There is a war in heaven! We discuss many things here about the error of Islam in light of God’s glorious gospel. However, God wants us to share His Son, who loved them and died for them also. It is a war between the forces of light and the satanic forces of darkness. See Revelation 12:7 and Daniel 10 for this heavenly battleground. We as Christians once walked in darkness Ephesians 5:8-11, but now are children of the light.
