Transcript Are all Muslims the same? - Union Baptist Association

Houston,
Meet Houston’s Muslims
A presentation of the Union Baptist Association
Facilitator: Josh Ellis
May 31, 2008
Muslims Around the World
Islam is the world’s second largest religion with 1.2
billion followers; 21% of the global population. One of
every five people is Muslim.
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Comoros, Iran,
Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania,
Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria,
Turkey, UAE and Yemen all are countries with 95-100%
Muslims.
Indonesia has 213 million Muslims (88%); India is home
to 209 million Muslims (21% of India).
Suriname is 19.6% Muslim, and Guyana is 10%; notable
because they are both in the Western Hemisphere.
In the USA there are around 6 million Muslims, roughly
2% of the population.
Mohammed dies June 8,
632AD
Mohammed and 10,000
men invade Mecca (hajj )
630AD
Mohammed moves to
Medina (hijra) 622AD
Mohammed’s uncle and
Khadijah die 619AD
Mohammed born 570AD
Mohammed receives a
vision 610AD
A Crash Course in World History
The expansion of the major world
religions
The multiple conquests of the Holy Land
and surrounding areas
www.mapsofwar.com
Maps-of-War Powerpoint\Maps-ofWar.ppt
The Five Pillars of Practice
The witness (shahada): “La ilaha illa Allah,
Mohammed rasul Allah”
“I witness that there is no God but Allah, and
that Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah.”
The ritual prayers (Salat).
The paying of ritual alms (Zakat), to which
voluntary offerings can be added (sadaka) .
The fast of Ramadan (su-am).
The pilgrimage to the Kabaa in Mecca for
those who can afford it (Hajj).
The Kaaba
Believed to be
built by
Adam, then
fell into
disrepair, then
repaired by
Abraham and
Ishmael.
The Mosque
The Qur’an
To use the book in any way, one must
first ritually wash.
The Quran is never allowed to touch
the floor- even when the reader is
seated, a small bookstand is used.
A person who carries a stack of books
must always place the Quran on top.
The Quran was revealed to
Muhammad in Arabic only. So any
Quranic translation, either in English
or any other language, is neither a
Quran nor a version of the Quran, but
rather it is only a translation of the
meaning of the Quran.
Jesus in the Quran
1. Mentioned 93 times
2. Names :
3. His Miracles: 5:109/110
Jesus, son of Mary
Healed Lepers.
The Messiah
Gave sight to the blind.
The word of God
Raised the dead.
The spirit of God
Made clay pigeons come alive.
The all righteous one
Messenger
4. His birth, Death and Resurrection:
The one Nearest God
Virgin birth 3:37-47; 19:16-21
Prophet
Death 19:33, 34; 3:48, 55
A sign
Resurrection 3:48,55; 4:156,157; 19:33
A Mercy
A witness
An example
Muslims do not believe Christ was crucified
Muslim Polity
No separation between church and state
Muslim Beliefs at a Glance
Allah who is unique, all-powerful, and merciful to all
Muslims.
His Scriptures, the “Revealed Books” of which there are
four great ones: the Law of Moses (Taurah), the Psalms
of David (Zabur), the Gospel of Jesus (Injil), and the
Quran of Muhammad.
His messengers and prophets, of whom Mohammad is
the last and the seal of the prophets.
The day of resurrection; salvation is not assured.
Destiny, for whatever Allah decrees, either good or evil,
must come to pass.
The Different Strains of
Islam
Are all Muslims
the same?
Are all Christians the same?
Shi’ites
1. 15% of the total population.
Sunnis
1. 85% of the total population.
2. Calipha or Iman (leader) must be a 2. Can be elected.
direct descendant of Mohammed.
3. There are two meanings of Quran
including the spiritual (batin- lit.
hidden) and the literal.
3. There is only one way to interpret
the Quran.
4. They believe in the coming of the
Mahadi or rightly guided one during
the end times or second coming.
4. No such belief.
5. It is permissible to protect yourself
in a hostile environment by lying.
(dissimulation, taqiyyah)
5. You behave as a Sunni no matter
where you are.
6. Each have their own books of
6. Same.
Islamic tradition which supports their
own particular view point.
7.
Have a contractual marriage
agreement.
7.
No such agreement.
8.
No separation of religion and
politics. “Islam without politics
is nothing.”
8.
Same.
9.
Imams are prayer leaders or
9.
Imams are seen as leaders in all
areas of life; infallible. He must
be followed since he is
appointed from Allah.
teachers. Can also be an
honorary title, or refer to a
founder for a school of Islamic
law. Sermons however, are
mostly given by sheikhs.
10. The use of “father” in relation to 10. The use of the word “father” is
blasphemy when used in
Allah is not allowed.
reference to Allah.
11.
Their most important holiday is
11.
Ashura, honoring their most
important martyr: Husain ibn
Ali; a day of mourning and pain.
Ramadan is their most
important holiday.
12. The most “fundamental.”
12. The most “liberal” but not as we
would understand the term.
13. They allow the use of nuclear
weapons – Feb. 16, 2006 fatwa
issued by extremist Shi’ite
clerics from Qom according to a
reformist Iranian Internet Daily.
13. Generally against the use of
WMD because of the harm to
civilians and Muslims that
could be caught in the
destruction. Extremist Sunnis
do not always hold to this
position.
14. Killing non-combatants,
(Muslim, women or children) is
sanctioned according to the
extremist fatwa of Al-Tatras. The 14. See above.
Al-Tatras word is derived from the
Arabic word turs (the shield). In the
event that an enemy is among civilians
(either Muslims or unbelievers), Muslim
scholars claim that Muslim fighters may
attack the enemy, even though innocent
civilians may die.
Salafism
A Sunni strain that endeavors to model itself after the
sunnah of the first three generations of Islam.
One tenet of Salafism is that Islam was perfect and
complete during the days of Mohammed and his
companions, but that undesirable innovations were
added afterwards due to materialist and cultural
influences over the later centuries.
Idealize a perfect religious community called the
“Salaf”, and blame foreign innovations for the downfall
of Islamic practice and corrupt Islamic regimes.
This strain is the “ultra-conservative” branch of IslamMuslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda are both Salafist.
Many different claimant groups, often very
critical of one another.
Attractive to those seeking “authentic” Islam,
offers an alternative to Arab nationalism, and
frequently endows the follower with a sense of
moral superiority.
Insists of inerrancy of the Quran.
Strictly opposes all secularism.
Attitude toward the state is a common dividing
line:
Supportive, peaceful reform
Jihad against foreign & infidel, peaceful reform
Jihad against all forms of jahiliyyah, (ignorance of
divine guidance)
Wahhabism
A movement within Salafism, and a name rarely used by
its adherents.
Frequently associated with Saudi Arabia because of its
influence on the royal family and their custodianship of
the hajj, and the considerable resources backing its
spread around the world.
Imagine a radical group obtains total control of Texas, its resources and
uses this money to establish a network of well-endowed schools and
colleges all over Christendom. With no other alternative in many countries,
this would be the only education available. So it is with Wahhabi doctrine
within Islam; a version of Islam that, without the resources of oil and the
hajj, “would otherwise be an extremist fringe in a marginal country.”
–Lewis, Bernard. (2003). The Crisis of Islam. New York: Random House, p. 129-130.
Houston Muslims
72 confirmed mosques/schools
94 mosques reported by a Harris Country
Sheriff
Houston is home to approximately
120,000-150,000 Muslims, possibly more.
Approximately 50 out of 315 people
groups are predominantly Muslim.
Houston was one of the first major cities
to elect a Muslim to City Council
Arabic
speakers
(by # and zip code)
Source: Modern
Language Assoication:
www.mla.org
The Arab Question
“Arab” does not equal Muslim
66% of Arabs in Houston are Christian
(Jen’nan Read, sociologist, UC Irvine)
Houston boasts the 5th largest Arab
community in the U.S. (apx. 65,000)
Number of Texans claiming Arab
ancestry has doubled since 1980
Mosques in
Houston
Islamic Da’wah Center (202 Main)
Masjid al-Rasool (9300 S. Course Dr.)
Al-Noor Masjid (6443 Prestwood)
Practical Suggestions for Reaching Out
 Be yourself.
 Try to understand Islam from the perspective of Muslims.
 Be a good listener.
 When the motivation and goals are Biblical, affirm them.
 Do not try to show a Muslim how much you know about his faith.
 Draw the person out by asking questions in a genuine spirit of wanting
to be informed.
 Do not use a King James Bible.
 Never use a bible in which you have made any marks.
 Avoid all Pictures of God, Jesus or biblical characters.
 Do not initiate issues concerning race.
 Minimize using the word TRINITY.
 Do not be offended by the Muslim’s use of the term Allah.
 In dealing with Muslims remove all offenses except the cross of Christ.
 Don’t change the discussion into a fight.
 Don’t compromise the truth.
 Prayer is vital: especially for dreams and visions.
 Most of all, never forget the power of Love.