About Islam |
One can easily understand Islam by studying the following points. If there is any mistake please inform me. I shall be grateful.
The
word "Islam" means peace
and submission. Peace means to be
at peace with yourself and your surroundings and submission means submission
to the will of God. A broader meaning of the word "Islam" is to achieve
peace by submitting to the will of God.
This is a unique religion with a name which signifies a moral attitude and a
way of life. Judaism takes its name from the tribe of Juda, Christianity from
Jesus Christ, Buddhism from Goutam Buddha and Hinduism from Indus River. However,
Muslims derive their identity from the message of Islam, rather than the person
of Muhammed (P), thus should not be called "Muhammadans".
Allah
is the Arabic word for "One God". Allah is not God of Muslims only.
He is God of all creations, because He is their Creator and Sustainer.
The
word "Muslim" means one who submits to the will of God. This is done
by declaring that "there is no god
except one God and Muhammad is the messenger of God." In a broader
sense, anyone who willingly submits to the will of God is a Muslim. Thus, all
the prophets preceding the prophet Muhammad are considered Muslims. The Quran
specifically mentions Abraham who lived long before Moses and Christ that, "he
was not a Jew or a Christian but a Muslim," because, he had submitted to
the will of God. Thus there are Muslims who are not submitting at all to the
will of God and there are Muslims who are doing their best to live an Islamic
life. One cannot judge Islam by looking at those individuals who have a Muslim
name but in their actions, they are not living or behaving as Muslims. The extent
of being a Muslim can be according to the degree to which one is submitting
to the will of God, in his beliefs and his actions.
In
brief, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was born in a noble tribe of Mecca in Arabia
in the year 570 AD. His ancestry goes back to Prophet Ishmael (P), son of Prophet
Abraham (P). His father died before his birth and his mother died when he was
six. He did not attend a formal school since he was raised first by a nurse
as it was the custom those days, and then by his grandfather and uncle. As a
young man, he was known as a righteous person who used to meditate in a cave.
At age 40, he was given the prophethood when the angel, Gabriel, appeared in
the cave. Subsequently, the revelations came over 23 years and were compiled
in the form of a book called the Quran which Muslims consider as the final and
the last word of God. The Quran has been preserved, unchanged, in its original
form and confirms the truth in the Torah, the psalms and the Gospel.
No.
Muslims do not worship Muhammad (P) or any other prophets. Muslims believe in
all prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon, Moses and Jesus.
Muslims believe that Muhammad (P) was the last of the prophets. They believe
that God alone is to be worshiped, not any human being.
Muslims
think highly of Jesus (P) and his worthy mother, Mary. The Quran tells us that
Jesus was born of a miraculous birth without a father. "Lo! The likeness of Jesus with Allah is the likeness of Adam. He
created him of dust, and then He said unto him: Be and he is" (Quran 3.59).
He was given many miracles as a prophet. These include speaking soon after his
birth in defense of his mother's piety. God's other gifts to him included healing
the blind and the sick, reviving the dead, making a bird out of clay and most
importantly, the message he was carrying. These miracles were given to him by
God to establish him as a prophet. According to the Quran, he was not crucified
but was raised into Heaven. (Quran, Chapter Maryam)
Muslims
have no sects. In Islam, there are two major schools of thought, the Shia
and the Sunni. Both have many things in common. They follow the same book
- Quran. They follow the same prophet Muhammad (P). Both offer their prayers
five time a day. Both fast in the month of Ramadan. They both go for hajj, pilgrimage
to Mecca. Those who follow Prophet Muhammad (P), in accordance with his sayings
and actions, are called Sunni and those who in addition follow the sayings and
views of Ali (Muhammad's son-in- law), as the rightful successor to Prophet
Muhammad (P), are called Shia. Shia means a partisan (party of Ali) and it started
more as a political party to help Ali in his conflict with his political adversaries.
Most Shias live in Iran and Iraq while the rest of the Muslim world is mostly
Sunni. Shias comprise about 16-percent of the Muslim population.
There
are five major pillars of Islam which are the articles of faith. These pillars
are 1) the belief (Iman) in one God
and that Muhammad (P) is His messenger, 2)
prayer (Salat) which are prescribed five times a day, 3) fasting
(Siyam) which is required in the month of Ramadan, 4)
charity (Zakat) which is the poor-due on the wealth of the rich and 5) hajj
which is the pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime if one can afford it physically
and financially. All the pillars should be of equal height and strength in a
building in order to give the building its due shape and proportions. It is
not possible that one would do hajj without observing fasting or without practicing
regular prayers. Now think of a building which has pillars only. It would not
be called a building. In order to make it a building, it has to have a roof,
it has to have walls, it has to have doors and windows. These things in Islam
are the moral codes of Islam such
as honesty, truthfulness, steadfastness and many other human moral qualities.
Thus in order to be a Muslim, one should not only be practicing the pillars
of Islam but should also have the highest possible attribute for being a good
human being. Only then the building is completed and looks beautiful.
The
purpose of worship in Islam is to be God conscious. Thus the worship, whether
it is prayer, fasting, or charity, is a means to achieve God consciousness so
that when one becomes conscious of God, in thought and in action, he is in a
better position to receive His bounties both in this world and the hereafter.
God
is Just and manifest His justice, He established the system of accountability.
Those who do good will be rewarded and those who do wrong will be punished accordingly.
Thus, He created Heaven and Hell and there are admission criteria for both.
Muslims believe that the present life is a temporary one. It is a test and if
we pass the test, we will be given a life of permanent pleasure in the company
of good people in Heaven.
No.
The Quran clearly says that, "anyone
who has an atom's worth of goodness will see it and anyone who has done an atom's
worth of evil will also see it" (Quran 99:7-8). By that it is meant
that those who are non- believers but have done good will be rewarded in this
world for their good deed. On the other hand, those who do good if they are
Muslims, they will be rewarded not only in this world but also in the world
hereafter. However, the final Judgment is up to God himself. (Quran 2:62)
Islam
emphasizes modesty. No person should be perceived as a sex object. There are
certain guidelines both for men and women that their dress should neither be
too thin nor too tight to reveal body forms. For men, they must at least cover
the area from the knee to navel and for women, their dress should cover all
areas except the hands and face. The veil is not essential.
Muslims
are told in the Quran not to eat pork or pork products, meat of the animals
who died before being slaughtered or the carnivorous animals (as they eat dead
animals), nor drink blood or intoxicants such as wine or use any illicit drugs.
The
word "Jihad" means struggle, or to be specific, striving in the cause of God. Any struggle done in day-to-day life
to please God can be considered Jihad. One of the highest levels of Jihad is
to stand up to a tyrant and speak a word of truth. Control of the self
from wrong doings is also a great Jihad. One of the forms of Jihad is to take
up arms in defense of Islam or a Muslim country when Islam is attacked. This
kind of Jihad has to be declared by the religious leadership or by a Muslim
head of state who is following the Quran and Sunnah.
The
Islamic year started from the migration (Hijra)
of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD. It is a lunar year
of 354 days. The first month is called Muharram.
Idul
Fitre, marks
the end of fasting in the month of Ramadan and is celebrated with public prayers,
feasts and exchange of gifts.
Idul
Adha marks
the end of the Hajj or the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. After the public prayers,
those who can afford, sacrifice a lamb or a goat to signify Prophet Abraham's
obedience to God, shown by his readiness to sacrifice his son Ishmael.
What
is Sharia?
Sharia
is the comprehensive Muslim law derived form two sources,
a)
The Quran
b)
the Sunnah
or traditions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
It
covers every aspect of daily individual and collective living. The purpose of
Islamic laws are protection of individuals' basic human rights to include right
to life, property, political and religious freedom and safeguarding the rights
of women and minorities. The low crime rate in Muslim societies is due to the
application of the Islamic laws.
According
to the Quran, "There is no compulsion
in religion" (2:256), thus, no one can be forced to become a Muslim.
While it is true that in many places where Muslim armies went to liberate people
or the land, they did carry the sword as that was the weapon used at that time.
However, Islam did not spread by the sword because in many places where there
are Muslims now, in the Far East like Indonesia, in China, and many parts of
Africa, there are no records of any Muslim armies going there. To say that Islam
was spread by the sword would be to say that Christianity was spread by guns,
F-16's and atomic bombs, etc., which is not true. Christianity spread by the
missionary works of Christians. Ten-percent of all Arabs are Christians. The
"Sword of Islam" could not convert all the non-Muslim minorities in
Muslim countries. In India, where Muslims ruled for 700 years, they are still
a minority. In the U.S.A., Islam is the fastest growing religion and has 6 million
followers without any sword around.
Does
Islam promote violence and terrorism?
No.
Islam is religion of peace and
submission and stresses on the sanctity of human life. A verse in the Quran
says that, "anyone who saves one life, it is as if he has saved the whole of
mankind and anyone who has killed another person (except in lieu of murder or
mischief on earth) it is as if he has killed the whole of mankind.[5, 32]".
Islam condemns all the violence which happened in the Crusades, in Spain, in
WW II, or by acts of people like the Rev. Jim Jones, David Koresh, Dr. Baruch
Goldstein, or the atrocities committed in Bosnia by the Christian Serbs. Anyone
who is doing violence is not practicing his religion at that time. However,
sometimes violence is a human response of oppressed people as it happens in
Palestine. Although this is wrong, they think of this as a way to get attention.
There is a lot of terrorism and violence in areas where there is no Muslim presence.
For example, in Ireland, South Africa, Latin America, and Sri Lanka. Sometimes
the violence is due to a struggle between those who have with those who do not
have, or between those who are oppressed with those who are oppressors. We need
to find out why people become terrorists. Unfortunately, the Palestinians who
are doing violence are called terrorists, but not the armed Israeli settlers
when they do the same sometimes even against their own people. As it turned
out to be in the Oklahoma City bombing, sometime Muslims are prematurely blamed
even if the terrorism is committed by non-Muslims. Sometimes those who want
Peace and those who oppose Peace can be of the same religion.
There
is no concept of "Fundamentalism" in Islam. The western media has
coined this term to brand those Muslims who wish to return to the basic fundamental
principles of Islam and mould their lives accordingly. Islam is a religion of
moderation and a practicing God fearing Muslim can neither be a fanatic nor
an extremist.
No,
polygamy in Islam is a permission not an injunction. Historically, all the prophets
except Jesus, who was not married, had more than one wife. For Muslim men to
have more than one wife is a permission which is given to them in the Quran,
not to satisfy lust, but for the welfare of the widows and the orphans of the
wars. In the pre-Islamic period, men used to have many wives. One person had
11 wives and when he became Muslim, he asked the Prophet Muhammad (P), "What
should I do with so many wives?" and he said, "Divorce all except
the four." The Quran says, "you
can marry 2 or 3 and up to 4 women if you can be equally just with each of them"
(4:3). Since it is very difficult to be equally just with all wives, in
practice, most of the Muslim men do not have more than one wife. In the western
society, some men who have one wife have many extramarital affairs. Thus, a
survey was published in "U.S.A. Today" (April 4, 1988 Section D) which
asked 4,700 mistresses what they would like their status to be. They said that
"they preferred being a second wife rather than the 'other woman' because
they did not have the legal rights, nor did they have the financial equality
of the legally married wives, and it appeared that they were being used by these
men."
No.
On the contrary, Islam elevated the status of women 1,400 years ago by giving
them the right to divorce, the right to have financial independence and support
and the right to be identified as dignified women (Hijab) when in the rest of
the world, including Europe, women had no such rights. Women are equal to men
in all acts of piety (Quran 33:32). Islam allows women to keep their maiden
name after marriage, their earned money and spend it as they wish, and ask men
to be their protector as women on the street can be molested. Prophet Muhammad
(P) told Muslim men, "the best among
you is the one who is best to his family." Not Islam, but some Muslim
men, do oppress women today. This is because of their cultural habits or their
ignorance about their religion. Female Genital Mutilations has nothing to do
with Islam. It is a pre Islamic African Custom, practiced by non Muslims including
coptic Christians as well.
Islam
recognizes the rights of the minority. To ensure their welfare and safety, Muslim
rulers initiated a tax (Jazia) on them. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) forbade Muslim
armies to destroy churches and synagogues. Caliph Umer did not even allow them
to pray inside a church. Jews were welcomed and flourished in Muslim Spain even
when they were persecuted in the rest of Europe. They consider that part of
their history as the Golden Era. In Muslim countries, Christians live in prosperity,
hold government positions and attend their church. Christian missionaries are
allowed to establish and operate their schools and hospitals. However, the same
religious tolerance is not always available to Muslim minorities as seen in
the past during Spanish inquisition and the crusades, or as seen now by the
events in Bosnia, Israel and India. Muslims do recognize that sometimes the
actions of a ruler does not reflect the teachings of his religion.
a.
Dating and Premarital sex:
Islam
does not approve of intimate mixing of the sexes, and forbids premarital or
extramarital sex. Islam encourages marriage as a shield to such temptations
and as a means of having mutual love, mercy and peace.
Islam
considers abortion as murder and does not permit it except to save the mother's
life (Quran 17:23-31, 6:15 1).
Islam
categorically opposes homosexuality and considers it a sin. However, Muslim
physicians are advised to care for AIDS patients with compassion just as they
would for other patients.
Islam
is opposed to both suicide and euthanasia. Muslims do not believe in heroic
measures to prolong the misery in a terminally ill patient.
Islam
stresses upon saving lives (Quran 5:32)
; thus, transplantation in general would be considered permissible provided
a donor consent is available. The sale of the organ is not allowed.
The
Quran calls them "People of the
Book", i.e., those who received Divine scriptures before Muhammad (PBUH).
Muslims are told to treat them with respect and justice and do not fight with
them unless they initiate hostilities or ridicule their faith. The Muslims ultimate
hope is that they all will join them in worshipping one God and submit to His
will.
"Say (O Muhammad): O people of the
Book (Jews and Christians) come to an agreement between us and you, that we
shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall take no partners with Him, and
none of us shall take others for Lords beside Allah. And if they turn away,
then say: Bear witness that we are those who have surrendered (unto Him)."
(Quran 3:64)
What about Hindus, Bahai, Buddhists
and members of other religions?
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