Paul Luckraft surveys the Barnabas Fund’s short booklets on Islam.

(See base of article for ordering information)

Is the Muslim Isa the Biblical Jesus? (Patrick Sookhdeo, 2012, 24 pages)

This is one of the most important questions to ask when it comes to comparing Islam with Christianity, and a fitting starting point for our survey of booklets produced by the Barnabas Fund.

Islam is the only non-Christian religion which mentions Jesus in its holy book and yet it “denies His deity, His atonement, and His supreme place as Lord of all” (p5). The person of Christ is clearly a challenge to Muslims and likewise their response to Jesus challenges Christians.

The booklet sets out how Islam views Jesus (called Isa) in both the Qur’an and the Hadith (traditions) with lots of quotes from both which leave us in no doubt about the fundamental differences between the Muslim Isa and the biblical Jesus. There is also a short section on the role of Isa in the Islamic apocalyptic narrative, namely that he will return (as a Muslim) to fight and destroy the enemies of Islam which, of course, includes Jews and Christians!

Overall the booklet “explores Muslim beliefs about Jesus [and] shows how incompatible they are with the Christian confession of Jesus as Lord and Saviour” (p7). Although Islam reveres Isa as a prophet and miracle worker, its claim that he was a mere human being is the major point of departure from Christianity. For Christians who seek common ground with Islam it is important not to ignore or suppress the real differences over these two views of Jesus.

For those seeking to witness to Muslims here is a useful booklet, full of facts to help them discuss and debate from a secure place of knowledge.

In the same series…

Four other booklets in the same series also help equip Christians to this end. ‘What is Islam?’ is a useful 8-page summary covering the history and background of the Quran, Sharia law and what Muslims believe and practice. It concludes with two pages on the different kinds of Muslims in the world today, including Sunni, Shia, Sufi and Wahhabi.

‘What is Sharia?’ adds to the section in the above on the topic of Sharia. It covers its development and characteristics, and discusses the challenges of Sharia in Western countries.

‘Islam and Truth’ tackles the doctrine of taqiyya (dissimulation or concealing true beliefs and motives), and ‘Islam and Slavery’ provides an historical survey of how Islam has interacted with the contentious issue of the enslavement of human beings.

The UK, Islam and Operation Nehemiah

There are two other much longer booklets (just over 50 pages each) which may interest readers who want to know more about Islam in the UK. Both are written by Patrick Sookhdeo and explain the aims and objectives of the Barnabas Fund’s Operation Nehemiah, a project dedicated to the spiritual transformation of the UK.

One of these (‘Slippery Slope’) focuses on the increasing Islamisation of the UK, but also covers similar trends in Europe. The chapters are simply titled ‘Immigration’, ‘Integration’, ‘Islamisation’ and ‘Implications’. It ends with the mission statement of Operation Nehemiah (based on Nehemiah 3, rebuilding the walls) and encourages readers to sign up and support the mission.

The second booklet (‘The Way Ahead’) ends in a similar fashion and is subtitled ‘Returning Britain to its Christian Path’. This may well be on the heart of many who have experienced recent changes in society and at the very least want to understand this better, if not be spurred into action.

The retreat of Christianity in public life over recent decades has created a vacuum that has lent itself well to the increasing influence of Islam. This booklet is an eye-opening and thought-provoking assessment of what has become a vital aspect of the UK today and should be required reading for those wanting to engage in the important debate of how Britain will develop in the years to come.

Ordering information

All booklets are £1 each. Order from the Barnabas Fund website, by telephoning 02476 231923, or by writing to Barnabas Books, 9 Priory Row, Coventry CV1 5EX.