Why I Wrote This These articles

The last few articles are taken from my book “Islam: What The Clerics Say.” It is available from my website. Although I know a lot more about Islam than most people, this subject is not my real area of expertise. My knowledge comes from working with an apologetic ministry that deals with Islam. One cannot work with the subject every day without learning a lot.

There are a great number of books dealing with the issue of Islam, and more appear on the market every day. This being the case, why did I feel it was necessary to write another?

Whether or not we want to admit it, we are at war with those who believe that it is their duty to their god to convert, subjugate, or kill, all who do not agree with them. There is a principle of war that is neglected in most books about Islam. The principle is: you must know your enemy if you want to defeat him.

That being said, the answer is that most of the books written on Islam, are written to expose what we call “Radical Islam.” It is my contention that radical Islam is not the problem, real Islam is.

This is my second book on the subject. The first was, “Who Is Our Enemy? Is It Radical Islam?” The purpose of the first book was to show that radical means a departure from what is normal, and radical Islam is a form of Islam that departs from normal, historic, Islam. In that book I showed that the real “radicals” are the reformed Muslims, because they have departed from the Islam of Muhammad.

The purpose of this second book is to present the true Islam from the point of view of the Islamic clerics and scholars. I have taken great pains to show that the official teachings from the scholars and the universities are what we find with ISIS and the other “terrorist” groups.

The Most Important Point

The point that is missing from most of the other books I have read on the subject of Islam is, they quote the Islamic scriptures, but don’t deal with most common answers Muslims give when we tell them what their scriptures say. They will say that we have taken it out of context, or we have misinterpreted it, or it can only be properly understood in Arabic.

The most important point of this book is that there is a source, in English, that is approved by the scholars, clerics, and universities of the Islamic world. I gave you the title at the beginning of this book, it is “The Reliance of the Traveller” (their spelling of traveller).

Here is what the Islamic clerics have to say about the Reliance of the Traveller:

Sheikh ‘Abd al-Wakh Durbui

Sheikh ‘Abd al-Wakh Durbui, the Imam of the Mosque of Darwash Pasha, Damascus, Syria, warrants that Nuh Ha Mim Keller, the man who compiled The Reliance of the Traveller, “…understands the text of this volume and is qualified to expound it and translate it into his native English.”

As a result of Nuh Ha Mim Keller’s qualifications, the Sheikh puts his stamp of approval on this work. If he says he is satisfied with the qualification of the compiler of the book, shouldn’t ordinary Muslims, and those who are not Muslims, but preach a false form of Islam, consider it satisfactory also?

Sheikh Nuh ‘Ali Salman

Sheikh Nuh ‘Alisalman, the Mufti of the Jordanian Armed Forces, in his warrant said, “… I observed his accuracy and integrity in quoting the test…”

The “test” is the work in Arabic from which the information was taken.

A Mufti is a Muslim legal expert who is empowered to give rulings on religious matters. Mufti Alisalman’s ruling is that the integrity is beyond reproach. Shouldn’t quoting from this work prove to all that Islam does believe and practice the things covered in its pages?

the International Institute of Islamic Thought

A report by the International Institute of Islamic Thought on the English translation of ‘Umdat al-salik (Reliance of the Traveller) by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri al-Shafi’i says, “There is no doubt that this translation is a valuable and important work, whether as a textbook for teaching Islamic jurisprudence to English-speakers, or as a legal reference for the use by scholars, educated laymen, and students in this language (English).”

This quote alone should be sufficient to prove that the things taught in The Reliance of the Traveller are an accurate portrayal of true Islamic thought.

The report goes on to say, “As for the correctness of the translation, its accuracy, and its fidelity to the meanings and objects, we had our colleague in the Research Department of the International Institute of Islamic Thought, the scholar Yusul Talal DeLorenzo, member of Fiqh Council of North America and former chief of the Translation Bureau at the International Islamic University, Islamabad, review its texts and check it against the Arabic original. He found that the translation presents the legal questions in a faithful and precise idiom that clearly delivers the complete meaning in a sound English style.”

al-Azhar University

Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, is the foremost university in all of Islam. The vast majority of the Islamic religious leaders are in some way connected with this university. You would be hard pressed to find a greater authority for what Islam believes and practices than this school.

The position of the school says, “… on matters of Islamic law, tenets of faith, and personal ethics and character: we certify that the above-mentioned translation corresponds to the Arabic original and conforms to the practice of faith of the orthodox Sunni Community.”

Remember, Sunni Muslims make up eighty to eighty-five percent of the world’s Muslim population. The Muslim Brotherhood, and most of the terrorist organizations are made up of Sunni Muslims. The issues covered in this book are agreed upon by the vast majority of non-Sunni Muslims also.

What You Should Learn

I have taken the time to give you these quotes from the certifications found in the Reliance of the Traveller because I want those who are reading this and say those who are killing unbelievers in the name of Allah do not represent true Islam to see the unsoundness of their position. The greatest scholars in Islam tell us that they do represent true Islam. This leaves us with the conclusion that those who say Islam is by nature peaceful and non-violent must fall into one of three categories.

The first category is those who are ignorant of the true teachings of Islam. They may be ignorant because they simply have not taken the time to examine the issue, or they may be ignorant because they really don’t want to know the truth. They are, nevertheless, ignorant of the truth. With the obvious danger of the present advances being made by Islam, it would seem to me that everyone would want to know the truth.

The second category is those who know the truth, and don’t want it to get out. There are those in this category who agree with Islam, and who think their ideology is superior to the ideology of the West, especiall superior to Christianity. How they can do so is beyond me. It is pretty obvious that killing those who disagree with you is not superior to having an open debate with them.

Finally, there are those who know the truth and are either afraid to speak about it, or who think that by saying Islam is peaceful and non-violent will change the nature of Islam. I can’t think of a more foolish position to take than this.

Who Are We Fighting?

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” (Sun Tzu, The Art of War. 544-496 BC)

Sun Tzu wrote this some 2,500 years ago, but the truth never changes. The reason we have been fighting in the Middle East for nearly 16 years as I write this is we don’t know who we are fighting. We believe that if we defeat ISIS, the Taliban, and the other “radical Islamic groups,” we will win the war on terror. We will not! These groups are symptoms of the problem; the problem is Islam.

We killed Osama Ben Laden, and put al-Qaeda on its heels for a short time. ISIS rose up in its place because that is the nature of Islam. We are making gains against ISIS today, but if we finally defeat this group, another will rise up to replace them. It has always been that way, and it will not change until we deal with the real problem, Islam.

I have shown the real nature of Islam. I am sure that some will try to argue with me on the subject, but if they do, they will be arguing against the greatest Islamic clerics. The clerics say that Islam is to exercise war against all unbelievers until Islam dominates the world. When this happens, and then alone, will Islam bring peace.

A Concluding Thought

When we read about the Tribulation period in the Bible, we see a temporary peace. The government type seen in this period is typical of Islam. Under this type of government peace can only be temporary. Sooner or later, someone will get tired of living under the sword, and will gather a large enough following to challenge the ruling powers. When this happens, peace will end.

The events predicted in the Bible for the Tribulation seem to indicate that this is what will happen half way through the tribulation. Although not expressly stated, something will cause the Beast to change his tactics. Remember, he comes to power by bringing peace. Things change, and he turns to violence to try and restore peace.

I firmly believe that what we are seeing today is setting this world up for the Tribulation. This means that Christ returning in the air to catch away (rapture) His saints must be on the horizon.

The question I have for each of you reading this is: Are you ready for this event? There is only one way to escape the Tribulation period, and that is to be in Christ. Paul explains you to be saved from the consequences of our sin:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

We can’t earn our way to Heaven, we mst come to God on His terms. We must start by seeing ourselves as sinners who have broken God’s law, and who are deserving of His wrath. We must then turn from our dead works, our efforts to save ourselves by our own merit, and trust fully in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

If you have heard the Gospel, and have refused to receive Christ for salvation, you will not have a chance after the Rapture of the saints because:

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (2 Thessalonians 2:11)

Satan will concoct a lie, and God will cause those who have rejected Him to believe it. Their damnation is sure!

Again, I ask, ARE YOU READY FOR CHRIST’S RETURN?

My book “Islam: What The Clerics Say” is available on my website, Solid Foundation Ministries.