25 questions that every
non-muslim will ask
1. What is Islam?
The word "Islam" means peace and submission. Peace means to be at peace with
yourself and your surroundings and submission means submission to the will
of God. A broader meaning of the word "Islam" is to achieve peace by
submitting to the will of God.
This is a unique religion with a name which signifies a moral attitude and a
way of life. Judaism takes its name from the tribe of Juda, Christianity
from Jesus Christ, Buddhism from Goutam Buddha and Hinduism from Indus
River. However, Muslims derive their identity from the message of Islam,
rather than the person of Muhammed (P), thus should not be called
"Muhammadans".
2. Who is Allah?
Allah is the Arabic word for "one God". Allah is not God of Muslims only. He
is God of all creations, because He is their Creator and Sustainer.
3. Who is a Muslim?
The word "Muslim" means one who submits to the will of God. This is done by
declaring that "there is no god except one God and Muhammad is the messenger
of God." In a broader sense, anyone who willingly submits to the will of God
is a Muslim. Thus, all the prophets preceding the prophet Muhammad are
considered Muslims. The Quran specifically mentions Abraham who lived long
before Moses and Christ that, "he was not a Jew or a Christian but a
Muslim," because, he had submitted to the will of God. Thus there are
Muslims who are not submitting at all to the will of God and there are
Muslims who are doing their best to live an Islamic life. One cannot judge
Islam by looking at those individuals who have a Muslim name but in their
actions, they are not living or behaving as Muslims. The extent of being a
Muslim can be according to the degree to which one is submitting to the will
of God, in his beliefs and his actions.
4. Who was Muhammad? (PBUH)
In brief, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was born in a noble tribe of Mecca in
Arabia in the year 570 AD. His ancestry goes back to Prophet Ishmael (P),
son of Prophet Abraham (P). His father died before his birth and his mother
died when he was six. He did not attend a formal school since he was raised
first by a nurse as it was the custom those days, and then by his
grandfather and uncle. As a young man, he was known as a righteous person
who used to meditate in a cave. At age 40, he was given the prophethood when
the angel, Gabriel, appeared in the cave. Subsequently, the revelations came
over 23 years and were compiled in the form of a book called the Quran which
Muslims consider as the final and the last word of God. The Quran has been
preserved, unchanged, in its original form and confirms the truth in the
Torah, the psalms and the Gospel.
5. Do Muslims worship Muhammad? (P)
No. Muslims do not worship Muhammad (P) or any other prophets. Muslims
believe in all prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon, Moses
and Jesus. Muslims believe that Muhammad (P) was the last of the prophets.
They believe that God alone is to be worshiped, not any human being.
6. What do Muslims think of Jesus? (P)
Muslims think highly of Jesus (P) and his worthy mother, Mary. The Quran
tells us that Jesus was born of a miraculous birth without a father. "Lo!
The likeness of Jesus with Allah is the likeness of Adam. He created him of
dust, and then He said unto him: Be and he is" (Quran 3.59). He was given
many miracles as a prophet. These include speaking soon after his birth in
defense of his mother's piety. God's other gifts to him included healing the
blind and the sick, reviving the dead, making a bird out of clay and most
importantly, the message he was carrying. These miracles were given to him
by God to establish him as a prophet. According to the Quran, he was not
crucified but was raised into Heaven. (Quran, Chapter Maryam)
7. What is the difference between Shia and Sunni?
Both have many things in common. They follow the same book - Quran. They
follow the same prophet Muhammad (P). Both offer their prayers five time a
day. Both fast in the month of Ramadan. They both go for hajj, pilgrimage to
Mecca. Those who follow Prophet Muhammad (P), in accordance with his sayings
and actions, are called Sunni and those who in addition follow the sayings
and views of Ali (Muhammad's son-in- law), as the rightful successor to
Prophet Muhammad (P), are called Shia. Shia means a partisan (party of Ali)
and it started more as a political party to help Ali in his conflict with
his political adversaries. Most Shias live in Iran and Iraq while the rest
of the Muslim world is mostly Sunni. Shias comprise about 16-percent of the
Muslim population.
8. What are the pillars of Islam?
There are five major pillars of Islam which are the articles of faith. These
pillars are 1) the belief (Iman) in one God and that Muhammad (P) is His
messenger, 2) prayer (Salat) which are prescribed five times a day, 3)
fasting (Siyam) which is required in the month of Ramadan, 4) charity
(Zakat) which is the poor-due on the wealth of the rich and 5) hajj which is
the pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime if one can afford it physically
and financially. All the pillars should be of equal height and strength in a
building in order to give the building its due shape and proportions. It is
not possible that one would do hajj without observing fasting or without
practicing regular prayers. Now think of a building which has pillars only.
It would not be called a building. In order to make it a building, it has to
have a roof, it has to have walls, it has to have doors and windows. These
things in Islam are the moral codes of Islam such as honesty, truthfulness,
steadfastness and many other human moral qualities. Thus in order to be a
Muslim, one should not only be practicing the pillars of Islam but should
also have the highest possible attribute for being a good human being. Only
then the building is completed and looks beautiful.
9. What is the purpose of worship in Islam?
The purpose of worship in Islam is to be God conscious. Thus the worship,
whether it is prayer, fasting, or charity, is a means to achieve God
consciousness so that when one becomes conscious of God, in thought and in
action, he is in a better position to receive His bounties both in this
world and the hereafter.
10. Do Muslims believe in the hereafter?
God is Just and manifest His justice, He established the system of
accountability. Those who do good will be rewarded and those who do wrong
will be punished accordingly. Thus, He created Heaven and Hell and there are
admission criteria for both. Muslims believe that the present life is a
temporary one. It is a test and if we pass the test, we will be given a life
of permanent pleasure in the company of good people in Heaven.
11. Will the good actions of the non-believers be wasted?
No. The Quran clearly says that, "anyone who has an atom's worth of goodness
will see it and anyone who has done an atom's worth of evil will also see
it" (Quran 99:7-8). By that it is meant that those who are non- believers
but have done good will be rewarded in this world for their good deed. On
the other hand, those who do good if they are Muslims, they will be rewarded
not only in this world but also in the world hereafter. However, the final
Judgment is up to God himself. (Quran 2:62)
12. What is the dress code for Muslims?
Islam emphasizes modesty. No person should be perceived as a sex object.
There are certain guidelines both for men and women that their dress should
neither be too thin nor too tight to reveal body forms. For men, they must
at least cover the area from the knee to navel and for women, their dress
should cover all areas except the hands and face. The veil is not essential.
13. What are the dietary prohibitions in Islam?
Muslims are told in the Quran not to eat pork or pork products, meat of the
animals who died before being slaughtered or the carnivorous animals (as
they eat dead animals), nor drink blood or intoxicants such as wine or use
any illicit drugs.
14. What is Jihad?
The word "Jihad" means struggle, or to be specific, striving in the cause of
God. Any struggle done in day-to-day life to please God can be considered
Jihad. One of the highest levels of Jihad is to stand up to a tyrant and
speak a word of truth. Control of the self from wrong doings is also a great
Jihad. One of the forms of Jihad is to take up arms in defense of Islam or a
Muslim country when Islam is attacked. This kind of Jihad has to be declared
by the religious leadership or by a Muslim head of state who is following
the Quran and Sunnah.
15. What is the Islamic Year?
The Islamic year started from the migration (Hijra) of Prophet Muhammad (P)
from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD. It is a lunar year of 354 days. The first
month is called Muharram. 1996 AD is in Islamic year 1416 AH.
16. What are the major Islamic festivals?
Idul Fitre, marks the end of fasting in the month of Ramadan and is
celebrated with public prayers, feasts and exchange of gifts. Idul Adha
marks the end of the Hajj or the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. After the
public prayers, those who can afford, sacrifice a lamb or a goat to signify
Prophet Abraham's obedience to God, shown by his readiness to sacrifice his
son Ishmael.
17. What is Sharia?
Sharia is the comprehensive Muslim law derived form two sources, a) the
Quran b) the Sunnah or traditions of Prophet Muhammad (P). It covers every
aspect of daily individual and collective living. The purpose of Islamic
laws are protection of individuals' basic human rights to include right to
life, property, political and religious freedom and safeguarding the rights
of women and minorities. The low crime rate in Muslim societies is due to
the application of the Islamic laws.
18. Was Islam spread by the sword?
According to the Quran, "There is no compulsion in religion" (2:256), thus,
no one can be forced to become a Muslim. While it is true that in many
places where Muslim armies went to liberate people or the land, they did
carry the sword as that was the weapon used at that time. However, Islam did
not spread by the sword because in many places where there are Muslims now,
in the Far East like Indonesia, in China, and many parts of Africa, there
are no records of any Muslim armies going there. To say that Islam was
spread by the sword would be to say that Christianity was spread by guns,
F-16's and atomic bombs, etc., which is not true. Christianity spread by the
missionary works of Christians. Ten-percent of all Arabs are Christians. The
"Sword of Islam" could not convert all the non-Muslim minorities in Muslim
countries. In India, where Muslims ruled for 700 years, they are still a
minority. In the U.S.A., Islam is the fastest growing religion and has 6
million followers without any sword around.
19. Does Islam promote violence and terrorism?
No. Islam is religion of peace and submission and stresses on the sanctity
of human life. A verse in the Quran says, [Chapter 5, verse 32], that
"anyone who saves one life, it is as if he has saved the whole of mankind
and anyone who has killed another person (except in lieu of murder or
mischief on earth) it is as if he has killed the whole of mankind." Islam
condemns all the violence which happened in the Crusades, in Spain, in WW
II, or by acts of people like the Rev. Jim Jones, David Koresh, Dr. Baruch
Goldstein, or the atrocities committed in Bosniaby the Christian Serbs.
Anyone who is doing violence is not practicing his religion at that time.
However, sometimes violence is a human response of oppressed people as it
happens in Palestine. Although this is wrong, they think of this as a way to
get attention. There is a lot of terrorism and violence in areas where there
is no Muslim presence. For example, in Ireland, South Africa, Latin America,
and Sri Lanka. Sometimes the violence is due to a struggle between those who
have with those who do not have, or between those who are oppressed with
those who are oppressors. We need to find out why people become terrorists.
Unfortunately, the Palestinians who are doing violence are called
terrorists, but not the armed Israeli settlers when they do the same
sometimes even against their own people. As it turned out to be in the
Oklahoma City bombing, sometime Muslims are prematurely blamed even if the
terrorism is committed by non-Muslims. Sometimes those who want Peace and
those who oppose Peace can be of the same religion.
20. What is "Islamic Fundamentalism"?
There is no concept of "Fundamentalism" in Islam. The western media has
coined this term to brand those Muslims who wish to return to the basic
fundamental principles of Islam and mould their lives accordingly. Islam is
a religion of moderation and a practicing God fearing Muslim can neither be
a fanatic nor an extremist.
21. Does Islam promote polygamy?
No, polygamy in Islam is a permission not an injunction. Historically, all
the prophets except Jesus, who was not married, had more than one wife. For
Muslim men to have more than one wife is a permission which is given to them
in the Quran, not to satisfy lust, but for the welfare of the widows and the
orphans of the wars. In the pre-Islamic period, men used to have many wives.
One person had 11 wives and when he became Muslim, he asked the Prophet
Muhammad (P), "What should I do with so many wives?" and he said, "Divorce
all except the four." The Quran says, "you can marry 2 or 3 and up to 4
women if you can be equally just with each of them" (4:3). Since it is very
difficult to be equally just with all wives, in practice, most of the Muslim
men do not have more than one wife. Prophet Muhammad (P) himself from age 24
to 50 was married to only one woman, Khadija. In the western society, some
men who have one wife have many extramarital affairs. Thus, a survey was
published in "U.S.A. Today" (April 4, 1988 Section D) which asked 4,700
mistresses what they would like their status to be. They said that "they
preferred being a second wife rather than the 'other woman' because they did
not have the legal rights, nor did they have the financial equality of the
legally married wives, and it appeared that they were being used by these
men."
22. Does Islam oppress women?
No. On the contrary, Islam elevated the status of women 1,400 years ago by
giving them the right to divorce, the right to have financial independence
and support and the right to be identified as dignified women (Hijab) when
in the rest of the world, including Europe, women had no such rights. Women
are equal to men in all acts of piety (Quran 33:32). Islam allows women to
keep their maiden name after marriage, their earned money and spend it as
they wish, and ask men to be their protector as women on the street can be
molested. Prophet Muhammad (P) told Muslim men, "the best among you is the
one who is best to his family." Not Islam, but some Muslim men, do oppress
women today. This is because of their cultural habits or their ignorance
about their religion. Female Genital Mutilations has nothing to do with
Islam. It is a pre Islamic African Custom, practiced by non Muslims
including coptic Christians as well.
23. Is Islam intolerant of other religious minorities?
Islam recognizes the rights of the minority. To ensure their welfare and
safety, Muslim rulers initiated a tax (Jazia) on them. Prophet Muhammad (P)
forbade Muslim armies to destroy churches and synagogues. Caliph Umer did
not even allow them to pray inside a church. Jews were welcomed and
flourished in Muslim Spain even when they were persecuted in the rest of
Europe. They consider that part of their history as the Golden Era. In
Muslim countries, Christians live in prosperity, hold government positions
and attend their church. Christian missionaries are allowed to establish and
operate their schools and hospitals. However, the same religious tolerance
is not always available to Muslim minorities as seen in the past during
Spanish inquisition and the crusades, or as seen now by the events in
Bosnia, Israel and India. Muslims do recognize that sometimes the actions of
a ruler does not reflect the teachings of his religion.
24. What is the Islamic view on-
a. Dating and Premarital sex:
Islam does not approve of intimate mixing of the sexes, and forbids
premarital or extramarital sex. Islam encourages marriage as a shield to
such temptations and as a means of having mutual love, mercy and peace.
b. Abortion:
Islam considers abortion as murder and does not permit it except to save the
mother's life (Quran 17:23-31, 6:15 1).
c. ****sexuality and AIDS:
Islam categorically opposes ****sexuality and considers it a sin. However,
Muslim physicians are advised to care for AIDS patients with compassion just
as they would for other patients.
d. Euthanasia and Suicide:
Islam is opposed to both suicide and euthanasia. Muslims do not believe in
heroic measures to prolong the misery in a terminally ill patient.
e. Organ transplantation:
Islam stresses upon saving lives (Quran 5:32); thus, transplantation in
general would be considered permissible provided a donor consent is
available. The sale of the organ is not allowed.
25. How should Muslims treat Jews and Christians?
The Quran calls them "People of the Book", i.e., those who received
Divine ******ures before Muhammad (P). Muslims are told to treat them with
respect and justice and do not fight with them unless they initiate
hostilities or ridicule their faith. The Muslims ultimate hope is that they
all will join them in worshipping one God and submit to His will.
"Say (O Muhammad): O people of the Book (Jews and Christians) come to an
agreement between us and you, that we shall worship none but Allah, and that
we shall take no partners with Him, and none of us shall take others for
Lords beside Allah. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we
are those who have surrendered (unto Him)." (Quran 3:64)
What about Hindus, Bahai, Buddhists and members of other religions?
They should also be treated with love, respect, and understanding to make
them recipients of Invitations to Islam