Worshiping Jesus in the Mosque
The [rest of the community] have started to think now, and they say, "Lial lial rasul Isa"—"These are the people of the messenger Isa." They'll say, "Who are these people? These people are not Christians. These people are not Muslims. Who are they? Let's go and hear what they are thinking." We explain as much as possible from the Bible. People ask us, "Who is Isa for you?" Our answer is, "He is the Word of Allah." Then we quote from the Qur'an, but explain what the "Word of Allah" means from a biblical perspective.
If the Muslim community thinks the new believers "are not Christians and are not Muslims," what do the new believers themselves think? What is their self-identity?
When they first come to believe in Isa, of course they still think [of themselves] as Muslims. What else could they think? We are not telling them they are now Christians.
But when they understand the gospel more clearly, they don't want to have an Islamic religious identity. Yet they also do not want to let go of their cultural identity as Muslims, which naturally includes forms from their previous way of life and worship.
Where is Jesus in the life of the people in your movement, the People of the Gospel?
When people want to know our faith articles, we can tell them. But when it comes to individual people, we cannot say so easily, because they are not all on the same level. We find some people who say Jesus is God, some who understand that Jesus is the Savior. Others say he is the Word of Allah, without explanation, as they are struggling to understand what that means. Sometimes they understand Isa, other times they don't. So we have to instruct them.
We have to teach them from the things that they already know. For example, some people may not [understand] if I tell them that Jesus died on their behalf. Islam has a different theology of sin; they don't accept that Jesus died on their behalf. It is true that he died on their behalf, but it is not the only benefit [of Christ's death].
When he died on the cross, he defeated death and the one who owned the power of death, Satan. And because God raised Jesus from the dead, he was appointed by God as a judge on the Day of Judgment, and the Savior from the Day of Judgment. The Cross is the answer for every [issue] in life. It is the solution regarding our relation to God, Satan, sin, death, and so on.
It is the evangelist's responsibility to choose which benefit of the Cross is the answer for the spiritual needs a Muslim feels. Then gradually the Holy Spirit will explain the benefit of the Cross as it relates to their sin.
Muslims are afraid of evil spirits; they are afraid of the Day of Judgment. They are afraid of the Devil. I have a message from the kingdom of God that addresses all of these spiritual needs. So we are using the Muslim way of thinking about Isa, even if it is incomplete. If Muslims understand even one of these, they will call to Isa, and the Holy Spirit can lead them to understand more benefits of the Cross.
There are lots of opportunities in Islam; there are also lots of challenges. But the opportunities are bigger than the challenges. We must remember that it is not we who are bringing God to the Muslim people. He was already here.
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Gene Daniels
Hussein, As for rumors of "paying converts." I have worked in the Muslim world for many years. These kinds of rumors are a common way for Islamic leaders to explain why people are converting. As long as poor people convert, there will always be suspicion about why they converted. But you and I both already know this, so why are you repeating this stuff? I'll tell you why, you are saying anything you can to defame Abu Jaz and cast doubt on him. This comment is a perfect example. You offer a supposed quote from Abu Jaz, and then try to make it smell corrupted without any intrinsic connection. That is, by definition, rumor-mongering, and my brother it is sin. You need to repent! And furthermore, if you were there to hear his speech in person, why didn't you act according to Scripture and speak to him face to face about your concerns?
Gene Daniels
Hi Salaam, Being the author of a particular piece of writing has both positives and negatives. One of the negatives is the way some people treat you when they disagree. They make ad hominem attacks, they set-up straw men, they quote your words out of context, etc. But on the flip side, one of the positives is that an author can just let the critics be critics. After trying to patently answer your various criticisms and concerns for more than a month, it is obvious that you will never be satisfied with any answer I give. Therefore I no longer feel the need to reply to your comments. But if it just so happens that you attend the "Bridge Building" event this June, I will be glad to address your criticisms and innuendo face-to-face.
Hussein wario
Gene Daniels, Abu Jaz gave a speech at a leading seminary in his country on Friday. He was asked, I quote, "Where are all the thousands of converts?" He responded reassuring the audience "there are many 'believers’ due to the effectiveness" of his method. Even people who rub shoulders with your interviewee don't know who "the people of the Gospel are." Is it possible that what you saw when you visited Abu Jaz in his country was all staged? I was at ISFM conference with John Travis in September and one of the speakers discussed about corruption in missions in Abu Jaz's native country. Apparently, both Muslim dawah people and Christian missionaries bid for converts. I received a report last week that western missionaries in that country are paying converts $15 a month to go back to their communities and live there as Muslims. Were you aware of these corruptions in Abu Jaz's country before you published this article?
Salaam Corniche
Hello Gene: Your favorite nemesis is back. Just read your last comment. Also read an excellent thesis by Wonjoo Hwang A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE INSIDER MOVEMENT AS A CONTEXTUALIZATION MODEL AMONG MUSLIMS 2012 Southwestern Baptist Seminary . It can be gotten from UMI dissertation express for the price of $37.00 for a PDF download. Gene you need to read this. I know you hate my comment about peeling back the veneer, but this is something that Hwang has done. Hey, maybe he is just using the methodology from the WCIU outcomes that says he should "Think critically and reflectively by questioning assumptions and weighing evidence related to ideas and practices." Anyway, what Hwang has done has looked at the ideas and assumptions behind the "curtain" of insider movements. It really is a very good set of Biblical glasses to interpret what is happening. You might call him and me suspicious, but in the final analysis we are called the "test the spirits." N'est pas?
Gene Daniels
Hi Audrey, you wrote: "there were statements in the article which caused me to see it differently than the way you present it here." That is the beauty of the article, it is there for people to read and come to their own conclusions based on what Abu Jaz said for himself.