The Origin of Islamic Religious Beliefs — Remarkable Parallels to Bible Statements
NOTE.— The quotations from the Koran that appear in this article are taken from George Sale's translation. No verse of the chapter is given, as no form of versification has been agreed upon by the various translators.
WHEN the average Christian hears Mohammedanism mentioned, he immediately thinks of it as being in everything opposed to Christianity and the teachings of the Bible. But that is far from the truth. Mohammedanism, or Islam, as it is called by Mohammedans, is in many doctrines in harmony with the teachings of the Bible.
Mohammed saw the divided state of the Arab tribes of his day, and the weakness that resulted from this condition. He knew that Arabs were deeply religious by nature; so he examined Judaism and Christianity by turn, but thought that it would be lowering for his countrymen to follow another race in religion, hence he decided to unify his people by originating a new religion. But Islam is a new religion in name only. It is composed of parts of the beliefs of the Jews, and some of the Christian doctrines. Mohammed himself claimed that Islam was the first religion, the religion of Adam and Enoch and Abraham.
The Rallying Cry of Islam
ISLAM'S central theme is the unity of God. The Arabs were in practice idolaters in Mohammed's time; but in the spread of his teaching, all this was changed. "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is His prophet," is the great rallying cry of this belief.
Mohammedans believe that God created the earth, and that He created man out of clay. "We created man of dried clay, of black mud, formed into shape." (Koran 15.) They believe in angels, as angels are mentioned many times in the Koran. "When the two angels deputed to take account of a man's behavior, take account thereof, one sitting on the right hand, and the other on the left, he uttereth not a word, but there is with him a watcher, ready to note it." (Koran 50.)
Mohammedans forbid gambling and drinking strong drink. "They will ask thee concerning wine and lots. Answer, In both there is great sin." (Koran 2. Compare Prov. 23: 31, 32.) Divinations also are forbidden. "O true believers, surely wine and lots, and images, and divining arrows, are an abomination of the work of Satan; therefore avoid them." (Koran 5. Compare Deut. 18: 10.) The Mohammedan is forbidden to marry an unbeliever. "Marry not women who are idolaters; . . . and give not women who believe, in marriage to the idolaters." (Koran 2. Compare 2 Cor. 6: 14.)
Mohammedans are forbidden to eat certain things, as follows: "Ye are forbidden to eat that which dieth of itself, and blood, and swine's flesh, and that on which the name of any besides God hath been invocated; and that which hath been strangled, . . . and that which hath been sacrificed to idols." (Koran 5. Compare Acts 15: 29; Lev. 11: 7.)
Seventh Hell for Hypocrites
MANY people believe that Islamites teach that women have no soul, and cannot go to heaven. Here is what the Koran says: "I will not suffer the work of him among you who worketh to be lost, whether he be male or female." (Koran 3.) "But whoso doth good works, whether he be male or female, and is a true believer, they shall be admitted into Paradise, and shall not in the least be unjustly dealt with." (Koran 4.)
The Mohammedans believe in seven heavens and seven hells. "And we have created over you seven heavens." (Koran 23.) Concerning the Mohammedan belief in hell, George Sale says: "As to the punishment of the wicked, the Mohammedans are taught that hell is divided into seven stories, . . . one below another. . . . The first will be the receptacle of wicked Mohammedans, the second they assign to the Jews, the third to the Christians, the fourth to the Sabians, the fifth to the Magians, the sixth to idolaters, the seventh to hypocrites." ("Preliminary Discourse.")
Books of records are kept, which shall judge men in the last day. "The fate of every man have we bound about his neck; and we will produce unto him on the day of resurrection a book wherein his actions shall be recorded. It shall be offered him open, and the angels shall say: 'Read this book. Thine own soul will be a sufficient accountant against thee this day.'" (Koran 17.) The Bible says on this point: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Rev. 20: 12.
Precedes the First Blast
THE Mohammedans believe in a resurrection. "So shall be the coming forth of the dead from their graves." (Koran 50.) "On that day shall God call you forth from your sepulchers." (Koran 17.) This resurrection will take place at the great and terrible day of the Lord. It is the time when the Judgment will be held, and the sentences meted out to mankind.
George Sale, in his book, "The Preliminary Discourse," quotes from Dr. Pocock's "Specimen Historiae Arabum," as follows, concerning the Mohammedan beliefs of the signs of the last day:
"The lesser signs are, the decay of faith among men, the advancing of the meanest persons to eminent dignity, . . . tumults and seditions, a war with the Turks, great distress in the world." "The greater signs are, . . . war with the Greeks, and the taking of Constantinople, the coming of antichrist, the descent of Jesus on earth ('Jesus shall be a sign of the approach of the last hour.'—Koran 43), war with the Jews, the eruption of Gog and Magog, a smoke which shall fill the whole earth, an eclipse of the moon. These are the greater signs which, according to their doctrines, are to precede the resurrection. . . . The immediate signs of its being come will be the first blast of the trumpet, which they believe will be sounded three times. ('On that day the trumpet shall be sounded.'—Koran 28.) The first, they call the blast of consternation, at the hearing of484which all creatures will be struck with terror, except those whom God shall please to exempt from it. The effects attributed to this first sound of the trumpet are very wonderful; for they say the earth will be shaken, and not only all buildings, but the very mountains, leveled; that the heavens shall melt, the sun be darkened, the stars fall."
God only knows the day of Judgment. "They shall ask thee concerning the last hour. . . . Answer, Verily the knowledge thereof is with God alone." (Koran 8.) The length of the Judgment will be one thousand years.
A Surprising Agreement
WHEN one compares these beliefs with the statements of the Bible regarding the end of the world and the second coming of Christ, the agreement is surprising. Let us read a few texts from God's holy Book on this great subject: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith." 1 Tim. 4: 1. "And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. . . . For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." Matt. 24: 6, 7. It is evident that these statements of the Bible are similar to the lesser signs which the Mohammedans look for.
Now for Bible parallels to the greater signs mentioned in Islam: "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." 1 John 2: 18. "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1: 11. "For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible." 1 Cor. 15: 52. "And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne." Rev. 6: 14-16. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Peter 3: 10. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken." "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only." Matt. 24: 29, 36.
From these comparisons, we see that the Mohammedan beliefs of the signs of the day of Judgment correspond closely with the Bible account. The Mohammedans believe that Moses, David, and Jesus were prophets. They say that Mohammed was the last and the greatest, and that after him there will be no others. The Mohammedans believe in the Pentateuch, the Psalms, and the four Gospels, but they say that the copies now held by Jews and Christians have been so corrupted that no trust can be placed in them.
The believers of Islam repudiate the idea that Jesus is the Son of God. They say that there is only one God, that He was not begotten, nor does He beget. They believe that Jesus was only a prophet. They are firm haters of idolatry. It is told of one Mohammedan conqueror who had subdued an idolatrous nation, that over one million dollars was offered him if he would not destroy their chief idol. As much as he wanted the money, he refused the offer.
Mohammedanism has a wonderful grip on its followers. There are fewer converts to Christianity from this belief than from any other form of religion. Thousands of the inhabitants of India, millions of those who live in the islands of the sea, are disciples of Islam. One wonders why they cannot be shown how the Bible teaches many things that the Koran teaches, and in this way their respect be won for God's holy Book.
If missionaries that work among this class of people, would dwell upon the resurrection and the Judgment, calling their attention to the teachings of their own religion, might not many be turned to the true worship of God? Let all Christians pray and work that these benighted souls may learn the true way.
