Answering Islam_ The Crescent in Light of the Cross - Norman L. Geisler

7/27/2019 Answering Islam_ The Crescent in Light of the Cross - Norman L. Geisler

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ANSWER ING


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ANSWER ING

THE CRESCENTIN L I GHT

OF THE CROSS

Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb

D. BakerBooksD . A Division ofBaker Book House CoGrand Rapids, Michigan 49516


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1993 byNorman L.GeislerPublished by Baker Booksa division of Baker BookHouseCompanyP.O. Box 6287. Grand Rapids, Ml 49516-6287Tenth printing. November 2001Printed in the United States ofAmericaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced. stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopy,recording, or any other-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The onlyexception is brief quotations in printed reviews.For information about academic books. resources for Christian leaders, and all newreleases from Baker Book House. visit our web site:

http://www.bakerbooks.com/

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicationDataGeisler, Norman L.Answering Islam: the crescent in light ofthe cross / Norman L.Geisler andAbdul Saleeb.p. em.

Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.ISBN0-8010-3859-61. Islam-Relations-Christianity. 2. Christianity and other religions-Islam.3. Christianity-Apologetic works. 4. Islam-Controversial literature. I.Saleeb,Abdul. II.Title.BPI72.G43 1994

239-dc20 93-38134

CONTENTS

Acknowledgment 7Introduction 9

PART 1 THE BASIC DOCTRINES OF ORTHODOX ISLAM1. Understanding Islamic Monotheism 132. The Islamic View of Creation and Man 323. Prophets 504. Muhammad 685. The Qur'an 896. Endtimes and Salvation 107

PART 2 A CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO BASIC MUSLIM BELIEFS7. An Evaluation ofIslamicMonotheism 1318. An Evaluation ofMuhammad 1469. An Evaluation of the Qur'an 178

PART 3 A POSITIVE DEFENSE OF THE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE10. ADefense of the Bible 20711. ADefense of the Deity of Christ 22712. ADefense ofthe Trinity 25613. ADefense of Salvation by the Cross 271

ApPENDIXES1. Muslim Sects andMovements 2872. Muslim Religious Practices 2933. The Gospel of Barnabas 2954. PopularMuslimAccusationsAgainst the New Testament 301

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6Glossary 311Bibliography 317Suggested Readings 323Index of Qur'an ic Suras 325Index of Persons 329Indexof Subjects 334

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We wish to express our deep appreciation for those who have laboredto make this manuscript better. This includes two Islamic experts, Dr.Kameel F. Kilada and Dr. Patrick Cate. In addition, David Johnson,Sharon Coomer, and ourwives, Kenna and Barbara, spent endless hourstyping, checking references, and doing appendixes. For all their help weare deeply grateful.

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INTRODUCTION

Islam has rapidly grown to become the second largest religion in theworld, with almost one billion adherents-nearly one in every five per-sons on earth. In the Uni ted States there are presently more Muslimsthan Methodists.

What is more, Islam claims to be the true religion for humankind. Itaffirms that Muhammad is the "Seal of the Prophets," the last and thegreatest of all prophets who superseded all prophets before him, includ-ing Jesus. The Qur'an is believed to be the verballyinspiredWord ofGod,dictated toMuhammad by the angel Gabriel from the eternal original inheaven. It is said to contain the full and final revelation of God, surpass-ing and completing all previous revelations. By any measure these areoutstanding claims that challenge all other religions and deserve carefulscrutiny by any sincere seeker of truth.In this bookwe propose to do three things. First, in Part One we willattempt to state, as clearly as we can, the fundamental beliefs of IslamconcerningGod, creation, prophets,Muhammad, the Qur'an, and salva-tion. This willbe expressed primarily throughMuslimsources such as theQur'an, Muslim tradition (the Hadith), and Islamic commentators.In Part Twowe willattempt to respond to basicMuslim beliefs in God,Muhammad, and the Qur'an. Here we will analyze criticisms that havebeen offered and attempt to come to a conclus ion as to whether there issupport for the validity of the Islamic claims. Particular attentionwill bepaid to the factual basis for and internal consistency of these claims.Finally, in Part Three we will examine the evidence for the Christiancounterclaim. Here arguments offered in support ofChristian claims willbe scrutinized in order to determine their veracity. The appendixes willdeal with special topics such asMuslimsects, religious practices, the Gos-pel ofBarnabas, and Muslim use ofmodern biblical criticism.

My coauthor, using a pseudonym, was reared as a Muslim in anIslamic country. His familiaritywith Arabic andMuslim beliefs and prac-tices has added a very significant dimension to this book. Together withmy background in Christian theology and philosophy, we havemade an9


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10 Introductionattempt not only to understand the Muslim and Christian views, bu t toexamine them carefully in light of the evidence.We are in agreementwiththe Socratic dictum that "the unexamined life is no t worth living." Andwe believe aswell that the unexamined faith is not worth believing. Sinceboth orthodox Islam and Christianity claim to be the t rue religion, it isincumbent upon thinking persons to examine carefully the evidenceoffered by both and to make their own decision in view of the evidence.

Norman L.GeislerPart OneTHE BASIC DOCTRINESOF ORTHODOX ISLAMThis book is an attempt to understand and evaluate the

claims of orthodox Islam from a Christian point of view. It is ourbelief that it is not possible to evaluate another viewpoint fairlywithout first understanding it. Since one of us is a Christian andthe other was reared as a Muslim, we believe we have an advan-tage in understanding both points ofview. Further, we appeal pre-dominantly to the primary sources of each religion, especially tothe Qur'an and the Bible. In order to enhance our understandingof each, we selected standard teachers and commentators fromeach religion. In this first partwe try our best to set forth as objec-tively as possible the basic doctrines of orthodox Islam, steeringaway from differing opinions of rival sects and emphasizingwhatmost Muslims believe.


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1UNDERSTANDING ISLAMIC

MONOTHEISM

The strength of Islam is neither in its rituals nor in its ethics, bu t in itsgrasp of one great idea: monotheism. Among the religions of the worldthere is not one that has a shorter creed than Islam and not one whosecreed is so well known and so often repeated. The whole system of Mus-lim theology, philosophy, and religious life is summed up in sevenwords:La ilaha ilia Allah, Muhammad rasul Allah, "There is no god but Allahand Muhammad is Allah's Apostle." This is the motto of the Muslim'sfamily life, the ritualistic formula that welcomes the infant as a believer,and the final message that is whispered in the ear of the dying. Byrepeat-ing these words, the unbeliever is transformed into a Muslim and thebackslider is welcomed back into a spiritual brotherhood. By this creedthe faithful are called to prayer fivetimes daily, and it is the platform onwhich all the warring sects ofIslam unite. It is the very foundation of theIslamic religion.Since the idea ofGod is fundamental to Islam, this chapterwill analyzethe doctrine ofGod as presented in the Qur'an and orthodoxIslamic the-ology. First, we will consider the significance of the very word for God,"Allah." Second, we will attempt to explain the nature and character ofGod as understood by orthodoxMuslims. Third,wewillfocus our discus-sion on the relationship that exists between God and the rest of his cre-ation, especially human beings.MEANING OF THE TERM "ALLAH"

Allah is the personal name forGod in Islam. We make no distinction inthis book, as some do, between the word "Allah" and the English word13


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88 The BasicDoctrines ofOrthodox IslamGod himselfwould not have existed!" This is an allusion to the close rela


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tionship Muhammad is supposed to have with God. In the media,Muhammad is often given titles like "Savior of theWorld" and "Lord ofthe Universe.P''CONCLUSIONIn conclusion it is important to point out that despite the un-Qur'anicexalted position ofMuhammad in popular Islamic piety, his position inIslamic theology is not comparable to the person of Christ in Christiantheology. The ultimate foundation ofIslam is not the person ofMuhammad, but rather the Qur'an, the uncreated and eternal Word of God. As

Schimmel reminds us:Even though Muhammadwas elevated to luminous heights and reached aposition comparable, in certain ways, to that of Logos in Christian theology, yet even as the Perfect Man he remained abduhu, God's servant andHis creature-the most beloved of His creatures, to be sure . . . the idea ofan incarnation in the Christian sense was and is absolutely impossible inthe Islamic tradition. . . . The axis of Islam is not the personof the Prophetbu t rather theWord of God, as revealed through him and laid down in theKoran.P''

So in order to properly understand Islam, it is necessary to turn ourattention to the cornerstone of Islam, the Qur'an, This is the subject ofthe next chapter.

55. Nazir-Ali,130-31.56. See Schimmel, 142.

5THE QUR'AN

The Qur'an is the foundation of Islam.' No adequate knowledge ofIslam is possible without a basic understanding of the Qur'an. Althoughbeliefin all divine Scriptures is a major Islamic doctrine, for Muslims theQur'an holds such an incomparable place among other revealed Scriptures that it demands separate treatment. First wewillexplore the historical background, literary style, and some of the major themes of theQur'an. Then we will focus on the significance of the Qur'an as divinerevelation.A SURVEY OF THE QUR'AN

COMPILATION OF THE QUR'ANMuhammad did not write down his revelations but gave them orally.Shortly afterMuhammad's death, it became necessary to collect all thescattered pieces and chapters of his revelations into one book for use in

the Muslim community. As long as the prophet was alive, he acted asGod's mouthpiece within the community and no urgent need was felt togather all his divine revelations into one collection. However, with thedeath oftheir prophet, Muslimswere convinced thatGod's revelation tohumankind was finalized. As5:4 puts it, "This day have I Perfected yourreligion For you, completed My favour upon you, And have chosen foryou Islam as your religion." So with the death of Muhammad, thedemand for collecting and compiling this final revelation in written formbecame a pressing concern.

1. For an excellent general introduction to the Qur'an, see W.MontgomeryWatt, Bell'sIntroduction to the Qur'an (Edinburgh: Edinburgh UniversityPress, 1970).

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1AN EVALUAT ION OFISLAMIC MONOTHEISM

No reasonable person rejects what he or she does not first attempt tounderstand. This is why we have made a sincere effort to set forth theIslamic view as clearly and correctly as possible (in Part One) beforeoffering an evaluation of it. Too often other persons' views are rejectedfor the wrong reason-for holding a position they never espoused. Hav-ing attempted to set forth as clearly aswe canwhatIslam teaches, we turnour attentionnow to an evaluationof it. Our discussion ofMuslimmono-theism will fall into two categories. First, we will review its characteristicfeatures. Then, we will evaluate some of the problems critics have notedwith the Islamic view ofGod.A REVIEW OF SOME CENTRAL THEMESIN ISLAMIC MONOTHEISMSince we have already discussed in detailwhatMuslims believe aboutGod (see Chapter 1), we will only briefly outline here some of the mainemphases.GOD ASTHE ABSOLUTE ONE (HIS UNITY)Fundamental to the Islamic viewof God is his absolute and indivisibleunity. In sura 112Muhammaddefines God in thesewords: "Say:He isGod,The One and Only;God, the Eternal, Absolute; Hebegetteth not, Nor isHebegotten; And there is none Likeunto Him." This sura"is held to be wortha third ofthe whole Qur'an and the seven heavens and the seven earths arefounded upon it. To confess this verse, an Islamic tradition affirms, is toshed one's sins as amanmight strip a tree in autumn of its leaves."!1. Kenneth Cragg, TheCall ofthe Minaret (NewYork:Oxford UniversityPress, 1964),39.

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144 A Christian Response toBasicMuslim Beliefs An Evaluation of Islamic Monotheism 145Summa contra Gentileswas occasionedby the need ofChristian missionaries dealing with Islam in Spain. History records that he stemmed theinfluence of this view in the form of Latin Averroism.This radical predeterminism is expressed in Muslim creedal statements . One reads: "God Most High is the Creator of all ac tions of His

The famous Persian poet, Omar Khayyam, reflects clearly the fatalisticstrain ofMuslim theology when he writes:Tis all a chequer-board ofnight and daysWhere destiny with men for pieces plays;


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creatureswhether of unbelief or belief, ofobedience or ofrebellion: all ofthem are by theWillof God and His sentence and His conclusion and Hisdecreeing.v'! Another confesses: "God's one possible quality is Hispower to create good or evil at any t ime He wishes, i.e. His decree. . . .Both good things and evil things are the result of God's decree. It is theduty of every Muslim to believe this." Further, "It is He who causes harmand good. Rather the goodworks of some and the evil of others are signsthat God wishes to punish some and to reward others." So, "if God wishesto draw someone close to Himself, then Hewill givehim the grace whichwillmake that person do goodworks. I fHewishes to reject someone andput that person to shame, then He will create sin in him. God creates allthings, good and evil.God creates people as well as their actions: He created you as well as what you do" (37:94).32 In effect the Muslim creed"There is no God butGod" is recast to read "There is no onewho acts bu tGod."33 Some Muslim mystics carried this so far that they claimed that"No creature [even] partakes in the confession of God's oneness. Godalone confesses the oneness ofGod."34There is no more vivid example ofhowMuslim determinism leads to

pantheism than in the Islamic mystics who declared that Muslimmonotheism is "the annihilation of the traces ofwhat is human, and theisolation of what is divine." Indeed, one Muslim devotee asks God to"blot out my individuality from me, so that You may be my individuality." So, as Gramlich further notes, the Muslim confession of faith risesfrom "no God but God" beyond "No one acts bu t God," to "No one hasbeing but God. ,,35

CONCLUSIONThe attitude ofGod's absolute control over every aspect ofhis creationobviously has had a profound impact on Islamic theology and culture.31. See Cragg, 60-61.32. Andrew Rippin and Jan Knappert, eds. and trans., Textual Sources for the Study ofIslam (Manchester: UniversityPress, 1986), 133.33. Cited by Richard Gramlich, "Mystical Dimensions of Islamic Monotheism," inSchimmel,141.34. Ibid., 144.35. Ibid., 142.

Hither and thithermoves and mates and slays,And one by one back in the closetlays.


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10A DEFENSE OF THE BIBLE

In order to support their claim that the Qur'an is the inspired word ofGod, superseding all previous revelations, Muslims sustain an attackupon all competing claims. For the most part their efforts are directedagainst their chief rival, the Bible. Their accusations fall into two basiccategories: first, the text of Scripture has been changed or forged; second,doctrinal mistakes have crept into Christian teaching, such as the beliefin the incarnation of Christ, the trinity of the Godhead, and the doctrineof original sin.1Strangely, sometimes the Qur'an gives the Iudeo-Christian Scripturessuch noble titles as: "the Book of God," "theWord of God," "a light andguidance to man," "a decision for all matters," "a guidance and mercy,""the lucid Book," "the illumination (al-furqan)," "the gospel with itsguidance and light, confirming the precedingLaw," and "a guidance andwarning to those who fear God."2 Christians are told to look into theirown Scriptures to find God's revelation for them (5:50). And evenMuhammad himself at one point is exhorted to test the truthfulness ofhis own message with the contents of the previous divine revelations toJews and Christians (10:94).However, the above praise for the Bible is misleading, since Muslimshasten to claim that the Qur'an supersedes all previous revelations basedon their concept of progressive revelation. Bythis they hope to show that

1. Jacques Waardenburg, "World Religions as Seen in the Light of Islam," in Islam:Present Influence and Past Challenge, ed. Alford T. Welch and Pierre Cachia (New York:State Universityof NewYorkPress, 1979),261-63.2. John Takle, "Islam and Christianity," in Studies in Islamic Law, Religion and Society,ed. H. S.Bhatia (NewDelhi, India: Deep & Deep Publications, 1989),217.207


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226 A Positive Defense of the Christian Perspective"Praise be to God, The Cherisher and Sustainer of theWorlds . . . . Thee dowe worship, And Thine aid we seek" 0:2,5).Furthermore, the Bible also has many sections where God is speakingin the first person. This is most evident in the prophetic sections of theOld Testament in phrases like, "Thus says the Lord" or "The word of theLord came to me" (lsa. 1:10, 18; 6:8; Ier, 1:4; Ezek. 1:3, and so on). YetMuslims are unwilling to accept these sections of the Bible as they are tobe the Word of God.Finally, even though the Bible is written by human beings, neverthe-less, thesemen claimed to be inspired ofGod. The apostle Paul, for exam- 11


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pie, claims that his writings are in "words which the Holy Spirit teaches"(I Cor. 2:13). Indeed, he said of the whole Old Testament that "all Scrip-ture is given by inspiration ofGod" (2Tim. 3:16).And Peter declared that"prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke astheywere moved by the Holy Spirit" (2Pet. 1:21).Sothere is no reason toreject the divine charater of the Bible simply because it was producedthrough the inst rumentali ty of human authors and literary styles.Indeed, as we have seen, all alleged contradictions in the Bible are justthat-alleged contradictions, not real ones.

A DEFENSE OF THE DEITYOF CHRIST

Islam claims Jesus was a mere human being, a prophet ofGod, super-seded by Muhammad who was the last and greatest of the prophets.Christianity insists Jesus is God in human flesh. Whatever other points ofcommonality there may be between these two forms of monotheism,there is no adjudicating this conflict. Both beliefs are at the heart of theirsystem, and each is diametrically opposed to the other . Since we havealready considered the evidence for Muhammad's claim, it remains toexamine the Christian claim that Christ is the very Son of God. Since theevidence for these claims is centered around Jesus' death on the crossand resurrection three days later, and since Muslims deny both, theseclaimswill be the focus of this chapter.MUSLIM MISUNDERSTANDINGSAccording to Christian monotheism, God isone in essence (just like inIslamic monotheism), bu t three in persons. One of these persons isChrist, the Son of God who, like human sons, is of the same nature as hisFather bu t is a different person. Muslim misunderstanding of Christian

monotheism begins when they claim, asAjijola does, that "Jesus claimedonly to be a prophet or a messenger of God. The Gospels also accordJesus a status not a shade higher than that of Prophet and Messenger."1Noted Muslim commentator Abdalati declares that "all [the passagesabout Jesus in the Qur'an] emphasize the fact that Jesus never claimed tobe a god or the Son of God, and that he was onlythe servant and apostle

1. Alhaj A. D. Ajijola, The Essence ofFaith in Islam (Lahore, Pakistan: Islamic Publica-tions Ltd., 1978), 183.227


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270 A Positive Defense ofthe Christian Perspectivebiblical nor intelligible. Yetwe have seen that in order to maintain theformer they have twisted scriptural texts out of context. And to hold thelatter, to be consistent, they must reject not only clear logical distinctionsbut their own view of the relation of the Qur' an to God. In brief, there isno good reason to reject the doctrine ofthe Trinity. Furthermore, we provided evidence (in Chapter 11) that Christ isindeed the Son ofGod. Thus,Christian trinitarianism, with all its richness of interpersonal relationswithin the Godhead and with God's creatures, is to be preferred over abarren and rigid Muslim monotheism. 13


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A DEFENSE OF SALVATIONBY THE CROSS

As we have already seen (in Chapter 6), Islamic theology is violentlyopposed to salvation by grace through faith, based on the crucified andrisen Christ. There are many reasons Muslims reject the orthodox Christian view of salvation, bu t several stand out.First, it implies that humans are inherently sinful and in need of salvation' but Islam flatly rejects the Christian doctrine of depravity. Second,it rejects the Christian claim that Iesus is the Son ofGod who, by his deathas the God-man, brought reconciliation between humankind and God.Third, the idea ofGod allowing a prophet of his to suffer an ignominiousdeath like crucifixion is contrary to the Islamic concept of God's providential care for his special servants.Craggwrites,

The immediate impression on the general reader from whatthe Qur'an hasto tell him about Jesus is that of its brevity . . . . I t is further surprising thatwithin the limits ofsome ninetyverses in all no less than sixty-four belongto the extended, and partly duplicate, nativity stories. . . . This leaves a baretwenty-six or so verses to present the rest and some reiteration herereduces the total still further. It has often been observed that the New TestamentGospels are really passionnarrativeswith extended introduction. I tcould well be said that the Jesus cycle in the Qur'an is nativity narrativeswith attenuated sequel. 1

1. Kenneth Cragg, Jesus and the Muslim (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1985),25-26.271


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Appendix 2MUSL IM REL IG IOUS PRACTICES


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The term "Islam" means submission to the will of God. The personwho submits is called a "Muslim," or submitted one. This submissioninvolves both beliefs (iman) and practices (deen). The basic Muslimbelieves in one God, the prophets (including his last prophet Muham-mad), angels, the Qur'an as the Word of God, and the final day of judg-ment (with heaven and hell following). These have already been dis-cussed in some detail (in Chapters 1-6).

Here we will briefly outline basic Muslim religious obligations orpractices:

To recite the shahadah. This means to "bear witness," which isdone by reciting the creed: "There is no god bu t Allah, andMuhammad is His messenger." Saying this sincerely is all that isnecessary to become a Muslim. To pray (sa/at). Muslims are required to say seventeen completeprayers each day. They may pray individually or collectively. OnFriday at noon Muslims are required to gather at the mosque topray. Following the prescription in the Qur'an, Muslims are calledto prayer fivetimes a day. This ispracticedmore widely in Muslimcountries. To fast (sawm). Followers of Muhammad commemorate hisreceiving of the Qur 'an by fasting in the ninth lunar month ofRamadhan. They are expected to refrain from eating food duringthe daylight hours for this entire month. However, they areallowed to eat and drinkfrom sunset to sunrise during this time.293

294 Appendix 2 To give alms (zakat). Muslims are obligated to contribute one-fortieth (2.5 percent) of their income. This is given primarily to thepoor and needy. . To make the Pilgrimage (hajj). It is the duty of every Muslim tomake a trip to Mecca (in Arabia) at least once in his lifetime, provided he or she is physically and financially able. Each pilgrimmust wear a white garment called ihram, which is to eliminate alldistinctions ofclass or status during the hajj. The trip usually takesa week or more, sometimes even a month, since it involves visitingseveral sacred sites. After the pilgrimage, a person is entitled to becalled a hajji. Appendix3THE GOSPEL OF BARNABAS


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Muslims often cite The GospelofBarnabas in defense ofIslamic teaching. In fact, it is a best seller in Muslim countries. YusufAlirefers to it inhis commentary on the Qur'an. 1 Suzanne Haneef, in her annotated bibliography on Islam, highly recommends it, saying, "Within it one findsthe living Jesus portrayed far more vividly and in character with the missionwith which he was entrusted than any other of the four New TestamentGospels has been able to portrayhim." It is called"essential readingfor any seeker of the truth.,,2 Typical ofMuslim claims is that ofMuhammadAta ur-Rahim, who insisted that "The Gospel ofBarnabas is the onlyknown surviving Gospel written by a disciple of Jesus . . . . [It] wasaccepted as a Canonical Gospel in the churches of Alexandria up until325 A.D.',3 AnotherMuslim author, M.A. Yusseff, argues confidently that"in antiquity and authenticity, no other gospel can come close to TheGospel ofBarnabas."These are strange statements in view of the fact that reputable scholars have carefully examined The Gospel ofBarnabas and find absolutelyno basis for its authenticity. After reviewing the evidence in an article inIslamochristiana, J.Slomp concluded: "in my opinion scholarly researchhas proved absolutely that this 'gospel' is a fake. This opinion is also held1. Abdullah YusufAIi,The Meaning ofthe Glorious Qur'an: Text, Translation and Com-mentary, 3d ed. (Cairo: Dar Al-Kitab AI-Masri, 1938),2 vols., 230.2. Suzanne Haneef, What Everyone Should Know about Islam and Muslims (Chicago:KaziPublications, 1979), 186.3. Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim, Jesus, A Prophet of Islam (Karrachi, Pakistan: BegumAisha BawanyWaqf, 1981),41.4. M.A.Yusseff, The Dead Sea Scrolls, The GospelofBarnabas, and the New Testament(Indianapolis:American Trust Publication, 1985),5.

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Appendix4POPULAR MUSL IM ACCUSAT IONSAGAINST THE NEW TESTAMENT


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This appendix is a brief discussion of the three most popularMuslimcharges against Christianity and especially the New Testament that oneoften encounters in Islamic books or debates. The three areas of debateare: the textual corruption of the New Testament, the historical unreliability of the Gospels, and the evidence of pagan influence on the message of the New Testament.Since we have already responded to the first charge (in Chapter 10)wewill not respond to it at this point. However, wewilldiscuss lack ofunderstanding that lies behind such accusations by quoting from the late Muslim critic ofChristianity,Ahmed Deedat.THE CHARGE OF TEXTUAL CORRUPTIONIn his booklet entitled, Is the Bible God's Word?1Deedat attempts toshow the textual corruption of the Bible by the fact that there are manyEnglish versions that have tried to improve on the King James Versionf

He then lists what he believes are four "great errors" of the Bible-out ofwhat he says are a possible fifty thousand! The first error that Deedatpoints to in his comparisonbetween the Revised StandardVersion of theBible and the KJV is the fact that the word "virgin" in Isaiah 7:14has beenchanged to the phrase "a youngwoman." The second error is that in John3:16, the phrase "begotten son" has been changed to "only son." Deedatshows no awareness of the fact that in both of the above instances the1. Ahmed Deedat, Is the Bible God's Word?, 6th print, Dec. 1987.2. Ibid., 7-11.

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GLOSSARY

Abu Bakr: A rich and re spected merchant of Mecca, one of the first converts toIslam , and a close friend and companion of M uhammad . Accord ing to the Sunnishe was the first Muslim Caliph.A.H . (After Hij rah i, abbrevia ti on for the years in Muslim calendar after the flightof Muhammad (in 622 A.D .) ; used to d


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iv ide time, as A.D. is for Christi an s.Adhan: Daily call to prayer by the muessin from the mosque.Ahad: The oneness of God; the negati on of any o ther number. The denial thatGod has any partner or companion asso ciated with him.Ali: The son of Abu Talib, the first cousin of Muhammad, who married Fatim ah,the youngest daugh te r of the Prophet . He is recogniz ed by Shi'it e Muslims as thetr ue successor of M uhammad , from whom come the succession of Imams. He isthe fourt h Caliph accord ing to the Sunnis .Alms: (See Sadaga .)Aqida: A sta tem ent of religi ou s belief , a cre ed al aff irmation.Ayat: A verse of the Qur ' an.'Ayisha: The third wife of Muhammad and daugh te r of Abu Bakr.Bahira: A Nesto rian monk who lived in Basrah on the caravan routes and was astrong in fl uence on Muhammad.Baraka: A blessing.Bism illa h: An Arabic phrase m eaning "In the Name of Allah."Caliph (Khaliph): Title of the spiri tu al and poli tic al leader who took over afte rMuhammad's death .Dee n: Muslim relig ious practic e, such as , recitin g the creed, praying, fasting , andgiving alms, as dis ti nct from a belie f (iman).Dajj al: Name for anti- Chris t who will appear at end of time.Fa tim a: The daugh ter of Muhammad by his first wife.Five Pilla rs : The ch ief religi ou s duties of Musl ims, namely , to recit e the creed(shahadah ); to pra y (saiat); to fast (s awm); to give alms (z ak at ); to make the pilgrimage (ha jj ) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. 3D


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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abdalati, Hammudah. Islam in Focus. Indianapolis: American Trust Publications, 1975.Abdul-Haqq, AbdiyahAkbar. Sharing Your Faith with a Muslim. Minneapolis:Bethany Fellowship, Inc., 1980.Abul Quasem,Muhammad. Salvation ofthe Soul and Islamic Devotions. London:


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Kegan Paul International, 1983.Ajijola, AlhajA. D. The Essence ofFaith in Islam. Lahore, Pakistan: Islamic Publications, Ltd., 1978.Ali,A.Yusuf. TheHoly Our'an: Translation andCommentary.Damascus: OuloomAlQur'an, 1934.Ali,Maulu: Muhammad. Muhammad andChrist.Uahore: The Ahmadiyya Anjuman-i-Ishaa-i-Islam, 1921.

Anderson, Norman. The World's Religions. Grand Rapids: William B.EerdmansPublishing Co., 1987.

--. Christianity and World Religions.Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1984.--. Islam in the Modern World. Leicester: Apollos, 1990.Andrae, Tor. Mohammed: The Man andHisFaith. NewYork:Harper & Row, Publishers, rev. ed., 1955.Archer, John Clark. Mystical Elements in Mohammed. New Haven: YaleUniversity Press, 1924.'Ata ur- Rahim, Muhammad. Jesus:Prophet ofIslam. New York:Diwan Press, n.d.Al-Bagillani, (ed.) Richard J.McCarthy. Miracle andMagic. Place de I'Etoile: Librairie Orientale, n.d.Bell, Richard. The Origin ofIslam in its Christian Environment. London: FrankCass &Co., Ltd., 1968.

Bhatia, H. S. Studies in Islamic Law, Religion and Society. New Delhi: Deep &Deep Publications, 1989.

Bucaille, Maurice. The Bible, the Qur'an and Science. Delhi: Taj Company, 1988edition.

Budd, Jack. Studies on Islam: A Simple Outline of the Islamic Faith. Red Sea MissionTeam, n.d.317


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SUGGESTED READING

Abdul-Haqq, AbdiyahAkbar. Sharing Your Faith with a Muslim. Minneapolis:Bethany Fellowship, 1980.

Anderson, Norman. Islam in the Modern World. Leicester: Apollos, 1990.Cragg,Kenneth. The Callofthe Minaret. NewYork: OxfordUniversity Press, 1964.


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--. Jesus and the Muslim:An Exploration. London: George Allen & Unwin,1985.Dashti, Ali. Twenty Three Years: A Study ofthe Prophetic CareerofMohammed.London: George Allen &Unwin, 1985.

Kateregga, Badru D. Islam and Christianity: A Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981.McDowell, Josh, and John Gilchrist. The Islam Debate. San Bernardino, Calif.:

Here's Life, 1983.Morey, Robert. An Analysisofthe Hadith.Austin, Tex.: Research Education Foun

dation, 1992.Nazir-Ali, Michael. Frontiers in Muslim-Christian Encouter. Oxford: Regnum,

1987.Nehls, Gerhard. ChristiansAskMuslims. SIM International Life Challenge, 1987.Parrinder, Geoffrey.]esus in the Qu'ran. NewYork: OxfordUniversityPress, 1977.Parshall, Phil. Beyond the Mosque. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1985.--. Bridges to Islam. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1983.Pfander, C. G. The Mizanu'l Haqq.Austria: Light of Life, 1986.Shorrosh, Anis A. Islam Revealed:A ChristianArab's View ofIslam. Nashville: Th-omas Nelson, 1988.Sox, David. The GospelofBarnabas. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1984.Tisdall, W. St. Clair. The Source ofIslam. Edinburgh: T.&T. Clark, n.d.Woodberry, J. Dudley, ed. Muslims and Christians on the Emmaus Road. Mon-

rovia: MARC, 1989.Zwemer, SamuelM. The Moslem Doctrine ofGod.American Tract Society, 1905.--. The Muslim Christ. Edinburgh and London: Oliphant, Anderson and Fer

rier, 1912.

INDEX OF QUR 'ANIC SURAS

l:lff 1791:2 2261:3 23,1341:5 2262:2 1012:2-4 99, 179

2:159 2172:160 272:173 272:177 34,1882:179ff 972:182 27

3:26 24, 25, 1333:31 134, 1373:32 27,1373:37-45 623:37-47 2423:55 66,276,279,285


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2:23 103, 1812:25 2022:29 23,332:30 382:31-34 402:34 372:35 39,402:37 22,272:38-39 442:42 57,2082:48 85,1182:54 272:62 56,1272:73 1902:75 2122:78 58,2082:85 57,2082:87 662:92 2482:97-98 352:106 96,196,1972:111-112 1272:117 22, 1332:118 27, 150, 169, 1862:132 552:136 552:142 752:143 222:143-144 972:151 181, 186

2:183 972:187 272:191 972:192 272:199 272:207 1252:210 2482:216-217 762:217 1752:225 27,1332:226 27,1332:228 1722:235 23,272:244 76, 1742:245-46 232:248 2482:253 181, 1862:254 852:255 20, 22, 23, 85, 1322:256 23, 1962:267 22,232:268 252:270 22,232:271 253:2 243:7 99,1793:8 253:9 22,1333:12 1833:19 190

3:59 62,1883:67 543:69 1903:71 57,2083:78 57,2083:85 56,1273:89 753:108 181,1863:110 573:123 1603:157-158 162,195,2863:170-171 162,1953:181-184 158,159,164,

2553:183 150,158,167,1693:185 107,108,2593:194-195 763:195 1743:198 1214:3 170,1714:6-7 22, 1334:28-32 45, 2784:31 464:34 1724:40 1264:45 25,1204:46 57,2084:47 254:57 121,2024:63-65 167

325


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336revelation of (see Qur'an)teachings of, 17,21,29,34,44-45,

55-57,63,65-66,71-72,75,95,109,112,115,126-127,134,272

titles of, 9, 13,53-54,64,69,84,87-88,95,140,147

veneration for, 80-88, 123, 140, 147wives of, 69, 77

Muslims, 13-31,293-294,313, passimNinety-nine names ofAllah, 21-26,

133-134Polygamy, 170-172Prophets

definition of, 50-52, 146function (purpose) of, 50-55, 67,

84-86most important, 9,53-54, 61-64, 67,

Index o{SubjectsResurrection

Christian view of, 228, 231, 244,248-249,251-255,272-274,277,284-286,307

Muslim view of, 115-116,228,272273,275,279,282,284-285

SalvationChristian viewof, 268, 271-272,279,

283,285-286,307Muslim view of, 60, 76, 86, 107, 109

111,117-119,121-128,211,271272,282,306

Sects, Muslim, 287-291Shi'ites (see)Sikhism (see)Sufis (see)Sunnis (see)Wahhabis (see)


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69,75,80-88,95-96,123,147,251names of, 9, 44-45, 53-54, 86number of, 53nature (character) of, 44, 51,146

Qur'ancompilation of, 89-92, 98,191-195major themes of, 94-97,101,106

108,123,125,127,132-134,141142,146nature of, 60, 82, 88-93, 95, 97-106,135,158,178-190,193-201,204,269,309

origin of, 70-73, 75, 88-92, 94, 98100,103-106,135,178-186,191194,196,203,269,309

veneration of, 81, 88-89, 91-94, 97106,135,178-186

Shi'ites, 287-288Sikhism, 291Sin

Christian view of, 271, 278, 285Muslim view of, 40-44, 271, 278unpardonable (shirk), 60,127,132,

210,261,278Sufis,46,97,138,289-291Sunnis, 65,82,87, 100, 114, 157,287288Trinity

Christianviewof, 227, 246-247,256,262-270,307

Muslim view of, 136,210,227,256257,262,269-270,273,306

Wahhabis, 291Will of God (see God, will of).

Answering Islam_ The Crescent in Light of the Cross - Norman L. Geisler

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