When Westerners think of Sharia law, their concept is usually centered on excessive punishments, such as being stoned for adultery or having hands cut off for stealing. However, Islam presents Sharia not just as a legal system but as an integral way to fulfill the will of Allah for each person and situation, since Allah’s will is to bring about compassion, generosity, and justice.
Pre-Islamic Origins
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.
ANSWERING ISLAM: Crusades: Christian Holy War or Delayed Response?
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.
ISLAM: Sects and Schools: What is the Real Agenda?
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.
What Do Mormons, Muslims, and King James Version Onlyists Have In Common When It Comes to the Bible?
There is a commonality that exists between these three groups of people when it comes to the Bible. All of them appreciate the Bible in their own way; however, all three have issues with one specific aspect of the Bible. For both the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament there are three periods of... Continue Reading →
Sin and Salvation in Islam: Works Alone or Grace Alone?
Today the Muslim concept of salvation is drastically different from the Christian view. Perhaps the best statement to frame the Islamic view of salvation is from Ron Rhodes: “A weak view of sin will always lead to a weak view of salvation.”[1] In other words, Islam minimizes the reality of human sin to such an extent that for the Muslim... Continue Reading →
ISLAM: What Significance Does Sharia Law Have for Muslims and Non-Muslims Today?
When Westerners think of Sharia law, their concept is usually centered on excessive punishments, such as being stoned for adultery or having hands cut off for stealing. However, Islam presents Sharia not just as a legal system but as an integral way to fulfill the will of Allah for each person and situation, since Allah’s will is... Continue Reading →
Islamic Golden Age and Expansion: Path of Peace or Trail of Blood?
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 →
Theological Development of Islam: The Opening of the Gates of Heaven or the “Closing of the Muslim Mind”?
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 →
How Many Christians Convert to Islam? Why?
We are quoting extensively from the Pew Research Center Like Americans in many other religious groups, a substantial share of adults who were raised Muslim no longer identify as members of the faith. But, unlike some other faiths, Islam gains about as many converts as it loses. About a quarter of adults who were raised... Continue Reading →