The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Islam

WHAT IS ISLAAM?

The word "Islaam" means peace attained through submission ; to be at
peace with yourself and your surroundings by submitting to God and
obeying his commandments. This is a unique religion with a name which
signifies a moral attitude and a way of life. Judaism takes its name
from the tribe Juda, Christianity from Jesus Christ, Buddhism from
Goutam Buddha and Hinduism from Indus River. However , those who
accept Islaam and submit to God are not called "Muhammadans" after
Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon him) the last Prophet of
God; they are called Muslims.

Return to Index

WHO IS ALLAAH?

Allaah is the Arabic word for "one God", the same as Eloh in Armaic.
Allaah is not God of Muslims only. He is God of all creations, because
He is their Creator and Sustainer.

Return to Index

WHO IS A MUSLIM?

The word "Muslim" means one who submits to the will of God. This is
done by declaring that "There is no God except one God and Muhammad
(Peace and Blessings of God be upon him) is the messenger of God." In
a broader sense, anyone who willingly submits to the will of God is a
Muslim, thus all Prophets preceding the Prophet Muhammad( Peace and
blessings of God be upon him) were Muslims. The Quraan specifically
mentions Abraham who lived long before Moses and Christ that, "He was
not a Jew or a Christian but a Muslim," because, he had submitted to
the will of God. Thus there are Muslims who are not submitting at all
to the will of God and there are Muslims who are doing their best to
live an Islaamic life. One cannot judge Islaam by looking at those
Muslims who have a Muslim name but in their actions, they are not
living or behaving as Muslims. The state of being a Muslim depends
upon the degree to which one is submitting to the will of God, in his
beliefs and his actions.

Return to Index

WHO WAS MUHAMMAD? (Peace and blessings of God be upon him)

In brief, Muhammad ( Peace and blessings of God be upon him) was born
in a noble tribe of Mekkah in Arabia in the year 570 CE. His ancestry
goes back to Prophet Ishmael (Peace be upon him), son of Prophet
Abraham (Peace be upon him). His father died before his birth and his
mother died when he was six years old. He did not attend any formal
school. He was raised first by a nurse as it was a custom in those
days, then by his grandfather and then by his uncle. As a young man,
he was known as a righteous person who used to meditate in a cave. At
age 40, he was given the Prophethood by God through angel, Gabriel,
who appeared to Him in the cave of Hira, in Mekkah. Subsequently,
revelations were received by Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of
God be upon Him) for a period of 23 years. This book of revelations is
called the Quraan. The Quraan has been preserved, unchanged, in its
original form and confirms the truth in the Torah, the psalms and the
Gospel. Quraan is the only scripture in existence today in its
original Arabic text. All the earlier Divine Scriptures were entrusted
by God to His messengers, to guard them and after the physical death
of the Messengers, their followers were entrusted to guard them.
However the followers failed in their duties therefore each subsequent
Divine Scripture corrected the previous one. God has confirmed in the
Holy Quraan firstly that this is His last and final revelation to
mankind and secondly that He Himself will guard it till the Day of
Judgment.

Return to Index

DO MUSLIMS WORSHIP MUHAMMAD? (Peace and blessings of God be upon him)

No. Muslims do not worship Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) or any other
Prophets. Muslims believe in all Prophets including Aadam, Noah,
Abraham, David, Solomon, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims believe that
Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon him) was the last of the
Prophets. They believe that only God is to be worshipped, not human
beings or anything else.

WHAT DO MUSLIMS THINK OF JESUS?

Muslims think highly of Jesus (Peace be upon him) and his worthy
mother, Mary. The Quraan tells us that Jesus was born of a miraculous
birth without a father. "Lo! The likeliness of Jesus with Allaah is
the likeliness of Aadam. He created him of dust, and then he said unto
him: Be and he is" (Quran 3,59). He was given many miracles as a
Prophet. These include speaking soon after birth in defense of his
mother's piety. God's other gift to him included healing the blind and
the sick, reviving the dead, making a live bird out of clay and most
importantly, the message he was carrying. These miracles were given to
him by God to establish him as a Prophet. According to the Quraan, he
was not crucified but raised bodily into Heaven. (Quraan, Chapter
Maryam)

Return to Index

DO MUSLIMS HAVE SECTS?

Yes. However Prophet Muhammad(Peace and blessings of God be upon him)
has stated clearly that only those who follow the injunctions of the
Holy Quraan and his practices called Sunnah will be considered to be
Muslims: they are known as Sunni.

WHAT ARE THE PILLARS OF ISLAAM?

These pillars are ( I ) the Belief (Eemaan ) that there is no God
worthy of worship but Allaah and that Muhammad (Peace and blessings of
God be upon him) is his Messenger. (2) Prescribed prayers (SALAAT)
which are five times a day, (3) Fasting (SIYAAM ) once a year, during
the whole month of Ramadaan, (4) Charity (ZAKAAT) which is paid to the
poor and needy once every year. (5) HAJJ which is the pilgrimage to
Mekkah once in a lifetime if one can afford it physically and
financially. Pillars are part of a building. The building in this case
is the perfect human being who cares and protects the rights of all
creations and fellow humans thus establishing a society in which
justice and peace is supreme.

Return to Index

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF WORSHIP IN ISLAAM?

The purpose of worship in Islaam is to make the person God conscious.
Thus the worship, whether it is prayer, fasting, or charity, is a
means to an end and the end is to seek the pleasure of God by becoming
God Conscious in thought and in action. Thus the God conscious is
better placed to receive His bounties both in this world and in the
Hereafter.

Return to Index

DO MUSLIMS BELIEVE IN THE HEREAFTER?

God is just and therefore, in order to exercise His justice, He has
created a system of accountability. Those who do good are rewarded in
Paradise and those who do wrong are punished in Hell. Therefore,
Muslims believe that the present life is a temporary one. It is a test
and if we pass the test, we will be given a life of permanent pleasure
in the company of good people in Paradise.

Return to Index

WILL THE GOOD ACTIONS OF NON-BELIEVERS BE WASTED?

No. The Quraan clearly states that, "Anyone who has an atom's worth of
goodness will also see it." By that it is meant that those who do not
believe but have done good, they will be rewarded in this world for
their good deeds. On the other hand, those who do good and have
correct beliefs like Muslims, will be rewarded not only in this world
but also in the world Hereafter. However, the final judgment is up to
God Himself. (Quraan 2:62)

Return to Index

WHAT IS THE DRESS CODE FOR MUSLIMS?

Islaam emphasizes modesty. No person is allowed to be perceived as a
sex object. Guidelines both for men and women are that their dress
should not either be too thin nor too tight to reveal body forms. Men,
must cover the area from the knee to the navel and women, should cover
all areas except hands and the face.

Return to Index

WHAT ARE THE DIETARY REQUIREMENTS IN ISLAAM?

Muslims are told in the Quraan not to eat pork or pork products, dead
animals or the meat of the carnivorous animals (as they eat dead
animals), or drink intoxicants such as wine or use any drug products.

Return to Index

WHAT IS "ISLAAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM"?

As opposed to Christianity, there is no concept of "Fundamentalism" in
Islaam. The western media has coined this term to brand those Muslims
who wish to return to the basic fundamental principles if Islaam and
mold their lives accordingly. Islaam is a religion of moderation and a
practicing Muslim can neither be a fanatic nor an extremist.

Return to Index

WHAT IS THE ISLAAMIC YEAR?

The Islamic Year started with the migration (HIJRAH) of Prophet
Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon him) from Mekkah to
Medinah in 622 CE . It is a lunar year of 354 days. 1997 CE is the
Islamic year 1417 Hijri.

Return to Index

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR ISLAAMIC FESTIVALS?

'Eed-ul-Fitr marks the end of fasting in the month of Ramadaan and is
celebrated with public prayers, feasts and exchange of gifts. 'Eed-ul-
Adhaa marks the end of the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mekkah.
After the public prayer, those who can afford, sacrifice a lamb, goat,
cow or camel to signify Prophet Abraham's obedience to God, shown by
his readiness to sacrifice his own son Ishmael.

Return to Index

WHAT IS SHARI'AH?

Shari'ah is the comprehensive Muslim law derived from two sources: (a)
the Quraan (2) the Sunnah or practices of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and
blessings of God be upon him). It covers every aspect of daily
individual and collective living. The purpose of Islaamic laws is to
protect individual's basic human rights to include right to life,
property, political and religious freedom and safeguarding the rights
of women and minorities. The low crime rate in Muslim societies is due
to the application of the Islaamic penal laws. These however can only
be applied in a society which has established all other Islaamic laws
to ensure justice and protection of each other's rights.

Return to Index

WAS ISLAAM SPREAD BY THE SWORD?

According to the Quraan, "There is no compulsion in religion"(2:256),
thus, no one can be forced to become a Muslim. While it is true in
many places where Muslim armies went to liberate people or the land,
they did carry the sword as that was the weapon used at that time.
However, Islaam did not spread by the sword. In many places where
there are Muslims now, in the Far East like Indonesia, in China, and
many parts of Africa, there are no records of any Muslim armies having
gone there. To say that Islaam was spread by the sword would be to say
that Christianity was spread by guns, F-16's and atomic bombs, etc.,
which is not true. Christianity was spread by the missionary work of
Christians. Ten-percent of all Arabs are Christians. The "Sword of
Islaam" could not covert all the non-Muslim minorities in Muslim
countries. In India, where Muslims ruled for 700 years, they are still
a minority. In the USA, Islaam is the fastest growing religion and has
6 million followers and no sword is around.

Return to Index

DOES ISLAAM PROMOTE VIOLENCE AND TERRORISM?

No. Islaam is a religion of peace and submission and stresses the
sanctity of human life. A verse in the Quran says (Chapter 5, verse
32), that anyone who saves one life, it is as if he has saved the
whole of mankind and anyone who has killed another person except (in
lieu of murder or mischief on earth), it is as if he has killed the
whole mankind." Islaam condemns all violence which happened in the
Crusades, in Spain, in the 2nd world war, or by acts of people like
the Rev. Jim Jones, David Koresh, Dr. Baruch Goldstein, or the
atrocities committed in Bosnia by the Christian Serbs. Anyone who
resorts to violence is not practicing his religion at that time.
However, sometimes violence is a human response of oppressed people as
in Palestine. There is a lot of terrorism and violence in areas where
there is no Muslim presence. For example, in Ireland, South Africa,
Latin America, and Sri Lanka. Sometimes violence is due to a struggle
between those who have and those who do not have, or between those who
are oppressed with those who are oppressors. Unfortunately, the
Palestinians who are struggling against oppression are called
terrorists but not the armed Israeli settlers when they do the same.
As it turned out in the Oklahoma City bombing, sometime Muslims are
prematurely blamed even if the terrorism is committed by non-Muslims.
God does permit defensive wars against organized oppression. Sometimes
some misguided Muslims turn to violence as happens with all religions
and countries of the world. To call all Muslims terrorists is
completely false. Islaam is a religion of peace, harmony and
submission to the laws of God Almighty.

Return to Index

WHAT IS JIHAAD?

The word "Jihaad " means "Struggle", or to be specific, striving in
the cause of God. Any struggle done in day-to-day life to please God
is considered Jihaad. One of the highest levels of Jihaad is to stand
up to a tyrant and speak a word of truth. Control of the self from
wrong doings is the greatest Jihaad. One of the forms of Jihaad is to
take arms in defense of Islaam or a Muslim country when Islaam is
attacked. This kind of Jihaad has to be declared by the religious
leadership or by a Muslim head of state who is following the Quraan
and Sunnah.

Return to Index

DOES ISLAAM PROMOTE POLYGAMY?

For Muslim men to have more than one wife is a permission which is
given to them in the Quraan provided it is not done to satisfy lust
but to meet social solutions and needs. This permission is given
provided the person is capable of treating the wives equally. It is
not an injunction. In the pre-Islaamic period, men used to have many
wives. One person had 11 wives and when he became Muslim, he asked the
Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon him) "What should
I do with so many wives?" and he said, "Divorce all except four." The
Quraan says, "you can only marry 2 or 3 and up to 4 women if you can
be equally just with each of them." Since it is very difficult to be
equally just with all wives, in practice, most of the Muslim men do
not have more than one wife. Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of
God be upon him) himself from age 24 to 50 was married to only one
woman, Khadeejah (May Allaah be pleased with her). In the western
society, some men who have one wife have many extra marital affairs. A
survey was published in "U.S.A. Today" (April 4, 1988, Section D)
which asked 4700 mistresses what they would like their status to be.
They said that "they preferred being the second wife rather than the
"other woman" because they do not have the legal rights, nor did they
have the financial equality of the legally married wives, and it
appeared that they were being used by these men." Historically, all
the prophets except Jesus, who was not married, had more than one
wife. So this is not something which Islaam has started; in fact,
Islaam regulated it.

Return to Index

DOES ISLAAM OPPRESS WOMEN?

No. On the contrary, Islaam elevated the status of women 1,400 years
ago by giving them the right to divorce, the right to have financial
independence and support and the right to be identified as dignified
women (Hijab) when in the rest of the world, including Europe, women
had no such rights. Women are equal to men in all acts of piety
(Quraan 33:32). Islaam allows women to keep their maiden name even
after marriage, their earned money and spend it as they wish, and
instructs men to be their protectors as women on the street can be
molested. Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of God be upon him)
told Muslim men, "The best among you is the one who is best to his
family". Some Muslim men, do oppress women today. This is because of
their cultural habits or their ignorance about their religion. Female
Genital Mutilations has nothing to do with Islaam. It is pre Islamic
African Custom, practiced by non Muslims including Coptic Christians
as well.

Return to Index

IS iSLAAM INTOLERANT OF OTHER RELIGIOUS MINORITIES?

Islaam recognizes the rights of the minority. They are not required to
do army service. To ensure their welfare and safety, Muslim rulers
initiated a tax (JAZIA) on them. Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings
of God be upon him) forbade Muslim armies to destroy churches and
synagogues. Caliph' Umar did not even allow them to pray inside a
church. Jews were welcomed and flourished in Muslim Spain when they
were persecuted in the rest of Europe. They consider that part of
their history as the golden era. In Muslim countries, Christians live
in prosperity, hold government positions and attend their church.
Christian missionaries are allowed to establish and operate their
schools and hospitals. However, the same religious tolerance is not
always available to Muslim minorities as seen in the past during the
Spanish inquisition and the Crusades, or as seen now by the events in
the former Yugoslavia, Israel and India. Muslims do recognize that
sometimes the actions of a ruler does not reflect the teachings of his
religion.

Return to Index

WHAT IS THE ISLAAMIC VIEW ON :-

DATING and PREMARITAL SEX : Islaam does not approve of intimate mixing
or informality between the sexes, and forbids premarital or
extramarital sex. Islaam encourages marriage as a shield to such
temptations and as a means of having mutual love, mercy and peace.

ABORTION : Islaam considers abortion as murder and does not permit it
except to save the mother's life.

HOMOSEXUALITY and AIDS : Islaam categorically opposes homosexuality
and considers it a sin. However, Muslim physicians are advised to care
for AIDS patients with compassion just as they would for other
patients.

EUTHANASIA and SUICIDE : Islaam is opposed to both suicide and
euthanasia. Muslims do not believe in heroic measures to artificially
prolong the life of a terminally ill patient.

ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION : Islaam stresses upon saving lives (Quran
5:32), thus, transplantation in general would be considered
permissible provided a donor consent is available. The sale of the
organ is not allowed.

Return to Index

HOW SHOULD MUSLIMS TREAT JEWS AND CHRISTIANS?

The Quraan calls them "People of the Book ",i.e., those who received
Divine scriptures before the advent of Muhammad (Peace and blessings
of God be upon him) Muslims are told to treat them with respect and
justice and not fight with them unless they initiate hostilities or
ridicule their faith. Muslim's ultimate hope is that they all will
join them in worshipping One God and submit to His will. "Say (O
Muhammad ) (Peace and blessings of God be upon him) O people of the
Book (Jews and Christians) come to an agreement between us and you
that we shall worship none but Allaah, and that we shall take no
partners unto Him, and none of us shall take others for Lords beside
Allaah, and if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are
those who have surrendered (unto Him)." (Quraan 3:64)



Return to Index

QUESTION: Does Islaam and its Prophet and Messenger Muhammad (peace
and blessing of God be upon him) have any historical links with the
Bible? (Gospel and the Old Testament).

(All quotations are from the New King James Version.)

Yes, indeed there are many links. We quote as follows;

In the Old Testament, Genesis, 21:21 it is said: 'He (Prophet
Ismaaeel) dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his Mother took a wife
for him from the land of Egypt.' Psalm 83: 4-6 talks about the enemies
of among others Ishmaelites, and Hagrites (Hagar being the mother of
Prophet Ismaaeel). Psalm 84: 4-6 "4- Blessed are those who dwell in
your House; They will still be praising You. 5- Blessed is the man
whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on the pilgrimage. 6- As
they pass through the valley of Baca. They make it a spring; The rain
also covers it with pools."

There are several interesting points in the above verses. The name
Baca could be Hebrew whereas the word Mecca is Arabic. Added to this
the fact that there is a designated House of God built by Abraham
peace be upon him in Mecca where yearly pilgrimage was performed from
the time of Abraham and Ismaaeel peace be upon them both, even to this
day. The valley of Baca could indeed be the same as the valley of
Mecca. The above verses seem to place Hagar, Ismaaeel and their
children in the valley of Mecca where Prophet Muhammad, (Peace and
Blessing of God be upon him), was born.

Isaiah, 21:12-17 mentions 12 . . . In the forest in Arabia you will
lodge . . . 15 For they fled from the swords , from the drawn sword,
from the bent bow, and from the distress of war. (Probable connection
with the enemies mentioned in Psalm 83: 4-6 quoted above; also
settlement in Arabia is confirmed; the verse 16 which follows, also
confirms these verses are about Ismaeelites, Kedar being the 2nd son
of Prophet Ismaaeel). 16 For thus the Lord . . . all the glory of
Kedar will fall; 17 and the remainder . . . people of Kedar will be
diminished . . .

Isaiah 42:1-13 These are very moving verses about 'God's elect
servant' who will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. A point worth
noting is that Gentiles are the non Jews and it was confirmed by Jesus
peace be upon him that he was sent to the Jews. Moreover Muhammad
peace and blessings of God be upon him is consistently named by God as
Mustafaa which means 'elected' and 'Abd' which means 'servant'.
Prophet Muhammad always referred to himself consistently as the
'servant of God'. The above verses cannot be about Jesus peace be upon
him as many Christians believe, for at least two reasons. Firstly, the
Christians and the Catholics describe him as the son of God and not
the servant of God; whereas Prophet Muhammad is known exclusively as
the Servant and the Messenger of God. Secondly, Jesus was sent
exclusively to the Jews whereas Prophet Muhammad was sent among the
Gentiles.

Return to Index

ARE THERE ANY REFERENCES AND CITATIOINS FROM THE BIBLE ABOUT THE
COMING OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD? (Peace and Blessing of God Be Upon
Him)

Yes. There are several citations in the Bible prophesying the coming
of prophet Muhammad, (Peace and Blessing of God Be Upon Him). Isaiah
42: 4 says ' He will not fail nor be discouraged, till he has
established justice in the earth; . . . The Ministry of Jesus peace be
upon him lasted only three years and at the time of his departure from
this world it could not be truthfully said that 'he established
justice in the earth'. However, Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings
of God be upon him, preached for 23 years and most certainly
'established justice in the earth' before he departed from the earth.
It is therefore reasonable to conclude that verses 1-13 refer to the
coming of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him.

Deuteronomy 18:18 "I will raise for them a Prophet like you (Moses)
from among their brethren and will put My words in his mouth, and he
shall speak unto them, all that I command him".

Let me make some comments about the above: Christians believe that
this is a reference to Jesus peace be upon him. One important word
here is "Prophet". Christians believe Jesus is the son of God not a
prophet of God. Another important word is "brethren". If it were Jesus
the word would have been "children" because Jesus peace be upon him
came from the children of Isaac. Since Ismaaeel peace be upon him was
the brother of Isaac peace be upon him, the reference is therefore to
the children of Prophet Ismaaeel peace be upon him who will be
brethren to the children of Isaac peace be upon him. Again the only
Prophet from the brethren of the Jews and the Christians was Prophet
Muhammad peace and blessings of God be upon him.

The next important phrase is "Like you ( Moses)". Even a cursory
comparison will show us that Jesus peace be upon him was very unlike
Prophet Moses peace be upon him. Prophet Moses' birth was natural
whereas the birth of Jesus was miraculous without a father, to a
virgin, peace be upon her. Prophet Moses married and had children,
Jesus did not marry and of course did not have any children. The
ministry of Jesus peace be upon him lasted three years and did not see
the laws of God establish in his time. Prophet Moses peace be upon
him, preached the law of God for many decades and saw in his time, the
law of God established. Comparing Prophet Moses peace be upon him,
with Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of God be upon him, brings
out an amazing similarity. Muhammad's birth was natural, he was
married and had children; preached the law of God for 23 years and saw
in his own time God's Law established in his land.

The phrase: "I will put My words in his mouth", takes on great
significance because Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of God be
upon him, was unlettered; he did not know how to read or write.
Normally God would put the message in the Prophet's mind. In this case
attention is drawn towards "words" being put into the "mouth". Prophet
Muhammad's sayings as well as eye witness accounts describe his
receiving the verses of the Holy Quraan, and his tongue moving with
the words being put in his mouth.

Turning to the New Testament, let us look at John 14: 15-16. It says:
"14- If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16- And I will pray the
Father, and He will give you another "comforter" (Helper in other
versions), that he may abide with you forever". Also John 15: 26-27,
John 16: 5-8 and John 16 12-14.

Jesus peace be upon him, spoke the Gospel in his native language which
is Aramaic. The earliest translations were in Greek. It is very very
interesting that the Greek word which was eventually translated into
English as "Comforter" (Helper) is "Parqaleeta" and the meaning of
this word is "one whom people praise exceedingly". It does not mean
"the Holy Ghost" which is what we are told the so called "Comforter"
means. I do not have the slightest clue as to how this meaning was
given to the word Parqaleeta. What is even more fascinating is the
fact that the name Muhammad has exactly the same meaning as Parqaleeta
"one whom people praise exceedingly"! One of my friends wrote very
beautifully in his book about the meaning of the word Muhammad: 'The
most praised one. He is praised upon earth and in the heavens, from
the beginning to the end, by men jinn and angels, rocks and trees and
animals, by prophets before him since Adam, by saints until Doomsday.
As all of this cannot give him due praise, we beg God to praise him.
He is the only One who truly knows the value and the mystery of His
Muhammad and He is the only One who can truly praise him'. The
celestial name of Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of God be upon
him is Ahmad. I will quote from the Holy Quraan about the connection
of Prophet Muhammad with the Bible as follows:

Chapter 61

5 "And remember Moses said to his people: "O my people! why do ye vex
and insult me though ye know that I am the apostle of Allaah (sent) to
you?" Then when they went wrong Allaah let their hearts go wrong: for
Allaah guides not those who are rebellious transgressors.


6 And remember Jesus the son of Mary said: "O Children of Israel! I am
the Prophet of Allaah (sent) to you confirming the Law (which came)
before me and giving glad Tidings of a Prophet to come after me, whose
name shall be Ahmad." But when he came to them with Clear Signs they
said "This is evident sorcery!"

Allaah is one of the 100 names of the One and only God. Allaah is the
name of His Essence while the other 99 are the names of His
Attributes.

As for "abide with you forever" since Prophet Muhammad is the final
Prophet and the Holy Quraan the final Testament and Revelation from
God, his teachings which are more or less the same as of all the other
Prophets and Messengers of God, Divine teachings of God, he will abide
in his teachings forever.

Return to Index



QUESTION: I have read the Koran in paperback (which was a very short
version without notes) and remember reading that Gabriel (Jibril) was
partially responsible for it's content. If this is true, or any
information you can give to help us understand the muslim position on
the existence and purpose of angels would be most appreciated.

You have been misinformed about Angel Gabriel (God's peace be upon
him). He was not responsible for any contents whatsoever of the Holy
Quraan, the last revelation and testament of God to humanity. The Holy
Quraan is the speech of God delivered through the last Messenger of
God, Muhammad son of 'Abdullaah, May God's peace and blessings be upon
him, to all the human race. Angel Gabriel, is the Messenger used by
God Almighty to convey the verses of the Holy Quraan to Prophet
Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him. Angel Gabriel as a
matter of fact was the Messenger between God and all his Prophets and
Messengers, including Abraham, David, Moses, Jesus son of Mary etc.
etc. may God's peace be upon them all. In all these cases Angel
Gabriel was the conveyor of the messages, never responsible for the
contents. The contents were always from God Himself. The reason for
the succession of thousands of these Prophets and Messengers(May God's
peace be upon them all) was because the messages and books were well
guarded by the Prophets themselves as long as they were alive, but
changed and corrupted by their followers with the passing of time, and
The Lord of Mercy never wanted His creation to be without His True and
uncorrupted Message and Guidance. Picking up the threads from the
advent of Moses, peace of God be upon him, and the Book Torah given to
him, soon after he passed away, his followers started to alter and
corrupt the Book.

God in His Infinite Mercy sent a series of 11 Prophets(May His peace
be upon them all), to convey to the followers of Moses (May God's
peace be upon him) that they were changing and had changed the
contents of the Torah. Three of these Prophets(May God's peace be upon
them) were killed by them. This is why Jesus son of Mary(May God's
peace be upon him), right in the beginning of his preachings made it
clear, that he was not sent with a new message and that he was sent to
take the people back to the original Message and Teachings of his
predecessor, Moses, (Gods peace be upon him), meaning, the Torah
thereby confirming what every Prophet and Messenger had emphasized
before him: That the thousands of the Prophets and Messengers were
sent by the same ONE and ONLY GOD with the same guidance ALL these
prophets and messengers ensured that the True Word of God was never
lost to humanity. They were certainly not sent to create thousands of
religions! Of course the followers of Jesus son of Mary(Peace of God
be upon him) did the same thing to his teachings. The major changes
being: Making him the son of God instead of a great Prophet and
Messenger of God that he is; making him God, calling him one of three
gods, etc. etc. The changes went on to such a degree that there are
now more than 60 versions of the Bible(Different versions not
translations) and 72 sects. This is why the last Prophet and Messenger
of God, Muhammad son of 'Abdullaah(Peace and Blessings of God be upon
him) was sent with the Last Guidance, Revelation and Testament, the
Holy Quraan to amend and correct the changes and corruption made to
the True Gospel of Jesus, son of Mary(May God's peace be upon him).
The coming of Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of God be upon him) was
prophesied by not only Jesus, but also Moses and many other Prophets
and Messengers of God(May His peace be upon them all). God promised
that since Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of God be upon him) is the
last of the series of the Prophets and Messengers and since the Holy
Quraan is His last Book of Guidance to humanity, He Himself will guard
it from any changes or corruption's till the Day of Judgment. This is
why this last Revelation which was sent 1418 years ago has remained
unchanged, not even a word or a letter has been altered.

With regards to your question about the existence and purpose of
angels, let me inform you that Angels were created by God Almighty
from light and of course they cannot be seen by human beings. They are
creatures who are pure and always willingly obedient to God and His
commands. They carry out numerous chores. Michael (peace of God be
upon him) is the angel in charge of clouds and rain. For every human
being are appointed two recording angels one writing down his good
deeds and the other his bad deeds. Angel Izrael (May God's peace with
him) is the angel of Death. There are angels in charge of Paradise and
there are angels in charge of Hell. There are 2 Questioning Angels who
question the dead person as soon as he is buried. Then there are the
Guardian angels. God says in The Holy Quraan that the number of angels
that are in existence is known only to Him. This is by no means an
exhaustive list. It will give a general idea.

By the way abridged versions of the Holy Quraan Translations are not
considered by Muslims to be authentic because The Word of God Almighty
cannot be given "Versions". There is only one Quraan and the 'Arabic
Text must accompany every authorized translation.



Return to Home Page

Return to Index


QUESTION: Does Islam believe in an eternal hell? Does it state in the
Quraan that God has infinite mercy and that eventually all will become
one with God?

Yes, the Holy Quraan which muslims believe is the Last Revelation from
the One and only God, sent to humanity for its guidance, through the
last Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad, peace and blessings of
God be upon him, does state that there is an eternal hell. Those who
were the True believers of each prophet and messenger and followed the
book that he brought before it was corrupted and changed, will be
awarded Paradise and those who disbelieved in each prophet and
messenger of God and rejected his book, will be consigned by God to
the hell where they will remain eternally. Those who believed in the
book and the messenger / prophet before it was corrupted and changed,
but did not fully obey its commands, will spend an appropriate time of
punishment in the hell, after which they will be sent to paradise. The
last Revelation from God, the Holy Quraan and the last Messenger
Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, were sent because
the Gospel sent through Jesus, peace of God be upon him, was changed
and corrupted and Oneness of God Almighty and His Divinity which He
does not share with His creation was changed into the concept of
trinity and divinity of Jesus. Moreover God does create but is far
above the blasphemous belief that He has a begotten son or begets
children. The Holy Quraan was therefore sent to humanity to correct
these changes and to bring us all back to His Oneness and His correct
Guidance. Those who believe in the corrupted Bible and its in changes
and reject the Holy Quraan and the last Messenger of God, Muhammad,
peace and blessings of God be upon him, will be sent to the hell where
they will remain eternally just as the Jews who rejected Prophet and
Messenger Jesus, who was sent at that time with the Gospel to correct
the changes and corruptions in the Torah of Moses, peace of God be
upon him.


Return to Home Page

Return to Index



QUESTION: Did I understand correctly that Muslims believe Jesus was
just a prophet? How did the Quraan explain his death, burial, and
resurrection as it is written in the Holy Bible? This is conflicting
with what I was taught as a child.



I do understand your confusion. It has been my experience also that
everything I was taught and everything I read in the past is not
always true and correct. This, I have observed, is a human experience
and by and large we discover this and make our adjustments as we go
along. I also discovered that questioning sincerely everything BEFORE
we accept anything to be correct is a very very valuable right given
to all human beings by God. Contrary to common belief, God does not
get upset if we do so! If we are sincere searchers of the Truth, He
actually does help us and enlightens us. Would He not, if He loved us?
Would He not help us find Him? Of course He would. The most
fundamental question we must ask is: Who is He? Is He like you and me,
flesh and blood, but a Super Man? Why only a Male, why not a female
goddess? If He is flesh and blood, does He eat, drink and go to the
toilet? Does He have children? If He is flesh and blood does He get
sick, decay and die? If He dies, then who takes care of this vast
Universe and the billions of human beings and other creatures? You
will find that Islaam and the Holy Quraan, the last and final
Revelation, have very fascinating and very convincing answers. You
will find the answers to be simple, uncomplicated and singularly full
of logic and acceptable. I am going to produce as under a quotation
from the Holy Quraan about this subject:

Chapter 4 Verse Nos. 156-158

"And because of their disbelief and of their speaking against Mary a
tremendous calumny; that they said (in boast)

'We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary the Prophet and Messenger of
God'; but they killed him not nor crucified him but so it was made to
appear to them and those who differ therein are full of doubts with no
(certain) knowledge but only conjecture to follow for of a surety they
killed him not. Nay God raised him up unto Himself; and God is Exalted
in Power, Wise".

As regards God Himself, He is not flesh and blood. He is shapeless,
formless Infinity, Who was always there and He is always going to be
there: He is truly Eternal, Self subsisting and Truly Alive. He is not
'matter' because matter has to be created and He was not created, He
is the creator of matter and everything that exists. He is not two or
three or more. He is the One and only God. He does not have a son who
is another god because God cannot be created. Hence the only sensible
understanding is that there is only one God who does create human
beings and other creation, but He does not share His Divinity with any
of His creation. He did send human messengers (prophets, apostles) for
guidance to humanity such as Noah, Abraham, David, Isaac, Solomon,
Moses and several others (May God's peace be upon them all).Jesus son
of Mary(May God's peace be upon him), is also a wonderful, kind,
loving, wise, and a great prophet of God, just as Muhammad son of
'Abdullaah(May the peace and blessings of God be upon him) is, who was
his successor and t through whom the last book of Revelations, the
Holy Quraan was sent to humanity to correct and rectify the mythical
and false beliefs that had entered into the religion of Moses and
Jesus, peace of God be upon them both. I am pleased to forward
relevant quotations from the Holy Quraan as under:



Chapter 4 Verse 171

"O People of the Scripture! (The Bible and the Torah) Do not
exaggerate in your religion nor utter anything concerning God except
the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of
God, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him.
So believe in God and His messengers, and say not "Three" (Trinity).
Cease! (it is) better for you! God is only One God. Far is it removed
from His transcendent majesty that he should have a son. His is all
that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And God is
sufficient as Defender".

I will also happily quote as under the verses from the Chapter of
Purity (of Monotheism), No112:

"Say: He is God, the One and Only;

God the Eternal, the Absolute;

He begetteth not nor is He begotten;

And there is none like unto Him"

I have dealt with your confusion in some detail. If you desire to
press on with the pursuit of the Truth, which you will find most
natural and easy to believe, please send us your postal mailing
address. We shall be happy to send you more information in the form of
brief books and literature, at no charge to you and I promise you that
provided you are sincere and interested in your search, you have
waiting for you the most pleasant and satisfying surprise.

Return to Index



Daar-ul-Ehsaan USA
(The Abode Of Excellence In Worship)
In The U.S.A.

739 Terryville Avenue Bristol, CT 06010

860-585-9742

In The Service of God by Serving Humanity