The Ten Misconceptions About Islam: Misconception 3

In Islam, women are inferior to men because:

• a man can marry up to 4 wives, a woman can marry only one man
• a man's share of inheritance is bigger than a woman's
• a man can marry a non-Muslim, a woman cannot
• women must wear the veil

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

What then, is the really important property which we are worried about in terms of gender equality? Naturally, from the point of view of the Qur'an and Sunnah, the obvious important property is who is dearer to Allah, men or women? This question is emphatically answered in the Qur'an (translation),

[4:124] If any do deeds of righteousness - be they male or female - and have faith, they will enter Paradise, and not the least injustice will be done to them.

[33:35] For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for truthful men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allah's praise, for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.

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

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

[3:36]...and the male is not like the female...

Men and women are different in their composition, and in their responsibilities under Islam. However, both are bound by obligations to one another, especially the following important one which must be understood in any discussion on men and women. From the Qur'an (translation),

[24:32] And marry those among you who are single and those who are fit among your male slaves and your female slaves; if they are needy, Allah will make them free from want out of His grace; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing.

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

Men and women are different in their responsibilities towards the families that they are strongly encouraged to set up. Women are not obligated to work, whereas men are obligated. The man must provide for the family, but the woman does not have to spend out of her money for it, though she gets a reward for doing so. Allah says in the Qur'an (translation),

[4:34] Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.

From the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sahih Bukhari, we find:

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

Given that husbands are obligated to provide for wives, and that marriage is a highly recommended goal of Islam, it is easy to see why women's inheritance share is half that of men. We note also that men are obligated to provide a suitable dowry to women on marriage. In fact, it is preferable at this point to speak in terms of husbands and wives instead of men and women. Allah says in the Qur'an (translation),

[4:4] And give women their dowries as a free gift, but if they of themselves be pleased to give up to you a portion of it, then eat it with enjoyment and with wholesome result.

Allah says in the Qur'an (translation),

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

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

While men are allowed to marry up to four wives, they are also commanded to meet the preconditions of being able to financially support them. They must also deal with each wife justly and fairly with respect to marital and economic obligations. Allah says in the Qur'an (translation),

[4:3] If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.

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

Finally, the wearing of the veil by women is also an illogical premise to claim that women are inferior to men. It is more appropriate to indict a society of female exploitation if it tolerates pornography rather than if it enforces the veil. Given that Allah is neither male nor female, given that He does not endear people to Himself based on their gender, given that the Creator cares about all of us male or female, given that the sexual and violent drive of men is stronger than that of women...given all this, it is illogical to cast a negative light on the following injunctions contained in the Qur'an (translation),

[33:59] O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not be annoyed...

[24:30-31] Say to the believing man that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them; and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do. And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; and that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands...

On this misconception, there is a great deal more to write, most of it showing how current practices in many Muslim lands go against what the Qur'an and Sunnah have ordained, lands in which women are treated as property (unIslamic), are not educated (unIslamic), are forbidden their economic rights (unIslamic), and more. On this point in particular, we encourage everyone to consult the Qur'an and Sunnah before incriminating Islam. Always remember that Islam is a complete way of life from the Creator, and that Muslims are people who claim to follow that way of life. A Muslim may claim to follow Islam, but be wrong.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Ten Misconceptions About Islam: Misconception 2

Misconception 2

In Islam, denial of human rights is OK because:

• Islam is against pure democracy
• Islam tolerates slavery

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

As stated earlier, Islam is a complete way of life. Given this, it is not surprising that the Creator is concerned with the method which we choose to govern ourselves. The preeminent rule which the Islamic state must observe is stated in the Qur'an (translation follows):

[4:59] O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you do believe in Allah and the Last Day; That is best, and most suitable for final determination.

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

The Creator also states in the Qur'an (translated):

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

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

As for slavery, Islam is unique among the `religions' in its close attention to the peaceful removal of this practice. Before the advent of Islam, slavery was widespread all over the world. The Messenger of Islam taught us that freeing slaves was a great deed in the sight of Allah. From the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sahih Bukhari, we find:

[3:46:693] Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Whoever frees a Muslim slave, Allah will save all the parts of his body from the (Hell) Fire as he has freed the body-parts of the slave." Said bin Marjana said that he narrated that Hadith to `Ali bin Al-Husain and he freed his slave for whom `Abdullah bin Ja'far had offered him ten thousand Dirhams or one-thousand Dinars.

Also from the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Malik's Muwatta, we find:

[38:9:15] Narrated Aisha Ummul Mu'minin: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked what was the most excellent kind of slave to free. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, answered, "The most expensive and the most valuable to his master."

The Creator has also made it easy for slaves to gain their freedom. From the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sahih Bukhari, we find:

[3:46:704] Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Whoever frees his portion of a common slave should free the slave completely by paying the rest of his price from his money if he has enough money; otherwise the price of the slave is to be estimated and the slave is to be helped to work without hardship till he pays the rest of his price."

The condition of slavery is very different in Islam than the harsh conditions imposed by non-Muslims or disobedient Muslims. From the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sunan Abu-Dawud, we find:

[41:4957] Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (saw) said: None of you must say: "My slave" (abdi) and "My slave-woman" (amati), and a slave must not say: "My lord" (rabbi or rabbati). The master (of a slave) should say: "My young man" (fataya) and "My young woman" (fatati), and a slave should say "My master" (sayyidi) and "My mistress" (sayyidati), for you are all (Allah's) slave and the Lord is Allah, Most High.

Also from the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sahih Bukhari, we find:

[3:46:721] Narrated Al-Ma'rur bin Suwaid: I saw Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari wearing a cloak, and his slave, too, was wearing a cloak. We asked him about that (i.e. how both were wearing similar cloaks). He replied, "Once I abused a man and he complained of me to the Prophet. The Prophet asked me, `Did you abuse him by slighting his mother?' He added, `Your slaves are your brethren upon whom Allah has given you authority. So, if one has one's brethren under one's control, one should feed them with the like of what one eats and clothe them with the like of what one wears. You should not overburden them with what they cannot bear, and if you do so, help them (in their hard job)."

As a result of the teachings of Islam, slavery was almost completely eradicated from many areas of the Muslim world, peacefully and without bloodshed.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Ten Misconceptions About Islam: Misconception 1

I have talked about this misconception in a previous post. However, I am starting the ten misconceptions with it because it is very important to both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Islam is `the religion of peace' because:

• the Arabic word Islam is derived from the Arabic word "Al-Salaam" which means peace.

It might seem strange to think of this as a misconception, but in fact it is. The root word of Islam is "al-silm" which means "submission" or "surrender." It is understood to mean "submission to Allah." In spite of whatever noble intention has caused many a Muslim to claim that Islam is derived primarily from peace, this is not true. Allah says in the Qur'an (translated):

[2:136] 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 the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have surrendered. [Arabic "Muslimoon"]

A secondary root of Islam may be "Al-Salaam" (peace), however the text of the Qur'an makes it clear that Allah has clearly intended the focus of this way of life to be submission to Him. This entails submission to Him at all times, in times of peace, war, ease, or difficulty.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Ten Misconceptions That Westerners Have About Islam: Introduction

In this article, we will try to clear up many of the misconceptions that are prevalent about Islam. Before jumping into the list of misconceptions directly, it is important to give a little interesting background about the source of Islam.

Islam is the name of a way of life which the Creator wants us to follow. We avoid the word religion because in many non-Islamic societies, there is a separation of "religion and state." This separation is not recognized at all in Islam: the Creator is very much concerned with all that we do, including the political, social, economic, and other aspects of our society. Hence, Islam is a complete way of life.

The source of Islam is Allah, the Creator of everything known and unknown to us. He is One, and He is Unique. Allah has taught us about Islam via two mediums: the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Both the Qur'an and Sunnah were transmitted to us, humanity, via the Messenger of Allah: Muhammad bin Abdullah, Salla Allahu Alaihi wa Sallam - may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him (herein referred to saas). The Messenger of Allah (saas) was nothing more and nothing less than a mortal messenger of the immortal Creator.

The Qur'an is a book containing the literal Word of Allah. It was transmitted from Allah to an angel of His (Gabriel), and from the angel to the Messenger of Allah who delivered it to us. The Qur'an covers a wide variety of topics, including evidence to support its claim of being the Word of the Creator, stories of earlier generations, rules which humanity is asked to obey, and information about the Hereafter. The Qur'an claims that it is protected from change by other than Allah, and this is confirmed by its 1400 year history. The earliest copies and the latest copies are the same.

The Sunnah is the term used to describe how the Messenger of Allah (saas) lived his life. The Messenger's life is an example for all Muslims, or those who accept Islam, to follow. Whatever the Messenger (saas) did, said, or approved of is a source of Islam just as much as the Qur'an. The Messenger's role is not overemphasized: his life was dictated by what the Creator desired, and the Messenger did not add or subtract to Islam according to his own personal whim. His life was such that his wife called him "a walking Qur'an."

The Qur'an and Sunnah are the only two mediums by which Allah has directly taught us about Islam. This leads us to the following simple but critical principle:

If any man or woman engages in a belief or action which clearly contradicts the Qur'an or Sunnah, then that belief or action cannot be thought of as `Islamic'.

This rule applies whether the man or woman is Muslim or non-Muslim. Hence, we cannot equate Islam and the Muslims. Islam is the way of life; Muslims are people who claim to follow that way of life. A Muslim may claim to follow Islam, but be wrong. In the context of misconceptions, we can restate the above principle in a slightly different way:

Some misconceptions about Islam are due to the wrong beliefs and actions of Muslims, and others are due to a significant lack of understanding and false stereotyping by non-Muslims.

Several misconceptions are listed below. Instead of simply stating the misconception by itself, we have also included some reasons why people might adopt that misconception. Therefore, each entry in the list is given in the following form:

because:

• reason 1
  
• reason 2
  
• etc.

After each misconception and its possible reasons, we show briefly why the misconception is false by showing one or more of three possibilities:

1. a reason is false
2. the reason does not logically lead to the misconception
3. a key piece of information is being ignored

Our answers to the misconceptions are drawn from the Qur'an and Sunnah. All other approaches are insufficient: Islam is a way of life which is very firmly based on a scholarly approach, an approach which is based on knowledge.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Is Islam, Truly, a Religion of Peace?

Bism Illah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem,

You might have come across this phrase before if you have read the Quran or any Islamic literature,

Arabic is language based on rhythm, i.e. words that sound the same, are close in meaning. So just as how Shab’aan means full (of food), and Atshaan means full of thirst, Rahmaan means full of mercy. And just like Kareem means most-generous and Azeez means most-powerful, Raheem most-merciful. So God not only he is the most able to be merciful, be he too is the most merciful. He is the most being to have mercy, and the most being to give mercy.

Therefore, this phrase can be translated to “By the name of God, the Possessor-of-All-Mercy, the Most-Merciful.”

It is not a coincidence that as we are encountering several terms in beginnings of our talk about Islam, many of them are related to peace, mercy and forgiveness…

How come that the image of Islam in the world today is very bloody and violent?

And why Islam is called the religion of Peace, if the Quran contains many verses provoking Muslims to war?

This naturally might seem contradictory at first glance to most people. Many people actually find this the most important reason to not believe in the entire message of Quran; because it seems contradictory to them, especially in regards of this point.

Having understood a little of God’s wisdom in this subject, I will try to explain this to you, and may God support me.

the matter of warfare in Quran, i.e. Jihad as known to non-Arabs.

Jihad actually means “making the effort”, it refers to any action made for the cause of Allah that one’s self would not prefer to do. The strongest form of Jihad is holding man’s horses of his basic instinct of sexuality and aggression. Also, the prophet Mohammed says “the greatest Jihad to God is a word of truth before an unjust ruler.”

War for the cause of God is the a crucial part of Jihad, first because a normal sane person would always prefer to stay alive, enjoy being around his wealth, family and all other blessings which God gave him, and hence going to Jihad risking one's life is an indicator of true faith; that obeying the will of God is above the soul’s appetites. The second reason is that Jihad is the fortifications and walls of Islam; it is the strongest defense mechanism that Islam has. Some though consider the Jihad of the tongue (of sometimes referred to as Jihad of the pen): all persuasive arguments in religion, known as ‘apologetics’, and the various forms of invitation, propaganda, and defense of Islam as important as the Jihad of the sword.

There are two major points regarding wars for the cause of God,

First:

The divine inspiration to Mohammed took over two decades, meaning that Quran did not descend at one; but it went through a long process and underwent several changes, these gradual steps were necessary to reach the final form of Islam that we have today, just like what happened with other major world religions like Judaism. Judaism was descended in a time were all nations were polytheists. Therefore introducing monotheism was a very difficult thing to do, and it actually took gradual steps from having one ‘superior God’ as transcendent being with the existence of lower Gods… then this eventually reached the final step of monotheism with one God both on earth and in the heavens. This gradual inspiration is a key to establishment of strong basis for the religion. And this is what happened in Islam when it was first addressing people of Arabia, who were tribal peoples and had very hostile and violent type of living. Islam gradually introduced the concept of religion-kinship instead of blood-kinship, and subsequently, fighting for the cause of religion instead of fighting for the cause of the tribe. People of Arabia back then considered warfare a sign of manhood and power, and hence if Islam ignored this part and promoted only what can be called as ‘passive-peace’, people would not want to join this new religion-of-wussies.

This is not only limited to the people of Arabia, actually Sigmund Freud (the father of human psychoanalysis) argued that men had two basic instincts that could not be ignored: sexuality and violence; both of which Islam handled in the most wise way. And we shall explore this further in later times if God wills.

So, declaring war for the cause of God was the best solution for two things: a short-term way of quickly spreading the new religion of Islam, and another long-term way of holding horses of man’s aggression and forming certain rules and ethics for this aggression.

Second:

Islam came to become the perfect and complete code for humanity. It guarantees happiness of man in life and afterlife. Naturally, any complete code or constitution must contain separate sub-codes; this can be exampled in the constitutions of nation-states in which they have articles and sub-articles of constitution. Islam does this in the same way by creating a complete constitution that explains the general rights and duties of humans between them and God as well as amongst themselves. It also sets complete articles and laws for the civil society in the times of peace, equally to how it sets complete articles and laws for the civil society in the times of war.

Hence, at times of peace, Muslims may not hurt or attack peoples of the book (Jews and Christians), or people of other religions (e.g. Zoroastrians, Manicheans, etc…), or ever people of no religious belief (i.e. agnostics and atheists). The prophet Mohammed clarifies: “he who hurts an accordion [someone who has an accord with Muslims, i.e., not declared war or supported those who declared war against Muslims] during the period of his accord will never smell the scent of paradise, and the scent of paradise can be smelled from a hike of three hundred years from it.”

Therefore, yes, Islam does talk about wars from the sense that wars are inevitable because of man’s aggressive instinct… and that when a war reaches a point of inevitability then Muslims must not run away and must stand up and fight. In addition, Islam does not leave that warfare matter unplanned, despite all other religions which tend to promote ideal peace and sometimes negative/passive peace and completely ignore matters of war, like in Buddhism or Christianity. The followers of these religions fall in a dilemma when they are in wars, since their religion mentions nothing about the customs, dos and don’ts of war. Eventually they decide to do what their aggressive instinct tells them and you get horrific results like the ones seen in the crusade campaigns when they brutally murdered Arabs, Muslims, Jews, and any living creature they found on their way.

Islam brings out the issue of declaring war for the cause of God in order to teach Muslims the rules and ethics of war. Muslims are forbidden to kill women, children and the elderly no matter what they did to them. They are forbidden to kill monks, priests and all kinds of ascetic people. Muslims are even forbidden to cut trees or kill animals for no urging and important reason, like food or clothing. Most importantly, Muslims are forbidden to fight unless that war is to bring peace! If the enemy [any enemy, regardless of the enemy being a troublemaker, unbeliever, etc…] asks for truces or accepts peace with Muslims, then Muslims must obey that and establish peace.

Therefore, an analogy can be made between Jihad to Islam from one side and police and army forces to society from the other. Now, you can have people who argue that armies are bloodthirsty savages who all what they do is murder and destroy, but if you look at the bigger picture, the police and army when controlled by the state, they are the key to maintaining order and peace. It is completely wrong to say that war does not bring peace. Even though that peace is the way to maintain peace in everyday life, war at rare events must be declared to maintain peace; to maintain awe and loyalty of people to their state and maintain fear to enemies of the state.

Thus, he who argues that Islam is a violent religion is absent-minded, Islam promotes peace at all times, even to the point that it obliges its followers to sacrifice with their souls in order to bring peace. That, by all means, is the true religion of peace.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

A Summary of Definitions

These are very basic definitions about common terms used, I hope they can help understanding a bit more about Islam.

God: God is One. God is Eternal. God never gave birth and was never born. Nothing has ever existed that was equivalent to Him. He is the God of everything, The Lord of everything, Creator of everything, The Possessor of All Mercy, The All-Knowledgeable, The All-Provider, The Most-Powerful, The Most-Compassionate, namely in Arabic, Allah.

Angel Gabriel: He is the greatest creature. He was created by God, and God named him The Honest and The Holy Spirit; God made him responsible for carrying divine inspiration to all messengers and prophets. He carried the divine inspiration to the messenger Mohammed.

Islam: The last divine religion sent from God to human until the End of Days. Islam is the one and only religion (divine or non-divine) that was sent to all humanity. It addresses all humankind, and is not limited to a specific ethnicity, nationality, race, sex, color or age. The purpose of the message of Islam is not something new; it is the same purpose for which all previous messengers, prophets and scriptures were sent; to worship God only.

Mohammed: A mortal human being. He is the last messenger of God. He received the divine inspiration through Angel Gabriel. The divine inspiration he received was in two parts, the Quran in one side, and Sunnah on the other. He is the mentor of all Muslims, and seen by many non-Muslims as the greatest man ever lived on earth. He was not only a messenger of Allah, but he was a social reformer, a political leader, spiritual mentor, a devoted husband and father. Mohammed is the final prophet and the last messenger of Allah until the return of Jesus Christ to earth.

Quran: It is the literal words of God. Quran is the Scripture that God recited to Gabriel, Gabriel recited it to Mohammed, and Mohammed recited it to the nation and it was widely memorized until this day. The Quran is the final scripture that God sent to humans. It is the miracle of all time. It is miraculous with its language, style, logic, historical information and scientific evidence. The Quran is the only divine scripture that was not modified, edited or changed at all. It is preserved with its meanings, chapters, sorting, words, letters, accents and even way of pronunciation.

Sunnah: Everything that the messenger Mohammed said, did, confirmed or approved since he first received the divine inspiration until his death.

I will publish inshaAllah soon the answer to the questions that were raised in my last post, about the importance of the title of this religion "Islam" and the two main meanings of the word, Peace and Submission.


until then, I wish you open minds and open hearts.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

To Begin,

Assalamu Alaikum,

This is how Muslims greet others and themselves, it means "May peace be upon you"

I guess there must be a reason why God ordered us, Muslims, to greet with peace, and not for example with happiness or well-being...

Even to non Muslims, and even to those who hate Islam, we are taught to greet them with "May peace be upon those who follow the right path."

Q/ So, what if someone came to me (me, that is, a Muslim) and did not greet me with peace, can I kill him?!
A/ No, instead, I greet him with peace, whether or not he greets back.

This is how every Muslim begins their every single conversation in their daily life. Think for one moment how this would effect a society that is, ideally, Islamic.

Is peace this important in Islam?
Oh wait, what does the word Islam mean anyway?

In old Arabic (when the religion of Islam was first introduced by Prophet Abraham), Islam means, simply and surprisngly, "Peace".

However, with the changes that happened to the language along the thousands of years, the word Islam now carries another meaning, still very relevant and important. It means "Submission".

So, Peace and Submission are the title of this religion.
This needs to be reflected upon deeply......

What is peace?
and, Submission to what? or why should I submit to something I don't know anything about? what about Freedom?
Are Peace and Submission the most important things in life?

we shall explore this step-by-step... Insha'Allah.

Insha'Allah means "if God wills", and this is obviously deeply connected to the meanings of submission.

meanwhile, Praise be to Lord who inspired me, and enabled me to write this, and enabled you to read it.

Please hesitate not to leave any questions/comments on the comment section.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad