The challenge of islam

Islam Journal courtesy of SBTS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)–Before Sept. 11, 2001, Islam was but a blip on the
religious radar screen of most Americans.

But today the world�s second-largest religion is on the minds of many, yet few
understand its history or its theology.

Essayists in the spring edition of The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology shed
light on the fundamental tenets of Islam, examining key aspects of the faith,
from its doctrine of �jihad� to its teaching on Jesus.

Contributors include Southern Seminary professors Chad O. Brand, James
Chancellor and George Martin, as well as guest scholars Norman Geisler, Emir and
Ergun Caner, Amar Djaballah and Richard Patterson.

�Even though Islam is the only major religion to emerge after Christianity, and
is the second largest religion in the world (and growing rapidly), and has been
in conflict with Christianity for centuries, it took the tragedy of [9/11] to
bring Islam to the forefront of our minds,� SBJT editor Stephen J. Wellum writes
in his editorial.

�In spite of all the attention given to Islam since 9/11, however, it is clear
from much of the conversation about Islam, both outside and, sadly, inside the
church, that we lack a basic understanding of Islam and the challenges it
presents.�

In his essay, Brand, associate professor of Christian theology, offers a primer
on the basic history and beliefs of Islam. After briefly recounting the
historical foundation of Islam, Brand sets forth the �Five Pillars of Doctrine�
in contrast to the �Five Pillars of Practice� that compose the core of Muslim
doctrine and ethics.

Brand points out that one of the major differences between the Christian God and
the god of Islam, �Allah,� is the idea of relationship between deity and people.

�Allah has no interest in entering into a personal relationship with humans, nor
does he even have the ability to do so since his distance from the created world
makes such an experience a metaphysical impossibility. There is a vast
difference between the Muslim god and the God of the Bible, who is the God and
Father of Jesus Christ.�

Chancellor, W.O. Carver Professor of Christian Missions and World Religions,
brings 25 years of research and experience among Muslims to his reflections on
Islam and violence. Chancellor has studied the religion for the past 25 years,
has visited numerous Islamic nations and has lived in Egypt, Nigeria, Malaysia
and the Philippines.

At its heart, Islam is not a religion of peace as President George Bush and
popular commentators have declared in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the United
States, Chancellor writes, noting that �jihad� clearly is a foundational
component of the Islamic faith.

�President George Bush was rightly motivated when he declared Islam to be a
religion of peace and that the September 11 terrorists had �hijacked� Islam,�
Chancellor writes. �He hoped to prevent unjust retaliation against innocent
Muslim people living in the United States and to attempt to dispel the notion
that the coming response to the September 11 tragedy would be an attack against
Islam.

�However, right motivation does not necessarily lead to right observation. Islam
is not a religion of peace. There are a number of internal dynamics that create
strong predilections toward the use of force and violence to make the Islamic
vision a reality on the earth.�

Reports of dreams and visions in which Jesus appears to people saying, �I am the
way,� are streaming out of Islamic lands, Martin reports in his essay. Martin is
M. Theron Rankin Professor of Christian Missions and associate dean of the Billy
Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth.

A veteran missionary in Southeast Asia, Martin analyzes the reports of �Jesus
dreams� among Muslims, concluding that Scripture must always be the standard
against which all phenomena are measured.

Martin also reflects on the implications of dreams for the task of missions.
�Clearly, one must proceed with caution rather than at a dangerous,
full-throttle speed,� he writes of embracing dreams as bona fide communication
from God.

�Those who are concerned to present a genuine Gospel witness must always be
concerned about distinguishing between the genuine voice of God and that which
is counterfeit…. Dreams must never be understood as having parity with the
Scriptures. Only the Bible provides an absolutely trustworthy and authoritative
word from God.�

The Caner brothers, both of whom were raised within the Islamic faith, examine
the doctrine of jihad in the �Hadith� (the commandments of Islam�s founder,
Muhammed); Geisler compares Jesus and Muhammed in the Koran; Djaballah
investigates Jesus in Islam; and Patterson looks at the biblical theme of
darkness.