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by Ed Decker

A while back I was speaking at a State University in Utah and made the statement that Mormonism was "the American Islam." I drew a comparison between the claims of Mohammed and Joseph Smith, the Koran and the Book of Mormon. During the Question and Answer time, I faced a number of very agitated Muslims. In fact, the Muslim interaction all but overshadowed the dialogue on Mormonism. The next day, I met with two Muslim leaders and began a series of contacts that forced me to take a deep look at its history, its tenets of belief and its comparisons to orthodox Christianity.

Today, there are over 7,000,000 Muslims in the United States alone. That's more than all the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists combined. An extremely militant proselytizing program is under way in many major cities and in every State university I have visited. The Muslims are going to make the Mormon missionary effort look pale in comparison. As orthodox Christians, we are going to have to be ready to deal with what I believe may be the most aggressive attack on Christianity in its history.

Let's take a look at the faith of Mohammed. When he was born in Mecca in 570 AD, the black Kaaba Stone was the religious center of all Arabia. In Mohammed's day, 365 idols were worshipped there, standing in the great courtyard. One of those deities was called Allah and was the god of the Quarish tribe, of which Mohammed was a member. When the Quarish tribe took control of Mecca, all the idols except Allah, the idol of their tribe, were destroyed.

The Koran Tells us that Mohammed drove the other idols away; his god was now the only god and he was its messenger. But he kept the Kaaba as a holy, sacred place and confirmed that the black stone had the power to take away man's sins. He obligated every believer to make a pilgrimage to the stone at least once in his lifetime. (Sura 22:26-37)

THE SIX BELIEFS OF ISLAM

God: There is one true God, named Allah.

Angels: They are the servants of God, through whom he reveals his will. The greatest angel is Gabriel who appeared to Mohammed. Everyone has two "recording angels": one to record their good deeds, the other to record their bad deeds.

The Prophets: Allah has spoken through many prophets, but the final and greatest of these is Mohammed. Other prophets include Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.

The Holy Books: The Koran or Quran is the holiest book of Islam, believed to be Allah's final revelation to man and it supersedes all previous revelations, including the Bible. It contains Allah's word as passed on orally to Mohammed by Gabriel. It contains 114 chapters or Suras. Muslims also recognize the Law of Moses, the Psalms and the gospels but consider them to be badly corrupted.

The Day of Judgment: A terrible day on which each person's good and bad deeds will be balanced to determine his fate.

The Decree of God: Allah ordains the fate of all. Muslims are fatalistic. "If Allah, wills it", is the comment of a devout Muslim on almost every situation or decision he faces.

THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

Affirmation: "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger" which is recited constantly by devout Muslims.

The Fast: Faithful Muslims fast from dawn to dusk every day during the ninth month of the Islamic calender, Ramadan, which is sacred.

Almsgiving: A worthy Muslim must give 2.5% of his income to the poor.

Prayer: Muslims are required to pray five times a day, kneeling and facing Mecca.

The Pilgrimage: Muslims are expected to journey to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.

IS ISLAM ANOTHER GOSPEL?

Islam teaches that God is so far above man in every way that he is virtually unknowable. He will send individuals to Paradise or Hell as he chooses.

Islam teaches that Jesus was a messenger of God, not the son of God. Muslims deny the He is Almighty God come in the flesh. (John 1:1-14, I John 4:1,2). They deny that He is divine. (Col 2:9) They deny that He died on the Cross for our sins (Most believe the Judas died in his place). They deny that He rose from the dead. (Matt 26: 28, John 19:20) They deny that He is the final, conclusive revelation of God. (Heb. 1: 1-2)

IS ALLAH ANOTHER GOD?

Is this stone idol the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Just because Mohammed said so doesn't make it so! Allah chose Hagar and her son, Ismael for his covenant. The God of the Bible chose Abraham's other son, Isaac, as heir to His covenant. (Gen 21: 12, 22:2-18)

Allah is an impersonal being, impossible to approach or comprehend. The Bible's God befriends men like Abraham (Is. 41:8) and talks with them (Gen 18:23ff)! He loved us so much He sent His only begotten Son to die for us! (John 3:16)

Allah is a god of fear and terrorism that commands destruction upon those who refuse to convert to Islam. The Bible's God delights to show His boundless mercy. His gospel is the "Good News" of peace and forgiveness.

Allah requires total obedience to Islam and weighs the works of people. Allah and the Koran relegate Jesus to just the last prophet before Mohammed, below his authority. Jesus was not the Way, and could only point the way to Mohammed. The Bible's God can only be reached through Jesus Christ and trust in Him is the only way to Heaven. (John 14:6).

Allah required the works of Mohammed to complete his words of judgment to man. The God Of The Bible sent His son who did the finished work of grace for man. (John 19:30)

In the light of Allah's actual origin and his radical difference from the God of the Bible, we must conclude that Allah is not God. Nor is the name, Allah, a generic MidEast name for God, as even many Christians think. Allah is the name of a false god who can not save anyone from anything. Rather, through his false prophet, Mohammed, he continues to lead hundreds of millions into eternal darkness.