30-Days: Our Purpose in Prayer The "Korban Bairam" Muslim Beliefs Man and Sin Muslims and God Night of Power |
Introduction
Muslims, Money and "Zakat" Muslims actually have a lot to say about money in general. Historically, Muslims have been very successful as merchants. Many think that Islam has essentially grown as a world religion through holy wars, but in reality trade and business contacts have been a very significant means of spreading Islam. This continues to be true even today. During the past 150 years, many tribes in Africa have been converted to Islam through relationships developed as a result of commercial contacts. Many Arabs in the Middle East consider their oil wealth to be God’s means of financing the furtherance of Islam around the world. They are making significant use of that wealth to promote Islam through the distribution of the Qur’an and other literature, as well as through the construction of mosques and aid programmes in various countries. An important principle of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by humans in trust. Christians should be in general agreement with Muslims on this point. Another positive teaching of Islam about money is an emphasis against usury in lending. This principle is not always followed in reality, but it is positive that Muslims are encouraged to restrain the negative power of high interest rates. Recently, Muslims have made significant contributions to economic development in many poorer nations through micro-enterprise loans, an idea that started in Bangladesh. The world-famous Grameen Bank and other initiatives of a similar nature have helped millions of people around world to become relatively prosperous through small business loans of often only US$50–200. The Grameen Bank was founded by Muslims — not to further the cause of Islam but rather to help the poor. Many Christian organisations have copied this model in their efforts to encourage economic development. (www.grameen-info.org). Zakat One of the five pillars of Islam is called "Zakat", which concerns the giving of one’s money and or goods. The word "Zakat" means both "purification" and "growth". The Zakat consists of giving 2.5 per cent of one’s annual increase in goods or funds (or both). Muslims generally associate the Zakat with specifically giving to the poor. The Zakat can be distributed among eight categories of people, including those who do not have material possessions or a means of livelihood, those who convert to Islam, those who borrow, those who are fighting for the cause of Allah, or one who is stranded on a journey. Prayer points * Pray for Muslims to become disciples of the Lord concerning their finances and resources. Jealousy, coveting, pride and duty have often dominated Muslim and Christian attitudes towards money. May God help us as Christians to teach and model the values of the risen Jesus concerning finances to Muslims. Only God can show us His way. * Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. 1 Timothy 6:18-19 ___________________________ What Muslims Believe ... Muslims believe in Allah, who is unique, all-powerful, gracious and mercifulto all Muslims. The Islamic faith is lived out according to five "pillars" that must beadhered to if one is to hope for salvation. The five pillars are: 1. Reciting the Creed ("shahada") - "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet". 2. Prayer ("salat") - at five set times a day. 3. Almsgiving ("zakat") - both obligatory and voluntary giving to the poor. 4. Fasting ("saum") - especially during the "holy" month of Ramadan. 5. Pilgrimage ("hajj") - at least once in a lifetime to Mecca, known as theHajj. Even if a Muslim observes all of these pillars, there is still no guaranteeof salvation. Islam is a religion of self-righteousness. There is no atonement for sin inIslam and Muslims generally believe that their religious acts can purify them from sin. Muslims often think about the Day of Judgment, when they believe Allah (oran angel) will take a balance and weigh each person's deeds. Each person must hope that their good deeds will outweigh their bad deeds, but even then Allah's judgment is based uniquely on His sovereign will. Another interpretation is that man's deeds are written in a book and on the Day of Judgment Allah will open the book and the sum of a man's account will be placed in either His rightor left hand. The only sure way to Paradise is to die as a martyr during an Islamic Holy War ("jihad"). Muslims lack assurance of forgiveness. Mohammed is Islam's highest prophet, but the Qur'an (the Islamic holy book, supposedly the word of God given to Mohammed and written down in Arabic) also speaks often of Jesus, who is also known as Isa. The Qur'an also refers to Jesus as Kalimat Allah, which means "The Word of God". Muslims believe that Jesus was born by a miracle of God through the Virgin Mary. However, Muslims do not believe in Christ's death on the cross, His resurrection or His deity. Although Jesus is the second highest prophet in Islam, the Isa of the Qur'an is only one prophet among 124,000. The belief in angels and evil spirits, also known as "jinn", plays a prominent part in the lives of most Muslims. Islam generally teaches that "all good and evil comes from Allah", introducing a very fatalistic concept at the heart of Muslim faith and experience. Within the Qur'an and the Hadiths (a collection of Islamic traditions containing sayings of Mohammed) there is instruction for almost every detail of a Muslim's daily life.
Our month of prayer takes place at the same time as the Muslim month of fasting called Ramadan. This month of 30 days is determined by the Muslim lunar calendar (corresponding to the lunar cycle from one crescentmoon to the next). The Muslim calendar is 354 days long and "retreats" each year by 11 days compared to the Western "Gregorian" Calendar. Therefore the Muslim lunar months do actually "shift" annually over a complete 33-year cycle. Western urban dwellers hardly dream of using the moon for the calendar, yet for many peoples around the world the lunar cycle is still a major way of understanding time. In the Bible it is written that God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years" (Gen 1:16). The Jewish calendar was specifically based on the lunar cycle. The names of the days of the week in the Arab or Muslim calendar have obvious origins from Jewish and Christian influence in Arabia. The following is the list of the days of the week used especially by Arabs and in Islamic nations in general. 1. youm al-ahad (first day) - Sunday 2. youm al-ithnayna (second day) - Monday 3. youm ath-thalatha' (third day) - Tuesday 4. youm al-arba`a' (fourth day) - Wednesday 5. youm al-khamis (fifth day) - Thursday 6. youm al-jum`a (gathering day) - Friday 7. youm as-sabt (Sabbath day) - Saturday The first day of the week is Sunday, which is called "youm" (day) "al-ahad" (the first). There is also a Sabbath day (the seventh day), which certainly has Jewish roots, although its original significance as a day of rest has been lost. The present Muslim day of rest is "youm al-jum`a", meaning the "day of assembly", whichcorresponds to the Muslim day of mosque-centred worship (Friday). A Muslim "day" starts at sunset onthe evening before the next day: this follows the biblical idea found in Genesis: "And there was evening and there was morning, one day." It is particularly noteworthy that the Muslim names for the days of the week are remarkably less pagan than their Western counterparts. For example, the word Thursday was originally "Thor's day" (Thor being the chief god of the Vikings) or - in Latin contexts - Jove's day (Zeus' day), which gave rise to words like "jeudi", the French for Thursday. All the other names for days of the week used in most European and Western countries have similar origins. The Muslim numbering for years starts with Mohammed's leaving Mecca to live in Medina in AD622 - an event called the Hegira. This is the 1,427th lunar year since the beginning of the Muslim calendar. It was not until the rise of the Ottoman Empire that the crescent moon and sometimes a pointed star became symbols that were strongly associated with the Muslim world. (These were not originally Islamic symbols: some Muslims want to remove them from Islam completely.) For more details, see the "About Islam" pages on the 30 Days website - http://www.30-days.net Please note: The moon has never been an object of worship for Muslims, though it was an object of worship among Arabs before the rise of Islam. General principles: Pray for your Muslim friends and acquaintances. One cannot emphasize enough our total dependence on the intervention of the Holy Spirit. When witnessing to Muslims our goal should be to make the message understandable and accessible to them. Islam will eventually cease to exist (Habakkuk 2:14). We want Muslims to be able to participate in the new world which God is preparing (2 Peter 3:13). Muslim evangelism is about people and creating relationships. It is not about winning arguments. We must love Muslims sincerely, manifesting our love through kindness and respect in our relationship with them. Our desire should be to establish a genuine friendship and share our faith in that context. Even if we only spend five minutes with someone may they remember the fragrance of heaven which was with us. Be open to and strive for personal and human contact with Muslims. Find out who they are as persons. Share your life with them. As with all true friendships we need to take time to understand, appreciate and help our Muslim friends. Ask for their help with your projects. Work toward a true exchange. Ask for their perspective on things. It can be an enriching experience. It is important to understand their culture, their way of thinking and their historic and religious background. Learning some of their language could be very useful as well. Seek them out. Do not be afraid to visit them in their homes and invite them to your own home. If you invite them for a meal buy your meat in a Muslim butcher shop or serve fish. Do not serve alcoholic beverages to Muslims. Few Muslims have been won to Christ by argumentation. Love your Muslims friends and avoid getting into discussions, which push them to defend Islam. Most Muslims have been won to Christ by kindness, tolerance and patience (Romans 2:4). Explain the gospel in a very simple manner. People from western countries often concentrate on concepts when proclaiming the Gospel. However, Muslims often do not have the most basic information about our view of God and why we actually need salvation. It is very helpful to tell as many stories as possible about God and his marvelous works. Tell the stories about the life of Jesus and other men and women mentioned in the Bible. Muslims need to hear about the experiences of people of faith. In this way they can compare Islam and Christianity. Learn to use parables, stories and examples from daily life to share your message. In this way your Muslim friends will also retain your words much better. (In addition the important concepts become evident through biblical stories and examples). Speak of God's interventions in your own life. Tell of His faithfulness, His love, His justice. Muslims do not understand God as one who gives and keeps promises. Your testimony of a real and active faith is very important. Give your friend a New Testament or a Bible. Reading these books give Muslims new perspectives on Christianity. Encourage a regular reading of the Gospels in particular. The Jesus film has been used as well to help Muslims discover Jesus. Answer objections with kindness. Do not let yourself be carried away into passionate discussions. Cultivate the relationship not arguments. Do not be naïve if our Muslim friends express a belief in Jesus Christ and the Bible. In one sense Muslims do believe in Jesus and the Bible; however, their faith is very different from what the Bible teaches us. They do not believe that it is possible to be in a real relationship with God as we believe. Jesus said that eternal life is to know God (John 17:3). It is not just knowing certain things about God, but to know Him personally. Initially focus on areas of agreement. In your first contacts with Muslims and even later it is useful to be in agreement as much as possible with Muslims about our common beliefs. Muslims believe that there is one God, the God of Abraham. In Arabic the word used for God is "Allah" (Arab Christians also use this word for God). They believe that God made the world, that He knows all things, that He is all wise and very powerful. Muslims do not believe in the Trinity. They believe in angels and in prophets such as Abraham, Moses, David, Noah and Jesus. They believe in the last judgment. In a general sense we can agree on these points, without forgetting the differences. Muslims often feel rejected by Westerners. Affirming our common beliefs enables them listen to us with greater understanding and openness. Having a right attitudes about evangelism can help us pray correctly as well and vice versa! We strongly encourage you to download our complete printable document "When Witnessing to Muslims" at http://www.30-days.net/aboutus/download.htm. Some useful books for understanding Islam and Christian witness to Muslims are
advertised throughout our website as well. In Islam the prophet Mohammed does not have a role as a worldwide king. According to Muslims, Mohammed was simply proclaiming God's message as a prophet and organising Muslim society. Mohammed was to be obeyed and imitated, but he is not a king though he had a role in political and religious leadership in Arabia. For Muslims, Jesus is also seen as only being a prophet who was preaching a previous form of Islam; He is to be obeyed as God's messenger. Muslims typically believe that Jesus was a very good prophet - indeed, for them He was the most important one besides Mohammed! According to the Bible, it is true that Jesus was a prophet (though it also shows He is more than a prophet): "I will raise up for them a Prophet like you (Moses) from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him" (Deut 18:18; see also John 6:14 and 7:40). The Arabic word "Rabb" or "Lord" referring to the God of Abraham is used over 1,000 times in the Qur'an. This shows that Muslims generally have a significant sense that God is the rightful ruler of the world. "Say O Allah! King of all kingdoms, You give sovereignty to whom You will, and You take away sovereignty from whom You will" (Surat 3:26). Yet while acknowledging the Creator as Lord, Muslims deny that God's Messiah died and was raised from the dead. Muslims generally believe that God could not have allowed such a good prophet as Jesus to be killed in such an evil way. Some support this belief with statements from the Qur'an that Jesus did not die but only appeared to die on the cross. Many believe that Judas the traitor was transformed into Jesus' likeness and actually was the one who died on the cross. Very few Muslims have learned much about the remarkable circumstances surrounding Jesus' death, which even caused the centurion to say "Certainly this man was innocent" (Matt 23:47 and 27:54). The Qur'an has nothing to say about Jesus' resurrection. A key issue for Muslim salvation is centred around the confession of faith. When making their profession of faith Muslims name Mohammed as the prophet of the Allah. The English translation is "I bear witness that there is no deity [none truly to be worshipped] but Allah, and I bear witness that Mohammed is the messenger of Allah." This statement of faith is called the "Shahada", and is one of the "five pillars" of Islam. To say this phrases with faith makes one a Muslim. Christians also have a confession of faith. We proclaim publicly that Jesus, who was raised from the dead, is Lord (Rom 10:9). Jesus is much more than just a prophet. He is the Messiah, a king from the royal family of David (Luke 23:2). The risen Jesus will and does reign over the whole world. Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse [David's father]; And He who shall rise to reign over the nations, In Him the nations shall hope (Rom 15:12)." He is Emmanuel, "God with us." Jesus is the chosen one who is to reign over the nations. Prayer points: * Pray that Muslims would have opportunities to learn about the details of Jesus' death and resurrection. Christians need to have wisdom and real perseverance in telling the story. * Pray for Muslims to be able to see clearly that Jesus is more than just a prophet. He is indeed Lord of all the earth. He is the Messiah, a king. Islam and Christianity are strikingly different on this point. * Pray that former Muslims would know how to honour Mohammed as a great man while giving their full allegiance to Jesus the Lord of heaven and earth. --------- Prayer in Islam
Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day at specific times while facing the direction of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Muslim prayer is formal and ritualistic yet many Muslims do make every effort to be sincere and upright in performing their prayers. Muslim prayer is characterised by rules of respect and attitudes of politeness toward Allah (Please note that all Arab speakers use this word for God — whether Christian or Muslim, though their ideas of God are significantly different.). "Praying correctly and at the appropriate time is one of the greatest indications of (Muslim) faith and a great sign of true religion".1 Prayer is to be done with heart and body cleanliness, with cleanness of clothing and in a ceremonially clean place. The washing of the hands, nose, face, forearms, ears, and feet in preparation for Muslim prayer is important. Muslims place very strong emphasis on the exact postures and the words of their prayers (which are always in Arabic). Almost all Muslim prayer is concerned with reciting specific phrases from memory. In the course of the five regular prayer times a Muslim will prostrate himself a total of 34 times and he will repeat the following phrases: "Allah is greater" "Praised be my mighty Lord" "Allah hears the one who praises him" He will also recite the "Al-Fatiha" or another text from the Qur’an 17 times, the "Shadada" (Islamic creed), and the greeting of peace to all Muslims. Muslims can make requests to God privately after they finish their ritual prayers. However, Muslims do not believe that God binds himself to his people through covenants. This is a key concept for understanding their attitudes toward answers to prayer and their lack of assurance of God’s steadfast love towards them. In addition, Muslims generally believe that Allah’s desires (for good or ill) will always be done despite their activities or requests. Trusting in God for specific responses to prayer in the Christian sense is not practised among Muslims. This is a huge difference between Muslim and Christian experience. Prayer points: * Muslims need to come to know the Christ of Christian prayer. Pray that Muslims would come to know that God Himself wants to communicate directly with them. Pray this specifically for any Muslims that you may know personally. Pray for the Muslims in your city, region and nation. * Pray for newly-converted Muslims, that they may develop real confidence in God as one who keeps His covenants, makes promises and who hears and answers prayer. * Christians need to share their prayer experience with Muslims in humility. Pray that God will give us wisdom when describing our Christian prayer experience so that God would be glorified and Muslims could understand Him better. 1"Enseignement de la prière" by Mohammed Mahmoud Assaouaf p..20 French Translation of Salaheddine Kechrid 1977
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