94 Understanding Muslims

Today I attended a Sunday School class on Understanding and Reaching Muslims taught by a former missionary with 24 years of ministering among Muslims in North Africa. It was fascinating, revealing, and scary. He uses the Quran (Koran) and Hadith (collection about Muhammed) as the class resource. Today's class covered the differences between Christianity and Islam.

We learned

No Trinity in Islam

Allah is "Other," not person or spirit

Holiness and justice and love are not important attributes of Allah

Allah doesn't make covenants

fellowship with Allah is not possible

man is born weak, but good--he does not need salvation

Allah sends to hell whomever he wants, but most of the people in Hell are women because they can't do the good works of fasting and prayer like the men

no one can atone for another's sins in Islam

Jesus is a prophet

revelation to Muhammed was progressive--the later teachings about power and violence replaced those about peace and preaching

people can free themselves from sin

our Bible was given by Allah, but men changed and corrupted it and made mistakes, so only that given to Muhammed is right

both faiths seem to have similar views of Satan as an accuser who will be cast into Hell

lying and deception are not serious sins in Islam and are easily forgiven through fasting or prayer (works)

women gain salvation by pleasing and obeying their husbands

women are a major cause of evil and must be kept under control

both the Bible and the Quran teach respect for elders

purpose of worship is to acknowledge that Allah is master and man is slave.