As I am a firm believer in Islam, I would like to hear what others see in muslims and Islam.
Or if they have any misconception about Islam, I would like to hear about them.

If you know muslims personally what have you seen in them and what has changed in your view after meeting them and knowing them.


I hope to hear your views on this...

Thank you all:)

From what I know of Islam, it is essentially much like Christianity. I believe that the way the Koran is written allows it to be more easily interpreted fanatically. That is not to say that Christianity cannot, because it most definitely can and has. However, the Koran's principal (keyword there) beliefs are in line with Christian ones.

I have a few Muslim friends, and at least one I would consider a close one. He is kind, respectful, and altruistic, however, I don't feel that his religion defines him.

When I was in college we had to took a seminar our entire freshman year the theme of my year was religion. We read all of the religious text including the Koran. It was very interesting to me how similar everyone's religion is in the sense of what God is to its worshipers. One of our Professors was a strict follower of Islam and he was the coolest guy. Just when you looked at him you felt as if he embodied God he always said how much his religion gave him.

I think that Muslims and Islam in general get a bad rep but just like in any religion there are people who are fanatics and well mess it up for everybody else.

My parents spent 2 1/2 years in Saudia Arabia. While my father enjoyed the relationships and the work he did there my mother felt a little stiffled by the restrictions that women have. Plus they were both scared to death every time they drove on the roads there. If not the roads themselves it's the reckless drivers.

My parents spent 2 1/2 years in Saudia Arabia. While my father enjoyed the relationships and the work he did there my mother felt a little stiffled by the restrictions that women have. Plus they were both scared to death every time they drove on the roads there. If not the roads themselves it's the reckless drivers.


I would just like to clarify that stifling women is not part of Islam. It is just the law of some countries that stifle the women.:)

And out of curiosity why were your parents afraid to drive if not for the reckless drivers?

If you are a woman who has lived all your life in a non-islamic country the rules are indeed stiffling, no question about it.

As for the driving: it seems that the saudis drive without a care in the world for safety, the thinking being that if they die in a car accident "it is the will of Allah'.

If you are a woman who has lived all your life in a non-islamic country the rules are indeed stiffling, no question about it.

As for the driving: it seems that the saudis drive without a care in the world for safety, the thinking being that if they die in a car accident "it is the will of Allah'.


I understand the difference in culture maybe a bit restricting.

And about the reckless driving I assure you that most muslims do not think that way, in fact anything that would harm one's health is to be avoided, hence alcohol,pork etc being prohibited), some even give up smoking when they understand that it is harmful to health and it is not liked by Allah for one to abuse ones body in any way.

Even during funerals the men and women are not supposed to harm themselves in grief.Crying all we want is allowed, but hitting ones own self even in grief is not allowed (sometimes you may see on the news, how muslims women/men beat themselves at the death of a loved one).

I was hoping to hear more responses,
For those who did
NK, johnsnow and Glinda, thank you for sharing.

Religion doesn't matter much to me because the Lord won't judge you whether you are Pentecostal, Hindu a Christian or Islam but by His Word and His Word only

Religion does'nt matter much to me because the Lord won't judge you whether you are Pentecostal, Hindu a Christian or Islam but by His Word and His Word only

Marily,
Are you saying that you accept me as a believer or are you saying you believe in the Islamic faith to be right?

Another thing I would like to clarify is how does anyone choose his way of life if you say that it does not matter whether one follows a religion or not.
And also how does one know His word if one is not following any religion?
Who/what do you mean as "His word"?

Thanks:)

Is Allah, considered to be the same as the Christian God? This might sound like an ignorant question but I do not know much about Islam? Do Islam respect and believe in the Christian God to be the same. All in one? Does islam believe in Jesus to be part of God?

Edit:::: Muslim and Islam are the same?

Is Allah, considered to be the same as the Christian God? This might sound like an ignorant question but I do not know much about Islam? Do Islam respect and believe in the Christian God to be the same. All in one? Does islam believe in Jesus to be part of God? Oh I have so many questions.

I believe the original teachings of Jesus (alaihi salaam) was the same,as we believe he was a messenger from Allah.We also believe that the Injeel was revealed to him by the Almighty, but we do not believe in the current day Bible/s as they have been tampered and we cannot identify the True words of the Almighty and the human editions.

We also believe in Jesus (alaihi salaam) virgin birth to be a miracle from Allah and his mother (peace be upon )Mary(Mariyam) is also mentioned in the Quran and a whole chapter is named after her.
We also believe Jesus (alaihi salaam ) spoke in his crib and other miracles performed during his time.

The difference is I think that some Christians consider Jesus (alaihi salaam) as the son of God and we would never put any of the prophets and messengers(peace be upon them all) in such a rank, as we believe even they are first servants of the Almighty just like all humans and jinn.

We also believe in the descending of Jesus(alaihi salaam) during the end times to abolish falsehood and establish the truth of monotheism.But we believe that he was not crucified but was taken up to Allah and his descent will disprove the theory of his crucifixion.

I am so glad you asked and if you have any others please do and I will try to clarify as much as I could.:)

Edit-Islam is the religion which is of total submission to Allah.
muslim= is the one who submits and bows down to the will of Allah.Muslims are the followers of Islam

Why do you, or islam do not believe in the crucifixion of Jesus? Also was not the Quran written by man as well? Is it not true that both the bible and Quran were written by the hands of people through the revelation from God?

Does quron or Allah teach exceptance of all people, no matter what their belief? I am curious on the rules and guidelines of Allah, I also hear they are very similar to the Bible. That the bible is more history based with details and Quran is more of a Blueprint with guidelines of how to live without the historic background, what is your take on this?

Why do you, or islam do not believe in the crucifixion of Jesus? Also was not the Quran written by man as well? Is it not true that both the bible and Quran were written by the hands of people through the revelation from God?

Does quron or Allah teach exceptance of all people, no matter what their belief? I am curious on the rules and guidelines of Allah, I also hear they are very similar to the Bible. That the bible is more history based with details and Quran is more of a Blueprint with guidelines of how to live without the historic background, what is your take on this?

About the compilation of the Quran please follow this link.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/compilationbrief.html

The reason we believe jesus (alaihi salaam) was not crucified is based on the Quran.
Quran 4:157
"And because of their saying (in boast), "We killed Messiah 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of Allâh," - but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of 'Iesa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not [i.e. 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)"

Quran 43:61
"And he ['Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)] shall be a known sign for (the coming of) the Hour (Day of Resurrection) [i.e. 'Iesa's (Jesus) descent on the earth]. Therefore have no doubt concerning it (i.e. the Day of Resurrection). And follow Me (Allâh) (i.e. be obedient to Allâh and do what He orders you to do, O mankind)! This is the Straight Path (of Islâmic Monotheism, leading to Allâh and to His Paradise)."

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Regarding Allah-
Allah accepts only pure monotheistic belief without any partners associated with Him.

Quran chapter 112
"Say (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)): "He is Allâh, (the) One.
"Allâh-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks). "He begets not, nor was He begotten;
"And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him."

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http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/pillars/intropillars.html
The Meaning of Islam
"ISLAM" is derived from the Arabic root salaama peace, purity, submission and obedience. In the religious sense, Islam means submission to the will of God and obedience to His law.

Everything and every phenomenon in the world, other than man and jinn is administered totally by God-made laws,they are obedient to God and submissive to His laws, i.e. they are in the state of Islam. Man possesses the quality of intelligence and choice, thus he is invited to submit to the good will of God and obey His law, i.e. become a Muslim. Submission to the good will of God, together with obedience to His beneficial law, i.e. becoming a Muslim, is the best safeguard for man's peace and harmony.

Islam dates back to the age of Adam and its message has been conveyed to man by God's Prophets and Messengers including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. Islam's message has been restored and enforced in the last stage of the religious evolution by God's last Prophet and Messenger Muhammad.

The word ALLAH in the Arabic language means God, or more accurately The One and Only Eternal God, Creator of the Universe, Lord of all lords, King of all kings, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. The word Allah to mean God is also used by Arabic speaking Jews and Christians.

Articles of Faith
1. Allah, the One and Only God
2. Messengers and Prophets of God
3. Revelations and the Quran
4. The Angels
5. The Day of Judgement
6. Qadaa and Qadar(pre ordainment)

-Please refer link for an explanation of each article of faith and to read the rest of the article.
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I haven't read the Bible/s so I cannot give you a comparison.

The Quran is a set of guidelines as well as some historical accounts,
Information regarding Heaven and Hell,information on the attributes of Allah,attributes of believers and non believers,how to govern the state,how to conduct our daily everyday affairs,divorce and marriage,birth and death,war and peace treaties,inheritance,way to dress,guidance for us to look and marvel at the signs of Allah in all the living things we see around us... etc.
And we also refer to Hadith (wayof conduct/sayings of Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a perfect example of following the Quran.

I have known many muslims down the years my school was about a third muslim which when you consider most of the non muslims where agnostic/athiest probably made it the majority religion. This being so I never learnt about it in RE just other religions.

My lasting impressions of muslims/islam are Eid, Ramadam, henna and calvin klein hijabs. Most 'muslims' I meet now are not very strict, about the same as westeners you can stop in the street who call themselves 'kinda christian I suppose.' I put this down to the fact I work in a scientific field.

There is a lot of muslim terrorists in my country at the moment (my friend dated one!) but I remember back when it was the IRA so it's all swings and roundabouts really. Anybody who judges a whole religion and it's followers by a couple of fanatics actions is an idiot in my book.

The first time I met a Muslim was when I was a senior in high school - there was a foreign exchange student from Morocco. I remember him as a very kind and caring person. He was only in the U.S. one year and then to go back to his family. He was VERY patient in answering questions about his country and his beliefs. One thing he did mention, more than once, was the liberalism in dress for women. That was 1969-1970 and many girls were definitely in the fashion of short skirts and the like. He did not think that was appropriate and he was right!

In college there was a group of four or five students from Iran who went to my college and several from Saudi Arabia. You could not ask for nicer people. Some of them were in my philosophy class and they would go round and round with the monk who was teaching. I got more education out of the dialogue between them and the instructor than I got out of the philosophy books. Two were in my Old Testament class and it was amazing to me to see the parallels in teachings.

Now I have a little contact as there is a family that just moved here from Nigeria that are Muslim and I see again that Muslims are peace loving. I know there are the radicals out there - but honestly those radicals exist in every country, in every faith, and every point of origin. It would never be fair to place all in the same category as those who expouse violence as a answer to the world. While I do not share the belief in Allah, I can respect those that do.

Hope this helps answer your question.

I have known many muslims down the years my school was about a third muslim which when you consider most of the non muslims where agnostic/athiest probably made it the majority religion. This being so I never learnt about it in RE just other religions.

My lasting impressions of muslims/islam are Eid, Ramadam, henna and calvin klein hijabs. Most 'muslims' I meet now are not very strict, about the same as westeners you can stop in the street who call themselves 'kinda christian I suppose.' I put this down to the fact I work in a scientific field.

There is a lot of muslim terrorists in my country at the moment (my friend dated one!) but I remember back when it was the IRA so it's all swings and roundabouts really. Anybody who judges a whole religion and it's followers by a couple of fanatics actions is an idiot in my book.

We have two eids,one right after the Fasting month of Ramadhan and the other Eid is the celebration of the end of Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca).

About Henna, we are allowed to use Henna on our hands as decoration, but permanent tattooing is not allowed.
The reason for this is we have a ritual right before we pray or read the Quran (in its original form in Arabic),in that we have to wash palms,mouth and nose,face,hands,wipe our hair with water,wipe both our ears with water and wash our feet. And each part is washed three times each,except for the hair and ears, one of the musts of this ritual is water must touch the skin and tattoos and nail varnish prevent us from this.
Some use nail varnish during the period when we cannot pray, which is during the monthly menses for women,as this is considered an impurity.
We can start praying right after the menses but after a ritual bath. Even sexual intercourse is forbidden during the periods as this a time of uncleanliness and danger of disease for the husband.


Calvin Klein hijabs are just comercialised headscarves to market in the muslim community.Some assume that the headscarf is a form of oppression or not as a compulsory thing, but it is stated in the Quran that both men and women should lower their gaze(i.e not look at forbidden things), and to guard their modesty.Even Scholars of Islam agree that the minimal covering of the whole body except for the hands and face is recommended by Allah. The dispute between scholars rises on the face veil, which was a practice(Allahs command) of the wives(May Allah be pleased with them) of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and as we regard them to be the mothers of all believers we try to emulate them as much as possible.

Some people consider the lowering of the gaze and such commands from Allah as too strict, but in Islam most commands are as a prevention before the act happens.
Everyone knows how hard men and women work on keeping their wives and husbands from cheating on them, by the command to lower the gaze prevents one from the forbidden look which in turn may or may not lead to a forbidden act.
I am not saying muslims do not cheat or have sex outside of marriage, but if one is a good practicer of Islam, they would be safe from STI,unwanted pregnancies etc.
Another thing about women being covered is the peace of mind we women have in that I do not have to compete with other women to look sexier,more beautiful or to have the perfect body.This unhealthy competition between women is eliminated in that we stop trying to show off our bodies except our husbands.

About strictness of muslims,all of us are supposed to be fundamentalists in that we should be following the fundamental principles of the religion in order to be a muslim.
The five pillars,the articles of faith are to be believed and followed. And our conduct must be according to the Quran and the Prophet's (peace be upon him) way pf conducting himself.
Mohammed The Prophet By Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao (http://www.themodernreligion.com/prophet/prophet-rao.html)
Here is an article by a non muslim on Muhammad (pbuh).

The word fundamentalist as been used by the media is a biased term and it is used only in reference to muslims, whereas there are orthodox Jews and fundamental Christians too.
The funny thing is if we were to leave the basics of the religion we follow we would cease to be Muslims as the fundamental beliefs is what defines each religion.

Thank you Templelane and Shygrneyzs for your unbiased opinion and for not judging us by what is portrayed by the mass media.:)

What I am trying to say firmbeliever is when God comes back, we all will know what the truth is whether the bible was tampered with as you believe or whether the koran was the holy book of God

What i am trying to say firmbeliever is when God comes back, we all will know what the truth is whether the bible was tampered with as you believe or whether the koran was the holy book of God


"when God comes back"
Therein lies the difference of our opinion, we do not believe God will descend to earth, but Jesus (alaihi salaam), the messenger of God...

I agree with you Marily that when Jesus (alahi salaam) descends to earth all falsehood will perish and the truth will be established.:)

Just out of curiosity, who is alaihi salaam ? According to islam who is Jesus and who is God ? :)

The word fundamentalist as been used by the media is a biased term and it is used only in reference to muslims, whereas there are orthodox Jews and fundamental Christians too.

Don't worry, no one likes the fundie Christians either, what with their book burning and such! :) Seriously though, you have a point about "fundamentalist" being applied in a negative way to Muslims, whereas to Orthodox Jews it's not considered negative. To Christians, however, it can be negative, as a "fundie" is thought of as a book burner, Harry Potter hater, etc. The Amish are very fundamentalist, and no one thinks bad of them. I think part of the reason "fundamentalist Muslims" have a negative thought associated with them is because the media talks about terrorists and "America haters" as fundamentalist. So en masse, we think Muslims are gun-toting beheading monsters, when that's just not the case. Too often the only time the news reports on Muslims is when they've done something bad; roadside bombings, honor killings and the like. To a western society those things seem "backward" and when people don't take the time to know anything about the actual teachings of Islam and just go off the negative media reports, its no wonder Muslims are hated in America. Then we have national leaders saying things like, "They hate us for our freedom!" and that doesn't help either.

One thing I do wonder, is in the Islamic countries where women's rights are less than they are in other nations (women can't drive, be in the company of men they are not related to etc), is there justification for this in the Qu'ran? As I mentioned earlier, honor killings or jailing women when they are raped, where do these principles come from? From what I understand these things take place in Islamic nations which claim to follow the Qu'ran, so where is it in the Qu'ran that it's acceptable to do such things?

Oh, and I nominate firmbeliever as our resident "Islam Expert" :)

....One thing I do wonder, is in the Islamic countries where women's rights are less than they are in other nations (women can't drive, be in the company of men they are not related to etc), is there justification for this in the Qu'ran? As I mentioned earlier, honor killings or jailing women when they are raped, where do these principles come from? From what I understand these things take place in Islamic nations which claim to follow the Qu'ran, so where is it in the Qu'ran that it's acceptable to do such things?Oh, and I nominate firmbeliever as our resident "Islam Expert" :)

Hi Jillian,
Thanks for the nomination,
But I would rather not be called an expert(too much responsibilty;) ), as I do refer to many books,websites etc in my answers and I cannot take credit for them.

Women not being able to drive is not really in the Quran and Sunnah,but women driving alone maybe... Hope the following shows you what the position of women in Islam really is...
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http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/notislam/misconceptions.html
Misconception 3
In Islam, women are inferior to men because:
A man can marry up to 4 wives, a woman can marry only one man
A man's share of inheritance is bigger than a woman's
A man can marry a non-Muslim, a woman cannot
Women must wear the veil

This widely held misconception does not remotely follow from the reasons given. The first and most important observation to make about the popular question "Are men and women equal?" is that it is a badly-formed, unanswerable question. The problem which many people conveniently ignore is that "equal" is not defined. This is a very critical point: the equality must be specified with respect to some measurable property. For example, women on average are superior to men if we ask who is shorter in height than the other ("Growth and Development", Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1992). Women are also superior on average if we ask whom do children bond to deeper, mothers or fathers. Women are also superior on average if we ask who has a tendency to socialize more. On the other hand, men are superior on average if we ask who is taller in height than the other. And so on: every question can be turned around, and more importantly these are properties which are irrelevant.

What then, is the really important property which we are worried about in terms of gender equality? Naturally, from the point of view of the Qur'an and Sunnah, the obvious important property is who is dearer to Allah, men or women? This question is emphatically answered in the Qur'an (translation),
[4:124] If any do deeds of righteousness - be they male or female - and have faith, they will enter Paradise, and not the least injustice will be done to them.
[33:35] For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for truthful men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.

The Qur'an and Sunnah repeat over and over again that Allah only favors one person over another based on that person's awareness, consciousness, fear, love, and hope of Allah (the Arabic word is difficult to translate: Taqwa). All other criteria are excluded: gender, ethnic group, country, ancestry, etc.

Given that Allah does not favor one gender over the other in His attention to us (and it helps to remember that Allah is neither male nor female), we can now address the differences between the genders in Islam. First, men and women are not the same as we know. The Creator states in the Qur'an (translation),
[3:36]... and the male is not like the female...

Men and women are different in their composition, and in their responsibilities under Islam. However, both are bound by obligations to one another, especially the following important one which must be understood in any discussion on men and women. From the Qur'an (translation),
[24:32] And marry those among you who are single and those who are fit among your male slaves and your female slaves; if they are needy, Allah will make them free from want out of His grace; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing.

In this verse, the Creator emphasizes that marriage is to be vigorously pursued by the Muslims: the state of being single is not to be maintained. With this in mind, we can begin to understand the four reasons cited above for the nonetheless erroneous conclusion.

Men and women are different in their responsibilities towards the families that they are strongly encouraged to set up. Women are not obligated to work, whereas men are obligated. The man must provide for the family, but the woman does not have to spend out of her money for it, though she gets a reward for doing so. Allah says in the Qur'an (translation),
[4:34] Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.

From the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sahih Bukhari, we find:
[2:24:545] Narrated `Amr bin Al-Harith: Zainab, the wife of `Abdullah said, "I was in the Mosque and saw the Prophet (p.b.u.h) saying, `O women ! Give alms even from your ornaments.' " Zainab used to provide for `Abdullah and those orphans who were under her protection. So she said to `Abdullah, "Will you ask Allah's Apostle whether it will be sufficient for me to spend part of the Zakat on you and the orphans who are under my protection?" He replied "Will you yourself ask Allah's Apostle ?" (Zainab added): So I went to the Prophet and I saw there an Ansari woman who was standing at the door (of the Prophet ) with a similar problem as mine. Bilal passed by us and we asked him, `Ask the Prophet whether it is permissible for me to spend (the Zakat) on my husband and the orphans under my protection.' And we requested Bilal not to inform the Prophet about us. So Bilal went inside and asked the Prophet regarding our problem. The Prophet (p.b.u.h) asked, "Who are those two?" Bilal replied that she was Zainab. The Prophet said, "Which Zainab?" Bilal said, "The wife of `Adullah (bin Masud)." The Prophet said, "Yes, (it is sufficient for her) and she will receive a double rewards (for that): One for helping relatives, and the other for giving Zakat."

Given that husbands are obligated to provide for wives, and that marriage is a highly recommended goal of Islam, it is easy to see why women's inheritance share is half that of men. We note also that men are obligated to provide a suitable dowry to women on marriage. In fact, it is preferable at this point to speak in terms of husbands and wives instead of men and women. Allah says in the Qur'an (translation),
[4:4] And give women their dowries as a free gift, but if they of themselves be pleased to give up to you a portion of it, then eat it with enjoyment and with wholesome result.

Allah says in the Qur'an (translation),
[2:228]... And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness, and men are a degree above them...

This one degree in no way affects the position of the Creator in which He has stated that He does not hold women dearer to him than men, or vice versa. Rather it is simply a way of partitioning responsibilities in a household of two adults: someone must make the final decision on daily matters. As will be shown below in a section on a different misconception, though the final decision rests with the husband, it is through mutual consultation that decisions are best reached at.

While men are allowed to marry up to four wives, they are also commanded to meet the preconditions of being able to financially support them. They must also deal with each wife justly and fairly with respect to marital and economic obligations. Allah says in the Qur'an (translation),
[4:3] If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.

.... to prevent you from doing injustice.

Continued from above post-

Moreover, women are allowed to reject any marriage proposal made to her by prospective suitors, thus if she does not feel she can abide by the rules of the Qur'an and Sunnah if she marries a certain person, she can reject his proposal. While it is irrelevant to Islam, it is worthwhile to note that both Judaism and Christianity allow polygamy. The idea is not as foreign to the non-Muslims as is often claimed.

Finally, the wearing of the veil by women is also an illogical premise to claim that women are inferior to men. It is more appropriate to indict a society of female exploitation if it tolerates pornography rather than if it enforces the veil. Given that Allah is neither male nor female, given that He does not endear people to Himself based on their gender, given that the Creator cares about all of us male or female, given that the sexual and violent drive of men is stronger than that of women... given all this, it is illogical to cast a negative light on the following injunctions contained in the Qur'an (translation),
[33:59] O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not be annoyed...
[24:30-31] Say to the believing man that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them; and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands...

On this misconception, there is a great deal more to write, most of it showing how current practices in many Muslim lands go against what the Qur'an and Sunnah have ordained, lands in which women are treated as property (unIslamic), are not educated (unIslamic), are forbidden their economic rights (unIslamic), and more. On this point in particular, we encourage everyone to consult the Qur'an and Sunnah before incriminating Islam. Always remember that Islam is a complete way of life from the Creator, and that Muslims are people who claim to follow that way of life. A Muslim may claim to follow Islam, but be wrong.
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I would also like to mention that in Islam,mothers are recommended to be held in higher regard than the father.
Quran 46:15
And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship and she brings him forth with hardship, and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty (30) months, till when he attains full strength and reaches forty years, he says: "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such as please You, and make my off-spring good. Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I am one of the Muslims (submitting to Your Will)."

Quran 17:23
"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour."
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Hadith /saying of the Prophet (pbuh)
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said,

'O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is most deserving of my good companionship?' He said, 'Your mother.' The man asked, 'Then who?' He said, 'Your mother.' He asked, then who?' He said, 'Your mother.' He asked, 'Then who?' He said, 'Your father.'”
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Thanks for the response, firmbeliever. I was actually pretty familiar with the role of women in Islam; I did a short paper for a course a few months ago on the social impact Islam has on Saudi Arabia and Turkey (an Islamic state versus a secular state). Despite what I read about the teachings of the Qu'ran (and what you have posted), Islamic states seem to suppress women's rights with regards to voting and education. Saudi Arabia, at the time of my research didn't even have national suffrage, but had recently allowed citizens (men) to vote in powerless local elections. This seems to go against my interpretation of what the Qu'ran says, so it makes me wonder where the states who suppress women find their justification. It seems that Islamic states have trouble moving toward a democracy, whereas more secular nations like Turkey are slightly progressing. I suppose it's all in the difference of interpretation and who is in power.

Thanks for the response, firmbeliever. I was actually pretty familiar with the role of women in Islam; I did a short paper for a course a few months ago on the social impact Islam has on Saudi Arabia and Turkey (an Islamic state versus a secular state). Despite what I read about the teachings of the Qu'ran (and what you have posted), Islamic states seem to suppress women's rights with regards to voting and education. Saudi Arabia, at the time of my research didn't even have national suffrage, but had recently allowed citizens (men) to vote in powerless local elections. This seems to go against my interpretation of what the Qu'ran says, so it makes me wonder where the states who suppress women find their justification. It seems that Islamic states have trouble moving toward a democracy, whereas more secular nations like Turkey are slightly progressing. I suppose it's all in the difference of interpretation and who is in power.

I didn't know you knew... :)

About the denial of human rights in currently established Islamic nations-

Misconception 2
In Islam, denial of human rights is OK because:
Islam is against pure democracy
Islam tolerates slavery

The misconception does not follow from the reasons given, and the reasons ignore a great deal of information.

As stated earlier, Islam is a complete way of life. Given this, it is not surprising that the Creator is concerned with the method which we choose to govern ourselves. The preeminent rule which the Islamic state must observe is stated in the Qur'an (translation follows):
[4:59] O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you do believe in Allah and the Last Day; That is best, and most suitable for final determination.

From this verse, it is clear that the state's obligation of obedience to the Creator is as important as the obedience of the individual. Hence, the Islamic state must derive its law from the Qur'an and Sunnah. This principle excludes certain choices from the Islamic state's options for political and economic systems, such as a pure democracy, unrestricted capitalism, communism, socialism, etc. For example, a pure democracy places the people above the Qur'an and Sunnah, and this is disobedience to the Creator. However, the best alternative to a pure democracy is a democracy that implements and enforces the Shari'ah (Islamic Law).

The Creator also states in the Qur'an (translated):
[42:36-38] So whatever thing you are given, that is only a provision of this world's life, and what is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who believe and rely on their Lord, and those who shun the great sins and indecencies, and whenever they are angry they forgive, and those who respond to their Lord and keep up prayer, and their rule is to take counsel among themselves, and who spend out of what We have given them.

Allah orders us in this verse to conduct our matters by taking counsel among ourselves, or by consulting each other. This is the methodology of the Islamic state, to consult one another, but to always keep the Qur'an and Sunnah paramount. Any law which contradicts the Qur'an or Sunnah is unlawful. This broad principle of consultation is certainly wide enough to encompass a form of government where all are heard - in fact, encouraged to be heard. The early Islamic states were of this form. The petty governments of many `Muslim countries' today do not apply this principle and in fact commit many crimes against the people.

As for slavery, Islam is unique among the `religions' in its close attention to the peaceful removal of this practice. Before the advent of Islam, slavery was widespread all over the world. The Messenger of Islam taught us that freeing slaves was a great deed in the sight of Allah. From the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sahih Bukhari, we find:...
USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts (http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/notislam/misconceptions.html)
-------------------------------------------

About the oppression of women in many Islamic states are not really following the Islamic principles but more of cultural heritage where women were considered second class citizens or even punished for not obeying the husband.
Sometimes in such cultures older women in the community even withhold younger generation women/girls from getting an education which is a must in Islam, hence the boys grow up with the same views that women are lower and to be degraded.

For example in Pakistan, honour killings and such is more from Tribalism than Islam.
This also comes from some practices in Hinduism in India from the time when Pakistan was a part of the Indian Nation.
Even to this day the Indian government is trying to prevent female infanticide and women jumping into the funeral pyre of their husbands. I do not cite this example out of ignorance, I have studied Indian society during my school years and I have done sociology in India for 2 years in college. This same practice of keeping women under the man's control (not just in words,but punished,beaten,burned etc) is practiced in Pakistan in the name of Islam.

About Saudi Arabia, the same thing is happening as it was happening in the days of ignorance before the Quran was revealed.In those days female babies were killed and women were considered inferior and slavery was prominent.
Islam stopped such baby killings and brought the women out and gave them their rights as mothers and part of the community and a right to education, Islam also freed many slaves and is considered one of the most rewarded good deeds.

Here is a thread on how muslim women came to be in this state written by muslim women.It is a good read to put things into perspective from the women of these countries.
O My Muslim Sisters! How did you get here? - www.TurnToIslam.Com (http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16738)

Thanks for the additional information, and the info in your first post about women and Islam is a lot more detailed than what I recalled. My paper didn't focus on women specifically, but I recalled some of the reading I did while doing general research. That's where I learned Muslim women are not to be considered inferior to men, etc.

After you pointed it out, I remembered that Islam and a full democracy don't really fit together, since, as you said, a democracy places the importance of the people over religious teachings.

I didn't know the mistreatment of women (honor killings and the like) were a result of tribalism. I figured it had to be something other than the teachings of the Qu'ran, because I never saw any indication of that sort of thing being accepted. I had a feeling those sorts of behaviors were not supported by the governments of the nations where it takes place, but based on what I've read in news reports (which I take with a grain of salt) it seems the individuals committing the acts aren't always punished. So it might not be a direct endorsement of the behavior, but if no one in the community bothers to pursue the perpetrators and punish them accordingly, it makes the government's position weaker. I didn't mean to imply Saudi Arabia didn't educate their women, my research indicated they have done so since 1961, but it was met with opposition from much of the public. School is not compulsory, however (or wasn't based on what I read), and my research indicated the literacy rates are very low and school enrollment (for all genders) is quite low as well.

I haven't had a chance to read the link you posted, but I will. It's been my understanding most Muslim women are quite happy with their role in society and in their families, it's the western world that has a problem with it. To me, if someone is happy doing what they are doing, who am I to tell them to change, you know?

Thanks for the additional information, and the info in your first post about women and Islam is a lot more detailed than what I recalled. My paper didn't focus on women specifically, but I recalled some of the reading I did while doing general research. That's where I learned Muslim women are not to be considered inferior to men, etc.

After you pointed it out, I remembered that Islam and a full democracy don't really fit together, since, as you said, a democracy places the importance of the people over religious teachings.

I didn't know the mistreatment of women (honor killings and the like) were a result of tribalism. I figured it had to be something other than the teachings of the Qu'ran, because I never saw any indication of that sort of thing being accepted. I had a feeling those sorts of behaviors were not supported by the governments of the nations where it takes place, but based on what I've read in news reports (which I take with a grain of salt) it seems the individuals committing the acts aren't always punished. So it might not be a direct endorsement of the behavior, but if no one in the community bothers to pursue the perpetrators and punish them accordingly, it makes the government's position weaker. I didn't mean to imply Saudi Arabia didn't educate their women, my research indicated they have done so since 1961, but it was met with opposition from much of the public. School is not compulsory, however (or wasn't based on what I read), and my research indicated the literacy rates are very low and school enrollment (for all genders) is quite low as well.

I haven't had a chance to read the link you posted, but I will. It's been my understanding most Muslim women are quite happy with their role in society and in their families, it's the western world that has a problem with it. To me, if someone is happy doing what they are doing, who am I to tell them to change, you know?

About the governments of Islamic countries, some of them have their own political agenda and not the state of the nation in their goals hence the problem arises when the perpetrators are left on their own as this creates internal conflict and which in turn lets the government rule by itself while the people are too busy fighting.

I agree even if you do not say so, that some Islamic countries do not make education for women a priority just because they are stay at home mothers, but Allah ordered all of us to read,learn and understand from the time we are born until death.
It is an obligation of the husband also to educate the wives and the daughters under his care as they are the real builders of the bigger community as each little baby born grows up to be a member of the larger society/nation. Mothers being the first teachers, we have to be well educated to build educated little minds.

About the West being worried about the state of muslim women, it is true, but I also think that some western women are pressured to be super moms,working mothers and great wives all at the same time.
I think there are some women who like to settle down with a husband,kids and build a home life, but the western society sort of degrades a woman who stays at home without working or rising on the status ladder of success, that some women just give up on a home life instead to work so hard in their offices and are too tired to look after home and family.
I am not generalising,but I think this pressure has led many kids astray as two working parents and no supervision has left the kids on their own.
Sometimes women in the West are so busy working(in their offices) that they wait until in their 40's to have children and doctors say that before 30 is a better time to conceive as later first pregnancies are sometimes harder to bear and risky.This in turn leads to fertility treatments which may or may not be successful and leaves some women feeling the lack of children as they age.I am not saying all women face this, but it does happen.

And I also think that the competition to be more beautiful than the next women in the West has made many women depressed and unsatisfied with their bodies, that so many are looking at plastic surgery(which sometimes may turn into a disastrous chain of unsatisfaction after unsatisfaction).
In the true Islamic household the women are free from the above mentioned pressures as it would be the men of the households duty to provide.
I have met women who wear the face veil yet go to work and look after their home,but this is sometimes out of neccessity or because the woman likes to work.

And I do know some women in muslim communities still think that all women in the west are immoral, so I guess sometimes the misunderstanding is mutual.You just do not get to hear the muslims side,but we get to hear your side as it is all over the International news.:D

After all that has been said, I would like to say that some muslims actions do not really show the teachings of Islam(as you already said).Even in our own muslim communities we have those who follow the religion as it should be (and these are among the best of human beings in everyway),but there are those who follow some and leave some guidelines and then there are those who are muslim in name only...

There certainly are misconceptions about women and family roles on both sides. I read recently about a Chinese man who was being sent to America for work, and was terrified of it because he had heard Americans die and leave their estates to the pets instead of their children, that they all carry guns, etc. He thought what a strange country this is, until he got here and realized everything he had heard was wrong.

Some Islamic states don't make education a priority, at least not a formal, schooled education (which explains why it isn't compulsory and enrollment is low), but certainly this isn't the norm. It's also important to note than many of these countries lack the government funding to build schools and hire teachers and provide books and so on to increase enrollment and provide a schooled education. Also, what a westerner might consider education could be very different than individuals in other countries.

Does it anger you that the Muslims who make the news are the ones who are committing terrorist acts or violating women's rights, which leads other people in the world to have such misconceptions of Islam? I remember in the days and weeks after 9/11, Muslims were attacked and beaten "because they were A-rab". There were news reports of discrimination and of US Muslims being afraid to leave their homes because they might be targeted. Then of course we hear about Muslims who hold those who commit terrorist activities as martyrs and do not condemn their behaviors, but support it, because they are "killing the infidels".

One of the things to remember that Islam is about the same age as the Christian church was in the dark ages. I hope as I am sure Firmbeliever is that is does not take as long for Islam to get out of their dark age.

Stay in peace

........

Does it anger you that the Muslims who make the news are the ones who are committing terrorist acts or violating women's rights, which leads other people in the world to have such misconceptions of Islam? I remember in the days and weeks after 9/11, Muslims were attacked and beaten "because they were A-rab". There were news reports of discrimination and of US Muslims being afraid to leave their homes because they might be targeted. Then of course we hear about Muslims who hold those who commit terrorist activities as martyrs and do not condemn their behaviors, but support it, because they are "killing the infidels".

It frustrates me more than anger because many do not see the true Islamic faith but instead see violent man/men killing unnecessarily in the name of Islam especially in countries where there is no war.Some muslims who support such people are those who are themselves suppressed by the authorities/other countries and they see no way out from the dilemma,hence they have nothing but support for those who are courageous enough to do something/anything about the situation they are in.

About 9/11, I have read of some people who actually reverted/converted to Islam after 9/11 as they tried to find out what Islam was/is.

I have heard of Indian sikhs (they too wear turbans and do not shave their beards) being targeted because some assumed they were muslims.
If people were to really think and see clearly Jesus,Moses(alaihi salaam), both of them are depicted with full beards and wearing a robe like attire and if you really look at a muslim who follows the Prophet (pbuh), you see the identical image.
Martyrs are those who fight defending Islam. There had been women martyrs in the Prophets time who had been tortured and killed because of their faith in Allah and till their last breath they held to their faith.
Martyrs are only known to Allah as He alone knows what is in ones heart.

--------------------------------------
USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts (http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/hadithqudsi.html)
Qudsi Hadith on Martyrs
Hadith Qudsi are the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) as revealed to him by the Almighty Allah. Hadith Qudsi (or Sacred Hadith) are so named because, unlike the majority of Hadith which are Prophetic Hadith, their authority (Sanad) is traced back not to the Prophet but to the Almighty.
Hadith Qudsi 6:
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:

The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [ The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Quran for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.

It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i).
----------------------------------

One of the things to remember that Islam is about the same age as the Christian church was in the dark ages. I hope as I am sure Firmbeliever is that is does not take as long for Islam to get out of their dark age.

Stay in peace

From what I have read and understood Islam will prevail during the time of Jesus(alaihi salaam).Until then there will always be those who adhere to the original teachings of Muhammad (pbuh) and stay on the right path.

May peace be with you too.

It frustrates me more than anger because many do not see the true Islamic faith but instead see violent man/men killing unneccessarily in the name of Islam especially in countries where there is no war.Some muslims who support such people are those who are themselves suppressed by the authorities/other countries and they see no way out from the dilemma,hence they have nothing but support for those who are courageous enough to do something/anything about the situation they are in.

About 9/11, I have read of some people who actually reverted/converted to Islam after 9/11 as they tried to find out what Islam was/is.

I have heard of Indian sikhs (they too wear turbans and do not shave their beards) being targetted because some assumed they were muslims.
If people were to really think and see clearly Jesus,Moses(alaihi salaam), both of them are depicted with full beards and wearing a robe like attire and if you really look at a muslim who follows the Prophet (pbuh), you see the identical image.
Martyrs are those who fight defending Islam. There had been women martyrs in the Prophets time who had been tortured and killed because of their faith in Allah and till their last breath they held to their faith.
Martyrs are only known to Allah as He alone knows what is in ones heart.

I think the fact that people only see the violence is what causes so much misperception about Islam. There's a phrase tossed around for news stories; "If it bleeds, it leads" which is certainly true. No one wants to hear about Muslims (or anyone for that matter) doing something good, it only makes the news and captures public interest if there is danger or death involved in the story. I think you're right about the terrorist supporters and suppression; government suppression and violation of basic human rights leads people to extreme behavior and makes them more susceptible to believing rhetoric. Look at North Korea - people are literally starving to death, but they celebrate "the leader" and are resistant to western ways. There is also evidence of this in other less developed nations where access to unbiased and unedited global news is restricted.

I also had heard of non-Muslims being targeted after 9/11. It was a scary time in this country and people were looking for a way to vent their anger. Suddenly we were afraid of almost anyone who was middle-eastern looking. To this day, Middle Eastern men are viewed with suspicion at airports; I read an article recently about a group of young Middle Eastern men (I don't remember where they were from) who while waiting to board their flight were in a corner by themselves, praying. Someone threw a hissy fit about it and the men were investigated, the flight was delayed, blah blah blah. And guess what? They were just a group of men praying before their flight. No bombs strapped to their chests, no box cutters, nothing. Just a few guys joined in prayer. I understand Americans are paranoid, but that sort of thing angers me; learn something about the religion and customs before you go pointing fingers at people, indicting they are going to blow up your plane. To contrast that, I had a flight to the US mid-west the day after the big liquids ban here, where no one was allowed to carry any liquid of any type beyond the security checkpoint. My husband and I got on our flight, and I noticed an Asian man with a mason jar of brown liquid with a piece of tape on it that said, "Hot water, please". The man didn't speak English, and finally flagged down a flight attendant and got her to fill his jar with hot water (I assume it was tea). She didn't blink an eye - just took his jar, filled it up and brought it back to him. No one else on the flight cared that this man had smuggled an unknown liquid past security, and that was that. I hate to think of what would have happened had the man been of Middle Eastern descent, instead of Asian. I'd probably STILL be waiting for my flight!! :)

.............. I read an article recently about a group of young Middle Eastern men (I don't remember where they were from) who while waiting to board their flight were in a corner by themselves, praying. Someone threw a hissy fit about it and the men were investigated, the flight was delayed, blah blah blah. And guess what? They were just a group of men praying before their flight. No bombs strapped to their chests, no box cutters, nothing. Just a few guys joined in prayer. I understand Americans are paranoid, but that sort of thing angers me; learn something about the religion and customs before you go pointing fingers at people, indicting they are going to blow up your plane. To contrast that, I had a flight to the US mid-west the day after the big liquids ban here, where no one was allowed to carry any liquid of any type beyond the security checkpoint. My husband and I got on our flight, and I noticed an Asian man with a mason jar of brown liquid with a piece of tape on it that said, "Hot water, please". The man didn't speak English, and finally flagged down a flight attendant and got her to fill his jar with hot water (I assume it was tea). She didn't blink an eye - just took his jar, filled it up and brought it back to him. No one else on the flight cared that this man had smuggled an unknown liquid past security, and that was that. I hate to think of what would have happened had the man been of Middle Eastern descent, instead of Asian. I'd probably STILL be waiting for my flight!!! :)

About the praying, for those of us who wish to follow the right path of Islam,we asked to attend to the call to prayer as it is a call to turn to Allah, and most who are used to praying on time will do it anywhere possible (cleanliness is a must). That is true faith in my idea because the call to the Almighty is what we should obey and not the criticism of other humans.

I am so glad you are one of those who see what most others don't, at least you are keeping an open mind about muslims/Islam.:)

You know the funny thing is the most high muslim populated nation at the moment is in Asia and not in the Middle East.

And the poor chap on your flight maybe taking a herbal medication for all we know (see keep an open mind... :) )

Yes, if I remember correctly, the men said they were praying for a safe flight, or something to that effect. I don't know what the man with the liquid had, but at that point, security was supposed to stop any and ALL liquids from coming past security, and drinks bought after the checkpoint had to be thrown away before getting on the plane. I forgot you aren't in the US, so you might not recall the liquid ban; apparently the British foiled some alleged terror plot involving liquid explosives, so liquids of all kinds were banned from flights in carry on luggage for a period. At the time I flew, it was tough to get prescription medications like insulin through unless the passenger had a written prescription from their doctor. Now there are silly 3oz restrictions, but that's beside the point! I think the man getting his beverage through the day after the ban took effect speaks more to the effectiveness of our security agents than anything else...

I do know about the liquid ban:), its effects were far reaching...
We get international flights to and from here and it effected all travellers,but it started a few weeks later than the American and UK ban.

I look to the *fruits of Islam* and my opinion of Islam is very poor religion and system of government. I have discussed this many times on the Internet, so I will just hit a couple of highlights.

The countries are overwhelmingly ruled by dictators and tyrants. There are a few rich rulers and clerics with power, the masses and masses of Muslims are poor and uneducated.

Islamic countries have contirbuted NOTHING WORTHWHILE to the fields of literature, fine arts, science, political science, social sciences, architecture, landscaping, philosophy, on and on in HUNDREDS OF YEARS. The Koran is the end all and be all, hence most of their their cultures are dying and going violent as a result. The majority of the masses, 76% of Muslims are poor, have no hope. Their goal is to die and perhaps there is an afterlife.


And so on...


Cordially,

I look to the *fruits of Islam* and my opinion of Islam is very poor religion and system of goverment. I have discussed this many times on the Internet, so I will just hit a couple of highlights.

The countries are overwhelmingly ruled by dictators and tyrants. There are a few rich rulers and clerics with power, the masses and masses of Muslims are poor and uneducated.

Islamic countries have contirbuted NOTHING WORTHWHILE to the fields of literature, fine arts, science, political science, social sciences, architecture, landscaping, philosophy, on and on in HUNDREDS OF YEARS. The Koran is the end all and be all, hence most of their their cultures are dying and going violent as a result. The majority of the masses, 76% of Muslims are poor, have no hope. Their goal is to die and perhaps there is an afterlife.

And so on.......

Cordially,

Choux,
What you see currently being practiced in most countries is not Islam in its true form.
If it was the true Islamic teachings being followed, these people would be among the best fathers,mothers,teachers,leaders etc.

Allah in Islam asks each individual to stand for justice even if it is against his own family.


"literature, fine arts, science, political science, social sciences, architecture, landscaping, philosophy, on and on in HUNDREDS OF YEARS. "

Islam contributed to all the above mentioned fields when it was being practiced as it should be, even today Islam continues to contribute,but in a smaller scale than it was during the Dark ages of the West/Europe.

Islam being a way of life cannot be taken in bits and pieces, it is to be practiced as a total guideline for an individual from the time he/she is born until death and everything in between.
Some of the practices in many Islamic countries go against the very basic teachings of Islam,hence what the world sees is the highlighted mistakes made in the name of Islam.

As in every cullture there are those who use the name of Islam for their own gains and profits,but if one were to understand the true religion of Islam, one must look at the basics,principles,pillars and the life of the Prophet(pbuh) and the life of his companions (May Allah be pleased with them).

The Quran and the teachings/sayings of the Prophet (pbuh)is what we depend on and if you really look into it, in the Quran are guidelines for so many things and the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)is the living example of the Quran.
Muhammad (pbuh)was a son,father,husband,leader of the community,commanded his troops,freed slaves,gave women the respect they deserved,stopped female infanticide (common practice in those days in Saudi Arabia),migrated for Allah's sake,forgave his enemies,made peace treaties etc and as he was a living example of the Quran, a true muslim will be a very good human being.

Jazaakallah khairen carbonite for the confirmation of my answer... :)

Just putting down what history shows. A lot of science came out of the middle east before the crusades not sure why it stopped.

Stay in peace

Just putting down what history shows. A lot of science came out of the middle east before the crusades not sure why it stopped.

Stay in peace

Assalaam alaikum,

I think the reason the advancement stopped is when many muslims started to leave the right and true path of Islam.
And many started interpreting Islam as they saw fit and choosing only parts of the religion they wishes and leaving the other bits.

Another factor is I think the worldly greed and the belief that we are masters of our fate and that it is our own greatness that made us excel in the sciences while it is a mercy from Allah that we are able to understand things even in the scientific field.

Insha Allah, more muslims will seek out education and learn the true religion of Islam instead of making it seem/sound like the most backward religion the world has ever seen.

Wa salaam

And many started interpreting Islam as they saw fit and choosing only parts of the religion they wishes and leaving the other bits.I think that is true of pretty much all religions on this earth. That is a reason many are leaving religion altogether.


... and the belief that we are masters of our fate I truly do believe that we ARE the masters of our own fate. That feeling is very empowering. I know we'll always differ there but I just wanted to give you my opinion.

firmbeliever,

The truth is that Islam as practiced CAUSED the social and cultural deterioration over the last several hundred years. There is *no* hope for most Islamic countries to provide even the minimal needs of its vast populations... jobs, education, social equality, hope, justice... the negative fruits of the dying Islamic cultures and societies are the reason for malcontent, psychopathic Jihadist bombers creating havoc in western countries.

Islamic culture peaked several hundred years ago, and has been dying slowly ever since.
That's just the way it is.

firmbeliever,

The truth is that Islam as practiced CAUSED the social and cultural deterioration over the last several hundred years. There is *no* hope for most Islamic countries to provide even the minimal needs of its vast populations...jobs, education, social equality, hope, justice.....the negative fruits of the dying Islamic cultures and societies are the reason for malcontent, psychopathic Jihadist bombers creating havoc in western countries.

Islamic culture peaked several hundred years ago, and has been dying slowly ever since.
That's just the way it is.

An excerpt from the following book-
"Crisis in the Muslim Mind", AbdulHamid A. AbuSulayman
Translation byYusuf Talal DeLorenzo
The International Institute of Islamic Thought ,Herndon, Virginia USA
--------------------------------------
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/humanrelations/crisis_in_the_muslim_mind/ch6.html
...
If the future of the Ummah of Islam is to depend upon the degree of success it achieves in reforming its methodology, thought, education, and organization, as well as laying the foundations for new Islamic social sciences, then the future of all bewildered and threatened humanity rests on the degree of success achieved by Muslims in presenting a living example of Islamic teachings.

Islam provides humankind with a reason for living, and with an ethical code by which to live. It affords humankind with insight into the fitrah and the dimensions of its universal relationships; with the seen and the unseen, the individual, society, and the universe. Islam provides humankind with the foundations for a stable society, progress, security, and world peace.

Islam protects the institution of the family, upholds the principles of justice, self-sufficiency, personal and collective responsibility, freedom of belief and thought, shura, and the oneness of all humankind in terms of their origins, interests, and destiny. It is this perfect Islamic vision which is capable of treating the ills of modern materialistic society and the dangers it has produced. Certainly, the moral bankruptcy of modern society is no secret to anyone. Under the shadow of materialism, the world is divided into north and south, white and black, rich and poor, overfed and underfed, colonizer and colonized, master and slave. To people today, peace is nothing more than the suppression of their fears about the unleashing of the forces of mass destruction by one or another of the nations, classes, or camps competing for supremacy.

In view of the serious flaws in their societies, the developed nations of the world have never had greater need of Islam. This is because Islam embodies concepts capable of mending those flaws.

These concepts may be summarized in two points:
Islam's Society of Unity

Islamic society stands on the foundations of unity and the concept of brotherhood. As such, it focuses on answering the basic needs of the individual and the interests he/she shares with others in terms of the family, the neighborhood, the nation, and humankind in general. If the materialist powers of the contemporary world stand on the philosophy of confrontation, then the philosophy of Islam, collective security, is the philosophy of tomorrow. Allah says:
O people! Heed your Lord Who created you from a single life and then created from it its mate. Then He scattered from them countless men and women (4:1)
O people! We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and nations in order to know one another. Verily the best among you in the sight of Allah are those who heed Him (49:13)
Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth, and the differences in your tongues and coloring (30:22)
People were no other than a single community, but then they fell to differing (10:19)
Do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, the needy, neighbors who are near and who are not so near, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (4:36)
On that account We prescribed for Bani Isra'il that whoever slays another, for other than the crimes of murder or depravity, will be as one who has slain all of humankind (5:32)
Never forget generosity between yourselves (2:237)
Address people with kindness (2:83)
Allah does not forbid you, with regard to those who neither war against you nor drive you from your homes, from dealing kindly with them and justly (60:8)
If you do retaliate, then retaliate in a manner no worse than the way you were attacked. But if you are patient, things will be best for those who are patient (16:126)
Fight in the cause of Allah against those who fight against you; but do not transgress (2:190)
If they cease, then let there be no hostility except against oppressors (2:193)
Let not your dislike for a people cause you to deal unjustly. Deal justly, for that is closer to taqwa (5:8)
When you speak, speak justly, even if a near relative is concerned (6:152)
When you make a decision between people, decide fairly (4:58)
Assist one another in goodness and taqwa, but not in wrongdoing and aggression (5:2)
If two parties among the believers fall to fighting among themselves, then make peace between them. But if one should then break the truce against the other, fight the one breaking the truce until it compiles with Allah's ruling. Then if it complies, make peace between them with justice, and be fair; for Allah loves those who are fair. Certainly, the believers are brothers. So make peace between your two brothers and heed Allah so that you may be shown mercy (49:9-10).
Islam's Cultivation of Knowledge

This point is related to the meaning of knowledge and the ways in which academic research is carried out. Materialist thought is essentially based on rational, empirical, and inductive methods so that it proceeds from experience and knowledge of the real world and extracts from these theories about the laws that govern life and the universe. There is no connection between this thought, however, and revelation. The main reason for this has to do with the Western lack of confidence in any of the major religions. This state of affairs arose when it became common knowledge that the texts of Christianity in particular had been tampered with, and filled with a great deal of unreasonable, contradictory, and incredible material.

When we understand the amazing complexity of the social nature of human beings and the number of factors which may come together at any given time to influence human behavior, we realize how badly the social sciences and the unceasing progression of social theories have floundered.

Moreover, as the consequences of mistakes made in these fields are imperceptible over the short run, and as they are nearly impossible to rectify once they have begun to take effect, we may come to have an even greater appreciation for the distinguishing factor in Islamic knowledge. Islamic knowledge agrees with rationalist, materialist knowledge in relation to the fitrah and natural laws of the universe. Rather than stop at the point of gathering that knowledge, however, Islamic knowledge passes on to cultivate and refine it, and to prevent its shortcomings from having any sort of negative effects on society.

Thus, the Muslim has access to any number of approaches and convictions revealed through divine wahy and dealing with the basic issues of social behavior. It is for this reason that even if a Muslim develops incorrect notions on the subject, wahy is there to correct them. So, at one and the same time, Islamic knowledge puts both empirical and inductive knowledge together with the sources of wahy so that Muslims may deal and transact as they please, so long as their dealings and transactions leave no ill effects on society. Muslims may thus earn their livings and order their family affairs in accordance with their particular circumstances. So the teachings of Islam should not be understood as shackles and chains, but as beacons and landmarks along the way of life.
Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, injustice, and rebellion (16:90).

These two points, Islam's society of unity and its cultivation of knowledge shall, if the Muslims understand them well, be very important in the world of tomorrow. Human society will no longer be able, in the future, to pay tomorrow for the mistakes it made today. In the decisive battles of history the numbers of dead rarely exceeded a few hundred persons, and nearby nations remained relatively unaffected when their neighbors fell to fighting. Nowadays, however, the whole world is in danger of becoming a battlefield.

When humankind realizes its capacity to destroy itself and the planet on which it lives, then it will realize its need for decisive regulations as prescribed by wahy in the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Only by understanding this will humankind save itself from falling into the depths of destruction. Nor will its way out be anything other than unity and the search for common interests.

In order to achieve their goals, Muslims need to understand the mission with which they have been entrusted.
Thus have We made you a middlemost nation to be a witness unto humankind (2:143).
--------------------------------------------
Please check the link for the rest of the book.:)
-------------------
http://home.swipnet.se/islam/articles/concept-freedom.htm
A link for your reading... :)

firmbeliever,

With all respect, you are in your head and not seeing the reality of the world.
Frankly, I can hardly blame you. I'm sick of all the ignorance, cruelty, greed, murder, war, psychotic violence we are faced with. A fantasy world is a comfortable place some of the time.

firmbeliever,

With all respect, you are in your head and not seeing the reality of the world.
Frankly, I can hardly blame you. I'm sick of all the ignorance, cruelty, greed, murder, war, psychotic violence we are faced with. A fantasy world is a comfortable place some of the time.

Dear choux,
With all my respect,
I believe what I believe to be the truth,and I do not mind you believing otherwise.:)

It may seem to you like a fantasy world that I live in,but I know that it is not.

To you be your beliefs and to me be mine.:)

Choux
You do not see the wars or the terrorist attacks coming from most of Islam. The most populist Islamic countries are in Asia not the Middle east.

You will also find that these countries are also into science and education rather than keeping folks not knowing anything.

Stay in peace

I see Muslims as deceived and following a false religion. My reasons for this are; there is no reason to believe the Jewish and Christian Scriptures have been corrupted as Muslims believe. Jesus confirmed the Jewish Scriptures saying they spoke of him, how then can Muslims believe Jesus yet deny the Scriptures he believed in and confirmed? Are they in two minds? The Muslims say Jesus will come again Just as the Christians do, but will Mohammed come again? Not likely! Mohammed was a leader who did not practice what he preached, how can you follow such person? Who was even confused as to where the "revelations" came from. The Quoran contradicts itsself and therefore cannot be reliable as a spiritual quide. There is absolutely no point in following a regime of salvation by works as the Muslims follow, without the attoning sacrifice of Jesus all you have is, as he describled, a righteousness of filthy rags. If Christianity required reform, then it needed to be reformed, but the Muslims threw away the meat and bones and kept the skin and decended into a system of works just like the Jews. There is no freedom in this.

I see Muslims as deceived and following a false religion. My reasons for this are; there is no reason to believe the Jewish and Christian Scriptures have been corrupted as Muslims believe. Jesus confirmed the Jewish Scriptures saying they spoke of him, how then can Muslims believe Jesus yet deny the Scriptures he believed in and confirmed? Are they in two minds? The Muslims say Jesus will come again Just asthe Christians do, but will Mohammed come again? Not likely! Mohammed was a leader who did not practice what he preached, how can you follow such person? who was even confused as to where the "revelations" came from. The Quoran contradicts itsself and therefore cannot be reliable as a spiritual quide. There is absolutely no point in following a regime of salvation by works as the Muslims follow, without the attoning sacrifice of Jesus all you have is, as he describled, a righteousness of filthy rags. If Christianity required reform, then it needed to be reformed, but the Muslims threw away the meat and bones and kept the skin and decended into a system of works just like the Jews. There is no freedom in this.
Ok maybe I missed something where do the followers of Islam deny the what Jesus (pbuh) teach? Some of them do but not all where the difference is Islam does not believe that Jesus is God. I have never found in my reading of the Bible where Jesus said he was God maybe you can help me out here.

Stay in peace

Firmbeliever, you may not receive a lot of answers immediately. Wrong as it may be, after 9/11 many Americans (non-Muslim or Islamic) may have generalized a lot of things in their minds and possibly feel resentment.

Choux
You do not see the wars or the terrorist attacks coming from most of Islam. The most populist Islamic countries are in Asia not the Middle east.

You will also find that these countries are also into science and education rather than keeping folks not knowing anything.

Stay in peaceCheck this out:
Reporters without borders: The internet's "Black holes" | Ads of the World (http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/reporters_without_borders_the_internets_black_hole s?size=_original)
Looks like when you have an islamic theocracy the internet gets shut down.

Firmbeliever, you may not receive a lot of answers immediately. Wrong as it may be, after 9/11 many Americans (non-Muslim or Islamic) may have generalized a lot of things in their minds and possibly feel resentment.

Stringer,
That is the very reason I put up this thread,because there are many more muslims around the world who do not wish innocents to die especially when these acts are committed in the name of Islam.
And I wished to clarify as much as I can what Islam is really about and that what the media talks about is only a fraction of muslims (and some do not even follow the correct Islamic principles in the first place).

NK,
About the internet filter thing, we too used to have certain sites blocked, but not because of unislamic content but because of the political opposition.

If you look at Thailand, I have read about a site being banned becaues their king was portrayed in some manner that they did not think was appropriate..?

Firmbeliever, you may not receive a lot of answers immediately. Wrong as it may be, after 9/11 many Americans (non-Muslim or Islamic) may have generalized a lot of things in their minds and possibly feel resentment.

Stringer,
That is the very reason I put up this thread,because there are many more muslims around the world who do not wish innocents to die especially when these acts are committed in the name of Islam.
And I wished to clarify as much as I can what Islam is really about and that what the media talks about is only a fraction of muslims (and some do not even follow the correct Islamic principles in the first place).

NK,
About the internet filter thing, we too used to have certain sites blocked, but not because of unislamic content but because of the political opposition.

If you look at some non Islamic countries, I have read about a site being banned because their king was portrayed in some manner that they did not think was appropriate..?

My Nephew is now krishna. Is this somewhat like Islam?
Do you believe that we reincarnate and even into animals?
Do you believe that it is a sin to eat any meat?

My Nephew is now krishna. Is this somewhat like Islam?
Do you believe that we reincarnate and even into animals?
Do you believe that it is a sin to eat any meat?

I think we are not similar at all.
Krishna(is actually one of the Gods of Hinduism) and Hindu's believe in many Gods and Goddesses and reincarnation of the Gods among humans.

Muslims believe in only One Almighty,omnipotent God and no incarnations of God whatsoever.We also do not believe in the Almighty having sons or daughters.

About life after death,
We believe that our souls do not die, but all will be resurrected on the Day of Judgement and each will be given his/her due according to their deeds in this world.
We do not believe that our souls or the dead come back into this world we live in,but exist in another place until we are resurrected for judgement.
We do not believe in humans being reborn into this world as animals or otherwise.

We eat meat except for pork(which is prohibited for muslims)
And we also do not eat animals killed in the name of other Gods and Goddesses except Allah.

Hope that was helpful:)

Hey:)
Honestly I'm living now in an environment that includes muslments and christians. I'm in a country called Lebanon presisly.( some people say it's a arabic country but I duno know about that really) anyway, I deal with muslims all the time. They have different ideas, traditions, way of life... but here muslims and christians are acctually living together and if it weren't for the politics no boday would have ever askd about the other person's religionand we would have all lived in peace!

In this country we believe that everyone has the right to believe everything they would ever want! It's normal to search about religions but it's different when your dealing with them.
A lot of christians wouldn't feel comftorble talking or wtv with a muslim cz they dn't really know what to tell them or just the way to express what they want. But believe me muslims face the same problems: they also duno what to tell u! They wouldn't want to hurt you or pick a fight with you since they duno u!

About the muslims religion, well it's much different from the Christian but they both believe in God and practice but the thing is that they are more attached to they'r religion than the christians ( don't take it wrong o.k?) I really duno why they are that attched, actually I'm still trying to know y!:p

If you think that the muslim religion is good well I don't desagree but you should read more about it before really saying that cz I don't think you know all about it. Neither do I but whatevr... :) I hope I helped you in some way to imagine living in a world with 2 different religions struggling for power:)

Leila

Since krishna was mentioned I was in a store the other day and there was a young man. He was looking through books beside of me. He kept chanting something. I was not sure what, but krishna was one of the words that he kept saying over and over. Is this something that these members do. Lol I did not know if I should be frightened and move or just continue to try and look trhough the books. Also he was a little loud about it an said the chant very fast.

hey:)
honestly i m living now in an enviroment that includes muslments and christians. I m in a country called Lebanon presisly.( some ppl say it's a arabic country but i duno know abt that really) anyways, i deal with muslims all the time. They have diffrent ideas, traditions, way of life... but here muslims and christians are acctually living together and if it werent for the politics no boday would have ever askd about the other person's religionand we would have all lived in peace!!

in this country we believe that everyone has the right to believe everything they would ever want! it's normal to search about religions but it's diffrent when ur dealing with them.
Alot of christians wouldn't feel comftorble talkin or wtv with a muslim cz they dn't really know what to tell them or just the way to express what they want. But believe me muslims face the same problems: they also duno what to tell u! they wouldn't want to hurt u or pick a fight with u since they duno u!

about the muslims religion, well it's much diffrent from the Christian but they both believe in God and practice but the thing is that they are more attached to they'r religion than the christians ( don't take it wrong o.k?) i really duno y they r that attched, actually i m still tryin to know y!:p

if u think that the muslim religion is good well i dnt desagree but u should read more about it b4 really saying that cz i don't think u know all about it. neither do i but whatevr...:) i hope i helped u in some way to imagine living in a world with 2 diffrent religions struggling for power:)

Leila

Salaam Leila,

Thank you for sharing your experience.

I am a muslim, so I know the muslim side,but its nice to hear from a Lebanese especially since many hear only what is said on the media about Lebanon.

Keep sharing...

Since krishna was mentioned I was in a store the other day and there was a young man. He was looking through books beside of me. He kept chanting something. I was not sure what, but krishna was one of the words that he kept saying over and over. Is this something that these members do. lol I did not know if I should be frightened and move or just continue to try and look trhough the books. Also he was a little loud about it an said the chant very fast.

I think he might be saying "Haarey Ram, Haarey Krishna"(that is not the right spelling but it makes it easier to pronounce.
I think that is like saying "Hail" God as Ram and Krishna are both Gods of Hinduism and he must be sort of meditating on the names.

Oh, I thought it was harry, I feel so silly I thought it was a cult, like that jones man and he was worshipping a real live human person. I was feeling really sorry for this young man.

oh, I thought it was harry, I feel so silly I thought it was a cult, like that jones man and he was worshipping a real live human person. I was feeling really sorry for this young man.

I think that Ram and Krishna are believed to have been in this world as human incarnations by Hindu followers.
So you are not far off in thinking they worship a human.

carbonite agrees: True, but this also happens in some areas when Christians run thingsI can't think of one to be honest. But christians or muslims shouldn't be 'running things'. The governing of a nation should not involve religion. That way I can vote for the political party/candidate of my choice I like and my neighbour and I are free to practice different religions.

Religion is for man. And possibly the downfall of man. I have no prejudice to any person in a religion. But a relationship with God, or Allah is the reason we are here. Not to bicker about details of one belief to another
Free will to create or destroy.

religion is for man. and possibly the downfall of man. i have no prejudice to any person in a religion. but a relationship with God, or Allah is the reason we are here. not to bicker about details of one belief to another
free will to create or destroy.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts...

I aske the question,because there is a lot of misunderstanding around Islam and I wish to know how people viewed Islam and if possible explain as much as I could in order for others to understand.

Just out of curiosity, who is alaihi salaam ? According to islam who is Jesus and who is God ? :)
Sorry Marily and Joe,
I just saw this question and realised I had not answered this before.

"alaihi salam means: may peace be upon him."
And we say this each time a Prophets name is mentioned,but we use sallallahu alaihi wasallam, which means "May the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him." When the name of Prophet Muhammad is mentioned, Muslims show respect to him by reciting this statement of peace.

-----------------------------
The Sunnah Islamic Page (http://www.al-sunnah.com/mary&jesus.htm)
A. Regarding The Sonship Of Jesus:
“Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth about which they (vainly) dispute. It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter He only says to it "Be" and it is.”
Chapter 19, Verses 34-35

“They say: "(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!" Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! At if the skies are ready to burst the earth to split asunder and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin. That they should invoke a son for (Allah) Most Gracious. For it is not consonant with the majesty of (Allah) Most Gracious that He should beget a son. Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to (Allah) Most Gracious as a servant.”
Chapter 19, Verses 88-93

“This similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam: He created him from dust then said to him: "Be" and he was.”
Chapter 3, Verse 59

“O people of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah aught but truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an Apostle of Allah and His Word which He bestowed on Mary and a Spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His Apostles. Say not "Trinity": desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is One Allah: glory be to him: (for Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs.”
Chapter 4, Verse 171

B. Regarding Jesus Being God:
“And behold! Allah will say "O Jesus the son of Mary! didst thou say unto men `worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah"? He will say: "Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing Thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart though I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden. "Never said I to them aught except what Thou didst command me to say to wit `Worship Allah my Lord and your Lord'; and I was a witness over them whilst I dwelt amongst them; when Thou didst take me up thou wast the Watcher over them and Thou art a Witness to all things.” Chapter 5, Verses 116-117

C. Regarding Crucifixion Of Jesus
“That they rejected faith: that they uttered against Mary a grave false charge. That they said (in boast) "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary the Apostle of Allah"; but they killed him not nor crucified him but so it was made to appear to them and those who differ therein are full of doubts with no (certain) knowledge but only conjecture to follow for of a surety they killed him not. Nay Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power Wise. And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment He will be a witness against them.”
Chapter 4, Verses 156-159

All Quranic quotations have been taken from the Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation of “The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an”, published by Amana Corporation, Brentwood, Maryland, USA, 1993

All Biblical quotations have been taken from The Holy Bible (Authorised King James Version), Riverside Book & Bible House, Iowa Falls, IA50126, published by World Bible Publishers, Inc.
-----------------------------

An article you might like to read.
Jesus and The Virgin Mary in Islam By Juan Galvan
Many people may be surprised that Muslims love Mary, the mother of Jesus. In the Quran, no woman is given more attention than Mary. Mary receives the most attention of any woman mentioned in the Quran even though all the Prophets with the exception of Adam had mothers. Of the Quran's 114 chapters, she is among the eight people who have a chapter named after them. The nineteenth chapter of the Quran is named after her, Mariam. Mariam means Mary in Arabic. The third chapter in the Quran is named after her father, Imran. Chapters Mariam and Imran are among the most beautiful chapters in the Quran. Mary (peace be upon her) is the only woman specifically named in the Quran. An authentic Haddith states that the Prophet said, "The superiority of 'Aisha to other ladies is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. meat and bread dish) to other meals. Many men reached the level of perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Mary, the daughter of Imran and Asia, the wife of Pharaoh." (Bukhari 4.643). Indeed, both Mary and Pharoah's wife are an example (Quran 66:11-12). The Virgin Mary plays a very significant role in Islam. She is an example and a sign for all people.
In the Quran, Mary's story begins while she is still in her mother's womb. The mother of Mary, said: "O my Lord! I do dedicate into Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me: For Thou hearest and knowest all things." (Quran 3:35).

She wanted the baby in her womb to serve only the Creator. When Mary was delivered, she said: "O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!" (Quran 3:36). She had expected her baby to be a male child who would grow up to be a scholar or religious leader. However, God had a better plan. God is the best of planners. Quran 3:36 continues "…and God knew best what she brought forth- 'And no wise is the male like the female. I have named her Mariam, and I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from Satan, the Rejected.'" Mariam literally means "maidservant of God."

In Quran 3:37, God states that He accepted Mary as her mother had asked. He made Mary grow in purity and beauty. She was assigned to the care of a priest named Zacharias. This is interesting considering few women were given this opportunity.

"Every time that he entered (her) chamber to see her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: 'O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?' She said: 'From God. for God provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure.'" (Quran 3:37). Upon hearing Mary's answer, "There did Zakariya pray to his Lord, saying: 'O my Lord! Grant unto me from Thee a progeny that is pure: for Thou art He that heareth prayer!'" (Quran 3:38).

For rest of the article Jesus and The Virgin Mary in Islam - By Juan Galvan (http://www.islamfortoday.com/galvan03.htm)

I guess I would like to know why people of a more loving nature in the islamic faith would continue to support fanatic behavior of your fellow muslims. By supporting I mean not educating the rest of the world that this is just a few bad apples. And this is not the core belief in your religion.
The core belief I am referring to is the fanatical belief that if you are not muslim you are an enemy and must die.
I agree with many muslims and christians that we have too many gods (money, TV, self etc.)
And there is only one god and none before him.
We can all have different opinions and still co exist. I don't want to get political with wars and economy, but christians, jews and muslims have been fighting for millenniums.
How can so called religions fight. Seems to be an oxymoron.

I think if christians had a fanatical view to the point that others are in harms way I would want to separate myself with that group, or try to discredit them as not being part of the christian faith, and then back that up with the word and works of the faith that is a positive

Free will to create or destroy. God creates which side are you (we) on?

i guess i would like to know why people of a more loving nature in the islamic faith would continue to support fanatic behavior of your fellow muslims. by supporting i mean not educating the rest of the world that this is just a few bad apples. and this is not the core belief in your religion.
the core belief i am refering to is the fanatical belief that if you are not muslim you are an enemy and must die.
i agree with many muslims and christians that we have too many gods (money, tv, self etc.)
and there is only one god and none before him.
we can all have different opinions and still co exist. i dont want to get political with wars and economy, but christians, jews and muslims have been fighting for millenniums.
how can so called religions fight. seems to be an oxymoron.

i think if christians had a fanatical view to the point that others are in harms way i would want to separate myself with that group, or try to discredit them as not being part of the christian faith, and then back that up with the word and works of the faith that is a positive free will to create or destroy. god creates which side are you (we) on?

About muslims not saying anything, scholars of Islam and ordinary people has said things against terrorism,but it just does not get covered in the International media.
Please do look into the following link.
http://www.muhajabah.com/otherscondemn.php

I am on the side, that each will get his due justice on the Day of Resurrection,those who oppressed and killed will have their due and those who stood for justice will see their due.

That being said, if one was a true muslim,he/she would be fair and just in all their dealings, Allah is the best judge of what is in everyone's hearts.

I would never dissociate myself from Islam,just because someone somewhere does something bad and says he is practising Islam.
It maybe a distorted view he has,but I know that Islam is the truth and whatever anyone else interprets Islam to be does not matter much as I am a firmbeliever.

Because of liberal media sources being the only opinion in the usa I suppose Islam is not getting a fair deal. These fanatics are seemingly the spokesmen of your religion. Their voice is louder that that of more conservative voices. This is not good for you and others who don't share those views. People in america feel threatened by islam because those spokesman are against freedom of choice. Even if it is the wrong choice.

because of liberal media sources being the only opinion in the usa i suppose Islam is not getting a fair deal. these fanatics are seemingly the spokesmen of your religion. their voice is louder that that of more conservative voices. this is not good for you and others who dont share those views. people in america feel threatened by islam because those spokesman are against freedom of choice. even if it is the wrong choice.

It is our inner struggle to have and keep faith even when all is against us,it is our inner jihad to triumph in our belief when the whole world seems to be fighting us by word and deed.

I have faith in Allah, that even if there are people who see Islam in the wrong light, there are many who see the truth too.
There have been many from America who have learnt what real Islam is and accepted Islam since these terrorism acts got media attention.

From what I know, I believe such mistrust and fighting and killing around the world are all signs and these signs lead to the end of the world time being near and Jesus(alaihi salaam) descending to establish truth.

I am not saying that this will happen in my lifetime,but the signs are there (not all,but most of it).

because of liberal media sources being the only opinion in the usa i suppose Islam is not getting a fair deal. I think you may have it backwards there a bit. It's the conservative media that portrays islam as terrorists. Watch Fox News for a while.

I think you may have it backwards there a bit. It's the conservative media that portrays islam as terrorists. Watch Fox News for a while.

Fox is the only conservative media scource in america
Liberal:
Washington post
Nytimes
Cnn
Msnbc
Abc
Nbc
Cbs
etc...
I could go on and on that is what is backwards.
Then lets look at movies who makes the movies. California is all liberal.
How is it freedom of choice if you only have one type of media coverage?

What conservative media sources do you recommend that give the correct view of islam?

What conservative media sources do you recommend that give the correct view of islam?

Because of liberal media sources being the only opinion in the USA I suppose Islam is not getting a fair deal. These fanatics are seemingly the spokesmen of your religion. Their voice is louder that that of more conservative voices. This is not good for you and others who don't share those views. People in America feel threatened by Islam because those spokesman are against freedom of choice. Even if it is the wrong choice.

I will correct my statement to say because of the media sources being the only information the majority of the public in America are exposed to, islam is not getting a fair shake.

I do not want to get on bipartisan argument on politics and media, I think we both agree they are biased to the individual opinions of the money behind the source. My argument is that if islam wants to be understood, muslims are the ones responsible for spreading the good news of islam.

There are many people out there who want to dissect every word you say taking things out of context.

If the muslim population is misunderstood, it is not any one person's fault
I would say to the muslim population domestically as well as globally the accountability lies with you to teach the world yourr message. So far the fanatics are teaching the loudest.

What conservative media sources do you recommend that give the correct view of islam?

By and large all media in the western world has a viewpoint that all of Islam is the same.
This would be like saying all Christians are the same.

There are 2 major sects in Islam and about 6 or more divisions in each, think about how many sects Christianity has.

Stay in peace

As we speak my son has his little islamic friend over for a play date lol. I see islam as interpretation of God, no better nor worse then Catholic or Jewish. I myself am not deeply religious... I see God as a puzzle in a box, you get to open it when you die... you will never know what is in it before then... and fighting about what is in the box or killing because of what may or may not be in the box is horrifying. Maybe in the end only the people with green hair that eat ham and eggs on the second Tuesday of every month will go to heaven... who knows. I judge people on how THEY behave not on how others of the same color or religious beliefs behave. There are extreme groups in all religions...
And just a note on the Saudi driving. I talked to my sons friends mother (who had moved from Saudi although originally from Pakistan) and what she said is "In Saudi women do not HAVE to drive"... she is getting her licence here (canada)... but from her point of view this was a good thing... not a stifling thing... life is perspective.

As we speak my son has his little islamic friend over for a play date lol. I see islam as interpretation of God, no better nor worse then Catholic or Jewish. I myself am not deeply religious...I see God as a puzzle in a box, you get to open it when you die....you will never know what is in it before then...and fighting about what is in the box or killing because of what may or may not be in the box is horrifying. Maybe in the end only the people with green hair that eat ham and eggs on the second tuesday of every month will go to heaven...who knows. I judge people on how THEY behave not on how others of the same color or religious beliefs behave. There are extreme groups in all religions....
And just a note on the Saudi driving. I talked to my sons friends mother (who had moved from Saudi although originally from Pakistan) and what she said is "In Saudi women do not HAVE to drive"....she is getting her licence here (canada)...but from her point of view this was a good thing...not a stifling thing...life is perspective.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Nice to hear you are not biased one way or another regarding Islam/muslims.

About Saudi women,
Thank you for giving your friends perspective,being a muslim in Saudi.
It does have a lot to do with perspectives.

About God and death, that I am sure we have different views on... :)

An interesting article I wanted to share...
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Life After Death

By World Assembly of Muslim Youth1
How Do Muslims View Death?

Muslims believe that the present life is a trial in preparation for the next realm of existence. When a Muslim dies, he or she is washed and wrapped in a clean, white cloth (usually by a family member) and buried after a special prayer, preferably the same day. Muslims consider this a final service that they can do for their relatives and an opportunity to remember that their own existence here on earth is brief.

The question of whether there is life after death does not fall under the jurisdiction of science, as science is concerned only with classification and analysis of sense data. Moreover, man has been busy with scientific inquiries and research, in the modern sense of the term, only for the last few centuries, while he has been familiar with the concept of life after death since time immemorial.
All the Prophets of God called their people to worship God and to believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meant denying God and made all other beliefs meaningless.

The very fact that all the Prophets of God have dealt with this metaphysical question of life after death so confidently and so uniformly - the gap between their ages in some cases, being thousands of years - goes to prove that the source of their knowledge of life after death as proclaimed by them all, was the same, i.e. Divine revelation.

We also know that these Prophets of God were greatly opposed by their people, mainly on the issue of life after death, as their people thought it impossible. But in spite of opposition, the Prophets won many sincere followers.

The question arises: what made those followers forsake the established beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers, notwithstanding the risk of being totally alienated from their own community? The simple answer is: they made use of their faculties of mind and heart and realized the truth.

Did they realize the truth through perceptual consciousness? They couldn't, as perceptual experience of life after death is impossible. God has given man besides perceptual consciousness, rational, aesthetic and moral consciousness too. It is this consciousness that guides man regarding realities that cannot be verified through sensory data. That is why all the Prophets of God while calling people to believe in God and life after death, appeal to the aesthetic, moral and rational consciousness of man.

For example, when the idolaters of Makkah denied even the possibility of life after death, the Quran exposed the weakness of their stand by advancing very logical and rational arguments in support of it:

And he (i.e. man) presents for Us an example (i.e. attempting to establish the finality of death) and forgets his [own] creation. He says, “Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?” Say, “He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing.” [It is] He who made for you from the green tree, fire, and then from it you ignite. Is not He who created the heavens and the earth Able to create the likes of them? Yes, [it is so]; and He is the Knowing Creator. (Quran, 36:78-81)

On another occasion, the Quran very clearly says that the disbelievers have no sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based on pure conjecture:

And they say, “There is not but our worldly life; we die and live (i.e. some people die and others live, replacing them) and nothing destroys us except time.” And they have of that no knowledge; they are only assuming. And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, their argument is only that they say, “Bring [back] our forefathers, if you should be truthful.” Say, “God causes you to live, then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt,” but most of the people do not know. (Quran, 45:24-26)

Surely God will raise all the dead. But God has His own plan of things. A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and then the dead will be resurrected to stand before God. That day will be the beginning of a life that will never end, and on that day every person will be rewarded by God according to his or her good or evil deeds.

The explanation that the Quran gives about the necessity of life after death is what the moral consciousness of man demands. Actually, if there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes meaningless or even if one believes in God, it would be n unjust and indifferent God, having once created man and now not being concerned with his fate.

continued in next post

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continued from above post
Surely, God is just. He will punish the tyrants, whose crimes are beyond count - having tortured and killed hundreds or thousands of innocent people, created great corruption in society, enslaved numerous persons to serve their whims, etc. because man has a very short life span in this world and because numerous individuals are affected by one's actions, adequate punishments and rewards are not possible in this life. The Quran very emphatically states that the Day of Judgment must come and that God will decide the fate of each soul according to his or her record of deeds:

But those who disbelieve say, “The Hour (i.e. the Day of Judgment) will not come to us.” Say, “Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you. [God is] the Knower of the unseen.” Not absent from Him is an atom's weight within the heavens or within the earth or [what is] smaller than that or greater, except that it is in a clear register - That He may reward those who believe and do righteous deeds. Those will have forgiveness and noble provision. But those who strive against Our verses [seeking] to cause failure (i.e. to undermine their credibility) - for them will be a painful punishment of foul nature. (Quran, 34:3-5)

The Day of Resurrection will be the Day when God's attributes of Justice and Mercy will be in full manifestation. God will shower His mercy on those who suffered for His sake in the worldly life, believing that an eternal bliss was awaiting them. But those who abused the bounties of God, caring nothing for the life to come, will be in the most miserable state. Drawing a comparison between them, the Quran says:

Then is he whom We have promised a good promise which he will meet [i.e. obtain] like he for whom We provided enjoyment of worldly life [but] then he is, on the Day of Resurrection, among those presented [for punishment in Hell]? (Quran, 28:61)

The Quran also states that this worldly life is a preparation for the eternal life after death. But those who deny it become slaves of their passions and desires, making fun of virtuous and God-conscious persons.

Such persons realize their folly only at the time of their death and wish to be given a further chance in the world but in vain. Their miserable state at the time of death, and the horror of the Day of Judgment, and the eternal bliss guaranteed to the sincere believers are very clearly and beautifully mentioned in the following verses of the Quran:

[For such is the state of the disbelievers], until, when death comes to one of them, he says, “My Lord, send me back that I might do righteousness in that which I left behind (i.e. in that which I neglected).” No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected. So when the Horn is blown, no relationship will there be among them that Day, nor will they ask about one another. And those whose scales are heavy [with good deeds] - it is they who are the successful. But those whose scales are light - those are the ones who have lost their souls, [being] in Hell, abiding eternally. The Fire will sear their faces, and they therein will have taut smiles (i.e. their lips having been contracted by scorching until the teeth are exposed). (Quran, 23:99-104)

The belief in life after death not only guarantees success in the Hereafter but also makes this world full of peace and happiness by making individuals most responsible and dutiful in their activities.

Think of the people of Arabia before the arrival of the Prophet Muhammad . Gambling, wine, tribal feuds, plundering and murdering were their main traits when they had no belief in life after death. But as soon as they accepted the belief in the One God and life after death they became the most disciplined nation of the world. They gave up their vices, helped each other in hours of need, and settled all their disputes on the basis of justice and equality. Similarly the denial of life after death has its consequences not only in the Hereafter but also in this world. When a nation as a whole denies it, all kinds of evils and corruption become rampant in that society and ultimately it is destroyed.

The Quran mentions the terrible end of Aad, Thamud and the Pharaoh in some detail:

[The tribes of] Thamud and Aad denied the Striking Calamity [i.e. the Resurrection]. So as for Thamud, they were destroyed by the overpowering [blast]. And as for Aad, they were destroyed by a screaming, violent wind which He [i.e. God] imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees. Then do you see of them any remains? And there came Pharaoh and those before him and the overturned cities (i.e. those to which Lot was sent) with sin. And they disobeyed the messenger of their Lord, so He seized them with a seizure exceeding [in severity]. Indeed, when the water overflowed, We carried you [i.e. your ancestors] in the sailing ship (i.e. which was constructed by Noah). That We might make it for you a reminder and [that] a conscious ear would be conscious of it. (Quran, 69:4-12)

Events of the Day of Judgment

God states in the Quran about the events of the Day of Judgment:

"Then when the Horn is blown with one blast, and the earth and the mountains are lifted and leveled with one blow [i.e. stroke] - Then on that Day, the Occurrence [i.e. Resurrection] will occur, And the heaven will split [open], for that Day it is infirm (i.e. weak, enfeebled and unstable). And the angels are at its edges. And there will bear the Throne of your Lord above them, that Day, eight [of them]. That Day, you will be exhibited [for judgment]; not hidden among you is anything concealed (i.e. any person or any secret you might attempt to conceal). So as for he who is given his record in his right hand, he will say, “Here, read my record! Indeed, I was certain that I would be meeting my account.” So he will be in a pleasant life - In an elevated Garden, Its [fruit] to be picked hanging near. [They will be told], “Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you put forth (i.e. literally, advanced in anticipation of reward in the Hereafter) in the days past.” But as for he who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, “Oh, I wish I had not been given my record, and had not known what is my account. I wish it [i.e. my death] had been the decisive one (i.e. ending life rather than being the gateway to eternal life). My wealth has not availed me. Gone from me is my authority.” [God will say], “Seize him and shackle him. Then into Hellfire drive him. Then into a chain whose length is seventy cubits insert him.” Indeed, he did not used to believe in God, the Most Great. (Quran, 69:13-33)

The Prophet Muhammad taught that three things continue to benefit a [believing] person even after death - charity which he had given (which continues to benefit others), beneficial knowledge which he had left behind (i.e. authored or taught), and supplication on his behalf by a righteous child (Narrated by Saheeh Muslim).

Thus, there are very convincing reasons to believe in life after death:

1) All the Prophets of God have called their people to believe in it.

2) Whenever a human society is built on the basis of this belief, it has been the most ideal and peaceful society, free of social and moral evils.

3) History bears witness that whenever this belief is rejected collectively by a group of people in spite of the repeated warning of the Prophet, the group as a whole has been punished by God even in this world.

4) Moral, aesthetic and rational faculties of man endorse the possibility of the life after death.

5) God's attributes of Justice and Mercy have no meaning if there is no life after death.
http://www.islam-guide.com/life-after-death-by-wamy.htm
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This is in answer to an opinion stated in the Christian thread...
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Islamic Voice - Jamadi Ul Akhir 1422 (http://www.islamicvoice.com/september.2001/religion.htm)
Question: Is it not true that Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) has copied the Qur'an from the Bible?

Many critics allege that Prophet Muhummad (pbuh) himself was not the author of the Qur'an but he learnt it and/or plagiarised (copied or adapted) it from other human sources or from previous scriptures or revelations. Here are a few theories and their rebuttal:
1. He learnt the Qur'an from a Roman blacksmith :
Some Pagans accused the Prophet of learning the Qur'an from a Roman Blacksmith, who was a Christian staying at the outskirts of Makkah. The Prophet very often used to go and watch him do his work. A revelation of the Qur'an was sufficient to dismiss this charge - the Qur'an says in Surah An-Nahl chapter 16 verse 103:
“We know indeed that they say, 'It is a man that teaches him,' The tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear.” [Al-Qur'an 16:103]

How could a person whose mother tongue was foreign and could speak little but of poor broken Arabic be the source of the Qur'an which is pure, eloquent, fine Arabic? To believe that the blacksmith taught the Prophet the Qur'an is somewhat similar to believing that a Chinese immigrant to England, who did not know proper English, taught Shakespeare.

2. He learnt from Waraqa, the relative of Khadijah(t)
Muhummad's (pbuh) contacts with the Jewish and Christian scholars were very limited. The most prominent Christian known to him was an old blind man called Waraqa ibn-Naufal who was a relative of the Prophet's first wife Khadijah (t). Although of Arab descent, he was a convert to Christianity and was very well versed with the New Testament. The Prophet only met him twice, first when Waraqa was worshipping at the Kaaba (before the Prophetic Mission) and he kissed the Prophet's forehead affectionately; the second occasion was when the Prophet went to meet Waraqa after receiving the first revelation. Waraqa died three years later and the revelation continued for about 23 years. It is ridiculous to assume that Waraqa was the source of the contents of the Qur'an.

3. Prophet's religious discussions with Jews and Christians
It is true that the Prophet did have religious discussions with the Jews and Christians but they took place in Madinah more than 13 years after the revelation of the Qur'an had started. The allegation that these Jews and Christians were the source is perverse, since in these discussions Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) was performing the roles of a teacher and of a preacher while inviting them to embrace Islam and pointing out that they had deviated from their true teachings of Monotheism. Several of these Jews and Christians later embraced Islam.

4. He learnt the Quran from those Jews and Christians that he met outside Arabia.
All historical records available show that Muhummad (Pbuh) had made only three trips outside Makkah before his Prophethood
(i) At the age of six he accompanied his mother to Madinah.
(ii) Between the age of 9 and 12, he accompanied his uncle Abu-Talib on a business trip to Syria.
(iii) At the age of 25 he led Khadija's Caravan to Syria.

It is highly imaginary to assume that the Qur'an resulted from the occasional chats and meetings with the Christians or Jews from any of the above three trips.

5. Logical ground to prove that the Prophet did not learn Quran from Jews or Christians
(I) The day-to-day life of the Prophet was an open book for all to see. In fact a revelation came asking people to give the Prophet (Pbuh) privacy in his own home. If the Prophet had been meeting people who told him what to say as a revelation from God, this would not have been hidden for very long.
(ii) The extremely prominent Quraish nobles who followed the Prophet and accepted Islam were wise and intelligent men who would have easily noticed anything suspicious about the way in which the Prophet brought the revelations to them - more so since the Prophetic mission lasted 23 years.
(iii) The enemies of the Prophet kept a close watch on him in order to find proof for their claim that he was a liar - they could not point out even a single instance when the Prophet may have had a secret rendezvous with particular Jews and Christians.
(iv) It is inconceivable that any human author of the Qur'an would have accepted a situation in which he received no credit whatsoever for originating the Qur'an.

Thus, historically and logically it cannot be established that there was a human source for the Qur'an.

6. Prophet Muhammad was Unlettered
The theory that Muhummad (Pbuh) authored the Qur'an or copied from other sources can be disproved by the single historical fact that he was unlettered.

Allah testifies Himself in the Qur'an. In Surah Al-Ankabut chapter no.29 verse 48 “And thou was not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: in that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted.”
Allah (swt) knew that many would doubt the authenticity of the Qur'an and would ascribe it to Prophet Muhummad (Pbuh). Therefore Allah in His Divine Wisdom chose the last and final Messenger to be an 'Ummi', i.e. unlettered, so that the talkers of vanity would not then have the slightest justification to doubt the Prophet. The accusation of his enemies that he had copied the Qur'an from other sources and rehashed it all in a beautiful language might have carried some weight, but even this flimsy pretence has been deprived to the unbeliever and the cynic.

Allah reconfirms in the Qur'an in Surah Al A'raf chapter 7 verse 157: “Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures) in the Law and the Gospel” [Al-Qur'an 29:48]

The prophecy of coming of the unlettered Prophet (Pbuh) is also mentioned in the Bible in the book of Isaiah chapter 29 verse 12. “And the book is delivered to him that is not learned.” [Isaiah 29:12]

The Qur'an testifies in no less than four different places that the Prophet (Pbuh) was unlettered. It is also mentioned in Surah A'raf chapter 7 verse 158 and in Surah Al-Jumu'a chapter 62 verse 2.

Continued in next post.
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Continued from previous post.
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7. Arabic version of the Bible was not present
The Arabic version of the Bible was not present at the time of Prophet Muhummad. The earliest Arabic version of the Old Testament is that of R. Saadias Gaon of 900 C.E. - more than 250 years after the death of our beloved Prophet. The oldest Arabic version of the new Testament was published by Erpenius in 1616 C.E. - about a thousand years after the demise of our Prophet.

8. Similarities in the Quran and the Bible due to common Source
Similarities between the Qur'an and the Bible does not necessarily mean that the former has been copied from the latter. In fact it gives evidence that both of them are based on a common third source; all divine revelations came from the same source - the one universal God. No matter what human changes were introduced into some of these Judeo-Christian and other older religious scriptures that had distorted their originality, there are some areas that have remained free from distortion and thus are common to many religions.

It is true that there are some similar parallels between the Qur'an and the Bible but this is not sufficient to accuse the Prophet of compiling or copying from the Bible. The same logic would then also be applicable to teachings of Christianity and Judaism and thus one could wrongly claim that Jesus (Pbuh) was not a genuine Prophet (God forbid) and that he simply copied from the Old Testament.
The similarities between the two signify a common source that is one true God and the continuation of the basic message of monotheism and not that the later prophets have plagiarised from the previous prophets.
If someone copies during an examination he will surely not write in the answer sheet that he has copied from his neighbour or Mr. XYZ. Prophet Muhummad (Pbuh) gave due respect and credit to all the previous Prophets (Pbuh). The Qur'an also mentions the various revelations given by Almighty God to different prophets.

9. Muslims believe in the Taurah, Zaboor, Injeel and Quran
Four revelations of Allah (swt) are mentioned by name in the Qur'an: the Taurah, the Zaboor, the Injeel and the Qur'an. They were given to Moses (Pbuh), Dawood (Pbuh), Jesus (Pbuh) and the final messenger Muhammad (Pbuh).

It is an article of faith for every Muslim to believe in all the Prophets of God and all revelations of God. However, the present day Bible has the first five books of the Old Testament attributed to Moses and the Psalms attributed to David. Moreover the New Testament or the four Gospels of the New Testament are not the Taurah, the Zaboor or the Injeel, which the Qur'an refers to. These books of the present day Bible may partly contain the word of God but these books are certainly not the exact, accurate and complete revelations given to the prophets.

The Qur'an presents all the different prophets of Allah as belonging to one single brotherhood; all had a similar prophetic mission and the same basic message. Because of this, the fundamental teachings of the major faiths cannot be contradictory, even if there has been a considerable passage of time between the different prophetic missions, because the source of these missions was one: Almighty God, Allah. This is why the Qur'an says that the differences which exist between various religions are not the responsibility of the prophets, but of the followers of these prophets who forgot part of what they had been taught, and furthermore, misinterpreted and changed the scriptures. The Qur'an cannot therefore be seen as a scripture which competes with the teachings of Moses, Jesus and the other prophets. On the contrary, it confirms, completes and perfects the messages that they brought to their people.

Another name for the Qur'an is the 'The Furqan' which means the criteria to judge the right from the wrong, and it is on the basis of the Qur'an that we can decipher which part of the previous scriptures can be considered to be the word of God.
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I received a copy of the Qur'an in the mail the other day. I myself am intrigued to learn about Islam. I will never convert, but I still am curious about it.

I received a copy of the Qur'an in the mail the other day. I myself am intrigued to learn about Islam. I will never convert, but I still am curious about it.

If you wish to ask any questions please do and I will try to find answers for any questions you may have.

My wife is a Christian from the Philippines, from Mindanao, where there is a large population of Muslims, about 30%. Her father was murdered by Muslims merely because he was a Christian. I have studied the Muslim religion, and find it nothing at all like Christianity. Having traveled extensively over the world, I find that Muslims tend to support the terrorists who attack American and Israeli targets. However, they tend to not support terrorists who kill fellow Muslims (unless the ones killed are the Muslims they don't like). I find Muslims to be xenophobic, paranoid, and fanatical, for the most part. Sure, there are those Muslims who are not that way... but those Muslims tend to be targets of the terrorist types.

Muslims are just people caught up in an evil religion, and you and I would be the same as them, if we had grown up in that culture. They are to be pitied.

My wife is a Christian from the Philippines, from Mindanao, where there is a large population of Muslims, about 30%. Her father was murdered by Muslims merely because he was a Christian. I have studied the Muslim religion, and find it nothing at all like Christianity. Having traveled extensively over the world, I find that Muslims tend to support the terrorists who attack American and Israeli targets. However, they tend to not support terrorists who kill fellow Muslims (unless the ones killed are the Muslims they don't like). I find Muslims to be xenophobic, paranoid, and fanatical, for the most part. Sure, there are those Muslims who are not that way... but those Muslims tend to be targets of the terrorist types.

Muslims are just people caught up in an evil religion, and you and I would be the same as them, if we had grown up in that culture. They are to be pitied.


My wife is also from Mindanao. In fact, I was married there. I'm Caucasian/Jewish and US citizen. I have a second home in Davao City in a newer residential community. I know for fact that what you've posted here is absolutely accurate. Have a great day and G-d bless.


Bobby

This is in answer to a question on another thread.
And for other who may wish to read.
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The Origin of Life - an Islamic Perspective (http://www.islamfortoday.com/emerick16.htm)

The Origin of Life - an Islamic Perspective
Science must increase our faith. It is wrong for anyone to close their eyes to what is right in front of them. For a Muslim the evidence of dinosaurs and fossils is not a threat to our beliefs. Rather, it is a confirmation of the power of Allah.Adapted from the Book: What Islam is All About By Yahiya Emerick

A. Why Does Allah Tell Us About the Creation?

The Holy Qur'an is the book given to us by the Creator of the Universe. Allah, (literally: THE God) which is His personal Name, knows us best and is aware that humans can be very skeptical creatures.

Allah points out, "...if you were to seek a tunnel into the earth or a ladder into the skies and bring them a sign, (they still wouldn't be convinced.) If it were Allah's will, He could gather them all into true guidance, so don't be among those who are influenced by ignorance." (6:35)

Allah, the Keeper of Wisdom, makes it a point to give as many proofs in the Qur'an about His existence and creative abilities as possible so the maximum number of humans can be guided. We need proof, and Allah gives us that proof. (2:26, 40:57)

Allah, of course, does not need us to follow Him, or believe in Him. As He states, "Allah can do without them and Allah is free of all needs." (64:6)

He merely wishes that people would choose to believe in Him so He can reward them for their choice. Allah is ready to forgive even those who acted wrongly if they but ask for His forgiveness.

In a Hadith, or saying of the Blessed Prophet Muhammad, we learn, "When Allah decreed the creation (of the universe,) He set down in His book which is with Him, 'Indeed, My mercy is stronger than My wrath.'" (Bukhari & Muslim. Also see 6:12)

Among the proofs given in the Qur'an for us to learn from is a very detailed explanation of the different features of the universe, how it was made and how the planets and stars were formed. Allah says that, "To Him is due the origin of space and the Earth." (6:101)

Of course, most people who lived at the Prophet's time would never have understood what those ayat really meant, but they accepted them anyway and interpreted them as best they could. Sometimes they came up with very interesting explanations.

Allah instructs us to accept everything in the Qur'an, even if we don't yet know how to understand it. The understanding of the Qur'an grows with each passing generation. As He said, "The intelligent people declare, 'We believe in the book, the whole of it is from our Lord." (3:7)

B. Modern Science and Islam.

Modern day scientists have been awe-struck at how complex and intricate the universe is. (67:3-4) The sciences of astronomy, chemistry, astrophysics and molecular biology have pushed the limits of our knowledge ever further.

These new discoveries have assisted greatly in the understanding of what the ayat in the Qur'an mean. For example, there is a section of verses where Allah mentions that during the process of human development, there is a stage where we were an 'Alaq in the womb. (96:1-5) The word literally means, "a clinging thing." But no one knew in past centuries how that could be part of the process of growth for a fetus.

So translators, commentators and scholars have tried to explain it as meaning we were clots of blood or other such strange things in the womb. But new discoveries in the last few years have shown that in the early stages of pregnancy, the fertilized egg actually attaches itself to the uterine wall and clings there as it is growing. Thus, modern knowledge unlocks another mystery that previous Muslims could only guess at.

The same thing is true in other areas to quite a startling degree. When we study the ayat of the Qur'an relating to the creation of the universe, we come away astounded, especially since they agree with what we have only discovered in the last ten, twenty and fifty years.

The Qur'an does not give a single, unified essay on how the universe began. Instead, keeping with the Qur'anic method of teaching, different aspects of creation are mentioned in different places in order to give authority to the particular lesson being taught. (See 30:58)

For example, in Surah at Tariq, (86) Allah begins by mentioning the brightest star which appears in the sky at night. Then He describes this star and uses it as a metaphor for how every human has an angel watching over them. Do you see how Allah uses physical aspects of nature to illustrate spiritual principles?
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To me Islam is a faulse doctrine. It is one of the New religions of the world. If you study its history you will find that Muhamed the Founder of religion was born centuraries after Christ. He Basically took the bible and changed it to form his own religion. The Koran is just a repation of the Bible's old testament and then there are some additions made by Muhamed. The fundamental difference between Christianity and Islam is that In Christianity you do not have to earn you way to heaven rather by accepting Christ and by "grace" and not by works you are saved. Christainity emphasises free will and accepting christ by will where as the Koran teaches that those who do not want to convert do not deserve to live. Christainity teaches you to love even those who hate you. I know there are religious extremist in all religions and I know there are some nice non violent muslims. Not all of them are terrorist but I ijust wish they could do more research into their religion because they will find the truth about who Muhamed was. He was not a very holy man. He acually died of Siphilis.

To me Islam is a faulse doctrine. It is one of the New religions of the world. If you study its history you will find that Muhamed the Founder of religion was born centuraries after Christ. He Basically took the bible and changed it to form his own religion. The Koran is just a repation of the Bible's old testament and then there are some additions made by Muhamed. The fundamental difference between Christianity and Islam is that In Christianity you do not have to earn you way to heaven rather by accepting Christ and by "grace" and not by works you are saved. Christainity emphasises free will and accepting christ by will where as the Koran teaches that those who do not want to convert do not deserve to live. Christainity teaches you to love even those who hate you. I know there are religious extremist in all religions and i know there are some nice non violent muslims. Not all of them are terrorist but i ijust wish they could do more research into their religion because they will find the truth about who Muhamed was. He was not a very holy man. He acually died of Siphilis.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I am sure you have your facts all distorted.

Muhammad was not the founder of Islam,but the last Prophet and messenger among many which began with Adam(alaihi salaam).

Muhammed (peace be upon him)did not die of syphilis.Even his worst enemies during his time even if they did not follow Islam agreed to his intergrity,honesty,loyalness,purity and even used to seek his counsel in all matters of life until Muhammed(pbuh) called to submit to the One and Only Almighty God.
http://exposingdtruth.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/what-they-say-about-muhammad-salla-'llahu-alaihi-wa-sallam/
You may call whatever names you wish to call,but I am not going to call any names to Jesus (alaihi salaam),because I believe in him, not in the same way as you.And I await his descent to earth at the end of times to establish truth on this earth.

About the borrowing theory of the Quran from the Bible, you might like to read this link(or not).
http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/BBbible.html
Many things will be similar to the original book revealed to Jesus(alaihi salaam) because the source is the same Almighty God.

As you said one of the fundamental differences between Islam and Christianity is that I do not go to Heaven by default for just believing as a muslim.
I have to work for it and it is up to the Almighty to admit me to Heaven or not.

I do not believe in someone else taking up the burden of my wrongdoings and being punished for it.I believe in equal justice on the day of Judgement.
Good and bad all will be justly paid their due on that day.

There is only one true religion. The religion of God. Chirstianity, Jewism, Islam, buddism etc. Indeed all religions that seem different but, worship god are in fact the same. Satan has tricked the world into thinking we are not all same dig deep enough and the true will be revealed.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I am sure you have your facts all distorted.

Muhammad was not the founder of Islam,but the last Prophet and messenger among many which began with Adam(alaihi salaam).

Muhammed (peace be upon him)did not die of syphilis.Even his worst enemies during his time even if they did not follow Islam agreed to his intergrity,honesty,loyalness,purity and even used to seek his counsel in all matters of life until Muhammed(pbuh) called to submit to the One and Only Almighty God.
http://exposingdtruth.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/what-they-say-about-muhammad-salla-‘llahu-alaihi-wa-sallam/
You may call whatever names you wish to call,but I am not going to call any names to Jesus (alaihi salaam),because I believe in him, not in the same way as you.And I await his descent to earth at the end of times to establish truth on this earth.

About the borrowing theory of the Quran from the Bible, you might like to read this link(or not).
Is The Bible Really The Source Of The Qur'an? (http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/BBbible.html)
Many things will be similar to the original book revealed to Jesus(alaihi salaam) because the source is the same Almighty God.

As you said one of the fundamental differences between Islam and Christianity is that I do not go to Heaven by default for just believing as a muslim.
I have to work for it and it is upto the Almighty to admit me to Heaven or not.

I do not believe in someone else taking up the burden of my wrongdoings and being punished for it.I believe in equal justice on the day of Judgement.
Good and bad all will be justly paid their due on that day.

Firmbeliever: I am sorry if I sounded like I was discrediting your leader Muhamed but I have studied the religion and it is a Fact that Muhammad is the Creator of the islamic religion in about 610 A.D. Muhamed was a merchant and at the age of 25 he married a weathly widdow who was twice his age. While he was a merchant he would go into the mountains and meditate. And one day while he was meditating he claims to have had a visit from that angel Gabriel ( found in the Bible) who told he was a prophet. At first Mnhammed believed these visions came from Jinn (evil spirits) but his wife convinced him he it was divinely inspired and that he was a true prophet. Thus he bagan spreading his revelations and gathering followers of the "one true religion" of Islam.
Ten years after he introduced Islam to the world, Muhammad's wife died. Two months later he married a widow and then a seven-year-old girl. He would eventually be married to 15 women. In fact, he married someone new every year following his first wife's death, many of them as a result of war and plunder. Women left alive after a war with rival tribes would be taken as Muhammad's wives. Other wives were taken for political gain because of their importance or relation to local government officials. Islam taught that men were only allowed four wives. Muhammad made an exception for himself, however, in Surat 33:50.

O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war, and a believing woman if she give herself unto the Prophet and the Prophet desire to ask her in marriage - a privilege for thee only, not for the rest of believers.

There are no ancient non-Muslim sources on the life of Muhammad. There are two main sources for a history of Muhammad's life, both of which are Islamic. I was surprised you said that Muhammed was not the founder of The Islam. That is common Knowledge so maybe you may have do a little more research on the History of Islam. I don't think Islamic people are as bad as people perceive them. I don't really agree with their beliefs because it is a very new religion and the founder (Muhammed) is not very credible based on his biography.

Firmbeliever: i am sorry if i sounded like i was discrediting your leader Muhamed
but i have studied the religion and it is a Fact that Muhammad is the Creator of the islamic religion in about 610 A.D.

To you be your beliefs and to me be mine.
I am not going to start an argument just for the sake of it.

But I do not agree with any of what you have stated regarding Muhammad(pbuh) and Islam.But as you already stated that you believe it as fact, I am not going to go into anymore detail in replying to you.

The following article was written by a non-muslim (this site is not really a good source for the true Islamic information as some information seems questionable,but I recommend this one article).
http://www.themodernreligion.com/prophet/prophet-rao.html

To you be your beliefs and to me be mine.
I am not going to start an arguement just for the sake of it.

But I do not agree with any of what you have stated regarding Muhammad(pbuh) and Islam.But as you already stated that you believe it as fact, I am not going to go into anymore detail in replying to you.

The following article was written by a non-muslim (this site is not really a good source for the true Islamic information as some information seems questionable,but I recommend this one article).
Mohammed The Prophet By Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao (http://www.themodernreligion.com/prophet/prophet-rao.html)

Have you read any biographies of Muhammed? Just asking. The info I got was from Islamic accounts of his life and the Quoran. So I am not making this stuff up.. Can you really deny that he had 15 wives? After Khadijah his first wife died. Can you Deny that he married Aisha, who was 7 years old at the time. That is staight out of the Bukhari/ Hadith Can you deny the exception he made for himself that I quoted directly from the Quoran? I am not trying to argue with you I am just urging you to open your eyes and research your beliefs. The things I have said about Muhammed have come from non other than Islamic accounts of his life. The prior prophets mentioned in the Quoran are Jewish prophets from the old testament Bible Adam, Abraham etc. You can not deny that the Islamic religion does not date back any farther that 610 A.D. Because there are no writings going back that far except that of the christian and jewish faith. I am sure he was a great man with good intensions but I would not call him holy. And if you are honest with yourself you will read about his life and how Islam originated and make your own conclusions.

I did not know that Jesus was in the old testament thought he was the reason for the new.

Muhammad did not view what he brought to the world a new religion but just being a prophet in a long line of prophets. He just followed Jesus.

I think as others have said that religion is a very personal thing. Most believe in a Supreme Being" I know that I do. I wish I said thank you more often for the many times I have received help.

Honestly I really don't know much about the Islamic religion. I work with a few who are Islamic but I don't see much difference in how they live or who they are than people of any other religion. I agree with Marily, I don't think there is a right or wrong religion. The fact that you have a religion at all that is based on peace and being a better person is good enough.

And upon our deaths will we know if we have lived our lives as it should be lived,until then no one will believe another is on the right path.

To you be your beliefs and to me be mine.
I am not going to start an arguement just for the sake of it.

But I do not agree with any of what you have stated regarding Muhammad(pbuh) and Islam.But as you already stated that you believe it as fact, I am not going to go into anymore detail in replying to you.

The following article was written by a non-muslim (this site is not really a good source for the true Islamic information as some information seems questionable,but I recommend this one article).
Mohammed The Prophet By Prof. K. S. Ramakrishna Rao (http://www.themodernreligion.com/prophet/prophet-rao.html)


I sat in a Baptist church as a teen and listened to a preacher say all Catholics are going to hell because they worship the virgin Marry. People read something in a book written by someone of a different faith ( or no faith at all) and just assume it must be right. My father was Catholic and if this preacher had his facts right and just talked to someone who actually practiced the religion he would have found that they pray through her rather than to her. As I said before, I don't know much of anything about the Islam religion but I am sure being that you practice the religion you would know more than someone who read a few books. I hate when people do that!

As I said before, I don't know much of anything about the Islam religion but I am sure being that you practice the religion you would know more than someone who read a few books. I hate when people do that!

I am a muslim,yes.
This does not mean I know all there is to know about my religion.:)

I practice to the best of my ability and leave the rest to the Almighty, He being the Most Just will judge me on my deeds good /bad.

I am still learning and I am sure that all through my lifetime until death I will be learning.
I do have access to Islamic resources and I could recommend good information links,but that does not necessarily mean that I would know all that is there to know or enough to argue with someone who comes up with any arguments regarding Islam.

I try to help those who wish to know/understand Islam a little better than what the media protrays or what a few muslims do negatively which catches media attention.

Perhaps I worded my statement wrong or I'm misunderstanding yours. I was getting at the fact that some people try to come across as an expert on the Islamic religion because they read a few books... namely, tatortot.

Stonewilder,
I understood you meant someone, I did not want to name names nor did I want to profess to know a lot either.:)

There are some who may have a lot of knowledge but only with understanding will it serve any purpose.

I understand from the knowledge/experience you have and understanding it, that you have come to your own conclusions.

Very true FirmBeliever you say It much better than I do.

Have fun and stay in peace

Salaams to you too carbonite!