Islam Series

John 4:14, “God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” (CEV)

Surah 19:30, “He said: Surely I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet.”

Islam doesn’t have a savior, it’s a religion of works. It’s a religion based on rituals rather than a relationship with God. How successful a Muslim is at doing what the Qur’an says determines their eternal fate.

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Surah 4:57, “And as for those who believe and do good deeds, We will make them enter gardens...”

Christians, on the other hand, take this verse as their hope:

Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.” (NIV)

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Conclusion – Muslim Extremism and the Call of Christ

Because of events of the past few years and what we see so much of in the news leads us to judge Muslims by the extremists groups. But my experience and research helps me to understand that Muslims are good people from whom we can learn from.

Extremists interpret jihad as literal warfare against non-Muslims, and believe that Muslims who die in a holy war are assured of a place in paradise.

Moderates suggest that the jihad refers to specific battles mentioned in the Qur’an fought by Muhammad against his enemies (non-Muslims) and should not be applied universally or taken literally for today. They say that jihad can apply to leading a virtuous life, helping other Muslims through charity, education, or other means; preaching Islam; and fighting to defend Muslims.

When asked if the Islamic jihad refers to a “holy war” most Muslims may frequently quote the Qur’an in Surah 2:256 which says, “There is no compulsion in religion.”

http://www.iiie.net/Brochures/Brochure-33.html

In fact one source I reviewed states: In Islam, there is no such thing as holy war. This terminology was generated in Europe during the Crusades and their war against Muslims. Islam recognizes Jews and Christians as the "People of the Book" because they all follow the Prophet Abraham, believing in Moses’ and Jesus’ teachings.

For many centuries, Muslims have peacefully coexisted with Christians, Jews, and people of other faiths, maintaining social, business, political and economic treaties. Islam respects all humans and faiths as long as there is no religious oppression, forbidding Muslims from serving Allah, preventing others from learning about Islam, and not respecting treaties.

This Muslim scripture reads: "Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not begin aggression. For God loves not aggressors." (Qur’an 2:190)

Islam does not have a monopoly on extremists. There are extremists in Christianity and other faiths as well. Many people regard Christianity as a religion of love, peace, and tolerance - but that isn’t always the case. For some Christians, their religion is one of force, hatred, and intolerance. They refuse to accept others and equals and so wish to impose their beliefs - or kill in the process, if necessary. The extremists in any faith can find scriptures that support their actions and can take them out of context.