Is Islamic Fundamentalism a Code for Preying on the Weak

Many accuse all world religions for preying on the weak and further exploiting them using many tactics such as guilt to shape their minds into submission of the religious sect. Where as this has been documented throughout history, many still contend that religion is good as it is a bond, which holds together societies and civilizations with a code of conduct. Indeed, one cannot deny that is a said benefit of religion, yet it comes at the expense of the individual and freedom, civil rights and pursuit of happiness if it is abused. Recently this philosophical discussion came up in an online conversation and it was explored in detail and in every regard. One individual made an interesting statement and indicated that: “Islamic fundamentalism is code for preying on those who have very little in life and use it as an opportunity to spread an agenda.”

This is an astute observation indeed. And we must also realize that nearly any religion is a control mechanism where the individual is de-empowered and gives their life, tithing or commitment to the group, which is controlled by the leadership. Any religion like any human group needs to expand to remain a viable group and to do so without attrition must continue to exercise more control. We see this from Chimpanzee tribes to Mega Corporation, Dictatorships, religions and sports teams. So this should not surprise anyone. Think on this in 2006.

Jihad

Jesus spoke as much about Heaven as He did about Hell. What I would like to do is a little comparison of the Truth of the Bible over the Lies of The Jihad, as the Muslim Nations try to dominate the world with their false religion.

Islam believes that the world will eventually convert to Islam if all factions that are non-Islamic are removed [AKA, Killed]. To the Muslims the greatest threat to their world domination is Judaism and Christianity. Which both of these will eventually join together under one saviour Jesus Christ.

We will look at The militant interpretation of jihad, for it is the one that many are dieing for and of today. The militant interpretation of jihad, is to suggest a world-view in which hostile anti-Islamic forces [Judaism and Christianity.] are currently preventing Islam from realizing its full potential for peaceful global expansion--[Global Dominance]a world-view in which Islam will eventually be adopted by all mankind [Forced Upon] if these hostile forces [Jews & Christians] are confronted socially and militarily.

Offensive jihad is the waging of wars of aggression and conquest against non-Muslims in order to bring them and their territories [Conquer] under Islamic rule. This view is of forced servitude as with Hitler and Stallen. Having a view of God that is interpreted by a handful of men who will control all aspects of religion. The Saducies and Pharisees, lost power because of this same Ideology that the Muslims of Today are using.

"Offensive jihad" is, under classical Islamic law, a campaign that can only be declared by the lawful Islamic head of state, namely the Caliph. Breaking their own law for jihad there is no Caliph to ordane jihad. Tradition stipulates that while only the Caliph may declare an offensive jihad on another country, no authority is necessary for initiation of "defensive jihad" -- because, in this view, when Muslims are attacked, it automatically becomes obligatory for all Muslim men of military age, within a certain radius of the attack, to defend against any foreign attack (the size of the radius being determined by the military circumstances during the attack.) What is being waged today is not defensive jihad but murder. They do not attack military targets, as in real war, but they attack, women and children of all faiths.

The Qu-ran states that Jesus was a prophet from God, but they will not ad-hear to His teachings. Jesus Stated, very clearly; ”Mat 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” "It was mentioned by Daraj Ibn Abi Hatim, that Abu al-Haytham 'Adullah Ibn Wahb narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudhri, who heard the Prophet Muhammad (Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) saying, 'The smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode where there are eighty thousand servants and seventy two wives, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aqua-marine and ruby, as wide as the distance from al-Jabiyyah to San'a. Many of the men who are suicide bombers are brane washed into believing that sex from 72 wives will be their reward in Heaven. But Jesus Stated again; Luke 20:35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage.

If Islam believed that Jesus was a prophet from God, then why do they not believe Him. Isn't this the same as with the Pharisees ? Jesus is mentioned in the Qu-ran 28 times, as being a man of God a Prophet and as being strengthened in the Faith. Then why do they not believe Him?

Mat 21:24 - 27; And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

The Jihad, is an excuse for murder and mayhem. Christianity has survived many wars in the past and many attempts by the spirit of anti-christ to destroy it and Israel but we still stand. The Jihad is just another attempt by the spirit of anti-christ to gain control of all world afaires. Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

Rev 6:10-11 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

John 16:2-3 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

Islam And All Religions Teach Human Beings To Make A Peace In The World

In nowdays there are so much wrong coments about Islam and moslem. I have to say that it is not true that moslems are terorists. In fact, a terorism has no relationship with relogions, but it conected with politic, social and idilogy. Well, may be there are some moslem organizations that considered as terorist, for exemple alqoidah, but it does not mean that all moslems are terorists.

Allah The God says in Quran that every humanbeing has a freedom to believe or not in a religion.. The Propeth Muhammad, may Allah bless him forever, also said ( hadist ) that every moslem or believer has to love his neighbours, if he still can't do it , it means that his faith is not ferfect. It is wonderful, isn't it ?

In the bible Jesus also said that everyone has to love his neighbours as he love to him self. That is the second golden law. I am sure that all religions come from The God. So there is not religion that teach the follower to make destrucions in this world.

When Muhammad The Massanger lived in Madinah Al-Munawaroh, beside he is a propeth, he was also a leader of a country. May be in nowdays he was a president. His people containts of varity humanbeings. Majority of them are moslems, others are cristians, jaws and atc. He ordered to his own people like this :" Whoever attacks anyone 'zimmi citizen' ( the not moslem citizen but live in Madinah peacfuly ) it is just the same that he attacks me ". It proofs that Islam is just the same with another religions, It teach and order to make a peace.

Since now, Hi Ladies and Gentlemen, lets say to all humanbeings in this world to make a peace. Stop terorism, stop colonialism and also stop war. To Mr. President USA, please don't make a war anymore. To Alqoidah, please stop your terorism. Lets do what Allah order to us. To you Israel, stop your colonialism to Palestine. Give Palestine His own freedom.

Islam is More Than Just a Religion

Although many consider Islam a religion, indeed it is much more than that, as it is a way of life. Some have actually considered that point as well and even the devout say that it is more than a religion, more like a complete "operations manual" for those who follow it, to live their lives while on said planet. And in saying this, I am sure many will agree.

Although political correctness tells me to hold short of saying how messed up some of the customs and cultural traditions are, merely because I am not of that culture. Indeed each culture has different views of how to live their lives and there are as diverse as there are cultures.

Some say the writings of Islam do not make much sense, as other civilizations of humans, which have adopted more progressive approaches have far surpassed Islam and thus it appears that they have lost that Islam has lost their battle with the claim that it is the best way to live. This is because they have less in every regard than do other civilizations on the planet and for the most part many Middle Eastern countries are living back in the stone ages compared to other first world nations around the world.

Too bad really, worse off most of Islam does not wish to join the rest of the world, but rather change the rest of the world to fit Islam. Indeed that is not a positive step for humankind, as it means a continuous clash of civilizations. Of course personally I find fault with all religions on the planet and with the tales they the purport, as they do not jive with the observational realities of the known world in the present period and they are all holding back the human race in some regard. What are your thoughts on that? Perhaps we might consider all religions and the ramifications of their rule.

The Irrationality Of Islam

Had Pope Benedict XVI omitted the citation of Emperor Manuel II Paleologus'

remarks about the Prophet Muhammad bringing only what is "evil and inhuman" to the world, a quote he himself admits was marginal to his argument, he would not have emphasized as clearly as he has done the focus of his central argument - that is modern secular rationalism needs to heed the contribution of faith to enable it to break out of the narrow confines of absolutism and fundamentalism. Which is specifically the problem with Islam, both as a religious doctrine and as a ‘way of life'.

To understand this point, Non-Muslims must focus on the difference between Islam and Islamism. Islamism is a set of political ideologies that holds that Islam is not only a religion, but also a political system that governs the legal, economic and social imperatives of the state according to its interpretation of Islamic Law. For Islamists, the sharia has absolute priority over democracy and universal human rights. The terms "Islamist" and "Islamism" are used often in several publications within some Muslim countries to describe domestic and trans-national organizations seeking to implement Islamic Law.

There is intense debate in the Muslim world about the differences between Islam and Islamism. The controversy is rooted in differing answers to questions about how Muslims should live, the sort of governments they should support, and the proper role of Islamic symbols, ideas, and tenets in the modern world. Those who are called Islamists argue that Islam is inherently a political religion, and that the rules and laws laid out in the Al Qu'ran and Hadiths mandate Islamic governments.

In its bare essence, the substance of Pope Benedict XVI's argument can be summed up in the following syllogism: Islam is faith devoid of reason; modern secularism is reason devoid of faith; Christianity is a dynamic wedding of faith to reason. Both faith without reason and reason without faith can be very destructive. Ergo, both Islam and modern secularism should learn from Christianity the art of the mutual enrichment between faith and reason. Which, admittedly, sounds overall a little bit one-sided.

That said, however, the phenomenal overreaction of Muslim leaders and masses around the world to the Pope's remarks proves once again that Muslims do indeed have a problem with rationality. It is not by rioting on the streets and calling for jihad and the destruction of the Holy See and, in fact, of all symbols of Christianity and Judaism that Muslims can hope to re-build their tarnished image as well as the proper civil institutions, which could have both the capability and authority to respond effectively and in a measured way to the challenges facing them today.

Exaggerated reactions such as those to the Pope's speech or the ones involving the publication in the Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten some time ago of cartoons depicting and satirizing the Prophet Mohammed reflect the general inadequacy of the Islamic State and civil organisations, which lack both the authority and the effectiveness in dealing with the perceived challenges. They also reflect the deep ignorance of the Islamic masses and their aversion to anything and everything which they characterize as non-Islamic.

The failures of Islam, as correctly pointed out by the Pope, are multi-faceted and stand in the fact that Islam - both as a religion and as a way of life - has failed to achieve many of its goals. Raising standards of living, ridding societies of corruption (corruption in all its manifestations, incidentally, is expressly forbidden by the Prophet), freeing people from chronic, centennial poverty, failure to allow freedom of thought and expression even in their basic forms and even protecting Islam from what Muslim scholars have dubbed a ‘rampant Westernization'.

It is not through its inveterate Western-phobia, anti-Americanism and utter dislike of Israel that Islam will ever solve its own shortcomings. But, above all, it is through the embracing and acceptance of jihad or holy war as a means to spread the faith that Islam manifests its own irrationality in its entirety. And this is specifically what the Pope was referring to when he cited Emperor Manuel II Paleologus' remarks, which were rendered within the wider context of the subject of Christianity and Islam, and the truth of both faiths.

The message of the Pope was that faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats. To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death.

Contrast this message with the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad in the matter of spreading Islamic faith to the rejecters of truth (infidels) after truth has become evident to them:

"Kill them wherever you find them and drive them out [of the place] from which they drove you out and [remember] persecution is worse than carnage. But do not initiate war with them near the Holy Kabah unless they attack you there. But if they attack you, put them to the sword [without any hesitation]. Thus shall such disbelievers be rewarded. However, if they desist [from this disbelief], Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. Keep fighting against them, until persecution does not remain and [in the land of Arabia] Allah's religion reigns supreme. But if they mend their ways, then [you should know that] an offensive is only allowed against the evildoers. A sacred month for a sacred month; [similarly] other sacred things too are subject to retaliation. So if any one transgresses against you, you should also pay back in equal coins. Have fear of Allah and [keep in mind that] Allah is with those who remain within the bounds [stipulated by religion]." (Qu'ran, 2:190-194)

About Islam - Prayers In The Quran

The Quran provides us with many specific prayers that we may use for ourselves. The Quran contains the Contact Prayers in Sura 1, as well as other various prayers of supplication and commemoration. A list of Quranic prayers is provided here. God advises us in Sura 2, Verse 186: When My servants ask you about Me, I am always near. I answer their prayers when they pray to Me…

In the name of GOD, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
The very first prayer we encounter in the Quran is the Contact Prayers. These are the specific words used by Muslims five times a day for Salat. Sura 1 (The Key), Verses 1-7: “Praise be to GOD, Lord of the universe. Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship; You alone we ask for help. Guide us in the right path; the path of those whom You blessed; not of those who have deserved wrath, nor of the strayers.”

Other Quranic prayers are;

[2:128] “Our Lord, make us submitters to You, and from our descendants let there be a community of submitters to You. Teach us the rites of our religion, and redeem us. You are the Redeemer, Most Merciful.”

[2:201] “Our Lord, grant us righteousness in this world, and righteousness in the Hereafter, and spare us the retribution of Hell.”

[2:250] “Our Lord, grant us steadfastness, strengthen our foothold, and support us against the disbelieving people.”

[2:286] “Our Lord, do not condemn us if we forget or make mistakes. Our Lord, and protect us from blaspheming against You, like those before us have done. Our Lord, protect us from sinning until it becomes too late for us to repent. Pardon us and forgive us. You are our Lord and Master. Grant us victory over the disbelieving people.”

[3:8] “Our Lord, let not our hearts waver, now that You have guided us. Shower us with Your mercy; You are the Grantor.”

[3:16] “Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us our sins, and spare us the agony of the hellfire.”

[3:26-27] “Our god: possessor of all sovereignty. You grant sovereignty to whomever You choose, You remove sovereignty from whomever You choose. You grant dignity to whomever You choose, and commit to humiliation whomever You choose. In Your hand are all provisions. You are Omnipotent. You merge the night into the day, and merge the day into the night. You produce the living from the dead, and produce the dead from the living, and You provide for whomever You choose, without limits.”

[3:147] “Our Lord, forgive us our sins, and our transgressions, strengthen our foothold, and grant us victory over the disbelievers.”

[3:191-192] “Our Lord, You did not create all this in vain. Be You glorified. Save us from the retribution of Hell. Our Lord, whomever You commit to Hell are the ones You have forsaken. Such transgressors have no helpers.”

[3:193-194] “Our Lord, we have heard a caller calling to faith and proclaiming: `You shall believe in your Lord,' and we have believed. Our Lord, forgive us our transgressions, remit our sins, and let us die as righteous believers. Our Lord, shower us with the blessings you promised us through Your messengers, and do not forsake us on the Day of Resurrection. You never break a promise.”

[6:162-163] “My Contact Prayers (Salat), my worship practices, my life and my death, are all devoted absolutely to GOD alone, the Lord of the universe. He has no partner. This is what I am commanded to believe, and I am the first to submit.”

[7:23] “Our Lord, we have wronged our souls, and unless You forgive us and have mercy on us, we will be losers.”

[7:126] “Our Lord, grant us steadfastness, and let us die as submitters.”

[7:155-156] “…You are our Lord and Master, so forgive us, shower us with Your mercy; You are the best Forgiver. And decree for us righteousness in this world, and in the Hereafter. We have repented to You.”

[10:10] …Their prayer therein (in the Gardens of Bliss) is: “Be You glorified, our god,” their greeting therein is, “Peace,” and their ultimate prayer is: “Praise be to GOD, Lord of the universe.”

[10:85-86] “We trust in GOD. Our Lord, save us from the persecution of these oppressive people. Deliver us, with Your mercy, from the disbelieving people.”

[11:47] “My Lord, I seek refuge in You, lest I implore You …for something I do not know. Unless You forgive me, and have mercy on me, I will be with the losers.”

[12:101] “My Lord, …Initiator of the heavens and the earth; You are my Lord and Master in this life and in the Hereafter. Let me die as a submitter, and count me with the righteous.”

[14:35] “My Lord, make this a peaceful land, and protect me and my children from worshiping idols.”

[14:40-41] “My Lord, make me one who consistently observes the Contact Prayers (Salat), and also my children. Our Lord, please answer my prayers. My Lord, forgive me …and the believers, on the day when the reckoning takes place.”

[17:80] “My Lord, admit me an honorable admittance, and let me depart an honorable departure, and grant me from You a powerful support.”

[17:111] “Praise be to GOD, who has never begotten a son, nor does He have a partner in His kingship, nor does He need any ally out of weakness.”

[18:10] “Our Lord, shower us with Your mercy, and bless our affairs with Your guidance.”

[18:14] “Our only Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will never worship any other god beside Him. Otherwise, we would be far astray.”

[23:94] “My Lord, let me not be one of the transgressing people.”

[23:97-98] “My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the whispers of the devils. And I seek refuge in You, my Lord, lest they come near me.”

[23:109; 118] “Our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and shower us with mercy. Of all the merciful ones, You are the Most Merciful.”

[25:65-66] “Our Lord, spare us the agony of Hell; its retribution is horrendous. It is the worst abode; the worst destiny.”

[25:74] “Our Lord, let our spouses and children be a source of joy for us, and keep us in the forefront of the righteous.”

[26:83-87] “My Lord, grant me wisdom, and include me with the righteous. Let the example I set for the future generations be a good one. Make me one of the inheritors of the blissful Paradise… And do not forsake me on the Day of Resurrection.”

[27:19] “My Lord, direct me to be appreciative of the blessings You have bestowed upon me and my parents, and to do the righteous works that please You. Admit me by Your mercy into the company of Your righteous servants.”

[28:16] “My Lord, I have wronged my soul. Please forgive me.”

[28:21] “My Lord, save me from the oppressive people.”

[28:22] “May my Lord guide me in the right path.”

[28:24] “My Lord, whatever provision you send to me, I am in dire need for it.”

[37:100] “My Lord, grant me righteous children.”

[43:13-14] As you rest on top of (what you ride on), you shall appreciate such a blessing from your Lord, and say, “Glory be to the One who subdued this for us. We could not have controlled them by ourselves. We ultimately return to our Lord.”

[46:15] “My Lord, direct me to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do the righteous works that please You. Let my children be righteous as well. I have repented to You; I am a submitter.”

[59:10] “Our Lord, forgive us and our brethren who preceded us to the faith, and keep our hearts from harboring any hatred towards those who believed. Our Lord, You are Compassionate, Most Merciful.”

[60:4-5] “Our Lord, we trust in You, and submit to You; to You is the final destiny. Our Lord, let us not be oppressed by those who disbelieved, and forgive us. You are the Almighty, Most Wise.”

[66:8] “Our Lord, perfect our light for us, and forgive us; You are Omnipotent.”

[71:28] “My Lord, forgive me and my parents, and anyone who enters my home as a believer, and all the believing men and women...”

[112:1-4] “He is the One and only GOD. The Absolute GOD. Never did He beget. Nor was He begotten. None equals Him.”

[113:1-5] “I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak. From the evils among His creations. From the evils of darkness as it falls. From the evils of the troublemakers. From the evils of the envious when they envy.”

[114:1-6] “I seek refuge in the Lord of the people. The King of the people. The god of the people. From the evils of sneaky whisperers. Who whisper into the chests of the people. Be they of the jinns, or the people."

[3:18; 47:19] GOD bears witness that there is no god except He, and so do the angels and those who possess knowledge ... "There is no other god beside GOD," and ask forgiveness of your sins and the sins of all believing men and women.

The Core of Logic For the Arab and Muslim World - Part II

My advice to readers is, if they do not concentrate, it is recommended to stop reading this article. In this part, we discuss the highest knowledge in Islam. In applying logic to belief, I would give the following demonstration which should logically, leads to One God existence which is the core of Islamic religion.

The example given according to Aristotle, Averroes and Avecina, was the discussion of propositions and classification of these propositions, was ""Every man is just" and its counter two propositions 1) the negation by saying "No man is just" as opposites like white and black, good and evil, and 2) "Every man is unjust" which is contrary to the basic statement. The significance of the contrary proposition according to Averroes was demonstrated by the example which is not contrary proposition, is "Death is bad" as opposed to "life is good" because both are true propositions, therefore, contrary propositions is One must be true first, and the other false. What we believe, therefore, is the most contrary while others have general meaning of the contrary.

To give more concrete example, in the argument of the uttering [the speech] and its mental perception in tems of negation or contrary, we have to ask: Is belief in the contrary of a given proposition or belief in its negation stronger or weaker than the original statement. Or to apply it to belief: Is belief in the contrary of a given proposition or BELIEF in its negation is [greater] stronger. And is there stronger than both propositions?

In the Arabic language which colors Islamic belief of "Tawhid" or "Oneness" of God. The Qur'anic statement by uttering " La Ilaha Illa Allah" Which means there is no god except One God, the statement demonstrates new type of proposition which is "negation of the negation" This means that this type is stronger than both the negation and the contrary assumptions together. Logically then, philosophers reach to the natural conclusion that God exists at the beginning and end of propositions.

Note: I owe a great debt to for those who discussed previous the three terms thoroughly in there commentaries and writings, namely, Aristotle, Averroes, Avecina, al-Ghazali, and Butterworth. In addition to summeries of Moses Maimonide and Thomas Aquinas. The proverb saying "we stand on the shoulders of the Great philosophers", may be applied here.

Islam 101 - What Do Muslims Believe?

Islam is a religion that is, unfortunately, largely misunderstood in the west. One of the most common questions is regarding the beliefs of the Muslims; what do Muslims believe? In this article I will attempt to give a brief overview of what it means to be a Muslim. I am largely basing this article on a famous hadith, or saying, of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which I will put at the end of the article.

Islam has five pillars, five basic acts that one must believe and do in order to be a Muslim. The first is the declaration of faith, stating with complete belief and sincerity that "there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah (God) and that Muhammad is His prophet and messenger." Islam does not accept any type of idol worshipping, whether that idol is a rock, a statue, a human being (like Jesus PBUH), or something a little less obvious like money, status or family.

After you have declared you worship of only God, you are then required to act on it. The second pillar is prayer, a Muslim is required to pray at a minimum of five times per day at specified times: dawn, mid-day, afternoon, sunset and evening. By this repetition we are constantly reminded of what is important which is God and working to gain a good place in the afterlife.

The third pillar is Zakat, which literally means purification. It is a tax that is paid by Muslims directly to the poor. It is different from income tax however, because Muslims are only required to pay 2.5% of their excess wealth that they have had in the bank for a full year. Also, unlike tithing, the money collected for Zakat is not permissible to be used to fund mosques, schools or any other public programs; the money is strictly for the use of the poor people. If every Muslim on the face of the earth actually paid their Zakat the way Allah commanded, that would be including kings and other incredibly rich, there would be no starvation in the world today.

The fourth pillar is fasting in the month of Ramadan from dawn to sunset. This act has many benefits, but the primary benefit is to soften the heart of the one who is fasting. Islam heavily emphasizes charity and feeding the poor and hungry, what better way to encourage a person to feed the hungry than letting them feel hunger too? Ramadan is a month of fasting and prayer, a time to re-dedicate oneself to Allah and Islam. Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qur'an in Ramadan and increase in their good deeds and prayers. Everyone is required to fast except young children, old or sick people who would harm their health, a person traveling and a pregnant or nursing mother.

The fifth pillar is hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. Every Muslim is required to make the hajj at least once in their life if they are physically and financially able. If you are not physically or financially able to go then you have no sin, but you should always be trying to find a way to make the pilgrimage. Also, since we never know when we will die, it is important not to put it off into the unforeseeable future.

The next important subject is faith; what is faith? According to the abovementioned hadith, or saying, of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH), faith is believing in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the resurrection on the Last Day, and to believe in both the good and evil of divine destiny. That's a mouthful, so what does it mean?

To believe in Allah, which is the Arabic name for God for Christians, Jews and Muslims, means to believe in him as He commands. Tawhid is a fundamental belief in Islam, which is the oneness of God. Muslims do not believe in a trinity, nor do they believe that God is everywhere. Muslims believe that God is one, indivisible, and that He is above the seven heavens. How? We don't know. And, we don't ask. God exists before and after His creations, God does not resemble any of His creation, and any image that you can imagine does not resemble God. But, Allah is everywhere in his knowledge: he sees everything, hears everything, knows everything, is omnipotent and omniscient.

Belief in the angels is another tenet of faith. Muslims believe that the angels were created from light, that they are completely obedient to God, and that they are eternal beings that had a beginning, like humans, and unlike God who has no beginning or end. Muslims do not believe that Satan was a fallen angel because angels are completely obedient to Allah. Rather, the Qur'an tells us that Satan was one of the jinn, another being that was created from fire. There are an inexhaustible numbers of angels, Muhammad (PBUH) said that there is a place where the angels go to pray, each day 70,000 angels pray there, never to return again, and this has been happening since the beginning of time.

To believe in His books means that Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the last in a series of revelations that God has given to mankind throughout history. Muslims believe that throughout time, a prophet has come, either with a written text or without, he has preached to worship God alone, then he has died and the information was changed by man over time or completely lost, which meant eventually and new prophet would be sent. This has happened 124,000 times since the creation of man according to the prophet Muhammad (PBUH), but we only know the names of the 25 mentioned in the Qur'an. The previous books mentioned in the Qur'an are the Zabur which was given to David, the Torah which was given to Moses, the Injeel which was given to Jesus and the Qur'an which was given to Muhammad, peace be upon them all.

The messengers that we are required to believe in include the Biblical prophets, Muslims believe in Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Solomon, David, John, Enoch, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad just to name a few. Islam is not some new religion, it is the same religion taught by all of the prophets and messengers; worship only one God. It confirms the divine origin of the previous scriptures and corrects the manmade mistakes of those scriptures.

The fifth tenet of faith is belief in the Last Day, yowm al- qiyama in Arabic. Every Muslim believes that at the end of time every person will be resurrected and have to stand alone before God to be judged for what they did in their life. God is the only judge, even a Muslim isn't guaranteed a free pass to Heaven. God may or may not forgive any person of any sin. But, God has promised that he will never forgive the sin of worshipping something or someone else, that is called shirk in Arabic.

The last pillar of faith is the belief in the divine decree, both the good and evil thereof. Muslims believe that Allah has a will, and man has a will, but Allah's will overrides man's. So, if a person wants to do something, if it has not been willed by Allah he will never be able to do it. Likewise, if a person tries to avoid a thing that God has willed, no matter how he tries he will not avoid it. A human does have his own will as well. It is up to us how we spend our time on earth, who we worship and what we believe. We will be judged according to our intentions on the Day of Judgment.

That is a quick overview of what Muslims believe. I hope that you have enjoyed this article. Please visit www.AdvocateIslam.com for more information. God bless!

On the authority of Omer1 (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:*

One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (i.e. Prophet Muhammed, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of journeying were to be seen on him and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Resting his knees against his (the Prophet's) and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs, he said:

O Muhammed, tell me about Islam.

The Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the Zakat2 to fast in Ramadhan, and to make the pilgrimage to the House3 if you are able to do so.

He said: You have spoken rightly, and we were amazed at him asking him (the Prophet bpuh) and saying that he had spoken rightly.

He said: Then, tell me about Iman.4

He (the Prophet) said: It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof.
He said: You have spoken rightly.

He said: Then, tell me about Ihsan.5

He (the Prophet bpuh) said: It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing him, and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you.

He said: Then, tell me about the hour.6

He (the Prophet bpuh) said: The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner. He said: Then, tell me about its signs.

He (the Prophet bpuh) said: That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, and that you will see the barefooted, naked, destitute herdsmen competing in constructing lofty buildings.

Then, he took himself off and I stayed for some time. Then he (the Prophet bpuh) said: O Omer, do you know who the questioner was? I said: Allah and His Messenger know better. He said: It was Jibril (Gabriel), who came to you to teach you your religion.7

The Messenger of Allah (bpuh) told the truth.

This Hadith was related by Muslim.

This Hadith was translated by Ezzeddin Ibrahim and Denys Johnson-Davies (Abdul Wadoud), "An-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths." 1976. Dar Al-Manar.

1 Omer Bin Al-Khattab, the second Caliph.

2. Often rendered as alms-tax or poor due, it is a tax levied on a man's wealth and distributed among the poor.

3. The Ka'aba and the Holy Mosque in Makkah.

4. Iman is generally rendered as religious belief or faith. However, being a fundamental term in Islam, the Arabic word has been retained.

5. In this context, the word ihsan has a special religious significance and any single rendering of it would be inadequate. Dictionary meaning for ihasan includes right actions, goodness, charity, sincerity, and the like. The root also means to master or be proficient at, and it is to be found in this meaning in Nawawi's Hadith Number 17.

6. i.e. of the Day of Judgment.

7. This phrase has more than one interpretation. Among those given by An-Nawawi in his commentary is that slave girls will give birth to sons and daughters who will become free and so be masters of those who bore them. The word ama, normally translated as a slave girl, is also capable of meaning any woman in that we are all slaves or servants of God. The words thus have the meaning: When a woman will give birth to her master, i.e. a time will come when children will have so little respect for their mothers that they will treat them like servants. The commentators point out that there the word rabba (mistress) includes the masculine rabb (master).