It is well-known that Islam in South Asia has a structured caste system (there is even a Wikipedia article about it!). I contend that the caste issue in Islam is essential for those seeking to share the gospel with the Muslims of South Asia. In brief, it seems that lower-caste Muslims have been the mostContinue reading “The Dalit Background of South Asian Islam”
Category Archives: Culture
86 Common Terms in Muselmani English
This blog post is a strange one! It is my first blog post that is me simply reporting a Chat GPT conversation. Lately, I have been using Chat GPT as one research tool. It can synthesize a great deal of information in a short period of time. Today, I asked Chat GPT a question, andContinue reading “86 Common Terms in Muselmani English”
Folk Islamic Ritual #12: Taziah and Muhurram
This blog post is the ninth in a series on South Asian folk Islam and its rituals. Click here to go to the first of these articles. Understanding the rituals of Folk Islam provides insight into the beliefs and practices of folk Muslims. This understanding helps us to make disciples of folk Muslims. In theContinue reading “Folk Islamic Ritual #12: Taziah and Muhurram”
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Folk Islamic Ritual #11: The Hand of Fatima
This blog post is the eleventh in a series on South Asian folk Islam and its rituals. Click here to go to the first of these articles. Understanding the rituals of Folk Islam provides insight into the beliefs and practices of folk Muslims. This understanding helps us to make disciples of folk Muslims. In eachContinue reading “Folk Islamic Ritual #11: The Hand of Fatima”
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Folk Islamic Ritual #10: 786 and Bismallah
This blog post is the tenth in a series on South Asian folk Islam and its rituals. Click here to go to the first of these articles. Understanding the rituals of Folk Islam provides insight into the beliefs and practices of folk Muslims. This understanding helps us to make disciples of folk Muslims. Abjad isContinue reading “Folk Islamic Ritual #10: 786 and Bismallah”
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How Should MBBs Relate to Islam and Culture?
When Muslims come to Christ, their relationship to their former religion and culture is a crucial question. In many areas, there are no mature Muslim-Background Believers (MBBs) for new MBBs to learn from regarding what it means to follow Jesus. Therefore, they are left to their own devices to determine their relationship with Islam andContinue reading “How Should MBBs Relate to Islam and Culture?”
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Blessed are the Pure in Heart: Muslims, Ritual Purity, and the Gospel
Muslims tend to be obsessed with ritual purity. Islam demands this obsession for the person who wants God to hear their prayers. This blog post aims to explain this obsession and discuss the implications of this obsession for sharing the gospel with Muslims. I believe that understanding and framing Scripture in terms of purity issuesContinue reading “Blessed are the Pure in Heart: Muslims, Ritual Purity, and the Gospel”
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Folk Islamic Rituals #9: Devotional Images
This blog post is the ninth in a series on South Asian folk Islam and its rituals. Click here to go to the first of these articles. Understanding the rituals of Folk Islam provides insight into the beliefs and practices of folk Muslims. This understanding helps us to make disciples of folk Muslims. I hadContinue reading “Folk Islamic Rituals #9: Devotional Images”
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Folk Islamic Ritual #7: Mystical Uses of the Qur’an
One Muslim understands the Qur’an to be the source of truth from Allah, while another uses the Qur’an most as a magic book to overcome spiritual forces in their life. Many Muslims simultaneously use the Qur’an in both of these ways.
Folk Islamic Ritual #6: Zikr and the 99 Names of Allah
One way that folk Muslims seek to interact with this spiritual realm is through protective amulets called tawiz. Another common practice is called zikr (Arabic dhikr), which often uses the 99 names of Allah.
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