When forging relationships with Muslims to share the gospel, there are different barriers that might hold a Muslim back from truly hearing what a Christian has to say. Many Muslims misunderstand biblical teachings, Christians, and the worldview and social lives of Christians.
As Christians, we can be equipped to address these misconceptions Muslims have about us and our faith so their hearts can be ready and open to hear and receive the gospel message.
Misunderstandings Muslims have about Christianity
There are many things Muslims are told about Christian beliefs that are not true, and what Muslims think about Christians hold back Muslims from trusting us when we tell them about Jesus. By addressing these misunderstandings and correcting them, the door for sharing the gospel grows even wider.
1. Muslims believe the Bible is corrupted
Muslims are taught by their religious leaders that the Bible has been corrupted – though it is not clear in the Quran or Hadith who they blame this on. We have two resources1 that address this question in greater detail, but here is a quick summary on how a Christian can explain the credibility of the Bible.
The Old Testament was circulated by communities of scribes who dedicated their lives to the accurate preservation of the text. Most Old Testament manuscripts have scribal notations at the end of each major section so the scribes could make sure it always stayed the same. For example, the note at the end of the Book of Deuteronomy (the last book of the Torah) says that the total number of verses in the Torah is 5,845, the total number of paragraphs is 167, the total number of words is 79,856, and the total number of letters is 400,945! (Dare to Explore3)
The New Testament’s credibility stands up to the same scrutiny that historians would give to other ancient texts. There is documentation of at least 4,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament from before 1200 AD and some full manuscripts from as early as 350 AD. There are New Testament fragments with even earlier dates, from the first generation after the death and resurrection of Jesus.
For a guide on questions you can ask your Muslim friend on this topic, see this article: (Biblical Apologetics: everything you need to discuss with your muslim friend4)
2. Muslims believe Christians worship three gods
It’s true! Muslims vehemently affirm that the belief in the Trinity goes against the idea of monotheism, but the trinity they accuse Christians of is a trinity Christians themselves reject, which is the worship of God, Mary, and Jesus.
The Quran says, “O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. . . Say not ‘Trinity’: ‘desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah.” Quran 4:171
It is important to clarify that you believe in one God, whose character and nature is consistent across three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
You can simply tell your Muslim friend: “I believe in the Triune God by faith based on what the Bible teaches me, not because I can fully comprehend who God is in my finite mind.”
The Holy Spirit
Most Muslims do not know who the Holy Spirit is. You can learn a lot more about what Islam teaches about the Holy Spirit compared to what the Bible says to be prepared to talk about it.
The best thing to do is point your Muslim friend to verses that talk about the Holy Spirit and lead them in a study of it for themselves. But always make sure it is clear that you believe in one God, not three.
3. Muslims think Christians claim God had a son through a physical relationship with a woman
Some Muslims think the name “Son of God” for Jesus denotes a physical sexual reproduction between God and Mary. It is important to clarify this is not what you believe, and that you would also consider this heretical just like they do.
You can explain that a good example of this is how Egyptians call themselves the “sons and daughters of the Nile.” It denotes their origin, but it is not because they directly walked out of the Nile.
4. Muslims believe how Christians worship in church is inappropriate
There are two main parts to this misconception, the first being the practice of communion. Muslims are unfamiliar with this practice, but are sometimes led to believe it includes rituals like shedding and drinking blood that would mirror a pagan rite.
Secondly, because of Islam’s rules about women being separated from men in mosques, they believe it is highly inappropriate and promiscuous for men and women to worship together. This is not as much of a misconception, because it is true that Christian men and women attend church side-by-side, but rather you can explain that this happens because in God’s eyes we are all equal.
Islam’s practice of separating men and women partially stems from the belief that a woman is more unclean than the men, and if she walks in front of a Muslim man while he prays it cancels out his prayers and he must restart. Sharing with a Muslim woman that our Heavenly Father did not create her as “less valuable” or “less clean” than a man can make a huge impact on her heart.
Misunderstandings: What Muslims think about Christians as people
Oftentimes, these types of misunderstandings Muslims have are based on what they do or don’t see westerners doing in public. For them all Westerners are Christians, so when they see immoral behaviors they don’t have any reason to believe differently about Christians until they get to know a true Christian personally who corrects the misunderstandings.
1. Muslims think that Christians are not people of prayer
In Islam, prayer is a very public and regular part of their daily life. It can be easy to spot a Muslim who is praying in public, because they have many cleansing practices, use prayer rugs, and must do it through a proper sequence of postures and prayers.
Muslims do not see Christians praying publicly and so blatantly, so they assume that we are not people of prayer. This is something you can address with a Muslim and explain that prayer is different for you; it is part of a personal relationship with God, where He does not require you to do anything more than come to Him in prayer.
Read more about differences of prayer in Islam and Christianity6 so you can distinguish ways to talk about it.
2. Muslims believe Christians do not understand the importance of fasting
Similar to prayer, fasting in Islam is very public and done in a large setting with others around you. Ramadan is an entire month of fasting that Muslims all around the world must follow together, where they fast from sunrise to sunset; it is very obvious and clear to see who is fasting and who is not.
Because Christians do not fast on this large of a scale and as obviously, Muslims assume that we don’t fast or don’t care enough about our faith life. When in fact many Christians fast, but they do so without announcing it to others except their closest Christian friends who can pray for them.
This is not necessarily a point you have to disprove in your Muslim’s mind to share the gospel with them, but you can address it by sharing your fasting experiences and what God has taught you during these times of fasting.
3. Muslims think Christians do not respect or memorize the Bible
Islam has many rules about how to treat the Quran, keeping it off the floor and away from one’s feet as a sign of respect. Muslims must also be clean (having done the Wudu ritual) before they can touch the Quran. When Muslims see Christians place the Bible under their seats or by their feet, they assume this means we do not honor the Bible.
Muslims always use special stands to keep and read the Quran and make sure it does not touch the ground – it is part of their values of physical cleanliness and purity. You can even ask your friend why they do that, and explain to them how you honor and value God’s word.
Similarly, Muslims do not see Christians repeating and memorizing Bible verses in public like how they repeat the Quran in their daily prayers, so they often have no reason to believe we store God’s Word in our hearts.
You can very easily address this by always bringing Bible verses and stories into a conversation with them.
4. Muslims think Christians are physically dirtier than them
Muslims have to constantly follow physical cleansing rituals and rules, and it is a constant cycle of cleaning they follow throughout their entire day. So taking a shower once a day is not considered pious cleanliness.
Muslims also see Christians drinking alcohol and eating pork, which is considered unclean in their eyes. Using our right hand to clean dirty areas makes Muslims shudder. Some Muslims also believe dogs are unclean, so if you have a pet, then that is another reason they may think they are cleaner than you.
This entire belief is not a hygiene issue in their eyes, but rather it stems from their belief that physical purification cleanses them of unholiness. You can broach the topic with them by explaining that you believe sin taints the soul, not the physical body (and that you do indeed wash your hands and shower).
Now you have opened the door to talk to them about sin, its nature, and what can permanently save them from their sins, Jesus Christ!
5. Muslims think Christians do not care about modesty
Modesty is clearly valued in Islam, especially for women who wear hijabs. When Muslims see Christian women wearing shorts or sleeveless tops and showing their hair, this is considered incredibly immodest.
If you are a Christian woman, you could talk to a Muslim female friend about this and explain that modesty is important to you, but clarify that you do not believe your body is more sinful than a man’s. Rather, modesty is for both men and women and is about a proper heart that wants to honor God in what you wear and how you present yourself. But when visiting a Muslim in their home, try to be sensitive and wear clothes that cover your arms and legs.
Muslims’ misunderstandings of Christian worldviews
Finally, there are many misconceptions about the Christian worldview that might impact how Muslims may approach you.
1. Muslims assume Christians must hate Muslims, or even politically hate Palestinians specifically
One reason why we encourage Christ-followers to be bold in reaching out to Muslims and making the first step to form a relationship with them is because Muslims often expect Christians to hate them. They will not take the risk to talk to you because they are afraid of you.
Taking this one step further into political misconceptions, Muslims also assume all Christians are pro-Israel and hate Palestinians. To counter this, you can explain to your Muslim friend that your heart breaks for the violence and loss of life on both sides of this conflict.
2. Muslims assume Christians agree with the violence in Islamic countries done by Western countries
For Muslims, whose religion is built to be both a spiritual and political power, war cannot be separated from religion. If a western country attacks an Islamic country, Muslims feel this is a war on Islam.
With their association between Western countries and Christianity, Muslims misunderstand this to mean that Christians are waging war on them and celebrate the bloodshed in Islamic countries. While we know wars supported by or initiated from the western world are not based on religion, most Muslims do not see it that way.
3. Muslims believe Western culture is an accurate representation of the Christian worldview
Especially for Muslims in non-Western countries, they see Western cultural values through the media, and because they associate Western countries with Christianity, they assume that what they see in Western media represents all Christians.
This includes all of the promiscuity, promotion of homosexuality, heavy drinking, high divorce rates, and abortion advocacy. Especially because of the democracy in the United States, Muslims assume that Christians are voting in favor of these things.
You can right this belief in your Muslim friend’s eyes when you grow your friendship with them and show that your lifestyle does not match these worldly values. Take time to explain what a biblical worldview looks like and how many Western values go against it.
Conclusion
Christians can address these misconceptions while sharing the gospel with Muslims
We know that our fruit is an evidence of our faith; our relationship with God is not built on works, but rather we should live and act according to our relationship with God and the salvation gift.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
All of these misconceptions, whether about Christian beliefs, worldviews, or attitudes, lead to a lack of trust from Muslims with Christians. You can ask them what they believe about Christians and see which points they bring up, and then tell them the truth about your beliefs and life.
However it is always most important that you focus on sharing the gospel and pointing back to the True God. For example, do not talk about how moral you are, but rather how you strive to honor God’s commands because He loves you!
Prayer for sharing the gospel with Muslims who have misconceptions about you
Dear Lord, please open my Muslim friend’s heart to hear the gospel. I want to honor you in everything I do and say, so that they can see Your truth at work in my life. Amen.
