Cross and Crescent

Responding To The Challenges Of Islam

Colin Chapman

• Publisher: IVP
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN:
  9781844741922
• eBook ISBN:
  9781844746798
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Political Propaganda

Islam presents new challenges and new questions to Christians and to the West in a post-9/11 context.

However, in many situations in the world, where Christians and Muslims live peacefully side-by-side as neighbours, political considerations are not uppermost. Challenging us to examine our own attitudes, Colin Chapman considers the issues involved in Christian engagement with Muslims and Islam. He explores, ultimately, how Christians can effectively bear witness to Jesus.





This revised and updated edition incorporates brand new material on 'Islamic Terrorism', 'What is Islam?', 'The Qur'anic View of Christians' and 'Explaining Christian Beliefs About Jesus'. It will equip Christians to better understand Muslims and Islam in a rapidly changing world.

Part One
Relating to Our Muslim Neighbours

If we are to make any progress in dialogue with Muslims we must first of all get inside the world of Islam and make ourselves welcome as guests and friends...There is also a need for some of us to get inside the Muslim world and meet Muslims on their own territory where they are most at home, and, perhaps, most truly themselves.

Roger Hooker1

The emphasis in Part One is on personal relationships between Christians and Muslims. Before asking what Muslims believe or how they practise their faith (in Part Two), we think about how we relate to them as people and as neighbours in the different situations in which we find ourselves anywhere in the world. This will involve understanding their culture and examining our own attitudes towards Muslims and Islam.

1. Meeting face to face

‘Hello! How are you?’ This was a speaker’s short answer to a student who asked, ‘How should I approach a Muslim?’ No doubt the questioner had a particular idea in mind of what Muslims are like, and felt some need to learn special techniques for communicating with them.

The short answer sums up the basic point: we approach Muslims as human beings. We meet them as people before we meet them as Muslims. We greet them as individuals with a name before we think of them as representatives of a great world religion. We extend the hand of friendship as neighbours before we self-consciously announce that we are Christians.

Perhaps it is a sad reflection on the state of the Western Christian world that something as obvious as this needs to be said! But unless it is understood and put into practice, all our study of Islam and all the talk about sharing our faith with Muslims is worthless.

Starting where we are

Where we are presently in contact with Muslims, we may need to take stock of our situation and think how we can build on the relationships that we already have. Whom do we know? What is the context in which we meet? How well do we know each other? What kind of relationships do we have – do we know each other as neighbours, colleagues at work, teachers, students or casual acquaintances? How can we go deeper in our relationships?

If we do not already have any natural contact with Muslims in our own situation, we may need to ask ourselves some questions. Are there any situations, for example, where we could get to know any Muslims in a natural way – talking with other parents at school events, chatting with colleagues at work, or being involved in some kind of social work in the community, for example? The great advantage of relationships of this kind is that they can be utterly natural; there need not be anything forced or artificial about them. If we have no such contacts in our different situations, are there ways in which we can take the initiative and go out to meet Muslims – for instance, by visiting a mosque or a Muslim bookshop, by talking to a Muslim shopkeeper or by inviting a Muslim student to our home?

The secret of real dialogue

Assuming, then, that we have some kind of genuine relationships with Muslims, are we hoping for anything more than polite, friendly conversation?

Luke’s description of Jesus in the temple at the age of twelve gives us a picture of a kind of dialogue that gets beneath the surface. Jesus’ parents find him ‘sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers’ (Luke 2:46–47 RSV). It is obvious that Jesus relating in this way to the religious leaders of Judaism is not exactly comparable to Christians relating to their Muslim neighbours. But Luke’s brief picture shows us what is involved in any meeting of minds when people are exploring each other’s faith.

Jesus would have learned his faith in the home and the synagogue. But now he is in the capital city, talking to some of the religious leaders of Judaism. He is sitting among them and listening to what they are teaching. He genuinely wants to know what they think and how they teach the faith of their fathers. When he asks questions, it is not to trip them up and embarrass them, but to draw them out into real dialogue. What impresses the observers about Jesus is that he seems to have understanding (as distinct from intelligence or knowledge) and is able to grasp the important issues. When he offers answers, therefore, it is in response to actual questions which people are asking.

What would it mean to see this as a model for dialogue between Christians and Muslims? ‘Sitting among them’ might mean visiting Muslims in their homes, or spending time with them socially. For a student in a university or college it might mean having the courage to attend meetings of the Islamic Society and getting to know Muslim students. For Christians who have grown up as members of a minority community in a Muslim country, it might mean working through their fears and trying to relax a little more in the company of Muslims.

‘Listening’ could mean giving more serious attention to what Muslims themselves are saying – not only what is being said about them – in the media. ‘Asking questions’ may mean at first asking very basic questions. But as we continue to probe gently, it should become obvious that we are not trying to score points, but are doing all we can to see the world as Muslims see it.

If this kind of deeper exchange is going to be fruitful, we will need that ‘understanding’ which enables us to discern the most important issues. And if we reach the stage of being able to offer any ‘answers’, we will then be answering genuine questions in the minds of Muslims and not simply the questions that we think they ought to be asking.

Greetings

The problem for most of us is that we find it hard to break the ice, and for reasons that are perfectly understandable, we are reluctant to cross barriers of language, culture and religion. Muslims all over the world, whatever their mother tongue, are taught the following Arabic greeting: one person says As-salamu ‘alaikum, or salam ‘alekum (‘Peace be on you’), and the other replies Wa’alaikumus salam (‘And on you be peace’). Is there any reason why Christians should not learn this greeting, whatever country they are living in, and use it to greet any Muslims they meet?

Some Muslims may not be pleased to hear Christians using a greeting which is generally thought to be a greeting only for fellow Muslims. But others will be pleasantly surprised to be greeted in this way by non-Muslims, and delighted to feel that we have taken the trouble to learn something that is part of their religion and their culture. And it could be even more significant for ourselves if we discover that greetings are more than a mere formality; they convey something about our whole attitude towards another person.

Visiting

‘An Englishman’s home is his castle’, says the proverb. Most Westerners tend to think in the same way, seeing their home as a place of retreat for privacy. They therefore feel they are intruding if they call on someone without an invitation. This is not, however, the mentality of the East and most of the Muslim world. An Egyptian sums up the way most Easterners think about the custom of visiting in this way: ‘You honour people more by visiting them in their homes than by inviting them to yours.’

In this respect it is probably true to say that it is we in the West who are out of step with the rest of the world. Throughout the East, in Africa and in Latin America, hospitality is regarded almost as a sacred duty. If someone visits me in my home, I must drop whatever I am doing, however urgent I think it is, because welcoming and entertaining guests has priority over every other obligation. I will offer them something to drink and perhaps even something to eat, and they will have to think twice before refusing what I offer.

What might this mean in practice in relating to Muslims? It may mean that I need to put aside Western ideas of etiquette. So if I meet Muslims and want to get to know them better, it might be natural to say, ‘Can I visit you in your home?’ rather than ‘Would you like to visit me in my home?’ Once we begin to feel relaxed and comfortable in the homes of our Muslim friends, it will be natural to think of other occasions when visits would be appropriate. What about visiting, for example, during a Muslim feast? And why not visit after the birth of a child, when someone has returned from a journey or from pilgrimage to Mecca, or during a time of celebration or bereavement?

Another way to meet Muslims is to visit a mosque.

Visiting a mosque

Curiosity is not the only thing that might draw Christians to a mosque. Another reason could be that we want to meet devout, practising Muslims, and to understand them and their faith as much as we can. It is not appropriate to visit a mosque in order to ‘evangelize Muslims’, although such a visit can sometimes lead to opportunities to share our faith with Muslims. We need to remember that we are visitors, enjoying the hospitality extended to us in someone else’s place of worship. If a group of Muslims were to visit our church, we would expect them to come primarily to listen and to learn, rather than to preach to us.

The word ‘mosque’ is an Anglicized version of the Arabic word masjid, a place of prostration, or worship. In addition, the mosque is regarded as a kind of community centre, since many important social functions are held in the mosque or in a hall attached to the mosque. It is also a place for education, and in many cases classes for teaching Islam and the Qur’an are held regularly in the mosque.

What should you do before going?

The leader of a group visiting a mosque should make personal contact before going, with either the imam or some other leader of the community, such as a member of the mosque committee. Women visiting a mosque should wear a scarf to cover their heads. They may in some cases be asked to wear a long skirt or loose trousers, and to have their arms covered. Some mosques may ask women not to visit during menstruation. Men are sometimes expected to cover their heads. You should be prepared to take your shoes off before going to the main prayer room of the mosque.

During your visit, your hosts will probably want to talk about the mosque and explain their faith to you, perhaps at some length. There will usually also be opportunities for you to ask questions. It can be helpful to think in advance of some questions you may want to ask.

You should be prepared to stay for at least an hour, and not be in a hurry to leave. You may be served refreshments, and there may be a further opportunity for you to ask questions. If the leader of your group knows the mosque well, he or she should know how long the visit is likely to take.

If any members of your group have reservations about visiting a mosque, they should not feel obliged to do so. It may be helpful, however, if they can be encouraged to express their feelings openly and discuss them with the rest of the group.

What can you see at the mosque?

You may be welcomed to a mosque by the imam, whose position is roughly similar (but not identical) to that of the minister, pastor or priest in a Christian church. It is worth finding out how the responsibilities of the imam differ from those of a Christian minister or priest. It is possible, however, that you will be welcomed and shown around by a member of the community who may not have studied Islam in any depth.

You may be able to see the place where those who come to the mosque carry out their ablutions – wudu, the ritual washing of the hands, arms, face, nose and feet before prayer. Your hosts may be very willing to demonstrate to you how they say their prayers and what the ritual means for them.

In the prayer room or prayer hall itself you will see the mihrab, the alcove in the wall that marks the direction of Mecca, the central shrine of Islam, and thus indicates the direction that Muslims face to pray. Muslims generally do not mind if visitors watch them from behind when they are saying their prayers, and they are often willing to demonstrate for visitors the postures that they adopt during their prayers.

The minbar is the pulpit with steps, usually made of wood, from which the imam gives a sermon at the Friday prayers. There is often Arabic writing on the walls, which could be:

• the name of God, Allah;
• the name Muhammad;
• the Fatiha (the first sura of the Qur’an; see chapter 6, ‘Muslims at prayer’);
• other verses from the Qur’an (e.g. sura 112).

There may be a series of clocks indicating the times for prayer each day and the Friday prayers.

There may or may not be a minaret. In a Muslim country the call to prayer, the adhan (usually pronounced azan), would be heard from the minaret, often magnified by a loudspeaker. In most mosques in Europe and North America the call to prayer is heard only inside the mosque, and special permission has to be given by the local council for it to be broadcast outside the building.

There may or may not be a separate women’s prayer room. If there is no special room, there may be a gallery or a curtained area in the main prayer hall that is used by women.

In many mosques there is a special room for Qur’an classes. Children come here for an hour or more after school each day to learn the Qur’an. It may be worth studying the pictures and posters on the walls.

There may be a hall attached to the mosque used for social functions such as weddings, funerals and important festivals. Some mosques include a morgue.

What should you do after the visit?

It is important for members of the visiting group to meet together, even if only for a short time, to share their impressions of the visit. It may also be appropriate to write to your hosts to thank them for their hospitality. You should think together about the most appropriate way to follow up your visit. You cannot expect to make too much progress on your first visit, and you may well want to arrange further visits to the mosque, or to visit your hosts in their homes. If you invite them to visit your church, do not be surprised or offended if there is some reluctance to do so, and try to work out the reasons for their reluctance.

Where will all this lead?

If we want to work out in advance where all our meeting and visiting are going to lead, the chances are that there is still something wrong in our own attitudes. In the teaching of Jesus, the command to love our neighbours is prior to the command to go out and make disciples of all the nations. It makes little sense to calculate how we are going to share the gospel with our Muslim neighbours if we have not begun to know them, love them and care for them as our neighbours. There needs to be genuine meeting between people.

But how does this emphasis on relationships work out in practice? The following three quotations come from entirely different situations and illustrate different kinds of response to initiatives in friendship. In the first, Roger Hooker describes an important breakthrough in his attempts to get to know his Muslim neighbours while he was working in India:

When we came to live in Bareilly...I determined to make contact with the Muslim community, which was obviously a large one. But how to set about it? In Agra I had once paid a visit to the Jama Masjid, but had been asked to leave after about 10 minutes. In Allahabad I had asked a durzi if I could visit his mosque to watch the worship, but this was not allowed. Soon after we got to Bareilly I wrote to the principal of the local Muslim college to ask if I could see round his institution, but I got no reply. One afternoon in February 1969, in sheer desperation, I went for a walk in the old city and climbed the steps of the first mosque I came to. I asked if I could see the maulana. After some time he appeared and asked me what I wanted. I said that I wanted to see round his mosque. He showed me round but of course there was not very much to see, so he invited me to sit down and have a cup of tea. We chatted for about half an hour. He asked me who I was and what I was doing in India. I told him I was a missionary. He said that he, too, had wanted to be a missionary in Africa but his parents wouldn’t let him go. We also discovered that we each had a son of the same age and that our respective wives were expecting a second child. As I went down the mosque steps he asked me to come again. For me this was one of the most thrilling moments I had known since arriving in India four years before. At last I had managed to penetrate to the house of Islam, and had met a Muslim as a fellow human being.1

The second quotation comes from one of the leaders of a Muslim community who had been welcoming groups of Christian students to his mosque in a British city over a period of years. At the end of a helpful time of questions and discussion, someone said to him, ‘Would you and any of your community be interested in visiting a church or coming to our college to hear how we understand our faith?’ The answer was polite but clear, and seemed almost to close the door to closer friendships:

There are too few of us looking after our own community, and we don’t really have the time to meet with people of other faiths. What’s more, it might be confusing for any Muslims who are not sure of their faith. But for those of us who are sure about our faith, there’s nothing we can learn from Christians, because it’s all there in the Qur’an. We’ve got it all in Islam.

The third quotation is from a Lebanese Christian working in Iraq before the Gulf War, who describes his experience of mixing socially with friends and colleagues during the month of Ramadan:

The month of Ramadan has just finished. Particularly on this occasion I am having first-class contact with Islam and its practices. The legalism, the Judaism, salvation by works and hypocrisy are just killing. Being invited to so many dinners, I eat so much during this month, but also suffer so much spiritually. I find myself completely helpless being evangelized rather than evangelizing. It is a faith so much rooted in the hearts of people. Anything else contradicting their Book is ‘false’ because God has actually and verbally spoken.

This person had moved beyond superficial contacts to begin t...

Table of contents

• Cross and Crescent
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Preface to the Second Edition
• Introduction
• Part One Relating to Our Muslim Neighbours
• 1. Meeting face to face
• 2. Appreciating Islamic culture
• 3. Examining our attitudes
• Part Two Understanding Islam
• 4. What is Islam?
• 5. Basic Muslim beliefs and practices
• 6. Muslims at prayer
• 7. The life of Muhammad
• 8. The Qur’an
• 9. Tradition (hadith and sunna)
• 10. Law (shari‘a) and theology (kalam)
• 11. Sufism
• 12. Folk Islam or popular Islam
• 13. The spread and development of Islam
• 14. Branches and movements within Islam
• 15. Issues facing Muslims today
• 16. Women in islam
• 17. ‘Islamic terrorism’
• Part Three Entering into discussion and dialogue
• 18. Questions and objections concerning Christian practice
• 19. Social and political issues
• 20. Questions and objections concerning Christian beliefs
• 21. Guidelines in discussion with Muslims
• 22. A deeper look at the main Muslim objections
• 23. Learning from the controversies of the past
• 24. Exploring dialogue
• Part Four Facing fundamental issues
• 25. Theological questions
• 26. The Islamic view of Jesus
• 27. The Qur’anic view of Christians
• 28. Crucial differences: the parting of the ways
• 29. Thinking biblically about Islam
• 30. Counting the cost of conversion
• 31. Facing the political challenge of Islam
• Part Five Bearing witness to Jesus
• 32. Natural openings in everyday life
• 33. Using the Bible
• 34. Starting from the Qur’an
• 35. Explaining Christian beliefs about Jesus
• 36. Some issues facing Christians today
• Conclusion
• Notes