Why I’m A Christian

AND NOT A MUSLIM

Why am I a Christian and not a Muslim?

There are roughly 1.8 billion Christians in the world but there are also 1.4 billion

Muslims and the latter is growing!

Why am I a Christian and not a Muslim?

If someone asked you, “Where does Christianity come from?”

What would you say?

I would emphasize the Spirit, which pervades the Gospel, convicts us of sin and gave us the Scriptures.

What would a Muslim say if you asked him or her where Islam comes from?

Muslims believe that Allah (the one and only god) sent his angel Gabriel to Mohammed (Allah’s chosen prophet). 

Gabriel then revealed the Quran to Muhammed who, in turn, had scribes write it down verbatim beginning in 609/610 AD in Mecca and concluding in 632 AD in Medina, the year Muhammed died.

MedinaTo

Mecca

Like Christianity, Islam

was originally persecuted but

the latter responde

d by fighting

while the former

passively accepted

their fate. 

Mecca was a polytheistic holy site and Muhammed preached monotheism, which did not

go over well with the local businesses! 

He eventually conquered the city and removed the idols from the Kaaba leaving only the Black

Rock, which was a meteorite.

Muhammed then declared it to be the holiest site in all of

Islam.

What are the essential beliefs of

Christianity?

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;he descended into hell.

On the third day he rose again;he ascended into heaven,

he is seated at the right hand of the Father,and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,the holy catholic and apostolic Church,

the communion of saints,the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Apostles’ Creed

summarizes it as follows:

What are the essential beliefs of Islam?

God There is only one true God and His name is Allah. Allah is all - seeing, all-knowing and all-powerful.

Angels The chief angel is Gabriel, who is said to have appeared to Mohammed. There is also a fallen angel named Shaitan (from the Hebrew "Satan"), as well as the followers of Shaitan, the jinns (demons).

Scripture Muslims believe in four God inspired books: the Torah of Moses (what Christians call the Pentateuch), the Zabur (Psalms of David), the Injil (Gospel) of Jesus, and the Qur'an. But, because Muslims believe that Jews and Christians corrupted their Scriptures, the Qur'an is Allah's final word to mankind. It supersedes and overrules all previous writings.

What are the essential beliefs of Islam?

Mohammed The Qur'an lists 28 prophets of Allah. These include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jonah and Jesus. To the Muslim, the last and greatest prophet is Mohammed.

The End Times On the "last day," the dead will be resurrected. Allah will be the judge, and each person will be sent to heaven or hell. Heaven is a place of sensual pleasure. Hell is for those who oppose Allah and his prophet Mohammed.

Predestination God has determined what He pleases, and no one can change what He has decreed (also known as kismet, the doctrine of fate). From this doctrine comes the most common Islamic phrase, "If it is Allah's Will.”

1. To become a Muslim, a person must publicly repeat the Shahadah: "There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is the prophet of Allah.”

2. Muslims pray five times a day at daybreak, noon, mid-afternoon, after sunset, and early evening." The Muslim must kneel and bow in the prescribed manner in the direction of the holy city, Mecca.

3. Muslim law today requires the believer to give one-fortieth of his profit (2.5 percent). This offering goes to widows, orphans, the sick and other unfortunates.

4. The ninth month of the Islamic lunar year is called Ramadan and is the highest of Muslim holy seasons. Muslims are required to fast for the entire month. Food and drink, as well as smoking and sexual pleasures, are forbidden, but only during daylight hours. During Ramadan, many Muslims eat two meals a day, the first just before sunrise and the other shortly after sunset. During Ramadan, the believer must not commit any unworthy act. If he does, his fasting is meaningless.

5. A pilgrimage to Mecca.  This is called the Hajj and must be performed at least once in a Muslim's lifetime. However, if the pilgrimage is too difficult or dangerous for the believer, he can send someone in his place.

There are also the Five Pillars of the Faith:

How do Christians view the Bible?

We believe the Bible

was inspired by the Holy Spirit

2 Timothy 3:16:All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for

correction, and for training in righteousness

John 14:26:But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

How do Muslims view the Quran?

Muslims believe the Quran is eternal and without error and exists

as a heavenly tablet with Allah.  

Muslims have a standardized Quran that can only be read in Arabic.  They believe there is only one

Quran while they charge Christians with having many Bibles. 

Muslims believe no true word of God would record the sins of true

prophets.  So, the stories of David, Solomon, etc. are recorded in the

Quran but it omits any wrongdoing.

The Bible Vs. The Quran

Like the Bible, the Quran has chapters (suras) and verses (ayahs).  

The Bible is organized largely chronologically but the Quran is organized somewhat by length of chapter and can be

confusing! 

How would an orthodox Christian define God?We believe in the Trinity—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

How would a conservative Muslim define Allah?Mohammed argued that God is one and they consider the Trinity heresy.

How do … view Jesus? 

ChristiansWe believe He is God, who became a

human, died for our sins, is the only way to God and will return to judge and reign. 

MuslimsHe is described as born of a virgin, a prophet and a

miracle worker but he does not die on the cross, he is not the son of God and he was not resurrected. 

Instead, he was taken to heaven and stands beside Allah and will return at the end of days to correct

Christians.   

Christians view humankind as

inherently sinful and in need of

salvation. The unforgivable sin in Christianity is

blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

The only unforgivable sin in Islam is dying a polytheist.

 

Muslims view humankind as inherently good. 

There is no “fall” in Islam but every person needs to earn his/her salvation by

doing the following:

What is a mosque? 

It is an Islamic place of worship.  

Every mosque has a mihrab, a niche in the wall that indicates the direction of

Mecca; the direction towards which Muslims pray. 

Most mosques have a minbar (or pulpit) from which an Islamic scholar is able to

deliver a sermon or speech.

Sermons are usually delivered on Friday afternoons. 

What do Muslims pray and how do they pray?

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar[God is the greatest, God is the

greatest]

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar[God is the greatest, God is the

greatest]

Ashadu an la ilaha ill Allah[I bear witness that there is none

worthy of worship but God]

Ashadu an la ilaha ill Allah[I bear witness that there is none

worthy of worship but God]

Ashadu anna Muhammadan rasoolullah[I bear witness that Muhammad is the

prophet of God]

Ashadu anna Muhammadan rasoolullah[I bear witness that Muhammad is the prophet of

God]

Hayya'alas salah [Come to prayer,]

Hayya'alas salah [Come to prayer,]

Hayya'alal falah [Come to success,]

Hayya'alal falah [Come to success,]

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar[God is the greatest, God is the greatest]

La ilaha ill Allah[There is no deity but God.]

1. Muslims must stand and turn toward Mecca.  

2. While standing, the first chapter of the Quran is recited. This chapter can be

translated as follows.

“In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee (alone) we worship and Thee (alone) we ask for help. Show us the straight path. The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.” (1:1-1:7)

After the first chapter, any other passage from the Quran is recited. Following is a translation of one such passage.

“Say: He is Allah, the One! Allah is He on Whom all depend. He begetteth not, nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him.” (112:1-112:4)

3. Muslims then bow to God and glorify Him. This glorification can be

translated as follows.

“Glory be to my Lord, the Almighty.”

4. To express complete submission and humility before God, Muslims then prostrate and place their foreheads on ground. According to the prophetic traditions, at this moment of humility, the worshipper is closest to his/her Lord. While prostrating, Muslims glorify God as follows.

“Glory be to my Lord, the most High.”

Other than glorifying God, it is also a moment for Muslims to ask God for His forgiveness, mercy, blessings and bounties. Muslims then sit for a few seconds and prostrate one more time before

standing up again.

Depending on the time of the prayer, Muslims repeat this cycle once, twice or thrice in each prayer.

5. In the end (and also in the middle for some prayers) Muslims sit as shown in the figure. At this point they testify before God that there is none worthy of worship but Him and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His

slave (meaning creation that is subject to it’s Lord’s commands at all times) and His Messenger. Muslims then ask God to send His peace and

blessings on His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) as He did on Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). The translation is as follows.

“All service is for Allah and all acts of worship and good deeds are for Him. Peace and the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you O Prophet. Peace be upon us and all of Allah’s righteous slaves. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

O Allah exalt Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad, just as you exalted Abraham and the followers of Abraham. Verily you are full of praise and majesty. O Allah send blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, just as you sent blessings on Abraham and upon the followers of Abraham. Verily you are full of praise and majesty.”

End of Prayer

With this greeting, the obligatory prayer ends.

At the very end, Muslims turn their face to the right and the left, sending God’s Peace on those surrounding them. This

greeting of peace can be translated as follows.

“Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah”

What are the major splits in Christianity?

Protestant

Catholic

Orthodox

Islam has also been divided—largely between Sunni and Shia. 

Sunnis make up approximately 80-90% of all Muslims.  Shia constitute 10-20%. What’s the difference?

The primary dispute between the two is who was the proper successor (or

caliph) of Muhammad.

Sunnis - the proper caliph is elected and the first was Abu Bakr

Shia - it should follow the bloodline of Muhammed and they rallied around Ali, who was the prophet’s son-in-law.  

Iraq and Iran are largely

Shia.  For example, many Wahhabis forbid any practice that is not Islamic in nature, that includes forbidding friendships with non-

Muslims or even playing soccer because it is western!

There are other sects and movements like Sufism, which is more mystical and Sikhism and the Wahhabism, which is

a radical wing of the Sunnis. 

Osama Bin Laden subscribed to Wahhabism because it is VERY

legalistic even for Islam. 

BUT…if a liberal tried to teach their view of the Quran anywhere where Sharia law

is enforced, they would be executed!

Just like Christianity, there are liberals and conservatives within Islam

What is the

Hadith? For example, the Hadith records Abu Bakr, a follower of Islam, starting that Allah decrees good but does not decree evil. 

Muhammed replied, “O Abu Bakr, if Allah Most High had not willed that there be disobedience, He would not have created the Devil.”

Abu Bakr replied, “I seek pardon from Allah, I slipped and stumbled, O Apostle of Allah, but never again will I fall into error about this matter.” 

It is a collection of

statements by Muhammed. 

What is sharia law?

Shariah is a collection of legal interpretations of the Quran and the Hadith.  It forbids the consumption of alcohol and pork.  It lays out

punishments for blasphemy, stealing, adultery, etc. 

What is the caliphate?

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Caliph means “successor.”  There is no division between church and state in Islam.  So, a caliphate is an Islamic

government, which looks to shariah law.

*Shia, however, believe that caliph must be an Imam who is a descendent of Muhammed and is chosen by God.  

1. He must be a Muslim.

2. He must be an adult (past puberty)

3. He must be male.

4. He must be sane.

5. He must be just (عادل ‘aadil).

6. He must not be a faasiqفاسق) ) that is, someone publicly known to be a sinner.

7. He must be capable of carrying the responsibility of a Caliph.

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What is an Imam?Sunnis use the term to designate a worship leader in a Mosque but Shia believe the term only applies to descendants of Muhammed who are religious scholars. Shia believe Imams are free from sin

and are always to be obeyed because they are appointed by God. 

What do Christians

teach about evil, angels

and demons?We believe Satan and demons are fallen angels and that evil is a product of our

free choices and of sin.

What do Muslims

teach about evil, angels

and demons?

As we saw, most Muslims believe Allah does will evil and created Satan and

demons, which they call Jinn. 

Jihad can mean “inner struggle” but usually is “holy war” and it finds ample support in both the Quran and the Hadith.   

For example, “…fight and slay the pagans wherever you find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every war.”Quran 9:5

What is Jihad?

What do … teach about the relationship between men and women?

Christians While men are to lead their family, men and

women are equal in worth in the eyes of God.   “For there is no partiality with God.” Romans 2:11 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither

slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

“So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Acts 10:34-35

Muslims “Men have authority over women because God has made

the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and forsake them in beds apart, and beat them.” Quran 4:34

“A male shall inherit twice as much as a female.” Quran 4:11

Women shall with justice have rights similar to those exercised against them, although men have a status above women.” Quran 2:228

What do … believe about the “end times”?

Christians Most Christians believe Jesus will return

to judge the living and the dead, banish evil & death and reign over the universe forever. 

Muslims The Quran does not give a lot of

specifics.  It appears that upon death the soul is taken to heaven but then returned to the body in the grave to await the Day of Judgment. There is not a lot   of consensus on what happens in this intermediate period. 

What do female martyrs get?

Their husbands! 

The time of the Day of Judgment is kept “hidden”

from man (Quran 20:15).  But, the Quran hints at “signs” such as the decay of the

natural world and widespread immorality.  

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• There is also a widespread belief that there will be an antichrist (Dajjal), who is blind in one eye, works miracles and has the word kafir (unbeliever) written on his forehead. 

• Sunnis and Shia agree on a future messiah who will crush the Dajjal but they disagree on who it is.  Sunnis believe it be Jesus but Shia believe it be “Mahdi.” 

• The angel of death will then blow a trumpet and all will die.  At some time later, Allah will bodily raise all the dead for judgment. All will be judged according to the Book of Deeds. 

• All must cross the sirat (a bridge). Those who cross enter The Garden but those who fall off go to the “torment of fire.” 

• The Garden is a place where one finds whatever their hearts desire including beautiful virgins.  

• What about martyrdom? A male martyr not only gets to go to heaven but gets 72 wives and may intercede for 70 relatives. 

What is ISIS?ISIS is a radical group of Sunnis with the political goal of uniting all Islamic territories as one nation. They advocate the destruction of all Shia (which is why Iran opposes ISIS).

ISIS was formed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in 2004 as an Al Quada group with loyalty to Osama Bin Laden.  He was killed in 2006 and is now led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.  ISIS is now an independent group

They were not very successful in Iraq but they took advantage of the Syrian civil war and grew from there.  They want to establish their own caliphate uniting all Sunnis under Sharia law. 

They have also been successful because they have seized oil fields and are making approximately $1 million a day smuggling oil. 

In the end, Fritz Ridenour breaks down the differences between

Christianity and Islam…

”Muslims believe there is no God but Allah; Christians believe God is revealed in Scripture as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons who are coeternally God (see Matt. 3:13-17; 28:19; 2

Cor. 13:14).”

… ”Muslims believe that Jesus was only a man, a prophet below Muhammed in

importance, who did not die for man’s sins; Christians say Christ is the Son of God, the sinless Redeemer who died and rose again for sinful man (see John 1:13, 14; 1 Peter 3:18).”

”Muslims claim that humans are born with hearts that are clean slates.  If they commit sins, these can be overcome by acts of the will; Christians counter that we are born corrupted by sin, spiritually dead apart from God’s grace, and that no one does good apart from the faith (see Rom. 3:12, Eph. 5:8-10).”

”Muslims say that Allah does not love those who do wrong, and each person must earn his or her own salvation; Christians contend that a loving God sent His son to die for our sins, according to the inspired Word (see Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:3,4).

Questions?