Shane Bennett

We’re looking at what motivates different cultures to follow their moral guidelines. Social scientists identify three main paradigms: guilt/innocence, shame/honor and fear/power. Think of it this way: We have the first of the pair and want or need the second.

Many Muslim cultures, from the Middle East through North Africa to Asia, operate under a shame/honor paradigm. Individuals in these cultures are compelled to do the “right” thing in order to bring respect and esteem to their family and group. Erase shame. Increase honor. 

A Muslim might not primarily concern themselves with whether engaging in a given behavior will make someone guilty or leave them innocent. This can befuddle those of us who understand right and wrong along those lines. (Haven’t they read Romans?!)

Of course there is great variety in this. When Muslims immigrate to Western cultures, their children tend to decouple their religion from their culture. As part of the downstream effect of this shift, we can expect second generation children of Muslim parents to operate more in the Western guilt-innocence paradigm than their parents’ honor-shame. Eliminate guilt. Ensure innocence. 

The fear/power reality also finds its way into Muslim cultures. Under the broad label of Folk Islam, many Muslims look for ways to control the spiritual realities haunting their lives. I’ll never forget one afternoon in India: as the sun beat down, noisy crowds of pilgrims pressed forward toward the grave of a saint. They hoped to gain some power, maybe get some prayers answered by close proximity to his shrine. Quell fear. Possess power. 

Next week, we’ll look at how the prevalence of the shame/honor paradigm impacts our understanding of Muslims on a macro level and our interaction on a personal level. 

The study of worldview is endlessly fascinating. (Or brutally boring if you’re not like me!) The various cultures of the world can be sliced and diced in kaleidoscopic ways, leading to insights about both “them,” and if we’re lucky, “us.”

One such slicing has to do with how we consider the impact of following and failing to follow our moral/social systems. Scholars, missiologists and sociologists consider three basic operating systems in this area: Guilt-Innocence, Shame-Honor and Fear-Power. While every culture has elements of each of these, each culture will tend to emphasize one over the other two. 

Guilt and Innocence
This facet says if you follow the moral code you are innocent. If you break the law, you’re guilty. This thinking is emphasized in Western, individualistic societies. If that is where you live, you may have read the first two lines in this paragraph and said, “Duh!” While seeming self-evident to you and me, it’s not the way everyone sees things. 

Honor and shame
Generally found in Eastern, more collectivist societies, this says that doing wrong brings shame onto you and your group. Shame must be taken care of to restore honor. This is the predominant mindset among many Muslim groups.

Fear and Power
This paradigm is largely seen in tribal or animistic culture in which fear is addressed by trying to amass power or control over evil forces. While not compatible with orthodox Islam, this mindset finds its way into the day to day lives of many Muslims. 

Next week we’ll explore ways in which these three pairs map onto the Muslim world. Shame and Honor dominates, but the other two also have influence. 

If you’ve hung around Muslims much, you’ve heard the phrase Insh’allah. You probably even know it literally means, “If God wills.” But have you ever wondered where it comes from and why it is used so often? I have. 

The phrase Insh’allah comes from the Quran, Surah Al-Kahf 18:23-24, “And never say of anything, “Indeed, I will do that tomorrow, Except [when adding], ‘If Allah wills.’ And remember your Lord when you forget [it] and say, ‘Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer than this to right conduct.’”

If you think that reminds you of a verse in the Bible, you’re right. James says something very similar in chapter 4:13–15. “Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

While the best way to understand how and why your friends say this is to ask them, here are two main reasons for innumerable Insh’allah’s. 

1. Legit reverence for God
   People serving an omnipotent god are wise to speak with deference to that god and humility about themselves. Jesus taught us to pray to our Father in Heaven, “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” Similarly, Proverb 16:9 says, “A person plans his course, but the Lord directs his steps.

   Sometimes when a Muslim says Insh’allah, she is showing regard for her God. Essentially, “I have an thought, but God knows all truth.”

2. Softening a social situation
   Sometimes Muslims avoid saying “No” or “Maybe” by letting God take the heat. “Can I come to your toddler’s ballet recital? Insh’allah.” According to the The Nuns of Vught in Holland, “In many Arab cultures, preserving harmony and showing respect take precedence over directness.” Insh’allah “gently signals doubt or polite refusal, without saying so directly.”

   They advise close attention to non-verbal clues such as a “pause, a shift in tone, a smile that fades slightly” to discern the meaning of the word.

Interestingly, Insh’allah is popping out of Muslim situations into mainstream culture. Here’s a video of Anne Hathaway recently using it, sounding for all the world like it’s not her first time!

A good friend from long ago preached at my church this past week. We were moved, encouraged and challenged. 

He recounted the 15 years he and his family lived in Syria, doggedly living out and giving out the gospel of Jesus. I remember their faithful, once-a-month prayer letters (They were better at it than I was, and some of you!) always asking for this: “Pray with us for one Syrian family to follow Jesus.”

He shared when his team gathered weekly for worship and communion, they would set aside a cup and bit of bread for the “one family to follow Jesus” they were asking God for. 

At the end of 15 years they went home still waiting for that first family to follow Jesus. 

Four years after their return, two things happened: War began to ravage the country of Syria, and a former teammate who’d relocated to Jordan began to share some good news. The coworker reported that two Syrian families had begun to follow Jesus. Shortly after, three more! 

In subsequent months and years, my friend has been unable to keep up with the track of the growth. He says, “Out of great horror comes great harvest.”

He and his wife met a Syrian refugee at an iftar (Ramadan meal) who told of having recently baptized eight Syrian women. She later visited Syria and baptized 50. The following summer at her sister’s untimely funeral, 70 were baptized!

The psalmist captured the beauty of my friend’s investment so long before we heard the story, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them.”

Hang in there friends. God is not finished with you nor with gathering glory for himself from Muslims all over. 

Do you feel any uneasiness when you hear the question, “Why don’t Muslims speak out against terrorism?” A pastor and a reporter had a feisty exchange on this question backstage at the recent Republican Midterm Convention. 

On the one hand, if someone does something terrible in the name of Islam, I guess I’d like to hear some Muslims say, “That was a terrible thing and it does not represent Islam.” If a big-time pastor gets busted for embezzlement, I guess I’m inclined to at least think, “That’s wrong and not the way of Jesus nor most pastors.”

But, honestly, I don’t hear many Muslims quoted in the media streams that hit my eyes commenting about anything. After a terrible event, we are often shown what’s purported to be Muslims celebrating the atrocity. I only know a few Arabic words and can’t tell if maybe they’re cheering their favorite football team. 

I read an article today that pushed my thinking on this. It might bug you, but personally I found it worth considering. Author and scholar Dr. Todd Green was interviewed about a book he wrote called “Presumed Guilty: Why We Shouldn’t Ask Muslims to Condemn Terrorism.” In it he expounds on three key reasons why we shouldn’t ask Muslims to condemn terrorism.

“The first reason. . . is that the question itself assumes that Islam is the catalyst for terrorism or the cause of terrorism.” Green argues that religion is never the single cause for terrorism, but exists in the context of political, social, cultural and individual factors. 

“The second reason, which is the one I was the least happy about writing–but I had to do it–was that Muslims condemn terrorism all the time. I mean, Muslim condemnations of terrorism are just ubiquitous.” Dubious? Here’s a list I just stumbled upon listing over 6000 instances, with links! 

“The third reason. . . why we shouldn’t ask Muslims to condemn terrorism [because it distracts] us from that very conversation about our own violent past and our ongoing complicity in a violent world order.”(This is the ouchy part!) Green posits a contemporary example of Jesus’s instruction to consider the log in our eye, not just fret and fuss over the speck in another’s. For me, it’s easier to rail against Muslim terrorism than it is to seriously consider the implications of my tax dollars buying bombs that kill Muslim kids. 

It’s a tough world and way complicated. Jesus, have mercy.

I’d love to hear your feedback on this. If you’re going to write back, can I ask that you read the Green article first? It’s quite possible I’ve unintentionally misrepresented him or muddied his otherwise cogent thoughts. Thanks. 

Friday, as you may know, is a big day for Muslims. What you may not know is how Jumu’ah, their special day of prayer and worship unfolds. Here’s a quick rundown:

1. Starting Thursday night, a good Muslim will begin asking God for forgiveness. They will also lay out clothes and make sure there’s cologne in the house.
2. Wake up, take a bath, clip fingernails and put your best clothes on.
3. If you walk instead of riding or driving to Friday prayers, a Hadith says you get a year of forgiveness for each step you take!
4. Get to the mosque early. Muhammad is reported to have said an angel makes note of who arrives first, second and so on and rewards the early birds. (I’m wondering if I could convince my congregation that this is a thing for us!)
5. Do the required washing prior to entering the prayer area of the mosque.
6. Get some extra prayers in between the first and second call to prayer.
7. After the second call to prayer, the imam delivers a sermon on a pertinent (hopefully!) topic that often includes a short intermission before he finishes with a prayer. (Muslims highly value quiet and attentiveness during this time.)
8. Following the khutbah (sermon), everyone stands for two sets (rakʿahs) of formal prayer (salat), and the official part is over.
9. Those who don’t have to hustle back to work might then hang out, catch up with friends and go out to eat with their family. (Hopefully they’re better tippers than some Christians!) 

Of course, it’s one thing to read about what happens at Friday prayers. It’s another altogether to visit! I’d encourage you to do so. It’s not cheating on Jesus. Wouldn’t you love for a Muslim to visit your church? I sure would.

How’s your week going? Probably some ups and downs, a few wins and losses, maybe grace and judgement. We bought a car this week. Oddly enough that event involved all six of the above! 

I also was reminded of a phrase this week: This too shall pass. While not taken from the Bible, it does reflect a measure of biblical wisdom. Ever wonder where it came from? Spoiler alert! It was not a white, European man! Most likely it was first penned by a Muslim poet in the 12th century. (It was probably first said by Eve to one of her kiddos!)

According to this video, the sentence was given to a king to help him avoid both being crushed by defeats and made arrogant by victory. It reminded him that neither the good nor the bad would last forever. My former pastor and mentor says similarly about church ministry, “Don’t ride the highs. Don’t ride the lows.”

The poet’s name is Attar of Nashipur, a 12th century Persian Sufi Muslim from a region now in the country of Iran. 

The phrase made its way west (and probably east) and became popular in the US through a speech soon-to-be-president Abraham Lincoln made at the Wisconsin State Fair in 1859. Interestingly, Lincoln closed the speech expressing hope that the maxim would not prove true of the growing goodness he saw in America. 

Even so, this gift from a Persian poet has found a place in our popular culture. You may have had it told to you and may have told it to others. It possibly helped. 

May God use it today to remind us that Iranians are so much more than our country’s current foe. May he also use it to bring, in Lincoln’s words, “chastening in the hour of pride! [And] consoling in the depths of affliction!”

I’m enjoying a daily devotional app (though not everyday!) called Lectio365. This week the content is aligned with a Global Week of 24-7 Prayer. The organizers are inviting believers all over to seek God’s purposes around the promise of Philippians 2.9-11 “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

I’ve been moved by soaking in this promise Paul records, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, every tongue proclaim.” “Every knee?” “Every tongue?” When? Can it please be soon? And how are we involved, if at all, in the keeping of this promise? 

Some of us are particularly keen to see Muslim knees bow to Jesus. (God have mercy: Let’s make sure ours are first!) We long to hear Muslim voices glorify God by acknowledging the lordship of Christ. His name really is above all names! 

As you probably know, Muslims have a list of 99 names for God. Maybe you’ve heard this joke: “Why does the camel smile (see image above)? Because it knows the 100th name of God!” 

Spoiler alert: Muslims don’t think the 100th name is Jesus! (But maybe the camel does know!)

Even so, the list of God’s names in Islam captures many of the characteristics Christians also attribute to God. This means the list provides a good conversation starter. 

For example, the sales guy I’ve been interacting with this morning as I write Muslim Connect has a Kaaba emoji next to his name in his contact info! Alex is probably going to get asked about some of his favorite names of God and will probably hear some of mine! Al-Aleem knows!*

#19, The All-Knowing, The Omniscient. The One whose knowledge encompasses everything, past, present, and future.

Addendum: We should not let this day pass, the 25th anniversary of 9/11, without remembering in prayer those who lost loved ones or quality of life in those horrendous attacks and in the downstream conflicts that have spanned the globe. May God have mercy on those who suffer. 

When you think of what judgement followers of Jesus might face, which way do you lean: “Hey, the blood of Jesus washes me clean. Which way to my mansion?” Or more like me in a I Cor. 3.15 sort of way, “Dang, I kinda smell like smoke!” Either way, for Jesus followers, eternity is secured and very, very hopeful. (Pause a moment and breathe that in.)

For Muslims, the judgement of God might be a little more complicated. I recently read a brief section from an apparently reliable Hadith (as they go) that says Muslims will face five questions about their lives before proceeding further in the process.

As you read over these, consider two things, ask yourself: 1. Do I know any Muslims I could ask about these? They’re great conversation starters! 2. Should I maybe think about these right now? I know it would be good for me to.

From At-Tirmidhi: The son of Adam will not pass away from Allah until he is asked about five things: 

1. How he lived his life, 
   This kind of sums it up, doesn’t it? Jesus pointed this out in Matthew 25 long before Muhammad was kicking around Arabia.
2. How he utilized his youth, 
   This feels to me like, “So you think you did ok with your life, eh? How about when you were a kid? Huh, what then?
3. What means he earned his wealth with, 
   Wow, such a good question. Do you and I earn our money in an ethical and God-pleasing way? I’m a pastor, so a 90-minute church service once a week and a couple weddings a summer. I’m crushing it!!
4. How he spent his wealth,
   Assuming you’ve earned your money in an Allah-pleasing fashion, now consider how you spend it! Do you really need the grande latte? The top trim level with the heated steering wheel? That’s not fair. The older I get the more I think what you do with your money is between you and God. I’m just reminding us: Good idea to think about how we spend our stash.
5. What he did with his knowledge.
   Wow! So how about it? What do you do with your knowledge? Do you let it puff you up or maybe direct your love toward building pathways pleasing to God and beneficial to his kingdom?

I don’t think Christians will be quizzed like this on that Day, but I suspect giving thought to Muhammad’s big five will leave us smelling less smoky when it comes. 

If you’ve been considering donating some money to the recovery and relief effort in Nepal, but are unsure where to do so, I have two friends who lived there for several months and have a “like family” relationship with a Nepali mom involved in the effort. If you’d like to give through that channel, click here. My friends and I will be grateful. 

This email is Muslim Connect number 500. In a few months we’ll celebrate ten years with prizes, balloons and popsicles. But for today, I’m feeling both grateful and a little sad. 

Grateful for the valiant people who read Muslim Connect, for those who’ve written back with thanks or kind words, and for those who’ve responded to set me straight. (Which I definitely need from time to time.) I’m grateful for every kind action directed toward a Muslim person and every faithful prayer directed to God on their behalf. 

I’m grateful for the rich history of Islamic people groups and for the kaleidoscopic beauty of their cultures.

I’m grateful we live in a day and age where more Muslim peoples than ever before have access to the good news about Jesus and more Christians are actively reaching out to them. Muslims are finding life in Christ and glorifying God like never before. 

I’m sad that Muslims continue to be a focal point for our national angst. I assume the percentage of us who make inflammatory content about Muslims roughly equals the percentage of Muslims doing publicly stupid things. But too much of such content gets too much visibility. 

Finally, I’m hopeful God will accomplish everything he wants. He’ll gain the glory and the followers he deserves. And we’ll enjoy the fullness of his kingdom with countless friends from Muslim backgrounds. 

As a small effort toward that great end, Muslim Connect will continue to encourage us to think about Muslims the way God does and love them like Jesus does. Thank you for reading, praying and taking action.