Islamic points: The biggest problem with non-Muslims, is their lack of understanding and lack of knowledge as to what Islam is really all about and who the Muslims are supposed to be. Yet at the same time, believers have to defend themselves, their families and the religion itself, lest those who are not believers should remove belief from the very face of the earth. Islam, like Christianity preaches a message of peace and tolerance – to a point. But when this is no longer possible without totally compromising and loosing one’s way of life and belief system, then there is no alternative except to engage in open combat against those who are combating against the believers. Jesus called upon his followers to sell their coats and buy swords. He explained that he did not come with peace, but rather a sword. He and his companions were engaged in mortal combat with their enemies, the Pharisees when one of the priests slaves had his ear cut by the sword. Jesus then told them to put down their swords. This is mentioned in the Bible. The word “sword” appears over 200 times in the Bible – but even though the Arabic language has more than a dozen words for sword, there is not a single occurrence of any of these words anywhere in the Qur’an. Combat is ordered in the Qur’an, only under very specific and limited conditions and it is nothing more than what we would today call “The War on Terrorism.” Fighting against all acts of organized aggression, oppression, persecution and terrorism is an obligation on all believers. But it certainly has limits and women, children, elderly and any innocents are not to killed or injured during such occasions. Treatment of prisoners is not to be humiliating or torture of any kind. Even the dead of the enemy are to be buried with dignity and respect. So, Islam - has a divine name chosen by God Himself and clearly mentioned in the Divine Book sent by Him; ” This day i perfected your religion for you , completed My favor upon you , and I have chosen for you Islam as your religion . ” ( Qur’an 5:3 ) - is a universal truth which cannot be changed by people, places or periods of time; Islam religion is same by 1428 years Alhamdu’lillah … nothing changed and nothing will be changed Insh’Allah . - invites to worship ONLY God; ” That which you worship besides Him are only names and you and your forefathers have invented for which God has sent down no authority ; the command belongs only to God : He has command that you worship Him ; that is the right religion , but most people do not understand . ” ( Qur’an 12:40 ) - is simply Monotheism in its pure form in order not to think of God in an unworthy manner; - preaches a message of peace and tolerance – to a point. - it is not theoretical but practical as it is not a matter of personal conviction alone but a complete way of life; it represent a civilization before being considered as a faith. -provides solutions for Muslims to their spiritual, personal, social needs and offers a faith based on reason, free of superstition. - is the solution to the problems facing the so-called world of religion as a whole. - is as simple and straight forward to understand as the nucleus at the centre of an atom; the concept of One God lies at the heart of Islamic culture. Muslims turn to their Creator for guidance without the need for intermediaries between oneself and God. - rejects that God rested on the seventh day of the creation, that He wrestled with one of His angels, that He is an envious plotter against mankind, or that He is incarnate in any human being and the attribution of any human form to God. So…why Muslims are the hardest people in the world to convert to Christianity? Because there is nothing to offer them !! Worship It simply means rendering sincere service ; showing reverence for Allah . In a deeper shade of meaning , it implies total submission and complete obedience to Allah ‘ s Commandments both in utterances and actions , whether explicit or implicit and in private or public . Worship falls into two categories : - Outward ( Visible or manifest ) ; - Inward ( Invisible or concealed ) . Outward worship includes acts such as : uttering the two parts of the ” Shahadah ” ; performing prayers ; giving Zakat ( obligatory charity ) ; observing the fast in the month of Ramadan ; performing Hajj ( Pilgrimage ) ; recitation of the Noble Qur’an ; supplication ; adoring Allah by praising Him ; purifying our bodies before prayers etc. This type of worship is associated with the movement of the parts of the human body , [ actions ] . Inward worship is to believe in : Allah ; the Day of Judgement ; the Hereafter ; the Angels ; the Books of Allah ; the Divine Decree of destiny . This type of worship does not involve movements of parts of the body but surely has a bearing on one ‘ s heart which , subsequently , affects one’s way of life ( beliefs ) . It should be borne in mind that worship not dedicated to Allah alone , will be rejected as one form of polytheism or ” shirk ” , which amounts to apostasy , from the Islamic point of view . Principles The following principal duties are to be carried out by all Muslims: 1. Strong belief in the existence of only one God and that there is no God but Allah; 2. Prayers: to purify the body and elevate the soul; 3. Fasting: to ameliorate body and soul; it is a remedy for bodies, refinement of feelings for the safe of attaining a better interaction with people, animals and plants, and to teach people patience and to strenghten their will; 4. Almsgiving: to create sympathy between the rich and the poor, as the rich are to give the poor a share of their capital: 2.5% every lunar year, provided that this capital is greater then the value of 85 gm of 21 Kt gold. Although the rich have to pay the previous amount, still, it is preferable for them to give more and let their kindness overflow. One of the most sacred duties of Moslems is to help and sympathize with the poor. 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca: Every Moslem must visit Mecca at least once during his/her life, when means are available and if he/she is able to perform such a trip. In Mecca, Moslems do not worship an idol or a prophet, but they meditate the sacred meanings of Islam and they thank Allah swt; thereby fulfilling their pilgrimage. Besides, pilgrims from everywhere have the chance to meet each other and strenghten their intimate, mutual relationships. Behavior A good behavior is the main message of Islam as good behavior is the result of true faith . Faith without a good behavior has no value . When the Prophet ( salallahu aleyhi wa salaam ) was asked what is religion , he said that religion means good behavior ; when he was ask what pain means , he answered that the true pain is the less of good behavior . Allah’s last Messenger also said that faith does not mean wish/desire but what is in soul and showed in actions . In the Judgement Day , the behavior will be the main criteria . The Prophet (salallahu aleyhi wa salaam ) said that nothing will be more important in the Judgement Day than actions . In Islam the behavior is a result of adoration . Without a good behavior , the acts of adoration are just simple exercises of movement . The Prophet( salallahu aleyhi wa salaam ) said that a person who does not stop from bad actions after praying is far from Allah . Freedom A practicing Muslim strives to submit whole heartedly to God, thereby achieving peace in this life and the next. Submitting to God’s will does not mean that a person need no longer to think or that he must give up his free will to choose; rather, like a law-abiding citizen, a person who observes God’s commands benefits himself and others by respecting Divine law and using his freedom wisely. The Islamic concept of submission is thus an active one; a Muslim struggle to increase his knowledge ( as never was a conflict between science and Islam religion ), develop his character and do what is right to the best of his ability after which he accepts that the outcome of his affairs is ultimately in God’s hands. Allah The Arabic word Allah means God (the one and only true God who created the whole universe). This word Allah is a name for God, which is used by Arabic speakers, both Arab Muslims and Arab Christians. This word cannot be used to designate anything other than the one true God. The Arabic word Allah occurs in the Qur’an about 2700 times. In Aramaic, a language related closely to Arabic and the language that Jesus habitually spoke, God is also referred to as Allah.Muslims prefer to use the Arabic word ” Allah ” for God because it has no plural, feminine or diminutive form that could be associated with idolatry ( i.e. gods, goddesses or ” semi-gods ” ). God alone has absolute being, totally independent and self-sufficient. He is not only the ” First Cause ” but also Ultimately, the Only Cause and He is Himself Uncaused. He is Al-Ahad, ” the One “, absolute unity.This is in sharp contrast to the Christian concept of Trinity. The One cannot be divided, nor can it be diminished or ” humanized ” by incarnation in any created form. God does not become His own creature, in fact, He does not become anything because He is God. Ar-Rahman describes God as He is in His eternal nature and that everything is brought into existence through the overflowing of His innate ” Mercy “, while Ar-Rahim refers to the blessings He pours out upon His creatures. Angels Allah swt created angels from light for celebrating day and night the praise of Him. The tasks of angels: Gabriel/Jibril – is entrusted with revelation which he brings down from Allah swt to whomever He wishes among His Prophets and Messengers; Michael/Mika’il – is in charge of rain and vegetation; Israfil – is in charge of blowing the Horn at the time of Thunderbolting and Resurrection; Angel of death – takes away people’s souls at the time of death; Malik -is the keeper of Hell; Other angels have also certain functions: are in charge of mountains; are in charge of embryos in wombs; are responsible for protecting the human beings; are recording men’s deeds: two angels for every person; are in charge of questioning the deed after he is put in his last abode; are in charge of the dwellers of Paradise/Jannah; are the guards of Hell/Jahanam; are the bearers of the throne. Prophets A Prophet does not primarily imply someone able to foretell the future, although predictions have already been fulfilled in astonishing ways, but a man sent by God to call people to repent, have faith and dedicate their lives to doing good, thereby helping them rediscover the purpose for which they were created. They are free men who are commissioned by God to teach their people a set of laws and teachings that were given to a preceding prophet. Prophets are not considered to be Divine and are not prayed or worshipped though they were men of outstanding character and spirituality who were protected from committing sins, performed miracles, received revelation and communed with God. All prophets were human who used to sleep, consume food and beverages; they had no Divine Qualities but Allah swt supported them with miracles. Scriptures Allah swt revealed Books to His Messengers as proof against mankind and a guidance for the righteous people. The Messengers taught people wisdom by these Books. Allah sent down a Book with every Messenger. Books known: 1. The Torah which was revealed to Moses pbuh. It is the greatest among the Israelites’ books. 2. The Gospel/Evangel/Injil which Allah swt revealed to Jesus pbuh. It is a confirmation of the Torah and a complement to it. But none of the four Gospel writers were original disciples of Jesus ( Pbuh ) if we consider the fact that in Luke 6:14-16 and Mark 3:17, Bible we find the names of the twelve disciples appointed by Jesus ( Pbuh ). While the names of Matthew and John are included, the names of Mark, Luke and Paul are not mentioned. Also the two Gospels, attributed to Matthew and John, were written by third persons. ” As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office and he said to him, ‘ Follow me. ‘ And he rose and followed him. ” ( Matthew 9:9, Bible ) ” This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true. ” ( John 21:23, Bible ) In the first instance, the writer merely narrated what had transpired between Jesus ( Pbuh ) and the man Matthew, while in second instance , it is obvious that the pronoun ” We ” stands as the writer. 3. The Psalms/Zaboor which Allah swt gave to David pbuh. 4. Tablets of Abraham and Moses pbut. 5. The Qur’an which was revealed to Muhammad pbuh. It is “a guidance to the people and clear signs of guidance and the criterion between right and wrong” (2:185). The Qur’an is “confirming the scripture that was before it and stands as a guardian over it.” (5:48). Thus, by means of the Qur’an, Allah abrogated all the previous revealed books. Allah has also guaranteed its protection from any play or mischievous distortion: “Indeed, We sent down the message and We will guard it” (15:9), for the Qur’an is a proof against mankind till the Day of Judgment. There are three express purposes for its revelation to Prophet Mumammad (Pbuh): -that he should bring about unity among the jarring sects, for the Gospel of Unity, while preaching the Oneness of True God; -that the revelation should be a guide to right conduct; -that it should open the path of Repentance and Salvation, and thus be of highest mercy to erring sinners. It is given in order that men and women be Righteous. If they reject the loss is their own. The previous scriptures originally promoted the same message of God, ” The Lord Your God is One God and you shall have no other gods before Me.” (Mark 12:29), but they were meant for a limited period. Their use ended with the revelation of the Qur’an, which abrogated them and exposed their distortions and changes. That is why they were not protected from corruption. They underwent distortion, addition, and omission. Prophet Jeremiah ( Pbuh ) warned the people about the corruption made in the revelation by those who teach the religion of God. He says: ” How can you say, ‘ We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? ‘ But, behold, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie. ” ( Jeremiah 8:8, Bible ) Allah swt sent down a book to every nation for its guidance. He revealed in these books to every nation that which suits them. The Qur’an is the final book and it is suitable to all people at all times until the Day of Judgment as its message is for All Mankind as opposed to the message of Jesus or Moses (Pbut) which was sent to the Jews, “Hear O Israel “. The Qur’an, revealed to Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel, holds the unique position of being God’s final message to humanity and He has promised to preserve it intact until the end of time. Scholars have verified that the Qur’an is the only world Scripture that has but a single version ( in Arabic ) identical to the text that was revealed more than 1400 years ago. Also, Muslims consider that the Jews falsely appropriated the universal Truth, claiming it as the property of one single people, while the Christians distorted it through the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation. In the Islamic view, the ” message ” transmitted through Muhammad represented, not a completed new religion, but a corrective to the falsifications and distortions which had taken place and, at the same time, an uncompromising re-assertion of the pure doctrine of the One God.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 06:06:22 +0000
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