What do Muslims believe in?
Muslims believe in ONE, Unique, Incomparable God; in the Angels created by Him; in the prophets through whom His revelations were brought to mankind; in the Day of Judgement and individual accountability for actions; as well as in God’s complete authority over human destiny and in life after death.
Muslims believe in a chain of prophets starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah, John the Baptist, and Jesus (peace be upon them).
But God’s final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a summing-up of all that has gone before was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through Gabriel.
What does Islam mean?
The Arabic word ‘Islam’ simply means ‘submission’, and derives from an Arabic word meaning ‘peace’. In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of God. ‘Mohammedanism’ is thus a misnomer because it suggests that Muslims worship Muhammad rather than God. ‘Allah’ (swt) is the Arabic name for God, which in the Middle East is used by the Arabs; Muslims, Christians and Jews alike.
Why does Islam often seem strange?
Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion does not dominate everyday life in the West today, whereas Muslims have religion always uppermost in their minds and at the core of their daily lives, they make no division between secular and sacred. They believe that the Divine Law, the Shari’a, should be taken very seriously, which is why issues related to religion are still so important.
What is the Shari’a:
The Arabic word sharīʿa has origins in the concept of ‘religious law’; the word is commonly used by Arabic-speaking peoples of the Middle East and designates a prophetic religion in its totality. Thus, sharīʿat Mūsā means religious Law of Moses (Judaism), sharīʿat al-Masīḥ means religious law of Christianity, sharīʿat al-Madjūs means religious law of Zoroastrianism.
The Arabic expression شريعة الله (God’s Law) is a common translation for תורת אלוהים
(‘God’s Law’ in Hebrew) and νόμος τοῦ θεοῦ (‘God’s Law’ in Greek in the New Testament [Rom. 7: 22]).
In contemporary Islamic literature, sharia refers to divine law of Islam as revealed by Allah to Prophet Muhammad, as well as in his function as model and exemplar of the law (Sunna).
Do Islam and Christianity have different origins?
NO. Together with Judaism, they go back to the prophet and patriarch Abraham, and their three prophets are directly descended from his sons, Muhammad from the elder son Ishmael, and Moses and Jesus from the younger son Isaac. Abraham established the settlement which today is the city of Makkah, and built the Ka’ba towards which all Muslims turn when they pray.
How did the spread of Islam affect the world?
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, ‘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 and computer sciences), were transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam (bringing it out of it’s dark ages). Sophisticated instruments which were to make possible the European voyages of discovery were developed, including the astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps.
What are the Five Pillars of Islam?
They are the framework of the Muslim life: declaration of faith, prayer, (Zakat) concern for the needy, (Fasting) and going for (Hajj) for those that able to.
Msay Almighty Allah S.W.T guide us towards the right path
Johnson Abdulazeez @knowislam.com.ng
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