21 Qa About Islam

Sw if t & Lo g ic a l

21 Q u est io n s An y o n e Gu id in g t o Al l a h w il l be a sk ed Prepared by Muhammad Alshareef; © 2003 AlMaghrib Institute [1] Que stion: The Polyg a m y q uestion.

Plural marriage vs. plural mistresses If in the U.S. the culture and the law allow a macho man to have 1 or 4 or 15 mistresses – why should we condemn Islam for making those men legally responsible for the women? Plural marriage is not new to the Bible or the Torah. Islam did not initiate it; Islam regulated and fought the injustice that was happening in plural marriages.

[2] Que stion: Men p olyg a m ous, w hy not w om en?

It’s not fair? Does fairness mean I must get half the orange and you get half? Or can fairness be I get the peel, you get the fruit? There is no denying it, men are polygamous by their nature, and women are monogamous by their nature. If God legislated it like that, doesn’t He know what He created?

[3] Que stion: Are w om en op p ressed in Isla m ?

Most likely someone thinks this because of the Muslim woman’s head covering. So, that thinking tells us that the more clothes a woman takes off, the more liberated she is. Therefore, according to this belief, the most liberated women are pornography models. To a Muslim woman liberation is to be respected for who she is not what she looks like. A Muslim woman’s beauty is seen by her female friends, her children, her close relatives, and her husband. The only people that don’t see her beauty are strange men.

[4] Que stion: Does Isla m c om m a nd the m urd er of innoc ent p eop le?

Why do you say so? (Let them explain. Most likely it will be something they saw on TV or ‘media’ related.) Let me ask you this, “Are bats evil? If you saw one at night would you get scared?” We’ve both watched too many Dracula movies right? Stereotype. Don’t let the media indoctrinate you with stereotypes. Travel the world and experience the diversity. There is more to planet earth then America and CNN. Surah Al-Maa’idah 5/ 32 […Whoever kills a soul, unless (it is in legal retribution for muder) of a soul, or whoever spreads corruption in the land – it is as if he had murdered all of mankind. And whoever saves (a soul) – it is as if he had saved all of mankind.]

[5] Que stion: The sp rea d of Isla m w a s b y the sw ord , thro ug h violenc e .

Then why today is Islam the fastest growing religion amongst Americans and Europeans? Where are the swords? Or is it the power of truth? If it is the truth from God, your Creator, don’t you think you deserve to learn more about it? He’s your Creator too.

[6] Que stion: Do Muslim s w orship the Gra nd Mosq ue in Ma kka h?

It is a point of direction for all Muslims around the world. It is the universal axis of universal brotherhood and sisterhood. If a Muslim harbored the belief that they were worshipping the Ka’bah, they would be committing a sin that Allah would never forgive. In Arabic ‘shirk,’ to associate partners in worship with God.

[7] Que stion: Non-Muslim s c a nnot enter Ma kka h a nd Ma d ina h?

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Every man, woman, and child is allowed to enter Makkah – but they must purify their heart first. There cannot be in their heart love for any God other than the one true God. This is the visa requirement.

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[8] Que stion: Why c a n’ t Muslim s d rink a lc ohol?

Of the things that the prophets warned of is alcohol and pork. This is guidance that will bring an individual prosperity and a warning that will bring an individual harm. We don’t need humans to tell us alcohol is a disease and detrimental to one’s health and prosperity. God already told us.

[9] Que stion: The w orld is one b ig c oinc id enc e.

Nothing comes from nothing – you believe that. How can an abstract nothing make a human? A human cannot make a fly, but an abstract nothing can make an intricate voice box and eyeballs, right? I’m sorry but I feel that is just sssooo illogical. Do you believe in a higher being? Yes. If this is one big coincidence, do you think there is any purpose to your life? Because if there isn’t any purpose to your existence, then your shoes are more valuable. At least the shoes have a purpose. Modern science has rejected the Darwin theory as heresy. Something can evolve, but not into a different animal and not again and again out of coincidence, chance, and accident. The similitude of the illogicalness of this is like someone who dumps a bucket of ink over a table hoping that it’ll fall into an Oxford collegiate dictionary. Illogical minds say that is what happened. So, let’s say for the sake of argument that’s what happened. Tell me now the odds of it happening again and again – trillions of times for all the life forms on earth. I’m sorry, but I feel that is just sssooo illogical. I’m not willing to go to the grave with Darwin around my neck. Nice guy, but he’s not MY prophet.

[10] Que stion: Why 2 w om en w itnesses for 1 m a le w itness?

This is only in regards to monetary transactions. If in an Islamic law court there is a dispute regarding issues where women are more familiar, 4 male witnesses may be canceled by 1 female witness. This is in regards to monetary transactions in the beginning documentation stage of the transactions. However, at times of dispute, the Judge may have nothing more than 1 female witness and so judgment may legally pass on that 1 female witness.

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[11] Que stion: Why d o es a w om a n g et ½ of w ha t the m a n g ets in inherita nc e?

Check this out: In Islamic law if a man dies, leaving behind a 1 month old girl and a powerful, wealthy, and influential brother, guess how the inheritance will be divided. ½ for the girl, ½ for her uncle! So it is not about male/ female, it is about who will now have to take responsibility for the family. If it was just a son and daughter, the son will get more inheritance, but he will also ‘inherit’ the fatherly responsibility of providing for the family; something that he will be held accountable for in front of God.

[12] Que stion: I d on’ t b elieve there to b e life a fter d ea th.

What is easier: to invent something totally new (say like a computer chip) or to mass duplicate it after it is created? Why do you think your body -- that you at this moment see, feel, and hear -- is so hard to duplicate? Person you are talking to is named Jenny. Close your eyes and say: “Jenny does not exist.” 5 times. Then open your eyes and say, “Hey, you are still here.” See, just because I think of something in my head, doesn’t change its reality. Just because someone thinks there is no life after death, doesn’t mean it’ll disappear.

[13] Que stion: Why a re there so m a ny sec ts in Isla m , like Shia a nd Sunni?

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With human differences, there is still one body of Muslims. Our God is the same, our Prophet is the same, our book is the same, our prayer is the same, our direction of prayer is the same, our name is the same (Muslims), our fasting is the same, our pilgrimage (Hajj) is the same on the same day and so much more. Our sources of legislation are the Qur’an and authentic Hadith. Whatever opinion comes, it is by these two we judge it. So, yes, there will be people who differ. Muslims always have a standard to go back to by which the statements of men are measured.

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[14] Que stion: Purp ose of relig ion is hig h m ora l c ha ra c ter. Then w hy Isla m ? And w hy sho uld those others b e c ond em ned ? (G o od a c ting p erson in hell?)

[15] Que stion: Wa tc hm a ker theory.

[16] Que stion: Are Muslim s intolera nt of other relig ions?

Who said the sum total of religion is good character? Could there be more to religion ... say ... the right of God to be worshipped alone? Do you think it’s possible for a person to be good to humans, but in their relationship with God they are the most wretched?

Ever heard of a watch repair shop?

The law of the Jizyah tax in Islam is legislated to protect the rights of the religious minorities. It is a fundamental principle in Islamic law that these people are not to be harmed. Harming these religious minorities is an abomination inconsistent with Islam. But now I ask: Where was the religious tolerance of the Crusaders that slaughtered thousands of innocent people in the name of Jesus? Where was the religious tolerance in the Spanish Inquisition? Today, where is the religious tolerance in Israel or Bosnia or India?

[17] Que stion: Hom op ho b ia

Of the things that all prophets warned of is homosexuality. Now let’s separate the problem from the people. This is not a condemnation of a human – it is guidance to that which will bring the individual prosperity and a warning of that which will bring the individual harm. We don’t need doctors to tell us homosexuality is detrimental to one’s health and prosperity. God already told us.

[18] Que stion: How c a n you b e so a rrog a nt to sa y tha t yo u a re g uid ed a nd I a m not?

God sent Prophets and books and created in you a natural desire to recognize His Oneness (the ‘higher being’ as you call Him). That doesn’t sound like a God that has abandoned you – that sounds like a God that loves that you become guided. A human does not know in which state they will die and whether what they are doing is sincerely for God. So, a Muslim does not testify to the world that he or she is ‘accepted.’ Instead, a Muslim prays that their actions are accepted by God and prays to be kept firm on the truth till the day he or she dies. Your argument is geared more for Christians – so you’ve mistaken Islam for the ‘accept-Jesus-and-all-sins-are-ok’ doctrine. We don’t believe that. Each soul is responsible for what he or she has earned.

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[19] Que stion: Dea th for the a p osta te?

[20] Que stion: Is Jesus Go d ?

The U.S. acknowledges the punishment for treason – death. Islam is not a bunch of theories; it is a way of life that encompasses spiritual, moral, and social laws. As you understand the punishment for U.S. treason, this is Islam’s punishment for violent treason. If the ‘Father’ wanted to destroy the son or Mary, could he? Someone may say, ‘No, Jesus/ Mary is God.’ Is Jesus God? Or is he a half god? Or is he human? (Whatever they say, tell them) ‘Well, your priest said otherwise. Who am I supposed to believe? If the priests aren’t sure, then how can you expect me to be sure? This is about God, for heaven’s sake. Shouldn’t we be certain of something so fundamental? When you pray, do you pray to the father or the son? How does that make you feel? I would feel weird to pray to other then God alone. I’m sorry but that’s how I feel. Simply put: Jesus and Mary ate food, therefore they cannot be Gods. Someone who eats is not self-sufficient. Someone who eats must expel the waste.

[21] Que stion: Bea ting w ives?

Go up to a random pick of American homes and ask the woman of the house if she has ever been physically ill-treated by the man of the house. It is not possible to find a nation on earth whose men have not in some form physically ill-treated their women. This is the man’s nature. It could never be said that Prophet Muhammad promoted ill treatment of one’s spouse. How so when he himself said, “ The best of you is he who is best to his womenfolk.” The verse in the Qur’an is talking about the extreme case where the husband and wife are on the brink of marital breakdown. Even then, there are stages before one reaches the point of physical discipline. And if all stages are gone through and the spouse needs to be restrained, Islam prohibits hitting of the face. Islam prohibits uglification of the spouse. Islam prohibits that the restraint bring physical pain. Islam prohibits all of this and the best example was our Prophet Muhammad – sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam. He never in his life hit a member of his family and we are commanded to emulate him. Some children only learn through gentle physical restraint. They may be too young to fully comprehend a situation. Which is better: gentle physical restraint or emotionally crushing someone until they submit? No doubt the emotional abuse could be much more devastating then a simple slap on the wrist. Doesn’t God know what He created? He is AlAleem AlHakeem (the All-Knowing, the All-Wise).

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