ISLAM is the name given to the religion preached by the Prophet Muhammad (saw) circa 600 AD. Islam is an Arabic word that means "surrender" or "submission." God is called Allah in the Arabic language, which means, "The God." A person who submits to Allah and follows the teachings of Islam is called Muslim.

For the Muslim, Allah is unique and without equal. They attempt to think and talk about Allah without either making Him into a thing or a projection of the human self. The Qur'an (Muslim holy book) avoids this by constantly shifting pronouns to discourage believers from inadvertently deifying Allah and creating any physical image of Him.

In contrast to many other religions, the basic practice of Islam is simplicity itself. The believer worships Allah directly without the intercession of priests or clergy or saints. The believer's duties are summed up in five simple rules; The Five Pillars of Islam: Belief, Worship, Fasting, Almsgiving, and Pilgrimage.

The first pillar of Islam is for the believer to testify, in Arabic, that "There is no God but the God and Muhammad is His Messenger." This phrase, known as the Shahada, or "profession of faith," is central to Islam, for it affirms both Allah's oneness and the central role of the Prophet. The Shahada appears in daily life in many different ways - from being proclaimed in the call to prayer to being inscribed on flags and coins.

In contrast to the Judeo-Christian tradition, which exhorts believers not to take the Lord's name in vain, Muslims constantly call on Allah by name in all sorts of situations. For example, when beginning any activity, one might say "Bismillah" ("in the name of God") or when admiring something, one might say "al-hamdu lillah" ("praise be to God").

The second pillar of Islam is to worship Allah five times a day — at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall. To do so, the believer washes according to a particular ritual and prostrates himself/herself on the ground in the direction of Mecca, while reciting certain phrases. This rite takes only a few minutes to perform and can be done anywhere. Worshippers are summoned to prayer by a muezzin, who calls the faithful together by saying (in Arabic):

1. "God is great." (four times)
2. "I testify that there is no god but God." (twice)
3. "I testify that Muhammad is God's Messenger." (twice)
4. "Come to prayer." (twice),
5. "Come to salvation." (twice)
6. "God is great." (twice)
7. "There is no god but God."

(For the dawn prayer, the muezzin adds, after the second "Come to salvation," the phrase, "Prayer is better than sleep" twice.)

Muslims believe that the call to prayer by the human voice distinguishes Islam from Judaism, which uses the shofar, or ram's horn, and Christianity, which uses the bell. The first muezzin was Bilal, an Abyssinian African slave who was one of the first converts to Islam.

In addition to the five daily prayers, all male believers are enjoined to gather together on Friday for the noon prayer and listen to a sermon, called a "khutbah" in Arabic, by the leader of the community. The rules for women's attendance at Friday worship have varied over time and place. In many places today, women also attend Friday worship, although they are segregated from the men and pray behind, beside or above them. As the ruler's name is traditionally invoked in the sermon, the khutbah became an important sign of the ruler's authority.

The third pillar of Islam is to abstain from food and drink, as well as smoking and conjugal relations, between sunrise and sunset during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Muslim calendar. Abstinence during Ramadan brings Muslims to greater awareness of Allah's presence and helps them acknowledge their gratitude for Allah's provisions in their lives.

It serves to heighten a sense of community among believers as Muslims around the world join together in the performance of this ritual. The Arabic word "ramadan" comes from a root meaning "to be hot" and suggests that the month originally fell in the summer. But, as Muslims follow the Islamic lunar calendar, the month of fasting can come at any time during the year.

To distinguish themselves from the Jews, Christians and pagan Arabs, Muslims measure their year by the cycles of the Moon rather than the Sun, so the Muslim lunar year is eleven days shorter than the Christian solar year. Muslims are forbidden to adjust their year by adding an extra month, as the Jews do to keep their lunar calendar synchronized with the seasons. Hence, the months of the Muslim year do not relate to the seasons.

The Ramadan fast starts at dawn, defined as the moment when the human eye can distinguish a white thread from a black one, and ends at dusk, when the eye is again no longer able to distinguish the difference. The end of the month of Ramadan is always marked by a feast, known as the "Eid al-Fitr," or the "breaking-of-the-fast" feast.

The fourth pillar of Islam is to give alms to the poor. Muslims are supposed to donate a fixed amount of their property to charity every year. Many pious individuals, from the mightiest rulers to modest merchants, give money to help out the less-fortunate by establishing soup kitchens, hospitals, schools, libraries, mosques, and the like.

One of the most common forms of charity in medieval Islamic cities was to establish a public-drinking fountain, where fresh, sweet water was distributed freely to all passers-by. Such a drinking fountain was commonly known as a "sabil," from the common Arabic expression "fi sabil allah," literally meaning "in the path of God" and referring to doing something for God charitably or disinterestedly.

The fifth Pillar of Islam is to undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in one's lifetime, if one is able, during the first days of Dhu'l-Hijja, the twelfth month of the Muslim calendar. People who have performed this pilgrimage, called in Arabic "hajj," earn the epithet "Hajji," which is a title of great respect [e.g., El-Hajji Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X)].

Before entering Mecca, the pilgrim dons a special garment made of two seamless white cloths. The ceremonies of the pilgrimage are associated with the prophet Abraham and center on the Kaaba, which Muslims believe to be the house that Abraham erected for God. The pilgrimage then moves to Arafat, a plain some twelve miles east of the city, where the ceremonies culminate on the tenth day of the month in the "Feast of the Sacrifices." Livestock is sacrificed in commemoration of Abraham's readiness to offer his first-born son Ishmael, and the meat is distributed to the poor. This event is also known as the "Great Feast," and it usually lasts three or four days.

In contrast to the spontaneous cheer with which people celebrate the end of Ramadan, the celebration of the Great Feast is a more solemn holiday. Although a visit to the Prophet's masjid and gravesite in Medina is not an official part of the pilgrimage, most pilgrims include it in their trip.

The two foundations of Muslim faith are God's revelations to Muhammad, known as "the Qur'an," or "recitation"; and the reports about Muhammad's life and deeds, which are known as the "hadith," from the Arabic word for "report." The central miracle of Islam is Allah's revelation to Muhammad, whose human fallibilities as a mere mortal are repeatedly mentioned in the Holy Qur'an.

The revelations that comprise the Qur'an were revealed over a period of more than two decades in two places. The first revelations from the period of Muhammad's residence in Mecca are short and incantatory verses of extraordinary poetic beauty. The later revelations from the period after Muhammad immigrated to Medina are longer, legalistic texts, appropriate to a developing community of believers in need of rules and regulations.

Prophet Muhammad (saw)and his followers initially committed the revelations to memory, but as these revelations grew in number and complexity, some were probably written down on whatever materials were at hand. After the Prophet died, his followers were pressed to preserve the purity of the revelations and began to write down as many of them as possible. According to the traditional view, a uniform written text of the revelations to Prophet Muhammad (saw) was collected and collated some twenty years after his death.

The Qur'an as a book is comparable in length to the Gospels. It contains 114 chapters (each called in Arabic a "sura") of varying length. It opens with the "Fatihah," a beautiful short prayer that serves as an invocation in many situations:

1. In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

2. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.

3. The compassionate, the merciful.

4. Master of Judgement Day.

5. You alone we worship, and to You alone we pray for help.

6. Guide us in the straight path.

7. The path of those whom You have favored.

8. Not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.

The other chapters of the Qur'an follow in descending order of length, from the 286 verses of the second chapter, "al-Baqarah" (i.e., "The Cow,") to the final two chapters, which are short prayers of a few lines. The chapters are thus arranged neither in the order in which the verses were revealed nor in a narrative sequence.

The Qur'an, as God's literal word, can only be comprehended in the majestic and glorious Arabic language in which it was revealed. The necessity of reading the Qur'an in Arabic has meant that all believers should learn the language in order to understand the scriptures. This requirement has created a linguistic bond among believers, particularly as Islam spread beyond the boundaries of Arabia to regions inhabited by speakers of other languages. Having learned to use Arabic as the language of religion, the new converts also used it as a language of literature, science, commerce and social intercourse.

The primacy of Arabic as the language of Allah's revelation has also helped to preserve the purity of the Arabic language, for Muslims constantly call to mind the noble and magnificent words and phrases of the Qur'an. Although the Arabic language has evolved over the fourteen centuries since the Qur'an was revealed, it has not changed as much as English has changed in the six centuries since the time of Chaucer.

Finally, the primacy of the Arabic language has encouraged the spread and use of the Arabic script, which is known and used from the shores of the Atlantic to the Pacific to render a variety of languages, including Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, Pashto, Kashmiri, Urdu, Sindhi, Ottoman Turkish, Chaghatay, and Malay.

The second basis of Muslim faith is the example of the Prophet. As the perfect Muslim, Muhammad served and still serves as the model for all believers. His sayings and deeds were remembered by his associates and preserved in the "Traditions," known in Arabic as "hadith." These Traditions normally take the form of a chain ["so-and-so heard from so-and-so, who heard from so-and-so, that the Prophet said (or did)"], followed by a report of what the Prophet said or did.

The hadith came to be considered second in authority to the Qur'an, and also helps explain and elaborate the circumstances under which obscure passages in the Qur'an were revealed. The hadith were transmitted orally for several generations before being written down, beginning in the 8th century.

By the 9th century the jurist, al-Shafii (d. 820) came to consider the "sunnah", or "customs of the Prophet," the second most important root of Islamic jurisprudence after the Qur'an. Together the Qur'an and the hadith, along with consensus and analogy, make up the "Shariah," the rules and regulations that govern the day-to-day lives of Muslims.

Muslims believe that God had previously revealed Himself to the earlier prophets of the Jews and Christians, such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims therefore accept the teachings of both the Jewish Torah and the Christian Gospels. They believe that Islam is the perfection of the religion revealed first to Abraham (who is considered the first Muslim) and later to other prophets.

Muslims believe that Jews and Christians have strayed from God's true faith, but hold them in higher esteem than pagans and unbelievers. They call Jews and Christians the "People of the Book" and allow them to practice their own religions. Muslims believe that Muhammad is the "seal of the prophecy," by which they mean that he is the last in the series of prophets God sent to mankind. Muslims abhor the followers of later prophets. This attitude serves to explain the extreme Muslim animosity toward Bahais, followers of a 19-century prophet, who in the Muslim mind is false.

Islam, followed by more than a 1.2 billion people today, is the world's fastest growing religion, and will soon be the world's largest. The 1.2 billion Muslims make up approximately one quarter of the world's population, and the Muslim population of the United States now outnumbers that of Episcopalians.

The most populous Muslim countries are Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. The number of Muslims in Indonesia alone (175 million) exceeds the combined total in Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran, the traditional heartlands of Islam. The Muslim population of the West African country of Nigeria exceeds the Muslim population of all the Arab countries combined!

There are also substantial Muslim populations in Europe and North America, whether converts or immigrants who began arriving in large numbers in the 1950s and '60s. In keeping with tradition, the two main branches of Islam today are "Sunni" and "Shi'ite."

Beginning in the '70s and '80s Islam re-emerged as a potent political force, associated with both reform and revolution. Given the large number of adherents, it is no surprise that Muslims incorporate a broad and diverse spectrum of positions in regard to liberalism and democracy. Some are secularists who want to disengage religion from politics. Others are reformers, who re-interpret Islamic traditions in support of elective forms of government. Still there are others who reject democracy entirely.

THE SHARIAH. Islam has two sources of authority. The first is the word of God given in the Qur'an. The second is the "sunnah," the body of traditions that preserves the words and conduct of Prophet Muhammad. Muslim scholars use these sources to understand the principles of the Shariah, an Arabic word that means "the way that leads to God." It refers to the divinely revealed and inspired Islamic law that plays a central role in the lives of Muslims throughout the world.

Scholars recognize four main sources for interpreting the Shariah and applying it to daily life. They are (1) the Qur'an, (2) the sunnah, (3) extending the reasoning of previous laws to new situations, and (4) the views of Muslim scholars and jurists.

In theory, all Islamic law is divine in origin. In practice, however, most sources of Muslim law are found in the sunnah rather than the Qur'an, particularly in the part of the hadith that reflects Muhammad's interpretation of the Qur'an's rulings. The practice of deriving present-day laws from the sources of the Shariah is called "fiqh." There are several schools of fiqh, each named after the founder of a method of interpretation. Although most Muslims agree about the major points of Islam, differences do exist, based on the opinions of the different schools of fiqh.

ETHICS AND MORALS. Actions in Islamic law are judged on five values: (1) obligatory (required), (2) recommended, (3) neutral, (4) disapproved, and (5) forbidden. Most religious duties, such as the Five Pillars, are obligatory. Anyone who fails to perform them may be punished by God or the Islamic state. For example, in many Muslim countries, refusal to fast during Ramadan may result in fines or imprisonment. In some Muslim countries, special organizations ensure that people make their five daily prayers at the proper time and follow accepted standards of dress and behavior.

Most actions in Islamic law are not obligatory. People who fail to perform acts that are recommended or neutral are seldom punished. Most acts that are clearly forbidden are mentioned in the Qur'an. They include adultery, gambling, cheating, consuming pork or alcoholic beverages, and lending money at interest. The Qur'an details severe punishments for such crimes as murder, theft, and adultery. Crimes are punished harshly because they violate not only the rights of the victim, but also the commands of God. The Qur'an seeks to lessen the severity of these punishments, however, by urging Muslims to practice mercy and not yield to revenge.

ISLAMIC VIRTUES. Islam teaches respect for parents, protection for orphans and widows, and charity to the poor. It also teaches the virtues of faith in God, kindness, honesty, hard work, honor, courage, cleanliness, and generosity. Heads of families must treat household members kindly and fairly. A wife has rights against her husband and may sue for divorce in cases of physical abuse, lack of financial support, or the inability to produce a child. Islam also teaches that a person must not refuse requests for help, even if they seem unnecessary.

SECTS OF ISLAM. There are three historic sects in Islam. The great majority of Muslims belong to the Sunni sect. Sunni Muslims call themselves by this name because they claim to follow the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. They follow a traditional and widely-held interpretation of Islam.

Most of the conservative Muslims that Westerners call "fundamentalists" are Sunnis. Like fundamentalists of other religions, these Muslims follow a strict approach to religion. They reject modern and popular interpretations of Islamic law, which they view as too permissive. They insist instead on precise adherence to the Qur'an and hadith, as they interpret those writings. Many Muslims dislike the name "fundamentalists," however.

The next largest sect in Islam is the "Shiah," whose members are called "Shi'ites." Shi'ite Muslims honor Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet, and Ali's descendants, whom they believe should be the leaders of the Muslim community. "Shiah" comes from the Arabic phrase "shiah Ali," meaning "supporters of Ali."

The largest group of Shi'ites are the Imami Shiah. They are also known as the "Ithna Ashari," or "Twelvers." They see authority as residing in 12 Imams, starting with Ali, who was born in about 600, and ending with Muhammad al-Mahdi, who was born in about 868. They believe this last Imam is still alive, in a miraculous state of concealment from human view. He will return at the end of time to restore justice on Earth.

A small group of Shi'ites, known as the "Ismaili Shiah," broke away from the Imamis circa 700 AD. One group of Ismailis, known as the "Nizaris," still follow an Imam called Aga Khan IV, who lives in France.

Today, the "Kharijites" make up the smallest division of Islam. Their name is based on an Arabic word that means "secessionists." They received this name because they were former followers of Ali who broke away in 657 AD. Kharijites are strict Muslims whose beliefs are based on precise adherence to the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah as their community interprets them. They are most noteworthy for their belief in equality under God.

In the first centuries of their existence, they elected their leaders and proclaimed that the best Muslim should lead his fellow believers, even if he was a slave. In some Kharijite communities in Algeria, female scholars and religious leaders serve the needs of women, while male scholars and religious leaders serve the needs of men.

Muslims believe that God had previously revealed Himself to the earlier prophets of the Jews and Christians, such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims therefore accept the teachings of both the Jewish Torah and the Christian Gospels. They believe that Islam is the perfection of the religion revealed first to Abraham (who is considered the first Muslim) and later to other prophets...

I admit that I had a limited understanding of Islam before your informative post, and I am sure that I am still ignorant about a lot of it. But...to what I have just read, all I can say is WOW! I will not stoop to calling your faith obsurd (as you did christianity) but it is clear that it is FAR from perfect.

Do your research (if you haven't already) and tell me what proof anyone has that the Prophet Mohammad was not just an intelligent writer whom used what HE thought were the best tenents of the Bible and Torah to form HIS own religion for no other reason than to have a lasting legacy?

What is the difference between him and L. Ron Hubbard who created the Church of Scientology?

Like Jesus, Muhammad is a prophet of God...

And your source for believing Muhammad was a prophet comes from what?

What proof do you have?

The Holy Qur'an.

The Holy Qur'an could possibly be just a book that he decided to write because he felt like he could fuse the Bible and the Torah and make a better religion and to make himself great.

L. Ron Hubbard did the same thing (although he had money as his motive) and people believe in it with all of their hearts and a large percentage of their money.

Do you have any other proof besides the Qur'an?

The Holy Qur'an could possibly be just a book that he decided to write because he felt like he could fuse the Bible and the Torah and make a better religion and to make himself great.The above caviling statemtent indicates that you don't read my threads, A007. If you did, you would have known that Prophet Muhammad (saw) could not read nor write...

L. Ron Hubbard did the same thing (although he had money as his motive) and people believe in it with all of their hearts and a large percentage of their money.I'm not familiar with Hubbard.

Do you have any other proof besides the Qur'an?I don't need any other proof...

" The above caviling statemtent indicates that you don't read my threads, A007. If you did, you would have known that Prophet Muhammad (saw) could not read nor write..."

Then who was the co-author(s)? Someone had to write it down.

"Don't need any other proof..."

So isn't it unfair for you to ask everyone else to have proof of the validity of their respective faiths?

And the statement that you don't need any other proof suggests that you had some in the first place....I submit that you do not. Feel free to prove me wrong.

The above caviling statement indicates that you don't read my threads, A007. If you did, you would have known that Prophet Muhammad could not read nor write...Then who was the co-author(s)? Someone had to write it down.Bilal the Abyssinian, an African who was the first muezzin, was also the Prophet's personal secretary. He wrote what was recited to him. The word "Qur'an" means "recitation."

I don't need any other proof...So isn't it unfair for you to ask everyone else to have proof of the validity of their respective faiths?You're beginning to sound silly, A007. Who else have I asked? Have I ever asked you for proof?

And the statement that you don't need any other proof suggests that you had some in the first place...I submit that you do not. Feel free to prove me wrong.The idiocy of your comments amazes me! My statement was that like Jesus, Muhammad was a prophet of God. Then you queried: "And your source for believing Muhammad was a prophet comes from what?" I said the Holy Qur'an. You then queried: "Do you have any other proof besides the Qur'an?" I said I don't need any other proof. Now you proffer the above fallacious statement, which not only proves that you're wrong, but confused as well...

There is some debate if Mohammed really recieved his divine inspiuration from Jabril,or possibly his wife khadijah,who was Christain could have taught him many things.

Mohammed himself was a member of the qurash,and a illiteratew bedouin,somewhere out of nowhere writes down a book like the Quran.

Another thoeory is that Khadijah had a copusin named waraqa,who was either a Coptic Chiristain or a Nesotrian who talked to mohammed and revelaed the message to him.

The person who was said to have wrote down the Quran was a man named Zaid Ibn Thabit,who was mohammed right hiand man.

Islam is nothing more than Arabian Christainty,which replaces the stories of the bible with a Arabian slant to them.

Little do Muslims know that there are Ancient Kemetian influences in the Quran,just like there is in within the bible,which is probally nothing more than a rip off of kemetian spirtality.

The opening Sura of the Quran is called Fattah,which means the Opener.

In the kemetian cosmology Ptah is called the opener,and inventor of the Opening of the mouth celebration.

The judgment of the quran is exactly like the weighing the feather of Maat,which can be seen on the papyrus Of ani.

Sopdet:

The two foundations of Muslim faith are God's revelations to Muhammad, known as "the Qur'an," or "recitation"; and the reports about Muhammad's life and deeds, which are known as the "hadith," from the Arabic word for "report." The central miracle of Islam is Allah's revelation to Muhammad, whose human fallibilities as a mere mortal are repeatedly mentioned in the Holy Qur'an.

The revelations that comprise the Qur'an were revealed over a period of more than two decades in two places. The first revelations from the period of Muhammad's residence in Mecca are short and incantatory verses of extraordinary poetic beauty. The later revelations from the period after Muhammad immigrated to Medina are longer, legalistic texts, appropriate to a developing community of believers in need of rules and regulations.

Prophet Muhammad and his followers initially committed the revelations to memory, but as these revelations grew in number and complexity, some were probably written down on whatever materials were at hand. After the Prophet died, his followers were pressed to preserve the purity of the revelations and began to write down as many of them as possible. According to the traditional view, a uniform written text of the revelations to Prophet Muhammad was collected and collated some twenty years after his death.

The Qur'an as a book is comparable in length to the Gospels. It contains 114 chapters (each called in Arabic a "sura") of varying length. It opens with the "Fatihah," a beautiful short prayer that serves as an invocation in many situations:

"1. In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

2. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.

3. The compassionate, the merciful.

4. Master of Judgement Day.

5. You alone we worship, and to You alone we pray for help.

6. Guide us in the straight path.

7. The path of those whom You have favored.

8. Not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray."

The other chapters of the Qur'an follow in descending order of length, from the 286 verses of the second chapter, "al-Baqarah" (i.e., "The Cow,") to the final two chapters, which are short prayers of a few lines. The chapters are thus arranged neither in the order in which the verses were revealed nor in a narrative sequence.

The Qur'an, as God's literal word, can only be comprehended in the majestic and glorious Arabic language in which it was revealed. The necessity of reading the Qur'an in Arabic has meant that all believers should learn the language in order to understand the scriptures. This requirement has created a linguistic bond among believers, particularly as Islam spread beyond the boundaries of Arabia to regions inhabited by speakers of other languages. Having learned to use Arabic as the language of religion, the new converts also used it as a language of literature, science, commerce and social intercourse.

The primacy of Arabic as the language of Allah's revelation has also helped to preserve the purity of the Arabic language, for Muslims constantly call to mind the noble and magnificent words and phrases of the Qur'an. Although the Arabic language has evolved over the fourteen centuries since the Qur'an was revealed, it has not changed as much as English has changed in the six centuries since the time of Chaucer.

Finally, the primacy of the Arabic language has encouraged the spread and use of the Arabic script, which is known and used from the shores of the Atlantic to the Pacific to render a variety of languages, including Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, Pashto, Kashmiri, Urdu, Sindhi, Ottoman Turkish, Chaghatay, and Malay.

The second basis of Muslim faith is the example of the Prophet. As the perfect Muslim, Muhammad served and still serves as the model for all believers. His sayings and deeds were remembered by his associates and preserved in the "Traditions," known in Arabic as "hadith." These Traditions normally take the form of a chain ["so-and-so heard from so-and-so, who heard from so-and-so, that the Prophet said (or did)"], followed by a report of what the Prophet said or did.

The hadith came to be considered second in authority to the Qur'an, and also helps explain and elaborate the circumstances under which obscure passages in the Qur'an were revealed. The hadith were transmitted orally for several generations before being written down, beginning in the 8th century.

By the 9th century the jurist, al-Shafii (d. 820) came to consider the "sunnah", or "customs of the Prophet," the second most important root of Islamic jurisprudence after the Qur'an. Together the Qur'an and the hadith, along with consensus and analogy, make up the "Shariah," the rules and regulations that govern the day-to-day lives of Muslims.

Muslims believe that God had previously revealed Himself to the earlier prophets of the Jews and Christians, such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims therefore accept the teachings of both the Jewish Torah and the Christian Gospels. They believe that Islam is the perfection of the religion revealed first to Abraham (who is considered the first Muslim) and later to other prophets.

Muslims believe that Jews and Christians have strayed from God's true faith, but hold them in higher esteem than pagans and unbelievers. They call Jews and Christians the "People of the Book" and allow them to practice their own religions. Muslims believe that Muhammad is the "seal of the prophecy," by which they mean that he is the last in the series of prophets God sent to mankind. Muslims abhor the followers of later prophets. This attitude serves to explain the extreme Muslim animosity toward Bahais, followers of a 19-century prophet, who in the Muslim mind is false.

"You're beginning to sound silly, A007. Who else have I asked? Have I ever asked you for proof?"

Oh forgive me...sence you are spliting hairs...I believe your exact words are "What is the source of your information"
Well I propose the same question to you about Muhammad being a Prophet. The Qur'an can not be the source of information for him being a Prophet because he (and his co-authors) wrote the book. The equilvilant would be Jesse Jackson writing a book in which he states that he is a Prophet...and people saying "we know he is a Prophet because his book says he is". So...I reiterate "And the statement that you don't need any other proof suggests that you had some in the first place...I submit that you do not. Feel free to prove me wrong." ...just admit that you have no proof and you would just like to believe that Muhammad was a Prophet because your "faith" tells you to.;)

See I used to be a muslim myself,but once I started studying about history and how many flaws both the Torah and the quran had I deicded to give it up.

I am oroiginally from Egypt by the way,and my grandmother was a Coptic Christain,whose family was forcefully converted.


I know all about Islam.

Sopet----

I commend you for your willingness to be open about your faith.

May I ask what you practice now...and what are beliefs?

''May I ask what you practice now...and what are beliefs?''

Right know I am just spirtual,not relgious.

I don't pratice any faith right know,but i do like the faith of my ancestors which is the ancient kemetian relgion.

Sopdet--

"Right know I am just spirtual,not relgious."

Very commendable :toast:

So isn't it unfair for you to ask everyone else to have proof of the validity of their respective faiths?You're beginning to sound silly, A007. Who else have I asked? Have I ever asked you for proof?

Oh, forgive me...since you are splitting hairs...I believe your exact words are "What is the source of your information?"Find out what the information was about and where it is, then gimme a holla...

Well, I propose the same question to you about Muhammad being a Prophet. The Qur'an cannot be the source of information for him being a Prophet because he (and his co-authors) wrote the book."It is qute evident that you don't read, A007. I told you that Prophet Muhammad could not read nor write. Bilal the Abyssinian, an African who was the Prophet's secretary, wrote down what was recited to him by the Prophet...and these writings eventually became the Holy Qur'an.

And furthermore, isn't the Bible - which says that Jesus Christ is the son of God - your source of information? Who wrote it? King James was a flaming homosexual!

So, I reiterate: And the statement that you don't need any other proof suggests that you had some in the first place...I submit that you do not. Feel free to prove me wrong...just admit that you have no proof and you would just like to believe that Muhammad was a Prophet because your 'faith' tells you to."I am aghast in stupefaction at the absurdity of your request. My faith comes from the Qur'an. Doesn't yours come from the Bible?

I don't have time to reply yet...but I will..but for the record my faith comes from God not any particular Book.

And who told you about God?

"Find out what the information was about and where it is, then gimme a holla... "
What are you talking about? I am saying that on a number of occasions you have asked me and others what is the source of our information.

I am aghast in stupefaction at the absurdity of your request. My faith comes from the Qur'an. Doesn't yours come from the Bible?
You have been aghast in stupefaction a few times now :lol:

Yes I got my first lessons about God from the Bible. But, the differences between you and me are: I don't claim any MAN made religion to be perfect. I won't defend any book that has obvious flaws (including the Bible) with frustration, anger, and hatred because ANY time man is involved their will be mistakes (including in the Qur'an) My belief is in God and his love period. The Torah and the Bible seem to be more credible to me because they are the culmination of many authors whose comman goal (even if it was flawed in some aspects) was to glorify God and help others do the same. TO ME the Qur'an is one mans' motive to create his own legacy by declaring he was a Prophet. All I have done was ask you (and other supposed Muslim scholars) why they believe Muhammad was prophet if the only evidence of him being so is a Religion and subsequent Book (Qur'an) that were created by him.
And...what I get from you and other practioners of Islam in response is...HATE. Is it a coincedence that ALL of the Muslims that I have had this discussion with exhibit hate when confronted with the real possiblity that Islam could less divine than they think?

How did Jesus get to be the son of God?

The same way anyone gets to be the son of their father?

Not according to the Bible...

Find out what the information was about and where it is, then gimme a holla...What are you talking about? I am saying that on a number of occasions you have asked me and others what is the source of our information.Only when you make irrational statements that are not supported by facts.

I am aghast in stupefaction at the absurdity of your request. My faith comes from the Qur'an. Doesn't yours come from the Bible?

[quote=A007]You have been aghast in stupefaction a few times now.Yes, several times now...many of your comments lead me to believe that you are suffering from ontological prevarication, which can lead to terminological ineptitude. A learned fool is more foolish than an ignorant one...

Yes I got my first lessons about God from the Bible. But the differences between you and me are: I don't claim any MAN-made religion to be perfect. I won't defend any book that has obvious flaws (including the Bible) with frustration, anger, and hatred, because any time man is involved their will be mistakes (including in the Qur'an).

My belief is in God and his love, period. The Torah and the Bible seem to be more credible to me because they are the culmination of many authors whose common goal (even if it was flawed in some aspects) was to glorify God and help others do the same.

TO ME the Qur'an is one man's motive to create his own legacy by declaring he was a Prophet. All I have done was ask you (and other supposed Muslim scholars) why they believe Muhammad was a prophet if the only evidence of him being so is a religion and subsequent book (Qur'an) that were created by him.

And...what I get from you and other practioners of Islam in response is...HATE. Is it a coincidence that ALL of the Muslims that I have had this discussion with exhibit hate when confronted with the real possiblity that Islam could less divine than they think?I do not believe in the non-constructive, self-destructive emotion known as "hate." Therefore, it is impossible for me to "hate" either another human, or, for that matter, any human cultural construction despite the fact that I might not be in agreement with it. I believe in solutions, and solutions are rooted neither in hate nor love, but rather actions buttressed by intelligent decision...

"Only when you make irrational statements that are not supported by facts."

Name ONE statement of mine that was irrational or not supported by fact!!! And you haven't offered ANY facts that point to Muhammad being anything other than a self-proclaimed prophet.

"Yes, several times now...many of your comments lead me to believe that you are suffering from ontological prevarication, which can lead to terminological ineptitude. A learned fool is more foolish than an ignorant one..."

You're still upset huh? :lol: Name one time I have avoided the truth ,and why are you concerned with terminology? I believe.. in your haste to flex your (imagined) intellectual prowess, you are using big words that look good on the screen but have nothing to do with our debate.

"I do not believe in the non-constructive, self-destructive emotion known as "hate." Therefore, it is impossible for me to "hate" either another human, or, for that matter, any human cultural construction despite the fact that I might not be in agreement with it. I believe in solutions, and solutions are rooted neither in hate nor love, but rather actions buttressed by intelligent decision..."

Well...it is hard to tell you feel this way when I am in the midst of insults and intent to defame simply because I offer challenges that you are not equipped to deal with. So...maybe Hate is a strong word but there is definate dislike...for no reason I might add. Your intelligent decision appears to be attacking me rather than dealling with the issues which prevents us from reaching any solutions.

I will not stoop to calling your faith absurd (as you did Christianity)...You have proffered another falsehood, A007, for I did not call Christianity "absurd." What I DID say was that becoming a Christian does not refer to a belief that a certain man was killed by a mob in order that our sins might be forgiven. In fact, that is utter nonsense, for it would make null and void the law of cause and effect, and contradict – point blank – the Biblical declaration that “we must work out our own salvation.”

I will stand on the merits of my statement and say nothing further re: your deviate interpretations of my words and phrases...

But it is clear that it (Islam) is FAR from perfect.And on what profound clarity do you base your frivolous claim?

Do your research (if you haven't already) and tell me what proof anyone has that the Prophet Muhammad was not just an intelligent writer who used what HE thought were the best tenets of the Bible and Torah to form HIS own religion for no other reason than to have a lasting legacy.Do you have proof of this?

What is the difference between him and L. Ron Hubbard, who created the Church of Scientology?What is the difference between Jesus and L. Ron Hubbard?

Name ONE statement of mine that was irrational or not supported by fact!!!Both of your above statements are irrational and not supported by fact...none whatsoever.

And you haven't offered ANY facts that point to Muhammad being anything other than a self-proclaimed prophet.Your farcical claim is refuted in several of my threads and posts on Islam in this forum. Have you offered ANY facts that prove your charge that Prophet Muhammad is a "self-proclaimed prophet"?

Many of your comments lead me to believe that you are suffering from ontological prevarication, which can lead to terminological ineptitude. A learned fool is more foolish than an ignorant one...
You're still upset huh? Name one time I have avoided the truth, and why are you concerned with terminology?"Upset??? Puhleeaaaze!! You're not qualified. And you certainly make it a point to avoid answering many of my questions. Btw, the word "terminological" is not to be confused with terminology. It refers to something being terminal...

I believe...in your haste to flex your (imagined) intellectual prowess, you are using big words that look good on the screen but have nothing to do with our debate.I don't have to "flex" anything, A007...and they relate to our dialogue when interpreted correctly...

I do not believe in the non-constructive, self-destructive emotion known as "hate." Therefore, it is impossible for me to "hate" either another human, or, for that matter, any human cultural construction despite the fact that I might not be in agreement with it. I believe in solutions, and solutions are rooted neither in hate nor love, but rather actions buttressed by intelligent decision...Well...it is hard to tell you feel this way when I am in the midst of insults and intent to defame simply because I offer challenges that you are not equipped to deal with. So...maybe hate is a strong word but there is definite dislike...for no reason I might add. Your intelligent decision appears to be attacking me rather than dealing with the issues which prevents us from reaching any solutions.You haven't offered any challenges that I wasn't equipped to deal with. In fact, I have dealt with all your so-called challenges. And, like you, I don't insult. And yes, some of your comments seem to defame the religion of Islam intentionally, and no Muslim in the world would like that. I don't arbitrarily "attack" you. In fact, you do most of the attacking. You introduced it. And can you honestly deal with issues that prevent us from reaching any solutions? What solutions would you like to reach?

A007:"Do your research (if you haven't already) and tell me what proof anyone has that the Prophet Muhammad was not just an intelligent writer who used what HE thought were the best tenets of the Bible and Torah to form HIS own religion for no other reason than to have a lasting legacy."

Aqil: Do you have proof of this?

First I asked you a question..i didn't make a statement.

Second, No I don't have any proof....Do you?

Aqil:"What is the difference between Jesus and L. Ron Hubbard?"

Jesus did not write, commision, or propose a religion. Both L. Ron Hubbard and Muhammed did. Now I understand that Muslims believe they were the words of Allah not Muhammed but the only basis for that belief comes from the book co-authored by Muhammed.

Aqil:" You haven't offered any challenges that I wasn't equipped to deal with. In fact, I have dealt with all your so-called challenges. And, like you, I don't insult. And yes, some of your comments seem to defame the religion of Islam intentionally, and no Muslim in the world would like that. I don't arbitrarily "attack" you. In fact, you do most of the attacking. You introduced it. And can you honestly deal with issues that prevent us from reaching any solutions? What solutions would you like to reach?"

You still have not given me any reason to believe Muhammed was a prophet other than what comes from his own mouth...that is not dealing with a challenge.

Are you seriously saying you have never insulted me??? should I cut and past all of them?

I have never defamed Islam unless you call my opinion of it not be perfect as defaming it. I have only attacked you once and it was in defense of myself ...in which case i still should not have retaliated...for that I apologize.

I am not sure what solution I would like because I am still trying to gather information...but you keep answer questions with questions. I believe all I am looking for is a statement from you that acknowledges that Islam is based on your belief in Muhammed's words being the words of Allah delivered by Gabriel which is not based on fact...but FAITH ...just like everyone esles respective beliefs in their relgions. And if they are ALL based on FAITH not fact how is it possilbe for one to be Perfect?

Do your research (if you haven't already) and tell me what proof anyone has that the Prophet Muhammad was not just an intelligent writer who used what HE thought were the best tenets of the Bible and Torah to form HIS own religion for no other reason than to have a lasting legacy.Do you have proof of this?

First I asked you a question...I didn't make a statement.Well, I'll be!...You didn't ask me a question...there is no question mark in your statement. And you DID make a statement. You said: "Tell me what proof anyone has that the Prophet Muhammad was not just an intelligent writer who used what HE thought were the best tenets of the Bible and Torah to form HIS own religion for no other reason than to have a lasting legacy."

That's not a question...that's an impossible request...

Second, no I don't have any proof...do you?No one in the world has any, A007...

As long as you know its impossible to come up with proof my point has been proved. And I agree no one has any proof, So we are all left with what we believe because of FAITH not fact.

Let me clear up something...you said:

"Tell me what proof anyone has that the Prophet Muhammad was not just an intelligent writer who used what HE thought were the best tenets of the Bible and Torah to form HIS own religion for no other reason than to have a lasting legacy.

Second, no I don't have any proof...do you?"

To which I responded: "No one in the world has any, A007..."

My point is this: Like you, no one in the world can prove that Prophet Muhammad was "just an intelligent writer who used what he thought were the best tenets of the Bible and Torah to form his own religion for no other reason than to have a lasting legacy." That is your admittedly baseless opinion, and no matter how much evidence is presented here that says and/or proves otherwise - and both Matchbook Lady and I have done so - it is quite evident that you never intended to change your admittedly baseless opinion...

LMAO...I am completely open to changing my opinion..but contrary to your belief you nor Matchbook lady have given me any basis to change my opinion.

I agree that my opinion is baseless..it,however, did not start out as an opinon...it started out as a question and became an opinion because no one (including the Muslims I talk to in person) could provide any proof that what I said was not true.

So...your opinion/belief is JUST AS BASELSS AS MINE.

"My point is this: Like you, no one in the world can prove that Prophet Muhammad was "just an intelligent writer who used what he thought were the best tenets of the Bible and Torah to form his own religion for no other reason than to have a lasting legacy."

Like you no one in the world can prove that he wasn't.

First of all your last sentence is a joke...I am Muslim, and I believe that Allah (swt) is the Creator of the Universe and all that is contained therein. I believe that Prophet Muhammad (saw) is the Messenger of Allah (swt), and I believe in Qur'an, the Muslim holy book...

La ilaha illa Allah wa Muhammadan rasulu-'lah.

Originally posted by A007
"My point is this: Like you, no one in the world can prove that Prophet Muhammad was "just an intelligent writer who used what he thought were the best tenets of the Bible and Torah to form his own religion for no other reason than to have a lasting legacy."

Like you no one in the world can prove that he wasn't. I, along with over 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, reject your baseless opinion. We believe what the Holy Qur'an says...that Allah is God...and that Prophet Muhammad is His Messenger...

You believe in God but you don't know why...you have no references...:(

I understand that Muslims reject my opinion and I respect the rejection of it on the basis of FAITH not fact as you and many other Muslims try to represent it.

You all believe the Holy Qur'an because you want to...not because of any independant facts that prove that it is Holy and that is completely commendable but still only based on Faith. Which is all I base my opinon on ...Faith.

LOL...sure I know why I believe in God. I believe in God because I have Faith that he exists and is perfect because there is no other explanation for our knowledge of pefection.

This comes from the writings of Socrates, De'carte, Hume, the Bible, the Torah, the Qur'an, and any other book that gives information about the Lord our God.

If you mean that I have no references because I don't hold the opinion that any scripture, book, or account is perfect, infallibale, and the only way to salvation, then you are correct I don't have any references. However, I don't need one specific "holy" book or religion to further my quest to be God-like. I only seek to be perfect in my love of God, my fellow man/woman, and myself. In this quest ALL knowledge and ALL perspectives of God is necessary including but not limited to Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Morman, Jehovah's witness, Yahwehism, Buddist, and any other information I can get.

Peace

I'm in the midst of the post I said I'd deliver....yet, from ur last post, I have an essential question:

What is it that makes you want to disprove a person when s/he says that a specific religion is perfect?? Cuz, u see, Islam does not say that ONLY Islam is perfect...Islam contends that Christianity, Zorostarianism (spelling?), Judaism, and the spirituality that the Sabians practiced, as well as other spiritualities/religions are perfect...as they were revealed from God...you see, many people think that Islam is exclusive, but in fact, it is INCLUSIVE....

We (Muslims), say that Islam is perfect because it is the essence of all these religions...yet, we don't say it is the only way to salvation...indeed, we do not.....Salvation is only for God to dole out....for all I know, Jeffrey Dahmer (the man who ate people), could receive salvation, while I may not...that is for NO human to judge...it is God's choice and His Alone...Islam recognizes that, but as I said, Islam is the essence of all the religions propagated (is that the right term?) by all 124,000 prophets and the countless messengers and guides that have been sent to mankind....

Also, we believe that the Qur'an is the direct Word of God......as I said, if you look at EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ARABIC QUR'AN, you will see they are all identical..whether it's one in Indonesia, or one across the world in Vancouver, B.C, Canada....look at an edition printed in the 1700s and look at an edition printed yesterday....they will be identical...look at historic Arabic calligraphy of the Qur'anic words, and you will see they are identical to the Qur'an as well..the only change would be the font, not the words....this is the miracle of the Qur'an, brother....Allah has promised man that His word would never be changed, and it has not...HISTORY has proven this to be so...ask any noted historian and they will tell u the same....this is ONE piece of physical evidence of the truth of the Qur'an that goes beyond the "faith" aspect....

Now, you (i believe it was you) say that the Qur'an was written 200 years after the death of the Prophet (pbuh). This would make your theory that the Prophet (pbuh) had written the Qur'an to perserve his own legacy null and void, for he would have been dead....yet, the Qur'an was revealed over a span of 23 years, and it was transcribed by those Companions who would be present when he related the Revelations, or were even there as the Revealation happened, since MUHAMMAD (PBUH) WAS ILLITERATE...he could not even write his own name...(the Qur'an was also learned verbatim by the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh), literate and illetarate alike...those who were literate transcribed it, those who weren't transmitted it via oral means VERBATIM) the poetic nature of the Qur'an, the linguistics of it, make it impossible for a man of Muhammad's(pbuh) limited literary knowledge of the time to have composed it....so that furthur negates the theory of this man leaving his legacy....Islamic tradition also teaches that no pictures should portray any of the Prophets of Allah (pbuh) and early Jews, Christians, Muslims, and especially Muhammad (pbuh), because he is NOT to be worshipped, as no one else is either..none but GOD....pictures (photographs) are different because they actually show what you look like and are a historical documentation of your appearance...but for someone to paint a picture of Jesus or Muhammad (PBUT) when they do not know what these individuals looked like is wrong....but I digress....

Another fact about the Qur'an that proves its truthfulness and its
"holiness", for lack of a better word, that is independent of faith is the fact that the Qur'an has MANY scientific facts that were not discovered till at least the 1600s....in fact, the stages that the embryo goes through when in the womb were not discovered till late in the 1900s, yet the Qur'an tells of them!!! Many scientists have become Muslims because of that fact alone!! and I'm talking about scientists who had been athiests..........


Now, I see that Aqil, you and I are going back and forth....seems like the evidence that you perceive to be accurate, we do not agree with and vice versa...seeing as how you do not know TOO much about Islam, it's almost funny that there is this constant back and forth.....

as I said I am in the middle of that post I told you I'd wright to "shut you down" (hehehehe, need some humour somewhere, nahmean?)....I can finish it...but now that I've thought about it...because these public forums tend to get hostile and people get emotional and say things, I am proposing that you and I, or you and Aqil, or however you want, can continue this communication on an Instant messenger or through e-mail...it would make for faster communication, and you/I/Aqil can make pointed questions that can be directly answered...lol, this whole quoting things is making my eyes hurt....if not, I shall continue finishing this post...it's really up to you......

My contacts are as follows...
E-Mail: matchbooklady@hotmail.com
yahoo: angenda827
AIM: angenda7

Peace

Peace A007,

I got your e-mail and have responded...


Peace

Matchbook Lady, I think that if you decide to end the debate because some people can't handle diverse opinions would be a great disservice to those among us who are reading and learning so much from the dialogue. I hope you reconsider and decide to continue posting messages on all the threads here. :(

And don't forget that we have voice chat where these types of discussion can occur real time.

www.BlacMic.com Our own voice chat 24/7 It's a nice alternative and compliment to the forums. I hope you all give it some serious consideration--we would love to have you all join us!

:)

Peace,

Alright then, I'll continue...however, it won't be directed to A007 any longer...he and I are dealing with subjects in e-mail.....maybe we'll post those up as a dialogue as well...the voice chat thing is definitely a good idea..you will have to give me time....I have half a post all done up, but I have to finish it, and things getting a bit busy over here....

A007,

How is Jesus distinct from Buddha, Muhammad, Socrates, Hume, De'carte in your view?

and...

Do you believe he is the ONLY way of knowing the Love and the Will of God?

madd respect to you.

Jesus is distinct because he never once sinned. He is the son of God and was perfect in his life on earth.

I don't believe the Jesus is the only way of knowing the love and will of God. However, I do believe that in the end one will have to reconcile his/her life through Jesus as atonement for respective sins because I don't believe works and/or deeds are enough.

Just my belief.

thanks for responding.

Through whom or what do you think is another way of knowing the love and will of God?

I believe anyone who seeks the knowledge and grace of God may do so through study and prayer.

The many different religions are evident that man wants salvation and through different forms and rituals will try to attain it. In most cases IMHO when God is sought God reveals himself. We may have different ways of worshiping and different schools of thought as to how we should live but, God is ultimately the focus and the subsequent reward.

Back to the topic of my thread:

THE TENETS OF ISLAM

ISLAM is the name given to the religion preached by the Prophet Muhammad (saw) circa 600 AD. Islam is an Arabic word that means "surrender" or "submission." God is called Allah in the Arabic language, which means, "The God." A person who submits to Allah and follows the teachings of Islam is called Muslim.

For the Muslim, Allah is unique and without equal. They attempt to think and talk about Allah without either making Him into a thing or a projection of the human self. The Qur'an (Muslim holy book) avoids this by constantly shifting pronouns to discourage believers from inadvertently deifying Allah and creating any physical image of Him.

In contrast to many other religions, the basic practice of Islam is simplicity itself. The believer worships Allah directly without the intercession of priests or clergy or saints. The believer's duties are summed up in five simple rules; The Five Pillars of Islam: Belief, Worship, Fasting, Almsgiving, and Pilgrimage.

The first pillar of Islam is for the believer to testify, in Arabic, that "There is no God but the God and Muhammad is His Messenger." This phrase, known as the Shahada, or "profession of faith," is central to Islam, for it affirms both Allah's oneness and the central role of the Prophet. The Shahada appears in daily life in many different ways - from being proclaimed in the call to prayer to being inscribed on flags and coins.

In contrast to the Judeo-Christian tradition, which exhorts believers not to take the Lord's name in vain, Muslims constantly call on Allah by name in all sorts of situations. For example, when beginning any activity, one might say "Bismillah" ("in the name of God") or when admiring something, one might say "al-hamdu lillah" ("praise be to God").

The second pillar of Islam is to worship Allah five times a day — at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and nightfall. To do so, the believer washes according to a particular ritual and prostrates himself/herself on the ground in the direction of Mecca, while reciting certain phrases. This rite takes only a few minutes to perform and can be done anywhere. Worshippers are summoned to prayer by a muezzin, who calls the faithful together by saying (in Arabic):

1. "God is great." (four times)
2. "I testify that there is no god but God." (twice)
3. "I testify that Muhammad is God's Messenger." (twice)
4. "Come to prayer." (twice),
5. "Come to salvation." (twice)
6. "God is great." (twice)
7. "There is no god but God."

(For the dawn prayer, the muezzin adds, after the second "Come to salvation," the phrase, "Prayer is better than sleep" twice.)

Muslims believe that the call to prayer by the human voice distinguishes Islam from Judaism, which uses the shofar, or ram's horn, and Christianity, which uses the bell. The first muezzin was Bilal, an Abyssinian African slave who was one of the first converts to Islam.

In addition to the five daily prayers, all male believers are enjoined to gather together on Friday for the noon prayer and listen to a sermon, called a "khutbah" in Arabic, by the leader of the community. The rules for women's attendance at Friday worship have varied over time and place. In many places today, women also attend Friday worship, although they are segregated from the men and pray behind, beside or above them. As the ruler's name is traditionally invoked in the sermon, the khutbah became an important sign of the ruler's authority.

The third pillar of Islam is to abstain from food and drink, as well as smoking and conjugal relations, between sunrise and sunset during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month in the Muslim calendar. Abstinence during Ramadan brings Muslims to greater awareness of Allah's presence and helps them acknowledge their gratitude for Allah's provisions in their lives.

It serves to heighten a sense of community among believers as Muslims around the world join together in the performance of this ritual. The Arabic word "ramadan" comes from a root meaning "to be hot" and suggests that the month originally fell in the summer. But, as Muslims follow the Islamic lunar calendar, the month of fasting can come at any time during the year.

To distinguish themselves from the Jews, Christians and pagan Arabs, Muslims measure their year by the cycles of the Moon rather than the Sun, so the Muslim lunar year is eleven days shorter than the Christian solar year. Muslims are forbidden to adjust their year by adding an extra month, as the Jews do to keep their lunar calendar synchronized with the seasons. Hence, the months of the Muslim year do not relate to the seasons.

The Ramadan fast starts at dawn, defined as the moment when the human eye can distinguish a white thread from a black one, and ends at dusk, when the eye is again no longer able to distinguish the difference. The end of the month of Ramadan is always marked by a feast, known as the "Eid al-Fitr," or the "breaking-of-the-fast" feast.

The fourth pillar of Islam is to give alms to the poor. Muslims are supposed to donate a fixed amount of their property to charity every year. Many pious individuals, from the mightiest rulers to modest merchants, give money to help out the less-fortunate by establishing soup kitchens, hospitals, schools, libraries, mosques, and the like.

One of the most common forms of charity in medieval Islamic cities was to establish a public-drinking fountain, where fresh, sweet water was distributed freely to all passers-by. Such a drinking fountain was commonly known as a "sabil," from the common Arabic expression "fi sabil allah," literally meaning "in the path of God" and referring to doing something for God charitably or disinterestedly.

The fifth Pillar of Islam is to undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in one's lifetime, if one is able, during the first days of Dhu'l-Hijja, the twelfth month of the Muslim calendar. People who have performed this pilgrimage, called in Arabic "hajj," earn the epithet "Hajji," which is a title of great respect [e.g., El-Hajji Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X)].

Before entering Mecca, the pilgrim dons a special garment made of two seamless white cloths. The ceremonies of the pilgrimage are associated with the prophet Abraham and center on the Kaaba, which Muslims believe to be the house that Abraham erected for God. The pilgrimage then moves to Arafat, a plain some twelve miles east of the city, where the ceremonies culminate on the tenth day of the month in the "Feast of the Sacrifices." Livestock is sacrificed in commemoration of Abraham's readiness to offer his first-born son Ishmael, and the meat is distributed to the poor. This event is also known as the "Great Feast," and it usually lasts three or four days.

In contrast to the spontaneous cheer with which people celebrate the end of Ramadan, the celebration of the Great Feast is a more solemn holiday. Although a visit to the Prophet's masjid and gravesite in Medina is not an official part of the pilgrimage, most pilgrims include it in their trip.

The two foundations of Muslim faith are God's revelations to Muhammad, known as "the Qur'an," or "recitation"; and the reports about Muhammad's life and deeds, which are known as the "hadith," from the Arabic word for "report." The central miracle of Islam is Allah's revelation to Muhammad, whose human fallibilities as a mere mortal are repeatedly mentioned in the Holy Qur'an.

The revelations that comprise the Qur'an were revealed over a period of more than two decades in two places. The first revelations from the period of Muhammad's residence in Mecca are short and incantatory verses of extraordinary poetic beauty. The later revelations from the period after Muhammad immigrated to Medina are longer, legalistic texts, appropriate to a developing community of believers in need of rules and regulations.

Prophet Muhammad (saw)and his followers initially committed the revelations to memory, but as these revelations grew in number and complexity, some were probably written down on whatever materials were at hand. After the Prophet died, his followers were pressed to preserve the purity of the revelations and began to write down as many of them as possible. According to the traditional view, a uniform written text of the revelations to Prophet Muhammad (saw) was collected and collated some twenty years after his death.

The Qur'an as a book is comparable in length to the Gospels. It contains 114 chapters (each called in Arabic a "sura") of varying length. It opens with the "Fatihah," a beautiful short prayer that serves as an invocation in many situations:

1. In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

2. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.

3. The compassionate, the merciful.

4. Master of Judgment Day.

5. You alone we worship, and to You alone we pray for help.

6. Guide us in the straight path.

7. The path of those whom You have favored.

8. Not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.

The other chapters of the Qur'an follow in descending order of length, from the 286 verses of the second chapter, "al-Baqarah" (i.e., "The Cow,") to the final two chapters, which are short prayers of a few lines. The chapters are thus arranged neither in the order in which the verses were revealed nor in a narrative sequence.

The Qur'an, as God's literal word, can only be comprehended in the majestic and glorious Arabic language in which it was revealed. The necessity of reading the Qur'an in Arabic has meant that all believers should learn the language in order to understand the scriptures. This requirement has created a linguistic bond among believers, particularly as Islam spread beyond the boundaries of Arabia to regions inhabited by speakers of other languages. Having learned to use Arabic as the language of religion, the new converts also used it as a language of literature, science, commerce and social intercourse.

The primacy of Arabic as the language of Allah's revelation has also helped to preserve the purity of the Arabic language, for Muslims constantly call to mind the noble and magnificent words and phrases of the Qur'an. Although the Arabic language has evolved over the fourteen centuries since the Qur'an was revealed, it has not changed as much as English has changed in the six centuries since the time of Chaucer.

Finally, the primacy of the Arabic language has encouraged the spread and use of the Arabic script, which is known and used from the shores of the Atlantic to the Pacific to render a variety of languages, including Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, Pashto, Kashmiri, Urdu, Sindhi, Ottoman Turkish, Chaghatay, and Malay.

The second basis of Muslim faith is the example of the Prophet. As the perfect Muslim, Muhammad served and still serves as the model for all believers. His sayings and deeds were remembered by his associates and preserved in the "Traditions," known in Arabic as "hadith." These Traditions normally take the form of a chain ["so-and-so heard from so-and-so, who heard from so-and-so, that the Prophet said (or did)"], followed by a report of what the Prophet said or did.

The hadith came to be considered second in authority to the Qur'an, and also helps explain and elaborate the circumstances under which obscure passages in the Qur'an were revealed. The hadith were transmitted orally for several generations before being written down, beginning in the 8th century.

By the 9th century the jurist, al-Shafii (d. 820) came to consider the "sunnah", or "customs of the Prophet," the second most important root of Islamic jurisprudence after the Qur'an. Together the Qur'an and the hadith, along with consensus and analogy, make up the "Shariah," the rules and regulations that govern the day-to-day lives of Muslims.

Muslims believe that God had previously revealed Himself to the earlier prophets of the Jews and Christians, such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims therefore accept the teachings of both the Jewish Torah and the Christian Gospels. They believe that Islam is the perfection of the religion revealed first to Abraham (who is considered the first Muslim) and later to other prophets.

Muslims believe that Jews and Christians have strayed from God's true faith, but hold them in higher esteem than pagans and unbelievers. They call Jews and Christians the "People of the Book" and allow them to practice their own religions. Muslims believe that Muhammad is the "seal of the prophecy," by which they mean that he is the last in the series of prophets God sent to mankind. Muslims abhor the followers of later prophets. This attitude serves to explain the extreme Muslim animosity toward Bahais, followers of a 19-century prophet, who in the Muslim mind is false.

Islam, followed by more than a 1.2 billion people today, is the world's fastest growing religion, and will soon be the world's largest. The 1.2 billion Muslims make up approximately one quarter of the world's population, and the Muslim population of the United States now outnumbers that of Episcopalians.

The most populous Muslim countries are Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. The number of Muslims in Indonesia alone (175 million) exceeds the combined total in Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran, the traditional heartlands of Islam. The Muslim population of the West African country of Nigeria exceeds the Muslim population of all the Arab countries combined!

There are also substantial Muslim populations in Europe and North America, whether converts or immigrants who began arriving in large numbers in the 1950s and '60s. In keeping with tradition, the two main branches of Islam today are "Sunni" and "Shi'ite."

Beginning in the '70s and '80s Islam re-emerged as a potent political force, associated with both reform and revolution. Given the large number of adherents, it is no surprise that Muslims incorporate a broad and diverse spectrum of positions in regard to liberalism and democracy. Some are secularists who want to disengage religion from politics. Others are reformers, who re-interpret Islamic traditions in support of elective forms of government. Still there are others who reject democracy entirely.

THE SHARIAH. Islam has two sources of authority. The first is the word of God given in the Qur'an. The second is the "sunnah," the body of traditions that preserves the words and conduct of Prophet Muhammad. Muslim scholars use these sources to understand the principles of the Shariah, an Arabic word that means "the way that leads to God." It refers to the divinely revealed and inspired Islamic law that plays a central role in the lives of Muslims throughout the world.

Scholars recognize four main sources for interpreting the Shariah and applying it to daily life. They are (1) the Qur'an, (2) the sunnah, (3) extending the reasoning of previous laws to new situations, and (4) the views of Muslim scholars and jurists.

In theory, all Islamic law is divine in origin. In practice, however, most sources of Muslim law are found in the sunnah rather than the Qur'an, particularly in the part of the hadith that reflects Muhammad's interpretation of the Qur'an's rulings. The practice of deriving present-day laws from the sources of the Shariah is called "fiqh." There are several schools of fiqh, each named after the founder of a method of interpretation. Although most Muslims agree about the major points of Islam, differences do exist, based on the opinions of the different schools of fiqh.

ETHICS AND MORALS. Actions in Islamic law are judged on five values: (1) obligatory (required), (2) recommended, (3) neutral, (4) disapproved, and (5) forbidden. Most religious duties, such as the Five Pillars, are obligatory. Anyone who fails to perform them may be punished by God or the Islamic state. For example, in many Muslim countries, refusal to fast during Ramadan may result in fines or imprisonment. In some Muslim countries, special organizations ensure that people make their five daily prayers at the proper time and follow accepted standards of dress and behavior.

Most actions in Islamic law are not obligatory. People who fail to perform acts that are recommended or neutral are seldom punished. Most acts that are clearly forbidden are mentioned in the Qur'an. They include adultery, gambling, cheating, consuming pork or alcoholic beverages, and lending money at interest. The Qur'an details severe punishments for such crimes as murder, theft, and adultery. Crimes are punished harshly because they violate not only the rights of the victim, but also the commands of God. The Qur'an seeks to lessen the severity of these punishments, however, by urging Muslims to practice mercy and not yield to revenge.

ISLAMIC VIRTUES. Islam teaches respect for parents, protection for orphans and widows, and charity to the poor. It also teaches the virtues of faith in God, kindness, honesty, hard work, honor, courage, cleanliness, and generosity. Heads of families must treat household members kindly and fairly. A wife has rights against her husband and may sue for divorce in cases of physical abuse, lack of financial support, or the inability to produce a child. Islam also teaches that a person must not refuse requests for help, even if they seem unnecessary.

SECTS OF ISLAM. There are three historic sects in Islam. The great majority of Muslims belong to the Sunni sect. Sunni Muslims call themselves by this name because they claim to follow the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. They follow a traditional and widely-held interpretation of Islam.

Most of the conservative Muslims that Westerners call "fundamentalists" are Sunnis. Like fundamentalists of other religions, these Muslims follow a strict approach to religion. They reject modern and popular interpretations of Islamic law, which they view as too permissive. They insist instead on precise adherence to the Qur'an and hadith, as they interpret those writings. Many Muslims dislike the name "fundamentalists," however.

The next largest sect in Islam is the "Shiah," whose members are called "Shi'ites." Shi'ite Muslims honor Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet, and Ali's descendants, whom they believe should be the leaders of the Muslim community. "Shiah" comes from the Arabic phrase "shiah Ali," meaning "supporters of Ali."

The largest group of Shi'ites are the Imami Shiah. They are also known as the "Ithna Ashari," or "Twelvers." They see authority as residing in 12 Imams, starting with Ali, who was born in about 600, and ending with Muhammad al-Mahdi, who was born in about 868. They believe this last Imam is still alive, in a miraculous state of concealment from human view. He will return at the end of time to restore justice on Earth.

A small group of Shi'ites, known as the "Ismaili Shiah," broke away from the Imamis circa 700 AD. One group of Ismailis, known as the "Nizaris," still follow an Imam called Aga Khan IV, who lives in France.

Today, the "Kharijites" make up the smallest division of Islam. Their name is based on an Arabic word that means "secessionists." They received this name because they were former followers of Ali who broke away in 657 AD. Kharijites are strict Muslims whose beliefs are based on precise adherence to the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah as their community interprets them. They are most noteworthy for their belief in equality under God.

In the first centuries of their existence, they elected their leaders and proclaimed that the best Muslim should lead his fellow believers, even if he was a slave. In some Kharijite communities in Algeria, female scholars and religious leaders serve the needs of women, while male scholars and religious leaders serve the needs of men...

Originally posted by ifasehun:
lol........uh, i didnt say copy and paste 'em from somewhere. lmao.This thread is also on Afrocentriconline, ifasehun, and I posted it on The Black Portal several years ago. Check and see...it might still be there...

Islam - followed by more than a 1.6 billion people today - is the world's fastest growing religion, and will soon be the world's largest. The 1.6 billion Muslims make up approximately one quarter of the world's population, and the Muslim population of the United States now outnumbers that of Episcopalians.

The most populous Muslim countries are Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. The number of Muslims in Indonesia alone (175 million) exceeds the combined total in Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran, the traditional heartlands of Islam. The Muslim population of the West African country of Nigeria exceeds the Muslim population of all the Arab countries combined!