Confronting the Hired Muslim Missionaries

More and more in the United States, we are seeing hired Muslim missionaries stationed in shopping malls and in front of libraries and coffee houses. These are not just some local Muslims who are handing out free Qurans or reaching out to their own community to improve understanding and social harmony. Most of us would have no problem with people of any religion sharing their faith or trying to build two-way bridges of friendship and cooperation in the community.

No, the professional "dawah" missionaries are quite different. They are highly trained, and they work for wages. They are strangers in the community. They deliberately distinguish themselves from the local community in their dress and appearance. And they use deceptive tactics and coat-tail on Christian beliefs to sell their Islamic ideology to an unsuspecting audience. One such organization which is being seen in Southern California lately is called "Mercy4ManKind." This organization is endorsed by the Muslim Brotherhood affiliate ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America), and they claim to be the largest Muslim missionary organization in America. However, even their name is deceptive. "Mercy for mankind" is derived from the description of Muhammad in Surah 21:107, but these missionaries aren't talking about Muhammad. Instead, their message is "I Y Jesus," and they are pushing this slogan, particularly during the Christmas holiday season. (Dawah, by the way, is the Muslim missionary effort to "revert" non-Muslims back to the true faith of their birth - i.e., Islam.)

The truth of the matter is that Muslims consider Jesus to be merely a "Messenger," (Surah 5:75) and he is included in the Quran in lists of Biblical figures along with such people as Lot and Ishmael (Surah 6:85-6). The three central tenants of Christian faith are denied by the Quran, namely, that Jesus is the Son of God (Surah 19:35), that He died on the cross (Surah 4:157), and that he rose from death (Surah 4:158). Depending on which translation is used, the Quran in Surah 9:30-31 calls on Allah to curse (Ali), confound (Dawood), or destroy (Shakir) the Jews and Christians. Furthermore, Muslims are ordered not to make friends with Jews or Christians in Surah 5:51. Coat-tailing on the name of Jesus to promote Islam is deceitful and insulting to knowledgeable Christians.

Another troubling aspect of the Mercy4ManKind missionaries is that they appear to be modeling themselves after extremist Muslims who have been charged with terrorist crimes in the United States. The missionary above looks very much like Kalid Sheikh Muhammad, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11/01 attack on New York and Washington, D.C., as well as Nidal Hasan, the "Soldier of Allah" charged with the massacre of 13 soldiers and civilians and the injury of another 32 at Fort Hood in 2009.

About half of the suspects on the FBI's list of most wanted terrorists also wear full beards and thobes:

The female dawah missionaries may also be modeling themselves after extremists. The lady pictured above doesn't look much different from the "White Widow," Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of one of the 2005 London suicide bombers and a fugitive in connection with organizing the September, 2013, Nairobi, Kenya, Westgate shopping mall attack that left 67 dead and 200 injured. Samantha's picture is shown below. Another female Muslim extremist shown below is Hanadi Jaradat who blew herself up in a Maxim Restaurant in October, 2003, in Haifa, killing 21 people and injuring another 51. Women missionaries who model themselves after Islamic terrorists are equally suspect.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council recently released a "Declaration against Extremism" (See:

http://www.mpac.org/assets/docs/2013/MPAC-Declaration-Against-Extremism.pdf ) which condemns, among other things, emphasis on outward appearances, holding insular attitudes, and subjecting women to inferior status. The Declaration calls on the community to take a unified and unequivocal stand against outward symbols of piety being used as a measure of an individual's righteousness and adherence to Islam and to uphold women's God-given equal opportunity in society, rejecting the subjugation of women under any circumstances. Mercy4ManKind's dawah approach is a glaring example of condemned type of Islamic extremism in our midst.

SHOULD THE COMMUNITY REJECT MUSLIM EXTREMISTS?

The U.S. government and local law enforcement have encouraged citizens, "See something, say something." This advice doesn't apply just to criminal behavior. Muslims who are apparently modeling themselves after Islamic terrorists and who are condemned by the Muslim community itself need to feel rejected by the community.

Recently, when a Christian criticized a Muslim missionary regarding the misuse of the name of Jesus, he countered, "Is that what Jesus would do?" Actually, yes. Jesus warned about False Prophets. He said, "Be on your guard against False Prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves. You will know them by what they do. Any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know False Prophets by what they do." (Matthew 7:15-20.) Also, Jesus threw out the sellers of sacrificial animals who were exploiting the pilgrims right inside the Temple (John 2:13-16). Christians are taught to be "contenders" for their faith: "For some godless people have slipped in unnoticed among us, persons who distort the message about the grace of our God in order to excuse their immoral ways, and who reject Jesus Christ." (Jude 3) But Christian opposition should not be violent or militant: "Then we shall no longer be blown about . . by the teaching of deceitful men, who lead others into error by the tricks they invent. Instead, by speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up . . in Christ." (Ephesians 4:14-15)

ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS

The professional Muslim missionaries are well-trained, and they have learned many tricks and tactics to disarm and confuse their critics. They will dispute any English translation of the Quran that contains unfavorable texts; they will argue that people who don't speak Arabic cannot possibly understand or comment on the Quran; they will respond to questions with other questions or by changing the subject, and they will make tu quoque (you also) arguments about Biblical figures or so-called "Christians" in history - saying they were just as evil as Muhammad. Don't go there. Eighty percent of Muslims cannot understand the Arabic in the Quran, and the evils occurring or condoned today cannot be compared with examples from long-past history. Muslims today still consider Muhammad to be "a beautiful pattern of conduct" per Surah 33:21. Use the English Quran the missionaries are handing out along with the following additional information to expose their deceit. Here are some hard-hitting questions that will make your Muslim missionary squirm:

1. How far into the Quran do you have to go before it disparages Jews and Christians? -- The answer is just seven verses, because in Surah 1.7 the Quran says, "[Allah, guide us not in the path] of those who have incurred Your wrath [meaning Jews] nor of those who have gone astray [meaning the Christians]." The Muslim missionaries, of course, will deny the text means that, but the interpretation is supported by numerous Muslim commentaries (Tafsirs) on the Quran as well as the reputable Bukhari Hadith, Vol. 1, Book 12, Number 749.

Here is the supporting evidence:

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (published by Dar-us-Salam, 2003), Vol. 1, page 87: "These two paths are the paths of the Christians and Jews, a fact that the believer should beware of so that he avoids them. . . [T]he Jews abandoned practicing the religion, while the Christians lost the true knowledge. This is why 'anger' descended upon the Jews, while being described as 'led astray' is more appropriate of the Christians. . . We should also mention that both the Christians and Jews have earned the anger and are led astray, but the anger is one of the attributes more particular of the Jews. Allah said about the Jews, 'Those (Jews) who incurred the curse of Allah and His wrath.' (Surah 5:60) The attribute that the Christians deserve most is that of being led astray, just as Allah said about them, 'Who went astray before and who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the right path.' (Surah 5:77)."

Tafsir Al-Jalalayn (published by Dar Al Taqwaq, 2007), page 2: "7. . . . the Path of those You have blessed with guidance, and not of those with anger on them, who are the Jews, nor of the misguided, who are the Christians. The grammatical structure here shows that those who are guided are not the Jews or the Christians.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 001, Book 012 (Characteristics of Prayer), Hadith Number 749:

Narrated By Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "Say Amen' when the Imam says "not the path of those who earn Your Anger (such as Jews) nor of those who go astray (such as Christians); all the past sins of the person whose saying (of Amin) coincides with that of the angels, will be forgiven.

2. How many times a day do devout Muslims repeat this derogatory remark about Jews and Christians when they pray? The answer is at least seventeen times a day, because Muslims recite Surah 1 (al Fatiha) several times during each of their five daily prayers.

Here is the supporting evidence:

Reliance of the Traveler ('Umdat al-Salik) - a classic manual of Islamic sacred law (Amana Publications, 1994), approved by Al-Azhar University and by the International Institute of Islamic Thought (Herndon, VA). Section f8.17 states, " . . one recites the Fatiha in every rak'a, whether one is imam, follower, or praying alone." The manual describes the required prayers in Section f10.

Al-Hidayah (The Guidance) (Amal Press, 2006), Chapter 11, quotes Muhammad as saying, "There is no prayer without the Fatihat al-Kitab (Surah 1 of the Quran)."(page 114) and "A person who persists in praying twelve rak'ahs in a day and night, for him Allah will build a room in heaven." (page 163).

http://sufism.org/foundations/salaat/salaat-times-2 -- The fard are the required number of rakats. Additional rakats are often said: the sunnah are after the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) and are said individually that is, not in congregation. The following is a chart of the order and number of rakats for each time of prayer:

Obligatory and Optional Prayers

Sunnah

Before Fard Sunnah

After Nafil Witr

Fajr 2 2

Zuhr 4 4 2

Asr 4 4

Maghrib 3 2 2

Isha 4 4 2 2 3

Another website -- http://www.islamicacademy.org/html/Learn_Now/English/Salah_Amount.htm -- confirms that seventeen is the "fard" number of rakat recitations.

3. If Jesus was a messenger or prophet in the Quran, what things did he teach that would cause Muslims to love him? The answer is nothing. While Jesus (Isa) is mentioned by name more times in the Quran (27) than the Prophet Muhammad (5), there are only five places where Jesus is quoted in the Quran. Here are the texts from the Yusuf Ali translation:

Surah 3:52: "When Jesus found unbelief [among the Jews], he said, 'Who will be my helpers in the work of Allah?'" (This is not teaching, but rather a question. It was the disciples who responded.)

Surah 5:114: "'Said Jesus the son of Mary: 'O Allah our Lord! Send us from heaven a Table set (with viands), that there may be for us - for the first and the last of us - a solemn festival and a Sign from You; and provide for our sustenance, for You are the best sustainer (of our needs).'" (This account has Jesus talking to Allah, which would not constitute teaching. Also, the account betrays Muhammad's misunderstanding of the purpose of Jesus' Last Passover Supper with his disciples.)

Surah 5:116: [When Allah asks Jesus if Jesus ever asked men to worship him and his mother as gods besides Allah,] "He will say 'Glory to You! Never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would indeed have known it. You know what is in my heart, though I know not what is in Yours. For You know in full all that is hidden. Never said I to them anything except what You did command me to say, to wit, "Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord;" and I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them; when you did take me up, you were the Watcher over them, and You are a witness to all things. If You do punish them, they are Your servants: if You do forgive them, You are the Exalted in power, the Wise.'" (This passage contradicts Jesus' own statements regarding He is in Mathew Matthew 16:17, the definition of the Trinity in Matthew 28:19; the oneness of God and Jesus in John 14:9-10; and it seems to present a conversation between God and Jesus after his ascension into heaven, which could not constitute teaching for the benefit of people on earth.)

Surah 61.6: "And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: "O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.'" (Ahmad or Muhammad was not predicted in the Bible, but rather a "Comforter" (or "Helper") who would be a spirit, not a human. See John 14:26.)

Surah 61:14: ". . said Jesus the son of Mary to the Disciples, 'Who will be My helpers to (the work of) Allah?' Said the Disciples: 'We are Allah's helpers.'" (This is merely a repeat of Surah 3:52.)

Not only are the false quotations above found nowhere in the Bible, but they offer no insight into the prophetic teachings of Jesus. Where in the Quran can one find the well-known discourses of Jesus which have become idiomatic and are reflected in the ethics of the civilized world?:

• The Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5 to 7

· The Golden Rule -- Matthew 7:12

• The Good Samaritan - Luke 10:29-37
• The Prodigal Son - Luke 15:11-32

· Turning the Other Cheek and Going the Extra Mile -- Matthew 5:38-5:42

· Let the one who is without sin cast first stone - John 8:7

3a. If Jesus is to return on Judgment Day to judge mankind (per Surah 43:61 and Bukhari, Vol. 4, No. 657) wouldn't it be better to follow the teachings of Jesus rather than the teachings of Muhammad and the Quran (which contains no teachings of Jesus)? The answer is obvious to all except perhaps Muslims.

4. If the Quran is truly the word of God, why would asking questions about the Quran cause one to lose his or her faith, per Surah 5:101-102? The answer to this is complex, but there are two major elements:

a. Lying is permissible if the truth won't advance Islam. Sharia Law, Reliance of the Traveler, states in Section r8.2, "When it is permissible to achieve such an aim by lying but not by telling the truth, it is permissible to lie if attaining the goal is permissible. . . . When, for example, one is concealing a Muslim from an oppressor who asks where he is, it is obligatory to lie about his being hidden. . .But it is religiously more precautionary in all such cases to employ words that give a misleading impression, meaning to intend by one's words something that is literally true, in respect to which one is not [technically] lying., while the outward purport of the words deceives the hearer. . .[and so] it is not unlawful in the above circumstances." (Emphasis added.)

b. Most new converts to Islam leave the faith within one to two years when they learn the darker truth about Islam. Muhammad preached love and peace in Mecca for 10 years and got only about 150 converts. It wasn't until he began his reign of terror from Medina that the number of converts to Islam increased. "Peaceful" conversion of non-Muslims to Islam has had rather dismal results, according to Muslim sources. According to this report by the Sacramento CA cleric, Imam Luqman, 70% of converts to Islam leave the religion within one or two years: http://imamluqman.wordpress.com/2010/01/13/seven-out-of-every-ten-converts-leave-islam-by-imam-luqman-ahmad/ The reason is plain to see in typical dawah presentations: Muslim missionaries do not (and cannot) tell the truth about Islam to prospective converts. It is only after converts recite the Shahada (the statement of faith) that they learn the dark side of Islam - and then they leave.

5. If whoever associates partners with Allah has devised a great sin (per Surah 4:48) , shouldn't that also apply to Muhammad who is cited as a partner to Allah sixty-four times in the Quran (and mostly in the final Surahs that were handed down)? ( See Surah 3:32, 3:132, 4:13, 4:14, 5:33, 8:1, 8:13, 8:20, 8:24, 8:27, 8:46, 9:1, 9:3, 9:29, 9:54, 9:59, 9:63, 9:71, 9:74, 9:80, 9:84, 9:90, 9:91, 9;94, 9:107, and so forth.)

6. Surah 9, "The Repentance," represents the "final will and testament" of Muhammad since it is the last major chapter of the Quran. So, what does Surah 9 teach and advocate?

"[Pagans (non-Muslims)] are men without knowledge." (Surah 9:6)

"...fight you the chiefs of Unfaith: for their oaths are nothing to them. . .Fight them, and Allah will punish them by your hands, cover them with shame, help you (to victory) over them. . . " (Surah 9:14)

"O you who believe! Truly the Pagans [non-Muslims] are unclean [najis]." (Surah 9:28)

"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth (even if they are) of the People of the Book [Jews and Christians] until they pay the jizyah (poll-tax) with willing submission and feel themselves subdued." (Surah 9:29)

"Unless you [Muslims] go forth [to fight jihad for Allah], He punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your place. . ." (Surah 9:39)

"O Prophet! strive hard against the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites, and be firm against them. Their abode is Hell . . ." (Surah 9:73)

"Allah has purchased of the Believers their persons and their goods; for theirs (in return) is the Garden (of Paradise): they fight in His Cause, and slay and are slain . . . Then rejoice in the bargain which you have concluded. . ." (Surah 9:111)

"O you who believe! Fight the Unbelievers who are around you, and let them find firmness in you. . ." (Surah 9:123)

TACTICS TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE CONVERSATION

• Take a picture of the Muslim missionaries and their signs before you begin your dialogue. This is for your protection and to make them feel uncomfortable.
• Do not get angry, but it's OK to be indignant about the insulting signs displayed or hateful texts in the Quran.
• Do not get personal. The conversation is about Islamic ideology, the deceitful tactics of their missionary campaign, and the sinister image they are portraying - not about them personally.
• · Stand in front of the missionaries and use the loudest possible conversational voice for the situation. This takes the missionaries out of their comfort zone, and it will show you are not "submitting" to their spiel.
• ·Do not respond to their questions. They are offering free information about Islam, so you just want to listen and see if they are telling the truth. If you begin to answer their questions, they will control the conversation and eventually corner you.
• Use their Quran to make your points. You may not find some of the texts you want, but they cannot disown a version that they are passing out. If they say you are "misunderstanding" the plain English text, put the burden on them to find a more understandable English translation of the Quran.
• Have and use "crib notes" for the questions and texts you want to address. You are not a "trained" debater like they are, so there is nothing to apologize if you don't have all the information in your head.
• Don't try to argue from the Bible. The conversation is about the Quran, not the Bible. They don't care what it says, and you are not going to change their opinions anyway. If they don't believe your statements from the Bible, they can look them up themselves later.
• Don't let them break off the conversation when it gets uncomfortable for them. They are being paid to answer your questions, so they should be expected to do their job.

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