Class Notes for Week 2

Islamic and Christian Views of the Death, Resurrection, and Deity of Jesus

  1. Doctrine of Abrogation

    2.

    The noted Islamic scholar, Arthur Jeffery, describes "abrogation" within Islam as follows:

    "The Qur-an is unique among sacred scriptures in teaching a doctrine of abrogation according to which later pronouncements of the Prophet abrogate, i.e. declare null and void, his earlier pronouncements. The importance of knowing which verses abrogate others has give rise to the Quranic science known as Nasikh wa mansukh, i.e., the 'Abrogators and the Abrogated'." [See page 96 of Answering Islam for exact reference].

    The Muslim theologian Ibn Salam explains that there are three kinds of abrogation:

    1. Both text and prescription [meaning].
    2. Text, but not prescription.
    3. Not text, but prescription.

  2. The Five [possibly 6] Pillars of Islam

    3.

    1. Reciting the Confession, the Shahadah: "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammad is His messinger." Saying this sincerely is all that is required to become a Muslim.

    2. Saying the Prayers. Five times daily, includes the seven verses of the Sura 1.

    3. Fasting. Traditionally during the lunar month of Ramadan, but other times as well.

    4. Give the Alms. Intended for the poor, and this is probably the case, as the giving seems to be directly to the needy. There maybe "organized" giving within a mosque, I am not sure.

    5. Pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca). At least once in a life time, if the means are available.

    6. [jihad] "Sacred struggle with word or sword in the cause of Allah; a holy war."

      7. While not listed in the pillars, "doing the works" permeates the teachings of the Quran and the Hadiths. Kenneth Cragg, a noted scholar on Islam, sums up Islam in the following way:

      "The genius of Islam is finally Law, not theology. Divine command… No mystery around His being. The believer's task is not so much exploratory, still less fellowship, but rather obedience and allegiance"

  3. Day of Judgement

    4.

    1. Ones every deed (action, intent, or thought) is recorded in a Book of Deeds.

    2. Some tradition says that Allah directs two angles to each person. One records the good deeds, the other the bad deeds.

    3. On the Day of Judgement the good is balanced against the bad.

    4. If the "balance" is heavy to the good the individual is guaranteed the Bliss of the Garden of Felicity (heaven).

    5. There is no argument within Muslim scholarship that life in heaven is eternal.

    6. If the balance is heavy to the bad, the individual is condemned to the "Torment of Fire" (Hell).

    7. Orthodox Islam believes that life in Hell is also eternal.

    8. There are some that think that the Quran teaches that after a period of punishment in Hell, one could be brought to heaven.

    9. There is also teaching in some traditions (not orthodox) that the Prophet Mohammed can grant entrance to heaven on Judgement Day.

      10.

  4. Doctrine of Salvation

    5.

    1. No regeneration, i.e. salvation is for the after life. Pardon from past sins, deliverance from Hell, gain God's favor, acceptance to heaven.

    2. Mans problem is NOT rebellion against God, but weakness and forgetfulness that are part of human nature.

    3. Sin is not a taint of nature, but a proneness [tendency] to wrong actions due to the weakness of man.

    4. Man does NOT need to be redeemed. God loves and forgives those who obey his will.

    5. Man needs to be restored, returned to God, remember God.

    6. The Challenge is NOT to explore God, but to remember there is one.

    7. The means to salvation are:
      1. Belief, which is belief in the oneness of God, the Prophethood of Mohammed, and Life after Death.
      2. Do Righteous Deeds.

  5. The Debate - Some Opening Statements for Islam by Ahmed Deedat

    6.

    1. The Muslim is told in the Qur-an that Jesus was not Crucified (4:156-157).

    2. It was made to appear that Jesus was crucified - substitutionary theory, i.e. someone else went to the cross that looked like Jesus.

    3. Only God could make such a statement, and as the Qu-ran is God speaking, the statement is true, requiring no proof. No questions need be asked.

    4. This REQUIRES one to accept the Qur-an for what it is claimed to be, the "veritable Word of God", as this is the only support given for the argument.

    5. The Christian challenge to the statement is how can someone 1000 miles and 600 years away in space-time know more than the eyewitnesses recorded in the NT.

    6. The Muslim answer is that God knows what happened.

    7. Christians claim that the Jews killed Jesus. Muslims say they didn't since Jesus was not killed.

    8. The Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John are not "acceptable" testamony as they were not signed by the authors. Authorship is assumed.

    9. Testamony is also hearsay as ALL the deciples fled when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:50).