Seven
Questions About Islam
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 “Islam” was both revealed by God and
mentioned explicitly in the Holy Scripture – The Qur’an. Islam carries a deep
spiritual meaning — only by submitting one’s will to Almighty God can one obtain
true peace both in this life and in the life hereafter. Islam 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, 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 (peace be upon them all).
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 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, 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 (peace be upon
him) 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.
Who is Allah?
Very often one will hear 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 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 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 (peace be upon them). However, even though Jews,
Christians and Muslims worship the same God — since there is only one true God —
their concepts concerning Him differ in some significant ways.
Who is Muhammad?
The last and final prophet that God sent to humanity was the Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him). 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 manifestations of God, "God
Incarnate" or the "Son of God". All of these false ideas lead to the creation
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 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
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that he had be sent as a mercy to all of
mankind. Because people had distorted or forgotten God’s messages from previous
prophets, God took it upon Himself to protect the message revealed to Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him). This was because Almighty God promised not to send
another messenger after him. Since all of God’s messengers have preached the
message of Islam — i.e. submission to the will of God and the worship of God
alone — Muhammad is actually the last prophet of Islam, not the first.
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, other 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 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 affects 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.
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 Qur’an 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 Qur’an 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.
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/piety.
Since the teachings of Islam 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 is 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 the 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.