- Feb 5, 2002
- 187,759
- 68,817
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Female
- Faith
- Catholic
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Others
The monotheism of Islam's founder, Muhammad, came secondhand and was shaped by Jewish and Christian notions that he picked up in his environment.
Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, recently exceeding two billion members worldwide.
Muhammad (ca. AD 570–632) delivered numerous recitations he said were messages from God in his native Arabic, transmitted word for word after being commanded by the angel Gabriel in 610 to proclaim these messages. Those messages were compiled after his death in a book known as the Qur’an (which means recitations).
Arabia during Muhammad’s early years was predominantly polytheistic, worshiping numerous gods represented by manmade idols. However, other religions had a presence. There were settlements of Jews along the western coast of Arabia. The Christian representation consisted mainly of a mix of sects that had become isolated from the mainstream Christian movement, including Nestorians, Monophysites, and Ebionites.
Muhammad’s first wife, Khadija, had a cousin named Waraqah who may have been affiliated with one of these Christian-based sects, though which one is unknown. Waraqah is sometimes described as a hanif, an advocate of an Arabic monotheism that traced its origins to Abraham through his first son Ishmael. The hanifs reportedly rejected idols and regarded Allah, an Arab deity not represented by an idol, as the true God. Traditionally, Muhammad himself has been considered a hanif.
Continued below.
worldviewbulletin.substack.com
Islam is the second-largest religion in the world, recently exceeding two billion members worldwide.
Muhammad (ca. AD 570–632) delivered numerous recitations he said were messages from God in his native Arabic, transmitted word for word after being commanded by the angel Gabriel in 610 to proclaim these messages. Those messages were compiled after his death in a book known as the Qur’an (which means recitations).
Arabia during Muhammad’s early years was predominantly polytheistic, worshiping numerous gods represented by manmade idols. However, other religions had a presence. There were settlements of Jews along the western coast of Arabia. The Christian representation consisted mainly of a mix of sects that had become isolated from the mainstream Christian movement, including Nestorians, Monophysites, and Ebionites.
Muhammad’s first wife, Khadija, had a cousin named Waraqah who may have been affiliated with one of these Christian-based sects, though which one is unknown. Waraqah is sometimes described as a hanif, an advocate of an Arabic monotheism that traced its origins to Abraham through his first son Ishmael. The hanifs reportedly rejected idols and regarded Allah, an Arab deity not represented by an idol, as the true God. Traditionally, Muhammad himself has been considered a hanif.
Continued below.
Modern Worldviews and the Deity of Christ
Part 5: The Secondhand Theism of Islam and the Misunderstood Deity of Christ
worldviewbulletin.substack.com
