ANALYSIS (Worldview/Islam)

This is an analysis and critique of the religion named Islam and its origins and basic principles. The followers of Islam are called Muslims and they believe that God revealed his final message to humanity through the Islamic prophet Muhammad via the archangel Gabriel. For the Muslim Muhammad was God’s final prophet and the Qur’an is the holy book of revelations he received over more than two decades. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus are considered prophets in Islam and it claims that all prophets since Adam preached the message of Islam in an imperfect form up until the prophet Muhammad. Islam was founded in Arabia in the early 7th century and is described as the “primordial nature upon which God created mankind.” Islam has at its heart the Five Pillars of faith which have been captured below:

FIVE PILLARS OF FAITH:

1-Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophet hood of Muhammad
2-Establishment of the daily prayers
3-Concern for and alms giving to the needy
4-Self-purification through fasting
5-The pilgrimage to Makkah, for those who are able
The cornerstone of Islam is “Tauhid”, i.e. Monotheism.”Tauhid” means belief in only one God and that existence in general — among other things the order of nature–is a manifestation of His grand design, as well as turning to God in prayer and glorification, away from worshiping any other.

CRITIQUE (Worldview/Islam)

When I think of religion I see it as mankind’s way of attempting to draw close to God. Man by nature has a desire to know God and have a relationship with him. I look at the Five Pillars of faith within the Islam religion and see it as a sort of rites of passage for obtaining a righteous status in the eyes of God. While there may be some principles that seem as if they serve a good purpose i.e. “Self-purification through fasting” if you are familiar with the Christian faith you will see this as a system that attempts to justify the participant through a works based system, which is in contrast to the Christian belief that Jesus Paid It All and that “all of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (ISIAH 64: 6).

There are some altruistic principles such as:
Concern for and Alms giving to the needy which again is an admirable undertaking, but this when examined in the light of the Bible would also qualify as something, outside of faith in Jesus Christ, that would not justify anyone in the eyes of God. There is a hymn entitled Jesus paid it all….. And I am grateful as a Christian that I do not have to worry about earning justification before and in the eyes of God, not the case with Islam or many of the other religions of the world.

The most concerning issue with Islam as far as I am concerned is the denial of Jesus as God and the Son of God as we read in 1 John 4:3 “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” I am tolerant of the Islam faith as I am all religions, however I believe the Christian faith to be the unequivocal word of God able to bring human beings into a right relationship with God through the knowledge and sacrifice of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ for the payment of the sins of the elect.

God’s blessings in Jesus Christ

Brother Bush…