Webinar #155 Dr Jay Smith - Understanding Islam - the importance of Mecca

Recorded on 8 June 2023 for ICMDA Webinars. Dr Peter Saunders chairs a webinar with Dr Jay Smith. This is the first in a series of three webinars this month on Understanding Islam with renowned Christian apologist Dr Jay Smith. Muslim tradition teaches that Mecca is the oldest and possibly the greatest of all cities; that Adam and Eve were thrown down to it; that Abraham lived in it; and that this city was where Muhammad came from and received the Qur'an. But what does history and archaeology reveal? This webinar will evaluate the historical record of Mecca, using evidence from the 7th century and before and comparing it with traditional teaching. The next webinars will cover the life and work of Muhammad and the Qur'anic manuscripts. Jay Smith has worked with Muslims since 1983. He has two masters’ degrees and completed his PhD in Islamics, in the areas of Apologetics and Polemics in 2017. Jay is one of Christianity’s principal public evangelists and debaters to the Muslim world. He travels extensively teaching Apologetics for those exploring ministry to Muslims and engages the movers and thinkers of Islam on a weekly basis. He is the founding member of the ‘Hyde Park Christian Fellowship’, a weekly evangelism ministry to Muslims in London’s public places, as well as a co-founder for the Pfander Centre for Apologetics.