The Jenkins Center for the Christian Understanding of Islam was delighted to host its Director, Dr. Ayman S. Ibrahim, for two academic lectures on the foundations of Islam. Ibrahim is the Bill and Connie Jenkins Professor of Islamic Studies at Southern Seminary. His latest release, Muhammad’s Military Expeditions, was published with Oxford University Press in July of this year. Ibrahim’s numerous publications demonstrate a thorough, critical analysis of Islam, with particular attention to Muslim sources and implications for Christian ministry to Muslims.
On Friday, August 30, Ibrahim lectured twice to a mixed audience of undergraduate and seminary students, faculty, and members of the local community. Mr. Bill Jenkins, who helped establish the Jenkins Center with his wife Connie through generous financial support, was in attendance. The two-part series titled “Questioning Islam’s Foundations” examined Islam’s two core elements—Muhammad and the Quran—through a scientific-critical lens.
In his first lecture, Ibrahim described “three Muhammads.” The first Muhammad, based on legends and stories, exists in the hearts and minds of most Muslims. Given that these stories and legends vary within the context of a community or a person’s preference, this legendary Muhammad did not exist. The second Muhammad is the traditional Muhammad found in the texts of Islam, which were written two centuries after he died. As a result, Ibrahim explained, what is known about the traditional Muhammad cannot be understood as reliable, authentic, or valid because it fails to meet a major rule of historiography: it lacks an eyewitness. This lack of eyewitnesses, as well as intertextual contradictions and the absence of supporting archaeological evidence, has led many scholars to conclude that the traditional Muhammad as presented in Islamic texts did not exist. Third, Ibrahim discussed the historical Muhammad who presumably lived in seventh-century Arabia. In contemporary non-Muslim sources from seventh-century Arabia, Christians who lived nearby made note of a man who was launching raids against caravans but dismissed him as a false prophet on account of his violent behavior.
This all begs the question: did Muhammad exist? According to Ibrahim, it depends on which Muhammad we are discussing. From a critical perspective, the legendary Muhammad did not exist. We cannot be sure of the traditional Muhammad; though he is described in many sources, the sources themselves are contradictory and late. The historical Muhammad did exist, but we do not know much about him.
To close the first lecture, Ibrahim questioned the historicity of Mecca as he does in his book A Concise Guide to the Life of Muhammad (Baker Academic, 2022). Referencing research by several scholars, Ibrahim reiterated that just as the traditional Muhammad was invented two centuries after his life in Muslim sources, so too was Mecca.
The second lecture focused on the Quran with the same scientific-critical approach, starting with the Muslim perspective. Ibrahim explained that for Muslims, today’s Quran is inerrant, as if it were dropped from heaven. In fact, many Muslims believe that the Quran is uncreated—it has always existed with Allah. In their view, it is a perfectly preserved copy of the celestial tablet, which is the word of Allah that is next to his throne in heaven.
In a profound example, Ibrahim likened the Muslim view of the Quran to the Christian view of Jesus. Well-meaning Christians who are unfamiliar with Islam may assume that Muslims view the Quran the same way Christians view the Bible. Muslims, however, view the Quran as the incarnate word of Allah, which is more parallel to the Christian view of Jesus as the incarnate Word of God. This explains Muslim reverence toward and defense of the Quran, even in the face of compelling criticism or questions.
Citing actual conversations with Muslims, Ibrahim emphasized that this belief about the Quran is what sparks accusations of the Bible’s corruption and lack of unity. Muslims believe that the Quran was perfectly preserved. A simple overview of the Quran’s canonization shows that Islam’s own history disproves this. In brief, Shiite Muslims completely disagree with Sunni Muslims on the origin of the Quran, and many traditions dispute specific chapters, verses, and passages are missing from the Quran. Even more, the official copy of the Quran used widely today did not exist in its current published form until 1924.
We must understand that for Muslims, criticism of the Quran—or even any hint of doubting it—is considered blasphemous. If we can help Muslims question the foundations of Islam, Ibrahim reiterated, then Islamic claims collapse.
In today’s modern age, because of access to information online, Muslims cannot avoid this criticism of the Quran, and of Islam. Moreover, Muslims themselves are questioning Islam like never before. “And if Islam collapses,” Ibrahim asserted, “it will be because of historical criticism.”
Both lectures were fast-paced and informative, yet full of personal applications for Christians. “What is our responsibility as Christians? Expose lies and speak truth,” Ibrahim encouraged the audience. “Islam, as a false religion, can only grow in a soil of ignorance.” Christians need to be educated. Christians need to understand the solid ground that their faith is built on.
It is precisely our Christian perspective that enables us to see Islam rightly, through the light of truth in Jesus Christ. By questioning Islam’s foundations in conversation with Muslims, Christians can confidently shine that light into the darkness of Islam. The darkness has not – and will not – overcome it.
Here is some feedback we received from the participants:
“The lectures proved that Dr. Ibrahim possesses an incredible depth of understanding of Islam. What stood out more for me personally, is that his expertise was clearly channeled into equipping believers to fulfill the Great Commission. This was highlighted when he said something along the lines of, ‘The goal isn’t to tear down Islam, the goal is to exalt Christ.’ I appreciated that the ‘academic lecture’ was more about advancement of the Kingdom than it was about building upon academia.” – David Kim
“The Jenkins Center always puts on beneficial lectures that help students and fellow Christians better understand Islam. These lectures helped to explain the shaky ground Islam sits upon. Both lectures helped me grasp more fully how Islam’s core foundation lacks true scrutiny and real credibility. The lectures also provided a desire to know more and helped to foster a greater concern for the eternal destiny of those who practice Islam. In the end these lectures gave me more knowledge when communicating the gospel to a Muslim.” – Brian Lilly
“Dr. Ibrahim alluded to this a few times, but by exposing the shaky foundation of Islam, my appreciation for the historical, archaeological, polemical, and biblical criticism Christianity has endured over the centuries conveys how solid my faith foundation is.” – Hal Nix
“Academically, the lecture inspired me to dig deeper into Muhammad and the Quran during and beyond my study program. Professionally, Dr. Ibrahim’s lectures set a good model for what to omit and emphasize in a short public lecture. Spiritually, the lecture strengthened my faith in Christ and encouraged me to love Muslims and preach the gospel. Having Dr. Ibrahim as my supervisor and mentor in Islamic studies is a privilege.” – Bedjo Lie
We are grateful to Dr. Ibrahim for his passionate, clear, and thorough lectures. Above all, we are immensely thankful to the Lord for his leadership as the Director of the Jenkins Center and his academic contributions in the field of Islamic Studies that have equipped countless Christians in reaching Muslims with the gospel.
For further reading on historical-scientific criticism of Islam’s foundations, check out the following publications from Dr. Ibrahim:
A Concise Guide to the Quran: Answering Thirty Critical Questions (Baker Academic, 2020)
A Concise Guide to the Life of Muhammad: Answering Thirty Key Questions (Baker Academic, 2022)
A Concise Guide to Islam: Defining Key Concepts and Terms (Baker Academic, 2023)
For further reading on how to evangelize to Muslims effectively, check out Ibrahim’s Reaching Your Muslims Neighbor with the Gospel (Crossway, 2022).