 What do
Muslims believe? |
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Read this short primer which explains the 5 fundamental
tenets and beliefs of the Islamic faith. |
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Who is
Allah? |
| Allah is the Arabic word for God. You
will notice the two words are used interchangeably on this
Web site. Arab Jews and Arab Christians also use the word
Allah for God. |
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What is
the Qur'an? |
| Qur'an is the complete compilation of
the revelation of Allah to Muhammad; some of it revealed
through the angel Gabriel, other portions revealed directly
to the prophet. |
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How do
you become a Muslim? |
| To become a
Muslim you must testify that: "There is no God but Allah,
and that Muhammad is the messenger of God" (La
ilaha il Allah, Muhammad -ur-Rasool-Allah).
This is called the "shahada," or
declaration of faith. |
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Does
Islam condone terrorism? |
| No. The Qur'an specifically prohibits
the killing of innocent people. Chapter 5, verse 32 of the
Qur'an states, "We ordained for the Children of Israel that
if any one slew a person -- unless it be for murder or for
spreading mischief in the land -- it would be as if he slew
the whole people; and if any one saved a life, it would be
as if he saved the life of the whole people." |
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What is
jihad? |
| The greater jihad is the ongoing
struggle within one's own soul to be a better person: to
ward off temptation, to do the right thing, follow one's
conscience and God's commandments and develop a closer
relationship with Allah. The lesser jihad is the considered
response to attack with self-defense. |
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Are all
Muslims Arab? |
| No. Only about 15 percent of the
estimated 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide are Arab. According
to the Muslim Journal, 30 percent of Muslims live in
the Indian subcontinent, 20 percent live in sub-Saharan
Africa, 17 percent live in Southeast Asia, and 10 percent
live in the former Soviet states. There may be as many as 50
to 70 million Muslims in China, alone. |
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Why do
women cover their hair? |
| The Qur'an enjoins Muslim men and
women to be modest in dress and behavior, and discourages
the provocative sexual display of their bodies. Qur'an
chapter 24, verses 30-31, adds that women should let down
their "head coverings over their cleavages." Some scholars
interpret this verse mentioning head covering -- which was
the traditionally worn headgear of both men and women of the
time and culture -- as meaning that women should cover their
hair. Verse 60 of the same chapter 24 says that there is no
sin in post-menopausal women "putting off" their clothes,
since they may not be sexually provocative by doing so.
(Also,
explore the web site of the Muslim Women's League for more
background on women and Islam) |
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Who do
Muslims pray towards to? |
| No one else but
Allah (Arabic for God). |
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Who is
the prophet Muhammad? |
| The prophet Muhammad was born in about
570 A.D., on the Arabian peninsula, in the city of Mecca. He
grew to be a successful businessman who was known for his
trustworthiness and his spiritual searches. Muslims believe
that when he was 40 years old, Muhammad was meditating in a
cave outside of Mecca when the angel Gabriel appeared to
him. In a series of encounters that took place over 22
years, Gabriel began orally revealing the Qur'an to the
prophet. These revelations were memorized and written down
as the Qur'an. Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last in
the line of prophets beginning with Adam, and including
Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, and Jesus. |
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How many
Muslims are there in the United States? Where are they from? |
| Estimates range that between five to
12 million Muslims live in the United States. About
one-third of them are African-Americans. Another third are
originally from the Indian subcontinent, including Pakistan,
India and Bangladesh. The last third include Arab
immigrants, Latinos, other European and Caucasian Muslims,
and converts to Islam. The first Muslims to come to the
Americas were brought as slaves. The first mosque built in
America was in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. |
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Where is
Mecca and why is it important? |
| Mecca is a city near the western coast
of Saudi Arabia, approximately a 45-minute car ride east of
Jeddah. Muslims believe that the prophet Abraham founded the
town of Mecca when he deposited his son, Ishmael, with his
mother Hagar, in what was then a desolate valley. When
Ishmael grew up, Abraham came to Mecca and there they laid
the foundation for and built the first house of worship
dedicated to the one God. This building is the Kaaba.
Muslims worldwide face toward the Kaaba when they pray. When
Muslims make their pilgrimage they stop at Mecca to
circumambulate the Kaaba before heading outside the city to
the plain of Arafat. Mecca is the city of birth of the
prophet Muhammad. |
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What do
Christianity, Judaism and Islam have in common? |
| Judaism, Christianity and Islam share
a joint legacy of Biblical tradition through the Hebrew
Bible; Christianity and Islam continue that sharing through
the New Testament. The three faiths share many of the same
prophets, all acknowledging a common parent in Abraham. All
ascribe similar attributes to God, including creator,
sustainer, judge, and forgiver. The three faiths believe God
is both omnipotent and omniscient. The kinship of these
faiths continues through ethical principles, including
respect for life, respect for parents, and a work ethic that
includes giving charity, doing good, and avoiding evil. |
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What
does Islam say about Jesus? |
| According to Ira Zepp in A Muslim
Primer, "Islam thinks very highly of Jesus, more highly
than any other religion does, save Christianity." In the
Qur'an, Jesus is called "Messenger," "Messiah," "Son of
Mary," "Word of God," and other titles of reverence.
According to Zepp, a Christian minister, "Jesus is
considered the most significant prophet (rasul) next
to Muhammad. A cardinal tenet of Islam's faith is belief in
Jesus; you cannot be a Muslim without honoring Jesus as a
revelation from God." |
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How
many Muslims are in the world? |
| Today's world
population is at approximately 6 billion. Out of that around
30% are Christians, 20% Muslim, and other (.4% Jews) |
