As was noted last month (What the Qur’an says about life after death), Islam is an exclusive religion promising paradise only to those who believe in Allah and earn his acceptance. Everyone else is consigned to the flames of hell forever:
“If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual good)” (3:85 and throughout).
Further, as logically follows from the rejection of Jesus as the Son of God, the Qur’an denies that a savior is provided by God. Each individual must earn his own salvation:
“He is Allah in the heavens and on earth. He knows what you hide, and what you reveal, and He knows the (recompense) which you earn (by your deeds)” (6:3).
“In fact, as we have seen, those that say: ‘God has begotten a son!’… We make them taste the severest Penalty for their blasphemies” (10:68-70).
As there is no savior or covenant of salvation with which to be associated, there is no equivalent in Islam to baptism. One is considered a Muslim when one accepts Allah and the Qur’an and seeks to live according to its precepts.
Ordinances sound acceptable
At first reading, the way of life prescribed for a Muslim compares favorably with Biblical standards. The believers who will be accepted are:
“Those who humble themselves in their prayers; who avoid vain talk; who are active in deeds of charity; who abstain from sex, except with those joined to them in the marriage bond… those who faithfully observe their trusts and their covenants… these will be the heirs who will inherit Paradise” (23:2-11).
Elsewhere Muslim believers are instructed:
“(Do not) come near to adultery…Nor take life…Come not near to the orphan’s property except to improve it…Give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight (17:32-35). Woe to every kind of scandal-monger and backbiter” (104:1).
“The servants of Allah Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility…who, when they spend, are not extravagant and not miserly, but hold a just (balance) between those (extremes)” (25:63,67).
“Never should a believer kill a believer…If a man kills a Believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (for ever)” (4:92,93).
“O you who believe! Devour not Usury, doubled and multiplied; but fear Allah…Fear the Fire, which is prepared for those who reject Faith” (3:130,131).
Where’s the problem?
With these reasonable instructions, why is sharia (Muslim) law considered dangerous by many in the West? Why the brutality in some Muslim countries toward Christians?
There are several reasons:
- As noted in the article on Jihad, Islam is a religion seeking to conquer the world now. When they have the power, they are urged to seek out and slay those who oppose Islam, especially those who are seeking (like ourselves) to convert Muslims to Christianity (4:89; 9:29,30, etc.).
- The Qur’an incorporates one standard of conduct between fellow Muslims and another standard between Muslims and non-Muslims (e.g. as noted below, treaties and covenants with non-Muslims can be broken). By way of contrast, the law of Moses provided equal treatment for Israelites and “strangers”: “If a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him…thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God” (Lev 19:33,34).
- In the article on “love”, we noted the absence of sacrificial love in the Qur’an — as a characteristic of God or as a command to Muslims. This makes a great difference as to a person’s everyday behavior. With the concept of “love” firmly in his thoughts, the practicing disciple of Christ finds all of his conduct in every situation tempered by this overriding principle.
- Allah has a brutal side to him. The very idea of torturing a rejected person for ever in utter torment is brutal (see article on punishment of the wicked). People tend to act like their conception of their god (or create a god in their own image). If the god is brutal, we can expect his worshippers to be brutal.
- There is a surprising undercurrent of compromise in regard to the commands of the Qur’an. As we realize, all we need is a chance to rationalize wrongdoing. What Muhammad may have intended as a gesture to human weakness ends up as a “get out of jail free” card for bad behavior.
This last point is so pervasive in the Qur’an that it needs amplification. Undercurrent of compromise
Take dietary laws as an example. The Qur’an forbids eating of swine, eating blood and eating animals “killed by strangling, a violent blow, or by a headlong fall” or those dedicated to another god than Allah, “unless one is forced by necessity, without willful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits — then is he guiltless, for Allah is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful” (2:173; 5:3; 116:115). In other words, if times get too difficult, eat what you have to in order to survive. Muhammad may have come up with this feature by hearing of Jesus’s lesson from David eating the shewbread intended for the priests. But Muhammad has given the exception far broader application than anything found in Scripture.
Regular prayers are encouraged (there is no specific requirement of five times a day), but: “When you travel through the earth, there is no blame on you if you shorten your prayers, for fear the Unbelievers may attack you” (4:101). This reflects a spirit of putting pragmatic precautions over faith that God will provide. Contrast this instruction with that to Israel: they could confidently leave their cities unprotected when journeying to a centralized feast: “Neither shall any man desire thy land when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year” (Exod 34:24). They left their families and homes exposed to the enemy for weeks, trusting God to protect their possessions and families.
Most surprising is the permission to deny Allah if persecution arises: “Any one who, after accepting Faith in Allah, utters Unbelief — except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith… on them is Wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty” (16:106). We found this a stunning concession to expediency. Here is a capital offence, worthy of eternal hell — denying Allah — that can be committed with impunity if consequences are too severe. What a contrast this is to the Biblical examples of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, the apostles, and the Lord Jesus.
Parents are to be obeyed and treated with kindness unless they insist on behavior “of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them” (29:8; 31:15). This is virtually a blank check for teenagers to ignore their parents. It is a standing joke that most of us are incredulous at how much wiser our parents are when we are 22 than when we were 15. To be told you don’t have to obey them when you don’t understand what they’re talking about must lead to much family strife when children are in their teens.
Treaties can be broken, oaths can be dissolved, covenants can be ignored. The Muslim is told: “If you fear treachery from any group, throw back (their covenant) to them, (so as to be) on equal terms” (8:58). “Allah has already ordained for you, (O men), the dissolution of your oaths (on some occasions)” (66:2). “There was to be An announcement from Allah and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage, — that Allah and His Messenger dissolve (treaty) obligations with the Pagans” [that’s us!] (9:3). Set against these allowances are what seem like strict commands to integrity: “Fulfill the Covenant of Allah when you have entered into it, and do not break your oaths after you have confirmed them” (16:91). It’s little wonder business people and foreign secretaries hear one part of the Qur’an and assume a Muslim will keep a business arrangement or national treaty, only to find the Muslim dissolving the oath acting (in the Muslim’s mind) with the total support of alternative teaching in the Qur’an.
Forgiveness is optional. Commendation is extended to “those who, when an oppressive wrong is inflicted on them, (are not cowed but) help and defend themselves. The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto: but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah” (42:39,40). Given a choice between vengeance and forgiveness, most humans will seek revenge. Contrasted with the Qur’an is the command of Christ that his followers must practice forgiveness in order to be forgiven by our Heavenly Father (Matt 6:12-15).
Drawing attention to charitable giving is allowed but not preferable: “If you disclose (acts of) charity or devotion, even so it is well, but if you conceal them, and make them reach those (really) in need, that is best for you” (2:271). In contrast is the command of Christ to “let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth” (Matt 6:3).
National Sharia laws
The ordinances discussed so far relate to personal or family life. But as Muslims become the majority in geographic areas, they frequently impose Muslim law (Sharia law) as the law of the land. We hear of this in the current press in respect to a number of countries in the Middle East and Africa.
What we are seeing is that the ambiguity and contradictory nature of the Qur’an is leading to remarkable discussions in the secular world. For example, in relation to the international banking system, as banks make sure they can do business in Muslim dominated countries, does “usury” mean excessive interest or any interest at all on mortgage, business or credit card loans? (For further information see Wikipedia article on “Islamic Banking: or Governing Under Sharia”, by Lauren Vriens, 3/23/09, who cites HSBC, Citigroup and Deutsch Bank as financial institutions developing Islamic banking sectors.)
Furthermore, what is the punishment for various infractions of the law (e.g., stealing)? Should people really have both hands cut off? The Qur’an says that unless a thief repents of his crime, the penalty is: “As to the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands: a punishment by way of example, from Allah, for their crime” (5:38). Such a penalty maims a person in the extreme and contributes to the brutality of a country run under Sharia law. Will this become the law of the land in Muslim dominated countries? (For further discussion see Internet under Sharia Law.)
There is much room for debate within Islam for, as was noted in the introductory article, the Qur’an is not always consistent on a given topic. For instance, while in several places Muhammad urges harsh treatment of unbelievers, one could cite 45:14 as the essence of toleration: “Tell those who believe, to forgive those who do not look forward to the Days of Allah: it is for Him to recompense (for good or ill) each People according to what they have earned.”
Contrasted with that ordinance is:
“The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad) [i.e., Christadelphian missionaries] and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land; that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter” (5:33).
Conclusion
The more one studies the Bible, the more one is impressed with its consistency, the beauty of its prose (even though translated into another tongue), and the wonder of the lovingkindness of the living God it reveals. Despite having the Bible to use as a model, the Qur’an falls far short in these areas. Furthermore, as we see again in the study just reviewed, the Qur’an has a number of contradictory instructions even though written over a relatively short 30-year period. Thirty years pales beside the 1,500-year period of the writing of the Bible. We are blessed indeed to have in our hands the word of God which offers us, through God’s Son, the way, the truth and the life.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One