“Islam in Christ’s Eyes” A study of the origins of Islam and the Christian response by Wissam Youssif Lesson Seven- “The Six Pillars of Faith in Islam” Spring Quarter - 2018 I. Introduction A. Last week we examined “The Pillars of Islam.” A.1. Those are the five things you must do to become a Muslim. A.2. In fact, they the acts of faith that make a Muslim a Muslim. B. Let’s have a quiz: What are the five pillars of Islam? II. The Five Pillars of Islam A. First, there is the “Shahada” which means “confession.” A.1. This is what is recited when you convert to Islam. A.2. First, you say, “I confess that there is no god but Allah.” A.3. Second you confess that Muhammad is God’s last and God’s greatest prophet. A.4. The Shahada is the sum of what it means to become a Muslim when you complete the confession in front of other Muslim witnesses. B. The second pillar of Islam is the “Salat.” B.1. This is daily ritual of five prayers. B.2. Five times daily a faithful Muslim will pray towards Mecca. B.3. Before you pray, you must be ritually clean by undergoing the “Wudhoo” which is a washing process. B.4. Sometimes, if there is no water, a Muslim will simply pretend to wash to be ceremonially clean. B.5. Then, a Muslim will face toward Mecca and pray. B.6. He does so through a series of standings, kneelings, prostratings and sittings. B.7. It is repeated twice in the morning, four times at midday, four times in the afternoon, three times at sunset and four times in the evening. B.8. With these moves, a Muslim recites Sura 1 in every cycle- in addition to at least three verses from any another Sura from the Quran. C. The third pillar of Islam is “Sawm.” C.1. This is ritual fasting and was ordained in the Quran. C.2. It says “O you who believe, the fasts have been enjoined upon you as they were enjoined upon those before you . For days few in number. However, should any of you be sick or on a journey then (he should fast) a number of other days (equal to the missed ones) . The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Quran was revealed . So those of you who witness the month must fast in it . and eat and drink until the white thread of the dawn becomes distinct from the black thread; then complete the fast up to the night. Sura 2:183-187 C.3. What that means is that when a Muslim can distinguish a white thread from a black thread at the first light of dawn, the fast begins for the day and each day of Ramadan. C.4. A Muslim must neither eat, drink or have marital sex from sunrise to sunset, every day, for the whole month of Ramadan. D. The fourth pillar of Islam is “Zakat” which is almsgiving. D.1. Islam places a strong emphasis on benevolence and almsgiving to attain righteousness. D.2. The Quran says, “And be steadfast in Salat ( prayer) and give Zakat (almsgiving). Whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you will find it with Allah.” Sura 2:110. D.3. This much like what the Bible teaches in Galatians 6:7, “A man reaps what he sows.” D.4. How much do Muslims give? D.4.a. The most common form of almsgiving is an annual of 2.5% of all liquid assets and income producing property. D.4.b. They do not give on fixed assets like property. D.5. Muslims often pay their alms to the local mosque because that is how Islam is funded. E. The fifth and final pillar of Islam is “Hajj.” E.1. This is the pilgrimage to Mecca. E.2. Each year approximately 2 million Muslims make the trip which is a major logistical challenge for the Saudi government to house, feed, water and transport the enormous influx of people in the city. E.3. It is estimated that only 10% of all Muslims ever participate in this fifth and final pillar of Islam. E.4. Sura 3:97 says “ . .it is obligatory on the people to perform Hajj of the House - on everyone who has the ability to manage (his) way to it.” E.5. Many Muslims who make the trip see this as a matter of prestige because many cannot afford to make the journey. E.6. The Pilgrimage includes rites such as ritual cleansing, wearing special cloths, walking around the Ka’ba, running between two specific hills, standing in vigil, animal sacrifices, stoning the devil and sometimes kissing the Black Stone. E.7. While there, Muslims repeat the prayer continually, “Here I am, my God, here I am.” This is called the “Talbiya.” E.8. What are the only reasons a Muslim is excused from Hajj? E.9. If he is sick or disabled or if he does not have the financial means. E.10. Poverty is how must of them are excused from going on Hajj. F. These are the five Pillars of Islam that make a Muslim a Muslim. F.1. Confession of the One God Allah and His prophet, Muhammad - Shahada F.2. Daily Prayers - Salat F.3. Fasting during Ramadan - Sawm F.4. Almsgiving - Zakat F.5. Pilgrimage to Mecca - Hajj G. Those are the five things a good Muslim must do. H. Questions or comments about “The Five Pillars of Islam”? I. Today will examine the six things a Muslim must believe. J. These are . III. The Six Pillars of Faith A. First, a Muslim must believe in the one God who is Allah. A.1. This is similar to the Shahada confession but it this deals with the belief rather than the confession of the fact. A.2. Could you be a Muslim and a Christian simultaneously? A.3. No. What is the fundamental belief of “Christianity?” A.4. The primary belief of our faith is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. A.5. How do we know this? A.5.a. Jesus said this just before leaving earth to return to Heaven in Mark 16:16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” A.5.b. And we read in (John 3:16 NKJV) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” A.6. It is heresy to believe that statement in Islam. Why? A.7. The Quran says “Allah . .neither begot anyone, nor was He begotten.” Sura 112.2-3 A.8. In Islam, there is only one God who does not have a Son nor does He appear as the Holy Spirit. A.9. Allah has no associates or family. A.10. The greatest sin in Islam is “association” which is called “shirk” in the Quran. A.11. It goes all the way back to Muhammad’s days in Mecca. A.12. Before the rise of Islam, what did the people in that city believe about the supernatural world and deities? A.13. They were polytheistic and worshiped many gods. A.14. There were 360 idols in the Ka’ba when Muhammad took control of the city of Mecca. A.15. Therefore he decreed that anyone guilty of this sin would receive the death penalty and would go to Hell forever. A.16. This is the sin of “shirk.” A.17. To charge someone with being a “shirk” in Islam is the most serious accusation one can make. A.18. Anyone who rejects the idea that God has no associates is an atheist and is called a “kafir” in Islam. A.19. Muslim extremists, consider you to be a “kafir” simply because you are not a Muslim who accepts that there is only one God who has no associates. A.20. However, some moderate Muslims believe the Quran has an exception for Jews and Christians and they do not consider us to be “kafirs” because the three religions are all part of the same faith tree. A.21. The first pillar of faith in Islam is to believe in the one God who is Allah and you submit to his will. B. Second, a Muslim must believe in the Angels of Allah. B.1. The Six Pillars of Faith are based on Sura 4:136 which says, “O you who believe, do believe in Allah and His Messenger and in the Book He has revealed to His messenger and in the Books he has revealed earlier. Whoever disbelieves in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and the Last Day has indeed gone astray.” B.2. Most of the angels mentioned in the Quran are also referenced in the Bible. B.3. The way angels are portrayed in the Quran is similar to the way they are portrayed in the Bible as well. B.3.a. They are humanoid and have an impressive appearance. B.3.b. They praise Allah, carry his messages, and support his throne in Heaven. B.3.c. Angels played a key role in the life of Muhammad when Gabriel gave prophetic utterances to the prophet that eventually became the Quran. B.3.d. And in Islam, Satan is depicted as a fallen angel who was expelled from the presence of Allah when he refused God’s command to bow down and worship Adam, the first man.