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"More in Common than You Think" (Islam)

S

serapha

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Hi there!

:)

I've been "talking" to a muslim family for about a year now, only a few sentences once a week, but trying to open the door of communication where they will talk freely with me without big communication walls to climb over. And, I think I am finally there...

I was given a copy of the book, "More in Common than You Think" by Bill Baker which is labeled "The bridge between Islam and Christianity" The muslim wife gave me this book yesterday so I could understand how our religions are similar. When she told me that she had something that she wanted me to read, and she handed me the book, I noted immediately that the book was endorsed by Robert Schuller

and his endorsement is:

"The coming century will most surely witness either a coalition or a collision between Islam and Christianity. I have a dream, that positive believers from both religions will find each other, and once finding each other, and helping each other, and and will write a new history, a new legacy for the world: from collision to coalition. True believers in God must move our society and our world from combatibility to compatibility; from intolerance to tolerance; positive Christians and Muslims becoming partners in Peace."

My question is not necesarily how to address the book, but my question is.... where do professing "Christians" get the understanding that "true believers in God" must move our society to compatibility of tolerance?


I'm going to give her the book back next week with some notes in it that will be addressing "Allah" and the history of Islam... as well as the qu'ran. Any good ideas or comments that will keep the doors of communication open with this family?

and any suggestions on a good book to give them in return.... something not too harsh for first-time readers who are muslim, but something that will make them think.


any suggestions?




~serapha~
 
Robert Sshuller's dream that we will all be compataible is not coming from bible prophesy but from his imgaination, as he stated. Jesus said he came to bring a sword. This was to separate the sheep from the goats. Jesus also said; "He who is not for me is against me." Trying to find "common ground" with non-Christians is like merging day with night. One always has to sacrifice Christ's words to do it. I will not. Jesus tells us to put NO ONE above him. This includes Muslims. You cannot properly love God or people if we do not worship Christ first. Jesus said; "Because you are unable to understand what I say, your father is the devil, the father of lies." I do not seek unity with the devil. Mohammed's bevaior, murdering & molesting children shows who his father is. "By their fruits you will know them."
 
Hi serapha

You are so correct in taking it slowly....

Please do have a look at this small book. It is by John Gilchrist, one of the leading figures in Muslim Evangelism.
  • Sharing the Gospel with Muslims
    A Handbook for Bible-based Muslim Evangelism
    by
    John Gilchrist
    2002
His complete book is online. Why not print off a chapter a week and then discuss?

http://www.answering-islam.org/Gilchris ... index.html

In his introduction, John writes
Over almost twenty years, in the nineteen-seventies and eighties, I was privileged to be part of a special group of young Christians seeking to share the Gospel with Muslims in our province in South Africa, the Transvaal. The province no longer exists for the provincial maps of South Africa have dramatically changed in the past ten years, but the Transvaal was the northernmost province sandwiched between Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. About 50 000 Muslims lived within its borders and we visited them from home to home in every city and town, covering virtually every Muslim home in the province excepting Lenasia near Johannesburg, where the largest Muslim community lives, which we only partially evangelised.

There were results, but they are not the theme of this book. Using the Word of God effectively in reaching Muslims for Christ is the theme, and the contents of this book record various ways we learnt over the years of witnessing to Muslims from the pages of the Bible, God’s holy Word, and the supreme source which the Spirit uses to direct all mankind to the Gospel. Its value for this purpose is summed up in this verse:

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
Click to expand...

If and when you get stuck, you can also look at his "companion" book called
  • Facing the Muslim Challenge
    A Handbook of Christian-Muslim Apologetics
    by
    John Gilchrist
    1999 and 2002
This will help you with the objections that Muslims raise. However, I would not share that DIRECTLY with a Muslim.

Again, this second book is online here:
http://www.answering-islam.org/Gilchris ... index.html

Please ask if what I am saying is not clear.

Kind regards
in Christ

Gary
 
Hello Gary,


Thanks so much for the links, I was reading the first chapter and it looks like a "must read" for anyone talking to muslims. This is my first contact with muslims, meeting them on a personal level long enough to develop a friendship with enough openness to even suggest Christian reading material.


The common link for us is the archaeology of Yemen and Saudi, which they are from Yemen. It IS interesting... each week now, they tell me one thing about Islam that you would never imagine. ... like....


One does not keep a dog in the house because a dog is dirty and their guardian angels will not stay in a dirty place...

One has two angels, one on each shoulder. I asked, "what if they get in a fight? Who do you listen to?"

I think our best conversation so far was one with the husband where he began to tell me about "bad angels", telling me that demons are very real, and he began to relate stories about demons in arab cemetaries and how the bodies are buried on their right side facing Mecca...


Interesting "stuff".


~thanks~
 
serapha said:
It IS interesting... each week now, they tell me one thing about Islam that you would never imagine. ... like....

(1) One does not keep a dog in the house because a dog is dirty and their guardian angels will not stay in a dirty place...

(2) One has two angels, one on each shoulder. I asked, "what if they get in a fight? Who do you listen to?"

I think our best conversation so far was one with the husband where he began to tell me about "bad angels", telling me that demons are very real, and he began to relate stories about (3) demons in arab cemetaries and how the bodies are buried on their right side facing Mecca...
Click to expand...

Hi serapha

Yes, Islam (at a personal level) is a strange mix of the Quran and the Hadith (deeds and sayings of Muhammad) and superstition. You HAVE to understand the cultural background of the particular person/s. Your examples prove this and I am glad you have some common point of contact, the archaeology of Yemen and Saudi.

Samuel Zwemer (the apostle to Islam) describes this spirit (or qarina) that they are talking about in (2) above. This is pure superstition. It goes back to animistic beliefs common in Arabia at the time of Muhammad. By qarin (or qarina), the Muslim understands the double of the individual, his companion, his mate, his familiar demon. The mate is the opposite sex! That mate is also the offspring (seed) of the devil, shaitan, or jinn.

According to Muslim tradition, even Muhammad and Jesus had a qarin but their's was a "good" one; especially Jesus as Jesus was sinless!! I think that is a great kick-off point to talk about the sinlessness of Jesus. Read John Gilchrist on Jesus...
Jesus - Unique in the Quran and the Bible: LINK

They probably have charms and bracelets to ward off the the qarin.

Back to (1) above, this comes from Muhammad as Muhammad said in a Hadith...

In the Hadith said:
Sahih Al-Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 54, Number 539:
Narrated Abu Talha:
The Prophet said, "Angels do not enter a house which has either a dog or a picture in it."

Sahih Al-Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 54, Number 540:
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:
Allah's Apostle ordered that the dogs should be killed.
Click to expand...

I have done a lot of work on the Hadith. You can read this particular ones here: LINK

You may also check these Hadith at Hadith Search at the MSA-USC Hadith database: LINK

Those particular Hadith are here: LINK

To read about Samuel Zwemer and his work amongst the Muslims, follow this link: LINK

There you will see all his work.

Read about this wonderful and Godly man: LINK

and read about the POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS in Islam here: LINK

Remember to keep your own eyes on Jesus and keep pointing back to Him! You do that already I know; I see your love of Jesus in your posts and your love of the truth. A Muslim is very influenced by how you LIVE and ACT... so your words and deeds must reflect our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

In Christ
Gary
 
Gary_Bee said:
Remember to keep your own eyes on Jesus and keep pointing back to Him! You do that already I know; I see your love of Jesus in your posts and your love of the truth. A Muslim is very influenced by how you LIVE and ACT... so your words and deeds must reflect our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

In Christ
Gary
Click to expand...



Got cha!


And you are right, modesty... in dress and actions... and kindness.


One day I asked the husband if he could write "I love Jesus" in arabic for me, and he did, but he said he had never written that name (Jesus) in Arabic before. He's probably 40 and never written the name of Jesus in his life.


~serapha~
 
dunawas.jpg


The history of Yemen is tied up with the Jews, not Islam.

For an enlightening piece of history see:-
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/010198/yemen1.html
 
'One has two angels, one on each shoulder. I asked, "what if they get in a fight? Who do you listen to?" '

Lol naa the angels are not nececerrily literally on your shoulders, although this could be the case im not sure, however the angel on the right records your good actions, and the angel on the left your bad. Im not sure if they are just two angels assigned to you, or if they are literally on your shoulders. Im not quite sure what your trying to say about gettin into a fight.
 
evanman said:
dunawas.jpg


The history of Yemen is tied up with the Jews, not Islam.

For an enlightening piece of history see:-
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/010198/yemen1.html
Click to expand...

Hi there!


The religious history of Yemen is tied into the Jews, the Christians, the book of mormon, and Islam.

The biggest migration of Jews into the lower Arabian peninsula was before the fall of the Northern Kingdom. At one time much of Arabia was either Jewish or Christian...

And, of course, we know that at Median, Jethro was already a priest before Moses got there. What kind of Priest?


~serapha~
 
evanman said:
How does Yemen figure in the BoM?
Click to expand...


Hi there!

The CoJCoLDS's teaches that the passages of 1 Nephi 16:14-17:4 are in the country of Yemen. There are many arguments for this ... including the FACT that Jews did leave Jerusalem before the fall of the Southern Kingdom just as they had before the fall of the Northern Kingdom, that there were at least three areas where the Jews from Palestine settled... Mecca, Yemen, and Oman.


An "evidence" cited concerning the bom is the temple in Nihm and the four-horned incense altar with the inscription concerning the name Nahom. Nihm is in Yemen... and the Frankincense Trail travels through Yemen to Oman and the bom "Bountiful"



~serapha~
 
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