!!The Great
Islam!!!
Allaah, The Name I start with
Most
Gracious, Most Merciful
"The Most Frequently
Asked
Questions About Islaam"
WHAT IS
ISLAAM
WHO IS ALLAAH
WHO IS A
MUSLIM WHO IS ALLAAH
WHO WAS MUHAMMAD (Peace and blessings of God be upon him)
DO MUSLIMS
WORSHIP MUHAMMAD (Peace and blessings of God be upon him)
WHAT DO MUSLIMS THINK OF JESUS
DO MUSLIMS
HAVE SECTS
WHAT ARE THE PILLARS OF ISLAAM
WHAT IS
THE PURPOSE OF WORSHIP IN ISLAAM
DO MUSLIMS BELIEVE IN THE HEREAFTER
WILL THE
GOOD ACTIONS OF NON- BELIEVERS BE WASTED
WHAT IS THE DRESS CODE FOR MUSLIMS
WHAT ARE
THE DIETARY REQUIREMENTS IN ISLAAM
WHAT IS "ISLAAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM"
WHAT IS
THE ISLAAMIC YEAR
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR ISLAAMIC FESTIVALS
WHAT IS
SHARI'AH
WAS ISLAAM SPREAD BY THE SWORD
DOES
ISLAAM PROMOTE VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM
WHAT IS JIHAAD
DOES
ISLAAM PROMOTE POLYGAMY
DOES ISLAAM OPPRESS WOMEN
IS ISLAAM
INTOLERANT OF OTHER RELIGIOUS MINORITIES
HOW SHOULD MUSLIMS TREAT JEWS AND CHRISTIANS
DOES
ISLAAM AND ITS PROPHET HAVE ANY HISTORICAL LINKS IN THE BIBLE?(Peace and
Blessings of God Be Upon Him).
WHAT IS THE BELIEF OF MUSLIMS ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF ANGELS?
THE
CITATIONS IN THE BIBLE ABOUT THE COMING PROPHET MUHAMMAD(Peace and Blessings of
God be Upon Him)
DOES ISLAAM BELIEVE JESUS WAS A PROPHET?
DOES
ISLAAM BELIEVE IN AN ETERNAL HELL?
WHAT IS
THE ISLAAMIC VIEW ON :
DATING and
PREMARITAL SEX:
ABORTION:
HOMOSEXUALITY and AIDS:
EUTHANASIA and SUICIDE:
WHAT IS
ISLAAM?
The word
"Islaam" means peace attained through submission, complete submission
to the will of Allah; to be at peace with yourself and your surroundings by
submitting to Allah and obeying his commandments. This is a unique religion
with a name which signifies a moral attitude and a way of life. Islam teaches
way of life for people of all ages, color and caste. It also teaches good
discipline and behavior. Judaism takes its name from the tribe Juda,
Christianity from Jesus Christ, Buddhism from Goutam Buddha and Hinduism from
Indus River. However , those who accept Islaam and submit to Allah are not
called " Muhammadans" after Muhammad(Peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) the last Prophet of God; they are called Muslims.
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WHO IS
ALLAAH?
Allaah is
the Arabic word for "one God", the same as Eloh in Armaic. Allaah is
not just of Muslims only. He is Lord of all creations, because He is their
Creator and Sustainer.
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WHO IS A
MUSLIM?
The word
"Muslim" means one who believes in Allah and Prophet Mohammed (Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him). This is done by declaring that "There is
no God except one God that is Allah and Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah
be upon him) is the messenger of Allah." In a broader sense, anyone who
willingly submits to the will of Allah and accepts Mohammed as the last
messgenger of Allah is a Muslim , thus all Prophets preceding the Prophet
Muhammad ( Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were Muslims. The Quraan
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 Islaamic life. One cannot judge Islaam by looking at those Muslims who have
a Muslim name but in their actions, they are not living or behaving as Muslims.
The state of being a Muslim depends upon the degree to which one is submitting
to the will of God, in his beliefs and his actions.
WHO IS A
MOMIN?
When one
accepts Islam becomes a muslim. A momin is one who loves Prophet Mohammed (
Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him ) more than himself and his wealth.
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WHO WAS
MUHAMMAD? (Peace and blessings of God be upon him)
In brief,
Muhammad ( Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was born in a noble tribe
of Mekkah in Arabia in the year 570 CE. His ancestry goes back to Prophet
Ishmael (Peace be upon him), son of Prophet Abraham (Peace be upon him). His
father passed away before his birth and his passwd away died when he was six
years old. He did not attend any formal school. He was raised first by a nurse
(Haleema Sadia ) as it was a custom in those days, then by his grandfather and
then by his uncle. As a young man, he was known as a truthful, righteous person
who used to meditate in a cave. At age 40, he anounced Prophethood given by
Allah, after Gabriel appeared in front of him in cave Hira, in Mekkah.
Subsequently, revelations were received by Prophet Muhammad (Peace and
blessings of Allah be upon Him) for a period of 23 years. This book of
revelations is called the Quraan. The Quraan has been preserved, unchanged, in
its original form and confirms the truth in the Torah, the psalms and the
Gospel. Quraan is the only scripture in existence today in its original Arabic
text. All the earlier Divine Scriptures were entrusted by God to His
messengers, to guard them and after the physical death of the Messengers, their
followers were entrusted to guard them. However the followers failed in their
duties therefore each subsequent Divine Scripture corrected the previous one.
God has confirmed in the Holy Quraan firstly that this is His last and final
revelation to mankind and secondly that He Himself will guard it till the Day
of Judgment.
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DO MUSLIMS
WORSHIP MUHAMMAD? (Peace and blessings of God be upon him)
No.
Muslims do not worship Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) or any other Prophets.
Muslims believe in all Prophets including Aadam, Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon,
Moses, and Jesus. Muslims believe that Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be
upon him) was the last of the Prophets. They believe that only God is to be
worshipped, not human beings or anything else.
WHAT DO
MUSLIMS THINK OF JESUS?
Muslims think
highly of Jesus (Peace be upon him) and his worthy mother, Mary. The Quraan
tells us that Jesus was born of a miraculous birth without a father. "Lo!
The likeliness of Jesus with Allaah is the likeliness of Aadam. 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 birth in
defense of his mother's piety. God's other gift to him included healing the
blind and the sick, reviving the dead, making a live 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 Quraan, he was not
crucified but raised bodily into Heaven. (Quraan, Chapter Maryam)
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DO MUSLIMS
HAVE SECTS?
Yes.
However Prophet Muhammad(Peace and blessings of God be upon him) has stated
clearly that only those who follow the injunctions of the Holy Quraan and his
practices called Sunnah will be considered to be Muslims: they are known as
Sunni.
WHAT ARE
THE PILLARS OF ISLAAM?
These
pillars are ( I ) the Belief (Eemaan ) that there is no God worthy of worship
but Allaah and that Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon him) is his
Messenger. (2) Prescribed prayers (SALAAT) which are five times a day, (3)
Fasting (SIYAAM ) once a year, during the whole month of Ramadaan, (4) Charity
(ZAKAAT) which is paid to the poor and needy once every year. (5) HAJJ which is
the pilgrimage to Mekkah once in a lifetime if one can afford it physically and
financially. Pillars are part of a building. The building in this case is the
perfect human being who cares and protects the rights of all creations and
fellow humans thus establishing a society in which justice and peace is
supreme.
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WHAT IS
THE PURPOSE OF WORSHIP IN ISLAAM?
The
purpose of worship in Islaam is to make the person God conscious. Thus the
worship, whether it is prayer, fasting, or charity, is a means to an end and
the end is to seek the pleasure of God by becoming God Conscious in thought and
in action. Thus the God conscious is better placed to receive His bounties both
in this world and in the Hereafter.
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DO MUSLIMS
BELIEVE IN THE HEREAFTER?
God is
just and therefore, in order to exercise His justice, He has created a system
of accountability. Those who do good are rewarded in Paradise and those who do
wrong are punished in Hell. Therefore, 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 Paradise.
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WILL THE
GOOD ACTIONS OF NON-BELIEVERS BE WASTED?
No. The
Quraan clearly states that, "Anyone who has an atom's worth of goodness
will also see it." By that it is meant that those who do not believe but
have done good, they will be rewarded in this world for their good deeds. On
the other hand, those who do good and have correct beliefs like Muslims, will
be rewarded not only in this world but also in the world Hereafter. However,
the final judgment is up to God Himself. (Quraan 2:62)
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WHAT IS
THE DRESS CODE FOR MUSLIMS?
Islaam
emphasizes modesty. No person is allowed to be perceived as a sex object. Guidelines
both for men and women are that their dress should not either be too thin nor
too tight to reveal body forms. Men, must cover the area from the knee to the
navel and women, should cover all areas except hands and the face.
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WHAT ARE
THE DIETARY REQUIREMENTS IN ISLAAM?
Muslims
are told in the Quraan not to eat pork or pork products, dead animals or the
meat of the carnivorous animals (as they eat dead animals), or drink
intoxicants such as wine or use any drug products.
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WHAT IS
"ISLAAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM"?
As opposed
to Christianity, there is no concept of "Fundamentalism" in Islaam.
The western media has coined this term to brand those Muslims who wish to
return to the basic fundamental principles if Islaam and mold their lives
accordingly. Islaam is a religion of moderation and a practicing Muslim can
neither be a fanatic nor an extremist.
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WHAT IS
THE ISLAAMIC YEAR?
The
Islamic Year started with the migration (HIJRAH) of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and
blessings of God be upon him) from Mekkah to Medinah in 622 CE . It is a lunar
year of 354 days. 1997 CE is the Islamic year 1417 Hijri.
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WHAT ARE
THE MAJOR ISLAAMIC FESTIVALS?
'Eed-ul-Fitr
marks the end of fasting in the month of Ramadaan and is celebrated with public
prayers, feasts and exchange of gifts. 'Eed-ul- Adhaa marks the end of the
Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mekkah. After the public prayer, those who can
afford, sacrifice a lamb, goat, cow or camel to signify Prophet Abraham's obedience
to God, shown by his readiness to sacrifice his own son Ishmael.
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WHAT IS
SHARI'AH?
Shari'ah
is the comprehensive Muslim law derived from two sources: (a) the Quraan (2)
the Sunnah or practices of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon
him). It covers every aspect of daily individual and collective living. The
purpose of Islaamic laws is to protect individual's 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 Islaamic penal laws. These however
can only be applied in a society which has established all other Islaamic laws
to ensure justice and protection of each other's rights.
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WAS ISLAAM
SPREAD BY THE SWORD?
According
to the Quraan, "There is no compulsion in religion"(2:256), thus, no
one can be forced to become a Muslim. While it is true 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, Islaam did not spread by the
sword. 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 having gone there. To say that Islaam 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 was spread by the missionary work of
Christians. Ten-percent of all Arabs are Christians. The "Sword of
Islaam" could not covert all the non-Muslim minorities in Muslim
countries. In India, where Muslims ruled for 700 years, they are still a
minority. In the USA, Islaam is the fastest growing religion and has 6 million
followers and no sword is around.
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DOES
ISLAAM PROMOTE VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM?
No. Islaam
is a religion of peace and submission and stresses the sanctity of human life.
A verse in the Quran says (Chapter 5, verse 32), 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 mankind." Islaam condemns all violence which happened
in the Crusades, in Spain, in the 2nd world war, 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 resorts to violence is not
practicing his religion at that time. However, sometimes violence is a human
response of oppressed people as in Palestine. 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 violence is due to a
struggle between those who have and those who do not have, or between those who
are oppressed with those who are oppressors. Unfortunately, the Palestinians
who are struggling against oppression are called terrorists but not the armed
Israeli settlers when they do the same. As it turned out in the Oklahoma City
bombing, sometime Muslims are prematurely blamed even if the terrorism is
committed by non-Muslims. God does permit defensive wars against organized
oppression. Sometimes some misguided Muslims turn to violence as happens with
all religions and countries of the world. To call all Muslims terrorists is
completely false. Islaam is a religion of peace, harmony and submission to the
laws of God Almighty.
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WHAT IS
JIHAAD?
The word
"Jihaad " means "Struggle", or to be specific, striving in
the cause of God. Any struggle done in day-to-day life to please God is
considered Jihaad. One of the highest levels of Jihaad is to stand up to a
tyrant and speak a word of truth. Control of the self from wrong doings is the
greatest Jihaad. One of the forms of Jihaad is to take arms in defense of
Islaam or a Muslim country when Islaam is attacked. This kind of Jihaad has to
be declared by the religious leadership or by a Muslim head of state who is
following the Quraan and Sunnah.
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DOES
ISLAAM PROMOTE POLYGAMY?
For Muslim
men to have more than one wife is a permission which is given to them in the
Quraan provided it is not done to satisfy lust but to meet social solutions and
needs. This permission is given provided the person is capable of treating the
wives equally. It is not an injunction. In the pre-Islaamic period, men used to
have many wives. One person had 11 wives and when he became Muslim, he asked
the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon him) "What should
I do with so many wives?" and he said, "Divorce all except
four." The Quraan says, "you can only marry 2 or 3 and up to 4 women
if you can be equally just with each of them." 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. Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon him)
himself from age 24 to 50 was married to only one woman, Khadeejah (May Allaah
be pleased with her). In the western society, some men who have one wife have
many extra marital affairs. A survey was published in "U.S.A. Today"
(April 4, 1988, Section D) which asked 4700 mistresses what they would like
their status to be. They said that "they preferred being the second wife
rather than the "other woman" because they do 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." Historically, all
the prophets except Jesus, who was not married, had more than one wife. So this
is not something which Islaam has started; in fact, Islaam regulated it.
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DOES
ISLAAM OPPRESS WOMEN?
No. On the
contrary, Islaam 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 (Quraan 33:32). Islaam allows women to keep their maiden name
even after marriage, their earned money and spend it as they wish, and
instructs men to be their protectors as women on the street can be molested.
Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon him) told Muslim men,
"The best among you is the one who is best to his family". 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 Islaam. It is pre Islamic African Custom, practiced by non Muslims
including Coptic Christians as well.
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IS iSLAAM
INTOLERANT OF OTHER RELIGIOUS MINORITIES?
Islaam
recognizes the rights of the minority. They are not required to do army
service. To ensure their welfare and safety, Muslim rulers initiated a tax
(JAZIA) on them. Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon him)
forbade Muslim armies to destroy churches and synagogues. Caliph' Umar did not
even allow them to pray inside a church. Jews were welcomed and flourished in
Muslim Spain 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 the Spanish inquisition and the
Crusades, or as seen now by the events in the former Yugoslavia, Israel and
India. Muslims do recognize that sometimes the actions of a ruler does not
reflect the teachings of his religion.
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WHAT IS
THE ISLAAMIC VIEW ON :-
DATING and
PREMARITAL SEX : Islaam does not approve of intimate mixing or informality
between the sexes, and forbids premarital or extramarital sex. Islaam
encourages marriage as a shield to such temptations and as a means of having
mutual love, mercy and peace.
ABORTION :
Islaam considers abortion as murder and does not permit it except to save the
mother's life.
HOMOSEXUALITY
and AIDS : Islaam 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.
EUTHANASIA
and SUICIDE : Islaam is opposed to both suicide and euthanasia. Muslims do not
believe in heroic measures to artificially prolong the life of a terminally ill
patient.
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HOW SHOULD
MUSLIMS TREAT JEWS AND CHRISTIANS?
The Quraan
calls them "People of the Book ",i.e., those who received Divine
scriptures before the advent of Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon
him) Muslims are told to treat them with respect and justice and not fight with
them unless they initiate hostilities or ridicule their faith. Muslim's
ultimate hope is that they all will join them in worshipping One God and submit
to His will. "Say (O Muhammad ) (Peace and blessings of God be upon him) O
people of the Book (Jews and Christians) come to an agreement between us and
you that we shall worship none but Allaah, and that we shall take no partners
unto Him, and none of us shall take others for Lords beside Allaah, and if they
turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are those who have surrendered (unto
Him)." (Quraan 3:64)
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QUESTION:
Does Islaam and its Prophet and Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessing of God
be upon him) have any historical links with the Bible? (Gospel and the Old
Testament).
(All
quotations are from the New King James Version.)
Yes,
indeed there are many links. We quote as follows;
In the Old
Testament, Genesis, 21:21 it is said: 'He (Prophet Ismaaeel) dwelt in the
Wilderness of Paran; and his Mother took a wife for him from the land of
Egypt.' Psalm 83: 4-6 talks about the enemies of among others Ishmaelites, and
Hagrites (Hagar being the mother of Prophet Ismaaeel). Psalm 84: 4-6 "4-
Blessed are those who dwell in your House; They will still be praising You. 5-
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on the
pilgrimage. 6- As they pass through the valley of Baca. They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools."
There are
several interesting points in the above verses. The name Baca could be Hebrew
whereas the word Mecca is Arabic. Added to this the fact that there is a
designated House of God built by Abraham peace be upon him in Mecca where
yearly pilgrimage was performed from the time of Abraham and Ismaaeel peace be
upon them both, even to this day. The valley of Baca could indeed be the same
as the valley of Mecca. The above verses seem to place Hagar, Ismaaeel and
their children in the valley of Mecca where Prophet Muhammad, (Peace and
Blessing of God be upon him), was born.
Isaiah,
21:12-17 mentions 12 . . . In the forest in Arabia you will lodge . . . 15 For
they fled from the swords , from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from
the distress of war. (Probable connection with the enemies mentioned in Psalm
83: 4-6 quoted above; also settlement in Arabia is confirmed; the verse 16
which follows, also confirms these verses are about Ismaeelites, Kedar being
the 2nd son of Prophet Ismaaeel). 16 For thus the Lord . . . all the glory of
Kedar will fall; 17 and the remainder . . . people of Kedar will be diminished
. . .
Isaiah
42:1-13 These are very moving verses about 'God's elect servant' who will bring
forth justice to the Gentiles. A point worth noting is that Gentiles are the
non Jews and it was confirmed by Jesus peace be upon him that he was sent to
the Jews. Moreover Muhammad peace and blessings of God be upon him is
consistently named by God as Mustafaa which means 'elected' and 'Abd' which
means 'servant'. Prophet Muhammad always referred to himself consistently as the
'servant of God'. The above verses cannot be about Jesus peace be upon him as
many Christians believe, for at least two reasons. Firstly, the Christians and
the Catholics describe him as the son of God and not the servant of God;
whereas Prophet Muhammad is known exclusively as the Servant and the Messenger
of God. Secondly, Jesus was sent exclusively to the Jews whereas Prophet
Muhammad was sent among the Gentiles.
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ARE THERE
ANY REFERENCES AND CITATIOINS FROM THE BIBLE ABOUT THE COMING OF THE PROPHET
MUHAMMAD? (Peace and Blessing of God Be Upon Him)
Yes. There
are several citations in the Bible prophesying the coming of prophet Muhammad,
(Peace and Blessing of God Be Upon Him). Isaiah 42: 4 says ' He will not fail
nor be discouraged, till he has established justice in the earth; . . . The
Ministry of Jesus peace be upon him lasted only three years and at the time of
his departure from this world it could not be truthfully said that 'he
established justice in the earth'. However, Prophet Muhammad, peace and
blessings of God be upon him, preached for 23 years and most certainly
'established justice in the earth' before he departed from the earth. It is
therefore reasonable to conclude that verses 1-13 refer to the coming of
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him.
Deuteronomy
18:18 "I will raise for them a Prophet like you (Moses) from among their
brethren and will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them, all
that I command him".
Let me
make some comments about the above: Christians believe that this is a reference
to Jesus peace be upon him. One important word here is "Prophet".
Christians believe Jesus is the son of God not a prophet of God. Another
important word is "brethren". If it were Jesus the word would have
been "children" because Jesus peace be upon him came from the
children of Isaac. Since Ismaaeel peace be upon him was the brother of Isaac
peace be upon him, the reference is therefore to the children of Prophet
Ismaaeel peace be upon him who will be brethren to the children of Isaac peace
be upon him. Again the only Prophet from the brethren of the Jews and the
Christians was Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of God be upon him.
The next
important phrase is "Like you ( Moses)". Even a cursory comparison
will show us that Jesus peace be upon him was very unlike Prophet Moses peace
be upon him. Prophet Moses' birth was natural whereas the birth of Jesus was
miraculous without a father, to a virgin, peace be upon her. Prophet Moses
married and had children, Jesus did not marry and of course did not have any
children. The ministry of Jesus peace be upon him lasted three years and did
not see the laws of God establish in his time. Prophet Moses peace be upon him,
preached the law of God for many decades and saw in his time, the law of God
established. Comparing Prophet Moses peace be upon him, with Prophet Muhammad
peace and blessings of God be upon him, brings out an amazing similarity.
Muhammad's birth was natural, he was married and had children; preached the law
of God for 23 years and saw in his own time God's Law established in his land.
The
phrase: "I will put My words in his mouth", takes on great
significance because Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of God be upon him,
was unlettered; he did not know how to read or write. Normally God would put
the message in the Prophet's mind. In this case attention is drawn towards
"words" being put into the "mouth". Prophet Muhammad's
sayings as well as eye witness accounts describe his receiving the verses of
the Holy Quraan, and his tongue moving with the words being put in his mouth.
Turning to
the New Testament, let us look at John 14: 15-16. It says: "14- If you
love Me, keep My commandments. 16- And I will pray the Father, and He will give
you another "comforter" (Helper in other versions), that he may abide
with you forever". Also John 15: 26-27, John 16: 5-8 and John 16 12-14.
Jesus
peace be upon him, spoke the Gospel in his native language which is Aramaic.
The earliest translations were in Greek. It is very very interesting that the
Greek word which was eventually translated into English as
"Comforter" (Helper) is "Parqaleeta" and the meaning of
this word is "one whom people praise exceedingly". It does not mean
"the Holy Ghost" which is what we are told the so called
"Comforter" means. I do not have the slightest clue as to how this
meaning was given to the word Parqaleeta. What is even more fascinating is the
fact that the name Muhammad has exactly the same meaning as Parqaleeta "one
whom people praise exceedingly"! One of my friends wrote very beautifully
in his book about the meaning of the word Muhammad: 'The most praised one. He
is praised upon earth and in the heavens, from the beginning to the end, by men
jinn and angels, rocks and trees and animals, by prophets before him since
Adam, by saints until Doomsday. As all of this cannot give him due praise, we
beg God to praise him. He is the only One who truly knows the value and the
mystery of His Muhammad and He is the only One who can truly praise him'. The
celestial name of Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of God be upon him is
Ahmad. I will quote from the Holy Quraan about the connection of Prophet
Muhammad with the Bible as follows:
Chapter 61
5
"And remember Moses said to his people: "O my people! why do ye vex
and insult me though ye know that I am the apostle of Allaah (sent) to
you?" Then when they went wrong Allaah let their hearts go wrong: for
Allaah guides not those who are rebellious transgressors.
6 And remember Jesus the son of Mary said: "O Children of Israel! I am the
Prophet of Allaah (sent) to you confirming the Law (which came) before me and
giving glad Tidings of a Prophet to come after me, whose name shall be
Ahmad." But when he came to them with Clear Signs they said "This is
evident sorcery!"
Allaah is
one of the 100 names of the One and only God. Allaah is the name of His Essence
while the other 99 are the names of His Attributes.
As for
"abide with you forever" since Prophet Muhammad is the final Prophet
and the Holy Quraan the final Testament and Revelation from God, his teachings
which are more or less the same as of all the other Prophets and Messengers of
God, Divine teachings of God, he will abide in his teachings forever.
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QUESTION:
I have read the Koran in paperback (which was a very short version without
notes) and remember reading that Gabriel (Jibril) was partially responsible for
it's content. If this is true, or any information you can give to help us
understand the muslim position on the existence and purpose of angels would be
most appreciated.
You have
been misinformed about Angel Gabriel (God's peace be upon him). He was not
responsible for any contents whatsoever of the Holy Quraan, the last revelation
and testament of God to humanity. The Holy Quraan is the speech of God
delivered through the last Messenger of God, Muhammad son of 'Abdullaah, May
God's peace and blessings be upon him, to all the human race. Angel Gabriel, is
the Messenger used by God Almighty to convey the verses of the Holy Quraan to
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him. Angel Gabriel as a
matter of fact was the Messenger between God and all his Prophets and
Messengers, including Abraham, David, Moses, Jesus son of Mary etc. etc. may
God's peace be upon them all. In all these cases Angel Gabriel was the conveyor
of the messages, never responsible for the contents. The contents were always
from God Himself. The reason for the succession of thousands of these Prophets
and Messengers(May God's peace be upon them all) was because the messages and
books were well guarded by the Prophets themselves as long as they were alive,
but changed and corrupted by their followers with the passing of time, and The
Lord of Mercy never wanted His creation to be without His True and uncorrupted
Message and Guidance. Picking up the threads from the advent of Moses, peace of
God be upon him, and the Book Torah given to him, soon after he passed away,
his followers started to alter and corrupt the Book.
God in His
Infinite Mercy sent a series of 11 Prophets(May His peace be upon them all), to
convey to the followers of Moses (May God's peace be upon him) that they were
changing and had changed the contents of the Torah. Three of these Prophets(May
God's peace be upon them) were killed by them. This is why Jesus son of
Mary(May God's peace be upon him), right in the beginning of his preachings
made it clear, that he was not sent with a new message and that he was sent to
take the people back to the original Message and Teachings of his predecessor,
Moses, (Gods peace be upon him), meaning, the Torah thereby confirming what
every Prophet and Messenger had emphasized before him: That the thousands of
the Prophets and Messengers were sent by the same ONE and ONLY GOD with the
same guidance ALL these prophets and messengers ensured that the True Word of
God was never lost to humanity. They were certainly not sent to create
thousands of religions! Of course the followers of Jesus son of Mary(Peace of
God be upon him) did the same thing to his teachings. The major changes being:
Making him the son of God instead of a great Prophet and Messenger of God that
he is; making him God, calling him one of three gods, etc. etc. The changes
went on to such a degree that there are now more than 60 versions of the
Bible(Different versions not translations) and 72 sects. This is why the last
Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad son of 'Abdullaah(Peace and Blessings of
God be upon him) was sent with the Last Guidance, Revelation and Testament, the
Holy Quraan to amend and correct the changes and corruption made to the True
Gospel of Jesus, son of Mary(May God's peace be upon him). The coming of
Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of God be upon him) was prophesied by not only
Jesus, but also Moses and many other Prophets and Messengers of God(May His
peace be upon them all). God promised that since Muhammad (Peace and Blessings
of God be upon him) is the last of the series of the Prophets and Messengers
and since the Holy Quraan is His last Book of Guidance to humanity, He Himself
will guard it from any changes or corruption's till the Day of Judgment. This
is why this last Revelation which was sent 1418 years ago has remained
unchanged, not even a word or a letter has been altered.
With
regards to your question about the existence and purpose of angels, let me
inform you that Angels were created by God Almighty from light and of course
they cannot be seen by human beings. They are creatures who are pure and always
willingly obedient to God and His commands. They carry out numerous chores.
Michael (peace of God be upon him) is the angel in charge of clouds and rain.
For every human being are appointed two recording angels one writing down his
good deeds and the other his bad deeds. Angel Izrael (May God's peace with him)
is the angel of Death. There are angels in charge of Paradise and there are
angels in charge of Hell. There are 2 Questioning Angels who question the dead
person as soon as he is buried. Then there are the Guardian angels. God says in
The Holy Quraan that the number of angels that are in existence is known only
to Him. This is by no means an exhaustive list. It will give a general idea.
By the way
abridged versions of the Holy Quraan Translations are not considered by Muslims
to be authentic because The Word of God Almighty cannot be given
"Versions". There is only one Quraan and the 'Arabic Text must
accompany every authorized translation.
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QUESTION: Does Islam believe in an eternal hell? Does it state in the Quraan
that God has infinite mercy and that eventually all will become one with God?
Yes, the
Holy Quraan which muslims believe is the Last Revelation from the One and only
God, sent to humanity for its guidance, through the last Prophet and Messenger
of God, Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, does state that there
is an eternal hell. Those who were the True believers of each prophet and
messenger and followed the book that he brought before it was corrupted and
changed, will be awarded Paradise and those who disbelieved in each prophet and
messenger of God and rejected his book, will be consigned by God to the hell
where they will remain eternally. Those who believed in the book and the
messenger / prophet before it was corrupted and changed, but did not fully obey
its commands, will spend an appropriate time of punishment in the hell, after
which they will be sent to paradise. The last Revelation from God, the Holy
Quraan and the last Messenger Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him,
were sent because the Gospel sent through Jesus, peace of God be upon him, was
changed and corrupted and Oneness of God Almighty and His Divinity which He
does not share with His creation was changed into the concept of trinity and
divinity of Jesus. Moreover God does create but is far above the blasphemous
belief that He has a begotten son or begets children. The Holy Quraan was
therefore sent to humanity to correct these changes and to bring us all back to
His Oneness and His correct Guidance. Those who believe in the corrupted Bible
and its in changes and reject the Holy Quraan and the last Messenger of God,
Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, will be sent to the hell
where they will remain eternally just as the Jews who rejected Prophet and Messenger
Jesus, who was sent at that time with the Gospel to correct the changes and
corruptions in the Torah of Moses, peace of God be upon him.
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QUESTION:
Did I understand correctly that Muslims believe Jesus was just a prophet? How
did the Quraan explain his death, burial, and resurrection as it is written in
the Holy Bible? This is conflicting with what I was taught as a child.
I do
understand your confusion. It has been my experience also that everything I was
taught and everything I read in the past is not always true and correct. This,
I have observed, is a human experience and by and large we discover this and
make our adjustments as we go along. I also discovered that questioning
sincerely everything BEFORE we accept anything to be correct is a very very
valuable right given to all human beings by God. Contrary to common belief, God
does not get upset if we do so! If we are sincere searchers of the Truth, He
actually does help us and enlightens us. Would He not, if He loved us? Would He
not help us find Him? Of course He would. The most fundamental question we must
ask is: Who is He? Is He like you and me, flesh and blood, but a Super Man? Why
only a Male, why not a female goddess? If He is flesh and blood, does He eat,
drink and go to the toilet? Does He have children? If He is flesh and blood
does He get sick, decay and die? If He dies, then who takes care of this vast
Universe and the billions of human beings and other creatures? You will find
that Islaam and the Holy Quraan, the last and final Revelation, have very
fascinating and very convincing answers. You will find the answers to be
simple, uncomplicated and singularly full of logic and acceptable. I am going
to produce as under a quotation from the Holy Quraan about this subject:
Chapter 4
Verse Nos. 156-158
"And
because of their disbelief and of their speaking against Mary a tremendous
calumny; that they said (in boast)
'We killed
Christ Jesus the son of Mary the Prophet and Messenger of God'; but they killed
him not nor crucified him but so it was made to appear to them and those who
differ therein are full of doubts with no (certain) knowledge but only
conjecture to follow for of a surety they killed him not. Nay God raised him up
unto Himself; and God is Exalted in Power, Wise".
As regards
God Himself, He is not flesh and blood. He is shapeless, formless Infinity, Who
was always there and He is always going to be there: He is truly Eternal, Self
subsisting and Truly Alive. He is not 'matter' because matter has to be created
and He was not created, He is the creator of matter and everything that exists.
He is not two or three or more. He is the One and only God. He does not have a
son who is another god because God cannot be created. Hence the only sensible
understanding is that there is only one God who does create human beings and
other creation, but He does not share His Divinity with any of His creation. He
did send human messengers (prophets, apostles) for guidance to humanity such as
Noah, Abraham, David, Isaac, Solomon, Moses and several others (May God's peace
be upon them all).Jesus son of Mary(May God's peace be upon him), is also a
wonderful, kind, loving, wise, and a great prophet of God, just as Muhammad son
of 'Abdullaah(May the peace and blessings of God be upon him) is, who was his
successor and t through whom the last book of Revelations, the Holy Quraan was
sent to humanity to correct and rectify the mythical and false beliefs that had
entered into the religion of Moses and Jesus, peace of God be upon them both. I
am pleased to forward relevant quotations from the Holy Quraan as under:
Chapter 4
Verse 171
"O
People of the Scripture! (The Bible and the Torah) Do not exaggerate in your religion
nor utter anything concerning God except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of
Mary, was only a messenger of God, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary,
and a spirit from Him. So believe in God and His messengers, and say not
"Three" (Trinity). Cease! (it is) better for you! God is only One
God. Far is it removed from His transcendent majesty that he should have a son.
His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And God is
sufficient as Defender".
I will
also happily quote as under the verses from the Chapter of Purity (of
Monotheism), No112:
"Say:
He is God, the One and Only;
God the
Eternal, the Absolute;
He
begetteth not nor is He begotten;
And there
is none like unto Him"
I have
dealt with your confusion in some detail. If you desire to press on with the
pursuit of the Truth, which you will find most natural and easy to believe,
please send us your postal mailing address. We shall be happy to send you more
information in the form of brief books and literature, at no charge to you and
I promise you that provided you are sincere and interested in your search, you
have waiting for you the most pleasant and satisfying surprise.
{Copied frm Tamil-muslim mail}
T.Sintha.