1. The Early Spread of Islam and Christianity

2. THE EARLY SPREAD OF ISLAM

3. Reason #1 Muhammad’s Ability to Inspire Rage

4. Inspiring Rage
Ibn Ishaq, p. 369—“The apostle said, ‘Kill any Jew that falls into your power.’ Thereupon Muhayyisa bin Mas’ud leapt upon Ibn Sunayna, a Jewish merchant with whom they had social and business relations, and killed him. Huwayyisa was not a Muslim at the time though he was the elder brother. When Muhayyisa killed him Huwayyisa began to beat him, saying, ‘You enemy of God, did you kill him when much of the fat on your belly comes from his wealth?’ . . .

5. Inspiring Rage
. . . Muhayyisa answered, ‘Had the one who ordered me to kill him ordered me to kill you I would have cut your head off.’ He said that this was the beginning of Huwayyisa’s acceptance of Islam. The other replied, ‘By God, if Muhammad had ordered you to kill me would you have killed me?’ He said, ‘Yes, by God, had he ordered me to cut off your head I would have done so.’ He exclaimed, ‘By God, a religion which can bring you to this is marvelous!’ And he became a Muslim.”

6. Inspiring Rage
Ibn Ishaq, p. 676—“The day after Bint Marwan was killed the men of Bani Khatma became Muslims because they saw the power of Islam.”

7. Reason #2 Ignorance and False Revelations

8. False Revelations
Sahih al-Bukhari 3329—“Narrated Anas: When Abdullah bin Salam heard of the arrival of the Prophet at al-Madina, he came to him and said: ‘I am going to ask you about three things which nobody knows except a prophet: (1) What is the first portent of the Hour? (2) What will be the first meal taken by the people of Paradise? (3) Why does a child resemble its father, and why does it resemble its maternal uncle (its mother’s brother)?’ . . .

9. False Revelations
. . . Allah’s Messenger said: ‘Jibril (Gabriel) has just now told me of their answers.’ Abdullah said, “He (i.e., Jibril), from amongst all the angels, is the enemy of the Jews.” . . .

10. False Revelations
. . . Allah’s Messenger said, ‘As for the first sign of the Hour, it will be a fire that will collect (or gather) the people from the east to the west; the first meal of the people of Paradise will be extra lobe (caudate lobe) of fish-liver. As for the resemblance of the child to its parents: If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife and gets discharge first, the child will resemble the father, and if the woman gets discharge first, the child will resemble her.’ On that Abdullah bin Salam said: ‘I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah.’”

11. Reason #3 Lust and Greed

12. Lust and Greed
Sahih al-Bukhari 2787—Muhammad said: “The example of a Mujahid in Allah’s Cause—and Allah knows better who really strives in His Cause—is like a person who observes Saum and offers Salat continuously. Allah guarantees that He will admit the Mujahid in His cause into Paradise if he is killed, otherwise He will return him to his home safely with rewards and war booty.”

13. Lust and Greed
Ibn Ishaq, p. 596—“Are you disturbed in mind because of the good things of this life by which I win over a people that they may become Muslims while I entrust you to your Islam?”

14. Lust and Greed
Sahih al-Bukhari 3344— “So, the Quraish and the Ansar became angry and said, ‘He (i.e., the Prophet) gives to the chiefs of Najd and does not give to us.’ The Prophet said: ‘(I give to them) so as to attract their hearts (to Islam).’”

15. Reason #4 Fear of Death

16. Fear of Death
Ibn Ishaq, p. 547—Muhammad said: “Woe to you, Abu Sufyan, isn’t it time that you recognize that I am God’s apostle?” He answered, “As to that I still have some doubt.” I said to him, “Submit and testify that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the apostle of God before you lose your head,” so he did so.

17. Fear of Death
History of at-Tabari, Volume 10, p. 55—Abu Bakr said to the apostates: “Verily God, may He be exalted, sent Muhammad with His truth to His creation as a bearer of good tidings and as a warner and as one calling [others] to God, with His permission, and as a light-bringing lamp, so that he might warn [all] who live, and so that the saying against the unbelievers might be fulfilled. So God guided with the truth whoever responded to Him, and the Apostle of God, with His permission, struck whoever turned his back to Him until he came to Islam, willingly or grudgingly.”

18. THE EARLY SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY

19. The Spread of Christianity
In the Old Testament, God establishes three main Jewish festivals (Passover, Pentecost, Booths).

20. The Spread of Christianity
In the Old Testament, God establishes three main Jewish festivals (Passover, Pentecost, Booths).
The Jewish nation is repeatedly conquered, leaving Jewish communities on three continents.

21. The Spread of Christianity
In the Old Testament, God establishes three main Jewish festivals (Passover, Pentecost, Booths).
The Jewish nation is repeatedly conquered, leaving Jewish communities on three continents.
Jesus is crucified when Jews are gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.

22. The Spread of Christianity
In the Old Testament, God establishes three main Jewish festivals (Passover, Pentecost, Booths).
The Jewish nation is repeatedly conquered, leaving Jewish communities on three continents.
Jesus is crucified when Jews are gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover Festival.
The Holy Spirit descends when Jews are gathered in Jerusalem for the Festival of Pentecost.

23. The Spread of Christianity
Acts 2:1-13—“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them

24. The Spread of Christianity
. . . Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? . . .

25. The Spread of Christianity
. . . Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!’ Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’ Some, however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine.’”

26. The Spread of Christianity
Around 3,000 Jews convert to Christianity at Pentecost.

27. The Spread of Christianity
Around 3,000 Jews convert to Christianity at Pentecost.
Many of these converts stay in Jerusalem to learn from the Apostles.

28. The Spread of Christianity
Around 3,000 Jews convert to Christianity at Pentecost.
Many of these converts stay in Jerusalem to learn from the Apostles.
After the stoning of Stephen, a persecution breaks out against Christians, and the converts return to their own cities.

29. QUESTIONS?