1) Islam means surrender or submission. Salam (which means peace) is the root word of Islam. In a religious context the word Islam means the surrendering of ones will (without compulsion) to the true will of God in an effort to achieve peace. 2) Muslim means anyone or anything that surrenders itself to the true will of God. By this definition, everything in nature (trees, animals, planets, etc.) are muslims because they are in a state of surrender to Gods will. In other words, they are fulfilling the purpose for which God created them. 3) Islam is not a new religion or cult. Along with Judaism and Christianity it traces its roots through Prophet Abraham and back to the first humans Adam and Eve. Studies show that between 1.5 and 1.8 billion people in the world today identify their religion as Islam. 4) There are five pillars of practice in Islam. These practices must be undertaken with the best of effort in order to be considered a true Muslim: A) Declaration of faith in One God and that Muhammad is a prophet of God. B) Formal prayer five times a day. C) Poor-due tax - 2.5% of ones excess wealth given to the needy once a year. D) Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once, if physically and financially able. E) Fasting during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan. 5) There are six articles of faith in Islam. These are the basic beliefs that one must have in order to be considered a true Muslim. They are belief in: A) the One God. B) all of the true prophets of God. C) the original scriptures revealed to Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad. D) the angels. E) the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. F) destiny. 6) Islam is a complete way of life that governs all facets of life: moral, spiritual, physical, intellectual, social, economical, etc. 7) Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. To become Muslim, a person of any race or culture must say a simple statement, the shahadah, that bears witness to the belief in the One God and that Muhammad is a prophet of God. 8) Allah is an Arabic word that means God. Muslims also believe that Allah is the personal name of God. 9) Allah is not the God of Muslims only. He is the God of all people and all creation. Just because people refer to God using different terms does not mean there are different gods. Many Hispanics refer to God as Dios and many French refer to God as Dieu yet they mean the same God. Many Arab Jews and Arab Christians call God Allah and the word Allah (in Arabic script) appears on the walls of many Arab churches and on the pages of Arabic Bibles. Although the understanding of God may differ between the various faith groups, it does not change the fact that the One Lord and Creator of the Universe is the God of all people. 10) The Islamic concept of God is that He is loving, merciful and compassionate. Islam also teaches that He is just and swift in punishment. However, Allah once said to Muhammad, My mercy prevails over my wrath. So Islam teaches a balance between fear and hope, protecting one from both complacency and despair. 11) Muslims believe that God has revealed 99 of His names, or attributes, in the Quran. It is through these names that one can come to know the Creator. A few of these names are the All-Merciful, the All-Knower, the Protector, the Provider, the Near, the First, the Last, the Hidden and the Source of All Peace. 12) Muslims believe in all of the true prophets that preceded Muhammad, from Adam to Jesus. Muslims believe they brought the same message of voluntarily surrendering to Gods will (islam, in a generic sense) to different peoples at different times. Muslims also believe they were muslims (again, in a generic sense) since they followed Gods true guidance and surrendered their will to Him. 13) Muslims neither worship Muhammad nor pray through him. Muslims solely worship the Unseen and Omniscient Creator, Allah. 14) Muslims accept the original unaltered Torah (as revealed to Moses) and th
Posted on: Mon, 11 Aug 2014 14:39:53 +0000