Ask Questions & Answers About Islam.

[tomshaikh]

Salaam & Hello To All,

Reason for this thread is to clear the questions of Non-Muslims about Islam.And i will invite only Muslims on this thread to answer their questions and i will try to give it too.So you Non-Muslims are welcome to ask any question.We will give only once answer for that no need to argue on that.So type your Question on Title bar where it says Ask Questions & Answers About Islam.Thank You & Have a Nice Day.

 

[tomshaikh]

Answer

Following is a brief description of the Five Pillars of Islam as requested:

Faith/Shahadah: The English translation of the Shahadah is as follows: “I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, the One, without any partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.” Islam’s fundamental belief is the Unity of God. All other beliefs hang on this belief. Therefore the acknowledgement and ‘bearing witness’ of this is the key to the Muslim faith. Unless this is observed one cannot be a Muslim.

Prayer/Salat: Islam lays the greatest of emphasis on salat, prayers and remembrance of Allah for spiritual reformation. Prior to salat one makes one’s ablutions, have clean clothes on and in keeping with the sanctity of the worship present oneself on time and with full respect. The first part of this preparation is the apparent cleanliness. One should try and have clean clothes on. The ablutions before prayer need to be made to make the salat valid. One cleans one’s hands, rinses the mouth, cleans the nostrils, washes the face, hands and fore-arms. All this is repeated three times. Wet hands are passed over the head and the ears are cleaned with the tips of the forefinger. Lastly the feet are washed, again three times. Along with the obvious cleanliness through ablution, it also signifies a purification of one’s inner self. When a worshipper washes during ablution with the intention of praying, he/she also reflects on his/her inner purification and cleanses his/her mind from worldly thoughts, and draws the attention of his/her soul to be in attendance of God. The significance of all the different postures of salat is there is a deep connection between what is on the outside and the inner self of a human being. The physical postures of salat are in keeping with the mental attitude of humility with which one worships God. These postures affect the heart and indeed the heart’s humility affects the physical postures. The prayer starts with a standing position called ‘Qiyam’. Then there is a bowing position called ‘Tasbih’. Two prostration’s are followed, they are called ‘Sajdah’. In the end there’s a sitting position and that is known as ‘Q’adah.

Charity/Zakat: Zakat is a part of devotion enjoined upon Muslims by the Holy Quran. It is a means where the well-off pay a set amount of their wealth. Zakat means to purify oneself. It is obligatory on Muslims to pay a little percentage of their accumulated wealth towards Zakat, which is used for the benefit of the needy and the poor. Zakat is not levied on one’s property that is in personal use, rather on the assets which have a means of increasing and which are surplus to one’s needs. It is a means of social justice and order. It teaches sympathy of the highest order.

Fasting: Along with salat, another important form of worship is fasting. It is obligatory for each Muslim, apart from some exemptions, to fast in the month of Ramadhan. During the hours of fasting, food and drink and conjugal relations between husband and wife are forbidden. It is enjoined that during fasting one should pay attention to remembrance of God and study the Holy Quran in abundance. One should try to curtail one’s worldly pastimes as much as possible during Ramadhan, and to be particularly inclined towards charity and alms giving. Human life is dependent on food and drink and the continuation of the human race depends on the marital relationship. While fasting one refrains from them both, as if bearing witness to God that for His pleasure man gives up the factors (temporarily) upon which his very existence depends. The various other benefits of fasting are that man gets to exercise sacrificing physical comfort and to endure hunger and thirst. Fasting creates a sense of equality between the rich and the poor. By developing an appreciation of hunger and thirst, it makes the well-off think of the needs of the poor and impresses a feeling of compassion in their hearts. It makes them appreciate, through the practicality of it, the state a human being endures when hungry and thirsty. Ramadhan is a most effective and excellent means of spiritual development for mankind.

Piligram/Hajj: Hajj is another form of worship. It is obligatory for each adult Muslim who can afford it. Apart from the financial aspect, the ability to afford the pilgrimage also means that one is able to travel and perform the Hajj in peace. During Hajj, the person who intends to perform it is required to travel to Mecca during the prescribed days and observe all the rites and ceremonies. During Hajj Muslims from all corners of the world gather in Mecca and perform the rites of Hajj and thus strengthen the bond of Muslim unity. During Hajj each place brings to mind some event of the blessed life of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings on him). It refreshes the memory of the supreme sacrifices made by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings on him) for the sake of Islam.

 

[justinthemartyr]

Is God your Father? Do you have a personal relationship with Him?

What did islam bring to the world that christianity did not already possess?

 

[rpp]

Question1:
Are Moslems “children” of God (Allah), or, as I have heard some same, bond-servants of God (Allah)?

A child of God would be an heir to His kingdom, a bond servant is required to serve, whether the desire to or not.

Question 2:
Is God (Allah) unchangeable? Has He always existed? Did He create the Universe from absolutely nothing?

Question 3:
Is God (Allah) absolutely consistent or can He be arbitrary or capricious at times or under certain conditions?

 

[tomshaikh]

The word “Allah” is the perfect description of the “One God” of monotheism for Jews, Christians and Muslims!

Is “Allah” only for Islam and Muslims?
[No! It is for All Three Abrahamic Faiths.]

“Allah” is the same word used by Christian Arabs and Jewish Arabs in their Bible, centuries before Islam came.

On page one [1] of Genesis in the Old Testament, we find the word “Allah” seventeen [17] times.

Every hotel and motel has a Bible. Next time you see one look in the introduction, you will find samples of the different languages they have translated. For Arabic they have translated the verse in the New Testament in Arabic from the famous verse in the Gospel John 3:16 -

"For God so loved the world . . . "

• and the word the translators used in Arabic for “God” is the very same word used by Muslims around the planet, “Allah.”
  Where Does the word “Allah” Come From?

“Allah” comes from the Arabic word "elah"a god’ or something worshiped. - (Arabic) means ’

This word (elah) can be made plural (gods), as in “aleha” and it can be male or female just as the word in English can be “goddess.”

“Allah” comes from “elaha” but it brings more clarification and understanding.

Allah= Has no gender (not male and not female)
“He” is used only out of respect and dignity - not for gender
Allah = Always singular - Never plural
“We” is used only as the “Royal WE” just as in English for royalty
Allah =Means “The Only One to be Worshipped”

No More About God(Allah) visits this site: www.shareislam.com

Please Note: Do not reply to this thread i do not want to argue. Thats all i have for you or any other muslim wanna answer rpp questions. Thank you very much.

 

[tomshaikh]

Answer

Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in Makkah in the year 571 A.D., at a time when Christianity was not yet fully established in Europe. Since his father died before his birth and his mother shortly afterwards, so he was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraish. As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity so much that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The historians describe him as calm and meditative. Muhammad (peace be upon him) 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 Jabal al-Nur, the Mountain of Light near Makkah.

 

[bobzills]

Did Islam condone or approve of the Janissaries?

 

[tomshaikh]

Did Islam condone or approve of the Janissaries?

Answer

While looking the meaning of janissaries. Which are as below:

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
jan·is·sar·y /ˈdʒænəˌsɛri/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[jan-uh-ser-ee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -sar·ies. 1. (often initial capital letter) a member of an elite military unit of the Turkish army organized in the 14th century and abolished in 1826 after it revolted against the Sultan.
2. (often initial capital letter) any soldier in the Turkish army.
3. a member of any group of loyal guards, soldiers, or supporters.

Also, jan·i·zar·y /ˈdʒænəˌzɛri/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[jan-uh-zer-ee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation.

---

[Origin: 1520–30; < F janissaire < It gianizzero < Turk yeniçeri, equiv. to yeni new + çeri soldiery, militia]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This jan·is·sar·y (jān’ĭ-sěr’ē) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. jan·is·sar·ies also jan·i·zar·ies

A member of a group of elite, highly loyal supporters.
A soldier in an elite Turkish guard organized in the 14th century and abolished in 1826.

[French janissaire, from Old French jehanicere, from Old Italian giannizero, from Ottoman Turkish yanī cheri, new army : yanī, new + cheri, special troops (from Middle Persian chērīh, bravery, victory, from chēr, brave, victorious).]

(Download Now or Buy the Book) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Please no political questions only Q & A about Islam. If any Muslim wanna answer bobzills question they are most welcome to answer it. Wait for your answer from other muslims.Thank You! History has nothing to do with Islam. Islam was completed in Prophet Muhammad PBUH times.

 

[kalt]

How many different branches of Islam are there?

Is there one leader for all branches of Islam? Or does each branch have its own leader?

Is there an official Muslim statement on terrorism that is perpetrated in the name of Islam?

Do you interpret the Koran literally?

What is the official Muslim stance on Judaism and Christianity? (If there is one.)

Encouraging Muslims to become terrorists or suicide bombers… Is this expressly condemned by Islamic leaders? If it is, are the leaders sanctioning Muslims who choose to continue to encourage others to kill?

10 Commandments. Do Muslims follow the 10 commandments. If not, do they have a similar code?

What would a non-Muslim have to do to convert to Islam?

Lots of questions. In no particular order. Just things that popped into my head.

Thank-you for offering to answer our questions.

 

[bobzills]

Please no political questions only Q & A about Islam.

Were the Janissaries established and setup by Muslims? Was this approved or not by the Muslim authorities?
Isn’t a correct political order a part of Islamic teaching?

 

[heisenburg]

comment I guess with a question ladened in…

I read somewhere that Islam simply means a devout following of God (paraphrase)…

so, when I hear “calls to becoming Islam” is a faithful and devout Christian not already “Islamic” based on the definition of the word?

(As a note… i am truly doing a play on words here… I understand that what the definition really means is a faithful follower of God as taught by Mohamed, and I mean no disrespect to our Islamic Friends on this board…

This is more a tongue in cheek statement NOT meant to be insulting)

In Christ

 

[bengal_fan]

just curious as to the differences between these two sects?

also, what do most muslims think about muslim mystics?

thanks.

 

[lukewarm]

Hello or Salaam as you say,

I’ve always respected Islam as a religion and thought about converting. I like your teaching on the absolute oneness of God, the strict adherence to no idolatry. To me it’s a common sense approach to actually following God’s commandments, not introducing all these grey areas like Christianity does. I.E. God is three in One yet One (I still can’t understand that one), or kneeling before graven images and lighting candles and praying is not breaking the 2nd commandment because you don’t know my heart and I am merely “venerating” the statue etc… even though the 2nd commandment is very clear. I also like the idea of the pilgrimige, the five pillars, the steadfast prayer, it seems like a religion that is masculine and works well with a mans nature, Christianity I found more feminine and difficult for a man to truly embrace in todays world, especially in a female dominated Church (at the Parish level) as a man I felt like an outsider.

I also feel that Islam is from God looking at how it rooted out rampant idolatry, paganism, human sacrifice etc… In basically one generation where the Jews failed to do for thousands of years. Although I don’t acknowledge the Qu’ran to be perfect.

That said the biggest issue I have with Islam is the idea that Jesus wasn’t crucified. To me there is more written testimony to this than Caesar crossing the rubicon. To me Jesus crucifixion (not necessarilyy his ressurrection, that I am unsure of) is a matter of history and without dispute. I have never been able to get my head around someone stating hundreds of years later that this did not in fact take place, when there is much evidence that it did.

Thanks

 

[rpp]

Except for the Janissaries question, no other question posed has been answered. Just some unconnected statements about Islam.

I would like to see these questions addressed before any of the others. They were, after all, asked first.

Is God your Father? Do you have a personal relationship with Him?

What did islam bring to the world that christianity did not already possess?

Question1:
Are Moslems “children” of God (Allah), or, as I have heard some same, bond-servants of God (Allah)?

A child of God would be an heir to His kingdom, a bond servant is required to serve, whether the desire to or not.

Question 2:
Is God (Allah) unchangeable? Has He always existed? Did He create the Universe from absolutely nothing?

Question 3:
Is God (Allah) absolutely consistent or can He be arbitrary or capricious at times or under certain conditions?

How many different branches of Islam are there?

Is there one leader for all branches of Islam? Or does each branch have its own leader?

Is there an official Muslim statement on terrorism that is perpetrated in the name of Islam?

Do you interpret the Koran literally?

What is the official Muslim stance on Judaism and Christianity? (If there is one.)

Encouraging Muslims to become terrorists or suicide bombers… Is this expressly condemned by Islamic leaders? If it is, are the leaders sanctioning Muslims who choose to continue to encourage others to kill?

10 Commandments. Do Muslims follow the 10 commandments. If not, do they have a similar code?

What would a non-Muslim have to do to convert to Islam?

Lots of questions. In no particular order. Just things that popped into my head.

Thank-you for offering to answer our questions.

comment I guess with a question ladened in…

I read somewhere that Islam simply means a devout following of God (paraphrase)…

so, when I hear “calls to becoming Islam” is a faithful and devout Christian not already “Islamic” based on the definition of the word?

(As a note… i am truly doing a play on words here… I understand that what the definition really means is a faithful follower of God as taught by Mohamed, and I mean no disrespect to our Islamic Friends on this board…

This is more a tongue in cheek statement NOT meant to be insulting)

In Christ

just curious as to the differences between these two sects?

also, what do most muslims think about muslim mystics?

thanks.

 

[MHalsey]

Please Note: Do not reply to this thread i do not want to argue. Thats all i have for you or any other muslim wanna answer rpp questions. Thank you very much.

Kinda states it all really. “Ask your questions. I will answer how I want. Don’t argue with me.”

I do have questions of my own, but I probably will get the same type of answers.

Have all the prophecies in the koran been fulfilled?

How many of the prophecies in the koran were fulfilled by muhammed?

How many prophecies have not yet been fulfilled?

 

[tomshaikh]

Hello & Salaam Everyone,

Please try to answer positive questions. I know you people have some misunderstanding with ISLAM. Which is not going to go away at once. I also want you all to question one at a time. So i will provide you brief answer. As this is not the islamic forum. But Inshallah muslims on here and myself try to answer your questions.As soon as possible. I will welcome & thankful to Sister Amy also to answer some of the questions which are meaning ful rather not to answer anti-islamic. Thank you very much.

 

[Sister_Amy]

Is God your Father? Do you have a personal relationship with Him?

Hello. Muslims do not believe that God is their “Father.” The Qur’an says: (Both) the Jews and the Christians say: “We are sons of Allah, and his beloved.” Say: “Why then doth He punish you for your sins? Nay, ye are but men,- of the men he hath created: He forgiveth whom He pleaseth, and He punisheth whom He pleaseth: and to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between: and unto Him is the final goal (of all)” (5:18)

Yet Muslims do believe they have a personal relationship with God. They believe God, the Creator, is Merciful and Compassionate. The word for that is Ar-Rahman which is derived from the word for “womb” in Arabic, “rahm.” (rahm=womb). In this sense the mercy and compassion of Allah is like the womb of a mother which nurtures and cushions the baby. In the Quran, God says He is closer to the believer than his jugular vein, and that He listens to the call of everyone who calls on Him.

What did islam bring to the world that christianity did not already possess?

Muslims believe that God sent messengers to mankind through history to remind them of God’s love, and favors, to remind them to be grateful and to repent to God for their sins–so the message of Islam according to Muslims isn’t new, but something which has always been preached. Yet Islam brings the final messenger (Muhammad) and the final revelation/message, the Qur’an, which will be preserved to guide all of mankind.

 

[tomshaikh]

Answer

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 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 (peace be upon him) through Gabriel.

 

[MHalsey]

Answer

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 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 (peace be upon him) through Gabriel.

Are you asking your own questions now? I didn’t see that one asked.

 

[Sister_Amy]

Question1:
Are Moslems “children” of God (Allah), or, as I have heard some same, bond-servants of God (Allah)?

Servants.

Question 2:
Is God (Allah) unchangeable? Has He always existed? Did He create the Universe from absolutely nothing?

Some names of God in Islam are the Originator (Al-Badi/Al-Mubti), the Everlasting (Al-Baqi), the Creator of Good (An-Nafi), the Creator of Harmful (Ad-Darr), the Ever-Living (Al-Hayy), the First (Al-Awwal), the Last (Al-Akhir), the Creator (Al-Khaliq). I don’t know of evidence that Allah changes. Ever-Living means He has always existed. And Allah says He created the universe.

Question 3:
Is God (Allah) absolutely consistent or can He be arbitrary or capricious at times or under certain conditions?

I’m not sure what you mean–so I’m sorry but I can’t answer this question.