이슬람 선교의 걸림돌로서 IS(Islam State)에 대한 연구 - 해석학, 이상 사회론, 구원론, 종말론을 중심으로

Abstract

This article is a study on the Islamic State. The IS creates two grave obstacles to mission work. The first obstacle happens due to the claim that IS’ problem is not solely Islam’s problem but rather a problem created by the conflict between the Western Culture based on Christianity and the Islam Culture. However, accepting such claims changes the rage towards Islam Terrorism to a rage towards the Western World and Christianity, which will result Islam Mission to have no place to stand. The second obstacle results from equating Islam with IS’ violent ideology and terrorism due to its aggressive terror attacks. Such simplex understanding on Islam not only degenerates the certitude towards Islam Mission but also arouses skepticism towards evangelizing towards Muslims. Such obstacles must be eliminated for the good of Islam Mission. As a result, the article argues that IS is not a deformation that is formed due to the West’s hegemonism but a result of Islam’s nature, and that one cannot equate the IS’ interpretation and practice of Islam with actual Islam. In order to support these argues, the articles will study and examine the backbone ideas of IS’ theology and belief: hermeneutics, idealistic society theory, soteriology, and eschatology throughout the four subjects because these core ideas clearly shows that IS is not a result from a external factor but a result of Islam’s nature. IS’ theological hermeneutic fundamentals are based on Salafism, which Ibn Taymiyya laid a foundation. Appeared in the 13th century, this hermeneutic tradition claims a word by world execution of Muhammad and the rightly guided Caliph’s words and lifestyles to achieve Islam’s ideals. According to Salafism, the primary purpose of Muslims should be constructing an Islamic Society based on the way their ancestors (Salafis) had believed. Jihad Allah’s order to forcefully hold back the anti-Islamic groups that exists both inside and outside of the Islam society and the reason why IS, which follows this claim, causes violence and terror attacks. Islam’s Soteriology acts as a strong centrifugal force to pull Muslims towards Jihad. Followers of IS do not solely participate to Jihad because of their idealistic society. Though Jihad is a duty, it also guarantees the martyrs salvation and paradise as rewards. Unlike Christianity that does not depend any actions for salvation, Muslims have to work for their salvations, and the best way to guarantee salvation is to participate in Jihad and be martyred. Another important motivations for Muslims to participate in the IS is their belief in the end. Islam, from the very beginning, carried an apocalyptic characteristic. Muslims who participate in the IS believe that the selection of Baghdai as Caliph and the IS conquest of Syria’s Dabiq are all fulfillments of the apocalyptic prophecies recorded in the talk about the begging of the apocalypse. IS believes that in here, a war with Rome, or the Western World, will begging and that a savior named Mahdi will appear, defeat the Western World, and Islamize the whole world. Muslims who cross the Turkish border and smuggle into Syria carry the aspiration to be martyred where the apocalypse begins. As one can see, the problem of IS is clearly an Islamic problem. However, one must not equate IS with Islam. IS is just a fragment of diverse interpretations of Islam. Christians must admit that. In this situation, IS can be an opportunity to expedite missions. IS encourages the Muslims to face the dark sides and the problems that the dark sides accompany while draws the attentions of Christians. In order to change IS from an obstacle to missions to an opportunity, research about Islam and effort to evangelize Muslims must continue.