Gareth Bryant's Pageviews

Sunday, October 30, 2011

A necessary clarification concerning misconceptions about Islam & Muslims:

Author's Note: 
I would like to clarify some common misconceptions about Islam & Muslims, which have been taken to be factual, by both Non-Muslims as well as other Muslims. I purposely chose to mention theological issues in this particular post, being that these issues are of the utmost important to clarify for both Non-Muslims & Muslims.


1.   Allah (means “God”) is the Arabic word for “God”:
The word for god in the Arabic language is “Ilah”, hence the famous Islamic slogan:
(“La ilaha illal-lah”) “There is no god except Allah”.1 This slogan is one half of the Islamic Testimony of Faith, which is required to be said by someone who wants to become a Muslim. The word “Ilah” (much like the word “God” in English2) means an object of worship.3 Based upon that, anything or anyone can be a god. In fact, the Islamic definition of this first half of the Testimony means that there is no object of worship in truth except Allah. People worship many different things like fame, fortune, power, etc. There are all types of gods, but there is only one Allah. The word “Allah” is a very unique word in the Arabic language, because it cannot be made dual, plural, feminine, indefinite or an object of possession (i.e. in the Arabic language, a person cannot say: “two Allah’s”, “three Allah’s”, “feminine Allah”, “an Allah”, or “my Allah”). Many people may very well ask: Well, what does Allah mean if not “God”? My answer to that would simply be this: the name “Allah” is a specific word in the Arabic language that has been chosen by the Lord of the Universe as His principal name, even though He informs us in His Book (the Qur’an) of His other names.4 The closest possible translation of the word “Allah” in English would be “The One-True God”.

2. Muslims worship Muhammad:
Muslims are not allowed to worship anyone except Allah Himself. We do not give created things any level of Divinity. Divinity is only for Allah, and He does not share His Divinity with anyone.5 Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is only the Messenger of Allah6; the one whom was given the Book of Allah (the Qur’an). Allah taught him His speech (the Qur’an) though he could not read or write it.7

3. Muslims worship Stones & Statues:
Not only are Muslims prohibited from worshipping other Humans, we are also banned from worshipping Animals, forces of Nature, Planets & Stars, engraved images, sculptures, etc. There has been some people and groups who have suggested that Muslims worship the Black-Stone, which is embedded in one of the corners of the Ka`bah in the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, as well as an ancient Pagan-Arab goddess named Al-lat, whom many have stated that the Muslims got the name “Allah” from the name “Al-lat”. Many people lie upon the Muslims to try to accuse us of not being truly monotheistic. Theologically, as well as linguistically this is all wrong. Firstly, Allah tells us in His Book how the Pagan-Arabs worshipped many other gods & goddesses, including Al-lat.8 Secondly, the names “Allah” & “Al-lat” are two completely different words in the Arabic language with separate meanings.9

4. Islam means “Peace”:
The word Islam does not mean “Peace”, rather it means submission. In fact, the Islamic definition of this word means: “Submission to Allah with Oneness (meaning to worship Allah alone, as one god), to humble one’s self with it, and to free one’s self from Association (Polytheism) and its (branches) people.”10

5. Muslims believe in the Bible:
We do not accept the Bible as the word of Allah, because of what the word Bible means. The word itself simply means a collection of books.11We do believe in the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel as they were first revealed. Allah informs us of how the people whom these previous books were initially revealed to eventually changed what was in those books.12

6. Muslims do not believe in Jesus:
We do believe that Jesus (Peace be upon him) is in fact the Christ (for the record, Allah mentions him as the Christ more than five times in the Qur’an)13, but that is as far as it goes. We do not regard him as the “Son of Allah” because he is not. We also do not regard him as the one who died for the sins of Humanity.14 Allah has no parents, no children, and no equal.15

7. Islam is an “Abrahamic-Faith”:
The whole concept that Islam, Judaism, and Christianity have the same origin is ridiculous. Islam predates Abraham (Peace be upon him), because according to Islamic text, the first Muslim was the first Human, Adam (Peace be upon him).16 As for Judaism & Christianity, these two religions did not exist during the lifetime of Abraham (Peace be upon him), on the contrary, they appeared at least 3,000 years after the death of Abraham (Peace be upon him).17

8. Muhammad was the founder of Islam:
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) did not founded Islam. Islam predates him as well Abraham (Peace be upon him), which was previously mentioned. He was however the Seal of the Prophets & Messengers who called Humanity to Islam.18

9. Members of the “Nation of Islam” or the “Five-Percent Nation” are Muslims:
The “Nation of Islam” is a total facade; formerly led by Elijah Poole (better known as “Elijah Muhammad) who taught his followers that the founder of the “Nation of Islam”; a man named Wallace D. Ford (better known as “Master Fard Muhammad”) was Allah (as well as the fallacy that African-Americans were a “Nation of Gods”), and that he was the “Messenger of Allah”, who was sent to the “Black-Man” in the Western Hemisphere; often referring to them as the “Lost Tribe of Shabazz”.19 This man was a complete theological fraud who preyed upon the ignorance of his own people (to acquire dominance in the African-American community) for his own selfish interests. He never taught his followers the correct theological fundamentals of Islam, and is personally responsible for misguiding countless African-Americans, as well as painting an overall false image of Islam & Muslims to other people across the globe.
As for the “Five-Percent Nation”, their founder was a rogue member of the “Nation of Islam” named “Clarence 13X”. The core beliefs of both the “Nation of Islam” & the “Five-Percent Nation” are almost identical, with the exception that the divinity of the “Black-Man” is emphasized more among “Five-Percenters”. They also have a belief that they are the selected few who are righteous, thus making them only 5% of the Human population. Everyone else falls into the category of the “Eighty-Fivers”; the 85% who are the “Ignorant-Masses” or the 10% who “Build & Destroy”. They also practice Numerology, something that is regarded as a Major-Sin according to Islamic-Law.20

10. Muslims Jews & Christians believe in the same god:
If Muslims, Jews, & Christians all believed in the same god then there would be no such thing as a Muslim, Jew, or Christians would there? The Jews believe that they are the chosen “People of God”. Does this mean that every single Human that ever lived who is not Jewish is damned? The Christians believe that Jesus (Peace be upon him) died for their sins. What about all of the other Humans that ever lived before the time of Jesus (Peace be upon him) are they also damned? Where is the justice? As Muslims, we believe that Allah has sent guidance to every nation, and to every people, regardless of ethnicity, regional, or continental origin.21

#I'm just sayin'!!!

1 Lisan-ul`Arab (The Arabic Language [Lexicon of the Arabic Language])
2 Webster’s Dictionary
3 Al-`Aqidat-ul-Islamiyyah (Islamic Creed), Muhammad Jamil Zino
4 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 59, V. 22-24
5 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 18, V. 26
6 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 48, V. 29
7 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 7, V. 157
8 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 53, V. 19
9 Lisan-ul-`Arab, Chick Publications
10 Al-Qawlu-ul-Mufid (The Beneficial Speech), Muhammad ibn-`Abd-il-Wahhab ibn-`Aly al-Wasaby
11 Webster’s Dictionary
12 Noble Qur’an: Chpts. 2, V. 65 & 79; 5, 60
13 Noble Qur’an: Chpts. 3, V. 40; 4, 156, 157 & 171; 5, 17, 72 & 75; 9, 30 & 31
14 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 4, V. 157
15 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 112, V. 3 & 4
16 Qasas-ul-Anbiya’ (Stories of Prophets), Isma`il Ibn-Kathir ad-Dimashqy
17 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 3, V. 67
18 Noble Qur’an: Chpt.. 33, V. 40
19 Message to the Black Man in America, Elijah Muhammad; World Religions, MacMillan Compendium, MacMillan Library
Reference, U.S.A.; Encyclopedia of African-American Religions
20 Al-Kaba’ir (The Major-Sins), Muhammad ibn-`Uthman adh-Dhahaby
21 Noble Qur’an: Chpt. 16, V. 36

No comments:

Post a Comment