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Bismillah Alrahman Alraheem Muslims Internet Directory 2Muslims.comPresents Understand Islam Wizard

Greeting • As Salam Alaykum (Peace be upon you) • The following is several pieces of information we have put together to help you understand Islam and Muslims. • In the Noble Quran, God Reveals in the First Chapter:All praise be to God, Lord of the Universe; the Compassion-ate, the Merciful. Sovereign of the Day of Judgment! You alone we worship; and to You alone we turn for help. Guide us to the straight path; the path of those whom You have favored; not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray. Amen. • 2Muslims.com Webmaster

Islamic Terms • - Islam: “Peace through submission to God”. • - Muslim: “One who submits to God.”. • - Allah: “God” The same word used by Arab Christians and Jews. • - Quran: “The Holy Book Of the Muslims.”. • - Muhammad: “The last prophet from God.”. • - Hadith: “ The words and actions of the prophet”. • - ALLAHU AKBAR: God is the greatest. • - EID: “ Islamic celebration or holiday”. • - Salat: “Prayer”. • - Dua: “Supplication” • - P.B.U.H: “Peace Be Upon Him “.

 What Is Islam? • Based on its linguistic origin, the Arabic word 'Islam' means to achieve peace--peace with God, peace within oneself, and peace with the creations of God through submission to God and commitment to His guidance. • Islam is not a new religion but the final culmination and fulfillment of the same basic truth that God revealed through all His prophets to every people. For a fifth of the world's population, Islam is not just a personal religion but a complete way of living. • Islam is not a specific group religion, Islam is universal.

Muslims Population • India/Pakistan/Bangladesh 250-300 Million • Africa 200 Million • Arab countries 180 Million • Southeast Asia 170 Million • Iran 50 Million • China 50 Million • Europe 30 Million • North America 10 Million • South America 5 Million • Australia 1 Million • Worldwide over 1 Billion • Ethnic breakdown - 82% Non-Arab - 18% Arabs • Indonesia is the largest country with over 170 million Muslims

Islam In The U.S.A I • There are evidences of Pre-Columbian Islamic civilization in the New World. • Since 1800’s, Muslims have migrated to the US for various reasons from all over the world seeking the same dream all immigrants seek. • Currently, a little over 7 million Muslims live in the USA with over 2000 Islamic centers all over the States. • Over 45% of the Muslims have at least a bachelor degree.

Islam In The U.S.A II Muslims Come from a different backgrounds: • African American 42.0% • South Asian 24.4% • Arab 12.4% • African 5.2% • Iranian 3.6% • Turk 2.4% • Caucasian American 1.6% • Undetermined 5.6%

Basics Of The Muslims Belief • Believing in One Unique, Eternal, Single God (Allah). • Believing in The Angels. • Believing in The Revealed Books Including the Bible & Torah. • Believing in The Prophets Of God including Moses, Abraham, & Jesus. • Believing in The Day of Judgment, after life, And The Pre-destination & Free Will.

1- Believing in One God • Muslims believe in one unique, Incomparable, superior undivided God. Muslims belief that God is one and one only, he has no wife, no children. He has never been born and shall never die. • The Word Allah Is an Arabic translation for Lord or God and it is the same word used by Arab Christians and Jews. • “Say: He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begets not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.” (Quran: 112) 

2- Believing in Angels • Muslims believe in the Angels created by God and that they are created from light and they never disobey God. • Among the Angels’ names that Muslims know: • Gabriel (Archangel) the angel of revelation.. • Mikail (Angel of Weather). • Israfel (Angel of Death).

3- Believing In The Revealed Books • Muslims believe in all the original texts of the revealed books including: • Taurat or Torah (Revealed to Moses) • Zaboor or Psalms (Revealed to David). • Injeel or Gospel (Revealed to Jesus) • Quran (Revealed to Mohammed)

Muslims believe in all the Prophets, through whom God’s revelations were brought to humankind, beginning with Adam and including: Noah (Nuh), Abraham (Ibrahim), Isaac (Ishaq), Jacob (Ya'qub), Joseph (Yusuf), Moses (Musa),, David (Daoud), Solomon (Sulayman), Elias (Ilyas), John the Baptist (Yahya), and Jesus (Isa); peace be upon them all. 4- Believing In The Revealed Prophets

5- Believing in The Day of Judgment And The Pre-Destination & Free Will • The Day of Judgment is coming. When God will resurrect the entire mankind. • In the hereafter every Individual is accounted for his/her actions and deeds in their life. • Every soul will be brought back to life and our deeds will bear their fruits good or bad. • God's complete authority over our destiny. • Human’s free will to choose their path in their life weather its good or bad.

Islam Has five Pillars that every practicing Muslim should do: Al-Shahada: (Declaration Of Faith) Salat: Establishing Five Prayers a day. Zakat: The payment of A Must charity to the poor (Tax). Sawm: Fasting The full “lunar” month of Ramadan Hajj: (Pilgrimage to Mecca) if affordable, save and health permits . The Pillars Of Islam?

1- Declaration of Faith The declaration that there is no god but One and that Mohammad is His messenger. The English Translation reads: (I bear witness that There is no god Except Allah, and that Muhammad is his Messenger)

2- Salat (Prayer) • An Obligatory prayers for adults that are performed five times a day: • pre-dawn • noon • mid-afternoon • after sunset • night • These five prescribed prayers contain verses from the Quran, and are said in Arabic, the language of the Revelation. Personal supplications, however, can be offered in one's own language and at any time.

2- Salat (Prayer) - Athan • Athan is the call for the prayer and it translates: • God is Great……God is Great. • God is Great……God is Great. • I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God. • I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God. • I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God. • I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God. • Come to prayer! • Come to prayer! • Come to success! • Come to success! • God is Great! • God is Great! • There is none worthy of worship except God.

3-Zakat (Charity) • In Islam everything belongs to God. • Zakat means both "purification" and "growth“. • Zakat is mandatory charity and it is different than voluntary charity. • Eligible Muslims pay it on an annual basis. It helps to "purify" their wealth. • Funds collected are distributed to the poor, orphans, and needy in society. • Zakat consists of giving 2.5% of one’s accumulated wealth excluding such items as primary residence, car and professional tools.

4- Sawm (Fasting) • Fasting One month a year in Ramadan. • Mandatory for all adult Muslims with some exceptions. • Muslims fast from dawn until sundown • Fasting means abstaining from any food, drink, and sexual relations. • Fasting helps Muslim: build will-power, feel compassion, purify their body, and strengthen community relations .

5- Hajj (Pilgrimage) • Once in a lifetime. • An obligation only for those who are physically and financially able to do so. • The first call for hajj was made by Prophet Abraham. • Commemorates the trials of Abraham and his family. • In Hajj Muslims dedicate their full time to worshiping God. • About 2-3 million people perform the Hajj annually.

Kaba • The most sacred place on Earth for Muslim. The central, cubic, stone structure, covered by a black cloth, within the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia • Kaba was built by Abraham and Ishmael over 4000 years ago by the commandments of God. • Kaba Is not worshiped by Muslims. • Kaba is where Muslims face when they pray. • Kaba is to where Million of Muslims perform Hajj each year.

Revelation Sources • Muslims consider two sources only as their main reference: • The Quran: The words of God revealed to us through his prophet Muhammad (pbuh). • The Sunnah: This is the Life, sayings, and actions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which explains further a lot of issues.

Quran • The Quran is the very exact words of God, Almighty. A complete record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel Gabriel to Prophet Muhammad. • The Quran amazingly contained information 1400 years ago that only today are we finding out about scientifically.

Muhammad (PBUH) • He is The prophet of God and Muslims do not worship him, but consider him a Human, a messenger of god. • At the age of 40 he received the first revelation from God through the Archangel Gabriel. • The revelation continued for decades and the whole collection is called the Quran. • He was known by the honest even before his Message began, and even according to his enemies he never lied. • Prophet died at the age of 63

Islamic Holidays • Eid Al Fitr: Celebrating the end of Ramadan and asking for the acceptance of the fasting. • Eid Al Adha : Celebrating the end of Hajj, with sacrifices, prayers and the exchange of gifts in Muslim communities everywhere. • In 2001 the USA issued the first stamp joining the Eid celebration with Muslims.

Does Islam Tolerate Other Beliefs? • Yes. The Quran states unequivocally: "There is no compulsion in religion." (Quran 2:256). • The original, unchanged revelations given to Abraham and other prophets came from the One God. This common origin explains the similarities and is why Islam tolerate all other religions . • Protection of the rights of non-Muslims to worship is an intrinsic part of Islamic law. It is also stated in the Quran. • Historically, Christians & Jews have always lived peacefully under the Islamic state.

Status of Women in Islam • Woman is recognized by Islam as a full and equal partner of man. She is equal to man in bearing personal and common responsibilities and in receiving rewards for her deeds. • She is equal to man in the pursuit of education and knowledge. • She is entitled to freedom of expression as much as man is. • Woman enjoys certain privileges of which man is deprived. • Women are not blamed for violating the "forbidden tree," nor is their suffering in pregnancy and childbirth a punishment for that act.

Veil (Hijab) • Both men and women are expected to dress in a way that is simple, modest and dignified; specific traditions of female dress found in some Muslim countries are often the expression of local customs rather than religious principle. • Hijab gets people to value the inside of a women, show more respect and helps protect the marriage.

Islam & Family • 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. • A Muslim marriage is both a sacred act and a legal agreement, in which either partner is free to include legitimate conditions. As a result, divorce, although uncommon, is permitted only as a last resort. Marriage customs vary widely from country to country.

Islam & Parents • Parents are greatly respected in the Islamic tradition. Mothers are particularly honored: the Quran teaches that since mothers suffer during pregnancy, childbirth, and child rearing, they deserve a special consideration and kindness. • In Islam, serving one's parents is a duty second only to worshipping and it is the parents' right to expect it.

Jesus In Islam • Muslims believe in Jesus as a prophet of God and a Muslim can not be a Muslim until he does so. • The Quran confirms his miraculous birth, and a special surah of the Quran is entitled "Mary." The Quran describes the Annunciation as follows: • 'Behold (O Mary!)' 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 Anointed (Masih or Messiah), Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and in 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 wills. When He decrees a thing, He says to it, "Be!" and it is.” (Quran 3:42-7) .

Jihad In Islam • Jihad literally means "struggle" and not "holy war" and its often used for social life struggling as well. • Like Christianity & Judaism, Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of one's country, and in defense of religion . • It lays down strict rules of combat that include prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees and livestock. • "Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors." (Quran 2:190).

Human Rights • Freedom of speech, religion are honored. • The life, honor and property of all citizens in a Muslim society are considered sacred. • Racism and sexism are not part of Islam. • Freedom of conscience is laid down by the Quran itself. • Muslims are amongst the first to use election to choose their leaders.Justice in an ultimate value in Muslims life..

Misconceptions/Myths • Islam is frequently misunderstood and may even seem exotic in some parts of today's world. Perhaps this is because religion no longer dominates everyday life in Western society; whereas, for Muslims, Islam is life. Muslims make no artificial division between the secular and the sacred. • For quite some time Islam was thought of as some "Eastern" religion, but with the increasing number of Muslims living in the West, Islam is gradually being perceived as a global faith. Muslims are not thought of as strangers with unusual practices, but are being welcomed as part of the mosaic of life in the West. In many cases, Islam is not just viewed as an acceptable religion, but as a desired way of living.

Myths & Reality I • Islam is not a cult. • Allah is an Arabic word that means "God“, the same God worshiped by others faiths.. • Muslims neither worship Muhammad nor pray through him. • Muslims believe that God has 99 attributes, and those names do not represent different Gods. • The Holy Quran was not authored by Muhammad. • The Holy Quran has no flaws or contradictions. The same exact copy is found through out the world.

Myths & Reality II • The word "jihad" does not mean "holy war". Instead, it means to struggle. • Islam was not spread by the sword as history proves. • Women are not oppressed in Islam. • Arranged marriages are allowed in Islam but are not required. The marriage decision is left to the individual. "Forced" marriages are not Islamic. • All Muslims are not Arab. Islam is a universal religion • Muslims do not worship the moon but rather use the lunar year to track certain Islamic occasions.

Jaber Ibn Haiyan (Geber) died 803 A.D. Ibn Sina (Avicenna) 981-1037 A.D. Ar-Razi (Rhazes) 864-930 A.D. Abu Al-Qasim Al-Zahravi (Albucasis) 936-1013 A.D. Ibn Rushd (Averroes) 1128-1198 A.D. Al-Khawarizmi (Algorizm) 770-840 A.D. Famous Muslim Scientists

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