Islam, ISIS and Jihad

Islam, ISIS and Jihad

Session 3: The Teachings of the Quran

I.Intro:

In this session we will identify what Muslims consider their Holy Scriptures, we will take a look at the foundations of Islamic thought and see the formation of how the religion looks today. Knowing the fundamental doctrines of Islam will help us to better understand the presence of war, hate, division and destructive behavior within the Muslim World.

II.Holy Scriptures and Traditions of Islam:

The Quran is the Muslim holy book that we as western Christians are probably most familiar with but much of Islamic doctrine and practice is found outside of this work. Contrary to Christianity Islam has many sources beyond their primary book that are considered sacred texts.

1. The Qur’an:

The Quran is the considered the main source and most authoritative scripture for Muslims. It is the holy book of the Islamic faith. The word Quran (or Koran) literally means “recitation” or “reading” in Arabic.

1. The word of Allah:

Muslims consider the Qur’an the verbatim word of Allah as recorded by the prophet Mohammad.

1. The Final Testament:

They consider it as the Final Testament, following the Old and New Testaments of the Judeo Christian traditions.

1. Chapters:

It is divided into 114 suras, we could think of them as chapters, though they very greatly in length.

1. Example quotation:

Here is an example of how a quotation from the Quran would read would be “Sura 103:1” noting the chapter first and then the verse following.

1. Revealed by Gabriel:

Muslims believe the Quran to be verbally revealed through the angel Jibrīl (Gabriel) to Muhammad over a period of twenty-three years beginning in 610 AD.

1. The Holy Writings:

The Qur'an tells of twenty-five prophets (mostly Hebrew), the first of which is Adam. The Quran also mentions four previous writings as scriptures and testifies to them as also being divine.

1. The “Suhoof” or the Pages of Abraham.
2. The “Taurat” or the Torah as revealed to Moses.
3. The “Zuboor” or the Psalms as revealed to David.
4. The “Injeel” or the Evangel as revealed to Jesus.

1. Changes to the Old/New Testaments:

Islam requires belief in all the prophets and revealed scriptures as part of its Articles of Faith. However Islam’s version of every one of the above listed documents has been altered in many ways because the teachings of the Old and New Testaments were believed to be flawed and so have been changed to fit Islamic thought and traditions. Since these books were corrupted the only reliable versions are those that Islam has “preserved” and all the copies that the Christians and the Jews have are unreliable. Before we look at these changes see what the Apostle Paul wrote 600 years prior regarding changing the gospel message.

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse (Ga. 1:8-9)!”

1. Regarding Ishmael:

Ishmael was the child of promise and the inheritor of Abraham’s blessing not Isaac.

1. Regarding Jesus:

Jesus was a prophet of Allah but he was not the Son of God and never claimed to be. Jesus was not crucified and therefore did not die, he was removed and someone else put in his place. Allah tricked people into thinking that Jesus was crucified.

1. Regarding Muhammad:

Muhammad was the counselor that Jesus spoke of as the one who would come after Him, not the Holy Spirit.

1. Regarding Jehovah:

Changes have been made to the Muslim versions of all Old and New Testament texts to have them testify about a god named Allah, not Jehovah.

1. The Sunnah:

The word Sunnah literally means a clear, well-trodden path, and a busy road and it is what is recorded in the Hadith. It refers to the path of Muhammad, who is viewed as infallible and it is seen that Muhammad’s giving and establishing of the Sunnah was a major part of his responsibility as Allah’s “prophet” in order to lay out the path that all Muslims are to follow.

1. Included:

It includes his specific words, habits, practices, and silent approvals, addressing ways of life, dealings with friends, family interaction and government.

1. Example:

Whatever Muhammad did or said becomes the example for all Muslims to follow. It is to form their thoughts and theology.

1. Equal in importance:

It is important to note that for the Muslim the Sunnah has equal importance as the teachings of the Quran and is considered authoritative.

1. Interprets the Quran:

The practices found in the Sunnah provide life applications for the Muslim; in many ways it interprets the Quran. Many aspects of Islam cannot be found in the Quran but are listed only in the Sunnah.

1. The Hadith Literature:

The Quran is entirely written by Muhammad the Hadithhowever are the oral or written traditions that are attributed to Muhammad by those who were with him or witnessed his interactions and or life. The Hadith therefore is comprised of many authors and includes statements that are said to have been made by Muhammad or they tell of his actions or the things he gave approval to.

1. Primary source of eschatology:

This is also the primary source for Islamic eschatology, not the Quran (though the Quran includes statements about the end time it does not often explain them). Remember that one of the 5 Tenets of Islam is belief in the Last Days, and if the primary source for these teachings is the Hadith then we need to understand what it is and how it works.

1. Two parts of the Hadith:

There are two parts of every Hadith; the Isnad and then the Matn. Every Hadith begins with a recount of authorship of who it is that is recording that particular Hadith; this is called the Isnad. The first people to hear a hadith were the companions who preserved it and then they conveyed it to those after them. The Isnad portion of each hadith serves as an introduction and it traces the “he said she said” of the writing or the chain of transmission in order to identify the author. Then follows the actual text that records the sayings or deeds of Muhammad; this is called the Matn.

1. Ahadith:

Each collection of Hadith contains numerous “ahadith” or sometimes called hadiths. The idea being that a ahadith is a “chapter” within a particular work of Hadith.

1. Book:

So when a Hadith is quoted the first thing noted would be the Hadith (we could compare this to a book within the Bible).

1. Chapter:

The next thing that would be found in a quote would be the number referencing the “ahadith.”

1. Example:

An example of how this would be quoted and appear in print would look like this:Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1042.

1. Sunnis six major Hadith collections:

There are six major Hadith collections that the Sunnis hold to. These collections were collected by Islamic scholars approximately 200 years after Muhammad's death. These are attributed to Muhammad and are sometimes referred to as Al-Sihah al-Sittah, which translates to "The Authentic Six". These six major Hadith collections are viewed as the most important.

1. Sahih Bukhari, collected by Imam Bukhari (with 7275 ahadith).
2. Sahih Muslim, collected by Muslim b. al-Hajjaj (with 9200 ahadith).
3. Sunan al-Sughra, collected by al-Nasa'i (with 5270 ahadith).
4. Sunan Abu Dawood, collected by Abu Dawood (4800 ahadith).
5. Jami al-Tirmidhi, collected by al-Tirmidhi (with 406 ahadith).
6. Sunan ibn Majah, collected by Ibn Majah (with 7275 ahadith).

1. Shi’as “The Four Books”:

Shi’as refer to their four best known hadith collections as The Four Books. These collections were written by three authors known as the 'Three Muhammads'; Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni al-Razi, Muhammad ibn Babuya and Shaykh Muhammad Tusi.

1. Kitab al-Kafi (with 15,176 ahadith).
2. Man la yahduruhu al-Faqih (with 9,044 ahadith).
3. Tahdhib al-Ahkam (with 13,590 ahadith).
4. Al-Istibsar (with 5,511 ahadith).

1. Additional Inspired Sources:

Beyond the Hadith there are also additional sources that are considered inspired to varying degrees and may also be quoted as authoritative within Islam.

1. The Sirat:

Sirat (or Sirah) means “biography” and refers to ancient and even modern biographies on the life of the “prophet” Muhammad.

1. Tafsir:

These are commentaries on the Quran written by early Muslim scholars.

III.Lies and Contradictions:

There are a number of significant things that we need to understand about Islam in order to rightly perceive what is being presented by Muslim, by the media and even by many unknowing Christians. Islam is a religion of lies, and it even has doctrinal permission to lie in order to protect itself. This makes the testimony of Muslims all together untrustworthy.

1. Contradictions within the Quran:

The Quran commands that when passages seem to contradict themselves the later written passages supersede the previously written ones. This means wherever there is a discrepancy the Quran dictates that the newest revelation is to be taken. The Prophet Muhammad became increasingly more violent as the years unfolded and the majority of the peaceful passages were written earlier on and thus replaced by more violent passages. Therefore the Quran itself negates the peaceful version of Islam for Jihad.

“We do not abrogate (repeal or do away with) a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth [one] better than it or similar to it. Do you not know that Allah is over all things competent (Quran Al-Baqarah 2:106)?”

“And when We substitute a verse in place of a verse - and Allah is most knowing of what He sends down - they say, "You, [O Muhammad], are but an inventor [of lies]." But most of them do not know (Quran An-Nahl 16:101).”

1. Taqiyya:

Within Islam there are certain provisions under which lying is not simply tolerated, but actually encouraged, this is called Taqiyya.

1.Prevent criticism:

It refers to lying in order to prevent the criticism of Islam.

2.Protect oneself:

It is permitted to lie if it is thought necessaryin order to protect oneself.

3.Promote Islam:

If lying will help promote the cause of Islam then it is encouraged so as to help the cause of Allah.

4.False friendship:

There is specific provision made to make an unbeliever think you are their friend (Quran:Sura 3:28).

5.Lying under oath:

This can include lying under oath or giving false testimony before a court.

6.Allowed to distort the truth:

It often includes making distorted statements and is employed in deceptions fed to the media that Islam is a “religion of peace”.

7.Allowed to deny the faith:

Under Taqiyya a Muslim is even permitted to deny or denounce his faith if, in so doing, he protects or furthers the interests of Islam, so long as he remains faithful to Islam in his heart.

8.Make things up:

They can make up things about their faith if it protects their greater interests and the interests of Islam (Quran: Sura 16:106).

9.Not held accountable:

Muslims lie when it is in their interest to do so and according to the Quran “Allah” will not hold them accountable for it when it is beneficial to the cause of Islam.

10.Breaking oaths:

Additionally Muslims are allowed to break oaths that they have made (Quran: Sura 2:225, 9:3).

1. Islam is a Religion of Peace:

When Muslims say that Islam is a religion of peace it is important that we understand what they mean by that statement. They are either severely deceived or they are leaning heavily into Taqiyya banking on your lack of understanding. For Muslims there can be no peace until the Mahdi comes and rules over all the world. A time is coming where every person will one day submit to the Mahdi as he rules the Earth under Sharia Law. This is their version of peace.

IV.Doctrines About Salvation:

It is important to understand that from a Muslim perspective every person is born Muslim. Allah endows every person with spiritual potential and intellectual inclination that can make him a good Muslim. Every person's birth takes place according to the will of Allah and is part of His plan and is in submission to His commands.

1. All are Born Sinless:

A Muslim believes that every person is born free from sin. When the person reaches the age of maturity and if he is sane, he becomes accountable for all his deeds and intentions. Man is free from sin until he commits sin. There is no inherited sin and no original sin. Adam committed the first sin, he prayed to Allah for pardon and was granted it.

1. Faith Through Works:

A Muslim believes that man must work for his salvation through the guidance of Allah. No one can act on behalf of another or intercede between him and Allah. In order to obtain salvation a person must combine faith and action, belief and practice. At the end individuals must have more good deeds than bad in order to enter into paradise.

1. Not Held Responsible:

A Muslim believes that Allah does not hold any person responsible until he has shown him the Right Way. If people do not know and have no way of knowing about Islam, they will not be responsible for failing to be Muslim.

1. All Must take the Shahada:

The Shahada (also spelled Sehadet) is the creed of Islam, belief in it and speaking it is the first and foundational step for a Muslim convert.

“There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”

V.Specific Doctrines About Messengers:

Like any religion Islam looks heavily to their divinely appointed messengers as the primary sources for information about their religion and about what truth is. For Muslims there is their supreme prophet and then there are other important messengers that they believe in and hold to their teachings (or at least their version of their teachings). As previously mentioned this includes the Old and New Testament prophets.

1. Muhammad in Islam:

The Shahada establishes Muhammad as the unique prophet of Allah and therefore makes any all things he did or dictated authoritative. This is the foundation for belief in the Quran, the Hadith and the Sunnah.

1. The Role of Jesus:

The Islamic faith mandates belief in Jesus, or Isa, as he is called in the Arabic language.

1. Esteemed messenger:

He is seen as an elect and highly esteemed messenger of Allah. Isa was a faithful servant of Allah and he is a faithful Muslim.

“[Jesus] said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet (Quran: Sura 19:30).”

1. Not Allah’s son:

The concept of Jesus being God’s Son is considered blasphemy; he never claimed to be divine nor did he die on a cross for sin.

“the Christians say, "The Messiah is the son of Allah ." That is their statement from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved (pagans). May Allah destroy them; how are they deluded? They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah, and the Messiah, the son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him (Quran: Sura 9:30-31).”

“It is not [befitting] for Allah to take a son; exalted is He (Quran: Sura 19:35)!”

1. Mary the Mother of Jesus:

Mary is considered to be a pious woman who was chosen over all of the women of creation to be the one to give birth to Allah’s elect messenger Jesus. Muslims believe the virgin birth came about by the command of Allah and that there was no father involved whatsoever. Mary was the one ordained for the miracle that would bring forth Isa, messenger of Allah.

“He said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you [news of] a pure boy." She said, "How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?" He said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter [already] decreed (Quran: Sura 19:19-21).'"

1. The Role of the Imam:

The Imam (A'immah) serves very different purposes for the two major divisions of Islam; Shi’a and Sunni.

1. Imams for the Sunnis:

For Sunnis (the majority denomination) the Imam holds the leadership position over the mosque and the Muslim community; he is the one who leads congregational worship and prayers. He serves as the equivalent of a catholic priest, a respected community leader.

1. Imams for the Shi’as:

For the Shi’a however, this role is strictly reserved for the successor of Mohammad and there are a very limited number of individuals throughout history who have been given the title of Imam. They are considered infallible and are to be followed blindly.