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Default What is Islaam?

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1. What is Islaam?

Islam (or Islaam) is the name of the religion, or more properly the
'way of life', which God (Allaah) has revealed and which was practiced
by all of the Prophets and Messengers of Allaah that He sent to
mankind. Even the name stands out unique among other religions in that
it means a state of being; it does not refer to any particular person,
such as Christianity, Buddhism or Zoroastrianism; a tribe like
Judaism; or a nation like Hinduism. The root Arabic word from which
Islam is derived implies peace, safety, salutation, protection,
blamelessness, wholesomeness, submission, acceptance, surrender, and
salvation. Islam specifically means being in the state of submission
to Allaah, worshipping Him Alone, and reverently accepting and obeying
His Law. Through this submission, the peace, security, and wholesome
well-being implied in its literal meaning is achieved. Hence, a Muslim
or Muslimah is a person (male or female) in that state of submission.
A person's Islam weakens through sins, ignorance, and wrong-doing, and
becomes nullified in totality by associating partners with Allaah or
disbelieving in Him.

2. What are Muslims?

The Arabic word "Muslim" literally means "someone who is in a state of
Islaam (submission to the will and law of Allaah)". The message of
Islaam is meant for the entire world, and anyone who accepts this
message becomes a Muslim. Some people mistakenly believe that Islaam
is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing could be further from the
truth. In actuality, over 80% of the world's Muslims are not Arabs!
Even though most Arabs are Muslims, there are Arabs who are
Christians, Jews and atheists. If one just takes a look at the various
peoples who live in the Muslim World - from Nigeria to Bosnia and from
Morocco to Indonesia - it is easy enough to see that Muslims come from
all different races, ethnic groups, cultures and nationalities. Islaam
has always been a universal message for all people. This can be seen
in the fact that some of the early companions of the Prophet Muhammad
were not only Arabs, but also Persians, Africans and Byzantine Romans.
Being a Muslim entails complete acceptance and active obedience to the
revealed teachings and laws of Allaah the Exalted. A Muslim is a
person who freely accepts basing his beliefs, values and faith on the
will of Almighty God. In the past, even though you do not see it as
much today, the word "Mohammedans" was often used as a label for
Muslims. This label is a misnomer, and is the result of either willful
distortion or sheer ignorance. One of the reasons for the
misconception is that Europeans were taught for centuries that Muslims
worshipped the Prophet Muhammad in the same way that Christians
worship Jesus. This is absolutely not true, since one is not
considered a Muslim if he worships anyone or anything besides Allaah
the Exalted.

3. Who is Allaah?

Often one hears the Arabic word "Allaah" being used in discussions
regarding Islaam. The word "Allaah" is simply the Arabic word for
Almighty God, and is the same word used by Arabic speaking Christians
and Jews. As a matter of fact, the word Allaah was in use far before
the word God ever came into existence, since English is a relatively
new language. If one were to pick up an Arabic translation of the
Bible, one would see the word "Allaah" being use where the word "God"
is used in English. For instance, Arabic speaking Christians say that
Jesus is, according to their canon belief, the Son of Allaah. In
addition, the Arabic word for Almighty God, "Allaah", is quite similar
to the word for God in other Semitic languages. For example, the
Hebrew word for God is "Elah". For various reasons, some non-Muslims
mistakenly believe that Muslims worship a different God than the God
of Moses and Abraham and Jesus. This is certainly not the case, since
the Pure Monotheism of Islaam calls all people to the worship of the
God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all the other prophets, peace
be upon them.

4. Who is Muhammad?

The last and final prophet whom God sent to humanity was the Prophet
Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him. At the
age of forty, he received the revelation from Allaah. He then spent
the remaining portion of his life explaining, and living the teachings
of Islaam, the religion that Allaah revealed to him. The Prophet
Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, is the
greatest of all prophets for many reasons, but primarily because he
was chosen by Allaah to be the last prophet - whose mission to guide
humanity would continue until the Last Day - and because he has been
sent as a mercy to all of mankind. The result of his mission has
brought more people into the pure belief in One God than any other
prophet. Since the beginning of time, Allaah sent prophets to the
earth, each one to his own specific nation. The Prophet Muhammad,
however, was sent as the final Messenger to all of humanity.

Even though other religious communities have claimed to believe in One
God, over time, some corrupted ideas entered into their beliefs and
practices leading them away from the pure sincere monotheism of the
prophets. Some took their prophets and saints as intercessors with
Almighty God. Some even believed that their prophets were the
manifestations of God, or "God Incarnate" or the "Son of God". All of
these misconceptions lead to the worship of created beings instead of
the Creator, and contributed to the idolatrous practice of believing
that Almighty God may be approached through intermediaries. In order
to guard against these falsehoods, the Prophet Muhammad, may the Peace
and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, always emphasized that he was
only a human-being with the mission of preaching and obeying Allaah's
message. He taught Muslims to refer to him as "the Messenger of God
and His Slave". Through his life and teachings, Allaah made Muhammad,
may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah be upon him, the perfect example
for all people - he was the exemplary prophet, statesman, military
leader, ruler, teacher, neighbor, husband, father and friend. Unlike
other prophets and messengers, the Prophet Muhammad, may the Peace and
Blessings of Allaah be upon him, lived in the full light of history,
and all his sayings and acts were meticulously recorded and collected.
Muslims don't need to have mere 'faith' that he existed, or that his
teachings are preserved - they know it to be a fact. Allaah took it
upon Himself to protect the message revealed to Muhammad from
distortion or from being forgotten or lost. This was necessary because
Allaah promised that Muhammad, may the Peace and Blessings of Allaah
be upon him, was to be the final Messenger to mankind. All of Allaah's
Messengers preached the message of Islaam - i.e. submission to the law
of God and the worship of God alone - but Muhammad, may the Peace and
Blessings of Allaah be upon him, is the last prophet of Islaam who
brought the final and complete message which was never to be changed
until the Last Day.

5. What are the Teachings of Islaam?

The foundation of the Islaamic faith is belief in absolute Monotheism
(the Oneness of God). This means to believe that there is only one
Creator and Sustainer of everything in the Universe, and that nothing
is divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Him. Truly,
believing in the Oneness of God means much more than simply believing
that there is "One God" - as opposed to two, three or four. There are
a number of religions that claim belief in "One God" and believe that
ultimately there is only one Creator and Sustainer of the Universe,
but true monotheism is to believe that only the One True Deity is to
be worshipped in accordance to the revelation He sent to His
Messenger. Islaam also rejects the use of all intermediaries between
God and Man, and insists that people approach God directly and reserve
all worship for Him alone. Muslims believe that Almighty God is
Compassionate, Loving and Merciful.

A common misconception is the claim that God cannot forgive His
creatures directly. By over-emphasizing the burden and penalty of sin,
as well as claiming that God cannot forgive humans directly, people
often despair of the Mercy of God. Once they become convinced that
they cannot approach God directly, they turn to false gods for help,
such as heroes, political leaders, saviors, saints, and angels. We
often find that the people who worship, pray to, or seek intercession
from these false deities, do not consider them to be a 'god'. They
claim belief in One Supreme God, but claim that they pray to and
worship others beside God only to get closer to Him. In Islaam, there
is a clear distinction between the Creator and the created. There is
no ambiguity or mystery in issues of divinity: anything that is
created does not deserve to be worshipped; only Allaah, the Creator,
is worthy of being worshipped. Some religions falsely believe that God
has become part of His creation, and this has led people to believe
that they can worship something created in order to reach their
Creator.

Muslims believe that even though God is Unique and Exalted beyond
speculative comprehension, He definitely has no partners, associates,
peers, antagonists or offspring. According to Muslim belief, Allaah
"neither begets, nor was He begotten" - neither literally,
allegorically, metaphorically, physically or metaphysically. He is
Absolutely Unique and Eternal. He is in control of everything and is
perfectly capable of bestowing His infinite Mercy and Forgiveness to
whomever He chooses. That is why Allaah is also called the All-
Powerful and Most-Merciful. Allaah has created the Universe for man,
and as such wants the best for all human beings. Muslims see
everything in the Universe as a sign of the Creatorship and
Benevolence of Almighty God. Also, the belief in the Oneness of Allaah
is not merely a metaphysical concept. It is a dynamic belief that
affects ones view of humanity, society and all aspects of practical
life. As a logical corollary to the Islaamic belief in the Oneness of
Allaah, is its belief in the oneness of mankind and humanity.

6. What is the Qur'aan?

The Qur'aan is the final revelation of Allaah to all of mankind, which
was spoken by Allaah the Exalted Himself and conveyed through the Arch-
Angel Gabriel in Arabic to the Prophet Muhammad, in sound, word and
meaning. The Qur'aan, (sometimes incorrectly spelled Koran), was then
relayed to the Prophet's companions, and they diligently memorized it
verbatim and meticulously complied it into written form. The Holy
Qur'aan has been continually recited by the companions of the Prophet
and their successors until the present day. In short, the Qur'aan is
the revealed book of Divine scripture from Allaah to all humanity for
their guidance and salvation.

Today the Qur'aan is still memorized and taught by millions of people.
The language of the Qur'aan, Arabic, is still a living language to
millions of people. Unlike the scriptures of some other religions, the
Qur'aan is still read in its original language by countless millions
of people. The Qur'aan is a living miracle in the Arabic language, and
it is known to be inimitable in its style, form and spiritual impact,
as well as the unique knowledge that it contains. The Qur'aan was
revealed in a series of revelations to the Prophet Muhammad over a
period of 23 years. In contrast to many other religious books, the
Qur'aan was always believed to be the exact Word of Allaah. The
Qur'aan was recited publicly in front of both the Muslim and non-
Muslim communities during the life of the Prophet Muhammad, and
thereafter. The entire Qur'aan was also completely written down in the
lifetime of the Prophet, and numerous companions of the Prophet
memorized the entire Qur'aan word-for-word as it was revealed. The
Qur'aan was always in the hands of the common believers: it was always
thought to be God's word; and, due to wide-spread memorization, it was
perfectly preserved. Never was any part of it altered or decreed by
any religious council. The teachings of the Qur'aan comprise a
universal scripture addressed to all of mankind and not to any
particular tribe or 'chosen people'. The message that it brings is
nothing new but the same message of all of the prophets: 'submit to
Allaah the One God and worship Him alone and follow Allaah's
Messengers for success in this life and salvation in the hereafter'.
As such, Allaah's revelation in the Qur'aan focuses on teaching human
beings the importance of believing in the Oneness of Allaah, and
framing their lives around the guidance which He has sent, which is
articulated in the Islamic Law. The Qur'aan contains the stories of
the previous prophets, such as Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, peace
be upon all of them, as well as commands and prohibitions from God. In
our modern times, in which so many people are caught up in doubt,
spiritual despair and social and political alienation, the Qur'aanic
teachings offer solutions to the emptiness of our lives and the
turmoil that is gripping the world today.

7. How Do Muslims View the Nature of Man, the Purpose of Life and the
Life Hereafter?

In the Holy Qur'aan, Allaah teaches human beings that they were
created in order to glorify and worship Him, and that the basis of all
true worship is God-consciousness. All of Allaah's creatures worship
him naturally and only the humans have the free will to worship Allaah
their Creator or to reject Him. This is a great test, but also a great
honor. Since the teachings of Islaam encompass all aspects of life and
ethics, God-consciousness is encouraged in all human affairs. Islaam
makes it clear that all human acts are acts of worship if they are
done for God alone and in accordance to His Divine Scripture and Law.
As such, worship in Islaam is not limited to religious rituals, and
for this reason it is more properly known as 'way of life' than a
religion. The teachings of Islaam act as a mercy and a healing for the
human soul, and qualities such as humility, sincerity, patience and
charity are strongly encouraged. Additionally, Islaam condemns pride
and self-righteousness, since Almighty God is the only judge of human
righteousness.

The Islaamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and well-
balanced in that human beings are not believed to be inherently
sinful, but are seen as equally capable of both good and evil; it is
their choice. Islaam teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand.
God has given people free-will, and the measure of one's faith is
their deeds and actions. However, since human beings have also been
created innately weak and regularly fall into sin, they are in need of
continually seeking guidance and repentance, which is, in itself ,
also a form of worship loved by Allaah. The nature of the human being
as created by God in His Majesty and Wisdom, is not inherently
'corrupt' or in need of repair. The avenue of repentance is always
open to all. Almighty God knew that humans were going to make
mistakes, so the real test is whether they seek repentance for their
sins and try to avoid them, or if they prefer a life of heedlessness
and sin, knowing well that it is not pleasing to God. The true balance
of an Islaamic life is established by having a healthy fear of
Allaah's rightful punishment for crimes and sins, as well as a sincere
belief that Allaah, in His infinite Mercy, takes pleasure in bestowing
His reward for our good deeds and sincere worship to Him. A life
without fear of Allaah leads to sin and disobedience, while believing
that we have sinned so much that God will not possibly forgive us only
leads to despair. In the light of this fact, Islaam teaches that only
the misguided despair of the Mercy of their Lord, and only wicked
criminals are devoid of the fear of Allaah their Creator and Judge.
The Holy Qur'aan as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon
him, also contains a great deal of teachings about life in the
hereafter and the Day of Judgment. Muslims believe that all human
beings will ultimately be judged by Allaah, the Absolute Sovereign
King and Judge, for their beliefs and actions in their earthly lives.
In judging human beings, Allaah the Exalted will be both Absolutely
Just, by only punishing the truly guilty and rebellious unrepentant
criminals, and Absolutely Merciful for those people who He, in His
wisdom, judges worthy of mercy. None will be judged for that which was
beyond their capacity, or for that which they did not actually do. It
is sufficient to say that Islaam teaches that life is a test designed
by Allaah, the Creator, Almighty and Most Wise; and that all human
beings will be accountable before Allaah for what they did with their
lives. A sincere belief in the life of the hereafter is the key to
leading a well-balanced and moral life. Otherwise, life is viewed as
an end in itself, which causes people to become more selfish,
materialistic and immoral by their blind pursuit of pleasure even at
the expense of reason and ethics.


http://www.islamhouse.com/
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Default What is Islaam?



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Jesus loves you

Joe
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Default What is Islaam?

Joe wrote:
wrote:

snip


Jesus loves you

Joe



Jesus loves me
This I know
'Cause Joe on Usenet says it's so.




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com


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"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote in message
...
Joe wrote:
wrote:

snip


Jesus loves you

Joe



Jesus loves me
This I know
'Cause Joe on Usenet says it's so.




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com


Wanna see something about Islam?

Click he dotSUB.com ~ Any film in any language.


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Default What is Islaam?


"Sanity" wrote in message
...

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote in message
...
Joe wrote:
wrote:

snip

Jesus loves you

Joe



Jesus loves me
This I know
'Cause Joe on Usenet says it's so.




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com


Wanna see something about Islam?

Click he dotSUB.com ~ Any film in any language.



Sorry about the link. Here it is:
http://www.dotsub.com/films/moredema...etting=en_1618




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Sanity wrote:
"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com wrote in message
...
Joe wrote:
wrote:

snip

Jesus loves you

Joe



Jesus loves me
This I know
'Cause Joe on Usenet says it's so.


Here's proof:
http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilber...4920080310.gif


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