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Home , Dhimmi, Direction of prayer, Mecca, Samaritanism

Should Pray the Muslim Salat? How to avoid when applying contextualization to real situations is critical for successful planting. A key factor is and . Here are15 reasons for rejecting praying the Muslim prayer salat. by Warren C. Chastain

ome are puzzled by Chris- , and are not strictly . A.J. the Name of the Son, and it is not evoked Stians who are trying to adopt Wensinck in E. J. Brill’s First Ency- by the (who is merely an Muslim practices and . How do clopaedia of Islam says of salat, that the in Islam ). Rather, the du’a Muslims interpret this behavior which translation ‘prayer’ simply is not requires certain phrases invok- they themselves might consider to be accurate; the du’a corresponds ing blessing on as, Cyril compromising: i.e., to practice alien closer to our idea of prayer. Cyril Glasse, a Muslim scholar confirms: religious forms which they consider false Glasse in The Concise Encyclopedia of “The du’a, which follows the or obsolete? Some, perhaps, are Islam agrees, defines salat as “a rit- [salat], is always introduced with a secretly gratified that the superiority of ual, , or an act of worship” rather prayer on the ” (ibid. p. 317). Our Islam is admitted when non-Muslims than the supplication usually asso- conclusion therefore is that neither take on Muslim practices. Others may see ciated with the word “prayer” in the West. salat nor du’a is a proper substitute for, this as a step toward conversion and E. E. Calverly W. Montgomery Watt, nor parallel to, nor an addition to rejoice. and S. M. Zwemer also concur that salat authentic Christian worship or prayer. It Also what does it mean to those is worship, not “prayer.” Salat is the seems to me that to restructure wor- Christian workers who are facing Muslim substitute, not merely for Chris- ship so as to appeal to human , even and praying the salat? Often this is prayer, but also for the basic idea when done for good reasons, will pro- done in meetings where Muslims are and act of Christian worship. Here follows duce nothing but a worship in the flesh. present. It is seen as a tool for 15 reasons why praying the salat is To revise true prayer and devotion so improving communications and making highly questionable if not entirely wrong. as to appeal and perhaps appease Muslims the more acceptable? Others is to water down our and repre- actually do it at home or in private Displacement of Revealed Worship sent an affront to our . because they consider it to be an It can be dangerous to think we improvement on traditional Christian The Authority of Muhammad forms, though we have not heard of are engaged in one act when actually we any workers praying at when are doing something distinctly differ- A has the prophet they return to their home country. ent though similar, or even overlapping. Muhammad teaching, “Salah is the pillar Many may do it because of they believe Bad theory leads to bad practice. of Islam and whosoever abandons it, that salat type praying is required in Worship is the highest of all human acts, demolishes the very pillar of .” order to properly contextualize the Chris- and the God of heaven actually is Muhammad had notions that worship tian message. Probably in most cases, seeking worshipers. However, not just was all important, however, he turned his if not in all, the motives are good and any kind of worship man creates is back on and the , commendable. acceptable to Him. The Muslin salat is with its focus on the sacrificial system, What is the essence of salat? Chris- not done in the spirit, nor in truth, nor the priesthood, the Law and the com- usually interpret the word salat in the name of . Rather it is a - ing , and substituted his own pat- as meaning “prayer” which then invites ized worship form created by tern of intricate, detailed daily comparisons between Christian and Muhammad, in rejection of true Jewish prayers. Likewise he rejected the freedom Muslim ideas of prayer. In the Muslin and Christian worship, which in some of Christian worship to the Father and worldview, it is actually the funda- form or other had already been available the Son, as children, not slaves. The three mental act of worship which includes a for centuries. Du’a, however, superfi- basic elements of apostolic worship: few recognizable “prayers”. In partic- cially looks like free , but a) the remembrance of Jesus in the “sacra- ular, it is a prayer for blessings on it is anti-Trinitarian in that du’a is not ment of the Lord’s Supper”) hearing Muhammad, prayers for forgiveness, addressed to the Father as Jesus taught, and obedience to the Word of God (which etc. Other statements are made in the salat (indeed the concept of God. as Father Islam rejects as corrupted or super- which are praises, or the creeds of is rejected by Muslims). It is not prayer in seded by the Koran); ministry of spiritual INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FRONTIER MISSIONS, VOL 12:3 JUL-SEP. 1995 162 Should Christians Pray the Muslim Salat? gifts through the presence of the Holy in a half-way measure Muhammad is no exception to cleansing by blood, as Spirit, all were set aside for a pattern removed the images out of the Kaa- Rom 6:3 says: “Do you not know that of ritual words and movements with a bah, but he retained the pagan structure all of us who have been baptized into new ethnocentric focus on Arabic. itself with its , which he Christ Jesus were baptized into his The spirit underlying this innovation is kissed, believing that it became ? non-biblical worship, despite the because sins were transferred to it. Muslims reject the Christian idea adoption of some innocent gestures and Kissing the Black Stone when Muham- that man has a sinful nature, and therefore recitation of some partial truths (e.g mad had the political, military, and reject the need for atonement. Muslim “God is great,” and “God is One”), does religious power to set up a system of true worship accepts mere washing with water not justify Christians to participate in submission to the One God, reveals a as an adequate cleansing for Muslim practices and its underlying sys- fatal compromise. Muslims are not merely approaching God. Even when Muslims tem—a theological error that has kept facing a wrong direction, but they are an animal it is not an essen- millions away from salvation in Christ as honoring a pagan and a piece of tial part of any theology of salvation from Lord and Saviour. rock. The only building and stone that sin.. Muslims emphasize water while the Christian should honor is that men- Christians stress blood; specifically the Samaritanism tioned in 1 Pet 2:4-10: “Behold I lay blood of Christ. When Muslims do in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner use water, it is merely for cleansing like To perform salat one must pray stone, and he who in Him the outside of a cup. Hence, mission- toward the Kaabah in Mecca. Jesus shall not be disappointed.” If we teach aries who approve of the salat will by rejected the whole idea of a special direc- converts to look to the Kaabah, how implication teach a theology that they tion in prayer. We would have can we also teach them to be “looking to would reject orally. So doing the salat expected Him to teach the apostles to face Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our will in fact be justifying Muslim the- Jerusalem but there is no evidence for faith”(Heb. 12:2)? If we think they can ology and stand against the whole biblical this even for Jewish converts. Jesus cor- look both ways, we are modeling syn- theology of sacrifice for sin as essen- rected the Samaritan woman who cretism and developing a “double- tial to worshipping God. Perhaps a theol- prayed at or toward Mt. Gerizim saying: minded” believer, one “unstable in all ogy of water can be very appealing, “... neither in this mountain nor in his ways” (Jas. 1:7). The conclusion is but nevertheless deceptive, because it will Jerusalem shall you worship the Father” that “Chrislam” leads to syncretism. not cleanse even the outside of the (Jn. 4:21). The whole idea of con- cup! verts being required to face any certain Cleanliness is Far from Godliness direction clearly contradicts apostolic Christian Alchemy According to Muslims, prayer is faith. To worship toward Mecca is to dis- totally invalid unless it is preceded by Are some modern regard both the clear word and the spirit of Jesus’ teaching. In this age, Jesus total or partial washing. Muslims have trying to perform a bit of magic by turn- himself is our “direction” of prayer. developed an extensive theology of ing the lead of Muslin salat into the washing. Their stress on cleanliness is of Christian worship? How are they He is “the Way” and we are to pray “in very admirable. But when it is made a attempting to accomplish this? By a His Name.” The conclusion we can requirement for approaching God then we very well-meaning attempt to cleanse draw here: How can you pray in the enter into dangerous theology. In the objectionable elements from the salat. Jesus’ name if we obey Muhammad? when water was used for The confession that Muhammad is the purification it had to be accompanied apostle of is exchanged in this Chrislam with blood: “And according to the law, case for a statement about Jesus, and After Muhammad took power in one may almost say, all things are prayers for Muhammad and his fam- Mecca, he made a major decision cleansed with blood, and without the ily are deleted. Unfortunately this effort concerning the Kaabah which was the shedding of blood there is no forgive- fails since the salat permits no inno- source of the idolatry that Muham- ness.” (Heb. 9:22). vations, particularly any that uplift Jesus mad hated. Unfortunately he did not have But even blood had only tempo- over Muhammad. The end result is the courage of the 20 year old king rary validity since it was the blood of ani- like the man who was offered Grapenut Josiah who totally destroyed all the mals As the author of Hebrews clari- Flakes for breakfast. When asked if images groves, centers of false relig- fies: “For by one offering He has he could taste more nuts or more grapes, ion and all relics of idolatry (2 Chron. perfected for all time those who are with a puzzled look. he said be could 34:3-7). “And Josiah removed all the sanctified.” (10:14) And....“we have con- taste neither. Conclusion: A Christian abominations from all the lands belonging fidence to enter the holy place by the salat is alien both to authentic Islam to the sons of Israel” (34:33). Perhaps blood of Christ.” Christian water baptism as well as to real .

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FRONTIER MISSIONS Warren C. Chastain 163

Allegiance to the Wrong Community nity is inclined to develop a fixation on stresses the ritual purification that is the need to secure their internal integ- inseparably linked to salat. Women The Muslim who prays toward rity. Hypocrites are not to be tolerated nei- converts will inevitably feel unclean and the Kaabah is not engaged in an individu- ther are revisionists. A serious prob- uncomfortable as well as unworthy to alistic act even when he does it lem arises, however, when Christians worship even if they stand in the back or alone. It is a statement of allegiance and begin to function within the the place of meeting. Conclusion: A of community. He joins with Mus- with camouflage. seemingly one small step forward for a lims all over the world in facing the same When Christians begin to wor- man is a giant step backward for center; all his words and actions, ship or conduct themselves like Muslims, womankind. We need to stop spiritual except for some trivial differences among then the boundaries between the two abuse of women. different schools of thought, are the communities which the system same. Thus he expresses his spiritual has established become erased, In a Worship Without the Holy Spirit unity with the community of region under the political control of Islam, Muhammad. Islam has no doctrine of the Holy There is no escap- Spirit. Therefore it pro- ing the reality that in the We must see that the salat is an duces a worship which pro- past this community has vides no place for the been the enemy of the Body integral part of a unified power or gifts of the Holy of Christ. It is definitely coherent whole. It is impossible to Spirit. At best, Muslims a distinct community that might conceive of a Holy has displaced or take out bits and pieces for our Spirit as the Angel destroyed the Church in , However, this has many parts of the own purposes in order to appear like no practical benefit in or world. However, no one can Muslims or to gain their for their worship. The really hold dual mem- leads the worship and as bership. The act of salat is friendship and approval. such there is no role for the the primary and most Holy Spirit to lead. Also pervasive daily declaration of unity in that is intolerable. It feels like sabo- it is inconceivable that the Spirit of God this “anti- Church” community. Con- tage from within.” Our conclusion here is would associate with a religion which clusion is: “Choose you this day whom that the message of truth must not use has been so antagonistic to Jesus as the you will serve,”-the Ummah of methods of . Son of God. Nor could the apostles Muhammad or the Body of Christ. conceive of a worship without a doctrine Second Class Citizens or a presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Provocation to Violence promised that when He left He would Historically women have not send the Comforter who would lead The Koran has strong words of been expected to go to the to us into all the truth (Jn. 16:7, 13) Conclu- condemnation for hypocrites who give unite with the men as equals in wor- sion: It does not surprise us that a the appearance of being Muslims ship. In , the heartland of religion which offers the people Muham- ‘but in whose heart is a disease” (8:49; Islam, where the shari’a is the law of mad in place of Jesus would also have 33:12). W. Shenk, in an article the land, women are not permitted in the a substitute for the Spirit of God. In the entitled “Hypocrites are Dangerous” mosques except during the fasting salat, Muhammad offers his example (Seedbed, IX 1, p.15), points out the month The spiritual well being of the men and the guidance of an Imam for worship severity of Muhammad’s response to per- seems to be the primary consideration in place of the gift of the Holy Spirit ceived duplicity, which was to exe- with the implication that women may as promised and given by Jesus. cute 300 in . Obviously, if worship at home. However, women in Muhammad himself gave a model of menstruation are not permitted to do the Form of Flattery slaughter, then no Muslim today—no salat even privately. This is a funda- matter how liberal—can seriously mental rejection of the Christian concept A “Christian salat”sends the challenge the leader who screams for the of koinonia fellowship. If some mis- wrong message to our Muslim friends. ummah to use violence against the sionary and others say, “We will teach the They will have reason to believe that munafiqoun (hypocrites) who try to infil- women that they may join in the if the Christians were finding spiritual sat- trate Islam by giving an external Christian salat” that good intention will isfaction and. access to Allah in appearance of favor. Shenk adds. “ Ever hardly overcome the - Christian worship then they would not since Medina, the Muslim commu- view, and centuries of tradition, that need to adopt the Muslim forms of

VOL 12:3 JUL-SEP.1995 164 Should Christians Pray the Muslim Salat? worship. Love may motivate Christians mance of the salat. There is an inextrica- make worship dependent upon a compass, to adopt or adapt Muslim ways, but it ble linking of works for salvation water troughs, prayer mats, Koran is not love to put the Koran or Muham- with a worship focusing on details, exter- stands and an imam to lead prayers? We mad above the Scriptures. If we love nals, ritual movements, holy words must see that the salat is an integral Christ, we will want to obey Him, and and proper washings. Grace and legalism part of a unified coherent whole. It is not follow Muhammad's salat to find never mix no matter how hard anyone impossible to take out bits and pieces full spiritual satisfaction and access to may stir the brew. There is poison in the for our own purposes in order to appear God. Counterfeiters do not make $3 pot!—and you cannot eat any part of like Muslims or to gain their friend- dollar bills. To copy something is to the soup without getting poisoned. Paul ship and approval. This really does vio- affirm the authenticity of the origi- says: ‘I do not nullify the grace of lence to context, since these items nal. Conclusion: By what biblical author- God; for if righteousness comes through only have meaning in their own context. ity can we say that salat is authentic the law, then Christ died needlessly. Conclusion. Bad theology leads to and acceptable in the Kingdom of God? (Gal 2:21) Conclusion: If the law of bad practice. As a practical matter, we , attested by God, and given as must not lay burdens on others that Violation of Communication Ethics a Schoolmaster to lead us to Christ, has we ourselves are unwilling to bear. never been nor today is binding unto If Christians do not admit to the salvation, then why should we or anyone The Day the Music Died Muslim that salat is a superior approach lay a new burden on convert—the to God, but do it anyway, then the Muslims believe music is a dis- salat—an essential part of a law (the Muslim has reason to question their Shar’iah) which God never gave in traction to worship, so at best, the regular motives. In communication with the first place? Friday worship may permit a brief other humans, a person has the obligation chant, but songs and hymns and instru- to use words and actions that do not Creating New Problems mental music are forbidden. Islam purposely mislead. Islam has proprietary permits music on special occasions, but Not only is legalism theologi- rights over its own religious termi- salat, the fundamental act of worship, nology and practices. For those who are cally and biblically unsound, it makes a basic place to the language of music is not in sympathy with the goals of planting churches more difficult. To prohibited. Conclusion: If Christian Islam to take upon themselves the right hold a “Christian salat” believers will worship is to be united with the heavenly to use those terms and practices for have to provide a water source in worship of the we had better their own private purposes, and in a non- order to carry on worship. Certain times learn to sing—and we won’t learn it with Islamic context, is to violate both the are more “holy” than others, and cer- the salat. Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you tainly more frequent—you cannot call it a would have them do unto you”, but salat if you do it once a week. The Summary also violates a basic ethical demand in times of Muslim prayer regularly interfere A “Christian salat”is really a contra- communications. Conclusion: Chris- with work and sleep. This can cause economic burdens. In a context of perse- diction in terms—faithful to neither tian use of the salat gives the Muslim the cution the salat could expose believ- Islam nor Christianity. It is a dangerous right to suspect us of deception. The mutation that makes Muhammad an Spirit has said: “Abstain from all appear- ers who wish to control when they will witness. Salat makes special physical authority in the most basic of all religious ance of evil” (I Thess. 5:22). demands for worship, but this would acts—worship. It is a new legalism, a make it difficult or impossible for the bandwagon inviting us to get on board, The Curse of Legalism elderly, the weak, the sick and physically leading eventually to contention, con- Muslims have a variety of ideas on impaired to worship equally. fusion in the Church, and compromise of salvation, and the Koran barely men- As already noted, salat effects the the faith. Surely we are not going to tions it. However even when Muslims women also. Shall we let the Muslim give up our heritage of true Christian wor- stress different terminology for culture determine how the women shall ship, and certainly not exchange it attaining there is clearly an worship? Despite Muslim apologet- for a mess of pottage—or a pseudo-salat. underlying legalism associated with ics, it is clear that Islam devalues women attaining blessing or being “rightly in addition to segregating them. Can Warren C. Chastain has worked among guided.” If the tried to use the we with good conscience apply the separ- Muslims since 1955 in the USA and Law to establish his own righteousness ate but equal doctrine to women in a in Southeast . He has worked with (Rom 10:3), the major tool of Mus- Christian fellowship? If rightfully we the Zwemer Institute since 1980 lims to try to establish their own standing object to imposing Western pews and where he serves as Director of before God is their daily perfor- architecture on an emerging church, why Research & Strategy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FRONTIER MISSIONS