Sharingthe Gospel with

Muslims

By Kraig Meyer

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Table Of Contents

Sharing The Gospel With Muslims 3

Lessons From Church History 5

Some Preliminary Considerations 6

The God of Islam 7

Some Important Muslim Terms 8

Historical Background 11

The Sources of Islam 11

Mohammed’s Birth and Early Life 11

Mohammed’s Exposure to Christianity 12

Mohammed’s Marriage and Call to be a Prophet 14

Mohammed as Political Ruler 16

The Last Years of Mohammed 17

The Muslim Religion 19

Five Pillars of Islam 19

Five Paths to Truth 20

Other Influences 21

Muslim Beliefs About Jesus 22

Muslim Beliefs About the Bible 23

Pointers On Muslim Customs 25

Effective Witness for Christ 27

Witnessing To Muslims 29

Answering Muslims’ Questions 34

How can Jesus be the Son of God? 34

Don’t Christians believe in three gods? 35

Hasn’t the Bible been changed and corrupted? 36

Cover Design by David Dawson

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Did Jesus really die on the cross? 36

How can we know our sins are forgiven

and we have eternal life? 37

Why don’t you believe in Mohammed, the

last and greatest prophet? 38

A Typical Conversation With a Muslim 39

Gospel Lessons For Muslims 46

Using names for Jesus from the Koran 46

Using names for Jesus from the Bible 47

Resources For Further Study 48

Some Books About Witnessing to Muslims 48

Web Sites 49

Materials for Evangelism 49

Turkish World Outreach 56

About the Author 58

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Sharing The Gospel

With Muslims

In the last decade, Islam has grown by 400% in the United

States. It is estimated that six million people in America follow

the religion of Mohammed. Many are enticed by its false teach-

ings that Christianity is a racist religion which supported slavery

and a decadent religion which allows immorality. Islam, on the

other hand, is presented

as a religion of peace,

brotherhood, and strict

morality.

We must take these

challenges very seri-

ously. We can no

longer sit back and ob-

serve Islam from a dis-

tance; we must get in-

volved in spiritual war-

fare and become participants in this battle for the souls of men

and women. The purpose of this booklet is to help you to be-

come an effective witness for Christ among Muslims.

An informative brochure produced by the Fellowship of Faith

for Muslims titled How Can I Relate to a Muslim? states: “If we

are to relate effectively to a Muslim, the two supreme qualifica-

tions on our part are love and patience. We must have a God-

given concern for the Muslim and we must be patient in faith,

waiting for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and working.”

Genuine love for Muslims will build bridges to people who may

have shocking customs, ideas and questions. St. Paul wrote,

“Love builds up, but knowledge puffs up.” (I Corinthians 8:1).

Young Turkish fishermen show their catch

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Patience is necessary because it will not be easy to win a Mus-

lim’s confidence. Due to their culture and experience, many

Muslims are wary and distrustful of people outside their family.

Don’t be afraid to ask Muslims questions about their religion.

You will find your Muslim friends are very open and eager to

discuss their religion with you. In fact, religion is a favorite

topic of discussion. Do this, however, in a friendly, open man-

ner and not as an attack on what they believe.

Don’t become offended or defensive when your Muslim friends

attack Christianity. Realize that what they have been taught

about Christianity is wrong and often based on misunderstand-

ings. Be loving and patient in giving answers or explanations.

Also, don’t be afraid of inadvertently offending them; if you

have genuine love for Muslims, it will be evident.

Fishing boats in Istanbul. Jesus said, “I will make you fishers of men.” (Mt. 4:19)

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Lessons From Church History

There are many reasons why the

Christian church flourished in the

early centuries in a hostile envi-

ronment. The tremendous spread

of Christianity in the Roman Em-

pire has been described by

Stephen Neil in his book, A His-

tory of Christian Missions.

1. The first and foremost

reason was the burning conviction

of the early Christians. They were willing to sacrifice everything

for the sake of the Gospel.

2. They preached a simple message. The first Christians were eyewitnesses to the events of which they spoke. The mes-sage of these early followers of Jesus was simple—believe, re-ceive and tell.

3. The early Christians lived lives of purity. This often puzzled the people in the community who were living in wick-edness. People were attracted to the message of the Gospel through the lives of those who told it.

4. The early church welcomed everyone freely, regardless of background, nationality, culture or social standing. It showed no prejudice or partiality. This was a society of equals. Many times, slaves were teachers of slave owners.

5. Christians were noted for their good deeds to others.

They weren’t known so much for what they said as for what they did. These Christians offered help and comfort to all with-out partiality—Christian and non-Christian alike.

6. Persecution helped advance Christianity. Each of these early Christians knew that, sooner or later, he might have to tes-tify to his faith at the cost of his life.

Aya Sofia, Istanbul - a cathedral, then a

mosque, and now a museum

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These believers under-stood the cost of disciple-ship. For them, there was no question about obeying man or obeying God; the decision had already been made when they chose to follow Christ as their Lord. The Apostles con-sidered it joy to suffer for Christ. Do we think we can make an impact on Muslims with any less commitment to Christ? The real question is, “What price are we willing to pay in order to attract Muslims to the per-son of Jesus Christ?”

Some Preliminary Considerations

Islamic society demands very strict conformity by its adherents.

It doesn’t matter what an individual may think; very little free-

dom is allowed for independent thought. Thus, most Muslims

are not used to making any decision before receiving approval

from their family. This especially applies in the area of religion.

There is an old Arab proverb that says, “In a country where you

are not known, you can do whatever you like.” Only when

Muslims are away from the restraining influence of family and

friends are they free to do or believe something absolutely per-

sonal. This is why it is so difficult for Muslims to make deci-

sions for Christ: there are always other Muslims nearby who

pressure them into conformity.

Islam is not only a religious system; it is a social web involving

correct political, economic, educational and legal ideas and ac-

tions. Most Muslims view Christianity as synonymous with

Early Christians lived in lava cone

and cave homes in central Turkey.

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American and European culture. Due to the pornography, drug

use, violence, war, drunkenness, and immorality exhibited in

Western media and practiced by many so-called “Christians,”

many Muslims despise Christianity.

Finally, Muslims identify religion with nationality or ethnic

group. To be Arab, Turk or Iranian is to be Muslim! To change

one’s religion means becoming a traitor to one’s people or coun-

try. For religious, social or political reasons, many converts to

Christ in Muslim countries have been persecuted or jailed.

The God of Islam

Many Christians ask, “Is the God of the Bible the same as Al-

lah of the Koran?” The question itself shows misunderstanding

of the issues involved. “Are Allah of the Koran and Jehovah

of the Bible the same?” The answer is “No”. The Koran de-

scribes Allah in some ways that contradict the Bible’s descrip-

tion of God. Conversely, the Bible describes God in some ways

unacceptable to Muslims.

This is a better question: “Did Mohammed believe and does

the Koran teach that Allah is the same God revealed in both

the Old and New Testaments?” Here the answer must be

“Yes.” Clearly, Mohammed proclaimed his revelation to be a

continuation of God’s revelation to the Jews and Christians. We

believe that the same God who spoke with Adam, Abraham,

Moses, David and the other Old Testament prophets also spoke

through Jesus and the New Testament writers. Mohammed

claimed this same God was also speaking through him. (Sura

3:3)

In Mohammed’s time, his fellow Arabs in Mecca worshiped

many gods. Why did he declare that Allah—the supreme and

most popular god of the Arabs—was the same as the God of the

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Jews and Christians? The Jews and Christians in Arabia at that

time were not so rich or influential that connecting Allah to their

God would have been advantageous. Nevertheless, we know

that Mohammed hoped both of these groups would accept him

as God’s prophet.

Perhaps part of the answer comes from language. Both Arabic

and Hebrew are Semitic languages, and their names for God are

similar: the High One or Exalted One. Allah in Arabic is the

proper noun form of ‘ilah’ which is related to the Hebrew words

for God used in the Old Testament: ‘El’ and ‘Elohim’.

When we witness to Muslims, we may safely use the name

‘Allah’ for God. It is the name Arab Christians use, and to use

any other name would only bring confusion and be a disadvan-

tage in our witness. The Muslim’s concept of Allah is incom-

plete. Although an absolutely complete revelation of God to hu-

mans is impossible, God has revealed Himself most fully and

completely in Jesus Christ. (See John 1:16-18; Col. 1:15-20).

With Muslims, we begin with their limited knowledge of Allah

from the Koran and build upon it as we proclaim the love of

God in Jesus Christ.

Let us be like the Apostle Paul in Athens. He gave more com-

plete knowledge about the “unknown god” worshiped by the

Greeks. As we tell our Muslim friends more about the God who

is still unknown to them, we are giving them the Good News.

Some Important Muslim Terms

Islam The religious faith of Muslims. The word means

‘‘submission to the will of Allah” in Arabic.

Muslim One who follows the religion of Islam; anyone who

has submitted to the will of Allah.

Allah The Supreme Being (God). Most Muslims under-

stand Allah to be the unknown, mystical power

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of the universe who controls our fate.

Koran The Koran is the sacred book of Islam, eternally

(Qu’ran) preserved in Heaven. It is believed to have been

revealed to Mohammed over a period of 20 years.

Containing 114 chapters (Suras), its true mean-

ing can only be understood in its original language,

Arabic. It is one of four books given directly by

God through prophets to “guide people in the right

path.” Mohammed did not write the Koran be-

cause he could neither read nor write. He spoke or

“recited” the words given to him, and others copied

them on pieces of wood, stone or pottery. After

Mohammed’s death, all of the words were col-

lected by his successor, Abu Bakr.

Injil According to Muslims, this is the revelation of God

to Jesus and the holy book of the Christians. In its

original form, they believe it was inspired by God

like the Koran, but the original was corrupted.

Partly because the true message of God through

Jesus was lost, God gave the Koran.

Mosque An Islamic place of worship; any place chosen

for the Friday group prayers of the Muslim com-

munity.

Salah Ritual Islamic prayers recited five times each day

in Arabic.

Haj The pilgrimage to the sacred city of Mecca in

Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Mohammed.

Hajji A Muslim who has made the pilgrimage to Mecca;

this person is considered to be holy.

Shahada The confession of faith for a Muslim. Saying this

creed is what makes a person a Muslim. This

is the creed: “There is no god but Allah, and

Mohammed is the prophet of Allah.”

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Ramadan The month of fasting for Muslims. They fast

(Ramazan) only during daylight hours. Food and drink may

be taken before the sun comes up and after it

goes down.

Sharia The Muslim law. These are the decrees of Muslim

scholars on the interpretation and application of

Islamic holy books for all areas of life and activity.

Muslims are called to prayer from

a tower called a minaret.

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Historical Background

The Sources of Islam

The sources of information about the life of Mohammed come

to us from Islamic records. As far as is known, no non-Muslim

source on the life of Mohammed exists. Most of the information

about Mohammed is based on Muslim traditions written 200-

300 years after his birth.

The Koran does not contain descriptions of Mohammed’s life in

the way the New Testament tells about Jesus. Rather, the Koran

is supposed to be messages from Allah to the prophet Moham-

med. However, we can learn some things about Mohammed

from the Koran, such as Allah telling Mohammed that his

adopted son, Zaid, was to divorce his wife, Zainah, (who was

very young and beautiful), so that Mohammed could marry her

(Sura 33:37); or Allah telling Mohammed to completely destroy

a tribe of Jews (the Quraiza) because they wouldn’t accept him

as a prophet. (Sura 33:26-27)

Mohammed’s Birth and Early Life

About the year A.D. 570, Mohammed was born in Mecca, the

principal city in western Arabia. His name means “the praised

one.”

Mecca was a commercial center, being on the main caravan

trade routes, and was most famous as the center of religion in

that region. It contained the KA'ABA (cube), a large, square

building which was known as the “House of Allah” (supposedly

built by Abraham and his son Ishmael). The KA'ABA was a

kind of pantheon, containing the relics and images of many gods

and goddesses. When the Arabs came to Mecca to trade at the

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annual fairs, they also performed the customary religious rites of

the pilgrimage at the KA'ABA. These included walking around

it seven times and kissing or touching the black stone built into

one corner. The Arabs believed this large, black meteorite

came from Allah in heaven.

Mohammed’s father was Abdullah, meaning “the slave of Al-

lah,” and his mother was Amina. His father had died before his

birth, and his mother died when he was only six years old.

At the time of Mohammed’s birth, many Arab tribes were split

into several warring factions; blood feuds abounded. Several

wealthy and powerful Jewish tribes also lived in the area. The

only unifying factors among the Arabs seem to have been the

trade fairs and the annual pilgrimage to the KA'ABA.

His grandfather and uncle by marriage, Abu Talib, became Mo-

hammed’s guardian and caretaker. Even though his family was

part of a very powerful and important tribe in the area, the

Quraish—which claimed direct descent from Ishmael— it was a

poor family.

As a small child Mohammed was a shepherd, a common prac-

tice for children of poor families. When he was old enough, he

began to accompany trading caravans into Syria. He apparently

showed ability as he matured, as he was later included in orga-

nizing caravans to Syria, Palestine and Egypt. Occasionally, he

also accompanied them.

From some accounts, Mohammed was a loner, separating him-

self from others. He would often go into the hills to pray alone.

He was becoming a mystic.

Mohammed’s Exposure to Christianity

As Mohammed grew older, he was exposed to the teachings of

Judaism and Christianity in Arabia. Medina is located 280 miles

north of Mecca. It was a major town, where there were three

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large tribes of Jews—

with their synagogues

and their Scriptures.

Because they were suc-

cessful businessmen

and owned large tracts

of land, the Jews con-

trolled the commerce of

the town. They had a

higher education and

standard of living than the Arabs around them. The Arabs knew

that the Jews and Christians worshipped an unseen God, who

did not have a statue or image to represent Him.

In northern Arabia, several Arab tribes had become Christian.

Unfortunately, the Christianity Mohammed encountered was

unorthodox, accepting many apocryphal stories about Christ.

One story told about Jesus as a child making a clay bird and

breathing on it. Then the bird became alive and flew away.

This story appears in the Koran as a true event in the life of

Christ. (Sura 3:49).

The Nestorian (Syrian) Church was also a major source of

Christian influence on early Islam. The Nestorians focused on

teachings about the Day of Judgment and the return of Christ at

the end of the world. These themes are also found in the Koran.

Many stories in the Koran from both the Old and New Testa-

ments recorded are distorted and confused. Mary, the mother of

Jesus, is the sister of Moses and Aaron; Joseph is not impris-

oned by Potipher, but exonerated Jesus, born in a desolate place,

is not crucified. (Sura 19:28; 12:28-29; 19:22; 4:157)

It is unlikely that Mohammed had access to the Bible in Arabic.

The New Testament would have been known only through the

Coptic, Syriac and Greek languages. The New Testament was

not published in Arabic until A.D. 1616, from an old translation

transcribed by a Coptic monk in 1271.

An ancient Syrian Orthodox monastery

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Some of Mohammed’s friends and relatives were Christians.

One of his eleven wives, Habiba, was the widow of a strong

Christian evangelist, Ubaidullah. He had been a Muslim before

converting to Christianity while traveling in Ethiopia. Uthman

b. Al-Huwayrith, a relative of Mohammed’s first wife, went to

the Byzantine court in Constantinople. While there became a

Christian. In addition, Mohammed had a Coptic slave named

Abu Rafi who was a devout Christian. Because there were also

prominent Christian citizens in Mecca , Mohammed was ex-

posed to the beliefs and practices of Christianity. This may ac-

count for the many references in the Koran to Jesus, Mary, the

Bible and Christian beliefs.

Mohammed’s Marriage and Call to be a Prophet

When Mohammed was 25 years old, his uncle, Abu Talib, rec-

ommended that he enter the service of Khadija, a rich, widowed

merchant of Mecca. She was so impressed by his successful

handling of her trading caravans that she offered to marry him.

Mohammed accepted even though she was 40 years old and had

been married twice before. After all, she was wealthy. This mar-

riage gave Mohammed leisure time and an influential position in

Meccan society.

Apparently, Mohammed remained faithful to his first wife until

she died 25 years later. During this time, he met with members

of the “Hanif,” one of the ruling factions in Mecca, through his

wife’s cousin, who belonged to it. This group rejected polythe-

ism as commonly practiced by the Arabs. Mohammed came to

believe strongly that idol worship was wrong and Allah would

bring a day of judgment on the Arab people.

According to early traditions, at the age of 40 he became ex-

tremely depressed by the idolatry of his people. Frequently, he

would go up to the hills to pray and meditate. One day in A.D.

610, while praying in a cave, he was so overcome that he went

into a trance. He heard a voice speaking to him, saying,

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“Recite.” The word ‘Koran’ in Arabic means ‘to recite.’ He be-

lieved it was the angel Gabriel speaking to him. This was his

call to become a prophet of Allah. At first Mohammed doubted

the message, but his wife, Khadija, convinced him this was a

call from Allah.

Mohammed reported to his friends about the angel Gabriel com-

ing to him and giving him a revelation from Allah. As the

months passed, some of his friends believed him, but his wife

became his first real convert.

During the early years, his message was that Allah was ‘‘one

God,” that people must repent before the awful day of judg-

ment, and that idolatry is an abomination to Allah. Though most

of the people in Mecca rejected his claims, within a short time

about 40 people believed in him. Many of these were his own

relatives. Among them were his wife, uncle, son-in-law and

adopted son.

As the group grew in size and his preaching began to expose the

sins of the people, opposition increased. He sent out his disci-

ples to preach his message and to proclaim “there is no god but

Allah and Mohammed is his prophet.” Town after town rejected

Mohammed and his message. Persecution started against his fol-

lowers. For protection, Mohammed sent his followers to Chris-

tian Abyssinia.

When Mohammed began denouncing the idolatry of the leading

Quraish tribe in Mecca and rejecting the KA'ABA as the center

of worship, scoffing burst into violent persecution. He then told

his followers to pray toward Jerusalem as the center of their

worship. Later, after the Jews had rejected him as a prophet,

and to win the allegiance of the Arabs again, he changed the

direction of prayer back toward Mecca, claiming to have had a

revelation from Allah about this action.

In A.D. 620, Mohammed’s uncle died; later that same year his

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wife, Khadijah, also died. He was now separated from the two

people who loved him and who had the power to protect him.

Persecution began again, even more violently. Later that year,

he married Aysha, the nine-year-old daughter of his friend, Abu

Bakr. He received another revelation from Allah allowing this.

Finally, the leaders of the Quraish tribe plotted to kill Moham-

med. At the same time, a number of his disciples who had es-

caped to Medina invited him to come there and become the head

of their community. In A.D. 622, Mohammed and his followers

escaped from Mecca at night and fled to Medina. This flight is

called the HEGIRA by Muslims and is the most important date

in their history. It marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.

Mohammed as Political Ruler

At Medina, Mohammed became not only a religious leader, but

a political and military ruler as well. A great organizer, he

trained his disciples to be both preachers and fighters. He

gained much wealth for himself and made Medina a place of

prominence by sending out his followers to raid the caravans

which crossed the desert. Because the life and existence of Arab

towns depended on these caravans, many of them sent out ar-

mies to stop Mohammed’s raiding parties.

He was a superb military leader, and the more battles he won,

the more converts he gained. His successes in battle proved, he

thought, that Allah was with him. By stages, this led the Mus-

lims of Medina to conquer and force large areas of Arabia to

accept him as their prophet and ruler.

His chief opposition came from those in Mecca. It was the most

important religious center in Arabia and, therefore, traditionally

exempt from outside attacks. Since the leaders of Mecca re-

jected Mohammed, they refused to let him and his followers

make the annual pilgrimage to the KA'ABA.

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The prophet gathered a large army during the month of the pil-

grimage although custom forbade battles to be fought then.

When he led his army of 10,000 to Mecca, the city surrendered

without a fight. Mohammed, returning to his home town as a

conquering hero, immediately ordered the KA'ABA cleansed of

all idols. All the opposition leaders were killed.

Mohammed was now ruler over all of Arabia. The few remain-

ing Arab tribes that held out against him were given the choice

of accepting Islam or being put to the sword. Many new con-

verts were “won” in this way, and a tradition was established

for future conquests of pagan lands. The Jewish tribes in central

Arabia were either banished or put to death. The Christian tribes

were persecuted but allowed to remain Christian by paying a

very high yearly tax as non-Muslims.

The Last Years of Mohammed

Ten years after he had fled to Medina, at the age of 63, Moham-

med and all his wives went to Mecca for the pilgrimage. This

would be his last visit. It is said that 100,000 people accompa-

nied him. He performed all the customary, ancient pagan rites of

the pilgrimage, thus incorporating them into his new religion

and setting an example for all Muslims to follow.

Shortly after his return to Medina in A.D. 632, he became very

ill. From his sickbed, he ordered an attack against the Byzantine

border. After performing certain Islamic rites, he reportedly

asked for forgiveness for his sins. Most Muslims believe Mo-

hammed was sinless, but two times in the Koran Allah orders

him to ask forgiveness for his sins.(Sura 47:19; Sura 48:1-2)

According to tradition, he died in the arms of Aysha, his favorite

wife. His followers appear to have been unprepared for such a

catastrophe. Mohammed had appointed no successor and had

no sons to replace him since all his male children had died in

infancy.

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Naturally, a dispute arose among his followers about who his

successor (or “Caliph”) should be. Some believed Mohammed

had chosen Abu Bakr, as he had asked him to lead worship

when he was sick. Others thought that a relative of Mohammed

had to be the successor, so they preferred Ali, his son-in-law.

As soon as Mohammed died, the power struggle began. The Is-

lamic leadership chose Abu Bakr over Ali as the first Caliph.

However, he died only a short time later. The next two Caliphs

were both murdered by Muslim extremists. Ali was finally cho-

sen as the fourth Caliph, but he was murdered while he was

praying in a mosque, his blood spilling over the Koran, which

was lying open before him.

Wars followed. Muslims killed Muslims to gain power. In spite

of these internal conflicts, the Muslim armies united to conquer

the world. They met with great success, which they believed

proved that Allah had blessed them in the way of truth.

Within ten years of Mohammed’s death, all of Palestine, Syria,

Egypt, Persia and Iraq had come under Muslim control. These

early conquests produced an attitude of superiority and suspi-

cion toward everything outside of Islam.

In Muslim theology, the world is divided into two camps: the

House of Islam (Dar-al-Islam) and the House of War (Dar-al-

Harb). Those countries where the laws of Islam are practiced are

said to be exempt from Holy War (Jihad). Muslims are not to

end this war until the whole world acknowledges its submission

to Islam.

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The Muslim Religion

Five Pillars of Islam

There are five duties required of all Muslims. These are the es-

sential core of their religion.

1. Confessing the creed (in Arabic):

“I testify that there is no god but Allah and Mohammed

is the prophet of Allah.” According to popular Muslim

understanding, saying this creed, with intent, is what

makes someone a Muslim.

2. Praying five times a day:

Early morning, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and after

dark. These prayers are preceded by ritual washings. In

Muslim countries, a Muezzin calls the faithful to

prayer from the minaret of the mosque. However, in

many Muslim countries these days, a tape is played over

a loudspeaker on the minaret. It is important for a Mus-

lim to have a special calendar which specifies the exact

times of prayer.

3. Giving money to the poor:

It is the duty of every devout

Muslim to give 1/40 of all he has

to help the poor or the cause of

Islam. A rich Muslim can earn

special merit if he gives money to

build a mosque.

Beggars often sit outside

of mosques asking for alms

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4. Keeping the fast:

For one month, Ramadan (Ramazan, in Turkish), no

eating or drinking, swallowing the saliva in your mouth,

or smoking is allowed during daylight hours. Muslims

are allowed to eat before the sun comes up and after it

goes down.

5. Making the pilgrimage to Mecca:

This occurs during the 12th month of the Islamic calendar.

Because it is a lunar calendar, the date for the Haj changes

every year. The pilgrimage includes walking around the

KA'ABA seven times, throwing stones at a pillar repre-

senting Satan, kissing the black stone in the KA'ABA and

making a sacrifice in the Valley of Mina.

Five Paths to Truth These are the five main beliefs required of all Muslims.

1. Muslims believe in the four holy books given by Allah:

Tevrat (the Law of Moses), Zebur (the Psalms of David),

Injil (the Gospel of Christ), and the Koran.

2. Muslims believe in the unity of God: Allah is one, has no

equal and does not have a son.

3. Muslims believe in angels and spirits; during times of praye

they greet the angels sitting on their shoulders, believing that

good and evil spirits constantly influence them.

4. Muslims believe in the prophets of Allah: 124,000 prophets

have been sent by Allah, but the greatest is Mohammed.

Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Daniel and

Jesus are also considered prophets sent by Allah. Alexander

the Great is among them, too. 5. Muslims believe in Heaven and Hell. Heaven is a place of

wine, women and song for Muslims. Only certain, chosen

ones will enter Heaven, and no one knows for sure if he is one

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of the chosen. There is a bridge we must cross at death. The

Surat Bridge, which is wide and firm for the faithful, be-

comes thin and weak for sinners. Those falling off this

bridge plunge directly to Hell.

Other Influences

There are other traditions in Islam coming from the native, pa-

gan customs and beliefs in various countries. They are known as

Popular or Folk Islam.

Muslims are afraid of evil spirits. In many Middle Eastern coun-

tries they put a blue bead called “Nazar Bonjuk” on every baby

to keep away evil spirits that could cause sickness or death.

Muslims also write “Mashallah” (“May Allah protect” in Ara-

bic) on various objects to protect them. Women wear

“Mashallah” earrings and men put this word on their cars and

trucks.

Muslims are afraid of the “evil eye.” A jealous person’s stare

and curse may cause sickness, harm and death. This is why

Muslims usually do not stare or look directly into another’s

eyes.

There are many shrines and holy places where Muslims go to

pray, such as the graves of holy men and women. EYUP, near

Istanbul, and MERYEMANNE

(the house of the Virgin Mary)

are popular shrines in Turkey.

PIRS are holy men who will in-

tercede for Muslims before Allah

(and collect a fee for it).

Writing verses from the Koran for

protection is common, as is hav-

ing a Muslim priest write a curse

against your enemy. The Hand of Pigeons and vendors gather outside

Muslim mosques and shrines. Fatima is a symbol used for

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Each Muslim country has its own customs and traditions which

have been added to the basic, core beliefs of Islam. The further

one travels from Mecca and Arabia, the more these customs and

traditions deviate from orthodox Islam.

Muslim Beliefs About Jesus

Jesus is mentioned 93 times in the Koran. He is called the Mes-

siah 11 times, the Messenger 10 times, and the Word of God 3

times. According to the Koran,, Jesus was born of the Virgin

Mary, spoke as a man from the cradle and made a living bird out

of clay. It says Jesus was a sign to Israel and He taught the true

gospel from God.

The Koran tells about Jesus healing the

sick, giving sight to the blind and rais-

ing the dead to life. It says Jesus was

taken up to Heaven alive, and Muslims

believe He will come again at the end

of the world to judge those who have

not become Muslims and followed Mo-

hammed.

There are a number of verses in the Ko-

ran stating that Jesus is NOT the Son

of God and never claimed to be (Sura

4:169; Sura 43:81-86; Sura 112:1-4).

Muslims claim those verses in the Bible

which say He is the Son of God were

added later and are not part of the original Scriptures. This is a

major point of contention between Muslims and Christians.

According to the Koran, Jesus did not die on the cross; another

person was made to look like Him and was crucified in His

place. Some say it was Judas Iscariot. There are contradictions

regarding this in the Koran. Three times it says that Jesus died

Mosaic of Christ (Aya Sophia)

Muslims consider pictures of

prophets to be idolatrous.

protection against evil spirits in some Middle Eastern countries.

23

or will die (Sura 3:55; Sura 5:117; Sura 19:34-35). Three times

it also says that He did not die (Sura 4:155-156). Most Muslims

argue very strongly that God would never allow His holy

prophet, Jesus, to be killed in such a cruel manner. They do not

understand the purpose of the crucifixion as a sacrifice for our

sins; therefore, they say it didn’t happen.

The Koran is very clear in stating that Jesus is NOT part of the

Trinity, nor is God made up of three persons as Christians be-

lieve. The Koran states that Christians believe the Trinity to be

the Father, the Son, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. Muslims

claim that Christians are polytheists who worship three gods, or

even worse, people who give ordinary humans, like Jesus and

Mary, equality with God. The absolute fundamental principle of

Islam is that there is but one God. None is His equal. (Sura 5:76-

79; Sura 4:169)

Muslim Beliefs About the Bible

Muslims recognize four books as given by God to lead people in

the right path: The Law of Moses (Tevrat), The Psalms of David

(Zebur), The Gospel of Christ (Injil), and the Koran of Moham-

med. The Koran refers to both the Old and New Testaments as

true and faithful sources of knowledge about God and as show-

ing the right path to salvation.

Muslims are taught the Bible was true when originally given by

God but that it was corrupted by evil men. As a result, the origi-

nal message was lost. In addition, they are taught that when Je-

sus’ original revelation was lost, four false gospels were substi-

tuted. In response, God had to send the Koran, through Moham-

med to restore His message to mankind. Contrary to these tradi-

tional Muslim beliefs, the Koran,, itself, states that the Word of

God cannot be changed by man because it is fully protected by

God. (Suras 4:45, 6:115 and 10:64-65)

24

Today there is some disagreement among people who witness to

Muslims about using the Koran as part of the witness. Muslims

will not be impressed if we claim the parts of the Koran that sup-

port Christian doctrine are true, but the parts of the Koran that

contradict Christian teaching are false. On the other hand, some

knowledge of the Muslim holy book is helpful in witnessing to

them. If you can honestly say, “I’ve read the Koran,” you will

gain respect. However, Muslims believe that only a Muslim can

truly understand the Koran, so your interpretations of it will be

questioned.

In addition to the four holy books, Muslims believe in many sto-

ries, fables, and religious traditions that are neither in the Bible

nor the Koran. Most do not know the sources of their religious

knowledge. Once a Muslim man told a fable about Jesus. I re-

sponded very boldly and said, “You are wrong. I have read both

the Bible and Koran and that story is not in either one.” Faced

with such an authoritative answer, he simply said, “Maybe I’m

mistaken. Can you tell me what Jesus really taught?”

Worker family with Turkish friends in Germany

25

Pointers On Muslim Customs

Here are a few cultural points that will make our witness for

Christ more acceptable to our Muslim friends.

1. Take off your shoes when you enter a Muslim home. They do

not like to bring the dirt from the street into their clean homes.

This shows respect for the woman of the house, who probably

spent all day cleaning the house in preparation for your visit.

2. When visiting in a Muslim home, greet individually each per-

son. Men shake hands with other men, beginning with the eldest

or most important person in the room. Conservative Muslims do

not touch members of the opposite sex. Take note of the dress of

the women as a clue about how conservative or modern the fam-

ily is. Women may freely shake hands with other women. When

you are ready to leave, again go around the room and shake hands

or say “good-by” to each person present.

3. Muslims usually serve a guest some refreshment to show po-

liteness. This is common courtesy. If a Muslim visits you in your

home, you should do the same. A soft drink or a cup of tea is the

usual refreshment.

4. If Muslims offer

you some refresh-

ment when you are

visiting their home,

the polite thing to do

is to accept what is

offered. If they offer

you something you

really don’t like, you

may ask for some-

thing else, even wa-

ter. The important In Muslim homes, men usually chat with men,

and women with women.

26

thing is that you accept something to show you acknowledge

their hospitality.

5. Many Muslims are always late for an appointment. Don’t get

upset, but realize this is part of their culture. Doing everything

by the clock is not important to them. If they have a visitor in

their home, they will never leave him to keep an appointment

with someone else. That would be rude to their visitor. They are

certain the person waiting will understand the situation.

6. When praying in the pres-

ence of Muslims, it is meaning-

ful to them if you pray with

your hands in front of you with

your palms up. This is how

Muslims petition God. They do

not understand that bowing the

head, closing the eyes or fold-

ing the hands indicates prayer.

These are general customs

which most Muslims follow,

but, of course, you will find exceptions. Remember, not all of us

do things the same way, or even the proper way in our own cul-

ture. Still, we can easily get upset when foreigners break the

rules or customs. Muslims feel the same way.

In Muslim countries, there are generally two classes of people: a

small, wealthy class which may follow western customs—

generally, these are educated people living in larger cities—and

a very large lower class following more traditional customs.

Most, but not all, of the Muslims you will meet in America are

from the wealthy class in their home countries.

Don’t be afraid to ask about your Muslim friend’s customs and

to admit that you don’t know what to do.

Ritual prayers require bowing to

the ground; petitions don’t.

27

Effective Witness for Christ

There are several factors that will greatly increase our effective-

ness as witnesses for Christ among Muslims. These conditions

should be evident in every Christian’s life. 1. First, we must allow the Holy Spirit to fill and control our

lives so that the fruit of the Spirit (as listed in Galatians 5:22) is

clearly seen by all. Without this reality in our lives, much of

what we say to Muslims will be of little value. With the fruit of

the Spirit evident in our lives, what we say about Jesus will have

a tremendous impact upon our listeners.

2. We need to pray. All of our efforts will produce little fruit in

the lives of our Muslim friends if we don’t pray. It’s not what

we do; it’s what God does that counts. In prayer, we participate

with God in His program and receive His power for effective

witness.

3. We should learn something of our Muslim friend’s customs

and culture. We do not want to do anything that a Muslim would

find offensive and would keep him or her from listening to what

we have to say about Jesus.

4. Muslims have many misconceptions about Christianity and

we must be aware of them. Some common Christian terms are

misunderstood and offensive to Muslims. Consequently, we

must plan our presentation of the Good News with a Muslim

audience in mind. Become informed about Muslim beliefs by

getting a copy of the Koran and reading it. Compare it with Bib-

lical teaching, or study a reference book which itemizes key dif-

ferences between the Koran and the Bible.

28

5. Treat your Bible with respect in the presence of Muslims.

They believe the Bible is a holy book; they would never lay it on

the floor or even place it on a chair where we put the dirtiest part

of our body. They would never write their own words in a holy

book, so use a Bible in which no notes are written. Muslims

would consider a holy book with torn pages and bent corners a

sign of dishonor and disrespect.

6. It is important to have some or all of the Gospel in the lan-

guage of your Muslim friend. In sharing the Gospel, it is better to

use either Matthew’s or Luke’s Gospel at first. Both the Gospels

of John and Mark use words in the first chapter that would con-

fuse or offend a Muslim.

7. Develop the attitude that you are going to be used by God to

win Muslims to faith in Christ. This is what God wants and, by

faith, this is what you are going to do. Have a positive attitude

about God’s ability to use you as His witness to these resistant

people.

Twenty percent of the world’s population is Muslim;

most are under 30 years old

29

Witnessing To Muslims

It’s wonderful to find those who are interested in knowing God

and want to experience His peace and forgiveness through Jesus

Christ. Sometimes, even when Muslims are interested in these

things, they will come to you with an argumentative attitude.

They want to see how you will respond and how you will answer

their questions.

One Muslim Turk discussed religion with a Christian during a

period of many months. He gave a different argument each time

he came to talk. After he experienced patience and loving friend-

ship, as well as helpful answers to his questions, he wanted to be-

lieve in Jesus Christ and have his life changed by God’s power.

One of the most powerful evidences that the gospel message is

true is the testimony of your own life. Sometimes it is best to ask

your Muslim friend to “give his/her testimony” first. You might

ask, “What has Mohammed done for you?” After this, you may

tell how Jesus Christ has changed your life. If we give our testi-

mony first, Muslims may simply say, “Mohammed does the same

for me.” It is best to keep your conversations with Muslims fo-

cused on your personal experience or on Jesus Christ and Mo-

hammed, not on religion in general.

Of course, our attitudes and actions must demonstrate the change

Jesus has made in us. Muslims have all had personal contact or

contact through the media with “Christians” who say they believe

in Christ, but whose lives give an opposite message. Will you

make a commitment right now, with God’s help, not to be that

kind of Christian?

Praise your Muslim friend for moral behavior and help him/her to

see that this is the heart of what God wants. Muslims wash their

hands, face, neck and feet before ritual prayers. We can identify

30

with the desire to be pure

from sin in God’s presence.

Muslims focus on an outer

form of religion. Muslim

women often wear a veil or

scarf. We can identify with

their desire to be modest and

faithful, but emphasize God’s

concern for our inner, spiritual

attitudes and the motivation

behind our behaviors.

We do not need to condemn

whatever sinful habits Mus-

lims may have. It is much better to show them, by our actions and

attitudes, a better way to live. If a Muslim asks if you fast at spe-

cial times throughout the year, you can ask him whether he means

fasting from food or from sin. Then show him in the Bible the fast

God desires from His people.

Most Muslims believe they already know everything about Jesus

from the Koran. Tell your friends that you are going to show

them something they may not know about Jesus Christ. Although

Muslims believe the Bible was corrupted, showing them the

words or actions of Jesus from the New Testament is very power-

ful. Muslims do not know what part of the Bible was supposedly

corrupted and readily accept the words and actions of Jesus as

true. Also, do not refer to Jesus simply by His first name. Give

His name and title Christ or Messiah, showing your respect.

Don’t assume our religious vocabulary in English has the same

meaning to Muslim listeners. We must explain what we mean by

even the most simple terms used with Muslims. Words such as

‘God,’ ‘sin,’ ‘salvation,’ and ‘faith’ must all be explained very

clearly because Muslims have a completely different understand-

ing of these terms. For example, Muslims do not understand

‘sin’ (gunah) to mean that we are morally guilty and condemned

Muslims washing at a mosque

before ritual prayers

31

before a holy God; they think it means making mistakes or not

conforming to Islamic rules and acceptable social standards.

The word ‘to witness’ (shahada in Arabic) means to say the Mus-

lim creed, so be careful when you tell Muslims you are witness-

ing for Jesus. Many Muslims understand the word ‘salvation’ in

a political sense, meaning to be saved from your enemies.

It is wise to ask your Muslim friend for feedback during and after

your conversation. However, don’t ask, “Do you understand?” It

is better to request that your friend tell you what he/she under-

stood you to have said about Jesus or salvation. This way, you

will know whether you are communicating your ideas effectively.

Similarly, be willing to restate the Muslim position as your friend

explains it to you. This will ensure that you understand his/her

beliefs.

It is helpful to record in a notebook a brief summary of your con-

versations with Muslims. You will learn what questions you need

to spend time in preparing to answer. Record how well or poorly

your answers and explanations are received by your Muslim

friend. Ask God to give you simple, Biblically and culturally ap-

propriate examples and explanations. As you review your note-

book, you will gain insight into what is effective in witnessing to

Muslims.

Muslims fear God. Therefore, rather than argue about religion, try

to appeal to the conscience by talking about the need to be for-

given for sin. After the religious arguments are over, each of us is

still faced with the problem of moral failure and sin. Muslims be-

lieve they are sinners because they don’t always follow all the

rules of Islam. Jesus’ words about evil coming from the heart and

the need for inner change will deeply touch their consciences.

Mohammed never promised forgiveness or a place in Heaven,

even for those who follow his religion. These are the promises of

Jesus Christ alone.

Don’t push for an immediate decision to receive Christ. Most

Muslims know so very little truth about Jesus Christ and what He

32

came to do for mankind. It takes time to replace misconceptions

with truth. Few Muslims are ready to receive Jesus as Savior the

first time they hear the gospel message.

When talking with Muslim friends, it is important to use the Bi-

ble and especially the words, deeds and stories of Jesus. Don’t

read isolated verses or jump from one book to another. Once I

tried to use isolated Bible verses to explain the plan of salvation

to a Muslim friend. He grabbed the Bible out of my hands and

read the whole chapter! It is better to read a section of the Bible

which makes sense as a whole.

The commands, promises and teachings of Jesus strike Muslims

forcefully, just as they do all people. Use them. The New Testa-

ment gives us a beautiful picture of Jesus through his deeds and

actions. Often Jesus explained just why He did, or did not do

something. His words are very dramatic in showing His charac-

ter. The Koran does not tell about Mohammed’s deeds, only

A former Muslim is baptized in the sea.

33

God’s commands to him. Stories from his life appear in Muslim

traditions, and many are not very flattering. Also, as a typical

Middle Eastern teacher, Jesus used simple stories to convey

spiritual truths. Sometimes he used several stories to show dif-

ferent aspects of the same truth. Muslims relate to this style of

teaching. They do not relate as well to the logic found in the

epistles, especially the letters of Paul. Muslims do not recognize

Paul or Peter as prophets; therefore, Muslims do not consider

their writings to have the authority of the Gospels.

Jews and Christians are called “people of the book” by Muslims.

By all means then, let’s use the Bible in witnessing, and we

should always answer their questions from the Bible. Even

though they have been taught the Bible was corrupted, they lis-

ten to its words respectfully.

Muslims in rural areas keep sheep. Rural people find it easy to

relate to Jesus’ words about sheep and shepherds.

34

Answering Muslims’ Questions

How can Jesus be the Son of God?

Muslims are told that Christians believe Jesus is God’s Son in a

natural sense; in other words, that Jesus is the son because of a

sexual union. We must strongly deny this. Attributing sexual at-

tributes to God is a common way to swear for Muslims, so the

term “son of God” is especially offensive. The Koran says, “God

is but one God. Far be it from Him that He should have a

son!” (Sura 4:169)

When asked by a Muslim friend if you believe Jesus is God’s

Son, do not immediately say, “Yes.” Ask your friend what exactly

he/she means by the term ‘son of God’. Clearly state that no

Christian believes that the term refers to anything sexual. You

may use John 1:1-4 and 14-18 from the Bible to show how Jesus

is God’s Son. The following story may help clarify the relation-

ship as well.

Ali, the son-in-law of Mohammed, is highly respected in many

Muslim cultures. His title is ‘Son of a Lion.’ Ask your friend the

meaning of this well-known title. Doesn’t it mean that Ali had the

characteristics of a lion: strength, bravery, and power? In a simi-

lar way, the term ‘Son of God’ means that Jesus has all the char-

acteristics of God. He is holy, sinless, eternal, just and merciful.

Many Muslims have thanked me for this explanation. The deity of

Jesus is only implied by this term, but this is a topic that can be

discussed in detail later.

Since Muslims react so strongly to the term ‘Son of God,’ it is

also good to show your friend that Jesus has many titles. An im-

portant one is ‘the Lamb of God’. John 1:29 is a good verse to

use in explaining what this title means. Some other titles for Jesus

are presented later in this book.

35

Don’t Christians believe in three gods?

There are several verses in the Koran implying that Christians

erroneously believe in three gods. Sura 5:73-75 states:

There are certain infidels who say, ‘God is the third of

three,’ for there is no God besides Allah, and if they refrain

not from what they say, a painful torment shall surely be

inflicted on such of them as are unbelievers. Christ, the son

of Mary, is no more than an apostle; other apostles have

preceded him; and his mother was a woman of veracity,

they both ate food. Behold, how we declare unto them the

signs of God’s unity and they turn aside from the truth.

Sura 4 verse 171 states:

Verily, Christ Jesus the son of Mary is the apostle of God

and His Word, which He conveyed into Mary, and a spirit

proceeding from Him. Believe therefore in God and His

apostles and say not ‘There are three gods’.

We must clearly state that no Christian in the world believes in

three gods. The Bible teaches there is one God; all Jews and

Christians believe this. The Koran contains a mistake about this

important matter; therefore, we cannot believe it is God’s word.

The Koran also teaches that Christians wrongly worship Mary as

one of their three gods. In Sura 5:116, there is a conversation be-

tween God and Jesus:

And when God shall say unto Jesus, at the last day, “O Je-

sus, son of Mary, did you say to men, ‘Take me and my

mother for two gods, beside God?’” He shall answer,

“Praise be unto thee! It is not for me to say that which is not

right.”

No Christian in the world worships Mary as part of the Trinity,

not even Roman Catholics who may have her statue and pray to

her! As you make this absolutely clear to your Muslim friend, you

may add that because the Koran gives incorrect information about

Christian beliefs, you cannot accept it as true and trustworthy.

36

Illustrations may be helpful to your Muslim friend as you explain

what Christians really believe about the relationship of God the

Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We only have one sun,

but it gives us light, heat and energy. Water (H2O) exists in three

different forms, liquid, gas and ice; but its essential nature is the

same.

Hasn’t the Bible been changed and corrupted?

Begin your answer by asking whether the Koran has been

changed. Your friend will quickly tell you that God has protected

the Koran from corruption. Then ask if God would not also pro-

tect the Bible. There are several verses in the Bible you may show

to indicate this: Matthew 24:35; I Peter 1:24-25; and Revelation

22:18-20. Even the Koran says that God’s Word cannot be

changed: “The words of the Lord are perfect in truth and in jus-

tice: no one can change His words; He is all hearing and know-

ing.” (Sura 6:115)

If you have not studied about the ancient manuscripts of the Old

and New Testament, you should do it now. Scholars have com-

pared literally thousands of ancient documents with our modern

Bible and provided proof that the Bible has not been changed.

Some Muslims may be interested in this historical evidence about

the Bible.

One reason the Koran was given, according to Muslims, was to

restore the lost message of the Bible. As we show that the Bible

has not been corrupted or changed, and as we give the message of

salvation in Jesus through his words, deeds, life, death and resur-

rection, the need for Mohammed and the Koran diminish. One

Muslim asked me, after hearing all that Jesus did for us, “Then

why did Mohammed come?” It was a logical question.

Did Jesus really die on the cross?

The Koran refers to the Christian belief in Jesus’ crucifixion

when it says, “... they have not believed on Jesus and have spoken

37

against Mary a griev-

ous calumny; and have

said, ‘Verily, we have

slain Christ Jesus, the

son of Mary, the apos-

tle of God,’ yet they

slew Him not, neither

crucified Him, but He

was represented by

one in His likeness.

They did not really kill

Him, but God took

Him up unto Himself: and God is mighty and wise.” (Sura 4:156

-158)

There are several ways to answer this challenge to Biblical truth.

Many historians of Jesus’ time wrote about his death on the

cross. Jesus’ friends were eyewitnesses of his death and wrote

about it. The Koran was written more than 600 years later.

Eyewitnesses are more reliable than people who are removed

from the event. Even Jesus’ mother recognized her son on the

cross and He recognized her. The mother-son relationship is

vital in Muslim cultures, so this (John 19:27) is a good part of

the Bible to read with a friend who asks this question. The

death of Jesus was prophesied in the Old Testament hundreds of

years before He died. The prophets not only told of His death

but also understood the purpose of His death as a sacrifice for

our sins. (Isaiah 53:1-10)

How can we know our sins are forgiven and we

have eternal life?

Tell your friend that Jesus came for this very reason—to give us

forgiveness and eternal life. We can stress that Jesus died for

ALL the people in the world, not just Christians, and that ALL

people may be saved. (I John 2:2 and 5:9-13)

Bodrum Castle, Turkey—Held by the

Knights of St. John for many years.

38

The idea of sacrifice is not new to Muslims, but the idea of a

substitute needs clarification. The story of Abraham and his son

is well-known to Muslims. In Islamic tradition, the son is Ish-

mael, not Isaac, but don’t argue about this. Just call him Abra-

ham’s son and use the story to illustrate the death of a substitute:

the ram died so the son

could live. This is what

Jesus did for us.

Every year, Muslims

honor Abraham’s sacri-

fice with an important

holiday. The head of

each family buys a

sheep and kills it, giv-

ing the meat to family

and friends. If you ask

your friend about the

meaning of this ritual,

he will probably only say that it is a Muslim tradition. You may

use this holiday to illustrate Jesus as our substitute. The Muslim

tradition does not include the idea of sacrifice for sin. We must

tell our friends this is the reason for Jesus’ death and why He

alone can promise us forgiveness of our sins. Those He for-

gives, Jesus promises to take to heaven.

Why don’t you believe in Mohammed, the last and

greatest prophet?

Muslims often say, “I believe in Jesus, your prophet. Why don’t

you believe in Mohammed?” It is a good idea to start your an-

swer with another question: what does a prophet do? Allow

your friend to answer this question. Then you may begin to tell

about Jesus and how He is unlike any other prophet. He was

sinless. All the prophets sinned, and Mohammed even asked his

followers to pray that God would forgive him. Jesus, the Sav-

ior, gave His life for His followers to assure them of forgiveness

Sheep are commonly sacrificed

during the Eid holiday.

39

and eternal life. No other prophet has promised such things.

Jesus came alive again after His death and went directly to

Heaven. No prophet has done both of these. Prophets tell us

“Believe in God and obey His commands.” Jesus, the Savior,

said, “Believe in Me” (John 6: 35; 14:1) and “...obey my com-

mands.” (See John 14:15, 23-34; 15:10; Matthew 28:20).

A Typical Conversation

With a Muslim

Christian: Greetings.

Muslim: Greetings to you. What is that book in your hand?

C: It’s the Bible. Have you read the Bible?

M: No, of course not; it has been changed!

C: Don’t you believe God gave four books for us to read

and obey: the Law of Moses, the Psalms of David, the

Gospel of Jesus and the Koran of Mohammed?

M: Yes, but we only accept the original Bible; the one you

have today has been changed and is corrupted.

C: Here is the Bible. Please show me where it has been

changed.

M: No, I can’t. The whole thing has been corrupted.

C: If the whole Bible has been corrupted, then everything in

it should be wrong, isn’t that right?

M: Yes, that’s right.

40

C: Well, the Bible teaches that there is only one God. Is that

part wrong?

M: Well, no.

C: The Bible also teaches that there is a Heaven and a Hell

and that all sinners will be judged by God on the Judg-

ment Day. Is that part wrong?

M: No, of course not.

C: Then can you please tell me which part of the Bible has

been corrupted?

M: I don’t know which part has been corrupted, but I’m sure

it has been.

C: Mohammed accepted the Bible as true and unchanged.

In fact, there are verses in the Koran that teach we are to

believe what the Old and New Testaments say

(Sura 10:37 and Sura 46 :11). In another verse in the Ko-

ran it says the Word of God cannot be changed by man.

(Sura 6:34 and Sura 10:64) Do you think the Koran is

wrong when it teaches that?

It will take many years for this young girl to finish this carpet.

41

Also, we have early Greek manuscripts which pre-date

the time of Mohammed. When we compare these

early manuscripts with our Bible today we see that

they are the same. Doesn’t this prove the Bible has not

been changed?

M: The original gospel that Jesus gave has been lost. Many

false gospels were written in its place. At the Council of

Nicea in Turkey, the Christian priests chose four of these

false Gospels and destroyed all the others.

C: The Council of Nicea had nothing to do with books to

include in the Bible. At that council of church leaders,

the divinity of Christ was the main topic.

M: And what about Jesus? You Christians believe He is the

Son of God, don’t you?

C: I don’t believe it in the way the Koran explains it. Je-

sus is not the Son of God in the physical sense, but

spiritually and eternally, He is God’s Son.

M: I know you believe Jesus is God’s Son. You believe

that God came down, took Mary as his wife and had sex

with her. You believe that’s how Jesus was born as their

son. We believe Jesus is one of the greatest of God’s

prophets, just below Mohammed. We believe in Jesus;

why don’t you believe in Mohammed?

C: It is blasphemy to say that God came down and had sex

with a woman. No Christian believes that. You are

wrong if you say we believe that, and the Koran is

wrong if it says that is what Christians believe.

You see, God sent many prophets to the world, but He

sent only one Savior. Only one person died on the cross

for our sins. A Savior is greater and higher than a

prophet. A prophet only tells us about God’s salvation;

42

but the Savior actually purchased our salvation for us

with His own life.

M: How can that be? Mohammed is the greatest, highest and

last of all the prophets. None will come after Moham-

med.

C: Don’t you believe Jesus Christ will come again at the

end of the world to judge the world?

M: That’s right. That’s what we Muslims believe.

C: If that is true, then who is going to be the last prophet?

M: You don’t understand. When Jesus returns to earth, He

will come as a Muslim; He will come to judge us on

whether we have been good Muslims or not.

C: Do you know how much Jesus loves you right now? He

died on the cross to be your Savior, to save you from

your sins.

M: The Koran teaches that Jesus did not die on the cross.

Someone else who looked like Him was crucified in His

place.

C. Both Greek and Roman historians from early times

wrote about Jesus’ death on the cross and we have their

written records. Christ’s death on the cross is an histori-

cal fact. Also, the Gospels were written by eyewitnesses,

people who actually were present and saw Jesus die on

the cross. Who would you rather believe, someone who

lived at the time of Jesus and actually saw what hap-

pened or someone who lived 600 years later and didn’t

see the event?

M: Now I have a question for you. It will end all of your

arguments. This question will prove to you that Islam

43

is the true way.

C: What is it?

M: Do you know the verse in the Bible where Jesus

prophesied Mohammed was coming after him to guide

the people into all truth? I believe it is in John’s Gos-

pel.

C: Yes, I know the verse where Jesus prophesied about

another prophet coming after him. Would you like me to

show it to you?

M: Yes, please do. This is the one verse in the Bible that

hasn’t been changed.

C: Here it is in Matthew 24:11 — in the last days, “many

false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”

M: That’s not it! I’m sure that is not the verse.

C: That is the only place in the Bible where Jesus told about

another prophet coming after him. There is a verse in

John 16:13 that tells about Jesus sending the Holy

Spirit to guide us into all truth. But that is not Moham-

med, because it says very clearly He will not speak

about Himself but will come to glorify Jesus.

The real question is would you like to know your sins

are forgiven and you will go to Heaven when you die?

M: No one can know that. We believe God has chosen some

and rejected others; and you can never know if you are

one of the chosen.

C: When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for all

our sins. If we accept Him, our sins are forgiven and we

have the assurance of going to be with Him in Heaven.

44

M: How can one man pay for the sins of others? If I sin, I

have to pay for my own sins; I can’t pay for anyone

else’s sins.

C: True, but Jesus never sinned. Both the Koran and the

Bible teach He was perfect and sinless. If Jesus was only

a man, then you are right; He could not pay for my sins

or yours. But the Bible is very clear that He is the

sinless sacrifice for the sins of the world. All other men

are sinners, needing a Savior. According to the Koran,

even Mohammed is a sinner needing forgiveness. (Sura

47:19 and Sura 48:1 & 21)

You see, Jesus is the only one who could be our Savior

because He is the only one who is without sin. If Jesus

is truly who He claimed to be, the eternal God in sinless

human form, then His death could be a sacrifice for all

people and for all time.

M: You say Jesus is God? How could that be? Can God

die? That is a ridiculous statement.

Ruins of Sardis in Turkey (See Revelation 3:1-6)

45

C: What does death mean? It’s the separation of the spirit

from the body. When Jesus died

on the cross, His spirit left His

body. The body of Jesus was bur-

ied in the grave for three days,

but the spirit of Jesus was alive.

The Bible tells us that in the

spirit, Jesus went to Hades and

preached the Gospel to those

who were captive there. (I Peter

3:19)

Three days later, His spirit was reunited with His body

and Jesus came back to life. The power of death was

broken. Death does not cause the true believer in Christ

to fear. We look forward to death with joy because we

know that when we die, we will go to be with Jesus in

Heaven. How is it when a Muslim dies? Does he have

the assurance of going to Heaven?

M: When a Muslim dies, there is wailing, crying and

mourning because we fear the darkness of death.

C: Would you like to have the assurance of victory over

death? Would you like to

know for sure that when you

die you will go to heaven?

(The Muslim friend just

stares in silence, thinking

an honest answer.)

A Muslim friend

A Muslim family gravesite

46

Gospel Lessons For Muslims

Using names for Jesus from the Koran

1. The Koran calls Jesus the Messiah, “Isa Mesih”.

(Sura 4:171) You can use this in your witness by

pointing out the many Old Testament prophecies writ

ten hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus on earth

which foretold of His coming. You can show where

these prophesies are related in great detail, such as His

death as a sacrifice for our sins. (Isaiah 53)

2. The Koran calls Jesus the Word of Truth “Kaul ul

Hak.” (Sura 19:35) If we want to know the truth

about God, then we must come to Jesus. The Bible says

Jesus is the Truth. (John 14: 6)

3. The Koran calls Jesus the Messenger of God:

“Resulullah.” (Sura 4:169) In this capacity, He re-

veals the truth of God to us. He is the truth and He re-

veals Himself to the world so we can know the character

of God. (John 1:18)

4. The Koran calls Jesus A spirit from God “Ruhullah”

or “Ruh Allah.” (see Sura 4:169) The Spirit of God

shows us what God is thinking. (I Cor. 2:11-12)

5. The Koran calls Jesus holy: “leki.” (Sura 19:19) This

shows that Jesus was sinless and perfect in every way.

He had to be sinless to be an acceptable sacrifice for our

sins.

47

Using names for Jesus from the Bible

1. The Lamb of

God (John 1:29)

2. The Creator of

the world (John

1:3)

3. The Light of the

world (John

8:12)

4. The Bread of Life (John 6:32)

5. The Good Shepherd (John 10:11)

6. The Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)

Explain why all of these titles are important and how they apply

to our salvation. Find a good illustration for each of these titles

for Christ, and then show your Muslim friend why he needs to

know and follow Christ because of who He is.

A Turkish shepherd with his sheep

The Golden Horn, Istanbul

48

Resources For Further Study

Some Books About Witnessing to Muslims

1. The Cross and the Crescent, by Phil Parshall, Gabriel

Resources, 2002.

2. Biblical Approach to the Muslim, by John Elder,

Published by Worldwide Evangelization Crusade,

Fort Washington, PA., 1978.

3. Engaging Islam, by Georges Houssney

Available on Amazon Kindle.

4. Sharing Your Faith With a Muslim, by Abdiyah

Akbar Abdul-Haqq, published by Bethany House,

Minneapolis, Minn., 1980.

5. Islam & Christian Witness, by Martin Goldsmith,

Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL., 1982.

6. Answering Islam, by Norman Geisler and Abdul

Saleeb, Baker Book House, 2002.

7. Healing the Broken Family of Abraham: New Life

for Muslims, by Don McCurry, Ministry to Muslims,

2001.

8. The Unseen Face of Islam, by Bill Musk, Monarch

Books, 1989.

9. Waging Peace on Islam, by Christine Malloui, Inter-

Varsity Press, 2002.

10. Unveiling Islam: An Insiders Look at Muslim Life &

Beliefs, by Ergun and Emir Fethi Caner, Kregel Pub-

lications, 2002.

49

www.answering-islam.org

www.focusing-on-islam.com

www.islamreview.

www.operationworld.org

Materials for Evangelism

American Bible Society

1865 Broadway

New York, NY 10023

Tel: (866) 895-4448 Fax: (212) 408-1512

E-mail: info@americanbible.org

Web: www.americanbible.org

(Bibles and New Testaments in all languages)

American Scripture Gift Mission

PMB 240

7862 W. Irlo Bronson Hwy

Kissimmee, FL 34747

Tel: (877) 873-2746 Fax: (321) 255-8986

E-mail: asgm@asgm.com

Web: usa.sgmlifewords.com/

(Scripture portions, Gospels and Gospel tracts)

Arab World Ministries/Pioneers Web: www.gospel.com/ministries/arab-world-ministries

(Evangelistic materials in Arabic)

Assemblies of God, Division of Foreign Missions

Center for Ministry to Muslims

1445 Boonville Ave.

Springfield, MO 65802

Tel: (417) 862-2781 Fax: (417) 862-0978

Web sites

50

E-mail: DFM@ag.org

Web: www.ag.org

(Evangelistic materials in English)

Caleb Project/Pioneers

10 W. Dry Creek Circle

Littleton, CO 80120

Tel: (303) 730-4170

E-mail: info@cproject.com

Web: www.pioneers.org/Connect/Caleb.aspx

(Media tools and training for ministry;

Perspectives series on missions and Islam.)

Christar

PO Box 850357, Richardson, TX 75085

1500 International Parkway, Richardson, TX 75081

Tel: (800) 755-7955 Fax: (214) 237-7515

E-mail: info@christar.org

Web: www.christar.org

(Materials in various languages;

summer training course in witnessing to Muslims)

Compass Direct

PO Box 27250

Santa Ana, CA 92799

Tel: (949) 862-0314 Fax: (949) 752-6536

E-mail: info@compassdirect.org

Web: www.compassdirect.org

(Information on persecuted Christians)

Crescent Project

PO Box 50986

Indianapolis, IN 46250

Tel: (888) 446-5457 (317) 257-8870

E-mail: info@crescentproject.org

Web: www.crescentproject.org

(Reaching Muslims in North America)

51

EthnoServe (A division of InterServe USA)

P. O. Box 418

Upper Darby, PA 19082-0418

Tel: (800) 809-4440 Fax: (610) 352-4394

Web: interserveusa.org/about/areas/usa

(Helps churches in U.S. reach Muslims)

Fellowship of Faith for the Muslims

PO Box 65214

Toronto, Ontario M4K 3Z2 CANADA

Tel: & Fax: (416) 778-6702

E-mail: ffm.toronto@sympatico.ca

Web: www.ffmna.org

(Prayer and study materials for witnessing to

Muslims.)

Frontiers

PO Box 60730

Phoenix, AZ 85082-0730

Tel: (800) 462-8436

E-mail: info@frontiersusa.org

Web: www.frontiersusa.org

Horizons International

P.O. Box 18478

Boulder, CO 80308-1478

Tel: (303) 442-3333 Fax: (303) 449-6323

Web: www.horizonsinternational.org

(Materials, books and training)

International Students, Inc.

Box C

Colorado Springs, CO 80901

Tel: (800) 474-8326 Fax: (719) 576-5363

E-mail: team@isionline.org

Web: www.isionline.org

(Materials in many Muslim languages; has

trained workers in major universities)

52

International Turkey Network

655 East University Drive

Mesa, AZ 85203

Tel: (480) 464-3983 Fax: (480) 834-1898

E-mail: Jaysonk@itnet.org

Web: www.itnet.org

(Coordinates ministries to Turkey)

Iranian Christians International

PO Box 25607

Colorado Springs, CO 80936

Tel: (719) 596-0010 Fax: (719) 574-1141

E-mail: info@iranchristians.org

Web: IranChristians.org

(Evangelistic material in the Farsi language)

Middle East Christian Outreach

PO Box 14896

Bradenton, FL 34280-4896

Tel: (800) 474-6326

E-mail: usa@aboutmeco.org

Web: www.aboutmeco.org

(Literature and video/film materials in Middle

Eastern languages)

Middle East Media

PO Box 4949, Wheaton, IL 60189-4949

Tel: (808) 294-4575

E-mail: tjceo@mem.org

Web: www.mem.org

(Literature and DVD material in Middle

Eastern languages)

Ministry to Muslims

4164 Austin Bluffs Parkway #357

Colorado Springs, CO 80918-2928

Tel: (719) 597-0609 Fax: (719) 597-0712

53

Mission to Unreached Peoples

PO Box 860548

Plano, TX 75086-0548

Tel: (888) 847-6950 Office: (469) 814-8222

Fax: (469) 375-1794

E-mail: info@mup.org

Web: www.mup.org

Operation Mobilization

PO Box 444

Tyrone, GA 30290-0444

Tel: (770) 631-0432 Fax: (770) 631-0439

E-mail: info@omusa.org

Web: www.omusa.org

(Scripture, literature, Bible study materials in many

languages)

People International USA

PO Box 3005 Vancouver, WA 98668-3005

Tel: (360) 567-3757 Fax: (360) 859-4584

E-Mail: team@gopeople.org

Web: www.gopeople.org

(Information on Central Asian peoples)

Pioneers

10123 William Carey Drive

Orlando, FL 32827

Tel: (800) 755-7284 Fax: (407) 382-1008

E-mail: info@pioneers.org

Web: www.pioneers.org

R. U. N. Ministries

PO Box 6543

Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Tel: (757) 213-2060 Fax: (757) 420-4670

E-mail: run@runministries.org

54

Web: www.runministries.org

(Uighur Ministry)

Turkish World Outreach

508 Fruitvale Court

Grand Junction, CO 81504-4433

Tel: (970) 434-1942 Fax: (970) 434-1461

E-mail: admin@two-fot.org

Web: www.two-fot.org

(Tracts, Bibles and New Testaments in Turkish;

the “Jesus” DVD in Middle Eastern languages)

Zwemer Institute for Muslim Studies

7435 Monticello Road

Columbia, SC 29203

Tel: (803) 807-5327

E-mail: zwemercenter@ciu.edu

(Study materials and training courses)

Turkmen boys

55

Turkey is the largest unreached country, and the Turkic people

are the largest unreached linguistic group in the world. The goal

of TWO is to share the gospel with Turks, disciple them and

help those new believers form churches that reproduce them-

selves.

The ministry of Turkish World Outreach includes:

1. Mobilizing Christians to pray specifically for Turkic peoples

and ministries around the globe;

2. Mailing Gospel Letters to Turks in many countries with the

help of volunteers in over 15 nations.

3. Sending missionaries to share Christ’s love and their faith

with Turks in Turkey, Australia, Central Asia, China and

Europe.

4. Distributing select media and literature in Turkish and Kurd-

ish languages.

5. Facilitating financial support for radio broadcasts, Scripture

translation, literature projects, evangelistic ministries and

relief & development efforts.

Christ’s command is to take the Gospel to all parts of the world.

Please ask God to show you what He wants you to do. Some

options include:

praying for the salvation of people in the Turkic world;

contributing to evangelistic efforts and relief work;

assisting others to go to the Turkic world; or

going yourself.

Turkish World Outreach

56

Turkish World Outreach

508 Fruitvale Court

Grand Junction, CO 81504-4433

Web: www.two-fot.org

Email: admin@two-fot.org

Phone: (970) 434-1942

Fax: (970) 434-1461

Mount Ararat, eastern Turkey

The author and Turkish World Outreach thank

Betty Shoaf, a faithful volunteer, for her tireless

efforts in editing the 2003 and 2012 revisions of

Sharing the Gospel with Muslims.

57

About The Author

Kraig and Susan

have served the

Lord Jesus among

Muslims for more

than 40 years. In

Turkey, the Meyers

served on church

planting teams in

four cities between

1968 and 1981.

During the next

eight years they

lived in Germany,

bringing the Gospel to Turkish immigrants. In 1990 the

Meyers joined Turkish World Outreach.

Presently they share the gospel with Muslims, international

students and immigrants in the Denver, Colorado area. Kraig

teaches courses on Islam and Church History while Susan

teaches ESL. They represent TWO at mission conferences,

church meetings and Christian colleges.

First printing: February, 1993

Revised: December, 1996

Revised: October, 2001

Revised: October, 2003

Revised January, 2012

Susan and Kraig Meyer