Evangelical activities among Muslims - a christain perspective !! http://www.leaderu.com/isot/docs/minmuslim.html
Read this Islamic site too: http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Polemics/deception.html
From the above mentioned christian site:
Practical Uses of the Koran in Christian Ministry
Suggestions for Using the Koran in Evangelism:
A number of suggestions have been made for using the Koran in
evangelism. Many
modern missionaries encourage the use of Koranic teaching on Jesus as a
starting point in working with Muslims. Since the Koran presents a high
view of
Jesus, as the Word of God, one nearest to God, one who is alive in
heaven,
etc., the Muslim inquirer may want to know more about this one who
seems to be
greater than even Mohammed (McCurry Video). The Bible would provide the
source
for this additional knowledge as the Koran clearly upholds the teaching
of the
Old and New Testament and may even declare its inerrancy. Surah 6:115
declares, “The word of the Lord is perfect and none can change His
words.”
The Koranic passages which refer to Jesus as the Word of God may
provide a
focus for this investigation. Chapman suggests that Mohammed probably
derived
this idea from Christian teaching even though modern Islamic scholars
interpret
this passage as referring to Jesus being conceived by God’s Word
(Chapman “God
Who Reveals” in Christians and Muslims, 133ff.). The idea of Jesus
being the
Word of God can be explained by looking at the gospels and how Jesus
creates,
heals, and forgives by his Word. This study of the gospel presentation
will
hopefully lead to greater interest on the part of the Muslim inquirer.
Another suggestions has been to study the concept of prophethood and
how Jesus
was a prophet. Christians have tended to ignore this aspect of Jesus’
mission
to be our prophet, priest and king. However, the concept of prophet is
central
to Islam. Thus the Koranic teaching on the prophets can be used to
transition
to the biblical accounts of the prophets and their mission. The life of
Jeremiah is particularly helpful because of its vivid presentation in
the Bible
and his teaching on the new covenant which is fulfilled in Jesus
(Ibid.,
129ff.).
The Koranic emphasis on God being merciful and forgiving may also
provide
another bridge to sharing the gospel with Muslims. Numerous times the
Koran
declares that God is merciful and forgiving (6:147; 39:53; 23:118). The
parables of the Prodigal Son and Two Debtors may be used to effectively
communicate the gospel to Muslims as they portray both man’s
responsibility to
the law and God’s mercy and forgiveness when the law is broken
(Chapman, 141).
Suggestions for Using the Koran in the Muslim Convert Church:
The Koran could possibly be used in the context of a Muslim convert
church but
it would be treated just like any other extra-biblical reference. For
example,
certain praise sections from the Koran could be used as part of prayer
and
worship in the same way that Christian hymns and poetry are used (Goble
New
Creation Book 1989, 84). Of course these praise sections would have to
espouse
proper theology and it should be clear to all worshippers that just
because the
Koran is being used for worship does not mean that it is inspired. Phil
Goble
suggests that the first surah of the Koran be used during prayer times.
The
first surah reads,
In the name of Allah,
Most Gracious, Most merciful,
Praise be to Allah
the Cherisher
and Sustainer of the worlds.
Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Master of the Day of Judgment.
Thee alone do we worship
and Thine aid we look for.
Show us the straight way.
The way of those on whom Thou
has bestowed Thy Grace
those whose portion is not wrath,
and who go not astray.
Amen.
Since there is nothing theologically wrong with this prayer and much
that is
theologically right, it seems possible that such Koranic material may
be used
in the worship of God.
The Koran might also be used in the new covert church setting as
illustrative
material for sermons and teaching. A biblical precedent for this
activity is
found in Acts 17 when Paul addresses the Athenians. For example, the
teaching
in the Koran about the sacrificial meal at the end of the Hajj can be
used to
illustrate the communion meal prefigured in the Passover and instituted
by
Christ (Ibid., 103ff.). Again there is the danger of the listeners
confusing
the Christian preacher’s (Imam’s) reference to the Koran as implying
that the
Koran is inspired. Thus care should be exercised when using the Koran
in
preaching.
III. A PROPOSED MINISTRY APPROACH FOR WORKING WITH MUSLIMS
The traditional missions approach of working with Muslims has often
involved
little attention to the contextualization of the message and the forms
of the
church. This lack of contextualization has hindered the ministry of the
church
as Muslims found the traditional message and forms offensive. For
example, the
teaching of Christ’s suffering servanthood is rejected by the Muslims
because
they perceive the message of the cross as dishonoring to Christ
(Huffard “Culturally Relevant Themes about Christ” in Christians and
Muslims,
164ff.). Similarly, the lack of the Muslim form of removing ones shoes
in a
place of worship is also perceived as being dishonoring to God.
In light of this evidence, it seems clear that a successful approach to
Muslim
ministry must include contextualization. In addition, the element of
genuine
spirituality must also be present in order for the church to present
not only a
relevant but also a credible witness.
A Contextualized Ministry
Contextualization has been defined as “the effort to understand and
take
seriously the specific context of each human group and person on its
own terms
and in all its dimensions- cultural, religious, social, political,
economic-
and to discern what the Gospel says to people in that context.”
(Parshall 1980,
32). The Bible demonstrates contextualization throughout. Paul’s
ministry is of
particular interest as he holds unswervingly to the truth but takes
care that
his hearers understand the true meaning by means of careful
communication
(Ibid., 38).
The danger involved when applying the principles of contextualization
is
syncretism. Parshall sums up the issue when he states, “syncretism
occurs when
the critical and basic elements of the Gospel are lost in the process
of
contextualization.” (Ibid. 46).
Contextualization also involves the issue of form and meaning. For
example, the
pre-Abrahamic form of circumcision acquired new meaning when God made
it a sign
of the Abrahamic covenant. New meaning may be infused into old forms as
long as
the form is not prohibited by Scripture. Perhaps the key governing
principle is
that the missionary enterprise should contextualize to the point that
only the
core of the Gospel message offends (Ibid., 55ff.).
There are a number of areas which will be effected by
contextualization.
The Incarnated Communicator
To ensure effective communication, the communicator must understand his
audience and identify with them. Thus Parshall proposes the
“incarnational
model” in which the missionary adopts the dress, housing, language,
food,
customs, etc. of the people whom he is trying to reach (Ibid., 98ff.).
The
missionaries should probably live near the standard of living of the
people to
whom they are ministering, living in similar housing, wearing similar
clothes
and eating local foods. In addition, it is simply fundamental to
effective
communication that the missionary learn the language of the people and
adopt
the mindset of the people. Perhaps the most forgotten element of
contextualization for the western missionary is to adopt an attitude of
empathy
and forsake any ethnocentrism (Ibid., 121).
The Incarnated Message
The message of the gospel is also contextualized by using various
bridges from
Islam to Christianity. Examples include using the Koran’s positive view
of the
Bible and Jesus, the Qurbani Id festival (sacrifice commemorating
Abraham’s
offer of his son), and the Sufi sect’s emphasis on wanting to
personally
experience God as means to communicate the gospel (see above on the
Koran).
The Incarnated Church
It is imperative that the church for converted Muslims also be
contextualized
in order to provide the best environment for nurture and witness. The
church
for converted Muslims should probably consist of a homogeneous group
which
meets in a home. In addition, various forms of Islamic worship such as
Mosque
organization, Friday worship, removing shoes, etc., could be adopted.
The
leader of a house church could be modeled after an Imam, the leader of
the
Mosque. In addition, the group should probably bear an inoffensive name
such as
the followers of Isa (Parshall 1980, 163).
The Christian practice of baptism may need re-evaluation as it is often
misunderstood by Muslims to indicate that the convert has become a
western
traitor. Parshall suggests that a substitute to traditional baptism
might be
warranted such as delaying baptism indefinitely, baptizing in secret,
self
baptism, or the use of a functional equivalent (Ibid., 189ff.).
Muslim rituals such as prayer, chanting or fasting and social practices
such as
festivals, birth customs and funeral customs should also be examined in
light
of contextualization. As stated earlier, new meaning may be infused
into old
forms as long as the form is not prohibited by Scripture. For example,
the
ritual washing which takes place as one enters the Mosque may be
infused with
the new meaning of the individual confessing sin and praying that God
would
keep him from sin. Thus the washing would no longer considered as a
washing
away of sin but becomes a colorful exercise of confession (Goble,
72ff.).
The goal of these activities are to allow the Muslim convert to remain
a Muslim
culturally. Thus the convert will remain with his own people and be
better able
to further communicate the gospel. This method will also help remove
the
misconception that becoming a Christian means becoming a Westerner.