Tags
Barnabas Fund, Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, ISIL, Islam, Islamic Caliphate, Islamic Christology, Islamic eschatology, Islamic State, Islamic theology, persecution of Christians, Quran, religious persecution, war
An excellent, thought-provoking article from Dr Patrick Sookhdeo, International Director of Barnabas Fund:
The War of The Cross
When ISIS changed its name in June from “the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” (ISIL, or the Arabic acronym ISIS) to simply “the Islamic State”, this was a shift of enormous theological and eschatological significance.
The Caliphate and the Caliph
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| Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi |
The Islamic State, or Caliphate (khilafa in Arabic) as the group has proclaimed, denotes the early Islamic state under Muhammad’s first successors, the Caliphs. It is considered by Muslims to be the God-ordained ideal form of Islamic government under which a pious head of state rules the whole Muslim community (umma) under Islamic law (sharia). This is viewed as the golden age of Islam, to be re-created whenever possible. The term is sometimes extended to all Islamic states with caliphs at their heads (the last being the Ottoman Caliphate abolished in 1924). It symbolises the unity of the Muslim umma, even when this does not match reality. All contemporary Islamist movements are dedicated to restoring the Caliphate.
Religious motives and theological justification
Much of Islamic theology is derived not from the Quran but from traditions (hadith) recording the words and deeds of Muhammad (his sunna), which are seen as a pattern for all Muslims to follow.
Read the rest of this article here.
(This article is several pages long, and can be accessed by selecting the ‘Next’ button at the bottom of the article).
Our precious persecuted brethren need our fervent prayers, practical support and our refusal to keep silent about what is happening to Christians around the world.
Please continue to pray that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be glorified in the suffering and witness of our brothers and sisters in Christ, as they persevere in their love for and faith in Christ, even unto death.
Please prayerfully consider generously supporting the Barnabas Fund in their support of persecuted Christians.
The Narrowing Path 