More than likely you, those over 60, know the name “Allah” from movies. The earliest movie I could find was the 1947, “Sinbad The Sailor,” starting Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. You may have been in my “number,” those who did not think of “Allah;” as really being the “god” of Islam! In fact, in those days, we knew little to nothing about Islam. Here is one thing we have learned, for the most part, through the evening news reports! Even the depiction of the “prophet Muhammad” in film is very controversial, this is true both within and without Islam. It is said, that the Quran, which I will call the “Islam’” bible. It is said that the “Quran” does not explicitly forbid images of Muhammad; however, Islam has what is called “hadith” (supplemental teachings) which have “explicitly” forbidden images of Muhammad! This is one of the teachings that have divided Muslim into two major “denominations:” 1) the Sunni and 2) the Shia.
In Islam, “Allah” is “the absolute one!” It is also said, that “Allah” is “the all-powerful,” the “all-knowing” ruler of the universe, and the creator of everything in existence.” A point not to be left out of this, is that Islam’s “God is strictly singular (tawhid); “unique (wahid), inherently One (ahad); and he is “all-merciful” and omnipotent. On the other hand, the depiction of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in film (as with other visual depictions) is a controversial topic both within and outside of Islam. The Quran does not explicitly forbid images of Muhammad, but there are a few hadith (supplemental teachings) which have explicitly prohibited Muslims from creating visual depictions of figures. There is a split on this issue between the two major denominations of Islam, Sunni and Shia Islam. Here is one point that you may not have read or heard about, “according to Islam, God is neither a material nor a spiritual being.” According to Islamic teachings, beyond the Throne and according to the Quran, “No vision can grasp him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things.” (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Here are the Islam’s Six Articles of Faith: 1) Belief in the existence and oneness of God (Allah); 2) Belief in the existence of angels; 3) Belief in the existence of the books of which God is the author: the Quran (revealed to Muhammad), 4) the Gospel (revealed to Jesus); 5th Torah (revealed to Moses); and 5) Psalms (revealed to David). Most historians believe that Islam originated in Mecca and Medina near the start of the 7th century, 600 A.D. This is nearly 600 years after the apostles of Christ preached the gospel of Christ on that “great” Pentecost morning in Jerusalem. It has always been of interest to me, that the Roman Catholic Church named its first “Pope” in the year 606 A. D. which is very near the starting date of Islam. Also a little more information, that Muhammad would have grown up during the years of a world which had produced, “false Christianity; is second behind “Christianity,” which is said to have 2.4 billion members and Islam has 1.9 members, the largest two religions of the world. One more point of interest just here, is that both, Christianity and Islam, at their start, founding, in the “Middle East.”
What do those who are followers of “Allah,” view as the “most heinous” sin? The most “heinous” sins of Islam are known as: Al-Kabirah (Persian), which translates to the great or major one. Some authors use the term enormity and not “greatest.” Still, it should be understood that in Islam, every sin is seen as an offense to Allah. The Quran is only in Arabic. When studying Islam and the Quran, it is said, “The best translation is not the Quran!” Here is what one follower said: “Once you lose something in its original wording and rely only on translation, the original is truly lost.” So, if you are reading a translation of the Quran, you must understand, that you will never understand the Quran, because you only have a “translation” of the Quran and not the Quran itself. Therefore, it is somewhat useless to quote from a copy of the Quran to a believer of Islam; simply because you have only read and studied a “translation” of the Quran and not the Quran itself!
The largest Muslim population in a country is in Indonesia, a nation home to 12.7% of the world’s Muslims, followed by Pakistan (11.0%), and India (10.9%). About 20% of Muslims live in Arab countries. Finally, the religious forecast, looking at 2050, is that the global Muslim population is expected to grow at a faster rate than Christianity, this is due primarily to the young age and high fertility-rate of Muslims.
Christians have their work “cut-out” for them! It is to preach the gospel of Christ, it, and only it, is the one plan for the lost authorized by God! Paul wrote: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). The pronoun “it,” refers back to the words “the gospel of Christ.”
Frank R. Williams