Seven Fundamental Questions on Islam
What is Islaam?
The word "Islaam" 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 Islaam was both
revealed by God and carries a deep spritual meaning - only by submitting one's
will to Almighty God can one obtain true peace both in this life and in the
life hereafter. Islaam teaches that all religions originally had the same
essential message - which was to submit whole-heartedly to the will of God and
to worship Him and Him alone. For this reason, Islaam 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.
Who are
Muslims?
The Arabic word "Muslim"
literally means "someone who submits to the will of God". The message
of Islaam is meant for the entire world and anyone who accepts this message
becomes a Muslim. Some people mistakenly believe that Islaam 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 World - from Nigeria to Bosnia
and from Morocco to Indonesia - it is easy enough to see that Muslims come from
all different races, ethnic groups and nationalities. From the very beginning,
Islaam 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 wilful 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.
Who is Allaah?
Very often one will here the Arabic
word "Allaah" being used in regards to Islaam. The word
"Allaah" 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 "Allaah"
being use where the word "God" is used in English. Actually, the
Arabic word for Almighty God, "Allaah", is quite similar to the word
for God in other Semitic languages - for example, the Hebrew word for God is
"Elah". For various reasons, some non-Muslims mistakenly believe that
Muslims worship a different God than the God of Moses and Abraham and Jesus.
This is certainly not the case, since the Pure Monotheism of Islaam calls all
people to the worship of the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all of the
other prophets.
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 Islaam. 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
manifestations 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 emphasised 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 people - he was the exemplary
prophet, statesman, military leader, ruler, teacher, neighbour, 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 preserved - they 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 Islaam - i.e. submission to the will of God and the worship of God
alone - Muhammad is actually the last prophet of Islaam, not the first.
What are the
Teachings of Islaam?
The foundation of the Islaamic 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. Islaam, however, not only insists on
this, but also rejects using such words as "Lord" and
"Saviour" for anyone besides Almighty God. Islaam 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-emphasising 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 Islaam, there is a clear distinction between the Creator and the
created. There is no ambiguity in divinity - anything 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 comprehension - He 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 metaphysically - He 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 Islaamic belief in the Oneness of God, is its belief
in the oneness of mankind and humanity.
What is the
Qur'aan?
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'aan, sometimes spelled Koran, was relayed to the Prophet's companions,
which they memorised verbatim, and which has been publicly and continually
recited by them and their successors until the present day. In short, the
Qur'aan is the book of guidance from God par excellence. The Qur'aan is still
memorised and taught by millions of people. The language of the Qur'aan,
Arabic, is still a living language to millions of people, so unlike the
scriptures of other religions, the Qur'aan 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'aan, was revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad over a period of 23 years. The Qur'aan, 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'aan was also completely written down in lifetime of the Prophet, and
numerous companions of the Prophet memorised the entire Qur'aan word-for-word
as it was revealed. So unlike other scriptures, the Qur'aan was always in the
hands of the common believers, it was always thought to be God's word and, due
to wide-spread memorisation, it was perfectly preserved. In regards to the
teachings of the Qur'aan - 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'aan 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'aan 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'aanic
teachings offer solutions to the emptiness of our lives and the turmoil that is
gripping the world today.
How Do Muslims
View the Nature of Man, the Purpose of Life and the Life Hereafter?
In the Holy Qur'aan, 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 Islaamic
encompass all aspects of life and ethics, God-consciousness is encouraged in
all human affairs. Islaam 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 Islaam is not limited to religious rituals. The teachings of
Islaam act as a mercy and a healing for the human soul, and such qualities as
humility, sincerity, patience and charity are strongly encouraged.
Additionally, Islaam condemns pride and self-righteousness, since Almighty God
is the only judge of human righteousness. The Islaamic 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.
Islaam 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
Islaamic 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, Islaam teaches
that: only the misguided despair of the Mercy of their Lord. Additionally, the
Holy Qur'aan, which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, contains a great deal
of teachings about the life hereafter and the Day of Judgement. 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 Islaam 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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Islam and Converting to it