What You Need To Know About Islam and Muslims

Muhammad:
(570-632)
- claimed to be the last of the prophets
- in one battle lead forces in slaughtering 800 male Jews and took their wives and children
- had 9-13 wives
- favourite wife was Aisha (whom he consummated the marriage with when she was 9 years old)
- mborn in Mecca, escaped to Medina in 622, buried in Medina

Quran has 114 suras (chapters) – collected from 610-622 AD, “visions from Gabriel”
* tradition holds that Muhammad was illiterate – his followers “remembered” his preachings and codified them into the Quran by 652

Islam = “submission to God”
Muslim = “one who submits”

- Muslims think Christians have 3 gods (God, Jesus, Mary)
- Mecca, Saudi Arabia = holiest city in Islam (then Medina and then Jerusalem)
- Muslims believe Ishmael not Isaac was to be sacrificed by Abraham on a mountain in Mecca
- Jews and Christians are called “People of the Book”

“Allah Akbar” = “God is Great” is sounded at worship time

Islam gives high titles to 6 prophets:
- Adam is the Chosen of God
- Noah is the Preacher of God
- Abraham is the Friend of God
- Moses is the Speaker of God
- Jesus is the Word of God
- Muhammad is the Apostle of God

- Jesus is named 96 times in the Quran – called Messiah, Word of God, Spirit of God, son of Mary etc
- they believe he was born of a virgin and performed miracles

FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
1) shadada – “there is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the prophet of God”
2) pray 5 times a day facing Mecca
3) month of fasting (Ramadan) – 9th month of the lunar calendar (sometimes in the winter, sometimes in the summer)
4) haj – pilgrimage to Mecca
5) zakat – tax in some nations

The Crusades (1095-1298)
- wars against Muslim people of Jerusalem and Palestine by the Pope and other European rulers
- 1187 is an important date when Muslims retake Jerusalem (held until 1948 when the nation of Israel is established)

Sunnis vs Shiites

Sunnis: - Muhammad’s successor should be elected by the Muslim community
- 90% of Muslims)

Shiites: - Muhammad’s successor should be a member of the prophet’s family (ie Ali is
the legitimate successor to Muhammad)
- Iran is primary Shiite Muslim state

Muslims deeply appreciate friendships with non Muslims
Muslims do not eat pork

Some passages in the Quran speak good of Christians and Jews (2:62) but then bash Jesus and the trinity (5:116, 4:171, 5:72). They say Jesus only “appeared” to die on the cross.

Christians who reached out:

Francis of Assisi: - Christian man promoting love rather than a crusading spirit
(1181-1226)

Henry Martyn: - entered India from England as a chaplain
(1781-1812)

When sharing with Muslims:

- PRAY
- argue less, share stories, testimony and parables of Jesus more
- discuss similarities first (ie titles of Jesus) the differences will obviously come up later in the conversation
- build relationships
- be hospitable