Acts and Apologetics: 10. the Islamic Worldview

As we live in early 21st-century Western society, there is a "new"  worldview that is making significant inroads as to how we think, work, and live. 

This worldview is very different from anything Christians or Westerners in general have dealt with. The adherents to this worldview are becoming more and more brazen in how they wish to influence our -  everyone's - world. This is the worldview of Islam. 

Before continuing, I must first say, in order to be fair, that whatever worldview you hold, you ultimately desire to influence or change the people and therefore the world around you. This is so for unbelievers (atheists and agnostics), Christians, Jews, Far Eastern adherents of Hinduism, Buddhism, etc as well as post-modernists, and any other philosophy that you want to discuss.

Many of us come into contact with Muslims every day. At the grocery store. At the corner store. They may own the local deli or operate the 7-11 at the interstate entrance ramp. By and large, these folks are pleasant, hard-working, and seek the life that many of our European and Far Eastern ancestors who came to the United States over the years sought. The American Dream: Success and the freedom to succeed. 

This discussion is going to use a very broad brush and the intent is not to cast false aspersions or slander Islam, but to bring to light its general beliefs and therefore its general worldview. Our look is also going to be very cursory; there just isn't enough space or time or my understanding to provide a full picture of Islam.  When defending the Christian Faith, we must know how and what our neighbors think and believe. We need to understand what they think and how they think about it.
 

But compared or contrasted to almost all other worldviews, Islam is radically different. Each worldview is competing for your attention and ultimately, your belief in it. If you accept a person's or society's worldview, good. If you don't, that's your business, go in peace. Islam takes a different approach and especially the form of Islam developed since the late 1700s - Wahhabism. Wahhabism is a branch of Sunni Islam whose adherents take a very "fundamental" approach to their reading of the Qur'an. Wahhabism is the form of Islam most followed, unfortunately, by many of today's militants and terrorists. There is a kind of "convert or die"  mentality; they tend to be completely intolerant of any other belief system. My sources of information are primarily James Sire's book "The  Universe Next Door" and the book "Behind the Veil" plus what I have gleaned from news reports and general reading.

Before we get into this discussion, we have to look back at the roots of Islam. It was founded in the early 600's CE (or AD) by an illiterate trader in what is now Mecca, Saudi Arabia. There were 3 prevalent religious views at that time: local pantheism (worship of many local gods); Judaism which became to be looked upon as "hypocritical" by many of that day; and Christianity. Christianity was regarded as foolish because of its Trinitarian Doctrine and belief in Jesus as being fully God and fully man at the same time (a stumbling block even today). 

Remember that when we look at worldview, we want to be able to answer seven (or eight depending on how you group them) questions. The questions that answer: "What is the nature of...". Let's look at how a Muslim would or might answer these questions.

First, what is their Ontology or how does a Muslim view reality and God? The Muslim looks at his or her world through God or Allah (the Arabic word for God - I will use the word Allah when referring to Islam and God when referring to Christianity) and his "revealed" words, the Qur'an.  Contrary to popular belief, Allah is not the same as the Hebrew or Christian understanding of God.

Islam views Allah as being transcendent and immanent. He exists "outside" of our "universe" (transcendent) yet he is personal and can be known (immanent), but his transcendence, as Sire puts it, outweighs his immanence.  In other words, God and man can not meet on the same plane of existence. Christian theism understands that we can personally know God through and by the person of Jesus Christ (God incarnate) and by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the born-again believer's life. 

The Muslim believes in a supernatural power that is in control of the universe. They believe in angels and jinn or demons. At the final judgment, it will be two angels (Munkar and Nakir) who interrogate the deceased to determine that person's "eligibility" for Paradise. We will look at the question of the belief in the afterlife when we come to the question of History.

As to the question of Cosmology or the universe around us, Muslims believe that Allah created everything out of nothing (ex nihilo). This is similar to the Judaeo-Christian cosmology except that for the Muslim, Allah creates and "owns" and directs everything in the universe; the doctrine of Qadr. 

The universe is a "closed system".  By that I mean - according to Sire - the Muslim sees Allah in direct control of everything. There is no apparent idea of "free will" -  including creativity. To the Muslim, creativity can only be expressed in so far as Allah permits it to be expressed. The Christian idea of free will essentially says that God, in His grace, has extended "free will" to all sentient beings - mortal (man) or immortal (angels and demons) -  to choose as they will. God is not surprised (His omniscience) by the outcomes as all of this works toward His end regardless. The Christian's idea of "free will" must be understood in the context that although we have been gifted with creativity, that creativity is finite especially when contrasted against an Infinite God. The difference is, on the surface slight, but in actuality, it is a profound difference. 

The third and fourth questions we ask are, "What is the nature of anthropology or man?" (life and death) to the  Muslim mind? In Islam, mankind is the highest form of created being with the responsibility to live up to Allah's high standards. Islam teaches that Allah called a council of all the spiritual beings to announce what he was about to do. This contrasted against the Biblical view of man where God consults Himself (the 3 members of the Trinity) and then creates mankind in His (God's) image. To the Muslim or Islamist, that could be viewed as "idolatrous" since they cannot see Allah.

Furthermore, man has not been corrupted by the original sin of Adam in the Garden. In other words, to the Muslim, man is born in a "state of purity and innocence" - what many liberal Christians and atheists believe. Contrast that to the "orthodox" Judaeo-Christian belief and understanding in which man was created in the image of God (without consulting anyone except for the members of the Trinity) - created in and with Divine dignity and since the fall, existing in total depravity.  Adam's original sin has been passed down through all men and women throughout the ages and it's that fallen nature that separates us from a  Holy God.

But, whereas the Christian who confesses his need for a Savior and can receive assurance of salvation through the finished work of Jesus Christ through Grace, the Muslim is "forced" to live a life on Probation, never knowing whether he or she will spend eternity in Paradise or Hell. Essentially, he or she is constantly "working" and doing good works (one of the 5 Pillars of Islam) to hopefully merit  Paradise. In fact, the only ones "guaranteed" of Paradise are the Martyr,  the child who dies before puberty, and the mentally retarded or impaired (these two groups are seen as not having the capacity to be fully accountable for their actions).

When it comes to the sexes, Islam does not appear to treat them "equally".  Islamic teaching, at least in so far as the afterlife is concerned, doesn't seem to "include" women. Where men will be rewarded with virgins to serve them, nothing is said about the reward of a woman. Women may not be seen with a man who is not their husband or close relative. The wearing of the "burka" which almost completely covers a woman, is looked upon as protecting her modesty. Similarly, we see in the news media where women are "routinely" stoned to death for adultery. But what about the offending man? Why is the man not equally punished? 

In  Christianity, whether you choose to properly believe it or not, God has created the sexes "equally", in other words, men and women are created in the image and likeness of God. We are two separate, distinct sexes made to complement or complete one another. Women make terrific teachers and praise leaders within the church body. Women have provided wonderful counsel to many men. Is modesty and integrity needed? Of course. And the responsibility for personal integrity and modesty falls on both men and women equally. Throughout the New Testament, we see women treated with high regard and respect (especially by Jesus Himself); just do a quick read through the Gospels and the book of Acts. Women may be "commanded" to submit to their husbands, but our job as husbands is a huge responsibility to protect our wives and keep them holy, even to the point of death (Ephesians 5:22 - 33). That's a high calling.

This leads us to question five, "What is the nature of a Muslim's Knowledge or Epistemology?" Aside from the Qur'an, Allah has endowed man with reason and his senses. We know what we know by viewing and experiencing the universe around us. We reason using our senses, but Allah through his sovereignty limits our knowledge. 

When it comes to spiritual knowledge, they have the Qur'an, his prophet  Muhammad, and other prophets that God has raised (including Abraham, Moses, David, and even Jesus - His virgin birth is accepted although His crucifixion and resurrection are denied). Muslims view Jews and Christians as "people of the Book (the Bible)." Due to circumstances, Muslims believe that the Bible has been "corrupted" through time and translations. However, it does provide a basis to be "made complete" by having the Qur'an. The Qur'an is viewed as being delivered free from error or any human interference (the Qur'an is taught to have been verbally delivered to  Muhammad by the angel Gabriel and then written down after Muhammad's death). 

What is the basis or nature of Ethics and Morality? The message of the Qur'an amplified and supported by the Hadith, provides the moral code for the Muslim. The Muslim does not speculate; there is pure acceptance without asking "Why?" - "bila kayf". Keep in mind that the Islamic lifestyle is very well regulated: recitation of the confession, prayer five times each day, regular fasting, alms-giving, (four of the Five Pillars). In short, you do everything that you do in order to be deemed "acceptable" for Paradise at your death. There is no "freedom" as we Christians understand or experience. There is no Grace, as we understand it Biblically. You live your life by keeping the rules until you die and then hope for the best.

The question of Human History is best expressed by contrasting the Judaeo-Christian worldview with that of the Muslim. For the Muslim, we humans are to all ultimately come to a knowledge of Allah and live in a society of Muslim law. The goal is to change the government or the system so that it works in conjunction with the Qur'an  (Shari'a law). Muslims are encouraged or commanded to set up Islamic governments or governing systems as history rolls along. Christians and  Jews are tolerated because we are "people of the Book", however, we will have to pay a "tribute" or jizya "with willing submission and feel themselves subdued" (Yusuf Ali). When the Mahdi returns (some Islamic teaching has Jesus accompanying the Mahdi as his "lieutenant"),  this will have been completed - the return of the twelfth imam.

By contrast, the Christians and the Jews have been exhorted to live in harmony with whatever governing body controls them. We are to pray for our governors and the peace of society. There are many examples of this idea in both Old and New Testaments. The United States is the only nation in world history that has used this system of "Christian freedom" to self-govern. In the end when Christ (Messiah) returns to establish His reign, only then will there be one True Theocracy.

Finally, what is a Muslim's commitment? Suffice it to say that the devout or serious Muslim is committed to his or her faith. I am not being disrespectful when I say that, when you have a list of do's and don't s to perform in order to enter into Paradise, you will follow them. You have to. What other choice do you have? Without an understanding of Biblical Grace (the understanding that we don't nor can we merit Paradise or Heaven on our works due to who we are as fallen men and women) or an understanding of Biblical Salvation where Jesus Christ has taken on our sins and paid the penalty because we can't earn it, the Muslim has no other choice than to keep working on his  "check-off list" as he lives each and every day. 

The Muslim, as Sire puts it, may have gratitude and hope for what Allah has provided in his life and the Qur'an, but they are not the same as grace and joy for the Christian. The Muslim is ultimately uncertain of his life and afterlife. The born-again Christian has ultimate assurance in the finished work of Christ.

As I  have struggled through understanding this particular worldview, I have come to better understand why we Christians have a tremendous opportunity to befriend these people with the intent of sharing the hope that we have. 

Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is a relationship. It is a relationship with God Almighty as restored through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Christianity is also a relationship with the world and people around us. We are to lovingly and powerfully present Christ, based on the Bible for the purpose of being used by God as He saves His creation.