Islam (2): Foundation of Its Teachings

Ubu'l Kassim was born in A.D. 570 into the Koreish tribe among the Arabians. The Arabians descended in part from Ishmael and his 12 sons. They were nomads and caravan traders, dwelling in Midian, the Sinai peninsula and Arabia. The Koreish tribe cared for religious pilgrims and the Kaaba shrine in Mecca. At this time in Arabia, polytheistic idolatry was the dominant form of religious expression among the people along with the practice of animism. In their varied religious practices, many Arabians came to Mecca to see a small building called the Kaaba which housed 360 images and the Black Stone (supposedly given to Abraham by the angel Gabriel).

As a young man Ubu'l traveled with caravans and was exposed to Rabbinic Judaism and apostate Christianity as well as forms of idolatry and mysticism. At the age of 25, he had led the caravans of a business woman, Khadija, so well that she married him. Having acquired wealth, he was now looked upon with respect and given greater freedom to do as he desired. Unsatisfied with material wealth, he often meditated in a cave on Mt. Hira near Mecca seeking answers to questions which plagued him. One night in 610, he claimed to receive a vision telling him to read, recite, or proclaim "in the name of thy Lord," but he knew not whether this was divine or demonic in origin. His wife later convinced him that it was divine. It is claimed that he thought himself to be a prophet of Allah at that point. This "vision" is said to have come after spending six months in isolation to meditate. No one else was there to witness this call, nor is any objective evidence given in Islam to sustain its validity. Ubu'l said his name was changed to Muhammad ("highly praised") by the messenger, the angel Gabriel. He began preaching monotheism, condemning idolatry and infanticide. The religion he began is called Islam ("to submit") and the follower is called Muslim or Moslem ("one who submits").

Much of the story about the life and teachings of Muhammad comes from a book called the Hadith. It is a book of great religious importance in Islam. The book contains sayings, deeds, teachings and rulings alleged to come from Muhammad. However, the book was compiled 200 years after his death.

During his life, Muhammad is not known to have written anything about his revelations nor did his followers. Muhammad was illiterate and disclaimed any miraculous power. He viewed himself as a common man who was sent to warn the people. His "revelations" were collected after his death from the recollection of his followers. That collection is known as the Koran (Qur'an).

In addition to the Koran, Muslims slavishly follow the traditions - admittedly uninspired records of Muhammad's words, deeds and habits. Using the Koran, the traditions and their own counsel, Islamic leaders prescribe the Shari'a or the law covering every possible aspect of life (ethics, morality, criminal and civil laws, even proper use of toothpick, etc.).

His followers claimed that Muhammad was the last and greatest prophet of God, though Muhammad never made that claim for himself. Followers also claimed that Muhammad possessed superhuman powers, though no such claim was made by Muhammad. In the 15th century, a book entitled Life was written and contained 50 pages of miracles attributed to Muhammad. The claims made for him are not consistent with his life or his teaching.

The Doctrines of Islam

Muhammad drew on ideas learned from his native Arabia, religious pilgrims and his caravan travels. Though illiterate, he was a master improvisor with a lively imagination and mystic temperament. He borrowed much from Arabian religious traditions, the Jewish Talmud and perverted forms of Christianity. The part that is good is not new and the part that is new is not good. Islam teaches five fundamental articles of faith which are as follows:

1. GOD (ALLAH). The oneness of God is emphasized. Muhammad thought Christians worshiped the Father, the Son and Mary which was blasphemy to him. The Koran specifically denies the deity of Jesus Christ. In Islam, Allah's greatness and power overshadow his personal grace and love toward man.

2. ANGELS. Four archangels include Gabriel, the messenger of revelation. There are an indefinite number of other angels. Jinn are creatures from Arabian traditions, standing between the position of angels and men, created of smokeless flame. They are unseen but may appear as animals or men and can help or hurt. Jinns are a carry-over from polytheism and are worshiped by some Muslims. According to Islam, the devil is a fallen angel or a jinn.

3. PROPHETS. According to Islam, there have been many thousands of prophets, 313 of them designated "apostles" and six who brought new dispensations: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. Muhammad is claimed to be the last and greatest of all prophets.

4. DIVINE BOOKS. According to Islam, of the 104 divine books given to prophets, only 4 remain: the Law given to Moses, the Psalms to David, the Gospel to Jesus and the Koran to Muhammad. The Koran is claimed to be the final revelation of the true religion. Where the Koran and the Bible conflict, Muslims believe it is caused by parts of the Bible being lost or corrupted.

5. JUDGMENT DAY. All men will be raised and judged at the last day. Faithful Muslims believe they will go to paradise to recline on couches, receive plenty of good food as well as wine and marry an abundance of wives (though wine and over 4 wives are forbidden on earth). All who reject Islam suffer in boiling water and metal, according to Islamic teaching.

6. DECREES OF GOD. Many Muslims add as a 6th article of faith that all good and evil comes directly from God's will. No free-will actually exists. Man's impression of free will and choice is God's creation. Acceptance of this article has caused fatalism and lethargy to plague many Muslims historically.

Islam's Five Pillars

Islam also requires "Five Pillars" as a code of conduct for its adherents. It is through these acts that Islam teaches adherents may earn reward in Paradise.

Confession. Anyone can become a Muslim upon this confession: "There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah."

Prayer. Ritual prayers in Arabic are required at 5 specific times each day. Muslims face Mecca to perform stances, prostrations and rituals of cleansing. On Friday there is a public meeting at the mosque for prayer and exhortation.

Fast. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from all forms of food, drink, smoking and sexual intercourse during daylight hours. This is supposed to teach self-control and sympathy for the needy.

Alms. Alms are levied to help the poor in addition to free-will gifts.

Pilgrimage. A pilgrimage to Mecca is required if possible once in a lifetime. There the pilgrim performs rituals and visits the Kaaba to see the Black Stone.

Holy War. A sixth pillar applies to adult males. They are to answer any legal call to Holy War. We will examine this pillar in a future article.

Can One Have Confidence in the Doctrines of Islam?

The lack of a rational basis for faith in the teachings of Islam can best be seen by reading the Koran. For sake of space, let us consider only a few examples. The supposed revelations of Islam are open to change at any time. The Koran says, "If We abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten, We will replace it by a better one or one similar" (2:106). That hardly instills confidence in the abiding nature of its teaching. However, worse yet is the following assessment of Islam's teaching found in the Koran itself. "Some of its verses are precise in meaning - they are the foundation of the Book - and others are ambiguous. Those whose hearts are infected with disbelief observe the ambiguous part, so as to create dissension by seeking to explain it. But no one knows its meaning except God" (3:6-7). Thus, Islam ("to submit") commands one to submit to admittedly ambiguous teaching which may change at any time. Contrast that with the Bible teaching (Psa. 119:89; 1 Pet. 1:22-25; Gal. 1:6-9; Eph. 5:17).