to all nonmuslims with my due respect, what do you really know about Islam?

Question

Islam is a word meaning surrender to Allah and Allah isn’t the muslim Lord; instead Allah is the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, my Creator and yours, the same God of Moses and Abraham, Budda, Jacob and the tribes, and John the Baptist and Jesus and Mohammed peace be upon them. Islam derives from the word “salamah” meaning to be at peace, security , safety therefore a muslim is a person that surrenders to whom; Allah. A muslim is a person that submits and obeys the law of Almighty Allah. Through the submission, a muslim obtains peace for themselves. You see the formula is very simple. When I surrender to the law, when I conform to the law and the legislation which is intended for me that means that is my natural disposition therefore I become a conformist. I am in order and harmony and by being in order and harmony, the things I am supposed to receive come to me. So when that is fully understood, it’s natural to be a muslim and unnatural not to be.
Islam has six beliefs; Belief in Allah, Allah’s angels, the books of Allah, the messengers of Allah, the Day of Judgement and the supremasy of the divine will.
Muslims have five basic duties they must perform known as the five pillars of Islam. They are
1.Shahadah (belief that Allah is the only One worthy of worship and that Mohammed Peace be upon him is His last Prophet
2.Establishment of prayer
3.Payment of Zakah (charity)
4. Sawm (fasting of Ramadan)
5.Pilgrimage to Meccah to all whom can afford it

Answer 1

I definitely get your point. Unfortunately the public face of Islam is holding an AK47 in its hand (excuse the mixed metaphor).

Terrorists acting in the name of Islam are making front page news every day. As a result, many people consider all islamics to be slightly insane religious zealots with a beef against the west. While this stereotyping is, obviously, incorrect, very little is being done to correct the misapprehension. Unfortunately, governments supporting the terrorists are rabidly anti-west, and are using the religious angle to push their own agenda.

If Islam is to be seen as a peaceful religion, it has to neuter it's radical extremists. Unfortunately I can't see that happening any time soon.

Answer 2

The Quran and Bible cannot be accurately compared. They are two different books talking about two different deities. One can prove that He is the living God, the other cannot.

1-There is only "one God", Allah
There is only one Living God - YHWH - Deut. 6:4–5

2- "Muhammad", was the last of the great prophets.
The last of the great prophets was John the Baptist. - Matt 11:13

3- The "Koran", was the last of the sacred books.
Revelation is the last of the sacred books. - Gal. 1:8-9

4- "Life on Earth", is a test and only a preparation for the eternal life to come.
Life on earth is a choice to choose or reject God's Son and His redemptive work on the cross because we cannot help but fail any "test". - John 3:18-19

5- The "Final Judgment": The faithful will go to eternal Heaven, and the infidels to eternal Hell.
All are destined for hell because of sin. God gave His only Son to pay the price of sin and is offered as a free gift to All who would receive. - John 3:16

Answer 3

If it is natural to be Islamic, why did it take thousands of years before Mohammad established the 5 laws? And why does more than 80% of humanity disagree with Islam?

A friend of mine is a devout muslim (female) scientist. She knows more than enough about Islam to know that wearing hijab is not important - as you point out as well (it isn't part of the pillars of Islam). So I am puzzled why your picture shows you covering your head. It indicates that you believe in more than just the 5 pillars of faith.

Indeed, the Koran says women need to cover up their beauty and keep their eyes downcast (Sura An-Nur, 31). It is obvious that this may have made sense at the time (well over a thousand years ago), but that it isn't part of the core teachings of Islam. So do you believe it or not? If you don't believe it, then why would you encourage the misconception that muslim women need to cover up? If you do believe it, then please modify your question to include all the pillars of your faith.

I keep checking this question to see if the asker is willing to elaborate on what she really believes. I know plenty of muslims that are just like many christians: they understand the core part of the religion and follow it, translated into modern terms.

Answer 4

Although I know that modern Islam is a religion of love, peace, charity and the 5 things you mentioned, that is not the entirety of Islam as originally created. I do not believe Muhammed was a prophet from God and I personally have a problem that Islam teaches that Christ was not the Son of God as I believe Him to be. All that being said, my biggest problem with Islam is the belief that only Muslims will go to Heaven. I know that Christians also belief that only Christians will go to Heaven and although I know very little about other religions, they probably all believe only those of their chosen religion will go to Heaven. I am a Christian and although the belief is that only those who accept Christ as the Son of God and our Lord and Savior will go to Heaven, I find this hard to believe and have always had a problem with it.
It has also been proven that the Bible was written from the Dead Sea Scrolls(Old Testament) and the epistiles(New Testament) and that they have not been changed. However Islam teaches that the bible was changed. This is the answer for anything that contradicts the quran. Yet there is no proof that anything written in the quran was found until the 10th century, long after Muhammed's death and there is no proof that any of what is in the quran is the Word of God.

Answer 5

There may be only a very few people claiming to be of Islam, who are doing all the killing and bombing. What annoys most non muslims is the fact that the religious leaders seem to pay only lip service in their protests about the killing actions. But they do not remove those people from the religion.
In any ' Christian' religion, a person committing acts of violence would be excommunicated, barred, disrobed, or disfellowshipped until they changed their ways.
Not so Islam.
Nothing is done. Yet the religion claims it is peaceful.
It cannot do this and still not disbar it members who are causing grief and heartbreak.
They really are carrying out Satan's wishes to disrupt the world.

Answer 6

I know Islam is a Religion, that may bring happiness to some, perhaps many, but their is much joy in false things and much joy in true things, to those whom islam is true, then it is true to them, to others some other things are true, but In the faiths of the Great God of Abraham you are to be the light not the judge of the world, and their are 3 great faiths of the God of Abraham that is Islam,Christianity, Judaism, all three are the light of this world, and it is quite stupid to go on Y/A with questions basically sending a message saying I'm smarter then you, Well your smart in somethings I can be sure of thats but their is always something unknown and untouched, All men are wise in their own eyes and though wisdom may be present at times foolishness is not far behind , but just because you believe something to be true, do not expect others to see what you see as true nor call them stupid for not agreeing to your beliefs, you are to be a light of God not a judge nor a criticizer.

Answer 7

I saw a previous answer claiming basically that Americans are ignorant. I find that ironic considering that they claimed it was bad to stereotype Muslims in the same breath. I am American, and know plenty about Islam. I know all about the 5 pillars,Muhammad, the Sunni and the Shi'a, the Hadith, the Qur'an, the prophets, Mecca, mosques, etc etc etc.

Answer 8

Sister,
This is the theory of Islam.
But outsiders judge us Muslims not by what is written in the Holy Qur'aan, but by 9/11 & similar actions of a few misguided momeens. Our bad luck that our condemnation of these terrorists does not receive ANY publicity.

Answer 9

Honestly I do not undersstand the belief as well as i would like to. I think we all view the religion with such contemp now and days it's dispicable. I wouldn't want people looking at me as a terrorist becasue I believe something.

Answer 10

As a Christian I have to say, "not enough". There is always room for more dialog. And your info is certainly welcome. Jesus commands "Love your neighbor." To love one's neighbor, it helps to understand one's neighbor. Do Muslims believe that Allah came to earth in the form of man? Does Allah live in our midst? Does He have intimate contact with us? Does He love me even if I may not submit to His will?