Islam for Christians

The story of Moses... from the river to the burning bush to the edge of the Promised Land. The Islamic Moses skips the most famous plague of the Bible, gives the surah of the cow its name, hits an angel -- and then takes a mysterious journey with a man in green.

The Prophet said, "Allah has appointed an angel in the womb, and the angel says, 'O Lord! A drop of discharge (i.e. of semen), O Lord! a clot, O Lord! a piece of flesh.' And then, if Allah wishes to complete the child's creation, the angel will say. 'O Lord! A male or a female? O Lord! wretched or blessed (in religion)? What will his livelihood be? What will his age be?' The angel writes all this...

The Quraysh take their best shot at annihilating Mecca's Muslims - and their tribesman - in a three-year boycott. The boycotted take refuge on the outskirts of Mecca as the rest of the city tries to starve them into submission. The siege is broken, at last, when it is revealed the other Meccans simply so not have the will to maintain the blockade.

For the taming of Qureysh. For their taming (We cause) the caravans to set forth in winter and summer. So let them worship the Lord of this House, Who hath fed them against hunger and hath made them safe from fear.

Joseph is kidnapped, ends up in Egypt, has some problems with a eunuch and resists some epic temptation. The story of Joseph is told in surah 12, which is actually named Yusuf - the Arabic word for Joseph. The story of Joseph was always special to Muhammad, and this episodes details why.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah who said: The Messenger of Allah said: "Part of the perfection of one's Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him."

The controversial story of the Satanic Verses -- where the story came from, why it matters (or doesn't matter) and how believable the story actually is. Did Satan really try to sneak an extra verse past Muhammad? Or is it just an apocryphal legend? And what are the theological implications of this?

Hast thou observed him who belieth religion? That is he who repelleth the orphan, And urgeth not the feeding of the needy. Ah, woe unto worshippers Who are heedless of their prayer; Who would be seen (at worship) Yet refuse small kindnesses!

Noah asks God to destroy the world. Abraham survives the fire, heads to Mecca, and nearly kills Ishmael.

This month’s hadith is from the Abu Dawud collection --- On the authority of Abu Najeeh al-’Irbaad ibn Saariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave us a sermon by which our hearts were filled with fear and tears came to our eyes. So we said, “O Messenger of Allah! It is as though this is a farewell sermon, so counsel us.”...

The story of the Ethiopian king who took in the first Muslim refugees. A Christian ruler called the Negus hosts a debate between the Muslims and the Meccans, cementing his legend in Islamic lore.

Lo! We have given thee Abundance; So pray unto thy Lord, and sacrifice. Lo! it is thy insulter (and not thou) who is without posterity. The translations of this in English are wildly different, so I’ll give two more translations in addition to the Pickthall translation heard above: Yusuf Ali To thee have We granted the Fount (of Abundance). Therefore to thy Lord turn in Prayer and Sacrifice. For h...

The Beginning of a series on Biblical figures in Islam. This episode is about Adam in the beginning, how the devil was created from a rogue jinn, and what it all means for Islamic verses Christian theology.

This month’s hadith is from Sahih Muslim, number 55: It is narrated on the authority of Tamim ad-Dari that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The Religion is sincerity." We said, "To whom?" He said "To Allah, to His Book, To His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their masses."

The Muslims face persecution, but also add some muscle. This episode includes: The first Islamic martyr. The freeing of Bilal. A big loss for Abu Jahl. The addition of Hamza and Umar.

Say: O disbelievers! I worship not that which ye worship; Nor worship ye that which I worship. And I shall not worship that which ye worship. Nor will ye worship that which I worship. Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion.

Second and final part of the Heretics episodes. Featuring the Druze, the Ahmadiyya, the Nation of Islam and others.

The Prophet said, "Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the afternoons, and during the last hours of the nights."

Muhammad was going public with his ministry. This was around the year 613. So who would listen? When Muhammad went public the backlash was not immediate from most Meccans – he received plenty of mockery, but no outright violence. That would soon change.

When Allah's succour and the triumph cometh And thou seest mankind entering the religion of Allah in troops, Then hymn the praises of thy Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Lo! He is ever ready to show mercy.

On the shores of Lake Michigan, in the near north suburbs of Chicago, sits a large white temple that is so impressive it was named one of the seven wonders of Illinois. Keep in mind Illinois contains all the eye-popping, history-making architecture of Chicago, so yeah, it’s a pretty amazing structure – even next to the Sears Tower, Trump Tower, Hancock Building and all the other Chicago marvels. &...

The Prophet said: Allah will raise for this community at the end of every hundred years the one who will renovate its religion for it. In Arabic, this person is called the Mujaddid, or one who brings renewal.

A mysterious force grabbed hold of him, and he could not move. The force ordered him to recite, and soon came the words of the first Islamic revelation: Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth, Createthman from a clot. Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who teacheth by the pen, Teachethman that which he knew not.

In one sense, this surah is pretty self explanatory. Abu Lahab is not a fictional person – he was an actual early enemy of Islam. This explains what will ultimately happen to Abu Lahab, and to his wife, and to others like him who rail against Islam. There is also a larger metaphor at play here.

Sufis are Muslims who seek a direct experience of the divine. They can be Sunni or Shia or any other kind of Muslim, and trace their lineage directly to Muhammad. Sufis have always been small in number but great in influence, something they certainly have in common with their Christian counterparts.