Islam: An Orthodox Perspective by mission shop

Priest Daniel Sysoev Islam: An Orthodox Perspective / Priest Daniel Sysoev. — New Jersey. Daniel Sysoev Inc., 2015. — 112 pages.

This book comprises a critical analysis of Islamic doctrine, as well as analysis of the theological and mystic aspects of the life and work of Muhammad, Islam’s founder, in the context of traditional Orthodox comparative theology. The author discusses the basic tenants of Islam and demonstrates how the Christian religion salvifically differs. The book is intended for a wide range of readers. Protected by copyright law. Reproduction of this book in whole or in part is prohibitted. Unauthorized use will be prosecuted.

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Editorial note On Islam Muhammad Questions and answers

Editorial note Dear Reader, We present to you a book by Daniel Sysoev, a wellknown public figure and priest whose mortal life ended tragically on November 20, 2009. According to one version of the criminal investigation the murder was committed for religious reasons, because of his missionary and evangelical activities among Muslims. The deceased was routinely threatened by members of extremist groups. This edition of Islam: An Orthodox Perspective is a printed version of Father Daniel’s video lectures that were circulated on the Internet. In his lectures the author gives a critical analysis of Islamic doctrine, as well as analysis of the theological and mystic aspects of the life and work of Muhammad, Islam’s founder, in the context of traditional Orthodox comparative theology. His thorough deep knowledge of the Holy Bible and Holy Tradition and his considerable erudition enabled Father Daniel to create a vivid example of Orthodox polemics. The publishers put the author’s oral presentations on paper, preserving Father Daniel’s tone and manner of speaking. Extensive academic work has been conducted to produce this publication: quotes have been

Editorial note

checked against original texts, inaccuracies have been edited, and references and comments have been added throughout the book. All quotes are taken from The Meaning of The Glorious Koran: an explanatory translation by Marmaduke Pickthall with introduction by William Montgomery Watt. Everyman’s Library, London, 1992. The book consists of three chapters: 1. On Islam; 2. Muhammad; and 3. Answers to questions. Also included are Father Daniel’s biography and the primatial speech of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia after the funeral service of Father Daniel Sysoev. Each chapter not only the explains the basic concepts of Islam, but also demonstrates how the Christian religion salvifically differs from it. Although Father Daniel always took a balanced and reasoned approach to the topic on which he was speaking, substantiating his arguments with quotes from original texts, not all contemporary experts on religion agree entirely with his conclusions. Father Daniel’s public speeches gave occasion to discussions among Orthodox theologians, as well. Father Daniel was known for the freshness of his ideas and his creative energy. He had the gift of a true preacher and missionary, who showed his audience the only way to perfect joy in a world of many sorrows: the way to Christ. We hope that the living word of Father Daniel will help and support people who are seeking the true meaning of life. In loving memory of Father Daniel. Dear reader, we beg your forgiveness for any possible omissions.

On Islam

oday we’ll be talking not merely about Islam as such. Of course, we’ll need to touch upon this topic, since many people don’t know anything about the religion — they know something about the traditional belief, something about the positive aspects. We’ll talk about this too, but we’ll also speak about the particular trends and forms that exist today, because many people who haven’t the slightest idea of what is going on say: “Well, Muslims commit terrorist attacks, so they’re all terrorists,” or, on the contrary: “Muslims are not terrorists because this particular Muslim does not commit terrorist attacks.” This happens because people do not know the inner structure of the Muslim community, called the ummah1 in Arabic. We can only judge this religious movement from God’s point of view. Why do I say “from God’s point of view”? We Christians try not to have our own point of view. It is not very interesting. As one English writer once said, “You may have a hundred thousand points of view until you find the truth. Then you’ll have only one point of view: the true one.” An ummah is a religious community and a form of social organization. In theory, the Muslim community unites Muslims from all over the world, regardless their ethnic and cultural background. 1

On Islam

First of all, it is necessary to say what Islam as such is. Very often, in speaking of Islam people call it a religion. The word religion characterizes a religious organization, church or sect where people come together to pray and resolve various spiritual problems. Actually, this is not quite true. In this sense Islam is far from being a religion in the traditional sense of the word. It is very important to remember this, because our conversation often turns out to be a conversation between two deaf people. When talking with Muslims we are talking about one thing and they are talking something else. Consequently, we cannot understand each other because we have a completely different understand of the words we are using. I recently received an invitation from a very good man to adopt Islam, along with at explication of the reasons for which he adopted it and why Islam is the true religion. This man was trying to explain me that Islam is the true religion because Muslims do not smoke or take drugs, all their girls are virgins, and perversions are not permitted, and that hence Islam is a very good religion and the only hope for progressive mankind. Actually it is not quite true, as 80% of all heroin is grown in Islamic countries. But the thing is, this man perceives religion as a plan for successful living. This, by the way, is a very pronounced trait. If we visit Islamic sites such as Islam.ru or Koran.ru we see that the majority of the materials offered there are devoted to how we should arrange our life: articles about Eastern cuisine and the Eastern marketplace; Shariah stan-

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

dards for beard length, underwear, and whatever else. As you see, this is an attempt to build a global system of living based on God’s authority. In this sense Islam can be compared with plans such as national-socialistic and communist efforts, modern globalization, etc., but not with a church, such as Orthodox or Catholic. It is a plan for creating God’s kingdom on this earth, by earthly means, under God’s patronage. Moreover, a Muslim never separates religion and politics. It is very important to realize this, for this is the defining trait of Islam as such. We can imagine an Orthodox person living, for example, in America among the people of Papua New Guinea, i.e., among Muslims. As you see, while encompassing the whole life of a man, Orthodoxy still presumes that he can coexist with a system that is absolutely alien to him. Moreover, we know that this is a normal state of affairs in Orthodoxy, for we know that Christ’s kingdom “is not of this world”, as our God said. That is why an Orthodox Christian can remain Orthodox even in an anti-Christian environment. Of course, we do not find it normal that such an environment exists, but it seems to be an inevitable evil until doomsday. As St Justin the Philosopher2 once 2 Justin the Philosopher (Justin the Great, Justin the Roman, Justin the Martyr), about A.D. 100 — about A.D. 160 — an early Christian apologist and one of the Fathers of the Church, who was among the first to implement Greek philosophical concepts in Christianity and to initiate a theological interpretation of history. He is commemorated on June 1(14).

On Islam

said, “We know that the Church will be persecuted until doomsday, when God comes back and gives freedom to us all.” This is why persecution is the norm for us. Why? Because we are aliens; we are representatives of God’s kingdom in this world. We feel ourselves to be—and we actually are—spies sent into hostile territory. Our circumstances may be more or less comfortable, but this world is a place where we can exist. At the same time, we do not hope that this world will become God’s kingdom through our efforts. We hope that God Himself will intervene and restructure the universe. It is quite different in Islam. For Islam there is only service to God, which is mainly realized through Shariah, i.e., the law. This law encompasses man’s physical, spiritual and social life, it defines his family life, and it covers all other areas of his activity. Thus, Shariah is a global project, one that—interestingly enough— hardly includes God Himself. Herein lies the radical difference between Islam and Orthodoxy: whereas in Orthodoxy everything is done by Almighty God, in Islam God’s intervention is almost non-existant. I’ll try to explain. In Islam all deeds performed by a man, an angel, or an atom are performed by God— Allah. This leads to a paradox according to which a person has to do everything by himself. Because there is “too much God”, so to speak, there is practically no space for man’s freedom, and the only piece of freedom that he has is the freedom to choose. This is the only instrument through which he can do any-

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

thing. This is the paradox that follows, and it defines the Islamic mentality. On the one hand, a person can do anything, for example, commit a terrorist attack, and consider it a good work. Why? Because it was Allah who did it through the person. At the same time, the person knows that he cannot wait for Allah’s help. Why can’t he? Because Allah does everything himself, and you have no right to ask for anything because you are a puppet. You have only a small piece of freedom to choose. Omar Khayyam3 once said: “The Ball no question makes of Ayes and Noes, But Here or There as strikes the Player goes.” So we also go as Allah strikes. What we see here is a weird attempt to build God’s kingdom in this world but without God Himself, which really makes Islam resemble communism or national socialism. Incidentally, it is interesting to note that Islamic countries eagerly accepted socialism. Malt Islamic countries are socialist: Syria, and Iraq at the time when Saddam Hussein4 was its leader. Many Omar Khyyam (about 1048 — after 1112) — Persian poet, mathematician and philosopher. The Poet is famous the world over for his quatrains, called rubaiyat. The lines quoted in the text are from the following rubaiyat: The Ball no question makes of Ayes and Noes, But Here or There as strikes the Player goes; And He that toss’d you down into the Field, He knows about it all — He knows — HE knows! 4 Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (1937– 2006) — Iraqi state leader, fifth president of Iraq (1979– 3

On Islam

Islamic countries cooperated with the Soviet Union. This cooperation was based not only on arms export but also on a common ideology. Now it is necessary to define what Islam is. From an Islamic point of view, the world is divided into two parts: the House of Safety and the House of War.5 The House of Safety is the world where Shariah6 2003), secretary general of the Ba’ath party of the Iraqi regional organization; marshal (1979); deposed in April, 2003, as a result of the American-British military invasion; sentenced to death by the Iraqi court. 5 The House of War is divided into two parts: the House of Jihad (actual war) and the House of Conciliation. The difference between them is shown in the Quran (an-Nisa’, 4:89–90: Women): “They long that ye should disbelieve even as they disbelieve, that ye may be upon a level (with them). So choose not friends from them till they forsake their homes in the way of Allah; if they turn back (to enmity) then take them and kill them wherever ye find them, and choose no friend nor helper from among them, except those who seek refuge with a people between whom and you there is a covenant, or (those who) come unto you because their hearts forbid them to make war on you or make war on their own folk. Had Allah willed He could have given them power over you so that assuredly they would have fought you. So, if they hold aloof from you and wage not war against you and offer you peace, Allah alloweth you no way against them.” 6 Shariah is the moral code and religious law of Islam described in the Quran and Sunnah. It sets ethical standards for Muslims and defines the standards for their behavior.

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

law functions. These countries belong to the House of Safety and live in accordance with Allah’s laws. Those who do not live according to these laws have a separate place. According to Shariah and the Quran7 on which Shariah is based, all non-believers are divided into two groups: polytheists and people of the Book. Polytheists are people who do not accept the authority of Scripture and do not worship the Creator, such as atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, shamanists, and anybody else. They are subject to forcible conversion to Islam or to capital punishment; there is no third option. People of the Book, who according to the Quran include Christians, Judaists and Zoroastrians, have a right to life. They are given an honorary right to life on the condition that they do not oppose Islam, do not criticize Islam, do not preach, pay the jizyah8 (a tax on belief), and also obey certain restrictions: Christians must wear crosses on their backs, live in one-story houses, and have no horses. There are also other restrictions on their way of life. The Quran (literarally meaning ‘reading’ or ‘recitation’) is the central religious text of Islam, a homiliary, a set of ceremonies and laws, prayers and allegories related by Muhammad in Mecca and Medina. The earliest scrolls date to the 7th and 8th centuries. A surah is a chapter of the Quran, and an ayah (pl. ayat, usually translated as ‘verse’ or ‘sign’) is the smallest unit of the Quran. 8 Jizyah (“compensation”), a per capita tax paid by non-Muslim citizens living in Islamic states. 7

On Islam

The jizyah generally amounted to 80% of one’s income. While a Christian was inevitably harassed as a second-rate citizen, his life was not jeopardized. This should be acknowledged to be fair, for to think that Islam demands the extermination of all Christians is absolutely wrong. On the other hand, conversion to Islam was encouraged. Because Islam has no doctrine of individual freedom (we will discuss this in due time), a person and an individual will could be destroyed. According to the Quran, “Seek they other than the religion of Allah, when unto Him submitteth whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and unto Him they will be returned.”9 The expression “unwillingly” designates a lack of freedom, captivity, and servitude. This results in frightful statements, such as that, for example, a Christian who declares his desire to adopt Islam in the presence of two Muslims is considered a Muslim, and whoever wishes to recant is sentenced to death. Indeed, leaving Islam means death or life imprisonment. The latter is only applied in very few cases. Death has been and still is the most popular punishment. A recent case of the death penalty for baptism was the execution of a Philippine Christian in Saudi Arabia in 2005. Another Christian convert, George, was executed in Yemen in 2004. These regulations are still in force in Shariah countries. Al-Imran: The Family Of Imran 3:83.

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

The other part of the globe is the land of war, subdivided into the House of Jihad and the House of Truce. The House of War is non-Shariah land, all of society that is not regulated by Shariah standards, which must be brought to Islam. This is achieved through holy war, called jihad,10 which is practiced in several forms. It is important to remember that jihad has a missionary form, called ‘amicable jihad’. Muslim missionary work is called jihad. And jihad is a mission indeed, but not only a mission. Jihad can involve outright war, intimidation, and poisoning enemy well water. According to the current interpretation offered by some Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia, the so-called Wahhabis,11 jihad includes heroin traffic. This is why heroin is mainly cultivated in Afghanistan: as an instrument for undermining enemy power. De10 Jihad (‘effort’) is a holy war for faith. This largely involves armed conflict with the enemies of Islam, as well as fighting for the faith in a more general sense, such as correcting individual inclinations, encouraging obedience to Shariah rules, a stark refusal of all things condemned by Shariah, etc. ‘Amicable jihad’ means personal improvement, in other words, self-perfection, and a struggle against all things improper by word and deed. 11 Wahhabis are the followers of a religious and political movement in Islam, initiated by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (1703–87) in Central Arabia. Striving to purify Islam, Wahhabis advocated moral simplicity and fought for Arabian consolidation. Wahhabis is the official ideology of Saudi Arabia and is widespread in other Arabic countries.

On Islam

stroying enemy manpower is part of any war; this is basic military tactics. The House of War is subdivided into two categories, as I said before. First, there is the land of hostility. The House of Jihad is to be annihilated toothand-nail, because it opposes Islam in one way or another. Every possible means may be used against such countries. These are listed in the rules of jihad. For instance, all males and old people must be killed, while women and children are to be taken prisoners: women to be used as sex slaves, and children to be forcibly converted to Islam. Special treatises have been written on jihad (including in Russian). Its rules have been adopted in Islam since the days of Muhammad in the 7th century. The House of Truce is where Islam makes a contract with a non-Islamic government. This means that Muslims can more or else follow Shariah within the non-Islamic community. This is the House of Truce. Why so? Because the people, or rather the community, that is allowing Muslims to follow Shariah is actually non-Islamic, abnormal, and thus should be destroyed and made Islamic, as long as the Muslim brethren will not suffer harm. A truce is therefore concluded until the whole community has been sufficiently weakened to make it Islamic. This is the way of jihad, and this is world peace from the Islamic point of view. How does one adopt Islam? What does one have to do? In the same way as Orthodox Christianity involves belief in the Holy Trinity, the God-man, and

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

the creation of the world, baptism, and Communion, Islam specifies the rules and phenomena that make one a Muslim. These are the renowned five pillars of Islam, often confused with the six articles of faith. The first and probably most important of the five pillars of Islam is the Shahadah. A man professing the Shahadah, i.e., confession of faith, before two or, better, four Muslims becomes a Muslim. There are certain websites where one can type one’s name under “faith”, click “I accept Islam”, and become a Muslim automatically. For this means professing one’s faith before all Muslims visiting the website at the moment. As a matter of fact, however, the Shahadah (a shahid is one who confesses the Shahadah — a confessor or martyr, a witness) is the confession of no god but Allah and Muhammad as his prophet (a recitation of the Islamic declaration of faith, “There is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God” — ed.). The statement is pronounced in Arabic, though in principle Russian or any other language is admissible. The four remaining pillars are to be professed, as well. The second pillar is obligatory prayer, namaz.12 The third is zakah, obligatory charity.13 This gener Namaz/salat (prayer, worship, one of the main rites of Islam — daily five-fold prayer. 13 Zakah — (purifying) — religious “purifying” charity for Muslims, prescribed by the Quran with amounts and rates specified by Shariah. 12

On Islam

ally amounts to 1/40 of one’s income, paid annually at Ramadan. The fourth pillar is the Ramadan14 fast, and the fifth is the hajj, an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. Many believe that jihad comprises the sixth obligatory pillar of Islam. But in the strict Sunni interpretation jihad is only obligatory in countries that oppress Islam, i.e., in the House of Jihad proper. It is not prescribed elsewhere. How may the pillars of Islam to be described and interpreted from the perspective of the Orthodox Church, the perspective of the Truth? (1) The first pillar, the confession of faith, is by no means limited to “There is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” It includes the so-called aqidah15 (creeds) containing, first, the existence of Allah, a being never described as a person (a matter of prime importance). Islam never personifies Allah. The question of whether Allah could be referred to as a person was once posed during negotiations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Islamic ummah. It turned out that there was no Arabic term for the concept. Our “person” is rendered in Arabic as 14 Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar (hijrah) when Muhammad had his first revelation. Ramadan is the month of obligatory fasting. 15 Aqidah, the Islamic creed or articles of faith. The quaranic formulation includes belief in God, angels, prophets, scriptures, and the Day of Judgment.

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

“fellow” or “guy”. The concept of “person” and “guy” are identical. One cannot refer to God as a fellow; this would be impossible! And there are no other terms for Allah as a person. When debating the issue with Muslims, or just discussing everyday problems … In talking with a Muslim in Turkey this summer, for instance, I asked: “Who is Allah to you?” He said: “To me Allah is a great power, very remote, and very obscure.” No Muslim knows who Allah is. Allah is a po wer that created the world, gives the laws, and keeps everything in motion, but is quite vague. The Quran says on the subject: “Allah maketh the provision wide for whom He will of His bondmen, and straiteneth it for whom (He will).”16 Hence the curse of Israelites and Christians believing themselves to be God’s natural or adopted children. And the concept of God as a remote power that demands worship, but is actually incomprehensible! There is a concept of Allah’s attributes. What attributes? They are not just qualities, but properties that Allah himself reveals about himself. The question is whether they are compatible with his nature. Two schools in medieval Islam disputed the subject: some maintained that Allah did reveal some of his qualities, his own inherent properties; others argued that Allah appeared as he wished, keeping his substance to himself. The attributes are considered of great im al-’Ankabut: The Spider 29: 62.

On Islam

portance, even though Islam cannot resolve the issue. They are known as the 99 names of Allah. You may have seen bead charms in cars, or Muslims fingering green beads. They are counting the names of Allah. This act has a magic significance, though the Sufis17 believe it is a way to fan the flames of one’s love for Allah. There is evidence here of borrowing from Christianity. The attributes are contradictory. For instance, Loving, Gracious, Beneficent — not Love, but loving those who love him. There is the Speaking attribute. Then there is Tyrant, and Author of Evil. That is, in the Islamic tradition Allah is beyond good and evil, the author of both good and evil. The Quran says: “Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angels) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no-one save by Allah’s leave.”18 Yet he makes one stray from or keep to the path as he wills. Thus, both good and evil are of him. Sufism, Islamic mysticism, originating in the 8th and 9th centuries and solidified between the 10th and 12th centuries. Sufism typically combines metaphysics and ascetic practices, the doctrine of gradually coming to a knowledge of and union in God via mystic love (in an illuminative way). Sufism had a pronounced influence on Arabic and, in particular, Persian poetry (Sanahi, Attar, Rumi). 18 al-Baqarah: The Cow 2: 102. 17

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

A hadith19 ascribed to Muhammad reads as follows: “He whom Allah leadeth, he indeed is led aright, while he whom Allah sendeth astray — they indeed are losers.”20 Such is their fate. In the Islamic view, the archangel Gabriel appears before Allah on the fortieth day after conception and asks what is destined for each particular infant. And Allah gives him a list of what is foreordained. The archangel Gabriel immediately assigns an angel to attach that register of future good and evil deeds to the person. In addition, the list describes one’s predestination, i.e., as a dweller in heaven or in hell. All this is attached to one on the fortieth day after conception. More fundamentalist Muslims believe in Allah’s geometric constraints. The “renowned” Wahhabis argue that Allah can travel. He resides in the seventh heaven and descends to the first heaven on Ramadan night, the night of revelation, the better to hear the words of those who are not praying. So one should always appeal to Allah on the night of revelation, when he is close by and listening. Islam rejects the divine triunity: several suwar contest the Trinity. Interestingly, they all appear to be right. Conceiving Allah as the third of three, that is, Hadith, a report of the words and deeds of Muhammad and other early Muslims; considered an authoritative source of revelation, second only to the Quran (sometimes referred to as the sayings of the Prophet). 20 al-A`raf: The Elevated Places 7: 178. 19

On Islam

one of three Gods, is an unpardonable sin. Naturally, anyone can see why! Can there be three individual Gods?! One ayah in the Quran describes Allah asking Jesus: “O Jesus, son of Mary! Didst thou say unto mankind: Take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah?” Naturally, Jesus says he never did.21 Muhammad simply misunderstood Christianity. Moreover, all condemnations of Christians in the Quran appear totally justified. We also anathematize those who think thus. Could one accept the idea of three Gods? Would there be room for three? For He is God omnipresent. How then can one treat the issue of who and what Allah is? The General Council at Constantinople in 1180 concerning the God of Muhammad determined that Allah was totally unrelated to the God of Scripture. Allah was invented by Muhammad, who misinterpreted the Old and New Testament. Indeed, formal logic prohibits identifying Allah with the God of the Bible. God must have the attributes of genuine Divinity. And the chief attributes of Divinity are by no means evident in Muhammad’s doctrine of God as a remote power with obscure attributes. One of his attributes is actually the eternal Quran. The idea of the eternal Quran existing in parallel with God is highly problematic. Some describe an eternal green throne erected before Allah, with a splendid edition of the Quran bound in green moroc al-Ma’idah: The Food 5: 116.

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

co, the Source of Decrees22 mentioned in the Quran. The archangel Gabriel copied each surah and made Muhammad learn them by heart. Thus the Quran was brought to Earth. How did the Muslims learn what was written on the green throne? It appears that the main ornament of the green throne was the inscription “To Muhammad”. This appears to be an informal doctrine of sorts. Meanwhile, the dogma of the Quran as eternal on a level with Allah does indeed exist, indicating a renunciation by Muslims of the monotheism they so vehemently advocate. The coexistence of two eternal entities is paradoxical. Moreover, in its history the Quran has an interesting way of denouncing polytheism. The Quran denounces the Arabs for believing three goddesses to be the daughters of Allah. To quote: “Have ye thought upon Al-Lat and Al-’Uzza and Manat, the third, the other? Are yours the males and His the females? That indeed were an unfair division! They are but names which ye have named, ye and your fathers, for which Allah hath revealed no warrant” (an-Najm: The Star 53:19-23). The Arabs actually did worship three female deities: Venus, the Moon, and the Star — there were ce az-Zukhruf: The Embellishment 43: 2–4: “By the Scripture which maketh plain, Lo! We have appointed it a Lecture, in Arabic that haply ye may understand. And Lo! in the Source of Decrees, which We possess, it is indeed sublime, decisive.” 22

On Islam

lestial deities. The three goddesses were considered to be the daughters of Mecca’s main deity.23 Later, when Muslims met genuine Jews and Christians, rather than the heretic inhabitants of Arabia, they came to identify their Allah with God as revealed in Scripture. But we should never identify the God revealed in Holy Writ with the God worshipped by the Muslims. They are different, and we cannot say that the Muslims and we have one God. How are we to objectively evaluate the matter today? Objectively speaking, Muhammad built himself a mental idol. That is, the Allah described in the Quran does not exist: it is a distorted picture, a parody of the true God, imposed on Muhammad by an evil force. This is the most objective evaluation of the concept of Allah to date. What then is the connection between him and the true God? Nicholas of Serbia24 made the interesting observation that formerly people perceived God as a very distant campfire or light, seeing it from afar without knowing what it was. But now that God has approached and drawn quite near, we can see the triple fire of the Divinity. So one can say that God in Islam is a very distant Deity, a gleam of the true God, distort23 an-Najm: The Star 53:19–23. The three Goddesses worshipped in Arabia were: Al-Lat, Al-’Uzza, and Manat. 24 St. Nicholas of Serbia (1880–1956), Nikolai Velimirovich, Bishop of Ohrid and ŽiČa, eminent theologian and religious philosopher.

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

ed in Muhammad’s mind and thus eclipsing the true God. It is a mental idol of genuine concepts. One finds preposterous notions of God in the Quran. For instance, God is said to invent sophisticated tortures for His enemies. He is said to love those who love Him and hate those who hate Him. And whoever hates Him will enjoy sheer torture: they will burn in hell, and He will give them a new skin each time, to prolong their suffering.25 This will last forever, and they will be given molten iron to drink. Imagine a simple, ordinary man who has been offended, and who makes no attempt to bridle his passions. What would he do? Would he take vengeance on the offender? And if he had infinite power? He would avenge himself infinitely. Thus, a man drew a portrait of God using his own nature as a model. But the man’s nature was not perfect! Not to mention the Gospel, where God says: “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? But I say to you: love your enemies, bless them that curse you… and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on an-Nisa’: Women 4:56: “Lo! Those who disbelieve Our revelations, We shall expose them to the Fire. As often as their skins are consumed We shall exchange them for fresh skins that they may taste the torment. Lo! Allah is ever Mighty, Wise.” 25

On Islam

the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”26 Logically speaking, the Christian concept has more in common with the true God than the Islamic, which is too human, if you will. This is a case of pure anthromorphism. The second article of faith for Muslims reads as follows: Muslims must believe in angels. Strictly speaking, the aqidah maintain that a Muslim must believe in Allah, his angels, his Book, his envoys, and the last day.27 These are the six articles. Angels are conceived by Muslims as spirits of light, who always do Allah’s will. According to Islam, angels cannot fall. The only case of a fallen angel is Iblis — our Satan — who became Shaytan, i.e., Satan. Yet whether Iblis is an angel or a supreme jinn is a matter of debate. Some authorities say that Iblis is a mutinous angel, while others perceive him as a jinn. Angels have various numbers of wings, and various stories are told about them. Thus, the archangel Gabriel presumably has 600 wings and bathes in a spring every day, and the drops from his wings turn to pearls. These fantastic Arabia Nights-style tales evince an idealistic concept of angels. Matthew 5:44–45. an-Nisa’: Women 4:136: “Believe in Allah and His messenger and the Scripture which He hath revealed unto His messenger, and the Scripture which He revealed aforetime. Whoso disbelieveth in Allah and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers and the Last Day, he verily hath wandered far astray.” 26 27

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

In addition to angels, there are spirits designated as jinn.28 Jinn are beings of a non-angelic nature, created of smokeless fire and divided into two types: Muslim jinn and heathen jinn. Where does the concept of there being Muslim jinn come from? Once in the early days of his preaching Muhammad visited a town in Arabia. Having no army of his own as yet, he attempted to spread his Word by preaching. Driven away and very much upset, he had the inspired idea that his efforts had not been fruitless, for the jinn of all Arabia had come to hear his preaching and had adopted Islam. This meant that he had accomplished his mission after all. Muhammad had this consolation. And that was the origin of the Muslim jinn. Unlike angels, jinn are male and female. They can intermarry and marry human beings. Whether the Shariah should approve of marriage with jinn was the subject of wide speculation in Tatarstan’s Islamic newspapers in 2004! Why? I don’t know why the issue was so urgent in Tatarstan in 2004, but the case is on record. There it was in the Tatar newspapers, as large as life. Jinn can harm a person; they can smother him or put an evil curse on him. The mutinous heathen jinn are led by Iblis — Satan, or Shaytan. In the Islamic Jinn, creatures known in popular belief in pre-Islamic Arabia and mentioned numerous times in the Quran, similar to human beings but made out of fire rather than clay. 28

On Islam

view, Iblis and his jinn will eventually be punished and cast into hell-fire, along with those who reject Islam. How are we to interpret this view? The question is not one of mere legends and lore, but rather of a grave distortion of spiritual realities. The very real world of spirits, and the perception of that world, is distorted to prevent human opposition to evil spirits. For if jinn can be converted to Islam without any reservations, why not negotiate with them?! In Islam there is no systematic struggle against the world of evil spirits. Allah himself is presumed to defend human beings. When a person is possessed — a common case in the Islamic world (when preaching in Izhevsk I saw a Muslim woman trembling and fainting when the Gospel was recited) — the Quran is supposed to be read to pacify the jinn. This does not occur, however, and hence the Islamic world is terribly afraid of evil curses. Those who have been to Turkey or Egypt, or anywhere in the East, will have noticed the many apotropaic charms. These are taken quite seriously: a Fatima sleeve, for example, is the only way to repel the attacks of jinn. That is why Muslims always appear panic-stricken. From a Christian perspective this is explained by the fact that man is helpless against the devil’s attacks, and lives in the shadow of death, unless he is protected by baptism. The second article of faith for Muslims that differentiates them from Christians is belief in the sacred

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

Scriptures. For Muslims, the Quran is an eternal entity along with Allah. As it should only exist in Arabic, translations are never regarded as adequate. Among the first expressions in the Quran is the “translation of meanings”. This gives rise to the Islamic belief that adequate translation of the Quran is impossible. The Quran represents Allah’s direct speech in Arabic. The idea of God using a temporal language to speak in eternity is also anthropomorphic, attributing variability to God. Not to mention the fact that the idea of an eternal reality existing parallel to God without being God is certainly polytheistic. And so, concerning Scripture, Muslims maintain that “your Bible is not the Word of God because it contains both God’s words and tales describing events.” How can we explain to a Muslim that Holy Scripture is the Word of God? Holy Writ is the Word of God for us because God speaks not only by His Word, but also in deed. Take the case of schooling: educational methods include both lecturing and demonstrating problems on the blackboard. Or one can use working models. In the same way God teaches mankind by divine revelation through His Word, which manifests itself in action, word, punishment, preaching, example, etc. Moreover, unlike the Quran, Holy Scripture is the Book of the Covenant between God and mankind, the Union of the Creator and His creatures. The Quran for its part assumes no covenant between God and men. The Quran is a one-way communication, a commandment to man, instructions to be carried out.

On Islam

The Quran’s stories frequently contradict Scripture. Thus, Solomon’s greatest accomplishment was, according to the Quran, conversing with jinn and beasts.29 Similarly, the Quran describes the Virgin Mary as the sister of Moses, and Amman in the Book of Esther as Pharaoh’s vizier in the days of Joseph.30 There are many other actual errors. The Quran contains 225 contradictions that even the Muslims note.31 They explain them by saying that there are revoked ayat and replaced ayat. The Church therefore regards the Quran as Muhammad’s invention, largely inspired by evil forces. Why so? Because we are convinced that the means of the revelation … Yes, a revelation did indeed occur! We need to know this, as well: Muhammad had a genuine revelation, and something really did take place. According to Aishah, Muhammad’s favorite wife, Muhammad would tremble, redden or turn pale, or sweat when the revelations occurred. He often fainted, sometimes foaming. Muhammad said that at times he had a headache or heard bells ringing in his head, growing louder and terribly painful, and then he could not remember what had been relayed to him.32 an-Naml: The Ant, 27: 15–54. al-Qasas: The Narrative, 28: 6–16. 31 Revocation of religious rules is legitimized by Quranic acts and authentic hadith reports. Some revelations and rules, however, may not be revoked. 32 Ibn Saad, Tabaqat, vol. 1, p. 225; Ibn Saad, Tabaqat, vol. 1, p. 228; Muslim, 17, 4192. 29 30

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

Naturally, these symptoms may be regarded as evidence of a revelation. There certainly was indeed a spiritual intervention, but it was by no means divine. For a Christian, the description provided by Muhammad’s followers fits that of demonic possession. For instance, the case of the child cured by Jesus Christ after the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor33 (the child’s symptoms) matches what occurred with Muhammad. Moreover, this is confirmed by Muhammad himself. Muhammad initially thought he had been attacked by an evil spirit, as the spirit had been strangling him. He said that the archangel Gabriel appeared, began to strangle him, and forced him to read a text he could not understand. For a long time Muhammad believed that he was being assaulted by an evil spirit, and even wanted to take his own life. He was tormented by suicidal thoughts after his first revelation, which for us is vivid evidence of spiritual delusion. He was only dissuaded by Khadijah, his first and elder wife. Unfortunately, however, Muhammad became convinced that he was God’s messenger. For this reason the Church rejects the Quran and will never regard it as God’s Word, and finds it impossible for the Quran and the true Word of God to be reconciled. Belief in messengers is another factor that distinguishes Islam from Christianity and Judaism. Inter Matthew 17, 14-21.

On Islam

estingly, the unchanging identity of Allah’s message is one of the cardinal beliefs in Islam. In Christianity and ancient Judaism—even new, modern, Talmudic Judaism—these concepts are more or less variable …. In this sense Islam has less in common with Christianity than with modern Talmudic Judaism, let alone ancient Judaism, the genuine predecessor of Christianity. Prophets are sent to a certain person, with a certain will of God that depends on that person, to establish a covenant, a union. That is, a prophet is a herald of a covenant with God, Who gradually reveals Himself more and more. Revelation in the Christian view increases depending on man’s or, to be precise, mankind’s spiritual growth, culminating not in the Word but in the appearance of God Himself, the Incarnation of Christ becoming Man. The prophets’ mission ends when the prophets herald the Incarnation, the ultimate revelation. This is related in the Epistle to the Hebrews, recited on Christmas Eve. God, Who spoke to our fathers regarding the prophets many times and in many ways, ultimately spoke to us in His Son, Whom He set as the head of everything and through Whom He created the ages. In Islam, monotheism is the only message. Allah has nothing to say to mankind except that no-one is to be worshipped but himself. Consider also that some hadith reports mention 124 thousand messengers, who invariably maintain that no-one deserves worship

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

but Allah, who is to be worshipped.34 That was all the news they had! One discussion with Muslims on the Internet concerned the message of the Quran compared to that of the Bible. Why did Muhammad need to be sent? What gaps in the Bible needed to be filled by the Quran? It turned out that the Quran had proclaimed nothing new except permission to eat suet. But suet had been formally permitted by the New Testament. So even this was nothing new. The qiblah35 — that is, the direction of worship (salat, namaz), was different, and that was probably all there was. The Quran offers nothing that the Bible does not. The Quran is a trivial doctrine, if you will. The Quran has nothing to add to the Bible, and nothing to reveal of God. It merely overrides the previous true statements and rejects some of the previous revelations. “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God” (shahadah, witness). “(We take our) colour from Allah, and who is better than Allah at colouring. We are His worshippers” (al-Baqarah: The Cow 2:138). “Unto Allah belong the East and the West” (al-Baqarah: The Cow 2:142). “Whencesoever thou comest forth turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship” (al-Baqarah: The Cow 2:149). 35 Qiblah, the direction Muslims face during prayer (towards the Kaaba in Mecca), or a prayer wall in the mosque into which a michrab (niche) is set, indicating the direction of prayer. 34

On Islam

We are coming now to the question of messengers. Those described in the Quran differ widely from our common concepts. They all have biblical names, such as Noah, Joseph, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Adam and Eve, Mary the Mother of God, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, King David, or Solomon. But in fact they depart both from Holy Writ and from simple historical reality. Indeed, many scriptural characters are known to us from historical research that supports scriptural texts. By way of example, consider how Jesus Christ is regarded, which is critical in Christianity. It may be argued that Muslims respect Jesus Christ, but this is incorrect, for they do not know Jesus Christ. The Messiah, the Isa of the Quran, is fundamentally different from Jesus Christ. First, there is his name. A loan translation of Jesus into Arabic would yield Jesuah or Jeshuah, but never Isa. Arabic Christians never refer to Jesus Christ as Isa, but always as Jesuah, so as to translate the Word of God as accurately as possible. Characteristically, Muhammad explains the loan translation by the fact that he knew the real name, but could not adjust it to the rhythm of the Quran. Can you imagine the name of Jesus Christ being changed to fit the Quran? Well, we wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quarrel about the name. It is not that important; the loan translation could have been much worse. The point is that Christ is seen not as God but as a creature, contrary to the Gospel and the early prophets. There are apocryphal stories of inconceivable miracles, like animating clay birds

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

in early childhood or talking at birth. Interestingly, the apocryphal “Arabic Gospel of Childhood” from which Muhammad took this story describes the newborn as Jesus saying: “I am God sent to the Earth by My Father”, while Muhammad’s version reads “I am but a creature”. So Muhammad distorted even the apocryphal text. There is another story of a meal that He convinced Allah to give Him at the request of His disciples. Thus the Last Supper was combined with the story of feeding the multitudes, resulting in an affluent meal served by a magic tablecloth. These miracles are perfectly absurd. Yet Christian and Islamic concepts of Christ differ mainly in their interpretation of Christ’s death. We know that Jews and atheists reject the idea of the Resurrection. Muslims reject the crucifixion. They believe that Jesus Christ was not crucified, but was hidden by Allah, who substituted another victim. It was either Simon of Cyrene, who was made to carry the Cross, or Judas Iscariot. Christ, however, was taken to heaven, and will return at the end of time to destroy all of Christianity, break the crosses, marry and die, and be buried at Muhammad’s side. There is a burial plot reserved for Jesus Christ in Medina where Muhammad lies. So the Jesus Christ described by the Quran differs radically from the genuine Christ, and even from the historical Christ, for the crucifixion is corroborated by all historians. All sources, even non-scriptural

On Islam

sources, pertaining to Jesus Christ as a person initially describe the crucifixion. For us this is the key message. “But we give the good news of Christ on the cross, a hard thing to the Jews, and a foolish thing to the Gentiles; But to those of God’s selection, Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power and the wisdom of God.”36 Incidentally, this is the source of their fearful hatred of the cross. Destroying the cross has been among the first Muslim actions in occupied territories. And, I repeat, the Muslim Christ would destroy all crosses. In addition, Muslims are forbidden to partake of wine. The Quran banned wine, but not drugs already in use at the time. A hadith of uncertain authenticity says that everything springing from the poppy is blessed. Anyway, Muslims have always used narcotics. This is an obvious fact, and it has been so since the days of Muhammad. Why then the wine ban? For us it means a ban on Holy Communion. Christians were periodically persecuted in Islamic countries because of the Communion wine, and were obliged to use raisin wine to escape oppression. Most interestingly, Muslims venerate Alexander of Macedonia as a prophet. He is said to be a prophet of Allah. But Alexander believed himself to be a son of Zeus, and was a zealous proponent of polytheism. Yet he is respected as a genuine prophet and de 1 Corinthians 1:23–24.

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

scribed in the Quran as Dhu al-Qarnayn, “the TwoHorned”, for his two-horned helmet. Two-Horned, indeed … There is a fascinating story of how he once came to a dirty, stinking spring, into which the sun descends each night. According to Muhammad, this stinking spring is located in the Far West. While contemporary Muslims find this very awkward and try to evade this point, the text of the Quran definitely indicates that the sun goes down into that particular stinking spring. This is one example of the popular errors that have resulted from Muhammad’s ignorance. The Muslim belief concerning the Last Day also contrasts with Christianity. In Muslim doctrine, death occurs as follows: the soul leaves the body with the help of a certain angel, is sentenced by Allah, and then returns to the body. A Muslim’s soul remains in the dead body until Resurrection Day, but apparently enjoys it. I have asked Muslims in vain what pleasure one could find in a grave. I asked laymen and imams, and no-one would tell me. More often than not the answer was: “This is a mysterious delight you can never understand.” And that’s all there is to it. Conversely, the soul of a sinner remains in the dead body and is tortured by angels. And so a person lies in his grave, amid pleasures or torments, until the Last Day. Islam predicts that the following will occur before the end of the world: Jesus (Isa) will return to Earth, destroy all Christians, break all crosses, marry, and worship Allah. Moreover, he will not preside over

On Islam

the Muslim ritual of namaz, but will only assist the leading imam of the time, the Mahdi. Then al-Dajjal, a counterpart to our Antichrist, will appear, to be killed by Allah. Finally, the angel Izrail will blow his trumpet and all the world will die: people, jinn, and angels. Then Izrail will kill himself at the command of Allah. And then Allah will raise the dead and they will come before Allah, and Allah will judge them. Muslims will produce their sins, confess them, and receive absolution. The most sinful Muslims will be cast into hell, but will be led out by Muhammad a thousand years later. Those who died in the holy war of Jihad — terrorists and the like — will not be judged, but will be taken straight to paradise. The hadith say that their wounds will open when they arise on the Day of Judgment, but from them will flow musk. I for one do not find the idea particularly attractive, but they seem to like it for some reason. This makes little sense to me. Others will cross the As-Sirat37 bridge to paradise. The bridge shall be as a razor blade for sinners but broad and smooth for the righteous. Muslims will ride the rams they have sacrificed for Greater Bayram.38 Sirat al-Mustaqim, the right way, the straight path. The term “right way” is also applied to the Quran itself, as it reveals broad moral directives, with certain legal prescriptions, as guidance for humanity. 38 Greater-Bayram, the feast of the Sacrifice (qurban). Also known as Id al-Adha, it is celebrated at the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, on the tenth day of Dhu alHijjah, the month of pilgrimage. 37

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

If the ram sacrificed was poor, it will stumble and fall down into the fire. Those riding good rams — i.e., those who offered a good sacrifice — will enter paradise. The Muslim paradise is quite unlike that of the Christians. It is, to put it mildly, a special place to have lots of vigorous sex, derive aesthetic enjoyment from the beauties of heaven, walk in the gardens, and enjoy meals. Some hadith say each person will have three million dishes per day and the ability to eat them all. In addition, each person will be given 124 thousand houris per day. A houri is a being — not at all human — that is described variously as being blackeyed as a pearl, given for pleasure, etc. But she provides sexual pleasure alone, nothing else. There will be 124 thousand given every day, along with the endurance to copulate with them. According to St. Simeon of Thessalonica, Muslims are promised “paradisaical gardens filled with all kinds of dissoluteness.”39 This is what is actually promised in the afterlife, impossible as it may seem. Moreover, a person will never see Allah except as a misty moon from afar, as one hadith puts it. And Allah will ask: “Are you content? Would you like anything more?” And the person will say: “Oh yes, please.” And Allah will fulfill all his carnal desires, but nothing more. St Simeon of Thessaloniki (Symeon of Solun, d. 1429), archbishop and saint. Formal glorification took place in 1981. Commemorated September 15 (28). Cit. from his “Against Heathens or Mohammedans”. 39

On Islam

How are we to interpret this? In my opinion, the Muslim paradise is quite practicable. The Church Fathers mention succubi and incubi,40 demons of lust. This is a case of insatiability ... like bulimia, an excessive or insatiable appetite due to an eating disorder. So if we were put in a place like this, it would be what we call hell. Christians believe in the Kingdom of Heaven, life with God, Divine Communion as the primary delight of eternity, and participation in Divine blessedness in one’s own life. Hence, for us the Muhammadan delights are unacceptable and unthinkable. Another obligatory article of Muslim doctrine is belief in predestination. According to hadith and the Quran, 50 thousand years before creation Allah told a pen to begin writing, and the pen began writing down everything to come until the end of time. Thus a program for the world was written down. Only the Quran was excluded, for it was not created. According to this teaching Allah is the creator of all deeds, both evil and good. He creates both good and evil. In a recent debate held on February 3, Polosin41 unwillingly confirmed the doctrine of Allah as the creator of evil. For us the idea is inconceivable, as evil 40 Succibi (pl. of succubus), from the Lat. succubare — to lie under; incubbi (pl. of incubus), from the Lat. incubare — to lie above; demons of lust. 41 Ali Vyacheslav Sergeevich Polosin (b. 1956), former Orthodox priest, now Islamic theologian and public figure.

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

does not exist, and what does not exist cannot be created. Evil has no substance: it is a distortion of good, an abuse of God’s good creation. God does not disfigure what He has created. God the good and merciful, the absolutely just and holy, will not tolerate evil. According to Islam, however, Allah enables the murder to kill, the adulterer to commit adultery, and the clement man to give alms. Allah is believed to have two types of will: an approving will and a disapproving will. This is not permissiveness, but actual will. An example of disapproving will would be Allah making a man a murder and then punishing him for it. The only line of freedom for man in Islam is the narrow line of choice. A man may follow or not follow the way of Allah. The source of this freedom is obscure. While denying original sin and the perversity of human nature, Islam teaches that there is a nafs, a cognate of the Hebrew nefesh (soul), which for some unknown reason opposes the will of Allah. Different Islamic schools have different opinions on the subject. Some deny free will altogether, others believe that man can only desire, while only Allah can perform an action. It fact, this is a reiteration of an old lie. Remember Adam blaming “the wife You gave unto me” for his own sin? That is, the sin was the fault of the wife God palmed off on Adam. My wife is to blame, not I. In fact, the blame is put on God, and man refuses to reform. This invariably leads to theomachy. Thus, Islam and Christianity are diametrically opposed and incompatible in terms of doctrine.

On Islam

The other pillars of Islam likewise differ from belief in God as Creator. (2) It is important to note that the rite of adoration (namaz) is not prayer. The texts read during namaz merely describe man’s attitude toward God, with no supplication whatsoever. There is a separate form of prayer in which a person may pray to Allah regarding his problems, but this is not highly approved of due to the doctrine of predestination: if everything is predestined, what is there to pray for? Of course, prayer does exist in Islam, but namaz is the rite of adoration. Interestingly, ritual is the key element of namaz. If the ritual is interrupted, the namaz is rendered invalid and has to be repeated. Allah seems to be rather indifferent to man’s heart, which is the first consideration for us Christians. Thus, an allnight vigil service celebrated in observance of all the proper outward forms will be of no worth if the mind is indulging in flights of fancy. Prayer without attention and sincere involvement is worthless to God. “Man sees the face, but God—the heart.” God sees man’s sincere intent. Allah has no use for it. It is evident for us Christians that namaz was conceived by someone who simply cannot see into a man’s heart. From a Christian perspective, only God, not the angels, can know a man’s inner life. And the angel dictating the Quran did not know man’s heart; he was mainly concerned with ritual. Similarly, heathens who force Christians to join in their worship never required any sincere involve-

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

ment. They would even say: You may worship anyone in your heart; just put some incense in the fire, and that’s it. An idol needs nothing more. Rather like Islam, isn’t it? (3) The third pillar is often described as alms. But it is nothing of the kind. Zakah is obligatory charity. Traditionally, it amounts to 1/40 of one’s income, though there is a fixed annual sum equivalent to 9 grams of silver. Firstly, it must be made publicly. Zakah is generally announced in public, often in a mosque: soand-so has donated so much. This is not obligatory, but it is what is usually done. Secondly, zakah is only donated to Muslims or potential converts. By contrast, Christians should give alms to everyone. The proverbial good Samaritan helped everyone, Christian or not, believers and nonbelievers, as we should help everyone in the name of the Lord.42 As for alms, God forbids ostentatious Christian charity. Incidentally, sectarians love to boast of their great charity, but are actually far less charitable than Orthodox Christians, and often use their charity to promote their wrong beliefs. (4) The fourth pillar concerns the Ramadan month of fasting. Early Muslims in the days of Muhammad kept the fast in the manner of the Christians, for 40 days, then for a month, abstaining from meat and dairy products as Christians do today. Then Muhammad said this was too hard, and it was revealed Luke 10, 29-37.

On Islam

to him that fasting during the daytime would suffice. Accordingly, Ramadan fasting involves abstinence from drink and food, sexual intercourse and, oddly enough, cupping therapy (other bans are detailed by the Shariah), from dawn to the moment when a black thread is indistinguishable from a white one outside. Then comes the first meal after fasting, when you may eat anything you like. I once visited Cairo during Ramadan. It was a pathetic sight. Imagine walking down the street, and seeing a Muslim man milking a goat in the street in broad daylight, the milk flowing onto the pavement. Of course, the goat had to be milked because of its swollen udder, but why make a puddle on the pavement? Later in the day the streets are quite dangerous, with motorcycles and cars almost flying onto the sidewalks as the Muslims are racing to their meals. Tables are brought out with shish kebabs and the like piled high, and everyone waits for the call of the muezzin43 from the minaret to start the meal. Then the call comes like a factory siren and they all dive in and attack the food at once. I was rather amused, because they seemed to regard fasting as dieting rather than a means of spiritual growth. For the sake of objectivity, however, it should be said that many good Muslims spend more time studying the Quran during Ramadan. This certainly 43 Muezzin, a male Muslim who issues the adhan (call to prayer) in Arabic from atop a minaret five times daily.

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

resembles our own fast, which is a time for particularly attentive study of the Holy Scriptures. Thus, Islam retains some elements of Christian fasting. On the other hand, Islamic fasting involves no efforts to drive out one’s passions. Rather, fasting is used as a means of submission to Allah, like namaz. The key element of the fast for Christians is the struggle against gluttony, anger, and the other passions. Islam has no such ideas. The passions are not to be driven out in Islam because they are all considered natural. Man’s present condition is natural for Islam, with the exception of the Sufi, who do struggle against the passions, but only to destroy the self and dissolve into Allah, losing one’s self. They do not have the Christian concept of struggle with the passions. (5) Finally, the fifth pillar is pilgrimage to Mecca: the hajj. Of pagan origin, the hajj imitates the pagan rite, yet remains obscure. Why kiss the black rock, for instance? Caliph Omar said he did not know why, and only followed the messenger’s example. The custom appears superstitious. Indeed, the sacrifices offered have no significance: they have nothing to do with redemption, and are offered for no apparent reason. Mercifully, the Muslims have abandoned pagan notions of Allah living off of sacrificial flesh. They do not believe in the Hebrew concept of sacrifice in remembrance of sin and the need for redemption, nor do they have the sacrifice of purification that Christians have. Why then sacrifice camels or rams? We see this as senseless and superstitious.

On Islam

The rite of stoning is likewise inconceivable for us. Many people are stoned to death in Mecca every year. They think by this means to stone Satan. But I doubt that one can stone a genie or an angel, as they are rather hard to hit. This is mere superstition. And, of course, it ends in death. While the ancient rites were intended to prepare men for the coming of the Lord, the modern hajj has no psychological impact, and is very obscure. Muslims generally explain that the white robes symbolize spiritual purity, and that is all. This, of course, makes sense. Orthodox Christians are known to wear white robes for baptism. White robes were also worn by Hebrews on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.44 The rest is incomprehensible. They say: “We don’t know why. Allah said we to do it, so we do.” Why should they do such and such during namaz?45 They have no idea. That is, some things that are absurd and inconceivable from a theological standpoint are done just because they were told to do so. This is called superstition. Christians regard it this as superstition, to be rejected in baptism. (6) Finally, the sixth pillar is jihad. It is form of missionary work for Islam. Why is it not considered a generally accepted norm? Muslims who do not consider jihad the sixth pillar nevertheless do not op Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), the most important Hebrew feast; a day of fasting, repentance, and absolution. 45 Placing one’s hands on the face (ed.). 44

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

pose it. A Muslim cannot oppose jihad, because it is explicitly mentioned in 53 ayat of the Quaran. They generally explain that jihad cannot take place everywhere, and thus cannot be a pillar for all. And that is that. This is what unites practically all the Muslims throughout the world. Yet Islam is not integral. There are four principal schools, and two fundamentally different forms of Islam: so-called European Islam and the traditional Islam of the Arabic world. European Islam includes, for example, our own Islam, confessed by all the Turkic ethnicities in Russia. It is referred to as jadidism,46 a doctrine that emerged in 1809 and attempted to adapt Islam to the traditional ideas and laws of the Bashkirs, Tatars, and other Turkic ethnicities. The resulting doctrine is not considered genuine Islam by Arabic Muslims. And this is understandable, as jadidism actually involves non-Islamic concepts, such as cults of various saints, pagan remedies for the evil eye, etc. Tatars generally have a vague concept of Islam, stating: “We are Muslims because we are Tatars, but our Islam is our national identity. If I am not a Muslim, I am not a Tatar either.” Here we have nationalism masquerading as Islam. Remember that nationalism resulted from the curse. According to the Bible, there were no nations 46 Jadidism (renovationism), a social and political trend among Muslim nations, primarily Turkic.

On Islam

before the Tower of Babel.47 The division into different nations resulted from the curse of the Tower of Babel, hindering people from uniting to establish a world order in defiance of God. Thus, to deify one’s nationality means to defy God, the God of all people, the Maker of the universe. According to Father Sofrony Sakharov,48 “Where nationalism cannot be overcome, Christian mission has failed.” If people cling to nationality instead of searching for absolute truth, they will never find God. Naturally, this presumably mild Islam is dangerous in its nationalist tendencies, as evident in Tatarstan today, where Islam is becoming synonymous with nationalism. This we can never accept. Nor, I think, will the Muslims of the Arab world. And I certainly agree with Arabic Muslims on the matter: truth is more important than one’s nationality, truth is independent of one’s nationality, and one cannot be a Muslim just because one is a Tatar. Similarly, one cannot be a Christian just because one is Russian. Christianity does not depend on one’s nationality, but rather on belief in the Lord, which unites all people in the Church universal, where there is “neither Greek nor Jew, Barbarian nor Scythian”, and where the curse of the Tower of Babel is removed. For people serve God in many different languages, but worship Genesis 11. Sophrony (Sakharov), archim. (1896—1993), theologian, confessor and monastic elder, pupil of St. Silouan of Mt Athos. 47 48

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

one God in one Church. For instance, this Thursday we will be holding a service in the Krutitsky metochion both in Tatar and in Chruch Slavonic, celebrating the Universal Church. In the Caucasus, Shariah, or Islamic law, was combined with the traditional Turkic code, the adat, producing a peculiar synthesis. Certain regulations have emerged in the guise of Islam that are actually contrary to it. Feuding is a classic example. Feuding runs contrary to Islamic practices, and was disapproved of by Muhammad, who promoted communal Shariah courts. Yet feuding persists as part of the adapted pagan legal code. Furthermore, veneration of holy places, holy springs, and saints is widespread in the Caucasus, in obvious contradiction to Islam, to which the concept of holiness as communion with the Lord is completely foreign. The only holiness in Islam is that of the dervishes. A dervish is a man of exceptional abilities which are generally regarded as not particularly agreeable. There is actually a saying that miracles are the menses of saints and righteous men — that is, something unclean that righteous men have. Moreover, dervishes generally work miracles of an occult nature, by their own admission. They describe the process as a trance, a state brought upon them not by Allah, but rather through intercourse with jinn. The persistent veneration of saints among Caucasian and some Arabic nations is indicative of Islam’s

On Islam

inhumanity. People want saints because it is their nature. Man wants to be holy. God created man for holiness. And man seeks things that are holy. Islam provides nothing of the kind, and thus falls short of God’s plan for man. Finally, two more types of Islam are widespread in Russia. One recruits young people who convert to Islam because they are seeking a more active lifestyle. They think that Orthodox Christianity is for old women, while Islam is a religion for real men. In my opinion, it is a religion for adolescents. Anyway, that is why Russian converts adopt the more radical form of Islam, Wahhabism. The other type is female Islam, when the Russian wife of a Muslim, or a man who marries a Muslim woman, converts under the influence of his or her spouse. Shariah permits a Muslim man to marry a Christian, a Jew, or a Zoroastrian, but does not permit this to a Muslim woman. Nevertheless, such marriages are now accepted and occur quite frequently. Also popular today is Sufism, a form of Islam formally condemned as heretical, which describes God as an impersonal power capable of absorbing and dissolving man, which is, strangely enough, the ultimate goal of a human being! This form is also very popular in some intellectual circles. Let’s discuss Wahhabism. It is criticized by everyone and sometimes referred to as a sect, though President Putin rightly noted that this is incorrect. And

I s l a m . An Orthodox Perspective

he was absolutely right, for Wahhabis is not a sect. Rather, it is the purest remnant of core Islam, and the official confession in Saudi Arabia, which along with a number of other Arabic countries has adopted Wahhabis Islam. This particular version of hanbali madhhab,49 which dates back to the 8th century, recognizes the Quran and Sunnah50— the prophetic tradition— as the only sources of Islamic law, and permits no ammendments. Madhhab, a school of religious law within Islam; in a broader sense, the Muslim way. Islamic law within Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā’ah (sunni) evolved into four schools of law (madhhab): the Hanafi, the Shafii, the Maliki, and the Hanbali. The Hanafi madhhab is an eponym of Abu Hanifah, who developed the methodological principles of Muslim jurisprudence. His method of legal instruction was based on the Quran, Sunnah (using carefully selected Hadithat), statements of his co-laborers, analogies to existing Revelation, preference for solutions that contradict previous solutions but are more rational in the current situation, consensus by theologians, and traditional opinion. When it was necessary to choose from among various regulations, preference was given to the most convincing or to majority opinion. Most modern Muslims are adherents to this particular legal approach.. 50 Sunnah, established custom, normative precedent, conduct, and cumulative tradition, typically based on Muhammad’s example. In addition, Sunnah refers to actions that are desirable but not obligatory. 49

Priest Daniel Sysoev Talks on the Passions

Layout Olga Bochkova

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