1. What is
Islam?
Ans: Islam is not a new religion, but the
same truth that God revealed through all His
prophets to every people. For a fifth of the
world's population, Islam is both a religion and a
complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of
peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the majority
has nothing to do with the extremely grave events,
which have come to be associated with their faith.
|
2. What does
Islam mean?
Ans: The Arabic word Islam simply means
'submission', and derives from a word meaning
'peace'. In a religious context it means complete
submission to the will of God. 'Mohammedanism' is
thus a misnomer because it suggests that Muslims
worship Muhammad (peace be upon him) rather than
God. 'Allah' is the Arabic name for God, which is
used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike.
|
3. How do we
know Islam is the truth?
Ans: 1- It is the only religion that holds
Allah as One, Unique, and Perfect.
2- It is the only religion that believes in the
sole worship of Allah, not Jesus, not an idol, and
not an angel, only Allah.
3- The Quran does not contain contradictions.
4- The Quran contains scientific facts, which are
1300 years ahead of their time. The Quran, while
revealed 1400 years ago contains scientific facts,
which are only now being discovered. It is not in
contradiction to science.
5- Allah has challenged the world to produce the
like of the Quran. And He says they won't be able
to.
6- Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the
most influential man in history. In the book "The
100 most influential men in History", written by
non-Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) was #1. Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) was
#3. It should be noted that even the Prophet Jesus
(peace be upon him) was a prophet sent by Allah.
Would Allah allow a false prophet to be so
successful? No. Even the Bible refers to this in
Deuteronomy 18:19. A false prophet would die!!!
Yet Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not
die till he completely conveyed, and taught
Allah's religion.
7- He had many prophecies, and all of his
prophecies have come true, or are still coming
true.
|
4. Why does
Islam often seem strange?
Ans: Islam may seem exotic or even extreme
in the modern world. Perhaps this is because
religion does not dominate everyday life in the
West today, whereas Muslims have religion always
uppermost in their minds, and make no division
between secular and sacred. They believe that the
Divine Law, the Shari'a, should be taken very
seriously, which is why issues related to religion
are still so important
|
5. Do Islam and
Christianity have different origins?
Ans: Together with Judaism, they go back to
the prophet and patriarch Abraham, and their three
prophets are directly descended from his
sons-Muhammad (peace be upon him) from the eldest,
Ishmael, and Moses and Jesus, from Isaac. Abraham
established the settlement, which today is the
city of Makkah, and built the Kabah towards which
all Muslims turn when they pray.
|
6. Who are
Muslims?
Ans: One billion people form a vast range
of races, nationalities and cultures across the
globe, from the southern Philippines to Nigeria,
are united by their common Islamic faith. About
18% live in the Arab world; the world's largest
Muslim community is in Indonesia; substantial
parts of Asia and most of Africa are Muslim, while
significant minorities are also to be found in the
Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and
Europe.
|
7. What do
Muslims believe?
Ans: Muslims believe in One, Unique,
Incomparable God in the Angels created by Him, in
the prophets through whom His revelations were
brought to mankind; in God's complete authority
over human destiny and in life after death.
Muslims believe in a chain of prophets starting
with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael,
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David,
Solomon, Elias, Jonah, John the Baptist and Jesus,
(peace be upon them). But God's final message to
man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a
summing-up of all that has gone before was
revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) through Gabriel.
|
8. Who is Allah?
Ans: It is a known fact that every language
has one or more terms that are used in reference
to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is
not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal
name of the One true God. Nothing else can be
called Allah. The term has no plural or gender.
This shows its uniqueness when compared with the
word god which can be made plural, gods, or
feminine, goddess. It is interesting to notice
that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic,
the language of Jesus and a sister language of
Arabic.
The One true God is a reflection of the unique
concept that Islam associates with God. To a
Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and
Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to
nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. The
Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries
about Allah; the answer came directly from God
Himself in the form of a short chapter of the
Quran, which is considered the essence of the
unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter
112 which reads:
"In the name of God, the Merciful, the
Compassionate.
Say (O Muhammad) He is God the One God, the
Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor
has been begotten, and equal to Him is not
anyone."
|
9. Does Allah
look like us?
Ans: No, Allah is perfect. He is not like
any of His creations. He has told us that He has
hands, eyes, a face, and feet, but all of these
attributes are befitting to His might and glory. A
Muslim does not say a single thing about Allah
other than what Allah says about Himself. Allah is
Perfect and Unique.
: |
10. What does it
mean to believe in Allah?
Ans: To believe in Allah means to believe
in total perfection, and uniqueness.
It means to believe in His prophets because they
are His, and He sent them. We can not pick and
choose. A Muslim must believe in all the prophets
of Allah.
It means to believe in the Angles! We must love
them all. We cannot hate an Angel say, for
example, Michael to whom rain and the vegetation
of the Earth are attributed or Gabriel to whom
revelation (bringing down the scriptures to the
prophets) is attributed.
It means to believe in Allah's predestination of
good and bad.
Itmeans to believe in the last day: The day of
Judgment.
: |
11. Can we see
Allah?
Ans: Allah is not like the sun. Anyone can
see the sun. But Allah is the most beautiful.
Nothing is as beautiful as Allah. Actually looking
at Allah is the greatest pleasure of the people in
Paradise. This pleasure Allah does not give anyone
but the believers.
: |
12. Does Allah
see us?
Ans: Allah sees us and knows everything
about us. He knows us better than we know
ourselves. There is not a leaf on a tree that
blows away, or stays in its place except that He
knows it. There is not a dry spot, nor a wet spot,
nor a grain in the depths of the earth except that
Allah knows it.
: |
13. Does Allah
answer my prayers?
Ans: We know that Allah answers all the
prayers of the believers. This can be in 4 ways:
1- Getting what we ask for!
2- Getting something as good or better!
3- Being spared something bad that would have
happened otherwise.
4- Being rewarded on the day of Judgment with a
much greater reward than what we were asking for
on earth.
: |
14. When does
Allah not answer our prayers?
Ans: 1- When it is bad for us!
2- When we ask, but not from our heart!
3- When we say: I asked and asked and He did not
answer.
4- When we eat or drink unlawful food i.e. pork,
wear unlawful clothes or use or posses property
that was earned either through interest from the
bank or that was stolen.
: |
15. What can I
ask of Allah?
Ans: Any thing, but don't ask Him to do
things like make you a prophet because He has
already said that there will be no more prophets.
You can ask Allah for guidance, meaning you can
ask Him to show you the correct religion.
: |
16. Who is
Muhammad (peace be upon him)?
Ans: Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born
in Makkah in the year 571 A.D., at a time when
Christianity was not yet fully established in
Europe. Since his father died before his birth and
his mother shortly afterwards, so he was raised by
his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraish. As
he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness,
generosity and sincerity so much that he was
sought after for his ability to arbitrate in
disputes. The historians describe him as calm and
meditative. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was of a
deeply religious nature, and had long detested the
decadence of his society. It became his habit to
meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira
near the summit of Jabal al-Nur, the Mountain of
Light near Makkah.
: |
17. How did
Muhammad (peace be upon him) become a prophet and
a messenger of God?
Ans: At the age of 40, while engaged in a
meditative retreat, Muhammad (peace be upon him)
received his first revelation from God through the
Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued
for twenty-three years, is known as the Quran.
As soon as he began to recite the words he heard
from Gabriel, and to preach the truth that God had
revealed to him, he and his small group of
followers suffered bitter persecution, which grew
so fierce that in the year 622 God gave them the
command to emigrate. This event, the Hijrah,
'migration', in which they left Makkah for the
city of Madinah some 260 miles to the north, marks
the beginning of the Muslim calendar.
After several years, the Prophet (peace be upon
him) and his followers were able to return to
Makkah, where they forgave their enemies and
established Islam definitively. Before the Prophet
(peace be upon him) died at the age of 63, the
greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a
century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in
the West and as Far East as China.
|
18. What is the
Quran?
Ans: The Quran is a record of the exact
words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to
the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It was
memorized by Muhammad (peace be upon him) and then
dictated to his companions, and written down by
scribes, who crosschecked it during his lifetime.
Not one word of its 114 Surahs, has been changed
over the centuries, so that the Quran is in every
detail the unique and miraculous text which was
revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him) fourteen
centuries ago.
|
19. What is the
Quran about?
Ans: The Quran, the last revealed Word of
God, is the prime source of every Muslim's faith
and practice. It deals with all the subjects which
concern us as human beings: wisdom, doctrine,
worship, and law, but its basic theme is the
relationship between God and His creatures. At the
same time, it provides guidelines for a just
society, proper human conduct and an equitable
economic system.
|
20. Are there
any other sacred sources?
Ans: Yes, the Sunnah, the practice and
example of the Prophet (peace be upon him), is the
second authority for Muslims. A Hadith is a
reliably transmitted report of what the Prophet
(peace be upon him) said, did, or approved. Belief
in the Sunnah is part of the Islamic faith.
Examples of the Prophet's sayings
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
'God has no mercy on one who has no mercy for
others.'
'None of you truly believes until he wishes for
his brother what he wishes for himself.'
'Powerful is not he who knocks the other down,
indeed powerful is he who controls himself in a
fit of anger.'
(From the Hadith collections of Bukhari, Muslim,
Tirmidhi and Baihaqi.)
|
21. Who is Jesus
to us?
Ans: Jesus (peace be upon him) is a true
prophet, sent by Allah like Moses, Abraham, Lot,
Noah, Jonah, Joseph, etc (peace be upon them).
|
22. Who were the
parents of Jesus (peace be upon him)?
Ans: Jesus is the son of Virgin Mary and he
had no father. Allah created Jesus.
|
23. Can Jesus
(peace be upon him), or Muhammad (peace be upon
him) be worshipped?
Ans: No, Allah does not accept that a
prophet, a person, an angel, a cow, a stone, or
anything be worshipped in place of Him or even
along with Him. Worship must be to Allah, the
Creator of them.
|
24. Is Allah the
same as what Christians call "the father"?
Ans: Allah is the Creator, who Jesus (peace
be upon him) worshipped. He is the Creator who
spoke to Moses and split the sea for Moses and his
followers. That is Allah. But Allah tells us: "Say
Allah is one, He is Perfect, He has never
begotten, nor was He begot, and there is no one
equal to Him."
|
25. Is there a
trinity in Islam?
Ans: No. Allah is one and perfect.
|
26. Can anyone
become a Muslim?
Ans: Yes anyone can. There are two
declarations, which are necessary:
1- To bear witness that no one deserves to be
worshiped except Allah.
2- To bear witness that Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.
This makes a person Muslim. But it should be said
in Arabic. Next a person takes a shower and s/he
is a Muslim.
Then what?
After a person becomes Muslim s/he is taught about
prayers, fasting, alms to the poor, and
pilgrimage. These are the pillars of Islam.
Then what?
Muslims are brothers and sisters. A Muslim should
love for his brother or sister what s/he loves for
him/herself. Allah's wealth does not run out and
Allah can provide for us all. We pray for each
other, and love each other, and love for our
brothers and sisters what we love for ourselves.
|
27. What about
someone who has never heard of Islam?
Ans: Allah is the most just. It is
inconceivable to perceive of anyone acting with
more beneficence than Allah. Allah is the most
just and in the Quran He said: "We will not punish
without sending someone to warn you". The "We"
here is the majestic we used in Arabic. So if a
person never heard about Islam, and was never
warned clearly, Allah would have a special test
for that person that He knows is equal to the
chance that person would have had on earth.
|
28. When is the
Day of Judgment?
Ans: Only Allah knows.
|
29. Are there
signs for the day of Judgment?
Ans: Plenty, plenty, plenty. Many have
already occurred.
To name a few:
*Objects will begin to talk.
*There will be much killing. The killer won't know
why he killed, and the person that was killed
won't know why he was killed.
*The Antichrist will come.
*Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) son of Mary
will return.
*Gog and Magog will be set free.
The sun will rise from the west (after this sign
there can be no more repentance).
: |
30. What is it
that keeps us from entering Heaven?
Ans: Worship of anyone other than Allah is
the greatest sin. It is called shirk, and this is
not forgiven except through repentance.
: |
31. What about
non-Muslims do; they go to heaven?
Ans: Allah only accepts Islam. He says in
the Quran: "Whoever seeks a religion other than
Islam it won't be accepted of him, and he will be
one of the losers in the hereafter". I would
rather lose anywhere, but not lose in the
hereafter. This is because hellfire is eternal. It
never ends and we never die when we go there, if
we go there.
|
32. Do we
believe that Allah created the heavens and earth
in 6 days?
Ans: Yes, we do.
: |
33. Do we have
free will?
Ans: Yes, of course. Allah does not punish
us for something we did not do on our own. But at
the same time, our will is not inspired of Allah's
will. We cannot do anything if Allah does not
allow it. In other words nothing goes on in
Allah's kingdom without His will.
|
34. Did Allah
create evil?
Ans: Yes, Allah created the good and the
bad. Whatever bad happens to us is due to our
sins. We sin and Allah pardons much of what we do;
however, when something bad happens to us it is
our fault, and we are to blame. Bad things that
happen to a person are a chance for that person to
reflect and ask: "Why is this happening to me?" A
chance for a person to return from his sin and
obey and worship Allah.
|
35. Who are my
best friends?
Ans: Your best friends are the ones that
care where you go after you are dead. This is how
the prophets acted. They cared that we go to
heaven, even if it meant some hardship on earth.
|
36. Who is my
worst enemy?
Ans: That would be the devils, whether they
are human devils (evil people), or Jinn devils
(like Iblis). The Arabic word for a devil is
Shaytan (similar to Satan). Satan wants us all to
go to hell. He wants us to be bad on earth.
Whether we get rich or do lots of wrong things
that we appear to enjoy, he does not care that,
but he wants to make sure we don't go to heaven.
|
37. Do bad
things happen to the believers (good people)?
Ans: Yes, they do. But they appear bad to
the believers because they are things people don't
like. Who likes breaking a leg? However, when a
bad thing happens to a believer this believer is
patient. He praises Allah in all circumstances. He
knows Allah does not decree something unless it is
for his own good.
|
38. Why is the
family so important to Muslims?
Ans: The family is the foundation of
Islamic society. The peace and security offered by
a stable family unit is greatly valued, and seen
as essential for the spiritual growth of its
members. A harmonious social order is created by
the existence of extended families; children are
treasured, and rarely leave home until the time
they marry.
|
39. What about
food?
Ans: Although much simpler than the
dietary law followed by Jews and the early
Christians, the code which Muslims observe forbids
the consumption of pig meat or any kind of
intoxicating drink. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) taught that 'your body has rights over
you', and the consumption of wholesome food and
the leading of a healthy lifestyle are seen as
religious obligations. The Prophet (peace be upon
him) said: 'Ask God for certainty [of faith] and
well-being; for after certainty, no one is given
any gift better than health!'
|
40. What is the
Kabah?
Ans: The Kabah is the place of worship,
which God commanded Abraham and Ishmael to build
over four thousand years ago. The building was
constructed of stone on what many believe was the
original site of a sanctuary established by Adam.
God commanded Abraham to summon all mankind to
visit this place, and when pilgrims go there today
they say 'At Thy service, O Lord', in response to
Abraham's summons.
|
41. Who are
amongst the people that must fast in the blessed
month of Ramadan and those that are not obliged to
fast in this month?
Ans: Those who must fast: All mature and
sane Muslims, male and female. Those who are
exempted: The sick, the travelers, too old to
fast, women in child birth, women with periods,
pregnant women whose health is endangered, breast
feeding women whose health is endangered.
|
42. What facts
about the month of Ramadan have been related by
Hadith in regards to what takes place related to
heaven and hell?
Ans: The gates of heaven are opened and the
gates of hell are shut.
|
43. What is one
of the Sunnahs when a Muslim, for a valid reason
cannot keep fast?
Ans: Not to eat in the presence of a
fasting person. Repay it by fasting the number of
days missed after Ramadan or give kafaarah equal
to the amount of one Sadaqa tul Fitr in charity to
the poor for each day missed.
|
44. What
connection does the Holy Quran and the blessed
month of Ramadan have that makes the month very
important and sacred?
Ans: The Holy Quran was revealed in
Ramadan.
|
45. It is said
that the odor of a fasting Muslim is more fragrant
to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta`ala than what?
Ans: Musk.
|
46. Is there a
Hajj Akbar?
Ans: If Arafat is on a Friday, then many
describe it as Hajj Akbar (Big Hajj). There is no
big or small Hajj. There is only one Hajj. Every
year is Hajj Akbar. The 10th day of Dhul Hijja is
described in The Holy Quran as
Yaum-ul-Hajjil-Akbar.
|
47. Is it a
requirement to enter Masjid Haram from the Baab
as-Salaam entrance?
Ans: There is no such requirement. You can
enter from any of the many gates.
:
|
48. Can I smoke
when I'm in Ihram?
Ans: Try to give up this habit for the good
of your health and the well-being of your family.
Many chain smokers have returned from the Hajj as
non-smokers for good. Alhamdulillah.
: |
49. When I stone
the Jamaraat, is it necessary to hit the target?
Ans: It is acceptable if the stone falls
into the circle without hitting the target.
: |
50. Can I
perform Hajj every year?
Ans: Performing the Hajj ONCE is compulsory
for Muslims who are financially and physically
able to do so. There is no rule prohibiting anyone
from performing the Hajj more than once. If you
plan to perform it yearly, you are obviously
financially well endowed. You should consider the
following:
A: There are numerous things you can do
to walk in the way of Allah. Consider contributing
your Hajj trip funds to uplift downtrodden
Muslims.
B: With nearly 3 million people
converging in The Holy Land to perform the Hajj,
the Saudi authorities have understandably imposed
Hajj quotas. Have a heart for those waiting in
line to perform the Hajj for the first time. Allow
a reasonable time gap before going to perform the
Hajj again.
|
51. Is it a must
for a wife to seek her husband's permission to
perform the obligatory Hajj?
Ans: Yes. A husband is strongly advised not
to object as his wife is seeking permission to
perform a duty commanded by The Almighty.
Obedience to the command of The Almighty
supercedes everything else, including a husband's
objection.
|
52. What is the
ruling on aborting a pregnancy in the early months
(1-3) before the soul is breathed into the fetus?
Ans: 1- It is not permissible to
abort a pregnancy at any stage unless there is a
legitimate reason, and within very precise limits.
2- If the pregnancy is in the first stage,
which is a period of forty days, and aborting it
serves a legitimate purpose or will ward off harm,
then it is permissible to abort it. But aborting
it at this stage for fear of the difficulty of
raising children or of being unable to bear the
costs of maintaining and educating them, or for
fear for their future or because the couple feel
that they have enough children – this is not
permissible.
3- It is not permissible to abort a
pregnancy when it is an ‘alaqah (clot) or mudghah
(chewed lump of flesh) (which are the second and
third periods of forty days each) until a
trustworthy medical committee has decided that
continuing the pregnancy poses a threat to the
mother’s wellbeing, in that there is the fear that
she will die if the pregnancy continues. It is
permissible to abort it once all means of warding
off that danger have been exhausted.
4- After the third stage, and after four
months have passed, it is not permissible to abort
the pregnancy unless a group of trustworthy
medical specialists decide that keeping the fetus
in his mother’s womb will cause her death, and
that should only be done after all means of
keeping the fetus alive have been exhausted. A
concession is made allowing abortion in this case
so as to ward off the greater of two evils and to
serve the greater of two interests.
|
