Christianity VS. IslamChristianity VS. IslamEvangelism JihadEvangelism Jihad

VS.

I. DefinitionsII. Demand for Inspiration of GodIII. DifferencesIV. Desire of God for All to be Saved

definitions

Evangelism: is the teaching/preaching of the Gospel of Christ. This word itself is not in the Bible, but evangelist (s) is (Acts 21:8; Eph. 4:11; 2 Tim. 4:5). The word translated evangelist (s) means “a bringer of good tidings, an evangelist”; “the name given to the NT heralds of salvation through Christ who are not apostles” (Thayer).

Jihad: “a holy war undertaken by Muslims against unbelievers”; ORIGIN from Arabic jihād, literally ‘effort,’ expressing, in Muslim thought, struggle on behalf of God and Islam” (New Oxford American Dictionary). “Though not a part of the Five Pillars, the jihad is a duty usually associated with them. The word means ‘exertion’ or ‘struggle’ on behalf of God.” (Brantley, http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=8&article=254). Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God (al-jihad fi sabil Allah)" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_violence#cite_note-Merriam-21). Lit. "An effort, or a striving." A religious war with those who are unbelievers in the mission of Muhammad.. It is an incumbent religious duty, established in the Qur’an and in the Traditions as a divine institution, and enjoined specially for the purpose of advancing Islam and of repelling evil from Muslims (A Dictionary Of Islam by THOMAS PATRICK HUGHES, B.D., M.R.A.S.; from http://www.answering-islam.org/Books/Hughes/).

Demand For

Inspiration

Demand for Inspiration

The Bible claims inspiration (2 Tim. 3:16-17, etc.).

The Quran claims inspiration (Surah 2:1-5).

They both CANNOT be true, for they contradict one another, so there is an absolute demand for the inspiration of God.

The one inspired of God is right, and the one not inspired by God is wrong!

Differences

An honest investigation of Christianity and Islam will reveal differences.

Deity is NOT contradictory, therefore two religions which teach conflicting doctrines CANNOT both be from Almighty God.

What are the differences between evangelism and jihad?

Differences

If one says the Quran authorizes in the same manner God did under the law of Moses, please consider the following:

In reference to God ordering violence to be performed, “He did so in order to eliminate the morally corrupt Canaanite civilizations who lived in Palestine prior to the Israelite occupation of the land (Deuteronomy. 9:4; 18:9-12; Leviticus 18:24-25, 27-28)...Their moral depravity was ‘full’ (Gen. 15:16)” (Miller, pp. 192-193).

The Old Testament pointed to Christ (Gal. 3; Heb. 10), and under that temporary system, God governed in a manner He does not today.

Clarification on an Important Matter

Differences

The law of Moses was designed to be temporary; it had an intended purpose (see again Gal. 3; Heb. 10), and during that temporary time period, God did order His people to inflict violence on people so that His children would remain pure. All of the heathen who were to be driven out were not, and the children of Israel became involved in idolatry and ultimately went into captivity (Jos. 15:63; 16:10; 17:12; 23:13).

The nation of Israel was under a government which combined the civil and the religious, and contrary to what some may believe, God never designated or approved of personal retaliation.

“The New Testament law does not differ with the Old Testament in the areas of proper values, ethics, mercy, and justice. The ‘eye for an eye’ injunctions of the Old Testament were designed to be prohibitive in their thrust, i.e., they humanely limited and restricted legal punishment to a degree in keeping with the crime” (Miller, pp. 191-192). Note: The Old Testament teaches that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Deu. 32:35).

Differences

The [unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual intercourse - lash each one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of Allah , if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a group of the believers witness their punishment....And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient, Except for those who repent thereafter and reform, for indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful (Surah 24: 2, 4-5; All Quran quotations are from http://quran.com/).

Old Testament and Quran in Conflict

Old Testament

Quran

40 stripes (Deu. 25:3)

100 stripes for the fornicator and 80 for

those who accuse without having 4

witnesses

2 or 3 witnesses (Deu. 17:6).

4 witnesses

Differences

Under the new covenant, there is no special consideration given to being born into a particular group of people, and the system of justice which was set up under the law of Moses is not in practice under the new covenant.

“God has assigned to civil government (not the church or the individual) the responsibility of regulating secular behavior. God’s people who live posterior to the cross of Christ (i.e., Christians) are not charged by God with the responsibility of inflicting physical punishment on the evildoer. Rather, civil government is charged with the responsibility of maintaining order and punishing lawbreakers (Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14)” (Miller, pp. 193).

It is not accurate to say God’s commanding His people to inflict violence under the law of Moses is equivalent to jihad.

The focus of this topic is to contrast jihad with evangelism, which is a practice of Christianity. Note: The old law has been fulfilled (Mat. 5:17), nailed to the cross of Christ (Col. 2:14).

Evangelism

When Christ sent disciples to “preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:2), He told them that if they were not received, they were to “shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them” (Luke 9:5).

Jesus did not command His followers to inflict violence for His cause, in fact, the Lord rebuked Peter when he utilized the sword to inflict bodily harm (Mat. 26:51-52; Luke 22:49-51; John 18:10-11).

Jesus’ followers were not to fight to establish Christianity; Jesus said His “servants would fight” if His “kingdom were of this world,” (John 18:36).

Evangelism consists of Christians teaching the Gospel of Christ (Mat. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 8:4; 2 Tim. 2:2), and the weapon of a Christian is not carnal (2 Cor. 10:3-6; Eph. 6:11-18).

A study of the book of Acts will clearly reveal that the Christians evangelizing did not inflict physical harm to people in spreading the Gospel; it is not the duty of a Christian to inflict violence to further the cause of Christ.

“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you” (Luke 6:27-28).

Jihad

Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors. And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and fitnah is worse than killing. And do not fight them at al-Masjid al- Haram until they fight you there. But if they fight you, then kill them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers. And if they cease, then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. Fight them until there is no [more] fitnah and [until] worship is [acknowledged to be] for Allah . But if they cease, then there is to be no aggression except against the oppressors. [Fighting in] the sacred month is for [aggression committed in] the sacred month, and for [all] violations is legal retribution. So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you. And fear Allah and know that Allah is with those who fear Him (Surah 2:190-194).

Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. They ask you about the sacred month - about fighting therein. Say, "Fighting therein is great [sin], but averting [people] from the way of Allah and disbelief in Him and [preventing access to] al-Masjid al-Haram and the expulsion of its people therefrom are greater [evil] in the sight of Allah . And fitnah is greater than killing." And they will continue to fight you until they turn you back from your religion if they are able. And whoever of you reverts from his religion [to disbelief] and dies while he is a disbeliever - for those, their deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein eternally (Surah 2:216-217).

Jihad

It is not for a prophet to have captives [of war] until he inflicts a massacre [upon Allah 's enemies] in the land. Some Muslims desire the commodities of this world, but Allah desires [for you] the Hereafter. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. If not for a decree from Allah that preceded, you would have been touched for what you took by a great punishment. So consume what you have taken of war booty [as being] lawful and good, and fear Allah . Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful (Surah 8:67-69).

“vv. 67-69 were revealed when the Prophet had decided to spare the lives of the prisoners taken at Badr and hold them to ransom, against the wish of Omar, who would have executed them for their past crimes. The Prophet took the verses as a reproof, and they are generally understood to mean that no quarter ought to have been given in that first battle” (Pickthall, p. 144 from Miller, p. 187).

Do you see a contradiction in the following?:

“The spread of Islam occurred in waves. In less than a century after the establishment of the first Islamic society in Medina by the Prophet, Arab armies had conquered a land stretching from the Indus River to France and brought with them Islam, which, contrary to popular Western conceptions, was not, however, forced on the people by the sword” (Seyyed Nasr 2003, p. 17, from Miller, p. 191)

Jihad

“Then the Messenger of Allah commanded that ditches should be dug, so they were dug in the earth, and they were brought tied by their shoulders, and were beheaded. There were between seven hundred and eight hundred of them. The children who had not yet reached adolescence and the women were taken prisoner, and their wealth was seized” [Ibn Kathir, on Quran 33:26]. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Banu_Qurayza).

“For too long, we Muslims have been sticking fingers in our ears and chanting "Islam means peace" to drown out the negative noise from our holy book. Far better to own up to it. Not erase or revise, just recognize it and thereby join moderate Jews and Christians in confessing "sins of Scripture," as an American bishop says about the Bible. In doing so, Muslims would show a thoughtful side that builds trust with the wider communities of the West” (IRSHAD MANJI, more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1083918,00.html#ixzz1XuIulzxX;).

“The number of campaigns which he led in person during the last ten years of his life is twenty-seven, in nine of which there was hard fighting. The number of the expeditions which he planned and sent out under other leaders is thirty-eight” (n.d., p.xxvi; Pickthall quote from Miller pp. 188-189).

Differences

Islam Christianity

Persecution is worse than killing; it is better

to kill than to be persecuted (Surah

2:190-194; 216-217).

Pray for those who persecute you (Mat. 5:44); they rejoiced they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ (Acts 5:41).

Attack in like manner (Surah 2:190-194).

Turn the other cheek (Mat. 5:39).

Authorized to take up arms against enemies

(Surah 4:101-104).

Love enemies (Mat. 5:44).

Muhammad led violent war campaigns

Christ never fought a physical war to

advance His cause

Stark Contrasts

Differences

The Quran is in direct violation with what Jesus taught, and the Quran teaches Jesus is a messenger of Allah.

If Jesus was a messenger of Allah, speaking Allah’s message, but the Quran has teachings which directly conflict teachings of Christ in the Bible, does that present a problem for Muslims? The honest answer is yes.

Desire of God for all to be saved

The evidence clearly shows the God of the Bible is the One, True, Living God, and He “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4, NKJV).

No one can be saved without the Gospel (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-4), and evangelism consists of teaching the soul saving Gospel to people.

Christians have a duty to teach the Gospel to the lost. Christian friend, do you take your duty seriously?