Christian Publishing House Blog
Apologetic Defense of the faith, the Bible, and Christianity
The traditional accounts describe Arabs before the time of Muhammad as being in a state of confusion, which Muslims refer to as “Jahiliyyah.” This term means that the Arabs were spiritually lost, and their practices were strongly opposed to Allah’s ways – they did not know the truth and were always fighting among themselves.
At the time of this publication, ISIS has been on the defeated but not decimated by the Trump administration. However, this group represents many radical groups that have gone before it and other groups that will rise up in its place. Therefore, we can use this recent manifestation of the face of radical Islam to help us understand the core motivations of similar groups — past, present, and future.
Whenever the subject of the Crusades comes up in conversation, it seems to touch a raw nerve and causes Christians in the West to feel defensive as well as apologetic.
In Surah 42:13, the Qur’an teaches that there should be no divisions within Islam:
He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not be divided therein.
In some ways, Islam is a complex, multi-layered religion that mixes politics, economics, and social dynamics within a religious structure. The structure itself is based on the Qur’an’s pronouncements from Allah, the words of the prophet Muhammad recorded in the Hadith and a complicated system of jurisprudence. On the other hand, the basic doctrines are quite simple, and initiation... Continue Reading →
In a traditional history of Islam, one major chapter is usually dedicated to the Islamic empires, which lasted from the early medieval period to, technically, the fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War I. The details of the rapid conquests, the general trend of expansion over the centuries, and, most of all, the legendary accounts of fabulous... Continue Reading →
After a religion is introduced to a culture or to an empire, often a period of theological debates will follow, fine-tuning the details and implications of general religious tenets. Certainly, this was the case during the decades following Muhammad’s death and the establishment of Islam as a political force. Both secular and theological changes rapidly followed... Continue Reading →
Introduction The first 60 years of Islam after the death of Muhammad are not only interesting to study but vital for a thorough understanding of Islam’s origin story. How and when did Islam become a fully developed religion? There is a significant controversy over whether it was a perfect and complete faith at the time... Continue Reading →
Introduction As is true of any scripture, the Qur’an is a vital part of understanding Islam both as it is practiced today and as its origins are described. Since most non-Muslims have never read the Qur’an, a brief introduction is in order. The word “Qur’an” means “recitation” in Arabic and is thought to be derived from the Syriac... Continue Reading →
One of the most striking inconsistent elements are present in the Quran is the idea of freedom of worship. On the one hand, there are several times that the Quran expresses concern for religious liberty, such as, “Let there be no compulsion in religion.” (Surah 2:256) Yet, on the other hand, there are many other... Continue Reading →