Oct

22

Seven Themes of Fruitfulness in Muslim Contexts

Filed Under Communicating with those of other faiths, Great Commission, Islam, Muslim, missiology | Leave a Comment

7659-425461-300x200In the latest issues of International Journal of Frontier Missions (26:2), Eric Adams, Don Allen, and Bob Fish discuss the characteristics of effective field practitioners in Muslim contexts in their article Seven Themes of Fruitfulness (pdf). They identified the seven themes of fruitfulness after surveying and interviewing 300 missionaries from 34 different agencies which work among Muslim peoples. The seven themes they found among those who saw substantial and long-lasting fruit are:

1. Fluency: The worker communicates the gospel in the peoples’ heart language (the language they speak at home), rather than their trade language.

2. Storying: The majority of Muslim peoples live in functionally oral societies, so the workers communicate biblical truth through culturally-appropriate storying methods.

3. Christ-like Character: The workers have a good reputation among the people. They are seen as respectful of the host culture. They are seen as spiritual people who love and serve others. They also are known for sharing meals and being hospitable.

4. Social Networks: They seek to reach “networks among whom trust-relationships already exist,” like families and other natural social groups, instead of just reaching individuals.

5. Scripture: They use the Bible as “their primary means of sharing the gospel, training new believers and developing leaders.”

6. Intentional Reproduction: From the very start they teach seekers and new believers to teach others what they are learning. They plant churches and train leaders who can spiritually reproduce.

7. Prayer: Workers are people of prayer, individually and corporately. They also take the time to establish extensive prayer networks in support of their work.

Dec

5

The Disobedient Prophet?

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Last month I went to the annual meeting for the American Academy of Religion. The most interesting session I attended was titled “The Disobedient Prophet? Tensions between Qur’anic Verses and Prophetic Practice.”

The first presenter discussed the tension between minimalism and comprehensiveness in the development of Shariah law. He argued that the early Muslim community took a minimalist approach in which Muslims could choose to do as they wished as long as it was not required or forbidden in the Qur’an. He then argued that in time, the comprehensive position won out in which Shariah Law was understood to encompass all of life, based upon the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah (the example set by Muhammad). He finished by arguing that the different schools of law in the Islamic world differ due to the way they have chosen to work out the teachings of Qur’an and the Sunnah.

The second presenter gave the example of how the Qur’an (9:5) teaches to “slay pagans wherever you find them,” yet Muhammad chose to ransom prisioners at the end of the battle of Badr.

The third presenter gave the example of the Qur’anic injunction to beat a disobedient wife (4:34), yet some hadiths recount how Muhammad discouraged men from doing so.

The fourth presenter gave the example of how the Qur’an teaches that those guilty of sexual immorality should receive 100 lashes (24:2), yet in a hadith Muhammad says that those guilty of sexual immorality should be stoned instead.

At the end of the session, the panelists came to the conclusion that these contradictions were only apparent. They went into detail describing how Muslims through the centuries have attempted to solve the tensions. Some of the “solutions” were more convincing than others.

In any case, I left the session reminded of the difficulty and complexity of studying other faiths. Those in the Christian tradition who have studied theology, church history, and biblical studies know how complex some issues can be. It is common place for those who have even graduated with an M.Div. to feel like they just began to scratch the surface on so many different areas of study.

Therefore, as Christians who are studying other religions, we should be humble and realize that the various religious traditions we are studying have their own complex history of practices and beliefs, and cannot be “figured out” any more than Christianity can be “figured out” by simply reading a few books.

Aug

5

Who Speaks for Islam?

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I recently came across a very interesting book, Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed. This book is based upon a Gallup’s World Poll in which they “surveyed a sample representing more than 90% of the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims” (xi). The book provides great information on what the worldwide Muslim community thinks about politics, radical Islam, gender issues, and the west.

In the first chapter of the book, Esposito and Mogahed introduce the reader to the basic beliefs and practices of Islam.  Unfortunately, a few of their statements reveal an apologetic bias.  For example, they write that “Islam means a strong commitment to God and shares the same Arabic root as the word for peace, or salaam” (7).  Actually, Islam means submission (to God). Thus, a Muslim is one who submits to God.  A couple of pages later they write, “Jesus’ mother, Mary, is mentioned by name more times in the Quran than in the New Testament” (9). I am not sure exactly what point they were trying to make, but they are clearly trying to make their Christian readers feel more comfortable with Islam. This apologetic bias does call into question how the Gallup’s poll data was presented in the book.  Nevertheless, the book is still valuable.

Instead of summarizing the book I just want to list a few of the findings that I found the most interesting:

1. 7% (91 million) of the Muslim world is radicalized (They believe that the 9/11 attacks were “completely” justified) (97).
2. Radicals are not more religious than the general population (98).
3. On average, the radicalized are more educated than moderate Muslims (71), disproving the idea that radicalism comes from the poor and uneducated.
4. The attributes most associated with the U.S. are: ruthless (68%), scientifically and technologically advanced (68%), aggressive (66%), conceited (65%), and morally decadent (64%).

I would recommend this book to those who want to better understand what Muslims believe (just beware of the bias of the authors).

Jul

8

Who can use the word “Allah”?

Filed Under Communicating with those of other faiths, Islam, Sikhism | 1 Comment

I recently came across a story in the Times of India which describes how in Muslim-majority Malaysia, Sikhs are going to court for the right to use the word “Allah” in their sacred scriptures.  The Malaysian government has banned non-Muslims from using the word.  What is even more interesting is that the Sikhs are not the only ones fighting for this right; even a Roman Catholic newspaper is going to court to keep its right to use “Allah” for God.

As you might know, the use of “Allah” by Christians when referring to the god of the Bible is a controversial issue in missiology.  Some argue that ”Allah” is simply the generic Arabic word for god and as such, it can be used by Christians.  On the other hand, others argue that the word “Allah” is too closely tied to Islam, and using it leads to doctrinal confusion.

There are many issues to consider:

1. Can the word “Allah” be separated from Islam?
2. What do you do if you are in an Arabic-speaking context and there is no other word for God?
3. What word have Arabic-speaking Christians used for God through the centuries?
4. How would using “Allah” for the god of the Bible confuse a Muslim, a new believer, etc?
5. How would the issue be different in a Muslim context as opposed to a non-Muslim context?
6. How would the issue be different in an Arabic-speaking context as opposed to a non-Arabic speaking context?
7. How would this issue affect Bible translation? Translation of Christian materials? Evangelistic materials?
8. How would using “Allah” facilitate or detract from the communication of the gospel?
9. How would not using “Allah” facilitate or detract from the communication of the gospel?

These questions are by no means exhaustive, but they do show how the issue is more complex than many make it out to be.  No matter where you stand on this issue, the reality is that a new believer needs to be taught about the nature of God as revealed in the Bible.  If the new believer was a Muslim then he must be taught the difference between the god of the Bible and the god of the Qur’an.  Similarly, if the new believer was an atheist then he must be taught the difference between what the Bible says God is like versus what he has heard about God from those around him.  This is true for all believers.  We should continually check to see how our view of God lines up with God’s self-revelation in the Scriptures.  As A.W. Tozer once wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think of God is the most important thing about us.” (The Knowledge of the Holy, Chapter 1) 

Jul

2

Why do Muslims not like dogs?

Filed Under Islam | 4 Comments

Well, not all Muslims.  However, traditionally Muslims have avoided dogs since they are ritually unclean. Here are two interesting stories I saw about Muslims and dogs:

From my studies I had learned that Muslims are usually not that keen about dogs, but I had never really seen documentation about where this came from. So, I decided to do some investigation. Here are a few of Muhammad’s sayings about dogs found in Sahih Bukhari (the most respected collection of Hadiths in the Muslim world):

1. Volume 1, Book 4, #173

Narrated Abu Huraira: “Allah’s Apostle said, “If a dog drinks from the utensil of anyone of you it is essential to wash it seven times.””

2. Volume 1, Book 9, #490

Narrated ‘Aisha:  “The things which annul the prayers were mentioned before me. They said, “Prayer is annulled by a dog, a donkey and a woman (if they pass in front of the praying people).” I said, “You have made us (i.e. women) dogs. I saw the Prophet praying while I used to lie in my bed between him and the Qibla. Whenever I was in need of something, I would slip away. For I disliked to face him.”"

3. Volume 3, Book 39, #516

Narrated As-Sa’ib bin Yazid: “Abu Sufyan bin Abu Zuhair, a man from Azd Shanu’a and one of the companions of the Prophet said, “I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, ‘If one keeps a dog which is meant for guarding neither a farm nor cattle, one Qirat of the reward of his good deeds is deducted daily.” I said, “Did you hear this from Allah’s Apostle?” He said, “Yes, by the Lord of this Mosque.”"

4. Volume 4, Book 54, #448

Narrated Abu Talha: “I heard Allah’s Apostle saying; “Angels (of Mercy) do not enter a house wherein there is a dog or a picture of a living creature (a human being or an animal).”” 

5. Volume 4, Book 54, #450

Narrated Salim’s father: “Once Gabriel promised the Prophet (that he would visit him, but Gabriel did not come) and later on he said, “We, angels, do not enter a house which contains a picture or a dog.””

 On the blogroll to the right I added a link to an electronic concordance of the Qur’an and Hadith.

May

18

Mecca: the center of the earth?

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A few weeks ago the BBC reported that various Muslim scientists and clerics called for the adoption of Mecca time to replace GMT because they believe that it is the center of the earth.    For Muslims, Mecca has always been “theologically” the center of the earth; however, now one Muslim geologist is arguing that Mecca is also physically the true center of the earth since Mecca’s longitude is perfectly aligned to magnetic north.  Although I am not a scientist, I am thinking that other scientists might disagree.  In any case, this story provides a good occasion to review important facts about Mecca:

1. During the time of Muhammad, the Kaa’ba (cube-like building) was an important pagan religious site located in Mecca.

2. After Muhammad gained control of Mecca, he cleared the Kaa’ba of its idols and ”baptized” pagan practices that revolved around the Kaa’ba by giving them new Muslim meanings.  These practices are still performed as part of the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca which all Muslims are expected to do if they are able to)

3. All Muslims are expected to perform their ritual prayers 5 times a day facing in the direction of the Kaa’ba in Mecca.  (Muhammad initially had his community face Jerusalem to do their prayers, but later changed it to Mecca)

4. According to the Qur’an, Abraham and Ishmael built the Kaa’ba and were commanded to carry out the rituals that are now performed as part of the Hajj. But, according to Muslim tradition, Abraham only rebuilt the Kaa’ba since Adam built it first.  Also, according to some traditions, when Allah created the world he first created Mecca and then spread out from there, making it the center of the world. 

5.   For Muslims, Mecca is the axis mundi, the center of the world.  It is where heaven and earth meet.  Everyday millions of Muslims face Mecca and are united in their submission to Allah as they perform their ritual prayers.  Mecca is a symbol of what is most sacred and important (non-Muslims are not allowed in Mecca).  It is a symbol of the “purest” form of monotheism which began with Adam, was carried on by the prophets who followed him, and which was finally renewed by Muhammad. 

For Muslims, this one city, Mecca, stands as a physical reminder of the oneness of Allah and of the unity of his ummah (Muslim community).  With this understanding of Mecca, it is not surprising that Muslim scientists and clerics want the world to keep track of time based upon their most holy and precious city.

 The BBC story can be found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7359258.stm

Feb

28

An Islamic Reformation?

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According to Islam, the goal of life is to submit and obey God. For the Muslim, this means obedience to God’s revelation in the Qur’an. However, because many daily concerns are not addressed in the Qur’an, how does a Muslim know what God requires? To answer these types of questions Muslims turn to the example of Muhammad, as recorded in the hadith. Hadiths are reports of the actions, sayings, and teachings of the prophet. These hadiths are grouped into various collections, some more authoritative than others. Therefore, although theologically the Qur’an is more important to a Muslim, the hadiths are more influential in their day to day life.

The reliability of the hadiths have for the most part been unquestioned within Islam, that is, until now.

In a recent BBC story it is reported that the Turkish Department of Religious Affairs has commissioned theologians at the Ankara University to study the hadiths and provide a revised edition of the collection. The Turkish government and the leading theologians in Turkey believe that many of the hadiths are not authentic and that they obscure the true teachings of Islam. They argue that many of the hadiths have taken on “cultural baggage” that is passed off as true Islam. According to the Turkish government, these inauthentic hadiths often have negative influence on Muslim societies.

It is difficult to say exactly how much this will affect the Muslim world; however, it is certain that if this new revised edition of the hadiths begins to be used around the world, Islam will begin to look much differently. Also, as with the Protestant Reformation, we could see a division within the Muslim world between those who accept the new collection of hadiths and those who will hold on to the old. Only time will tell.

Here is the link to the BBC story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7264903.stm