Conversion To Christianity: A Missionary Deception

M S M Saifullah

Last Modified: 22 November 1999

Assalamu-alaikum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatuhu:

Introduction

The Christian missionary efforts in preaching the Gospel are hardly worthy of emulation. Ever since the appearance of Islam on the world stage and the first sightingof tribes (or natives) of the New World, the crusade to convert the whole world toChristianity was accompanied by the unholy means of deception, exploitation andpersecution.The exploitation of the indigenous tribal people by the resource-hungry invaderscalled the Christian missionaries, has amounted to the persecution of the most ruthlessand relentless kind, including the theft of the tribal land, the stripping of their forest inthe name of 'development', the destruction of their cultures, and the wholesaleenslavement of their populace. This enslavement continues without abatement by theevangelizing ambassadors of Christianity - the missionaries.In this document, we will be concerned with the deceptive tactics and exploitationused by the Christian missionaries when it came to preaching the 'gospel' to Muslimsor the indigenous people. The detailed study of the issues like persecution of theindigenous tribal people can be found in specialized books on cultural anthropologywhich the reader can refer to in the libraries.

Muslim & The Christian Missionary

Before reading the below quotes, let have a look at the lecture by Shaykh Salmân al-Awdah talking about

Christian Missionaries Sweeping the Islamic World

. Thislecture by the Shaykh deals with various deceptive tactics used by the Christianmissionaries to convert unsuspecting and ignorant Muslims to Christianity. Thedeceptive tactics of the missionaries include misquoting of the Islamic sources,

building churches that look similar to mosques, doing Christian ceremonies onFridays purposefully and not on Sundays, and use of natural disasters to forcefullyconvert poor and helpless.According to the Christian missionaries,this page is a:

(The Islamic Paranoia Page) If only we would have as muchimpact as he believes Christians have.

In order to verify who exactly is paranoid, we refer to a book calledIslam AndChristian Witnessby Martin Goldsmith, who lectures at All Nations ChristianCollege. This book was given to us a few years ago. It was published by OMPublishing, Carlisle, UK. In a gist, this book is all about how to convert Muslims toChristianity in the Islamic world using the deceptive ways exactly as mentioned byShaykh Salmân al-Awdah inhis lecture.Without beating around the bush let us quote a few paragraphs from the chapter "HowTo Witness". Let us start with the

Prayer

Orthodox Muslims place great emphasis on the importanceof prayer timings. If they are strict in their religion,they will put other things aside at the prayer times inorder to pray. It is vital to realize that the Christianalso believes in it and practices it. In some cases, itmay even be helpful if we can join the Muslim in prayer,so that they actually hear the Christian communing withGod through Jesus Christ.

Muslims pray regularly five times a day at the set timesof prayer, to which they are summoned by the call to the prayer. This call is always made by human voice, andnever with the use of musical instruments or bells.

[1]

And later on the author states:

...and there is no need to export the use of church bells, which may be easily exchanged for a human voicecalling believers to pray worship and pray.

[2]

The high point of the Muslim prayer is the act of prostration in which the Muslim kneels before God withforehead bowed to ground. In the Bible too we haveaccounts of people who demonstrated their worship and aweat the presence of God in similar fashion. ShouldChristian prayer in a Muslim society practise such agreedritual movement?

[3]

The Church in a Muslim context must ask whether it ishelpful for prayer to be made in the symbolic directionof Jerusalem. Muslims must pray towards Mecca; Daniel

directed his prayers with his face towards Jerusalem;should the Muslim convert follow the example of Daniel?

[4]

There are a few interesting ideas about the way a

Mosque

should be modeled

Should the actual building of the Church be more akin toa Mosque? Are the usual European fashions a necessity? Dowe need seats in the Church? Must the focal point be atable or a pulpit? Do we need a special lectern?

[5]

In the conclusion of the chapter "The Muslim Convert" the author states:

In coming years we may see new Christian Churches whichare outwardly as closely as akin to Muslim Mosques as theearly Christians were to their Jewish Synagogue background.

[6]

And how to deceptively go for

Hajj

and do

Sacrifice

Some of the festivals are based on the annual pilgrimageto Mecca with its particular background and theologicalimplications. Some aspects may be celebrated with an eyeto their fulfillment in Christ, but many Christians wouldnot feel happy to endorse all that the pilgrimage standsfor Islam.

[7]

And a few thoughts about the month of

Ramadan

itself

And then comes the question of the fast month. Inconnection with prayer, fasting is encouraged in the NewTestament. Jesus gives teaching on a snare of pride infasting and the dangers of sanctimonious piety, but truefasting has a significant place in Christian devotion.

Isit permissible to introduce a fast month along Muslim lines into a Christian Church? Of course, it must bevoluntary and practised in conjunction with prayer.

[8]

In some strongly Muslim countries conversion from Islaminto another faith is tantamount to suicide. Those whocome to faith in Jesus Christ must therefore make aradical decision. They can make an open confession ofJesus as the Lord and Saviour, be baptised and thenprobably die the death of a martyr. Otherwise they mayperhaps be able to flee the country, find anonymity inEurope and North America and there develop a trueChristian life. But they then also loose contact withtheir own people and have no testimony to them. Thissecond alternative is generally open to the wealthier andmore educated. Many ordinary people eschew the firstalternative and cannot afford the second. They opt for athird possibility, namely, to continue the outward forms