Understanding Islam

Why Should We Reach Out?

1. It is a command, not an option.
2. We are to love our neighbour as our Lord loves us.
3. It is helping to advance the Kingdom of God by seeing Muslims turn from darkness to light.
4. With over 1.5 billion adherents, Islam is the largest religious group on earth. 500 million Muslims reside in the Middle East and North Africa, however, their numbers are growing in Canada. According to Canada’s 2001 census, there were 579,740 Muslims in Canada, just under 2% of the population.[1] In 2006, the Muslim population was estimated to be 0.8 million or about 2.6%. In 2010, the Pew Research Center estimates there were approximately 940,000 Muslims in Canada.[2] of which approximately 60% were Sunni, while 40% were Shiites.
5. To protect this country, our children, and our way of life from an intentional plot to establish Canada as a Muslim nation.

Definitions we need to know

What is Islam?

• It is a religion begun by Mohamed in 610 AD.
• Islam is not just religion; it has strong influence over the state as well (sharia law).
• What does Islam mean? Muslims say that Islam means peace. But the true meaning of the word is submission.

The Word Islam in the Quran and in History.

The word Islam in the Arabic language means submission and accepting. It means to submit to the religion of Islam and accept it. In history the expression, “be Muslim to be safe,” was used as a closing statement by Mohamed and his followers in every letter that they sent. After Mohamed died some tribes left Islam, but Abu Baker fought to bring them back to Islam. Is there any verse in the Quran to confirm that?

Yes… Quran 4: 89 89.
“They wish that you reject Faith, as they have rejected (Faith), and thus that you all become equal (like one another). So take not Auliya’ (protectors or friends) from them, until they emigrate in the Way of Allah (to Muhammad). But if they turn back (from Islam), take (hold) of them and kill them wherever you find them, and take neither Auliya’ (protectors or friends) nor helpers from them.”

Quran 9: 29 29.
“Fight against those who (1) believe not in Allah, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (4) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.”

Flags of the Muslim brotherhood

Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know. Whatever ye shall spend in the Cause of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly. 8:60

Things to Know

1. There are differences between what Muslims claim and what the Quran teaches. Example Ibrahim.
2. There are differences between what the Quran and Muslims say and what the reality is.
3. There are differences between what Muslims think of Christianity and the truth of Christianity.

To understand Islam, we have to go back and look at Arabic society before Islam.

• Was the original message of Islam good?
• Did this new message change anything?
• Was the change for better or for worse?

Muslims claim that Islam changes society for good. They say that society before Islam was immoral. Is this claim true? Islam describes Arabs before Islam as uncivilized who despised and abused women. A thorough study of the Arabic people before Islam will take time. For now this brief outline.

A Brief Outline

The Arab people before Islam were very systematic people and like any other society had some positive and some negative aspects.

Society was divided into 3 groups:

1. The noble
2. Free class
3. The immigrant

They had a solid system of ethics. The weak were helped and women were protected and respected. For example, Kashfa bint Omar was a woman who was a doctor, Khadija bint Khoayled was a business woman and the Queen of Sheba (Yemen). In Islam, by contrast, Mohamed described women as dogs (wild dogs not house pets) and donkeys. The majority of women go to hell. Many Muslims today still see women as nothing.

The sources of Islam

1. Qur’an (Muslims proclaim that the Qur’an is God’s word)
2. Hadith (Mohamed’s words, sayings and teachings apart from the Qur’an, in oral tradition (compiled later by others). Mohamed’s background Mohamed was born in 570 AD and died in 632 AD. He began to tell people that God had revealed Himself to him in 610 AD when he was 40 years old.

Mohamed’s Religion before Islam

He was lost. He worshipped idols until the age of 40. Qur’an 93:7 is translated by Islamic people as: “and He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance.” But the actual meaning in Arabic is: “and He found you lost. And he gave you guidance.”

Qur’an 42:52 references and more fully exposes Mohamed’s background. It says: “And thus have We, by Our command, sent inspiration to thee: thou knewest not (before) what was Revelation, and what was Faith: but We have made the (Qur-an) a Light, wherewith We guide such of Our servants as We will; and verily thou dost guide (men) to the Straight Way” – Yusuf Ali translation.

So the Qur’an itself states that the prophet of Islam was worshipping idols before his mission in: 1. Qur’an 93:7; 2. Qur’an 74:4-5; 3. Qur’an 42:52. Two questions:

1. Did God forgive Mohamed’s sin? Qur’an 4:116 says: “Allah forgiveth not (the sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins than this: one who joins other gods with Allah, hath strayed far, far away (from the Right).”
2. Did Mohamed stop worshipping idols? Mohamed worshipped idols before his revelation and the influence continued afterward. Evidences include:
   • El Safawe el Marowa – two locations where Muslims sacrifice animals now as well as in pagan times
   • Surah El Nigm:19
   • El latiwe Eza – two pagan gods in the Qur’an
   • Akbar – the familiar Muslim slogan
   • Moon – the symbol of Islam

The Life of Mohamed

According to Islamic history, Mohamed was working for a very rich woman named Khadija, who became his first wife, before he married her. She was 40 and he was 25 when they married. Khadija had an uncle who was a “Christian” pastor, but his doctrine wasn’t right. He didn’t believe that Christ is God or in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. This uncle, who had many other false beliefs about Christianity, served as the major source of information for Mohamed. Mohamed used this false information about Christianity in the Qur’an.

Mohamed looked after Khadija’s business before he married her. The Muslim people say that she married him because he was honest. Traditionally, at this time in history, men in Arab countries always married women who were younger than they were. That makes this marriage between Mohamed and Khadija very unusual and one should consider the motives: political, economic, social and religious.

Islamic people also say that Mohamed was unlearned. That means he was illiterate. But that is hard to understand if he was the business manager of a wealthy local merchant. Because of the nature of his work among people, Mohamed learned about the culture and beliefs of other nations.

How did he start his religion?

Mohamed told Khadija that he wanted to know if the voice he heard came to him from an angel or Satan. Khadija proposed a test. The next time the angel talked to him, he was to come to her. So he did. She told him to sit down on her thigh. He did and Khadija asked Mohamed, Do you see him? Mohamed said yes. Khadija asked Mohamed to move her other thigh and she asked Mohamed again, do you see him? He replied, yes. Then Khadija lifted her garment and showed the angel her privates and asked Mohamed, do you see him? He said, no, he left. Then Khadija told Mohamed that this is good news because this test proved that this was an angel.

Question: How did Khadija know that this was an angel?

Source: Sirat Ibn Hisham: The Biography of the Prophet, Chapter: The Proof of Inspiration

With this story in mind, one might ask a Muslim:

1. Who is more holy, God or an angel?
2. If an angel runs because he saw a woman’s privates, because he is holy, what about God?
3. If this is true, who will be in your Paradise when a man will have sex with 72 virgins?

The 5 Rites of Islam

1. The witness (saying there is no god except Allah and Mohamed is the apostle of God)
2. Praying
3. Fasting during Ramadan
4. Giving a tithe or alms (Zakat) – actually 2.5%
5. Pilgrimage

If you have any questions please contact us.