c








My recent one-page article: "Islam: More than a Religion" has inspired a lot of emails²some
positive, some negative. Whether you are for or against what I have written, I appreciate hearing
from you. God has given me a deep love and a burden for Muslims. My wife and I have
hundreds of friends and acquaintances who are Muslims. Since "9-11", many non-Muslims in the
West have been quizzing me on Islam²the most common question being, "Is Islam a religion of
peace?" I confess that I do not know everything there is to know about Islam, but based on two
decades of living in a majority-Muslim country and hundreds (perhaps thousands) of hours spent
studying the Qur¶an and other Islamic source materials, let me attempt to answer this question
from an Evangelical Christian perspective.

The Arabic word for @
 is 


²a word included in the Arabic/Muslim greetings. |
 is
Arabic for    or 
. ?
 means   
. For many non-Muslims,
the word  is synonymous with angry mobs and suicidal bombers. Such stereotyping of
Muslims is patently wrong. Most Muslims are ordinary, peace-loving people with their own set
of dreams and problems and should be treated with the same respect we give to any other fellow
human being.

For the record, let me say that Jesus Christ taught his followers to     
  
        
 
 @
    @   

@    (Injil, Matthew 5:44 NKJV). Notwithstanding Jesus¶s clear teaching and
example, over the centuries, much violence and evil has been committed by those who call
themselves "Christians". Just as there are many who call themselves Muslims who do not live
according to the teachings of Muhammad, it is safe to say that many who call themselves
"Christians" do not live according to the teachings of Christ.

Let me also say that I can identify with Muslims around the world who are upset with the
shameful moral standards portrayed in so many American movies and other media forms which
often glamorize violence and normalize anti-family/anti-God values. While there are still
multitudes of people in the West who lead godly lives and enjoy close, loving family
relationships, the media tends to ignore such examples, choosing rather to publicize the amoral
ones. Unfortunately, many mistakenly equate such permissiveness and evil with "Christianity."
Nothing could be further from what Christ taught and exemplified. While it is true that the
American nation was founded on Christian principles, the USA is not a "Christian nation". In the
strict sense of the word, it is wrong to speak of any country as a "Christian nation" since Jesus
Christ said,                      

   
   
     
          
(John 18:36) The only "Christian nation" acknowledged in the Bible is made up of helpless
sinners from    

 
 @ @
 
 (Revelation 5:9) who have been



 (See Injil, John 3) or 
  (See Romans chapters 3 to 5, and 10) by believing
the Good News of the prophets concerning GOD¶S WAY of Salvation. True Christianity is not a
RELIGION, but a RELATIONSHIP with God through Jesus Christ. I¶ll comment on this further
at the end of this article.
Now let us get on with our subject: c
 



 If so, what kind of
peace? Recently, a Muslim young man gave me a pamphlet entitled "Islam Explained" (by the
Islamic Circle of North America). It states that Islam 
  !"#!$ While I would agree that
most Muslims are in favor of "peace and harmony regardless of race, class or beliefs", the
question we want to answer is: Are Muslims for peace þ
   
c|

  Consider the following data ...

4$%&

&
'( )*+$ The familiar term v
, often translated  
, literally
means   Many Muslims emphasize that v
is about struggling against evil desires and,
if necessary, defending one¶s homeland and religious heritage.    
   

 

 
  

         
  
  
              @
         
 
   

   

     
   
  !  
  @   (Qur¶an 2:190-192) [Note: Qur¶anic quotes from N.J.Dawood¶s English
translation (The Koran, Penguin Books, UK, 1993)]. A favorite verse of moderate Muslims is
2:256 which says: "   
 @    # 
    
 Militant Muslims, however, will point you to numerous Qur¶anic texts where Muhammad
(as Allah¶s spokesman) commands his followers to fight and subdue all who resist Islam. What
leads young men to volunteer to die for the privilege of killing others "for the cause of Allah"?
Could it have something to do with the fact that Islam offers no  
 hope of heaven to any of
its adherents, with one exception? Consider these few Qur¶anic verses...

a $   
 
   
    %  
     @ 

 % 
     &

 % 
 
    (47:4-6)
a "     '
         
     

          @ ( 
   
   # 
  
   
   
          

 
    

  (4:74,76)
a #
    

  ))
@
   
  

 @  ))

  *
       
       
   @ 
 
    
      
   @ 
  
 

  

   (4:95,96)
a 
   
            

         
 @ 
 
  @
 
    
  
       
  (9:5)
a # 
 
 


 
 %
@
 @
    
 


@ 
    
   
 
     
 
   



   
  #  

  @  
   
  
@    
 + ' @  
  @ 
       (5:34,35)
a 
 
      
 
 

  !   
   @  
(8:39)
a &@    
 
   
   

  
   

 
*    
   

     
 



     
    
  (8:65)
a 

       @      
   


  
 
  þ   

  
 þ

 (9:29)
The Qur¶an contains scores of similar verses.

Most Muslim Scholars see the world divided into two "houses"² %  &
 (
 $,



) and  %  (
 (
 $,%

). The general idea is that Muslims belong to 
%  &
 , while those who have not yet submitted to Islam belong to  %  (

until they are   
  However, even this distinction is often blurred since militant
Muslims (who take the above verses at face value) also include moderate Muslims in  %
 (
. Consider further...

$*
 * (*c
&
% c$ The concept of v
is rooted in another
concept²
!
(Islamic law). Many of the world¶s more than forty majority-Muslim countries
have embraced Shari¶a, and those that have not are under relentless pressure to do so. For
example, over the past nine years in Algeria, some 100,000 Muslims have been slain by militant
Muslims. The reason? These militant Muslims want political control of the nation. This is a
growing trend in the Islamic world²even though it is a trend despised by most Muslims.

In the 94% Muslim country of Senegal (where freedom of religion is granted and Shari¶a is
refused), several Middle Eastern countries send over their Islamic teachers, build Islamic schools
and finance more mosques in an effort to "purify" Senegal¶s Islam. So what does "pure Islam"
look like? Many Muslims will tell you that there is no country in the world that exemplifies true
Islam. Yet Islam claims to be a religion that has the answers for society, a religion that offers
peace and wholeness. So where should we look to get an example of what true Islam looks like?
Iran? Afghanistan? Pakistan? Libya? Turkey? Indonesia? Egypt? How about Saudi Arabia?

While most Muslims decry the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as corrupt²it is nonetheless the
"keeper of Islam" and the religious center toward which more than one billion Muslims face five
times a day as they repeat their prayers in Arabic. In Saudi Arabia, freedom of religion is
nonexistent. It is illegal to read a Bible or vocalize a non-Muslim prayer in the privacy of your
own home. Under Islamic law, conversion to Christianity by a Saudi citizen is punishable by
beheading. Saudi¶s leaders do not support the idea that Islam "instructs people on how they may
live together in peace and harmony regardless of race, class or beliefs." According to Amnesty
International, the persecution of Christians in Saudi Arabia has "increased dramatically" since
the Gulf War. More than a thousand cases have been documented in which Christian foreign
workers have been arrested, imprisoned and/or beaten for participating in private worship
meetings. Add to that the fact that numerous incidents go unreported, especially among
Egyptians, Indians, Koreans, Filipinos and other Third World workers who fear further reprisals
against them and their families.

A more moderate Islamic nation across the Red Sea from Saudi Arabia is Egypt. I recently met a
family who has fled Egypt to seek asylum in the West. The reason? Constant harassment because
of their religious beliefs. In Egypt, Christians can't even paint their walls or do minor repairs on
their church buildings without a building permit²a permit that is virtually impossible to obtain.
One particular woman had her identity papers confiscated and is being kept under house arrest²
all because she left Islam to follow Christ. The charge of "denigrating Islam" is regularly leveled
against Christians who are involved in leading a Muslim to Christ. Many Christians living in
Upper Egypt have been pressured to pay "protection money" to Muslim racketeers. Those who
refuse have been subjected to violent attacks. In October of 1995, Shehata Fawzi (a Christian
farmer) was shot to death when he refused to pay 5000 Egyptian pounds to local Muslims. The
Cairo-based center for Human Rights/Legal Aid reports the murder of dozens of Copts over the
past several years. Last report, the government has failed to put a stop to it. Meanwhile, the
militant 

!

,


group wants to replace Egypt¶s "moderate" government with a
more strict Islamic state!

The harsh reality is that in every country where 
!
is embraced, non-Muslims face restricted
religious freedom and harassment²for nothing other than their religious beliefs. It should be
said that there are times when governments, groups or individuals use Islam primarily as a
@  ' for carrying out their political-economic-cultural agenda. A horrifying example can be
seen just south of Egypt²in central Sudan, where, since 1983, the Muslim government of
Khartoum has exterminated more than two million Sudanese. Another five million have been
displaced. Burning of villages and farms, slavery, rape, torture, forced Qur¶anic indoctrination of
children, and bombings of churches are regular events. Meanwhile, over in Indonesia, Laskar
Jihad, a well-organized, well-funded, and well-armed Islamic militia has waged a campaign to
annihilate the Christian population there. Over the past several years, thousands of Indonesians
have been butchered for refusing to convert to Islam. If Islam is for "peace and harmony
regardless of race, class or beliefs"²then where is the loud and clear, widespread outrage from
the Muslim community over such carnage committed in the name of Allah?

Yes, accusations could be raised about horrible atrocities committed by many who have called
themselves Christians (Crusades, Inquisition, slave trade, abortions, etc.). Yet, is there not a
fundamental difference between the two? While the Bible clearly states that governments have a
right to use the   as  !  

    '  
    @
 
 (Romans 13:4), the use of violence to   -
 is in

 @@ to the
teaching and example of Jesus who prayed for those who crucified Him 
  
  (Luke 23:34). On the other hand, the use of aggression to   
 is, at times, in

@@
  
 with the teaching of the Qur¶an (see above verses in the first point) and the
example of Muhammad.

$(&c)
,
$ History tells us that, at first, Muhammad did not use force to
induce the Jews, Christians and pagans to accept Islam. Later, however, when people and
circumstances turned against him and when he began to gather an army to himself, he began
telling his followers that the latest "revelations from Allah" were saying things like, &@ 

 
   
  
  @ 

     %  


    (9:73) Thus began Muhammad¶s career of warring in the name of Allah. Those
defeated by Muhammad were offered protection  they would submit to the dictates of Islam.
Those that refused to become Muslims had the "choice" either to pay tribute or to be put to death.
This is the apparent "peace and tolerance" Muhammad offered to non-Muslims in his treaty with
the people of Khaibar and to others. Non-Muslims were the  (the people of obligation)
and, as such, were to be  
 þ

 (9:29).
About twenty years ago, a Muslim neighbor lent me his book on the life of Muhammad, hoping
to attract me to Islam. Amid the many positive things recorded about Muhammad, one phrase
that sticks with me to this day is that the Muslim author wrote that Muhammad could be both
"compassionate
  ." One of the better-known examples of Muhammad¶s "cruel side" is
recorded in several Hadiths, as well as in other writings such as the History of Tabari, Sirat Rasul
Allah, and the Kitab Al Tabaqat Al Kabir ...

"A group of eight men from the tribe of 'Ukil came to the Prophet and then they found the
climate of Medina unsuitable for them. So, they said, µO Allah's Apostle! Provide us with some
milk.¶ Allah's Apostle said, µI recommend that you should join the herd of camels.¶ So they went
and drank the urine and the milk of the camels (as a medicine) till they became healthy and fat.
Then they killed the shepherd and drove away the camels, and they became unbelievers after
they were Muslims. When the Prophet was informed by a shouter for help, he sent some men in
their pursuit, and before the sun rose high, they were brought, and he had their hands and feet cut
off. Then he ordered for nails which were heated and passed over their eyes, and they were left in
the Harra (i.e. rocky land in Medina). They asked for water, and nobody provided them with
water till they died." (%
 
 .
 / 0 . 12 3
 245: Narrated by Anas
bin Malik.)

The oldest still-available biography of Muhammad is called the "Sirat Rasul Allah" ("Life of the
Prophet of Allah"). This book was written by Ibn Ishaq a century before any of the major works
of the Hadith. "Sirat Rasulallah" is considered the most authentic biography of Muhammad. On
page 515, we read of an event that took place about three years before Muhammad's death. This
specific narrative tells of Muhammad¶s conquest of Khaibar, a large Jewish settlement with some
of the best date palms in the region. The Jews of Khaibar were prosperous merchants, craftsmen,
and farmers. Kinana al-Rabi, who was said to have had the custody of a certain hidden treasure,
was brought to Muhammad who asked him about it. Kinana denied that he knew where it was. A
Jew came to the apostle and said that he had seen Kinana going round a certain ruin every
morning early. When the apostle said to Kinana, "Do you know that if we find you have it I shall
kill you?" he said "Yes." Muhammad gave orders that the ruin be excavated and some of the
treasure was found. When he asked Kinana about the rest of the treasure he refused to produce it,
so the apostle gave orders to al-Zubayr Al-Awwam, "Torture him until you extract what he has."
So he kindled a fire with flint and steel on his chest until he was nearly dead. Then Muhammad
delivered him to Muhammad b. Maslama and he struck off his head. Were Muhammad¶s actions
in keeping with a religion that is for peace? And this is only one such example among many.

Friends, do not take my word on this. Do your own research. Take a look at the above-mentioned
biography (English translation: "The Life of Muhammad" by A. Guillaume; Oxford Univ. Press)
or "23 Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad" (by Ali Dashti; Mazda), or read
some of the Hadiths. You will even read of instances in which Muhammad had innocent people
put to death (such as Abu Afak, a 120-year-old man and Asma bint Marwan the mother of five
children, a slave woman mother of two children, and the one-eye shepherd, all murdered while
they slept. Their only crime was that they somehow offended "the prophet.")

I am keenly aware that such information is both painful and offensive for my dear Muslim
friends. Yet truth is truth. Jesus didn¶t beat around the bush when He said, . 
  

@@        @! 
 
   
 
    6 
  
       
  
@   
      7 8  
   

  







  
 @@  


 
 
   
      @
          
  

 
   "   
  # 


 
  
  $  
 
 

 
  
 
 (Injil, Matthew 7:15-17; 24:23,24; 15:14)

[$&
+ -
,* *$ Encarta Encyclopedia µ99 says: "The remarkable
speed of [Islam¶s] religious expansion can be attributed to the fact that it was accomplished
primarily through military conquest. Muhammad drew Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula to Islam
by his forceful personality, the promise of salvation for those who died fighting for Islam, and
the lure of fortune for those who succeeded in conquest. The caravan raids of the early years of
Islam soon became full-scale wars, and empires and nations bowed to the power of this new
religious, military, political, economic, and social phenomenon."

Yet in the booklet "The Basics of Islam at a Glance" prepared by # 
 -
 -  
(Tempe, Arizona), we read: "There is no historical proof that Islam was µspread by the sword.¶
Even non-Muslim scholars now admit that this is nothing more than a vicious myth which cannot
be substantiated by historical fact." However, on an Islamic question-and-answer website we
find a more honest assertion: "'. Some enemies of the religion claim that Islam was
spread by the sword. What is your response to that? . Islam was spread by proof and
evidence, in the case of those who listened to the message and responded to it. And it was spread
by strength and the sword in the case of those who stubbornly resisted, until they had no choice
and had to submit to the new reality." (www.islam-qa.com - question #5441)

Many say, "Well, what about Joshua and the Israelites? The Bible records that they exterminated
entire cities of people!" True. But a close look reveals a quite different set of circumstances. Just
as God (after hundreds of years of patient forbearance) had judged evil with a flood in Noah¶s
day, and fire from heaven on Sodom in Abraham¶s day, so God used the people of Israel to judge
the Canaanite nations. God waited hundreds of years before judging these nations, giving them
time to repent and turn from their wicked ways of idolatry, immorality and human sacrifice.
They ignored the witness of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph, Moses and the ten plagues that
came upon the Egyptians. Thus, God, at this particular time in history, used the Israelites to carry
out His judgments. But please notice that this was no random warfare! These battles were carried
out under specific commands from God with limitations. Sometimes God forbade the children of
Israel to take any part of the spoil. The victories included miraculous interventions from God²
such as Jericho¶s wall falling outward (confirmed by archeology by the way) after the Israelites
had marched around them on seven consecutive days. Notice also that God was fair and impartial
in His judgments. For example, in the Torah, Numbers 25-31, we read how God first strikes the
Israelites with a plague because of   idolatry and adultery. 24,000 Israelites die. Only after
God had judged Israel does He send them forth to judge the surrounding nations.

Muhammad¶s wars and later Islamic wars of expansion were very different from God¶s acts of
judgment as recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible. Muhammad would make treaties with
the idolaters as long as he was still in the minority, but when he grew strong, he freely used the
power of his human army²taking justice into his own hands. He gained great wealth from the
war spoils. Muhammad¶s wars were partial²always against non-Muslims, with little or no
mercy²quite different from what we see a loving, long-suffering God doing through His
prophets and chosen people under the Old Covenant. What¶s more, Muhammad totally ignored
the long-promised "New Covenant" which Jesus established and in which He commands His
disciples: .           
 
 @
   
@   
 @     $   
       
   

 
  
   
 
  
  . 
   
 

 @    
   
  (Injil, Matthew 5:44; John 13:34,35)

D$



*
 - 


$ Under Islamic law (based on the Qur¶an, the example of
Muhammad [
] and the consensus [ v

]), whoever falls away from faith in Islam
commits an "unforgivable sin." Such "apostates" must be taken into custody by force, and called
on to repent. He who does not turn back to Islam has, according to Shari¶a, forfeited his life and
is to be put to death by the state. While this is not carried out on a regular basis in most Islamic
lands, the threat of it is there.

According to the daily paper, Al Alam, King Hassan II of Morocco, also the imam of his
country, presented the following state of affairs before a human rights commission on May 15,
1990: "If a Muslim says, µI have embraced another religion instead of Islam,¶ he²before he is
called to repentance²will be brought before a group of medical specialists, so that they can
examine him to see if he is still in his right mind. After he has then been called to repentance, but
decides to hold fast to the testimony of another religion not coming from Allah²that is, not
Islam²he will be judged."

It is no wonder that a major section of the Muslim population in majority-Muslim countries like
Algeria, Egypt, Turkey, and Indonesia resists the full introduction of 
!
. They do not wish
to come under the frightening yoke of oppression which demands that thieves have their hands
and feet amputated, adulterers be whipped, and converts to Christianity be killed. However, a
significant minority of Muslims passionately demand the immediate adoption of 
!
and are
prepared, in some places, to fight for it with the help of terrorism and revolutions. In each
Islamic country, militants and moderates wrestle over the 
!
. Unquestionably, Islam is
going through a global identity crisis²trying to define what it will become in the 21st century.

In pointing these things out, let me remind you that I am not blind to the madness of the
Inquisition of the Middle Ages, in which those who refused to submit to the "Church" were
subsequently tortured and killed for their "apostasy". Once again, however, we must point out
that this evil in Church history was in direct opposition to the law and spirit of Christ. Please
keep this distinction in mind. In Jesus¶ Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15), the father did not have
his rebellious son followed, locked up, tortured, starved or killed. He gave his son freedom to
choose (and to suffer the natural consequences of his choices). While God has committed much
authority to individuals and to governments, torturing or killing those who refuse to believe and
obey God¶s way of Salvation is NOT something He has asked man to do! Ultimately GOD will
judge every person.     + 9$    
  ":;  8   

   
$    
     !   
   
 
      
(Romans 14:11,12; Isaiah 45:21-23)

*$



*
 -% 
*$ Our search for an answer to the question "Does Islam promote
peace and tolerance?" would not be complete without at least mentioning Islam¶s treatment of
women. This is a subject which requires a very balanced approach. Many Muslims point to the
extremes and licentiousness of women in the West as portrayed on television as proof that only
Islam can put a stop to such permissiveness. This is because they do not know what the Gospel
of Jesus Christ does in the life of those who believe. The loose women flaunted in movies do
NOT reflect what a true Christian woman is like. If you know some true Christian women
personally, then you know that such godly women are characterized by a desire to obey the
Bible, which teaches         

         

  
   
    
      

  
     




@   (Titus 2:4,5)

While the status of women varies greatly between Muslim countries, I highly recommend two
insightful books, "Not Without My Daughter" (by Betty Mahmoody) and "Princess" (by Jean
Sasson). The first book opens a window on the lives of women in Iran, the latter on those in
Saudi Arabia. We have all been made aware recently of the extreme oppression of women in
Afghanistan. Though the Taliban has been ousted, much of their strict legal code remains intact.
While the vast majority of Muslims condemn the extremes of the Taliban, few are willing to
speak out on behalf of the women in their own lands. Muslims have a very difficult time
understanding a true Christian¶s marriage relationship, in which the husband is the leader, but a
servant-leader who loves his wife enough to put her needs before his own. The New Testament
Scriptures teach that 

   
       þ
     
           
    
  
     v

 "     (Eph 5:28,29) Meanwhile the Qur¶an says,$   < = 
  
 
  
  
     

@

 þ   #  
  
  
   


   (4:34)

We now come to the most important point of all...

$
&
()

 *&
/ c$ As important as the above points are in
answering the question "Does Islam promote Peace?", they all pale into relative insignificance
when compared to this final point.

Islam sees Muslims as slaves of Allah. While the Qur¶an says that God is closer to man 
 
v
   (50:16)²such nearness is a technical nearness. For Muslims, God is great, but
unknowable. Like so many who call themselves Christians, Muslims have  , but they do
not have a personal  
@ with God. If you like  , Islam has a lot to offer. But if you
want a  
@ with the one true God and the peace and assurance that comes from knowing
Him personally, then you will need to look back into the Scriptures of the prophets and to the
Gospel of Jesus.

Muslims are quick to say, "We believe all the prophets!" and "We believe in Jesus! He was a
great prophet!" In response to these statements, I ask my Muslim friends, "What does it mean to

  a prophet? Does it not mean   



      ? And   do we
find the message of the prophets? Is it not in  @  of the prophets?"

The Qur¶an frequently mentions the Torah (Taurat), the Psalms (Zabur) and the Gospel (Injil) as
being the Word of God (5:44-46; 4:163; 40:71; 10:94; etc.), and that  (   

   
  #
   @  @ (10:64) If the Qur¶an is trustworthy to a Muslim,
and if he is honest, there is no way that he can reject  @  @  (Qur¶an 20:133).
Yet all of my Muslim friends reject   
 of these books, saying that they have been
altered, corrupted, changed,


. After twenty years of asking, I still wait to hear who
changed what and when. As is the case to this very day, many of the Jews and Christians were
guilty of twisting their Scriptures with their tongue (Qur¶an 3:71,78), but the fact is that the
Scripture was considered intact during the time of Muhammad (3:93; 10:94; 21:7; etc.).

The Scriptures of the Bible are based on tens of thousands of ancient copies of manuscripts.
Some of the scripts of the Old Testament go back to the 3rd century B.C. and some of the Gospel
(New Testament) scripts go back to the 1st and 2nd century A.D. with complete New Testament
scripts dating back to the 4th century A.D. The Bible has been wonderfully preserved²especially
when you remember that the oldest books of the Bible have been copied by hand over a period of
about 2900 years (before they were first printed). For the Qur¶an this period was 2000 years
shorter²and it certainly shows no fewer variations between its many ancient copies. Contrary to
what so many have been led to believe, the Bible is by very far the best documented and
preserved script of antiquity. There is more evidence for the reliability of the text of the New
Testament than there is for any ten pieces of classical literature put together. The New Testament
text is in better textual shape than the 37 plays of William Shakespeare which were written a
mere 300 years ago (after the invention of the printing press!). Yes, there are minor variations
between the thousands of copies of Scripture²a word here and there, a paragraph omitted in
some and included in others²but these variations in  
 affect   
 of that which the
prophets have written. By the way, it is important to see how the Scriptures of the Bible prove
themselves to be the Word of the one true God. One of the main ways the Biblendreds of precise
prophecies about nations, cities, individuals and the Messiah. Though written hundreds of years
beforehand, history records the precise fulfilment of these prophecies. Folks may try to brush
aside the hundreds of fulfilled prophecies recorded in the Bible, but they cannot deny them. The
Qur¶an cannot measure up to this standard in the slightest. If me saying this upsets you, please do
write to me personally and I will be happy to back up this point with a list of fulfilled Bible
prophecies. Listen to what God Himself has to say. &    
  
  ":;  .
   
     

    
  
  
  


     
 
     %     




 (Isaiah 41:21-24)

Over a period of 1500 years, God inspired some 40 prophets and apostles to write down His
words and His dealings with mankind. God wants us to understand who He is and what He is
like, why He made man, the nature and consequences of sin, and how helpless sinners can be
brought into a close relationship with a holy and perfect God and enjoy peace with Him forever.
This is the message of God¶s prophets.

The sad, hardcore reality is that²while Islam professes belief in "all the prophets"²IT DENIES
THE CENTRAL MESSAGE OF THE PROPHETS. What is the central message of the prophets
of the Bible? That God, in His infinite plan and unmeasurable love, would "become flesh" in
order to fulfill the symbolic meaning of millions of animal sacrifices and hundreds of detailed
prophecies²by willingly shedding His blood as the perfect substitutionary sacrifice to pay the
sin-penalty for helpless sinners, and then conquer death by rising from the grave²thus
establishing an everlasting peace between the one true God and all who
  in HIM and HIS
way of salvation.

Muslims feel that God is "too great" to need to become a man in order to reveal Himself to us. If
you feel this way please keep in mind that there is more than one kind of "greatness." There is
the "greatness" of a king who lives in his imperial palace, surrounded by wealth and luxury and
slaves to keep Him comfortable, yet remains indifferent to the pains of his subjects. There is also
the greatness of a skilled doctor who forsakes a lucrative medical practice in his homeland to go
to the poorest of the poor and serve them, heal them, and lay down his life for them. Which kind
of greatness do you think is most worthy of a merciful and gracious God?

Listen to what the prophet Isaiah wrote concerning the coming Messiah 700 years before Jesus
was born. .     
  




 
 
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Hours later Jesus willingly allowed the religious leaders to arrest Him, try Him and turn Him
over to the Roman authorities to be crucified. Thus, in the same hills where Abraham, some 2000
years earlier, had killed a ram in place of his son and predicted the greater sacrifice that was to
come²Jesus died as the once-for-all sacrifice to pay for the sins of the world²so that whoever
believes in Him should not perish, but should have eternal life. This was God¶s plan from the
beginning.

As predicted, on the third day after Jesus died, He came out of the grave, the triumphant Savior
and Lord of all who believe in Him. That same day, Jesus met with two Middle-Eastern men
who did not understand how Jesus, who had been crucified, could be the Messiah. Jesus said to
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Muslims are much like those two Middle-Eastern men. As with most Jews, the concept of a
crucified Messiah is a contradiction in terms (like a married bachelor!). They do not understand
"all that the prophets have spoken." Muslims even go so far as to deny the historical record of
Jesus¶ death since the Qur¶an states: "#    
  
 
 


 
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(4:157) Amadou Hampaté Ba in his book "Jesus as Seen by a Muslim" writes: "Any disloyalty to
Jesus must be punished in the same way as blasphemy against Mohammed. There is no doubt
about it, in Islam, that the one who blasphemes against Jesus is promised hell fire." Yet
concerning Christ¶s death Ba writes: "On this point, we differ with our Christian brothers. For us,
Jesus will certainly die, but he has   ."

Dear friend, if Jesus did not die on the cross, then please tell me, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF
THE ANIMAL SACRIFICE? And WHY ALL THE PROPHECIES ABOUT A SUFFERING
MESSIAH? And WHY DID JESUS HIMSELF KEEP TELLING HIS DISCIPLES THAT HE
WOULD BE CRUCIFIED AND BE RAISED AGAIN THE THIRD DAY? I invite you to read
Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 for starters²two Old Testament passages which predict with precision
how the Messiah would suffer and die as a sacrificial payment for the sins of the world. God is
holy and His holiness requires that sins be paid for. "The payment for sin is death!"²NOT 
²but

  
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 from God! Jesus died in our place. He took our hell, so
that God can count us righteous and allow us to live with Him forever.

The Senegalese people of West Africa have a proverb that says: "  )
0!" Located on the edge of the Sahara desert, each village has its
primary, centrally located shade tree under which folks pass the time of day, drink tea, and hold
important meetings. What would happen if a woodcutter started to chop down the village¶s
biggest, most central tree? Yes, the villagers would become very angry ... and they would put a
stop to it ... immediately!

To my dear Muslim friends who reject the historical and prophetical record concerning Christ¶s
crucifixion I say: & 1/ !&   All of
God¶s prophets pointed to the sacrificial death of the Messiah. *#/ )
!$ Yet Islam teaches that there is no need for such a sacrifice ... and that it, in
fact, did not even happen!

Friend, it is unwise to chop at God¶s "main tree"" Listen to what Jesus said to His disciples some
months before He willingly gave Himself up to die for our sins.  
   

 
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Does Islam promote peace? How can it promote true peace when  / 
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God wants to give you His peace that surpasses human understanding, but we must submit to
&%+ of salvation. To all who truly believe that Jesus is who He and the prophets said He
was, and that He died in  place for  sins, and rose again from the dead²God promises
to give that which religion can never provide: Salvation from the penalty and power of sin, a
credited-righteousness, assurance of sins forgiven, a cleansed conscience, a deep peace, an
untouchable joy, a new nature, a personal relationship with God, an eternal home with Him in
Paradise, and more! One day Jesus will return to earth to establish His Kingdom of peace,
meanwhile He wants to establish His kingdom of peace and righteousness   . But you
must believe the Good News about who He is and what He came to do.   
  
@@ 7 (Acts 26:27)

Remember, to believe in Jesus Christ is not to embrace a RELIGION. Religion is humans trying
to work their way to God through prayers, good works, etc. The Gospel (Injil, Good News) of
Jesus Christ is God coming to men and women in the Person of Jesus and offering them a
RELATIONSHIP with Himself. And what makes it so wonderful and sure is that the Gospel of
Jesus Christ is that   @ .8:;8%$3  % @@    %
@  (Romans 1:2).

There is so much more that I would like to write, but I must stop here. However, if the true
message of God¶s prophets is not clear in your mind²don¶t YOU stop here! Get a copy of the
Bible and begin by reading the New Testament or log on to:
http://www.goodseed.com/theprophetsenglish.aspx and download the book ALL THAT THE
PROPHETS HAVE SPOKEN. You will be amazed at how unmistakably clear God¶s true
message is! The back cover of this book reads: %     

 
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 This book is a must read.

Another excellent book is THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. It¶s a bit longer, but, like "All
that the Prophets have Spoken", it too clearly explains the central message of God¶s prophets.
Check it out at http://www.injil.org/TWOR/.
If you have any questions or comments, I would love to hear from you personally. Write me at:
info@alltheprophets.org.

Above all, I beg you to take seriously this invitation from GOD Himself ...

! 

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