THEOLOGICAL STUDIES

Islam (Part 1)

HISTORY OF ISLAM

The Life of Mohammed

Mohammed, whose name means "the Praised One", was born at Mecca (20 August?) A.D. 570.

At that time Arabia was torn by warring factions. The tribe of Fihr, to which Mohammed belonged, had established itself in the south near Mecca, which itself was, even then, the principal religious and commercial centre of Arabia. The power of the tribe was continually increasing; they had become the masters and the acknowledged guardians of the sacred Kaaba (the large black box), within the town of Mecca — then visited in annual pilgrimage by the heathen Arabs with their offerings and tributes. From Mecca Mohammed will inaugurate his religious reform and his political campaign, which ended with the conquest of all Arabia and the fusion of the numerous Arab tribes into one nation, with one religion, one code, and one sanctuary.

Mohammed's father was Abdallah, of the family of Hashim, who died soon after his son's birth. At the age of six the boy lost his mother and was thereafter taken care of by his uncle Abu-Talib. He spent his early life as a shepherd and an attendant of caravans, and at the age of twenty-five married a rich widow, Khadeejah, fifteen years his senior. She bore him six children, all of whom died very young except Fatima, his beloved daughter. (Make a note of Fatima because she will figure prominently later in Islam.)

On his commercial journeys to Syria and Palestine he became acquainted with Jews and Christians. (According to Robert Baker, graduate of Yale and professor of church history at SWBTS, Mohammed was attracted to Christianity but rejected it when he saw an undue emphasis on the person of Mary. According to Baker Mohammed was repulsed by the almost deification of Mary since it contradicted monotheism; in rejecting Mary AND Jesus, Mohammed threw out the baby with the bathwater. It all started though with the undue emphasis Catholics placed on Mary.)

Mohammed was a man of retiring disposition, addicted to prayer and fasting, and was subject to epileptic fits. In his fortieth year (A.D. 612), he claimed to have received a call from the Angel Gabriel, and thus began his active career as the prophet of Allah and the apostle of Arabia. He had 40 converts, including his wife, his daughter, his father-in-law Abu Bakr, his adopted son Ali Omar, and his slave Zayd. Because of his preaching and his attack on heathenism, Mohammed was persecuted, being driven from Mecca to Medina in 622, the year of the Hejira (Flight) and the beginning of the Mohammedan Era. At Medina he was recognized as the prophet of God, and his followers increased. He took the field against his enemies, conquered several Arabian, Jewish, and Christian tribes, entered Mecca in triumph in 630, demolished the idols of the Kaaba (the big black box Muslims today march around during their pilgrimage to Mecca), became master of Arabia, and finally united all the tribes under one emblem and one religion. In 632 at the age of 63 he made his last pilgrimage to Mecca at the head of forty thousand followers; soon after he died of a violent fever (AD 633).

The Spread of Islam

From this point on Islam spread like wildfire across the Arabian peninsula, North Africa, Spain up to Tours in France, Palestine, modern-day Turkey up to the walls of Constantinople, east across Iran (Persia) and Afghanistan to the borders of India.

The spread of Islam did not come about peacefully. Rather the followers of Mohammed spread it forcibly by means of the sword. Fortunately for Christianity the western part of the Christian Roman empire had fallen to the Germanic tribes in the 5th century AD. Although these Germanic tribes were pagan, they eventually succumbed to Christianity. When the Muslim forces attacked Europe first by way of Spain, they did not meet the weakened forces of the old Roman empire; they came up against the fierce Germanic tribes who were now Christian. It was at Tours, France in 732 AD that Charles Martel ("the Hammer") stopped once and for all the invading Muslim forces from the south. It was not for another 951 years that the Polish General Sobiesky in September 11-12, 1683 finally stopped at the gates of Vienna once and for the Muslim invasion from the east. For 1000 years the greatest threat for Europe came from the Muslim empires to the south and to the east. Islam for the most part has been silent for the past 300 years since for all practical purposes the Muslim nations have been relatively weak. With the discovery of oil though, much political and financial power has fallen into the hands of the Muslim kingdoms. Recently Islam has reawakened to find itself in a very strong position.

TENETS

The principal tents of Mohammedanism are laid down in the Koran. The system may be divided into two parts: dogma, or theory; and morals, or practice. All Mohammedan dogma is supposed to be expressed in the one formula: "there is no God but the true God; and Mohammed is His prophet." This one confession implies for Mohammedans six distinct articles:

belief in the unity of God;
in His angels;
in His Scripture;
in His prophets;
in the Resurrection and Day of Judgment; and
in God's absolute and irrevocable decree and predetermination both of good and of evil.

The four points relating to morals, or practice, are:
prayer, ablutions, and purifications;
alms:
fasting; and
pilgrimage to Mecca.

(1) Dogma

The doctrines of Islam concerning God are essentially those of the Bible; Mohammed though rejected the doctrines of the Trinity and of the Divine Sonship of Christ. He felt that it was quite impossible to bring the doctrine of the Trinity into harmony with the simple Semitic Monotheism.

The number of prophets sent by God is said to have been about 124,000, and of apostles, 315. Of the former, 22 are mentioned by name in the Koran — such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus.

God rewards good and punishes evil deeds. He is merciful and is easily propitiated by repentance. All men will have to rise from the dead and submit to the universal judgment. As to the torments of hell, it is believed that the damned will dwell amid pestilential winds and in scalding water, and in the shadow of a black smoke.

The joys and glories of Paradise are as fantastic and sensual as the lascivious Arabian mind could possibly imagine. "As plenty of water is one of the greatest additions to the delights of the Bedouin Arab, the Koran often speaks of the rivers of Paradise as a principal ornament thereof; some of these streams flow with water, some with wine and others with honey, besides many other lesser springs and fountains, whose pebbles are rubies and emeralds. But all these glories will be eclipsed by the resplendent and ravishing girls, or houris, of Paradise, the enjoyment of whose company will be the principal felicity of the faithful. They will be beautiful and modest and secluded from public view in pavilions of hollow pearls. To each individual a large mansion will be assigned, and the very meanest will have at his disposal at least 80,000 servants and seventy-two wives of the girls of Paradise. The faithful will be clothed in the richest silks and brocades, and adorned with bracelets of gold and silver, and crowns set with pearls, and will make use of silken carpets, couches, pillows, etc., and in order that they may enjoy all these pleasures, God will grant them perpetual youth, beauty, and vigour." (Wollaston, "Muhammed, His Life and Doctrines").

The Mohammedan doctrine of predestination is equivalent to fatalism. Muslims believe in God's absolute decree and predetermination both of good and of evil.

(2) Practice

The five pillars of the practical and of the ritualistic side of Islam are the recital of the Creed and prayers, fasting, almsgiving, and the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The formula of the Creed has been given above, and its recital is necessary for salvation.

The daily prayers are five in number: before sunrise, at midday, at four in the afternoon, at sunset, and shortly before midnight. All prayers must be made looking towards Mecca, and must be preceded by washing. Public prayer is made on Friday in the mosque, and is led by an imâm. Only men attend the public prayers.

Fasting is commended at all seasons, but prescribed only in the month of Ramadan. It begins at sunrise and ends at sunset, and is very rigorous, especially when the fasting season falls in summer.

Almsgiving is highly commended: on the feast-day after Ramadan it is obligatory, and is to be directed to the "faithful" (Mohammedans) only.

Pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime is a duty incumbent on every free Moslem of sufficient means and bodily strength.

POLITICS

In matters political Islam is a system of despotism at home and aggression abroad. The Prophet commanded absolute submission to the imâm. In no case was the sword to be raised against him. The rights of non-Moslem subjects are of the vaguest and most limited kind, and a religious war is a sacred duty whenever there is a chance of success against the "Infidel". Medieval and modern Mohammedan, especially Turkish, persecutions of both Jews and Christians are perhaps the best illustration of this fanatical religious and political spirit.