BELIEFS OF ISLAM
Islam: Muhammad is Allah’s Prophet and Apostle.
Islam: All biblical prophets were Muslims, including Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus. Adam was a Muslim.
Islam: Jesus was not divine, was not crucified and was not raised from the dead, and the “Holy Spirit” does not exist. Jesus predicted the coming of Muhammad.
Islam: Jesus was only a prophet. Muhammad was a greater prophet. On Judgment Day, Jesus will bow to Muhammad.
JUMP TO: HOME HISTORY GROWTH SELF-TESTS COMPARE CHRISTIANITY GET BOOK CONTACT FAQs
Islam: Like Elijah, Jesus was “taken up” to heaven, alive. He will return to destroy the cross and pledge allegiance to Islam, and then die. His burial plot is marked between the graves of Fatima and Caliph Omar in Medina.
Islam: Every person will be raised from the dead to spend eternity either in hell or paradise. Only Muslims may enter paradise; all others are bound for hell.
Islam: Paradise offers gardens beneath which rivers flow, thrones of respect arranged in ranks, delicious fruits and wines, and virgins created for the eternal pleasure of Muslim males.
Islam: Hell is a place of everlasting punishment which includes being chained and dragged through fetid water and then tossed into the Fire; having boiling water poured on one’s head until internal organs are eaten away; having skin seared off only to have it restored to be seared off again and again; and being beaten with iron maces before being thrown into the Fire.
Islam: Allah gave the New Testament to Christians, but they corrupted it by adding verses claiming that Jesus is the Son of God, was crucified, was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven. Christians also added verses claiming God sent the Holy Spirit to guide and empower followers of Jesus.
Islam: Allah gave the Torah to Jews, but they corrupted it by removing passages that foretold the coming of Muhammad.
Islam: The devil is a spiritual being who commands a host of terrible demons who tempt and torture the minds of men.
Islam: Jews are descendants of apes and pigs. Every Jew must be converted to Islam, be enslaved or be killed.
Islam: Allah revealed the Muslim holy book, the Qur’an, word-for-word to Muhammad via the angel Gabriel, the same angel who announced to Mary she would give birth to Jesus.
Islam: Allah revealed the Qur’an in Arabic so “his people” could understand.
Islam: Allah is creator of the universe and all that is in it; he is one; he has no son or associate; he is omnipotent and merciful. Allah wills both good and evil. Islamic Law (Sharia) is the supreme law of Allah; it is above all other laws. Allah loves Muslims but hates non-Muslims. Allah and God are one and the same (Qur’an 29:46).
Islam: The purpose of the Qur’an is twofold (1) a warning that every person must obey Allah’s commands or forever suffer punishment in hell; (2) a guide for Jews and Christians to reconcile their differences and become Muslims.
Islam: Jihad is a primary duty of every Muslim in defense of Islam.
Islam: Allah grants immediate entry into paradise only for Muslims killed while fighting to spread Islam; those wounded will enter paradise when they die. Non-fighting Muslims must wait for Judgment Day for Allah to decide whether they will spend eternity in paradise or hell based solely on how well they performed the rituals and how they treated other Muslims. Allah will not consider how they treated non-Muslims.
Islam: Allah forgives sins for correctly performing the rituals of Friday Prayers.
Islam: Allah sends to hell Muslims who deliberately and consistently miss scheduled prayers.
Islam: Allah created jinn from smokeless fire. They are spiritual beings. They are mortal; they marry and propagate. They may or may not be evil; Allah will judge them.
Clearly, much of Islamic theology grew out of Muhammad’s unique views of Judaism and Christianity. In his travels, Muhammad encountered Jews and Christians who believed in myths, legends, and apocryphal gospels. He was obviously perplexed and distressed by their contradictory beliefs about God and Jesus.
Islam holds that all the earth’s land and wealth belong to Allah and his prophet and, by extension, to Muslims. Many of them view infidels as occupiers of Muslim land.
The Hadiths detail Muhammad’s deeds, challenges, decisions and sayings. Islam holds that Muhammad waged war with the Qur’an in one hand and a sword in the other. The Hadiths quote him as saying, “Paradise is under the shades of swords.” Muhammad’s words and deeds, along with Islamic court decisions, have evolved into Sharia Law.
Islam holds that Muhammad was the last in the line of biblical prophets—the “seal” on prophecy—the one who would reveal the errors of the Jews and Christians and restore Allah to preeminence on earth.
In Islam it is a matter of faith that the Qur’an is of divine origin; to translate it is to betray Allah. Translations into languages other than Arabic are discouraged if not prohibited.
The Qur’an is not chronological, and there are no references to time or place. It contains little or no context for any of its pronouncements.
Islam holds that the Hadiths were written by Muhammad’s contemporaries on scattered notes collected about 200 years after Muhammad died, and that collections of these notes accurately detail Muhammad’s words and deeds. (Without the Hadiths, Muslims would have no guidance for praying, fasting, giving alms or making a pilgrimage. Commonly called Muhammad’s “traditions,” the Hadiths are the highest Islamic authority after the Qur’an.)
Islam’s guide for living is contained in the Hadiths and the Qur’an; both command Muslims to fight for world domination.
Taqiyya is the Islamic principle of deceit used to defend and promote Islam. According to the Qur’an, Allah advocates breaking oaths and treaties if treachery is suspected. When Muslims feel threatened, Allah advises them to feign friendship with infidels and pretend they are not Muslims. Allah says, “And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Allah schemed (against them): and Allah is the best of schemers.” The Arabic term for scheme is makara, which literally means deceit. Muhammad said, “War is deceit.”
Islam holds that Christians are evil liars who are bound for hell, and Muslims must not take them as friends. The Qur’an depicts Christians as products of Satan because they are “polytheists.” Imams falsely teach that Christians believe God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three separate gods, ignoring the fact that nearly all Christians believe God is one in three persons (the Trinity). Islam holds that two of them must be idols, and all idol worshippers are destined for hell.
Islam holds that males are superior to females physically, morally and intellectually. Allah says men may marry two, three or four females and “approach them when and how they wish.” Allah said, “Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore, the righteous women are devoutly obedient … As to those women on whose part you fear disloyalty and ill conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them (lightly)…” Some translations of the Qur’an, rather than “beat them lightly,” read “scourge them.” (Qur’an 4:34)
Islam categorizes each person as a believer, an apostate or a kafir. Those who convert to Islam (believers) are treated as loving relatives. Apostates are murdered. Pagan kafirs must convert to Islam or they are murdered. Jewish or Christian kafirs are murdered if they refuse to convert to Islam or “pay the jizya tax and feel subdued.” For committed Muslims, jihad against kafirs is the equivalent of a sacrament in Christianity.
The Sunni and Shia sects of Islam were formed because of a disagreement on who should succeed Muhammad as Islamic leader (caliph). Some insisted his successor must be a blood relative (present-day Shia Muslims, or Shiites). Others insisted the successor must be the most pious and worthy leader regardless of ancestry (present-day Sunni Muslims). The Middle East remains a political hotbed due to these theological differences. Shi’ites insult Sunni’s with terms such as “Wahhabi,” which is an offensive name for all who deny the Shi’ite beliefs. Sunnis insult Shi’ites by calling them “rafidi” (rejecter) for the Shia rejection of Sunni beliefs. The conflict is large and is spreading, at times in the form of bloody engagements such as those in Yemen, Syria and Iraq.
Despite frequent clashes between the two sects, intermarriages are common, and create lasting bonds between Sunni and Shia families around the globe.
HOME HISTORY GROWTH SELF-TESTS COMPARE CHRISTIANITY GET BOOK CONTACT FAQs