Both religions acknowledge a Creator, both confess that there is only one God (monotheism), and both know of a last judgment.  In both we encounter Abraham and even Jesus is mentioned.  In order to give an answer to the question, “how do we stand over against Islam?”, more must be said.

The intention of this article is to place this “half moon” in the light of the “sun” on four points.  In so doing, on the one hand, we will call upon the most important (according to some even, only) symbol in Islam where the calendar is determined by the moon.  On the other hand, the symbol of the sun serves as an indicator of the Christian faith pointing to the Light of the world.  Christians are not addressed without reason as “children of the light”.  Consecutively, we will pay attention to: the image of God (Allah), and by extension the place of Jesus as the Son of God, the problem of sin and what is understood by deliverance (redemption).  With all four subdivisions, we will pose a question to our own address.  In any case, that can protect us from looking down on another person.  In order to understand what Islam teaches, not only the Koran is of interest, but also the so-called Hadith as commentary with or explanation of the Koran.  Just as is the case with Christianity, also within Islam there are many streams of thought and certain commentators are recognized as having a special authority.

The Image of God⤒🔗

In Islam, the thought that Allah is one, is central.  He is the Creator with many attributes: highly exalted, eternal, sovereign, powerful, wise, just and merciful.  According to Hadith, Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred minus one, and whoever can say them by rote may enter paradise.  These names do give us an idea as to who Allah is.  However, the highest name, which truly represents God, remains unknown.  Allah’s sublimity is such that there can be no question of a true relationship with man.  Therefore, in Islam, there is also no question of speaking of man as created “according to his image and likeness”.  Not that he is so endlessly far away or even absent: “God is nearer to us than our jugular vein” (Soera 50:16). In the Bible, the loftiness of God is no impediment for his entering into a true relationship with his creatures, that of a Father with children.  Allah does show mercy and is kind and inclined to forgive, but the characterizing word for Allah is not love.  In the context of the Koran, Allah’s love means that he takes pleasure in obedient servants, more than that he knows them in a personal relationship of love.  From an Islamic point of view, it is degrading to Allah if one should be able to apply the term “Father” to God.  It takes some explanation to clarify what we as Christians mean with God as Father:  1.  It is about the characterization of the relationship from creation “after God’s image”, which definitely does not mean that God would have a “partner in marriage” or that people share in the godly nature.  2.  By calling upon God as Father, Christians acknowledge that he became this only for Jesus’ sake.  The love of the Father caused him to give his Son and through his death on the cross (John 3:16), on the grounds of a completed reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:14-17), sinners are rightly adopted as children into the household of God (Gal. 4:4-6). 

Still, the question presents itself to us if, for example, the deep respect which they give Allah is still present among us for the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  At times our image of God appears to have a very high “cuddle content” and a Muslim would at times stand still in amazement at a definite nonchalance in our worship services.  How do we present ourselves over against Islam? Let us not give them any reason to maintain and substantiate the conviction that was poured into them with their baby cereal — namely that the West is decadent, the West is Christian and therefore Christians are people without respect.

The Son of God←⤒🔗

It is well-known that Jesus is mentioned in the Koran.  What position is he given there?  Jesus may have a particular place of honour (under Mohammed), but he is not “God in person”!  Every Muslim rejects the doctrine of the triune God.  In the background, this is partially caused by the intense struggle with Arabic polytheism and the supposition that God, Mary and Jesus are viewed as three gods by Christians. (Soera 4:171).  It is also useful to remind ourselves that Islam originated in the sixth to seventh century in an area where Eastern Christianity had spread.  Also within that Christianity, many different variations had developed such as “God who continually took on more human characteristics” up to “a man who continually became more God”.  Moreover, it makes a huge difference whether you are speaking with a representative of the mystic streams or with a strictly rationalistic thinker.

What are the main objections of Muslims and which counter arguments can be used?  I will name two.

1. If God would have a son, then he must also have had a wife with the same godly nature.
   It seems appropriate to me to reject such a way of thinking.God truly does not have a Son in the same manner as an earthly father has a son.Christians confess Jesus as the Son of God, but understand that this is different and therefore, at that time, chose to express this as “the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages” (The Nicene Creed).The Father has never been without the Son and vice versa.He is the “eternal Son” and in eternity, there is no “earlier” or “later”.The Son is not there, thanks to the will of the Father, but he is “by nature” the eternal Son of God.Moreover, Jesus is thus not the Son of God because he was conceived in the womb of Mary in a wondrous manner.This “holy conception” purposely lets us see how he became a true man in all things, except for sin.
2. It is not correct to state, “God is Christ” (Soera 5:17, 72).
   This seems correct to me, but Christians do not do this either.The opposite can be defended, namely “Christ is God”.But even then, in the unity of both Persons, we will maintain a distinction.John 1:1 says it beautifully, “the Word was God” (unity) and “the Word was with God” (distinction).
   “How do we position ourselves over against Islam?”Let us take to heart their misunderstanding about what is spoken about Jesus as Son of God.Do we sing and speak about him in a manner through which he comes to his right as the eternal Son, who was sent by the Father into this world?An image of Jesus in which he takes up the cause for sinners over against a severe and punishing God appears untruthful to me.Therefore also his name, Christ, which denotes his task is of such tremendous significance, and also within the church, it is useful to continuously connect the name Jesus, with this name, Christ.

The Problem of Sin←⤒🔗

The Koran, which very strongly emphasizes the oneness of God, knows of one unforgiveable sin (shirk).“God does not forgive the association of him with a partner for him, he will forgive a smaller sin than this to whomever he will” (Soera 4:48, 116). It is therefore in our interest to understand how difficult it is to persuade Muslims of God as a triune God, and in particular of Jesus as Son. Besides this particular sin, sin is seen as a transgression of God’s will. People are born in a state of moral purity, but they are weak and need enlightenment (revelation) and the help of Allah. According to the Koran, sin has consequences only for the person who commits it. The sin of Adam thus had no consequences for his descendants. Islam therefore does not recognize a doctrine of hereditary sin or original sin. Moreover, Adam’s sin was the result of an, ethically seen, error of judgment. Yet, we encounter many texts in the Koran that point out that Allah takes sin seriously.

In the Bible, sin is also a transgression against God’s will, his law. Yet the Bible shows us the seriousness of sin more deeply. It is, in the first place, not the deeds themselves, but the heart from which they spring forth, that is the problem. Sin is first of all the broken relationship with God, our longing for independence from God, our rebellion against him and “I will do it in my own way”. Sin is so deeply entrenched in our being that even our “best deeds” are no more than “filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6) which must be given to the rag picker. Above all, according to the Bible, our uncleanness is from the source — our heart — definitely connected to the Fall into sin of Adam and Eve (Ps. 51, Rom. 5).The Bible acknowledges a much higher status for man and woman than the Koran; created in the image of God, but also the opposite; the Fall into sin is much more serious than is apparent from the Koran. Because of our Fall, we cannot save ourselves, separated and estranged from God, our Life, as we are.

The question which arises with the understanding of sin put forward by Islam is whether or not we slowly begin to think, more and more, out of a specific moralism. That is that sin is no more than doing “wrong things”? That is, when the “justification of godless people” (sourced Heidelberg Catechism Sunday 23) actually no longer functions and is experienced as “strange” in a church community? When the theology of the cross, because of this, is slowly replaced with a theology of “from more to still better”?

Can we Make It?←⤒🔗

The word “save” means something totally different in Islam than it does in the Bible. Both speak about God, who desires to save. When we are not “spiritually” dead, but “only” sick, we are not totally dependent on salvation from outside of ourselves. When Islam speaks about salvation, we must think about the way in which we are to go; belief, obedience, conversion (Soera 19:60, 20:83, 25:70, 28:67) and if necessary call upon the mediation of the prophet Mohammed. The balance of our lives must only tip towards the side of the good — and then we are saved! So if we: are in agreement with the truths of the Koran (faith), we do a certain number of good deeds (think of the five great duties) so that the wrong deeds are erased (obedience) and we break with wrong habits (conversion).The intercession of the prophet is only mentioned in the Hadith. Meanwhile it is clear that we, in this life, cannot already be saved. That is something that only becomes reality on the day of the last judgment.

In the Bible, it is not about salvation through our earnings, but “through grace”. The service of reconciliation which comes from God is central (Lev. 17:11, 2 Cor. 5:18-21).The “Lord of glory” is crucified and thus the freeing Word resounds and the future already begins here: “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

We cannot make it. Or can we? Members of the church who build their hope on the fact “that they really are not the worst” build their hope on an Islamic foundation. Then there is no longer a question of “amazing grace”. The sun is shining brightly because there were three hours in history in which every sign of God’s light, friendly countenance, was withheld. That cardinal moment in the history of the world is denied in the Koran. Therefore, the half moon urgently needs the light of the sun! Therefore also, “Let your light shine …”.