Defending the Christian Faith in Conversation with Islam — Unit 1: Why Pastors Must Understand Islam

Key Verse

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15, NKJV)

Learning Objectives

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Explain in simple words the basic beliefs and practices of Islam, as a Muslim would recognize them.

2. Define the key terms Islam, Muslim, Allah, Qur'an, sura, ayah, dawah and apologetics.

3. Describe why Islam is an important challenge for churches in Africa, Latin America and the wider world.

4. Explain the four parts of the posture taught in 1 Peter 3:15.

5. Tell the difference between gracious apologetics and quarrelling or attacking people.

6. Summarize the story of Nabeel Qureshi and name the lessons it teaches pastors.

Introduction

A pastor in a growing town in West Africa opens his door one morning. A young man from his church is there. He is troubled. At work, a Muslim friend told him that the Bible has been changed, that Jesus never claimed to be God, and that Jesus did not really die on the cross. The young man does not know how to answer. He asks his pastor, "Is it true?"

Situations like this happen every day in Africa, in Latin America and in many other places. Some pastors feel afraid. Some get angry. Some say, "Just have faith and do not listen." But the young man needs more than that. He needs a pastor who understands what his friend believes, who knows the evidence for the Christian faith, and who can show him how to answer with truth and with love. This course is written to help you become that kind of pastor.

In this first unit we lay the foundation. We will look briefly at what Muslims believe. We will consider why Islam is a serious challenge for the church today. Then we will study the attitude that God commands in 1 Peter 3:15. Finally, we will look at the life of Nabeel Qureshi, a devout Muslim who became a follower of Jesus, as an opening case for the whole course.

Islam in Brief: What Muslims Believe

Before we answer any belief, we must understand it fairly. A good rule is this: describe Islam in a way that an informed Muslim would say, "Yes, that is what we believe." If we attack a belief that Muslims do not hold, we lose their respect and we fail to help them. Honesty is part of our witness.

Islam teaches that there is one God, who created all things, who will judge all people on the Last Day, and who has sent prophets to guide humanity. Muslims believe that the last and greatest of these prophets was Muhammad, who lived in Arabia in the seventh century after Christ. They believe that God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel over about twenty-three years. Muslims honour many figures we know from the Bible, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus, whom the Qur'an calls Isa.

Key words

Here are some words you will meet often in this course. Learn them well, because they will help you understand your Muslim neighbours and speak accurately.

• Islam is an Arabic word that means "submission," that is, submission to God.

• Muslim means "one who submits" to God. It is the name for a follower of Islam.

• Allah is the Arabic word for God. Arabic-speaking Christians also use it for God in their Bibles and prayers.

• Qur'an means "recitation." It is the holy book of Islam, which Muslims believe is the very speech of God.

• A sura is a chapter of the Qur'an. There are 114 suras.

• An ayah is a verse of the Qur'an. We write references as sura:ayah, so Qur'an 4:157 means sura 4, ayah 157.

• Dawah means "invitation." It is the Muslim effort to invite others to accept Islam.

• Apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia, "a defense." It is the work of explaining and defending the Christian faith with reasons.

The Five Pillars

Most Muslims describe their basic practice with five duties, often called the Five Pillars of Islam. They shape the daily life of a faithful Muslim, and knowing them will help you understand your neighbours.

• The confession (shahada): "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God."

• Prayer (salat): formal prayer five times each day, facing Mecca.

• Giving (zakat): a required gift to the poor and needy.

• Fasting (sawm): no food or drink from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan.

• Pilgrimage (hajj): a journey to Mecca at least once in life, for those who are able.

Many Muslims are sincere, prayerful and morally serious. They fear God and want to please Him. We should respect this sincerity. Yet sincerity is not the same as truth. The central question between Christians and Muslims is not whether people are sincere, but who Jesus Christ really is, and whether God has truly spoken in the Bible.

The Challenge in Africa and the World

Islam is the second-largest religion in the world. Nearly two billion people are Muslims. It is present on every continent, and it is growing. Christians and Muslims together make up more than half of the world's population. For this reason alone, no pastor can ignore Islam.

In Africa

Africa is one of the main meeting places of Christianity and Islam. North Africa is mostly Muslim. Across the Sahel, the wide region south of the Sahara Desert, and along the coast of East Africa, Islam has been present for many centuries. In several nations, such as Nigeria, the population is divided between large Christian and Muslim communities. Many African Christians have Muslim relatives, neighbours, classmates and co-workers.

In such places Christians and Muslims often live side by side in peace, buy and sell together, and help one another in times of need. But there are also pressures. Some Muslim groups carry out well-funded dawah, with literature, radio, video and public debates. Some young Christians hear arguments against the Bible for the first time and have no answer. In some regions Christians face discrimination or even violence. Pastors must prepare their people for all of these realities.

In Latin America and elsewhere

In Latin America the Muslim population is much smaller, but it is present in many cities, and it is growing through immigration and through conversion. Islamic outreach material now exists in Spanish and Portuguese, and much of it is shared on the internet and social media. A young person in Mexico, Brazil or Argentina can watch a debate video against Christianity on his phone tonight. In Europe, North America and Asia, the same is true. The question "How do I answer a Muslim?" is no longer only for missionaries. It is a question for every congregation.

The Distinction That Governs This Course

A Christian pastor must be able to tell the difference between what the founder of a religion taught and everything his later followers have done. Christians have done cruel things. They have persecuted those who disagreed with them, and some have even carried the cross as a banner in war. Those actions must not be hidden or excused. But to know whether they were truly Christian, we must ask whether they obeyed the commands of Jesus and followed His example. The same fairness applies when we study Islam. We must separate Muhammad's own words and reported conduct from the actions of later rulers, governments and Muslims today.

So the main question of this course is not, "Which religious community has done fewer wrongs in history?" It is, "What did Jesus actually teach, and how does the example of Muhammad compare?" Isaiah calls the promised ruler the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6, NKJV). Jesus taught His followers to love their enemies (Matthew 5:44). At His arrest He told Peter to put away his sword (Matthew 26:52), and before Pilate He said, "If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight" (John 18:36, NKJV). He sent His disciples to make disciples by teaching and baptizing (Matthew 28:19-20). This does not mean that Christians may never defend themselves, or that every hard question about government and war is answered. It means that forcing people to follow Him was never Jesus' way of making disciples.

This course is clearly Christian in its convictions, but the pastor's honesty must be as plain as his convictions. We should be able to explain a Muslim belief in words a thoughtful Muslim would recognize before we criticize it. Our purpose is not to shame our neighbours. It is to prepare pastors to tell the truth about Christ, to answer challenges with courage, and to serve faithfully.

Why the Pastor Must Be Ready

The pastor is a shepherd. A shepherd feeds the flock, and he also protects it. Paul told the elders at Ephesus to "take heed to yourselves and to all the flock" (Acts 20:28, NKJV). Part of protecting the flock is helping believers to understand their faith well enough that they are not shaken by every new argument.

There are several reasons why pastors must understand Islam:

• To protect believers. Church members, especially young people, will hear Islamic arguments against the Bible and against Jesus. They need clear, honest answers.

• To reach Muslims with the gospel. Muslims are people for whom Christ died. We cannot share the gospel well with people whose beliefs we do not understand.

• To recognize false claims. Some claims made about the Bible, about Jesus and about history are simply not true. A prepared pastor can recognize them and explain why.

• To avoid our own errors. Christians sometimes say things about Islam that are unfair or untrue. Careful study keeps us honest.

• To equip the congregation. The pastor cannot be present in every conversation. He must train his people to answer for themselves.

Jude wrote that believers should "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3, NKJV). To contend earnestly does not mean to fight with fists or with insults. It means to work hard, with serious effort, to keep the gospel true and clear. That is the work of this course.

The Posture of 1 Peter 3:15

Our key verse was written by the apostle Peter to Christians who were scattered minorities in the Roman world. They faced suspicion and suffering from their neighbours. Peter did not tell them to hide their faith, and he did not tell them to fight back. He gave them a posture, a way of standing before the world. This verse has four parts, and each one matters for our conversations with Muslims.

Sanctify Christ as Lord in your heart

Peter begins with the heart, not the mouth. To "sanctify" the Lord means to set Him apart as holy, to honour Him as Lord above all. Before we answer anyone, our own hearts must be fully given to Christ. Apologetics does not begin with clever arguments. It begins with worship. A pastor who prays, who loves the Lord, and who trusts the Scriptures will speak with a quiet confidence that no argument can buy.

Always be ready

Peter says "always be ready." This means preparation. We do not know when a neighbour, a student or a taxi driver will ask a question. The time to study is before the question comes. This course will give you the knowledge you need, but you must also make it your own through reading, prayer and practice.

Give a reason for the hope

Peter uses the Greek word apologia, "a defense," the word from which we get "apologetics." In Peter's world it could describe the reasoned answer a person gave in a court. Our faith is not blind. It rests on real events in history: the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are called to give reasons, evidence and explanation. Notice also that Peter speaks of "the hope that is in you." Our goal is not only to win an argument but to point people to the living hope we have in Christ.

With meekness and fear

Finally, Peter says that our answer must be given "with meekness and fear." Meekness is gentleness, strength under control. Fear here means reverence toward God and respect toward the person we speak with. We may be completely firm about the truth and still be gentle in the way we speak. Paul taught the same: "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one" (Colossians 4:6, NKJV). A harsh answer, even if it is true, often closes a door that God wanted to open.

What Apologetics Is and Is Not

Some believers think that defending the faith means winning debates and making the other person look foolish. That is not the biblical picture. Paul wrote that "a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient" (2 Timothy 2:24, NKJV). Christian apologetics is firm about truth and gentle with people.

Apologetics in this course is:

• Explaining clearly what the Bible teaches about God, Jesus and salvation.

• Showing, with evidence from history and Scripture, where Islamic claims are mistaken.

• Answering questions honestly, and admitting when we do not know something.

• Treating Muslims as people made in the image of God, with dignity and respect.

Apologetics in this course is not:

• Mocking the Prophet of Islam, the Qur'an or Muslim people.

• Spreading rumours, exaggerations or false stories about Islam.

• Stirring up anger, hatred or violence against anyone.

• Treating a conversation as a battle to win rather than a person to love.

Interestingly, the Qur'an itself tells Muslims, "And argue not with the People of the Scripture unless it be in (a way) that is better" (Qur'an 29:46, Pickthall). The phrase "People of the Scripture" refers to Jews and Christians. Many Muslims value respectful discussion. When we speak with grace, we often find that our Muslim friends are willing to talk about the deepest questions of life.

Christians have walked this road before us. Samuel Zwemer, an American missionary who served many years in Arabia and Egypt, spent his life studying Islam and sharing Christ with Muslims, and he urged the church to love Muslims enough to understand them. We stand in a long line of believers who have tried to speak truth with patience.

An Opening Case: Nabeel Qureshi

To see how truth and love work together, we will look at the life of Nabeel Qureshi. His story will return many times in this course, because the questions he studied are the same questions we will study.

Nabeel Qureshi was born in 1983 in the United States to devout Muslim parents of Pakistani background. His family belonged to the Ahmadiyya, a movement that began in India in the nineteenth century. Many other Muslims do not accept the Ahmadiyya as part of mainstream Islam, but Nabeel's family held their faith with deep devotion. His father was an officer in the United States Navy. Nabeel grew up loving God, praying, and learning to defend Islam against Christian claims.

As a student at Old Dominion University in Virginia, Nabeel met a Christian named David Wood. The two became close friends, and years of friendly debate began between them. They argued about the Bible, about Jesus, and about Muhammad. Through it all they remained friends and trusted one another. Their friendship made honest discussion possible.

Qureshi set out to examine the evidence carefully. He studied the historical case for the crucifixion of Jesus, for His resurrection from the dead, and for His claims to be divine. He also examined the early sources about Muhammad and about the Qur'an. Qureshi argued that the historical evidence for the death and resurrection of Jesus was strong, and that the claims of Christ could not simply be set aside. At the same time, his study raised serious questions for him about the Islamic sources.

The evidence alone did not settle the matter for him. Nabeel prayed and asked God to show him the truth. He described dreams that he believed God used to guide him. Around 2005 he gave his life to Jesus Christ as Lord and God. The decision came at great personal cost. It caused deep pain in his relationship with his family, whom he loved dearly.

Nabeel became a medical doctor. Later he gave his life to speaking and writing about Islam and Christianity, always with respect for Muslims and with love for his family. In 2016 he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and he died in September 2017 at the age of 34. Though his life was short, his testimony has encouraged many Christians and has led many Muslims to consider the claims of Christ.

What we learn from his story

Qureshi's story teaches several lessons for pastors who want to engage Muslims:

• Friendship opens the door. Years of patient friendship made it possible for hard questions to be discussed honestly.

• Evidence matters. The historical facts about Jesus, especially His death and resurrection, were central in Qureshi's journey.

• God draws people to Himself. Arguments are not enough. Prayer and the work of God are essential.

• The cost is real. Muslims who follow Christ may lose family, community, work or even safety. The church must be ready to love and support them.

• Sincere Muslims deserve respect. Qureshi's family were devout and loving people, not enemies. We must speak about Muslims as he did, with honour.

If you wish to read further, Qureshi wrote several books that are recommended reading for this course: Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus (2014), Answering Jihad (2016) and No God but One: Allah or Jesus? (2016).

Speaking Truth Safely

Many students of this course live as a minority among Muslims, or in areas where religious tension is high. Your safety and the safety of your people matter. Jesus said, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16, NKJV). Wisdom is not cowardice. It is knowing when, where and how to speak.

Some practical guidelines will help. Speak personally with friends rather than attacking Islam in public places. Avoid anything that could be seen as an insult to the Prophet of Islam or the Qur'an. Do not share material you have not checked. Know the laws and the local situation where you live. Never answer pressure or violence with violence. Paul wrote, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18, NKJV). Our Lord Himself, when He was insulted, "did not revile in return" (1 Peter 2:23, NKJV).

The Road Ahead in This Course

This course has twelve units. In the coming units we will study the origins of Islam and the life of Muhammad, the Qur'an and the Hadith, and the Islamic view of Jesus compared with the Christ of the Gospels. We will explain the Trinity and answer the charge that Christians worship three gods. We will look at the evidence for the crucifixion and the resurrection. We will examine the claim that the Bible has been corrupted and the evidence for the reliability of the New Testament. We will answer common Muslim objections, consider folk Islam and Christian witness in Africa, and finish with practical ministry to Muslims and care for those who come to Christ.

Each unit will follow the same pattern you have seen here: first understand fairly, then answer with Scripture and evidence, and always speak with meekness and fear.

Summary

Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, with nearly two billion followers, and it is a major presence in Africa and a growing one in Latin America. We will judge each founder by his own words and example, and we will not excuse wrongs done by Christians in Christ's name. Muslims believe in one God, in the prophets, in the Qur'an as God's final revelation through Muhammad, and in the Last Day, and they practise the Five Pillars. Pastors must understand Islam in order to protect their people, reach Muslims with the gospel, recognize false claims, avoid their own errors and equip their congregations. First Peter 3:15 gives the posture: honour Christ as Lord in the heart, always be ready, give a reasoned defense of our hope, and do it with meekness and fear. Biblical apologetics is firm about truth and gentle with people. The life of Nabeel Qureshi shows how friendship, evidence, prayer and the work of God came together, and it reminds us of the real cost many converts face.

Questions for Reflection

1. Have you or someone in your church faced a question from a Muslim that you could not answer? What was it, and how did you feel?

2. Why is it important to describe Islam in a way that an informed Muslim would recognize?

3. Which of the four parts of 1 Peter 3:15 is most difficult for you, and why?

4. What does the friendship between Nabeel Qureshi and David Wood teach you about witness to Muslims?

5. In your own town or region, what does it mean to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves" when speaking with Muslims?

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