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Beyond Mere Christianity
I know I have many Christian readers, and normally I am someone who avoids the whole apologetic thing, because authors like Deedat make me cringe. They don’t have any real conception about what Christianity is, and how Christians are.
But dear Christian readers, just bear with me for this post. I am a Muslim, and it is true that Muslims believe many things that Christians believe, but it is also true that we believe things that Christians do not believe. I would be silly to try and pretend this is not so.
So, if you can keep an open mind, with the possibility that you may just find out something about the Messiah that has been kept from you… something that Jesus, peace be upon him, would want you to know!
If you knew of a book that introduced you to:
* what Jesus taught
* why Jesus was and is Muslim
* why you should follow the teachings of Jesus and become Muslim too!
Brandon Yusuf Toropov is a convert and has written simply the best apologetic book I have ever read.
He points out how the oldest Gospel material (named Q by non-Muslim Biblical scholars) actually confirms what Islam teaches about Jesus: that Jesus taught we should only worship the one God; that Jesus rejected any attempt to consider him divine; that Jesus taught the path to salvation is not the substitutionary atonement, but rather to do the will of God.
I have bought six copies so I can give them to people. You can actually download the eBook for free here.
If it’s all wrong, it doesn’t matter. But, if it’s true, shouldn’t you take a moment to consider?
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May 23rd, 2007 at 12:35 am
Salaam Dear Sister:
Thank you so much. I had neve heard of this book, and now will take a look at it
The simple truth in your description fills my heart.
Ya Haqq!
May 23rd, 2007 at 5:35 am
Thanks. A lot of books written by Muslims on Christianity, are really superficial in their understanding of what Christians believe and why. Not all Christian are ignorant and blind followers. I became Muslim three years ago; and I remember reading a Muslim-Christian dialogue book which i did not think was very much a dialouge. Furthermore the Christian in the book, did not seem to possess a very strong knowledge of his religion. In the future I would like to see real dialogue (not debate) between learned Christian preachers and scholars who feel that their lives have been “transformed” by Christ and Muslim converts who not only have much knowledge of Islam but can recollect the Christian zeal they once felt for Jesus. I think that this dialogue would be much more complex and interesting as well as more sincere.
May 23rd, 2007 at 9:41 am
Assalamu ‘alaykum dear Irving and Talibah,
I was so excited when I came across it. It’s not written in an academic style, so it is very approachable for your average reader, yet he evinces such great respect for Prophet Jesus, alayhi salam, and the Gospels in which his teachings can be found, that I really think it is a wonderful book, masha’Allah
.
I do agree about the quality of apologetic material out there. I think part of the problem is that sometimes we are so entranced by how wonderful Islam is, we forget that there is much nur in the teachings of other religions, that has come from our Lord and been retained in their faiths.
May 23rd, 2007 at 11:53 pm
Salaam ‘Alaikum
I’m just glad to see you blogging again!
I haven’t read the book yet (saw the website ages ago), but I would like to agree that, generally speaking, most Muslim apologetic material is really awful and condescending, and that I too would like to see more intelligent material written on an everyday man type of level. (For example, there may be material written by academics or ‘ulema that is not accessible, in terms of language, to the average person).
May 24th, 2007 at 12:24 am
wa ‘alaykumusalam UZ,
Yeah I’m a bit erratic, but that just seems to be me I think.
I def. agree with the stuff that is too beyond the vast majority of us. Trying to grapple with Imam Al-Ghazzali, may Allah
’s blessings and mercy be upon him, made my brain hurt.
June 5th, 2007 at 5:48 am
Na3mat Allah
ma3kum,
Fair enough Um Yasmin, but I would like to offer a book containing testimonies from Muslims who have left Islam for Christianity. Of course they have made the more difficult decision since this is a crime in most Muslim countries (including mine), and punishable by death in some.
It is very easy for “Christians” who know nothing of their faith to leave what they never really had. In the West you have the luxury of religious freedom which is built on a Judeo-Christian civilization. In the Middle East we have few Christians and little freedom because of Islam.
If the West should become Islamized then the freedom and prosperity will leave too.
Salaam.
Abu Daoud
June 5th, 2007 at 9:31 am
wa iyyakum wasalam Abu Daoud
In the spirit of that great and fertile time, when the scholars of the Islamic civilization - whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim, Arab, Persian, Indian etc. - gathered together in Baghdad and spurred each other on to greater heights in philosophy, science and even theology, and laid the groundwork for ideas that would travel and prompt the European Enlightenment, that has brought us the Modern West, let us have a dialogue.
It is a terrible loss not to have freedom of religion, and not at all in keeping with the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad
, sallallahu alayhi wa salam, as his response to people who left Islam as a choice of belief, was to leave them to themselves.
Of course, freedom of religion is different from treason against the state (i.e. by going and joining and enemy army), the punishments for which are shared by many Muslim states and Western states alike. The problem, is when that is used as a tool for political ends, and I am saddened that there are those who would contravene the sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in such a manner.
I should point out, however, that I was not raised as a Christian, so I have to confess I come to the discussion as an outsider of sorts.
wasalam
Umm Yasmin
June 7th, 2007 at 3:37 am
If you claim to be not seeing the world as good and evil, why the need to invite Christians convert to Islam? Both are based on faith period, what is your basis that yours is more valid than others? It’s better to be a free thinker with some spiritual leaning, it’s 21st century after all.
June 7th, 2007 at 3:40 am
“Of course, freedom of religion is different from treason against the state (i.e. by going and joining and enemy army), the punishments for which are shared by many Muslim states and Western states alike. The problem, is when that is used as a tool for political ends, and I am saddened that there are those who would contravene the sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in such a manner.”
Ummm….you mean when Asma bint Marwan was murdered by Muhammad’s men when breasfeeding her baby and her other kids slept around her, she deserved that kind of punishment, didn’t she? Way to go! Can’t agree more with you. Is this part of the Arabic culture you like? Or is it part of Islam?
June 7th, 2007 at 10:24 am
Rory, that story comes from a biography, the original text of which is lost to us, and upon which we only have a third century recension. Furthermore, it is a forged story.
June 7th, 2007 at 10:27 am
I don’t see the world as only good and evil, and by extension I don’t think Christianity or Christians are evil. But I do believe that some beliefs and practices are closer to Truth than others. Not all beliefs are equal. I think Toropov shows good evidence, that the original teachings of Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, as evidenced by Biblical scholarship, accord with what Islam teaches about Prophet Jesus. And that is something Christians should at least have the chance to consider.