What do you KNow about islam?

Question

I am insterested in knowing if you know the right information about islam.

Answer 1

To me the most vital thing Islam needs is some centralized authority speaking out against the acts of the radicals. Unfortunately, Islam is very non-hierarchical, so there is no central group of perceived leaders of the Islamic faith that speak with one voice and condemn the actions of the heretical.

Where is the public outcry from Islam's theologians over the acts of these radicals? It is missing in the media and the silence among the leadership and over one billion peaceable Muslims is deafening to the observers on the sidelines.

If Christian radicals were performing the acts that we see Islamic fundamentalists doing, there would be a world outcry among the leaders of Christian organizations condemning these persons as heretics. It would be in all the newspapers, television, etc.

Muslims are quick to point to the violence recorded in the Christian bible and claim that Christianity’s early history was violent, too. But unlike the Bible where some very awful HISTORY is recorded, the violence described in the Qur’an is part of Islamic THEOLOGY. This is a very significant distinction between the two belief systems.

The famous Muslim scholar and “father of modern history” Ibn Khaldun states the dichotomy between jihad and defensive warfare thus:

In the Muslim community, the holy war [i.e. jihad] is a religious duty, because of the universalism of the Muslim mission and the obligation to convert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or by force... The other religious groups did not have a universal mission, and the holy war was not a religious duty for them, save only for purposes of defense... They are merely required to establish their religion among their own people. That is why the Israeilites after Moses and Joshua remained unconcerned with royal authority [e.g. a “caliphate”]. Their only concern was to establish their religion [not spread it to the nations]… But Islam is under obligation to gain power over other nations (The Muqudimmah, vol. 1 pg. 473).

I believe Islam is going through what the Christian faith went through during the Reformation. During the Reformation religious leaders were forced to carefully define their doctrines, that is, what do Christians really believe? This established a baseline of orthodoxy that then could be used as a litmus test for the practices of self-professed Christians.

Islamic leaders must do the same thing. They must reclaim the Islam that has been hijacked by radicals who have plunged Islamic countries into the Dark Ages. New leaders must codify their acceptable theologies, especially the violence now part of the Sharia, Muhammad’s Sunna (4:24, 4:92, 8:69, 24:33, 33:21, 33:50), and the “sword-verses” of the Qur’an (e.g., 9:5, 9:29). Then Muslim leaders should defend these theologies against heretics loudly and publicly.

I have found non-Christian religions, such as Islam, to be philosophically indefensible, being internally incoherent or undermining human reason and experience. To better understand Islam, I suggest you review the following sites:

http://www.carm.org/islam.htm
http://www.americanthinker.com/2006/04/islam_apologists_tell_a_partia.html

Answer 2

Well I would be here all day if i listed all the information i know about Islam, so I'll just list the basics for you.

Islam is about worshiping Allah and no other and believing the the prophet Muhammad is his last messenger.
Its about following the 5 pillars which are.
Declaration of faith.
Prayer
Zatak
Fasting in Ramadan
Pilgrimage to Mecca (at least once in your life, if and when you can afford it)
Its about living your life with Allah in the forefront of your mind in everything you do. Its about believing all of the Quran. Its about eating and doing things that are Halal and not doing or eating anything that is considered Haram. Its about respecting your parents, being a good parent, about peace, love and living on the true path. Reading the Quran and Sunnah and always trying to gain more knowledge.
There are obviously way more details to everything but that is ruffly the basics. Feel free to ask if you want to know something more specific.

Answer 3

Having the "right" information is something very subjective: Islam does not have a centralized body/organization (like in the Catholic Church) which regulates/indicates the "official" teachings of its religion. Terrorists claim they follow the true Islam, but so do some hardline countries like Iran (Islamic Republic of Iran, what's in a name?) and Saudi Arabia. The elite of this last country normally has its vacations on the "decadent" mediterranean seacoast of Spain or France.

Some Muslims say that moderate Muslims do not exist (to set them apart from Fundamentalists), only right or true ones. Muslims in the West tend to be more "moderate" or "realistic" when non-Muslims remind them to some very hatefull verses in the Koran. And what about the differences between Shia's and Sunni's and the treatment of women?
What and who should the non-Muslims believe is true?

Altough parts of the Muslim culture are very interesting and inviting, I'm not very keen about the Islam religion itself. I find it incompatible (especially the Sharia) with a modern, democratic society. Apart from Malaysia and Turkey (if I'm mistaken, do forgive me and correct me) virtually no country with an Islamic system/culture really have and will have a working democracy.

Muslims should simply acknowledge that there is a big diversity in their religion, like any other religion (Catholics, Protestants, Mormons, etc.) with moderates and hardliners, etc., and that like any other religion they need to adapt to modern times, like Jews and Christians did.

Does this mean that Islam is all bad and the other guys are all good? Not at all, it simply implies that changes are necesary in the Islam religion.

Answer 4

Much of what I know is in the Sufist school, because I take a bit more of a mystical approach in my preference with any religion - that school honestly appeals to me more than either straight Sunni or straight Shi'a, just as Quakerism appeals to me more than Catholicism or mainstream Protestantism.

But on the whole, I know Islam to be intensely philosophical, incredibly well-educated, and with many great advances in science and mathematics well before Western Europe even considered either topic.

Muraqabah would be a practice I would consider attempting, as a non-Muslim, and that and dhikr seem to me to be beneficial meditative practices. The Qadiri school is appealing.

A striking story to me is that of a Muslim doctor who saw European medical practices during the Crusades. A soldier on the European side had broken a bone, and the Western doctors were trying to get the man's body humors right so they could get the evil out of him by settled humors and supposedly cure his broken bone. The Muslim doctor was standing there thinking, "Just set the bone," and then, when called upon by the Crusaders' doctors to help, set the soldier's bone and ensured that he healed where the European doctors might have killed him.

It's a shame that people are incapable of understanding one another anymore. The Western reception of Muslims' and assorted other Arabs' knowledge in the 1500s with the Ottoman Empire under Suleiman I was one of the great advances in humanity, and I don't think that humanity as a whole is tolerant enough for that now.

(Edited for a bit more clarity. Yes, I'm a BETTER writer at quarter to four in the morning than at midnight. Don't ask why. :) Also, merely as a funny sidenote as I need sleep, Sayid on Lost (Naveen Andrews) is hot. Plus, interestingly enough if we're discussing what most people know about Islam through the media, probably the most sensible and intelligent character on that show. Hopefully that can't hurt people's views of a religion lots of them presumably know little about.)

Answer 5

Seek Right information from the Right Sources.
Visit Islamic Centers or Webs ie.

www.IslamReligion.com
www.IslamTomorrow.com
www.IslamAlways.com
www.IslamOnline.net
www.IRF.net
See PEACE TV (English)

You have every right to choose the Right-path for real truth and satisfaction of soul.

There are so many faiths claiming the Right-path but they do not address the basic needs of the believers except offering a heap of confusions, contradictions,and changes!! They preach Good Deeds-sounds good! but do not tell "how to achieve it"!

Here I see many absurt remarks about Islam but they are baseless and unfounded!.

These people need some knowledge about Islam.
One participent "Latino Style" is wrestling like Supper Crezy of WWE and has no mind to set his lies!!

A Top Contributor - suggests a Centralized Authority in Islam ?? but he forget! What Vatican has done with the Christianity??
The Church has totally destroyed the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Church has changed the Bible even the actual Hebrew name ESAU is changed as Jesus to create a similarity with Greek God - Zeus !!

What thesre changes reflect??? LOVE OR HATE !

Answer 6

May the peace, blessing and mercy of God be upon you

I know that it is the only religion acceptable to God. I know what the Qu'ran says, and know that terrorism isn't supported by the Qu'ran, anyone claiming so has very limited understanding of the Qu'ran and its exegesis. I know that God is one and not a trinity, and that Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them all) were all Prophets of God sent with various laws, but preached the same thing, that is the oneness of God.

I know there are many people who don't understand Islam, for them are their deeds, I fear God and his verdict on the Day of Judgment.

I know how to pray Islamically, and I study the exegesis of the Qu'ran from the proper sources (Ibn Kathir's 14 century commentary). After that God-willing, I will study the hadiths as well as the sciences of the hadiths (grading authenticity, deriving principles of faith etc..)

Finally, I know that our life on this planet is only for a little while and that after it, then we will come to know about our true existences, whether that will be paradise (inshallah may God forgive all the Muslims) or hellfire for the peoople who associated partners with God.

I also know the media stuff, is propaganda to make the people sympathetic to attacking the oil rich countries and settting up their oil stealing infrastructure.

But I also know this verse,

[006:120] Leave (O mankind, all kinds of) sin, open and secret. Verily, those who commit sin will get due recompense for that which they used to commit

Peace Be With You

Answer 7

That unless you believe in Adam, Abraham,Moses, Jesus and all the prophets of the Old and New Testaments, you cannot become a Muslim....

That no matter what the special interest groups, the ignorants and the racists say, it is a religion of common sense.

That the religion does not preach violence although some Muslims may justify their actions by using religious scriptures to serve them.

That it preaches you have to be a good person or else no religion can save you.

That a good human being could be a follower and believer of any religion.

Answer 8

whats with that persecution complicated? i directly step in now and returned because of the fact there are no longer any voices in help of islam in that distinctive area of the internet, that pronounced, islam has many violent adherants and to absolve duty of the hundreds of persons inspired by ability of islam to take up violence is quite susceptible. if the actuality suffered, cancerous toddlers would desire to comprehend each little thing. 911 isnt the only attack thats been perpetuated at present.

Answer 9

All I have learned from Islam is that Satan challenged God that he can control human on earth and make them his own followers. God accepted the challenge and created the human being with different colors, races, mental & physically abilitlies..etc (God is not a racist) just for challange!
and to make it easy for Satan to trigger war and hate among us! However, God gave us the clues to defeat Satan and stop killing each others..the clues are the three religions,
with Islam being the best! Although, its rules are strict and unfortunatelly misundedrstood by almost~80% of muslims themselves, i still belive that it is a great religion but needs smart people, not terrorists, to teach it!

Answer 10

it's sort of a toss up! I know that not all Muslims feel that all westerners are bad and not all westerners think that all Muslims are bad! If that would be the case we would be all - no exceptions - in big doodoo!
so - having said that ,I would like to see Muslims hunt their murdering fanatics and hang them by the balls , and not just sit there and let other countries fight their battles for them! because if groups in your society kill and terrorize others and others just sit there and watch its like commiting the crime them selves !The same goes on our side as well! In the end my friend - it doesnt matter who belives what and if I would worship an owl and you worship a cat , we could be ok with each other! christians and muslims alike are trying way too hard to convert one another! that's never going to happen . Hence , religion is not the root of this particular problem , just bad manners!