Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics: 100 Questions and Answers

140 Pages·2003·0.71 MB·English

by  Daniel Ali

Inside Islam
A Guide for Catholics
Daniel Ali and Robert Spencer
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Copyright © 2003 Ascension Press, LLC
All rights reserved.
With the exception of short excerpts used in articles and
critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced,
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publisher.
Ascension Press Post Office Box 1990
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Printed in the United States of America
ISBN: 978-0-9659228-5-2
Abbreviations
Old Testament
Gn = Genesis
Sng = Song of Songs
Ex = Exodus
Wis = Wisdom
Lv = Leviticus
Sir = Sirach
Nm = Numbers
Is = Isaiah
Dt = Deuteronomy
Jer = Jeremiah
Jos = Joshua
Lam = Lamentations
Jgs = Judges
Bar = Baruch
Ru = Ruth
Ez = Ezekiel
1 Sam = 1 Samuel
Dn = Daniel
2 Sam = 2 Samuel
Hos = Hosea
1 Kgs = 1 Kings
Jl = Joel
2 Kgs = 2 Kings
Am = Amos
1 Chr = 1 Chronicles
Ob = Obadiah
2 Chr = 2 Chronicles
Jon = Jonah
Ezr = Ezra
Mi = Micah
Neh = Nehemiah
Na = Nahum
Tb = Tobit
Hb = Habakkuk
Jdt = Judith
Zep = Zephaniah
Est = Esther
Hg = Haggai
Jb = Job
Zec = Zechariah
Ps = Psalms
Mal = Malachi
Prv = Proverbs
1Mc = 1 Maccabees
Eccl = Ecclesiastes
2Mc = 2 Maccabees
New Testament
Mt = Matthew
1 Tm = 1 Timothy
Mk = Mark
2 Tm = 2 Timothy
Lk = Luke
Ti = Titus
Jn = John
Phlm = Philemon
Acts = Acts
Heb = Hebrews
Rom = Romans
Jas = James
1 Cor = 1 Corinthians
1 Pt = 1 Peter 2
Cor = 2 Corinthians
2 Pt = 2 Peter
Gal = Galatians
1 Jn = 1 John
Eph = Ephesians
2 Jn = 2 John
Phil = Philippians
3 Jn = 3 John
Col = Colossians
Jude = Jude
1 Thess = 1 Thessalonians
Rv = Revelation
2 Thess = 2 Thessalonians
CCC = Catechism of the Catholic Church
Foreword
Islam glories in the clear simplicity of its doctrine and demands. The faith
of the Muslim can be understood by the least educated person, and the religion
offers a promise of eternal happiness in a paradise appealing to the senses.
Muslims criticize Christianity for a number of reasons, but chief among them is
that Christianity is too complex a mystery to be true. Furthermore, the belief in a
heaven where the blessed see God face to face seems blasphemous to the
Muslim.
Despite Islam’s profession of a simple, clear faith, this religion is not well
known to most Westerners. The media presents many news stories about
Muslims without offering any real explanation of Islam and its tenets. Rarely
does one encounter an article or program which explains the essential
differences between secular Arab nationalism and Islamic religious movements.
Many Western Christians remain unclear about the differences between the
various Muslim sects: How do Sunni and Shiite differ? What are Wahhabi
Muslims?
Since the conflicts in the Middle East have involved America in two wars
and terrorism has inflicted horrors upon our own shores and abroad, the sale of
the Koran in its English translation has greatly increased in the United States.
Many American Christians want to better understand Islam but find that the
more closely they approach this enigmatic faith, the more complex it seems.
Since the Koran is not organized chronologically or thematically, it is difficult
for the non-Muslim to make sense of it. The Koran appears so strange to
Western eyes that many readers find it difficult to find a firm starting point to
read it with comprehension.
Another problem in understanding Islam stems from the many conflicting
ideas existing within it. Is it a religion of peace or a religion of war-like-jihad?
Does jihad mean the individual struggle to submit to God more completely or
does it refer to the universal struggle against every non-Muslim society and
structure? If Islam teaches so many good things about Jesus Christ and the
Virgin Mary, why do Muslims have so many difficulties with Christian beliefs?
The committed Christian, then, is faced with a central question: Does the
choice between Islam and Christianity make any difference in living life on earth
or achieving eternal bliss in the next life? Both Islam and Christianity claim to
be God’s true revelation, so how does a Christian respond to Islam’s claim? Is
there a way to sift through the Koran, pull together its themes of revelation, and
make sense of it from a Christian perspective? Though Muslims are actively
seeking converts from among Christians, is it possible to evangelize Muslims
about Christianity? How can one begin to discuss the issues which separate the
two religions?
I commend the authors of this book for helping Catholics tackle this most
important topic. They have presented many of the key beliefs of Islam in a clear
question-and-answer format. Their deep insights into the text and language of
the Koran are truly enriching, especially for the relatively new student of Islam.
Though unabashedly Christian, Daniel Ali and Robert Spencer have chosen
to treat this world religion and its believers with the respect they are due. First,
Muslims are recognized as persons who truly want to please God by submitting
to Him, and their commitment and sincerity are respectfully presented. Second, a
great wealth of information from Islamic sources — the Koran, Muhammad’s
Tradition (the Hadith), and the opinions of Islamic scholars — is presented and
discussed extensively, with source citations provided so that the reader can
personally examine the texts. And third, they take the claims of Islam seriously,
as is proper for a religion which has changed the lives of hundreds of millions
over thirteen centuries and across many cultures. Islam claims a divine origin for
its revelation, so its texts must be read from the point of view of such a high
claim.
This respectful attitude towards Islam involves a process of serious, careful
attention to the data of Islamic revelation. However, the authors also note the
difficulties, tensions, and contradictions within the Islamic literature precisely
because they take it so seriously. Daniel Ali had to face these difficulties
personally — though once a believing Muslim, the tensions he began to see
within Islam became such a weighty challenge that he was moved to increase his
study of Islamic texts until he eventually came to accept that Jesus Christ is the
true Son of God and Lord of all.
Having heard Mr. Ali speak many times, I am again deeply impressed at his
brilliant insights into the many difficulties presented by the Koran. His deep
understanding of its language and careful examination of the Arabic vocabulary
help the nonArabic speaking Christian follow the arguments about its claims to
be the reliable, perfect, inspired word of Allah. His coauthor, Robert Spencer,
also comes to the project with an extensive knowledge of the religion of
Muhammad, having written two previous books on Islam. Mr. Spencer’s
background as a Catholic apologist and teacher have served this present book
well.
Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics is especially for those Christians who
want to submit to Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations. This book is
definitely not for the timid or indifferent Catholic. It is for those who truly want
to explore the mystery that is Islam, so that they might be better prepared to
proclaim the saving truth of Christ to their Muslim neighbors. No one who is
beginning to confront the reality of Islam should be without this book. May God
bless all who read it.
—Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J.
Introduction
Islam. To some, the word itself is frightening; to others, mysterious.
Whether Islam evokes fear or intrigue, it has become increasingly clear that the
modern Western world cannot afford to ignore this enigmatic religion. The
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the recent war with Iraq, and the
ongoing crisis plaguing the Holy Land have put Islam in the news now more
than ever. Nevertheless, most Catholics know little about this formidable faith
— an ignorance that could have profound consequences for the future.
While the post-Christian West is afflicted with spiritual apathy and
religious indifferentism, Islam is flourishing. Aside from high rates of
immigration and rapid population growth, Islam is growing in the West mainly
because it stands for something — it has clearly enunciated beliefs and values.
This can be very attractive to people living in a secular, skeptical age. In
addition, as long as non-Muslims care little about understanding, explaining, or
defending their own religious beliefs, Islam will stand unchallenged because the
committed and practicing Muslim is always ready to share what he believes.
Some Christians might say, ‘‘Islam is growing. So what?’’ They might
argue that Muslims believe in one God, the same God of Abraham that Jews and
Christians worship. Catholics might add that the Catechism of the Catholic
Church speaks of Muslims as somehow involved with the ‘‘plan of salvation’’
(CCC841). In light of all this, does it really matter whether or not they are
introduced to Christianity? Yes, it most emphatically does.
Here’s why: Although there are undoubtedly millions of virtuous Muslims,
Islam itself is an incomplete, misleading, and often downright false revelation
which, in many ways, directly contradicts what God has revealed through the
prophets of the Old Testament and through His Son Jesus Christ, the Word made
flesh. And, as you will see in the coming pages, its beliefs have serious
consequences for human dignity and the cultures of the countries in which it
dominates. For several reasons (which many in the West have tried to ignore or
explain away), Islam constitutes a threat to the world at large. Despite having
agreement with Christianity on some fundamental beliefs, Islam’s theology and
its aggressive growth are not benign realities. Indeed, Christians ignore them at
their own risk.
Islam is now embraced by more than a billion people — one out of every