The Muslim Majority: Folk Islam and the Seventy Percent

by Robin Hadaway

Overview

More than 70 percent of Muslims worldwide practice folk Islam, a syncretistic mix of theologically orthodox Islam and traditional religious beliefs and practices. The Muslim Majority is unlike many published works on evangelism to Muslims, which argue for either apologetic or contextualized “bridge” approaches. These approaches are often ineffective in reaching adherents of popular Islam. Instead, author and missiologist Robin Hadaway outlines a contextual approach that addresses the unique perspective of popular Islam. Hadaway explains the differences between folk Is­lam and orthodox Islam and explores best practices for reaching the vast majority of Muslims with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781462745593
Publisher:	B&H Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/15/2021
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,033,475
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Robin D. Hadaway (ThD, University of South Africa) is senior professor of missions at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Table of Contents

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xv

Abbreviations xvii

Glossary xix

Introduction 1

1 Folk Islam and Islamic Orthodoxy 11

2 Folk Islam and Sunni Muslims 23

3 Folk Islam and Shiite Muslims 31

4 Sufi Islam and Folk Islam 39

5 The Origins of Folk Islam: Traditional Religion 55

6 Traditional Religion's Influence on Popular Islam 73

7 The History of Evangelizing Muslims 89

8 Contextualizing to Orthodox and Folk Islam 97

9 Contextualizing to the Worldviews of Folk Islam 115

10 Contextualizing to the Worldview of Sufi Folk Islam 161

Conclusion 173

Appendix 1 183

Appendix 2 185

Appendix 3 187

Bibliography (Sources Cited) 189

Bibliography (Comprehensive) 203

Name Index 215

Subject Index 217

Scripture Index 221

Editorial Reviews

In his latest work, The Muslim Majority, Robin Hadaway describes how folk Islam, which repre­sents the beliefs and practices of the majority of Muslims, is expressed in the main branches of Islam. Suf­­ficiently academic but refreshingly practical, Hadaway provides specific instruction on how contextu­ali­za­tion can be used to effectively communicate the gospel cross-culturally in evangelizing folk Mus­lims. The Muslim Majority should not be overlooked by anyone who desires a genuine understand­ing of Islam and is mandatory reading for those who desire to reach folk Muslims with the good news of Jesus Christ.”
—Paul Chitwood, president, International Mission Board
 
“In The Muslim Majority, professor Hadaway engages with the challenge of bringing the message of sal­vation to folk Muslims. This innovative book draws on years of experience to offer creative solutions to the long-standing challenge of reaching Muslims for Christ. Hadaway reports that conventional gospel presentations in terms of a guilt/innocence worldview, supplemented by doctrinal apologetics, will not answer the felt spiritual needs of the ‘70% majority’ of Muslims. Instead, he calls for creative approaches to reach these people, who see life through a fear/power worldview (folk Muslims), or through an exis­­tential/trans­cen­dent worldview (Sufis). This is a vital contribution to the greatest missional challenge fac­­ing the church today.”  
—Mark Durie, senior research fellow, Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Is­lam, Melbourne, Australia
 
“This is a useful introduction to folk Islam in African contexts. Hadaway provides a balance between con­­textual explanations and his personal experiences. He also points helpfully to redemptive analogies as effective means to introduce gospel truth.”
—Ant Greenham, as­soci­ate professor of Missions and Islamic Studies, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
 
 “Dr. Robin Hadaway takes you deep into the heart of the vast majority of Muslims. He digs deep be­neath the veneer of formal Islam that informs most of the current approaches that largely address mat­ters of theology and culture. Then he presents us with a more effective approach that addresses the ‘real’ worldview of the majority of Muslims, folk Islam, which is a mixture of religious beliefs, mys­ti­cism, and superstitious practices. This approach can trigger a revolutionary method that promises to multiply the fruit of missionary labor. This book is not only to be read but also to be shared for maxi­mum exposure.” 
—Georges Houssney, founder and president, Horizons International
 
 “Robin Hadaway writes out of costly service, personal experience, and serious missiological reflection concerning what it would take for ordinary Muslims amongst the Beja people to find most sym­pathe­tical­­ly that Jesus Christ desires to be their Savior and Lord. On the author’s heart, especially, are folk Muslims and Sufi folk Muslims. He evaluates various historic and contemporary approaches to Christian sharing of the gospel with Muslims and proposes some contextualized missional approaches meaningful within the worldview of the Beja. I am pleased to commend his helpful contribution.”  
—Bill Musk, retired Angli­can Bishop of North Africa
 
“Dr. Hadaway, writing from his perspective as an academician, has compiled excellent insights into the, at times, esoteric world of folk Islam. His research on Sufism and African Traditional Religions are of par­ticular note. Hadaway has refuted the common-held belief that Islam is monolithic and exclusively doctrinal. His sharing of practical insights are worth the price of this relevant book.”
—Phil Parshall, missionary, SIM International
 
 “Robin Hadaway gets to the heart of what leads to an effective witness to Muslims when he proposes that it must be contextualized according to worldview. As he develops this argument the various chap­ters provide useful insight into how to approach each Muslim context according to the real-life circum­stances of those who live there. For those who would go beyond general references to the world of Is­lam to a level that seeks to personally encounter a Muslim in their context with the gospel, this book is a must-read.” 
—Dean Sieberhagen, associate professor of Islamic studies and director, Islamic Studies Program, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
 
“Robin Hadaway in The Muslim Majority exposes the fallacy of the widely-held notion that most Mus­lims adhere to Islamic orthodoxy in both faith and practice. The result is that most strate­gies for reach­ing Muslims fail because they are not designed to understand the actual folk Islam which often prevails in the lives of the majority of Muslims in the world. Not since Phil Parshall’s Bridges to Islam, published in 1983, has a book come along which so helpfully addresses the particular challenges posed by folk Is­lam. May this book be widely read by those serving the nearly 2 billion Muslims who still await the fulfillment of their deepest hopes.”
—Timothy C. Tennent, president and professor of world Christianity, Asbury Theological Seminary
 

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