Folk Islam

1. Folk Islam By Dr. Mark Anderson

2. The Andersons

3. The Islamic World

4. Muhammad: 570 AD- 632 AD Jerusalem captured 638 AD • AD • M • Conquors • Mecca 622 AD M. Flees to Medina 610 AD M: First Revelation (age 40)

5. Mount Hira: Place of Mohammad’s Revelations

6. Good News! More Muslims have come to Christ in the past 30 years than the total number during the previous 1,300 years There are first-generation converts from Islam to Christ all over the planet

7. Definition: “Official Islam” “Official Islam” answers ultimate issues of life theologically- the “big picture”

8. Official Beliefs of Islam • Allah • Angels of Allah • Prophets of Allah • Books of Allah • Day of Judgment • Destiny • Life After Death

9. Five Pillars of Islam 1. TheShahada or Confession: “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet” 2. Required prayer performed five times daily 3. Almsgiving: giving to the poor equal to 2 ½ percent of ones property

10. Five Pillars of Islam 4. Fasting during Ramadan 5. Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca atleast once in a lifetime ifaffordable (6) Jihad – holy war or internal struggle?

11. Alvin Niendick asks: So what is Folk Islam?

12. “Folk Islam” Defined: “Folk Islam” handles immediate, everyday life problems by finding spiritual causes and solutions

13. Is Folk Islam Common? About 75% of the world’s Muslims practice Folk Islam

14. What Does This Mean? Muslim practices can look quite different from personal and official belief statements

15. It’s About Power: Solutions for spiritual causes in everyday life involve power- Folk Muslims seek power for daily life

16. Power For What? 1. Power over spiritual enemies Goal: Appeasing or manipulating them for one’s benefit: • Satan (Shaytan): mentioned 59 times in 31 of the Koran’s 114 Suras (chapters) b. Spiritual powers, jinn: demons, angels

17. Power For What? 2. Power over the power of evil persons: a. Envy b. Curses and spells c. Manipulation

18. Power For What? • Power over threats to: fertility health possessions family resources

19. Power For What? 4. Power over: a. Threats to Islam b. Dawah- bringing Islam to Dar al-Harb (Domain of War): Europe, United States, Israel, Africa, Central & South America, Asia.

20. Daily Life May Include: AmuletsDivination CursesAstrology Jinn or spiritsSorcery Ancestral spirits/ghosts Dead saints & baraka Magic

21. Daily Life Continued: Impersonal spirits Angels Sorcery/witchcraft Satan Sickness-healing Charms Medicine person Evil Eye Dreams and visions

22. In Folk Islam The supernatural and natural realms are seen astotally inter-dependent. They interact between each other normatively.

23. Normative interaction of the natural with supernatural is assumed in: Buddhism, Hinduism, Witchcraft, Sikhism, New Age Thought, Voodoo, Native American religion, Mormonism, Scientology, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.

24. Obtaining and Using Power Pastor Barnes, I still refuse to join the worship team!

25. Folk Religion: The Evil Eye Among contributing factors, the evil eye is seen as a major cause of crises in Muslim’s lives. Bill Musk. The Unseen Face of Islam. Ch. 1, p. 24.

26. “Evil Eye” Defined: A person communicatesa destructive forcewith their eyes (i.e., anger, jealousy)

27. Envy: Sura 113 (1) Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn, (2) From the mischief of created things; (3) From the mischief of darkness as it overspreads;

28. Envy: Sura 113 continued (4) From the mischief of those who practice Secret Arts; (5) And from the mischief of the envious one as he practices envy.

29. Evil Eye: Places of Origin • North Africa • The Middle East • India • Southern Europe David Burnett The World of the Spirits, 143.

30. Evil Eye Protection

31. Blue Eyes: Most Dangerous

32. Evil Eye Protection: Hand of Fatima, or “Hamsa” (five)

33. Door Knocker: Hand of Fatima

34. Hand of Fatima

35. Spiritual Protection- Bracelet: Piece of Koran

36. Pendant: Koranic Writing

37. Pendant: Koranic Writing

38. Shi’ite Armband Amulet (Koranic verses, Allah’s names, etc)

39. Guess What? Muslims have brought Folk beliefs and practices with them to America. They seek power to deal with everyday life issues.

40. What About Us?

41. God God’s Angels † Rebellious Angels Michael & Gabriel Satan ∆ ∆ ∆ ▲ ∕ ∕ / \ \ ∕ ∕ \ \ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ▲▲ ▲▲     \  | | \ ∆∆ ∆∆ ∆∆∆∆ ∆ ∆∆∆∆ ▲ ▲▲ ▲▲ ▲▲ ↨↨ ↨ ↨ ↨ ↨↨ \ \ \ ∕ ∕ ∕ ↨ ↨ ↨ ↨↨ People ☺☻☺☺☻☻Pastor Barnes ☺☻☺☻☺

42. A Christian Challenge God -------------------------------------- ↨ An Excluded Middle ↨ ------------------------------------- God’s People

43. Jesus is Lord: Eph. 1:19-21 IN HIS ASCENSION,JESUS IS ELEVATEDTO A POSITION OFAUTHORITY OVERALL POWERS, WHOM HE JUDGES

44. Jesus the Center • - Creation • - All powers • - The church • His people • Col. 1:15-23

45. Muslims Coming to Christ #1 Reason: The lifestyle of Christians; they practiced what they preached

46. Muslims Coming to Christ #2 Reason: The power of God to answer prayers and to heal

47. Reason Number Three: Dissatisfaction With The Type of Islam Experienced. • The Qur’an’s emphasis on • judgment over love and • acceptance. • The need for liturgy in Arabic. • Folk Islam’s use of amulets • and praying at graves of saints.

48. Reason Number Four: Dreams and Visions More than one in four respondents, 27%, noted dreams & visions before their decision for Christ, 40% at the time of conversion, and 45% afterward.

49. Why is Jesus appearing to Muslims? • Dreams/visions are where the supernatural and natural “intersect” in traditional • Islamic worldview • Christ “shows up” where such things would be • expected to happen

50. Reason Number Five: The Gospel Message • The gospel message, especially its • assurance of salvation and forgiveness, • is a significant attraction to Muslims. • Muslims have no certainty of salvation. • The Qur’an demands absolute • obedience with no assurances • (Allah might change his mind)