PROPHETHOOD IN ISLAM

The concept of prophethood is found in the three great monotheistic
religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In Islam, however, it
has a special status and significance.
According to Islam, Allah created man to worship Him and to lead a
virtuous life based on His teachings and guidance. But how can man
know and fulfill his role and the purpose of his existence if he does
not receive clear and practical instructions of what Allah wants him
to do? The existence of prophethood, by which Allah sent a prophet
to every nation to reveal His message in terms that the people could
understand, has answered this question most effectively
One might ask: How were the prophets chosen and which individuals
were so honored?

Prophethood is Allah's blessing and a favor that is bestowed on an
individual chosen by Him to convey His message. From studying the
lives of the prophets that have appeared, we notice several
characteristics:

1. He is the best person in his community as regards morality
and intellectual ability This is necessary, for a prophets life serves as
a model for his followers. His personality should not drive people
away from his message, but rather inspire them to accept it and to
transform their own lives. After receiving the message, he is
infallible on all matters dealing with the revelation. Although he
might commit some small mistakes, but not in any matter that
concerns the revelation, he cannot commit a sin.

2. He is supported by miracles, which derive from the power
and permission of Allah and not of the prophet himself, to prove that
he is not an impostor. Such miracles are direct challenges to the
powers that be, for they do not follow the rules laid down by the
experts in the affected field or activity By way of illustration, let us
review some of the miracles recorded in the Old Testament, the New
testament, and the Qur'an.
Moses' Egyptian contemporaries excelled in magic. Thus his major
miracle was to defeat the best magicians that the society could offer.

Jesus' contemporaries were skilled physicians, and so he raised the
dead and cured those suffering from incurable diseases.
Muhammad's contemporaries were known for their eloquence and
magnificent poetry. Therefore Muhammad's major miracle was the
Qur'an, which no poet could imitate or surpass, despite their repeated
and vigorous efforts to do so.

All previous miracles were limited to a specific people living at a
specific time. This is not the case with the Qur'an, however, for this
miracle is universal and everlasting. Although previous generations
actually witnessed it, all future generations w 11 continue to witness
its miraculous nature in term of its style, content, and spiritual
impact and message. This ability of the Qur'an to rise above the
limits imposed by time and space on all other miracles proves its
divine origin.

3. Every prophet states clearly that what he receives comes
from Allah and that it is for the well-being of humanity. He confirms
what was revealed previously and what may be revealed by a future
prophet, for his task is to convey the message entrusted to him by
Allah. Thus the revealed message is always the same in essence and
purpose-it cannot deviate from prior or future revelations.
Prophets are necessary for conveying God's instructions and guidance
to mankind. Without this knowledge, we would be unable to answer
the fundamental questions of our existence: Why were we created?
What happens after death? Is there an afterlife? Are we accountable
for our actions? Is there any future reward or punishment for what
we do? What about Allah, His angels, heaven, and hell? Each of these
questions, and all others, are answered in the revelation brought by
the prophet. But in order for his community to believe and accept
them, the prophet must be brought by individuals who have attained
a position of trust and respect among their people. This is why he
must be morally and intellectual superior to his contemporaries.
Based on this understanding, Muslims reject some of the stones
found in the Old Testament concerning the prophets. For example:
the prophet Lot engaging in fornication-with his own daughters-
when drunk, or the prophet David sending one of his military leaders
to his death so that he could marry his wife. it is inconceivable to
Muslims that a prophet of Allah could do such things.

Prophets are also miraculously supported by God and instructed by
Him to affirm the continuity of His message. In brief, the divine
revelation consists of the following information:

a) A clear concept of God, His attributes and creation, and what
should and should not be ascribed to Him.

b) A clear idea about the unseen world, angels and jinn (spirits),
paradise and hell.

c) Why has God created us? What does He want from us? Will we be
rewarded (or punished) for obeying (or disobeying) Him?

d) A clear explanation of how to order our societies according to His
will. This involves the implementation of a law that, when applied
correctly and honestly, will bring about a happy and ideal society.
As we have seen in the above discussion, there is no substitute for
prophets. Despite the tremendous and impressive advancements of
modern science, even it cannot provide authentic information about
the supernatural world or provide guidance. Its very nature, which is
too materialistic and limited, precludes it from serving this purpose.
Mystic experience is also unsuitable, for it is too subjective and,
frequently, too misleading.

Now one might ask: How many prophets has Allah sent to humanity?
Although we cannot answer this question definitively, some Muslim
scholars place the number at two hundred forty thousand. We are
only sure of what is clearly mentioned in the Qur'an: God has sent
one or more messengers to each nation, for He would not be just if he
were to hold a nation to account for its actions w shout first
informing its people of what is allowed and what is not. The Qur'an
mentions twenty-five prophets by name (i.e., Noah, Abraham, Moses,
Jesus, and Muhammad, who are considered the greatest of all the
prophets) and indicates that there were others not known to
Muhammad.

Muslims are required to believe in and to respect all of the
messengers of Allah without exception. Since all the prophets come
from the same God and for the same purpose-to lead humanity to
Allah-belief in them all is essential and logical. If some are accepted
and others are rejected, it is due to the individual's
misunderstanding of the prophet's role or of racial (or other) bias.

The Muslims are unique in considering belief in all of the prophets of
God to be an article of faith. The Jews reject Jesus Christ and
Muhammad; the Christians reject Muhammad and, in reality, reject
Moses because they do not abide by his laws. The Muslims accept
them all as messengers of God who brought guidance to mankind.
However, this acceptance is characterized with a degree of caution,
for the Qur'an and the Prophet states the revelation conveyed by
those prophets has been distorted and corrupted by those who
received it. We read in the Qur'an:

Say (O Muslims), we believe in Allah and that which is revealed
to us and that which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael,
and Isaac and Jacob, and their children, and that which Moses
and Jesus received and that the prophets received from their
Lord. We maize no distinction between any of them and unto
Him we have surrendered. (2:136)

The Qur'an tells the Muslims that this is the true and impartial belief.
If other nations share this belief, it means that they are on the right
track. If they do not share this belief, it means that they are
following their own whims and biases. The Qur'an says:
And if they believe in what you believe, then are they rightly
guided. But if they turn away, then they are in disunity, and
Allah will suffice you against them. He is the Hearer; the
Knower: This is Gods religion and Who is better than God in
religion? (2:137-38)

There are two important points that need to be clarified about the
roles of Jesus and Muhammad, as they are usually misunderstood
and distorted. In the case of Jesus, the Qur'an rejects completely the
Christian assertion of his divinity and his status of the "son" of God. It
also states that the unusual circumstances of his birth-without a
father-does not make him a "son" of God, for if this logic were
followed to its logical conclusion, Adam, who had no father and no
mother, would be greater than Jesus, for: Truly the likeness of Jesus,
in God's sight, is as Adam's likeness; He created him of dust, then said
unto him, "Be," and he was (3:59).

Like other prophets, Jesus performed miracles: he raised the dead
and cured the blind and the lepers. He also made it perfectly clear
that these miracles were done by God, not by him. But his message

was distorted, because;it was not recorded in his presence and under
his direction, but only about one hundred years after his death.
According to the Qur'an, Jesus was sent to the children of Israel to
confirm the Torah of Moses and to bring glad tidings of a final
messenger who would come after him:
And when Jesus son of Mary said, Children of Israel, I am
indeed the Messenger to you, confirming the Torah that is
before me, and giving good tidings of a Messenger who shall
come after me, whose name shall be the praised one. (61:6)
(the underlined portion is the translation of Ahmad, which is also a
name of the Prophet Muhammad).

However, the majority of the Jews rejected his ministry and plotted
against his life. The Qur'anic account of his death differs from the one
found in the New Testament: he was not killed or crucified, but
rather was raised to heaven by God. It is also implied that Jesus will
return one day and that all of the Christians and Jews will believe in
him before he dies. This is also supported by authentic sayings of the
Prophet Muhammad.

Muhammad, the last prophet of God, was born in Makkah in the sixth
century CE. Until the age of forty, he was known as a man of
excellent character and cultured manners. These characteristics
earned for him the nickname of al-Amin (The Trustworthy). There
were no prior indications that Allah had chosen him to be His last
messenger. Once he was entrusted with this task, however, he began
calling his idol-worshipping people to Islam. The revelation was
recorded during his lifetime in writing and in the memory of his
followers. The care taken to preserve each revelation as it was
transmitted by the Prophet ensured that it would reach future
generations in an uncorrupted form. As Allah has stated that the
Qur'an would be preserved accurately, it is the source of divine
guidance for all time, and the Prophet Muhammad is His final
prophet.

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WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THE QURAN

Humanity has received divine guidance through two channels: the
word of Allah and the prophets who were chosen by Him to
communicate His will to humanity These channels have always
functioned together, and if one is ignored or neglected, the will of
Allah cannot be known with any degree of accuracy. The Hindus
neglected their prophets and focused all of their attention on their
books, which proved to be only word puzzles that eventually were no
longer understood by the people. Similarly the Christians,
disregarding the Bible, attached importance only to the person of
Jesus Christ and eventually deified him,. This resulted in the loss of t
he very essence of tawhid (monotheism) contained in the Bible.
As a matter of fact, the main scriptures revealed before the Qur'an
i.e., the Old Testament and the New Testament, acquired book form
long after the days of the prophets. Moreover, the New Testament
was not recorded in the language spoken by Jesus Christ, believed to
be Aramaic, but in Greek. This was because the early Christians made
no serious effort to preserve their revelation during the lifetime of
their prophet. The Old and New Testaments, which together form the
Christian Bible, now consist of translations of various individuals'
accounts of the original revelations as well as the additions and
deletions made by the faithful.

The Qur'an, as the last revealed book of God, is extant in its original
form. Allah Himself guaranteed its preservation. The entire Qur'an
was recorded in written form during the lifetime of the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) on pieces of palm leaves, parchments, bones, and
other suitable surfaces. Moreover, there were tens of thousands of
his followers who memorized the whole Qur'an, and the Prophet
himself used to recite it to the angel Gabriel once a year and twice
when he was about to die.

After the Prophet's death, Abu Bakr, the first caliph, oversaw the
collection of the Qur'an into one volume by the Prophet's scribe, Zaid
Ibn Thabit. This volume remained with Abu Bakr who, when he was
about to die, entrusted it to his successor, Umar Ibn al Khattab who,
in turn, passed it on to Hafsa, the Prophet's wife. It was from thisoriginal
copy that Uthman, the third caliph, prepared several other
copies and sent them to different Muslim territories.

The Qur'an was preserved so meticulously because it was to be the
book of guidance for all humanity forever. Thus it does not address
only the Arabs, even though it was revealed in their language. It
speaks to man as a human being: "O Man! What has seduced you
from your Lord?" The practical nature of the Qur'anic teachings is
established by the examples of the Prophet and of pious Muslims
throughout history.

The Qur'an instructions are aimed at the general welfare of man and
are based on possibilities within his reach. Its wisdom is conclusive
in all of its venous dimensions. It does not condemn or torture the
flesh, nor does it neglect the soul. It does not humanize God nor does
it deify man. Everything is carefully placed where it belongs in the
total scheme of creation.
Those scholars who allege that Muhammad wrote the Qur'an claim
something that is not humanly possible. Could anyone living in the
sixth century CE. utter such scientific truths as the Qur'an contains?
Could he describe the evolution of the embryo inside the uterus so
accurately that it matches the description given by modern science?
Secondly, is it logical to believe that the Prophet, who, until the age
of forty, was known far and wide for his honesty and integrity,
began all of a sudden to write a book that is without equal in literary
merit and that could not be surpassed by the whole legion of the
Arab poets and orators of the highest caliber?

And lastly, is it justified to say that Muhammad (PBUH), who was
known to his people as al-Amin (The trustworthy) and who is still
admired by non-Muslim scholars for his honesty and integrity, came
forth with a false claim and on that falsehood trained thousands of
individuals of character, integrity, and honesty who were able to
establish the best human society that the world has ever known?
Surely, any sincere and unbiased searcher of truth will come to
believe that the Qur'an is the revealed book of Allah.

Without necessarily agreeing completely with their statements, we
would like to quote some of the opinions of important non-Muslim
scholars who have studied the Qur'an. Such comments show that the
non Muslim world is taking a more serious view of the Qur'an andthat it
is beginning to appreciate its truth. We appeal to all people
who are seeking spiritual truth to study the Qur'an in light of the
aforementioned points. Cast your preconceived notions aside and
listen to what these people have to say.

However often we turn to it [the Qur'an], at first disgusting us each
time afresh, it soon attracts, astounds, and in the end enforces our
reverence... Its style, in accordance with its contents and aim, is
stern, grand, terrible - ever and anon truly sublime. Thus this book
will go on exercising through all ages a most potent influence.

- Gethe,
quoted in T P Hughes' Dictionary of Islam, p 526.
The Koran admittedly occupies an important position among the
great religious books of the world. Though the youngest of the epoch-
making works belonging to this class of literature, it yields to hardly
any in the wonderful effect which it has produced on large masses of
men. It has created an all but new phase of human thought and a
fresh type of character. It first transformed a number of
heterogeneous desert tribes of the Arabian peninsula into a nation of
heroes, and then proceeded to create the vast politico-religious
organizations of the Muhammadan world which are one of the great
forces with which Europe and the East have to reckon today

- G. Margoliouth
Introduction toe. M. Rodwell's
The Koran, New York Every man's Library, 1977, p. Vll.
A work, then, which calls forth so powerful and seemingly
incompatible emotions even in the distant reader distant as to time,
and still more so as to mental development - a work which not only
conquers the repugnance with which he may begin its perusal, but
changes this adverse feeling into astonishment and admiration, such
a work must be a wonderful production of the human mind indeed
and a problem of the highest interest to every thoughtful observer of
the destinies of mankind.

- Dr. Steingass
quoted in T. P. Hughes' Dictionary of Islam, pp. 526-7.The above
observation makes the hypothesis advanced by those who
see Muhammad as the author of the Qur'an untenable. How could a
man, from being illiterate, become the most important author, in
terms of literary merits, in the whole of Arabic literature? How could
he then pronounce truths of a scientific nature that no other human
being could possibly have developed at that time, and all this
without once making the slightest error in his pronouncement on the
subject?

- Maunce Bucaille,
The Bible, the Qur'an and Science, 1978, p 125.
Here, therefore, its meets as a literary production should perhaps not
be measured by some preconceived maxims of subjective and
aesthetic taste, but by the effects which it produced in Muhammad's
contemporaries and fellow countrymen. If it spoke so powerfully and
convincingly to the hearts of his hearers as to weld hitherto
centrifugal and antagonistic elements into one compact and well
organized body. animated by ideas far beyond those which had until
now ruled the Arabian mind, then its eloquence was perfect, simply
because it created a civilized nation out of savage tribes, and shot a
fresh woof into the old warp of history.

- Dr: Steingass
quoted in Hughes' Dictionary of Islam, p. 528.
In making the present attempt to improve on the performance of my
predecessors, and to produce something which might be accepted as
echoing however faintly the sublime rhetoric of the Arabic Koran, I
have been at pain to study the intricate and richly varied rhythms
which-apart from the message itself-constitute the Koran's
undeniable claim to rank amongst the greatest literary masterpieces
of mankind ... This very characteristic feature-"that inimitable
symphony" as the believing Pickthall described his Holy Book, "the
very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy"-has been
almost totally ignored by previous translators; it is therefore not
surprising that what they have wrought sounds dull and net indeed
in comparison with the splendidly decorated original.

-Arthur J Arberry
The Koran Interpreted London: Oxford University Press, 1964,p.XA totally
objective examination [of the Qur'an] in the light of modern
knowledge leads us to recognize the agreement between the two, as
has been already noted on repeated occasions. It makes us deem it
quite unthinkable for a man of Muhammad's time to have been the
author of such statements, on account of the state of knowledge in
his day Such considerations are part of what gives the Qur'anic
revelation its unique place, and forces the impartial scientist to admit
his inability to provide an explanation which calls solely upon
materialistic reasoning.

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Category: The Holy Quran Islamic Resources and Hadith
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Category: The Holy Quran
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Netherlands: Study of Muslim youth

For many young Muslims religion is not something that seriously engages them in daily life. They feel Muslim, show themselves assuch by wearing a headscarf for example and keeping Ramadan, and think the laws of Islam are important. But they don't observe them strictly, certainly not if they are yet young.
That is one of the trends among young Moroccans, Turks and Muslim Surinamese, described in Geloof en Geluk (Faith and Happiness), a study about tradition and renewal among young Muslims by the Institute for Multicultural Development FORUM.Researchers of the University of Amsterdam (UvA) interviewed 32 'key figures' from Amsterdam (students, middle school students and working youth, educators, social workers,neighborhood agents and volunteers in the mosque). Through their network they got insight into the world of about 900 young Muslims 15-29 years old.The youth emphasized more and more strongly that they, besides being Muslims, are Dutch citizens.

They talked easily about mutual differences in religious notions, although it isn't appreciated if other Muslims openly talk against Islam.

Young Muslims could appreciate fellow youth who tookreligion seriously, provided that they also followed the religious laws strictly. Korf: "The feeling that you have with a nun; you respect them, but you shouldn't think of it yourself."
The orthodox colleagues shouldn't be intrusive. Dirk Korf: "Most young Muslims really like Western freedoms." They must not radicalize or preach violence. Support for such youth has dropped in recent years, the researchers observe. Particularly because radical fanatics stand in the way of faith and happiness for young Muslims.
'Faith and happiness' is a follow up study to 'Van Vasten tot Feesten' (From fasts to holidays, 2007), that studied particularly trends among highly educatedMuslim youth in the Netherlands and ''Van Allah tot Prada' (From Allah to Prada, 2006), which studied the life of all Muslim youth. 'Faith and happiness' concentratedon the lower educated Muslim youth (MBO, vocational education).Besides the study of key figures, 347 Muslim students (from ROCs in Amsterdam and The Hague) answered a questionnaire. The age of ROC students is 16-20 [ROC gives adult vocational training]. These youth adhere more to the laws of religion than students and adolescents.
Of the ROC students, 85% agreed with the following statement: "Muslim means for me particularly that I keep the laws of the faith." 12.5% of ROC students visits mosques often, 15% regularly and most (67%) goes now andthen to rarely, a small group never.
Less than half (42%) prays often, 17% regularly, 33% now and then to raraely and 9% never. In comparison with ROC students, twice as many students never go to a mosque, and twice as many never pray. At the same time, almost half of ROC students think it's more important to be a good man than to precisely follow the religious laws.
Dirk Korf, UvA researcher: "Saying that you think the religious laws are important is yet somewhat different than also actually following them. Praying five times a day is one law. But also doing it is a second. If they're in the tram or apprenticing, prayer loses. They do say often that later, when they're older, they will keep the laws."
A process of renewals and individualizing is visible particularly among highly educated adolescents: they more often live independently and less often leave home only when they get married. Notions of marriage are changing, youth more often think they should be able to choose their own partner. They also think differently about emancipation: many youth think that married women should be able to continue working. Girls lead, particularly Turks. Boys don't escape growing as well, though they stay more traditional in their attitudes, particularly Turkish boys. "The Turkish boys and Turkish girls will yet have trouble when they'll marry," says UvA researcher Dirk Korf.
Because Muslim youth prefer marrying somebody from their own group. 67% of ROC students think it's more important that their future partner have the same ethnicity as their own, almost 25% say it doesn't matter so much and 10% thinkit's not important at all.
For most ROC students it's important that their future partner be Muslim (91%). Barely 3% think it's not important. 80% of ROC students think their children shouldn't decide on their own whether to be Muslim or not, 10% think the children should decide and 10% are in between.
Resarcher Marije Wouters, who administered the ROC questionnaire, thought the youth were markedly decent youth. Also the Moroccon youth, who think they appear too often negatively in the news due to a group of trouble makers. Wouters: ""They all have black jackets with colored collars, shaved necks and black cap on their heads, they look a bit like loitering youth. but they fill in the questionnaire seriously and say 'please ma'am'.
And most are (very) optimistic (73%) about their future, which they see in the Netherlands. On average the ROC students estimate their chances of living in the Netherlands in five years at 82%. Wouters: "After the MBO they want to go further with an HBO education, have great expectations of life and they will go do it."

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WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT MUHAMMAD

During the Crusades, all sorts of slanders were levelled against the
Prophet Muhammad. With the birth of the modern age, which is
characterized by a greater degree of religious tolerance and freedom
of thought, there has been a change in the approach of western
authors who study the Prophet's life and characters. A sampling of
their views is given below.

Unfortunately, the West still has not realized the greatest aspect of
the Prophet: he is the last of the prophets sent by God to guide
mankind to the truth. In spite of its great advances in other areas of
life, the West still has not made a sincere and objective attempt to
understand the message brought by the Prophet. Although some
people have seen him as a person worthy of high praise and have
paid him glowing tributes on the levels of personal integrity and
achievement, his claim of being the Prophet of God has almost always
been rejected, either explicitly or implicitly, as false. It is time to
treat this last claim with a spirit of true objectivity and open-
mindedness.

Just who was Muhammad? According to all accounts, which are
authentic and accepted by all Muslim scholars, up until the age of
forty he was known to his people as a decent man. He was not a
statesman, a preacher, or an orator. He was never seen discussing
principles or theories associated with metaphysics, ethics, law,
politics, economics, or sociology. He possessed an excellent character,
charming manners, and was highly cultured. But his characteristics
are not so deeply striking and so radically extraordinary that people
would expect something great and revolutionary from him in the
future.

One of Muhammad's customs was to retire to a nearby cave for
private sessions of thinking and meditation. This in itself was not
unusual, for other people also did this. But when he came out of his
cave after receiving the first revelation, he was completely
transformed.

Several questions need to be asked here. Is it possible for a person
known and respected for his honesty and trustworthiness to
announce suddenly that he is the Prophet of God and then begin tocall
upon his people to abandon their old lives and beliefs for new
ones? Also, if he were a false prophet, why did he suffer through all
of the hardships that his people imposed upon him? And why, when
his people offered to accept him as their king and to lay all the riches
of the land at his feet, if only he would cease and desist, did he
refuse to do so? Why did he continue to preach Islam in the face of
all kinds of insults, social boycott, and even physical assault by his
own people?

Was it not only God's support, along with his firm will, to disseminate
the Islamic revelation and his deep-rooted belief that ultimately
Islam would emerge as the sole universal religion, that he refused to
be cowed and swayed by any of the opposition and plots launched
against him by his enemies? Furthermore, if he intended to use
Islam as a rival religion against Judaism and Christianity, why did he
make belief in Jesus Christ, Moses, and all of the other prophets of
God a basic requirement of the Islamic faith?

Is it not an incontrovertible proof of his prophethood that, despite
being unlettered and having led a very normal and quiet life for
forty years, that all of Arabia stood in awe and wonder of his
wonderful eloquence and oratory when he began to preach Islam? It
was so matchless that legions of Arab poets, preachers, and orators of
the highest caliber failed to produce a composition that could
compare with or equal it. And, above all, how could he state scientific
truths that would not be known by to the rest of humanity for
centuries and that he could not learn about in any other way except
through divine revelation?

Last but not least, why did he lead an even harder life after gaining
power and authority? Just ponder the words he uttered when he was
dying: "We, the community of the Prophets, do not inherit. All that
we leave is for charity"

Consider what others have said about this extraordinary man:
If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding
results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare
to compare any great man in modem history with Muhammad?

The most famous men created arms, laws and empires only
They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers
which often crumbled away before their eyes This man moved
not only armies, legislation, empires, peoples and dynasties,
butmillions of men in one-third of the then-inhabited world; and
more than that he moved the altars, the gods, the religions, the
ideas, the beliefs and souls.... His forbearance in victory, his
ambition which was entirely devoted to one idea and in no
manner striving for an empire, his endless prayers, his mystic
conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death-
all these attest not to an imposture but to a firm conviction
which gave him the power to restore a dogma. This dogma was
twofold: the unity of God and the immateriality of God; the
former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not;
the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other
starting an idea with the words. Philosopher, orator, apostle,
legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational
dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty
terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is
Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human
greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any
man greater than he?

- Lamartine
Histoire de la Turquie, Pans 1854, Vol. 11, pp. 276-77.
It is not the propagation but the permanency of his religion
that deserves our wonder; the same pure and perfect
impression which he engraved at Mecca and Madina is
preserved, after the revolutions of twelve centuries by the
Indian, the African and the Turkish proselytes of the Koran...
The Mahometans have uniformly withstood the temptation of
reducing the object of their faith and devotion to a level with
the senses and imagination of man. I believe in One God and
Mahomet is the Apostle of God' is the simple and invariable
profession of Islam. The intellectual image of the Deity has
never been degraded by any visible idol; the honors of the
prophet have never transgressed the measure of human virtue;
and his living precepts have restrained the gratitude of his
disciples within the bounds of reason and religion.


- Edward Gibbon and Simon Ocklay
History of the Saracen Empire, London 1870, p 54.
He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Pope's
pretensions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a
standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, withouta
fixed revenue. If ever any man had the right to say that he
ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammad, for he had all the
power without its instruments and without its supports.

- Bosworth Smith
Mohammad and Mohammadanism, London 1874, p 92.
It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character
of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and
how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty
Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And
although in what I put to you I shall say many things which
may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read
them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for
that mighty Arabian teacher.

- Annie Besant
The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras 1932, p 4
His readiness to undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high
moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up
to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate
achievement all argue his fundamental integrity To suppose
Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves.
Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly
appreciated in the West as Muhammad.

- W Montgomery Watt
Mohammad At Mecca, Oxford, 1953, p 52.
Muhammad, the inspired man who founded Islam, was born
about AD. 570 into an Arabian tube that worshipped idols.
Orphaned at birth, he was always particularly solicitous of the
poor and needy the widow and the orphan, the slave and the
downtrodden. At twenty he was already a successful
businessman, and soon became director of camel caravans for a
wealthy widow. When he reached twenty-five his employer,
recognizing his meet, proposed marriage. Even though she was
fifteen years older, he married her, and as long as she lived
remained a devoted husband. Like almost every major prophet
before him, Muhammad fought shy of serving as the
transmitter of God's word, sensing his own inadequacy But the
angel commanded Read'. So far as we know, Muhammad wasunable
to read or write, but he began to dictate those inspired
words which would soon revolutionize a large segment of the
earth: "There is one God." In all things Muhammad was
profoundly practical. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, an
eclipse occurred, and rumors of God's personal condolence
quickly arose. Whereupon Muhammad is said to have
announced,' An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. It is foolish
to attribute such things to the death or birth of a human-
being." At Muhammads own death an attempt was made to
deify him, but the man who was to become his administrative
successor killed the hysteria with one of the noblest speeches
in religious history: 'If there are any among you who
worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you
worshipped, He lives for ever'.

James A. Michene~
"Islam: The Misunderstood Religion,"
Reader's Digest (Amencan ea.) May 1955, pp. 68-70.
My choice of Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most
influential persons may surprise some readers and may be
questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who
was supremely successful on both the religious and secular
level.
Michael H. Hart
The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History,
New York: Hart Publishing Company Inc. 1978, p 33.

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LIFE AFTER DEATH

The question of whether there is a life after death is not an issue of
scientific concern, for science only deals with the classification and
analysis of sense data. While man has been conducting scientific
inquiries and research, in the modern sense of the term, for only the
last few centuries, he has been familiar with the concept of life after
death since time immemorial.

All of the prophets sent by God for the benefit of humanity called
upon their people to worship God and to believe in life after death.
They laid so much emphasis on this last belief that even a slight
doubt about its reality was considered a sign of denying both God
and all other beliefs. The very fact that they have dealt with this
metaphysical question of life after death so confidently and so
uniformly, despite the fact that they appeared over thousands of
years and in different places, proves that the source of their
knowledge about this reality was one and the same: divine
revelation. We also know that these prophets of God were opposed
strongly by their people on this very issue, as many considered it
impossible. Despite such opposition, however, the prophets were able
to convince many people of its truth.

This raises the following question: 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 analyzed the issue with their minds and
hearts and came gradually to the realization that the prophets were
speaking the truth. Did they realize the truth through perceptual
consciousness? No, for a perceptual experience of life after death is
impossible. What they used was their rational, aesthetic, and moral
consciousness, which God has given to every individual in addition to
a perceptual consciousness. These additional faculties guides an
individual through those realities that cannot be verified by sensory
data. That is why all prophets of God appeal to the aesthetic, moral,
and rational consciousness of man when discussing metaphysical
matters. For example, when the idolaters of Makkah denied even the
possibility of life after death, the Qur'an exposed the weakness oftheir
stand by advancing very logical and rational arguments in

support of it:
And he has coined for us similitude, and has forgotten the fact
of his creation, saying: Who will revive these bones when they
have rotted away?
Say: He will revive them who produced
them at the first, for He is the knower of every creation, Who
has appointed for you fire from the green tree, and behold, you
kindle from it. Is not He who created the heavens and the
earth, able to create the like of them? Yes, and He is indeed the
Supreme Creator, the All-knowing. (36: 78-81)
In another verse, the Qur'an says very clearly that non believers do
not have a sound basis for their denial of life after death. It is based
on pure conjecture:

They say, 'There is nothing but our present life; we die, and we
live, and nothing but Time destroys us. Of that they have no
knowledge; they merely conjecture. And when our revelations
are recited to them, their only argument is that they say, 'Bring
us our fathers, if you speak truly.' (45:2425)

Surely God will raise all those who have died, but only when He
chooses to do so. A day will come when the whole universe will be
destroyed and then the dead will be resurrected to stand before God.
This day will be the beginning of the 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. This day is called the Day of Judgment.
The Qur'an states that there will be a life after death because the
moral consciousness of mankind demands it. If there is no life after
death, any belief God Himself becomes irrelevant. Furthermore, such
a situation would mean that God is unjust and indifferent, for how
could He create mankind and then lose interest in His creation? As
God is just, those people who have committed crimes must be
punished. All of those tyrants who have killed scores of innocent
persons, unleashed great corruption and evil within their societies,
enslaved their people to serve their whims, and other terrible deeds
must be brought to justice.

As man's life is so short and the world is not eternal, true justice can
only be meted out in the afterlife, which will have none of these
limitations. The Qur'an states that the Day of Judgment must comeand that God will decide the fate of each soul according to his or her
record of deeds:
Those who disbelieve say: The Hour will never come unto us.'
Say: Nay by my Lord but it is coming unto you surely' (He is)
the Knower of the Unseen. Not an atom's weight, or less than
that or greater, escapes Him in the heavens or in the earth, but
it is in a clear record, that He may reward those who believe
and do good works. For them is pardon and a rich provision.
But those who strive against Our revelations, challenging Us,
theirs will be a painful doom of wrath. (34:3-5)

The Day of Resurrection will be the manifestation of God's justice and
mercy. He will shower His mercy on those who suffered during their
lives for His sake, believing that eternal bliss was awaiting them.
Those who abused the bounties of God and did not care about the life
to come will be in the most miserable state. Drawing a comparison
between them, the Qur'an says:

Is he, then, to whom we have promised a goodly promise the
fulfillment of which he will meet, like the one whom We have
provided with the good things of this life, and then on the Day
of Resurrection he will be of those who will be brought
arraigned before God? (28:61)

The Qur'an 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 and make fun of virtuous and God-conscious
persons. Such persons realize their folly only at the time of their
death, a time when their wish to be given a further return to this life
and make amends will be in vain. Their miserable state at the time
of death, the horror of the Day of Judgment, and the eternal bliss
guaranteed to sincere believers are presented very clearly and
powerfully in the Qur'an:

Until, when death comes unto one of them, he says, 'My Lord
send me back, that I may do right in that which I have left :
behind. ~ But nay! It is but a word that he speaks; and behind :
t hem is a barrier until the day when they are raised. And
when the Trumpet is blown there will be no kinship among
them that day nor will they ask of one another Then those
whose scales are heavy, they are successful. And those whose
scales are light are those who lose their souls, in hell abiding,
the fire burns their faces and they are alum therein. (23: 99-
104)

The belief in life after death guarantees success in the Hereafter and
also makes this world a place of peace and happiness by
transforming people into individuals who are more responsible and
dutiful in their activities.

Consider the example of the people who lived in the Arabian
peninsula before the appearance of the Prophet Muhammad. They
were great lovers of gambling, wine, tribal feuds, plundering, and
murdering. As they had no concept of an afterlife, why not enjoy
themselves as they saw fit? But as soon as they accepted the belief in
the One God and an afterlife, they became a very disciplined nation.
They gave up their vices, helped each other when requested to do so,
and settled all their disputes on the basis of justice and equality.
The denial of life after death also has consequences in this world.
When an entire nation denies belief in the afterlife, all kinds of evils
and corruption are unleashed and the society is set on the path to
ultimate destruction. The Qur'an mentions the terrible end of such
pre-Islamic peoples as the Aad, the Thamud, and the Pharaoh of
ancient Egypt:

(The tribes of) Thamud and 'Aad disbelieved in the judgment
to come. As for Thamud, they were destroyed by the lightning
and as for 'Aad, they were destroyed by a fierce roaring wind,
which He imposed on them for seven long nights and eight long
days so that you might see the people laid prostrate in it as if
they were the stumps of fallen down palm trees. Now do you
see a remnant of them? Pharaoh likewise and those before him,
and the subverted dines. They committed errors and they
rebelled against the Messenger of their Lord, and He seized
them with a surpassing grip. Lo, when the waters rose, We bore
you in the running ship that We might make it a reminder for
you and for heeding ears to hold.
So when the trumpet is
blown with a single blast and the earth and the mountains are
lifted up and crushed with a single blow, then on that day the
[error shall come to pass, and the heavens shall be split for
upon that day it shall be very frail.

Then as or him who is given his book in his
right hand, he shall say: Here, take and
read my book! Certainly I thought that I should encounter my
reckoning' So he shall be in a pleasing life in a lofty garden,
itsclusters nigh together 'Eat and drink with wholesome appetite
for that you did long ago, in the days gone by.' But as for him
who is given his book in his left hand, he shall say: -Would that
I had not been given my book and not known my reckoning!
Would that it had been the end. My wealth has not availed me,
my authority is gone from me. (69: 439)

There are very convincing reasons to believe in life after death.
First: All the prophets of God have called their people to believe in it.
Second: Whenever a society is built on the basis of this belief, it has
been the most ideal and peaceful society, free of social and moral
evils.
Third: History bears witness that whenever this belief has been
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.
Fourth: The moral, aesthetic, and rational faculties of man endorse
the possibility of life after death.
Fifth: God's attributes of justice and mercy have no meaning if there
is no life after death.

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THE MORAL SYSTEM OF ISLAM

Islam has laid down for humanity universal fundamental rights that
are to be observed and respected under all circumstances. So that these
rights can be realized in one's daily and social life, Islam provides
both legal safeguards and a very effective moral system In beef,
whatever improves the well-being of an individual or a society
is morally good, and whatever harms this well-being is morally bad.
Islam attaches so much importance to one s love of God and love of
fellow human beings that it discourages excessive formalism. We
read in the Qur'an:

It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or
West; but it is righteousness to believe in God and the Last Day,
and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers, to spend of
your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans,
for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the
ransom of slaves, to be steadfast in prayers, and practice
regular charity; to fulfill the contracts which you made; and to
be firm and patient in pain (or suffering) and adversity and
throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth,
the God-fearing. (2:177)

We are given a beautiful description of the righteous and the
religiously committed individual in these verses. He should obey
salutary regulations but fix his gaze on the love of God and the love
of humanity An individual's faith should be true and sincere. We
must be prepared to show it in deeds of charity to other people and
by living as good citizens and supporters of social organizations.
Finally, our own individual faith must remain firm and unshaken in
all circumstances.

This is the standard by which a particular mode of conduct can be
classified as either good or bad. It also provides the nucleus around
which an individual's as well as a societies moral code should
revolve. Before laying down any moral injunctions, Islam seeks to
implant firmly in man's heart the conviction that his dealings are
with God, who sees him at all times and in all places. While he may
hide himself from others or deceive them, he cannot do so with God.Islam
teaches that the objective of one's life is to live a life that is
pleasing to God. To make such a goal possible,
Islam has provided mankind with the highest possible standard of
morality This moral code, which is both straightforward and
practical, provides the individual with innumerable ways to embark
upon and then continue the path of moral evolution. By making
divine revelation the primary source of knowledge, moral standards
are made permanent and stable. This does not make them inflexible,
however, for there is room for reasonable adjustment and adaptation
when needed. The danger of moral relativism, now so widespread in
many societies, is thereby avoided. Another benefit is the gradual
internalization of these moral standards, for one seeks to obey them
voluntarily to please God, not because some government or people
tell him to do so. An individual's belief in God, when added to his
belief in the Day of Judgment, is a powerful motivating factor for one
to live a highly moral life.

Islam does not provide any novel moral virtues, nor does it seek to
minimize the importance of traditional and commonly accepted
moral norms or give exaggerated importance to some and neglect
others. The Islamic moral code incorporates all of the commonly
accepted moral virtues and then endows them with a sense of
balance and proportion by assigning each one a suitable place and
function in the total scheme of life. It widens the scope of man's
individual and collective life by dealing with his domestic
associations, his civic conduct, and his activities in the political,
economic, legal, educational, and social realms. It covers his life from
the home to the society, from the dining table to the battlefield and
peace conferences-in short, from the cradle to the grave-for no
sphere of life is exempt from the universal and comprehensive
application of the moral principles of Islam. It makes morality reign
supreme and ensures that the affairs of life are regulated by moral
norms and not dominated by selfish desires and petty interests.
A major goal of Islam is to provide mankind with a practical and
realistic system of life based on good by which he can conduct his
life. It calls upon mankind not only to practice virtue but to establish
it and to eradicate all that is harmful. It seeks the supremacy of one's
conscience in all matters, so that what is harmful cannot gain the
upper hand in either an individual's or a society's life. Those who
respond to this call are known as Muslims, which literally means
those who have submitted to God. The sole object of the
resultingcommunity of Muslims (the ummah ) is the undertaking of an
organized effort to establish what is good and to fight and eradicate
what is evil and harmful.
Several of Islam's basic moral teachings are given below. They cover
the broad spectrum of a Muslim's personal moral conduct as well as
his social responsibilities.

God-Consciousness

The Qur'an mentions God-consciousness as the highest quality of a
Muslim: The most honorable among you in the sight of God is the one
who is most God-conscious. (49:13)
Humility modesty control of
passions and desires, truthfulness, integrity, patience, steadfastness,
and fulfilling one's promises-all of these are moral values that are
mentioned manyh times in the Qur'an: And God loves those who are
firm and steadfast (3:14Q. The Qur'an also tells Muslims:
And vie with one another to attain your Sustainer's forgiveness
and a Paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, which
awaits the God conscious, who spend for charity in time of
plenty and in time of hardship, and restrain their anger and
pardon their fellow men, for God loves those who do good.
(3:133134)
Establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just, and forbid what is
wrong; and bear patiently whatever may befall you;for this is
true constancy And do not swell your (cheek with puce) at
men, nor walk in insolence on the earth, for God does not love
any man proud and boastful. And be moderate in your pace
and lower your voice;for the harshest of sounds, indeed, is the
braying of the ass. (31:18-19)

The moral behavior of a committed Muslim can be summarized by
the following statement of the Prophet:
My Sustainer has given me nine commands: to remain c
conscious of God in private and in public; to speak justly
whether angry or pleased; to show moderation when poor or
rich; to re kindle friendship with those who have broken it off
with me; to give to him who refuses me; that my silence shouldbe
occupied with thought; that my looking should be an
admonition; and that I should command what is right.
Social Responsibilities

The teachings of Islam concerning social responsibilities are based on
kindness and consideration for others. So that these broad injections
will not be ignored in specific situations, Islam stresses specific acts
of kindness and defines the responsibilities and rights that belong to
various relationships. Our first obligation is to our immediate family-
parents, spouse, and children, then to other relatives, neighbors,
friends and acquaintances, orphans and widows, the needy of the
community, our fellow Muslims, our fellow human beings and
animals.
Parents

Respect and care for parents is a very important part of a Muslims
expression of faith.
Your Sustainer has decreed that you worship none but Him,
and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them
attain old age in your life-time, do not say to them a word of
contempt nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor
and, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility and
say: My Sustainer! Bestow on them Your mercy, even as they
cherished me in childhood. (17:23-24)
Other Relatives
And render to the relatives their due rights, as (also) to those in
need, and to the traveler; and do not squander your wealth in the
manner of a spendthrift. (7:26)
Neighbors
The Prophet said: "He is not a believer who eats his fill when his
neighbor beside him is hungry" and "He does not believe whose
neighbors are not safe from his injurious conduct."Actually,
according to the Qur'an and example of the Prophet, a

Muslim has to discharge his moral responsibility not only to his
parents, relatives, and neighbors but to all mankind, animals, and
useful trees and plants. For example, the hunting of birds and
animals for sport is not permitted. Similarly, cutting trees and plants
that yield fruit is forbidden unless there is a very pressing need for
one to do so.

Thus, on the basic moral plane, Islam provides mankind with a
higher system of morality that can be used by an individual to
realize his greatest potential. Islam purifies the soul of self-seeking
egotism, tyranny, wantonness, and lack of discipline. It creates God-
fearing men who are devoted to their ideals, motivated by piety,
abstinence, and discipline, and unable to make any compromise with
falsehood. It induces feelings of moral responsibility and fosters the
capacity for self-control. Islam generates kindness, generosity,
mercy, sympathy, peace, disinterested goodwill, scrupulous fairness,
and truthfulness towards all creation in all situations. It nourishes
noble qualities from which only good may be expected.

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WHAT IS ISLAM

In The Name Of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

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)

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
Judgment 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.

WHY DOES ISLAM OFTEN SEEM STRANGE?
Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because
religion does not dominate everyday life in the West today, whereas Muslims have
religion always uppermost in their minds, and make no division between secular and
sacred. They believe that the Divine Law, the Shari'a, should be taken very seriously,
which is why issues related to religion are still so important.

DO ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY HAVE DIFFERENT ORIGINS?
No. Together with Judaism, they go back to the prophet and patriarch Abraham, and
their three prophets are directly descended from his sons Muhammad from the eldest,
Ishmael, and Moses and Jesus from Isaac. Abraham established the settlement which
today is the city of Makkah, and built the Ka'abah towards which all Muslims turn
when they pray.

WHAT IS THE KA'ABAH?
The Ka'abah is the place of worship which God commanded Abraham and Ishmael to
build over four thousand years ago. The building was constructed of stone on what
many believe was the original site of a sanctuary established by Adam. God
commanded Abraham to summon all mankind to visit this place, and when pilgrims go
there today they say 'At Thy service, O Lord', in response to Abraham's summons.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 Jaba al-Nur, the 'Mountain of Light' near
Makkah.

HOW DID HE 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 Qur'an. As soon as be 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 ISLAM 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 QUR'AN?
The Qur'an 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 Qur'an is in every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to
Muhammad fourteen centuries ago.

WHAT IS THE QUR'AN ABOUT?
The Qur'an, 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.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER SACRED SOURCES?
Yes, the Sunna, the practice and example of the Prophet, is the second authority for
Muslims. A Hadith is a reliably transmitted report of what the Prophet said, did, or
approved. Belief in the Sunna is part of the Islamic faith.

EXAMPLES OF THE PROPHET'S SAYINGS
The Prophet said:
'God has no mercy on one who has no mercy for others'. 'None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what
he wishes for himself'.
'He who eats his fill while his neighbor goes without food is not
a believer'.
'The truthful and trusty businessman is associated with the
prophets, the saints, and the martyrs'.
'Powerful is not he who knocks the other down, indeed powerful is
he who controls himself in a fit of anger'.
'God does not judge according to your bodies and appearances but
He scans your hearts and looks into your deeds'.
'A man walking along a path felt very thirsty. Reaching a well he
descended into it, drank his fill and came up. Then he saw a dog
with its tongue hanging out, trying to lick up mud to quench its
thirst. The man saw that the dog was feeling the same thirst as he
had felt so he went down into the well again and filled his shoe
with water and gave the dog a drink. God forgave his sins for this
action'. The Prophet was asked: 'Messenger of God, are we rewarded
for kindness towards animals?' He said, 'There is a reward for
kindness to every living thing'.
From the Hadith collections of Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Bayhaqi

WHAT ARE THE 'FIVE PILLARS' OF ISLAM?
They are the framework of the Muslim life: faith, prayer, concern for the
needy, self-purification, and the pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are
able.

1. FAITH
There is no god worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is His messenger.
This declaration of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which all the faithfulpronounce. In Arabic, the first part is la ilaha illa'Llah - 'there is no god except God';
ilaha (god) can refer to anything which we may be tempted to put in place of God --
wealth, power, and the like. Then comes illa'Llah:' except God, the source of all
Creation. The second part of the Shahada is Muhammadun rasulu'Llah: 'Muhammad is
the messenger of God'. A message of guidance has come through a man like ourselves.
A translation of the Call to Prayer is:
God is most great. God is most great.
God is most great. God is most great.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that there is no god except God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer! Come to prayer!
Come to success (in this life and the Hereafter)! Come to success!
God is most great. God is most great.
There is no god except God.

2. PRAYER
Salah is the name for the obligatory prayers which are performed five times a day, and
are a direct link between the worshipper and God. There is no hierarchical authority in
Islam, and no priests, so the prayers are led by a learned person who knows the
Qur'an, chosen by the congregation. These five prayers contain verses from the
Qur'an, and are said in Arabic, the language of the Revelation, but personal
supplication can be offered in one's own language.
Prayers are said at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, and thus
determine the rhythm of the entire day. Although it is preferable to worship together in
a mosque, a Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories
and universities. Visitors to the Muslim world are struck by the centrality of prayers in
daily life.3. THE 'ZAKAT'
One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that
wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word zakat means both
'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion
for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and
encourages new growth.
Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakat individually. For most purposes this
involves the payment each year of two and a half percent of one's capital. A pious
person may also give as much as he or she pleases as sadaqa, and does so preferably
in secret. Although this word can be translated as 'voluntary charity' it has a wider
meaning. The Prophet said 'even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is charity'.
The Prophet said:
'Charity is a necessity for every Muslim'. He was asked: 'What if
a person has nothing?' The Prophet replied: 'He should work with
his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such
earnings in charity'. The Companions asked: 'What if he is not
able to work?' The Prophet said: 'He should help poor and needy
persons.' The Companions further asked 'What is he cannot do even
that?' The Prophet said 'He should urge others to do good'. The
Companions said 'What if he lacks that also?' The Prophet said 'He
should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity.'

4. THE FAST
Every year in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from first light until sundown,
abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations. Those who are sick, elderly, or on a
journey, and women who are pregnant or nursing are permitted to break the fast and
make up an equal number of days later in the year. If they are physically unable to do
this, they must feed a needy person for every day missed. Children begin to fast (and
to observe the prayer) from puberty, although many start earlier.
Although the fast is most beneficial to the health, it is regarded principally as a method
of self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a shorttime, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry as well as growth
in one's spiritual life.

5. PILGRIMAGE (Hajj)
The annual pilgrimage to Makkah -- the Hajj -- is an obligation only for those who are
physically and financially able to perform it. Nevertheless, about two million people
go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe providing a unique opportunity
for those of different nations to meet one another. Although Makkah is always filled
with visitors, the annual Hajj begins in the twelfth month of the Islamic year (which is
lunar, not solar, so that Hajj and Ramadan fall sometimes in summer, sometimes in
winter). Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments which strip away distinctions
of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God.

The rites of the Hajj, which are of Abrahamic origin, include circling the Ka'abah
seven times, and going seven times between the mountains of Safa and Marwa as did
Hagar during her search for water. Then the pilgrims stand together on the wide plain
of Arafa and join in prayers for God's forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a
preview of the Last Judgment.
In previous centuries the Hajj was an arduous undertaking. Today, however, Saudi
Arabia provides millions of people with water, modern transport, and the most up-to-
date health facilities.
The close of the Hajj is marked by a festival, the Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated
with prayers and the exchange of gifts in Muslim communities everywhere. This, and
the Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the main festivals
of the Muslim calendar.
DOES ISLAM TOLERATE OTHER BELIEFS?
The Qur'an 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
(Qur'an, 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.

WHAT DO MUSLIMS THINK ABOUT JESUS?
Muslims respect and revere Jesus, and await his Second Coming. They consider him
one of the greatest of God's Messengers to mankind. A Muslim never refers to him
simply as 'Jesus', but always adds the phrase 'upon him be peace'. The Qur'an confirms
his virgin birth (a chapter of the Qur'an is entitled 'Mary'), and Mary is considered the
purest woman in all creation. The Qur'an describes the Annunciation as follows:
Behold!' the Angel said, 'God has chosen you, and purified you,
and chosen you above the women of all nations. O Mary, God gives
you good news of a word from Him, whose name shall be the Messiah,
Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the Hereafter, and
one of those brought near to God. He shall speak to the people
from his cradle and in maturity, and shall be of the righteous.'
She said: 'O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has
touched me?' He said: 'Even so; God creates what He will. When He
decrees a thing, He says to it, "Be!" and it is 3:42-7)
Jesus was born miraculously through the same power which had
brought Adam into being without a father:
Truly, the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam.
(3:59)
During his prophetic mission Jesus performed many miracles. The
Qur'an tells us that he said:
I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it and
it becomes a bird by God's leave. And I heal the blind, and the
lepers (3:49)
Neither Muhammad nor Jesus came to change the basic doctrine of
the belief in One God, brought by earlier prophets, but to confirm
and renew it. In the Qur'an Jesus is reported as saying that he
came:
To attest the law which was before me. And to make lawful to you
part of what was forbidden you; I have come to you with a sign from
your Lord, so fear God and obey me 3:50)
The Prophet Muhammad said:
that Muhammad is His messenger, that Jesus is the servant and
messenger of God, His word breathed into Mary and a spirit
emanating from Him, and that Paradise and Hell are true, shall be
received Hadith from Bukhari)

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 bridge 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:
faith amongst believers is he who is best in
manner

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 Qur'an, only on condition that the
husband is scrupulously fair.

IS ISLAMIC MARRIAGE LIKE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE?
A Muslim marriage is not a 'sacrament', but a simple, legal agreement in which either
partner is free to include conditions. Marriage customs thus vary widely from country
to country. As a result, divorce is not common, although it is not forbidden as a last
resort. According to Islam, no Muslim girl can be forced to marry against her will: her
parents will simply suggest young men they think may be suitable.
HOW DO MUSLIMS TREAT THE ELDERLY?
In the Islamic world there are no old people's homes. The strain of caring for one's
parents in this most difficult time of their lives is considered an honor and blessing,
and an opportunity for great spiritual growth. God asks that we not only pray for our
parents, but act with limitless compassion, remembering that when we were helpless
children they preferred us to themselves. Mothers are particularly honored: the
Prophet taught that 'Paradise lies at the feet of mothers'. When they reach old age,
Muslim parents are treated mercifully, with the same kindness and selflessness.
In Islam, serving one's parents is a duty second only to prayer, and it is their right to
expect it. It is considered despicable to express any irritation when, through no fault of
their own, the old become difficult.
The Qur'an says:
Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and be kind to parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, do
not say 'uff' to them or chide them, but speak to them in terms of
honor and kindness. Treat them with humility, and say, 'My Lord!
Have mercy on them, for they did care for me when I was little
(17:23-4)

HOW DO MUSLIMS VIEW DEATH?
Like Jews and Christians, Muslims believe that the present life is only a trial
preparation for the next realm of existence. Basic articles of faith include: the Day of
Judgement, resurrection, Heaven and Hell. When a Muslim dies, he or she is washed,
usually by a family member, wrapped in a clean white cloth, and buried with a simple
prayer preferably the same day. Muslims consider this one of the final services they
can do for their relatives, and an opportunity to remember their own brief existence
here on earth. The Prophet taught that three things can continue to help a person even
after death; charity which he had given, knowledge which he had taught and prayers
on their behalf by a righteous child.

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 Qur'an 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 thatthere 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.
WHAT ABOUT FOOD?
Although much simpler than the dietary law followed by Jews and the early
Christians, the code which Muslims observe forbids the consumption of pig meat or
any kind of intoxicating drink. The Prophet taught that 'your body has rights over you',
and the consumption of wholesome food and the leading of a healthy lifestyle are seen
as religious obligations. The Prophet said:
'Ask God for certainty (of faith) and well-being; for after
certainty, no one is given any gift better than health!'

ISLAM IN THE UNITED STATES
It is almost impossible to generalize about American Muslims: converts, immigrants,
factory workers, doctors; all are making their own contribution to America's future.
This complex community is unified by a common faith, underpinned by a countrywide
network of a thousand mosques.
Muslims were early arrivals in North America. By the eighteenth century there were
many thousands of them, working as slaves on plantations. These early communities,
cut off from their heritage and families, inevitably lost their Islamic identity as time
went by. Today many Afro-American Muslims play an important role in the Islamic
community.
The nineteenth century, however, saw the beginnings of an influx of Arab Muslims,
most of whom settled in the major industrial centers where they worshipped in hired
rooms. The early twentieth century witnessed the arrival of several hundred thousand
Muslims from Eastern Europe: the first Albanian mosque was opened in Maine in
1915; others soon followed, and a group of Polish Muslims opened a mosque in
Brooklyn in 1928.
In 1947 the Washington Islamic Center was founded during the term of President
Truman, and several nationwide organizations were set up in the fifties. The same
period saw the establishment of other communities whose lives were in many waysmodeled after Islam. More recently, numerous members of these groups have entered
the fold of Muslim orthodoxy. Today there are about five million Muslims in America.

HOW DOES ISLAM GUARANTEE HUMAN RIGHTS?
Freedom of conscience is laid down by the Qur'an 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 Qur'an
speaks of human equality in the following terms:
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 49:13)

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