1. What is Islam? The word "Islam" is an Arabic word that means "submitting
and surrendering your will to Almighty God". The word comes from the same root
as the Arabic word "salam", which means peace. Unlike the names used for other
religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, the name for the
religion of Islam was both revealed by God and carries a deep spritual
meaningonly by submitting one's will to Almighty God can one obtain true peace
both in this life and in thelife hereafter. Islam teaches that all religions
originally had the same essential messagewhich was to submit whole-heartedly
to the will of God and to worship Him and Him alone. For this reason, Islam is
not a new religion but is the same divinely revealed Ultimate Truth that God
revealed to all prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus.
2. Who are Muslims? The Arabic word "Muslim" literally means "someone who
submits to the will of God". The message of Islam is meant for the entire world
and anyone who accepts this message becomes a Muslim. Some people mistakenly
believe that Islam is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing could be further
from the truth, since in actuality over 80% of the world's Muslims are not
Arabs! Even though most Arabs are Muslims, there are Arabs who are Christians,
Jews and atheists. If one just takes a look at the various peoples who live in
the Muslim Worldfrom Nigeria to Bosnia and from Morocco to Indonesiait is
easy enough to see that Muslims come from all different races, ethnic groups
and nationalities. From the very beginning, Islam had a universal message for
all people. This can be seen in the fact that some of the early companions of
the Prophet Muhammad were not only Arabs, but also Persians, Africans and
Byzantine Romans. Being a Muslim entails complete acceptance and
active obedience to the revealed will of Almighty God. A Muslim is a person
who freely accepts to base his beliefs, values and faith on the will of
Almighty God. In the past, even though you don't see it as much today, the word
"Mohammedans" was often used as a label for Muslims. This label is a misnomer
and is the result of either willful distortion or sheer ignorance. One of the
reasons for the misconception is that Europeans were taught for centuries that
Muslims worshipped the Prophet Muhammad in the same way that Christians worship
Jesus. This is absolutely not true since a Muslim is not permitted to worship
anyone or anything besides Almighty God.
3. Who is Allah? Very often one will here the Arabic word "Allah" being used
in regards to Islam. The word "Allah" is simply the Arabic word for Almighty
God, and is the same word used by Arabic speaking Christians and Jews. If one
were to pick up an Arabic translation of the Bible, one would see the word
"Allah" being use where the word "God" is used in English. Actually, the Arabic
word for Almighty God, "Allah", is quite similiar to the word for God in other
Semitic languagesfor example, the Hebrew word for God is "Elah". For various
reasons, some non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Muslims worship a different
God than Jews and Christians. This is certainly not the case, since the Pure
Monotheism of Islam calls all people to the worship of the God of Noah,
Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all of the other prophets. However, even though Jews,
Christians and Muslims worship the same Godsince there is only one Godtheir
concepts concerning Him differ in some significant ways.
4. Who is Muhammad? The last and final prophet that God sent to humanity was
the Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad explained, interpreted and lived the teachings
of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad is the greatest of all prophets for many
reasons, but mainly because the results of his mission have brought more people
into the pure belief in One God than any other prophet. Even though other
religious communities claimed to believe in One God, over time they had
corrupted their beliefs by taking their prophets and saints as intercessors
with Almighty God. Some religions believe their prophets to be manifestions of
God, "God Incarnate" or the "Son of God". All of these false ideas lead to the
creature being worshipped instead of the Creator, which contributed to the
idolatrous practice of believing that Almighty God can be approached through
intermediaries. In order to guard against these falsehoods, the Prophet
Muhammad always emphasized that he was only a human-being tasked with the
preaching
of God's message. He taught Muslims to refer to him as "the Messenger of God
and His Slave". To Muslims, Muhammad is the supreme example for all peoplehe
was the exemplary prophet, statesman, military leader, ruler, teacher, neighbor
husband, father and friend. Unlike other prophets and messengers, the Prophet
Muhammad lived in the full light of history. Muslims don't need to have "faith"
that he existed and that his teachings are preservedthey know it to be a fact.
Even when his followers only numbered a few dozen, Almighty God informed
Muhammad that he had be sent as a mercy to all of mankind. Because people had
distorted or forgotten God's messages, God took it upon Himself to protect the
message revealed to Muhammad. This was because Almighty God promised not to
send another messenger after him. Since all of God's messengers have preached
the message of Islami.e. submission to the will of God and the worship of God
aloneMuhammad is actually the last prophet of Islam, not the
first.
5. What are the Teachings of Islam? The foundation of the Islamic faith is
belief in the Unity of God. This means to believe that there is only one
Creator and Sustainer of everything in the Universe, and that nothing is divine
or worthy of being worshipped except for Him. Truly believing in the Unity of
God means much more than simply believing that there is "One God"as opposed to
two, three or four. There are a number of religions that claim belief in "One
God" and believe that ultimately there is only one Creator and Sustainer of the
Universe. Islam, however, not only insists on this, but also rejects using such
words as "Lord" and "Savior" for anyone besides Almighty God. Islam also
rejects the use of all intermediaries between God and Man, and insists that
people approach God directly and reserve all worship for Him alone. Muslims
believe that Almighty God is Compassionate, Loving and Merciful. The essence of
falsehood is the claim that God cannot deal with and forgive His
creatures directly. By over-emphasizing the burden of sin, as well as claiming
that God cannot forgive you directly, false religions seek to get people to
despair of the Mercy of God. Once they are convinced that they cannot approach
God directly, people can be mislead into turning to false gods for help. These
"false gods" can take various forms, such as saints, angels, or someone who is
believed to be the "Son of God" or "God Incarnate". In almost all cases, people
who worship, pray to or seek help from a false god don't consider it to be, or
call it, a "god". They claim belief in One Supreme God, but claim that they
pray to and worship others beside God only to get closer to Him. In Islam,
there is a clear distinction between the Creator and the created. There is no
ambiguity in divinityanything that is created is not deserving of worship and
only the Creator is worthy of being worshipped. Some religions falsely believe
that God has become part of His creation, and this has led
people to believe that they can worship something created in order to reach
their Creator. Muslims believe that even though God is Unique and beyond
comprehensionHe has no "Son", partners or associates. According to Muslim
belief, Almighty God "does not beget nor was He begotten"neither literally,
allegorically, metaphorically, physically or metaphysicallyHe is Absolutely
Unique and Eternal. He is in control of everything and is perfectly capable of
bestowing His infinite Mercy and Forgiveness to whomever He chooses. That is
why is called the All-Powerful and Most-Merciful. Almighty God has created the
Universe for man, and as such wants the best for all human beings. Muslims see
everything in the Universe as a sign of the Creatorship and Benevolence of
Almighty God. Also, the belief in the Unity of God is not merely a metaphysical
concept. It is a dynamic belief that effects ones view of humanity, society and
all aspects of life. As a logical corollary to the Islamic belief in
the Oneness of God, is its belief in the oneness of mankind and humanity.
6. What is the Qur'an? It is the final revelation of the will of Almighty
God's to all of mankind, which was conveyed through the Angel Gabriel, in
Arabic, to the Prophet Muhammad in its sounds, words and meanings. The Qur'an,
sometimes spelled Koran, was relayed to the Prophet's companions, which they
memorized verbatim, and which has been publicly and continually recited by them
and their successors until the present day. In short, the Qur'an is the book of
guidance from God par excellence. The Qur'an is still memorized and taught by
millions of people. The language of the Qur'an, Arabic, is still a living
language to millions of people, so unlike the scriptures of other religions,
the Qur'an is still read in its original language by countless millions of
people. The Qu'ran is a living miracle in the Arabic language; and is know to
be inimitable in its style, form and spiritual impact. God's final revelation
to mankind, the Qur'an, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over a
period of 23 years. The Qur'an, in contrast to many other religious books, was
always thought to be the Word of God by those who believed in it, i.e. it
wasn't something decreed by a religious council many years after being written.
Also, the Qu'ran was recited publicly in front of both the Muslim and
non-Muslim communities during the life of the Prophet Muhammad. The entire
Qur'an was also completely written down in lifetime of the Prophet, and
numerous companions of the Prophet memorized the entire Qur'an word-for-word as
it was revealed. So unlike other scriptures, the Qur'an was always in the hands
of the common believers, it was always thought to be God's word and, due to
wide-spread memorization, it was perfectly preserved. In regards to the
teachings of the Qur'an - it is a universal scripture, and it is addressed to
all of mankind, and not to a particular tribe or "chosen people". The message
that it brings is nothing new, but the same message of all of the prophets -
submit
to Almighty God and worship Him alone. As such, God's revelation in the Qur'an
focuses on teaching human beings the importance of believing in the Unity of
God and framing their lives around the guidance which He has sent.
Additionally, the Qur'an contains the stories of the previous prophets, such as
Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus; as well as many commands and prohibitions from
God. In modern times in which so many people are caught up in doubt, spiritual
despair and "political correctness", the Qur'anic teachings offer solutions to
the emptiness of our lives and the turmoil that is gripping the world today.
7. How Do Muslims View the Nature of Man, the Purpose of Life and the Life
Hereafter? In the Holy Qur'an, God teaches human beings that they were created
in order to worship Him, and that the basis of all true worship is
God-consciousness. Since the teachings of Islamic encompass all aspects of life
and ethics, God-consciousness is encouraged in all human affairs. Islam makes
it clear that all human acts are acts of worship if they are done for God alone
and in accordance to His Divine Law. As such, worship in Islam is not limited
to religious rituals. The teachings of Islam act as a mercy and a healing for
the human soul, and such qualities as humility, sincerity, patience and charity
are strongly encouraged. Additionally, Islam condemns pride and
self-righteousness, since Almighty God is the only judge of human
righteousness. The Islamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and
well-balanced. Human beings are not believed to be inherently sinful, but are
seen as equally
capable of both good and evil. Islam also teaches that faith and action go
hand-in-hand. God has given people free-will, and the measure of one's faith is
one's deeds and actions. However, human beings have also been created weak and
regularly fall into sin. This is the nature of the human being as created by
God in His Wisdom, and it is not inherently "corrupt" or in need of repair.
This is because the avenue of repentance of always open to all human beings,
and Almighty God loves the repentant sinner more than one who does not sin at
all. The true balance of an Islamic life is established by having a healthy
fear of God as well as a sincere belief in His infinite Mercy. A life without
fear of God leads to sin and disobedience, while believing that we have sinned
so much that God will not possibly forgive us only leads to despair. In light
of this, Islam teaches that: only the misguided despair of the Mercy of their
Lord. Additionally, the Holy Qur'an, which was revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad, contains a great deal of teachings about the life hereafter
and the Day of Judgment. Due to this, Muslims believe that all human beings
will ultimately be judged by God for their beliefs and actions in their earthly
lives. In judging human beings, Almighty God will be both Merciful and Just,
and people will only be judged for what they were capable of. Suffice it to say
that Islam teaches that life is a test, and that all human beings will be
accountable before God. A sincere belief in the life hereafter is key to
leading a well-balanced life and moral. Otherwise, life is viewed as an end in
itself, which causes human beings to become more selfish, materialistic and
immoral.
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