Answers to 100 Frequently Asked Questions About Muslims Introduction ING has been delivering educational presentations about Muslims and their faith for nearly two decades. The following are answers to some of the most common and challenging questions that ING and its affiliates across the country have encountered over the past 20 years. While many of the answers address issues that are well established because of a clear citation in the Quran or hadith (prophetic sayings)-such as the six major beliefs or the five pillars-others focus on areas that are more open to interpretation. These answers reflect the fact that Islamic doctrines are the product of a dynamic conversation among Muslim scholars as well as between the scholars and the laity who apply these rulings, rather than a fixed set of answers and regulations. [Read more] Like other faith traditions, Muslim scholars have developed varied positions and responses to the numerous questions and issues that have been raised and discussed over the past 1400 years in the various lands where Islam was practiced. These different perspectives and resulting practices are partly because of the diversity within the Muslim community in terms of geography, ethnicity, culture and epoch. These differences also reflect Muslim scholars long tradition of recognizing the diversity of peoples, circumstances and the opinions that should reflect that reality as well as our shared humanity. While Muslim scholars may or may not agree on a particular position, they share a common view of what are considered valid sources, and correct ways of using those sources to arrive at doctrine. As a result, our answers often reflect the reality that Islamic teachings often have no single correct answer, but multiple opinions with some being more widely supported than others. We refer to those dominant opinions as mainstream or normative. Additionally, there are new realities and issues that are specific to the time and place experienced by American Muslims today, who are the main focus of INGs work. These issues cannot always be addressed by the laws of past eras or different cultures in Asia or Africa. Here, we attempt to address these questions and in a way that is both authentic, yet compatible with the realities of American Islam in the 21st century. The following questions are actual questions that are repeatedly asked of our speakers in an educational setting where we supplement curriculum relating to Islam and Muslims in the context of world history, social studies or cultural diversity programming. Answers are revealed by clicking on each question and concealed by clicking again on the question GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT ISLAM 1. What is the difference between the words Islam, Islamic, Muslim, and Arab? Islam Islam is the name of a religion, as Christianity and Judaism are names of religions. In Arabic the word Islam is commonly translated as submission or surrender to God or peace. Combining both translations results in the combined meaning peace through following Gods guidance. For Muslims, this is the goal and objective of Islam: to first establish peace within oneself by following Gods commandments, and as a result to interact peacefully with ones family, neighborhood, city, etc and to work towards a peaceful and just society. Islam is considered a way of life for Muslims because it includes beliefs, practices, and good works in all aspects of a persons life. Islamic Islamic is an adjective that modifies a non-human noun, for example, Islamic art, Islamic architecture, Islamic beliefs, etc. This term should not be used to refer to a person. Muslim A follower of Islam is called a Muslim. More commonly, a Muslim is defined as a person who believes in the oneness of God and the prophethood of Muhammad. Arab While the term Arab has been used in the past to reference members of an ethnic group from the Arabian Peninsula, today, the word Arab refers to people from Arabic-speaking countries, most of which are in the Middle East and North Africa. The term Arabian was historically used to describe an inhabitant of the Arabian Peninsula. Today Arabian is used as an adjective to describe a non-human noun (eg, Arabian coffee); it should not be used to refer to people. 2. What does Islam teach? Islams primary message is a continuation of the monotheistic, Abrahamic traditions belief in one God. The three major dimensions of Islam include: beliefs, ritual practices, and doing good works. There are six major beliefs in Islam. There are also five central practices which are referred to as the Five Pillars. The last dimension of Islam focuses on good works and excellence in character in both ones spiritual relationship with God as well as in ones everyday actions. 3. What are the major beliefs of Muslims? The six major beliefs in Islam are: belief in God; belief in angels; belief in Gods prophets / messengers; belief in Gods revelations in the form of holy scriptures sent to the messengers; belief in an afterlife which follows the Day of Judgment on which people will be held accountable for their actions and compensated accordingly in the afterlife; and belief in Gods divine will and His knowledge of what happens in the world. 4. How do Muslims practice their faith? Muslims practice their faith in many different ways, but the major practices are known as the Five Pillars, which include: the profession of faith, namely that there is only one God, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God; the five daily prayers; required annual donation in the amount of 2.5% of ones excess wealth; fasting during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan; and making a pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime, if one is mentally, physically and financially able. 5. What are the primary sources of knowledge about Islam? The primary sources of knowledge about Islam are the Quran, which Muslims believe to be the divinely revealed word of God, and the Sunnah, which refers to the example or precedent of the Prophet Muhammad (ie, what he said, did, approved , disapproved, caused, ordered, or allowed to happen). Much of what is known about the Sunnah is from the collection of sayings or reports known as hadith, or prophetic tradition. The hadith describe actions of the Prophet Muhammad or actions that his companions attributed to his teachings. Hadith also elaborate and provide context to the Quran. In addition to these primary sources, Muslims have also traditionally relied on the following: Scholarly consensus which basically means that knowledgeable scholars agree upon a particular issue that is not addressed specifically in the previously mentioned; primary sources; and analogical reasoning, which means applying principles or laws derived from the Quran and Sunnah to similar situations not explicitly addressed by them. For Shias, the rulings of the twelve imams are also considered a primary source. THEODICY (Argument in defense of Gods goodness despite the existence of evil.) 6. Why do some people suffer so much in this life especially the innocent such as children? Muslims believe that God tries people in different ways, through both hardship and ease. While the cause of suffering is not always evident, the way that people respond to difficulty is a test of their moral fiber. Responding to hardship with patience and fortitude is a virtue for which Muslims believe a great reward is promised in this life and the afterlife. Additionally, there may be a silver lining behind every difficulty. For instance, major disasters often bring out the best in people, inspiring them to perform remarkable acts as they respond to a personal or anothers hardship with compassion and courage. Muslims believe that they are responsible for coming to the aid of suffering people and will be held accountable in the afterlife for how they respond to those in need. Muslims also take comfort in their belief that life doesnt end after death. GOD 7. Gods love for humanity is a central theme in Christianity. Are there similar teachings in Islam? Actually, the Quran mentions Gods compassion and mercy 192 times, as opposed to Gods wrath, which is mentioned only 17 times. Two of Gods main attributes are the Compassionate and the Merciful. Both of these names denote Gods love and care for all creation. These are the two most often mentioned names of God since all but one of the 114 chapters in the Quran begin with In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. The Quran cites 99 different names or attributes of God, many of which also emphasize these characteristics, including the Loving, the Giving, the Forgiving and the Kind. 8. What do Muslims believe about angels? Angels are mentioned many times in the Quran and hadith (prophetic sayings). Unlike humans, angels are described as not possessing free will, but are assigned different duties. Two of the most prominent angels mentioned by name in the Quran are Gabriel (Jibril) and Michael (Mikhail). Gabriel is the angel of revelation and Michael is the angel of compassion. 9. What does Islam say about Satan? The word jinn refers to a third type of creation, in addition to humans and angels. Humans are said to have been made from clay, angels from light, and jinn from fire. While Islam teaches that some jinn are good and submit to God, it is believed that others, such as Iblis or Shaytan (Satan), try to tempt people to do evil, similar to the belief in Christian theology. PROPHETS 10. How do the stories of the prophets in Islam compare with those in Christianity and Judaism? The stories of the prophets in the Quran are similar to and often reflect the stories that are in the Bible. Some examples include: the story of Noah and his ark; the story of Abraham and Sarah and the birth of their son Isaac, who is also considered a prophet; the story of Jacob and his twelve sons, including Joseph, who is also considered a prophet; and the most oft-mentioned prophet in the Quran, Moses, and the story of his mission in Egypt to rescue his people. All of these stories are recounted throughout the Quran and bear striking similarity to Biblical versions with the main difference being the belief by Muslims that none of the prophets committed major sins. 11. Were there female prophets? Some Muslim scholars hold the view that there were female prophets. Two of the women regarded by these scholars as prophets are Asiyah, the wife of Pharaoh, and Mary the mother of Jesus, because they both received revelation from God. Whether one takes the position that they were prophets who brought a specific message to their people or not, Muslims revere them as two amongst the many righteous and saintly women mentioned in the Quran. MUHAMMAD 12. Why do you believe that the Prophet Muhammad is the final prophet? Because the Quran states that the Prophet Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets or the final prophet, and Muslims believe that the Quran is the revealed word of God that has been preserved in its original form. 13. Why cant you have images of the Prophet Muhammad? Why the uproar over the Danish cartoons or the recent film? Out of a sense of great respect, Muslims generally refrain from depicting the Prophet Muhammad and actually all the previous prophets, including Abraham, Moses, or Jesus, who are all highly revered in Islam. This is a position similar to Rabbinic Judaism and a number of other anti-iconic Christian denominations. But the issue with both the Danish cartoons and the film was that they did not merely portray the Prophet Muhammad - they did so in an offensive and provocative manner. While Muslims believe in the right to freedom speech, note that even under the US Constitution, there are limits on speech that balance ones right to free speech against the rights of others, including limits on the lewd and obscene, the profane, the libelous , and the insulting or fighting words - those which by their very utterance inflicted injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace. (Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942) 62 S.Ct. 766, 769.) This is why people generally avoid racist or anti-Semitic speech or representations. Additionally, in most Muslim countries, as in many countries throughout the world, control of speech is regulated by the government (ie. China, Russia), which is why many Muslims wrongly assumed that the US government supported the film. At the same time, reacting to such representations with violence or other extreme actions contravenes the very example of the Prophet Muhammad and Islamic teachings which prohibit such behavior. Every American Muslim organization and Muslim leaders worldwide condemned these attacks and offered condolences for the death of the American ambassador, who was a much loved friend of Arabs and Muslims. The following week in Benghazi, thousands marched to protest the militants. It is important to note that the attacks on the embassy in Libya and the resultant deaths have been called into question by both Libyan and American officials as having been a pre-planned attack by militants, rather than a reaction to the film. Many pundits have also opined that the reaction to the film was as much in response to American foreign policy that in the Muslim world has been viewed as anti-Muslim for a long time, as to the film itself. Specific issues often cited are continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that have killed thousands of civilians, long time US support for dictators in many Muslim countries, and other foreign policy issues. It has also been pointed out by multiple sources that the numbers of people taking part in the largely non-violent protests that followed the initial ones in Egypt and Libya were a small fraction of the total population, and far less than the huge numbers of people who rallied for weeks and months against their own rulers during the Arab Spring. At the same time period there were huge demonstrations in Russia against the Russian President Vladimir Putin, while thousands turned out in Portugal and Spain to protest austerity measures. 14. Jesus was a non-violent reformer while Muhammad fought in wars. Why the difference between Jesus and Muhammad in terms of their approach? While Jesus lived and interacted with others as a prophet and reformer, he did not embody the various roles exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad during his lifetime. The Prophet Muhammad, for example, held the positions of religious leader, husband, father, social reformer, statesman, judge, and military leader. This provides a complete picture of his actions under different circumstances. During the first thirteen years of Muhammads prophethood in Mecca, he did not fight back against the severe persecution of his followers, some of whom were killed while others were subjected to a severe boycott, had their property destroyed or confiscated, or were forced to emigrate . It was only after the Prophet Muhammad was in a position to defend his community without harming civilian populations that he responded to the Meccans. By then, the early Muslims had been forced to migrate to Medina, where hostilities against them continued by the Meccans who were threatened by their growing number and influence in the region. (Fighting to defend oneself against oppression or to prevent oppression against someone else is permitted in Islam, whereas fighting as an act of aggression is not.) 15. Why did the Prophet marry so many women? According to Islamic teachings, the Prophet Muhammad was married to only one wife during the prime of his life-from the age of 25 until he was over 50. In fact, his first wife Khadija was actually 15 years older than him, meaning she was 40 and he was 25 when they were first married. Only after Khadijas death did the Prophet Muhammad marry more than one wife, all but one of whom had been divorced or widowed. According to Muslim historians, these marriages were contracted to assist needy widows and divorcees, and to solidify the community of Muslims by forging alliances among the tribes in and around Medina. It is important to note that polygamy was prevalent in Arabia in the 7th century as it was in many cultures, as demonstrated by references in the Bible to polygamous marriages by many of the prophets or patriarchs. 16. Why did the Prophet Muhammad marry a nine-year old? If she was not nine, how old was she? Muslim scholars differ about the actual age of Aisha at the time of her marriage to the Prophet Muhammad. While some reports mention that she was nine, recent research suggests that she may have actually been closer to eighteen. Whatever her age, all scholars agree that she had reached puberty at the time of her marriage, since it is prohibited in Islam to have marital relations prior to that time. It is also important to note that any discussion about age and marriage in a pre-modern era needs to be understood in the context of the culture, time, and place. 1400 years ago, it was common for both genders to marry at puberty due in part to a much shorter life span than today. Since Aisha was betrothed to another person prior to her engagement to the Prophet Muhammad, and there are no records of any objection to the first engagement, this indicates that the practice of early marriage was common at the time. This is a practice that continued until the late 19th and early 20th century in much of the world, including Europe and North America. It may be of interest to note that Aisha became one of the most educated, outspoken, and influential women in early Islamic history about whom the Prophet Muhammad said: Take half of your religion from this young lady. JESUS AND MARY 17. What do Muslims believe about Jesus? Muslims greatly revere Jesus and believe that he was born to the Virgin Mary through a miraculous act of God, just as Adam was created by God without a father or mother. The Quran describes his conception and birth, as well as his many miracles such as healing the sick. The Quran also emphasizes that Jesus was a great prophet of God, as well as a messenger who received revelation from God, but that he was, like all other prophets, a human being. 18. Why does the Quran talk about Jesus more often than Muhammad? For Muslims, the Quran is not about any one person, but rather is considered to be a source of guidance from God to humankind. However, much of the Quran directly addresses the Prophet Muhammad, or relates events that happened to him and his followers, without mentioning his name (such as in Chapters Muzzamil, Muddathir, Dhuha, Inshirah, and Ya-Sin). Muslims believe that since the Quran was revealed after Jesus and previous prophets, part of the guidance conveyed by the Quran is related through the stories and teachings about these earlier prophets. The most frequently mentioned story in the Quran is the story of Moses and his liberation of the Children of Israel. The miracles of Jesus, Moses, David, Abraham, and all the other prophets are mentioned in the Quran as well. 19. What do Muslims believe about Mary? According to Islamic teachings, she is the Virgin Mother of the Prophet Jesus. An entire chapter in the Quran is named after her. The chapter called Mary (Maryam in Arabic) and other verses in the Quran emphasize her piety, righteousness and her role as example for all people, male and female. 20. Why is it that Muslims do not celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas? While many Muslims celebrate the period of the Prophet Muhammads birth with poetry, songs, and readings about his life and teachings, this observance does not have the same significance as Christmas for Christians (which celebrates what Christians believe to be the birth of the Savior and Redeemer of humankind). Similarly, Christians do not celebrate the births of the prior prophets mentioned in the New Testament. Muslims do commemorate the legacy of previous prophets by reading about their teachings and lives in the Quran and by saying, peace be upon them after their names. QURAN 21. Is the Quran only read in Arabic? No. Since only 20% of all Muslims are Arabs, the Quran has been translated into and is read in many other languages, with multiple English translations. However, because Muslims consider the original Arabic text to be the literal word of God, during ritual prayer, the Quran is recited in its original Arabic language (similar to some Catholic churches that still perform mass in Latin or synagogues that perform part of their prayer in Hebrew). In order to fully comprehend the Quran for instruction and spiritual enrichment, non-Arab Muslims also read the translation in their native language. PRAYER 22. What forms of prayer do Muslims practice? Muslims practice three forms of prayer: Salat (ritual prayer), Dhikr (remembrance of God, which is repeated a number of times), and Dua (supplication, or asking God for a need, desire, or for forgiveness). 23. How long does each prayer (Salat) take? Each prayer (Salat) lasts 5-10 minutes, depending on the prescribed length of the prayer and the number and length of Quranic verses recited. Other factors may also influence the length of time a Muslim prays, including the number of additional (non-obligatory) prayers one chooses to perform, and the pace at which one recites the Quran. 24. In large groups women pray behind men. Why is that? This is because the Muslim ritual prayer is very physical in nature, involving standing, bowing, and prostrating. People are supposed to stand side by side and shoulder to shoulder with those next to them. Most Muslims consider it distracting or immodest to have men and women praying side by side, or for women to prostrate in front of men. Therefore, for the sake of modesty, Muslim women either pray behind men, or parallel to men with a separation between them. The only mosque in which this does not apply is in the mosque built around the Kabah where men and women pray in circular formations around it. Muslims like to stress, however, that this separation only applies during congregational prayer or in the prayer hall of a mosque. Moreover, where people stand in prayer has no bearing on their status with God or each other. 25. How do very busy professionals (eg, firefighters) find the time to pray five times a day? Depending on their schedules, Muslims probably will not need to perform all five prayers while on the job since prayers are spread throughout the day. In addition, each of the five prayers has a window of time in which the prayer can be performed. This time frame extends from about one hour to as long as four hours depending on the specific prayer and the time of year, since the times shift depending on the season and length of day. However, if, for instance, Muslim firefighters are in the midst of fighting a fire and are unable to take a break to pray, they will perform the missed prayer as soon as they are able to, along with the next prayer. KABAH 26. What is the Kabah? The Kabah is the cube-shaped building covered with a black cloth in Mecca that Muslims believe was built as the first house of worship to God. Muslims throughout the world face towards the Kabah when they perform each of their daily prayers. 27. Who built the Kabah? Muslims believe that Adam built the original Kabah and that Prophets Abraham and his son Ishmael re-built and commemorated it as the first house of worship to God. DAY OF JUDGMENT 28. How will God determine who goes to heaven and hell? According to Islamic teachings, only God knows where a person will end up in the afterlife since only God knows a persons intentions, deeds, circumstances and limitations. In the Quran, two of Gods ninety-nine names include the Judge and the Just. Muslims believe that God will judge human beings according to His complete justice on the Day of Judgment based both on their beliefs and actions, taking into account the opportunities and abilities that He gave them. 29. If a person is a good person throughout their life, but does not believe in God, will he / she go to hell? According to Islamic teachings, God rewards whoever behaves righteously in this life. As for the afterlife, Muslims believe that God knows the innermost secrets of human hearts and He will judge everyone with absolute justice. FREE WILL 30. What good is free will if everything is predestined? If God already knows if we are going to heaven or hell, why doesnt He just put us there? According to Islamic teachings, unlike angels or animals, humans have the free will to choose to do good or evil in this life. Muslims believe that even though God knows peoples ultimate destination, they themselves do not have that knowledge. Therefore, whatever actions people commit are based on their free will for which they are held accountable. OTHER RELIGIONS 31. How does Islam view other religions? The Quran emphasizes the place and validity of prior religions: For each of them We have established a law, and a revealed way. And if God wished, God would have made you a single nation; but the intent is to test you in what God has given you. So let your goals be everything good. Your destiny, everyone, is to God, Who will tell you about that wherein you differed (Quran: 5:48). Additionally, the Quran recognizes the validity of previous prophets and scriptures including Abraham, Moses and Jesus and the holy books revealed to them. Previous religions are viewed as being rooted in the same primordial truths which were conveyed by the prophets or founders of all of major religions. At the same time, the Quran describes itself as the last and final message which confirms prior messages in the most complete form. However, Islam teaches that the salvation of all people-Muslims included-lies with God alone. 32. How does Islam view people of other religions? The Quran recognizes and respects the diversity of Gods creation, both in nature and among people and teaches that human differences-including religious differences-are part of Gods plan: And your Lord would have made humankind one people, had that been the divine will. (Quran, 11:118). Additionally, the Quran teaches that God gives humans the free will to choose their faith: ... For every community faces a direction of its own, of which He is the focal point. Vie, therefore, with one another in doing good works. Where ever you may be, God will gather you all unto Himself: for, verily, God has the power to will anything (Quran, 2:148). The Quran specifically refers to the followers of the previous Abrahamic holy books as People of the Book, generally interpreted to mean Jews and Christians, but expanded to include other faiths when Muslims encountered them in new lands. The Quran states, The Muslims, the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabians, any who believe in God and the last day and do good have their reward with their Lord. There is nothing for them to fear; they will not sorrow (Quran, 2:62) and in another verse ... among the people of scripture is a community that is upstanding; they read the signs of God through the hours of the night, prostrating themselves. They believe in God and the last day, and they enjoin what is fair and forbid what is repugnant, and they race to good deeds; they are among the righteous. And whatever good they do, they will not be denied it; God knows the conscientious (Quran, 3:113-115). Additionally Islam teaches that the salvation of all people-including Muslims-rests with God in the afterlife since He alone is the judge of all people and only He knows the content of peoples hearts. 33. Who do Muslims consider to be an infidel and how should they treat them? The term infidel did not come from the Muslims nor is it part of Islamic theology, but in fact originates in the 15th century from the Latin infidelis or the French infidele from in, meaning not, and fidelis meaning faithful. Today, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, an infidel is one with no religious beliefs; One who is an unbeliever with respect to some religions, especially Christianity or Islam; or of, or relating to unbelievers. While some people have translated or conflated the word infidel with the Arabic term kafir, it is not synonymous with the Arabic although some aspects are similar. The term kafir was originally defined as a person who rejects God or who hides, denies, or covers the truth. In the Quran, the term kafir is generally used to describe a person who not only rejects belief in Islam but also takes an antagonistic stance towards Islam and Muslims; the discourse is generally in the context of the Meccans who opposed and fought against the early Muslims. In most English translations of the Quran, the term kafir is generally translated as disbeliever, not infidel. In modern use, the word kafir is often used merely to mean a non-Muslim. Non-Muslims have the same right to be treated with respect and equality as a Muslim. 34. Why are there references in the Quran that are highly critical of Christians and Jews? Is that not equivalent to anti-Semitism? The Quran includes narratives about many historical figures and groups, including many of the same stories of prophets and people that are described in the Old Testament. The Quran, like the Old Testament is at times critical of some of the groups it describes as a means of conveying a moral lesson to later generations about a particular behavior or attitude. These include some Jews and Christians whom the Quran is critical of, not for their religion, but rather for behaving contrary to the principles of their own scriptures. The Quran similarly criticizes certain Muslim individuals or groups for their actions which also contradict religious teachings. Muslims view all these references as historical lessons from which to learn. It should be noted that the Quran also praises Christians and Jews who follow their own scriptures. Additionally, Christians and Jews are given the special status of People of the Book. More importantly, the Quran creates a framework for human dignity based on universal principles that transcend religion. 35. Does Islam teach the hatred or subjugation of non-Muslims? Most Muslim scholars and people do not accept the view that Islam teaches the hatred or subjugation of non-Muslims. Those scholars or individuals who do propagate this ideology are a minority in the global Muslim population, and are generally viewed as extreme in their interpretation of Islam. Most scholars teach that people of other faiths are free to practice their religion, and that it is forbidden to convert anyone by force. No.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 08:01:48 +0000
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