What do Muslims believe about past prophets and scriptures?
Was Islam spread by sword?
What is Jihad?
Is suicide bombing ever justifiable in Islam?
What is the Islamic concept of equality between men and women?
What do Muslims believe about past prophets and scriptures?
Was Islam spread by sword?
What is Jihad?
Is suicide bombing ever justifiable in Islam?
What is the Islamic concept of equality between men and women?
[What is the difference between Islam, Islamic, Muslim, and Arab?]
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Islam is a name of a religion, as Christianity and Judaism are names of religions. The Arabic word “Islam” is based on the root “sallam” (with stressed "L"), which means peace or surrender, and in the case of Islam it means surrendered to God and being in peace with that; i.e., combining both translations results in the combined meaning: the state of peace through surrender to the God and following God’s guidance.
Islamic is an adjective that modifies a non-human noun, for example, “Islamic art”, “Islamic architecture”, “Islamic beliefs”, etc. This term should not be used to refer to a person. Instead, a follower of Islam is called a Muslim, and he is the one who is in a state of peace by following God’s guidance with respect to the teachings delivered by Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).
The words "Islamic" and "Islamist" are being used mistakenly to describe some religious political people who have certain political views based on their understanding for Islam and how it should be applied in the society versus other political views like Secularism and the other views which are not based on religions such as: Liberalism, Socialism, and also versus Non-Muslim religious political views. However, this is basically a mistake because unlike other religions, in Islam, no one other than the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) has the right to claim the exclusive rights for understanding or speaking on behalf of Islam.
In fact, even the use of these words to modify non-human nouns is a mistake unless it is being used for referring to the teachings and rules of Islam. Nothing else should be attributed to Islam itself directly, instead it should be attributed to the Muslims, "Muslims' culture", "Muslims' arts", "Muslims' architecture”, because these are results of humans who believe in Islam. and Islam is just one component that affects these results. This distinction is essential because such things are just human efforts that may have good and bad results, and while a large portion of the good might come from their understanding of Islam, none of the bad has any relation to the basic statements of Islam more than wrong understanding of the statements or maybe no relation at all. However, the mistakes of using these words in such ways are very common even among the Muslims themselves, so it is important to keep that important differentiation in mind.
The term Arab has been used in the past to refer to members of a Semitic ethnic group from the Arabian Peninsula. Today the word “Arab” refers to people from Arabic-speaking countries, most of which are in the Middle East and North Africa. The term Arabian was historically used to describe an inhabitant of the Arabian Peninsula. Today, “Arabian” is used as an adjective to describe a non-human noun (e.g., Arabian coffee); it should not be used to refer to people.
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[What do Muslims believe about past prophets and scriptures?]
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Muslims believe that all past prophets were sent by God and that the scriptures were divine revelations in their original form and thus all taught the absolute unity of God. Two of the six pillars of faith for a Muslim are:
* To believe in the Prophets of God.
* To believe in the Divine Scriptures.
Islam teaches that these Prophets and Holy Books were true at their source and were sent by the same one God who sent Mohammad (peace be upon him) as a Prophet and revealed the Qur'an to him.
According to Qur’an, God has sent his messengers to every nation lived before the advent of Islam:
"There was no nation for which a warner was not sent." (Ch.35: V.24)
"And for every nation there is a Messenger." (Ch.10: V.47)
Some prophets have been mentioned in the Qur’an itself, such as Adam, Abraham, David, Solomon, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them all).
As mentioned above, Muslims not only believe in all the earlier prophets but also in the revelations and scriptures given to those prophets by God. In the Holy Qur’an itself, reference is made to four revealed books other than the Qur’an:
* SUHUF (Scrolls) of Abraham (peace be upon him): Of the Scriptures of Abraham (pbuh), nothing is known today. These scriptures were probably never recorded in writing.
* TAURAT (Torah) of Moses (peace be upon him): The Taurat or Torah of Moses (pbuh) comprises the first five books of the Hebrew Bible and contains the complete Law for the Israelites. These five books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Together, these five books are known as the Pentateuch. The Torah was passed down the generations by the word of mouth and was finally recorded in writing some hundreds of years after Moses (pbuh). The Hebrew Bible is a collection of 24 books including the five books of the Torah.
* ZABUR (Psalms) of David (peace be upon him): Very little is known today of Zabur, or the revelations of Prophet David (pbuh). In the Hebrew Bible there are many psalms (sacred songs or hymns) attributed to David (pbuh) which may constitute part of the Zabur.
* INJEEL (Gospel) of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him): The Injeel or Gospel was revealed to the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) but was not recorded during his lifetime. After his death, attempts were made to record his teachings in writing. Of the many such narratives, four were selected by the early church as official accounts of the teachings of Jesus (pbuh). These four versions of the Gospel are known today as: Gospels of Matthew, Luke, Mark and John. However, other gospels (that are not included in the Bible) also contain important information about the life and teachings of Jesus (pbuh).
Muslims believe, according to Qur'an, that with the exception of the Qur’an, none of the other revealed books retained their original form; they were either missed or altered by people intentionally and unintentionally.
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[What is the Islamic concept of equality between men and women?]
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The Holy Qur’an states that all believers, without distinction, are equal and that only the righteous deeds elevate one person above another. Therefore, Muslims have immense respect for righteous and pious men and women. Islamic history also tells us that men and women both served in many capacities from being teachers, doctors, leaders and even as soldiers in battle when Muslims were under attack.
However, Islam also recognizes that such equality does not mean that men and women are the same. It notes their different physical and emotional strengths and in view of this sets out their key roles in life. The roles are therefore not a question of superiority or inferiority, but a question of natural capacity and proper functioning.
For example, men have been assigned the duty to work and provide for their family and women have been assigned the role of motherhood and of looking after the household.
Islam places equal importance on both and also stresses that the roles are not exclusive nor inflexible. This does not mean that women cannot work or serve society or that men have no duties or responsibilities for their children or for their household.
It is interesting to note that where women choose to work, the money they earn is theirs, and the husband has no right over it, whereas a husband must provide financially for the whole family.
All of this is in direct contrast to the status of women before the advent of Islam. Before the advent of Islam, women were treated extremely harshly. It was acceptable for female babies to be buried alive and women were treated more as chattels and objects of sexual pleasure. Islam changed all this and taught equality of both genders. In fact, Islam is the only religion that gives women the right to education, property rights, and freedom of marriage and divorce. Similar rights were not available to women in Europe for many centuries after the advent of Islam.
Islam also granted women the right of inheritance, and accordingly, they received their due share as prescribed by the Shariah Law (Islamic Law). A woman is entitled to individual ownership of property as a mother, as a wife, as a daughter, and as a sister. Such rights that were granted to women in England hundreds of years later.
The Holy Prophet exalted the intellectual and spiritual status of women and said that the acquisition of knowledge is an incumbent duty to every Muslim male and female. The Holy Prophet of Islam knew the essential part women had to play in the development of society, so he laid great stress on the upbringing of girls by saying: "A man who has two daughters and brings them up and educates them to the best of his capacity shall be entitled to paradise."
Islam teaches that both men and women are equal in the sight of God. Allah states in the Holy Qur’an: "But whoever does good works, whether male or female, and is a believer, such shall enter Heaven, and shall not be wronged even as much as the little hollow in the back of a date-stone." (Ch.4: V.124)
"Whoever acts righteously, whether male or female and is a believer, we will surely grant him a pure life; and we will surely bestow on such their reward according to the best of their works." (Ch.16: V.97)
Whilst there is no disputing the equality of men and women, it is important to note that according to Islam, men and women have been created in different forms for different but complementary purposes. This stresses a difference in role and nature but not a difference in status. Also, after marriage, Islam treats the family as the basic unit of society that must be kept functional to the best. Any unit in whatever structure is just like a team, and any team should always have one leader. When it comes to the family Islam gave the man that right to be the leader as long as he is being fair and wise, and that right had been granted for him in exchange for him being obligated to feed and provide his family.
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[Was Islam spread by sword?]
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No, if Muslims adopted a strategy of propagation of Islam by the sword, then they would have gone against the following fundamental tenet of the Holy Qur’an:
"There should be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong." (Ch.2: V.256)
They would also have gone against the example of the founder of Islam, The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), who always opted for the most peaceful and just strategy in any situation. His example of peace and forgiveness is matchless.
A prime example of his life of peace is when the Muslims, headed by the Holy Prophet (pbuh), entered Makkah with a strong army of ten thousand fighters. At that historic occasion when they were in a position of strength, they did not impose Islam on a single person nor punish anyone for not becoming a Muslim, despite the fact that it would have been very easy for them to do so. Instead, the Holy Prophet (pbuh) left all to practice their religion freely, and through this, he underlined the true message of Islam.
It is true the Qur’an instructs that each Muslim must take it upon him or herself to propagate the message of Islam in the best of ways, and by reason and persuasion, but there is absolutely no room for force of any kind.
"Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation and argue with them in a way that is best. Surely, thy Lord knows best who has strayed from His way; and He also knows those who are rightly guided." (Ch.16: V.125)
Furthermore, for the Holy Prophet (pbuh) himself, the Qur’an clearly stated that his mission was to convey the message of Islam, but thereafter it was down to the people to accept or reject this message, and this choice was without any coercion of punishment since they were accountable for this decision to God and not to man.
The Qur’an states, "But if they turn away, we have not sent thee as a guardian over them. Thy duty is only to convey the Message." (Ch.42: V.48)
This makes clear that the only duty for Muslims with regards to the spread of Islam is to convey its message and any action that even hints at coercion or force has no basis in Islam.
In this respect, it is interesting to note that the largest Muslim population in the world is to be found in Indonesia, which accepted Islam through early dialogue with Muslim traders and religious men. The second largest Muslim population belongs to India, which is not even a Muslim country having a Hindu majority. More recently, we know that in Europe, Islam is the fastest growing religion, yet no sword is used to persuade such people of the beauties of Islam.
However, it is important to understand that in the early days of Islam there were many battles and wars on the way of spreading Islam, but these wars did not aim to force anyone into being a Muslim. They were against those dictators who were refusing to give their people the right to choose being Muslims if they wanted. They did so and they also fought Muslims because they thought of Islam as a threat to their own power, influence, and authority. Some of them claimed they were gods or spoke exclusively on behalf of gods, or had their own pagan beliefs that formed their source of power over their people, and in such cases, Muslims fought them either as self-defense or as defending the freedom of those people to choose what they wanted to believe.
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[What is Jihad?]
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The Arabic word Jihad is derived from the verb Jahada – meaning to strive or struggle. In Islamic terminology, it means to make effort, to endeavor and to strive for a noble cause. The word is generally used to describe any type of striving in the cause of Allah (God).
According to Islamic teachings, there are three main types or categories of Jihad, and they all seek to establish and promote peace in society.
(i) The Highest Order Jihad.
This is the jihad (struggle) for self-reformation. The struggle is against our own temptations such as greed, lust and other worldly temptations. This is a journey of a person from an ‘animalistic’ state of existence, i.e. living for immediate gratification or gain to one where his psyche is disciplined enough to exercise moral control. This type of jihad is obligatory on every Muslim throughout his life.
(ii) The Major Jihad.
This is the jihad of propagation of the truth, the message of Qur’an. The Qur’an also instructs us to spread this message with wisdom, tolerance and respect to others and their beliefs:
"Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation" (Ch.16: V.125)
"And revile not those whom they call upon beside Allah, lest they, out of spite, revile Allah in their ignorance. Thus unto every nation, we have caused their doings to seem fair for them. Then unto their Lord is their return; and He will inform them of what they used to do." (Ch.6: V.108)
It prohibits the use of any coercion or force,
"There should be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong; so whoever believes in Allah and refuses to be led by those who transgress, has surely grasped a strong handle that knows no breaking. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing." (Ch.2: V.256-257)
According to the Qur’an, anyone who devotes his or her time, effort, wealth or knowledge to the cause of righteousness is practicing Al-Jihad Al-Akbeer (The Major Jihad), and it is obligatory on all Muslims.
(iii) The Lower Order Jihad.
This is the jihad of a defensive battle. The war can only be defensive and not an offensive one. "And fight in the cause of Allah against those who fight against you, but do not transgress. Surely Allah does not love the transgressors." (Ch.2: V.190)
Qur’an has clearly restricted this type of jihad to certain conditions while forbidding transgression of any sort. Those conditions could be confined into 3 major cases:
(A) Muslims have faced oppression in the practice of their religion and a threat to their life.
(B) Non-Muslims who wished to become Muslims have been denied that right by force.
(C) Either Muslims have been driven out of their homes; or the oppressor attacks the Muslims to stop them from practicing their religion or threaten their lives.
Only in these circumstances are the Muslims allowed to take up arms in a defensive battle.
Furthermore, there are clear directions for what can and cannot be done in a battle fought by the Muslims:
# Civilians who are not fighting against Muslims are not to be attacked or killed at all.
# Crops or other sources of food and water and cattle or other animals are not to be destroyed.
# Hospitals, orphanages and other places of safety and refuge are not to be destroyed.
# Mosques, churches, synagogues or other places of worship are not to be destroyed.
# Women, children, old and disabled are to be left untouched.
# If the aggressor stops the aggression or offers a treaty, it should be accepted and the fighting stopped forthwith.
# Fleeing oppressors need not be pursued to any unnecessary length and should be allowed to return to their home.
# Prisoners of War should be treated with respect and their basic needs to be fulfilled, and they should be freed or ransomed as soon as possible after the battle.
Hence, it is very clear that the purpose of any such battle is still to restore peace and not to promote aggression. It is important to note that the starting of such a battle is not in the hands of the Muslims but can only be initiated by an oppressor fulfilling the aforementioned conditions.
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[Is suicide bombing ever justifiable in Islam?]
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No and Never… First and foremost, The Holy Qur’an clearly sets out the prohibition of the taking of one’s own life, i.e., suicide.
"And do not kill yourselves. Surely, Allah is Merciful to you. And who does that as a transgression and injustice, we shall cast him into fire; and that easy for Allah." (Ch.4: V.29-30)
Suicide amounts to nothing less than murder and is thus repulsive in Islam, which is a religion that champions the sanctity of life,
"Whosoever killed a person - unless it be for killing a person or for creating disorder in the land – it shall be as if he killed all mankind; and whoso gave life to one, it shall be as if he had given life to all mankind." (Ch.5: V.32)
The forbiddance of suicide is further observed in the saying of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), ‘And whoever commits suicide with a piece of iron will be punished with the same piece of iron in the Hell Fire.’
Narrated Jundab, the Prophet said, ‘A man was inflicted with wounds and committed suicide, and so Allah said: My slave has caused death on himself hurriedly, so I forbid Paradise for him.’ (Bukhari Vol. 2, Bk. 23, No. 445)
Suicide is therefore unconditionally forbidden. When it is used as a mechanism to murder others, then it becomes an even greater sin. As a protest against intentional suicide, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has forbidden witnessing funeral prayer for a person who commits suicide unless the person was mentally ill and not aware of what he was doing.
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