The Rise of Islam
by Rickard L. Sawyer
Th.M., Th.D., D.Min., N.D. (cand.)
Former Professor of Theology and Comparative Religion
Golden State School of Theology, Oakland, CA ©1983,2003,2004

Pick up any newspaper or magazine, or turn on any television or radio news report, and within a very few minutes you will find a reference to “Islam, one of the world’s three great monotheistic religions,” as if Islam has much in common with Judaism and Christianity. Unfortunately, you will also hear our national leaders talking about “our Islamic friends” as if we had much in common with them. You will even hear so-called “Christian,” Jewish, and even some Muslim leaders suggesting that the G-d of Islam is the same as the G-d of Avraham, Yitz'chak, and Ya`akov, the G-d of the Bible and the only true G-d.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Islam has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with Judaism and Christianity, they are not our friends, and until Messiah returns and abolishes Islam they can never be our friends. The G-d of the Universe has revealed Himself in the pages of the Bible as the one and only unique G-d of all, and He says there is no G-d but Himself. As will be demonstrated in this article, the “god” of Islam is the declared enemy of the G-d of the Bible and, as such, his goals and objectives are diametrically opposed to the goals and objectives of the G-d of the Universe. Those who are the friends of the G-d of the Universe cannot be friends of those who follow His sworn enemy.

The Qur’an also clearly indicates that Allah is not be be associated with the G-d of the Bible.

Sura 17.22: “Do not associate with Allah any other G-d, lest you sit down despised, neglected.” [By his own mouth, Allah is NOT the G-d of Avraham, Yitzhak, and Ya`akov!]

See also the rest of Sura 17. The Children of Israel

This article is intended to summarize the historical ascent of Islam, not what Muslims believe about the historical ascent of Islam.

Mohammed was born a peasant in 570, was orphaned at an early age, and was raised by his uncle. At age 25 he married Khadija, a very wealthy widow merchant 15 years his senior.

The society in which Mohammed grew up was extremely splintered, with numerous feudal tribes that were constantly at war with each other. Their religion was filled with desert jinni, a class of spirit beings that, according to Muslim demonology, inhabit the earth, assume various forms, and exercise supernatural powers. They often take human form and serve their summoner (as in Aladdin’s lamp). It was the privilege and responsibility of the head of each tribe to select for his own tribe which jinn they would worship, and many of the tribal wars were fought primarily to prove that one tribe’s jinn was greater than the other’s.

Traveling as a representative of Khadija’s (now his) various business interests, Mohammed was exposed to many Jews and Christians, and became enthralled by their theology, particularly their concept of a single deity. It occurred to him that if his countrymen could be united under a single “god,” great progress toward peace could be made for his people.

Secular history records that in 610, by which time Mohammed had become the leader of his tribe, he was in a cave meditating and seeking to discover which of the jinni was indeed most powerful, and worthy to become the tribal jinn of his family. Supposedly one of the jinni appeared to him [See 2 Cor. 11:14] and identified himself as Al-Ilah (the G-d), or Allah, who appointed Mohammed as his “prophet.”^[NOTE1]

As the Bible teaches that all false “gods” are actually demons,^[NOTE2] Allah [or whoever it was that appeared to Mohammed, assuming that someone actually appeared to him] is therefore a demon posing as a G-d, and Islam is therefore a religion of demon worship.

Mohammed was extremely disturbed by the visitation, and for several years he privately expressed to Khadija and to his closest friends that he was afraid that he was going insane because of the frequent “visions” he experienced. However, with Khadija's continuous encouragement, over the next 12 years he was able to gain between ten and fifteen converts to the worship of Allah. In 622 he was finally cast out of Mecca and went to Medina where he found a receptive audience for his ideas. Through his teaching of honoring only one “god” and of religious toleration toward others, especially toward the “people of the Book” (Jews and Christians), by the late 620’s he had converted nearly all of the area around Medina.

In 632 he returned to Mecca and “converted” them by force, ruled over them as Caliph (prophet and ruler), and died in 632. Through their policy of “conversion by the sword” Islam had spread as far as Spain, India, and most of North Africa by 637.

Key Dates in the History of Islam

570 — Mohammed born

610 — The jinn Allah appears to Mohammed in the cave [though some Muslims claim it was the angel Gabriel who appeared to Mohammed, this is simply not possible as explained here]

610-622 — Mohammed preaching in Mecca; gained 10-15 converts

622 — Mohammed thrown out of Mecca and goes to Medina (250 mi north of Mecca)

624 — Now the majority religion, Islam gains control of nearly all of the Arabian Peninsula by the late 620’s

630 — Mohammed returns to Mecca and “converts” them by force

632 — Mohammed rules over Islam as Caliph (prophet and ruler) - dies

635 — Islam controls Damascus

636 — Islam controls Syria and Israel

637 — Islam expands into India, North Africa, and Spain, but Charles the Hammer of southern France stops the spread of Islam in France

1038 — Babylon falls to Islam; the center of Jewish learning moves from Babylon to Spain

Notes:

1. Muslims are divided in opinion as to the source of Mohammed’s “revelation.” In response to this article, I have received email from numerous Muslims who insist that all Muslims believe it was Gabriel who appeared to Mohammed in the cave and Gabriel who gave the Quran to Mohammed. I have also received messages from other Muslims who insist that all Muslims believe that it was Allah who appeared to Mohammed in the cave, and that Allah gave Mohammed some parts of the Quran and Gabriel gave him other parts. I have even had some Muslims tell me that Muslims do not believe that either Allah or Gabriel ever appeared to Mohammed, but rather that they believe that the “appearances” and “visions” were not real, but were only part of Mohammed's “state of mind,” which I interpreted as meaning imagination or delusion. [It is simply not possible that Gabriel appeared to Mohammed, as explained here.]  [RETURN]

2. The following Scripture passages demonstrate that the worship of false gods is actually the worship of demons: [RETURN]

Click here to read a Muslim’s response to this page.

Click here to read a Messianic Jew's response to this page.

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Page last revised Friday, 24 October 2008 10:20 AM