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Session 2 How to understand and reach the Muslims around us
Session 2
How to understand and reach the Muslims around us
Understanding Muslims
To understand Muslims we should understand both the Quran and Mohamed’s life. The reason why most people don’t understand Muslims is because they don’t understand the Quran or Hadith. If we understand the main ideas and message in these books, then we can understand Muslims.
The Main Theme for Muslims
Necessity knows no law, which means that everything is lawful. Mohamed used this principle when he started his mission. This is why they have the two ages of the Quran, the Maccian and the Madinas ages. They differ, for example, in the verses about peace – “There is no compulsion in religion” (2:256). A critic may reply with a very different passage:
“Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection” (9:29).
Types of Muslims
Muslim people generally belong to one of the following 3 categories:
1- Popular Muslims or the average Muslims
- Very simple and easy-to-get-along-with people who think in generalities. They are not well read or knowledgeable.
- will follow the right people without thinking or questioning their leaders
- appreciate their cultural and religious traditions and follow what their parents or grandparents believe.
- listen to religious leaders and obey them without thinking and will accept anything ‘religious’ from their leaders.
- believe that their religious leaders are from God even though they make mistakes allow their leaders to think for them and assume they know better.
- easily led which can make them very dangerous believe rumors If they hear that someone just insulted the prophet of Islam, they could attack that person without thinking and easily kill him or her.
2-The fundamental or religious Muslims
-refuse change and new things because it is heresy. -refuse to celebrate with infidels. -are proud and have high self esteem. They follow Mohammed’s life in as much detail as possible (Sunna) and think that they are right and others are wrong.
3-The secular Muslims
- will read about and research major topics
- naturally inquiring and open-minded and willing to see issues from different points of view
- like change and adapt well
Our outreach to Muslims
In our outreach to Muslims we should:
- Know and trust the power of the Word of God
- Have no fear of them.
- Have peace in our heart
- Pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit
Some general principles for outreach:
- Love the person
This is a general Christian principle. For outreach, the most important thing is love. And that love must not be business-like or ‘professional’. It has to be a sincere, active, practical love. (John 3: 16)
- Be humble
Don’t act as if you are full of knowledge and he or she doesn’t know anything.
Don’t go with the attitude that you have everything worth having or knowing and that he or she has nothing of value for you. Let them feel important.
Don’t go to the person with a superior attitude. Go as a peer.
Let him or her recognize that they are important to God. They should see it in your communication and behaviour.
Focus on positive
Find positive qualities in the people that you deal with. Don’t focus on their sin or the darkness that they are in but lead them to see the light and truth. John 4
- Be understood
Use vocabulary and expressions that the person understands.
We may have the truth, but we must explain it clearly and in simple words.
Examples: 1- Christmas 2- Preaching 3- Church that I attended
- Use their beliefs and terms of reference
Start with what he or she believes, and move from there, step by step. If you understand and start with their terms and beliefs, these can then be used as ‘bridges’ to share the Christian faith and to ask questions that will force them to think about their religious assumptions.
- Be patient and ask questions
Don’t rush or pressure a person to believe. Allow your friend to think. Ask questions and try to answer questions they ask. If you don’t know the answer, ask them to give you time to study it. Of course it is always better to be well informed and to know what questions to expect. For this we have to be disciplined and prepare ourselves.
Questions are very important to lead Muslims to know the truth
Example:
How can I tell Muslims that the Quran is not the word of God
- Put yourself in places to meet Muslims
When you meet Muslims you have to let them see you as a true Christian. Muslims have wrong ideas about Christians. Let them understand the difference between true Christians and false Christians.
- Topics you will encounter
As you meet Muslims, you will discover that their cultural norms for conversation are different than ours. There are two subjects north Americans seem to avoid: politics and religion. However, politics and religion are the topics of choice for many Muslims. Politics will centre on American foreign policies and the Palestinian plight in the Middle East. As Christians, we must not let our patriotism get mixed with the Kingdom of God. Don’t feel compelled to defend North American policies as Christian policies. Grieve as God grieves over human tragedies. Let our human solutions show their faults and inadequacies and share that God wants all men to seek Him.
- Establish the spiritual dimension in your friendship.
- Use your gift of hospitality
- Use your holidays as a teaching tool
Invite your Muslim friend to your home for the various holidays, explaining the history behind the symbols and the event. Remember that Muslims consider pork and pork products unclean, so don’t serve pork. Give a Jesus video in their mother language as a token of your friendship at Christmas or at the end of Ramadan. Then sit down and watch it with them. Explain the significance of what Jesus taught and his death and resurrection.
- Get the scripture into their hands
- The Bible is a great way of dispelling a second-hand understanding of the Christian faith. Muslims are told to read the Bible in the Qur’an. Muslims are also told that the Bible of today is not the original Bible and the last revelation has come in the Qur’an, their holy book. When Muslims read the Bible, God speaks to them. Suggest getting together to read the New Testament. When they have questions, you can answer them. Don’t debate the Bible but read it together.
If they say the Bible has been changed, ask the following questions: Who changed it? What was changed? When was it changed? Where was it changed? Why was it changed?
Use these questions in your conversation
- Where are you from? People love to share about where they are from. This interest in their country of origin shows you care. If you know your geography, often this question will help you to know whether they are Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist. Should you have visited their country or have friends from there or living there, it gives you a point of common interest.
- How long have you been here? This question helps you to learn some of the issues they might be facing. For instance, if they have arrived within the last year, they will be facing legal and cultural adjustments. If they have been here for years you will know whether they have isolated themselves from the host culture. It seems that individuals who move to another culture usually experience a depression between the third and ninth month as they make adjustments to the new culture. They might be going through this period.
- Find a need-based issue and ask if you can pray for them on the spot in Jesus’ name. I have found that 99% of the people will not object to prayer. For most, the prayer you offer in their presence may be the first time anyone ever prayed for them and their needs. We must realize that prayer is a tremendous privilege of ushering that individual into the very presence of God. Prayer is respected and more can be said in prayer than in a lecture or debate. We can witness in prayer, talking about the relationship we have through Christ. As children of God we can lift up the needs of others. We should pray boldly in Jesus name, not being ashamed of Christ.
Levels of dialogue
There are three levels of dialogue.
- General dialogue, or small talk
On this level you can talk about general things in life, such as food, drink, sports, politics, weather, culture, work, religion, and through this you can lead to talking about God.
- Common values and beliefs (Bridges)
We may talk about things we have in common or which we share such as:
The prophets, which Muslims believe in, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, etc. (Note that we have these prophets in common by name only).
Talk also about common doctrines or beliefs (again, note that the commonality may be in name only) e.g. fasting, prayer, tithing, alms or charity.
Common life issues, such as the frustrations and challenges of raising families in this culture.
- Direct theological dialogue
This dialogue starts with:
-Is the gospel the Word of God?
-Who is Jesus Christ?
-The Trinity.
-The Incarnation
-Sin, Atonement, Cross, death.
-Eternal life, our heaven/their paradise.
If you have any question, feel free to contact:
Thabet Megaly
E-mail: thabet_megaly@hotmail.com
Visit: www.pathwayofpeace.ca
ne: (289)687-0570