well-informed Muslim versus the street Muslim

well-informed Muslim versus the street Muslim

jIn the journal article, Key Issues for Understanding Islam and Muslims, the author provides an account of the critical issues that Christians should understand about Islam and Muslims. The author makes various points as it relates to Islamic viewpoints and teachings in comparison to Christian beliefs. These points focus on the well-informed Muslim versus the street Muslim, Muslim terrorist attacks, folk Muslims belief in Allah versus God, Islamic views on the death of Christ, and Muslim beliefs on the crucifixion of Jesus. This paper will provide a summary of these beliefs, as stated by the author, as well as an analysis of the same.

Discussion

The author provides that Islamic beliefs vary just as much as Christendom does. In this regard, he argues that, “Just as a fundamentalist in southern Indiana would not want to be tainted with the views of, say, a liberal Catholic in Holland, and might protest that the views of the liberal Catholic do not represent true Christianity, so Muslims may vociferously disavow and condemn the views of many other Muslims” (90).

This statement provides that Islam is similar to Christendom as Islamic beliefs are not similar in all parts of the world. As such, the author wishes for his readers to understand that they should not generalize Islam. Instead, he urges them to realize that, despite having a similar allegiance to Islam and Allah, Muslims from different parts of the world have, in the past, proven to attack each other when it comes to their standing beliefs and doctrines.

The author has a strong view of there being a distinction between the beliefs of well-informed Muslims and street Muslims. This point is proven by the author stating that “There must be a distinction between the knowledge of Islam exemplified by street Muslims and the knowledge of Islam displayed by well-read believers, as well as Muslim scholars” (90).

Based on this statement, the author seeks to argue that Muslims do not have an equal understanding of their religion. While some religious followers in Islam have a deep understanding of their faith and its doctrines, other Muslims have a shallow view and perception of the Christian religions. The author, hence, urges readers to learn to differentiate between Muslims who are committed to their belief without grasping Islamic theological teachings and those who are well-versed with what the religion entails.

The author further emphasizes that Christians and Muslims are similar in their understanding of their respective Holy Books. He states, “And just as some Christians do not know the Bible, so some Muslims do not know the Qur’an”(91). Reading and understanding the Quran and the Bible for Muslims and Christians, respectively, provides individuals with a deep understanding of their religion.

As such, the author seeks to point out the idea that his readers should know that, in the same way that some Christians do not read the Bible, some Muslims also don’t read the Quran. The resulting effect is, therefore, similar for both Muslims and Christians. For this reason, the author wants his readers to know that not all Muslims read their Quran, just in the case with some Christians.

Additionally, the author argues that a majority of Muslims often rely on the impact of history to evidence their theological reasoning and self-identity. For example, most Muslims refer to the injustice experienced during the Crusades as well as other crimes that they’ve experienced throughout history. However, history also shows that Christians experienced various injustices, such as the massacre of the martyrs.

By bringing these elements forth, the author argues that Muslims often want to be viewed as victims of religious differences. Despite Christians also encountering various forms of religious attacks, the Muslims often want to make it seem like they have been tolerant of Christianity since time immemorial. The readers are left to understand that, while Christians carried out various religious-based attacks against Muslims as evidenced in history, the Islam religion is also guilty of orchestrating similar acts of violence against Christians. Based on the author’s argument, one can conclude that Muslims’ selective reference to history is misguided as it aims at painting Christianity in a bad light.

The author also shares the fact that, unlike in Christianity, the Islam religion does not believe in the position of clergy. Instead, Islam has uelema, “professional men of religion, in the sense that they are certified and given the task of upholding and interpreting the Holy Law, but there is no priesthood, and there are no sacraments or ordinances or rituals that only the uelema may perform” (92). This provision provides a significant difference between Islam and Christianity.

While the Christian religion believes that the clergy should hold an essential place in the church, Islam disregards the position of such individuals in their faith. The author, therefore, wants his readers to know that Islamic belief does not provide any individual with the unique role of conducting special ritualistic activities. For this reason, unlike in Christianity, where the clergy undertake numerous responsibilities in the church, Islamic beliefs and doctrines only provide the uelema with the task of interpreting the Holy Law and nothing else.

The author also discusses the Islamic belief that justifies their acts of terror. He states that “Muhammed… promised rewards of paradise to those who battled the enemy in jihad and became martyrs. The martyrs in jihad did not have to wait for the Day of Judgment, for they went directly to paradise” (95). The statement provides a background of the reason why Muslims believe that it is religiously right to kill those who oppose their doctrines.

The author, therefore, wants his readers to know that, while Islam teaches peace and tolerance, the same religion relies on the Quran to justify their terrorist activities. Unfortunately, this doctrine is flawed since it disregards all other scriptures that advocate for mercy and compassion in the Quran. However, no matter how much Christians may view Muslims are merciless, the Islamic religion will always stand its ground in defending its actions as a provision in their Holy Book.

The other point that the author argues is that many folk Muslims who become Christian say that Muslims serve the same God. He states that “the perception of Allah being similar to the God of the Bible may be a fair approximation, in the sense of the Creator and Sustainer of the universe” (98). Based on this statement, the author argues that Islamic belief perceives the God of Christians as similar to Allah.

However, this perception is flawed since Muslims cannot claim to serve the same God as Christians, yet they fail to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Additionally, the Islamic tendency to base the similarities between God and Allah on common stands on social issues is ill-informed as it ignores significant differences between Christian and Islamic theology. For these reasons, as long as Muslims fail to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the two religions will never be on the same page about worshiping and believing in the same God.

The author further shares the Islamic view of the death of Christ. He does so by making to verses found in the Qur’an chapter 4:157-158, where the whole concept of the crucifixion is negated. The author, therefore, brings forth the Islamic belief that Jesus was neither crucified nor put to death. The Muslims provide that it was not possible for God, in the form of Jesus Christ to be crucified.

However, these claims are wrong as the Muslims fail to recognize their need for redemption as provided in Christ’s death for humanity. It is therefore crucial for Muslims to know that Christ died for our sins and that it is in His death that we receive salvation. Indeed, without Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, the human race would be condemned to death and the slavery of sin. As such, God’s act of giving up His Son to die for our sin is the supreme act of love, and this is a fact that Muslims should understand.

Conclusion

In this paper, I sought to analyze the author’s discussion of Muslim beliefs. First, Islamic beliefs vary as Muslims across the world have been known to attack and condemn each other’s views. Also, just like in Christianity, Islamic beliefs differ depending on their understanding of their religious doctrines. Furthermore, the author communicates that, in the same way, that not all Christians read their Bibles, a significant number of Muslims do not read the Quran and lack a deep understanding of its teachings. The author also brings forth the Muslim’s tendency to display themselves as victims of religious attacks, yet Christians also experienced similar religious-based attacks. Besides, unlike in Christianity, Muslims fail to assign roles to clergy in their religion. The author also flaws the Islamic justification for terrorist activities, their argument that we worship the same God, and the belief that Jesus was not crucified. In these ways, the author shares the Islamic beliefs on various aspects of their religion.