Islam s12 folk islam

Islam and
Future events
MI 396
Dr. Robert Patton

Islam - Folk Islam
MI 396
Dr. Robert Patton

Folk Islam
 Virtually all religions have a folk
religion
 Criteria
 Not highly educated “clergy”
 Deal with spirits and demonism
 Often a “shaman” from among the
people

© 2005 All Rights Reserved.
Encountering the World of Islam
is a trademark of Caleb Project. 4
Popular Islam
 Popular Expression of 70-85% of
Muslims
 This is because God of the Islam is
transcendent but not immanent.
 There is no relationship personally,
and no love or certainty

Pre-Islamic Beliefs
 Thin coating of orthodox Islam
 Syncretism
 Underlying power and allegiance
is a form of folk Islam or animism
 Sacrifices often made

Worldview of Folk Islam
Beings or Persons
God
Angels
Satan, Devils
Jinn
Prophets,
Dead Saints
Spirits
Ancestors
Souls of Recently dead
Holy men
Humans
Animals
Plants
Physical
Temporary
Spiritual
Eternal
Otherly
EternalPowers or Forces
Fate
Qu’ran
Magic, Sorcery
Astrology, Divination
Baraka (Blessing)
Evil Eye
Omens
Vows, Curses
Dreams – Visions – Sleep
Herbs, Drugs
Natural Forces

Popular Islam
 Two basic groups – impersonal
forces and persons grouped into
levels of power
 We see impersonal divided into
forces and dreams and visions

Levels of beings
Power groups
Allah
Angels
Satan, Devils
Jinn
Prophets,
Dead Saints
Spirits
Ancestors
Souls of Recently dead
Holy men
Humans
Animals
Plants

Impersonal powers
Powers or Forces
Fate
Qu’ran
Magic, Sorcery
Astrology, Divination
Baraka (Blessing)
Evil Eye
Omens
Vows, Curses
Dreams – Visions – Sleep
Herbs, Drugs
Natural Forces

Dream and Visions
 Many conversions have
some element of the
supernatural, often through
dreams, visions,
deliverance and healing.

Dream and Visions
 God uses dreams to reach
many
 Visions are common - ? >
50%
 Healings have been
common

Kingdo Biblical Worldview
 Satan is defeated – We do not fear him!
 Supernatural – Excluded middle
 Elijah and the prophets of Baal – a pure power
encouter
 Paul at Ephesus – “known in hell”

Biblical Worldview
 “Heavenly Places”
 We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the
HP – Eph 1:3
 We are seated with Christ at the right-hand of God
in the HP, far above all rule and authority, power
and dominion - Eph 1:20-21 & Eph 2:6
 God’s wisdom is made know in the HP – Eph 3:10
 Spiritual warfare for which we have been armed
with spiritual weapons takes place in the HP – Eph
6

Found in folk Islam
 Diviners
 Enchanters
 Wizards
 Necromance
rs
 Sorcerers
 Astrologers
 Prognosticat
ors
 Magicians
 Omens
 High places
 Sacred trees
 Amulets and
charms
 Fertility
 Magic arts and
bewitching
 Possession and
casting out spirits
and demons

Protective Objects
 Nazar as protection from the evil
eye (Talisman)
 Potions from herbs to holy water
 Productive (prosperity, fertility)
 Protective (overcome fear)
 Destructive (black magic, forcing,
hex, curses and spells)
 Anointing with Oil

Magic Words
 Amulets with Qur’anic verses
(Tawiz)
 Drunk, worn, buried, burned, eaten
 Incantation of the Names of God
(Dhikr)
 Rosary beads

Magic Words
 Amulets with Qur’anic verses
(Tawiz)
 Invocation
 Oaths
 Bismallah – the first verse of the
Qur’an used for protection
 Mashallah – what Allah wills, also
used for protection

Powerful Places
 Shrines & tombs of
saints
 Relics and Veneration
 Association of Divine
Power, Worship and
Respect
 Mediation
 Water & trees (bells)
 Hot springs

Anointed Times
 Festivals
 Nights of power (before
Eid)
 Muhammad’s Birthday
 Friday prayers &
Thursday nights

Anointed Times
 Life Cycle Rituals -
Astrology
 Birth, Naming,
Circumcision, Marriage,
Pregnancy, Death
 Calendar – Harvest,
Drought

Divination
 Astrology
 Communication with the
recently departed
 Omens
 Numerology
 Hearing Voices

Supernatural People
 Marabout or Dukun (shaman) or
the Imam
 Conrast: Recognition of Spirit’s
indwelling but make certain God
gets the glory

Supernatural Beings
 Do we have authority over
spirits?
 Jinn, demons, spirits
 House Cleansings

Fate and Taboo
 “Controlling Superstitions”
 I have seen pictures, and know of blood
being used.
 The law of contagion used
 Kismet – Causality/Equilibrium
 “Qur’an as fetish (placement) – I have
not seen the Qur’an used, but I have
seen the Bible used

Blessing - Baraka
 Christians can pray for the Muslim; let’s
make certain that the glory goes to God
for His power – and it is His decision; it
does not rest on the power of faith of
the individual

Transcendence &
Imminence
Transcendence
 Who is God? Allah is
otherly, distant,
unknowable
 Islam is doctrinally
transcendent.
Imminence
 Can I touch God?
 Is he close?
 Normal life is lived at
the imminent level.
 Popular Islam – Can
God help me against
Evil Spirits?

Sufism
 Knowledge, music, dance,
exercise, breathing
 Ascetic practices
 Whirling Dervish

A Sufi’s Path to God“One I seek, One I know, One I see, One I
call”
Rumi
 Serve God
 Love God
 Seek Seclusion with God
 Seek a perfected Knowledge of God
 Seek an ecstatic relationship with God
 Seek a “true” revelation of the nature
of God
 Seek union with God

Response to Folk Islam
 Truth Encounter
 Defeated foe
 Liberating Lord
Power Encounter
 Offensive attack
 Defensive resistance

Mental – Thought life

Moral -

Physical – Burn the books and charms
Deliverance ministry
 Confession, repentance and renunciation

Bridge to Life
 God is the King of the Universe.
 Men and women were created and
blessed as God’s representatives.
 But Adam and Eve disobeyed God and
were expelled from the Kingdom of God.
 Because of sin, Satan now rules the
Earth.
 Consequently, we have become
enslaved by Satan and are under the
Wrath of God.

Bridge to Life
 Our sin separates us from God and
His Kingdom.
 But God still loves us and sent Jesus
Christ to defeat Satan and delivers us
from the Kingdom of Darkness and
save us from the Wrath of God.
 If men and women want to enter into
to Kingdom of God, they must repent
and believe in Jesus the Messiah, the
Son of God, and totally trust in His
salvation.

Islam s12 folk islam

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