Here are 7 interesting facts we’ve learned about Muslims during our 20 years working in 3 Muslim-majority communities.
1. Muslim and Arab are not the same thing.
A Muslim is someone who adheres to the religion of Islam. Arabs, on the other hand, are members of the people group who speak the Arabic language. It is true that Islam originated among Arabs and the Qur’an was written in Arabic. However, before this ever came about, countless Arabs were part of ancient orthodox Christian churches. In the centuries since, Islam spread far beyond the Arab world, and today most Muslims are not Arabs. This includes the Turks, Kurds, Iranians, Pakistanis and other South Asian Muslims, almost all of whom are Muslim but none of whom is Arab.
BTW, did you know the largest Muslim nation on earth is Indonesia?
2. Islam means submission.
A Muslim is someone who submits to God. The Islamic concept of who God is, and how He is to be worshiped, is based on the teaching of Muhammad. Thus the Islamic creed is: “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his prophet.”
3. Islam teaches that Jesus was a great prophet.
Islam affirms that Jesus was born of a virgin, that he lived a sinless life, that he performed mighty miracles, and that he will come again at the end of history. It even calls Jesus the ‘Word of God’ (Kalimatullah). However, it also denies the deity of Christ and views the idea of Jesus being the Son of God as blasphemous. Most Muslims would also deny Jesus died on the cross, claiming that Jesus’ image was imposed on someone else, who was then crucified, and that Jesus was rescued up into heaven.
Thankfully, many Muslims love the teachings is Jesus. And they are drawn to His character and life. This is is perfect stepping stone to studying the New Testament together, as the Quran records very little about Jesus’ life.
4. Islamic practice can be summarized by the Five Pillars of Islam.
These are composed of the confession of faith (“There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his prophet”), prayer (ritual prayers said five times a day), alms (a 2.5% contribution to the poor or the local mosque), fasting (the month of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast during daylight hours), and pilgrimage (the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, which every Muslim should try to make once in his or her lifetime).
5. The vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists.
In fact, normal Islamic religious law forbids the intentional killing of anyone! It also forbids suicide, abortion and shares many pro-life viewpoints. It’s a small minority view that condones militant activity, and it’s a small minority who engage in terrorist activities.
6. Muslims are some of the friendliest, most hospitable people on earth.
Muslims make great neighbors and great friends. No Christian should be afraid to build a relationship with a Muslim. As we travel and meet Muslims, we are constantly impressed and in awe at their friendliness and compassion.
Once, I has a small disagreement with a greedy taxi driver who stopped his car, kicked me out and left me stranded on the roadside. It was a Muslim stranger who saw me there, luggage in hand, and picked me up, drove me home and gave me his phone number along with this advice: “If anybody ever bothers you or treats you badly, you call me. I will come help you.”
7. God loves Muslims, and so should we. Even those few who may be enemies.
They are lost exactly like any other person who doesn’t know Jesus yet. Plus, Muslims do come to faith in Christ. It usually takes time, and extended exposure to scripture and the lives of Christians, but more Muslims are coming to faith today than at any other point in history. In fact, more have become Christ-followers in the past 15 years than in the past 15 centuries combined!
We should love them enough to befriend them, love them enough to make them welcome in our homes, and love them enough to go and share the gospel with them!