American Muslim

          As an American and a Muslim, there are few points more frustrating than to explain how Islam is not a religion of hate and killing. I apologize in advance for the use of so many quotes but a point needs to be made. "For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind." (Holy Qur'an 5:32) (Quotes taken from www.quran.com)

INFIDELS: Another question I get a lot is in reference to Quranic scripture referring to non-believers. First, believers are those who believe in the last day or resurrection day, and one god above (regardless if you call him Allah, God, Yahweh  etc.) "Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve." (Holy Qur'an 2:62) So therefore, non-believers or "infidels" would be those who do not fall into this category (ie. Atheists, Polytheistic believers, etc.) During the time of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh), there was a real and dangerous conflict between a new Muslim following in the city of Medina and the Arab pagans living in Mecca. So the condoning of fighting or being wary of non-believers would have been a practical response to the threats of their time.

CONVERTING TO ISLAM: Islam translated means submission to the will of God. The same will that is expressed in the Bible is expressed in the Qur'an, and thus brings up the next question I commonly get: What do Muslims believe and how are they different from Christians? Surprisingly little is different between the religions despite what most might think. The first step to being a Muslim is to perform the first of 5 "pillars" to the religion which is called the shahada or public profession. Before converting to Islam, I was a devout Catholic and while speaking to a Muslim friend was asked a series of simple questions: 1. Do you believe in God? Yes, I answered, of course I believe in God. 2. Do you believe in the last day or judgement day? Yes, years of bible study will tell you that. 3. And finally do you believe that Muhammad was the last prophet, not the only one, or the most important one, just the last one? Yes, I believe he was a prophet. My friend laughed and said "well, that's it! That's what it takes to be Muslim!" And after asking my local Imam (muslim pastor), I confirmed what my friend said was true. The shahada is bearing witness that "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God." From then on, you are a Muslim. The responsibility of a new Muslim is to read the Qur'an and apply what you read to your daily life. (see also www.convertingtoislam.com)

THE BIBLE AND JESUS: The Qur'an has been referred to as "the Truth." As it should be, the Qur'an in its Arabic version is the exact same as it was revealed to the Prophet. All translations, languages or explanations are clearly labeled as the meaning of the Qur'an and make no attempt to replace the original. However the Qur'an calls us to believe in it AND the Bible. "It is He Who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion (of judgment between right and wrong)." (Holy Quran 3:3) In this quote, it is recognized that the Bible was sent down by God and is therefore just as relevant to a Muslim as the Qur'an. The shahada tells us that there is no God but God, so what does that mean about Jesus. Many Christians revere Jesus as the Son of God or in some way a part of God himself. The Qur'an has this to say about Jesus: "Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah." (Holy Qur'an 3:45) The miracle of his conception and birth through the virgin Mary is described in a Chapter set aside just for her, Surah (chapter) 19 - Maryam, ayet (verse) 17-21. The Qur'an refers to Jesus as the messiah, prophet and a messenger in several verses but never the Son of God. This made me curious. Where in the Bible does it say that Jesus is the "Son of God?" I found in Matthew 16:16-17 "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." See if you can find others. Just remember that for a fact as paramount as this is for the basis of Christianity, it should be clear and obvious in the scripture. (For a real challenge, try finding a scripture that calls him God.)

As I get more questions, I will update this page. Thanks for reading.