In order to learn how Mohammad-centric Islam is, it’s important to understand the depth of Muslims’ love for their Prophet. Here is the summary of the post today at Muslim Matters, Love the Prophet – Follow Him:
Let's follow the Prophet to prove that we love him. Let's celebrate him every day. Let's engrave those beautiful stories of his life, which we memorize and narrate, on our actions. Let's check if our deeds are compatible with our claims of love towards him. In following him, lies the secret of Allāh's love, mercy and forgiveness for us.
Say, [O Muhammad], ''If you should love Allāh, then follow me, [so] Allāh will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.'' [Al-Qur'ān 3:31]
Muslims are commanded in the Qur’an to follow Mohammed and God will love them and forgive their sins.
Watch this short video from the post (talk about revisionist view of Islamic history!) that explains why anyone would want to follow Mohammed:
For Muslims to consider following someone other than Mohammed is a radical idea.
I have met a good number of Christians from a Muslim background who over the years left Islam (in part) due to Muhammad, actually. Once you get to know some of the less savory things he did it becomes fairly impossible to consider him 'the ideal man', from their point of view.
My experience mirrors yours Abu Daoud - so many Muslims end up leaving Islam for this reason - the more they learn about the Prophet, the less desirable of a model he actually is to someone with a conscience and the ability to think for themselves. But therein lies the secret of Islam - not to allow free thinking or critical thinking to happen among its adherents. Otherwise it would crumble. Now many of course would not then automatically become Christians, but a heck of a lot surely would, as Jesus delivers on everything of virtue that Muhammad promised but can't deliver
Warrick, you are so right about how Muhammad-centric Islam is. That's why I have a hard time ever encouraging a new believer to remain a part of a system that deifies another man besides Christ. It's one thing to disciple those who are on this path of their own accord, but another to suggest it for them. Such an approach is much too naive about the true ("on the ground") nature of Islam.
I think that discussing Muhammad in relation to shirk is quite appropriate. I really love about the early Church that they realized they were doing something radical in saying things like Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and Son of God, and using OT verses that clearly refer to God to then refer to Jesus. But they did not step back from the challenge, they kept on going with the mystery and using the best of Hebrew and Greek thought were able to formulate at Niceae the precise mystery. It is not a facile simple thing like with Islam, which is simply to ignore the mystery or the problem.
And in the end, Ii think it saves Christians from shirk, but doesn't save Islam from shirk. (Leaving aside for the moment the problem of the eternal Qur'an, another form of shirk.)
If any of you have any material on using the Church Fathers for witness please do contact me, I am very interested to read it.
to prove that we love him. Let's celebrate him every day. Let's engrave those beautiful stories of his life, which we memorize and narrate, on our actions. Let's check if our deeds are compatible with our claims of love towards him. In following him, lies the secret of Allāh's love, mercy and forgiveness for us.
4 comments:
I have met a good number of Christians from a Muslim background who over the years left Islam (in part) due to Muhammad, actually. Once you get to know some of the less savory things he did it becomes fairly impossible to consider him 'the ideal man', from their point of view.
My experience mirrors yours Abu Daoud - so many Muslims end up leaving Islam for this reason - the more they learn about the Prophet, the less desirable of a model he actually is to someone with a conscience and the ability to think for themselves. But therein lies the secret of Islam - not to allow free thinking or critical thinking to happen among its adherents. Otherwise it would crumble. Now many of course would not then automatically become Christians, but a heck of a lot surely would, as Jesus delivers on everything of virtue that Muhammad promised but can't deliver
Warrick, you are so right about how Muhammad-centric Islam is. That's why I have a hard time ever encouraging a new believer to remain a part of a system that deifies another man besides Christ. It's one thing to disciple those who are on this path of their own accord, but another to suggest it for them. Such an approach is much too naive about the true ("on the ground") nature of Islam.
I think that discussing Muhammad in relation to shirk is quite appropriate. I really love about the early Church that they realized they were doing something radical in saying things like Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior and Son of God, and using OT verses that clearly refer to God to then refer to Jesus. But they did not step back from the challenge, they kept on going with the mystery and using the best of Hebrew and Greek thought were able to formulate at Niceae the precise mystery. It is not a facile simple thing like with Islam, which is simply to ignore the mystery or the problem.
And in the end, Ii think it saves Christians from shirk, but doesn't save Islam from shirk. (Leaving aside for the moment the problem of the eternal Qur'an, another form of shirk.)
If any of you have any material on using the Church Fathers for witness please do contact me, I am very interested to read it.
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