THE OCCULT IN ISLAM
Those who live among
Muslims and have close contact with them will encounter situations where the
occult is prominent. Any servant of the Lord, who wishes to minister faithfully
among Muslims, has no choice but to understand the reality of the unseen powers
with which he will be confronted.
We acknowledge the existence of Satan and his limited
authority, but our faith is in Jesus Christ. We are united with Him in all He
did and taught. We accept what the Scriptures say about his confrontation with
demons and spirits. He spoke to them and cast them out, exercising complete
power over them. We preach that Christ is the victor. He alone grants true
freedom from every bondage of the occult.
1. Occultism Everywhere
Anyone studying the occult in Islam should realize
that we also find much occult activity in the West. A recent edition of the
German magazine, Stern (“Star”), stated that one third of the German
population considers witchcraft a reality. A professional witch made an
appearance on German television and described how she operated. She claimed
that, through black magic, she was able to kill people. It was incredible that
no one from the recording team spoke out against her. This represents a
manifestation of demonology and the end of rationalism in these days. The
majority of people sense and acknowledge an unseen world and seek to make
contact with it through many forms of the occult.
During the time of Hitler, there were more separatists
and fortunetellers in Berlin than the combined total of pastors and priests in
Protestant and Catholic churches. We cannot know the entire extent of this evil
traffic nor how much money was involved.
When we investigate the reasons behind the occult in
the West or its powerful force in the Arab world, we should remember what the
late Professor Thielecke wrote: “If we show God the front door (that is, want
him out), then spirits will enter through the back door, for man cannot live in
a vacuum.” Man is not able to live without God or spirit; he must rely on
something. If he feels threatened, he will look for someone to help him. If he
has no relationship with the living God, he will turn to other powers. At this
juncture, the occult in Islam begins.
The Islamic understanding of Allah does not give a
Muslim peace and rest, because he stands before an incomprehensible god who, as
a dictator, does what he wills. He leads one person aright and sends another to
hell. He is not a personal God as in Christianity. A Muslim has no direct
relationship with Allah. He cannot say to him, “You are my Father.” Allah in
Islam is not a Redeemer or Savior. Therefore, man is forced to search for
whatever other powers and assistance he may find; thus, the occult enters into
every aspect of Islam.
In Europe, the vacuum in man was created by reason and
philosophy during the period of the Enlightenment, which “emancipated” his
thinking. In Islam, the void results from the Muslim’s faith in an impersonal,
unknowable Allah. This leaves him distanced from his god and continually empty.
When a man is unfulfilled, helpless and lost, he will cling to a straw –
anything he can lay hold of. Occult in Islam, therefore, fills the vacuum created
by the concept of Allah who gives neither personal assurance nor rest.
You can find visible manifestations of the occult in
Islam everywhere – even on streets and in names. Protection from “the evil eye”
is sought after. On the back of trucks, one can see the picture of an eye with
an arrow drawn through it. This means that anyone envious of the truck will not
be able to cause an accident to happen to it; the eye of greed will be rendered
powerless. Small children often carry protection with them against the evil eye
in the form of small blue pearls. Women wear gems to divert the evil eye, so
that its glance can do no harm. These items also serve to frustrate the eyes of
lust, distracting them. The Middle East is full of such elements, terms and fetishes.
You can even find them used among Christians. If you suggest that they rid
themselves of these practices, they will find it nearly impossible. They depend
upon this and are not willing to abandon it.
Many Easterners believe in the power of the evil eye
and its effects on man. If you look at someone from behind or beside, he may
sense it quickly and turn to you abruptly, staring into your eyes in a
disturbed or shy way. People in the East are more sensitive than Westerners.
Their souls are more delicate, receptive and impressionable. The Westerner is
bound by rationalism. The Easterner is conscious of the looks of others and
wants to protect himself from whatever influence is around him. That is why
signs of protection against the evil eye are found everywhere.
Another form of the occult is the mandil or
reading in the cloth. This is one of many ways in which secrets are revealed.
In a school, a watch was once stolen and all the girls of that class had to go
home. The headmaster said that she would not allow the teachers to teach until
the watch was found. This went on for two days. On the third day, the parents
came and said that they would not agree to this punishment, because it put
their daughters under suspicion of having stolen the watch. They resented this,
because they insisted that their daughters were innocent. An easy solution to
the problem was suggested through a visit to a soothsayer (one with knowledge
of the extrasensory world) who lived in the neighboring village. She would be
able to reveal the whereabouts of the watch, for she had recently disclosed the
exact location of two stolen cows which had been hidden fifteen kilometers away
from the owner’s farm. The headmaster of the school did not accept this method.
Fortunetelling in the Middle East is part of daily
life. There was a case of a girl who vanished. When a fortuneteller was
consulted, all the details of the kidnapping were clearly exposed, including
the name of the abductor and the country to which the girl had been taken. The most
famous fortunetellers accept military generals, government officials and
business people as customers as well as ordinary citizens. All line-up in front
of their doors and have to wait their turn.
There is another form of fortunetelling and soothe-saying;
namely, predictions as to whether one should marry a particular person and
whether the union will be a happy one. Many are involved in these practices and
are bound by them all their lives.
In Islamic countries, Qur’anic texts, prayers or
curses are sometimes written on small papers, not only for protecting a person
but also to actively influence certain people in special situations. A sheikh
once said that he was writing verses from the Qur’an that would help a
businessman have a successful business trip. Also, a young man wanted to
influence a girl to love him, so he asked someone to hide pieces of written
texts under her mattress. Merchants who want the businesses and projects of
their competitors to fail also practice similar customs.
One may find different forms of sorcery or white
magic, the aim of which is only to influence others, not to kill or harm them.
Love and desire for money are the main motives in this kind of magic. Also,
signs, paintings or sculptures are used as a kind of protection on houses or in
rooms. The owners say these items are harmless, but if one suggests their
removal, there will be a great outcry or adamant refusal, for they are inwardly
in bondage to the use of such items.
Educated people distinctively knock on wood and hope
that they will be protected from spirits who listen to their conversations. The
flight of birds is also taken into consideration. If a black bird swoops down
upon a house, this is considered an omen of the imminent death of a family
member. If a bird flies away from a house, this may be a sign that someone will
be leaving soon. The reading of stars, likewise, influences the thoughts of
many. In many hotels in India, you can find an astrologer who will tell you
what the stars predict for you.
In many Islamic countries, one can find whitewashed
tombs of saints. Dozens of men and women make pilgrimages to these tombs in
order to find help. For example, a woman may rub her abdomen against a tomb in
hope of becoming pregnant. These actions show the sadness and desperation in
Muslims over Allah not providing them with real comfort or satisfactory answers
to the difficulties and problems in their lives.
During a special celebration in Indonesia, a French
reporter was horrified when he saw people swallowing iron nails and electric
light bulbs. He was offered some to eat and was told that he would neither be
injured nor feel pain, for they would be dissolved within him; nothing would
hurt him. This reporter photographed these practices and wrote a long article
in the newspaper, saying he had to admit that there are things that belong to
the extrasensory realm, which are increasingly becoming part of society.
Black magic also exists in the world of Islam, through
which people try to destroy others. One day, a leader of black magic in Beirut
became furious about the State of Israel and asked his students to concentrate
together on destroying that country. The next morning, one of his students came
to him shivering and asked: “What happened to you? I saw you last night in my
dream tied up with iron chains.” Another student said he had had a similar
dream. The master confirmed that what they said was true, for somebody appeared
to him in a vision, telling him that he should have nothing to do with Israel.
They had tried to destroy Israel, but they reached a sphere of higher authority
where their power was useless.
We once drove our car along a road in Beirut. Suddenly,
we came upon a crowd of people, which we had difficulty passing. We soon
learned that the situation involved one of our Lebanese evangelists. We parked
our car and pushed through the crowd, inquiring about the cause of the uproar.
We were told that the evangelist was accused of practicing magic on a Syrian
student who claimed the old man had given him a cursed cake, which robbed him
of his sleep for three or four nights. The student said he would kill the
evangelist unless the curse was removed from him, so that he could sleep again.
We immediately mediated for our brother in the Lord and testified that he never
pronounced such a curse, nor had he been involved in magic in any way. They
took our word and released him. However, the Syrian student who had accused the
evangelist was taken into custody, because he persisted in wanting to kill him.
When our brother was released, the student cried out and bent the steel bars of
the prison cell. He wanted to rip apart this active evangelist and destroy his
ministry, but the Lord protected him.
These illustrations do not fully explain the character
of black magic, but it is known that some leading Islamic centers use sorcery
against successful servants of the Lord, who work among Muslims. For this
reason, we say to every believer: Do not go into missionary work among Muslims
unless you have committed yourself totally to the protection of the blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ. You have no protection otherwise. But the blood of Jesus
can completely protect you, and Satan will find no right or power into your
life. It is marvelous that you can actually face and go through such
experiences with complete confidence and tranquillity. You can even sing with
Luther:
And though
this world with devils filled
Should
threaten to undo us,
His truth to
triumph through us.
The prince
of darkness grim —
We tremble
not for him;
His rage we
can endure,
For lo! his
doom is sure.
One little
word shall fell him.
We need not fear any evil power because Jesus is Lord.
His name means power. He is our defender. However, anyone not relying on the
protection of the blood of Jesus, even though he be a Child of God, may be
subject to much tension, temptation and sins, ranging from lying, sexual
immorality, pride and a host of other evils; he may be tempted into financial
dishonesty too. This may happen, not because he wants to commit these sins, but
because he is simply deceived on the basis of not surrendering entire control
of his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Some half-hearted believers have been
knocked to the ground and thrown about, not knowing what happened to them.
Others have had car accidents and other mishaps too. It is essential to make
sure that Jesus is ruling completely in our lives. Have you reached the point
where you can say, “Nothing for me but all for Jesus”? If you have, then you
will experience the peace of the Lord in the midst of turmoil. No one stands
with one foot inside a lift and the other outside, for he would be torn to
pieces if he did. Therefore, we need to abide in Jesus and he will abide in us.
2. The Occult in the Qur’an
The main point of our subject centers on the question:
Where do we find the occult, or traces of it, in the Qur’an? We first should
read Sura al-Falaq 113:1-5:
I seek refuge with the Lord of the
dawn,
From the mischief of those who
practice magic (Blow on knots),
And from the mischief of the envious
one
As he practices envy.
In these verses, we find Muhammad anxious and afraid.
He lived in constant fear, because he had caused the death of many in war and
asked his followers to help him get rid of his enemies. Whoever kills others
may dream that the spirits of the murdered follow him. Muhammad sensed the
influences of evil. He looked at many things created by God with fear because
they looked evil to him. Muhammad was afraid of the night and what dwelled in
it. He was afraid of sorcerers and women who tried to have influence on others
by making knots and blowing on them. Muhammad felt the power of evil spirits in
one who had become envious. His fear is often found in the Qur’an and climaxes
in a deep fear of Allah.
How different from Muhammad is our Lord Jesus who
said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; . . . Let not your heart
be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Muhammad had no peace in
him. He was a frightened man, torn in his heart, desperate and unhappy. In the
depth of his soul he was fearful of night, sorcerers and everything. He was
especially afraid of envy. From every side, he saw himself under attack. We
notice this in the last Sura of the Qur’an, Sura al-Nas 114:1-6:
Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and
Cherisher of mankind,
The king (or ruler) of mankind – The
God of mankind,
From the mischief of the Whisperer
(Satan) who withdraws (after he has whispered),
Who whispers into the hearts of
mankind, And from the jinn and men.
In these verses, we find three sources of fear: man,
Satan and demons. Muhammad distinguished all three of them and searched for
refuge in Allah who had created them. He sought refuge from Satan who whispered
into his innermost being. Muhammad heard voices and was not sure which was from
God and which was not. He could not always distinguish the voice of God from
that of Satan. Therefore, we even find satanic verses in the Qur’an (Sura
al-Najm 53:19-22). Muhammad acknowledged demons and spirits. He met with them
and knew of their power. With such words, the Qur’an ends! Not with a word of
peace and comfort, but with a cry for refuge in Allah who gives neither
assurance nor help. He who fathoms this crisis will feel deepest sympathy for
deplorable Muhammad. He was thrown into despair and awful fear, for he was
aware of the reality of Satan and of his influences, which constantly pursued
him. He experienced that man, while seeking refuge in Allah, can be possessed
by evil powers and held by them.
In the Qur’an, we find a unique record of the people
of Mecca, before they believed in Muhammad. They considered him to be a
disturbed, insane man and called him madjnun (a possessed one) who
behaved very unnaturally when he received his revelations (Suras al-Saffat
37:35; al-Dukhan 44:13; al-Tur 52:29; al-Qalam 68:2; al-Takwir 81:22).
Some of his neighbors feared him and whispered that he
was a sahir (magician), dealing with witchcraft and influencing people
to follow him by his fascinating lies (Suras Yunis 10:2; al-Hijr 15:16; Sad
38:3).
Others claimed that he was mashur (bewitched)
and controlled by evil spirits and demons, acting as their medium (Suras
al-Isra’ 17:50; al-Furqan 25:9; al-Dukhan 44:13; al-Takwir 81:25).
Several considered him to be a kahin
(fortuneteller or soothsayer) who received inspiration by the jinn, revealing
secrets to man (Suras al-Tur 52:29; al-Haqqa 69:42).
Finally, they called him sha’ir (a poet) who
was guided by a certain jinn that inspired him with enchanting words in
enticing rhythms (Suras al-Saffat 37:35; al-Tur 52:30; al-Haqqa 69:43).
Ibn Hisham, one of the early biographers of Muhammad,
confirms in his book that the people of Mecca continually used these
accusations before they surrendered to Islam, when forced to do so.
Muhammad, when asked by his followers about his
meetings with the Angel Gabriel, answered several times: “When he approaches
me, I hear the sound of a ringing bell or banging metal. Then, I step quickly
down from my horse or camel and cover my head. He then presses so hard on me
that I think I will die. When he speaks, I can never forget his words which I
reveal to you.” During the revelations, his followers witnessed that his face
became pale or red, his lips moved silently, and he sometimes became
unconscious.
In summing up these terms and reports, we can say
objectively that Muhammad did not appear as a normal man during the time of his
revelations, but looked very disturbed and similar to one who was possessed.
Many feared him.
Some orientalists and professors think that Muhammad
was an epileptic, but Muslims reject this idea fiercely, claiming that Muhammad
unmistakably received dictated inspirations by the Angel Gabriel directly, over
a period of 22 years.
Even though Muslims insist that Muhammad received
revelations from God, we must state that the voices that Muhammad claimed to
have heard were not real inspiration. The Father of our Lord Jesus would never
have sent the Angel Gabriel to Muhammad in Mecca, 600 years after the birth of
Christ, to prove to him that He, God, has no Son. It is written in the Qur’an
more than twenty times that God has no Son. As long as Muslims claim that these
verses are divinely inspired, we must say No! These voices did not come from
the true God, but originated from an evil spirit who misused the Arabic name
for God. As long as Muslims insist that Jesus was not crucified and that he did
not really die on the cross, we again must affirm that it was not God who
revealed these verses to Muhammad. This revelation originated from a satanic
spirit who merely claimed to be God!
We must stop thinking that Muslims and Christians believe
in the same God. The difference between the two religions is not only a matter
of dissimilar names, but also a matter of totally different, opposing spirits.
The Spirit speaking in the Gospel is contrary to that in the Qur’an. The spirit
in Muhammad was an anti-Christian spirit; it is not the Spirit of Jesus. If
anyone doubts this reality, he need only open to Sura al-Tawba 9:30. There, it
is written: “The Christians say: Christ is the Son of God. That is only what
they say, conforming to the unbelievers before them. May Allah kill them! How
they have turned away!”
When Muhammad and his community came under severe
persecution, 83 of his followers who had no protection emigrated to Ethiopia
and took refuge within the Christian state. Muhammad, under increasing boycotts
and pressure, went through a time of weakness and accepted a compromise by
acknowledging the existence of three goddesses alongside Allah: Lat, Uzza, and
Manat. The account of this is in Sura al-Najm 53:19-22:
Now tell me about Al-Lat, Al-Uzza,
And Manat, the third one, another
goddess.
What! For you the males and for him
the females!
That indeed is an unfair division.
This indirect confession of polytheism, with the
statement that Allah was involved with female goddesses while Muhammad and his
people were left with men, was cynically discussed by author Salman Rushdie. He
made the impure account even more obscene. Therefore, all Muslims regarded his
book as blasphemous.
When the inhabitants of Mecca heard the confession of
Muhammad about the existence of the ancient goddesses inside the Ka’ba, they
immediately revoked their ban on him. Those who had emigrated to Ethiopia
started to return home after hearing about Muhammad’s confession and the
changes in Mecca. But when they arrived, they were shocked to hear that
Muhammad regretted his confession and considered it as his falling prey to the
whispering of Satan. Thus, Islam considers Sura al-Najm 53:19-22 as the satanic
verses, rejected by Muhammad later on. Salman Rushdie did not invent these
verses, they have been in the Qur’an since its inception.
In Sura al-Hajj 22:52-53, Muhammad confessed his
mistake, supposing that all prophets were tempted by Satan who inspired them
with his verses, as if they were revealed by God. But later on, Allah abrogated
these satanic verses with new revelations and judges his people according to
them. Allah in Islam permits such demonic inspiration to test weak Muslims or
to cut off those with hardened hearts.
The true, vital issue about the satanic verses in the
Qur’an is: If Muhammad was once unable to distinguish the voice of Satan from
that of God, can there be other verses in the Qur’an which Muhammad assumed
were from God, but were really from Satan? Maybe the whole Qur’an is of satanic
origin, despite Muhammad’s conviction that it was Allah who revealed the suras
to him by the Angel Gabriel.
In Islam, the Angel Gabriel is regarded as the Holy
Spirit. For Muslims, no Holy Spirit, as described in the Gospel, exists. They
believe that the Spirit of God was created like angels and demons, with a
beginning and an end. There is no God the Holy Spirit in Islam, and therefore
no guidance by the Spirit, no comfort, no everlasting life and no Spirit of
Truth, because the Holy Spirit is considered to be the Angel Gabriel only. The
spirit in Islam, therefore, is not a divine one, but a spirit of the flesh or a
demonic spirit effecting deep devotion, regular worship, many prayers, fasting,
almsgiving and pilgrimage. But there is no Holy Spirit, no life, only death
(Galatians 3:1-5).
The god of Islam is a demon who appropriated for
himself the name of Allah. This Allah, by means of a deep religiosity and
devotion, has bound more than a billion Muslims, barring them from salvation in
Christ. Indeed, he vaccinates them against understanding the Gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
When Muhammad’s first wife, Khadija, and his uncle,
Abu Talib, died in the same year, Muhammad lost his protection and tried to
find refuge in Taif, a village high above the hills of Mecca, but he was
rejected harshly by the inhabitants of this village. Muhammad was helpless and
in deep despair, so he escaped into the desert where Jinn (demons or spirits)
met with him while he was reciting the Qur’an. Many scientists view this Sura
with a smile. Scholars have rejected it as nonsense. Others have portrayed the
jinn as good and helpful spirits. Let us examine the two sermons of the jinn
written in the Qur’an, which are claimed to have been revealed to Muhammad by
the Angel Gabriel (Sura al-Jinn 72:1-15):
Say: it has been revealed to me that
a company of jinn listened
(To the recitation of the Qur’an).
They said, ‘We have indeed heard a
wonderful Recital.
It gives guidance to rectitude.
We have believed in it: We will not
associate anyone with our Lord.
Exalted is the Majesty of our Lord:
He has taken neither a wife nor a son.
The fool among us uttered
extravagant lies against Allah.
5 And we thought that men and jinn would never
speak a lie against Allah.
Truly, there were some among mankind
who contacted persons connected
With the jinn. They increased them
in vileness.
And they thought as you thought,
that Allah would never raise up anyone.
We tried to enter heaven; but we
found it filled with terrible guards and shooting stars.
So we used to sit in (hidden)
stations, to hear the secrets of heaven;
But anyone who listens now will find
a shooting star thrown at him.
10 So we do not know whether evil is intended
to those on earth,
Or whether their Lord intends
rectitude for them.
Some of us are righteous, and some
the contrary:
We follow divergent paths.
Nor can we frustrate Him by flight.
When we listened to the Guidance, we
believed in it;
And any who believes in his Lord
shall fear neither triviality nor vileness.
Among us are some that have
surrendered and some that have deviated.
Those who surrendered sought
rectitude
But those who deviated have become
firewood for hell.’
The second Sura dealing with the same event is Sura
al-Ahqaf 46: 28-32:
Behold we turned towards you a
company of jinn listening to the Qur’an.
When they stood in its presence,
they said, ‘Listen, be silent!’
When the
recitation was finished, they returned to their people to warn them.
They said:
‘Our people! We have heard a book sent down after Moses
Confirming what was before it: It
guides to the truth and to a straight path.
O our people, answer to Allah’s
summoner and believe in Him:
He will forgive you some of your
sins and protect you from a painful chastisement.
If any does not listen to Allah’s
summoner, he cannot frustrate Allah on earth.
He will have no protectors besides
Him:
Such men are in manifest error.’
The Qur’an recognizes the fact that Muhammad had
actual contact with the jinn. With the Gospel as our plumb line, let us examine
what these demons in the Qur’an say to Muhammad, as revealed by Allah.
In Sura al-Jinn 72:1-3, we read, “We have indeed heard
a wonderful Recital.” According to the Qur’an, these spirits have the ability
to listen to what has been said in public or secret and are able to
differentiate in peoples’ matters. They can declare whether a recital is good
or bad. Here they testify that the Qur’an is wonderful and that it guides men
to rectitude, to the right way of life in doctrine and ethical standards. They
confess, “We have believed in it.” This means that some of these spirits and
demons understood the Qur’an, found it helpful, accepted it, and bound
themselves to it. They quickly confess the main point: “We will not associate
anyone with our Lord.” Some commentators say this means idols or pictures of
idols. However, in the next sentence, we recognize that this opinion is
insufficient, for the sermon speaks directly against Jesus: “He has taken
neither a wife nor a son.” In the Qur’an, the word walad (son) is often
used in relation to Jesus Christ, and the demons testify that God has no Son.
This, according to 1 John 4:2-4, is an indication of an antichrist spirit. The
Bible answers clearly to the rejection of the Fatherhood of God and the Sonship
of Christ with condemnatory consequences.
Jesus stated that no one is good except God;
therefore, jinn are not good, even though they call themselves righteous. They
are not merely goblins but anti-Christ spirits that work against the Fatherhood
of God and the Sonship of His Christ, testifying that God has no Son. They
claim that everyone who says God has a Son is a liar.
In verse four, we read, “The fool among us uttered
extravagant lies against Allah.” Muslim scholars indicate that the foolish one
among the jinn is Satan personally. He is considered to have invented the unforgivable
lie of God having a Son. By this trick, Satan even accepts the title of
al-Safeeh (the foolish one) if he can jeopardize the Sonship of Christ, and
vaccinate all Muslims against it. According to the Qur’an, it was not God who
revealed Jesus as His Son but rather Satan who, in his foolishness, uttered the
lie of the incarnation of Christ to mislead all Christians to hell.
The jinn reject the Sonship of Christ as a lie and a
blasphemy. They try to create hatred against the Son of God in all Muslims and
seek to immunize them against his salvation, claiming: “We thought that men and
jinn (demons) never speak a lie against Allah.” But according to the Qur’an, it
is the lie of lies when Satan confesses Jesus as the Son of God. Consequently,
the jinn called the head of all liars (Satan) an impudent fool; he revealed the
truth in the form of a lie, and thus his words vaccinate all Muslims against
the truth. This is utter perversion, and it confirms what Christ said about
Satan being a liar and the father of lies.
The jinn confess with astonishment that there are men
who search for guidance, along with those who are in contact with them. They
wonder why people would make contact with demons, as was the case with Muhammad
himself. The demons shake their heads and say, “Would you believe that some men
could be so senseless as to seek contact with spirits, believing in the lie of
Satan that God has a Son?”
Then they come to the point: Those (misled people)
thought that Allah would never raise up anyone, (nor send anyone). This is a
reference to Muhammad’s claim of having been sent by Allah. In Sura al-Baqara
2:14, the spiritual leaders of the Jews are referred to as Satans. Also,
Khomeini called the Americans and Russians, greater or lesser devils. About the
Jews it is written, “When they meet those who believe, they say: ‘We believe;’
but when they go privily to their Satans, they say: ‘We are with you; we were
only mocking.’” This verse states that there were Jews who resisted and opposed
the Qur’an. Muhammad thought that demons and devils must have influenced them;
that was the reason why they could not believe that Allah had sent him. For
Muslims, all who reject Allah’s Qur’an and Muhammad have most likely been
influenced by demons and led astray.
After this, we find a surprising (and almost true)
statement by the jinn: “We tried to enter into heaven, but we found it filled
with (protected by) stern guards and shooting stars.” They were unable to storm
the heavens. This is another instance in which the jinn are revealed as demons
and not as holy, superior angels. Demons have no admittance into heaven. They
claim they tried to enter heaven by force, but found it shut against them and
defended by fierce guards. Thus, they encountered the angels of God who drive unclean
intruders away.
The Muslim spirits in the Qur’an continue: “So we
(previously) used to sit in (hidden) stations to hear the secrets of heaven.
But anyone who listens now will find a shooting star thrown at him.” These jinn
tried to spy out what was going on between heaven and earth, but found
impenetrable opposition. Like Muhammad, they confess that they are not sure
whether Allah had planned evil for mankind or wanted to lead them in the right
way – whether to heaven or hell. The jinn do not know the will of God.
There is a noteworthy statement in verse 11 which
speaks of some jinn claiming to be good: “Some of us are righteous and some the
contrary: We follow divergent paths.” This statement in the Qur’an makes it
clear that Satan has a divided house, where everyone fights the other. Some
think they alone are good and that all others are bad.
Verse 12 continues: “We thought that we would never be
able to frustrate Allah throughout the earth, nor can we frustrate him by
flight.” They tried to escape from the holiness of God, but were unable to do
so. His authority reaches everywhere.
Verse 13 says: “When we listened to the Guidance, we
believed in it. And any who believes in his Lord shall fear neither triviality
nor vileness.” They believed in the message of the Qur’an and used the term
vileness in their confession to show that they overcame the vileness of the
Sonship of Christ, which they rejected in verse five.
Then, in verse 14, they say: “Among us are some that
have surrendered (to Allah and became Muslims)....” This is an extraordinary
confession, because some jinn in the Qur’an claim to be Muslims, submitted to
Allah. However, according to the Christian Scriptures, all that deny the Son of
God will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The verse continues: “...and some
that have deviated. Those who surrendered (to Allah as Muslims) sought
rectitude.” They claim to have found the true way. But, according to the
Qur’an, the unjust who believe that God has a Son are “firewood for hell.”
In Sura al-Ahqaf 46:29-32, we find an additional
statement from the jinn as they plan to support the spread of Islam. When they
heard Muhammad’s recital of the Qur’an, they said, “Listen! Be silent!” When
they had finished listening to it, they accepted the Qur’an and suggested
returning to their people to warn them about the “truth” of Islam. By this
Qur’anic statement, it is implied that every jinn and demon has a particular
area for which he is responsible.
Some of these jinn may have returned to Yathrib (Medina),
whispering into the hearts of their people, “We have heard a book (in Arabic)
sent down after Moses, confirming what was before it: It guides to the truth
and to a straight path.”
They continued according to Muhammad’s preaching: “O
our people, answer to Allah’s summoner and believe in Him: He will forgive you
some of your sins and protect you from a painful chastisement (when you accept
Islam).”
Verse 32 says: “If anyone does not listen to Allah’s
summoner (Muhammad), he cannot frustrate Allah on earth. He will have no
protector besides Him. Such men are in manifest error.” The jinn in the Qur’an
warn everyone to believe in the message of Muhammad, and they deny the
mediation of Christ on the Day of Judgment for those who believe in him.
Shortly after Muhammad had met the jinn, a number of
the pagans in Medina believed in Islam. After two years, there were 73 men who
had become Muslims there, without Muhammad ever having visited the town. This
may have come from the intervention of demonic spirits who influenced their
people to believe in the Qur’an. Basically, the Qur’an acknowledges that Islam
spread with the help of jinn and that not only people can be Muslims, but also
jinn.
We must recognize that Muslims believe in the reality
of spirits. Two sermons of the jinn are revealed in the Qur’an, presented as an
integral part of the revelation. The words of the demons fit the words of the
Islamic Allah; both agree in rejecting the Son of God and climax in denying the
divinity of Jesus. The jinn admit to being banned from heaven. Anyone who wants
to understand can recognize the significance of that fact. Muslim spirits are
not allowed to enter heaven!
3. Black Magic in Islam
While Muhammad was ruling in Medina, a delegation of
about 60 Christians from the Najran Valley in North Yemen visited him. A bishop
and his scholars wanted to know what kind of spirit Muhammad had. They disputed
with him in an investigative dialogue for two or three days in the mosque at
Medina. Muhammad tried to compromise with the Christians to a great extent in
order to win them for Islam, but ended up maintaining the principles of his
faith. He accepted essential facts from the life of Christ, yet rejected his
divinity and crucifixion totally. One can read the basic answers of Muhammad to
the Christians in Sura Al Imran 3:33-64.
The delegation from Najran was not ready to compromise
with Muhammad in the denial of the Son of God nor in the Islamic rejection of
his atoning death on the cross. Muhammad was upset and said that Christians and
Muslims should be exposed to the judgment of Allah immediately. We read in Sura
Al Imran 3:54:
Come now: Let us call our sons and
your sons,
Our wives and your wives, ourselves
and yourselves.
Then let us pray, and so lay Allah’s
curse
upon the ones who lie!
Perhaps Muhammad remembered the judgment of Yahweh
against Korah and his men, during the days of Moses (Numbers 16:1-35): The
earth opened up and swallowed the rebels. However, there are some basic
differences: We no longer live under the Law of the Old Covenant but are
confirmed in the Covenant of Grace by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Muhammad also altered the reason for the judgment of
Yahweh against the fierce rebels in an Islamic way, speaking against peaceful
inquirers, “Let us pray and so lay the curse of Allah upon the ones who lie!”
This is a destructive prayer, provoking the curse of Allah. Muslims implement
prayers in the form of black magic to injure others, to damage, to kill, and to
destroy enemies. This is in complete contrast to the command of Jesus: “Love
your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and
pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
The curse of Allah dissolves before all that live
fully under the blood of Jesus. It is essential to remember that Muhammad did
not suggest the curse of Allah against the bishop and his men alone, but aimed
it at their sons and wives too! Islam tries to harm not only the evangelists,
but their families as well. It is important for everyone serving among Muslims
to deliver all members of their family fully to Jesus every day, in order to
prevent their having accidents or falling away from the faith.
The bishop and his delegation did not accept the
suggestion of Muhammad, because Jesus taught us not to tempt God (Matthew 4:7).
But this challenge of Muslims against Christians, according to the Qur’an,
continues even today. Such a prayer duel was renewed in Berlin in 1989! Long
letters of curses and even threats of killing sometimes reach those who serve
among Muslims. The hateful spirit of Islam is contradictory to the Spirit of
Jesus; yet, the love of Christ encompasses even the Muslims in their bondage.
The different Spirit in Christianity is also evidenced
in the words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 1:8-9: “Even if we or an angel
from heaven (like the supposed Angel Gabriel in Islam) preach any other gospel
to you as we have preached to you, let him be accursed! . . . If anyone
preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be
accursed!” Paul did not curse unbelievers or inquirers, nor did he hate
opposing Jews or Gentiles. He wanted to save them all, even when they cursed or
stoned him. What Paul was fighting against was every evil spirit that tried to
bring the Church under the Law again or which sought to diminish the truth of
grace by faith. The spirit of Islam is a power which, by the revelation of the
supposed Angel Gabriel, has brought more than a billion Muslims under the
Islamic law, after Christ atoned for every one of them and opened the door of
grace for all. These words from the Apostle Paul can be understood as a curse
on the spirit of Islam, not on the Muslims themselves, but on this evil spirit
– to drive it out completely!
4. The Occult in Islamic Worship
Islam means surrender or submission to Allah. Muslims
think that they have yielded themselves to the true God. Some of them serve him
with all their heart, even fighting for the victory of Islam; but they have
submitted themselves to an evil spirit.
Submission is organized pragmatically, through
obligatory worship into five complimentary divisions that comprise the Five
Pillars of Islam: the witness, prayer, fasting, almsgiving and pilgrimage.
These are main religious duties of Islamic Law. By this practice, the Muslim
surrenders to the spirit of Allah; his whole life is nothing other than
submission to Allah.
1. In his witness (al-Shahada), the Muslim
says,
“There is no God but Allah.
Muhammad is his ambassador.”
In this confession, a Muslim is stating with all his
will, according to his knowledge: “Jesus Christ is no God and the Holy Spirit
is no God. Allah exists as the only god according to the revelation of
Muhammad.” This witness is the basic doctrine of Islam. Everyone who confesses
this testimony twice in front of witnesses is considered to be a Muslim. All
who do not confess it are deemed as condemned infidels. This witness cuts every
Muslim off from Christ and binds him to Allah as his slave. A Muslim is not
allowed to leave Islam and must be killed if he backslides and remains in that
condition. Through this witness, the continual surrender in Islam begins.
2. During the five prayer-times (al-Salat), a
Muslim surrenders himself to Allah anew. He magnifies Allah as the Almighty (al-Kadeer)
102 times during his 17 prayer-rounds and submits to Allah by fixed words and
determined actions. Through this worship, his subconscious is geared totally to
Allah. He can no longer tolerate any other religion. When he prays, he kneels
down and prostrates himself to Allah 34 times a day, as if he were saying: “I
fall before you like a slave. I am at your disposal. You can do with me as you
wish.” This daily prayer-order confirms the binding of the Muslim to his Allah,
which is deeper than we realize. For the normal Westerner with his rationalism,
this is virtually incomprehensible.
3. Accompanied by fasting (al-Sawm), prayer
becomes more intense and concentrated. Muslims fast during daylight hours (as
long as the sun shines, according to Islamic law) during the month of Ramadan
(the ninth month of the Islamic calendar) in order to obey Allah in a
non-rational action, a deeper way of surrendering themselves to this spirit.
Muslims often do not know for what reason they fast. When you ask them why,
they say that Allah wants it. It is an act of blind obedience to Allah,
confirmed by an empty stomach and a dry mouth for those living in hot climates.
Actually, Ramadan is meant to commemorate and welcome the coming of the Qur’an,
because the Qur’an is supposed to have been revealed in it. One of the feasts
during the month of Ramadan is consecrated to the night that is better than
1,000 months (Sura al-Qadr 97).
4. Muslims give their alms (al-Zakat) or
religious tax as a material surrender to Allah. Words are cheap but sacrifice
costs. Few Christians are prepared to separate themselves from their money,
giving it away for the sake of Christ, because they depend on it. When one has
really begun to give sacrificially and not just a trifle, he can understand
what this offering in Islam actually means. It represents a total faith in
Allah’s supplying needs and rewarding any sacrifice. A Muslim gives about 5% of
his total income for the sake of Allah, which amounts to billions of
“petrol-dollars” from the Islamic countries with oil reserves.
Almsgiving, fasting, prayer, pilgrimage and the
witness are not ways of free-will worship, but are obligatory, commanded by
Islamic law. Every act of obedience has a justifying value, because good deeds
in Islam cancel out the bad (Sura Hud 11:115). Islam is a religion of
self-justification based on a businesslike approach. Even faith, surrender,
memorizing the Qur’an by heart, and circumcision are considered to be
justifying acts (Sura al-Fatir 35:29-30).
Islam is a religion under the Law, not one of Grace.
Justification by works is found in Islam to a large extent. The Apostle Paul
wrote that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse
for us (Galatians 3:10-14). While the Old Testament Law originated from Yahweh,
the true Lord, the al-Sharia (Islamic law) has no source in divine
revelation. The Sharia binds every Muslim to Allah in various pragmatic ways,
and confirms him in his submission to this spirit.
5. During their pilgrimage (al-Hajj) to Mecca,
Arabic-speaking Muslims often express their submission to Allah with the word labbeik,
meaning: “I am available to you. I give myself to you without reservation.”
This is similar to a female slave who waits behind a curtain for the orders of
her mistress, willing to fulfill them.
The pilgrims circle the black stone so that any
radiation or other influence from it will fill and unite them. People who
return from the hajj look different from how they looked before the
journey. You can see buses departing for Mecca, with the people joyful, excited
and clapping their hands. But when they return, their faces are serious like a
stone mask. A believing brother who lives in Mecca wrote, “We need your prayers
especially during the hajj. We who live in Mecca feel as if devils are
walking through the streets at the time of the pilgrimage. One can almost see
and feel the presence of Satan.”
The Five Pillars of Islam are the actual forces
uniting all Muslims together and binding them to Allah in spirit. But since
Allah is not the True God and the spirit is not the Holy Spirit, we must
recognize that the surrender of Muslims to Allah through their religious
worship is the practical way by which Allah holds them in occult bondage.
5. Freeing a Muslim from Occult Bondage
A Muslim once murdered his wife. She haunted him in
his dreams and gave him no rest. He lived in despair and was willing to do or
believe anything simply to find peace. We did not need to talk long about sin.
He confessed: “I know that I am a sinner. I should be killed, but she does not
destroy me. Rather, she always torments and tortures me.” Here was someone
searching for help, and we shared with him the meaning of the blood of Christ.
He took in the Gospel like a dry sponge soaking up water. We said, “Why do you
not surrender your life to the Lord Jesus and pray to him?” He said, “I do not
know how to pray. I have never prayed freely.” So we knelt down and prayed. He
repeated every word, confessed his sins, proclaimed faith in Jesus, and severed
all relations with the evil spirits. As we got off our knees, the following
Islamic witness came from the depth of his heart: “La Ilaha illa Allah.
Muhammad Rasoul Allah, (There is no god but Allah. Muhammad is his
ambassador.)” The spirit within him had blotted out everything he had just
heard and accepted intellectually. He earnestly wanted to be saved, but was not
able to free himself from the spirit of Islam. He was forced to repeat the
witness and confession of Islam, which he had been uttering all his life. We
understood then what it means to be possessed.
You can sometimes recognize when people are possessed.
They are full of restlessness, being driven about but finding no peace. They
want to listen but cannot. They avoid the quiet. Some were even thrown to the
floor or to the ground when they heard messages from Khomeini. They want to
read Scripture but cannot really take it in. Like an already-filled bottle,
nothing more goes in. They are more interested in Satan than in Christ. There
is no easy way for deliverance.
If someone realizes that he has had contact with
spirits and is bound, or if he knows that he has inherited such a burden from
his parents, grandparents or ancestors, it is necessary for him to cut himself
off from these spiritual chains entirely through prayer and to seek deliverance
from Islam and its anti-Christian culture. He should completely entrust himself
into the hands of the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. It is essential that at some
point, in the presence of believing brethren, a prayer of renouncing the past
should be made by the one who wants to follow Jesus, so that a complete release
from those chains will take place.
Early and continual reading of the Word of God can
bring the freedom that new converts need. If a Muslim shows interest in the
Gospel, one should guide him personally in studying the Word of God and not
occupy him with discussions about the Qur’an. Only the power of the Word of God
can make him free, as Jesus said: “You are already clean because of the word
which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). Early and consistent reading of the
Word of God is a must, after the prayer of release from the past has been made.
The Muslim can become free and receive new life by the power of the Holy
Spirit, when the Word of God penetrates his subconscious and fills it.
Muslims do not think in the same way as Westerners.
They often learn the Qur’an by heart and seldom analyze what it means. Thus,
the texts fill their subconscious and rise into their conscious knowledge and
awareness automatically. Their approach is more passive than active and more
emotional than rational. Many do not understand the Scriptures through reading
or preaching. Therefore, they should be assisted in learning key verses of the
Bible by heart, which will build up faith and spiritual life in them. These
selected verses, memorized, will become the keys to understanding the
Scriptures and a source of enlightenment for their mind and heart.
There has to be a gradual yet final separation from
the old spirit and culture, for the whole of Islam is poisoned. A convert must
not utter the old prayers any longer nor can he practice the old habits. It is
absolutely essential that he hand himself over to Jesus; otherwise he cannot be
helped. When the Apostle Paul said, “Jesus is my life,” he meant: “I have
nothing else but Jesus. I consider everything else dung. He is my only power
and defense. I have ‘put on’ Jesus as a coat. My ‘I’ is dying. It is not I, but
Christ who lives in me. I am in Jesus and He is in me.” If this will not become
reality with a convert, he will be ripped apart by demonic tensions.
There was once a conference for young trainees in
Operation Mobilization. They did not easily accept the idea that Muslims live
under a collective bondage, as was explained by an elder missionary. Suddenly,
an older lady, sitting in the corner, stood up and said: “Your instructor is
right. I was a faithful Muslim and made a personal decision for Christianity.
This resulted in severe persecution from my family. I was baptized and became
an active member in my church but could never say, ‘Jesus is the Son of God!’”
I was not really free. Twelve years passed after my decision. I prayed a lot
for my complete deliverance and sanctification. Suddenly one night, I saw a
person full of light standing near me. In this light, I could see that my whole
body was bound with rusty chains. The person in the light touched me and the
chains sprang off immediately. Out of my mouth came the cry: ‘Jesus, you are
the Son of God.’ An intellectual acceptance of Christ does not necessarily
result in the regeneration of the heart. A personal act by the Savior, Jesus,
is necessary for a Muslim to be freed from bondage.
This is true for many Muslims who live in the Islamic
world. They have to separate themselves from all binding forces and spiritual
roots, and take refuge fully and completely in Christ. He alone can truly set
them free.
There are Christian missionaries and theologians today
who teach that a convert should remain a Muslim as long as possible. They
prefer Muslim-Christians instead of lonely converts who fall back, owing to
persecution from their families and society. This wave of unbiblical
contextualization goes back to the idea that the god in Islam and the Father of
Jesus Christ are the same being, having only different names and attributes.
How wrong they are! The spirit in Islam is an anti-Christian spirit infecting
and possessing all Muslims—some more than others. Only prayer, fasting and
faith can drive out this kind of spirit. It is irresponsible to encourage an
inquirer or convert to continue to pray in a mosque, to pronounce the Muslim
creed again, or to take part in the fasting of Ramadan. This all binds a Muslim
again to the spirit of Allah, which is not the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
There is a basic difference between Christians of
Jewish background and those of Muslim background: The God in the Old Testament
is the Father of Jesus Christ, but Allah in Islam fights against Jesus and
hates the Son of God crucified. We should therefore not only discuss occultism
in Islam, but also come to the understanding that Islam, as a whole, is
occultism. Surely, we have to recognize that not every Muslim is possessed by
an evil spirit that throws him to the ground. However, the spirit of the Islamic
culture is deeply rooted in the hearts of all Muslims, and it drives them to
unbiblical, destructive actions, more than they realize.
Islam is a collective possession in which every aspect
of life is penetrated by a ruling and controlling spirit. Even the reverential
worship in Islam is actually a prostration to Satan. No doubt, all Muslims
think they worship the only true God, the creator and sustainer of mankind. But
in reality, they are slaves to a mighty demon who does not want to lose a
single one of them.
Islam is considered a theocentric culture and a
theocratic political system. But Allah is not the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ; he is an evil spirit. Therefore, we must realize that Islam is one of
the strongest forms of occultism which has encompassed one sixth of mankind
during the last 50 generations.
We, as followers of Jesus, should not be afraid of the
occult power in Islam, nor should we be frustrated by the limited results in
our services among Muslims. Let us confess, with the fathers of our faith, that
the self-sacrifice of Christ on the cross has legally justified all Muslims
too! They only do not know it. Jesus does not have to die again specifically
for Muslims. He has opened the door of salvation for all. His blood has the
power to redeem every Muslim completely. The blood of Christ is the only way to
save a Muslim from the bondage of Islam.
Let us remember
that the Lamb of God remains the victorious Savior. Jesus is Lord! His Father
is putting all his enemies under his feet as a footstool. Christ came to
destroy the works of Satan. He overcame Islam too, when on the cross he cried
with a loud voice: “It is finished!”
Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father in
heaven...Deliver us from the evil one.” We often pray these words and do not
think much about them. This prayer is also meant for the born-again children of
God, after they have been justified and sanctified by grace. They cannot save
themselves from Satan. He is older and vastly more clever than we. Having
witnessed the actions of men down the ages, he knows all our weaknesses and is
full of trickery. We urgently need to use this prayer, so that our enemy will
not find might or power over us.
The Lord’s Prayer was not given to us in singular but
plural form. This challenges us to pray for the redemption of the Muslims, too.
Every true believer has a priestly spirit and should intercede for sinners as
Jesus our High Priest mediates for us with His Father. We can fight with God
and cling to Him, crying: “I will not let you go until you deliver them from
the evil one!”
6. Quiz
Dear Reader, if you have studied this paper carefully, you can easily
answer the following questions. If you have answered at least eighteen of them
correctly, we will enroll you in our correspondence course. Please write your
full name and address clearly on the paper as well as on the envelope and send
it to the address below.
1. Why does the Islamic understanding of Allah not
gibe a Muslim peace and rest?
2. What can we sense about the inner condition of Muhammad from Suras al-Falaq 113:1-5 and al-Nas 114:1-5, and how is this condition different from that of Christ, as revealed in John 14:27?
3. According to the Qur’an, how did Muhammad appear to
the people of Mecca and to his followers?
4. Why can it not be true that God would send the
angel Gabriel to Muhammad, proving to him that he has no Son that was
crucified?
5. In Sura al-Hajj 22:52-53, Muhammad confesses his
temptation concerning the satanic whispering. What is the true, vital issue
about the satanic verses in the Qur’an?
6. Because Islam considers the Holy Spirit to be the
angel Gabriel, what does it lack, compared to Christianity?
7. What insight do we gain from 1 John 4:2-4,
concerning the son who is often rejected in the Qur’an?
8. Why does Satan appear to accept the title, al-Safeeh
(the foolish one), in Sura al-Jinn 72:4, and how do his words affect Muslims?
9. What do Muslims consider as having happened to
those who reject Allah’s Qur’an and Muhammad?
10. What can we understand about Satan and his
kingdom, according to al-Jinn 72:11?
11. What may be the deeper truth behind the conversion
of the 73 men in Medina to Islam, which is supported by the Qur’an itself?
12. Quote the verse in the Gospel according to Matthew
(with its reference) that is in complete contrast to the curse of Allah in Sura
Al Imran 3:61?
13. According to Galatians 1:8-9, what must we
understand about the supposed angel Gabriel that revealed the Qur’an to
Muhammad?
14. When a Muslim says: “There is no god but Allah,
Muhammad is his ambassador,” what is he stating with all his will?
15. How do the Five Pillars of Islam influence a
Muslim?
16. What do we learn about the value of religious deeds according to Suras Hud 11:115 and al-Fatir 35:29-30, and how is the approach of Islam different from the grace of Christ in Christianity?
17. How should we help those who have contacted
spirits or those who have inherited such a burden from the ancestors?
18. How should a convert read the Bible, and what
should he do in order to have the Word of God fill his subconscious?
19. What do we learn about a merely intellectual
acceptance of Christ from the elderly lady who addressed the group from OM?
20. What are the unbridgeable differences between
Allah and the God of the Bible?
21. What must our answer be to the wave of unbiblical
contextualization that encourages Muslim converts to continue in Islamic
religious practices?
22. How does the end of the Lord’s Prayer challenge us
regarding Islam?
23. What did you understand from the subject of the
occult in Islam?