By Ellen James

How would you respond if a friend claimed Islam is a reason for Western progress?

Earlier this week I was sitting in our cosy, comfy office, with a warm coffee in hand, reading a fascinating chapter in our lovely Beth's new book 'A Short Guide to Islam'. It led me to ponder the current state of the world and Islam’s impact on it.

In our modern society there is much talk about Islam being a progressive religion, how Muhammad was a keen feminist, an advocate for women rights, a protector of the venerable and an all round decent guy, that his attitudes, ideas and beliefs are something that our modern society can really benefit from!

Mmm...from what I've read of Muhammad's life this does not ring true to me. 'A Short Guide to Islam' asks some important questions around these claims and helps us think them through.

So did Islam really empower progress, science, mathematics, architecture and medical advances? Well, on a surface level some people might suggest ‘yes’, but, were these advances which came out of the Islamic world actually from Muslims, or, did they come from Christians and Jews? History suggests the latter.

Though given Arabic names, Christian and Jewish slaves trapped in Muslim nations translated their own texts into Arabic, giving  Islamic scientists and academics the ability to access Western, African and Eastern ideas. Those texts are now credited to Islam today. Islam's early Muslims gained access to these advances when they swept through Northern Africa and many Christian lands, sadly destroying any Christian influences along the way. This is a history largely ignored by western advocates of Islam today. 

Though given Arabic names, Christian and Jewish slaves trapped in Muslim nations translated their own texts into Arabic, giving  Islamic scientists and academics the ability to access Western, African and Eastern ideas.

As many people today demand an apology for the West's involvement in slavery and conquest of nations, they ignore the wider reaching and longer lasting Islamic conquests and slavery by Arab and African, and for a time, Viking, slave traders. The book 'The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise', though hard-to-read due to its well-footnoted descriptions of a brutal history, is full of details regarding this topic, pointing to many sources, both Islamic and Christian. 

The Islam we see today has quite a sinister history, which is often overlooked. Now of course there have been events in history which have been carried out in the name of Christianity that are not good. There will always be followers who do not live and act according to what their faith asks of them, but the path to understanding a religion is to read its texts and looking at its founder.  For Muslims that is the Qur'an and the life of Muhammad, for Christians that is the Bible and  the life of Jesus. Their teaching and lifestyles were vastly different.

Here's a few examples to think through:

Does the Qur'an suppress women and corrupt men's purity? Yes. Q4:3, 33:37, 34; 53; 65:1-6.

Did Muhammad abuse and hurt women? Yes. Q4:24-25; 23:6; 24:34; 70:30.

Does the Bible suppress women and corrupt men's purity? No. Matthew 5:28-29, 15:19-20. 

The only way Western society can really progress is to fix it's eye back on Jesus. The world in it's search to be seen as progressive, is becoming less so. By having our focus distracted from Christ Jesus and replaced by ideas founded by other figures from history, we are losing sight of the Truth and His way of living.

–Jesus is the only one who can offer us true enlightenment and a progressive way of life. Both the Old and New Testament testify to this. The world will tell you to turn away from our Lord and Saviour.  They will say that His ways are old and outdated. Do not let the world dictate to you what is progressive, do not be influenced by popular thinking, instead be guided by the light of the One who loves you beyond all you can imagine. The God who sent His Son to die for you, with the Son in turn choosing to complete this mission, acted for one purpose –so that you can have a full, happy and abundant life with them for eternity.

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness" Isaiah 9:2

'A Short Guide to Islam' introduces these ideas and much more. This blog refers to topics covered in Chapter 11. Do pick up the book when you get a chance - it is short, accessible and jam-packed full of helpful details and tips on Islam and Christianity.