WHAT IS ISLAAM?
The word "Islaam"(Islam) means peace attained through submission ; to be at peace with yourself and your surroundings by submitting to God and obeying his commandments. 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 Juda, Christianity from Jesus Christ, Buddhism from Goutam Buddha and Hinduism from Indus River. However , those who accept Islaam and submit to God are not called "Muhammadans" after Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon him) the last Prophet of God; they are called Muslims.
WHO IS A MUSLIM?
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 (Peace and Blessings of God be upon him) is the messenger of God." In a broader sense, anyone who willingly submits to the will of God is a Muslim, thus all Prophets preceding the Prophet Muhammad( Peace and blessings of God 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 WAS MUHAMMAD? (Peace and blessings of God be upon him)
In brief, Muhammad ( Peace and blessings of God 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 died before his birth and his mother died when he was six years old. He did not attend any formal school. He was raised first by a nurse 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 righteous person who used to meditate in a cave. At age 40, he was given the Prophethood by God through angel, Gabriel, who appeared to Him in the cave of Hira, in Mekkah. Subsequently, revelations were received by Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God 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.
For more
http://www.prophetmuhammed.org/
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)
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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 10 million followers and no sword is around.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Links for more informations in
Woman in Islam
http://www.islam.org/mosque/w_islam/intro.htm
http://jannah.org/sisters/
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.
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.
ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION : Islaam 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.
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)
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.