Mission
meaning: a specific task or duty assigned to a person or a group of people
Missionary
meaning: a person strongly in favour of a program, a set of principles, etc.., who attempts to persuade or convert others
We’ve all heard of it and we all know the work that they do but what happens when during the course of their mission, they end up offending others.
More often than not, we all know what a missionary is and perhaps to some extent, what the end objective is – to convert others. The most prominent of missionaries that we always hear of is the Christian missionary.
They travel around the world to specific locations and perform community work whilst spreading the word of the gospel in hopes that they’d be able to convert those living there to join the Christian faith (forgive me and correct me if I’m wrong). Even in Singapore, we do see missionaries from other parts of the world coming over the spread the word of the gospel to non-Christians here.
I, personally, have been approached by one before.
And recently, a mission group in Singapore, NUS Campus Crusade, was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Read here.
As part of their mission work that they were embarking to several parts of the world namely of particular concern were Thailand and Turkey, the groups’ poster stated:
“Thailand is a place of little true joy…”
It goes on further to state “…The land of smiles needs to hear the gospel message. Come and share with Khonkaen University students that Jesus is the Way, the True and the Life”
In another separate poster focused on Turkey, it stated:
“In a country where much of the population is M, much prayer and work is needed in this place.”
On first instance reading this, I feel absolutely offended at how such words were used and question these individuals’ mission work itself. Obviously, these individuals needed to go on a mission to discover themselves first as Christians rather than to travel to tell and convince others to be Christians.
I don’t think Christianity is an insensitive religion such that it asks its’ followers to go on a mission to convert others whilst stepping on others toes. Actually, I don’t even agree with this mission work to convert others for a few simple reasons.
- Undertaking such missions means that such individuals must see themselves as near-perfect faithfuls of the religion. Since none of us ever were friends with the Prophet, is the Pope, a priest/pastor, I don’t think we’re even qualified to undertake such higher calling missions. Even priests/pastors aren’t perfect faithfuls and end up committing grave sins that they themselves preach.
- Since none of us qualify under point 1, our mission should be within ourselves FIRST. To better ourselves as faithfuls of the religion that we subscribe to. As a Muslim, we have the ‘Jihad’, which is a constant internal struggle – to fight within ourselves, to fight the urges to commit sins.
- If we really believe that it is our calling to go on a mission work, the best mission work to start on after ourselves would be to help the community that we live in. To better the faiths in our family and friends. I’m sure there are many people in Singapore who subscribe to the same faith but aren’t committing their life to god enough – these individuals could use a friend, a volunteer to help him/her get closer to god and to be more faithful. And for as long as there are fellow faithfuls in your community who aren’t faithful enough to god, take it that your mission isn’t done yet and god won’t be happy if you can’t get your own communion to be faithful.
Those 3 points should cover at least the basic minimum requirement to go on a religious mission.
But what do I think would be the best mission?
The best has got to be the mission to oneself.
As a Muslim, the best Muslim ever to have walked on this planet earth is no other than Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). He was a walking Quran. He was the life of what Quran meant. No other Muslim could ever be as perfect as he was and it is in every Muslims’ life mission to live life as how Muhammad did.
If any Muslim wants to convert anyone to be a Muslim, he shouldn’t have to go on any kind of mission anywhere because it is in every Muslims’ task to live like a Muslim. He should simply focus on being an exemplary individual, one that people should and want to follow and that should be his mission. There shouldn’t be a need for him to preach to others about how good it is to be a Muslim because if he did, he’d be gloating and end up becoming less of a Muslim. Let others see for themselves a Muslims’ way of life and should the non-Muslim be given ‘light’ from god, then that individual shall naturally open his heart and mind to want to learn more about it on his/her own.
I seriously hope that the NUS kids reading this will search for themselves and begin the mission work on themselves first. I don’t think Christianity or any other religion has taught us to belittle others – RESPECTING others choice of worship is also what it means to be a faithful to any religion.
Here’s a little something about what Muslims believe about Jesus, Prophet Jesus isn’t dead yet and was never crucified and he’ll be coming back down to earth just before the world ends for his final mission.
We can all then sing “Guess Who’s Back.. Back Again.. Jesus’s back!”
In gist – I DON’T AGREE WITH MISSIONARY WORK OVERSEAS UNDERTAKEN BY ANY RELIGION, NOT EVEN MUSLIMS IF IT EXISTS.
Abdillah Zamzuri 
I do not agree with the comments posted above..It may be well-written but it lack the understanding of the Christian faith..Jesus calls us to spread the gospel to the ends of the world,..then the end will come..
According to what I know,and contrary to what is above, the Muslims spread their faith are around the middle east with full force. However, Christianity suffered lots of persecutions and even death threats and still have to spread their faith around Roman empire with love..
I am not debating about religion here but I am trying to share how Christianity had indeed suffered greatly just to spread love and forgiveness around, at least in the 1st-3rd century AD..As Christianity is an exclusive religion that believes only in 1 God,Jesus, it has no choice but to have some form of religious supremacy over other religions. This is similar to Judaism and Islam..
The posters mentioned above were only for internal circulation and doing mission work overseas is good as it broadens our mind and assure our faith in God..Many religions are also doing missionary work all over the world now. From what I know, not a single non-Christians have been asked to sign up for any christian missionary work by the organisation.
Therefore, this incident had been made a mountain over a molehill..
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Tim,
“Jesus calls us to spread the gospel to the ends of the world” –
I’m sure the same applies to all the other religions in the world, especially so Islam and Judaism since all three believe in the same god.
“According to what I know,and contrary to what is above, the Muslims spread their faith are around the middle east with full force. However, Christianity suffered lots of persecutions and even death threats and still have to spread their faith around Roman empire with love..” –
What do you mean by the term “full force”? I assume you intent to mention that Islam was violent since you made it a point to state and draw comparison by stating that “Christianity suffered lots of persecutions and even death threats and still have to spread their faith around Roman empire with love..” Do be informed that Islam does have its root in Christianity, violence in Islam was only enacted and allowed in the past during the early growing phase as Muslims were constantly being attacked by those who opposed it. It was purely in self-defense during that period as there was a minute number of Muslims and in order for Islam to grow, it was essential then that Muslims had to react in violence against violence to protect itself. It came to a point that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked Muslims to migrate to Abssynia (now Ethiopia) to seek refuge from the just and fair Christian turned Muslim-Convert King, King Negus. King Negus wasn’t persecuted or given death threats when he converted, he only asked a member of the Muslim congregation, to which Jaffar (RA) read a verse from the Quran of which the verse of Maryam ( Lines16 – 24) was read (verse in English – http://www.dar-us-salam.com/TheNobleQuran/surah19.html) and he subsequently converted.
“From what I know, not a single non-Christians have been asked to sign up for any christian missionary work by the organisation.” –
I don’t think I ever mentioned about any non-Christian being asked to sign up for any christian missionary work. The gist of the entry was simply about missionary work in general and how I believed that it would be better for anyone to take the mission on himself first and then the community he/she lived in and to focus on the community he/she lived in rather than to travel to perform missionary work. If everyone in their own community focused on their own missionary work around the world, there wouldn’t be a need to travel for missionary work to convert others.
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Jesus before He was taken away said ” Those who kill by the sword will die by the sword.” This is very true..Jesus was building a spiritual/heavenly kingdom, not an earthly kingdom, he does not need anyone to fight for Him on Earth..Regarding about the fact that the Muslims who acted in self-defense, i call this invasion..From what I know, there lots of Jews, Christians living in the Middle East but when Islam comes, lots of churches and Jewish temples were overturned and Christian and Jews were forced to pay tribute to the Muslims also..
The real truth was the ppl living in the middle east was not really defending themselves or their countries but they were defending for the survival of their religion on Earth, in which is not needed if your God is real and in heaven..It is well–known that the people of Mecca suffered a heavy defeat from the people of Medina led by the Prophet..
The main point I want to state here is that a spiritual/religious kingdom should only be built in Heaven not on Earth. If you intend to build an earthly kingdom,there will be unnecessary deaths, in which some of those who died may yet to be converted and be able to go up heaven.Only Jesus who was from heaven was very focused on building a heavenly kingdom, that is why he told the Pontius Pilate, “my kingdom is not of this world”
Finally, I disagree with you on the fact that missionaries are not needed overseas. Do you know what does a missionary do? He is supposed to travel to countries or islands where the bible or the koran is unreached.How is any religion going to be reached to billions of nonreligious people or atheists if every religious person just stay put on his religious country?The only way to do this is by missions.
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Tim,
The wars that Muslims entered were wars that were inevitable, people of the Quraishy, the tribe that Prophet Muhammad was born into wanted to kill him because Islam was spreading fast and the people of Quraishy didn’t like it because their business were affected since they lived in Mecca and Mecca was a thriving business city whereby much business was centred on idol worshipping. And since Prophet Muhammad was asking people to not worship idols, the people of Quraishy living in Mecca doing business were very angry and wanted to kill him. Contrary to your statement, Muslim converts who were slaves were tortured and killed by their masters for just being Muslims. Prophet Muhammad never forced or taught anyone to pay tribute to the Muslims, he would only ask that people return to the right path to acknowledge that he is the last of the Prophets and Allah is the one true god, which was also the same thing preached by all the other Prophets before him.
“It is well–known that the people of Mecca suffered a heavy defeat from the people of Medina led by the Prophet..” –
The people of Mecca at that point of time were of the Quraishy tribe, the same tribe that Prophet Muhammad was born into. The people of Quraishy were businessmen dealing in idol worshipping and hence, when Prophet Muhammad began asking people to leave idol worshipping, his own people got angry and wanted to kill him. They constantly harassed Prophet Muhammad and tortured Muslims in Mecca. Wars waged during that period were initiated by Quraishy tribe against Muslims because they wanted to eradicate Muslims from the face of the earth. Prophet then asked Muslims to migrate to Medina and it was there that Islam expanded. The Quraishy people even chased after Muslims to wage wars and in the process got themselves killed and suffered the heavy defeat. Even when Muslims sought refuge in Abssynia, Quraishy sent two people to meet King Negus, asking King Negus to send the Muslims back to Mecca. Islam reclaimed Mecca without a single blood when they walked back into it to perform the pilgrimage and then cleared the area surrounding the Kaabah, the black box that Muslims pray to which was constructed by Abraham and Ishmael, of idols. This was done because the Kaabah when first constructed by Abraham and Ishmael, was clear of such Idol worshipping and thus, it was Prophet Muhammad’s job to return it in its original state.
Perhaps, in the years when people around the world weren’t aware of what religion is, it would be understandable to have such missionaries. But in this day and age? “He is supposed to travel to countries or islands where the bible or the koran is unreached.How is any religion going to be reached to billions of nonreligious people or atheists if every religious person just stay put on his religious country?” Reference back to the poster by NUS, isn’t there already Christians in Thailand, that would mean to say that the bible has reached there. And isn’t there already Islam in Turkey, so why go there? Even in Singapore, we have atheists, so why not just focus the missionary efforts to convert the community first. Besides, I’m sure you’d agree on this, there are so many people here, in Singapore itself who claim to be a follower of a certain religion but do not practise it. Shouldn’t it then be the mission of these missionaries to focus its efforts on these individuals instead rather than to travel to reach places whereby the bible or quran has already been reached. And, Christianity is also the biggest religion in the world.
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