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TOP TEN MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM
MISCONCEPTION #1: Muslims
are violent, terrorists, and extremists.
This is the biggest misconception in Islam, no doubt resulting
from the constant stereotyping and bashing the media gives Islam. When
a gunman attacks a mosque in the name of Judaism, a Catholic IRA guerrilla
sets off a bomb in an urban area, or Serbian Orthodox militiamen rape and
kill innocent Muslim civilians, these acts are not used to stereotype an
entire faith. Never are these acts attributed to the religion of the perpetrators.
Yet how many times have we heard the words 'Islamic, Muslim fundamentalist.
etc.' linked with violence. Politics in so called "Muslim countries" may
or may not have any Islamic basis. Often dictators and politicians will
use the name of Islam for their own purposes. One should remember to go
to the source of Islam and separate what the true religion of Islam says
from what is portrayed in the media. Islam literally means 'submission
to God' and is derived from a root word meaning 'peace'. Islam may seem
exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion
doesn't dominate everyday life in the West, whereas Islam is considered
a 'way of life' for Muslims and they make no division between secular and
sacred in their lives. Like Christianity, Islam permits fighting in self-defense,
in defense of religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled
forcibly from their homes. It lays down strict rules of combat which include
prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees
and livestock. NOWHERE DOES ISLAM ENJOIN THE KILLING OF INNOCENTS.. The
Quran says: "Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but
do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors." (Quran 2:190)
"If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the
One that heareth and knoweth all things." (Quran 8:61) War, therefore,
is the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous conditions laid down
by the sacred law. The term 'jihad' literally means 'struggle'. Muslims
believe that there are two kinds of jihad. The other 'jihad' is the inner
struggle of the soul which everyone wages against egotistic desires for
the sake of attaining inner peace.
MISCONCEPTION #2: Islam
oppresses women.
The image of the typical Muslim woman wearing the veil
and forced to stay home and forbidden to drive is all too common in most
peoples thoughts. Although some Muslim countries may have laws that oppress
women, this should not be seen as coming from Islam. Many of these countries
do not rule by any kind of Shari'ah (Islamic law) and introduce their own
cultural standpoints on the issue of gender equity. Islam on the other
hand gives men and women different roles and equity between the two is
laid down in the Quran and the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her
own right, with the right to own and dispose of her property and earnings.
A marriage gift is given by the groom to the bride for her own personal
use, and she keeps her own family name rather than taking her husband's.
Both men and women are expected to dress in a way which is modest and dignified.
The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: "The most perfect in faith
amongst believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife."
Violence of any kind towards women and forcing them against their will
for anything is not allowed. A Muslim marriage is a simple, legal agreement
in which either partner is free to include conditions. Marriage customs
thus vary widely from country to country. Divorce is not common, although
it is acceptable as a last resort. According to Islam, a Muslim girl cannot
be forced to marry against her will: her parents simply suggest young men
they think may be suitable.
MISCONCEPTION #3: Muslims
worship a different God.
Allah is simply the arabic word for God. Allah for Muslims
is the greatest and most inclusive of the Names of God, it is an arabic
word of rich meaning, denoting the one and only God and ascribing no partners
to Him. It is exactly the same word which the Jews, in Hebrew, use for
God (eloh), the word which Jesus Christ used in Aramaic when he prayed
to God. God has an identical name in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam;
Allah is the same God worshiped by Muslims, Christians and Jews. Muslims
believe that Allah's sovereignty is to be acknowledged in worship and in
the pledge to obey His teaching and commandments, conveyed through His
messengers and prophets who were sent at various times and in many places
throughout history.
MISCONCEPTION #4: Islam
was spread by the sword and is intolerant of other faiths.
Many social studies textbooks for students show the image
of an Arab horseman carrying a sword in one hand and the Quran in the other
conquering and forcibly converting. This, though, is not a correct portrayal
of history. Islam has always given respect and freedom of religion to all
faiths. The Quran says: "God forbids you not, with regards to those who
fight you not for [your] faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing
kindly and justly with them; for God loveth those who are just. 60:8) Freedom
of religion is laid down in the Quran itself: "There is no compulsion (or
coercion) in the religion (Islam). The right direction is distinctly clear
from error". (2:256) Christian missionary, T.W. Arnold had this opinion
on his study of the question of the spread of Islam: ".. of any organized
attempt to force the acceptance of Islam on the non-Muslim population,
or of any systematic persecution intended to stamp out the Christian religion,
we hear nothing. Had the caliphs chosen to adopt either course of action,
they might have swept away Christianity as easily as Ferdinand and Isabella
drove Islam out of Spain, or Louis XIV made Protestanism ..." It is a function
of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of minorities, and this
is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic
world. History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance towards other
faiths: when the caliph Omar entered Jerusalem in the year 634, Islam granted
freedom of worship to all religious communities in the city. Proclaiming
to the inhabitants that their lives, and property were safe, and that their
places of worship would never be taken from them, he asked the Christian
patriarch Sophronius to accompany him on a visit to all the holy places.
Islamic law also permits non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts,
which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities themselves. The
life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred
whether the person is Muslim or not. Racism is not a part of Islam, the
Quran speaks only of human equality and how all peoples are equal in the
sight of God. "O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female,
and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one
another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is the greatest
of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All- Aware. (49:13)
MISCONCEPTION #5: All
Muslims are Arabs.
The Muslim population of the world is around 1.2 billion.
1 out of 5 people in the world is a Muslim. They are a vast range of races,
nationalities, and cultures from around the globe--from the Phillipines
to Nigeria--they are united by their common Islamic faith. Only about 18%
live in the Arab world and the largest Muslim community is in Indonesia.
Most Muslims live east of Pakistan. 30% of Muslims live in the Indian subcontinent,
20% in Sub-Saharan Africa, 17% in Southeast Asia, 18% in the Arab world,
and 10% in the Soviet Union and China. Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan make
up 10% of the non-Arab Middle East. Although there are Muslim minorities
in almost every area, including Latin America and Australia, they are most
numerous in Russia and its newly independent states, India and central
Africa. There are about 6 million Muslims in the United States.
MISCONCEPTION #6: The
Nation of Islam is a Muslim group.
Islam and the so called "Nation of Islam'" are two different
religions. Muslims consider this group to be just one of many cults using
the name of Islam for their own gain. The only thing common between them
is the jargon, the language used by both. "The Nation of Islam" is a misnomer;
this religion should be called Farrakhanism, after the name of its propogator,
Louis Farrakhan. Islam and Farakhanism differ in many fundamental ways.
For example, Farakhan followers believe in racism and that the 'black man'
was the original man and therefore superior, while in Islam there is no
racism and everyone is considered equal in the sight of God, the only difference
being in one's piety. There are many other theological examples that show
the 'Nation's teachings have little to do with true Islam. There are many
groups in America who claim to represent Islam and call their adherents
Muslims. Any serious student of Islam has a duty to investigate and find
the true Islam. The only two authentic sources which bind every Muslim
are 1. the Quran and 2. authentic or sound Hadith. Any teachings under
the label of "Islam" which contradict or at variance with the direct understanding
of fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam form the Quran and authentic
Hadith should be rejected and such a religion should be considered a Pseudo-Islamic
Cult. In America there are many pseudo-Islamic cults, Farrakhanism being
one of them. An honest attitude on the part of such cults should be not
to call themselves Muslims and their religion Islam. such an example of
honesty is Bahaism which is an off-shoot of Islam but Bahais do not call
themselves Muslims nor their religion, Islam. In fact Bahaism is not Islam
just as Farrakhanism is not Islam.
MISCONCEPTION #7: All
Muslim men marry four wives.
The religion of Islam was revealed for all societies and
all times and so accommodates widely differing social requirements. Circumstances
may warrant the taking of another wife but the right is granted, according
to the Quran, only on condition that the husband is scrupulously fair.
No woman can be forced into this kind of marriage if they do not wish it,
and they also have the right to exclude it in their marriage contract.
Po
lygamy is neither mandatory, nor encouraged, but merely
permitted. Images of "sheikhs with harems" are not consistent with Islam,
as a man is only allowed at most four wives only if he can fulfill the
stringent conditions of treating each fairly and providing each with separate
housing etc. Permission to practice polygamy is not associated with mere
satisfaction of passion. It is rather associated with compassion toward
widows and orphans. It was the Quran that limited and put conditions on
the practice of polygamy among the Arabs, who had as many as ten or more
wives and considered them "property". It is both honest and accurate to
say that it is Islam which regulated this practice, limited it, made it
more humane, and instituted equal rights and status for all wives. What
the Qur'anic decrees amount to, taken together is discouragement of polygamy
unless necessity for it exists. It is also evident that the general rule
in Islam is monogamy and not polygamy. It is a very tiny percentage of
Muslims that practice it over the world. However, permission to practice
limited polygamy is only consistent with Islam's realistic view of the
nature of man and woman and of various social needs, problems and cultural
variations. The question is, however far more than the inherent flexibility
of Islam; it also is the frank and straightforward approach of Islam in
dealing with practical problems. Rather than requiring hypocritical and
superficial compliance, Islam delves deeper into the problems of individuals
and societies, and provides for legitimate and clean solutions which are
far more beneficial than would be the case if they were ignored. There
is no doubt that the second wife legally married and treated kindly is
better off than a mistress without any legal rights or expermanence.
MISCONCEPTION #8: Muslims
are a barbaric, backwards people.
Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of
Islam was the simplicity of its doctrine-Islam calls for faith in only
one God worthy of worship. It also repeatedly instructs man to use his
powers of intelligence and observation. Within a few years, great civilizations
and universities were flourishing, for according to the Prophet (pbuh),
'seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman'. The
synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas and of new thought with old, brought
about great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography,
architecture, art, literature, and history. Many crucial systems such as
algebra, the Arabic numerals, and also the concept of the zero (vital to
the advancement of mathematics), were transmitted to medieval Europe from
Islam. Sophisticated instruments which were to make possible the European
voyages of discovery were developed, including the astrolabe, the quadrant
and good navigational maps.
MISCONCEPTION #9: Muhammad
was the founder of Islam and Muslims worship him.
Muhammad(pbuh) was born in Mecca in the year 570. Since
his father died before his birth, and his mother shortly afterwards, he
was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh. As he grew
up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so
that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. The
historians describe him as calm and meditative. Muhammad (pbuh) 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
Mecca. At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad(pbuh)
received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This
revelation, which continued for 23 years is known as the Quran. As soon
as he began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel, and to preach the
truth which 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 Hijra 'migration',
in which they left Mecca for the city of Medina, marks the beginning of
the Muslim calendar. After several years, the Prophet and his followers
were able to return to Mecca, where they forgave their enemies and established
Islam definitively. Before the Prophet saw dies 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. He died with less
than 5 possessions to his name. While Muhammad(pbuh) was chosen to deliver
the message, he is not considered the "founder" of Islam, since Muslims
consider Islam to be the same divine guidance sent to all peoples before.
Muslims believe all the prophets from Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus etc. were
all sent with divine guidance for their peoples. Every prophet was sent
to his own people, but Muhammad(pbuh) was sent to all of mankind. Muhammad
is the last and final messenger sent to deliver the message of Islam. Muslims
revere and honor him (pbuh) for all he went through and his dedication,
but they do not worship him. "O Prophet, verily We have sent you as a witness
and a bearer of glad tidings and a warner and as one who invites unto God
by His leave and as an illuminating lamp."(33:45-6)
MISCONCEPTION #10: Muslims
don't believe in Jesus or any other prophets.
Muslims respect and revere Jesus, upon him be peace, and
await his Second Coming. They consider him one of the greatest of God's
messengers to mankind. A Muslim never refers to him simply as 'Jesus',
but always adds the phrase 'upon him be peace' (abbreviated as (u) here).
The Quran confirms his virgin birth (a chapter of the Quran is entitled
'Mary'), and Mary is considered the purest woman in all creation. The Quran
describes the Annunciation as follows: "Behold!" the Angel said, "God has
chosen you, and purified you, and chosen you above the women of all nations.
O Mary, God gives you good news of a word from Him whose name shall be
the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the Hereafter,
and one of those brought near to God. He shall speak to the people from
his cradle and in maturity, and shall be of the righteous." She said: "O
my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?" He said: "Even
so; God creates what He will. When He decrees a thing, He says to it, "Be!"
and it is" (Quran 3:42-47) Jesus (u) was born miraculously through the
same power which had brought Adam (u) into being without a father: "Truly,
the likeness of Jesus with God is as the likeness of Adam. He created him
of dust, and then said to him, 'Be!' and he was." (3:59) During his prophetic
mission Jesus (u) performed many miracles. The Quran tells us that he said:
" I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out of
clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it becomes
a bird by God's leave. And I heal the blind, and the lepers, and I raise
the dead by God's leave." (3:49) Neither Muhammad (pbuh) not Jesus (u)
came to change the basic doctrine of the brief in One God brought by earlier
prophets, but to confirm and renew it. In the Quran Jesus (u) is reported
as saying that he came: "To attest the law which was before me. And to
make lawful to you part of what was forbidden you; I have come to you with
a sign from your Lord, so fear God and obey Me. (3:50) The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh)
said: "Whoever believes there is no god but God, alone without partner,
that Muhammad(pbuh) is His messenger, that Jesus is the servant and messenger
of God, His word breathed into Mary and a spirit emanating from Him, and
that Paradise and Hell are true, shall be received by God into Heaven.
"(Hadith related by Bukhari). Another Site with Misconceptions About Islam
Sources: (Islam: A Brief Introduction, Islamic Circle of North America,
Jamaica, New York) (Understanding Islam and the Muslims, The Islamic Affairs
Department The Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington DC, 1989.) (Badawi,
Jamal , Polygamy in Islamic Law, The Muslim Students' Association of the
United States and Canada,) (Islam and Farrakhanism Compared, The Institute
of Islamic Information and Education, Chicago, Illinois) (Jihad Explained,
The Institute of Islamic Information and Education, Chicago, Illinois) |