A Scriptural Analysis of the History of Islam
I. Introduction
Islam, one of the world’s largest religions, began in the seventh century after Christ—more than six centuries after the completion of the New Testament canon and the close of divine revelation. According to Scripture, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets… in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Hebrews 1:1–2). Thus, any so-called revelation that contradicts or adds to the Word already given in Christ is by definition false. Islam arose not as a continuation of biblical truth but as a post-Christian heresy, denying the deity, atonement, and resurrection of Christ—core essentials of the gospel (1 John 2:22; Gal. 1:8–9).
II. Historical Origins (A.D. 570–632)
1. Muhammad’s Life and Claims
Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh was born in Mecca around A.D. 570 into the Quraysh tribe. Arabia at that time was polytheistic, yet Jews and various heterodox Christian sects also lived in the region. Around A.D. 610, Muhammad began claiming revelations from the angel Jibrīl (Gabriel), later compiled into the Qur’an.
From a biblical standpoint, these experiences cannot be divine. Scripture warns that “even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). The content of these revelations directly contradicts the gospel—denying the Son of God (Surah 4:171), rejecting His crucifixion (Surah 4:157), and redefining salvation as submission and works rather than grace through faith (Eph. 2:8–9).
By 622, Muhammad’s followers (the ummah) migrated to Medina—the Hijrah, marking the beginning of the Islamic calendar. There he became both a religious leader and military ruler, combining religion and state under a theocratic order foreign to the New Testament church (John 18:36).
III. Early Expansion (A.D. 632–750)
Following Muhammad’s death (A.D. 632), leadership passed to the caliphs—first Abu Bakr, then Umar, Uthman, and Ali. Within a century, Islamic armies conquered vast territories: the Levant, North Africa, Persia, and even parts of Spain. This expansion was not evangelistic in the biblical sense but imperial and coercive, contrary to the gospel’s call to voluntary repentance and faith (Matt. 28:19–20).
1. The Qur’an and Hadith Canonization
The Qur’an was standardized under Caliph Uthman (mid-7th century), and traditions (Hadith) were collected later, forming Islamic jurisprudence (Sharia). From a Reformed lens, this reflects human authority supplanting divine revelation—a canon made by man to control religious life apart from the Spirit-inspired Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16–17).
2. Sectarian Division
After Ali’s death (A.D. 661), Islam split into Sunni (majority) and Shi’a (minority) factions over succession disputes. This division reveals internal instability, much like other heresies that fragment when detached from biblical truth (1 John 2:19).
IV. Theological Contrast with Biblical Christianity
1. Doctrine of God
Islam is strictly unitarian: “Allah is one” (Surah 112). It rejects the Trinity as blasphemy. Yet Scripture reveals that the one true God eternally exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Denial of the Son means denial of the Father (1 John 2:23). Therefore, the Allah of Islam is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob but a false god fashioned after human reason (Deut. 13:1–5).
2. Doctrine of Christ
Islam acknowledges Jesus (ʿĪsā) only as a prophet. It denies His crucifixion and resurrection—central to redemption (1 Cor. 15:3–4). Without the cross, there is no atonement, no justification, no hope. Hence, Islam’s Christ is a counterfeit, not the eternal Son who “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
3. Salvation
Islam teaches salvation by works and submission (islām)—obedience to the Five Pillars: confession, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage. Yet Scripture declares: “By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Rom. 3:20). Reformed theology affirms sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus—salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Islam thus stands under the apostolic anathema (Gal. 1:8–9).
4. Revelation
The Qur’an claims to “confirm” earlier revelation (Torah and Gospel) yet contradicts it. True Scripture cannot contradict itself, for God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). The Qur’an’s corruption charge against the Bible is historically unfounded; God’s Word is preserved (Isa. 40:8; Matt. 24:35). Therefore, Islam’s revelation is spurious.
V. Medieval and Modern Developments
Between the 8th and 13th centuries, Islam’s empire flourished intellectually and militarily. Yet prosperity cannot validate falsehood. Many so-called “Golden Age” achievements coexisted with theological darkness—the suppression of the gospel and persecution of believers.
The Crusades (11th–13th centuries) reflected a complex response—often more political than spiritual—but in principle demonstrated the deep tension between biblical Christianity and Islam’s militant expansion.
The Ottoman Empire (14th–20th centuries) became the chief Islamic power. During this time, the gospel continued to spread elsewhere through the Protestant Reformation, which restored the doctrine of justification by faith that Islam denies. The providence of God sovereignly advanced His redemptive plan even as Islam expanded territorially, showing that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world.
VI. Islam in Relation to Redemptive History
From a redemptive-historical standpoint, Islam is a post-biblical counterfeit arising in Satan’s ongoing opposition to Christ’s gospel. Just as ancient heresies (Arianism, Gnosticism) denied Christ’s person and work, Islam revives those errors under a new form.
Its genealogy can be traced spiritually to the Ishmaelite line, though not biologically determinative, symbolizing opposition to the covenant promise through Isaac (Gen. 17:18–21; Gal. 4:22–31). The Apostle Paul teaches that all who reject Christ are in bondage, “born according to the flesh,” whereas believers are heirs of promise. Islam’s theological DNA reflects that enslavement to the law rather than freedom in the gospel.
VII. The Gospel and the Muslim World
Christians must neither hate Muslims nor compromise truth. The Lord Jesus commands us to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44) yet to witness boldly to His exclusive Lordship (Acts 4:12). Muslims, like all sinners, need repentance and faith in the crucified and risen Savior.
Evangelism must confront Islam’s core error—the denial of the Son. True repentance involves renouncing all confidence in works, acknowledging the deity and atonement of Jesus Christ, and trusting wholly in His righteousness. Only then can any person, Muslim or otherwise, be reconciled to God (Rom. 5:1).
VIII. Conclusion
Islam’s history—from Muhammad’s first claimed revelation to its global influence today—reveals a consistent theological pattern: the suppression of the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18). Though Islam borrows biblical names and narratives, it distorts their meaning, leading millions away from the only Redeemer.
Yet Scripture assures believers that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). The triumph of Christ is certain. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:10–11). Until then, the church must proclaim to the Muslim world—and to all nations—that salvation is found in no one else (Acts 4:12).
(The above article was AI generated.)