Although Christianity is the largest religion across the globe, “Muslims are the fastest-growing religious group in the world.” Since Islam is growing rapidly, Christians need to learn about the beliefs of Muslims to effectively tell them the gospel.
The best way to learn about the beliefs of Muslims is to study the Quran, Islam’s holy book. Although the Hadith is also seen as important for the life of Muslims, the Quran is the final authority for their religion.
In this article, I will include information about Islam’s holy book, including its form, history, and teachings. Christians must understand the teachings of the Quran so they can evangelize to Muslims, showing them the truth of the Bible.
What Is the Quran?
The Quran is divided into sections or Juz and contains 114 chapters or surahs. Verses in the Quran are referred to as ayats and are often cited in a similar fashion to Bible verses, with numbers for chapters with a colon separating verses.
However, there are no “books” in the Quran like the Bible. Instead, it is typically divided into thirty sections (Juz), which are equally spaced to promote regular reading.
Islam’s holy book is intricately connected to Arabic. Muslims view Arabic as the language of heaven and believe that the Quran is best read in its original language. There are no official translations of the Quran in other languages, including English.
Because of the importance of Arabic, recitation of the Quran is vital. The emphasis on recitation is taught in Surah 96:1, which says, “Recite in the name of your Lord who created” (Sahih International).
Another notable aspect of the Quran is that Muslims view their book as sacred and holy. Because of the perceived sacredness of the book, Muslims never place the Quran on the floor.
Christians who are seeking to minister to Muslims need to show sensitivity and respect while visiting the home of a Muslim.
The History of the Quran
Followers of Islam believe that the Quran is the received word of Allah. According to Muslims, Muhammad received the teachings of the Quran from the angel Gabriel. Over the course of 23 years, the “Quran was collected during the 7th-century C.E.”
Muhammad first encountered Gabriel in a cave in A.D. 610, when the angel forced him to the ground demanding him to recite (Quran 96:1-5).
Although Muhammad spoke about the teachings he received, they were never officially compiled until Abu Bakr, the first caliph of Islam, put together a book of Muhammad’s teachings.
Muslims believe that the Quran stands alone as a perfectly preserved revelation from God. The Quran claims that it is the true word of Allah (Quran 12:2; 15:9). According to the holy book of Islam, there is a heavenly copy of the Quran kept in heaven on a tablet (Quran 85:22).
Despite these claims, there are serious issues in the history of the compilation of the Quran. There were different variations of the Quran early in Islam’s history. Caliph Uthman burned all the other versions of the Quran and chose only one to preserve.
He had noticed variations and issued an official version of the Quran. The burning of other copies of the Quran is suspicious and should cause Muslims to pause and think: if the Quran is supposedly the true, word of God, then why were there other variations? Why would a leader need to burn all the other versions of the Quran if it is incorruptible?
Finally, in surveying the history of the Quran, Christians need to know that there are two major types of Muslims: the Sunni and Shiites.
Between these two groups, they approach the Quran differently. Shiites disagree with Sunni Muslims over the issue of the Quran’s compilation since they believe it was compiled while Muhammad was alive.
Teachings of the Quran
While the entire teaching of the Quran could not fit in this article, I will include a few sections of importance.
1. Jesus. The Quran teaches that Jesus (Isa) was a great prophet of Allah. Islam’s holy book denies that Jesus is God (Quran 4:171; 5:116).
Furthermore, it claims that Jesus never died on the cross, but that someone took his place for crucifixion.
In Quran 4:157, it claims, “And [for] their saying, ‘Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.’ And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain” (Sahih International).
Since the Quran denies the death of Jesus, it also denies His resurrection.
2. The Bible. The Quran affirms the divine source of the “book of Moses,” Psalms, and “the gospel” (see Quran 3:3 and 4:163). However, Muslims claim the Bible has been corrupted.
3. Salvation. Islam’s holy book does not include any teaching about salvation from sin in terms of biblical redemption.
Instead, to reach heaven, the Quran commands that people believe in Allah and Muhammad and follow the five pillars (faith, prayer, giving, fasting, and pilgrimage).
Even if someone tries to follow the deeds listed in the Quran, they are not promised admission into paradise.
4. Violence. Many commentators and scholars of Islam assert that the Quran is not violent. They want people to believe that Islam is a peaceful religion.
For instance, an online article claims that “the Quran actively promotes justice, peace, and restraint.”
While many Muslims around the world do strive to live peacefully with others, the Quran supports violence. For instance, in Islam’s holy book, Allah instructs Muslims to kill non-Muslims (Quran 9:5, 123).
As Nabeel Qureshi stated in his book, Answering Jihad, “Despite the many positive teachings and qualities, the reality is that Islam’s foundations contain a tremendous amount of violence. The life of Muhammad and the text of the Quran are the two pillars of the Islamic worldview and the traditions of each progress from peaceful beginnings to a crescendo of violent jihad” (Zondervan).
5. Women. Like the issue of violence, many modern scholars and writers want people to believe that Islam is not oppressive to women.
However, the Quran promotes violence and unequal treatment of women (see Quran 4:34). Specific passages in the Quran even mention that Muslim men are allowed to rape women they take captive (Quran 23:1-6; 70:22-30; see also Hadith, such as Sahih Muslim 8.3432).
Strict adherence to the Quran leads to a form of Islam that views women as objects instead of valued people.
Scriptural Response to the Quran
The Quran conflicts with many teachings of the Bible. Most significantly, Scripture is clear that Jesus is God (John 8:58; Titus 2:13). He died for the sins of humankind and rose to life on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Christ alone is the Light of the world and the Way (John 8:12; 14:6). In Him, all people, both men, and women, are seen as equal and valuable (Galatians 3:28).
The name of Jesus Christ is the only name that can save someone, not the name of Allah of Muhammad (Acts 4:12). Our Muslim neighbors near and far need the life-giving truth of the gospel revealed in Scripture. May we all make an effort to reach them with the love of Christ.
Christianity’s Response to Islam’s Holy Book
The best way that Christians can enter gospel-centered conversations with Muslims is to study the Quran. Many Muslims do not know what their holy book teaches.
Nabeel Qureshi, a former Muslim who converted to Christianity, stated, “Muslims do not usually engage in systematically studying their teachings. This is true even of those Muslims who have memorized the entire Quran; though they may have memorized the Arabic recitation of the text, they often do not know how to exegete its meaning” (Answering Jihad, Zondervan).
By confronting them with the inconsistencies of the Quran and demonstrating the truth of the Bible, Christians can present Muslims with the gospel.
Since Muslims are found across the world today, we need to be ready and equipped to confront their beliefs with the hope and truth of Jesus Christ.
For further reading:
What Does Hagar's Bible Story Teach Us About God?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Hussein Aziz
