Let me begin by saying that the Islamic religion is an impressive religion in a number of respects. No one can travel in the Middle East and fail to notice the commanding influence Islam has had upon the various Arabic peoples living there. Almost every aspect of society reflects the legacy of Muhammad. Dress, mores, and customs are uniform from Morocco to India. The sights and sounds of this part of the world project a cultural solidarity that is pervasive and unique. Yet, amid all this apparent uniformity, there are subtle indications that the Muslim people and their Muslim religion are really not one and the same. Independent thinking has begun to stir in the minds of many Islamics, which of course is one of the trademarks of faith.

The citizens of Islam are a beautiful and precious folk, and millions of them are now beginning to have second thought about their religion. “Islamics having second thought about Islam? Surely, you are jesting,” someone may chide. No! I could not be more serious. It is true that Islam is Christianity's chief competitor. It is also true that Muslims are currently making inroads into Europe where liturgical Christianity is declining, not to mention that mosques are springing up with startling regularity all across the Western hemisphere. Most striking of all, perhaps, is that there are currently over a billion Muslims whose strength in numbers is increasing daily, faster than any other major religion. Is this not a cause for alarm to all Christians? I would have to say, “yes,” were it not for faith.

Now I concede that if this chapter were to be read before any of the others in this volume, what I am saying here might sound a bit flippant, maybe audacious, even ridiculous, if not naïve; especially in light of what is happening as we enter the twenty-first century. Admittedly, in certain parts of the world, nothing could seem more unrealistic at this time than for Christianity to triumph over the movement begun by Muhammad. Nevertheless, I know what faith is capable of doing. This cognitive property of the human creature, being neither inert nor idle, will at last orient the Islamic people to the One who freely gave His life to save them from their sins. Yes, because of faith, and because it can not be expunged from the human psyche, I hasten to say that a day is coming when the Islamic people will join ranks with all the other peoples of our planet and declare Jesus Christ to be the Messiah and Savior of mortal humanity.

As a historical figure, much acclaim is due Muhammad. By his courage, leadership, and perseverance, the Islamic founder made a large place for himself in the annals of history. He forged an Arabic empire out of motley tribes, clans, and small kingdoms of the desert. On this wise he takes his place as a warring conqueror along side Alexander the Great and some of the early Caesars of Rome, albeit on a much smaller scale. As a result of the Meccan native's exploits law and central government was brought to an area of geography that had known mostly capriciousness and licentiousness for centuries.

In conjunction with being a conqueror, Muhammad was a religious man, having the aptitude of a prophet. Periodically, he had visions and dreams and at times manifested psychic abilities, all of which are staple characteristics of a prophet. His prophetic abilities, somewhat standard to those depicted in the Old Testament, appear to have been concentrated in the area of extrasensory perception. His ESP experiences seemed to have occurred rather frequently and were generally aligned with what his opponents were saying about him or were planning against him. This, incidentally, is an ability that all people possess in every generation to some degree, and a few of which possess to a large degree. The occasional psychic displays of Muhammad kept his followers amazed and his enemies frightened, which served to strengthen his authority in the theocracy he was building.

Functioning in his religious role, Muhammad established an ancient form of Jewish monotheism in a land that was formerly polytheistic. This in itself was a laudable improvement over the worship of many idols. Along with the establishment of monotheism, there came several ethical improvements as well. The religious rules and regulations Muhammad set in place upgraded the pagan mores that were long ingrained in idolatry. Islam put a stop to the genocide of unwanted female children, and elevated the rights of women and orphans above that which they had been previously accustomed.

The thing, however, that Muhammad is known for best and appreciated for most in the Arab world is the Koran. As would be expected, the several religious and social improvements of seventh century Arabia are inseparably linked to this book. Any Christian who will take the time to read through the Islamic holy book will discover that there is a noticeable amount of Biblical Truth within its pages. To a measurable degree, the Koran is a recapitulation of numerous Old Testament passages. To a lesser degree, it refers to a few passages in the New Testament. What many Christians may find surprising as they read through the Koran is that the name of Jesus is mentioned no less than 93 times. Furthermore, the Koran says some venerable things about Jesus that are quite stunning in light of the fact that Jesus is presented, for the most part, as being beneath the rank of Muhammad. For example, in Surah III, 45, the Koran calls Jesus "the Messiah," but never refers to Muhammad as the Messiah. Naturally, the question arises, why would a prophecy in the Koran call the son of Mary the Messiah, while Muhammad, the one giving the prophecy, never accepted her child in this light? Not a few find this strange. Then also, in Surah XIX, 19, the Koran says Jesus is "faultless," while it points out Muhammad's foibles in several places. Of course the New Testament equivalent to "faultless" is that Jesus was "without sin." Still further, in Surah III, 49, the Koran notes that Jesus performed miracles, namely, the healing of the blind and the lepers and the raising of the dead. In contrast to this, the Koran attributes no miracles to Muhammad. If this were not enough, still again in Surah II, 253, the Koran says that Jesus was supported by the "Holy Spirit," another favorable feature worth remembering in light of everything else said about the founder of Christianity. The Koran makes a number of other factual remarks about Jesus, such as, He was the "son of Mary," "a prophet," and that He encountered many Jews who "disbelieved" in the "Truth" that He taught. Even though I would be eager to assign more plaudits to Muhammad and the Koran, accolades beyond these would be difficult for a Christian to find.

As much as we all may dislike controversy when it comes to sacred things, continuance beyond here would be vapid, if not pointless, without it. The Bible, however, shares not our reluctance with regard to such things, particularly when Truth is at stake. Undauntedly, the Judeo-Christian Scriptures invite open and honest investigation of all that is printed within them. Scriptures that are True need not be afraid of human scrutiny as noted here:

"Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, 'it is true.'"

     Isaiah 43:9, NIV.

The Apostle John quotes Jesus saying:

"And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and come not to the light, so that his works may not be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, so that it can be made clear that his works have been performed in God."

     John 3:19-21, author's translation.

Now what I am about to divulge from the Koran from this point onward is most perplexing. Admittedly, the Islamic holy book makes a number of statements that are True, but much confusion results when the Koran retells numerous stories taken from the Bible. In some cases, the texts are altered only slightly. In others, the substance is changed beyond recognition. Moreover, some of the material in the Koran deviates widely from what faith recognizes to be moral and ethical behavior.

Now let it be reiterated. All will concede that Muhammad brought religious improvements to what the polytheistic Arabs were accustomed to practicing in the desert. These improvements, however, did not go far enough. The Christian revelation was available to Muhammad, but lamentably it was not pursued. Instead, the prophet turned his people backward into an obsolescent form of Jewish monotheism, which aches with incompleteness and yearns for the fullness revealed in Jesus Christ. The moral code introduced in the Koran wears well from 5,000 to 1,000 B.C. But after that time frame, it fits poorly and especially with modern day global society. As I myself read through the Koran, these words of Jesus kept coming to mind: "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old... but I say unto you...." (Matthew 5:21,22, KJV.) For the most part, Muhammad did a recasting of what was old and out of date.

It has already been established elsewhere that faith can spot the dissimilarities of good and evil. Further, the New Testament teaches that faith has the ability to shield one from "all the darts of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16, author's translation). Having made these two statements, it may be iterated that from this point forward, it is not so much this author pointing out the less than commendable qualities of Muhammad and the Koran, but it is more the actions and reactions of Faith. On the same wise, no reader needs a caliph or priest to make sense out of what is inscribed in the subsequent paragraphs. Faith itself equips everyone for that task.

With all of the above being kept in mind, perhaps a good place to begin our perusal of the Koran would be with animal sacrifices . The Koran makes animal sacrifices a part of the Islamic worship ritual. Please note that when Jesus offered Himself on the cross as the atonement for sin, this was the absolute and final sacrifice for all mankind for all time.(Romans 5:9-11; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:11-26 and I John 1:7.) The Church never once resumed the practice of animal sacrifices after the crucifixion of Jesus, which the Jews had been conducting for centuries. When the Jerusalem temple was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70, the Jews also ceased practicing animal sacrifices. Thus, after the first century the Jews entered compliance with New Testament teaching on the matter, however unwittingly, giving tacit support to the fact that Jesus' death upon the hill of Calvary stands as the one and only worthy purification for sin for all the ages. Of course the Jews, as a religion, rejected Jesus as their Messiah, but not without the consequence of Divine chastisement, which resulted partly, as already said, in the destruction of the Jewish temple Matthew (23:37-24:2). and the cessation of animal sacrifices. Then quite disturbingly, in the seventh century, Muhammad turned his people back to animal sacrifices, something that Christians had never practiced and something Jews had stopped practicing 600 years earlier. "Pray unto the Lord, and sacrifice," said the Meccan prophet to the Koranic scribe, as recorded in Surah CVIII, 2.

To put it in general terms, what Muhammad actually did as a religious leader was to turn his people backward -- backward to a salvation by works . For example, he prophesies, "There shall be no sin...unto those who...do good works...and do right. Allah loveth the good," says Surah V, 93. Again, the Koran distinctly teaches that one earns his or her way to heaven by doing good works as also expressed in Surah IV, 124. Basically, it is the same teaching of salvation by works that the Jews had been practicing since the days of Moses. Noticeably, this is in direct contrast to the New Testament teaching which emphasizes that people are saved by the sheer grace of God "through faith; and not of..." oneself, "it is the gift of God,"   (Ephesians 2:8, KJV.) all of which is made possible through the life, crucified death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Speaking of good works, the Koran says most distressingly in Surah III, 195, that just one good work, if it is the right one, can earn a Muslim paradise. What is that one good work? It is the giving of one's life in battle for the cause of Allah. Many Muslims believe they are in a “jihad,” a holy war, until they conquer the world. And some are not hesitant to attempt gaining paradise by giving up their lives in one bloodcurdling good work. All too often this teaching is horrendously dramatized over televised news, when a Muslim suicide bomber murders unsuspecting people on a bus, or in a public building, or on a crowded street corner. Of course the ones targeted for death are conceived as enemies of Islam whether they actually are or not, which makes them deserving of death according to the Koran. Now what so vexes the sound minds of the free world is that the barbarous act of a suicide bomber, while bringing hell upon innocent victims, supposedly earns the terrorist a place in heaven. What many Westerners may be unaware of, but would certainly welcome, is this: The vast majority of Muslims have a nauseating revulsion toward those who commit such atrocities.

Yes, it is heartening to all civil minded people to know that there are literally millions of Muslims living today who follow a higher morality than those identified with Islamic terrorists. And needless to say, they do it by faith, and not by the teaching of the Koran. Nonviolent Muslims, most of whom are Sunni, are just as outraged by the actions of Islamic fundamentalists, most of whom are Shi'ites, as are Christians in the West. Moreover, it is worth emphasizing that news markets of the world have accurately portrayed the fundamentalists as they proudly claim credit for their abominable crimes. But what news markets may not know, and even what many good-hearted Muslims may not necessarily know, is this. The Islamic terrorists, who arrogantly boast about their heinous crimes, do so because they have been obedient to the teachings of the Koran. That's right! As shocking as it may sound, the Koran, the only sacred book Muslims are allowed to read, not only exonerates the appalling behavior fundamentalists flaunt, but it actually calls for it. It is here that one wonders just how well the masses of Islam know their own Scriptures. In all likelihood, many Islamics (like too many Christians) are apparently not read up on their holy book, and are consequently unaware of what the Koran says about people who do not wish to follow Muhammad. Thus many Muslims are not conscious of the fact that they live by a nobler ethic than what their Scriptures call for. It seems that Truth, like leaven, may have already entered the Islamic mind. The Gospel of Jesus Christ has a way of penetrating the strongest of barriers, even the "gates of hades." ( Matthew 16:18, author's translation.)

From this point forward, let every person be boldly honest. Would God want one to honor a prophet whose morals are actually beneath those of the majority of his followers? Now I realize that Islamic fundamentalists generally take offense at anyone who might say anything unfavorable about Muhammad or the Koran. Even so, how long can people continue to keep silent about the things that literally threaten the freedom and well being of people the world over, not to mention the salvation of their souls. You decide; for it is you, the reader, who will have to give an account of your life to God. Should sensible people go on pretending by their silence that there is nothing wrong with Muslim fundamentalists, who terrorize, maim, and kill their own people and even their own family members, if they dare speak what they sincerely feel to be Truth about their religion and its holy book? It may be that what is written here will serve to incite some Muslim fundamentalists to “jihad.” But it is far more likely to serve to sober the minds of the more numerous nonviolent Islamics, to the degree that they will take a personal interest in what their holy book actually teaches, or “fails to teach.”

Yes a day is coming, if it has not already arrived, when myriads of Islamics will rise up in protest saying, "I am a Muslim and I do not do the dastardly despicable things that the Islamic fundamentalists do." Concomitant with this response will follow another inescapable decision. The same will have to come to terms with some of the disturbing things written in their own sacred book. For they, who would never think of committing “jihad” atrocities, will have to still face the fact that the Koran, the book they have been taught to revere, calls for such things. Indeed it may be that this day is already breaking forth ever so quietly across the Arabic world. Already, in unassuming and almost clandestine fashion, many Muslims are distancing themselves from their violent brethren. At the same time, not a few are entertaining thoughts as to how they might also dissociate themselves from the book, that calls for the heinous acts that are giving Muslims “bad press” on every continent of the globe.

I concede that there have been radical Christian groups at different times in history who have committed dishonorable acts similar to those performed by Muslim fundamentalists. Even today, so-called Christian organizations and supposedly Christian governments do things that all sincere Christians grievously deplore. Nevertheless, unlike Muslims, no Christian organization or government can go to the Christian holy book, the New Testament, and gain inspiration or justification for their loathsome crimes. It is at this point that remarkable distinctions may be noted between Christians and their holy book and Muslims and their holy book. The Koran excuses Muslims to do whatever evil they may devise, if they can rationalize it to be advantageous to Allah in some way. Muhammad led his generation to go on killing raids, and he urged all his followers to do the same. He even promised them paradise if they were killed while ambushing others. As Anis Shorrosh said recently, Islam is the "bloodiest religion" on earth. (Baptist Record, Shorrosh Weathers Danger from Challenging Islam, by Bruce Sims, February 15, 1996, p. 1.)