Dr. Warren Larson Lecture: Comparing Ideal and Folk Islam on Angels and Qur’an

Dr. Warren Larson delivered a lecture on Comparing Ideal and Folk Islam on Angels and Holy Books during a CIU course. Here, Larson compares Ideal and Folk Islam on Angels by presenting how each group gathers its understanding of them from the traditions and the Qur’an. 

  Here starts the auto-generated transcription of Dr. Warren Larson Lecture: Comparing Ideal and Folk Islam on Angels and Qur’an:

 

going to be using the Quran quite a bit, which might be a surprise to you, but, we just we just wanna make sure that, that, we understand that, folk Muslims get their stuff out of the Quran. They use the Quran. They give it sort of somewhat of a different interpretation, of course, but then that’s true of all Muslims, including the Shiites and the Sunnis, who give different interpretations. The Shiites read into it.

 

That’s the accusation against them. But but, you know, the folk folk Muslims really base stuff on the Quran, so we’re gonna be using the Quran, so I hope you have yours, handy. And I will, go through, some verses in the Quran. And today, we’re gonna be talking about, the, comparisons again. No surprise.

 

Unit 1 is all about comparisons. Talk about, angels and prophets. Comparisons again with, you know, some would call orthodox and, in comparison with it doesn’t seem like it’s too orthodox at all. In other words, it’s constantly surprising how much veneration is given to, Mohammed and how much, Muslims are hoping to get help and assistance from angels if they pull the right strings, and that’s true. But, we are gonna talk about books too.

 

In other words, the Quran again. And there is some repetition, in other words, overlap in this. I wanted to note that in the Quran, when we use the Quran on the PowerPoints, I have put the verses in bold because there are so many of them, but certain ones we’re gonna read and underline them to help you, follow along as best you can. So here we go, first of all, with angels, and we can’t look at all of them. But I wanted to start there at the back here and work our way the because that’s, in other words, work our way forward.

 

Keep in mind that the Quran is not put together chronologically. The longest suit is first and the shortest ones last. It acts it’s almost the exact opposite the way it was revealed. But I want you to notice that in 10/3, it says, actually, halfway down, the verse, it says, no intercession can plead with him. No intercession that can plead with God except after his leave.

 

In other words, except after, you know, God if God wills it. So that’s old English, King James English. It’s a little bit hard to put up with, but, you know, that opens the door, really, to anything, anything and everything when it comes to intercession. That angels might go to bat for me, because one could always say, well, God obviously gives permission. And it’s a good thing in a sense that we pray too as Christians, you know, thy will be done, but here, it it’s it’s really what happens is that it opens the door for a can of worms as it were.

 

Again, in, another verse here is 20 and verse 109. Notice we’re working our way, backwards, just the way the Quran is put together. Anyway, 2109 says on that day what day? The day of judgment. Lots in the Islam about the judgment, the, the, you know, the last day.

 

On that day shall no intercession prevail prevail except for those for whom permission has been granted. So it’s a perfect, it’s a perfect door. In other words, the camel’s head is in the tent and, really, that’s really, I guess, chronically, you can, make a an argument for intercession through angels, prophets, and, everyone else. Not everyone else, but, you know, saints and stuff like that. Let’s remember that the Quran is used by everyone, used by fundamentalists.

 

Bin Laden was was great at using the Quran, but also women who argue for freedom want freedom to women. They will use the Quran as well. So the Quran, as you can see, quite, versatile. Now 33 and verse 43, it says, he it is. He it is who sends.

 

You know, often the Quran is, in the plural when it talks about God, but here is singular. He it is who sends. In other words, I should have mentioned that it says usually we, which is the, the, Arabic, the what do you call it? For the plural of majesty, because God is king, remember, in Islam. It is he who sends blessings on you, as do his angels, that he may bring you out from the depths of darkness into light, and he is full of mercy to the believers.

 

Now it’s good to bless God. You know, bless the lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. The angels we know do this as well. But, just just we have to keep in mind, and this is the difference between Islam and Christianity, that in in Islam, by blessing God, blessing the the prophet is what they do every time they mention his name. Blessings upon him and blessings upon him, they hope to gain favor.

 

They hope to be brought out of it. It says this verse is very clear. Blessings on you as do his angels, that he may bring you out of darkness into light. We know that Christ has set us free, according to his mercy, and we don’t have to keep pleading for it because he has, set us free, taken us from the kingdom of dark into the kingdom of light. Okay.

 

Then on to 42 in verse 5. The heavens are almost rent asunder from above them by his glory, and the angels celebrate the praises of their lord and pray for forgiveness. So there’s another indication you see, in 42 verse 5 that, well, you know, if angels are praying for me, this is just like some things that go on in Christianity and that I have seen and you have seen too probably in Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox, Christianity and so on and possibly some in other, types of Christianity as well, where you are, you know, not just, trusting Christ for salvation, which we as evangelicals do, but here they angels can pray for your forgiveness. There’s a lot of difference, really, as we know scripture and we trust, for instance, Ephesians 28 and 9, by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: It is a gift of God, not through works, lest any man should boast. And then, lastly, 53 and verse 26.

 

I should have mentioned that the word for angel in Arabic is malak. That really is angel. It’s the word for messenger, but it’s used in in Urdu as well. In Persian. And in Urdu, we have another word for angel, which is.

 

But this is, Arabic, and, you know, people have often have this name too, malk, malk, malk. One of my students here a few years ago, was Persian and her name is Malka. It’s a lovely name. This is 53 and verse 26 if you’re following along, and we’re on page 4 in the class notes in case you’re wondering. How many so ever be the angels in the heavens?

 

Their intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom he please. Now this seems to me to be a contradiction, really, because it’s a loophole, and, some Muslims will hang on to this as if their life depended on it, the possible intercession of angels and, and then prophets as well. But, let’s just, spend a little bit of more time more time here, talking about, other angels, and here we’re going to get into the archangels. There are 4 of them, and we really can’t take the time to read all about them in the Quran. But just note that the archangels are Gabriel.

 

He’s the angel of inspiration, but then again, it’s not totally clear in the Quran if the, if it’s if it’s Gabriel or the Holy Spirit, but but being Muslims really have some more or less said that, yes, it’s Gabriel. But when you look at the Quran, it just sort of makes it look like they’re 1 and the same, Gabriel and the Holy Spirit. But, you know, there’s this Gabriel is the archangel of the angel of inspiration, meaning that he was the one who transmitted the Quran from God to Muhammad and then Muhammad to, as we know, down to the those who memorized it and then the writers and so on and on. But there was this chain you see through Gabriel. It wasn’t direct, interestingly enough.

 

Nothing is direct in Islam, whereas God spoke directly to the prophets. He didn’t in Islam. Israfil, the angel who blasts the horn, and there are several verses there. You can look at them if you want to. It’s a sound just like, you know, first Thessalonians.

 

The trumpet the trumpets will sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, except in Islam, there’s no certainty of salvation when the judgment or the end is thought of only judgment, and that’s, I think, re one of the great reasons why Muslims are so afraid, so afraid of death and of the end, as we will be seeing later on in the, just in the next couple of lectures. And, as a result, they look to, others that they can inter who will intercede for them. For Sunnis, it’s not the same as Shiites. Shiites would hope that Ali would intercede for them in the grave. But I do want to, note, the, little bit here about the Israel, the angel of death.

 

And in, 661, there is a a verse here that just shows you how fearful Muslims are. And, you know, I’ll talk a little bit about this in a minute, but to me in Islam, the angels are not the same comfort as they are in in my faith. I look at them as ministering spirits who protect, who help, who, do all those things, and I’ll be sharing a story about that at the end. But here, it just gives you an idea of of of of the of the work of angels in Islam that oftentimes it’s, it’s fearful stuff. In other words, fearful in the sense that, they they are, you know, watching over us and and and not only watching over us in a good sense, but I think watching over us to catch us, catch us up.

 

And, this one here brings out that, the angel of death takes our soul. He it says he is irresistible, watching from above over his worshipers. Irresistible. God is irresistible, which we could talk about for a long time, from above over his worshipers, and he sets guardians over you. Okay?

 

And they give you the impression that they’re, people that you are are more happy with, but they’re watching you to make sure that, you know, if you take a misstep, they’re gonna grab you. And then over you at length, when death approaches, one of you, our angels, takes his soul and they never fail in their duty. Well, that’s hardly any comfort to me, to take the soul. And then, 93 of that same chapter, 6 and 93 is a long verse. So we’ll go down halfway, and it, talks about here in the middle, it just starts as how the wicked do fair in the flood of confusion.

 

And at death, the angels stretch forth their hands and say, yield up your souls. This day shall you receive your reward, penalty of shame for that you receive. Now, of course, there is judgment in Christianity too, but here, this is this scary stuff of of the angels. Israel is the angel of death. And then and then there is, there is Munkar and Naka, and that is 47 here.

 

We’re at the end, here, the question folks in the grave, 4727. And, this too is scary, more scary than anything, really. 47 and 27. But how will it be? How will it be when the angels take their souls at death and smite their faces?

 

So here, you know, it’s not just taking their souls, but smiting their faces. This too is scary. And I, will just talk about this question in a minute, but I, I wanted to read something out of the traditions. Previously, I had this right on a PowerPoint, but we weren’t, didn’t have the permission to use it in copyright. So I am reading from you to you now, out of, it says, Bukhari and Muslim, and these are the prints of the of the traditions.

 

This is chapter 5, a confirmation of the punishment in the in the grave. It says, Annas reported God’s messenger saying, when a man is placed in his grave and his friends leave him, he hears the beat of their sandals. Then 2 angels come to him, and having made him sit up, they say, what was your opinion of this man, of Mohammed? The believer replies, I testify that he is God’s servant and messenger. He is then told to look at his abode in hell for which God has substituted for him and abode in paradise, and he sees them both.

 

The hypocrite and the infidel are asked, what was your opinion of this man? And the reply, I I do not know. I held the opinion others held. They will retort you neither knew nor did you follow the believers. He will then be given a blow with iron hammers and will utter a shout which will be heard by all who are near him, with the exception of men and jinn.

 

So that’s Bukhari and Muslim, and we could, read others too. Here it comes, the the the page 35 of that same book. Abu Huayra reported God’s Messenger is saying, when the dead is buried, 2 black and blue angels are one called Al Munkar and the other Al Nakhr. Come to him and ask him what opinion he held and on and on and on. So, so it it’s pretty scary stuff, really, as I’ve mentioned before, and there’s a lot in the traditions about angels and death.

 

Now, this is a is a question, I have here for discussion. You know, we can’t discuss this face to face. Why might Muslims disallow forensic evidence of a corpse in court? Now this is a difficult question. I’m not sure that I, myself, know the answer fully, but it is an interesting discussion in class.

 

I don’t know per you know, completely, it is true that Muslims are quite fatalistic and, you know, that what happened, it happened, and, also, they’re very modest. And, for instance, if a woman dies, they don’t want, anybody looking at the body, because to them, it’s just like looking at you in life. That’s that’s true too. But I think another thing is this very thing that we’re talking about here that, you know, there is the judgment of the grave, there is this inquisition coming, and, you know, the angels are right there at hand, and so we might as well get this over with, and they wanna bury you right then. Of course, this is, forgot to mention the fact that, the incredible heat in some of these countries requires you to bury the, body immediately.

 

But I I, I have you know, why might Muslims disallow forensic evidence of a corpse in court? I remember, Baynazir Bhutto, whom some of you, I think, will remember, was assassinated several years ago. She was a prime minister of Pakistan, a beautiful woman who was educated in Harvard and in Oxford, and, it is suspect it’s suspected that she was murdered by the Al Qaeda. Really, no one allowed it, really. In other words, family didn’t want it and and, other the government wouldn’t allow it either, but, they just don’t allow forensic evidence of a corpse in court, and and I think those are some of the reasons, you know, God is the judge and what difference does it make, whose dead is dead, and so they wanna get it over with.

 

Now another thing is about the angels, and I’ll quickly put these up on the screen on the PowerPoint, and that is that the angels are, preside over days of the week. And you have here, Sunday, Rokael, Monday, Gabriel Tuesday, Sam Samil Wednesday, Michael Thursday, Sarafil Friday, Saturday, So, well, you have to, be careful what you do on certain, you know, days a week. For instance, we’ll look at this later, but Wednesday, in May, Muslim cultures, is not a day to wash clothes. So, just as interesting that that, this in is, this is very popular Islam. That’s all we can say.

 

Angels preside over days of the week. And, you have angels who are guardians of paradise guardians of hell as well. Guardian of paradise is Ridvan. Guardians of hell is malak or or or angels. Now when we said angels and books, we also are gonna talk a little bit about devils.

 

Well, this comes up, like, time and time again, and you might wonder how it fits. It’s something we’ve mentioned before, but I wanted to to say that, that Satan or the devil, shatan, whose name is also Iblis, sounds very much like Diabolus in Greek, he was, of the jinn, but he was also of the angels. So when we talk about shaitan, we’ll keep in mind that he’s also of the angels, and this is true of us too. We believe this in Christianity that he was an angel, but he disobeyed and rebelled. So, this is something I wanted to just show you from Bukhary so that you know that I’m not stretching it, that, narrated ibn Abbas.

 

The prophet said, if any of you, on having a sexual relations with his wife, must say before starting, now the English here is not perfect, in the name of Allah protect us from Satan and protect us protect what you bestow upon us, in other words, that is the coming offspring that that they should have a child, then Satan will never be able to harm that offspring. Where does it come from? It comes right out of Bukhadi 1, page 105, number 143, and also volume 4, page 323. I have this, set of Bukhadi 9 volume set that I bought in Pakistan, which I’m very proud that I have it. Also, I have the the, Muslim set, but you can get it online as well and check it out.

 

But but this shows, you see, the magical use of, the the the term use of God and and and how to get the victory over the devil. Alright. Now let’s talk a little bit about the Quran because we said we’re gonna talk about, the about the angels and the Quran, and, a little bit more about the books. And when we say books, we mean, the Quran. Though the Muslims do have great veneration, great respect for the bible, in that, you know, almost a almost a biblioetry in a sense because you, have to honor the book.

 

And I I when I’m with Muslims, I honor the holy books as well, and so, you know, I don’t don’t put them down below and and, but but for Muslims in the Quran, it’s, it’s borders on idolatry. And, how do you defend yourself against evil forces? Well, you use you do so by, you know, use of the book, and so you drink the book and you wear the book and you read the book and you memorize the book. Memorize the book. We thought that this is a good thing.

 

Well, it is a good thing to memorize holy books, meant to memorize scripture, but why do Muslims put so much emphasis on this? I think one of the reasons is that by memorizing the book and reciting the Quran, you can, work powerful, preventative against Satan, against demons, and on and on and on. It just sort of fits in with the worldview. And, coronopathy is sort of a cure in some Muslim areas for various diseases, and one of them is sometimes used Muslims have the idea that with a certain use of the Quran, you can overcome AIDS, Excuse me. A lot of, we would call them call girls in the in the Muslim world.

 

For instance, Karachi have AIDS. You know, you wouldn’t think of, would you, of the Muslim world and some of these strict areas like Pakistan, having prostitutes, but they do, And, lots of them, particularly in the big cities, in 1977, 78, the late seventies, when fundamentalist Islam came in, there was, you know, there was a renaissance and things tightened up, got a lot stricter. So, they did shut down a lot of brothels and stuff like that, but nevertheless, they go on under under the, under the eye and, are visited by people who look very, very religious and I have this book, The Dancing Girls of Lahore. This is not Karachi. This is the beautiful city in in the Punjab, but but, this goes on.

 

It’s quite common and, just sort of, by the way. Now let’s talk about something here. Discussion. Compare Muslim Christian views of Satan, and I believe that’s one of the forums. But, but but, compare Muslim Christian views of angels and angels.

 

And what are the missiological implications? Well, if we just think a little bit about angels, I’ve already talked about it a little bit, that angels in Christianity, as we know, are quite precious. In other words, they’re guard us they’re they’re guarding us as as believers, and they’re taking care of us, and I’m God that I’m so glad that God has has given them to us, but in Islam, it seems to me that they are often quite fearful and, you know, if you have to use them or try to use them as as, of of of doing intercession and stuff like that, it’s just a different concept of angels. I wanted to show you a book, that I have angels, true stories, what angels do for us, Robert Morgan, who’s one of our graduates and pastoring a church in Tennessee, Free Will Baptist. Great guy.

 

He wrote a book on angels. He’s written other books as well. Once book he wrote was on the, the Red, Red Sea Rules or something like that. But, you know, he, I gave him a couple stories on angels from Pakistan. One of them was, actually, I didn’t I referred him to somebody, but it was, what, a missionary from Pakistan who lost his keys on the way to he was on his way home, and he was in London.

 

He lost his keys and, locked him in the back of his car. He had to get to the airport in a hurry. And while he is wondering what to do, he and his wife somebody comes up, opens the the, trunk of the of the, car, the rental where the keys were in the trunk or the boot, and they look around to thank the person, and he’s gone. And they they they said that that is an angel. But the story I wanted to tell you was a Muslim convert and how angels are with Muslim converts, former Muslims.

 

And, this was somebody I personally knew and respected very, very much. He was loved by many people. His name was mister Qureshi, and we called him the peanut butter man because he made and marketed peanut butter, which is really unusual in the in the, east to made it and marketed it to foreigners. He loved peanut butter, and this is what he did, for a living, and he did made a good living at it. And, you’d look at his hands.

 

His hands were pretty, you know, they were good hands. In other words, he had worked with his hands. He became a believer and, he was very faithful to the Lord and bold in his witness outside of just outside of, Islamabad in a village there, and, he very boldly, you know, called himself a Christian and even put up on on a notice on the outside of his house. This was the house of the, mister Qureshi, a Christian, which is a pretty brave thing to do. The Muslims were not happy with that in that little village, so they opposed him.

 

But he was very generous to them and very kind and helped them out, in the, you know, in providing water for them, digging a well and fixing, the roads and stuff like that in this village and building canals and stuff like that, but the Muslims were not happy that he had converted to Christ, called himself a Christian, so they persecuted him and, they tried to bribe him and, so on and on and then turn him back to Islam, but he didn’t. Finally, they decided to burn him out. And so one day, mister Qureshi is sitting in his house in a village up there called Pin sultani Pin sultani. And by the way, there’s a book out, The Peanut Butter Man, that was written by a fellow missionary friend of mine, and it’s a great book if you get a chance to read it, The Peanut Butter Man. But here is mister Kresge, sitting in his house with his family, children, young children, his wife, and he hears this mob and they’re gonna burn him down.

 

So mister Cresci gathered his family around him and he said, this is it, but take courage. It’ll soon be over and will be with the Lord. And so he tried to comfort them as best he could and calm them as they heard this mob coming, shouting against mister Qureshi and that they were gonna burn down his house and him too. Now all of a sudden, in that roar of a mob, they heard some other voices, a couple of voices, and they didn’t know who they were. And the voices were clear, and they said, hang on.

 

What are you going to do? Don’t you remember what mister Kurishi has done for you? He built a well for you. He fixed a road for you. He built a canal for you, are you forgetting all that he did for you out of the kindness of his heart?

 

And he said that the noise of the mob died down, and pretty soon there was total quietness. And they went out, there wasn’t anybody there. And the people in the village said, you know, God protects his followers, Christians, these Christians through angels, and mister Qureshi himself is pretty sure, and his wife and family, that they were protected by angels. And that’s encouraging, isn’t it, when we think of the problems that, Muslim converts have that god does protect them. Praise god for angels.