Islam in the UK

Dear Editor,

Just a quick note to thank you for Andrew Marsay’s piece ‘How can we think deeply about Islam?’ in the July issue of en. I thought this was an excellent article and Andrew did a great job packing so much into a short space.

With the number of Muslims in the UK predicted to be near to 13 million by 2050, it’s vital that Christians are equipped to think theologically, missionally, and evangelistically about Islam. So it’s always good to see en cover the theme!

Keep up the excellent work.

Yours sincerely, Dr Andy Bannister Director, Solas, author of Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?

Dear Editor,

Tom Marcus, in his letter in the August issue of en, rightly points out that the Qur’an mentions previous books of revelation such as the Torah and Injil very frequently, and that, in places, it also encourages people to read them. It should be noted though, that in its references to these ‘other books’ the Qur’an always assumes, and frequently states explicitly, that the message that all previous books taught in their times was the same as that which Mohammed was bringing to his time.

According to the Qur’an, therefore, the books of the Bible may be consulted as valid revelation only insofar as they point to Allah not Yahweh, to a human rather than a divine Messiah, and to a human predicament that requires no divine intervention.

Yours sincerely, Andrew Marsay Newcastle-upon-Tyne