Interview: Nabeel Qureshi Lee Strobel and Mark

Schedule
Welcome and Overview
“Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus,” Nabeel Qureshi
Stretch Break
Interview: Nabeel Qureshi with Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg
Q&A Time
Conclusion
Speakers
Dr. Nabeel Qureshi is a former devout Muslim who was convinced of the truth of the Gospel through
historical reasoning and a spiritual search for God. Since his conversion, he has dedicated his life to
spreading the Gospel through teaching, preaching, writing, and debating. Nabeel’s first book, Seeking
Allah, Finding Jesus, is now available. Nabeel has given lectures at universities and seminaries throughout
North America, including New York University, Rutgers, the University of North Carolina, the University
of Ottawa, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Biola University.
He has participated in 17 moderated, public debates around North America, Europe, and Asia. His focus is
on the foundations of the Christian faith and the early history and teachings of Islam. Nabeel is a member
of the speaking team at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. He holds an MD from Eastern Virginia
Medical School, an MA in Christian apologetics from Biola University, and an MA from Duke University
in Religion.
Mark Mittelberg is a best-selling author, sought-after speaker, and a leading strategist in evangelism and
apologetics-oriented outreach. He is the primary author (with Lee Strobel and Bill Hybels) of the updated
Becoming a Contagious Christian Training Course, through which more than a million people have learned
to effectively and naturally communicate their faith to others. Mark’s newest book, The Questions
Christians Hope No One Will Ask, is based on a survey of 1000 Christians commissioned through the
Barna organization, and deals with the ten issues that believers most want to avoid – but must not! Mark
was the evangelism director at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago for seven years and for the
Willow Creek Association for a decade. He is a frequent contributor for Outreach magazine, and he was an
editorial consultant and periodic guest for Lee Strobel’s Faith Under Fire television show. He and Strobel
have been ministry partners for over twenty years, and today they co-direct The Institute at Cherry Hills in
Highland Ranch, Colorado. Mark earned a Master’s Degree in Philosophy of Religion from Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. In recognition of his achievements in the areas of
evangelism and apologetics, he was recently honored by the conferring of a Doctor of Divinity degree
from Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Atheist-turned-Christian Lee Strobel, the former award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune, is a
New York Times best-selling author of more than twenty books and has been interviewed on numerous
national TV programs, including ABC, Fox, PBS, and CNN. Described in the Washington Post as “one of
the evangelical community’s most popular apologists,”Lee was educated at the University of Missouri
(Bachelor of Journalism degree, 1974) and Yale Law School (Master of Studies in Law degree, 1979) and
holds top honors for investigative reporting. After a nearly two-year investigation of the evidence for Jesus,
Lee became a Christian in 1981. He joined the staff of Willow Creek Community Church and later joined
Saddleback Valley Community Church as a teaching pastor in 2000. In recognition of his extensive research
for his books, Southern Evangelical Seminary honored Lee with the conferring of a Doctor of Divinity
degree in 2007. For more information about Lee Strobel visit leestrobel.com
“Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus”
Nabeel Qureshi
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Interview: Nabeel Qureshi
with
Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg
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Q & A: Questions
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For Reference
Islamic Practices (Deen): The Five Pillars*
Muslims are required to perform five rituals instituted by the prophet of Islam,
Muhammad (570 – 632 AD). These are called the five pillars of Islam (Arkan alIslam).
1. Confession (Shahada): Every Muslim must confess that, “There is no God but
Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.” Conversion to Islam is accomplished by
reciting this confession in Arabic. Muslims are also taught to utter these words as their
final breath. Thus, the Shahada literally and figuratively encompasses a Muslim’s life.
2. Prayers (Salat): Five prayer rituals are required daily.
• Prayer is preceded by ceremonial washing.
• The prayer itself is a recitation of prescribed words, including portions of the Qur’an.
• One must face the Kaaba, a building in Mecca.
• One must adhere to prescribed prayer postures including standing, bowing, kneeling,
and prostrating.
• Prayers must be in Arabic.
3. Almsgiving (Zakat):
•
•
•
2.5% of certain eligible assets are given to mosques or Islamic charities.
Voluntary amounts given to the poor will earn extra merit with Allah.
Muslims are taught that withholding zakat brings disaster and condemnation.
4. Fasting (Sawm): Fasting is obligatory for 30 days, from sunrise to sunset.
• This takes place during the month of Ramadan (the 9th month of the Islamic lunar
calendar).
• From sunrise to sunset, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, and
intercourse.
• The fast ends at sunset and begins again when the sun rises the next morning.
• Breaking the fast is usually a lavish affair. These dinners and feasts are called iftar.
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj): Muslims are to visit Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, at least once.
•
•
•
•
Participants perform special rituals during the annual pilgrimage.
This obligation is performed during the 12th lunar month, called Dhu al-Hijjah.
Pilgrimage is required only of those who have the physical and financial means.
Besides dying while fighting for Allah, dying during the Hajj is considered to be the
surest way to get to paradise.
Islamic Beliefs (Iman): Six Core Beliefs*
1. God (Allah)
• Allah is transcendent, aloof and unknowable. He is not immanent or relational.
• Allah is one, not three (tawheed), and “he begets not, nor was he begotten” (Qur’an,
surah 112:3). The doctrine of tawheed is the crux of Islam; its centrality cannot be
overstated.
• Allah’s will is free and arbitrary. He is not bound by any moral code and he cannot be
questioned.
• Allah is indescribable in human terms, although he has 99 names.
Key question: How does this conflict with Christianity’s conception of God? Do
Christians and Muslims worship the same God?
• According to Christianity, there is one God eternally existing in three persons –
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is known as the Trinity.
• According to the Qur’an, the Trinity is viewed as polytheistic and heretical (Qur’an,
surah 4:171).
• The Qur’an teaches that the Trinity was God, Mary, and Jesus (Qur’an, surah 5:116).
• Muslims believe God would never become human; therefore, Jesus was neither God
nor the Son of God.
2. Angels (Malaa’ika)
• Angels are servants of God, created from light. They have no free will.
• Every Muslim is watched by two angels, one on each shoulder. The angel on the right
records the good deeds, and the angel on the left records the bad deeds. Their records
will be weighed on a balance on the Day of Judgment.
• Jinn are spirits different from angels, created by smokeless fire (Qur’an, surah 15:27).
They have free will to do good or evil and are held accountable for their actions.
3. Prophets (Anbiyaa’)
• Islamic tradition claims around 124,000 prophets, and says that each was sent to a
particular nation. All of them, including Adam and Jesus, are considered to be
Muslims.
• The Qur’an mentions 25 prophets by name. Most are biblical characters.
• Muhammad is believed to be the last, or “the seal of the prophets,” confirming yet
superseding all others (Qur’an, surah 33:40).
The Six Major Prophets of Islam
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Adam: The chosen of Allah
Noah: The preacher of Allah
Abraham: The friend of Allah
Moses: The speaker of Allah
Jesus: The word of Allah
Muhammad: The apostle of Allah
4. Books (Kutub)
• Recognized holy books include the Tawrat (Torah), Zabur (Psalms), Injeel (The Gospel),
and Qur’an.
• As the final and most comprehensive revelation of God, the Qur’an is believed to
supersede all previous Holy Books, including the Bible. (This leads to a popular
misconception among Muslims that the Bible has been corrupted and is therefore
unreliable.)
• The Qur’an is viewed as authoritative in both theology and legislation.
• The Qur’an is considered to be Muhammad’s miracle. If anyone challenges the truth of
Islam and whether it is from God, the Qur’an is offered as the primary defense, usually
because of its literary excellence; it is believed to be of such a caliber that it must have
come from God (Qur’an, surah 2:23, 17:88).
• The Qur’an was allegedly dictated verbatim to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel
between 610 and 632 AD. The first dictation marks the inception of Islam, and the last was
at the time of Muhammad’s death.
• The Doctrine of Abrogation is the view that later revelations are better and more
final than previous ones (Qur’an, surah 2:106, 16:101). Therefore, where there are
conflicting teachings in the Qur’an, the later verses are considered authoritative.
• Many details about Islamic belief and practice are not present in the Qur’an, and
must be drawn from other sources, such as the hadith. The hadith are huge collections of
the sayings and activities of Muhammad. They are second in authority to the Qur’an.
5. The Day of Judgment (Yawm ud-Din)
• On the Day of Judgment the recording angels will submit records of each person’s
good and bad deeds. These will be weighed against each other to determine one’s
destiny.
• There is no assurance Allah will honor the ruling of the scales. He may or may not
choose to offer mercy.
• Every human will either end up in hell, a place of fire and torment, or paradise, a
place of indulgence and sensual pleasures.
6. The Decree of Allah (Qadaa’ wa Qadar)
• This is the most controversial of the six articles of faith. In fact, a few Muslims deny it
as an article altogether.
• What is certain from the Qur’an is that Allah ordains the length of a person’s life
(Qur’an, surah 3:145), the fortunes of individuals (Qur’an, surah 9:51), and whether they
will go to heaven or hell (Qur’an, surah 7:178-179), among other things.
• Despite the fact that Allah ordains the salvation of people, it is also clear that they are
held responsible for their own actions (Qur’an, surah 16:93). Reconciling these two facts
has been the cause of theological controversy. However, for most Muslims, divine
predestination – “fate” – is an important part of their worldview.
Key Questions*
1. What is Sharia?
• Sharia is the code of law intended to govern all aspects of Muslim society.
• It is derived from the Qur’an, hadith, judicial consensus (ijma’), and legal precedence
(qias).
• Although Sharia is considered to be the theoretical ideal, Muslim nations currently
only practice limited elements of it to varying degrees. Most Muslim countries are
governed by modernized civil systems.
2. How Is Jesus both a Bridge and a Dividing Line between Islam and
Christianity?
The Islamic Viewpoint:
• While there is some common ground about Jesus between Islam and Christianity (for
example, Muslims believe he was born of a virgin, performed miracles, and was a
prophet and the Messiah), they deny that he was the Son of God. Believing that he is
God is considered a form of shirk, the only unforgivable sin in Islam.
They do blaspheme who say: “God is Christ the son of Mary.” But said Christ: “O Children
of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” Whoever joins other gods with Allah
[literally whoever commits shirk], Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire will be his
abode.
- Qur'an, surah 5:72
• Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified. It was the plan of Jesus' enemies to
crucify him, but God saved him and raised him up to himself. Most Muslims believe
that the likeness of Jesus was put over another man who was crucified in Jesus’ stead.
That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Apostle of God";– but
they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who
differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for
of a surety they killed him not.
- Qur'an, surah 4:157
• Jesus did not die on the cross, and therefore he was not resurrected from the dead.
• Even if Jesus had died on the cross, that would not pay for anyone’s sins (Qur’an,
surah 53:38).
• Instead of being crucified, he was taken up into the heavens and will return in the end
times.
The Christian Viewpoint:
• Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, made numerous other claims to deity, and
established his divinity convincingly. The best-known verse in the Bible says, for
example, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
• Jesus explained that his very purpose was to come and “give his life as a ransom for
many” (Mark 10:45) – to willingly lay down his life as a payment for our sins.
• The death and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God (God in human flesh), is the very
cornerstone of the Christian message, proclaimed from the very beginning by Jesus,
his apostles, and the early church – and it is well-supported historically.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the
Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters
at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then
he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also …
(1 Cor. 15: 3-8).
3. What is the Islamic View of Salvation?
• Salvation is earned, not given freely.
• At death, God will weigh your good and bad deeds. This will determine whether you
will be sent to punishment or paradise.
• In the end, Allah has the final say on the fate of all humans.
• There is no doctrine of atonement for sin.
There is no assurance of paradise, except:
- when one dies in battle for the cause of Allah (jihad, which can mean any struggle
for God's sake – although holy war is considered the highest form of jihad).
Let those (believers) who sell their life of this world for the Hereafter fight in the
cause of Allah, and whoso fights in the cause of Allah, and is killed or gets
victory, We shall bestow on him a great reward (heaven). - Qur'an, surah 4:74
- when one dies in Mecca during the pilgrimage.
The Christian Viewpoint:
• Salvation can never be earned because we are sinners who fall short of God’s perfect
standard (Rom. 3:23).
• Rather, salvation is a gift given by God’s grace to those believe the claims of Christ
and put their trust in him (John 1:12; Rom. 6:23).
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe
and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
(Rom 10:9-10)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)
• Jesus is a major dividing line between Islam and Christianity. Precisely those things
that accord a Christian believer salvation (faith in the deity, death, and resurrection of
Jesus) are denied by Islam.
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* The “For Reference” materials above were adapted from the “Islam 101: Beliefs and
Practices” section of the EI Intensive 2010 Resource Notebook, Georges Houssney,
copyright, 2011, Horizons International, (www.horizonsinternational.org), used by
permission, all rights reserved.
For Further Information
Books and Courses
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Dr. Nabeel Qureshi, Zondervan, 2014, Grand Rapids, MI.
Engaging Islam, Georges Houssney, Treeline Publishing, 2010, Boulder, CO.
(especially see Chapter 4: The Religious Life of Muslims).
EI Intensive 2010 Resource Notebook, Georges Houssney, 2011, Horizons International,
(www.horizonsinternational.org).
What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur'an, James R. White, 2013, Bethany
House Publishers.
Islam, Dr. Fazlur Rahman, The University of Chicago Press, 1979, Chicago, IL.
Towards Understanding Islam, Abul A’la Mawdudi, I.I.F.S.O, 1986, Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia.
A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam, 2nd edition, I.A. Ibrahim,
Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, 1997, Houston, TX.
Fouad Masri's video training course, Bridges: Christians Connecting With Muslims –
see: www.crescentproject.org.
Websites - Speakers
Nabeel Qureshi (with RZIM, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries):
www.rzim.org/bio/nabeel-qureshi.
Lee Strobel: www.LeeStrobel.com.
Mark Mittelberg: www.MarkMittelberg.com.
Other Ministries
Acts 17 Apologetics (the ministry of David Wood): www.acts17.net.
Answering Muslims (also David Wood): www.answeringmuslims.com.
Horizons International (the ministry of Georges Houssney):
www.horizonsinternational.org – and for further training: www.engagingislam.org.
Aletheia International (the ministry of Abdu Murray): www.embracethetruth.org.
The Crescent Project (Fouad Masri): www.crescentproject.org.
In:ciite Media/Incast Events (for info on future broadcasts): www.incastevents.com.