What is Islam ?
Islam is not a new
religion, but the same truth that God revealed through all His prophets to
every people. Islam is a complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of
peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the majority have nothing to do with the
extremely grave events which have come to be associated with their faith.
What do Muslims
believe?
Muslims believe in
One, Unique, Incomparable God; in the Angels created by Him; in the prophets
through whom His revelations were brought to mankind; in the Day of Judgement and individual accountability for actions; in
God's complete authority over human destiny and in life after death. Muslims
believe in a chain of prophets starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham,
Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah,
John the Baptist, and Jesus, peace be upon them. But
God's final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a
summing-up of all that has gone before was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad
through Gabriel.
How does
someone become a Muslim?
Simply by saying
'there is no god apart from God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.' By this
declaration the believer announces his or her faith in all God's messengers,
and the scriptures they brought.
What does
'Islam' mean?
The Arabic word
'Islam' simply means 'submission', and derives from a word meaning 'peace'. In
a religious context it means complete submission to the will of God.
'Mohammedanism' is thus a misnomer because it suggests that Muslims worship
Muhammad rather than God. 'Allah' is the Arabic name for God, which is used by
Arab Muslims and Christians alike.
Do Islam and
Christianity have different origins?
No. Together with
Judaism, they go back to the prophet and patriarch Abraham, and their three
prophets are directly descended from his sons Muhammad from the eldest,
Ishmael, and Moses and Jesus from Isaac. Abraham established the settlement
which today is the city of
What is the Ka'ba?
The Ka'ba is the place of worship which God commanded Abraham
and Ishmael to build over four thousand years ago. The building was constructed
of stone on what many believe was the original site of a sanctuary established
by Adam. God commanded Abraham to summon all mankind to visit this place, and
when pilgrims go there today they say 'At Thy service, O Lord', in response to
Abraham's summons.
Who is
Muhammad?
Muhammad, was born in Makkah
in the year 570, at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in
Muhammad was of a
deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society. It
became his habit to meditate from time to time in the
How did
Muhammad become a prophet and a messenger of God?
At the age of 40,
while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad received his first revelation
from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for
twenty-three years, is known as the Quran.
As soon as he
began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel, and to preach the truth which
God had revealed to him, he and his small group of followers suffered bitter
persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622 God gave them the
command to emigrate. This event, the Hijra,
'migration', in which they left Makkah for the city
of
After several
years, the Prophet and his followers were able to return to Makkah,
where they forgave their enemies and established Islam definitively. Before the
Prophet died at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and
within a century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far
East as China.
What is the Quran?
The Quran is a record of the exact words revealed by God
through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. It was memorized by Muhammad
and then dictated to his Companions, and written down by scribes, who
cross-checked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters, Suras, has been changed over the centuries, so that the Quran is in every detail the unique and miraculous text
which was revealed to Muhammad fourteen centuries ago.
What is the Quran about?
The Quran, the last revealed Word of God, is the prime source
of every Muslim's faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects which concern us as human beings: wisdom, doctrine, worship,
and law, but its basic theme is the relationship between God and His creatures.
At the same time it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human
conduct and an equitable economic system.
Are there any
other sacred sources?
Yes, the sunna, the practice and example of
the Prophet, is the second authority for Muslims. A hadith
is a reliably transmitted report of what the Prophet said, did, or approved.
Belief in the sunna is part
of the Islamic faith.
Examples
of the Prophet's sayings.
The Prophet said:
'God has no mercy
on one who has no mercy for others.'
'None of you truly
believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.'
'He who eats his
fill while his neighbor goes without food is not a believer. '
'The truthful and
trusty businessman is associated with the prophets the saints, and the
martyrs.'
'Powerful is not
he who knocks the other down, indeed powerful is he who controls himself in a
fit of anger. '
'God does not
judge according to your bodies and appearances but He scans your hearts and looks
into your deeds.'
'A man walking
along a path felt very thirsty. Reaching a well he descended into it, drank his
fill and came up. Then he saw a dog with its tongue hanging out, trying to lick
up mud to quench its thirst. The man saw that the dog was feeling the same
thirst as he had felt so he went down into the well again and filled his shoe
with water and gave the dog a drink. God forgave his sins for this action.' The
Prophet was asked: 'Messenger of God, are we rewarded for kindness towards animals?'
He said, 'There is a reward for kindness to every living thing.'
A translation
of the Call to Prayer is:
God is most great.
God is most great.
God is most great.
God is most great.
I testify that
there is no god except God.
I testify that
there is no god except God.
I testify that
Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that
Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer!
Come to prayer!
Come to success
(in this life and the Hereafter)!
Come to success!
God is most great.
God is most great.
There is no god
except God.
RIGHT: According to Islam, man is not born in
'original sin'. He is God's vicegerent on earth. Every child is born with the fitra, an innate disposition towards virtue, knowledge, and
beauty. Islam considers itself to be the 'primordial religion', din al-hanif, it seeks to return man to his original, true nature
in which he is in harmony with creation, inspired to do good, and confirming
the Oneness of God.
What do Muslims
think about Jesus?
Muslims respect
and revere Jesus, and await his Second Coming. They consider him one of the
greatest of God's messengers to mankind. A Muslim never refers to him simply as
'Jesus', but always adds the phrase 'upon him be
peace'. The Quran confirms his virgin birth (a
chapter of the Quran is entitled 'Mary'), and Mary is
considered the purest woman in all creation. The Quran
describes the Annunciation as follows:
'Behold!' the
Angel said, 'God has chosen you, and purified you, and chosen you above the
women of all nations. O Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him, whose
name shall be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the
Hereafter, and one of those brought near to God. He shall speak to the people
from his cradle and in maturity, and shall be of the righteous.'
She said: 'O my
Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?' He said: 'Even so;
God creates what He will. When He decrees a thing, He says to it,
"Be!" and it is.' (Quran, 3:42-7)
Jesus was born
miraculously through the same power which had brought Adam into being without a
father:
Truly, the
likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust,
and then said to him, 'Be!' and he was. (Quran,
During his
prophetic mission Jesus performed many miracles. The Quran
tells us that he said:
I have come to you
with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it
becomes a bird by God's leave. And I heal the blind, and the lepers and I raise
the dead by God's leave. (Quran,
Neither Muhammad
nor Jesus came to change the basic doctrine of the belief in One God, brought
by earlier prophets, but to confirm and renew it. In the Quran
Jesus is reported as saying that he came:
To attest the law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what
was forbidden you; I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so fear God
and obey
The Prophet
Muhammad said:
Whoever believes
there is no god but God, alone without partner, that Muhammad is His messenger,
that Jesus is the servant and messenger of God, His word breathed into Mary and
a spirit emanating from Him, and that
Why is the
family so important to Muslims?
The family is the
foundation of Islamic society. The peace and security offered by a stable
family unit is greatly valued, and seen as essential for the spiritual growth
of its members. A harmonious social order is created by the existence of
extended families; children are treasured, and rarely leave home until the time
they marry.
What about
Muslim women?
Islam sees a
woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her own right, with the
right to own and dispose of her property and earnings. A marriage dowry is
given by the groom to the bride for her own personal use, and she keeps her own
family name rather than taking her husband's.
Both men and women
are expected to dress in a way which is modest and dignified; the traditions of
female dress found in some Muslim countries are often the expression of local
customs.
The Messenger of
God said:
'The most perfect
in faith amongst believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his
wife.'
Can a Muslim
have more than one wife?
The religion of
Islam was revealed for all societies and all times and so accommodates widely
differing social requirements. Circumstances may warrant the taking of another
wife but the right is granted, according to the Quran,
only on condition that the husband is scrupulously fair.
Is Islamic
marriage like Christian marriage?
A Muslim marriage
is not a 'sacrament', but a simple, legal agreement in which either partner is
free to include conditions. Marriage customs thus vary widely from country to
country. As a result, divorce is not common, although it is not forbidden as a
last resort. According to Islam, no Muslim girl can be forced to marry against
her will: her parents will simply suggest young men they think may be suitable.
How do Muslims
treat the elderly?
In the Islamic
world there are no old people's homes. The strain of caring for one's parents
in this most difficult time of their lives is considered an honor and blessing,
and an opportunity for great spiritual growth. God asks that we not only pray
for our parents, but act with limitless compassion, remembering that when we
were helpless children they preferred us to themselves. Mothers are
particularly honored: the Prophet taught that '
In Islam, serving
one's parents is a duty second only to prayer, and it is their right to expect
it. It is considered despicable to express any irritation when, through no
fault of their own, the old become difficult.
The Quran says: Your Lord has commanded that you worship none
but Him, and be kind to parents. If either or both of them reach old age with
you, do not say 'uff to them or chide them, but speak
to them in terms of honor and kindness. Treat them with humility, and say, 'My
Lord! Have mercy on them, for they did care for me when I was little'.
(17:23-4)
How do Muslims
view death?
Like Jews and
Christians, Muslims believe that the present life is only a trial preparation
for the next realm of existence. Basic articles of faith include: the Day of
Judgment, resurrection, Heaven and Hell. When a Muslim dies, he or she is
washed, usually by a family member, wrapped in a clean white cloth, and buried
with a simple prayer preferably the same day. Muslims consider this one of the
final services they can do for their relatives, and an opportunity to remember
their own brief existence here on earth. The Prophet taught that three things
can continue to help a person even after death; charity which he had given,
knowledge which he had taught and prayers on their behalf by a righteous child.
What does Islam
say about war?
Like Christianity,
Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of religion, or on the part
of those who have been expelled forcibly from their homes. It lays down strict
rules of combat which include prohibitions against harming civilians and
against destroying crops, trees and livestock. As Muslims see it, injustice
would be triumphant in the world if good men were not prepared to risk their
lives in a righteous cause. The Quran says:
Fight in the cause
of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not
love transgressors. (2:190)
If they seek
peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things.
(8:61)
War, therefore, is
the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous conditions laid down by the
sacred law. The term jihad literally means 'struggle', and Muslims believe that
there are two kinds of jihad. The other 'jihad' is the inner struggle which
everyone wages against egotistic desires, for the sake of attaining inner
peace.
What about
food?
Although much simpler
than the dietary law followed by Jews and the early Christians, the code which
Muslims observe forbids the consumption of pig meat or any kind of intoxicating
drink. The Prophet taught that 'your body has rights over you',
and the consumption of wholesome food and the leading of a healthy lifestyle
are seen as religious obligations.
The Prophet said:
'Ask God for certainty [of faith] and well-being; for after certainty, no one
is given any gift better than health!'
How does Islam
guarantee human rights?
Freedom of
conscience is laid down by the Quran itself: 'There
is no compulsion in religion'. (2:256)
The life and
property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred whether a
person is Muslim or not.
Racism is
incomprehensible to Muslims, for the Quran speaks of
human equality in the following terms:
O mankind! We
created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and
tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of
you in God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All
Aware (49:13)