Exposing the truth about Islam
Information compiled by Minister Paul E Jones of GraceWatcher Ministries
Ever since the Attack on America on September 11, 2001, we have
heard a never-ending chorus of voices from government, academia, and the media
assuring us that the Islamic terrorists who attacked the Trade Towers and the
Pentagon are not representative of "true Islam." We have been likewise assured
by spiritual leaders — even some Christian spokesmen — that Islam is a religion
of peace, and that Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews.
"Our war is not against Islam," we have been told repeatedly.
"Our war is against terrorism."
Central Questions
Well, what about it?
Are Muslims the spiritual brothers and sisters of Christians and Jews?
Do we all worship the same God?
Are the Islamic holy scriptures, known as the Koran, inspired by God?
Is Islam another path to God by which one can attain eternal life?
Are the Islamic fundamentalists representative of true Islam, or are they a
terrible aberration of an otherwise peace-loving religion?
Is our war really a political one against international terrorists, or is it a
spiritual battle against a demonic, intolerant, militant, and imperialistic
religion known as Islam?
An Historical Perspective on Islam
Let's begin our consideration of these questions with some historical
background.
Muhammad, the man who dictated the Koran and gave birth to
Islam, was born in Mecca in the Saudi Arabian peninsula in 570 A.D. His father
died before he was born, and his mother died when he was six years old. He was
raised first by a grandfather and later by an uncle.
Muhammad was illiterate throughout his life. Until the age of 25 he worked in
caravans. During his extensive travels, he encountered many Christians and Jews.
Through his conversations with them, he picked up bits and pieces of both
Judaism and Christianity.
His life was radically changed at age 25 when he met a wealthy widow 40 years
old who fell in love with him. Their marriage enabled Muhammad to live a life of
leisure from that point on.
Muhammad's Call
Fifteen years after his marriage, at age 40, Muhammad had a
visitation from a spirit. Supposedly, this spirit told him that he was called of
God to be a "prophet" and an "apostle." It is interesting to note that there was
no tradition in Arabian religions of either prophets or apostles. These terms
were obviously used by Muhammad to appeal to Jews and Christians.
Muhammad continued to have spirit visitations. They would throw
him into a trance, and his utterances during the trances were written down by
scribes. These ethereal statements became the Koran, but they were not compiled
until after Muhammad's death. When the compilation was made, the utterances were
not organized either chronologically or by subject matter. The result was a
jumble of disorganized and often incoherent sayings which are frequently
contradictory.
For example, the Koran gives four conflicting accounts of
Muhammad's call to be a prophet [the word, Sura, means chapter]:1
Suras 53 and 81 — God, or Allah as he is called in Arabic, personally appeared
to Muhammad.
Suras 16 and 26 — The call was from the Holy Spirit.
Sura 15 — Angels issued the call.
Sura 2 — Gabriel was the one who appeared to him.
Muhammad's Revelations
At the time Muhammad received his initial visitation, there were
over 300 gods being worshiped in Mecca by pilgrims who came there each year to
pray at the Ka'aba, a small cubic building that housed a black meteorite and
effigies of the various gods. One of those gods was Allah, the moon god.
Muhammad decided to proclaim that there was only one god — and
he selected Allah as that god. That's the reason the crescent moon became the
symbol of Islam. Muhammad also proclaimed that he was the prophet of Allah.
Initially, Muhammad expected both Jews and Christians to receive his new
revelation. Thus, early passages in the Koran speak admiringly of "the people of
the Book." These are the passages that Muslims in the West love to quote in
their effort to prove that Islam is a tolerant religion. An example is Sura 5:82
which says, "You will find that those who are nearest in love to the believers
[Muslims] are those who say, 'We are Christians.'"
Muhammad's Rejection
But when Jews and Christians rejected Muhammad, he turned
fiercely against them, and later passages in the Koran speak of them
disparagingly:
Sura 5:51 commands Muslims not to take Jews and Christians as friends.
Sura 9:29 commands Muslims to fight against Jews and Christians until they
either submit to Allah or else agree to pay a special tax.
Sura 2:65-66 and Sura 5:60 contain references to Jews as "apes and swine to be
despised and rejected." (Think of that! You can be sure that such a statement
did not come from the true God of this universe who selected the Jews to be His
Chosen People.)
Jews and Christians were not the only ones who rejected
Muhammad's new revelations. The people of his own tribe, the Quraysh, also
rejected him. In response, Muhammad succumbed to the temptation to appease his
tribe by announcing that it would be okay for them to worship the three
daughters of Allah — named Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Ma-nat.
This declaration led to the infamous "Satanic verses" of the
Koran which were later deleted when Muhammad reverted back to monotheism.
Muslims have tried ever since to cover-up this diversion from the faith. You may
remember that in 1989 an Indian writer by the name of Salman Rushdie brought up
this taboo topic when he wrote a novel entitled, The Satanic Verses. The
Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran condemned him and called for his assassination. A
three million dollar bounty was placed on his head, and he has been in hiding
ever since.
Muhammad's Trek
The opposition to Muhammad in his home town of Mecca continued
to grow until he was forced to flee 250 miles to Medina where his message was
received. The Islamic calendar dates from this year when Muhammad fled to Medina
and found a receptive audience, resulting in the formal establishment of Islam
as a religion. It was the year 622 A.D., and that date represents year one of
the Muslim calendar, which is a lunar calendar. The year 2001 is the year 1422
in the Muslim dating system.
After the death of his wife, Muhammad married at least 11 other
women (some sources place the total as high as 16). He also took several
concubines. He married one girl who was only six years old and had sexual
relations with her when she was 9.2 According to the Koran, only the prophet
could have unlimited wives. All other Muslim men are limited to four (Sura 4:3).
Muhammad died on June 8, 632 A.D. in Medina at age 63. He left no successor, and
Islam soon broke into warring sects such as the Shiites and the Sunnis.
The Spread of Islam
All of those who survived Muhammad took up the sword, as
directed by the Koran, and devoted themselves to advancing Islam through
military might. The resulting spread of the religion was phenomenal. Within a
century, Islamic forces had conquered Saudi Arabia, the entire Middle East,
Central Asia, and large parts of India. The armies raged through Egypt and
across North Africa, destroying corrupt Byzantine Christianity in their path.
In 710 A.D. the Islamic armies crossed the Straits of Gibraltar
and quickly conquered three-fourths of Spain and Portugal.3 They then invaded
France and took one-third of the nation. They were 125 miles from Paris when
they were miraculously defeated at the Battle of Poitiers (also known as the
Battle of Tours) in 732 A.D. by a French army led by Charles Martel. Their
influence in Spain lived on for a few more centuries before they were slowly
driven back to North Africa.
A second powerful attempt to subjugate all of Europe was made
900 years later in the 17th Century when the Turks began to expand their Ottoman
Empire. They took Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and parts of Romania and
Hungary. By 1683 they had reached the gates of Vienna where once again the
Western forces won a miraculous victory against overwhelming odds.
Following this second attempt to conquer Europe, Islam fell into a state of
depression and stagnation until it was awakened in the 20th
Century due to several factors:
The Amassing of Great Wealth — due to the discovery of vast
reservoirs of oil in Arab lands.
The Re-establishment of the Nation of Israel — interpreted by Islamic clerics
like Khomeini as a judgment of Allah due to Islamic stagnation and apostasy.
The Positioning of U.S. Armed Forces — the placement during the
1990's of American troops throughout the Middle East in response to the Iraqi
invasion of Kuwait.
The Encroachment of Western Culture into the Muslim World — due to the
penetration of Western movies, television programs, and consumer goods.
The Cultural Nature of Islam
The encroachment of Western culture cannot be stressed too much.
It seems trivial to most Westerners, but that is because of the failure to
understand that Islam is a cultural religion that deifies 7th Century Arabian
culture.4
Westerners tend to view religion as something intensely personal
and private, and not as a cultural phenomenon. For example, Christianity is
"supra-cultural" in that it allows people to live, dress and eat in accordance
with the culture in which they exist. This is not so with Islam. In Islam there
is no "secular realm" that is free of religion. Islam regulates every aspect of
life to the point that religion, politics, and culture are inseparable. Islam is
thus fueled by a subtle form of racism in which 7th Century Arab culture is to
be imposed upon all other cultures.
Here are some examples of the cultural nature of Islam:
Political Structure — The tribalism of 7th Century Arabia is the
political structure sanctioned by the Koran. The chief has absolute authority.
There is no concept of civil rights. This principle is reflected today in the
reality that all Islamic countries are ruled by dictators, and civil liberties,
like freedom of speech and religion, do not exist.
Prayer — A Muslim is required to pray five times a day toward
Mecca. This is a symbol of the underlying cultural imperialism that lies at the
heart of Islam. Think of it — what if all Russian Orthodox throughout the world
were required to pray toward Moscow? Or, if all Roman Catholics were required to
face Rome when they prayed? What if Evangelical Christians were required to pray
toward Jerusalem? Such requirements would imply a cultural attachment to the
focal point of prayer.
Pilgrimage — A Muslim is required, despite the hardship and
cost, to make a pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia once in his lifetime. Again,
what if all Christians were required to go to Rome once in their lifetimes?
Dietary Laws — The only foods allowable are those that were
acceptable in 7th Century Arabia.
Women — What an illiterate, nomadic tribeswoman wore in the desert in 7th
Century Arabia is what is mandated for Muslim women today. The plight of women
in Islamic countries today is despicable. They can be kept prisoners in their
homes. They cannot appear in public without a covering. They are usually denied
the right to vote. They are often denied anything more than a rudimentary
education. In strict Islamic countries, women are generally treated as
sub-human.5 Sura 4:34 says, "Men are the managers of the affairs of women...
Those women who are rebellious — admonish them, banish them to their couches,
and beat them."
Punishment — Cruel and unusual punishment is practiced
throughout the Islamic world. Incarceration without due process is common.
Punishments often include torture, the cutting off of body parts (hands, ears
and tongues), the gouging out of eyes, beheading, and public flogging — all
representative of 7th Century Arabian culture. The Koran specifically commands
that those who disobey Allah are to be tortured (Sura 8:12-14).
Time magazine recently presented a chilling summary of the
cultural nature of Islam as it is evidenced in the "moderate" Islamic nation of
Saudi Arabia:6
"Despite the modernization that took place after the discovery
of oil reserves in 1938, Saudi Arabia remains a land where rigid religious and
traditional values are strictly enforced. Cinemas and discos are outlawed; men
and women are separated in banks, schools, and fast-food restaurants; women must
wear veils and are forbidden to drive. Public decency police known as muttawa
comb shopping malls searching for women whose loose scarves reveal a curl of
hair and forcing store owners to shut during prayer times. Unforgiving Saudi
justice is on view after the main prayer every Friday, when a swordsman beheads
blindfolded murderers, sorcerers, drug smugglers, and other criminals in
Riyadh's 'Chop-chop Square.'"
The Spiritual Nature of Islam
Islam is a typical works salvation religion centered around a
false god. Its fundamental tenets deny the heart of the Christian Gospel,
revealing its demonic origin.
The Koran — As I have already pointed out, the holy book of
Islam is riddled with contradictions. Consider, for example, what it says about
creation. In one place it asserts that Allah created everything in "the
twinkling of an eye" (Sura 54:49-50). Elsewhere it says that the time period of
the creation was two days (Sura 41:9, 12); four days (Sura 41:10); six days (Suras
7:54, 10:4, and 32:4); in "a day equaling 1,000 years" (Sura 32:5); and also in
"50,000 years" (Sura 70:4). That's a total of six different time periods!
The Koran contains many scientific errors. A crude example is found in Sura
18:8-86 where it says that Alexander the Great followed the setting of the sun
and discovered that it went down into the waters of a muddy spring!
Many Arabian fairy tales about genies are contained in the
Koran, and the book is also full of historical errors. It presents Mary the
mother of Jesus as the sister of Moses and Aaron (obviously confusing her with
their sister, Miriam). The Noahic flood is placed in the time of Moses, and the
claim is made that one of Noah's sons refused to enter the Ark and was drowned.
The Koran also pictures Abraham as offering Ishmael as a sacrifice in Mecca,
whereas the biblical account has Abraham offering Isaac on
Mt. Moriah in the area that would later become the heart of
Jerusalem.
God — The Koran asserts that the god of Islam is the God of
Christians and Jews (Sura 29:46). Nothing could be farther from the truth.7
The god of Islam, Allah, is most definitely not the God of the Bible. Allah is
presented in the Koran as an autocratic ruler who is aloof and arbitrary (Sura
5:40). Allah is unknowable whereas the God of the Bible is knowable (2 Timothy
1:12). Allah is impersonal, unlike the personal God the Scriptures reveal (1
Peter 5:6-7). Allah is unitarian (Sura 4:48) whereas the God of the Bible is
trinitarian (2 Corinthians 13:14). Here is what the Koran says about the God of
the Bible (Sura 4:171): "Believe in Allah and say not 'Trinity.' Cease! It is
better for you! Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from his transcendent
majesty that he should have a son."
Allah is capricious (Sura 2:284), whereas the true God is
trustworthy. And Allah is never anywhere presented as a god of love — which is
the essence of the nature of the true God (1 John 4:7-16).
Jesus — The Koran denies point blank that Jesus was the Son of
God (Sura 112:2-3). It also denies His atoning sacrifice by claiming that he
never died (Sura 4:157). A substitute died for Him on the Cross. Jesus was
translated to Heaven, like Enoch, where He will remain until He returns to kill
all pigs, destroy all crosses, and convert the world to Islam. Jesus will marry,
reign for 40 years and then die and be buried next to Muhammad in Medina.8 Jesus
is characterized in the Koran as nothing more than "an apostle of Allah" (Sura
4:171).
Sin — There is no concept of sin in Islam and therefore no need for forgiveness.
Shame replaces sin. Everything is a matter of honor verses dishonor.9 In the
Muslim view, man does not need redemption, he only needs some guidance so that
he might develop the inherently pure nature with which the Creator has endowed
him. If he will be faithful in his prayers, almsgiving and fasting, God is
likely to overlook his failures and usher him into Paradise.10
Ethics — The situation determines the appropriate action, not a
standard of right and wrong. As an example, Al Ghazzali (1058-1111), one of the
greatest Muslim theologians, wrote: "Know that a lie is not wrong in itself. If
a lie is the only way of obtaining a good result, it is permissible. We must lie
when truth leads to unpleasant results."11 The Koran sanctions revenge: "If
anyone transgresses... against you, transgress likewise against him" (Sura
2:194).
Salvation — Islam is a religion of works. One obtains favor with
Allah by performing the five pillars of the faith:
Reciting the creed that there is one god, Allah, and his prophet is Muhammad.
Praying five times a day toward Mecca.
Giving alms to the poor.
Fasting from sunrise to sunset one month a year during the month of Ramadan.
Making a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Another way to reach Paradise is to die fighting for Allah (Sura 3:157).
Islam is so works oriented that it teaches that good deeds
cancel bad ones (Sura 11:114). In contrast to all this emphasis on works, the
true Word of God teaches that it is impossible to earn salvation because it is a
gift of God's grace that is received through faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior
(Ephesians 2:8-10).
Heaven — The Islamic Paradise is a place of sensual pleasure
consisting of gluttonous feasts and endless sex orgies (Suras 52:17-24;
55:54-56; and 78:32-34).
The Intolerant and Militant Nature of Islam
One of the most controversial issues regarding Islam concerns
whether or not it is a militant religion. Muslims in the West argue it is
peace-loving. Westerners who have experienced it in the Muslim world argue it is
inherently intolerant and militant.
The Koran itself preaches intolerance toward other religions.
Sura 5 contains the following command: "Take not Jews and Christians for
friends... He among you who takes them for friends is one of them... Choose not
for friends such of those who received the Scripture before you [Jews and
Christians]... But keep your duty to Allah" (verses 51, 55, 57). Extreme
intolerance is commanded in Sura 5:33 — "[For those who do not submit to Allah]
their punishment is... execution or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and
feet, from the opposite sides, or exile from the land."
The Koran also expresses an intolerant attitude toward any
person who decides to reject the Islamic faith or convert to another religion.
Such persons are to be executed (Sura 9:12). In the Hadith (the oral tradition
of Muhammad's sayings) it says "Whoever changes his religion, kill him" (Hadith
9:57). These commands are practiced in all Islamic Fundamentalist countries
today.
With regard to militancy, the Koran not only condones it, it
commands it:
"Fighting is prescribed for you, and [some of] you dislike it. But it is
possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and that you love a
thing which is bad for you. But Allah knows, and you know not" (Sura 2:216).
"Fight and slay the pagans wherever you find them, beleaguer them, and lie in
wait for them in every stratagem of war" (Sura 9:5).
"Fight in the way of Allah... and slay them [the unbelievers] wherever you find
them and drive them out... and fight them until... religion is for Allah" (Sura
2:190-193).
Muhammad is quoted in the Hadith as saying, "The sword is the
key of heaven and hell. A drop of blood in the cause of Allah — a night spent in
arms [war] — is of more avail than two months of fasting and prayer. Whosoever
falls in battle, his sins are forgiven, and at the day of judgment, his limbs
shall be supplied by the wings of angels and cherubim."12
Muslim Propaganda
Muslims living in Western democracies try to defend their
religion by quoting Sura 2:256 which says, "There is no compulsion in religion."
In evaluating this very lonely verse in the Koran, you need to keep in mind
first that it was written before Muhammad was rejected by Jews, Christians and
his fellow Arabs — before he fled to Medina and started responding in hatred to
all his detractors. But even more important is the fact that Islamic teachers
themselves argue that this verse was later abrogated, either by the words or
actions of Muhammad.13
Some argue that the verse was abrogated by Muhammad's later
orders for his troops to fight until unbelievers were compelled to surrender to
Islam. Others argue it was abrogated by Sura 9:73 which says, "O Prophet,
struggle with the unbelievers and hypocrites, and be harsh with them." A third
group argues that the words of the verse do not mean what they seem to say. They
argue the words mean that religion cannot be used to force someone to do
something evil, but compelling people to accept the truth of Allah is a
religious duty.
A fourth group of Islamic clerics accepts the words to mean what they say, but
they argue that they were part of Allah's strategy to advance Islam. While
Muslims were weak, Allah spoke through Muhammad and told them to tolerate
infidels. But when the Muslims became strong, Allah commanded them to cease
being tolerant and attack and subdue the infidels.
The bottom line is that regardless of the explanation, the result is the same —
the verse has been abrogated, and infidels must embrace Islam or face death.
Muslims sometimes counter by pointing to the intolerance and
violence that have characterized both Jews and Christians at certain times in
their histories. They point to the slaughter of the Canaanites when the Jews
took the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. And, of course, they
point to the Christian Crusades in the Middle Ages. Using these examples, they
accuse Jews and Christians of being hypocritical in attacking the intolerance
and violence of Islam today.
With regard to the Jews, this argument ignores the fact that God
used them as an instrument of His judgment against the tribes living in Canaan —
just as He later used the Assyrians and Chaldeans to judge the Jews (Genesis
15:16; Leviticus 18:24-25; Deuteronomy 9:5). He never told the Jews to conquer
the world for Him, and He provided them with precise instructions as to how they
were to treat aliens who might wish to live among them. They were to be treated
with dignity and were to be provided with justice (Leviticus 19:17, 33 and
Deuteronomy 27:19). Even more, the Jews were commanded to love their neighbors
as they loved themselves (Leviticus 19:18).
Regarding the Christian Crusades, they were an aberration in Christian history
based upon perverted Catholic doctrine and not upon any biblical injunction. In
contrast, the intolerance and violence that have characterized Islam throughout
its history are firmly rooted in the
Koran.
What a contrast all the ghastly commands of Muhammad are to the loving words of
Jesus who told Christians:
"Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).
"Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew
5:39).
"Do not judge, lest you be judged" (Matthew 7:1).
"However you want people to treat you, so treat them" (Matthew 7:12).
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39).
"This is my commandment that you love one another" (John 15:12, 17).
"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends"
(John 15:13).
And what a contrast it is between the admonition of Muhammad to conquer for
Allah with the sword and Jesus' exhortation to go forth in peace and appeal to
people's hearts through the preaching of the Gospel, relying on the persuasive
power of God's Holy Spirit.
The Imperialistic Nature of Islam
From its inception, Islam has been committed to what it calls
jihad — a word meaning holy war. The duty of Muslims is to subjugate or destroy
"infidels" — the term the Koran uses for all non-believers.
In the Muslim viewpoint, the world is divided into two regions —
those areas controlled by Islam, called Dar al-Islam (meaning the House of
Islam) and those called Dar al-Harb (the House of War). The Koran commands
Muslims to fight non-Muslims until they exterminate all other religions, leaving
Islam as the one and only religion in the world (Suras 2:193 and 8:39). Muhammad
is quoted in the Hadith as saying, "I have been ordered to fight with the people
until they say, none has the right to be worshiped but Allah" (Hadith 4:196).
Regarding terror, Allah orders Muslims to terrorize non-Muslims on his behalf:
"Strike terror (into the hearts of ) the enemies of Allah and your enemies" (Sura
8:60). Allah then assures his followers that he will assist them: "I will
instill terror into the hearts of unbelievers. Smite them above their necks and
smite all their finger-tips off them. It is not you who slay them, it is Allah"
(Sura 8:12, 17).
Concerning jihad, the Koran guarantees Paradise to those who
fight for Allah (Sura 4:74).14 It promises instant Paradise for those who die in
battle (Suras 9:111 and 47:5-6). Dying for Allah is presented as better than
living: "And if you are killed or die in the Way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy
from Allah are far better than all that others may amass [of worldly wealth]" (Sura
3:157).
Martyrs are promised a sensual and luxurious life in Paradise (Sura 52:17-22).
According to Al-Ghazzali, one of Islam's greatest teachers, when a martyr
reaches Paradise, he "will marry 500 companions, 4,000 virgins, and 8,000
divorced women."15 Commenting on this statement, Randall Price, biblical teacher
and Middle East expert, observed that the Islamic Paradise is "just the kind of
place that adolescent, unmarried men, isolated through their lives from the
opposite sex by rigid cultural standards, would die for.16
Islamic Sermons
The murderous imperialistic nature of Islam is clearly revealed
in the sermons delivered weekly throughout the Muslim world. Consider the
following excerpt from a sermon by Sheikh Ibrahim Madhi that was broadcast live
over Palestinian television on June 8, 2001. Referring to a suicide bombing in
Tel Aviv that had killed 21 Israeli teenagers the week before, he praised the
terrorists:17 "Blessings to whoever waged jihad for the sake of Allah. Blessings
to whoever raided for the sake of Allah. Blessings to whoever put a belt of
explosives on his body, or on his son's body, and plunged into the midst of the
Jews, crying, 'Allahu Akbar!' Praise to Allah!"
Then he expressed the imperialistic aims of Islam by issuing warnings to nations
that would be "erased:" "Allah is almighty... We must prepare the ground for the
army of Allah that is coming according to [divine] predestination. We must
prepare a foothold for them. Allah is willing for this unjust state of Israel to
be erased. The unjust state, the United States, will be erased. The unjust
state, Britain, will be erased."
A similar sermon was delivered the previous year on October 13,
2000, by Dr. Ahmad Abu Halabiya.18 It too was carried live on Palestinian
television. He proclaimed that the true terrorists are the Jews "who must be
butchered and killed, as Allah the Almighty has said." He called for Muslims to
have no mercy on the Jews: "Fight them wherever you are. Wherever you meet them,
kill them,... and kill those Americans who are like them — who stand by them."
As an incentive to carry out these murderous exhortations, the cleric added: "O
brothers in belief, the beautiful bride has a costly price and dowry... Our
bride is Paradise. O brothers in belief... the cost of the dowry of this
bride... is that we fight in the path of Allah, and kill and be killed."
Keep in mind that these are quotes from sermons! Can you imagine
a Jewish rabbi or a Christian minister urging their congregations to go out and
kill a Muslim for God?
Fundamentalist Goals
The Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran was the modern day Islamic
spokesman who revived Muhammad's vision of world conquest. He taught that the
re-establishment of Israel was a Satanic miracle allowed by Allah because of the
lukewarmness of the Muslim masses. He called for a renewal of true Islam to
accomplish three purposes:19
To overthrow the "secular" rulers of Islamic countries (like
Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt), just as he had done in Iran.
To take back the land of Palestine for Allah, exterminating Israel in the
process.
To conquer the rest of the world for Allah.
Notice the first priority was the transformation of secular Islamic countries
into religious states ruled by the Koran. Then would come Israel and the world.
In a proclamation made by Osama bin Laden in 1998, he listed the
same goals and prioritized them in the same order.20 He then identified the
United States as the prime obstacle to the achievement of these goals.
Accordingly, he called on Muslims everywhere "to comply with Allah's order to
kill the Americans and plunder their money wherever and whenever they find it."
It is important to note that the eradication of Israel is not
the top priority. Nor is Israel viewed as the major obstacle to world conquest.
I emphasize this because many Americans are saying that the key to winning the
war against terrorism is to dump Israel. More and more, on radio talk shows, I
hear people saying, "Let's cut Israel loose. Let the Arabs have it. Then they
will leave us alone."
That is utter nonsense. Israel is not the cause of Islamic terrorism toward the
West. If Israel were to disappear tomorrow, Fundamentalist Islam would still be
determined to destroy America as part of its plan to take the world for Allah.
And if we were to abandon Israel, the Muslim world would interpret it as an act
of cowardice, proving our word is meaningless and that we truly are, as they
say, "a depraved society devoid of values." Our abandonment of Israel would only
whet their appetite. Islamic Fundamentalism cannot be appeased. It must be
defeated.
Answering Questions
I want to conclude by answering the questions we began with:
Are Muslims the spiritual brothers and sisters of Christians and Jews?
No, they have been deceived by a Satanic, false religion.
Do we all worship the same God?
Absolutely not. The god of Islam is a false god. He is really Satan in disguise.
Are the Islamic holy scriptures, known as the Koran, inspired by God?
Not the God of the Bible. The Islamic scriptures are a jumbled mess of
contradictory statements that are unscientific, unhistorical, and unbiblical.
Is Islam another path to God by which one can obtain eternal life?
No! Muslims reject Jesus as Messiah and deny His atoning sacrifice. Jesus said,
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but
through Me" (John 14:6).
Are the Islamic Fundamentalists representative of true Islam, or have they
hijacked a peace-loving religion?
There is no doubt they represent the true heart of Islam. Islam is a cultural,
intolerant, militant and imperialistic religion of the sword.
Is our war really a political one against terrorism, or is it a spiritual one
against a demonic religion known as Islam?
Based upon the evidence I have presented from the Koran and from history, I
think the answer is obvious. We are not engaged in a war against terrorism.
Terrorism is a means, not the source of the struggle. Terrorism is a tool of
those waging the war. To say this is a war against terrorism is equivalent to
saying World War II was a war against U-Boats, V2 Rockets and Kamikaze planes.
No, World War II was a war against Fascism. The current war is one against
Islamic Fundamentalism.
But even more substantive, it is a spiritual war against the forces of Satan.
Obstacles to the Gospel
Jesus is about to return. The Bible says He will not return
until the Gospel is preached to all the world (Matthew 24:14). There have been
two major obstacles to the preaching of the Gospel — Communism and Islam, both
religions of Satan. Communism collapsed and the former Communist countries are
now open to the Gospel. The final barrier to be overcome is Islam.
For ten years now Evangelical Christians have been praying for the "10/40
Window" — that area of the world between the 10th and 40th latitudes where
hundreds of millions are enslaved to the spiritual darkness of Islam.21 The
prayers have been effective. Countless numbers have been exposed to the Gospel
in various surreptitious ways, and many have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior,
knowing that to do so may well mean death.
Satan is enraged over these incursions into his territory. He is
equally upset over the re-establishment of Israel. He can read the signs of the
times, and he knows his time is short before Jesus breaks from the heavens in
glory. But Satan is self-deceived, and he continues to believe he can thwart the
purposes of God. He has therefore aroused and empowered Islam to make one last
attempt to conquer the world.
Islam is destined to lose this battle, for the Word of God says
that he who lives by the sword will die by the sword (Matthew 26:52).
I believe Islam will ultimately experience another defeat so overwhelming and so
humiliating that the eyes of millions of Muslims will be opened to the fact that
Allah is a false god. At that point their hearts will be opened to the true God
— a God of lovingkindness who came to this earth and died for the sins of
Mankind.
Isaiah was given a vision of this day in Isaiah 19 where it was
revealed to him that one day during the Millennial reign of Jesus, Egypt,
Assyria, and Israel will all be united in worshiping the one and only true God,
the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
A Call to Prayer
Let us pray for our leaders, that they will be able to discern
the spiritual nature of the war we are engaged in.
Let us pray for the leaders of Israel, that they will turn to God for their
protection and stop seeking it through America and through trying to appease an
enemy whose goal is to annihilate them.
Let us pray for the Islamic world, that Muslims everywhere will have their
hearts opened to the Gospel.
And let us daily cry out from the depths of our hearts, "Maranatha!" Come
quickly, Lord Jesus!
Witness your faith in response to the attack!
There is much about the Arabs in Bible prophecy, but the Bible
is relatively silent about Islam. This may seem to be a strange statement to
some because many people identify the Arabs with Islam.
It is true that most Arabs are Muslims, but not all. There are,
for example, Christian Arabs. But the Arab world (approximately 300 million
people) constitutes a minority of the 1.4 billion people in the Muslim world.
The largest Muslim country in the world is Indonesia (242 million). Other large
non-Arab Muslim countries include Pakistan (162 million) and Bangladesh (144
million). Countries in the Middle East that are Muslim but not Arab include
Turkey (70 million) and Iran (68 million).
The Arabs in Prophecy
Concerning the Arabs, the Bible tells us that they will come
against Israel in the end times and try to take its land. God will respond by
rendering the Arab lands desolate (Ezekiel 35:6-7, 15), probably through the
military campaigns of the Antichrist.
But the future for the Arabs is not all bleak. Like the Jews, a remnant of the
Arabs will emerge from the Tribulation with their hearts turned to the one and
only true God, Yahweh (Jeremiah 12:14-17).
The most remarkable prophecy concerning the future salvation of
an Arab remnant is contained in Isaiah 19:16-25. Isaiah says that when the Lord
strikes Egypt and Assyria, they will turn to Him and He will have compassion on
them and "heal them." Isaiah then presents an incredible picture of Egypt,
Assyria, and Israel living together in peace, worshiping the same God!
A Specific Prophecy Involving Muslim Countries
With regard to Islam in general, the only clear prophecy I see
about it in the Scriptures has to do with the end time invasion of Israel that
will be led by Russia (Ezekiel 38 and 39). The Bible states that Russia will be
accompanied by certain specified allies (Ezekiel 38:1-6). The allies include
Persia (modern day Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan), Ethiopia, Put (Libya),
Gomer (Western Turkey), and Beth-togarmah (Eastern Turkey). As you can see, all
of these are countries with a Muslim majority.
Ezekiel 39 reveals that these forces will be destroyed supernaturally by God
upon the hills of Israel (Ezekiel 38:18-23 and 39:3-6). Even the Jewish people
will realize that the forces were destroyed by God (Ezekiel 38:23 and 39:7).
The End Time World Religion?
Some Bible prophecy teachers are now asserting the belief that
Islam will serve as the end time world religion of the Antichrist. This
assumption is based in part on the fact that some Muslims are looking forward to
the appearance of a Messiah called the Mahdi, and because of this expectation,
some theorize that the Muslim world will rally to the Antichrist when he
appears, thinking that he is their Mahdi.
I don't believe this expectation is valid. First of all, the
concept of a Mahdi is held by less than ten percent of all Muslims. It is an
aspect of Shiite eschatology, not the vast majority of Muslims who are Sunnis.
Second, the Bible teaches that the Antichrist will be of Roman
descent and will rise to power in Europe. I can't imagine the Muslim world
rushing to endorse any European leader. Africa, Asia, and Latin America have
spent the past 200 years divesting themselves of European colonial rule. They
are not going to willingly submit themselves to such rule again, regardless of
how dynamic, charismatic, and wise the Antichrist may prove to be.
There is a third problem with the idea that the Antichrist will
utilize Islam as his world religion. I believe the Bible teaches that the
initial religion that the Antichrist will use is Catholicism. This seems to be
the teaching of Revelation 17 where the religion of the end times is represented
by a whore who is "drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the
witnesses of Jesus" (Revelation 17:6). She is pictured as being seated on "seven
mountains" (Revelation 17:9). This is imagery which, in the apostle John's time,
could only be referring to Rome. This identification is affirmed at the end of
the chapter when John asserts that the woman is also "the great city which
reigns over the kings of the earth" (Revelation 17:18). Again, in John's time,
this could only be a reference to Rome.
The Bible further indicates that at some point in the
Tribulation, possibly at its mid-point, the Antichrist will turn against the
Catholic Church and destroy it, probably because it becomes a threat to his
absolute power (Revelation 17:16). He and his False Prophet will then create a
new religion that will mandate the worship of the Antichrist as god on earth
(Revelation 13:11-17).
An Intolerant Religion
Of all the world's religions, Islam is the most intolerant. It
simply will not tolerate the existence of other religions in areas that it
controls. I cannot even imagine any European leader associated with the Catholic
Church being able to secure the allegiance of Muslims. I believe, instead, that
the Muslim world will revolt against any attempt of the Antichrist to bring them
within his domain. The result will be a war (Revelation 6) that will ultimately
escalate into an all-out nuclear conflagration (Revelation 8 and 9). These wars
result in the death of half of humanity during the first three and a half years
of the Tribulation.
In summary, I believe the most likely scenario of the end times
is one whereby God will unleash the Antichrist on the Muslim world and will
judge them through him. The Antichrist will be successful. We are told in
Revelation 13:7-8 that he will become the first true dictator over all the world
because he will achieve "authority over every tribe and people and tongue and
nation" (Revelation 13:7).
The Antichrist's victory will be a Pyrrhic one. A third or more of the earth
will be left in ruin. And the one-half of humanity left alive will suffer
radiation poisoning, resulting in people covered with sores that will not heal
(Revelation 16:2 and 11).
At the middle of the Tribulation, when the Antichrist desecrates the Temple in
Jerusalem and declares himself to be god, the Jews will reject him, and he will
become obsessed with annihilating them during the last three and a half years of
the Tribulation (Revelation 12:13-17). He will be successful in killing
two-thirds of them (Zechariah 13:7-9).
While he is obsessed with the Jews, the Bible indicates that his
worldwide empire will fall apart at the seams. The nations of Asia will revolt
against him, sending an army of 200 million to overthrow him (Revelation
9:13-18, Revelation 16:12, and Daniel 11:44-45).
So, in summary, I would contend that Islam will suffer its judgment during the
Tribulation when it refuses to accept the Antichrist as the world's leader.
Notes
The Koran is available in many printed editions. A handy one that is fully
indexed and which can be searched by words and phrases can be found on the
Internet at http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/koran.
The Hadith According to Al Bukahri, 7:64. This version of the Hadith is
considered to be the most definitive collection of Islamic oral traditions. It
consists of nine volumes. It can be found on the Internet at http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/reference/search
hadith.html.
An excellent chronology of Islamic history can be found on the Internet at
http://eawc.evansville.edu/chronology/ispage.htm.
There is an outstanding discussion of the cultural nature of Islam in the book
by Robert Morey entitled, The Islamic Invasion (Eugene, OR: Harvest House
Publishers, 1992). See in particular pages 19-32.
Abdullah Al Araby, "Incredible Teachings of Muhammed," on the Internet at
http://www.islamreview.com. This is the website of a ministry called The Pen vs.
The Sword. It contains many excellent articles about the true nature of Islam.
Scott Macleod, "Inside Saudi Arabia," Time, October 15, 2001, p. 62.
A good discussion of the differences between the god of Islam and the true God
of the Bible can be found in the book, Islam, Israel, and the Last Days, by
Elishua Davidson (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 1991). See pages 47-62,
103-122.
Lance Lambert, "The Messianic Expectations of Islam," Jerusalem, 1994. Produced
by The Christians Friends of Israel Ministry in Jerusalem.
Clarence Wagner, Jr., "Islam and the Land," an undated, unpublished manuscript.
"Insights into Islam," an unsigned article on The Muslim — Christian Debate
Website at http://www.debate.org.uk/topics apolog/insights.htm.
"The Dark Side of Islam," an unsigned article on The Muslim — Christian Debate
Website at http://www.debate.org.uk/topics/coolcalm/Dark-Side-of-Islam.htm.
Ibid.
M. Rafiqul-Haqq and P. Newton, "Tolerance in Islam," an article on the Internet
at http://www.debate.domini.org/newton/tolerance.htm.
Ney Rieber, "The Truth about Jihad," an article on the Internet at http://www.bible.ca/islam-jihad.htm.
Randall Price, "Islam and the Middle East Conflict," an undated and unpublished
article, page 10.
Ibid.
Ibid., page 8.
"The Palestinians in Their Own Words: Palestinian Quote Sheet #50, 16 October,
2000," a document on the Internet at www.iris.org.il.
Lambert.
Sheikh Usamah bin-Muhammad bin-Laden, "Text of Fatwah Urging Jihad Against
Americans," published by Al-Quds al-Arabi on February 23, 1998. Posted on the
Internet at http://www.ict.org.il/articles/fatwah.htm.
For more information about the 10/40 Window prayer effort, see
www.1040window.org
Return to home page here