What sayest thou? Is Mohammed a prophet?
This question posed to the typical Westerner has an easy answer: no…for many reasons. However, for the Christian who is a missionary at heart trying to bring Muslims to Christ the simple answer of “no” closes the door to the Muslim’s heart and mind. The Muslim will immediately judge the Christian as a “kafar” (infidel) and unbeliever in God and his prophet.
To help you better understand, it would be like going to your closest family or friend who is Catholic and telling them, “You know that the Pope is really a wicked idolator who is deceiving you and a sixth of the earth’s population, right?” Of course this is true but not very useful for evangelistic purposes.
My friend Said was confronted by this question a couple days ago. We were in a heated debate with about five or six Muslims present, one I had tried to witness to. Of them all, one was belligerent and asked Said the big question in a loud accusatory voice, “Just tell me one thing…do you believe in Mohammed the prophet?” A positive answer would make Said’s witness void for he would then be a Muslim. A negative answer would bring the law against him since nothing angers a Muslim like criticizing their beloved prophet (hence the killings after the cartoons in Denmark). Anytime that Said answers in the negative, this could be used against him before a judge and he could be accused of attacking Islam.
Jesus face similar questions by spies of the Pharisees in Luke chapter 20. They asked him,
1. “Should we pay taxes to Cesar?” and
2. “By what power do you do these things? Who has given you this authority?” and
3. “If a woman had seven husbands on earth, who would be her husband in heaven?”
These were questions meant to be traps. A simple answer either in the positive or negative would have spelled disaster. Jesus wisely answered with either a question (in the case when they questioned his authority) or a logical illustration to defuse the heat of the question (in the question of taxes).
Yesterday I was talking to my mechanic Khalid over lunch and telling him how Christian pray. He had a very typical question: “Do you believe in Mohammed?” His was not a question to cause anger in others or to have reason to bring me before a judge for criticizing Islam, rather he was confused by my apparent piety and wanted to put me into a box: believer or nonbeliever. He had learned that the way to do this was determining what the subject thinks about Mohammed, the seal of the prophets (in popular opinion).
So my response, which I would like to encourage as an example, was this:
“Khalid, you have asked me about the last prophet, no? Well, we cannot start by examining the last prophet. We must start at the beginning with the first. What wise man would begin at the end? So the first prophet, who was he?”
“Adam, the first man.”
“Yes. Exactly. Let’s look at what truths God taught us through Adam and move forward. When we get to the end, I would be glad to tell you just what I think about the last prophet.”
Khalid thought that made sense and we began by opening up the Bible to the book of Genesis. From there I explained to him in rather short form how Christ is the fulfillment of the prophecies and the answer to the sin problem present since Adam. I explained how Christ was the Word made flesh and how he fulfilled every need we have always had. By the end, Khalid had forgotten his question about Mohammed being confounded by so many things he had never considered before using both the Holy Scriptures, logic, and his own conscience as his guide. We left that lunch with Khalid not thinking that I was an unbeliever though he still didn’t know my opinion on Mohammed. Later he will know.
As a side note, I have known Catholics who have come to Christ and have not removed the picture of the Pope from their home until a couple of years later. The point is that neither Mohammed nor the Pope is the key figure for us to understand. We must point to Christ and avoid with wisdom a question that would cut off our witness to 1.5 billion Muslims
Do you know your prophet?
Here in North Africa, like the rest of the Muslim world, the Muslims who follow Mohammed as God’s prophet are ignorant of his life and deeds. Often we ask Muslims here what they would think about a man…and then insert the actions of the prophet Mohammed. They are always repulsed by his actions and then surprised when his name is inserted as the culprit of the mentioned deeds. A certain ex-Muslim who works with PNA in North Africa was witnessing to a man with a 4 year bachelor’s degree in Islamic law. He asked him, “Did you know Ayesha was only six when Mohammed married her and nine when he consummated her marriage physically?”
The man had never heard this.
Next time you meet a Muslim and have a chance to witness, try quizzing him about his the life and habits of this great “Apostle of God”.
(The following facts are taken from Muslim writings documented in their own history.)
What do you think about a man who:
…at the age of 53 would marry and have sex with a girl of 9 years old?
Mohammed married two women in a space of 2 months after the death of his first wife Khadija. The first wife named Sauda and the second Ayesha, who was 7 years old at the time.
…would attack an unarmed group of people during a truce, killing one and capturing another?
Mohammed sent a band of 9 warriors during the month of Nakhlah, a sacred month in which it was unlawful to shed blood, to attack an unarmed caravan of merchants. This was their first murderous expedition in which they killed one, took another captive, and stole much booty.
…would kill a sleeping woman by her baby?
Mohammed, in the famous Battle of Badr in 624, overcame a force of 1,000 with 300 well trained warriors. Their captives after the battle were all slaughtered. One captive of Mohammed was a woman named Asma and her small baby. She, having refused to accept Mohammed as a prophet was killed by the sword at night as she laid by her baby.
…would kill people of another religion who live in his own town and then take all their money?
Mohammed systematically ordered the assassination of the Jews in Medina who opposed him. One notable one was Kab Ibn Ashraff. He along with all other Jews in Medina was murdered or expelled and their wealth was confiscated by the prophet.
…would marry the wife of his adopted son?
Mohammed having lusted after the wife of his adopted son, Zaineb, married her once Zaid had divorced her to please the sensual lusts of his father/prophet.
…would sleep with hundreds of women who weren’t his wives and have over 60 wives besides?
Mohammed had an estimated 60 wives in his harem. He also was known to sleep with many slaves and concubines whom he never married. This was allowed in the holy book only for the prophet of God who was above the laws of other men.
…would behead 700 people personally without mercy?
Mohammed once infuriated by a town of 2000 Jews who refused to recognize his authority as prophet, separated the men from the women and children. He lined the 700 male captives up by the side of a ditch. Six at a time they were brought out in front of the prophet and beheaded until all were extinguished. Mohammed then proclaimed that a work of the Most Merciful God!
…would force a woman into his bed for life?
After that battle, Mohammed forced one woman named Rainah to marry him against her will and share his bed. This is known as rape today.
…would raid a man’s home for his money, rape his daughter, only after the torture and death of the man of the house?
During a raid on a particular Jewish village called Khaibar, Mohammed learned of a stash of gold and silver in one home. He raided it, took the booty, and forced the 16 year old daughter of the man into his harem. The man was tortured and killed. His village paid annual taxes of 50%.
Taken from “The Life and Religion of Mohammed: The Prophet of Arabia” by J.L. Menezes.
What do you think of Mohammed?
Commenting on the Prophet of Islam and pointing to Islam
What is your view of Prophet Mohammed?
How would you respond if a Muslim asks you about the prophet of Islam?
What do you think of the Quran and Mohammed?
*Folk Muslim belief about Mohammed:
-Mohammed is the last prophet and the Quran is the last revelation
-The Quran encompasses ALL the teachings of God and His Law
-Paradise is attainable for those who follow the teachings of the Quran
-Mohammed met personally with Gabriel who handed him the Quran sura by sura
-Mohammed as well as all the prophets was sinless
-Mohammed was the most righteous of them all
*What does the Bible say?
-Jesus is the Savior from sin (Acts 4:12, John 3:16)
-Throughout the centuries God has sent many great men (Heb 1:1)
-The Injeel clearly states that Christ alone is the intercessor
-Salvation is through Christ alone the redeemer
*A Wise Approach
-List some of the good deeds of Mohammed: He taught monotheism, he taught to follow Jesus and read the Bible, He stopped infanticide, he stopped warfare, and united tribes.
-Stress what sets Christ apart from Mohammed and all other prophets: He was born of a virgin, he was holy, he was called the Word of God, the Spirit of God, He is coming again!
-Show from the Injeel that Christ was the redeemer
-Ask if he/she has ever read the Injeel and offer one as a gift.