Re: ISLAM FAQ Part 3

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: : Frequently Asked Questions: Part 3 : : __________________________________ : : : : This message is automatically posted to 'soc.religion.islam' : : every month and when updated. This lists answers to most : : commonly asked questions on the forum. Contributions & changes : : are requested and should be directed to: mughal@caltech.edu : : : OVERVIEW: The Frequently Asked Questions document for : : Islam has been divided in parts. Below is the index. : : : : Part 1 - Welcome & Index : : Part 2 - Info on Islamic News Groups : : Part 3 - Introduction to Islam : : Part 4 - God & Worship : : Part 5 - Islam, Quran & Muhammad (PBUH) : : Part 6 - Marriage Laws in Islam : : Part 7 - Women In Islam : : Part 8 - Life after Death, Moral System & Human rights in Islam : : Part 9 - Islam: Prophethood, Jesus & Trinity : : Part 10 - Islam: Farrakhism & Malcom X : : Part 11 - Islamic Internet Guide: Islamic Resources on Internet : : Part 12 - Other Islamic Resource Guides on Internet : : Part 13 - Islamic Literature: Books & Video : : Part 14 - Islamic Calendar & Prayer Time Table for 1994 : : Part 15 - Misc: List of Halal Foods : : : : ________________________________________________________ : : PART 3: Introduction to Islam : : : : : : III&E Brochure Series; No. 1 (published by The Institute of : : Islamic Information and Education (III&E) and reproduced with : : permission) : : : : : Contents : : --Articles-- : : 1. Islam & Muslims ................................................ from III&E : : 2. Muslims & Arabs ................................................ from III&E : : 3. Allah The One & The Only God ................................... from III&E : : 4. Muhammad (PBUH) ................................................ from III&E : : 5. Source of Islam ................................................ from III&E : : 6. Some Islamic Principles ........................................ from III&E : : 7. Practices of Islam ............................................. from III&E : : 8. Other Related Aspects .......................................... from III&E : : 9. Non-Muslims .................................................... from III&E : : --Announcements-- : : 10. Archive Info .............................................................. : : 11. Credits ................................................................... : : : Articles ..................................................................... : : : : 1. Islam & Muslims ................................................ from III&E : : : The name of this religion is Islam, the root of which is Silm and Salam : : which means peace. Salam may also mean greeting one another with peace. : : One of the beautiful names of God is that He is the Peace. It means more : : than that: submission to the One God, and to live in peace with the : : Creator, within one's self, with other people and with the environment. : : Thus, Islam is a total system of living. A Muslim is supposed to live in : : peace and harmony with all these segments; hence, a Muslim is any person : : anywhere in the world whose obedience, allegiance, and loyalty are to : : God, the Lord of the Universe. : : : : : 2. Muslims & Arabs ................................................ from III&E : : : : The followers of Islam are called Muslims. Muslims are not to be : : confused with Arabs. Muslims may be Arabs, Turks, Persians, Indians, : : Pakistanis, Malaysians, Indonesians, Europeans, Africans, Americans, : : Chinese, or other nationalities. : : An Arab could be a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew or an atheist. Any person : : who adopts the Arabic language is called an Arab. However, the language : : of the Qur'an (the Holy Book of Islam) is Arabic. Muslims all over the : : world try to learn Arabic so that they may be able to read the Qur'an : : and understand its meaning. They pray in the language of the Qur'an, : : namely Arabic. Supplications to God could be in any language. : : While there are one billion Muslims in the world there are about 200 : : million Arabs. Among them, approximately ten percent are not Muslims. : : Thus Arab Muslims constitute only about twenty percent of the Muslim : : population of the world. : : : : : 3. Allah The One & The Only God ................................... from III&E : : : : Allah is the name of the One and Only God. Allah has ninety-nine : : beautiful names, such as: The Gracious, The Merciful, The Beneficent, : : The Creator, The All-Knowing, The All-Wise, The Lord of the Universe, : : The First, The Last, and others. : : He is the Creator of all human beings. He is the God for the Christians, : : the Jews, the Muslims, the Buddhists, the Hindus, the atheists, and : : others. Muslims worship God whose name is Allah. They put their trust in : : Him and they seek His help and His guidance. : : : : : 4. Muhammad (PBUH) ................................................ from III&E : : : : Muhammad was chosen by God to deliver His Message of Peace, namely : : Islam. He was born in 570 C.E. (Common Era) in Makkah, Arabia. He was : : entrusted with the Message of Islam when he was at the age of forty : : years. The revelation that he received is called the Qur'an, while the : : message is called Islam. : : Muhammad is the very last Prophet of God to mankind. He is the final : : Messenger of God. His message was and is still to the Christians, the : : Jews and the rest of mankind. He was sent to those religious people to : : inform them about the true mission of Jesus, Moses, Jacob, Isaac, and : : Abraham. : : Muhammad is considered to be the summation and the culmination of all : : the prophets and messengers that came before him. He purified the : : previous messages from adulteration and completed the Message of God for : : all humanity. He was entrusted with the power of explaining, : : interpreting and living the teaching of the Qur'an. : : : : : 5. Source of Islam ................................................ from III&E : : : : The legal sources of Islam are the Qur'an and the Hadith. The Qur'an is : : the exact word of God; its authenticity, originality and totality are : : intact. The Hadith is the report of the sayings, deeds and approvals of : : the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet's sayings and deeds are called Sunnah. : : The Seerah is the writings of followers of Muhammad about the life of : : the Prophet. Hence, it is the life history of the Prophet Muhammad which : : provides examples of daily living for Muslims. : : : : : 6. Some Islamic Principles ........................................ from III&E : : : : A. Oneness of God: : : He is One and the Only One. He is not two in one or three in one. This : : means that Islam rejects the idea of trinity or such a unity of God : : which implies more than one God in one. : : : : B. Oneness of mankind: : : People are created equal in front of the Law of God. There is no : : superiority for one race over another. God made us of different colors, : : nationalities, languages and beliefs so as to test who is going to be : : better than others. No one can claim that he is better than others. It : : is only God Who knows who is better. It depends on piety and : : righteousness. : : : : C. Oneness of Messengers and the Message: : : Muslims believe that God sent different messengers throughout the : : history of mankind. All came with the same message and the same : : teachings. It was the people who misunderstood and misinterpreted them. : : Muslims believe in Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ismail, Jacob, Moses, David, : : Jesus, and Muhammad. The Prophets of Christianity and Judaism are indeed : : the Prophets of Islam. : : : : D. Angels and the Day of Judgment: : : Muslims believe that there are unseen creatures such as angels created : : by God in the universe for special missions. : : Muslims believe that there is a Day of Judgment when all people of the : : world throughout the history of mankind till the last day of life on : : earth, are to be brought for accounting, reward and punishment. : : : : E. Innocence of Man at Birth: : : Muslim believe that people are born free of sin. It is only after they : : reach the age of puberty and it is only after they commit sins that they : : are to be charged for their mistakes. No one is responsible for or can : : take the responsibility for the sins of others. However, the door of : : forgiveness through true repentance is always open. : : : : F. State and Religion: : : Muslims believe that Islam is a total and a complete way of life. It : : encompasses all aspects of life. As such, the teachings of Islam do not : : separate religion from politics. As a matter of fact, state and religion : : are under the obedience of Allah through the teachings of Islam. Hence, : : economic and social transactions, as well as educational and political : : systems are also part of the teachings of Islam. : : : : : 7. Practices of Islam ............................................. from III&E : : : : God instructed the Muslims to practice what they believe in. In Islam : : there are five pillars, namely: : : : : A. Creed (Shahada): : : The verbal commitment and pledge that there is only One God and that : : Muhammad is the Messenger of God, is considered to be the Creed of : : Islam. : : : : B. Prayers (Salat): : : The performance of the five daily prayers is required of Muslims. : : : : C. Fasting (Saum): : : Fasting is total abstinence from food, liquids and intimate intercourse : : (between married couples) from dawn to sunset during the entire month of : : Ramadan. : : : : D. Purifying Tax (Zakat): : : This is an annual payment of a certain percentage of a Muslim's property : : which is distributed among the poor or other rightful beneficiaries. : : : : E. Pilgrimage (Hajj): : : The performance of pilgrimage to Makkah is required once in a life time : : if means are available. Hajj is in part in memory of the trials and : : tribulations of Prophet Abraham, his wife Hagar and his eldest son : : Prophet Ishmael. : : : : : 8. Other Related Aspects .......................................... from III&E : : : : A. Calendar: : : Islamic practices are based on the lunar calendar. However, Muslims also : : use the Gregorian calendar in their daily religious lives. Hence, the : : Islamic calendar includes both the common era and the migration (Higra) : : year of the Prophet of Islam from Makkah to Madinah in the year of 623 : : C.E. : : : : B. Celebrations (Eid): : : Muslims have two celebrations (Eid); namely, Eid of Sacrifice and Eid of : : =46ast-Breaking. The Eid of Sacrifice is in remembrance of the sacrifice : : to be by Prophet Abraham of his son. The Eid of Fast-Breaking comes at : : the end of the month of fasting, Ramadan. : : : : C. Diets: : : Islam allows Muslims to eat everything which is good for the health. It : : restricts certain items such as pork and its by-products, alcohol and : : any narcotic or addictive drugs. : : : : D. Place of Worship: : : The place of worship is called Mosque or Masjid. There are three holy : : places of worship for the Muslims in the world. These are: Mosque of : : Kaaba in Makkah, Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad in Madinah, and Masjid : : Aqsa, adjacent to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. : : A Muslim may pray any where in the world whether in a Mosque, a house, : : an office, or outside. The whole world is a place of worship. It is : : preferable that Muslims pray in a congregation, however, he/she may pray : : individually anywhere. : : : : E. Holidays: : : The holy day of the Muslims is Friday. It is considered to be sacred and : : the Day of Judgment will take place on Friday. Muslims join together : : shortly after noon on Friday for the Friday congregational prayer in a : : Mosque. A leader (Imam) gives a sermon (Khutba) and leads the : : congregational prayer. : : : : F. Distribution of Muslims in North America: : : There are approximately five million Muslims in North America and are : : distributed in its major cities such as New York, Detroit, Boston, : : Toledo, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Cedar Rapids : : (Iowa), Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, Windsor, : : Winnipeg, Calgary, and others. : : : : G. Contributions in North America: : : Muslims are not established in North America. Sears Tower and the John : : Hancock buildings in Chicago were designed by a Muslim chief architect, : : originally from Bangladesh. Muslims have established academic : : institutions, community centers and organizations, schools and places of : : worship. They live in peace and harmony among themselves and among other : : groups of people in the society. The rate of crime among Muslims is very : : minimal. Muslims in North America are highly educated and they have : : added to the success of American scientific and technological fields. : : The Muslims of the early period of the Islamic era were pioneers in : : medicine, chemistry, physics, geography, navigation, arts, poetry, : : mathematics, algebra, logarithms, calculus, etc. They contributed to the : : Renaissance of Europe and world civilization. : : : : : 9. Non-Muslims .................................................... from III&E : : : : Muslims are required to respect all those who are faithful and God : : conscious people, namely those who received messages. Christians and : : Jews are called People of the Book. Muslims are asked to call upon the : : People of the Book for common terms, namely, to worship One God, and to : : work together for the solutions of the many problems in the society. : : Christians and Jews lived peacefully with Muslims throughout centuries : : in the Middle East and other Asian and African countries. The second : : Caliph Umar, did not pray in the church in Jerusalem so as not to give : : the Muslims an excuse to take it over. Christians entrusted the Muslims, : : and as such the key of the Church in Jerusalem is still in the hands of : : the Muslims. : : Jews fled from Spain during the Inquisition, and they were welcomed by : : the Muslims. They settled in the heart of the Islamic Caliphate. They : : enjoyed positions of power and authority. : : Throughout the Muslim world, churches, synagogues and missionary schools : : were built within the Muslim neighborhoods. These places were protected : : by Muslims even during the contemporary crises in the Middle East. : : : : : Announcements ................................................................ : : : : 10. Archive Info .............................................................. : : : : This FAQ is archived at several sites and is available for public : : retrieval thru anonymous FTP, E-MAIL, Gopher & World Wide Web. : : : : -- Anonymous FTP -- : : : : : : Login: anonymous : : Password: Your e-mail address : : : Site: rtfm.mit.edu : : Dir: /pub/usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/ : : Site: ftp.uu.net : : Dir: /pub/usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/ : : : : Site: ftp.cco.caltech.edu : : Dir: /pub/calmsa/islam-faq/ : : : -- E-MAIL -- : : : : Send E-mail to: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu : : Text of E-mail Message: : : : : send usenet/news.answers/islam-faq/part3 : : quit : : : -- GOPHER -- : : : : Site: gopher.caltech.edu 70 : : Path: Computing Information/ : : CCO anonymous ftp archive/ : : pub/ : : calmsa/ : : islam-faq/ : : : : Site: latif.com 70 : : Path: Resources relating to Islam/ : : Soc.Religion.Islam : : : : : -- World-Wide-Web (WWW) -- : : : : One recommended interface is 'mosaic,' below are mosaic 'home pages.' : : : URL at USENET Archive site: : : http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/islam-faq/faq.html : : : : URL at Caltech MSA site: : : http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~calmsa/links.html : : : : 11. Credits ................................................................... : : : : The author wishes to thank all those who contributed in any capacity for : : the original one part FAQ or this multi-part FAQ. : : : : -- SOURCES -- : : : : The basic introduction and literature presented in the FAQ is from : : brochures on Islam distributed by Institute of Islamic Information & : : Education (III&E). These brochures were typed in electronic form by : : Ms.M.Ahmed. : : The information on soc.religion.islam forum (in Part 2) has been : : compiled from USENET archives and administrative logs of : : Soc.Religion.Islam moderator panel. : : What is III&E? : : III&E is an acronym for the Institute of Islamic Information & Education : : which was established in Chicago, Illinois in 1985. The III&E is : : registered in the State of Illinois and recognized by the Internal : : Revenue Service (IRS) as a not-for-profit religious organization. : : More information can be obtained by contacting Dr. M. Amir, III&E, P.O. : : Box 41129, Chicago, IL 60641-0129, U.S.A.; Fax: (312) 777-7199; or : : Tel: (312) 777-7443. : : : -- FORMAT -- : : : : The format of the FAQ series has been done by utilizing resources of : : Islamic Information & News Network (IINN). A custom program, Nebula, : : written by editors of IINN for generating newsletters has been used. : : : : What is IINN? : : Islamic Information & News Network is a forum dedicated to educate the : : network community on issues relating to Islam and Muslims in an academic : : & non-political environment. Weekly digest is available on internet by : : subscribing to MUSLIMS@ASUACAD.BITnet (A Bitnet listserv list) and on : : USENET: bit.listserv.muslims. : : : -- Permissions -- : : : : Permission to post this multi-part FAQ has been obtained by the : : following: : : o Institute of Islamic Information & Education (III&E) : : o Islamic Information & News Network (Muslims@PSUVM.bitnet) : : o Moderator(s) of Soc.Religion.Islam (Br.Nauman Mysorewala) : : o Moderator(s) of News.Answers (Thomas Khoenig & P.Huang) : : o Moderator(s) of Soc.Answers (Thomas Khoenig & P.Huang) : : : # End of Islam FAQ Part 3 #--------------WHY BUY THESE ITEMS WHEN SEVENTHFAM HAS THE LAMBS BOOKS FREE ON THE WEB SITE?PLENTY TO STUDY HERE ALREADY.

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