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They say there's a book inside everybody. Let the book out with Admanya blogs. Vent your feelings about anything that pops into your head. It might be rocket science or your neighbour's cat. Start now! Its easy and fun! Blog Islam: The Most Modern, Rational, Democratic and Complete ReligionPosted by Jam_Ali on 17 October 2011
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* WHAT IS ISLAM?
Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that God revealed through all His prophets to every people. For a fifth of the world's population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the majority have nothing to do with the extremely grave events which have come to be associated with their faith. * WHO ARE THE MUSLIMS? One billion people from a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures across the globe - from the southern Philippines to Nigeria - are united by their common Islamic faith. About 18% live in the Arab world; the world's largest Muslim community is in Indonesia; substantial parts of Asia and most of Africa are Muslim, while significant minorities are to be found in the Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and Europe. * WHAT DO MUSLIMS BELIEVE? Muslims believe in One, Unique, Incomparable God; in the Angels created by Him; in the prophets through whom His revelations were brought to mankind; in the Day of Judgement and individual accountability for actions; in God's complete authority over human destiny and in life after death. Muslims believe in a chain of prophets starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah, John the Baptist, and Jesus, peace be upon them. But God's final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a summing-up of all that has gone before was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through Gabriel. * HOW DOES SOMEONE BECOME A MUSLIM? Simply by saying 'there is no god apart from God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.' By this declaration the believer announces his or her faith in all God's messengers, and the scriptures they brought. * WHAT DOES ISLAM MEAN? The Arabic word 'Islam' simply means 'submission', and derives from a word meaning 'peace'. In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of God. 'Mohammedanism' is thus a misnomer because it suggests that Muslims worship Muhammad rather than God. 'Allah' is the Arabic name for God, which is used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike. * WHO IS MUHAMMAD? Muhammad, was born in Makkah in the year 570, at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father died before his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative. Muhammad was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society. It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the 'Mountain of Light' near Makkah. * HOW DID MUHAMMAD BECOME A PROPHET AND A MESSENGER OF GOD? At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for twenty-three years, is known as the Quran. As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel, and to preach the truth which God had revealed to him, he and his small group of followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew so fierce that in the year 622 God gave them the command to emigrate. This event, the Hijra, 'migration', in which they left Makkah for the city of Madinah some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. After several years, the Prophet and his followers were able to return to Makkah, where they forgave their enemies and established Islam definitively. Before the Prophet died at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China. * HOW DID THE SPREAD OF THE HOLY QURAN AFFECT THE WORLD? Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the simplicity of its doctrine - Islam calls for faith in only One God worthy of worship. It also repeatedly instructs man to use his powers of intelligence and observation. Within a few years, great civilizations and universities were flourishing, for according to the Prophet, 'seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman'. The synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas and of new thought with old, brought about great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, architecture, art, literature, and history. Many crucial systems such as algebra, the Arabic numerals, and also the concept of the zero (vital to the advancement of mathematics), were transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam. Sophisticated instruments which were to make possible the European voyages of discovery were developed, including the astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps. * WHAT IS THE HOLY QURAN? The Quran is a record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. It was memorized by Muhammad and then dictated to his Companions, and written down by scribes, who cross-checked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters, Suras, has been changed over the centuries, so that the Quran is in every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to Muhammad fourteen centuries ago. * WHAT IS THE HOLY QURAN ABOUT? The Quran, the last revealed Word of God, is the prime source of every Muslim's faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects which concern us as human beings: wisdom, doctrine, worship, and law, but its basic theme is the relationship between God and His creatures. At the same time it provides guidelines for a just society, proper human conduct and an equitable economic system. * DOES ISLAM TOLERATE OTHER BELIEFS? The Quran says: God forbids you not, with regards to those who fight you not for [your] faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them; for God loveth those who are just. (Quran, 60:8) It is one function of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of minorities, and this is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic world. History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faiths: when the caliph Omar entered Jerusalem in the year 634, Islam granted freedom of worship to all religious communities in the city. Islamic law also permits non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities themselves. ABOVE: Mosque of Omar and Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem. When the caliph Omar took Jerusalem from the Byzantines, he insisted on entering the city with only a small number of his companions. Proclaiming to the inhabitants that their lives and property were safe, and that their places of worship would never be taken from them, he asked the Christian patriarch Sophronius to accompany him on a visit to all the holy places. The Patriarch invited him to pray in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but he preferred to pray outside its gates, saying that if he accepted, later generations of Muslims might use his action as an excuse to turn it into a mosque. Above is the mosque built on the spot where Omar did pray. RIGHT: According to Islam, man is not born in 'original sin'. He is God's vicegerent on earth. Every child is born with the fitra, an innate disposition towards virtue, knowledge, and beauty. Islam considers itself to be the 'primordial religion', din al-hanif, it seeks to return man to his original, true nature in which he is in harmony with creation, inspired to do good, and confirming the Oneness of God. * WHY IS THE FAMILY SO IMPORTANT TO MUSLIMS? The family is the foundation of Islamic society. The peace and security offered by a stable family unit is greatly valued, and seen as essential for the spiritual growth of its members. A harmonious social order is created by the existence of extended families; children are treasured, and rarely leave home until the time they marry. * WHAT ABOUT MUSLIM WOMEN? Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her own right, with the right to own and dispose of her property and earnings. A marriage dowry is given by the groom to the bride for her own personal use, and she keeps her own family name rather than taking her husband's. Both men and women are expected to dress in a way which is modest and dignified; the traditions of female dress found in some Muslim countries are often the expression of local customs. The Messenger of God said: 'The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife.' * CAN A MUSLIM HAVE MORE THAN ONE WIFE? The religion of Islam was revealed for all societies and all times and so accommodates widely differing social requirements. Circumstances may warrant the taking of another wife but the right is granted, according to the Quran, only on condition that the husband is scrupulously fair. * WHAT DOES ISLAM SAY ABOUT WAR? Like Christianity, Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled forcibly from their homes. It lays down strict rules of combat which include prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees and livestock. As Muslims see it, injustice would be triumphant in the world if good men were not prepared to risk their lives in a righteous cause. The Quran says: Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors. (2:190) If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things. (8:61) War, therefore, is the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous conditions laid down by the sacred law. The term jihad literally means 'struggle', and Muslims believe that there are two kinds of jihad. The other 'jihad' is the inner struggle which everyone wages against egotistic desires, for the sake of attaining inner peace. * HOW DOES ISLAM GUARANTEE HUMAN RIGHTS? Freedom of conscience is laid down by the Quran itself: 'There is no compulsion in religion'. (2:256) The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred whether a person is Muslim or not. Racism is incomprehensible to Muslims, for the Quran speaks of human equality in the following terms: O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All Aware (49:13) * THE MUSLIM WORLD The Muslim population of the world is around one billion. 30% of Muslims live in the Indian subcontinent, 20% in Sub-Saharan Africa, 17% in Southeast Asia, 18% in the Arab World, 10% in the Soviet Union and China. Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan comprise 10% of the non-Arab Middle East. Although there are Muslim minorities in almost every area, including Latin America and Australia, they are most numerous in the Soviet Union, India, and central Africa.
Comments (13) cosmicbomber wrote on 17 October, 2011
Interesting information about Islam, seems God of Islam uses a network of messengers!
cosmicbomber wrote on 17 October, 2011
Jam, the answer to question * CAN A MUSLIM HAVE MORE THAN ONE WIFE? is very interesting! Many people actually have requirements of more than 4 wives and so please tell me if there is any way Islam can satisfy this?
Vani wrote on 17 October, 2011
lol @CB, I think you are among that group of people, lolz :P
DannyM wrote on 17 October, 2011
Islam is the religion which has demonstrated ample intolerance towards other religions. During Pathan & Mughal period innumerable Hindu temples were looted( Sultan Mahamud had looted Somenath temple 18 times and took away the Shiv Linga to Gazani, where it was kept near the door of a mosque and every newaji was supposed to touch it's feet on this stone). Lots of Hindu temples were destroyed, partly or completely, some of then were later claimed to be constructed by Muslims. During Aurangajeev's period Jejia tax was imposed on Hindus. In countries like Saudi Arabia, non Muslims can not practice their religion openly.During partition of India , Hindus were literally driven out of East and West Pakistan. Their own religion was at stake in the hand of the Islamic brutal forces.Innumerable Hindu women were brutally raped, eloped and then were forcefully converted to Islam. Well established Hindus of East Bengal were displaced overnight and were made refugees.
Vani wrote on 17 October, 2011
@ dannym, what about demolishing babri mosque and the gujrat riots dear? we can't be one sided and blame everything on Muslims.
Vani wrote on 17 October, 2011
This is nicely written and informative.
DannyM wrote on 17 October, 2011
Vani@ Why did Gujrat riot happen? Which incident had triggered the Riot? Please don't pretend to be a wise cum ignorant person(selectively). Who had torched the Karsevakas to death in the Sabarmati express? Why do we secular Indians deliberately forget the murder of the Kar Sevaks traveling in the Sabarmati Express in the context of Gujrat riot? This was proved in the court and the details of the conspiracy hatched by some Muslim fundamentalists got exposed.
Regarding the demolition of Babri Mosque it was proved in the court that this mosque was forcefully built on Ram Temple and the judgment of the honorable High court of Allhabad had held high the long claim that it was originally Ram Janmabhumi. bigman wrote on 18 October, 2011
IF ALLAH REVEALED QURAN, THEN WHO SAID " Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem" The first verse in the Holy Qur'an that means "In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful"
If Allah is saying "IN THE NAME OF ALLAH ..." then it makes no sense. Even a third grader knows better rules of language than Allah. the question is, why is Allah representing himself in THIRD PERSON? or is he talking about another Allah? 1> either illiterate muhammad tweaked his words into quran or 2> Allah is deficient in language. choice but to choose between the two conclusions. bigman wrote on 18 October, 2011
no choice*
maaz_nawaz wrote on 18 October, 2011
Very nice & informative blog. Of course Islam is the most complete religion & the best way of life for all, there is no second thought about it.
Khair wrote on 23 November, 2011
Good informative blog, far better than some of your other divisive and occasionally silly blogs. One small crticism though: the section on "Can Muslims have more than one wife?" has been presented too simplistically. In all fairness though, one can't explain this in a small paragraph without the risk of causing some confusion.
spirited wrote on 24 November, 2011
Holy Cow!!! In this age of portability I would prefer to frequently switch from Hinduism to Islam (when it comes to marriage) and then reconvert back to Hinduism to enjoy other goodies. How is the idea sir ji? LOL :P
Khair wrote on 25 November, 2011
See Jam Ali, this is what I meant. SPIRITED's post is an example of that.
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