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Q: What is Islam?
A: Islam is simply defined as a state of peace achieved through submission to God. It is not a new religion. It is the same truth that God revealed to all His prophets throughout history. Islam is a religion that facilitates achieving a spiritually rich and meaningful life. We follow a religion of peace, mercy and forgiveness.
Q: What are the "Five Pillars" of Islam?
A:
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* The Declaration of Faith -
This consists of affirming that "There is nothing worthy of worship but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God."
* Prayer -
Muslims perform five obligatory prayers each day. Prayers are a direct link between the worshiper and God, as Islam has no hierarchical authority or priesthood. A learned Muslim chosen by each congregation leads the prayers.
* Zakat -
One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God and that wealth is held in trust by human beings. Zakat, or charitable giving, "purifies" wealth by setting aside a portion for those in need. This payment is usually two and a half percent of one's savings.
* Fasting -
Every year in the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from first light until sunset. The fast is another method of self-purification.
* Pilgrimage -
A pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj, is an obligation for those who are physically and financially able.
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Q: Who are Muslims?
A: A Muslim is a follower of the Islamic faith and one who aspires to achieve the state of submission to God as a lifelong quest. There are an estimated 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide. The country with the largest Muslim population is Indonesia.
Q: What do we believe?
A: We believe in One, Unique, and Incomparable God. We believe in the Day of Judgment and individual accountability for actions. We believe in the angels. We believe in a chain of prophets beginning with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, David, Solomon, and Jesus. God's eternal message was reaffirmed and finalized by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on them all). Prophets in Islam are not worshiped, nor are they considered the founders of the faith. One becomes a Muslim by saying, "There is nothing worthy of worship but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God." By this declaration, the person attests to the belief in the Almighty Creator, as well as announces acceptance of all of God's messengers. Muslim and Christian Arabs use the word Allah when referring to God. Allah is not the "Muslim God," but is God Almighty, the Creator of the universe.
Q: What is the Qur'an?
A: The Qur'an is the revealed scripture of Muslims, i.e. God Almighty's guidance to us revealed through the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. It was memorized by Muhammad and then dictated to his companions. The text of the Qur'an was crosschecked during the life of the Prophet. The 114 chapters of the Qur'an have remained unchanged through the centuries. The original revelation of the Qur'an was in Arabic, and interpretations of the meaning are available in almost every language.
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Q: How do Muslims use the terms "Islamic" and "Muslim"?
A: Islam is often mistakenly thought of as a religiously defined culture. In other words, the religion and the culture are treated identically. It is important to understand that as with other religions, adherents to Islam are from many cultures. Islam therefore should be considered the religion, and Muslims considered as being of diverse cultures. It is this phenomenon that unfortunately gives way to the erroneous use of the adjectives "Islamic" and "Muslim". "Islamic" should only be paired with what pertains directly to the faith and its doctrines (e.g. Islamic holiday, Islamic doctrine, and Islamic beliefs). "Muslim" should be used to denote the works and acts of Muslims or groups of people and their institutions (e.g. Muslim women, Muslim civilization, and Muslim architecture). The terms are all too frequently misused. For example the phrases "Islamic clothing", "Islamic culture" and "Islamic food" have no real meaning. In the worst case, the inappropriate use of the word Islamic can create an oxymoron (e.g. Islamic terrorist (peaceful terrorist) or Islamic militant).
Q: Are the words "Muslim" and "Arab" synonymous?
A: No. Not all Muslims are Arab, just as not all Arabs are Muslim. In fact, Arabs are a minority within the Muslim world. According to modern usage, "Arab" is a linguistic, not an ethnic, designation. Arabs are Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, as well as adherents of other religions.
Q: What about the Muslim American community?
A: There are an estimated 7 million Muslims in the United States. The Muslim community in the United States is made up of people from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and national origins. There are almost 2,000 mosques, Islamic schools, and Islamic centers in the United States. Muslims are active in all walks of life. The number of adherents to Islam in the United States is second only to the number of adherents to Christianity.
Q: What about Muslim women?
A: Islam reinforces the dignity and inherent worth of every human, male or female. If a particular society oppresses women, it does so in spite of Islam, not because of it. Men and women are to be respected equally. In Islam, the expectation of modesty in both dress and conduct applies to women and men equally.
Q: What is Jihad?
A: Literally, jihad means to strive, struggle and exert effort. It is a central and broad Islamic concept that includes struggle against weaknesses within oneself, struggle to improve the quality of life in society, as well as struggle in self-defense, for justice, and against oppression. The term "holy war" cannot be found in the Qur'an or the Prophet's sayings (hadith). There is no such thing as "holy war" in Islam; rather, it is a medieval concept that did not arise from within the Muslim community. More correctly, the term "holy war" was used to rally the troops in Europe who were summoned to travel eastwards to fight non-Christians, termed infidels, in the Crusades.
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Muslim Websites
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