Secret Church

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What is Islam? Posted: 23 Feb 2014 10:01 PM PST Our prayer focus for Secret Church 14 is the Peoples of Turkey. Leading up the Secret Church on April 18, we’ll be sharing information about the Turks and Kurds of Turkey, including their religious beliefs, their lifestyles, and their culture. Our hope is that as we learn more about who these people are, our burden to pray for them will increase, and that by the time May rolls around (a month we’re challenging people to devote to prayer for the Turks and Kurds), we’ll be so acquainted with them that all we’ll have to do is continue praying for the people we’ve grown to love – people who desperately need to know the love of Jesus. Find out more at HopeforTurkey.com. ISLAM  The term "Islam" means "submission" to the will of God, and the person who submits is called a "Muslim".   A Brief History Muhammad was born circa 570 AD in the Arabian Peninsula near Mecca (Saudi Arabia).  Forty years later Muhammad begins to receive revelations that were compiled into the Qur'an.  Muhammad begins to preach strict monotheism in a polytheistic culture and experiences persecution and must flee Mecca in 622 AD.  His army then retakes control of Mecca in 630 AD, destroys the idols in the city and unifies all of the tribes of the Arabian peninsula under the religion of Islam.  Shortly after that Muhammad dies in 632 AD.  Muhammad fails to appoint a successor and divisions of who is in charge begins to happen.  This leads to a split into two sects, Sunni and Shi'ite.  By 750 AD, the religion of Islam had spread across North Africa to Spain, from the Middle East to Central Asia. Today There are over 1.5 Billion Muslims in the world, approximately 23% of the global population.  In Turkey 96% of their total population (over 75 million) are Muslim (approximately 73 million).  Turkey is a nation torn in different directions as Turkish society is secular yet Muslim. The Major Beliefs Belief in God – God is one and no partner is associated with Him. Belief in the Prophets – According to the Qur'an, God sent a prophet to every nation to share the message that there is only one God. Belief in the Divine Books – Torah, Psalms, Injil (Gospels), and the Qur'an. Belief in Angels – Each person has two angels, one to record the good a person does, and one to record the bad a person does. Belief in the Day of Judgement – The Qur'an explains the day when God comes back and judges each person's good and bad deeds.  If the good outweighs the bad you receive paradise, on the contrary, hell.  Whether one's good deeds outweigh the bad is only known by God, therefore there is no assurance that he or she will be accepted by God. The expression "inshallah" – if God wills – is a common figure of speech among Muslims and reflects the widespread belief that destiny is in the hands of God. The Reality of Islam The 5 Pillars of the faith are devotional practices considered nonnegotiable for all Muslims. The Shahada – to bear witness that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet. Performing Salat – the daily prayers five times a day. Sawm (To Fast) – during the month of Ramadan. Observing Zakat – faithfully give on a regular basis to the poor. The Hajj – the pilgrimage to Mecca.  Ways to Pray Pray for the peoples of Turkey to see their need for salvation. Pray for God to soften the hearts of the peoples of Turkey towards Christ. Pray for more workers to go to Turkey and share the gospel.

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