The Birth of Islam

January-February 

My name is Adbud Mutallib. I was born in Mecca in the year 592 to a very wealthy family. My family was wealthy for two reasons.  First, my father was on of the leading business men in town. The caravans coming from the seaport of Aden to the ancient city of Damascus passed right through our city. They had to pay duties to our tribe on all their goods and they always spent a few days resting in one of our numerous caravan-sarais (inns where you could stable camels, too).

The Muslim View of God

March - April

The view of God through Muslim eyes is obscure. God has not revealed himself; therefore, He cannot be perceived. Their view of God is also double edged. He is perceived to be utterly distant, yet the Qur'an states the God Most High is closer than one's juggler vein. God knows all things, but is, himself, totally unknowable. Only God can know God. Our Muslim friends accept that God is Almighty, having spoken the worlds into existence by His infinite power, but He is not Heavenly Father. 

Who Jesus Is

May-June

"We believe in Jesus more than you do!" was a shocking statement made to me by a zealous Muslim some years ago. As I questioned him as to his meaning, I found that what he was actually saying was, "We Muslims believe in all the prophets, and we especially respect Jesus as one of the greatest. You Christians, however, blaspheme by saying He is 'the Son of God' and dishonor Him by saying He was crucified by evil men!"

The Qur'an and the Bible

July-August

To better understand what Muslims think and feel about the Qur'an and the Bible, we need to first understand how Muslims communicate. 

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Christians believe that the supreme purpose of the Bible is to enable God to communicate with man. In most Muslim cultures, communication is primarily oral, not written. That is why stories are effective means of communications in the Muslim world and are very popular among the common people. 

Human Nature and Sin

September-October 

Doctors base their prescriptions for cures on their diagnoses of the problems they observe. Traditionally, Muslims have not diagnosed the problem of human nature as being as critical as have Christians. Consequently, they have not seen the need for as radical a solution. 

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The East African Muslims, Dadru Kateregga, notes that "Muslims believe that man is fundamentally a good and dignified creature. He is not a fallen being." 

How a Religious Muslim Lives

November-December

My friend, Dr. Ali, is a dedicated, moral, and gracious Muslim. This Bangladeshi has excellent academic credentials, and his professional expertise was recognized through his appointment as principal of a significant government college in Bangladesh. 

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Ali, however, would not want his primary identity in life to be focused on his educational attainments. Rather, he would like to be recognized as a man whose whole life has been centered on God-awareness. Submitting every aspect of his being to Allah is his consuming passion.