9 - ISLAM & CHRISTIANITY ON IDOLATRY
http://www.beholdthebeast.com/islam_and_christianity_on_idolatry.htmMost Muslims believe that Allah sent Muhammad to retrieve Christians
from the error of Trinitarian polytheism. But before we respond to
Allah's beckoning, don't we have the right to examine what we are being
asked to believe? The Bible admonishes us to prove (examine) all things;
and hold fast to that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Accepting a
creed without examination and genuine conviction, is not just blind
faith. It is like jumping from the frying pan to a roaring fire.
Unfortunately, our Muslim friends are in that exact position. Their
ancestors were forced to embrace Islam at the point of the sword. Today,
over 90% of the people in Islam were born into it and were then brain-
washed through al-majirin (the local Islamic school indoctrination
system). Through that system, they are given an anti-Gospel vaccination.
They are nurtured from infancy with the idea that Christians worship
three gods while they worship only one, Allah. Muslims accept this idea
without further examination.
Any religion's claim about itself is not sufficient evidence of its
validity. No religion (except Satanism) would admit outright that it is of
Satanic origin, because no one would be lured into accepting it. Religion
is like a letter written in the name of God. Examining the contents of the
letter is necessary to determine whether it is of God or not. It is patently
obvious that Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Shintoism, Confucianism,
Yogaism, Bahaism etc. - with their conflicting doctrines and confronta-
tional postures - cannot all be from the same God. True God is not the
author of confusion. A master stroke of Islam is its alleged teaching of
one god - Allah - while declaring Christianity to be polytheistic. But do
Muslims actually worship one god?
Muslims generally believe that the prophet Moses did speak directly
with God, hence his Islamic title of Kalimullah. The first of the ten
commandments God gave through Moses is:
40 Islam Reviewed
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any
likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is in the
earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou
shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them. (Exodus
20:4-5).
The children of Israel often broke this commandment and most of their
ordeals were a result of that sin. One of such instances is recorded in the
book of Ezekiel:
He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the
LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the
portico and the altar, were about twenty five men. With their
backs towards the temple of the LORD and their faces towards
the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east. [This
Baal worship is similar to Islam] (Ezekiel 8:15-16, NIV)
The Children of Israel experienced the lovingkindness of Yahweh (God)
in the wilderness; they witnessed His miracles. They knew it was not the
sun in the sky that delivered them from Egypt, nor the sun that parted
the Red Sea for them or provided them with manna during their
wilderness wanderings. To the Israelites, the sun was but a symbol, and
yet in the quote above they were bowing down to it. God who judges the
intents of the heart, knew their hearts. He condemned their act and
called it an abomination.
But what is the Islamic attitude towards a similar practice? Allah is
alleged to have handed down the following command, as recorded in
Surat al-Baqara:
"From whencesoever thou startest forth, turn thy face in the
direction of the sacred mosque, that is indeed the truth from thy
Lord. And God is not unmindful of what ye do" (Sura 2:149).
And still in another verse, the same command is rendered thus:
"We see the turning of thy face [for guidance] to the heavens:
now shall we turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn
then thy face in the direction of the sacred mosque: whenever
ye are, turn your faces in that direction" (Sura 2:144).
Islam Reviewed 41
The reader should notice that Muslims were previously commanded
to turn their faces towards Jerusalem when praying. What the speaker
is saying in the above sura is that they should change to Mecca.
In the preface of the book entitled Islam.The First and Final Religion,
page V, the author tries his best to defend the usual Islamic argument
that Abraham and Ishmael built the Ka'aba for the worship of Allah.1
Whether that claim is true or false is not the point. The Islamic Abraham
is alleged to have been guilty of shirk (idolatry), so it is not surprising if
it is also claimed that he built Ka'aba. That author went on to say that
Muslims do not really worship or bow to Ka'aba, that the Ka'aba is only
a symbol. That argument is not convincing at all. Why should anyone
bow towards Ka'aba in the first place? If God detests bowing towards a
sun that was made by Him, bowing towards a Ka'aba made by man
would definitely be worse, even if it was built by Abraham. Is the
command to face Ka'aba a test? (Sura 2:145). Does God test people with
idolatry?
Why do Muslims run round the Ka'aba, and even go as far as kissing
it during their "holy" pilgrimage?2 History tells us that Arabian pagans
performed this ritual before Islam. It is said that the first Khalifah of
Islam, Abu Bakr, when kissing the black stone (of all the colors available
under heaven, why they chose black is not without significance) said,
"Of a truth, I know that you are nothing but a stone and can do nothing
good or harm. Had I not seen the apostle of Allah kiss you, I would never
kiss you." (Cf. Rafique, Kinsmen of Abraham, P. 19). Worthy of note is
the fact that after the signing of the treaty of al-Hudybiyah (7 A.H.)3 -
while the Ka'aba was still housing those 360 idols - Muhammad
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1 Any Islamic claim of patriarchal accreditation for the Ka'aba would have been
weak indeed, had it not been linked to Abraham, though there is no historic
evidence at all that Abraham was ever in Mecca. The Ka'aba being linked to just
Ishmael makes more sense, because Ishmael probably went into pagan idolatry
after being driven from his father's house by God's command (Gen 21:10-14)
2 The author is convinced that Ka'aba is the exact fulfilment of the image of the
beast prophesied in Revelation chapter thirteen, verse fourteen.
3 A.H. (After Hijra) is an Islamic way of reckoning time. A.H. time began in 622
AD, the year of Muhammad's flight (Hijra) from Mecca to Medina, a fulfillment of
Daniel 7:25.
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42 Islam Reviewed
performed the ritual pilgrimage to Mecca. The conquest of Mecca didn't
take place for another year, (8 A.H.).
Muslims want the world to believe that the Ka'aba was sanctified
(purged) because some of the physical idols were done away with. But
religious matters go far beyond the physical world - powerful spiritual
forces are involved. The Bible teaches that an idol is nothing in itself.
What happens is that Satan stations demons (jinns) in venerated objects
to influence people's minds. If you destroy the objects (idols), the
demons (jinns), associated with those objects don't just vanish into thin
air. Some demons are quite territorial, and will remain at the place
where they were worshiped.1 So what happened to the demons that
stood behind idols that used to be at the Ka'aba? Who is in the Ka'aba
now? Is it Allah, or some displaced jinns?2
Ask yourself, if Allah is omnipresent (i.e. present everywhere) why
does one need to face in a particular direction to pray, and in the
direction of a black stone for that matter?
"O ye who believe! intoxicants and gambling, [dedication of]
stones and [divination by] arrows are an abomination, - of
Satan's handiwork: eschew such [abomination], that ye may
prosper." (Sura 5:93).
So the Koran teaches no dedication of stones, right? Well, what
about the Ka'aba, which is also known as the black stone. If I were still
a Muslim, I wouldn't know what to believe, because another "revelation"
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1 Editor's Note: Though not generally understood in the United States, all false
religions are demonically empowered. Demons (jinns) can even enable followers
to perform supernatural phenomena: visions, different voices, unknown tongues,
moving objects, levitation, calling up spirits, out-of-body experiences, death-curses,
etc. The suicide bombers in Israel are demonically influenced to believe they are
doing good, otherwise they would never perform such an unnatural act. Some
pastors in the United States believe they see and speak to Jesus, but a biblical study
of what their "angels" say to them shows their visions to be demonic. Scripture
warns of this possibility, 2 Cor 11:14 "And no wonder, for even Satan disguises
himself as an angel of light." Isn't seeing an "angel of light" what happened to
Mohammed in that cave north of Mecca?
2 Demons can be very territorial. Dr. Neil T. Anderson attests to this phenomenon
in his book on freedom in Christ from demonic influence - Neil T. Anderson, The
Bondage Breaker (Eugene, Oregon, USA, Harvest House Publishers, 1993) ISBN 0-
89081-787-1.
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Islam Reviewed 43
in the same Koran tells us that Ka'aba is not only to be venerated, but
also the small hills of Safa and Marwa:
"Behold! Safa and Marwa are among the symbols of God. So if
those who visit the house [Ka'aba] in the season or at other
times, should compass them round, it is no sin in them." (Sura
2:158).
Which symbol? Does Allah look like Ka'aba or Safa or Marwa?
Historically, the idolatrous significance of these hills was so strong that
early Muslims were reluctant to run round them at all. Hence the
"revelation" sanctioning the practice. Since Allah also ordered the
worship of a mere man, Adam (Sura 7:11-13; 38:72-77), his command
for Muslims to venerate stones and hills should come as no surprise.1
What about the astrological symbol of crescent and star? How Islam
came upon and accepted those occult symbols is best known only to
Allah and his jinns. What about the string of beads that Muslims use in
their prayers?
I used to be a Muslim, myself. My goal in this review of Islam is to
point out the falsity of these abominations to unsuspecting worshipers.
It is for the people who were made to memorize everything but have no
way of knowing the truth or error of what they have learned. The aim of
this book is achieved if, after reading it, you are (by God's grace), freed
from this snare of the devil. Sacred hills, sacred stones and prayer beads
are but institutionalized idolatry.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image . . . nor bow
down to them. (Exodus 20:4).
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1 There is a reference in the Bible book of Zechariah that some believe to be about
Islam and the Ka'aba. It is written in figurative language, but the intent of the
passage is plain enough. Editor's notes within the Bible quote are in italics:
Zec 5:7-11 Again he said, "This is their appearance in all the land (and behold,
a lead cover was lifted up); and this is a woman sitting inside the ephah (Ephah
was a son of Midian whose name meant 'darkness.' [See Holman's Bible Dictionary]
An ephah may also be a small basket)." Then he said, "This is Wickedness!. . . . And
I said to the angel who was speaking with me, 'Where are they taking the ephah
(the darkness or the basket of darkness?)?' Then he said to me, 'To build a temple
for her in the land of Shinar (in Zechariah's time, the Land of Shinar included
Arabia); and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal (the
Ka'aba?)'"
There is a now a pedestal in Mecca, dedicated to Allah, that all Muslims revere.
And the people who worship Allah, are they not in great spiritual darkness?
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44 Islam Reviewed
"Thou" means everybody, including Abraham!
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these
plagues, yet repented not from the works of their hands that
they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver,
and brass, and stones, and of wood; which neither can see, nor
hear, nor walk; neither repented they of their murders, or of
their sorceries, nor of their fornication nor of their theft.
(Revelation 9:20-21).
Will ye not also repent? If you will not because you were born and bred
in the religion, then hear the fate that awaits you:
And the smoke of their torment ascended up for ever and they
have no rest day nor night who worship the beast [through false
religions] and his image . . . (Revelation 14:11).
Some bow before the portrait of Jesus, Mary, a cross, or a crucifix. All
such abominations carry severe punishments. Many so-called Christians
also go on a pilgrimage to the Vatican to kiss the Pope's foot. This, too,
is an abomination and without biblical support. Jesus repudiated the
idea of pilgrimage. He stated that God, being a spirit, is everywhere. We
may only worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Jesus saith . . . believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall
neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the
Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we
worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and
now is, when the true worshiper shall worship the Father in
spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in
spirit and in truth. (John 4:21-24).
If we accept that kissing the foot of a man is abomination, then
every right-thinking mind should admit that running round and kissing
a lifeless structure as the Ka'aba is one of the worst abominations under
the sun. Of a truth, religion outside Christ is religious paganism. False
gods will always beget false prophets, and false prophets will in turn
beget false religions.
