Muslim beliefs

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With all the news about Muslims in the news, I have had some questions about their beliefs. I’ve seen and heard that the Qur’an teaches killing of “infidels”, Christian, and Jews. Most Muslims claim that this isn’t true, and that it isn’t interpreted correctly. However, obviously are and have been many Muslims that interpret it as promoting violence. Is there anyone who has studied Islam(or is knowledge on the subject) and can explain what it teaches, and how different Muslims interpret it?
 
nick347 said:
With all the news about Muslims in the news, I have had some questions about their beliefs. I’ve seen and heard that the Qur’an teaches killing of “infidels”, Christian, and Jews. Most Muslims claim that this isn’t true, and that it isn’t interpreted correctly. However, obviously are and have been many Muslims that interpret it as promoting violence. Is there anyone who has studied Islam(or is knowledge on the subject) and can explain what it teaches, and how different Muslims interpret it?
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Ok the two major branches of Islam are Shia and Sunni and those can be divided into various smaller groups. Many though by no means all of the extremist bent tend to be Sunni. Generally speaking Christians and Jews have been allowed to live in Muslim land if they pay a special tax. Generally though, they look to the example of Mohamed who they consider a prophet for how to live their life and go about their daily actions. You must understand in Islamic society there is no separation between religion and state and Muslims believe that the Quran was given to Muhammad by God (Allah is Aeabic for God. even Christians and Jews say it). Some of the instructions in the Quran do say to kill idolaters. This is where the problem with groups like ISIL and Al-Qaeda come from. They consider trinitarianism polytheism not all Muslims do but these groups do and because they have the command to kill idolaters they kill Christians. Now I would just like to say that one of my best friends is a Sunni Muslim and he knows I believe in Christianity. Actually he is Saudi and he does not like the way his country treats Shia. There’s probably more that I could get into but I think the best thing to do is to ask both Muslims and former Muslims and since I’ve never been Muslim my experience is limited. One thing I do have a lot of respect for Muslims even though I don’t always agree with their beliefs the fact that they pray as much as they do and they fast as much as they do. I don’t know if you are interested in the five pillars of Islam but that has nothing to do with their beliefs regarding waging jihad by the way, jihad is Arabic for struggle and I think the extremists see this is their duty, as jihad IS a Muslim duty (though Jihadism is not). I am most certainly not sympathetic to extremism, but I believe being balanced toward more “moderate” Muslims
 
nick347 said:
With all the news about Muslims in the news, I have had some questions about their beliefs. I’ve seen and heard that the Qur’an teaches killing of “infidels”, Christian, and Jews. Most Muslims claim that this isn’t true, and that it isn’t interpreted correctly. However, obviously are and have been many Muslims that interpret it as promoting violence. Is there anyone who has studied Islam(or is knowledge on the subject) and can explain what it teaches, and how different Muslims interpret it?
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Some of your questions …particularly re. “explain what it teaches, and how different Muslims interpret it?” would require at least a course on aa university level… Some maybe offered but there would be fees, etc. You’d have to be careful though that you are dealing with an academic that was relatively free of bias.

Your comment above:

“I’ve seen and heard that the Qur’an teaches killing of “infidels”, Christian, and Jews.”

You need to understand that in the first six years of the Prophet’s ministry Moslems were persecuted and maligned in Mecca and not until the pagan elements attempted to kill Muhammad in His bed and He escaped to Medina was there a revelation to defend the Umma or the Muslim community. It was not until the Meccan pagans raised a large well equipped force to destroy Medina that defensive war was permitted.

Here are a few verses from a translation by Rodwell:

*And fight for the cause of God against those who fight against you: but
commit not the injustice of attacking them first: God loveth not such
injustice:
*
(The Qur’an Sura 2 - The Cow)

Here it is very clear that defensive war is permitted.

*Fight therefore against them until there be no more civil discord, and
the only worship be that of God: but if they desist, then let there be no
hostility, save against the wicked.
*

Sura 2 - The Cow)

So you need to commit yourself to a study but be thankful and persevere and God will reward you!
 
only the radical extremists follow those parts

As a comparison I will share a bible verse that isn’t followed

The bible says that if some one eats shellfish they are sinning (old testamete)

That verse is far outdated and no longer applies (eat all the shrimp you want :D)

Just like how good Muslims don’t kill non believers

I have noticed All religions have that “elephant in the room” that are outdated and no longer apply to the faith
And while I can share verses from the bible that seem more extreme, I would rather not because of possible mistranslations or different meanings behind said verse(and I don’t want to give people the wrong idea about Christianity by sharing one of those verses that don’t even apply)
 
arthra said:
Some of your questions …particularly re. “explain what it teaches, and how different Muslims interpret it?” would require at least a course on aa university level… Some maybe offered but there would be fees, etc. You’d have to be careful though that you are dealing with an academic that was relatively free of bias.
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I’m taking an Ethnic and Racial Studies class in college right now, and my professor specializes in Muslim American studies. During the lecture on Muslim beliefs, she was very pro-Islam and mainly talked about good aspects. She said very little at all about jihad, and their actual teachings on violence, which is why I brought up the question. I knew I wouldn’t get an unbiased answer from her, so I posted on forum. Thanks for the answers! 🙂
 
nick347 said:
I’m taking an Ethnic and Racial Studies class in college right now, and my professor specializes in Muslim American studies. During the lecture on Muslim beliefs, she was very pro-Islam and mainly talked about good aspects. She said very little at all about jihad, and their actual teachings on violence, which is why I brought up the question. I knew I wouldn’t get an unbiased answer from her, so I posted on forum. Thanks for the answers! 🙂
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The simple of it is that even within the lifetime of Muhammad, there are examples to use to justify peace with Jews and Christians, and reasons to justify violent jihad against them. It is the same with the Quran, but even more so with the different hadith texts. When Muhammad fled his kinsmen, the Quraysh, in Mecca to Medina, Medina had a large Jewish population who welcomed him and even helped him escape. Eventually he turned on them when they considered his religion a fraud and wouldn’t convert. Later he would force non-Muslims to pay a special tax to live in converted countries where their families had already lived for generations. It gets more complicated from there. I really think that the pov you seek can be found in the booklet from Catholic answers which I recommended.
 
nick347 said:
I’m taking an Ethnic and Racial Studies class in college right now, and my professor specializes in Muslim American studies. During the lecture on Muslim beliefs, she was very pro-Islam and mainly talked about good aspects. She said very little at all about jihad, and their actual teachings on violence, which is why I brought up the question. I knew I wouldn’t get an unbiased answer from her, so I posted on forum. Thanks for the answers! 🙂
Click to expand...
From my own Studies on Islam (since 1995), here are a couple of points I have discovered. Please note that I recognize that not all Muslims follow all the tenets and doctrines defined in the Quran, and we are all called to love the Muslims. However, Islam is not a religion of love, peace and submission. Their god Allah is NOT the same as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the origin actually goes back to the spiritual ruler of the Ur of the Chaldees who was the moon god. The Arabians esteemed the moon god and the god “Sin” The god Sin, “The Controller of the Night,” with the crescent moon as his emblem, and the lunar-based calendar, became the primary religious symbols of Islam, was worshiped in Arabia as AI-Ilah. Allah is actually short for Al-llah, “the god”, and corresponds to the Babylonia god “Bel”.

Mecca was the center Mecca became the center of all pagan religions of Arabia before Mohammed. AI-Ilah, the Moon God, was the “Lord of the Ka’aba” (“cube”) which was formerly the center of pagan worship, ruling over 360 idols. Lucrative trade routes resulted. The Ka’aba black cube in Mecca is of course the center of Islamic worship today.

Mohammed created Islam as a monotheistic religion based upon is a previously heathen religion discarding all the other pagan gods except for Al-Ilah and adopting the same practices and rituals that existed in pre-Islamic times which are practiced today in Mecca such as bowing and prayer toward Mecca; the requirement for a Holy Pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca, in order to circle the Ka’aba, the site of the protective black stone. Al-Ilah was Lord of the Ka’aba; is to be circled 7 times and kissed. Pilgrims then run to the Wadi Mina to throw stones at the Devil.

Islam incorporates beliefs in jinns ( which are genies, fairies); in spells, magic stones, fetishes; and animistic beliefs (spirits living in inanimate objects). See: Suras 55; 72; 113, 114.

Muslims claim that Islam means peace, submission, but that is a relatively new meaning. For centuries. Islam stood for the “strength which characterized a desert warrior, who, even when faced with death would fight to the death for his tribe.” (see Dr. M Baravmann, “The Spiritual Background of Early Islam” and other sources).

The goal of Islam is the “subjection of the planet earth by force if necessary”. Islam divides the universe into 2 parts:

Dar Al Islam: the domain of the faithful (to Islam)

Dar Al Harb: those with whom they are at war until Judgment Day. (Not just the Jews: all non-Muslims!)

The Quran is an amalgam of Hinduism, Buddhism, Mythraism, Greek mystery religions, as well as elements from Judaism and Christianity. The Quran has over 100 contradictions, the order is often confused and has numerous errors, e.g., Sura 7:51 and 10:3 claim 6 days of creation; Sura 41, 8 days of creation; Azar was not Abraham’s father’s name was not Azar (6:74); did not live in Mecca (14:37); did not sacrifice Ishmael (37:100-112); eight sons, not two; three wives, not two; did not build the Ka’aba (2:12~127); was not thrown into a fire by Nimrod (21:68, 69; 9:69), and so on.

Some of the scriptural excerpts in the Quran:

Al Maidah (The Table): "Believers (Muslims), take neither Jews nor Christians to be your friends: they are friends with one another. Whoever of you seeks their friendship Shall become one of their number, and God does not guide (those Jewish and Christian (called “wrong-doers,” 5:51-5:74).

“Say, 'People of the Book (Jews), is it not that you hate us (Ishmaelite Muslims), only because we believe in God, and in what has been revealed to others, and because most of you (Jews) are evil-doers?” 5:57

“Fight and slay the pagans (infidels) wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of war.” Quran, Sura 9:5

If Islam is resisted?

“Their punishment is…execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from the opposite sides, or exile from the land.” Sura 5:33

Al Tawbah The Repentance): “Prophet, make war on unbelievers and hypocrites, and deal rigorously with them.” Sura 9:73

Al Anfal (The Spoils): “Let not the unbelievers think they will ever get away… strike terror into the enemy of God and your enemy… rouse the faithful to arms! If they (the non-Muslims) incline to peace (accept Islam) make peace with them.”

Sura 8:59
Al Maidah (The Table): "If they reject your judgment, know that it is Allah’s wish to scourge them for their sins. Sura 5:49
 
nick347 said:
I’m taking an Ethnic and Racial Studies class in college right now, and my professor specializes in Muslim American studies. During the lecture on Muslim beliefs, she was very pro-Islam and mainly talked about good aspects. She said very little at all about jihad, and their actual teachings on violence, which is why I brought up the question. I knew I wouldn’t get an unbiased answer from her, so I posted on forum. Thanks for the answers! 🙂
Click to expand...
Thanks for your response… You’re on the right track I think and explore Islam in it’s varying perspectives… It will be a rich and fascinating study. As you can see from the variety of responses here on this forum you will find many views… It will also be helpful for you to learn some Arabic and understand that there are varying meanings to texts of the Qur’an.

God bless your study!👍
 
newcalling said:
The simple of it is that even within the lifetime of Muhammad, there are examples to use to justify peace with Jews and Christians, and reasons to justify violent jihad against them. It is the same with the Quran, but even more so with the different hadith texts. When Muhammad fled his kinsmen, the Quraysh, in Mecca to Medina, Medina had a large Jewish population who welcomed him and even helped him escape. Eventually he turned on them when they considered his religion a fraud and wouldn’t convert. Later he would force non-Muslims to pay a special tax to live in converted countries where their families had already lived for generations. It gets more complicated from there. I really think that the pov you seek can be found in the booklet from Catholic answers which I recommended.
Click to expand...
There are passages in the Quran where Mohammad acknowledged Jews and Christians to be People of the Book. He has even asked people who have doubts to consult the People of the Book. Indeed, his direction of prayer was initially towards Jerusalem. That, however was in Mecca where he was weak and in need of allies.

Later when in Medina, when he was politically stronger, he began condemning Christians and Jews as people whom Muslims should not befriend. He also changed his direction of prayer to Mecca.

One must not forget that Mohammad is not just a religious leader but also a political leader, who personally led 27 military expeditions. So, many of what he did was for political reasons (as was most of his 10+ marriages after his first wife died).

And as there is no separation of Mosque and State in Islam, it is difficult to separate which of his action is religious and which is political. I would go with that his actions in Mecca are largely authentically religious in intent (if a little mistaken when misunderstanding the nature of Christ) when he was weak (unlike Islam, the Christian God loves a weakling :D). Once he got strong in Medina, things started changing (sounds familiar?).
 
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