I am trying to convert a Muslim and I could use a hand debunking this video he brought up.

[Tolworth John]

But it is good to at least try to show them that Muhammad was not a good person.

If a Muslim approached you and started to attach the character of Jesu, would that make you inclined to become a Muslim?

Most people when something they value is attacked, become more protective of that thing not less protective. They pull up the drawbridge on any rational discussion.

Are you aware of the potential cost to any Muslim who commits the blasphemy of leaving Islam?
This is the view expressed in the Qur'an.
How have you prepared to support such a person needing somewhere to live, a new job, new family, new friends, extensive cultural support and help as they come to terms with the double blow of a new way of thinking and that they no longer have a family and any family they are still in contact with could betray them to there murderer.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Even if that is true. Child marriage is still wrong.

Based on what? Muslims don't think it's wrong, you have no argument.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Amen, but I could use some Quran verses and Hadiths showing how immoral and bonkers Islam is.

You'll want to learn the science of ahadith while your there...

Every hadith (saying of Mohammed) has a chain of transmission. That chain of transmission has people in it who transmitted the words to another person so on and so forth. Any weakness in character (such as known liar) of any of the people in the chain, and you have cause to fault the entire saying (hadith)... if that hadith was transmitted by others of good character and a chain can be found without anyone in it with weak character, it raises the level of accepting even the weak one to where it's acceptable..

There's an entire science to it, and using ahadith to back up your points is extremely problematic if you don't know the science... people who know the sciences will run circles around you.

All anyone has to do is say a hadith has a da'if isnad and your back to square 1...

The first thing you don't do with Muslims, is debate their religion when you dont know it....

Why don't you buy this individual a book written for Muslims by a former Muslim, if you care...

 

[FutureAndAHope]

There is plenty of Islamic Literature that contains all sorts of brutality, if you want dirt. But the reality is that not all Muslims count it as having authority. You need to stick to accepted sources when in debate, like the hadith. Here are some quotes from the Hadith.

The Prophet sent (some people) in their pursuit and so they were (caught and) brought, and the Prophets ordered that their hands and legs should be cut off and that their eyes should be branded with heated pieces of iron, and that their cut hands and legs should not be cauterized, till they die. 8.795: Narrated Anas: The Prophet cut off the hands and feet of the men belonging to the tribe of `Uraina and did not cauterise (their bleeding limbs) till they died.

Abram, Simon. Islamic Hadith . Kindle Edition.

This news reached the Prophet early in the morning, so he sent (some) men in their pursuit and they were captured and brought to the Prophet before midday. He ordered to cut off their hands and legs and their eyes to be branded with heated iron pieces and they were thrown at Al−Harra, and when they asked for water to drink, they were not given water.

Abram, Simon. Islamic Hadith . Kindle Edition.

You need to compare this to Christ's teachings of peace, and love. As examples:

Luke 6:27 But I say unto you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you,

Muslims are notorious for misquoting scripture, they will come back with all sorts of distortions of the character of Christ. Like they will say Jesus wants us to kill our enemies, using:

Luke 19:27 But these mine enemies, that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

You have to let them know in context this was a parable about the judgment of hellfire at the end of the age, it was not how Christians are to respond to unbelievers.

Rom 12:17-19 Render to no man evil for evil. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men. Avenge not yourselves

 

[Sophrosyne]

The problem is, you are incapable of converting anyone. That is the job of the Holy Spirit.

May I suggest prayer first?

in terms of Islam though, they believe some pretty wild stuff, such as God pulling Jesus off the cross and letting some other poor chap to die in his stead.

But the story of God allowing a righteous man like Jesus to die on a cross presents Islam with some pretty challenging problems, such as why he would allow that? For you see, Islam is a religion of military conquest. And unfortunately for Mohammad, he does not quite fit the mold of a Biblical prophet of having been persecuted and martyred as God also allowed those righteous men to die as well. After all, Mohammad converted with the sword and did all of the oppressing himself.

But the one troubling thing about prophesy for a Muslim should be, where is Mohammad mentioned in the Bible? Now the Messiah is referred to repeatedly, but nowhere do we see mention of Mohammad. I think that such a prophet of high esteem and has billions of followers and one that supposedly saved the Abrahamic religion from apostasy would be mentioned somewhere. But Mohammad would just say that the scriptures have been corrupted and leave it at that. Conversely, Christ repeatedly referred to prophesy as a means of showing his credentials of authenticity. Then again, Revelation does refer to a false prophet, and I tend to believe Mohammad might just be that prophet.

And lastly, anyone can sit down and write a Bible, and many have done it. But the Bible is special in that it is centuries of men writing about the same God and cohesive. But the most amazing thing of all, the Son of God had others write about him, via eye witness accounts. This gives more credibility to who and what Jesus was, something Mohammad simply does not have.

You need to address this to the OP as I'm not currently in contact with any muslims nor am have I been trying to convert them lately.

 

[Yusuphhai]

Why did Muhammad invent new religion and scriptures? Arab need self-respect. If Muhammad gives them Honor by a great empire, they do not care what bad things he had done. Abraham was quite Semitic. So Muslim need find prophet Jesus(Yeshua, Isa) was quite Semitic more(though they think Isa is a Semitic prophet) , but Muhammad was a wrong Semitic way. A Christian from Palestine told me Muhammad was a liar. Only Muslims find it by their own research can convert them.

 

[chevyontheriver]

But it is good to at least try to show them that Muhammad was not a good person.

You might ask your friend whether the guy who went in and beheaded a woman inside a French Catholic Church and killed two more was being faithful to Allah and following the example of Mohammad.

 

[Sophrosyne]

You might ask your friend whether the guy who went in and beheaded a woman inside a French Catholic Church and killed two more was being faithful to Allah and following the example of Mohammad.

I think this could be countered by whataboutism and usually is by muslim apologists pointing out extreme examples of Catholics in the past killing people wrongfully too. You would be better served to present a generic argument to them and ask them if they think people who are muslims should be allowed to become Christians and not have to worry about being killed for doing so and see what the answer is and go from there.
If the answer isn't intellectually honest (the person defends the practice or says it rarely happens is only extremists) then you may get nowhere because someone unwilling to listen to the truth aren't going to want to be a Christian because Jesus said I am the truth, the way, and the life. Those who reject the truth for Islam want nothing of Jesus but a fabricated watered down demoted Jesus who is nothing but a placeholder now that Muhammed swapped places with him in the religion of Islam.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I think this could be countered by whataboutism and usually is by muslim apologists pointing out extreme examples of Catholics in the past killing people wrongfully too.

Maybe. But this is not about 'the past' but just last week. And remember when pope Benedict raised an issue from a thousand years before and current day Muslims went on a killing spree? Is Islam a peaceful religion, or a religion where Allah commands violence and the example of Mohammad encourages it? A Muslim needs to have an answer for that. We know Christians have had violent streaks and violent people despite being a religion of peace. Does Islam have violent streaks and violent people despite being a religion of peace, or is violence inherent to the religion and peacefulness an exception? A Muslim should think about that.

You would be better served to present a generic argument to them and ask them if they think people who are [M]uslims should be allowed to become Christians and not have to worry about being killed for doing so and see what the answer is and go from there.

That is also a good question, and very current.

If the answer isn't intellectually honest (the person defends the practice or says it rarely happens is only extremists) then you may get nowhere because someone unwilling to listen to the truth aren't going to want to be a Christian because Jesus said I am the truth, the way, and the life. Those who reject the truth for Islam want nothing of Jesus but a fabricated watered down demoted Jesus who is nothing but a placeholder now that Muhammed swapped places with him in the religion of Islam.

Agreed. My thinking is that a Muslim must confront Islam in a way that many Christians have already confronted the history of Christianity. If they do that in fairness and openness they may come around. If enough people are praying for them, that is.

 

[Sophrosyne]

Confronting history with openness and fairness essentially falls behind the intellectual honesty way of thinking.
Islam is a religion that was founded on deception, first muhammed was deceived by a demon whom he thought was the angel Gabriel, then muhammed deceived others and killed people to gain fortune and power for himself and tried to deceive Christians by making up a version of Jesus so naive Christians would convert to Islam thinking it was the same as many Christians think Islam Judaism and Christianity worship the same God when in fact Islam doesn't and some Jews and Christians don't see the other as the same God either.
In order for Islam to gain followers it either has to get people that aren't believers of some religion or deceive people that are believers that they are not correct and Islam is.

 

[Inhocsigno]

Our churches have been very active in conversions of Muslims in European countries, esp. in France, Germany and Sweden, and we've had a good deal of success in part by avoiding anything that might hint at offense against Islam's historical figures, even if it's merited. It's just not productive, people will withdraw into a shell.

Our approach has been largely to start from a position of familiarity, namely recognizing the Christian prophets, evangelists and other historical figures already noted in Islamic scriptures, and gently working up to demonstrate that those figures are the true essence of the Gospels and spiritual awakening that the Muslims seek. We don't outright tell that the Koran is false, but we point out, often indirectly, that false prophets have often flourished by basing their preachings off the true Christian Gospels. They gradually come to realize that so much of what they have taken in has been a wrongful "elaboration" off the true Gospels, and that the core of what they're looking for is in the Gospels themselves. And this is how we win them over. Many of them have become our most fervent parishioners and missionaries themselves.